Thursday, September 27, 2012

Scrap Takeout layouts

Credits:
Temp Challenge Sept 16-31 by  Cornelia Designs
Shabby Flower Garden by Lucky Smith Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Shabby-Flower-Garden.html
Kraft Cardstock Set 4 by Amy Teets
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Kraft-Cardstock-4.html
Font: Caflisch Script Pro

roy G. BiV by Digi Deborah Designs
Sibling Wordarts by Cornelia Designs
Toot Sweet Alphas by Jen Yurko
Blocking and  Popping Templates by M & M Designs
Shabby Flower Garden by Lucky Smith Designs
Kraft Cardstock Set 4 by Amy Teets
Font: Font=Giddyup Std


Another layout for Jen Y & STO CT

Credits:
Moody Boys Bundle by Jen Yurko
To the Point Temps by FranB Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/To-the-Point-templates.html
White Alpha 3 Way by FranB Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/White-Alpha-3-Way.html
Font:  Caflisch Script Pro

I was up all night scrapping so off to bed for me.

Early Evening Stroll by Jen Yurko - theStudio Gallery

 Run, quick to get this great free kit by Jen Yurko. She is a fabulous designer! Lucky me is on her CT

Early Evening Stroll by Jen Yurko - theStudio Gallery





Saturday, September 22, 2012

Book review:Twice A Bride by Mona Hodgson

I was blessed with a pdf copy of Mona Hodgson's fourth book in The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series. Click on Mona's name to go to here website. 





About the book:

Love lost doesn’t mean love lost forever.
Can unexpected romance deliver a second chance for two deserving widows?


Full of resolve, young widow Willow Peterson decides to pursue her dreams to be an artist as she settles into a new life in the growing mountain town of Cripple Creek.  When she lands a job working as a portrait painter with handsome entrepreneur and photographer Trenton Van Der Veer, the road before Willow seems to be taking a better-than-anticipated turn. 

With questions tugging at several hearts in town, including the Sinclair Sisters’ beloved Miss Hattie, change is traveling down the tracks as several unexpected visitors make their way out West.  Will the new arrivals threaten the deep family bonds of the Sinclair sisters and the roots of love that are just taking hold for Willow?    

Filled with the resonating questions that all women face, this romance awakens hope against grief, love against loss, and dreams against life’s unexpected turns. 
 

You can read or download the first chapter here:

My Review:
I love the scripture at the beginning of the book.
  Hear my cry, O God; Attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalm 61:1-2
    
I found this quote on the very first page and how very true it is!
'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

 I loved Willow because I was a widow at a young age also and I could really relate to her and her trials. I also lost my son at the same time so I also could identify with Miss Hatitie having lost her daughter and husband. My father passed away after an extended illness, so from page one God used this book to talk to me. It was a truly wonderful, heart tugging experience for me. I was able to learn as well as relive some of the exact feelings expressed in the book. 
I was a little lost at times since I have not yet read the first 3 books in the Series, but the story 
can stand on its own. 
I would give this book a 5 out of  5 and will read it again. 

Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers provided me with a complimentary e-book for review purposes.
I was not paid to review this book and give my honest opinion for each book I read.

You can purchased this wonderful book at the below links:
E-books:
B/N 
Amazon  
Christianbook

Paperback:
B/N
Amazon
Christianbook







Mona's Website
More Info
Read Chapter One
Author Bio:
 Over the last twenty-five years, Mona Hodgson’s publishing credits have grown to include nearly thirty children's books, contributions to more than ten books for adults, and four historical novels, including her debut, Two Brides Too Many in The Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series. Mona is a popular speaker for women's groups, schools, and educators’ and writers’ conferences. She lives in Arizona with her husband and has two daughters and several grandchildren.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Layout for Jen Yurko's CT

  
Credits:
A’Tween by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/A-Tween.html
A’Tween Word Tags by Jen Yutko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/A-Tween-Word-Tags.html
Blocking and Popping Templates by M & M Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Blocking-and-popping.html
Font: Chalkboard
 
Be sure to check out all my layouts in my Scrap Takeout gallery.

Sept 20th Scrap Takeout layouts

These are my layout for Scrap Takeout, Sept 20th releases.

