Blessed and truly grateful

It is so easy to rush right past today. And with all of the Christmas music, decor and sales already starting, I find that it gets harder and harder to truly appreciate Thanksgiving. Truth is that Thanksgiving is probably one of my most favorite holidays of the year. It is easy to love Halloween with all of the imagination and pretend that it offers, and Christmas with the giving of presents, snow and happy little faces on Christmas morning peeking out from behind wrapping paper as they see their special gifts.

Thanksgiving is so special to me, and I am thankful for my family for gifting me the opportunity to pass these values on to my children.

I have been very blessed to have some wonderful women in my life. My mother first off, who has taught me love and compassion. For my aunts who have helped be a part of molding me into the woman I am today. Most of all on this day, I am reminded of my grandmother and her compassion for those in need, and every Thanksgiving I am reminded of her beautiful heart and love for others.

When I was younger, my mother, brother and I lived for the first few years of my life with my grandparents. Each year my grandmother would say a special blessing at Thanksgiving, thanking God for the food that we had before us and she would then pray for those in need and tearfully pray for them to have food this year and not go hungry. Being little, it may not have always made sense to me what she was talking about, but those words always stayed with me.

Now this could have been merely words that were said, thoughts being felt and emotions attributed to the season of family speaking through my grandmother, but it didn't stop there. I noticed year after year that my grandmother would always cook extra food and during our family dinners, she would pack it and send it off with my grandfather. Year after year I would see this and not think anything of it. One year my grandfather allowed me to go with him, and I will never forget this. As we drove to the other side of the city, my grandfather told me of this family who had nothing to eat not only for this holiday but for most of the time. As we approached the house of this family, I really had nothing to compare what I was about to witness. We came into a modest living room that had piles of clothing laying around, no furniture, just clothes. In their kitchen was a table with no chairs. As we laid the food on the table, the mother and the father both cried. I remembered looking at the children still in their pajamas, to young to know what the holiday was about, but still grateful for the food.

I think of this day every Thanksgiving. Although I only went with my grandfather this one year, I do know that my grandparents continued this year after year for many families. I never understood why my grandmother would cry as she said a prayer over Thanksgiving dinner and why it was that she always (still to this day) in her beautiful broken English prayed for those who had no food and that didn't have family to share the holiday with. I am grateful for their beautiful heart and can only hope to be able to give my children what they have given me.

pictures courtesy of Candra George http://www.mycreativereality.com/

I have so much to be grateful for, my beautiful family both here and in California. Our amazing friends Patti, Eric, Kaydi, Ken and their family who have opened up their family and home to us this Thanksgiving. My amazing grandmother and her giving heart, and my loving grandfather who is in heaven. I never want to forget what God has given me, and although I try as I might to remind myself and our family of this each and everyday, I am grateful for Thanksgiving to be a yearly reminder to take a moment and remember all that we are blessed with.

pictures courtesy of Candra George http://www.mycreativereality.com/

I hope and pray that all of you have a safe and amazing Thanksgiving and that you are reminded of what you are truly grateful for today!

Taking on Etsy...

I have thought for so very long that I would love to be able to share and sell some of my handmade goods to those who could enjoy them. I often find myself setting stuff into piles and never having a proper place to display items. With this in mind, I have acquired the help of my dear friend Kaydi Homme to help me manage this and other creative avenues that I am considering. Kaydi use to sit right next to me at Tattered Angels and always made my day a little brighter :) When she left Tattered Angels the week after I did, we both kind of looked at each other and said "Now what?"

Well Kaydi being the good friend that she is, offered to help me manage my personal commitments so that I can better commit myself to my new position with SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3l and any other opportunities that may come to be. Kaydi is amazing at logistically analyzing situations and coming up with strategic ideas to best complete tasks. Sometimes when I am in my crafty zone... I need someone like Kaydi to pull me out, and help me organize my thoughts and direction.


