A Kiss on the Chic

Love, Tuesday. And the WINNERS ARE...

Good morning!  

I LOVED hearing all the ideas for RAKS (Random Acts of Kindness) this past week. Love the emails too!  I want you to know I try to respond to all the comments on my blog, but this week has been tough with sick ones, but I will try to get to them soon!  And, if anyone else wants to share more ideas, feel free to do that because I'd love to have some more ideas for blessing others!  I LOVE the one about bringing hot chocolate to the Salvation Army people at Christmas time!  Going to have to do that one...  

Little Isabella is for some reason very interested in homeless people right now.  I think because we have an area by the freeway where we think a few of them camp out.  She always wants to look when we get off the freeway to see if she sees anyone.  The other day she asked "Can we could bring $5,  No $10 and a jacket to keep them warm?"  Melts my heart...  I love that she wants to help and we'll be rounding up some old jackets and some cash so she can bless those people in a small way.

So by random selection, the 2 winners of last weeks RAK are:

Michelle H.

and

Cheepincharge

CONGRATS!!  

I have some class kits for ya, so email me your addresses and I'll mail those out to you soon!!

So this week my little one is still stick and now it has turned into pneumonia!  The poor thing hasn't been able to go to school, enjoy some birthday parties (including her own) and it's so hard to hear her cough again and again.  But I think the antibiotics are starting to work today and I'm praying she's finally starting to feel better.  And on Sunday night Victoria burned her leg pretty bad at work.  She was transfering a big pot in the kitchen and didn't realize there was water in the bottom of the double pot (she poured out the water in the pot, but didn't realize there was an double pot) and it spilled all down her leg.  Thankfully she is OK!  We went to her college right away to take her to the ER, but the medic on campus checked it out and treated it for her.  She's doing much better and the redness and pain has gone down, so we are thankful for that for sure!  Thank you to all of you who were so concerned for her (and Isabella) and were praying for both of my girls this week!  It is SO appreciated!!!

Here's a picture of Isabella celebrating her birthday last week in her pajamas... hahaha

We love you Isabella!!  Get better SOON so we can REALLY celebrate!

What I also love is having these girls come over:

Each week it seems to be growing and I love it!  It's such a JOY to know that Victoria wants to invite these girls over each week for dinner on Wednesday nights.  I'm going to enjoy this as much as I can before she leaves in February.  (insert sad face here)  I know she is going where the Lord is leading her and I'm SO excited for her to be in Italy, but this is going to be hard for us.  Victoria and I have always been so close and this new stage in her life so far away is already starting to get me to a bit sad.  

But thinking about Italy...

I've being seeing pictures of Lake Como in the Autumn on FB and IG and I just have to share!  I've been to New England where the Fall is just GORGEOUS here in the US, but I had no idea how beautiful ITALY is in the Fall!!  Take a look at these photos I'm re-posting from FB and IG:

I sure could really go for just sitting on that bench right now... Contemplating LIFE and thanking God for all my many blessings.

Speaking about blessings...

Even when you think things are down or you're experiencing difficult times in your life, I really think there is always something to be thankful for.  Focus on those things.

It's been a hard week with Isabella at home sick, listening to her cough over and over and over again and there's nothing I can do about it.  To give her medicine to take away the fever and it just stays up there past 101 degrees for days and days... It's so hard to be a mom/parent.  Sure wish there was a manual that came with kids!  :)  But it is also such a blessing to have kids.  I can't imagine my life without them.  To have time with them, to see them grow and to share your life with them.  When you have little babies you are so caught up in the day-to-day activity of raising them, taking care of them, making sure the house is cleaned, food is made, etc. etc...  and then when you blink, they are grown!  I saw someone post something this week about when you're in the middle of those days of feeding them, bathing them and basically doing EVERYTHING for them,  you are so overwhelmed by it all.  You can't imagine MISSING those days... But oh fast forward 10 - 20 years and YES, you do wish you could go back and ENJOY those times just a little bit more.  That you could just take it all in a little more. Not worry about the messes around the house and just play with them. Remember those little giggles, or your little girls running up to you to give you a hug... to see them splash in the bath tub and pretend they are Ariel singing "part of your world"  hahaha... (you know who you are :) Oh to have a little bit more time.

I posted this picture on IG last week on #throwbackthursday:

This was in 2002 when we traveled for half a year with the girls. (before Isabella was born)  Ya, that's NOT Isabella!  That's Victoria on the right...  SO many people thought that was Isabella, but she's definiately a mini-me of Victoria isn't she??

After I posted this photo, my mom commented on the photo and said she wished she could go back for a few minutes in time and just {{HUG}} those girls.  WOW,  isn't that true!??  Who wouldn't want to go back in time and just give them one more squeeze,  love them a little bit more... spend a little more time with them.  

It goes by fast.  So I am just thankful that even though Isabella is sick and at home for the 2nd week, I can spend a little extra time with her.  Tell her I love her a little bit more and realize these times go by SO fast in our life.  I want to cherish them, however I get them...