Credits:
Up and Away Solids by Amy Teets Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Up-and-Away-Solid-Paper-Pack.html
Up and Away Paper Pack by Amy Teets Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Up-and-Away-Paper-Pack.html
Up and Away  Embellies by Amy Teets
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Up-and-Away.html
Alpha Mania by FranB Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Alpha-Mania.html
Rainy Day Stackerz | New Year by Rainy Dayz Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Rainy...rz-Vol.-1.html
Rainy Day Clusters | New Year by Rainy Dayz Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Rainy...rs-Vol.-1.html
Font: After Shok by Font Squirel
Credits:
Kraft Cardstock Set 3 by Amy Teets Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Kraft-Cardstock-Set-3.html
Frame Me 1 by Cornelia Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Frame-Me-1.html
Happy To Be Me by Joyful Heart Designs (elements)
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Happy-to-be-Me-the-kit.html
Font:  Chalkboard

Thanks so much for looking. You can find all of these in my STO gallery.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

STO- layouts

Credits:
Head Of The Class by Jen Yurko and Cornelia Designs,
September Scrap Takeout Culinary Combo
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Culinary-Combo-3-Head-of-the-Class.html
Anything Goes Template V4 by Anna-Poos
Fonts: Action Jackson (title) and A Safe Place To Fall (Kimberly  Geswein)

Credits:
Toot Sweet by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Toot-Sweet.html
Toot Sweet Alphas by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Toot-Sweet-Alphas.html
Toot Sweet Templates Mini by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Toot-Sweet-Template-Mini.html
Font: Dick’s Handwriting
Credits:
Play time Fun by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Playtime-Fun.html
Funky Edges {One} by Joyful Heart Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Funky-Edges-one.html
Grungy & Creased {One} by Joyful Heart Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Grungy-and-Creased-one.html
Color Blocking V1 by M & M Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Color-blocking.html
I Am Me! by FranB Designs (word art)
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/I-am-Me-full-kit.html
Font:  Leftovers

Credits:
Primadonna Girl by Cornelia Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Primadonna-Girl-Kit-by-Cornelia-Designs.html
Toot Sweet Template Mini by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Toot-Sweet-Template-Mini.html digilicious_shineon_glitter style freebie
Fonts: Airplanes In the Sky by Kimberly Geswein and 21 Kilobyte Salute





Credits:
Play time Fun by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Playtime-Fun.html
Play time Alphas by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Playtime-Fun-Alphas.html
Flairs 1 by Cornelia Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Flair...a-Designs.html
BYO Carryout Box Templates-Set 1 by Dagi’s Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/BYO-C...tes-set-1.html
Grungy & Creased {One} by Joyful Heart Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Grungy-and-Creased-one.html
Font: Savoye LET



Friday, September 14, 2012

Our 1860 Appalachian Log Home

I thought I would post photos of our 1860 log home in the hills of Kentucky.We raised three of our grand daughters for several years and now are finally in our senior years as a couple.  I am slowing re-doing some of our rooms. The first will be my sewing room and I plan to post before and after photos as I go along.   But for now I am giving you an outside peak our our home.   Don't look to close at my sadly in need of a caregiver flower beds. I have been disabled since 1998 and very rarely feel up to working in them.




The waterfall is in the front of our home. The original owners had the women in mind when they built the cabin so close the it. On the upper right was were my rock flower bed is. Yes, it's under there somewhere. I carried rocks from the creeks for 3 years. In the early summer I can still see my peony, daffodils and wild roses blooming there.  Sure wish I had a someone to help me restore it. My husband works himself to the bone with our vegetable garden, taking care of our animals and getting fire wood in for the winter.  He cut down my fruit trees, lavender bushes and assorted other plants that he got tired of weed eating around. The poor man has a large yard to mow and 217 blueberries bushes to weed and prune.  But... that's a story for another day. 

We have 2 pitbulls who call this home and keep the us safe. We have sited a black bear and a black panther looking down on our pasture. They don't come near the house because of the dogs.
                                               Good night and God bless you all. 
                                                                         Jan

Re: My grief journal

Setting up my blog with pages. I'll post my grief journey soon. God is so good, he never gives us more than we can bare.

About Me

 Sept. 13, 2012

My first about me post

Well...I did it again. I was going to go to bed on time last night last night but my scrapping mojo was
in high gear and I finished 6 layout last night. I have 2 more almost done and 2 more planned out already. I have always been my most creative at night, wish it was not so, but that's how it works out.