With this in mind, Kaydi will be tackling the management of my Etsy store. She will be taking pictures and posting my handmade goods for sale. As hard as it is to see some of my art pieces go.. It is even harder to see them just sit in a pile after I create them, so I am grateful to have someone who can help me send these pieces off to good homes.

Here is the link if you would like to take a peek at some of the items that we are selling:


http://www.etsy.com/people/LizMHicks

With starting working this past year... I have found that I have let go of some of the simple pleasures that I use to call my own. It is very hard to stop and make sure that I still am able to blog, do videos, tutorials, and create for myself... when I am trying to do so for other manufacturers. I am so grateful that Kaydi has offered to come and help me manage things to make sure that I don't lose myself and still make time to create.

Thank You Kaydi :)

~Liz Hicks ♥

It's time for some Holiday Hoppin'

Welcome to the first day of the Spellbinders™ Paper Arts Holiday Hoppin’ Blog Hop! Spellbinders, along with SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L are showcasing their newest products just in time for your Holiday crafting and gift giving. Lots of creative ideas are in store, as well as prizes galore! Each participating company has generously donated towards the prize package listed on the Spellbinders Blog. A total of two identical prize packages, one for each day, November 18 and 19 will be given away! To enter, just leave a comment on a participating blog! Comments in the first 48 hours of the post are eligible. One commenter each day will be randomly selected as the winner. Winners will be announced on November 22, on the Spellbinders Blog!

Be sure to see all of tomorrow’s Holiday Hoppin’ blogs for inspiring projects and another chance to win!

Here is my project to share, Today I am using Spellbinders S4-296 Nested Hearts die template and SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L Crafty Power Tape. I used these beautiful nested heart dies (3 total in the package, I used the medium sized for this project) to create this beautiful ornament.

To create this ornament, simply use the nested hearts die and cut out 10-12 of your desired sized heart (use only one size). From here paint them as you'd like (or leave them the patterned paper that you use, for this I use ClearSnap Smooch Spritz in Sea breeze to colorize my white (smooth) Bazzill cardstock. After they have dried, use the Crafty Power tape to adhere each side together to another folded heart (you will line them up gluing the wrong sides, left to right of the next heart.) When you have your desired fulness, simply close the two sides of the ornament, making sure you insert your twine to hang.

To accent I used some printed sheet music craft sheets by Donna Salazar and punched out stars using a star punch.

Here is a close up of the folds and attachments, now if when you fold the hearts and attach them together doesn't quite match up, no worries... you can accent the edges with a little paint (I used Folk Art by Plaid) to hide the mis patched seams.

Thanks for taking a peak today, make sure to leave a comment to be entered into the Spellbinders giveaway. Also I will continue to share some homemade gift ideas through out December, so I hope you will come back and join me!

Visit all of today’s Holiday Hoppin’ blogs:

Latisha Yoast

Judy Hayes

Kazan Clark

Ashley Cannon Newell

Holly Simoni

Debbie Olson

Heidi Blankenship

Sherry Cheever

Linda Duke

Laurie Schmidlin

Cheryl Marie Walker

Jill Jacobsen

Jennifer Priest

Christina Klauer

Jodi Sanford

Leslie Miller

Mimi Leinbach

Robyn O’Crowley

Sharon Harnist

Liz Hicks

Sarah Hamer

Christie Bryant

Wendy Sue Anderson

Anary Baumgarth

Jenifer Dove

Gina Krupsky

remember... simply leave a comment on my blog or any of todays blog hop participants to be eligible to win the Spellbinders Holiday Hoppin’ Prize Package ! One winner will be chosen from all the comments on all the blogs participating today. Comments made in the first 48 hours of this post will be eligible to win. Winner’s names will be published on the Spellbinders Blog on November 22, and they will have 48 hours to reply to Spellbinders to claim the prizes.

Thanks again!!!

~Liz Hicks ♥

A break for blog hoppin' fun

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to update you on my next journal page for the art journaling that Rebecca and I have been sharing.

