Gratitude Project - Recently Updated Pages

The Messages

JustBrenda — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:54:48 CST

Week 45: Wow...can you believe how close to the end we're getting? The number of weeks left (if you're doing 52 blessings in a year format) is in the single digits. And with all the holidays and extra excitement in those remaining weeks, they will be gone before you know it.

I chose the concept of giving back as my blessing this week. As we travel through life, each of us is on the receiving end of many good things, and one of the best ways of acknowledging and appreciating them is to actively engage in activities that give back.

How about you...how are you repaying the debt of gratitude you owe for what has come your way? Are you a volunteer at church, at your child's school or for a charitable cause you believe in? Offering our services with no expectation of monetary compensation is one way of giving back to our community. Perhaps life is to hectic right now for public service but you willingly offer financial support for people, organizations and ideas important to you. That's another way to give back. And while we don't tend to think of it that way, the small kindness we extend to both those we know and those we don't are a form of giving back, too. We're making the world a better place, one good-hearted act at a time. The surprising thing is that our debt only increases as we gain much more than we give.

This week's prompt is to think about how you're serving others as a means of giving back for what has come your way and to see if it doesn't rise to the level of a blessing worthy of mention in your book. My layout is in the gallery and there's more on this idea on my blog.

Week 44: I've chosen retirement and the freedom that comes with it as my blessing for this week. It's one of many stages we all go through in our lives, often without pausing to reflect on how these changes affect us and how we feel about them.

Where are you in the stages of your life and how are you coping when those changes occur? Some welcome the idea of an empty nest, not because they don't love their children but because they look forward to focusing more time and energy on the couple relationship; others are distraught at the prospect of their children leaving home. Some resist the idea of becoming a grandparent, saying they're just not ready to be that old; others long for the special relationship that come when a generation is skipped. And some vow never to retire, fearing they'll be bored with all the extra time; others long for the day they can throw the alarm clock and work uniform out the window.

Each stage has its own rewards and problems, and we learn about ourselves when we can take a step back and examine exactly what those are for each state and how they've shaped the person we are today. This week I'm encouraging you to look at where you've been and where you are going in these stages of life. I hope in doing so you'll find there is much to be grateful for in the current stage and that there is a blessing in anticipating the next stage of your life.

Our travels prevented me from completing a layout for this blessing. I'm hoping this merry-go-round called life is ready to slow down a bit as I've fallen behind in more areas of my life than I would like. Hopefully, I can catch up soon.

January Archived Messages
February Archived Messages
March Archived Messages
April Archived Messages
May Archived Messages
June Archived Messages
July Archived Messages
August Archived Messages
September Archived Messages
October Archived Messages

October Messages

JustBrenda — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:46:21 CST

Week 43: This week I'm celebrating an aspect most people probably don't associate with fall...colorful sunsets. Here in the South we don't have the awesome colors of changing leaves so we find those hues where we can, and the cooler, drier air of fall seems to provide them as the sun sinks in the west.

We've already had one prompt based on the seasons, but if you went in a different direction then, you might want to consider how the change of seasons plays into your evaluation of the blessings in your life. Another avenue would be to look at color and how you're influenced by it.

From the bright blue of the autumn skies to the hues we select to decorate our homes, color plays an important role in our lives. It can attract our attention, affect our mood and even influence our body's metabolism. What role does color play in your life and how does it make you feel? Maybe you're drawn to red, the color of hearts and flames, drawing energy from this "Hey, look at me!" shade. Perhaps you gravitate to the other end of the spectrum, choosing the mellow shades of blue and green for their calming and natural tones. Or maybe the rich, earthy shades of brown catch your eye. They suggest richness, either in terms of fertile soil or opulent hardwoods. We take color for granted because it is everywhere, but we all have a favorite color. Examine the reasons why a particular shade has captured your heart and whether it deserves a place in your gratitude project.

My layout is in the gallery and, as always, there's more on my blog.

Week 42: I'm multi-tasking these days...creating gratitude pages, designing a new 2010 planner and thinking about old photos and the stories that go with them thanks to the Big Picture Scrapbooking class I'm enrolled in. My brain may be about to blow a circuit but I'm loving it.

That's why I've chosen one of those creative endeavors as my blessing for the week: my old photos. I am so grateful for the connection to the people and places in my past that they provide as well as the emotions they stir inside me as I look through them and remember. It's likely you have old photos that do the same for you, and you may wish to make them one of your blessings as well.

But there are other connections to yesterday that do much the same thing. Maybe you inherited a piece of furniture, some silver or stemware from your mother or grandmother and when looking at it in your home, you recall in your mind's eye exactly how it looked her her home. Or are you lucky enough to have some crocheting, embroidery or tatting delicately made by hands you've adored and seeing it reminds you of the love that went into these works of art. Perhaps it's a piece of jewelry either given as a gift by a loved one or passed on to you after their death that is dear to your heart, and wearing it conjures up a host of happy thoughts. All of these things hold far more value than their physical worth; they are tangible evidence of our past and the connection with the people we shared it with who are now gone. So the prompt this week is to look at these items in your life to see if they deserve a place in your gratitude project.

My page is in the gallery and there's more on this idea on my blog.

Week 41: Another week...they seem to be rolling around on the calendar faster than ever. This week I've recorded my joy at finding my favorite flavor of sparkling water back on the shelves of my local grocery store after a six-month absence. It's an insignificant thing in many ways...I managed just fine without it during that time; but seeing it there made my heart happy. Blessings come in all sizes and shapes, and I want my finished project to include the profound as well as the frivolous.

So what little treat brings a smile to your face? Do you have a hidden stash of something rich and chocolaty that you dip into from time to time? I'm convinced there are creative powers in chocolate so you won't find any criticism from me. Or maybe your indulgence is of the frozen variety. What would you do for a Klondike bar...or some other creamy treat? Perhaps you're more health-conscious and find your tasty reward in frozen grapes or the little packages of yummy popcorn clusters from SmartFood we've recently discovered. Treats like these say a lot about us and where we are in our lives right now, and they also provide an emotional lift. Isn't that what a blessing does too? My prompt this week is to encourage you not to overlook insignificant things like treats when evaluating the blessings in your life.

My layout is in the gallery. I've used a mini label for the title and am sharing a sheet of similar labels as a download on my blog. It's another insignificant thing that's made me happy this week.

Week 40: I'm celebrating the concept of lifelong learning in my Gratitude Project entry this week. I've just finished taking the Me: A to Z class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking and am about to embark on Yesterday & Today, but my love for learning goes far deeper than that.

Where have your life lessons been learned? Can you look back on your life and find a particular event or experience you feel taught you a valuable lesson and made you who you are today? Or perhaps one of your children provided you with an assortment of parenting challenges while you were raising them but when all was said and done, you learned patience, faith in your judgment and that you can accomplish more than you ever expected. Maybe you're like me and can't resist the opportunity to sign up for an interesting class, as much for the opportunity of a challenge as the exposure to new ideas, and you want to interpret learning in the classroom sense of the word. Lessons come in all forms; examine your life to find the sources of your learning and whether they deserve a place in your project.

I've uploaded my page to the gallery and talked a little about the creative inspiration behind it on my blog.

