One Little Word 2018 - Ali Edwards

Hello, friends! And hello 2018!

I just finished breakfast while watching the January video presentation for Ali Edwards' One Little Word workshop. Last year's word - RISE - helped me survive, so I am counting on this year's word - WALK - to help me do just that and more.

I'll share more about my word as I share my approach to the workshop prompts. I believe sharing on my blog is going to keep me accountable for following through every month.

Another way that I have made myself more accountable is by creating a local group to work through the prompts with. I gifted the class to each of my sisters and my mom, then created a Facebook group for just us to share how we're doing. We have a wide variety of words and I'm the only scrapbooker (although each of my sisters and my mom are crazy creative in their own way), so our approaches will vary, too. While I love the workshop's Facebook group and message boards for sharing with everyone taking the class, I think having this small, more personal group will add a whole new layer to the experience.

In other news, baby girl is going to be early! She isn't due for a little over a month, but she needs to make her debut in two weeks if I want to avoid a C-section. I appreciate any prayers/good thoughts/good energy you could send my way.

Also, my Big Pictures Classes class - Decking Out Your Memorydex - is available today. Please head on over and enjoy the class. I would love to know what you think!

Happy 2108 to you! Thanks for stopping by :). Tessa

New Year, New Word

Hello, friends! Happy New Year! As I reviewed my online presence in 2016, I realized that my creative project-sharing shifted to Facebook and Instagram posts in the last several months. While I LOVE connecting with others on those platforms, I miss sharing the details and the background story in a larger space. This space. So, with the new year comes a new devotion to blogging.

Also, the new year brings a new word.

I chose the word "thrive" as 2016 was coming to a close. I felt it out for a week, and even started a Pinterest board. However, when I was adding quotes to my Pinterest board, this one - without the word "thrive" - made its way into the search results:

As soon as I read it, I knew my word was RISE. Positive. Literally uplifting. I know this word will carry me through 2017, and that I will be a better, stronger person because of it.

I signed up for Ali Edwards' One Little Word workshop (again). I'm excited to devote time each month to reconnecting, evaluating, and moving forward with my word.

Also, without infringing on any of Ali's intellectual property, I am sharing the general concept of a yearly word with the women at church. I'm teaching a mini workshop about taking a word and applying it to personal spiritual development. Several years into this practice, I have learned that my approach to One Little Word has a spiritual component at the core. While Ali's prompts are incredibly valuable and helpful, I needed something more, to speak to that spiritual core. I created worksheets specific to my faith that detail monthly prompts for 1) keeping your word visible, 2) reconnecting with your word, and 3) documenting your progress. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If any of my LDS readers/followers would like to join me, send me an email (precociouspaper@yahoo.com) and I will share the worksheets I have prepared.

Do you do One Little Word or something like it? I'd love to know your word. Watch this space - there's more to come, including a fun announcement tomorrow!

Tessa

Time - One Little Word 2016

Hello 2016! I love a new beginning, and nothing has shaped the start of a new year for me more than "One Little Word". I'm grateful to Ali Edwards for this concept, and for the workshop she leads. I signed up for the workshop for the first time this past year, and even though I didn't participate every month, my word was visible in a way that it never had been before. I'll be doing the workshop again this year and I'm looking forward to making it more of a priority. I've seen what my word has done for me, and I can only imagine what it can do for me with more nurturing.

The word I have chosen for 2016 is TIME. To be more accurate, my word chose me. In October I started seeking out my next word, but I struggled to find it. I began to wonder if I'd ever find a word to connect with. One afternoon, while feeling the stress of the daily grind, I took a break to practice my current word - still. In that quiet moment, my next word settled like a falling feather in my mind - time. It wasn't accompanied by any fanfare, mental fireworks or a spiritual awakening, but the peace I felt was a witness that "time" was the one.

I love that I was led to my 2016 word by my 2015 word. If I had not realized meaningful growth with still, I probably would have missed out on time. I have no idea what TIME will teach me, but I am excited by all the possibility.



I expect 2016 to be just as challenging, hard, and beautiful as 2015, but I know keeping my word visible will help me to cling to what I know to be important, increase in what I lack, and start 2017 as a better person.

How about you? What's your word?

