Then...Now...And A New Beginning

NOW

I have lots to share today. To start things off, I want to share the layouts I completed for a few online challenges. So many of you have inspired me with your submissions to these challenge blogs. Scrapping the Music. One Little Word. Ad This. So Sketchy. These are a few that keep leaping out from your blog posts. Lately, a few have really spoken to me, Scrapping the Music in particular. I've visited the site often and printed the lyrics for my inspiration files to be used at a later date. But this past week's song lyrics to "Secret Valentine" grabbed me. I knew immediately what I wanted to create.

The words "When guilt fills your head, brush off, rise up..." spoke to me on every level. So often guilt has played a major role in my life. And I've worked hard over the years to box it up and put it in its place. I found it only fitting that I create a page using these words. While it is no masterpiece, it is a powerful reminder to me to continue to not let guilt get in the way of what I want to accomplish.

Another challenge that had significant meaning to me was the One Little Word challenge. They are celebrating their second birthday and have chosen the word "two" this time around. Again, I immediately had an idea come to mind. To be honest here, this is a new experience for me....this instant creative vision. At first, I found it a bit scary. Kind of like living in the dark all your life and suddenly being exposed to the light. lol! Picture a caricature of me with a light bulb going off over my head and you will know what I'm talking about.

The word/number "2" conjures up images of the early days with Keith...the days when it felt like just the two of us. But very early in our relationship life threw us a curve ball and the time-for-two became a rare commodity. I had to document my feelings for those special times when it can be "Just the 2 of us".

THEN

I have been tagged! Scrapping Supergirl, Jill, tagged me recently and requested a peek at my first layout. My, oh my, was this a blast from the past! I started scrapping over 10 years ago with Creative Memories. Can anyone say stickers, stickers and more stickers? I'm not sure this is THE first page, but it certainly one of the first. It is the left hand side of a two page spread.



I wanted to include a few more early pages as I couldn't help but notice a few of the "techniques" I used. This was my first attempt at breaking free from the CM style. I remember being so proud of these pages. Look at all the stitching on this one.



Not totally away from the CM era, but starting to see the dawning of a new day. lol!

Can you believe I was doodling borders waaaaayyy before it was all the rage! lol!



I had so much fun flipping through my old albums, vowing with each turn of the page to re-scrap these photos. But you know what, I don't think I will. I am certain I will re-do a few of my most favorite ones, but I think it is so important to look back and see how I've evolved.

A New Beginning

Time to discuss my 30 day wellness challenge. It is definitely time for a new beginning. Time to let go of some baggage and create a new way of living. This is not just a diet/fitness challenge. This is a brand-new life challenge. A way of spreading "wellness" to every area of my life. While a big part will focus on the physical changes I want to make, I plan to devote time to developing a healthy spiritual and emotional life. I've spent this week reflecting and planning, making mental notes of where I am currently. I've taken stock of what comprises my day...what I eat, when I eat it...why I eat it. I've also looked at how I spend my time. What do I accomplish with my time and is it useful...beneficial. Now that I've done this, I want to spend the next few days pinpointing a few changes I can make the first week. And come Monday morning, I will begin to incorporate those changes into my everyday life.

So how about it? Anyone what to join me? I think if we all work together, we can accomplish some great things! My first challenge to you is to spend the next few days thinking about what you want to change. Then I feel it is really important to look at what you are currently doing. Ask yourself what is keeping you from making those changes. It's like those maps on the large directories in the mall. The ones that denote "You Are Here" with a star. They have to show your starting point as a reference. If we don't know where we are starting, how can we know how to get where we are going? One more thing. Be sure to be realistic in the changes you want to make. I am soooo bad about setting grandiose goals only to be sorely disappointed when I fail to meet them. This time around, I'm throwing out the impossible and grabbing onto the possible.

Lastly, this next 30 days is about making positive changes...emphasis on positive. No more dwelling on the negative. I want to focus on the good stuff!