Back from a Great Weekend

Last weekend my friends and I went on our annual Scrapbook Retreat to Bodega Bay. Wow, you just can't beat taking a weekend to devote to your favorite hobby, especially after the busy December we had. I hadn't done any serious scrapbooking since August and this really got me excited about getting back to "work".

This year I stayed up very late two nights, I was on a roll and didn't want to stop! And I made a big dent in the project I was working on. I got some help from Becky Higgins Sketches 2 book. I love the way that book is set up. It is so easy to find a layout that will work. I even got to use a lot of my "paper stash", which I am trying to do so I can buy some new paper. I want to use my old stuff first.

I am so blessed to have a wonderful family that will let me get away with my friends for four days, and I am so thankful that my wonderful husband doesn't mind - or at least doesn't let on that he does!

Organize ~ Simplify

I have adopted two keywords for this year - Organize and Simplify. If there are two things I need to work on, it is getting organized and simplifying my life. There is so much clutter in my world and I sometimes feel overwhelmed, and that I am doing too much. I find myself hanging onto too much STUFF! It's almost as if the Paper Monster exploded in my house! Junk mail, old lists, and all those magazines - I mean, really, how long do I need to save back issues of these magazines. I was able to simplify and organize my family room after Christmas - I even dusted the knick-knacks (trust me - that was an accomplishment). And it made me feel like there was a little part of my house I could retreat to that didn't have me overwhelmed! As I pray for God's guidance in my life, I hope to simplify my life to give His plan more presence in my life.