Hi There

Hi. 

I took an unintended break from the blogging/crafty/social media world just after the new year but I'm back. Our whole family has been taking turns being sick since the last week of December. This week three of us are fighting bronchitis and Gus is cutting four teeth. I am completely over being sick. And winter. And not getting proper sleep. 

Despite the illness and fatigue it's still been a pretty good start to 2016. We are spending more time with family, the children are seeing the fruits of their musical labors, and the birds have slowly returned. Spring is so close! I love Spring and am so exited to see the world come alive again. 

I've been following along with Carson Riutta on her IG feed during the month of February in a Craft Room Rehab. I've taken a lot of organization classes, search high and low on Pinterest for ideas, and read lots of books on different methods. While they've all been great in helping me get my thoughts and ideas flowing, Carson's daily tips have been so easy to follow through. Just one thing a day, for a whole month, is totally doable, right?! Right... however, I'm still on day 16. But I'll get there. It's so nice to clean out some space and send supplies to people who will give them new life. Give it a shot. It feels so good :)

Since my desk and shelves have been refreshed I've had the itch to create again. 

I've been making at least one project a week and hope to increase that to two or three a week. I'm learning to let go of the self-imposed rules of deadlines and have-to's and just create for the sake of creating. Sometimes I get caught up in those negative feelings that come up when I feel behind, or not very creative. I took a break from memory keeping to re-evaluate why I do this. Do I do this because it's fun? For all the pretty things? To make sure I get my money's worth? Or is it because I love looking back at my photo's and stories and remembering those fleeting moments? I want to create with purpose and with feeling. I want to be creative and feel the joy that flows when I flex those muscles. I want those muscles to be strong and I want memories that will last for centuries. That is my focus and the end goal of memory keeping.

It's been a slow climb but I am starting to feel the joy and excitement I felt when I first began. And that's pretty cool. Here's a layout I made this week using the January Scrapbook Kit and add-on from Studio Calico.

Can ya tell I'm ready for Spring? 

I was kind of stressed about making this layout, even though it was just for fun, and I had to keep telling myself to relax and enjoy the process. By the time it was half finished I was starting to enjoy making again. I was so excited when I finished! I hope you enjoy it.