Do you have a vision?

This is my vision board!  I absolutely love it!  It hangs in my bedroom where I can see it every day.  

It was very easy to make.  I bought a bulletin board and some see through tacks.  I then went to Pinterest and searched for vision board ideas. Up popped tons of vision board ideas, not only for the vision board set up itself, but actual ideas for what to put on a vision board.  I was amazed that nearly all of my dreams were already pictures, labeled in really fantastically artistic ways.  I took screen shots of all of the ones that pertained to me then uploaded them to print out at my local drugstore.  

Once they were developed I set at a table with my paper trimmer, the tacks, and the bulletin board.  Just like when making a layout, I trimmed the photos that needed trimming and then just started tacking the photos down. Since they already were so nicely labeled on Pinterest, I was able to attach them keeping the actual descriptions of my dreams showing and overlapping the photos where needed to make the pictures fit together neatly.  I did make up just a couple of my wishes on my own computer using a free website called PicMonkey, printed them out on photo paper on my own printer so I could attach them too.  Putting together the board took about two hours.  

Why is it important to have a vision board?  

A vision board is a tool used to help clarify, concentrate and maintain focus on a specific life goals.  Goals that you have vaguely running around in your head are unlikely to come to fruition.  Goals that you can see, be constantly reminded of, and attach emotions to have a much better chance at becoming real!  

Your vision board doesn't need to be made like mine.  It could be in a mini album or even in a decorated box but it needs to be looked at often, every day, which makes a board on the wall so much better.   I know your dreams are important to you like mine are to me so why not put them up so you can make them come true?

Not so random acts of kindness

I have a son, age 18, who is always a bit of a pain when it comes to Christmas and birthdays. My family and myself are always asking him what he'd like for a gift and he always says he doesn't need anything and it gets so frustrating because we obviously want to buy him a nice gift. This year, he finally asked for something. We have a local Mexican restaurant that we go to all the time. We love, not only the food, but the waiters who work there. They are just the nicest bunch of gentlemen who go out of their way to remember us, joke with us, and especially practice Spanish with us (my whole family has taken Spanish at some point in our lives). Anyway, Sam told us that instead of gifts for Christmas he wanted a $100 bill so that he could give it as a tip to one of the waiters. The whole family really got behind this idea and we were all excited when we went to El Rodeo a couple of days ago to give this tip. Sam was very specific that he didn't care which waiter ended up at our table and he also did not want to give it to him personally because, he told us, that wasn't the point, it wasn't about getting recognition for it. (Yes, I love my son.) So, just to make sure the waiter knew it wasn't to pay the bill or an accident, Sam wrote the word "tip" on a little piece of paper. He set the $100 bill on the empty basket of chips with the tip paper on top and we got up, paid our bill and left, never looking back at the table (he wouldn't let us). What's my point? This is a special memory for our family. We will remember it a long time but wouldn't it be even better if it were written down. Isn't it an important enough memory to have a photo with it (even if it isn't the actual photo of the waiter, the $100 or even us sitting at the table)? Isn't this the very reason we scrapbook, to capture and preserve our memories FOREVER? Just saying.......

Take More Pictures (before it's too late)

I've had several friends recently lose their mothers. It's something I think about all the time because my parents are in their mid-70's. My dad has had some heart issues and my mother has beaten cancer. At 56 I'm very aware that the people I love will not live forever but it doesn't make it any easier to think about. When my mother was going through her cancer treatments I kept realizing that I didn't have a lot of pictures of her. I had tons of my kids, my friends, my scrapbooking buddies, but I didn't really have many of my mom (or dad) except from Christmas Day and possibly a few from Thanksgiving. I often imagine what would have happened if she hadn't made it through cancer and how I would regret not having more photos. Well she did make it and I learned my lesson. I now take more photos of not only my mom and dad but of all my relatives when we get together. I also take even more pictures of my kids and my friends. There aren't a lot of things you can control in life but taking pictures and scrapbooking them is one. Do not let the important and not so important moments of your life slip away because you forgot to pick up a camera. Don't let the memories escape because you didn't write them down. I promise you, you will regret not taking enough pictures but you will never regret taking too many. Get your supplies to preserve those memories here.

Don't let memories slip away

Have you seen the wonderful movie, Inside Out? It's a Disney film that depicts little characters inside your head, each representing an emotion. They take care of people and help direct them in life. They are in charge of more than just emotions and decisions though. They are the caretakers of memories. Two of the characters are the Mind Workers. They go through the mind of the little girl in the movie and get rid of the old fading memories with a big vacuum. A friend of mine, Blythe Shupe, was telling me about how she equated these little guys to scrapbooking. We started talking about how sad it was that these Mind Workers were getting rid of memories that might have been important. The fact is, not all memories are important but we don't always get to choose the memories that fade. I just turned 56 and I can tell you for a fact that it's harder and harder every day to remember things that happen, not only a long time ago, but also in the near past. There are so many memories that I definitely don't want to lose. Luckily, we don't have to. We have the best memory keeper in the world. It's called scrapbooking. We can capture our memories and preserve them, with or without a photo. It doesn't matter when you start either. It doesn't matter if you are "behind" or if you go in order at all. What does matter is recording the memories so they don't disappear, in your mind or in the minds of your loved ones. Scrapbooking is so much more than pretty papers and bling. It's history, your history. Don't lose it. Set aside time to write down the memories that you deem most precious, scrapbook that memory before the Mind Workers take it away.

Open House Page

About a year or so ago, my team and I decided to do a Facebook page together. We felt that running an excellent, inspirational, papercrafting page would be easier for all if we had many hands making light work. During the month of January we shared a different product a day from our brand new catalog. During the month of February we have been sharing a crafting technique per day. In March we will be doing a whole series on how to use up your paper scraps. My team is multi-talented so you get a variety of points of view on our page and lots of artwork and tips! I highly recommend you stop by and check out our page, we find it unique in the way we present and share. It's a private page so you will need to request membership but I will approve you right away. Enjoy!! Click here!

Sweet Sale! Tomorrow only!!

Well this is unexpected! Yesterday I get an email saying that Close to my Heart is going to have a flash sale for just one day only, the sweetest day of the year, Valentine's Day! It starts on February 14 at 3:00 MST (2:00 pm PST: 4:00 pm CST; 5:00 pm EST) and will end the same time on February 15. There will be 30% discount on selected products from our Annual Inspirations and Seasonal Expressions 1 catalogs! Remember that shipping is charged on the full retail price of each item but even at that, you will be saving a lot!! To see which items will be discounted during this sales, visit the shopping cart on my website anytime during the Sweet Sale! All items are available while supplies last so don't delay, get in there early! Paper packs tend to go first so make sure you check this sale out as soon as it opens! I wish I could tell you what's in the sale but they didn't even tell us so it's going to be a great big surprise for everyone!! See you tomorrow! MY WEBSITE!

We have an incredible deal if you sign up to be a consultant for Close to my Heart in the month of February.  Sign up and in addition to the consultant kit (worth $200), the $50 gift certificate for select product credit, and a discount, you also get the stamps of the month for February, March, and April (a $53.85 value)!   Along with all of that, you get me, your coach, mentor, leader, and my awesome supportive team to help you through your journey!  Don't be nervous, we are here for you!

If you were a consultant before, you have an even better deal!   Join for $50 and you get $50 in select product credit to use right away PLUS the three stamps of the month for February, March and April. For just $50 you are back in and you don't have to make your first minimum until June 30th!!  You know there's no pressure and we want you back!!

SIGN UP HERE!