List Yourself #11-Let's Get Excited!!

List Yourself #11

Life can be a rollercoaster, can't it? 

One minute your chugging up hill, struggling the whole way and the next minute your coasting down, the wind in your face and butterflies in your stomach.

So today...let's focus on the EXCITING PART!

Here's my list:

* That moment, after the last push, when I heard each of my 3 kids cry for the first time

* The moment I crossed the finish line of my first half-marathon

* The First time I saw my husband...I can still tell you exactly what he was wearing and what he was doing

* The moment my husband got down on one knee in the middle of Steak N Shake (where we had our first date) and asked me to marry him

* The moment I finally let go of the anger over being adopted.

* Putting in my notice at my last job-the skies became the limits!

* Every time I get a new "like" on The Creative Life Studios Facebook page!

What about you?

What are some of your most amazingly, exciting, stupendously exhilarating moments?

I would love to hear about them! Leave me a comment!

Until next time creative friends...staying exciting...and stay creative!!

XOXO,

KERI 

List Yourself #10-It's a Strange, Strange World

How are your lists going? 

Are you learning a lot about yourself? Are you remembering things that have been buried that made you smile or laugh or maybe cry a little?

Today...we are going to remember the craziness in our lives...or should I say...the strangeness! :)

Even though it's not my strangest place, anytime I think "strange place" I automatically think of my husband's last trip to Thailand. While he was there, he sent me this picture:

The story was that they were at a place where you got to "pick" your food....like Red Lobster where you pick your lobster out of the tank, except this was eel.

What he didn't show me until he got back was these...

Yup....that is a racoon and snakes....just waiting for someone to make them into lunch.

Still makes me cringe and shiver!!

What strangeness have you encountered?

I'd love to hear about it!

XOXO

KERI

List Yourself #9-Getting it Out

As you're reading this, the horrors of 9/11 were 12 years and 3 days ago. 

During this week of reflection and remembrance, I can't help but wonder if those who were left behind ever still have those moments of "If only I had told them..."

So today...we are going to do that. 

I know our lists are usually fun and make you laugh, but in order to really discover ourselves, sometimes we have to dig into the painful places. And yes...some are more painful that others, but if you are holding onto words in your mind that need to be freed, then you are taking up space that could be filled with the happiness of your present self instead of being held captive by your past. 

Think about it...pray about it...meditate on it. Whatever you need to do to be real with yourself. 

If your worlds are angry...allow yourself to be angry. If they're sad...be sad. BUT...once they're on the paper...let them go. Burn the paper if you need to. 

Be free and in freedom, you'll find more of yourself you never knew existed. 

Until next time friends...

Xoxo

Keri

Double Whammy Saturday: List Yourself #8 and a Guest Blog!

I am so excited today!

I have a DOUBLE bit of fun on The Creative Life Blog today!

First, I have the awesome privilege of being a guest blogger for Artsy Addicts.

Check out the Artsy Addicts Blog for much more about this project!!

List Yourself Saturday!!

I loved thinking about my childhood doing last week's list, so I thought we would spend a little more time there this week.

Here's my list!

Gumbo (I'm southern!)

Fried Catfish

Fried Pickles

Peanut Butter and Jelly

Popeye's Chicken

Chicken and Rice with Gravy (my mama's Sunday staple)

Fried Eggplant

Mama's Mac and Cheese

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Butterfinger Blizzard

Great...I've made myself hungry! LOL!

What about you? What makes your stomach growl just thinking about?

Leave your list in the comments!

Until next time my creative friends....

XOXO

KERI

List Yourself #7-Remembering your innocence.

Well...we took the summer of from "listing" ourselves, but it's time to jump back in! 

I thought we could start with a SUPER fun list that will take us each back to those times of innocence when life was about fun and Saturday morning cartoons.  

So...

Here is my list: 

The Shirt Tails

The Snorks

Jem

Full House (who remembers T.G.I.F?!?!)

