Last zip for freebie kit

Last zip is more papers: http://www.4shared.com/zip/Ha1yi9wu/ws_LUGT_papers3.html? Tomorrow (actually today already!) will be busy with more cooking and cleaning. Thursday is the holiday so I'll be with family & Friday I'll be recuperating from all the preparations lol. I think if I manage to write Christmas cards on Friday I'll be doing well and will just relax otherwise. Because I will likely not be on-line until after the holiday weekend, I'd like to take this time to wish safe travel to all who will leave home to join family and friends in other areas. I hope you all with have a safe and happy holiday with loved ones. When you offer prayers of thanksgiving before the meal, I ask you to remember to include mention of those dear ones who are departed and those who cannot be there to share the meal and fellowship with you. Please don't forget to include the brave men and women serving in our armed forces. Pray for peace and for all those in need who may not have anyone to offer a prayer for them. Be thankful that you do. I'll leave you with the beautiful words of the doxology written in 1674 by Thomas Ken as part of two of his hymns. In the Episcopal Church (& other Christian churches) we sing this as the offerings are presented and it seems truly appropriate for the occasion. "Praise God from whom all blessings flow/Praise Him all creatures here below/Praise Him above, ye heavenly host/Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost./Amen"

Freebie time! 2nd element zip

Quick post. Have been cooking all day. Many thanks to my sweet husband for running errands and helping in the kitchen. He's a keeper. Here is 2nd zip of elements for Let Us Give Thanks http://www.4shared.com/zip/qH7Kb6PI/ws_LUGT_elements2.html? Good luck with your holiday cooking. Hugs!

2nd free LUGT paper zip & insurance ping-pong

Another day down the tubes. Yesterday we shopped for new electric dryer looking for a simple model like I've had. Today my husband went out early and bought the dryer. It will be here Monday. We went out to lunch at Olive Garden as our Friday lunch date. Came home full and sleepy with a piece of chocolate mousse cake in fridge for later. Had a lot of trouble with pain in my spine last night so took some more Tylenol and napped. There was a message from Progressive to let us know that they are "Excessive coverage" in this case and Enterprise Rental will be contacting me to have damages repaired. Progressive guy added that what Enterprise doesn't pay, they will. We'll see. But you really aren't here for my boring life stories, are you? I added the second zip for the papers of Let Us Give Thanks and I hope you'll find this time it goes well. Get it here: http://www.4shared.com/zip/BVhdaAqI/ws_LUGT_papers2.html? Tomorrow I'm back to cleaning. Tonight, recovering from Italian food lol

Corrected link for Thanksgiving elements & new stuff

First, I apologize for being in too much of a rush the other night when I posted the link for the first element zip for Let Us Give Thanks. Please go back to the original post for the corrected link. My thanks to Stacey for bringing this to my attention. I will be adding the other parts over the next few days but it might be a little erratic, so be patient, please. Added a couple more Harvest Moon things today:

I still have a few more things in that folder to finish up and load before the month's end. I'm not expecting to be on-line much or at PC over the next week or so. My husband will be on a 2 week vacation starting Saturday and between holiday cleaning and cooking and entertaining, shopping for new dryer, Christmas shopping and, yes, continued battle with insurance companies (neither of the 2 companies involved on the driver's end wants to pay!) designing and blogging will be last in priority. I do have 2 templates and a PU element package ready for next CAK, Winter Wonders, which will start December 1st, but that's it. Lots of ideas in my to-do folder but not sure how they will work with the chaos of the next month.

Hope your holiday planning and shopping etc is going well for you. It's a wonderful time of year but stressful for numerous reasons. We miss loved ones no longer with us or who can't make it home to celebrate. We juggle the usual demands of family, work, and household, adding in planning holiday celebrations, additional shopping, cooking and so on. At times it can be overwhelming. Just remember that the reasons for the season are what is most important. Focus on being grateful for the blessings we have. Whether you are Christian or not, understand that Christmas is a celebration of love: God's love for us and our love for one another. If you don't accomplish everything you would like, it's okay. Do what you can and accept what is. Maybe you can't afford to give the sort of gifts you'd like to give but whatever you give with love, even just a hug, should be (& hopefully will be) recognized for the thought and love you've put into it.

Let Us Give Thanks - first paper zip - freebie!

Running late but here is first zip of papers. It's about 35 MB and I warn you, some of these art nouveau styled papers seem a bit wild to me. It was an experiment at the time and now I see so much I could have done differently lol. Link is here: http://www.4shared.com/zip/U1cdWWNo/ws_LUGT_papers1.html? Expecting to add more Harvest Moon papers later today.