Beautiful - The Studio Challenges

My One Little Word this year is still, and recently I had an overwhelming impression to act on it. At that moment, finding a way to be still was as important as continuing to breathe. 

A little background.... I've had several unexpected challenges thrown my way in the past six weeks or so, and I had to say "no" to some commitments. The things I said "no" to were things I could not manage to do, no matter how I edited my schedule and rearranged other commitments. I was truly between a rock and a hard place. I thought people would understand, trust that I tried my best, but not all of them have. Instead, I've been made to feel guilty.

Have you noticed this? Women airing their crazy-busy to-do lists, comparing their overfull plates as if to say, "Oh yeah? Well, my list is twice as long and I'm managing it.What's your problem?" Well, I see two problems here. One, we shouldn't be basing our value on how busy we are. I'm not more or less important/good/worthy because of the length of my to-do list. Two, I can't see someone else's entire to-do list. As women, we deal with much more on any given day than what we wrote in our planners or scribbled on a post-it note. You don't really know how much is on my plate. It might look like a dessert plate from where you stand, but that's an illusion of perspective. My plate is more like a platter. Everyone's is.

When that overwhelming impression to be still hit, I turned to something I love to do and haven't been able to do as often or as freely as I would like to lately - scrapbooking. Fiddling with paper and glue restores a sense of control within me. It also gives me the chance to relax and get lost in my own thoughts. Putting this page together was just the amount of still I needed, and it allowed me to process what I had been feeling about the consequences of saying "no". At any rate, you're probably just here for the layout, so here it is :).

There's a new challenge at The Studio Challenges today - white on white. 

I found that the trick to this challenge was starting with a great photo. All of the white elements keep the focus on the photo, and I love that. I did feel the need to throw in the colored flowers and alpha, but by placing them over the corner of the photo, I didn't feel like I was cheating ;).

All the white papers are DCWV - background cardstock, embossed cardstock, vellum, and printed vellum. 

For more details about the challenge, and to see the rest of the design team's takes, click here.

Thanks for stopping by today, and hearing me out :). Have a great week! Tessa

Celebrate an Ordinary Day - Pretty Little Studio

Hello! I hope your New Year's Day was a good one. I enjoyed setting up my One Little Word album and spending time with family. If you've had a chance to visit the blog at Pretty Little Studio, you may have seen my latest layout:

Based on the January sketch, I created this page with the Holiday Cheer collection and a patterned paper from the Marigold line. You can read a little bit about my process, and see a couple other gorgeous takes on the sketch, on the Pretty Little Studio blog here.

One of my favorite parts of this layout is the journaling. I thought about doing typewriter strips, but then I decided on the tag.

Only the left side of my photo is actually adhered to the layout. The tag is secured with the paper clip.

I love how the first layout that I'm sharing this year goes hand in hand with my One Little Word - still. I hope I get better at celebrating ordinary moments like this in 2015.

Thanks for stopping by today, and for your comments yesterday on the blog and elsewhere in social media land. I'm glad we have this online space to connect :). Have a good one! Tessa

Hello January!

(image pinned here)

Happy New Year! My favorite part of celebrating the New Year isn't the ball drop at midnight, or staying up late playing games with my family, but waking up the next morning to a clean slate, a new adventure, the next chapter. Because of my 33 Things goals, I haven't set any New Year's Resolutions. Instead, I have re-committed myself to accomplishing what I set out to achieve back on August 31st. I have a 33 Things update post scheduled soon.

I have chosen a new One Little Word. In fact, for the first time I signed up for Ali Edwards' One Little Word workshop. I am excited to see where the added emphasis on my word will take me this year. 2014's word was finish. As 2014 was coming to an end, I took some time to ponder my progress with the word finish and, like most years, my new word was born from what I learned about my previous word. Even though I learned a lot about myself and loved my word, sometimes finish was a struggle. I asked myself why and this was the answer:

 (pinned here)

My One Little Word for 2015 is still. I need to learn to be still. Be still and know. Be still and listen. I need to persevere. Still standing. Still going. I need to find peace and calm, even briefly, on a daily basis. Still waters. I need to learn to forgive myself. Still becoming. I believe that connecting with the word still will lead me to greater peace and more growth this year.

