Isn't a blank canvas the best?

Are you the type that revels in a new sketchbook and a wonderfully sharpened pencil?

This is how I think of Mondays. And today is no different.

I spent this morning really thinking, meditating, reading, and thinking some more. I think this is super important for this busy culture to just stop…be still…and really think about what we are doing! Maybe this hits you on an altruistic level…maybe it's just about prioritizing our to-do lists…maybe you are like me and really want to figure out the meaning of life – or the meaning of my life!! 

…this is the journey I'm on, and boy, is it exciting!!! I am loving every minute…well, almost every moment. I'm missing chocolate, but that'll come back. 

Before I write an entire novel here, I wanted to just share some fun art that has been going on here. 

Last week, as you saw here, it was Oscraps' 6th birthday. I had a blast! And I got a renewed sense of love for digiscrapping that I was desperate for. I love the coziness of scrapping on the laptop while sitting on the comfy couch, the documenting of memories, the creation of fun art.

{a love letter from God to Cora!}

I also love the role I'm playing at Oscraps right now! I'm still a CheeryO, but my specific job is on the blog team. What a fun combination of loves of mine! Anyway, I just wanted to share some of my digital layouts for you to oogle over! 🙂 and hopefully become so inspired that you pop on over to Oscraps and join us in documenting your story!!

{yep, i love my man!!}

{all of the pics from the three LOs above are by Megan Rogers Photography!}

{love these two!!}

{she and i are a bit addicted to smiling!!}

{I hadn't really thought about documenting my sewing projects yet, but i LOVE the idea!!}

{this one is my fave of all of the above!}

This layout really speaks to who I am. The challenge was to write a 6-word memoir. And this was what I came up with. Super fun!! (the pic is also taken by Megan Rogers Photography! She's awesome!)

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So obviously, one of my main paths on my journey through this life is to homeschool my kiddos. Last Thursday, we went to the Museum of Fine Arts here in Houston. We actually have a membership, but this time we went with Quentin's worldview class. I took my younger two, also, and while his class went on a tour discovering the history of American Art, the girlies and I popped on up to one of our fave rooms..the French Impressionists. So we each got out our sketchbooks and pencils and sat on the big bench and picked our own paintings to sketch! 

Here is the original painting I picked:

The Little Gardener by Frederic Bazille

It was an unfinished canvas by this French artist. Here's my sketch…

It's not perfect, but it was such a fun exercise!! I told the girls I could do that once a week…ohhh, if only we lived in the Museum District!

Here's another sketch-turned-art-journal page…

the original inspiration? Mr Gorgeous's bamboo garden in our backyard:

My art:

I used techniques learned in Junelle and Christy's The Art of Wild Abandonment! So fun!! I'm still working my way through that AMAZING class!!

What an integral part of my journey! Art journaling is a phenomenal part to discovering what speaks to my soul. There are words that our Creator is speaking to each of us individually (just like we tailor our teachings to each of our children differently!!), and I am loving listening to my specific words from Him! 

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One of the things I have really been focusing on and listening to is this call to missions. With Cora's mission trip coming up, I've been really trying to figure out ways we can help her get there financially! Besides me praying,  God has been impressing on my heart about selling things in order to give that money to her trip. So far, I've sold a little over $250 worth of stuff!! I'm super excited about it…

…but I'm not done!! She has to reach a first goal of $2268 (half the trip cost) by April 19th. As of today, she only has about $1445 left to reach her first goal!! Exciting!!!

{donation info here!!!}

In order to help some more, on Wednesday, I will have 4 quilts in my Etsy store for $175 each with all of the proceeds going toward her trip! yay!!!! 

Here is a sneaky peek of all of them to whet your appetite!

While I have been quilting these quilts, I have been praying for Cora, for Ireland and for the London Olympics and everyone involved in all of  this!! I also have been praying, as I always do while creating something to sell, for the recipient of these quilts! So if you purchase one, know that you've been specifically prayed for…

What an incredible journey to be on…

starting even this week…Holy Week…where we remember His triumphant entry on a donkey…all the way to his empty tomb on Sunday!!! His journey was one of sorrow, grief, heaviness, pain, ultimate sacrifice, and one of VICTORY!!! Friday wouldn't matter if there was no Sunday, right?? 

I hope you are listening to the word blessings that are being spoken to you from our Creator on your journey! Pretty powerful stuff that makes this life blissfully wonderful!!