christmas scrapbooking...

I know that Thanksgiving is this week (!!!) but I have already allowed myself to get (just a little bit) in to Christmas mode! Yes, I have been listening to some Christmas music & watching Christmas movies on Hallmark!! hehe!

Anyway, thinking about Christmas... I decided to go though some of my Christmas photos from the past few years to use in a really cute scrapbooking template that I found in
My Memories Scrapbooking Software! Oh, these templates are so cute....

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to WIN

the My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software!!!

{ CLICK HERE TO READ MORE & TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY }

GIVEAWAY: my memories scrapbooking software!

Today i am excited to share a fun GIVEAWAY...

My Memories is offering a free download of their digital scrapbooking software to one of my followers! They also gave me a free copy of the software to play with, which I used to make the design above! :) 

As a photographer & blogger, like most of you, it's very important for me to save my photos & memories. This software makes it easy to do that in a fun & creative way! There is a good collection of templates, paper & embellishments on the software itself, but their website has even more for you to choose from... they are cute & the prices are pretty affordable. You can even add music & make movies or slideshows!

I have enjoyed playing with this software so far & I hope to learn more about it as I use it more... especially with all the holidays coming. I am pretty inexperienced with digital scrapbooking programs, but this seems like a really good one, especially for it's price ($39.97). If you are thinking about trying to do some digital scrapbooking, I think that this software would be the perfect place to start!

For your chance to WIN your own copy of the
My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Software

you must...

Be a follower of my blog & Visit MyMemories.com 

Please take a look at all of their scrapbooking kits & let me know what you like.

For one extra entry, you can....

Share about this giveaway on your blog or twitter.

Come back & leave a second comment with the link.

This giveaway will end on Wednesday, November 23rd!

a little shop update & more...

I feel like things have been pretty busy lately! I guess it's the holiday season approaching...

There are so many fun things coming up (including a GIVEAWAY later this week)!!

But for now, I will just share a few of the items that i recently added to 

my etsy shop...

& a few photos from life lately...

     steaming chamomile tea   <<              >>  my pup playing with her toys

& my current nail color: purple!! always a favorite! i got this shade at the dollar store! :)

Happy Wednesday!!

{heart of thanks challenge} day eleven...

{ a November challenge from Jen at She Collects }

Thank You, Jesus for Your love! There is no love on this earth that is like Yours. You gave Your life, so that I could be forgiven & saved for eternity. There is nothing bigger than that! Your love gives me hope & joy, every day, no matter what I am facing. Your love is always with me, infinite & unconditional. I am so thankful, because I know how undeserving I am. 

This song says it so beautifully...

{heart of thanks challenge} day eight...

{ a November challenge from Jen at She Collects }

Lord, today I am so thankful for Your Word... 

It encourages me every time I read it! It reveals your love for me! It is full of the kind of hope that only You can give! I am so thankful that I can freely read Your Word every day & that I can believe all of Your Words with confidence! I pray that You will help me to hide Your Words in my heart, so that they will always be there.

seeing stripes...

{ striped knit baby hat for sale in my etsy shop }

Lately, I have been loving stripes! & I am so excited because I just finished knitting my first striped hat... & this one is perfect for a baby boy! yay! I love the way it turned out & I've already got another fun design in the works! :)

Here are some more pretty stripes that have inspired me lately....

           j.crew  <<                  >>   wit & whistle

>>  found on pinterest (not sure of the original source, but i love this photo)

>>  striped floor found here

>>  striped walls found here

a few pictures from today...

 | PHOTOS |

yellow bow headband in my shop. kodak duaflex III camera.

wooden spools of thread. mini-instax photos on my wall.

bible study. roasted pumpkin seeds.

my doggie. me.

My mom just got an iPhone, so today I played around with the instagram app! 

Fun!! :)

{heart of thanks challenge} day two...

   a November Challenge from Jen at She Collects

LORD, today I am smiling as I think about all of the sweet memories that I have of my family, especially of those who are with You now. I was reminded today what it is like to lose someone you love... & our memories really are such a beautiful gift from You, to help get us through our loss. Thank You, Jesus, for the memories that You have given me! They will always bring a smile to my face!

{PHOTO}  My brother & I, with our grandparents, who are both in heaven right now! :)

have a heart of thanksgiving...

It is November... & Thanksgiving will be here soon!!

a day for family, a big turkey dinner & of course, the macy's thanksgiving day parade!! BUT it really is so much more than that... It is a great reminder of how we are to be thankful for all that God blesses us with & it is something we have to make a choice to do daily! 

Jen at She Collects has inspired me to be more intentional about being thankful this month!

she came up with this daily challenge for the whole month of November...

Day One: Thank God for something beautiful...

Thank You LORD for the comfort & peace that is found in your Word & for special times of Bible study with friends! I am so thankful that I have a Bible & the freedom to read it, anytime i want! I am so thankful that You are using Your Word to teaching me to trust You more, even when there is so much that I don't know or understand! & mostly, I am so thankful for the promise that I am Yours, forever & always! 

There is nothing more beautiful than that!!

Thanks Jen! :) 

i am definitely going to print a copy of this & try to be more thankful everyday!!!

happy november!!

Everyone says this, but I really can't believe that it is November already!! Time flies.... I am happy that that Halloween is over though, because now I can start getting really excited for Thanksgiving & Christmas!!! My favorite time of the year! YAY!

I am not a huge fan of Halloween, but I did celebrate in my favorite way... I stayed home, 

ate a caramel apple (+ more candy...) & watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" with my mom & sister! That's our tradition & it's my favorite! :) I hope you had a fun Halloween too!

Below is my sister & I at a piano concert that we went to over the weekend.

It would be so amazing to be able to play the piano... maybe someday!

I would really love to be able to play this song! (it's so amazing...)

& here is a new pink bow headband (for baby) that i just finished & added to my etsy shop!

{update: this headband has been sold! but i will be working on more...}

I hope you have a lovely Tuesday! :)