If you're interested in following along with my OLW journey, here are some links you might enjoy:
- My Pinterest Board: STILL - One Little Word 2015
- Something I'm currently studying, inspired by my word: "Be Still, and Know that I Am God"
- Ali Edwards' One Little Word class

Did you choose a word for 2015? Are you doing Ali's class? Do you take a different approach to goal-setting in the new year? I'd love to know :).

Thanks for visiting today. Here's to a fantastic year! Tessa

One Little Word Tag Book - Love My Tapes

My one little word for 2014 is FINISH. You can read more about why I chose this word here. I've been thinking about my word quite a bit lately, and I've come to the conclusion that I am slacking. To re-inspire myself to be more diligent in working on my word, I created this little tag book:

To see how I made the tag book, please see the Love My Tapes blog today. If you are visiting from Love My Tapes, hello! Using their fabric tape to bind my tags was easy, and the tape will hold up beautifully to repeated folding.

I have a Pinterest board where I collect things that make me think of my word - mostly art and quotations. I copied ten of the quotes - putting the one that started it all on the cover - into the book. Each one is numbered with a My Mind's Eye sticker.

The One Little Word flair on the front cover is by A Flair for Buttons. My flair supply is currently a little low - I've got a wishlist of about 20 sets in my shopping cart right now ;). I love Shelley's flair!

Now I have a lovely little reminder of what my word is all about. I have it propped up on my dresser in my bedroom so that I will see it every day.

For more photos and instructions, be sure to see the Love My Tapes blog today :). Do you have a one little word, and if so, are you still going strong this far into the year? Thanks for visiting! Tessa

Mother's Day - Cards - DCWV

Hello! Between private lessons, regular classes, auditions for my two dance companies and Mother's Day, my weekend was very full. I didn't have much time to get online or even get my SMASH Sunday post up! So sorry if you were looking forward to that ;). But, I was able to enjoy time with the people who made me a mom, who I call mom, and who I admire as moms. Here's a recap of my Mother's Day:

It was like herding cats and pulling teeth, but I managed to get a photo with each of my kiddos. Four. That was a "first" this Mother's Day. Another "first" - being mom to someone who will one day herself be a mom. Super special.

My gift from the hubby. It's a leather cuff from The Turquoise Tomato, stamped with my One Little Word for the year. I love it!

Later we had lunch at my uncle and aunt's house. Here is Addie with her grandma (my mom - they got the mint memo) and her great-grandma (my mom's mom):

I spent so much time working on the gifts I made for my mom and mother-in-law (coming to the blog tomorrow!) that I didn't have much time to make cards. However, DCWV's super cute line "Vintage Collector" came to the rescue with ready-made cards and cute die-cuts:

I simply adhered a typewriter die-cut to the card, then adhered a heart to the typewriter with foam adhesive. Easy-peasy and super cute!

How was your Mother's Day? I hope it was fabulous! Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

New Year, New Word, New Room

Hello twenty fourteen! I am really looking forward to what this year will bring. I can finally say I'm having a baby this year! In fact, this month! Adding a little girl to our family is sure to bring quite a few firsts for the Buys'. Besides Adlyn joining us, there are some other changes on the horizon - the nature of Josh's job is changing; Colten will start middle school; Jaxon will start Kindergarten. So many good and exciting adventures!

While I'm looking forward, I'm also remembering the difficulties of 2013. From the miscarriage at the beginning of the year, to this difficult pregnancy, 2013 taught me much about trial, challenges, and enduring to the end. In October of 2013, our church held General Conference during which President Monson gave this talk: "I Will Not Fail Thee, nor Foresake Thee". As I listened, I was deeply touched. As he spoke about the loss of his precious wife, I couldn't help but relate to the loss I had suffered. I felt as though he were talking to me specifically, and I took his words to heart. It's from his talk that I found my One Little Word for 2014 - finish.

One of the ways I will act on this word is to finish more projects. This past year has left me with many, many unfinished projects that were interrupted by my health or other distractions. I plan to make 2014 a year that ends with an empty "unfinished projects shelf" in my craft space. One of the first projects to finish - and finish soon! - is Adlyn's nursery:

Inspired by this Pinterest pin (original source here). I am so thrilled with the way this turned out!