The Gratitude Project

JustBrenda — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:01:52 CST

Welcome to the Gratitude Project

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to? Be thankful when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn. Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow. Be thankfor for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement. Be thankful for each new challenge, because it will build your strength and character. Be thankfor for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons. Be thankful when you're tired and weary, because it means you've made a difference. It's easy to be thankful for the good things. A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks. Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive. Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings. --Unknown

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?
Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.
Be thankfor for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.
Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankfor for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.
Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.
Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.
--Unknown

What to do here:	How to help:
Join this site! Check out the Weekly Message Jump into the discussion on the Message Board Create an album and add your photos to the Gallery Inspire and be inspired!	Add a Quote Share links to inspiring sites on the Inspiration Page Add links to Resources Add tips for using this site to Did You Know Once you are signed in, just click the EasyEdit button at the top of the page you want to add to!
Sections:	This Month's Thought
Monthly/Weekly Messages Quotes Inspiration Resources Message Boards Photo Gallery Member Directory Members' Blog Links	Gratitude is the intention to count your blessings every day, every minute, while avoiding, whenever possible, the belief that you need or deserve different circumstances. -- Timothy Miller

Archived Home Pages

JustBrenda — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:42:34 CST

October
There's something about the warm, rich colors that begin to arrive in October that makes us even more aware of how warm and rich our lives are. Pumpkins and Indian corn abound, and the apples fresh from the tree are as crisp as the cooler temperatures. A change of seasons brings a change of wardrobe as we rediscover a favorite sweater and fuzzy socks. What's not to love about fall?

This season of harvest relates to our Gratitude Project, too. All year we've been planting the seeds of gratitude, training ourselves to see the good that surrounds us, and we should be reaping the benefit of that hard work now. We're seeing our lives with eyes schooled by all we've learned since the beginning of the year and realizing we have much to be grateful for.

The days may be shorter this time of year, but our appreciation for the blessings in our lives grows longer and longer. Happy fall!

September
There's something about September that is much like January...a fresh start. We have our school years to thank for that with the excitement of a new grade, the smell of new school supplies and the optimism of new learning opportunities. The lazy days of summer give way to a more structured schedule.

Our Gratitude Project is, in reallity, a learning opportunity. We're learning to examine our lives more closely and find the good in them. It's an easy assignment when things are going our way but the real challenge comes in finding positives in the difficulties that come our way. This month's video contains a wonderful quote to help us as we learn this lesson.

If you've taken a summer vacation from your Gratitude Project, let September be the time to get back into the routine of appreciating the blessings in your life. It's not about catching up pages although that's an admirable goal and evidence of our efforts. The focus is on the inner journey of being thankful for what life brings our way as a means of finding happiness.

There's no homework, tests or grades associated with this learning opportunity but it is a lesson that will stay with you forever

August
We're well past mid-way on our yearly project, and hopefully by now it is easier to see the blessings in our life. Our eyes have been opened and we're experiencing gratitude for little things we might have once overlooked. But have we moved beyond the little things to living with an attitude of gratitude?

Here's an experiment to fill your heart and mind with gratitude. When you arise in the morning, spend a few minutes with affirmations...stating aloud all the people and things in your life you are grateful for. Say it will deep feeling and enthusiasm. Then as you go about your day, keep the love and appreciation going toward everyone you meet. Tell co-workers how much you value their contribution. Share something more than a simple "I love you" with family...let them know their unique personality traits are special. Compliment a total stranger. Don't fake it and go through the emotions...be genuine.

You will find two distinct benefits: Your own heart is lifted at bring such joy into the lives of others. And what goes around, comes around. The kindnesses you sent out into the world will be repaid in offers to help when you need it, compliments out of the blue, and any number of other nice surprises.

The wisdom of gratitude is in the genuineness of the heart that is expressing it. And when you express real gratitude, it will come back to you many times over. Now all you have to do is repeat the experiment on a daily basis and you're living with an attitude of gratitude.

July
Apple pie. Family picnics. Fireworks. The Stars and Stripes. They're all symbols of the Fourth of July and the heart of summer.

This is the month to express our gratitude for the great country in which we live. It isn't perfect by any means, but we have the freedom to enact change in our effort to get closer to that perfection. And it's a time to express our appreciation for those who have and are currently serving in the military. The freedoms we enjoy come as a direct result of their sacrifices.

As you're raising the flag at your home or watching the neighborhood parade this holiday, think about what this country means to you. Say a pray for the safe return of those who've left their families to serve elsewhere and appreciate the blessings of the freedoms they are protecting. And when the fireworks are over, keep that gratitude you feel for all those things dear to your heart. They are blessings to be celebrated all year long.

We're halfway through our Gratitude Project...the first six months seemed to fly by. I hope you're feeling you have much in your life to be thankful for

June
Wish you were here. The phrase may be a little trite but it's an easy one to add to the end of a postcard home. Summer travel days are at hand, and we send those notes to the people we left behind in part to share our adventures but also to let them know we are thinking of them.

You don't have to leave home to let people know they are in your thoughts. We're all stretched too thin to keep up with everything we need and want to do, and it's easy to lose touch. Let this be the month we change that...to put our gratitude at the top of our to-do list and say thank you to those who have touched our lives.

Go beyond a simple I love you in your Father's Day card and thank Dad for the lessons and values he taught you. Do more than forward a cute joke to your good friends; tell them how much it means to you to know they'll be by your side no matter what. Buy a box of pretty cards and write short notes to you former teachers, co-works hair stylist...anyone who has shown you kindness and makes your life better.

Park of acknowledging our blessing is saying thank you for what we've been given. Take time today to say thanks to those who have given to you in one form or another. Your travels on the road of life will be better for it.

May
May...it's a beautiful month associated with celebrating motherhood, graduations and the remembrance of family and heroes.

Most of us participating in this project are scrapbookers and as such, we've developed an appreciation for recording the everyday. We've learned (or are still learning) that the most treasured memories aren't just the birthday cakes, Christmas gifts and family vacations, but they include family game nights, the decor and furnishings of bygone days, and the unique personality traits of those we love.

That's how life is..the greatest joy comes from small things, the ones we all too often take for granted or allow to go unnoticed. We're working to remedy that..to live in the present, to take notice of each minute and to realize that some of the smallest things in life add up to become the big things.

By acknowledging our everyday gratitude in whatever form our project has taken, we're finding more and more of those small things. Everyday isn't necessarily the day we would wish for, but everyday is the day we designed. By reminding ourselves that on those days when we look for the good in the smallest things and express gratitude for it, we not only open our eyes to the beauty in life but we also create it...and that's a big thing.

So celebrate those milestones in life that are remembered in May...the special relationship between mother and child, the excitement of a new path that graduating offers, and the appreciation for those who've gone before us. But be grateful too for the little things life offers us every day.

April
Ahhh, spring! It's my favorite time of year...a virtual explosion of color as the grass and trees turn a vibrant green and flowers of all hues burst forth. Throw in some blue skies, puffy white clouds and the sounds of birds warbling happy tunes and I'm in heaven.

Spring is a time of renewal. Plants gone dormant in winter's cold emerge from the ground and begin to grow again. Seeds are buried in the rich earth and soon new plants are peeking through, ready to reach for the sky. And then there are the babies...from livestock on the farm to hatchlings in the nest, it's as though Mother Nature is saying to the world Let's start all over again!

If your gratitude project has gone dormant over the last month or two, now is a great time to revive it and start all over again as well. Over the last few weeks the gallery has been blooming with new ideas as several members have found renewed interest in their projects. The pages are beautiful and the subject matter inspiring. We'll hope you'll joing in too.

And if you don't have time for pages just yet, plant some seeds of gratitude in your everyday life. They're sure to help you grow into a happier person.

March
Is your Gratitude Project much like the proverbial March...it started out like a lion but now it's a lamb? Or maybe you're just discovering this creative adventure and are concerned that since you missed the start, it's too late to get on board. Not to worry; it's a very forgiving format and one you can interpret many ways...ways that will accommodate a late start or some stops and starts along the way.