I am sitting at my computer looking at a photo of my beautiful oldest grand daughter that I plan to scrap next. She is an amazing young women. She is our middle daughters oldest and is a Sophomore this years. She has two younger sisters who are in middle school, one in 6th and the other in 8th.
I blinked my eyes and they were all grown up. They now live in Michigan. We get to see them at
Christmas and on their birthdays. Sure do miss them.

We have an adopted in son, who lives in Kentucky. He and his wife are the parents of our other
middle school grand daughter. She love soccer and is very good at it. She also ice skates.

Our oldest daughter and son-in-law live in Michigan also. They have another grand daughter who
goes to the elementary school where her mom also works. She is so sweet. She love to dance and
is super cute.

Our youngest daughter lives far, far away in California. She has two adorable little girls. The last
time I saw her she was pregnant with the youngest one. My husband and 6th grade grand daughter
flew out to see them a couple of summers ago. Hopefully soon we will be able to visit.

If you follow my blog you will see that my grand daughter are the subject of most of my layouts.

I'll close my opening post on my About Me page by welcoming you to my little home on the web.
Be sure to check out my book reviews, layouts and hopefully soon my sewing projects. May God bless you all with health and happiness.  Bye for now. :)

This is Amazing Gracie and I.


This is my goofy, amazing husband 

The story behind my digi-scrap gallery/forum user name. I have been GodBlessAmerica for so long(10 years) in the forums and galleries that it seems like a my nickname now. Many of my online friends know me by GBA_Jan or GodBlessAmerica only.  I am slowing letting them know I am Jan.  :)
I am pretty sure if you click on the layout it will open up bigger in another window so you can read the journaling. The original layout is here in my STO gallery, if you want to leave me some love. :)


 
Enough talk for today. 


Re: Layout again

Layouts for Scrap Takeout Creative Team

 Credits:
Grunget-fitti {three} by Joyful Heart Designs
Happy To Be Me by Joyful Heart Designs (frame, branch)
Funktastic! {the kit} by Joyful Heart Designs  (flower)
Font:Zapfino



 Credits:
I Am Me! by FranB Designs
Color Me Pretty Templates -Set 1 by Dagi’s Temp-tations
Font: Santa Fe LET

Look how beautiful and grown up my oldest grand daughter, Sara is. Hard to believe she is 15 and a Sophomore. 


Have a great day and thank you for visiting my little home of the web

I've been scrapping

Look at my adorable grand daughters, they are the ones on the left and right in my layout. They live in California and their Grandad and I sure do miss them.  I made this for the Scrap Takeout template challenge at the end of August. I'm a little behind with my posting to the blob



Credits:
Sass by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Sass.html
Sass Alphas by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Sass-Alphas.html
Scrap Takeout Aug 15-31 Template Challenge by Sweet Digi Scraps
Font: Boring Showers


The next one is Santana the now 12 years old. She always did crack me up. 

 Credits:
Toot Sweet by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Toot-Sweet.html
Toot Sweet Alphas by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Toot-Sweet-Alphas.html
Toot Sweet Templates Mini by Jen Yurko
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Toot-...late-Mini.html
Font: Dick’s Handwriting

Here is a funny layout of Maya.


Credit:
Lets Go Round Templates by M&M Designs
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Let-s-go-round.html
September Mini Kit Challenge @Scrap Takeout by Jenn2 Designs
September 2012 Culinary Specialist Collab by the Scrap Takeout Design Team
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/September-2012-Culinary-Specialists-Collab.html
Toot Sweet Alpha by Jen Yurko ( & and 2)
http://scraptakeout.com/shoppe/Toot-Sweet-Alphas.html
Font: 2 Peas Peppermint Tea

That is all for now. Off to get some sleep.

Re: Sept 13th layout for Jen Yurko

My newest layout for Jen Yurko creative team.

