Week 5: One of the things we've tried to stress here at the Gratitude Project is that there are no rules for how you go about documenting the good things in your life. Scrapbook pages are one form, but I know from the gallery and from e-mails I've exchanged with some who are taking this journey in 2009 that there are those doing only journaling and those doing photos with minimal journaling. The format doesn't matter; it's the process that counts.

I've posted my newest layout in the gallery. My blessing this week focused on what my grandmother taught me about forming a special bond with grandchildren. While I'm sure I was her favorite (wink*wink), I believe every one of her grandchildren felt the same way. She really had a way of making us feel as if the world revolved around us when we were with her. We flourished in that loving atmosphere and as a result, we've all gone on to have very close and giving relationships with our own grandchildren. She taught by example, and I honor her lesson by trying to do the same with Kayla.

In the course of our lives our paths cross with others who teach us things that make us better human beings. Many times we don't even realize what the lesson is or that we are, in fact, learning one until years later. By her actions my grandmother taught me how to foster that special bond that can exist between two very different generations but I can think of others in my life who taught me things, bit and small, for which I am grateful.

So my prompt for this week is to ask who in your life has been a blessing and taught you something you value? Perhaps there is someone who mentored you in your career and helped you climb the ladder of success. Or maybe you volunteer and are inspired by the generous nature of others who serve in a similar capacity. And you might be like Jan...she is thankful for the baking skills her mother taught her, although she confessed she might not have been so grateful during those childhood lessons. You can see her photo and read her story in the gallery.

In addition to more thoughts on this subject, my blog entry contains an explanation of how I used a digital brush on the journaling tag. Jill Fickling-Conyers wrote a wonderful tutorial and provided links to some free digital brushes. You'll find it in the Discussion Forum. Her weekly photos are always uniquely embellished with digital brushes so she knows her stuff, and her step-by-step directions will make it easy for you to give this a try, either on your photos or on paper.

Our first month is coming to an end. Thanks to each of you for all that you've done to make it such a good one.


Week 4: It's hard to believe we're ready to start our fourth week already! But then, life seems to go by in a blur, doesn't it. I think that's one of the side benefits of this project...perhaps it helps us slow down a bit, even if only by a fraction, and take time to appreciate all that goes into making that blur.

And with each passing day we continue to grow, both in terms of the number of members and the content all of you are contributing. If you've recently joined, we hope you'll take time to explore what's here and add to it. I've been particularly inspired by some of the quotes recently added as well as threads in the Discussion Forum. And the work everyone is posting is just outstanding.

While it's fun to see our ranking among the top 500 Wetpaint sites climb each week (we're up to #277!) , the key ingredient of our community can't be measured., and that is the support and encouragement we provide to one another. There's no doubt but that we're first in that category thanks to the gift of your time and talents.

I've posted my layout for Week 3 in the gallery. It's titled "Escapes" and documents several little things that happened this week that were a break from my normal routine. I see those as escapes...little events that freed me from the humdrum of daily life and I'm grateful for them. Without these escapes, I would drown in a sea of monotony...loosing the me inside when each day or week is much like the one before it.

So what are the escapes in your life? I escaped for a rare night at the movies; perhaps you bury your nose in the pages of a book. I ran off for a fun night of bunco with neighbors; may you hit the gym to improve both your outlook and your body. And I doubt I'm alone in escaping to some mindless TV. Lost was my guilty pleasure on this occasion but there are a few others that could make the list, too. I classified these activities as escapes because they serve to renew my spirit and fortify me emotionally. They aren't really anything out of the ordinary and because of that we tend to overlook what they do for us. Perhaps by choosing this as my blessing you'll be prompted to see them in a new light.

As always, there's more about the layout and my thoughts on the need for escapes on my blog, and as usual I've included a scrapbooking tip or idea from the layout. Lurkers are always welcome there.

Feel free to share your little escapes in the Discussion Forum...I've started a thread and would love for you to add your thoughts. Come on over...we'll all escape together.



Week 3: The blessings are multiplying in so many ways as we move into Week 3. Each morning I'm anxious to check the gallery to see what has been posted since I last looked, and I'm never disappointed. You are sharing inspiring pages, treasured stories, and some awesome photography. And if you're using your blog rather than the gallery to record your gratitudes, please share a link with us via the discussion forum so we can leave compliments on your work there. While our numbers continue to climb, I know there are many others who have not registered buy are folllowing along. That's fine, too, but we'd love for you to join in so we can be inspired by you as well.

We've had several thought-provoking threads on the message board as well. I love that in only two weeks we have become more mindful of the good things all around us. There's a wonderful, positive energy in the discussion forum that is a blessing in itself.