Family Matters 

My little Ponies

The Hogan Family 

Gummie Bears

Care Bears

Rainbow Bright

America's Funniest Home Videos (with Bob Saget!)

How about you?!? I would LOVE to hear about your favorite childhood show!

Leave me a comment...it might even spark me to remember "hey...I watched that too!!"

Until next time my creative friends...stay fun and stay you!

List Yourself #6-Finding Your Favs!

I'm not usually a hugely picky person. Usually when I am shopping, I am a total bargain hunter, BUT there are a few brands that I don't care how much they cost...they will always been in my house.

So today...let's take some inventory!! 

Here are my Top 10 Fav Brands!!

Campbell's-Cream of Anything from any other brand is GROSS!

Great Value Thick and Cream Mac & Cheese

Stacey's Pita Chips

Italia Rosa Fresh Salsa-We get the huge bottle at Sam's Club and Call it "good salsa"

Canvas Corp Mixed Media Glue-I use it on EVERYTHING. I don't have to hunt for a different adhesive for metal, fabric, paper, plastic...whatever!

Big Sexy Play N Spray Hairspray-Nothing else holds all my hair

Maybelline Falsies Mascara in Dramatic Black

Pepsi-Coke is gross and on the random occasion I drink soda, I want to ENJOY it!

International Delights Coffee Creamer-Staple in our house.

Heinz Ketchup-This is a hubby requirement...he cares...I don't. LOL

What about you? 

Take some time today and check out your fridge, makeup bag, medicine cabinet...where ever! 

Have fun with it!

P.S. Like the picture? It was made with the iPhone App "A Beautiful Mess." I absolutely LOVE the fun doodle and quirky fonts!!! Check it out!

NEW Project and NEW List (#4)

In recent years I have had the amazing opportunity to work with an organization in Northwest AR named Saving Grace. The founder, Becky Shaffer, has embraced the motto "Repairing the Breach, Restoring the Streets" by offering transitional housing and life skills education for girls ages 17-25 who have aged out of a foster care/group home situation or have been "orphaned" due to a critical home situation that has left them homeless. 

As a former foster kid, Becky has taken what could have been a negative in her life and instead used it to do wonderful and life-changing things in the lives of countless of girls in the 4 years since Saving Grace was founded. She has got to be the most optimistic and cheerful person I have every met in my life and I absolutely love her to death.

When Becky approached me a couple months ago about helping with a project for their upcoming mentor's retreat, I of course JUMPED at the chance to do something I had never done before: paper crowns! It was something I had only seen done a couple of times during all my creative wonderings online, so I really had to almost start from scratch.

First....I did a little research and found a template for a traditional, vintage style crown and came up with this guy:

My favorite scripture is Ephesians 5:19 "Speak to one another in songs, hymns and spiritual songs; sing and make music in your heart unto the Lord." I tried to fit the whole verse, but I had to settle for just the second half because of the size of the crown. 

Next, I wanted to do something total "princess" and you can't go wrong with chevron.

Chevron Duck Cloth (modge podge to add some stiffness) on Canvas Corp Craft paper, with hand rolled flowers from Canvas Corp handmade paper. The words are the first 5 words in the Bible and are my constant humbling reminder that I can create...only because He first created.

Lastly, I couldn't do this project without making a MEGA-MS-UNIVERSE style crown!

This crown was made by cutting a piece of Canvas Corp Thickstock (12x12) on the diagonal and rounding the top slightly. I then modged podged some vintage dress patterns that I then lightly gessoed and inked it once it was dry. One large BIG cluster of flowers and silver butterflies add the big, over-the-top fun feel, while the simple LOVE chipboard letters (colored with Tattered Angels glaze in Oil Slick) and a quilted background with rhinestones finish it off.

And of course..you can't have crowns readily available and not have some one model them!

This is Kaitlyn, Becky's youngest daughter, who looks adorable rockin' these paper crowns. :)

I can't wait to the the amazing projects the SG mentor's come up with based on my designs!!

