be happy.

Happy New Year!!!

As I sit here counting down the hours until 2012, I have FINALLY come up with my word for the year.

Refresh.

2011 has been such a challenging year for me.  It was filled with such sadness... I often felt overwhelmed and felt like around every corner was a road block.  Two steps forward constantly felt followed by three steps backwards.

So these last few weeks, I have felt a little frozen thinking I just have to make it to 2012... i think i can... i think i can... i think i can.

Then this morning... thinking I am finally only a day away... my word for the year came to me.

Refresh.

And I feel relief.

Happy New Year.... here's to 2012!!!!

{feel free to share your word for the year... I could use the motivation!!}

Julie's One Little Word

At Scrappy Boutique, we are all just digging this journey of One Little Word.  We all have reflected on what we want for ourselves in 2011 and what word can guide us and keep us on track.  So I asked Julie to tell us about her word... TIME!

Here's Julie:

Ok - so what's your scrapbook goal for 2011?  I know it's a boring question you all know the answer to - "I just want to scrapbook".  Well, me too!!!  I am about to embark on Ali Edwards class - One Little Word - and my word it TIME.

I find I am always blown away by time.  How quickly it goes, how there's never enough, and how we are governed by time in everything we do.  One of the things I am always completely blown away over is how quickly my boys have grown up.  I mean, didn't I just have three cute little boys (although I have to say they are still cute!!) who liked to build legos and play with cars.  Wasn't there a time when I could have them all in bed by 7:30 at night and now I go to bed before them!!  Did I miss all their ages and stages? No I didn't and it's still going on and as I try to keep up with my scrapbooks and everything else I do in my day to day life, I am constantly reminded of the time passing and how I can't stop it.

I tell my friends sometimes how I want to stop the clock for a while and catch up.  So when you think of your scrapbooking goals for this year, do what I intend to do and make time for your self, remember the moments, and who knows??  Maybe we will take TIME to scrapbook!

~Julie

And what is the coolest thing about this class?  It is not all about doing step by step what Ali is telling you to do - but more about taking in all that she has to say... and making the journey your own.  No matter where it takes you.  Mari, Julie and Amy all did 12x12 layouts to display and to remind them of their word... for those days when we really need to be reminded!!

Be happy. Have balance.

Scrappy New Year everyone!!

So 2011 is here and quite frankly I am still really not sure where 2010 went.  I got my first e-mail from my friend Ali... that would be Ali Edwards.  Tee hee.  I have to tell you, I got a little giddy.  I really think this is going to be so much fun.

**side note**  If you are doing the Ali Edwards One Word class and are buying your supplies at Scrappy Boutique just let us know at checkout so you can get your 20% off.  We are in the process of ordering albums, so now is the time to let us know your color and we are happy to add it to the order.

My word is BALANCE.  And today I am going to clean my house.

Oh... and...

take my niece for her 2nd driving lesson (yesterday we did her first),

work on flashcards and reading with Sophie,

watch the movies we rented yesterday, 

take down the Christmas decorations,

run the inventory at the store,

laundry... AND...

make the life size Candyland game board for Sophie's school winter festival.

Be happy.  Have balance.

My plan for 2011 revealed!!

About a year ago I sat down and did my first entry on our new blog.  It is to date, one of my favorites. I had decided that 2010 was the year for me to Be Happy.  And it worked!!!  Was I happy everyday?? NOOOO!  But - no matter what happened (and there was a LOT this year), I always reminded myself that the core of me is happy. It was actually really comforting.  And I realized the power of one little word.

So, the last week I have been blogging a bunch of lists with the promise of letting you know my plan for 2011.  Well.... it is as simple as my plan for 2010.  I am choosing a word that will help me focus and guide me through the year.  I have thought about this word for a long time and came up with the perfect word for me.  Ready.... are you sure..... okay.... here I go.... it is:

B A L A N C E 

Yup... balance.  MY LIFE NEEDS BALANCE!!!!

But I am not just excited about picking a word - I am SUPER excited about what I am going to do with this word.

Have you heard of Big Picture Classes?  Well... Ali Edwards is teaching a workshop called One Little Word and not only am I going to be participating... so is the entire staff at Scrappy Boutique!!

We have a lot of really big goals for 2011 and without BALANCE, I can not possibly make them successful and still give my family the time they deserve... so I am super excited to go through this workshop and not only work on the achievement of balance... but end up with an album at the end of the year, too!!

We will be sharing with you our journey through this workshop and we hope you will play along too.  Big Picture Classes reminds you to support your local scrapbook store (hey... that's us!!!) and we LOVE that about them.  

So.... we will be sure to have the supplies for this workshop at Scrappy Boutique and we will be giving anyone who signs up 20% off any supplies bought for the workshop.

If you don't think this sounds like a BIG plan.... I challenge you to try it.  You will be amazed by the power of one little word.

Be happy.  Have balance.