Saturday, August 15, 2009

It's Official and A New Forward Progress Prompt

It is official! I am now a bonafide member of These Are A Few of My Favorite Things challenge blog! I announced last month that Julie had asked me to join the team and it is now a certainty! This group of ladies has welcomed me with open arms from the beginning. And from the craziness and laughter that is shared behind the scenes, I can tell you this is going to be one fun ride! LOL! Today the winner of the favorite flower challenge will be announced and the latest challenge will be posted. Are there any movie buffs out there? If so, you are surely going to want to play along this time. You guessed it...favorite movie!



I love, love, love going to the movies! Unfortunately, life has been such that I don't get to go as often as I like. I love mysteries, comedies, action/thrillers...but my all time favorites are of the chick flick variety. Especially those with fairy tale endings.



This movie, "Ever After", is one of those feel good kind of movies. It holds a special place in my heart because Keri and I both share a passion for this one. Most of you know she was a competitive cheerleader. What you may not know is the numerous hours spent each week at practice. Keri and I always made the most of the commute to and from the gym. Laughing, singing, being totally zany. When she was in 4th & 5th grade, she would have 4 hour practices on Saturday mornings. After practice, we would have lunch together, run errands and most often see a movie. This was one of those Saturday movies...and we both fell in love...with the characters, the story, the sweetness of it all. It is a true Cinderella story.



I thought it very ironic that this challenge goes up today while I'm in Georgia helping Keri settle into her apartment. Yes, there are a few tears running down my face as I type this. Can you tell I'm already missing my girl?

I guess the tears are a good segue for my next topic. Have you visited Forward Progress lately? If you haven't, I hope you will. The blog has a new look, a new DT and starting this month, we have sponsors. That's right...an incentive for those of you who play along with us. This month's sponsor is Scrapadilly Products. As has always been the whole point of Forward Progress, the prompts are still intended to help us grow...to reach within ourselves to be stronger...better. This month, the prompt is about forgiveness. As we all know, without forgiveness, forward progress is impossible.



This topic, for me, was easy. In life, we are all exposed to teachable moments. Some we recognize as such, others might slide right past us going unnoticed. Well, I'm hear to tell you, divorce is not one of those unnoticeable moments. There are lessons to be learned at every turn. While I am certain I failed in many ways in my struggle to get through the most painful experience of my life, I am proud to say, I worked hard at forgiving from the beginning. And I firmly believe that it was only by forgiving that I was able to let go and move on.



Here are the details:

Title reads:Letting Go... of hurt, anger, resentment

Journaling: "moving forward means letting go of the past if the past fosters nothing more than pain and anger. learning to truly forgive...and in the process, letting go, has brought healing and freedom."

The Howards: married 5-24-86 separated 1-9-05 divorced 2006

I said this topic was easy for me. The layout itself...not so much. I wanted it to be somber but light...trying to convey the hurt and the healing. Well, I bombed! LOL! The pic was a no brainer. I knew from the start I would use this one and tear it to represent the broken marriage. It was one of the last good photos of us together. The words also came rather easy. The design...*sigh*...it just never came to me. So please look past the lack of creativity and see the message.

I think that is what is so refreshing about Forward Progress. It isn't all about the layout/project/etc. It is so much more. In the few months I have been on this team, I have learned that this hobby can be a venue for personal growth and inner peace. I hope you will play along this month. Please stop by and let us know what you think of our new look. Feel free to leave suggestions as well as what you would like to see in the future.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I am typing this on Friday night as I will be truckin' down the highway by 6:00 am on Saturday. I know those lazy days of summer are slip, slip, slippin' away. Please enjoy them while they last!

xoxo
L

P.S. Thanks ever so much for all the encouraging words on my last post. Good news is, everything looked brighter the next day. Partly due to the fact that a new day always brings new perspective. But there is no denying the therapeutic value of getting things off your chest and doing so with those who mean so much to you. People you feel safe confiding in. People who will pick you up with words and with the beauty of their spirit. Thanks for being there when I needed someone to listen! xoxoxoxoxo

28 comments:

  1. Ok Lisa, you have me crying now!
    Your layout with you and your ex husband really hit a nerve with me(coming from a broken home)
    I think the torn photograph is an excellent way to show the divide. And I think the layout is a great design, quit being so hard on yourself!
    As far as Ever After goes, it's a favorite of mine also! Keri is so lucky to have you as her mama. I would give anything for that kind of closeness with my mom.
    Have a great weekend (hugs)

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  2. wonderful post today Lisa! & your layouts...WOW! They are both just amazing..love your attention to details! I am headed over the check out Forward Progress :o) Have a great weekend...& travel safely!

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  3. One of the MANY things I ♥ SO MUCH about the hobby is scrapping the not so great stories in my life. I find it very therapeutic to write it down & then make some kind of art out of it. Really ♥ your Forward Progress LO. And as for the design of it.... I TOTALLY ♥ it! Bomb, you did not!

    Still lovin' your FAV THINGS LO... still need to rent that movie, too, because well... we ALL ♥ fairy tale endings!

    Love ya & have a great weekend in Georgia! :-)

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  4. Hey Pretty Girl! Wow, one again you have rocked the layouts. Thie first one is gorgeous. And the second one, I may need to scraplift that one too! I love that you have so much meaning behind your layouts, that is admirable- you are motivating me to get a little more personal on my lo's, so thank you! I hope you are doing great. Thanks again for your condolences for my family. love deb

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  5. Hey there Gorgeous just love both of these layouts.

    Cngrats on making the fav things team too.