This weekend I had a couple hours to be creative.  I miss that.  It's a part of me that I need to pursue.  I sometimes don't think its that important, but being creative is a gift for God and I know I need to use it more often.  I encourage everyone to find that creative part of you and start USING it.  The Lord gives us all talents and He WANTS us to use them.  They are gifts for us to enjoy and to bless others with.  There is SO much more to each and every persons life then I think we realize.  God made each and every one of us unique and special and I'm pretty sure he wants us to see that and then go do something about it!  So pray about the things that YOU can do to use your gifts and talents to bless others and to bring glory to the Lord!

Here's some things I was inspired to create in my Art Journal this weekend:

I love the fun colors of Heidi Swapp's paints and papers.  I sprayed this water color canvas journal with 3 colors of her spray paints and then put this quote on it to remind me of this beautiful quote I saw on Pinterest.

"It's not about having GREAT faith... but simply about having faith in a GREAT GOD."

Here's a little SNEAK of a layout that's going into Scrap365 magazine later this year.  "Oh the places you can go..."  I just sent off a big box of designs for them to put in their magazine for the next few months, so make sure you check out their magazine and blog.  Scrap365 is an awesome UK publication for mixed media and scrapbooking!!  You can get a subscription to the magazine or pick up at your local Barnes & Noble as well.

Next week I'm going to share INSIDE my Travel Journal from our trip to Italy and France last month:

I'm going to share the inside pages and some TIPS on bringing a travel journal with you and getting the right supplies (airplane friendly) to take with you to get you started!

 So have a GREAT Tuesday everyone!!  

Hugs,

Laura

 

 

And if you're in the midst of difficult times, lean on the ONE who is there for you.  Here's another video to encourage you today from Hillsong:

Love, Tuesday... (and a GIVEAWAY)

Hey everyone!  It's been a while since I blogged,  so I thought I would take a moment and give a little update on life...

First, I want to wish my sweet, silly and mischievous Isabella HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  She is turning 9 years old tomorrow!  I still can't believe it...  

We took her home from the hospital to our new house we had been in less then a year and now she's 9, we've lived here for 10 years and life is rapidly changing. I can't believe how fast time if going by...  I have been feeling nostalgic lately, can you tell??  :)

Maybe because we have been looking for a new house lately.  I don't know if we'll move, but it's fun looking.  But it's also hard to think about saying goodbye to a house.  I remember when we moved from our tiny condo in Orange County and I cried going through all the rooms the last time, thinking of how it was our first home, we came home from our honeymoon to that house, our babies were born there and oh ya, the tears flowed that day for sure!  Now with this house we've seen the girls grow up here, bring friends here, go off to college here... and even though it's not where we knew we would live forever, if we do move it's going to be sad to close the door on all the memories we have here.  I think I need to make a journal about each house we've lived in... (random thought)

But another milestone in our lives lately is a BIG ONE...

This girl of ours just got accepted to a college in ITALY!  Yes, she's heading to Itay next Spring and will stay the summer as well to work.  We are SO proud of all her hard work and that she is following her heart to where she feels the Lord is leading her.  This is an exciting time for her and we just pray for her in this new direction in her life!  (and maybe we just got a new reason to visit Italy more often!  hahaha)

And since I talked about these two, I don't want to leave Rebecca out! 

 

She turned 15 back in September when we were in Paris, so we had a birthday party for her a few weeks ago and took some photos with her friends and then took them to dinner.  They had such a great time in a limo with very loud music!  (I might be getting old...) She is busy being so involved at school and deep into this season of Volleyball but having so much fun and counting the days until she gets to go back to Italy and see friends there.  

Lance and I are busy working.  I don't know if I told everyone, but Lance sold his business this summer!  It was a LONG process and he is staying on for 3 years as the CEO of both his company and another company that they are merging together.  So it's lots of work, but he feels very blessed to be able to have this opportunity and we look forward to seeing where the Lord leads him when these 3 years are finished.

I am of course hosting my Creative Retreats in Italy each year and next year I am thrilled to be doing TWO events!  The first week SOLD OUT right away and so I have added a 2nd week!  If any of you are interested, I will be taking sign ups for the 2nd week over on my other blog. The 2nd week is going to be more casual with less structured classes and more exporing time around Lake Como.  It's also a much cheaper price for the week because I'm not renting out the event room or having to pay for teachers to fly over there.  So if you ever wanted to come along with me to Italy, THIS would be the week!  I think I have 4 or 5 spots still open, so send me an email or go SIGN UP over of the Creative Retreat blog!   

So lots is going on with us, lots of changes and life going by as super sonic speed!  I hope everyone is doing great.  I know I don't get a chance to come on here very often but it has been such a HUGE blessing to have this outlet to communicate with so many people over the years.  It's GREAT to see an email from one of you once in a while and an update on your lives as well!  