If you've already set your album up for 52 blessings, let go of any guilt you may be feeling at not having created an entry every week. Jot down notes of blessings now and make the pages later, or abandon the idea of weekly entries and record blessings as time allows.

An option if you're just getting started or want to modify your efforts is to abandon the idea of weekly blessings and create a "book of good things," assembling blessings as your schedule allows. Whether you have 22, 52 or 102, you'll have achieved the benefits of focusing on gratitude.

Any album you create is simply the physical reminder of what is good in our lives, and being aware of those good things is the object of this year-long journey. Gravitate toward gratitude, whenever and in whatever form works for you and your busy life.

February
How's your Gratitude Groove coming along? If you weren't aware you had one, maybe this bit of research into gratitude will acquaint you with yours.

There's a lot of truth to the old saying "misery loves company." That's why it feels good at the end of a bad day to call up your best gal pal and rattle off your litany of complaints. This is good from time to time; done a repetitive basis, however, it reinforces negative thinking. Scientifically this repeated behavior creates a groove in the neural pathway of the brain...in this case a groove of griping and complaining.

The good news is the same principle works the other way, too. Studies show that friends who share an appreciation for the good things in their lives find they experience more positive emotions, overall happiness and a great satisfaction with life in general. Reinforcing this desireable behavior creates a Gratitude Groove.

That's what we're doing here at the Gratitude Project...grooving those positive feelings by sharing the good things with our Grateful Girlfriends (and the occasional Guy-friend, too) in the form of photos, stories and projects.

So now you know...it's time to get your groove on. The new video is sure to get you started.

January
Life is good! It isn't perfect and it isn't without concern for what lies ahead, but there is much to be grateful for as we go about our daily routines.

By taking the time to focus on the good things in our lives, we gain numerous benefits to our physical and mental health. Studies show that people who acknowedge their gratitude on a regular basis don't dwell on their pain and problems but direct their energies in other more positive ways. Best of all, it multiplies...the more you focus on your blessings, the more blessed you feel. We can all benefit from emphazing the good that surrounds us.

Throughout 2009 we'll be looking for and recording the blessing in our lives on a weekly basis. For most that means a photograph and some type of journal/scrapbook for our thoughts, but the actual format remains a personal choice. So while tangible documentation may vary, the thought behind the project remains the same...taking time to recognize the good in our lives.

We'll use this site to connect, share and inspire one another as we take this journey together. Each member is free to add content, making it a true community for the benefit of all.

It's simple: 52 weeks...52 photos...52 blessings. We hope you'll pull up a chair and join us...and see just how good your life is, too.

my book of 52 good things

donna816 — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:24:42 CDT

This is my first page! it is going to be the cover page, and the photo is of the starting list back in january of all things! I really had great intentions, and it took all the way until October to get a move on! I am now working afternoons, and i have my mornings free to play...well til my massive house reno starts in the next couple of weeks! i am so excited to finally get a start on this. I am also working on lain's layout a day project for the third time this year...i do hope i get a few more pages together for the book of good things.

i did not put 52 on the front page in case i run over! always more good things in the pipe!

Archived Messages

JustBrenda — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:59:08 CDT

Links to previously posted weekly messages:

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

September

JustBrenda — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:00:12 CDT

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.

August

JustBrenda — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:34 CDT

Week 35: A recent outing found me sharing camera equipment with Wayne. It's not unusual for us to trade lenses...we use similar cameras and have intentionally avoided duplicating lenses to spend our photography budget more wisely. But as I snapped away, I found myself missing the familiar settings of my camera body. That experience, and my over-all appreciation for the role it plays in preserving our memories, prompted me to choose my camera as this week's blessing.

Many of you have already included your camera in your gratitude album so I'm encouraging you to look more closely at your memory-preservation systems. Do you have a journal or blog where you "park" the stories of your life until you're ready to scrapbook them? It's a far better system to record details rather than rely on memories that dim with the passage of time. Perhaps you have a file folder or box in the closet reserved just for ticket stubs, programs and other mementos of events in your life. Having a central location for memorabilia makes it easier to find when you're ready to tell the accompanying story on a scrapbook page. Or maybe in addition to layouts you preserve your stories on video. Hearing the voices of those we love long after they are gone is truly a special blessing. Examine your memory-keeping regime to see if you should be grateful for more than your trusty camera.

My layout is in the gallery. The design is based on a challenge I devised for myself to get my creative juices flowing. You'll find more about that challenge as well as a tip on still-life photography on my blog.

Week 34: One of the best things about summer is the variety and quality of fresh produce. Although we've gorged ourselves on cherries (which seem to be plentiful this year, strawberries and melons, it's the peaches that have made my heart happy and, therefore, are the basis for my blessing this week. They taste good, they're good for me, and they bring back plenty of good memories of people and places and warm summer days.

What summer fruit or vegetable has made not only your taste buds but heart sing these days? Are you a little like the squirrels in my yard, burying bags of fresh-off-the-cob corn away in the freezer for the cold days to come and thinking all the while how you used to watch your mother or grandmother do exactly the same thing? Or perhaps you're sitting on the back step with your children or grandchildren enjoying a big slice of juicy watermelon and spitting the seeds out into the yard just like you used to do with your dad. Maybe you've been making zucchini bread, in part because of the bountiful supply of it from the garden but also because it's an old favorite receipt you know has roots in your family from years gone by, even if you don't know the whole story.

We eat to nourish our bodies but sometimes the food does more than that. We associate it with events in our past and those memories nourish our soul. My prompt to you this week is to recall those happy memories as you're walking the aisles of fresh produce so plentiful and good right now and see if they aren't a blessing you might wish to record.

As always, my page is in the gallery and there's more on this idea on my blog. I've also been working on the journaling pages for my gratitude book and photos of those pages are also on my blog.

Week 33: I feel like I'm sitting in the lap of luxury this week. During a recent trip to the department store, I stumbled on a table of thick, bright-colored towels on sale for a ridiculously low price. You can be sure some came home with me to replace the ones in my linen closet worn thin by years of use. These pretty new towels have made me happy and the bargain price has become my blessing this week.

My prompt this week is to ask what makes you feel like you're living the high life? Do you feel like a style maven when you put on a special pair of shoes or carry a purse bearing a designer label? May you have a bottle of expensive perfume or fine jewelry you save for just those "special" occasions. Or perhaps a peek into your freezer would reveal some premium ice cream that you find irresistible. We all have these indulgences...little joys we add into our lives when we could get by with less. Life is too short to deny ourselves a few guilty pleasures. Consider documenting your luxurious little pick-me-up in your gratitude project.

My layout is in the gallery and, as always, there's more on this concept on my blog.

Week 32: It's been a long journey to get to my blessing this week. We started revamping a large flower bed in the front of our house months ago and the hard work and sweat we poured into it have finally paid off. The front door facelift is done and looks wonderful.

What have you poured your heart and soul into that took longer than expected to reach a successful conclusion? Have you continued to work towards an advanced degree or certification in your profession while maintaining your job and home? The hours of study and many sacrifices you made don't appear anywhere on the piece of paper you received at the end but you know what went into it. Or may you've tackled a remodeling project in your home, living among the dust and disruption in the name of improvements to your living space. If you handled the rebuilding and painting yourself, you have double the pride in the end result. Perhaps the project is more personal...weight loss, getting in better shape physically or rebuilding a relationship with someone from whom you've grown apart. While you may not have the tangible evidence of your hard work like the previous examples, the result is every bit and often more important. The challenge this week is to look at these things that took months, maybe even years, to develop and to express our gratitude for them.