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  6. Oh my sweet friend...you did it again!!! I just adore the first one...lots of beauitful colors and so many wonderful details....The second is one that shows us real life!!!! THe pain and the acceptance...You did a fabulous job!!! I have been thinking about you all weekend...Give Kerri my love and wish her the best from me....I know you will be busy this week.....call whenever!!!! Wait till you see what I did....a LO with NO PICS!!!! I had such a hard time with this one....but I did it for you guys!!!!! Love ya!!!! :)

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  7. Hey friend!! I sure miss being in blogger world, but this pregnancy thing is getting to me very good! I am now back to teaching so that makes me very sleepy by 4 in the afternoon! Hopefully after my first trimester that will change. Of course I LOVE both of your los. How amazing it is that you are able to forgive. I know many that aren't able to do so and it is very hard especially on the kids. You are one amazing girl:) Hugs!!

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  8. I agree with you on the reason to scrapbook.... Don't get me wrong I love to use all the cool scrappy stuff out there.... But I am inspired by certain pictures.... they pretty much spark some emotion that I want to portrait in the layout... Your photo is the most important part... your journaling, " the message... I actually think is equally important.... I love your message and your layout. You are a strong passionate woman. Thank you for sharing your heart! I am so excited to be on the Fave Things team with you!!!!!!Yayyyyy!

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  9. Oh wow, that LO holds SO much emotion...it's really really touching and inspiring. I like the design and the message.

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  10. Love your movies layout - I will look for that movie. Your other layout is so moving - that torn photo really says it all and your journaling is so real without getting maudlin. It takes a strong person to forgive after a divorce - no matter what happened to trigger the divorce, the splitting and legal implications are so traumatic - and it's incredible when you realize that you thought you knew someone and discover that you didn't know them at all. I think you really nailed the layout - simple and to the point - really a great page. I will check out Forward Progress. Hope your weekend went well.

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  11. Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy for Lisa being on our TEAM!!!!! LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE your movie LO....and that FORWARD PROGRESS one JUST ROCKS!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it....AMAZING journaling!:):):):):):):):):):):):):)

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  12. Lisa, I love the layouts. I think its amazing that you can share such a personal, painful part of your life like that. Rock On sister ;)

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  13. Lisa, gorgeous layout, Ever After is most DEFINITELY one of my all time favorites, and I love what you did in honor of it! :)

    AND the forward progress layout is moving... truly moving. thank you for sharing such an inner part of your life with us in blogland... :)

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  14. I think that the LO is great! It really helps to focus the viewer to the photo.

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  15. Oh I love that movie!!! I could watch it at least once a week!
    Love love love the layouts! The letting go one is VERY touching, and it hits closer to home than you can ever imagine. Although now I have a loving and caring husband, I didn't 5 years ago and the letting go and forgiveness is the hardest part of the journey. Good for you for being able to do it!!! And scrap about it!!

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  16. I had already checked out your movie LO on 'favourite things' - absolutely gorgeous! I am indeed also planning to take part in this one!! I love your LO for Forward Progress & it puts the message of forgivness over perfectly - I think it takes real courage to share emotion & you have done it beautifully.

    Hope your weekend was wonderful! xoxox

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  17. So happy to hear things were better the next day. It is hard to focus that things will get better but they always do, it's just hard for us that are having a bad day to see it. Love the movie Ever After, it's one of those movies you can watch over and over, (like Pretty Woman)and never get tired of it.
    Congrats on your new challenge blog design team too!

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  18. Love your layouts (and the movie too). Sometimes I'm amazed at how we can look back at those teachable moments and find something positive.

    Did you get your blogger list back?

    And congrats on the team! They're fortunate to have you.

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  19. Hi Lisa,
    Happy to see that thing are brither! I love the LO of Ever After. As for the one for the divorce. I remember, my dad did the same thing (with out the LO!) but when his girl friend left him, all the pictures in his photo album were torn where ever she was shown. As for my mom, she waited for him for 5 yrs. Finaly she met her 2nd husband but always had a good word for dad. And when ever the occasion came that they would meet, they kept it friendly. I remember before my dad past away, he said: Your mother is beautiful! And also, my mother told me that when my dad was in the hospital( for 7 yrs), she would call him from work and even went to visit him ounce or twice.
    She told me that just a few years ago. I was stund. Who would have know. Even the best secrets always come out sooner or later. Now both of my parents have past away, but who knows if ever I will hear more secrets about them!

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  20. Oh That Lo of you and your ex brings tears to my eyes! It reminds me of my 20 year marriage. Its so hard to let go and forget!!!Maybe I need to do something like this!!! that for your inspiration!!!

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  21. WOW! These are amazing layouts! You rock girl.

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  22. wow Lisa what a powerful layout! I think the layout itself conveys your thoughts. Loved the design. thanks for the comment on my blog.

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  23. Thanks for the comment on my blog. If you want to see my cards I created, you can see them at
    www.scrapbookingworkshop.blogspot.com

    That is another blog I have going only for my scarpbooking. I like the pop-up card I made. It's cute! I have another one in process, I'm waiting for my ribbon to arrive, to finish it.

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  24. Love your layouts! I did a divorce layout before and tore my pic in half also. Love both of these pages! Thanks for saying Hi today!!

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  25. Love the layouts! Especially the Letting Go one.

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  26. Scrap Therapy RULES!!!! I just love these layouts Lisa - just stunning!!!! All the detail you put in your work is just amazing!!!!

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  27. Hey girlie.....did I tell you lately how much I love you!!!! You are my HERO....made me cry!!!! I just adore you and will always support you in any way I can!!!!! You are such a blessing to me!!!! :)

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  28. Lisa, you rocked both those layouts.. I love the little squiggles around the borders, Great job with the letting go part. I learned a long time ago after 2 divorces that life is too short to be angry, things happen for a reason and to move on.. :-) Love YOU!

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