My page for Week 2 was titled "fresh" and celebrates the fresh seafood living on the Gulf Coast affords me. I know modern shipping methods deliver fish to inland locales without it being technically frozen, but let me assure you that seafood that "slept" in the Gluf the night before you eat it just tastes better.

And I used one of the journaling blocks available as a free download from Becky Higgin's blog. The link for the download is on the Inspiration page. These are some of the contents of the Project 365 KOTM available in digital form and can easily work with a variety of other layouts. There's more about my choice for the blessing this week as well as my modification of the download on my blog.

Fresh seafood is a blessing of living on the Gulf so my prompt to you this week is to consider how you are blessed by living where you do. Are there beautiful natural resources in your community that others travel to see? Is your locale known for the fruits and vegetables that thrive in the climate there? Or maybe you live in a large metropolitan area where you can enjoy a variety of museums and other cultural activities. We tend to take things in our own backyards for granted...here's your chance to reflect on what blessings you'll find there when you stop to examine them. Again, it's an attempt to spur your thinking which may or may not translate into a photo/layout for you at some point during the year.

So we're ready for a new week in our Gratitude Project. I'll be eagerly waiting to see what blessings you've found in your life.



Week 2: Thanks to all of you, our on-line community is growing. There are inspiring photos and pages in the gallery, links to explore in Resources and Inspiration, and plenty of sharing and camaraderie happening in the Discussion Forums. If you haven't already, I hope you'll explore and join in soon.

One of the links on the Inspiration page is to Daniel Brenton's blog where he writes regularly about gratitude. His posts, titled Gratitude Watch, contain links to articles, videos and other sources on the Internet where you may find inspiration on the subject. And Scrapgoddess posted a link to Operation Nice which offers an interesting read and lots of links, too. The beauty of this website is that everyone can contribute so I hope you'll share your sources of inspiration, too. If you're uncomfortable putting them on the site yourself, e-mail me or start a thread about them and I'll add them in on the appropriate place.

My first weekly blessing page is completed for my album. While there is certainly much bad that can be said about it, I chose the Internet as my blessing. Not only does it make it easier to stay in touch with family in this hectic world we all live in, but it has also brought new people into my life. You can read more about it on my blog.

And the journaling block I used on my page is available as a free download. You'll find it at the bottom of the Resources page, just below the box where you post a thread. Click on Attachments and it should open in Acrobat Reader ready for you to print. Needless to say, you'll need Acrobat Reader on your system but it's widely available as a free download. There's both a small journaling block and a larger version that will print on one sheet. I'm hardly a digital designer but I learn a lot playing around with things like this and love sharing the results.

Given my selection of the Internet, my prompt for you this week is to examine the impact technology has on your life...is it a blessing or a curse? Do you find peace of mind knowing your child/spouse/ailing parent can reach you at any time thanks to a cell phone? If you worry over getting lost on unfamiliar roads, is one of the navigational aids a godsend in your life? Or maybe you're like Toby, our Featured Member this week...her blessing was her film camera, somewhat un-technical in this digital age.

I'm not suggesting everyone should make their next page on this subject. It's simply a direction you may wish to take your thoughts as you evaluate the good things in your life. Be sure to check the gallery regularly to see what blessing others have recorded, too.

Your spirit and contributions have inspired me this week...another reason I settled on the Internet for Week 1. I can't wait to see where we go in Week 2.



Week 1: There's something rejuvenating about the first day of a new year. While nothing really changed while we slept except the date, it's almost as if we can put the mistakes and worries of the old year behind us and start fresh. What a perfect beginning for our Gratitude Project and our efforts to focus on the good in our lives.

Each week I'll use this space to post a prompt...something to think about during the coming week as we start identifying our blessings. I'm not trying to be a life coach here...it's simply a guidepost for me that hopefully may be helpful to you as well. And if you're finding motivation and inspiration elsewhere, that's great. I hope you'll share it with us on the Message Board or in the various other resources here on the site.

When talk turns to blessings, it's easy to tick off the obvious ones in our lives...the family we love, good health, a roof over our heads, and maybe even a job we find fulfilling. So while I'm not suggesting we shouldn't be grateful for those things as we find our 52 blessings this year, I personally want to go beyond that and be mindful of little things that might otherwise be taken for granted. I fully expect many of my gratitudes to be serious but they won't all be weighty and monumental. Life is full of light-hearted joys and simple, little things that bring us happiness, too, and including them in our yearly 52 adds another chapter to the story about us. The ability to laugh is a blessing in itself.

Any new habit requires a little work at the start, and I'll be using this first week to train my thought-process...to open my eyes to the world around me and see it with fresh eyes. I already believe my life is filled with many blessings so I can't wait to see how things change as I put more effort into identifying the good in my life.

New beginnings are exciting and I'm eager to embrace this one...and I'm grateful all of you are taking this journey with me.