My page is in the gallery, and you'll find a link to that cute little label I used on it on my blog. It's a free download and you can simply resize and recolor it in your photo editing software then print it to add to a layout or card. I see lots of use for this in my future.

July

JustBrenda — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:31:34 CDT

Week 31: It's summer in the South, and that means afternoon thunderstorms that frequently last into the evening. And if I'm lucky like I was the other night, it's still raining at bedtime. I love drifting off to sleep as raindrops patter against the window. That's why I chose it as my blessing for this week.

We can't order up a shower every night, but each of us has a nightly routine that helps us relax and settle in for a good night's sleep. What's yours? Do you prop up against a pile of pillow with your latest book and read until your eyelids grow heavy? Or maybe you wash away all the day's tension and troubles with a warm shower so you're half-way to dreamland by the time your head hits the pillow. Perhaps you're like my sweet husband who claims he's going to watch TV from the bed and a few minutes later he's sound asleep. As a nation, we're cramming more into our waking hours and spending less time sleeping so it's important to fall asleep quickly and rest well during those hours we do spend in bed. And that makes a relaxing nightly routine a blessing in my book.

My layout is in the gallery and there's an explanation of some of the techniques used in it on my blog. It's hard to believe we're at the end of July already...the year is going quickly.

Week 30: My blessing this week is a house full of sparkling windows. For me, looking out through crystal-clear glass is worth the effort it takes to get it that way. It's more than just tidy housekeeping though; there's a psychological component to it as well. It's a mental lift...like I've rid myself of nagging thoughts and cleaned my attitude while I've gone about removing the grime from the windows.

How do you purge those things we all tend to tuck into the corners of our minds and brood about when we really should just address and let them go? Do you set aside some quiet time on a regular basis where you reflect on and deal with anger or injuries life has brought your way? Or are you more vocal with your process and have a trusted confidante who serves as an informal psychologist for you, allowing you to talk things through? Sometimes just venting leads us to a resolution without input from others. Perhaps you're like me and find that engaging the body in some mostly mindless task frees the mind to work through issues you can't or don't address otherwise. It's important to our well-being to clear these thoughts on a regular basis in order to appreciate the good things in our lives. So my prompt to you this week is to consider your own process and determine whether it rewards you enough to be included in your blessings project.

My layout is in the gallery (along with the page for the week I missed while traveling), and there's more about the idea of clean windows/clear mind on my blog. I've even included a "recipe" for a window cleaning solution that is easy, cheap and works like a charm.

Week 29: We just returned from a long weekend of travel. While our time away from home wasn't long, it was filled with new experiences...something we both enjoy. I'm grateful for the chance to travel to many interesting and beautiful places, making terrific memories in the process, so I've chosen travel as my blessing for the week.

The prompt this week centers on the word "journey." Do you have a little wanderlust in your soul and, like me, are always eager to follow the ribbon of highway to the next adventure? Or are your travels simply to and from work or around town running errands? Perhaps your blessing can be found in the dependable vehicle, audio books that make the miles go faster or some other convenience that makes your daily journey a better experience. Maybe you're on a personal journey, setting new goals and developing new habits as you travel the road to a better you. We all make many kinds of journey in our lives, and the purpose of this prompt is to have you look at the ones you're on to see what blessings they bring to you.

My layout is in the gallery as well as on my blog where you'll find more on the blessings of travel.

Week 28: I'm celebrating Wayne's weight-loss successes as my blessing this week. He's been diligently cutting out and cutting back when it comes to food for several months now. Couple that with an increase in physical activity and the pounds are falling off. I'm rewarded just seeing all his hard work pay off.

Whose successes other than your own should you be celebrating? Does your heart swell with pride at the promotion or other recognition your husband has earned on the job because you know the long hours he put in to get there? Or may you're busting your buttons over a child who's finally overcome a fear of the water and learned to swim. Perhaps you've been the moral support for a friend going through a difficult time in her life and now she's making some positive changes for her future. You certainly must feel a sense of reward in that.

Blessings come in all sizes and shapes. We don't have to have fought the battle to appreciate the victory; our joy comes from seeing the warriors we love succeed.

My layout for the week is in the gallery, and there are more thoughts on celebrating the successes of those important to us on my blog as well as some of the journaling pages from my album.

Week 27: You're a grand old flag, you're a high-flying flag.... Yes, I'm singing the praises of patriotism and the freedoms we enjoy in this country as my blessing this week. It's appropriate as I ready plans for the Fourth of July.

What is it about this holiday weekend that fills your heart with gratitude? Are you hosting a big family picnic and will surround yourself with those you love, some of whom you see only at holidays? Or does your heart swell with pride as you line the driveway with miniature flags or straighten the photo of a loved one in his or her military uniform? Maybe you skip the fireworks but mark the holiday with a week at the lake or the beach, creating special memories not everyone associates with July 4. Although we've had several holidays pass already this year, we haven't focused our attention on how we celebrate them and what those traditions mean to us. Here's your chance.

I hope your heart beats true for the red, white and blue and that your holiday weekend is both safe and enjoyable.

June

JustBrenda — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:40:46 CDT

Week 26: I'm not wedded to my iPod like so many people I see these days, but I'm still never far from the sound of music. Whether it's a live performance of the municipal band in the park or the soft refrains of some smooth jazz coming from my XM radio, music plays in important role in my life. That's why I've made it my blessing this week.

Music is probably a part of your life, too...you don't have to play an instrument to be grateful for music. Doesn't the lullaby your mother sang to you or the one you crooned to a fussy infant hold a special place in your heart? What do you feel when the melody you and your special someone dubbed "our song" begins to play? And don't the theme songs from some of your favorite old TV shows bring back fond memories of family time together? Music is clearly intertwined with memory, and it's amazing how just a few notes will transport us to another time and place. I'm grateful for this magical power of music.

While I still have last week's layout to do (along with much catching up here on the Gratitude Project website), this week's page is in the gallery and there's more about the blessing of music on my blog. Fortunately, there's no sound so you can't hear my singing along to my favorite songs.

Week 25: My high school class is celebrating the 45th anniversary of our graduation with a reunion this week. It's hard to believe that many years have passed since we wore those caps and gowns. While I'm not sure I could have predicted it when we were in school, the classmates have become increasingly closer as the years have slipped by. We are genuinely glad to see one another at these five-year get-togethers, and I'm grateful for the opportunities to remember our high school days and renew our friendships.

I've chosen the chance to reconnect with friends as my blessing for this week, and my prompt to you is to look at your life to see what faces from your past have reappeared and brought you happiness. Has Facebook or one of the other social networking sites helped you find friends or family you'd lost touch with? Have you Googled a former best friend who feel off your radar and rekindled your relationship> Or perhaps there is someone you use to be close to but your lives took different paths and you wish you could reconnect. Let this prompt kick-start your attempts to track them down. There are some relationships in life too precious to let slip through our fingers. Celebrate the effort to reconnect with those people who shared a special time in our lives.

There will be catching up to do...my layout is delayed while I enjoy the reunion and associated travel. But you can find more about reconnecting with old friends and viewing past relationships in a new light on my blog.

Week 24: It's not hard to say what has made my heart happy this week...air conditioning! A day and night without one when the thermometer reading tops 90 will make one grateful for cool air, and that's just the title I chose for my layout celebrating this convenience turned necessity as my blessing. You'll find that layout in the gallery.