It is AMAZING to see how many people have read my blog over the years and have told me that it has touched them in some way.  I know the last couple blog posts I've written about my faith have been me just talking and asking the Lord to show me what to say.  It's incredible when you see that your words can touch peoples lives.  I've had people email me or talk to me and tell me it encouraged them and I didn't even KNOW they were reading my blog!  

I think that really opened my eyes to the fact that our words and the way we live ARE important...  because as a Christian, they are a reflection of our faith.  I am by NO MEANS perfect and I mess up every day, and if you read my blog, you'll see that.  I mess up on my SPELLING EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.  hahaha    But I do want to at least TRY to do the Lords will in my life and hopefully this outlet here is a reflection of that. 

I was reading my little devotional this morning and it was talking about KINDNESS.  In Romans 14:19 it says:  "Let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another."  Talking about how our heart should be concerned with pleasing others, to be kind and show love.  To be compassionate, or sympathetic towards others.  That sure isn't easy is it?  I think quite honestly I'm more concerned with ME and my little family on a daily basis then others. It's not easy to focus on pleasing OTHERS, instead of ourselves...  But I know I need to and I want to and it should be a reflection of what Christ did for me.  He showed the ULTIMATE act of Kindness by dying on the cross for OUR sins!

I LOVE the "random act of kindness" thing that got going a few years back.  Now I think there's a movie in the works called Random Acts of Kindness.  There was also a movie years back called "Pay it Forward" with Kevin Spacey.  But the idea that we should focus on being kind to OTHERS is important.  I think it helps US in the long run too.  We stop thinking about our problems, our wants, our this or that... and it helps us to see the NEEDS in others instead.  Then usually what happens is we realize those things that we think are so important or such big problems in our lives don't seem to big anymore.  

The devotional I read, which I HIGHLY recommend for anyone interested is called  "Our Daily Bread" and it's through RBC Ministries.

If you email them or go to their website:  www.rbc.org  you can get the little devotional mailed to you monthly, but they also have a FB page and you can get a link to the devotional via FB every day!  It's great because it helps me to see the word of God applied to my life on a daily basis with scripture and insight into the words.  Then it has a little saying or poem at the bottom that can be used as a prayer or just to uplift you.  Todays ended with this:

"Kindness is simply love flowing out in little gentleness." 

It's not always easy for me, but may I be gentle today with my kids, my husband and everyone I come in contact with. 

Have YOU had a "Random Act of Kindness" showed to you?  I would LOVE to hear about it!  I actually had one happen to me last year!  I was in the drive thru lane at Starbucks and when I pulled up to the front to pay and get my coffee, the lady told me that the car in front of me paid for my coffee!!  WOW, it was SO unexpected... and made such a huge SMILE on my face!  That little act of kindness was so touching to me.  I LOVE that.  So simple, yet such a BIG impact.  

So I want to do something here.  I want to GIVE AWAY some Class Kits from my Creative Retreats to YOU!  Just leave a comment down below and tell me if you've had a Random Act of Kindness happen to you or someone you know OR you can give us all an idea on what a great little Act of Kindness would be!  I'll pick 2 WINNERS from the comments next "Love, Tuesday" and send those out to you!  So don't forget to leave a comment on THIS blog post...

 

Oh, I almost forgot!!

I wanted to tell you about a GREAT new book!  I few posts ago I shared a YouTube video of a guy doing a poem called:  Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus 

Well, he has a new book called:  Jesus > Religion

His name is Jefferson Bethke and he has a YouTube Page that is AMAZING.  Such a down to earth interpretation of the bible and some great poems he puts to music.  Oh and if you go check out his videos, DON'T miss the one from his wedding toast!  Oh my goodness, such a sweet toast to his wife!!

I think it's on SALE on Amazon right now for $7.99??  I'm going to go download it later today.  I think it's really going to say SO much more than what I was trying to say weeks ago in my blog post...  Can't wait to read it!

Ok, before I go I wanted to share another video!  This one is from Casting Crowns again... Sorry, but they are just so great.  This one is called "Who am I"  

You can check out their YouTube page as well.  One of the singers in this band, I think his name is Mark Hall, does a bible study on YouTube.  He's going through the book of James and I encourage everyone to listen to it.

Well, have a GREAT Tuesday everyone!  

Love, Tuesday...

It's a day late, but I wanted to say Happy Anniversary to my amazing husband who I celebrated 24 years with yesterday!

 

It was a busy day and we were at Rebecca's volleyball game instead of out to dinner, but we pretty much had two weeks of celebrating when we were in Italy and France a couple weeks ago.  :)

Tomorrow I'm taking a day off to spend with a friend as we get a little scrapbooking in.  I want to finish my Travel Journal with the photos and journaling from Lance and I's vacation a couple weeks ago.

So I'll share some photos of that once it's done.  I shared the start of the journal before I left,  and I'm excited to get some time to finish it with all my photos!  

Have a GREAT Tuesday,

Laura