A Little Update.....

For those of you who have prayed for my best friend Tammy, here is a little video on how she's doing.  I can't tell you how proud I am of her!  Thank you to all of the prayer warriors out there and if the need ever arises for me to be able to return them on your behalf, please don't hesitate to let me know...

Catching Up.....

Hi there! I didn't mean to take a two week break from blogging but it's been a busy time around here!

I'm happy to report that Tammy came through her surgery quite well and is healing nicely. Thank you to all of you who committed to praying for her....I know without a doubt that God heard your prayers!

In between doctor appointments and everyday life, we've celebrated a few things over the last couple of weeks. My father in law turned 83 on September 5th and this is the card I made him:


I used the sample on page 16 of the Holiday Mini Catalog as my starting point. In fact, I CASED the entire thing because I liked it so much! I used a retired sentiment stamp but everything else is current.


On September 9th my mom had a birthday and while I will not reveal her age, I will share the card with ya! This is the first time I've used the Sweets for Sweet stamp set and I overall I like the way the card turned out.


Last but not least, I attended a graduation ceremony for Safe Family Ministries and made cards for all the graduates. Each one was done with a different designer paper but used the same layout. They turned out lovely as well.....

Thank you for stopping by....have a good evening!

Today is the Day.....

After months of anticipation, today is the day my best friend Tammy will be having a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. If you are the praying sort, I'd like to ask for prayers on her behalf as this is a scary time for her and her family. I'm confident that the Lord will be glorified no matter how this turns out and I'd like to leave you with her theme song....

TGIF!

Boy, it's been a whirlwind week around here! Monday, I turned 36 and I've been on fast forward ever since! LOL!!

I've done some creating this week and still have a long list of things to accomplish before next week. For now, I thought I'd share what I've gotten done so far....


Last week I whipped up 6 more thank you cards for Tammy. Please excuse the poor quality of this photo....it was taken with my cell phone right before I left for her oncology appointment. I again used the Strength and Hope set from the Summer Mini Catalog. I simply love it!


Next is another set of 6 cards but these ones are a little more detailed and special. They will be given to the incredible staff at the oncology office that she's been receiving her chemotherapy at. I really struggled to come up with something that was beautiful yet could be easily duplicated. I finally decided a simplified version of Teneale's card was a perfect solution.


And lastly, I will be taking these two scrapbook pages with me today to get some photos of the staff and have them write a note of encouragement for Tammy. She's given me all of the emails and cards that she's received over the last several months and I'm documenting her courageous journey in a scrapbook.

Thank you for dropping by and I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

2nd Batch of Strength and Hope....

Good afternoon everyone!

I'm back today with a second batch of six cards for my best friend Tammy. And I'm pleased to report that she's almost out of the first batch I made! Not because of the cards themselves, but because of the outpouring of love she's received since her diagnosis and how having a thank you card on hand has made one small step of this journey just a little easier. That my friends, is the reason I make cards!

The box I made to hold this set can be used over and over again as I replenish her supply. It's my intention to use the same stamp set for all of the cards I make for her and you can own it too! If you are interested in purchasing the Strength and Hope stamp set, please visit my Stampin' Up! website today! Stampin' Up! is donating $2 from every purchase of this stamp to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. How can I not support something like that?



Thank you for stopping by!

Catching Up.....

Is it just me, or has it been a really long Monday? I'm glad I decided to do something simple for dinner tonight because this girl is dragging this afternoon....

Melissa and Tammy

I wanted to say thank you to all of you who committed to praying for my best friend Tammy. It means more to me than I could ever describe and I know they are working! She's even started a blog of her own so if you are interested in keeping her encouraged, I'm sure she'd love it if you would follow her. The blog name is Team Angier Chronicles.


And just because I can't resist this sweet little face, here are a few photos of my mom's new puppy Moose. Seriously, have you ever seen anything so cute in all your life?!

Have a good night!

Strength and Hope.....

Good Saturday morning everyone!

May 1st Stampin' Up! is releasing a new stamp set in the Summer Mini Catalog called Strength and Hope. When I purchased it at the beginning of March I had no idea that Breast Cancer would hit so close to home so it makes it all that much more meaningful to me! I'm happy to report that Stampin' Up! will donate $2 for each set sold to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. How can I not support that?

This is the first set of cards I made for Tammy to have on hand to give out. I had hoped to make a box to put them in but this week was filled with biopsy's, chemotherapy and transfusions so I decided just getting the initial six cards done was more important.

Thank you to all of you who have supported my special friend with your prayers! We are just beginning this long road to recovery but are hopeful that she will be victorious in the battle.

Have a good weekend....

Blessings.....

I know this has been going around in blogland over the last few weeks but I couldn't help but share. I hope it touches your heart like it did mine.

Jer. 29:11....

Jeremiah 29:11 has long been a favorite scripture of mine so when I saw Verve had it available as part of their Plain Jane Collection, I had to get it. I've had it for quite some time now and finally pulled it out to create this card.

This is the first time I've used Stampin' Up!'s Daffodil Delight and have to say that it's the perfect spring shade so I suspect you'll see it quite a bit over the next few months.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by today....have a good day!



PS - Thank you to all of you who commented on yesterday's post. Your time is valuable and I'm honored you used a little of it here!

Our God is Greater....

I've been struggling to figure out how to put into words what's happening in our lives as I write this. Just a week ago I was consumed with thoughts of a floundering Stampin' Up! business, a broken relationship with a relative and the tragic images coming out of Japan. Then, all of the sudden things were put into perspective as we got word that my best friend has stage 3 Breast Cancer. Cancer? Really? I spent the rest of the week kind of walking around in a daze. Did I dream this? Is there a chance that the diagnosis was wrong? How do I face the possibility that I might lose her?

While I don't claim to know all of the answers, I do know this for sure. Tammy is a believer and will spend eternity at the feet of Jesus no matter when that time comes. If you are of the praying persuasion, I would be grateful for any prayers that you might offer up on her behalf. And if it seems as if I'm hit or miss around here, it's because I've committed myself to being there for her every step of the way.

Go and hug your loved ones.....tell them how much they mean to you and rest in the arms of a loving God that knows everything.

I'll leave you with this.....