The experienced prompted me to think about the modern conveniences we take for granted until we're without them...conveniences that once were luxuries but have become necessities. What equipment in your house makes your life better or easier to the point your routine changes when it doesn't work? Is it the microwave that saves time and mess over cooking on the stove? Or is it the Roomba vacuum that's sweeping your carpets while you're doing other chores, making you twice as efficient? Perhaps it's the whirlpool tub where you can go beyond getting clean to getting relaxed under its powerful jets. These things aren't essential to our life but have become an integral part of our lifestyle. My prompt to you this week is to look around you and see if some of these things are important enough in your life to be considered blessings.

I'm in the process of adding my weekly blog posts into my blessing album so everything related to this project will be in one place. This week's post includes a little tutorial on formatting your journaling in booklet form. It's an easy way to fit a large amount of text into a small space. Come by the blog and check it out.

Week 23: I'm enjoying a renewed energy and sense of purpose as a result of some new goals I've recently set for myself. Goals used to be a regular part of the educational and career sides of my life, but they just didn't seem necessary in the retirement phase we're currently enjoying. Not that we don't have things we want to do and accomplish...they just didn't seem like goals. But I'm looking at things with new eyes after focusing on some new finish lines and that's the blessing I've chosen for this week.

Are you a goal-setter? If so, have you thought about how your current goals fit into the blessings in your life? Are you working toward a degree or professional certification to advance your career? Or are you enrolled in a leisure learning class, hoping to master calligraphy, a foreign language or some other skill you find interesting? Perhaps you have your sights set on weight loss or exercise goals for a better body and better health. Whatever your goals might be, the prompt this week is to examine them through the lens of gratitude to see if they deserve a place in your project. And if you can't identify any goals, maybe it's time to set some.

As always, my page is in the gallery. It's done on a transparency this week so there are actually two images, the front and the back. You'll also find more on the concept of goals and gratitude and some tips about my layout on my blog.

May Messages

JustBrenda — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:25:14 CDT

Week 22: My layout this week focuses on the rewards of all my hard work in the garden. It's more than just the beautiful flowers that I see out my back door; it's the sense of accomplishment I feel from all the planting, weeding and nurturing I've invested to get it to this point. I'm savoring that self-satisfaction and appreciating the here-and-now.

This week's prompt centers on finding those rewards in your own hard work. Do you make it a habit to identify the fruits of your labor before moving on to the next task? When the housework is finished, do you really look around and appreciate how nice every room looks when it's all clean or do you immediately turn your attention to the next household chore? When you finish a big project at work, do you stop to mentally pat yourself on the back for your role in bringing it to a successful conclusion before looking to see what comes next? If you've broken some big goal down into several smaller ones, are you celebrating the accomplishment of reach each one of those small ones to give yourself the mental boost necessary to achieve the end result or just focused on the final outcome?

Life goes by in a hurry...take time this week to slow down and appreciate the rewards you'll find in your life if you only look for them. As always, my layout is in the gallery and you find an explanation on one of the techniques I used to create it as well as more on the subject of rewards on my blog.

Week 21: I've picked my sweet husband's time at the grill as my blessing this week. It would be easy to say I was motivated by my taste buds as he's become quite the cook or by the fact that it's Memorial Day weekend, the start of the summer grilling season. But the truth is I'm celebrating his willingness to share the meal preparation duties. It's just another aspect of us working together as a team and one I consider a blessing.

So my prompt this week is to ask who is on your team in this game of life? Do you have a grown son who shows up on the weekend to mow the lawn or fix the leaky sink because he knows doing so will lighten your burden? Or maybe your husband or child assumes responsibility for the laundry or some other household chore, not because they have to but because it's the right thing to do? Who do you call when you're stranded with a car that won't start or you need a calm voice and seasoned advice? We all have them...people we count on, people who make life better because they're on our team.

As usual, my layout is in the gallery and there's more about the idea of teamwork as a blessing in the post on my blog.

I hope all of you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Week 20: I'm taking a less-than-serious look at blessings this week by choosing to be grateful for a new haircut. It's more carefree style so I'm enjoying a few extra minutes to do something else instead of drying my hair, and it's amazing how a fresh new "do" can influence your outlook on life. Selecting this light-weight blessing doesn't mean I'm discounting the weighty and monumental things I still want to acknowledge in my life; I'm simply recognizing that blessings come in all sizes, shapes and forms.

So my prompt this week is to look at the frivolous things in your life and the role they play in making your heart happy. Are you grateful that warmer weather has brought the ice cream truck rolling through your neighborhood again? Even if you don't indulge in the frozen treats, the clanging bell brings sweet memories to mind. Or will you count that pretty new blouse as your weekly blessing? If it makes you feel good about the way you look, isn't that worth recording? Perhaps your day is brightened at hearing your favorite song playing in the car on your way to work every morning. The good mood you get as a result certainly makes the work day more bearable. Gratitude is big things but it's little things, too. So today, how will you finish the sentence "I am grateful for ...?"

My layout is in the gallery, and there's a free download for the journaling block I used as much for a background as a home for text. You'll find it under Downloads...just scroll to the bottom for the attachments. It's marked with Week 19 as that's the page in my project on which it appears. You'll also find more about just what blessings are, especially in terms of light-hearted ones, on my blog.

Week 19: In honor of Mother's Day I'm celebrating my relationship with my mother-in-law as my blessing this week. Not only did I get a keeper when I married Wayne, but I think his mom is pretty special too. There's no turf wars between us...she's never criticized or interfered and has always been supportive.

This week's prompt relates to Mother's Day as well. What woman in your life other than your mother has had the greatest influence on you? Do you have a special aunt in whom you could confide all your troubles or count on for wise counsel? Or maybe you work with a woman who has taken you under her wing, both professionally and personally, to become much more than a co-worker. Perhaps, like me, your husband's mother is the antithesis of all those mother-in-law jokes and you're almost as close to her as you are to you own mother. Whoever this special woman is, I hope you'll express your gratitude for this relationship.

As always, my page is in the gallery and on my blog, along with some other tidbits about the page and the blessings these women are in our lives.

Week 18: Flip the calendar to a new month and the year is one-third gone. It's always a shock to me when I stop to think about how quickly time gets away.

Speaking of getting away, I'm off on a scrapbooking retreat this weekend, refilling my inspiration well with creative ideas from some talented teachers. Just being around 300 women (and maybe a man or two) who love and are dedicated to this hobby as much as I am is inspiring in itself. It's no wonder then that I've chosen inspiration as my blessing for this week.

Creativity is just one area in our life where inspiration can be a blessing, so my prompt to you this week is to examine what inspires you and how it influences your life. Have the mental or physical challenges battled by someone you know inspired you to do more with your talents and abilities? Or maybe you want to take a broad view of inspiration and evaluate how someone truly living their religion rather than just showing up on Sunday morning inspires you to look within yourself for a deeper and more meaningful faith. The narrow view is fine, too...where do you go to recharge your creative batteries and spur your imagination?

Like blessings, we could probably focus on a new source of inspiration weekly and still be finding new ones at the end of the year. We're blessed that inspiration is all around us so it seems only right that it deserves a place in our book of good things.

You'll find my page in the gallery and more about inspiration on my blog. I'm eager to see where you find your inspiration so I hope you'll share.

Do You Tweet?

DanaBoyle — Sun, 31 May 2009 12:29:48 CDT

DanaBoyle

	Have you caught onto Twitter yet?! Want to add Gratitudes to your Tweets?! Checkout the Gratitude Project members tweeting below! Add your username to the list by clicking on the EasyEdit button!

Have you caught onto Twitter yet?! Want to add Gratitudes to your Tweets?! Checkout the Gratitude Project members tweeting below!

Add your username to the list by clicking on the EasyEdit button!

