She Sprouted Wings.....

Coffee of the Day - Pumpkin Spice, yes, I caved and it feels DIVINE! :) I so so so love this flavor!

The temps have dropped, the air has a crispness to it that only comes with the arrival of fall. oh how truly glorious! the leaves are starting to turn. it truly is one of my most ever seasons! so yes, I enjoyed my first taste of Pumpkin Spice in a Starbuck's frapp while we were driving all over the northern half of Ohio yesterday. and it was pure delight! :) my only mistake was in ordering a grande and not a venti, but alas, there will be MORE pumpkin spice in my future, so not to fear! tee hee! so of course this morning had to begin with a pot of pumpkin spice coffee. I even had David smell the grounds as I was putting them into the press. he thought I was nuts, but then again, nothing unusual there. ;)

So onto my project for today - I made this gift bag as a mag submission, but discovered this week that it wasn't accepted. an itty bitty let down, but not by much because I really like the way it turned out. and I know that I will probably tuck a treasured bag of Starbuck's & a scented candle inside and present it to a dear friend who just happened to need the reminder of just how very special she is....... as we all do from time to time.

As you know from reading my posts, I really do enjoy the daily inspiration I receive from The Brave Girl Club. The stamps used on this bag are from the specially designed set created by Unity. This is my first ever Unity set and I am quite impressed. Lots of glimmer mists were used on the bag that don't show too much through the scan, but irl, boy howdy does it shine! papers are from October Afternoon Thrift Shop and Cosmo Cricket Material Girl. the vintage trim is actually sprayed with the glimmer mist as well. the sentiment is embossed to make it stand out a bit more.

I hope that on those days when you feel a little less than your whole self, you can reflect upon your life and the many ways in which you are truly blessed & deeply loved. then you will know that you have indeed sprouted wings! fly, dear friend, fly! :)

Dear Brave Girl........

Coffee of the Day - icky icky poo instant because my beloved french press broke on Saturday.... but I am making up for it with iced earl grey with lavender..... delish! :)

I am busy behind the scenes crafting some things for DT submission & apps, publications, and the boys' college cards, so nothing crafty to show you right now. Instead I will leave you with a gorgeous sampling of beauty from White Blossom and this inspirational post from The Brave Girl Club that arrived in my mail box last week. I flagged it so that I may continually go back to re-read. I hope it touches your heart the way it did mine. You are loved, deeply, passionately, more than you can ever imagine!

Dear Beautiful Girl,

It is important to remember that no one has the right or the power to
take away your choices, your thoughts or the essence of who you are.

Lots of things in life can be taken from us, but most of the things that are
most valuable can not. The things that matter most can not be seen, and really
CAN be protected fiercely by our own selves so that they are not violated or
crushed in any way. No person and no situation can make us feel bad or small
or stuck unless we allow it to. It is our choice.

Be careful with your dreams, be kind to them. Protect your choices and your
ability to make them. Make good choices so that you are not chained by the
consequences of poor ones. Watch your thoughts and make sure that what you
want most is what you are thinking most. Stand up for what you believe in
and don't settle for anything else.

We can decide what kind of life we want to have, and we are the ONLY ones
who can decide. We can't wait around for things to happen, we must take
action to make them happen. No more excuses, baby.......let's do this.
You are phenomenal, courageous and wonderful....
xoxo

Words of Wisdom from the Brave Girl Club....

Coffee of the Day - Toasted Coconut mixed with Butter Rum - oh it is TASTY!!!

I have in the past few days been introduced to a wonderful new group called the Brave Girl Club. My dream would be to one day go on one of these retreats, but until then, I am truly loving these daily emails I receive. The stamp set is next on my wish list. it is gorgeous!!! If after reading this post you, too, are interested in finding out more about this group, please click here to go to their website. Click here to subscribe to their newsletter. May you also find the courage to be who you really are created to be! :)

I wanted to share today's with all of you. It is just glorious!

Dear Gorgeous Girl,
It's a big life in a big world with big possibilities. One of the wonderful
things about all of this is that what might seem like the end....

....is actually the beginning.

Change is hard and endings are difficult and saying goodbye is painful....but
it is all part of a big life in a big world with big possibilities, and every
change, every ending and every goodbye is a step towards new and exciting things.

Every change, every ending and every goodbye is also proof of incredible
experiences that if nothing else, taught us more about ourselves and others.

We can also look back and be thankful, no matter what happened or how we "thought"
things might turn out....things turn out always exactly as they are meant to.

As the old saying goes; "Don't cry because it's over...smile because it happened"
and know that happy and amazing things are ahead for you. Your best years have not
even happened yet!

xoxo