New Harvest Moon products

You can find these in my shop at Digi Style Designs: http://digistyledesigns.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=85

A Thanksgiving freebie

Thanksgiving is almost upon us and I don't know about you, but I have so much to do! It's not like we will have a large amount of company. Just expecting my father and his companion and maybe our grandson, Tyler. Still, because of pain issues and low energy, it takes me a long time to do things and right now I'm trying hard not to feel overwhelmed and stressed. In addition to cleaning, meal planning, usual chores, and trying to weed out some books and craft supplies from my large stash, I'm having to nag Progressive about paying my claim. I'm trying to do on-line shopping for family too, and today I realized that hubby and I will be buying ourselves a new dryer for Christmas. But I'm not complaining because I heard the life expectancy of electric dryers is about 4 years. I bought this one when my son was a few months old and he will be 36 next month! I am grateful it's lasted so long and the matching washer is still working. Maybe I can get by with that until spring. I've also been cleaning up some computer files and came across an old kit I made for thanksgiving when I used a different designer name. I can't tell you it's my best product but you might find some of it useful, so I'm going to give it away over next few days. Many of the papers were based on art nouveau wallpapers that had fall colors or would look good in fall colors. Here is an overall preview: The first zip is full of elements and you can get it here: (Corrected now - thanks Stacey!) http://www.4shared.com/zip/6Z2X5r4G/ws_LUGT_elements1.html? Hugs

New Stuff, Freebie, Update

Started the day with sinus headache becauses it's turned really cold here. Weatherman says some chance of snow - please! this is Tidewater! Tomorrow will probably be 70's again! Next up a call from Progressive who is insurer for the guy who crunched into my car. Almost first thing he says is, "You've got collision coverage on your insurance?" I tell him that isn't the issue - his guy was drunk or drugged or whatever and is totally at fault. He tried to say that since it's a rental car the guy was driving, they might not pay the claim. Sorry - not going to wash with me. I know your personal insurance covers you when you drive a rental. Man didn't ask anything about my car and any problems I might be having, didn't arrange to come out and see the damage. He just says "We're investigating." So I call GEICO who said to let them know if I had any trouble. Sent copies of police report to both insurance companies and now I wait. Putting a couple Harvest Moon products in store tonight:

These are all Harvest Moon Create A Kit products which you can find at Digi Style Designs. All our CAK products are between $1 - $4 and allow you to mix and match, choosing only what you like to create a Harvest Moon kit for your use. And now, for your patience in reading my chatter, a new freebie:

Pick it up here: http://www.4shared.com/zip/Su22gxV0/ss4cu_fallborderfreebie_1112.html?

Tomorrow starts a new week, right?

This has been a week to mess up plans, that's for certain. Near the beginning of the week, the house to my left was broken into. My neighbor has been out to sea 2 weeks and the fireman whose house backs up to his, has been feeding the cat. He went over as usual and found someone had broken in through a window on the side that faces our bedroom. Drawers were rummaged through for money (or possible drugs) and some things were taken. But much of value was left behind, Possibly my husband frightened them off when he left for work in the wee hours. Police can't dust for prints or anything else because the owner isn't available. And they think the thief will come back because he left so much of value behind. Just great! I finally start sleeping well again (never easy) and other little things cloud the sunshine of the days. But no biggie - until . . . Doorbell rings repeatedly around 4am today. I'm asleep, hubby is up at computer but not dressed. So he throws on clothes and goes to door. There's a guy there who identifies himself as a repo man who was driving down our street and comes upon a car that has plowed into my Blazer which was parked out front - in the shoulder at the edge of the lawn. Driver is passed out so man called EMTs and came to let us know our car was damaged. We call the police. The firehouse is just around the corner so EMTs arrive before police. Husband says it takes them maybe 15 minutes to get the guy conscious. But he's not injured and finally is able to crawl across to passenger side and out when police arrive. He is not cooperative, probably because he is under influence of something. Takes them awhile to get any basic info from him. He refuses breath test. turns out he is driving a new 2014 rental car on an out of state license because he has expired VA license. He was driving east on a 4 lane road - 2 lanes each side of median strip - and has come across 4 lanes and smashed into my Blazer. Wait, it gets better. It's freezing cold so hubby send me back inside. When he comes in, he reports that police cuffed the man and put him in their car, then found a gun and some kind of drugs in his car. I will not be going to see my God-daughter lead out bands at the competition. I'm so dead tired I don't even get emotional about it but getting back to sleep when husband goes on to BIL's for work on his car, is near impossible. Phone rings every time I doze off. I called our insurance before trying to go back to sleep so am on alert for adjuster's call. All calls that woke me were bogus stuff. Hubby is away hours longer than expected and the repair we thought would be $16 turned into something over $60. That's just parts. Thank heaven BIL was doing the work. Quarter to 5pm and still no call from adjuster so I have to call insurance company back. we complete the report but it's going to be the other insurance company's responsibility to fix my car. By this time I've got another shingles outbreak. My body decides I'm stressed even when I try not to be. And I'm about out of the anti-viral I take at first sign of outbreak. Guess what? local pharmacies won't have any until Monday. Husband handles call to other insurance company which promises to have an adjuster contact me on Monday. "Go back to bed," he says as he heads out again - to grandson's baseball tournament game. I'm too wired so I decide to do something naughty. No, not what you're thinking! (Shame on you) I have a recipe for 4 minute microwave fudge and on occasion, I've made a smaller batch for emergency fudge fix. I just guess at proportions and time. And this time I guessed badly. Was using a microwavable hard plastic kind of soup bowl. Decided to cut the TV on and find something to watch. Suddenly there is all this loud popping and snapping. It's the microwave - I over estimated the time and hot chocolate mess and thin layers from the inside of the bowl are popping all over the place. So, no fudge, down one bowl, and a mess to clean up. Around 9:30 there's another knock on the door. What now? Nothing bad, just one of the police officers coming back to give us a completed accident report. A report which estimated both my car and the rental as "totaled." Small wonder I didn't get around to fixing a freebie for you today. On the plus side, grandson's team won tournament. Congrats Tyler! And tomorrow starts a new week, right? Fingers crossed it's a better one.

