Telling Stories

5 Lessons I'm Learning Thanks to my Debut Novel. {And a giveaway!}

                             

Today I'm talking a little about my writing journey over at the Brave Girls Club Website. 

I'm sure you've heard of Brave Girls Club. Yes? I'm going. One of these days, I'm going to get out there and get my hands all painty and explore my life and how I can make it better. That image at the top is one of Melody's and it appeared at precisely the time I needed it most.

Funny how that happens. 

It's amazing to me to see how God has used this writing journey to teach me so very much about myself... about the things I need to keep working on...day after day, I learn something new. Like how to lean on other people. How to accept the help of others. How to admit to myself and everyone else that there's no way I can do it all. 

Oh, I pretend for awhile...but when I do that, it all comes crashing down on me. 

Today, on this reflective Saturday (I wrote this on Saturday), as I prepare to head out to the Barnes and Noble here in Loveland for a book signing, and my nerves are amped up and I'm scared, I think about the things I know for sure...

(Also Melody's art)

So here's my list: 5 Things I'm Learning...thanks to my debut novel:

1. God is always going to come through for you. No matter what. Even if it feels like the midnight hour. Even if it feels like he's forgotten you. I promise. He hasn't. Lately, I keep hearing the same phrase echoing in my mind... He has me in the palm of his hand...

2. Sometimes compliments are more jarring than criticism. They're scary because they bring out a different kind of insecurity...the kind where you want to sit down and explain to everyone that they're mistaken. Don't they know how frazzled you really are? Don't they see that you're the mom who forgot the permission slip? Again. 

3. Just at the time when you're sure you cannot go on for one more single solitary second, someone jumps in and throws you a rope. If there's no rope, then you can do it...even if you feel like you can't. 

4. When you put out a "fleece" and convince yourself it's biblical, you might be mistaken. Some experts say this is actually a sign of an immature faith. (When you discover this the day after putting out a fleece, it's especially fun.) 

5. You can't make people run to amazon and buy your book. And as much as you want to, you can't give them away...all you can do is be thankful...so thankful...that you have this opportunity...and then you can pray that God gets a hold of it and does what he wants with it.

You can't worry about what you can't control...

I'm learning, my friends...so much and so fast...and other things...REALLY slowly. Ha. But in honor of these many lessons, and in honor of my "Someone Threw Me a Rope" post at Brave Girls Club, I want to give away a copy of my book, A Sweethaven Summer...

The book is available HERE and HERE and on KINDLE, and NOOK...so if you don't win, maybe you'll join me for a little escape to Sweethaven!?

How do you enter? Simply leave me a comment and tell me...what lesson are you learning lately? 

To sweeten the deal, I'm also going to give away a spot in my new Big Picture Class, Scrapbooking Your Faith...

(Click on image for more information!) 

AND a copy of my first book, Scrapbooking Your Faith:

For additional entries:

1. Facebook a link to this post OR to "A Sweethaven Summer" on amazon!

2. Tweet a link to this post or to "A Sweethaven Summer on amazon!

3. Blog about either of these things. 

4. Sign up for my newsletter by clicking HERE. (I promise not to spam you. Cross my heart. I'm thinking 2-3 newsletters a year. I won't tell you if we get a new puppy or anything like that.) 

Also, I want to tell you that my sweet friend, Vicki Boutin has done a very brave thing herself...she's written this book:

Click on the image and find out you can WIN her new book...and come back here tomorrow for a very fun Sweethaven-inspired project from Vicki! (I can't wait!) 

:) Thank you. I'm feeling extreme gratitude today and I want to say thank you. I'd love to send you my books and see you in my class, so be sure to leave a comment today! :) 

Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge {Point of View}

When you write, one of the first things you learn about is Point of View. I love the whole idea of jumping into a character's mind and seeing everything just as he or she would see it. I think this is where the time I spent in theatre really comes in handy...because acting is all about bringing a character to life. In every way, you inhabit the character. You become them. It's why some actors don't stop talking with an accent when the cameras turn off...because embodying another person is a mental task, and for the writer, not one to be taken lightly. 

It's also my favorite part of writing a book. 

One thing that struck me as especially fun was when I asked two scrapbookers to create pages about friendship...and they came back with two very different points of view...but they both used the same photo. 

It was like a visual representation of what a novel is all about. The nuts and bolts of it...seeing things through the character's eyes. It was completely unplanned but it made me smile. 

First, designer Leslie Ashe scrapped this adorable layout about a friendship that was meant to be...

We all have those friendships, don't we? The ones that are meant to be. The ones where you look back and can't remember a time you didn't know the person? Even if you've only known them for a short time. 

Female friendships are so complex. I think that's why I wanted to write about them... because they're volatile and full of drama...but on the other side of that is something so special. When you cross the bridge and find out you've still got someone beside you? Well, there's nothing like that. 

The funny thing was, that Wendy Hammer, the other lovely in this photo, also created a page about friendship...and look who she decided to document:

I couldn't love the journaling on this layout any more. I swear. I love the whole idea of documenting a relationship that means so much to you...and I love the way both these girls did it.

Two different styles, two different points of view...

One friendship that clearly means the world to each of them. 

I think I'm hormonal because I kind of want to cry just thinking about it... 

All that said, I have to tell you that A Sweethaven Summer is on sale today on Amazon...so if you haven't joined me in that utopian cottage town, maybe it's time? 

It's also available on Kindle and Nook, if you're a fancy technology lover...

And if you're really desperate, someone is trying to sell a used copy at bn.com for $146. 

Hey, to each his own. 

Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge {The Blessings of Friendship}

Friendship and Forgiveness. It's what I keep telling people my book is about. A Sweethaven Summer is a story about friends, brought together by a little town and a scrapbook. That's it in a nutshell...but friendships are rarely so cut and dry, are they? 

I am so blessed to have friends all over the globe, people I love even when I don't get to talk to them every single day (or even every single month.) People who "get me." 

It's a resounding theme so naturally, it deserves a lot of attention when it comes to this fabulouso Art Challenge I'm about to issue...(I'm thinking tomorrow I'll get all the details announced...and the prizes...well, I'll tell you some of them!) :) 

Anyway, it's easy to document your children's friends, but what about your own? What about those people you cherish? Maybe you've known them your whole life...grown up with them...or maybe you met at a particularly important point in your own lives and have been friends ever since. 

For my friend Anabelle O'Malley, part of friendship is the tradition of going to Disney with her girlfriends...a tradition definitely worth documenting...

Anabelle took photos from three different years--three different trips--and used them all on the same layout. Can you imagine if Anabelle's son found this years from now and tracked down these girls to hear more about what his mom was like when she wasn't on "mom duty"?

It intrigues me...the whole idea of it. I guess in some ways, I think when we play a "role" all day long, like "MOM"...it's hard to think of ourselves as anything else. But that role of "FRIEND" is so important... it shapes us and forms us into who we are...don't you think? 

What if you step outside the role you're most used to playing and focused instead on another role, maybe one you don't get to play often enough, but that you're so thankful for. 

The other day, I had a radio interview and they mentioned the idea of the gratitude journal...in my mind, scrapbooking and art journaling are largely about expanding this concept...talking about our blessings, focusing on them...keeping them in the spotlight. My real life friend, Liz Hicks, demonstrates this with her "Blessed Beyond Measure" art journal page:

I love that Liz's art journal pages are always so full of vibrancy and life...and to be able to document the blessing of a good friend is something that she (and future generations) will cherish. I love to hear stories about my mom's friends growing up...it won't be any different with our kids...

I think more than anything, they want to know us as people not just as the "warden in the prison of their life" (as I expect my daughter might say given that the mother seems to be the villain in the story she's currently writing...) 

But the truth is, friendship IS a blessing...a huge one that we should never take for granted. Our friends see us through so many storms, whether we realize it at the time or not. 