Lisa aka TimelessCrone

CreativeWench

Becky_T aka _becky on twitter

April Messages

JustBrenda — Thu, 07 May 2009 23:05:30 CDT

Week 17: It's a busy week here at the homestead. Our oldest son left this morning after visiting for several days, and a new round of company will arrive on Saturday. I'm grateful for the opportunity to share our home and time with friends and family who live elsewhere this week and chose that as my blessing.

I realize the chances that you also having houseguests this week are not good, so I've broadened the prompt to take that into consideration. Think about the people you welcome into your home and how they fit into our blessing awareness. It might be your sister who visits once in a blue moon or your cousin who stops by once a week...the frequency and distance they traveled are not important. These special people are among the good things we're celebrating in our lives. Or take this prompt another direction; what home-away-from-home makes your heart the happiest? It might be sleeping in your childhood bed on a trip back to see your parents or perhaps it's the excitement of visiting a good friend who job has taken her to another city. The idea is to appreciate the experience of having or being a houseguest and what that says about your relationship to the visitor/host.

There are more thoughts on this concept on my blog and you'll find the page I created in the gallery. Here's hoping you'll be spending time with someone you treasure soon, whether at your home or theirs.

Week 16: What's making me happy this week? Walking out the back door to a patio filled with clean furniture. I spent an afternoon this week washing away winter's grime and spring's pollen. It's a big chore but one I don't mind doing because I love the end result...being able to eat lunch or dinner out there or just to relax there for a few minute and survey my domain. It's my little slice of heaven and a very clean slice right now. I feel blessed to have it to enjoy.

Spring means much more than green grass, flowers and warm temperatures; there are chores to be done this time of year, too. Some tasks are just work but others leave us especially grateful for the result as it leaves our heart happy.

The prompt this week is to consider the tasks that spring brings into your life and identify those which, despite the work, bring you a blessed reward. Do you break out the buckets and put the Magic Eraser to work to make the kitchen cabinets sparkle and shine, knowing that for at least a while the surfaces will be clean and fingerprint-free? Maybe spring means time behind a tiller to get the garden under way, but as you do, you can almost taste the fresh vegetables it will yield. Or perhaps this is the time of the year you pull everything out of the garage and give it a good cleaning, relishing the new organization and knowing things are back where they belong. No matter where you live, there will always be chores to do. The focus this week is on those we can be grateful for because of the finished result.

More thoughts on this concept are on my blog and, as usual, my layout is in the gallery.

Week 15: In good time and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for

I'm celebrating friendships as my blessing this week. What's more welcome than the sound of a friend's voice or the warmth of a friend's embrace. True friends are a treasure indeed...touching our hearts and strengthening our spirit with their words, their touch and sometimes just by being there. And having and appreciating those special people makes us a better person too...a double blessing.

The prompt this week is to document one of those amazing relationships in your life. You might choose an old friend who lives far away but whenever you do have an opportunity to be together, the conversation flows so easily it's as if you've never been apart. Perhaps you'll choose the person you call your best friend now...the one you can do anything or nothing at all with and still have the best time. Or maybe you're lucking enough to call a relative your best friend. Mothers, daughters, sisters and even husbands can be twice as important to us when they are our best friends, too.

Take time to be grateful for whoever is by your side forever more.

My pages are in the gallery along with the layout from last week. You'll find more about them and my thoughts on friendship on the blog.

Week 14: Sometimes we sort of sleepwalk through life...accepting things as they are and taking for granted many of the good things that surround us. Then life sends a wake-up call and if we're lucky, those blessings still exist and we have a renewed appreciation for them.

Life did just that in our family last Thursday, presenting us with a medical situation which fortunately turned out not to be serious. A hiccup in the continuum of good health, if you will. And the path of determining that the blissful state of wellness still remained was made smoother by a competent and caring medical team...in this case a team of unfamiliar professionals in a strange town. They made what could have been a difficult and frightening experience easy to bear; it was as if they were caring for one of their own.

It would be easy to make this week's prompt about appreciating your own good health or that of your loved ones...both are clearly blessings in our lives and merit mention in our year of gratitude. But I want to give you a different thought to ponder: Who have you encountered that went beyond just doing their job and made you feel reassured by their level of personal dedication? Is there a teacher who spent extra time with your or your child to insure success? Do you have a mechanic or some other repair person that you can turn to, knowing you'll not be taken advantage of and be given the same advice he would give a family member? Perhaps, like us, you have encountered health care professionals who see people not just as a patient but as a person and who invest the time and caring spirit in you as though you're the only person on their schedule for the day.

During the course of a day/week/month/year we're on the receiving end of many people who are doing their jobs. We should be grateful for those who give more than the minimum; they are blessings in our lives, ones that are often unappreciated.

My page is delayed as we've just returned from our trip but I hope to catch up within the next few days and have it in the gallery soon.

March Messages

JustBrenda — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:08:05 CDT

Week 13: We're on the road this week, and the first stop is the Kansas town where Wayne and I grew up. While we're confirmed Floridians now we still think of Kansas as "home," a feeling I'm acknowledging as my blessing for this week.

Home can mean a lot of different things, all of which are important in our lives. It's our little piece of the planet...filled with memories, people who are important to us and the things we hold dear. We associate home with safety and shelter from outside forces; it's the place where we belong. Such positive emotions are clearly blessings in our lives.

What part of "home" are you grateful for? Do you return to the town of your youth and renew ties with family and friends who still reside there as we are this week? Or does home call up different images in your mind, like your favorite chair in your current dwelling where you retreat when the need for a few minutes of quiet is too strong to ignore. Perhaps home is a much more up-to-date place for you...the one where you hang your @. Message boards and other homes on the Internet also provide us with places to belong and people to care about. My challenge to you this week is to shine the light of gratitude on the concept of home. I think you'll find many blessings in its different meanings.

I've played with a map, some typography and a transparency to create my page this week, one you'll find in the gallery and on my blog. More about the concept of home and an explanation of my see-through page can be found there as well. Stop by...we might be on the road but there's always someone home on the blog.

Week 12: I'm still celebrating St. Patrick's Day by "wearing" green for this week's blessing. It's more than just a color on my layout...I've chosen golf as my weekly gratitude.

Love for this game is something I share with many people in my life. While I played only once as a child, I grew up around golf as my step-father and brother played. It seemed only natural then to learn to play when we moved to Florida and Wayne was looking for a golfing buddy. We've played the game all over, carrying clubs with us as we vacationed around the country. And golf has opened the doors to very special and long-lasting friendships, ones that are the reasons we built our home where we did. It's so much more than a game...it's a part of our lives.

That brings me to this week's prompt: What interest or hobby do you share with someone significant in your life? Maybe you both enjoy basketball and you've collaborated on brackets, thoroughly into March Madness together. Perhaps you like something a little more subdued, like trading reading recommendations and making trips to the library together. Or do you haunt the aisles of the fancy kitchen stores looking for the latest gadget or exotic ingredient you and your gourmet buddy can use in your next culinary adventure? The things you and your special someone love and do together are a blessing in your life and deserve recognition in your project.

I was inspired this week by the combination of words and photos Jill Fickling-Conyers has been posting in the gallery. You'll find my page there as well. And my blog contains more thoughts on this week's blessing as well as a discussion on adding text to your photo.

St. Patty's Day may have come and gone but by focusing on our blessing, we're learning just how lucky we are to live the lives we do.

Week 11: The routine of life rolls along from week to week. Work. Chores. Meals. We do them week in and week out without really thinking about them.