I have to go to Chicago this week, (kind of quickly planned) to help SCRAPBOOK ADHESIVES BY 3L get their booth ready for this Winters CHA. because of this, my journal pages are a bit behind and I am sorry! Last week I had posted my Fly canvas and forgot to schedule it, so it was a little late... again truly sorry!

Well this week, I am going to try my hardest to take some time out to create based off of Rebecca's prompt from last week :

Words: How would you describe courage?
Medium: Ribbons, lace, or any kind of trim

I am going to try and create something Sunday night... if not Monday or Tuesday.

Until then, I hope you will join me with Spellbinders as they share their Holiday Hoppin' Blog Hop tomorrow and Friday. Tomorrow, I will be sharing a fun ornament that I created using their Nested hearts Die. Make sure to read the post to see how YOU could be one of the winners in their two giveaways.

Also to continue the fun, I will be sharing some fun and easy homemade gifts the first few weeks of December. I will be bringing back my Peppermint Cookie Crunch Bark, and perhaps do a video or two to help share some stories... and recipes and gift ideas. I do hope you will join me!

Thanks again for your patience... and friendship. I am off to Chicago... wish me luck!


xoxo,

~Liz Hicks ♥

Fly...

It's funny how it is so easy to give someone advice yet so hard to take the same advice that you give.

I guess it all depends on where you are in life... and where you are headed. I created this for our fun little blog hop between myself and Rebecca Gawryl. This prompt was "What encourages you" and the product prompt was paint.

I guess what encourages me is possibilities. Knowing that even if things go completely wrong... they seem to work themselves out. I had a friend once tell me:

"Things always work out in the end... and if they haven't worked out then it isn't the end"

another friend told me:

"It is never to late... never ever...


This spoke volumes to me, and in all reality it really helps to take the pressure off of things always working out perfect. Or having to hurry things along because fear is pushing you to do it before time runs out. And the truth is that... things tend to work out, maybe not exactly how you had envisioned them... but they work out. Taking that first step forward towards your goal is the toughest... but if along the way there are loved ones to support you, goals to reach and possibilities.... that seems to be a pretty good start.

So here is my page... it is actually a canvas (I got a little adventurous!) It is called FLY

FLY... It's OK Really

products used : Plaid Paints (Folkart Pigments) and Mod Podge, Sakura Glaze Pen (black), Font-bohemian typewriter

I think sometimes we need a friend to remind us that we can do it. That we can achieve our goals... that we can strive for good things and not feel guilty or vain. I believe that in each and everyone of us is a God given ability, it is not the same in all of us, it is unique...but never the less it is important for this world to see it. So if all you need is permission to let this ability out and share it with the world, then this is it. DO IT.

Remember this... you are one of a kind... created perfect in who YOU are... it may not be what the world exhibits as perfect, but none the less you are just as important. And that goes for your goals, your strengths (and weakness's) and everything else that this world may be telling is not enough, futile or worthless. If you believe in it, then let it develop who you are to be in this world.

So from my heart to yours... it's OK to Fly... really it is... even if you have to take a break here or there. It is OK to soar... truly it is what you are meant to do. There is nothing wrong with having goals and trying to achieve them. As long as you are able to balance your everyday life... why not? There are possibilities out there waiting to be experienced... and although things may not always work in the way you thought they would, at the end of the day... there are still opportunities for blessings to shine through what you are doing... whether it is you receiving the blessing or sharing your story unto someone else to bless... you were made for this... and anything else that may come your way...



~Liz ♥

Another fun adventure ♥

A few weeks ago I received a message from my sweet friend Ashley Harris over at The Scrap Review and I have to say... it was pretty cool. I love Ashley and the girls over at The Scrap Review and when she asked me to join their team... I just had to say YES!



If you are not familiar with what the girls do over there, they take some pretty cool products from all of your favorite manufacturers and give you an honest opinion on how the product works. They also give a ton of inspiration on how to use the product (which is what I LOVE about the site).

If you get a chance, hop on over there and check out the site... this week they are reviewing some beautiful Crate Paper Products, you won't want to miss it :)

I am so looking forward to working with the team and having fun with some great product ♥

~Liz