Check out Liz's blog for tons of great art journaling tips, techniques and prompts. You can find it HERE. 

Question for YOU: Have you created a layout or art journal page highlighting your friendships? Does any of your artwork focus on you? 

I'd love to hear about it...and if not, I'd love to hear why...

And I'd especially love for you to join in my Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge and create a page inspired by one of the beautiful pieces of art my friends have shared...but we'll get to that later! 

For now, I'll leave you with a documentation of some of my favorite friends...

People I don't live near anymore...but who I carry in my heart...

Happy Monday!

Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge {On Scrapbooking & Music}

This morning I had a radio interview set up by my amazing publicist, Jeane. She's more than a publicist, she's a friend...and this girl keeps my brains in check. (Did you know I had more than one brain?) 

One thing that I love about doing these interviews is the fact that I get to talk about scrapbooking...something that I've realized has been with me for as long as I could remember. 

Before there was patterned paper and embellishments and scrapbooking stores, I used whatever I found around the house...(not acid-free, mind you...) and the results were always just fine. Because I was telling my stories. 

Pulling that in to this novel has been one of the most eye-opening things for me...because even as I wrote it, I don't think I fully realized the impact scrapbooking has had on my life. And I'm not "caught up" and all my pages aren't organized in albums...but the stories have been told...and there they are, waiting to be told again. 

Scrapbooking is at the heart of A Sweethaven Summer...so when Scrapbooking Rock Star Jen Jockisch agreed to create a Sweethaven-inspired layout, I was so happy she chose to reflect on the "why" of scrapbooking. Jen has long been one of my favorite scrapbookers, with her fresh and funky style...

But when you read her journaling...gosh. I just get it. I get that need for the creative outlet...that need to lock yourself away and get lost in it for a few hours. I love every word of this journaling...not to mention the adorable design...

(PS...visit Jen's blog later today for a chance to win a copy of my book!) 

What is your creative outlet? I really want to know what you're into!!

Being able to pull parts of yourself into a keepsake...it's so worth it. Worth the time it takes... For instance, Becky Fleck of Page Maps fame, has created a layout focusing on a particular song...a song that ran through her mind all day long the day she had to say goodbye to a trusted friend:

Music is a huge part of Sweethaven...from the country lullaby Adele always sang to her daughter to Campbell and her mom's shared love of Norah Jones, to the faded memories that accompany "When You Say Nothing At All..." the soundtrack of our lives brings back memories quicker than anything...

So, yes, I'm a sucker for this hobby that's become a job and then a hobby again...it's something that brings people together, and for that, I will be forever grateful. 

Next week, I'll announce The official rules of The Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge and tell you how you can win some awesome prizes! {Which of these layouts will inspire YOU most?!}

Now. About this book...If you've read it, thank you. If you've told me your thoughts about it, thank you. It's consuming my life a little right now, although the rest of my life sure hasn't stopped or paused or even hiccupped...

If you haven't read it, it's now available for Kindle or in paperback right over HERE at Amazon...and in advance, I'll say a humbled thank you...because it means the world to me.

Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge {A Special Place}

When I was home at Christmas, I spent more time in my hometown than I had in many, many years. Living about an hour from there, I always drove to my parents' house and then drove home, but now that we live in Colorado, driving home every night wasn't an option. 

While I was there, it really sunk in for me how much your heart can be tied to a place. Whether it's the place where you grew up or the place you spent every summer or your grandmother's house...places are so much more than places...

When I was working for Memory Makers, I wrote an article about "Scrapbooking Your Stomping Ground." I guess even then, I knew there was special significance to the park I went to to practice for that audition and the train tressels where the entire senior class signed their names. 

I suppose that's why creating a small midwestern town where the streets are named after flowers and the Main Street is still a brick road came naturally to me...Sweethaven is every good feeling about small town USA I could muster...and believe me, I could muster a lot. 

I asked two amazingly talented friends to scrapbook a place with special significance, and these girls have created layouts that are sure to inspire. They're gorgeous! 

First, look at Linda Barber's (do you think she's related to Luke? A long lost cousin, maybe?) ode to LA. She moved there not long ago, and the city is finding a way into her heart...

I can't begin to tell you all the things I love about this layout. The colors, the sewing, the design... but I especially love the story...

I know first-hand how moving can challenge everything you thought you knew about yourself. There are still days I wonder if Colorado will ever feel like home...but Linda's layout, documenting this moment in her journey, reminds me that I need to do the same...

I don't even know what to say about this:

I told Linda this is why she's so "dream-teamy" (because she's on the Creating Keepsakes Dream Team.) I mean, really? A stitched title? It makes me want to send her all my photos and have her scrap them for me. 

And this sub-title treatment with the photo in the stitched frame is killing me...

I have sewing machine envy. It makes me want to learn how to use mine already! 

Have you scrapped your hometown? Your stomping ground? 

What about a vacation spot that holds a special place in your heart? Lisa VanderVeen, another California girl, created a two-page spread about Mackinac Island, a place where no cars are allowed...

It sounds heavenly to me...and it has a lot of the same elements that Sweethaven has...a town that takes you back in time somehow, to a day when things were just a little simpler. And even if things got complicated, they still felt simpler. 

It's funny how small-town living can do that. Lisa's layout is full of adorable little details (the wooden bike is such a cute addition to her title, I can hardly stand it.) 

And it spoke to my intense love of scallops...

So, what about you...is there a place you love, one that's captured your heart? One that you were smitten with from the very moment you stepped foot in it? 

Have you ever created a piece of art about it? 

Who knows...

Maybe that place is waiting for you right on the pages of a book...if you're looking to be transported, I've got just the one. 

Escape to Sweethaven (in paperback or on Kindle) right HERE. 

Maybe I'll see you walking down Main Street or having a donut in Sweets on Sweethaven... or perhaps we'll ride the old wooden carousel together or dip our feet in the lake down by the Boardwalk...

Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge {First Love}

I didn't set out to write a romance novel. That's not what A Sweethaven Summer is...but I couldn't NOT write in a little romance...and it seems there's nothing as sweet as those first few months of first real love...

I got to talk about it a little on this interview over HERE on Lisa's Blog. (I also got to tell you who I think should play Campbell and Luke if there was ever a movie version of Sweethaven... (If you've read it, what do you think?) 

Anyway, first love. 

It's sweet and moving and the stuff dreams are made of...so it was important to me that I include a love story in each book...and each love story is shockingly different. At different points in their relationships, the characters are all going through different things. Just like real life. 

My friend Stephanie Ackerman, whose blog Homegrown Hospitality is FULL of artisitc inspiration, read the book and sent me an email. It was such a kind email, I couldn't respond right away. I didn't know what to say. And later, she said this on Facebook...

"I just read a 316 page book in less than 24 hours and I have only ever done that one time (and I was on a lounge chair in Maui...) THAT is how beautiful the book is..."

Still, I had no words. 

But when this showed up in my inbox, the artwork she created right after finishing the book, I was dumbfounded...

The book, she said, made her want to scrapbook again...and it was so unexpected to hear that. The art journal, which she talks about on her blog, made ME want to go create... I mean, the layers of art on this thing are jaw-dropping:

...and creating a book to document your love story, as it grows and changes and shifts and becomes something you don't recognize, then stabilizes and becomes something, once again you can't live without...these are the stories that stop your heart...

And having a dedicated place for them? Priceless...

Don't you want to read Stephanie's story? Don't you want to see how it started? How it grew? This book, once she's done with it, will become a treasured keepsake, the story of two people who fell in love in a way that no one else has...because no two love stories are exactly the same...

It's strange getting emails that tell me things about this book I poured my heart and soul into. It's jarring, almost, and often, I don't know how to answer, what to say to express my genuine thanks. I still feel like I should send people presents to thank them for buying my book. 

And when my work inspires the work of an artist...well, that's just icing on the cake. 

