Week 39: This week's blessing is the beauty of nature that we've enjoyed on our trip to Ohio and Kentucky. Even though there were only hints of the rich fall colors yet to come, we reveled in the cool temperatures and interesting terrain as we shared time with friends and hiked in the mountains.

You don't have to be on a hiking trail to be inspired by nature; it's all around us every day. What part are you grateful for? Do you feel blessed at the sight of the colorful birds drawn to the feeder you've hung in your yard, knowing you're getting as much out of their visit as they are? Or perhaps you mark the changing of the season by the landscaped beds outside your office building as the plantings rotate from spring to summer to fall and then barren for winter. Maybe it's the brilliant reds, oranges, golds and even purples of a magnificent sunset...somehow they seem more spectacular as the temperatures begin to drop. Whatever your connection with nature might me, consider it as one of the blessings you want to record in your album.

I've played with fabric and other textural elements in my layout this week and you'll find it in the gallery. As always, there's more about the blessing of nature on my blog.



Week 38: I'm playing catch-up, trying to get life back on track after being gone for nine days. It's a small price to pay for the fun of seeing people you love and enjoying new adventures.

While staying with friends, I crawled under the covers each night in a bed with a beautiful hand-made quilt hanging on the wall behind the headboard. On it was the phrase "Enjoy The Simple Life." And life there was more simple in so many different ways so I chose this theme as my blessing for the week. My layout is still in on that "catch-up" list but here's the prompt.

Sometimes the words of others capture what is in our hearts. We may have a favorite quote that we find reassuring or motivating...a mantra for our own peace of mind or life philosophy. Or it might be that we stumble upon a sentiment that instantly speaks to us, identifying thoughts or feelings that were there all along but we'd failed to acknowledge them. Quotes can be powerful, and for this reason I've included extra pages in my gratitude project album just for some that are particularly meaningful to me. Or they can be the inspiration for a weekly blessing such as mine will be this week.

Do you have a quote that you find particularly comforting or one that helps you deal with all life brings your way? If so, consider making it one of your weekly blessings. We draw strength from and find blessings in all sorts of places, and words can be one of them. There are some wonderful quotes contributed by members of the community on the Quotes page here or try Wisdom Quotes or Think Exist for a wider variety. The links are to quotes about life in general but you can also search for quotes on gratitude at both sites or simple Google "gratitude quotations" for even more options.

I hope to catch up my page and to write more about my blessing of simplicity this week. It's going to be a busy one but I'm trying to remember to slow down and appreciate the many blessing in my life along the way.



Week 37: We're ready for a little trip...yes, we can't stay home for long. And with highway miles in my future, my blessing this week is the navigation system in our car. While I love being freed from my map-reading duties, I'm most grateful for how easy the mapping system makes it for us to stay on track. We're much more open to shopping and eating opportunities in strange places because we're confident we can find them and get back to our hotel when we're done.

Going beyond maps and driving directions, what keeps your life on track? There are a variety of ways you can interpret this prompt. Do you have a planner or calendar where you record appointments and other important information? Such a system can be invaluable in keeping you organized and helping you get the family where they need to be when they need to be there. Or do you have a strong faith that serves as your road map in life? Religion teaches us values that can influence every area of our lives. Or perhaps you have a person who is your guidepost. We should be grateful for those who help steer us in the right direction, whether in our professional or personal lives. I encourage you to think about the people or things that keep you from getting lost and consider recognizing them as one of your weekly blessings.

As always, my page is in the gallery and there's more about my project and this concept on my blog.



Week 36: At my house it seems the job jar is never empty...there's always some chore that really should have been done yesterday. This week it was giving the garage a good clean-up. I could have made the tidy result my blessing for the week since having the garage free of dirt and clutter clearly made my heart happy, but I chose instead the new Shop Vac that helped me accomplish this task with ease.

We had a prompt earlier in the years on a similar subject...things that might be considered luxuries but that have worked their way into the "necessities" column in our lives. If you haven't already recorded a blessing of some tool, appliance or piece of equipment that makes your life easier, now might be a good time. And chances are, we have more than one to be grateful for so you can add another one if you like.

I've chosen to make your prompt a creative one this week. In fact, I'll give you multiple options based on my page: (1) Find a product you enjoyed working with when it was the "in" thing in scrapbooking and use it predominately on your page. I dug deep into the stash and came up with metal mesh that became the background for my page but maybe you'll choose Magic Mesh or vellum. (2) Find a tool you haven't used in more than a year and put it to work creating an element on your page. I dusted off some metal punches to deboss the "35" on a metal tag; you might find some decorative scissors or letter stencils in the back of the closet and breathe new life into them. (3) Find something that isn't normally used on a scrapbook page and incorporate it in your design. I used both duct tape and washers from Wayne's tool drawers as accents on my industrial-themed layout but you might raid your desk drawers for some office supplies. Use one, two or all three prompts to jump-start your page-creating process.

My layout is in the gallery, and there's more about it and this week's blessing on my blog.