An Explanation of "One Little Word" Concept from Ali Edwards

I just came across Ali Edwards' 'one word' idea & I'm blown away. I have heard many different ways to create change in your life; do something for 21 days and you will have developed a habit, create little notes to yourself and put them on your mirror, etc.  But one word - I can remember one word. I can even post it on my mirror and not feel like a self-help addict. Here is the full explanation from 2007 years ago when AE started the idea. (Link to post)

• one little word
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• A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow.
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• Last fall in issue two of this newsletter I wrote about the power of words and gave my top ten tips for getting those words down when you are scrapbooking. Today I want to introduce you to the idea that a single word can be a catalyst for enriching your life as well as your scrapbook layouts.
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• Last year I began a tradition of chosing one word for myself each January - a word that I can focus on, mediate on, and reflect upon as I go about my daily life. Last year my word was something I wanted to bring into my life in a more tangible way. My word was play.
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• I thought a lot about play and what it means to me. I tried to incorporate it more into my everyday and on my adventures out in the crazy world. For me, it was a lot about living without fear - about being more open to experiences with an attitude of playfulness. The word play found its way onto many scrapbook pages and into many stories I told throughout the year.
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• Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2007?
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• It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother's word or your spouse's word or your child's word - this is YOUR word.
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• One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities. And here's one thing that is totally interesting: sometimes a word will pop into your brain and it will not make any sense to you right now. Give it some time. Let it percolate a bit. I have often found that our hearts speak to us in very unique ways. Maybe this is a word you need to hear but just aren't ready for it yet. Again, be open to the possibilities.
  
  You may be wondering, what in the heck does this all have to do with scrapbooking? For me, words are at the heart of what I do. The photos are a huge part, but the words bring it all home. Often times I will begin a layout with a single word. That word becomes my guide as I create my page. It helps me focus the story I am trying to tell and gives me an instant, easy graphic title approach. How often has a word directed your creativity when working on layouts?
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• Take some time this week to think about your own word for 2007 and read on for a related
• weekly challenge.

The post from AE's blog finishes by challenging everyone to create a layout about her chosen word. So, how about you ....  ?

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Digital Scrapbook Pages Countdown to 2010 Blog Train

There are some very worthwhile gifts to be had on this blog train. Absolutely gorgeous papers from Beth Rimmer, see photo in the post, terrific seasonal and occasion cards from Amanda Thorderson, and beautiful qp and bb albums from several designers. Head to Amanda's blog to start in the "A's". There are 14 kit designers participating. Great stuff !!!!

My favorite new toy for traditional scrapbooking has been the 7 Gypsies Binderie Punch and all the great book covers they are coming out with. Click on the name to check it out. I have used it on so many different chipboard books in order to put different attachments and doodads where I wouldn't have been able to before. Woohoo! Another great toy, uh, I mean tool!

To Albuquerque we will go ...

Well, another long day that ends with a long night. Lots of phone calls but I couldn't see Ayiana. She has some problems again today. I am doing all I can reasonably to have her out of that RTC ASAP!

On the bright side, whenever I come up here I get to go to Whole Foods. I finally found the purse I've wanted for ages. It wasn't expensive, it's just right in size and I love the design. What more can I ask for. I also found lots of good food! I had a gourmet meal consisting of a basil, tomato, and tofu salad for a beginning course, followed by a humongo piece of artichoke, black olive, and spinach pizza (to die for!) and as a final course, a large square of Tiramisu, of which there is half in the fridge for tomorrow.

Our meeting is not until 1:00 so I will have plenty of time for iced coffee and tiramisu perhaps? LOL, no I got my favorite bagel which I was there also.

I'm getting tired and I'd like to finish a few more layouts while I am awake. Thanks for reading my no news post.

Designer Chat and Twitter-free

I'm about to head into a chat at Digitalscrapbookpages, where else. I get to learn about one of our new designers Kristmess. Cute name. I am anxious to learn more as her designs are great, and DeDe is hosting so that will be fun too. About Twitter ... sheesh. I am done. I have tried it several different ways, posting on their site which I find totally inconvenient, posting what I thought would be updates from whomever I chose to follow, but it only posted my updates? What good is that, I know what I said. Then I thought I loaded a blogger widget to post to, read others posts, etc. Picked out a nice look and all. Something happened and I ended up with next to nothing, but again, my own posts. So I am done. Everyone else have a good time with it. I'm busy scrapping pages and enjoying more of the 3-D kind of world. Speaking of which, off to the chat ... enjoy!

Man did I pay ...