I hope the work of these artists inspires you to participate in the Sweethaven Scrapbook Challenge... it's coming SOON, but I have a few more amazing things to share this week (and early next week) before I tell you what you can win! 

Play along, will you? 

And tell me...have you documented your love story? 

Finally, the Winner of the Sweethaven Online Launch Party Week Four is:

Linda Carson said...

My favorite drink is diet Pepsi.

ReplyFebruary 14, 2012 at 02:20 PM

Linda, send me your address and we'll get your prize on its way!

 

Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge {Forgiveness}

Sometimes I think we, as writers, end up writing about things that are personal to us whether we want to or not. Forgiveness wasn't something I set out to include in this book, but I can't think of a more universal struggle. We all know we should forgive, but it's the how that escapes us... 

And sometimes, even when we think we're over something, it comes back to bite us later... and we realize that thing we thought we'd dealt with still holds up shop in our hearts. 

This is a strong theme through all three of the Sweethaven novels, and I think that's because it's a strong theme in my own life. I don't come buy forgiveness easily. It's not sitting on my doorstep waiting to be invited inside. It hides out in the dark spaces of the back yard... and if I want it, I have to go searching for it. 

And sometimes I do because I know it's what I need...but other times? I close the door, turn of the light and walk away, taking my bitter feelings with me, letting them fester... In Sweethaven, Jane does this a little bit. And she's justified...anyone would harbor anger in her shoes...but that anger, it eats us up... 

So she journals her through it. With photos. Like a paper crafter. 

I asked two incredibly talented paper artists to create pieces based on this idea of forgiveness... this elusive, yet freeing idea. They blew me away. 

Look at this art journal page by the insanely talented Tammy Tutterow:

It's SO gorgeous and I love the rectangular size of it. (I fully intend to create something this size!) 

But it's what Tammy said about the project that I find most inspiring...

Tammy: "At this time last year I was in a really tough place in life.  I had been hurt and deceived by someone very close to me and my world felt completely torn apart.  I tried to keep a very happy public face, but inside and in the confines of my home I was feeling complete devastation.  I didn't know where to turn or what to do.  I felt like I was swimming up river with a boulder strapped to my ankle.  

Although I have struggled with issues of faith my whole life, I knew that I had to surrender the pain to something larger than myself, that I alone could not fix the person, the situation, or my response to it.  Through everything, I knew that a large part of healing and moving forward would be in forgiving the person who had hurt me so deeply.  I couldn't even wrap my mind around how to forgive or even what truly forgiving someone meant.  I thought forgiving meant to just forget and to tell the person what they had done was ok.  It wasn't ok and I really wasn't sure I could ever let it go.  I am not one to share personal things or to reach out to others but I did and was led to some really wonderful resources.  One was THIS ARTICLE on the Focus on the Family website.  

At last I really started to understand what it meant to forgive.

As I sat down to create this project with the focus on forgiveness, I kept thinking of butterflies. When faced with difficult times and difficult situations at the hands of others, we can continue to crawl in the grief of the circumstances, or we can forgive, let go, and be free to fly.  It didn't happen overnight, but eventually I chose to forgive the person who had hurt me.  

At this time last year, I thought about the situation and concept of forgiveness every single day.  As I worked on this page, I realized I hadn't thought about it in weeks, maybe even months.  I think that was a sign that I had let it go and was finally flying free.  I chose to create the stamped images of the page so that they looked very fluid, as a reminder of the tears that were shed.  The symbolism of it though is that despite tears, there is beauty and vivid color and freedom to fly.  

The memory will never go away, but the pain does through forgiveness.  As I worked on my page, I searched for a quote to include about forgiveness and very quickly found one by H. Jackson Brown Jr, the author of Life's Little Instruction Book:

"Never forget the three powerful resources you always
have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness."  

Those were the three things I clung to in those dark days and those are the things that helped carry me through.

Tammy's story is so inspiring...I especially like that she mentioned that it doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't for any of us, does it? Not even the characters in my book have eveyrthing all wrapped up with a pretty red bow...

Tammy is still writing her story...you can find more of it on her blog HERE .

Stacey Michaud also tackled this subject of Forgiveness by scrapbooking about a relationship that helped teach her how to forgive: 

In this case, Stacey is also scrapbooking an important lesson, and it celebrates the fact that despite the hurts of the past, she could, with the help of a good friend, move past it and forgive. 

Take a look at Stacey's journaling:

What a gift, don't you think? The peace of mind that comes with forgiveness. 

I know, it's so easy to say that but even as I do I find myself mentally repenting and trying to come to terms with the hurts of the past...

How about you? Do you struggle to forgive? Do you journal through it? What helps you with those feelings of anger and hurt? I'd love to hear...

A Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge {Vacation Memories}

I am so happy to announce that A Sweethaven Summer is now available on Kindle! I've gotten some of the coolest emails from people who've read the book, but the most unexpected note is "this book has made me want to scrapbook again..." I've heard it several times now, and I'm almost surprised--but so happy--that maybe, somehow, reading it will inspire people to tell their own stories (in whatever way they choose.) 

Some people aren't as smitten with the book, however, which is evidenced by the first line of Sophia's new story: 

"Paige Jones was so excited that she got to see her friends again. She hadn’t seen them all summer since she had to spend it in a boring old cottage in Michigan." 

She asked me to "edit" it, and I didn't get much farther than that because it made me laugh. Sophia read the whole book in a weekend, and we've had many conversations since about what she thinks should happen to the characters. I have a feeling one of these days she's going to be my favorite brainstorming partner. 

Sweethaven instantly evokes the feeling of being on vacation, something I could desperately use right now...(but couldn't we all?) And in all of my scrapbooking, I'm not sure I've ever done a vacation layout...I don't remember one, so now I'm on a mission to get one made. 

My friend, Greta Hammond, created this inspired by Sweethaven layout, focusing on the subject of "Scrapbook a vacation memory..." 

There are so many things I love about Greta's layout, starting with the colors. She always has the best colors on her pages. But I especially love the way the journaling block breaks up the strip of photos on this page. It's just a clever way to get the story documented, don't you think? 

If you look carefully, you'll see all kinds of neat little layers on this page...just way too fun. 

So, are you ready to join in the fun? I'm putting together an awesome prize package (or two) to conclude this little Scrapbooking Challenge, and I'll announce all the rules very soon, but the plan is to have you create a layout based on one of these inspiring pages...(or, if you've read A Sweethaven Summer, you can create one inspired by the book from your own point of view!) 

Super fun, right? 

People are winning...and here's the proof!

The Winner of the Sweethaven Online Launch Party Day THREE goodies is: 

Anne Demos said...

I am a coffee snob! Hard to admit I absolutely LOVE Starbucks it is the ONLY Coffee I drink. Sumatra Bold is my favorite everyday. Carmal Machiatto Venti and Peppermint Mocha Venti are my special treats. Which I was trying to decide today what I was going to order when I come and see you Saturday at Barnes and Noble!!

ReplyFebruary 09, 2012 at 12:36 PM

(Anne Marie, send me your address!)

And the winners of Melody Ross's Soul Restoration Class (and a copy of "A Sweethaven Summer") are:

• Jessica Engel
• Julie P
• Rebecca Lovell
• Martha S.
• Tracie
• Laura L.
• Shannon Taylor

Girls, send me your address to claim your prizes! courtneycrops {at} msn {dot} com.

Congratulations to all the winners! I can't wait to get everything boxed up and shipped off...it's so exciting to send happy mail, isn't it? There's really nothing like opening the mailbox and finding a package waiting for you! 

I hope you all have a beautiful Monday! 

And come back all week for more inspiring art projects inspired by A Sweethaven Summer...I'd love it if you played along!

Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge {A Painful Memory}

The girls of Sweethaven are fighters. Their lives aren't all happy and jolly. What kind of cardboard characters would any of us be if we didn't have challenges, struggles, things to fight for...?

