Archive for November, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

Today I’m expressing gratitude for so many, many blessings. Here’s a very small, random sampling of them.

* A most amazing family

* Friendships with incredible people

* Health and happiness

* Laughter

* A moon that shines at night and reminds me of the wonder of the universe

* The sun that warms us and gives light and life each day

* Technology that makes it so easy to keep in touch and hear the voices of loved ones

* Seat heaters in cars

* Umbrellas

* Photography, journaling and memory preservation

* My eighth-grade keyboarding class

* Engineers who make road travel so easy

* Employment I enjoy

* Service opportunities

* Holiday music

* The holiday spirit

* Soft tissues

* Flights through clouds

* Takeoffs on airplanes

* Golf and miniature-golf courses

* Bowling alleys

* Board games

* Teachers

* Water parks

* Sketchbooks and Sharpie pens

* Scripture, which teaches and brings peace

* Grass and gardens

* Fruits and veggies

* Peanut M&Ms and McDonald’s soft-serve ice-cream cones

* Aerobics classes

* A soft bed and pillow

* Angels in heaven and angels on earth

* Jane Austen’s decision to write books

* Nail polish

* Blow-dryers and flat irons

* Naturally curly hair

* Growth that comes through difficult times

* Modern building-construction equipment

* Roundabouts (when people know how to use them)

* Strangers who smile and say hello

* Mountains, oceans, rivers, and streams

* Telescopes

* Shoes for every type of activity

* The movie below (someone asked people on the streets of New York what they’re thankful for)

* The happy music on the movie below

* Knowledge of the gospel of Christ that helps me appreciate everything in life so much more

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted in Gratitude | 182 Comments »

The Parable of the People Who Followed Their Dreams

Sunday, November 8th, 2009

A few years ago, I visited the Big Apple. Seeing the amazing art in the museums, experiencing the hubbub of the big city, and strolling around the area was a blast. A highlight was seeing a Chihuly exhibit in The New York Botanical Garden—I love Chihuly’s work. One of my most memorable moments, though, came while seeing Wicked on Broadway. The musical itself was absolutely incredible, but there was a lesson that struck me even more.

I remember looking at the actors about twenty minutes into the production and thinking, “These people made it to Broadway. They achieved their dreams. They must be thrilled.” They were living a dream—a dream that had been many years and hours upon hours of hard work in the making. They overcame doubt and fear and pursued one of their talents with a depth that allowed them to share their work with the world. It made me completely ecstatic to see them fulfilling a dream.

This week, Creating Keepsakes made an announcement I can’t help but compare to the experience I had watching Wicked. We announced the 2010 Dream Team—a group of 10 amazingly talented women whose work will grace our magazine and website for the next year. I want to add my sincere congratulations to

1. Wendy Sue Anderson
2. Maggie Holmes
3. Jen Jockisch
4. Suzy Plantamura
5. Cindy Tobey
6. Laura Vegas
7. Kim Watson
8. Susan Weinroth
9. Sara Winnick
10. Deena Wuest

The Creating Keepsakes 2010 Dream Team

Plus, Mou Saha was announced as a new contributing writer for 2010. She is a creative genius.

I’ve had the chance to work with each of these incredible women, and they never cease to inspire me. They’re fantastic scrappers and fantastic people who I am grateful to know. A huge thanks to each of them for being so wonderful and for sharing their talents and their lives. I know many of them had dreamed of achieving this honor, and I congratulate them for their hard work and thank them for their example in pursuing their dreams.

So, what goal have you been dreaming about? Let’s let the passion of these women and the people on Broadway inspire us to pursue a dream we’re each passionate about. I have a goal I’ve wanted to pursue for years, but I’ve always been too afraid to make the plunge. (It seems like the first step is always the most daunting, doesn’t it?) Today I was motivated by these women to make one of my dreams a reality. I won’t put it off any longer. I’m setting a goal to work on it at least once a week (that sounds doable, doesn’t it?). I’ll check back in with you every once in a while to let you know how it’s going. If you’ve had a goal you’ve wanted to pursue for a while, today feels like a good day to start, doesn’t it?

Posted in Goals and Dreams, People, Scrapbooking | 238 Comments »

From M.E. to me

Sunday, November 1st, 2009

The Parable of the Girl Who Decided to Reclaim Her Life

This WillowTree is called "Happiness," with the caption "free to sing, laugh, dance . . . create!" It has always inspired me.

This WillowTree statue is called "Happiness," with the caption "free to sing, laugh, dance . . . create!" It has always inspired me.

Once upon a time, there lived a little girl who loved to edit (much to the dismay of her middle-school and high-school peers who thought she used too much red pencil when peer editing their papers, thank you very much). When the girl went to college, she decided editing would be just the ticket for her (and she was right—she loves it). During a business class, she met the founding editor of Creating Keepsakes magazine. She knew immediately the company would be the perfect place for her and hoped to one day find a home there.

Shortly after graduating, she applied for a position at the magazine. Heavenly Father blessed her very much, and she was able to obtain the job. A year later, she was promoted, and she was very grateful. A little while later, she was promoted again and then again. The girl felt very blessed and humbled with each change. She’d dreamed of going to the moon, and she found she’d been able to travel through an entire galaxy—what an incredible ride.

Then one day the girl realized her world had changed a little. She’d always dreamed of being a girl with many adventures, one of which was working for the magazine. With each promotion, she viewed the change as a great step in her grand adventure and didn’t mind working more hours because she enjoyed her job. With her great love for the magazine, she soon developed a habit of working way too many overtime hours each week, and she didn’t have time for many other adventures anymore. The girl wanted adventures and wanted to keep in better touch with the people who mean so much to her, so she realized she needed a change—one where she could still fulfill her dream of working for the magazine but where she would also have time to pursue other dreams (and get a little more sleep at night).

She made the decision to apply for a new position where she would have more time to be with her family and friends, develop new talents, play in the sun, and explore the kingdom. At first she was worried people may think she made a bad decision in her career by stepping away from her current job, but she knew the change felt right, and so she decided not to worry anymore. To her delight, she received the job offer. She couldn’t wait to begin a new adventure and reclaim her grand adventure, and she smiled ever time she thought about the change and the new job.

Now her story begins again, once upon a time. . . .

***

It’s true: after 3.5 incredible years of working as the managing editor for Creating Keepsakes magazine, I’m making a change. It’s time to reclaim my life in full, and I’m excited for what’s coming. I’ll still be at CK (of course!), but starting tomorrow it’s time to go from M.E. (managing editor at the magazine) to me (plain and simple me who happens to have an extremely cool job of senior online editor for Creating Keepsakes). Wish me luck on my new adventure and the many more that are soon to come as a result. :)

Posted in Goals and Dreams, Growth, Individual Worth | 187 Comments »