Tag Archives: calendar

Nov1

In All Things, Give Thanks

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It’s the season of Thanksgiving, again. I am grateful for a dedicated holiday because it’s a reminder that I am to give thanks— in all seasons. I wish my brain would default to thankfulness. It often does not.

This has been an incredibly difficult year, and sometimes it is hard to be thankful. But this is what we are commanded to do. Because it changes our perspective. If you want to follow our story, go see @heart_for_aaron on Instagram, @aaronkondo on Facebook or can read our little blurb here. This year we have been overcoming many challenges and are thankful for the progress we have made.

I just love this simple reminder to have a spirit of thankfulness. I absolutely love this stamp set: Courage and Faith. And the crushed curry and pecan pie ink works very well with the Cajun craze paper— gives us all the fall vibes.

I sincerely hope that as the holiday season starts to ramp up— that you can slow down and just take a look at all the blessings that are around us.

Stop by Anne’s and Cheryl’s pages today to see what they have planned!

Sep1

Fall vibes

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If you’ve been following our story regarding my husband’s medical adventures, you would know we are currently in the mainland while he is receiving treatment. One of the unexpected treats is that we have gotten to experience all the seasons! And currently summer is slowly melting into fall—. And these flowers from Inked and Tiled remind me of the fall grasses blowing in the breeze.

Moody Mauve and lost lagoon give the fall color feel—

We got to go to the Sunflower Market today, and enjoy some food and vendors as well as the field of sunflowers—. The hallmark of the beginning of fall.

I am ready for the weather to start reflecting the season— but I think we are getting close. Hahaha!

Head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you today!

Jul1

Fireflies

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If you’ve followed my blog for any amount of time you know that if we have a firefly set, I have to use it. I positively love fireflies and that is something I miss living in Hawaii. We don’t have them!

They also bring special memories cause when the kids were little they were enthralled with them. It was so fun to go out and watch them

So, when SU put out this set, Lighting the Way, it was ‘add to cart’ without a second thought.

And. I used the misty moonlight and wild wheat (get it?? Wheat— Kansas??!) because what would be more appropriate for a dark summers night in the middle of the breadbasket??

A bit of wink of Stella on the firefly’s butt adds a subtle sparkle to the firefly!

Hope your summer has fabulous outdoor evenings spent under the stars, enjoying fireflies (if they live where you do)

Head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you!

Jun1

Happy Summer

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Hello June!

You knew we couldn’t go too long without a plants post- right??

This page is the page that inspired the cover of the calendar this year. Just changed the background color (like how I made it seem intentional— when in reality it’s just that I didn’t have that much paper of one color. Hahaha).

The stamp set is called Plentiful Plants and I just love all the fun plants. And the colors include misty moonlight, old olive lemon lime, garden green. Pecan pie and crushed curry.

Hope your summer is happy! Go check out Anne and Cheryl today!

Sep1

True Beauty of Autumn

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Along about this time of year is when I start itching to blast all things fall: sweaters, candles, pumpkins, flannel….. It’s like turn the calendar and I wish you could flip a switch for instant fall. I think this is what I miss MOST being in Hawaii (I know…boo hoo….)

This stamp set is perfect for my fall dream. True Beauty. And, it’s a great stamp set because you can make it work for ANY season–just change up the colors! And, it’s an easy, fast way to mass produce (should you need to make lots of calendars or cards…)

I used crushed curry, pumpkin pie and cajun craze (see— FALL) to brighten up the page.

I hope you are beginning to enjoy some cooler weather— or will soon– September comes as a shock this year– my brain is still stuck in early 2023. But, 2023 is now 2/3 of the year over. It’s crazy. So– please join me, if you will, in welcoming fall, (this means you have permission to light the fall candles or diffuse the fall oils– you won’t be the only one), and head on over to see what Anne has for you today!

Jan1

Oh 2021. So happy to see you

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I’m not sure that there has ever been a new year that we’ve looked forward with as much anticipation as we have this new year.

So I’m happy to have a fresh new calendar to welcome 2021 with! For January, I did step out of my comfort zone and used an actual snowman image. It always seems weird to me to do much with snowmen or other winter scenes as…well, our idea of winter is about 76 degrees and partly cloudy…

This happy guy is from Snowman Season and he’s happy to be celebrating 2021 as well. Just a few swipes with the pool party blend and that adds just enough color to make him come alive.