These women, like all of us, have been through their share of tragedy. And in this first book in the series, one of the characters, Jane, finds out that scrapbooking through it becomes quite therapeutic. 

In my own life, I've found that journaling and scrapbooking and creating art all give me the tools to tell a  story... painful or otherwise, and in doing so, somehow, I always feel better on the other side of it. 

And the most painful, most personal of memories are the ones you may be the most afraid to document...and also the ones that most deserve your attention...

Document a Painful Memory.

My friend, Jennifer Gallacher is a brilliant scrapbooker. Her layouts are so stunning and vivid and eye-catching, sometimes they literally make me gasp. On this layout, Jen shared so openly about a painful memory, the loss of her thirteen-year-old son, Joey. 

Isn't he handsome?

Yes, it's painful, but this is a huge part of Jen's story. 

A story I'll let her tell you herself...

"I lost my oldest son at 13 years old to the devastation of colon cancer. Joey had poor health almost his entire life, but he was always so happy. That's not to say that he didn't get down, but he never complained about the pain he was in. His battle with cancer and his passing was a terrible blow to our family. Suddenly we were left with a huge, gaping hole in our family and in our hearts.

As we have worked to repair those feelings of sadness and loss over the past five years, we try very hard to dwell on the happy times that we had together as a family. We also rely heavily on our faith. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't "talk" to my son and let him know that I'm proud of him, and that I miss him. I feel so grateful that I took so many photos of him even when he didn't necessarily love having his photo taken. I am even more grateful that through journaling and scrapbooking that I have recorded hundreds of memories of our time together. Now his sweet personality and beautiful smile is forever preserved for my children and my children's children--a priceless book of memories we'll always cherish."

Jen's story continues right HERE on her blog...

I can't think of many things more priceless than memories and photos of the ones you love.

The ones you've lost.

Scrapbook for the comfort of others. 

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to create a layout for Angie Smith. You might recognize her husband from the Christian group Selah. Angie's blog, and now her books, are inspiring, encouraging, amazing...but their story is not without pain.

Sometimes, documenting the hope found in the sorrow is also hugely important--for you or for those whose stories have touched your heart the way Angie and Todd's did mine. 

But where do I begin?

But maybe you're thinking, "I don't know where to start. It hurts too much..." 

Maybe you're scared to crack open the things that are holding you back, to speak them out loud so they lose their hold on you. 

So, today, I want to offer something amazing that can help you document the painful things, the things that are hard, the things you fear, the things that keep you from moving forward...

Watch:

 

My soul friend, Melody, is offering not one, but SEVEN spots in her online Soul Restoration class. 

Seven. 

And because I believe in the power of storytelling...in the power of all of us telling our own stories, through whatever medium we choose, I'm going to give away SEVEN copies of A Sweethaven Summer too. 

I've recently learned that writing a book is wonderful, but it makes you vulnerable in a way you didn't expect...and in some ways, that's scary...but in other ways, it's exhilarating.

I'd love to share it with you. (If you don't win, you can order your copy HERE or HERE!) 

How do I enter?

This time, just leave me a comment and tell me: Is it hard for you to document the painful parts? Would you rather turn away and forget all about them? Or do you find it helps to work through it...even though the tears may dot your paper as you write or paint or create? 

We're all in this together, girls...

Now, last order of business:

The winner of the Sweethaven Online Launch Party DAY TWO is: 

Margie Visnick said...

I think my word would be "light" to remind me to find the light and be the light...so important in all aspects of my life!

ReplyFebruary 08, 2012 at 06:39 AM

Margie, email me and claim your beautiful prizes! :) 

I can't wait to read your comments, your thoughts, your hearts...I hope you

Sweethaven Scrapbooking Inspiration {& some faith building...}

Before I talk Sweethaven...something has been on my mind. It helps to write it out, so here it is...

Sometimes it seems like I get knocked around a little bit just so I'll come running back to God. 

Like he takes a step away from me and leaves me to my own devices so I can see how incredibly futile my attempts are at doing everything on my own. 

I was talking to a friend the other day about how self sufficient we both are, and I think in many ways that makes it difficult to fully rely on God. When we were in the process of moving to Colorado, I had to depend on God more than I ever had in my whole life, and sometimes I wonder if he did all that--showed up for us so many times--just to prepare us for the next time he'd ask us to do something that didn't have a bit of sound logic in it.

Lately, I hear him, over and over, saying "Trust. Me." 

And I look back at myself in the midst of the storm (so far...it's still raging) and see a bratty toddler, whiny and pouty, throwing my fists in the air and expecting someone who was never invited to show up for me. 

And God doesn't work that way. 

It's a sobering realization...discovering I'm the only one hindering his work in my life. 

Go me. 

Is anyone else scared to do the things he's asking you to do?

Anyway...

This really has nothing to do with why I'm here though...posting on this here blog. 

I'm here because I want to share another Sweethaven-inspired layout with you as part of the Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge, and friends, it's PRETTY.  I have the pleasure of working with Jaz Lee over at Webster's Pages and her style blows me away every. single. time. 

Jaz decided to create a layout about some of her closest friends. They call themselves the "Joy Luck Club" (JLC are the first initials in each of their names.) The girls in Sweethaven call themselves "The Circle" and their old scrapbook is page after page highlighting their friendship...

Each page reveals a little more about each girl, about their lives in Sweethaven, about their friendships...wouldn't you love to have something so special on your bookshelf? 

And, I can't go without pointing out the incredible dimension Jaz has created on this layout. Her style is so intricate, it makes me drool!  Detailed and beautiful, she's captured these special friendships in a way that will be cherished for years. 

Do you love it? 

So, in the Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge, you could file this layout away as inspiration...a page on friendship, layered and detailed... (Does that get your wheels a-turnin'?) 

Now. 

I think it's time to announce some winners...

The WINNER of the DAY ONE Online Launch Party Giveaway (which you can read about in THIS POST) is...

Jodi Jardine said...

Shared on Facebook.

ReplyFebruary 07, 2012 at 10:16 AM

It's funny because I saw an email come in from Jodi yesterday and thought "Gosh, I hope she wins, she's been so faithful in entering! And wouldn't you know it, Random.org pulled lucky number 7 and she's our girl! Jodi, send me your address & I'll pack up your box!! 

Oh, and have YOU been to Sweethaven yet? If not...here's your ticket!

Too Cheesy?

I'm just darn overwhelmed. 

The end. 

A Sweethaven Scrapbooking Challenge

When I first started writing A Sweethaven Summer, I sat down and thought about all the things I love about scrapbooking. I wanted to find a way to incorporate those things into my story. And while the book is largely about friendship and forgiveness, it's all held together by this faded scrapbook, full of secrets and memories...

You can almost hear the laughter of the girls as they made each page. 

I'd love to write "An Ode to Scrapbooking" but it's getting late and I have a two-hour episode of Downton Abbey to watch when Adam's not looking. It can be done, yes?

The fact is, scrapbooking is storytelling. It's a way to tell your stories. An artistic, creative way to get your words on paper. And I believe we're all storytellers at heart...

I created this layout, inspired by A Sweethaven Summer: 

It's a simple, layered project celebrating the "Unexpected Friendship" I found in Deb Raney when I first started on this writing journey. 

In Sweethaven, Cambell finds a group of women who become her unexpected friends... and in so many ways, these are some of life's most precious gifts. Finding a friend when you aren't looking for one. Realizing they're a life friend, a kindred spirit...it's something to celebrate.

Techniques: I rolled up a few pages from the Anthropolgie Catalog ("If you can't afford it, make art with it" is what I always say!) and tied strips of Divine Twine around them to give them a scroll-like effect then adhered them to the page. I used the same twine to spice up the buttons and incorporated lots of foam squares to get that layered, dimensional look that I find positively swoony.