I am not used to staying up so late! Combine that with a bit of fibro and arthritis and you're in trouble. Ugh. I'm changing up the routine for the rest of this week and we will start over next. It's all good, as they say. In the meantime I finally completed a really cute layout for Paula, called Artistic Chocolate. Really a cute name, eh? The kit is named Artistic and is at Digitals. lol Leave a comment if you have a minute. I love to get feedback, always working to improve. Okay, bedtime for me. Hope you got to bed at a decent hour. night ...

Working it on so many levels

Just a quick post to let anyone who stops by know that I am working on the background of the blog. I have never made my own before and as you can tell I am still learning. I have the uploading technique down, now I have to make the background the proper size, etc. This is the latest I've been up in years. I think it's around 1:00 am. And, yes, I am tired. I have been searching my computer for a certain sb kit that I know I had but has disappeared. Computers get hungry as we all know, and I supposed it chose that kit to eat. Big bummer, because I don't want to admit that it's gone to anyone. Lastly, I am still tired from the weekend. Thank heaven I can sleep in til the afternoon if necessary. lol I haven't done that since I was a teenager. And of all the rotten luck, I'm hungry now! I know I shouldn't. But, well .. I'll never tell. goodnight

Love the colors

Image by swisscan via Flickr

This is a gorgeous landscape treatment

Image by ☆Kirsty Oherlihy☆ via Flickr

Digital Scrapbooking Day!

I had no idea that November 1 is DSD. I love any excuse to celebrate and party, the internet way. So of course, you have to go over to Digital Scrapbook Pages for the chats and games on Saturday and Sunday with great kits for prizes. Just dropping a quick note about it. I've been working for hours on a challenge layout. I love it to death, my fav so far, but I am tired, especially my eyes. Hope to see you at Digitals!

I am having so much fun!!

Last night at Digitals Chat, we had 62 people, 62!! That is quite a record, and because of it we all got a bonus download!! They are so generous with their prizes: kits, quick pages, etc. And all the designers at Digital Scrapbook Pages are so talented and creative. I'm just having a great time. Look what I found on one of the designers web pages. Give it a try if you like:

The Recipe For Barbara

3 parts Energy 2 parts Class 1 part Charm Splash of Success Serve over ice

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

Digitals Birthday Bash will be Fabulous ! ! !

Check out the cake in the left side bar, it tells a bit of what's going on, and besides it's just cute and I made it. lol There are going to be so many fun games and prizes, and crops and prizes, and challenges and prizes, oh and did I mention PRIZES!! So don't forget, the whole first week of October 1-8. At least stop by and say hi to me. Check out the forum and I bet you can guess what my User name is there, yup, Enchantedcropper, Enchanted for short. It gets a bit long during chats, etc. We'll see you Wednesday for the party!

I almost forgot ....

that I even had a blog. I've been busy with quite a few different projects, but they are all moving ahead. Life keeps improving in many ways. I can't mention most of them right now due to potentially peeping eyes, but I will share one day. I am excited that I finally found the photos I needed for my dear friend Diane's 6yo dd's birthday present that was due like 2 months ago. bad .. bad! But it's going to be so cool, a Bratz shadow box to match her room. She is actually a sophisticated little one (hard to believe at that age, but true) so she will truly appreciate it. I can't wait to get it done. I'm thinking that will be one project for this weekend. Another one is the challenges at Digital Scrapbook Pages. I'm starting to get smoother at creating pages so I signed up for a bunch of them this month. If you create 12 of the 19 or so challenges, you earn a huge mega kit. There's a different kit each month and they are all really well made. Quality control at Digitals is really sharp. (I didn't know such a thing existed in scrapbooking until I learned about how much is done at Digitals.) Here's the link in case you want to check out the challenges. Digitals Forums Scroll down to the challenges category and check them out! They have been a great way for me to practice and learn digi. And it's encouraging because you get a prize of a mini kit or something like it for posting the challenge. And check out the new blog roll down the sidebar. It's all the Digitals Designers blogs. Most are updated frequently, many daily, and many have freebies. So go surfing, dudettes! Ayiana starts 4th grade on Monday. Hard to believe. She is growing up, and I finally know what that really means, maturing. Not only is she taller, she thinks differently, has different needs and interests. But she is still a barrell of fun! Nothing better than a good tickle fight between us. LOL Okay, well maybe a good hug is a bit better. Anyway, dinner time. I'll try and check in more often. Maybe I'll have some layouts to post this weekend.