A work in progress - the two short walls flanking the window will display various embroidery hoop projects. Most of them are filled with fabric, but several will be altered. I'll share again when they are all complete.

A Christmas present from my parents. I'm still trying to figure out what I'll clip to the dress frame, but in the meantime, it's holding garland that I'm making for the ceiling and my cute new tote bag from Scrapbook Circle.

Happy New Year! I hope 2014 is everything you wish for :). Thanks for stopping by! Tessa

SMASH Sunday - One Little Word

I added two more page spreads to my One Little Word SMASH book this past week. For the first one, I went with a "home" theme and peach/green/black color palette:

I recently picked up a bunch of Basic Grey goodies, so you'll see those all over my pages today. This page also features some Dear Lizzy 5th and Frolic, as well as a vintage playing card. I thought the blueprint tag and the home bingo card were perfect.

And see this flair? Isn't it great?! You can find a whole set of One Little Word flair in the A Flair for Buttons shop here.

The next pages shift to a pink/kraft color palette. More Basic Grey, as well as an envelope saved from the trash.

I went with a "bird" theme for these pages. I wanted this spread to be encouraging, so the thought of "singing" was a great sentiment to add.

You can see more photos in my flickr photostream. Thanks for stopping by! My next SMASH Sunday post is just two weeks away. Enjoy the rest of your weekend! Tessa

Simply Wonderful - The Studio, MLK, Jr. Day

A new sketch challenge is up at The Studio! Here's my take:

I've had this pair of instagram photos printed for awhile, and this sketch was the perfect spark for a two-photo page.

I used mostly bits and pieces from recent Studio Calico kits. I don't think I'll ever tire of those KI Memories banner stickers (title). I love those things!

If you would like to play along with The Studio, you can find the challenge details here. The Studio is a fun bunch of international girls, so if you like to see a great variety of styles and personalities, it's is a good place to be :).

On a non-scrappy note, today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in the US. My boys and I have been discussing his contributions to society all weekend. One of my favorite Martin Luther King, Jr. quotations is this:

Thinking of my 2013 One Little Word - best - I am finding that many of his words inspire me to be my best. This quote about faith inspires me to have more, comforts me to know that I don't have to see the big picture, and makes me grateful for people who did their best to make the world a better place. U2 is my favorite band, and I always think of this song on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Enjoy :).

Have a good one! Tessa

SMASH Sunday - One Little Word

I'm excited to be starting up my SMASH Sunday posts again! I resolved to do this on a regular basis this year, so you will be seeing a SMASH Sunday post twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Sundays. To kick 2013 off I am sharing the start of my One Little Word SMASH book:

My One Little Word for this year is BEST.

This is the title page. It's a mix of all sorts of bits and pieces that have been hanging around in my scrapbook room. One of the things I am determined to do with my SMASH books this year is to use my stash.

I'll buy something that I fall in love with, but I pledge to shop my stash first. This also includes being creative with leftovers from my everyday life. I've already saved an opened envelope from this week's mail and a tag from a pair of new jeans.

I haven't decided what's going in the little envelope yet. And that's okay. I can always come back to it.

Here are pages one and two. I left the right side pretty much untouched other than a rhinestone, some washi and some mist splatter. I liked it as is.

The left side is another story :). I used a Jenni Bowlin postcard for some journaling, and doesn't that Dear Lizzy hello tag make a great accent for the first page? The flowers are fussy cut from one of my favorite DCWV stacks.

Here are pages three and four.

I based this spread on the quotation: "Do what you love. Love what you do." I have learned that I do my best when I love what I'm doing. Sometimes I have to get creative to make myself fall in love with all the things I have to do, but in the end, it's worth it. One thing that's easy to love is my job - teaching dance.

The image on the left is a thank you card from a student. Isn't that little girl adorable? The card reminds me of why I love what I do, so I thought it would be the perfect anchor piece for this page. And the orange/pink/green combo was really fun to work with!

One of my favorite parts is the glassine envelope filled with orange and green sequins. I've had those sequins in my stash for years - at least five! It felt great to finally use them, especially in such a cute way.

So, that's it! I plan to share this SMASH book with you often, but I will likely revisit some of my other books, too. I hope your weekend has been great! Thanks for stopping by today :). Tessa