SO...Are you up for a challenge?

Over the next couple of weeks, I'm going to be telling stories about the book and sharing layouts created by some of my very favorite scrapbookers...

And then, I'm going to issue a challenge to YOU. You create any kind of artwork (Scrapbooking, mixed media, home decor--anything) inspired by the book or inspired by one of the pieces I'm going to share and you could WIN a big, fat basket of goodies.

Like, really big. And fun. And artsy. 

Because I love to give stuff away. 

Now that I got that out of my system...I want to share what I believe is the best photo of me ever captured in the history of the world:

Which is all the proof I need to understand WHY my son is plagued the fine art of the weird facial expression:

Over the weekend, several times my mom told me "there's a time and a place for self deprecation. You need to learn where the line is." Apparently telling someone who is buying your book that you feel you might be in need of deodorant is crossing a line. 

I can't help it. I like to self deprecate. (and in my defense, I knew the woman and she's funny so she didn't mind. I wouldn't say that to a perfect stranger.)

On that note, I won't say a word about this:

I will not even MENTION the ridiculousness of my hair in this photo. 

And I'll surely not mention that this was at 6:20 a.m.

And I won't say a single word about my first television interview (because I haven't watched it yet)... but you can, right HERE: Author of "A Sweethaven Summer".

That's that. 

I have to go ruin something in the kitchen now. 

Will you take the Sweethaven Inspiration Challenge?? Who's with me?

A Sweethaven Summer Online Launch Party DAY FOUR! {HUGE Giveaway!}

Clearly it's been a whirlwind since I got home last night at 12:30 a.m. 

This is the first chance I've gotten to sit down and even think about my blog, but it's been at the back of my mind all day...because I'm dying to tell you all about the weekend. Dying to spill all about the trip and the party and my first book signing.

There's SO much to say.

But all that is going to have to wait. Just for another day (or two...) because I promised one more giveaway. (At least until the next one!) 

And you know I LOVE giving my favorite things away...

But Wait. First...

I want to share two interviews that are up today that I was so, so happy to do...The first is on Novel Rocket and you can check it out HERE...

And You Can WIN!

Writer-friend Carla Stewart is giving away a copy of my book (and some Starbucks, friends...Yum) on her blog HERE. 

Now...for the goods.

This week, I'm going to kick off a little Sweethaven Inspiration...(and there will be more prizes in store...) but for today, I get to show you a lovely line up of fabulous goodies. 

And YOU could win them, sister. 

1. Hope Springs Folio

My laptop tote is so old, I thought about stealing this, but then I remembered The Ten Commandments and broke out in cold sweats. So, here it is on the docket for Day Four (which is technically day 7, but let's not be picky, friends.) 

2. Hope Daily Planner

(Side Note: Sophia just turned on The Hoedown Throwdown, so if I start insert "zig-zag, step-slide" into the text here, you'll know why...it's hard to concentrate with Miley wailing through the speakers...)

Anyway, the Daily Planner is super cute and has a magnetic closure, memo pad, to-do list, accordion storage envelope and keepsake bookmark...all of which are super snazzy. 

3. Hope Yellow Tee Shirt

It was also tempting to take this out of its lovely wrapper and model it for you, but I thought that might gross you out if you won a tee shirt I'd worn. But it's cute, right? And I like yellow. How cheery! 

4. Card Maps Volume Two

Friends. Do you know what this trusty little book has inside? Over 70 gorgeous cards from some of today’s top designers, more than 40 card sketches, step-by-step instructions for every card, and eight photo technique how-to’s!

Seriously. I want to give you this. Because it's awesome. 

4. 12 Notecards from The Emily Collection.

My friend Emily, is a stunning artist. Check out her ETSY shop HERE. These are The Rocky Mountain Notecards, which is fitting since I live a stone's throw from the Rockies. (They're pretty.) 

It would be fun to send these to you. 

5. Where Women Create Coffee Table Book

This book is so gorgeous and so full of beautiful spaces. Just looking at it is like an escape from the cluttered, stockpiled room I call my creative space. It'll take your breath away!

6. A Sweethaven Summer.

Well, yes, I would like to sign a copy to you! And if you're like my sister, you might read it on the plane home from my launch party and give it away to the woman sitting next to you. Even though I'd drawn pictures and dorky stuff in it.  

My sister has never met a stranger. Ferreals. 

Okay. Same drill! 

1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me what your favorite drink is (Starbucks or otherwise!)

2. Go to my snazzy new website and sign up for my newsletter! (Then come back and leave a comment saying you did so.) (Sidenote: I believe newsletters should only go out quarterly (if that.) I promise I won't spam your inbox.)

AND, if it doesn't work via my website (technical difficulties), just email me at courtney r walsh {at} gmail {dot} com and put "Sign Me Up" in the subject line.

3. Tweet this link.

4. Facebook this link

5. Blog about "A Sweethaven Summer" or this post. 

(Come back each time and leave another comment letting me know you've done these things. Five chances total! 

And come back tomorrow! I'll start announcing winners...AND share some inspiration from A Sweethaven Summer...

And if there was ever a time to say "Thank you doesn't seem enough"...it's today. It's after this last week. It just doesn't. I can't explain to you how very much it means to me that you all are on this crazy journey with me. 

It's like a big, giant warm fuzzy. 

And I like warm fuzzies. 

 

 

 

A Sweethaven Summer Online Launch Party DAY THREE! {HUGE Giveaway!}

Have you ever noticed how really good things are often overshadowed by really hard things?

Right now, I'm preparing to fly to Illinois with our whole family to spend the weekend doing the Morning Show on WREX TV (Tomorrow morning, and I'm very nervous), a signing at Barnes and Noble on Saturday and then celebrate my book launch with some of my oldest and dearest friends and family at The Next Picture Show in Dixon. 

But I'm also researching wheelchairs at Denver International Airport because Adam's bulging disk (disc?) seems to be just as bad today as it was four days ago. 

I admit, it's not easy for me to ask for help...but I will ask for prayers... because we could sure use them right now. I'm trying to focus on the good things, like the fact that I will get to see some people I haven't seen in YEARS this weekend...and for that, I am SO grateful. 

I'm also grateful for THIS POST (and humbled.) And THIS POST (humbled again.) I just don't have words...only emotional outbursts which usually happen in my garage...

So let's focus on that GOOD tuff and start DAY THREE of our online party!!

And it IS a party...today, a giveaway for the Coffee & Book Lover...and I've got some AMAZING prizes to share...

1. An adorable mug from Hope Springs.

I'm a sucker for a cute mug...especially one that's red on the inside:

This new line of awesome gifts comes from Hope Springs and they've got tons of really cute, unique and inspiring gift ideas. You can find this mug HERE. 

And what good is a mug without something in it? 

2. A Starbucks Gift Card

I trust I don't need to link you to the Starbucks website, but there will be a gift card in this package for one lucky winner. 

3. A spiral-bound journal from The Emily Collection.

Next, my friend Emily over at Imperfect Prose, has just announced some incredibly exciting book news of her own, but that's not all...she's an artist with the heart of an artist...and she's got this incredible new line of products all featuring her art. 

Today, she's giving away this gorgeous journal, so when you sit down with your coffee, you can easily compile your thoughts...

I think you'll love The Emily Collection, which you can find HERE! Emily's artwork is inspired and beautiful...(and she's having a giveaway of her own right now!) All kinds of celebrating going on! 

4. Hope Springs Notecards

 

The women in Sweethaven are brought back together after many years when handwritten letters arrive for each one of them...perhaps, over coffee, you'll write a note of your own...it's always a good idea to let people know you love them. 

5. Books by Hillary Manton Lodge.

Maybe you'll tire of writing and you'll want to curl up with a good book instead. Lucky for you, I can help...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These two books by Hillary Manton Lodge are the perfect way to escape the craziness of life. If they seem well-worn or have coffee stains on the edges, this is because I needed to escape and took them with me to Illinois. 