The Polar Express Blog Train comes to an end

Digital Scrapbook Pages Polar Express Blog Train was wonderful! 23 designers participated for 12 days, making hybrid and quickpages from one of their designer kits for free. Gifts to their customers and others who want to get to know their quality and style. Plus there were the presents in the Store Hunt. I never did find some of those. They were hidden well and the clues were a bit tricky. There will be another big event at Digital Scrapbook Pages again soon. But for now, I get to go play with my new pages! Enjoy the weekend.

So tired, why am I still awake ...

It never fails. I get ready to turn off the computer and head to bed when Ifind some awesome download I'm afraid I'll lose if I don't do it right away. Tonight I found a download with 48 scrappers contributing, what a collaboration! And it's the style I like, it's a playground theme. I bookmarked it but my browser has been weird with my bookmards so I'm worried. One more download and I can go to bed. Cool! It says less than 2 minutes til it's done. I talked to Ayiana today. She was all wound up. I think I talked to Terri more than her because she was working on some paper project and that's mostly what I heard, paper russelling. Anyway, it's always good to hear her voice, and hear "I love you" and "I miss you". We are getting there. Next week we have family therapy. Hey, it's done. Goodnight.

So frustrated ....

I have spent hours today trying to get a custom template for my blog. They all say they are simple but then you have to know what kind of blog you have. All I really wanted to do was widen the right side bar a bit so the whole slide show will appear. On the bright side, I worked hard and got a lot done in the house. I tried my new floor steamer, no not on the kitchen floor ~ that's just too ambitious ~ but I did the guest bathroom. I swept it first, then you put nothing more than water in the Bissell, pull a trigger and go back and forth. I wonder if I should have washed it first too, because even though I swept it was still building up little bits of dirt and leaving them here and there. Anyone who has cleaned a floor knows what I mean. I also cleaned the mat under my computer chair, probably for the first time since I put it here! lol I washed both sides of it and sanitized it with that all over sanitizer. Vacuuming under it made the biggest difference. Then I went into the den. It is my future scrapbooking room, former den complete with 15 in 1 game table, that I think I can make work as one of my desks. I totally cleaned off the single bookcase in there and mounted one of my Karen Foster Hook and Peg system boards. It's pretty simple but I am beat. I have three more to put up, then I will move the table over there and see if it works. I already measured the height so that's going to work regardless. My hands hurt from working so much. When I got up this morning my feet hurt! I haven't had that happen since my days as a cocktail waitress or bartender. Yesterday I did some yard and porch work. That's hard on my feet and knees. But I really do feel muscle developing again! That is enough to keep me going. 3 more days til I see Ayiana! I can't wait. I hope she is doing well in treatment. It's not easy for her or for me. But if we get through this year working hard, we'll be set for the rest of her growing years. I firmly believe that. And I know she is protected by Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Well I feel better now. Not so frustrated. I'll just stick with what I've got until Blogger gets off it's butt and makes some more templates or makes these more easily customized. Enjoy the day!

Whew, where has the time gone!!

June 16, we are half way through the month and I haven't accomplished what I thought I'd have done yet. I have plenty of encouragement though, from my adopted aunt Glyn. I'll have to get her picture into the slide show. She is my friend through the commonality of arthritis and fibrmyalgia, and she lead me to Jesus and the Church of Christ, which has saved me. I was so lonely with no direction before Glyn. And, to add one more thank you, I met Glyn thanks to the Reverend Dale who was head of the Ministerial Alliance in our town a few years ago. He introduced us to each other and we have been supportive to each other ever since. I also gained a good friend in Glyn's daughter, Diane. She also has fibromyalgia along with other illnesses including a serious back injury. So we don't go out and play tennis or hike the mountains, but we certainly gain strength from each other. On another note, I am now a 1st Responder for Digitalscrapbookpages! I am very excited about it. I love their products, the people are great, they have designers that are very professional in their products and a great forum. Let's see, what else, they have chats regularly, and challenges with great prizes. You get prizes during the chats as well. So come join us at Digitals.

Windy Wednesday

I'm glad I don't have anywhere to go today. It is so windy, sustained between 25-35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph. I had to go out and make sure everything around the yard is weighted down. I'm spending some time on my favorite board today DigiShopTalk. They are the nicest people and very creative and fun. Stop by sometime and you'll see what I mean. Someday I'm going to get serious and instead of running all over the internet picking up gorgeous freebies I'm going to start learning to make digi pages with PSE 5. I get torn between wanting to get the house moved around and playing on the computer. I try to leave it off in the morning, but it's always calling my name by the time I'm done with breakfast. My dear friend Sharon from church has a cancerous tumor so please pray for her. My other dear friend Bill is in the hospital in a lot of pain. He is like my grandfather, so please pray for him as well. If nothing else, we can be thankful for our health, even if it's not perfect.