While I was cleaning I found

an old quilting booklet and on the cover was a lovely poem I'll share with you. "A Living Faith" - author unknown **** "I've dreamed many dreams that never came true - I've seen them vanish at dawn, But I've realized enough of my dreams _ to make me want to dream on./ I've prayed many prayers when no answer came - though I waited patient and long, But answers have come to enough of my prayers - to make me keep praying on./ I've trusted many a friend that failed - and left me to weep alone, But I've found enough of my friends true blue - to make me keep trusting on./ I've drained the cup of disappointment and pain - and gone many days without song, But I've sipped enough nectar from the roses of life - to make me want to live on." [sorry - wish there was a way to format text in blogger!] ********************************************************************************* To keep moving forward and be happy and strong, we need to have faith - in our God and ourselves. We need to keep dreaming so that we have goals to look forward to achieving. When we stop dreaming - however small the dream - stop finding something to look forward to - we can easily lose hope, let our faith vanish, and find life not worth the effort. We are all here for a reason. All of us are spiritual beings who are having a human experience. Sometimes that experience is painful but surely there's a reason - something to learn. Let your light shine! This week, do something nice for someone - a random act of kindness (RAK). You will also be doing something nice for yourself - you'll feel the connection to your best self.

Life moves on

and somehow I find that things are other than what I anticipated - sometimes better, sometimes worse. I used to have the notion that retirement would be so wonderful. I'd have plenty of time to do all the things I wanted to do but never had time for when I was working. Well, I do have time but not the energy, health, or financial state I thought I'd have. So I'm making adjustments. Don't we all? My parents were always doing something artsy/craftsy so it was natural for me to do the same. I can't tell you how many different activities of that nature I've done over the years. And I've accumulated a lot of supplies! Some of the things I used to do I don't expect or want to do again. For instance, counted cross-stitch is a thing of the past due to aging eyes. So I'm trying to go through my supplies and instruction booklets and so on and down size. I've got a big box in the living room - a "take-away" box as my friend, Chloe, calls it. In it I'm stashing items to go to the local Children's Hospital Thrift Store. And I've got a tote bag next to it to put in old quilt magazines for a friend who's making quilts for her grandchildren. Tonight I went through 3 magazine holders full of patterns, memories, and dreams and culled heavily. Gone now are cross stitch patterns, patterns for sewing stuffed characters, and booklets full of wedding ideas. As I added these to the take-away box, I remembered happy lunches with my friends at the Virginia Beach telephone office years ago. Counted cross stitch was a big deal back then and on paydays we'd take long lunches so we could stop in at Piece Goods (a fabric and craft store that's been closed for years now) and buy new pattern booklets and skeins of floss for our next project. I miss those ladies! I used to make silk flower arrangements for weddings at one time too: bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, flower girl baskets, table arrangements and so on. That was fun but rarely profitable as I never charged much above materials. I didn't want to add to the financial stress of the brides. I held on to a thick handful of these booklets and plastic sleeves filled with ideas for favors and so on because I thought I might need them one day for my son's wedding. But he is going on 36, has been with his present girlfriend 5 years now and they are in no rush to marry. I've just learned she's decided to go back to college for her vet. tech. license. That's a year of prelims and at least 2 more years. By the time they get around to getting married (they are talking after she's finished school and is working?) I may well be gone. Besides, they don't want a traditional wedding and chances are, none of these ideas would work with their thoughts on a beach wedding. So into the box the stuff goes. No, you can't see much difference yet but I hope by month's end there will be more empty shelves and fewer boxes of supplies etc. I'm only going to hang onto thing I think I really will use and I'm trying to be realistic about that. One good thing is less will make house cleaning easier, right?

Happy iNSD! *Freebie alert*

Happy International Scrapbooking Day! I have a little fall themed freebie for you. It's a full size paper for personal use.

You can pick it up here: http://www.4shared.com/zip/AWLeShM-/ws_iNSD_goldenAutumn_paper.html? I'd hope to have something more but our weather went from seasonably fall to upper 70's and rainy. My head has been killing me! Maybe I can add something else on Sunday.