(I'm kidding. They'll be clean, I promise. I only SOMETIMES give away books that are coffee-stained, right Paige?)

6. Playing By Heart by award-winning author Deborah Raney.

Deb is a wonderful writer with wonderful stories, and her books are definitely among my favorites. This one, a Christy Award finalist, is near and dear to Deb's heart...and I'd love to send it your way! 

7. Blue Moon Promise by Colleen Coble 

This is a new release by the wonderful Colleen Coble, who is as nice as she is talented. Her books are wonderful, so this is one I cannot wait to get my hands on! (But I'll be nice and send it to you when you win. I promise.) 

8.  The Art of Layers by Ronda Palazzari

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And I've made no secret of the fact that the secrets of Sweethaven are brought back to life thanks to the faded pages of an old scrapbook...so what better way to celebrate that than with a little scrapbooking/papercrafting inspiration? Ronda's book is not yet released, so you'll be among the FIRST to have it. 

Lucky. 

9. Delight in the Seasons by Lisa Pace

I LOVE Lisa's work. She is elegant and beautiful in everything she does. Her first book, Delight in the Details is completley inspiring, and I know this one will be the same. You could win it!! (And then you may want to plan for a refill on your coffee...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally...

10. A signed copy of A Sweethaven Summer. 

Of course, I have to remind you if you don't win...you can get your own copy HERE or HERE  or HERE...

Because, you know, I REALLY want you to have a copy!!

Same rules as yesterday...

1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me what your favorite drink is (Starbucks or otherwise!)

2. Go to my snazzy new website and sign up for my newsletter! (Then come back and leave a comment saying you did so.) (Sidenote: I believe newsletters should only go out quarterly (if that.) I promise I won't spam your inbox.)

3. Tweet this link.

4. Facebook this link

5. Blog about "A Sweethaven Summer" or this post. 

(Come back each time and leave another comment letting me know you've done these things. Five chances total! 

I can't wait to choose these winners!! Thank you, guys, for helping me spred the word!! :) Hope you have a WONDERFUL Thursday!! (Wait. Is it Thursday?) 

Whatever day it is...hope it's happy!!

 

 

A Sweethaven Summer Online Launch Party DAY TWO! {HUGE Giveaway!}

It's surreal when people you know start reading your book. Something like running across a stage completely naked under the glare of a follow spot. You search for something to hide behind...but there's nothing. 

Not that I've ever done THAT before. 

But you're out there. Exposed. Showing all your cards...and somehow, the excitement meshes with the nervous energy which crashes into the fear and you've got this strange concoction that would make Dr. Jekyll raise a brow. 

My friend Jenn got an early copy of my book. She texts me lines she loves or tells me what parts she's on. It's kind of awesome. And, yep, surreal. 

There's a part near the beginning when you're first introduced to Lila, the beauty queen and southern belle. She's remembering a day when her old friend Suzanne first won her over, despite all efforts to dislike the girl. 

    While Lila envied Suzanne's low-pressure, I-can-do-anything-I-want-to attitude, she couldn't deny that Suzanne had drawn her in from the moment she gave her a hand mirror she'd found at a flea market. 

    "Just imagine how many other beautiful faces have looked in that mirror," Suzanne had said. "It made me think of you." 

    "Looks old." Lila took the mirror and turned it over. The glass had brown stains around the edges. 

    "But it's neat, right?" Suzanne's eyes widened. 

    Lila fought the urge to toss it off the way she brushed off every other kind gesture. "Thanks," she said. "It is really neat." 

    "I'm glad you like it," Suzanne said. "Even though it's old." 

    Lila held the mirror in front of her, catching her reflection. Suzanne pushed her face next to Lila's and grinned. "Yep. We're stunning," she said. 

    When Lila laughed, the pain of the morning skittered away. A morning of trying to please Mama. No one else had ever done that for her before.

Yesterday, I got one of the most special, most personal gifts I've ever gotten: 

With the most beautiful note that told me that when I looked in the mirror I should see myself the way other people saw me. 

And the thoughtfulness of that sort of settled on my shoulders and I thanked God that even in spite of many, many things going wrong (Adam's slipped disk may keep him from going to my launch party...) there are SO many reasons to be thankful. So many beautiful friends in my life.

The kind of friends you write books about...

So, today, my virtual launch party continues, with another {awesome} giveaway...

Today, a giveaway for the girly girl. Lila Adler Olsen is the girly girl of the Sweethaven crew...and I think she'd approve of this giveaway.

1. Your very own OLD, personalized Mirror. 

Photo Source

This isn't the one you'll get...yours will be personalized just for you like the one Jenn made for me. And I promise you'll love it. 

2. A Custom One {Powerful} Word Necklace by the Amazing Liz Lamoreux.

What word will you choose? Mine would most likely be "surrender..." because Lord knows I need to. 

3. Where Women Create's Book of Inspiration.

Photo Source

I have this book. It's GORGEOUS. I have an extra. I want to send it to you. 

4. Jeanne Oliver Designs Purse:

I seriously don't think this fabric could be any more beautiful. And the design is adorable. My sweet friend Jeanne has donated this purse and one of you lucky ducks gets to win it! If you don't win, you should head to her shop for yourself...there's some swoonerific stuff in there!!

5. "Poppies" Art Print by Melanie Douthit

It's no secret that I'm addicted to color, so Melanie's artwork is right up my alley! This gorgeous Poppies print is so perfect if it doesn't show up in your box, do NOT look at me. 

I swear I wouldn't dream of keeping it for myself. 

Melanie's Website and BLOG are worth the gander...go see for yourself!

6. And, of course, I'm giving away a signed copy of this guy right here:

Because I very much want you to have this book. :) 

You can get your own copy HERE or HERE or HERE...and I'm told it's coming for Kindle VERY soon so if you're waiting for that, I'll be sure to update when it's ready! 

So, how do I enter? 

I'm changing it up on you a little today...you get not FOUR, but FIVE chances to enter. Let me explain.

I actually thought to myself "let me 'splain" and in that little daydream I became this guy:

Wonder what it'd feel like to have a mustache. 

Hm. 

1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me what word you'll have put on the necklace. 

2. Go to my snazzy new website and sign up for my newsletter! (Then come back and leave a comment saying you did so.) (Sidenote: I believe newsletters should only go out quarterly (if that.) I promise I won't spam your inbox.)

3. Tweet this link.

4. Facebook this link

5. Blog about "A Sweethaven Summer" or this post. 

(Come back each time and leave another comment letting me know you've done these things. Five chances total! (I'll know if you're fibbing about the newsletter. I've got mad technical skillz.) 

(Are you afraid now that I just spelled that with a "z"?)

That's it. Easy as cake. (I've baked pies. They aren't easy.) 

And you can still enter yesterday's giveaway by clicking on THIS POST.

Thanks, you guys, for helping spread the word! I just can't thank you enough! It means THE WORLD to me!

A Sweethaven Summer Online Launch Party! {HUGE Giveaway!}

I used to wonder what it would feel like to wake up on the morning of my big book launch... to watch this thing I'd created go out into the world and you know, be free...

But I woke up the same way I always do...a little panicked and realizing I didn't make the kids' lunches last night. Worse, I'm out of jelly...and how do you make PB&J without the J?

On this, the morning of my book launch, I find myself wondering two things...

1. If I wear a long shirt, will anyone see the hole in the back of my yoga pants? 

AND

2. How do I properly say thank you to everyone who is a part of this amazing journey that I'm on? 

I'm risking it with the yoga pants, but #2 still has me stumped. I don't have the words or the means to convey how I'm really feeling at this moment in my journey. 

So, today, rather than get all sappy like I sort of feel like doing...I'm celebrating with A Sweethaven Giveaway...a virtual launch party to welcome this new book into the world...and friends, I'll be here all week...