Credits:
Alegria Alegria Mini by Jen Yurko
Alegria Alegria Solid Papers by Jen Yurko
Alegria Alegria Alpha by Jen Yurko
Blocking and Popping by M & M Designs
Cowtown Cuties by Jen Yurko (leaf)
Before the Fall Alpha by Jen Yurko (date alpha)
Genuine by Jenn2 Designs (brad)
Font: Pea Melissa by Kevin & Amanda









Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Today's free Christian e-books & Cookbook

Quick and Light: Healthy Recipes You'll Fall in Love With

Amazon 

  Quick and Light: Healthy Recipes You'll Fall in Love With

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith by Lori Copeland

http://files.tyndale.com/thpdata/images--covers/119_w/978-1-4143-1534-8.gif

B/N

Amazon

 

Almost Heaven 

 Almost Heaven

B/N

Amazon 

 

Full Tilt (Rock Star Chronicles)

 

 Amazon


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

A Season for Tending-Cindy Woodsmall

 I just finished my ARC of A Season for Tending, the Book 1 in Cindy Woodsmall's
Amish Vines and Orchards series.



 From the back cover:
In a community where conformity flourishes, seeds of Rhoda’s odd behavior were planted long ago. Can she cultivate her relationships with the same care and tenderness that she gives her beloved garden?
Old Order Amish Rhoda Byler’s unusual gift and her remarkable abilities to grow herbs and berries have caused many to think her odd. As rumors mount that Rhoda’s “gift” is a detriment to the community, she chooses isolation, spending her time in her fruit garden and on her thriving canning business.
Miles away in Harvest Mills, Samuel King struggles to keep his family’s apple orchard profitable. As the eldest son, Samuel farms with his brothers, the irrepressible Jacob and brash Eli, while his longtime girlfriend Catherine remains hopeful that Samuel will marry her when he feels financially stable.
Meanwhile, Samuel’s younger sister Leah is testing all the boundaries during her rumschpringe, and finds herself far from home in Rhoda’s garden after a night of partying gone badly. But Leah’s poor choices serve as a bridge between Rhoda and the King family when a tragic mistake in the orchard leaves Samuel searching for solutions.
Rhoda’s expertise in canning could be the answer, but she struggles with guilt over the tragic death of her sister and doesn’t trust herself outside her garden walls. As the lines between business, love, and family begin to blur, can Rhoda finally open up to a new life? And what effect will this odd, amazing woman have on the entire King family?

You can read the first chapter here.

My review:
When Rhoda was seven years old her father gave her and her older sisters a blueberry bush and a herb plant. Her sisters had other thing to do, but Rhoda (Rhodes) loved and tended hers with care, so
her father gave her a new bush, herb or gardening tool for her birthday and Christmas each year.
The story centers around her gift for growing her fruit and her "gift" of feeling things  before they happen. When this happens she hears the words in her sister Emma's voice.

I loved how the Lord led the King family into her life and the lessons they learned along the way.
She met Samuel King at a time when he did not at first realize the impact she would have on his family and business. Samuel thought because she was a women that she had no opinions or strengths of her own. She proved she was strong in so many ways and was able to help Samuel to better understand his sister Leah.

One of my favorite parts of the book were the herbal remedies that were given.  I also enjoyed the lesson in fruit harvesting and care.

I found this to be a very enjoyable read and loved learning more about Amish culture. It also
helped me to see that the Amish at times struggle just like we do.  Even though they all went through
hardships in the book they were able to go forward and learn from it. This  is one of those books that you simply don't want to put down because the characters is so utterly likable, and as human as you or I.  I look forward to reading the  rest of the series as they are released.  I would love to see this book series made into a movie.
I give it a 5 out of 5 stars.

Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers  provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. I was not paid to review this book and give my honest opinion of each book I read.


 I pre-ordered the next book in the series. The Winnowing Season: Book Two in the Amish Vines and Orchards Series

You can purchase A Season for Tender at:
Barnes & Noble
Amazon
CBD
Books-a-million

 Cindy Woodsmall website
More Info
 Read Chapter One
  Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times and CBA best-selling author of ten works of fiction and one work of nonfiction, whose connection with the Amish community has been featured widely in national media and throughout Christian news outlets. She lives outside Atlanta with her family.







Monday, September 10, 2012

$300 Kindle Shopping Spree

 Christian book reviews is have a $300 Kindle give-a-way.
 THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE A $300 GIFT CARD FOR AMAZON
http://www.christianfictionbookreviews.org/2012/09/300-kindle-shopping-spree_5.html