This week I was happy to add yard work to my routine. Perhaps I'm weird but I like yard work, especially in the spring. After being cooped up inside, I'm eager to be out of doors, welcoming the sun's rays on my skin and breathing the fresh air. Cleaning out winter's dead and getting beds ready for new flowers appeals to my sense of order, and seeing the sprouts of returning plants renews my soul. For me, digging in the dirt is a form of therapy...one with external rewards in the form of an attractive landscape and internal rewards in terms of my mental well-being. Yes, yard work can be both a blessing and a chore...this week I've chosen to focus on the good side.

So my prompt to you for the week is to examine your life routine and see what chores include blessings you might not have thought about. Are you someone who cranks up the stereo and gets down while you vacuum, combining the benefits of a good workout with a clean house? Or maybe you watch your favorite television program while you iron, feeling productive as the pile of freshly ironed clothes grows and the guilt of spending time in front of the tube shrinks. Perhaps you're like my sister-in-law who still hangs all her laundry out on the line to dry, believing the fresh-air smell is worth the extra work. Look at something that would normally be considered work and see how you find joy in it.

My page is in the gallery. I scraplifted much of the design from the amazing Kim Kesti...a variation on the theme of finding good in what otherwise might have been a chore. Life's been hectic this week, and rather than struggle with creating my own design, I borrowed inspiration from Kim. There's more about the page and this week's blessing on my blog.

Chores are an inescapable part of life but they don't all have to be drudgery. We can find blessings in the...we just have to look.

Week 10: March always holds such promise. Winter begins to loosen its grip and if we can't see signs of spring yet, we know it can't be far away. The warmer days Mother Nature sends our way seem like a gift indeed.

Gift-giving has been at the top of my thoughts for a month now...29 days to be exact. Beginning February 1 I gave some type of gift every day as part of the 29 Gifts challenge. Very few of them were boxed, wrapped and delivered as a present but all of them were selected with purpose and a giving heart. It was rewarding to approach each day focused on what I could do to make someone else's day a little brighter and as a result, mine was too.

Rather than a prompt this week, I'm challenging you to put gift-giving at the top of your thoughts too and to give something each day for the next week (or for 29 days, if you're so inclined.) Gifts can be anything...send a card, treat a friend to lunch, offer a compliment to a total stranger, the list of possibilities is endless. It's something that requires a little thought but not necessarily a lot of money. I feel sure that at the end of the challenge, you'll receive more out of the experience than you gave...and that's where you'll find the blessing. The 29 Gifts webpage contains more ideas on fulfilling this challenge.

The primary component of my page this week is a pocket with a window that lets the journaling card inside show through. A piece of junk mail that arrived earlier this week was my starting point, and I even added a piece of a transparency to cover my window to duplicate the look of the envelope that inspired the design. And I modified one of the free journaling cards from the Creating Keepsakes project 365 Kit to tuck inside of it. Both are now available as free PDFs on the Downloads page. Think of it as just a little gift from me to you.

February Messages

JustBrenda — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 23:24:21 CDT

Week 9: Maybe it's because the month is short, but February seemed to have flown by particularly fast. I can't say that I'm disappointed as that means we're just that much closer to spring.

I'm not a fan of winter. Trips to snow-covered trails don't hold any attraction for me, the wardrobe of sweaters and sweatshirts is growing old, and while I like the warm glow of a fireplace, I'd much prefer the sun's rays...as long as the temperature is on the upper side of 70 degrees. There's just not much about winter that appeals to me, especially after it's hung around for a while.

So this week I'm celebrating a hiatus from the cold temperatures. Blue skies, sunshine and warm weather have lifted my spirits and dashed the winter blahs, and I'm finding the renewed energy and improved outlook a very good thing. The warm temperatures won't last long but I'm appreciating them and their effect while they're here. You'll find my page recording this blessing in the gallery, and there's more about how I created it on my blog.

I doubt I'm the only one ready for spring at this point in the year. My prompt for the week is to ask whether you're feeling a seasonal slump and if so, what activity/event serves as your mental pick-me-up when the winter blahs set in? Do you move past the urge to hibernate and surround yourself with friends? Being in the company of sunny people is bound to generate some warm thoughts. Or instead of gray skies do you concentrate on gray matter and learn something new? The challenge of tackling a new skill can energize you and help shake the winter doldrums. Or maybe you embrace winter and all its snowy glory. Its days are numbered so if you haven't done so already, you may wish to record what it is about the season you're grateful for before spring bursts onto the scene.

We're wrapping up another month in our journey of a more grateful year. I'm looking forward to hearing how you shake the winter blues and being inspired by whatever blessings have come your way this week.

Week 8: I'm celebrating experimentation with my blessing this week. Late last spring I ditched the sad plant growing in a big container on my patio and replaced it with a Meyer lemon tree. They're small, fairly easy to grow (even indoors), and it was something I've always wanted to try. Each new stage, from bloom to fruit in hand, has been one of discovery and excitement. I feel very Mother Earth-y in my little tiny corner of the world.

There's something immensely satisfying about trying something new, especially if the results are good. It would be easy to say the fat, juicy lemons we're now pulling from the tree are the blessing...and they truly are. But the real blessing, I believe, is the experience of jumping in and doing something different and what you learn, about the project and yourself, along the way.

The page I created is in the gallery. It's an unusual shape...an experiment in itself...but I like how it turned out. My friend DonnaBriz had a new Slice machine and she generously sent me an assortment of things she'd cut with it; I used one of the artisan shapes as my starting point. And there's more experimenting with the photo. I recently purchased the new Computer Tricks for Scrapbooking 3, which I highly recommend along with the two previous editions, if you don't have them already. I was intrigued by clipping masks, something I've never tried, and thanks to the free download that accompanies the book and Jessica's excellent instructions, I've created a cool, grungy fell on the photo.

Life is full of experiments. Some turn out like we want and some don't, but if we learn something as a result, they can be blessings in our lives. My prompt this week is to examine your life and identify the experiments you have undertaken and what blessings came as a result. Did you dive into the deep end by heading up some big assignment at work, one you questioned whether you could handle, and found that you were more organized and resourceful than you expected? Or maybe you decided to take up a new hobby, acquire a foreign language or try a sport you've always wanted to play. How did you change as you moved along the learning curve in an effort to master these new skills? Sometimes the blessing comes simply in ending the experiment and admitting it wasn't for you. Perhaps you started your own business but found the going impossible and closed it, chalking it all up as a learning experience. Experiments like these all factor into who we are, and it's appropriate to look back at them and say "You know...doing that was a good thing in my life."

As always, the prompt is intended to get the creative wheels turning, not as an assignment for this week's blessing, I also encourage you to look at the pages being posted in the gallery. Not only is the work there outstanding but the subject matter recorded by other members may give you inspiration for finding the blessings in your life as well.

You'll find more thoughts on the blessings of experiments on my blog together with some discussion of the design of the page itself. I'm always happy to see you there, too.

Week 7: Another week, another blessing. I hope you're feeling the rewards of focusing on the good things in your life. And if life has been busy and you're stressing instead of feeling blessings (as I know a few of you are), let it go. Developing an awareness of the blessings in our lives in the project here. While many of us set out to take weekly photos and create layouts to feature them, those are just the tangible evidence of our efforts. Growing gratitude is the priority; there is no way you can fall behind on that.

Valentine's Day made it easy to choose love as a theme for this week's blessing...but with a twist. I've focused on self-love because I believe that in order to be open to the blessings in your life, you need to recognize and appreciate what is good about you, too. That's hard for us as women as our primary role in life is to nurture others. Whether expressed or implied, we're taught it's self-centered to feel good about our talents and our strengths of character. But it isn't...so long as we don't stop caring about others and focus solely on ourselves. It's about balance; the good in us is as important as the good we see in our families, our friends, and our lives in general.