Join me in Sweethaven with your own copy, available HERE or HERE or HERE! And it's always available on the Guideposts Website HERE. 

Now...for the good stuff...

The story of Sweethaven centers around a faded scrapbook...one that's full of secrets and stories of years gone by...so today, I'm celebrating with a scrapbooking giveaway...and here's what you could win! 

1. Webster's Pages' Palm Beach Collection Kit

With its beachy, breezy feel, this collection reminds me of Sweethaven, a little cottage town right on Lake Michigan. It's perfect for scrapbooking vacation, summer days, or even non-themed moments you want to remember. 

2. Unity Stamps

I LOVE Unity Stamps. And I love their BLOG! These beach-inspired stamps are a perfect complement to the Palm Beach collection, but could be used for so many fun scrapbooking and card-making projects! 

And this one: 

...is one of my favorites because I believe in creating yourself. In the book, Campbell learns this lesson for herself..and with a little help, she finally discovers how important it is...Both stamp sets are included in the giveaway!

3. Cardmaps Today vol. 2

It's FULL of gorgeous ideas and a copy could be all YOURS! (Lucky.) 

4. 7 Gypsies Interchangable Certifiable Round Stamp (Hand Drawn Seals)

I LOVE these things. They're just SO cool. Don't you want to win one? 

5. Scrapbooking Your Faith at Big Picture Classes.

I'm excited this giveaway will include a spot in my upcoming workshop at Big Picture Classes. This topic has always been near and dear to my heart, and I'm thrilled I get to share ideas on ways to document your faith for future generations through Big Picture. 

But I can't give you a spot in the class and not give you...

6. Scrapbooking Your Faith

My first book. I'd love to send it to you. 

7. Hope Springs Magnetic Closure Journal.

This new line of journals, cards, totes and apparel will make its way into this online launch party...there are some CUTE things I can't wait to share...but for today, it's this journal that wants to come home with you. And I'm a sucker for a cute journal. 

8. Chatterbox Wood Veneer Scrapbooking Album

It's really sassy, don't you think? 

9. A Sweethaven Summer

You didn't think I'd do a giveaway and NOT offer this book, did you? My goal is to get it into the hands of as many people as possible. I might even give a few away in the airport this weekend. 

If I'm feeling brave, that is. 

So, here's how to enter: 

1. Leave me a comment right here on THIS POST. 

Easy right? 

BUT, I need help spreading the word...so I'm offering  Three extra entries...

1. Tweet the link to this giveaway.

2. Facebook the link to this giveaway. 

3. Blog about Sweethaven and/or this giveaway. 

Each time, come back and leave another comment. Up to FOUR total. 

And tomorrow...the party continues with MORE giveaways that I cannot WAIT to share! :) 

I've Got a Website!

I cannot believe it's really here. And I didn't expect to feel so nervous about it. This week, A Sweethaven Summer officially launches (tomorrow) and we fly to Illinois for my very first book signing at Barnes and Noble, the launch party and my first television appearance. 

I've done a GREAT job of not focusing on any of that, but yesterday, while I scoured shelves for the right shoes, it hit me. Dropped right on my head like a piano from a ten-story building. 

And I got REALLY nervous. 

And when I get nervous I get...well, not very nice to be around. 

So, I'm choosing to stop focusing on that and share with you something really exciting...my BRAND NEW WEBSITE. 

You can see it HERE. 

My crack Designer, John Kitchen at Studio 22, gets MAJOR points for patience. It's not fun working with someone as indecisive as I am. Truly. 

(Right, John?) 

We started this at least a year ago and he waited for me to wish-wash my way through it all until we finally settled on something clean, simple and easy to read. 

The great part is, you can sign up for my newsletter!

(And if you do, I promise to write one!) :) 

It's really happening...I'm shocked, but here it is. Tomorrow is the BIG day. 

Will you come back and see what fun stuff I have in store? 

Before you answer, let me announce the winner of my giveaway on THIS POST. You guys. Seriously. Your friendship stories had me in tears. I LOVED every entry so I chose one at random. 

Bree said...

First friendship memory: I was 4 or 5 - we lived in Vermont - simpler time, simpler life. As often as I could, I'd walk down our driveway, across a field and to Sara's house. We did everything together. We were besties!

PS - I am anxiously awaiting the delivery of my pre-ordered copy of the book. I open my front door 3 times a day seeing if I missed the delivery man leaving it on the front step! I've cleared my evenings this week so that whenever it arrives I can tear into it!!! I wasn't going to comment and throw my hat in the ring for the giveaway, but I have lots of friends who'd love a good book, and one that included scrapbooking!!! Pick me pick me!!

ReplyFebruary 02, 2012 at 08:11 AM

Bree, send me your address & I'll send you my book! 

TOMORROW'S THE DAY!!!! I can hardly wait!!!

Sharing a Little Page Maps Love

I know. It's Saturday. Who blogs on Saturday? 

Apparently I do. Because I'm blabbery.

And I like to invent words. 

Before I start, a sidenote: Don't forget you can still enter to win a copy of A Sweethaven Summer on THIS POST! I'm going to draw a winner on Monday...{and on Tuesday I've got some awesome stuff to share!!}

A few years ago, my main focus was scrapbooking. I wrote about it, hunted down new products and then I spent most of my free time creating. It was (and is) a huge part of my story. 

But then I started writing more seriously, and scrapbooking had to take a back seat. When I first started working at Webster's Pages back in September, I was worried because I hadn't really done a lot of scrapbooking. I think I made five pages in all of 2010. Maybe. 

What if I didn't remember how to do it? 

(Seriously, it's NOT like riding a bike.) 

Slowly, but surely I'm starting to find my footing a little bit...and this month, I got to participate in Becky Fleck's brilliance, Page Maps. 

Becky asked me to create an 8.5"x11" page, which I have to tell you, might be my new favorite size! I love it, and I love the ease of creating with a sketch. 

The truth is, sometimes you just have no idea what to do, but once you get started, the ideas come. I like simpler pages these days. I don't have time for intricacy, and I think that's okay. Some of the most beautiful artwork is simple...

Slowly, I'm finding my way back into this scrapbooking thing...and of course, remembering why I loved it all along. This week I did three pages in the evenings while Adam kept me company working on the computer. 

Somehow, it's become (again) a great stress reliever. What is it about knotting embroidery floss through the holes of a button that calms me down? (Does anyone else feel this way about art?)

All that to say, if you're looking for a kickstart, Page Maps is a GREAT place to go. You can see all of the February sketches HERE (and check out the archives for tons of great ideas!) 

And, what's even awesomer (I know. Not a word.) is that Becky's got a new book coming out in March... Card Maps vol. 2. You can see it HERE. 

So, this weekend, I want to know...are you creating artwork? Scrapbooking? Painting? Sewing? What do you do to shake off the stress of the week?

A Place of Surrender

Things haven't exactly been going my way lately. 

Already today I've had to break up three arguments because my older two kids are home from school due to inclement weather. This shatters Sam's world. As much as he loves Ethan, when his big brother doesn't do just what he wants, he loses it. 

Completely. 

This, of all weeks, the week I'm supposed to share my book with the world and everything that could possibly go wrong in my world, did.

{Official Book Launch Coming Soon! Prizes! Inspiration! FUN!}

First of all, I printed my invitations for the launch party through Vistaprint. (Did I already tell you this?) They're quick and great and I needed something fairly inexpensive. So, I get them about a week later and they're 100% whacked. 

They're supposed to look like this:

But there are white lines where they've been mis-cut and they're off-center. I sat here with my scrapbooking tools and started hacking away at them and then got  upset because this was going to take forever...so I sent an email to Vistaprint--something eloquent, along the lines of:

"Seriously, man? I have a party!" 

To my surprise, they wrote me back. And they reprinted everything. And they didn't charge me. 