List Yourself #4-Music of the Heart

Many of you might not know that MUSIC is actually my FIRST love...way before I had ever heard of scrapbooking or any kind of papercrafting, I was (and still am) a singer. I started singing as a kid and eventually went to college for vocal performance and music ministry.

So....Let's List all the Songs you know by Heart...you know...those songs that when they come on the radio, you get to the end of the song before you realize you have sung the whole thing basically on auto-pilot.

Here's my top 10 list:

How Great Thou Art

Orphans of God by Avalon

Broken Road by Rascal Flatts

Just about anything by P!nk, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood

Anything by The Fresh Beat Band (the joys of having kids)

The Lazy Song by Bruno Mars

Shout to the Lord by Hillsong

Music of the Night from Phantom of the Opera

At the Foot of the Cross by Kim Walker

Vintage New Kids on the Block

Can you tell I have the most random assortment of taste in music? LOL.

What about you? What do you rock out to in the shower or driving down the road?

Share it in the comments...I'm always up for new music!

Until next time friends....

NEW Team and NEW List (#3-A Girl Can Dream)

Yesterday I got some uh-MAZING news...DRUM ROLL....

I've been selected to join an amazing group of creative women as a guest designer for Susan K Weckesser! 

If you don't know who she is, she is an amazing mixed-media artist who also designers her own line of products for companies like Unity Stamp. 

Look...here's my name!!

Eeekkk!!! I'm so excited and up for the challenge!

Now...are you ready to list with me?

Since I am in such a happy mood, let's do a fun list today!

We all like pretty shiny things, but if you're anything like me...I'll talk myself out of just about anything. Call me frugal...thrifty...or just plain cheap. :)

So let's dream a little today:

Here's my list:

* The Audi Jason Statham drives in "The Transporter."

* A Silhoutte Cameo

* An interior decorator to make my house "Souther Living" worthy. 

* A trip to Paris, London, and Australia 

* A NEW IPhone Filled with new music (and a lot if storage!)

* Unlimited Concert tickets

* A personal hair and make-up person!!

* A ridiculously expensive pair of stilletos 

* Nothing but 7 for all Mankind Jeans

I'm cheap...I know it. :) So I most likely will never own most of this list, but a girl can dream can't she? Lol

Until next time my friends!

NEW Layout and NEW Book!!!

Did you think I had fallen of the blogger-sphere? :) 

Summer has begun in our world and that means 3 kiddos that need to be entertained. Sound familiar? But! I will still find time for me..or I might go crazy over the next 10 weeks. 

Wanna know one way I'm gonna do that?

I was browsing Barnes and Nobles one day and came across this book:

I was intrigued...list making as a way of self-discovery? And I thought...."I L-O-V-E lists! But how can it help me discover anything? My lists are usually To-Do lists." (which usually only helps me discover how little time there is in a day!)

But as I opened the cover and started reading some of the topics, I realized there were a lot of things I didn't know about myself. Like..list the biggest turning points in your life...list all the activities you would do if you weren't so afraid...list your biggest dream and most recurring nightmare. 

Have you ever thought of these things? I haven't. 

And not all of them are super deep..some are ways to remember what you've forgotten ... Like " list everything you can remember from your parent living room growing up" or "list some important things you lost over the years."

And some...well...they're just fun: List the types of people you think should never get behind the wheel or List this regular everyday items you wish you never had to buy again.

Are you ready? Let's do this journey together....

Today's List: List the situations that always make you cry.

My list: 

Break-ups in movies

Death of a child

People achieving their dreams

Feeling out of control 

I'm excited to take this journey and hope your excited to take it with me!

And now....you didn't think I would leave you without a little creative inspiration did you?  

Today on the Scrapbook News and Review Blog, it's Color Inspiration! 

Can you be inspired by this:

I loved the unique color combo so I chose to focus on that for this Layout called "It's a small world" about the worldwide friends I've made through CHA.

You can't go wrong with Heidi Swapp and Pink Paislee, right?

Until next time my friends, let's continue on this creative life together...and discover all we can be. 

God Bless.