I'm appreciating my strengths as my blessing this week, and my layout is posted in the gallery. There are still plenty of weaknesses in my character too, and perhaps in a future week I'll be able to acknowledge my improvements in those shortcomings as a blessing as well. I am who I am...warts and all.

The prompt this week is to look inward to find new blessings. Are you the rock in the family...the one with the level head whom everyone turns to in times of crisis? Or do you have the sympathetic ear and soft shoulder, making it easy for family and friends to share their troubles and leave feeling better because of it. Perhaps you're warm and giving, always doing for others and making sure everyone's needs are met. These personal strengths are blessings, both for us and for those who rely on us, and we often fail to recognize them. I challenge you to take a personal inventory of your good character traits (you've probably already spent too much time dwelling on the bad ones), and then be grateful for them...without any guilt.

As always, there are more thoughts on this subject as well as more discussion about the layout on my blog.

Lavish a little love on the special people in your lives this Valentine's Day and then devote some to yourself as well. You deserve it.

Week 6: We had a lovely discussion on the message board a few weeks back. It centered on finding the good in bad situations, something not all of us are able to do or perhaps do in every situation. I relayed a particular incident involving a friend, and the responses from the community helped me see her behavior in a new light.

That discussion resurfaced in my mind earlier this week when we received an e-mail from a friend who has been battling cancer. He's had a rough go of it for several months but has finally gotten some good news. There wasn't a shred of self-pity in his message; rather he spoke of how grateful he was for the blessings that had come his way during this time: doctors who worked diligently in adjusting his treatment, a wife who never left his side and , with a touch of humor, the new wardrobe he now has a result of his weight loss. It's uncertain whether he will win this battle with cancer in the long run, but he was celebrating the small victories that he was achieving along the way.

His story made my choice for this week's blessing an easy one, and my page has been uploaded to the gallery. It contains a narrow strip of text, one of six I designed and have made available as a free download. You'll find it on the Downloads Page in the box on the left. Scroll to the very bottom of the page and click on the Attachment labeled "WordStrips." Each strip has a different series of words but all relate in some way to gratitude, and they're formatted to print on an 8.5x11 page. You'll need Acrobat Reader to view and print them, and make sure the box next to Auto Rotate and Center is check and Page Scaling is set to None when the print window pops up.

My prompt for the week is for you to look beyond some battle you're waging and find the small victories that should be celebrated along the way. Perhaps your New Year's resolution was to lose weight or get more exercise. Even if you haven't fully achieved your goal, celebrate the pounds you've lost or the strength you've gained to date. Or maybe the economy has meant you're forced to do more with less at work. What reward can you find in the mounting piles of work on your desk, especially when it seems the more you do the more you're expected to do? And raising children can try the patience of even the best of us. What lessons have final "stuck" so you can move on to new adventures in parenting?

There's more on this subject and some of the creative ideas behind the page on my blog. Feel free to swing by when it's convenient. And as always, I'm up for more discussion on this concept or any other aspect of gratitude you'd like to talk about. I'd love to see another meaningful exchange of ideas like the one that came to mind as I started my page this week.

Member Blogs

jillconyers — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 04:23:26 CST

Marty's Musings

	Stay in touch with the Gratitude Project members by visiting their blogs! Have a blog you'd like to list?! Click on the EasyEdit button above!

Stay in touch with the Gratitude Project members by visiting their blogs!

Have a blog you'd like to list?! Click on the EasyEdit button above!

Brenda's It's A New Day
You can check out Brenda's blog from here - or catch up with her Gratitude posts and a live feed on Keepin' Up with Brenda!

Donna's Life is Good
Day to day life/photo's & scrapbook layouts to share

Lisa's Whiteboard
Personal blog of "TimelessCrone." Catch a glimpse of my life and projects!

Sharyn's Live from Tormville. A daily rambling of stuff and nonsense. Everything from the antics of the children, to my scrapbooking endeavors.

Jan's Reveling in the Ordinary. I try to keep it positive and fun. Love to share recipes, scrapbooking layouts, and stories about my life as a SAHM with five kids.

Lisa Damrosch's A View of Lisa's World. My place to ramble daily about life, photography, scrapbooking and whatever else pops into my head!

Jeanne Ann's Country Livn. Where I ramble about my life on a farm and my scrapbooking. I do try to update it often!

Jenn's Scrap Goddess
Personal blog of "ScrapGoddess" ... A combination of random thoughts, humorous incidents, and general updates about my life.

Happy Daisy

Susan's Grateful Heart a blog about papercrafting and life in general.

Tammy's Blessed Family
I am blessed!

Jennifer's Jenn's Gems Ramblings about daily life, my son, co-workers, photography, scrapbooking and my travels.

Becky's "i'm not who i was"
My online journal - the story of who I was, who I am, and the journey to who I am supposed to be.

Kelly's "My life as a scrapbook page" Ramblings from my corner of the basement...

Leslie's Our Daily Life
Pop your description in here ;-)

Sherri's The Top 5 Reasons I Do What I Do ScrapNBoys personal blog...mostly a ramble of our daily lives.

Cindy's Cardstock is my Middle Name Notes and news about my hobbies and adventures in Life.

Sherry's It's Just Me...and My Coffee! Tidbits of inspiration, laughter, life and more. My craft blog: Altered To Perfection

Lee's blog is: Lemons2Lemonade which is all about the fun and chaos of raising four active kids. You can find my scrapbook blog at: theLINARstudio.

January Messages

JustBrenda — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 00:39:26 CST

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.

Digital Brush Tutorial

JustBrenda — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:22:50 CST

Jill Fickling-Conyers provided this tutorial on using digital brushes:

Brushes
1. Download a brush from a digital retailer or from any of the numerous sites available online (links below).
2. Save (the saved brushes should have an .abr extension) and unzip. My Mac automatically unzips but I've used WinZip (available online as a free download).
3. After unzipping, open photoshop (I'm using PSE6).
4. Select your brush tool from the vertical tool bar on the left (sixth tool from the bottom).
5. At the top of the photoshop window you should see "Brushes". Click on the small down arrow.
6. On the right of the drop down menu click on the small double arrow.
7. Click on Load Brushes.
8. Select the folder where you saved your unzipped brushes. Select the brushes to be loaded (select the brush with the .abr extension).
9. Your brush drop down menu should change to the brushes you just loaded.

You should be ready to start playing with the brushes! Remember to work in layers so you can correct mistakes and use a copy of the original photo.

The links:
I'll list some of my favorite sites for free and to be purchased brushes.
http://graphics-illustrations.com/category/free-downloads/page/3/ (on the Dec 12 entry see the Gratitude Word Art)
http://www.oscraps.com/shop/home.php?cat=287&treem=1

http://graphics-illustrations.com/downloads/ (if you sign up for the newsletter you have access to additional freebies)
http://www.designerdigitals.com/ddgallery/showgallery.php?cat=531 (freebie and to be purchased brushes)

I hope this is as easy to understand as I think it is. Brush examples in my Project Gratitude Album. Contact me if you have any questions :)

Downloads

JustBrenda — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 21:15:16 CST

Links to supplies available on the Internet as free downloads. Scroll to the very bottom of the page for additional downloads labeled "Attachments" below comment box.

Journaling Cards and Other Artwork from CK's Project 365 KOTM
Downloadable files offered by Becky Higgins; scroll to January 10 entry to find the link.

Heidi Swapp's Gratitude Book
Downloadable PDF's for journaling, covers, etc. and ideas for putting it together

Digital Brush Tutorial
Step-by-step instructions for using digital brushes and links to brushes (free and to purchase) by member Jill Fickling-Conyers