And suddenly I loved them again. 

Did you hear me, world? I love Vistaprint!

I'm nothing if not forgiving.

Another week went by and I got the new cards in the mail. They look oh-so-much better. I'm thankful and make a mental note to shout the praises of Vistaprint from the roofop. (This is me shouting!)

I print labels, stuff envelopes and include a little card with the book cover on it in each one. I'm almost done.

And on the backs of the cards, I handwrite a note about the book signing I'm doing in Rockford next Saturday. {Barnes & Noble; 2 p.m.}

And as I'm writing the date, something hits me and I pull an invitation out of the box and discover there's a typo in the DATE. I'm inviting everyone to attend a party on JANUARY 11th. (I changed it above so those of you who are just skimming this don't see it and think you've missed it.)

My week was already going fairly awful (awfully?), so this caused near-nuclear meltdown. 

But then I remembered I'm a scrapbooker who routinely makes mistakes on paper and I found a (not-too-terribly-tacky) way of solving the problem in the form of a brown fine-tipped Sharpie. 

Joy.

I'm good. Things are addressed. We're good to go. 

The next day, I got a call from our insurance agent. Let me just say that having a rental property, moving to a new state into a rental, then buying a house and moving again, changing cars over to Colorado plates...is confusing at best...and maddening at worst. 

A few months ago I said to Adam, "Why do we have so many different insurance companies?" Considering how many different things we have insured, I guess it wasn't illogical...until I got this call and realized we've been paying car insurance in two different states for a year. 

A year. 

Consider this a Public Service Announcement because friends don't let friends pay car insurance in two different states. 

This has all been compounded by the craziness that accompanies a book release. Here, I've been trying to get it all ready to go and in the tumbleweed of chaos, I felt God say to me... "Are you ready to ask for my help yet?" 

Ouch.

Here's what I'm learning...

I have a knack for doing everything all by myself. I'm self sufficient to a fault. I have a hard time accepting any kind of help and an even harder time asking for it. And while I don't think things have all been going wrong because God lifted his hand from me, I do think maybe he's using it to get my attention. To remind me that I'm nothing without him...that I really have no business trying to do anything without his help. 

Over and again, I've had to walk around this mountain, to remember that he's got me in the palm of his hand...that no matter what mess comes my way, he comes behind it with a broom and a dustpan, ready to help clean it up. Whether it's plans that go awry or invitations that go out a week late or overpaying car insurance...or worse...

He wants to be a part of it. 

And sometimes I forget that because I'm so busy trying to do it all by myself. I'm too busy to believe God really is in the details. 

But he is, isn't he? He IS in the details and what happens to us DOES matter to him. 

Once again, I'm at a place of surrender...hands up, eyes lifted toward heaven...and accepting the truth all over again that I am nothing without him. 

And that brings me all kinds of peace. 

If you're looking for peace today...give it up. Stop wrestling with it. Walk away and say "It's yours now, Lord, because I can't do this on my own..." 

And then watch him show up on your behalf. He wants to. I promise....

He's just waiting for us to ask. 

What's Lurking in the Shadows

For some reason lately, I've had the strangest memory on my mind. 

We were living in our second house, at that time a family of four.  This was the house with my dream scrapbook room, the one Creating Keepsakes and Cropper Hopper came in and renovated.

I still pine away for that room, especially now that I'm in a much smaller workspace (with seriously a lot more stuff.) 

Our house was a bi-level, so we had full exposure in the basement, which is where my office was, and my window faced our backyard. It wasn't fenced in, but we lived in a small town--a very small town--so I never worried or felt unsafe. 

It was the kind of town where you'd leave your car unlocked in the driveway. 

When I was working for Memory Makers, I'd often scrapbook late into the night. It's one of the things I've since changed because I missed out on a lot of Adam time for all the time I spent working until one or two in the morning.

One night, just like the night before, I sat at my computer typing in my journaling for an assigned layout when I started to get the strangest feeling like someone was watching me. 

You know how you just know? 

My window didn't have a curtain on it, and there I was, fully exposed in the light of the office, the dark of the night giving cover to anyone who might pass through our backyard. 

My heart started racing and my cheeks felt flushed. I knew it was illogical to think anyone would be in our yard. This was the smallest of small towns. No crime. No news. So, why did I keep feeling like someone's eyes were fixed on me?

I sat there, pretending not to notice that there was movement out there, and to be honest, I wasn't sure that there was...but I just had a feeling.  I tried to ignore it for a few minutes and then heard a voice through the panes of glass, like the sound of a man talking on his phone. 

That's when my imagination took over, and I ran through every possible scenario in the span of thirty seconds. 

I'm a writer, so believe me when I tell you, I came up with some doozies. (Is "doozies" a word?) 

In that moment, it was like, I didn't want to alarm whoever it was. I didn't want him to know I knew he was out there, creeping around our yard, looking in the windows and talking on his phone. (And for the record...if you're going to be a creeper, leave your phone at home.)

I wanted to pretend I didn't notice but ensure my own safety. There was a door in my office leading to our screened in porch--a great way for someone to come into the room from outside. I casually got up, pretended to be looking for something and checked that it was locked. Then, I slowly walked into the other room, where Adam was watching TV. 

"I think there's someone in the back yard," I said, knowing how stupid it sounded. 

"What?" He looked at me like I'd just said something stupid. 

"I heard someone back there. A guy's voice." 

Adam got up and walked into the office with me, and his approach was completely the opposite of mine. Rather than hang around to see if he heard or saw anything, he walked straight to the door, opened it and went out onto the screened in porch. 

I stood there, waiting for him to get shot or mauled or tackled at least, but he called out into the black of the yard and we saw the figure of a man running away, off into the darkness, never to be seen again. 

I don't know why this story keeps coming back to me now--except to say that sometimes you can sense things without ever really being sure they exist. I can't tell you I've learned anything from it or understood why that man found his way into our yard that night. The police never found him and for all I know, he could still be lurking in the shadows. 

But I've learned--and am learning--that I can't live my life worried about what might be around the corner. What people might say. How a situation might turn out. I guess I'm just not willing to sacrifice my sanity for what could happen...especially when what could happen might be amazing. 

And I never did put curtains on the window. 

Today's the Da...Wait...This Just In...{Win a COPY of Sweethaven!}

Well, here it is...

Launch Day. 

A day of balloons and streamers...and yet, here I sit with an empty bag of Doritos and a bottle of water...

Pondering how to launch a book that isn't available anywhere (except for pre-orders, which are, you know, awesome.) That's right...because of you guys, A Sweethaven Summer is out of stock on both Amazon  AND Christianbook.com, which I think deserves a round of cupcakes. 

What kind would you like? 

Me, I'm thinking lemon with almond cream cheese frosting. And a cup of coffee. 

Gosh. For someone cutting out sugar, that photo is dangerous.

Perhaps you've pre-ordered a little happy reading to accompany this treat? I recommend this:

Too obvious? 

Truly, I'm overwhelmed that there are books leaving Amazon and CBD rendering their shelves empty of Sweethaven! I mean, where do I send the thank you notes? You guys have been SO supportive, I don't even know what to say...

But this does change my launch plans. All that FUN stuff I had planned? I'm just gonna put that on hold...I've got my finger on the launch button, but I'm resisting the urge to push it...but it's BIG and you're going to want to check back so you don't miss out. 

You are. I promise. 

It'll be better than Doritos for breakfast.

Still...I cannot let this day pass by without some celebrating! So, here it is. Sweethaven is all about the friendships of a group of women, so let's talk about our own friendships. 

Tell me...

What is your earliest memory of friendship? It can be anything having to do with new friends, old friends, making friends...Anything goes!

Leave your answer as a comment on this blog and I'll choose one winner to send a signed copy of A Sweethaven Summer. Spread the word! A Sweethaven Summer will be back in stock SOON...and then we're going to have a REAL party!