The Scrapping Rican

We interrupt our regularly scheduled program....

to bring you this very important announcement.  Many of you know (or if you didn't you will know now) that I love to hang out here.  I am meeting a bunch of lovely and talented women here and Kirsty Wiseman is one of them.  She is also on the design team at Studio Calico.  If you would be so kind as take 2 minutes of you time to view the video below.  This little girl is the daughter of Ms. Wiseman.  They are conducting a fund raiser so that she may see a specialist.  You can get more information here.

Hugs & Love,

A.

Shameless promotion....

of Scrapping the Music, the challenge blog site that took mercy on me and made me a DT member.  (Yes, I'm been suffering from self-doubt and lack of creative mojo).  I know it's highly due to the fact that I'm stressed out and a lot of stuff has been going on with me since I blog last (aside from the post regarding Sonia's b-day card).  Anyway I'm straying from the subject.

Yes everyone, I am PIMPING Scrapping the Music this week, cause this week's song is the one that I've pushed hard for.  The fabulous Alicia Keys' "No One."  This song is superb and more so because my darling baby girl absolutely loves this song.  She declares that this song is "her song" and she has the cd to prove it!   Makes her Daddy play it for her everytime they are in the car.  Makes Momma bring it up on You Tube so that she can watch the video and sing her little heart out.  She also plays it on her keyboard upstairs in her bedroom and sings it in her microphone.  Off key, but meaningful and soulful.

Here's a sneak peek at my layout. More to come, keep reading. So now this is where I'm on my knees begging to my talented friends and lurkers who frequent my blog, please-baby-baby-please, if you think of and get a chance, would you make a layout and submit to Scrapping the Music this week?  We do have a give-a-away, but this one is at random.  We'll we draw a name out of the submissions.  So if you would do that for me, I'd be grateful and so would Bella.  ;)

Here is my layout below.  Check out the stand that it is  on.  Can you believe I picked up that beautiful baby for about $7 at Hobby Lobby yesterday.  Love it, so not like my usual modern tastes, but it's so pretty, I could not resist.  Especially since Bella declared it to be "gorgeous."  I wanted to thank my fellow DT gal and friend, Allison for putting up with my late and unexpected phone call last night.  I was stumped for an idea on how to go about this layout and just chatting with a pal seemed to help.  Thanks A.

Remember if you are up to granting my request, please leave a comment "for Bella" with your submission at STM.  Good luck with the drawing too.

Heartfelt thanks and abrazo fuerte!

Aleida

Happy Birthday Sonia...

actually her birthday was yesterday.  Busy day and just got around to posting this. Thinking of you girl.  Anyone that knows me knows that I struggle with the card making, but it's the point that I actually attempted to make one for my friend that counts.  Wouldn't you agree?

Lessons...

the below was forwarded to me by a friend/acquaintance.  I thought it was interesting.

A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at
a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now
retired.  During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints
about stress in their work and lives.  Offering his guests hot
chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large
pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass,
crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling
them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said:
"Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving
behind the plain and cheap ones.  While it is normal for you to want
only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and
stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of
the hot chocolate.  In most cases it is just more expensive and in some
cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot
chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups...
And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and
position in society are the cups.  They are just tools to hold and
contain life.  The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality
of life  you have.  Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail
to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us.  God makes the hot
chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best
of everything.  They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply.  Love generously.  Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy
your hot chocolate.

Positiveness on an...

early Sunday morning.  Grab a cup of java and enjoy.  Made me cry, great message and so appropriate for my "cleansing" this year.  AMEN.

A new site....

dedicating to showcasing scrapbookers, check it out here.  I was very surprised and very touched.  Thanks to Barbara for the head's up.

Thanks Janie -- I'm pretty speechless.

My Word....

after much debate (in my head) I have chosen my word for the year.  Coincides perfectly with the current One Little Word challenge.  The OLW word is "STEPS".

Here's my layout debuting my WORD. Hope you likey.

JOURNALING: In order for me to achieve positive mental health and happiness, I am going to have to rid of the bad elements haunting my life. I am going to focus on kicking my demons to the curb and ridding of all the bad karma and negativity which surrounds me. I will focus on the positives and strengthen my "I know I can" attitude. To do this, I will have to perform some internal and external cleaning. Therefore my WORD for this year is CLEANSE. I am making the appropriate STEPS.

Checking in and saying....

THANKS! To all of my new friends to this blog, to my old friends to the blog...to all of you whom left sweet comments regarding Christine.  Thank you.  Please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.  We are doing this, just in case you want to partake.

The new year is bringing me some challenges.  I've been taking a whipping the last few days, but don't worry--cause I'm going to overcome.  I do have my word for the year, but not going to share it just yet..in due time. :)

I will leave you with the full view of the layout I did for Scrapping the Music.  It's so much prettier in person, it really truly is.  I went overboard with the glitter, glitter was a-flying everywhere, but man it was fun.

:(....

a beautiful, courageous, remarkable, talented, sweet, positive woman lost her husband yesterday.  Thinking of you, praying for you...sorry, so sorry.

A.

Sneaky peek....

at the layout I just completed for Scrapping the Music.   Check it out tomorrow for the new song.  I'm enjoying the sunny Texan day playing with my adorable and loving daughter before I head out to work the store tonight.  Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend.

A.