I too am looking forward to 2021, but I keep remind myself to not put unreasonable expectations on the idea that just because 2020 is over we will be free from challenges. 2020 was a rough year for us, personally and collectively (as it was for everyone). And as I think back through the year I am so thankful for the constants I had in my life. My faith and my family sustained me through some dark times. And as I see this collective burst of anticipation for 2021, I just want to make sure that my focus is not on the year or the newness or any of the things that can change but that it remains on the constant that never changes: That my faith is my constant support and my family will be there for me no matter what the days on this new calendar brings. My wish is that we hold on these lessons from 2020 and they become the solid foundation for us in 2021.

I wish you the best of New Years and I’m hoping you can celebrate with those you love most (even if it is on FaceTime).

Head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you for this new year!

Also! I have a handful of these completed calendars left. You will get a new image each month to brighten up your space. If your interested in one, contact me and we can work out the details!

Jul1

Summertime Flowers

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When I saw this stamp set, I KNEW it had to be on the calendar. My favorite part of it is (besides the fantastic flowers) IT IS ONLY 2 STAMPS!

This set is called Forever Lovely and it is a Distinktive Stamp Set (no, it’s not a typo, this is how it’s spelled). And, if you look close, you can see the gradations in the poppy ink. SU puts varying amounts of texture on the image itself to create these changes. So, you can get lots of variation out of ONE ink and stamp.

There is a small trick to helping this stamp better… The Stamparatus Deluxe Foam Mat makes a perfect stampin’ surface to help give it the cushion (like a red rubber stamp…has the foam) it needs to be able to contact the paper properly. I love this mat for all my general stamping… the you can wipe off the surface… it makes a perfect work mat.

Notice the enamel dots… I did not have black. BUT, you can color the surface with your blends to change the color. So, I grabbed whatever I had and colored away. It works perfectly.

I hope you are having a wonderful summer. It seems crazy to me that 2020 is half over (though, I must say, I am ready to MOVE ON).

Hop on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you today!

Sep1

Looking for Fall

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When September rolls around, I start looking for fall… and wishing for cooler weather.  In Hawaii, the changes are subtle (it IS a little cooler, not a lot, but noticeable).  And it rains.  And ooo do we need the rain….

Anyway, to help WELCOME fall I have this month’s calendar.  The stamp set is Wishing You Well from the fall and winter catalog from LAST year (so now retired).  But I really liked it’s simplicity and ‘fallness’.

 

I used Berry Burst for the dark color and mango medley and gray granite for the rest off the colors to help us WELCOME FALL (Do you hear that, Fall??  You can come now.)

 

 

School has been underway enough to make it habitual and now we are ready for the season to follow suit.  Hope you have fun looking at what Anne and Cheryl  have for you!!

Sep1

Playing with Shapes

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So!  Happy September!  I can’t believe this has come around so fast!  This calendar page is one of my favorites.  When the Holiday Catalog came out last fall, there was a stamp set called “Cheers to the Year” (now retired) that was meant for New Year’s.  Images of sparklers and wreaths for the holidays…  but, I LOVED the shapes.  The two different (what were supposed to be wreaths) circles had fabulous ‘texture’ and I really enjoyed putting them together to make some fun geometric patterns.

So, you can see here, the colors are light enough that they can be stamped over the text in the calendar and it still works.  The colors I used were Bermuda Bay, Night of Navy, and Lemon Lime twist.  The picture lighting isn’t the best but the cardstock is navy as well.

Happy September to you!  Head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you!

 

Mar1

Spring is ‘Ready to Pop’

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Happy March! Can’t believe it is nearly spring break. As a teacher, every month has it’s highlight and for March, it’s most definitely spring break.

So. The name of this stamp set is Ready to Pop. And it has this awesome little border stamp that works so perfect here. And the little punch (sorry, it’s retired) adds just the right flowers for some sweet sprintime blooms. The paper is blushing bride and the ink is pear pizzazz.

Thanks for stopping by today! Head on over to see what Anne and Cheryl have for you!