How (and WHY) to make Truth Treats

If you are like me, chances are that after Halloween you are faced with a difficult decision.

What to do with all of the candy that your kids have collected.

This year our kids collectively collected 17 POUNDS of candy. That is a WHOLE lot of candy.

We are fortunate enough to live in a wonderful neighborhood where we know our neighbors well, our kids go to school with just about every child in the neighborhood and well... everyone knows everyone. In addition, it seams as if every house we went to we knew and well, they were very generous with the candy.

With this being said, after Halloween night, we sat as a family and had a little chat. There was NO way that our kids could use this much candy and well, we were not about to throw it away. We could donate it to a local organization or sell it back to a local dentist but what we really wanted was to put this candy into action and bless our community. Now our kids were not on board at first, I mean they really connected with the triumph of their loot... but we had to put it into reality for them. Either they find a way to use the candy in a positive way or next year we limit the houses they visit to just our street (which would have given them still more than enough candy). It clicked. If they were going to be blessed by our neighbors and enjoy themselves each Halloween... then the blessing would need to be passed on.

And THAT was what birthed the idea of Truth Treats.

I reached out to my friend Melody Ross of Brave Girls Club and asked if we could use their truths to add a little encouragement to each treat we shared... She graciously said yes.

Melody has in the past done a very similar project on Black Friday, which is what made me think of her when we were trying to come up with an idea for this candy. If you have a chance... definitely check out their site... it will surely inspire some great ideas for the holidays as well as for your heart.

We created these truth treats to pass out to shoppers during Black Friday. This is a great time to catch people when they may need it most. As a family we have shared these truths during the holidays and you would be amazed at how easy it is to touch someone when they need it most. Although the holidays are usually surrounded by loved ones and togetherness... you'd be surprised as to how alone and discouraged the holidays can make people feel. One of the ladies we gave one of these random truths to (at an airport) actually cried when my daughter handed her a truth and gave my daughter a big hug. She told us that this was exactly what she needed to hear as she was going through something very difficult in her life. Kindness matters... and it matters the most when you let your heart lead you... and pave the way for good to happen.


If you would like to see more about "truths" as well as the BGC Truth Cards... Click Here.

TRUTH TREATS

Supplies:

• Treat bags (We got ours at our local hobby store 50 for $2.99)

• twine/ribbon/string - To tie the bags

• Candy- This can be left over candy OR you can purchase bags of candy just for this occasion

• Truths- You can print the Brave Girl Truths HERE  (Pages 6-9 are perfect for this)

• Ready and willing kids to volunteer (We invited our daughters girl scout troop as well as our neighbors)

Contents of each bag- 6 pieces of candy, a truth and a whole lot of LOVE (tied with a sweet bow)

I really hope you will join us on this journey and come up with a way to share TRUTH, COMPASSION and CHARITY this holiday season. We would LOVE to see what you come up with. Use the hashtag #truthtreats to share your truth project with the world!

Much love to you this season,

~Liz (and family) ♥

The Wishing tree...

With the new year rounding the corner, I thought it might be fun to take a tutorial that I did for Brother International and give it a different twist. I created a glittering Christmas tree for the holidays using a beautiful assortment of glittered cardstocks and my ScanNCut. I created this tree with my family and used a few other sizes and let the kids make their own trees for the holidays.

With what has been happening in our lives lately, I thought it might be nice to allow this tree to act as a yearly reminder to our family of where our hearts are at the end of each year. So instead of this being the Glittering Christmas Tree that I thought I would share on my blog... this is going to serve as our families Wishing Tree.

We spent the holidays with our family in California this year. Due to my Grandmothers diagnosis we planned a quick impromptu trip to visit our families and see her one last time. It was hard. Hard on all of us as we knew that as we said good bye, this was most likely the last time that we get to see her. As hard as it was, there still was some peace in our family that she would not be in pain for much longer.

After returning home, I got to thinking of our kids and how hard this must be on them seeing not only their great grandmother ill, but also seeing their grandmother and mother saddened. I didn't want this to haunt their holiday so I got the idea to take this Christmas tree and give it a new purpose.

The Wishing Tree

 This tree is decorated with thumb tacks that have designs glued to them. These tacks press nicely into the tree form and allow you to post pictures and cards to your tree.

I thought it would be nice to have the kids take some time and write down wishes and add them to the tree. We can store the tree through the year and when we bring it out the next holiday season, the wishes will be there as a reminder of where their hearts were the year previously. This is a wonderful way for children to see themselves grow and for parents to see growth in character through the years. Have your children date their wishes and you can keep adding to your tree each year.

    

For full directions of this project click here.


I hope this gives you an idea of a fun family craft that can be created easily during the holiday break and perhaps start a new family tradition in your household. It is never to late or to bleak to share hope with your children, I am excited for my kids to open up their wishes next year and see how much they have grown.

Thanks for the great year, wishing you and your family the best this New Year!


~Liz Hicks and Family ♥

Sharing her HEART...

It's been a while since my last blog post and I wish so much that I could be sharing crafty goodness with you rather than to be experiencing what I am going through right now.

I am going to be very honest right now, something that is hard for bloggers because well... a blog is public and always available for the world to see... but I feel that I need to share what is going on with me right now, I don't know why. Maybe it is because it is therapeutic...maybe someone else needs to hear this, I really don't know why but what has been swelling in my heart to share is finally coming into fruition in words.

This year hasn't been an easy one. I have mentioned before that there have been a lot of changes in our family recently. We are adjusting to our kids getting older and the challenges that come with each new year of their lives. James and I both are working for ourselves for the first time which is exhilarating and frightening all at the same time. Our careers have taken us to new horizons and driven us farther than we could have ever expected which is wonderful for us both since we enjoy being challenged. So needless to say this year was a year of growth and accomplishment for our little family, it has been busy and stressful, yet rewarding all at the same time.

With my travel schedule and James' crazy hours we were looking forward to a quiet holiday season at home with the kids... Just our little family. This Christmas was to be the first time that we were to be home for the holidays. It is hard to believe that we have been in our home for 3 years now and have not spent a Christmas here. So it goes without saying that the kids were excited and WE were excited to be able to see them run down the stairs Christmas morning in our own home.

You know what they say about plans....

Last week I sat with my daughter and taught her how to hand sew and it brought back memories of learning myself from my grandmother and great grandmother. We sat together and I filled with pride as I shared this simple knowledge, knowing now what feelings my grandmother and great grandmother must have felt when they taught me all those years ago.

Almost on cue, my mother sent me a text while I was stitching with my daughter.

"PLEASE PRAY, YOUR GRANDMA IS NOT DOING WELL AND IS IN THE HOSPITAL"

My heart sank. Still as I write this it is hard for me to digest all that is going on.

The next day James and I were working and my mother called him, I could hear her voice on the phone and knew as James left the room that something was wrong.

My body sank, deep, hollow... almost hiding from what I knew I was about to hear.

I waited for James to come back and when he did I could tell that he was exactly like me... not wanting to have to say what he now had to tell me.

"YOUR GRANDMOTHER HAS CANCER, SHE DOESN'T HAVE LONG... WE NEED TO GO HOME FOR CHRISTMAS"

Shock overcomes your body as you try and reconcile reality with your hearts desire. As you try and gently come out of that deep hollow place and gently allow your self to realize the severity of what this new reality is.

It took sometime, but eventually I caved and cried like I have never cried before. The death of my Grandfather 8 years prior came back and the reality that I now was losing my only remaining grandparent became to much to bear. I have never heard myself wail before... and even as I write this I can't help but tear up.

It is hard when you have to ask God the tough questions but without that opportunity, those questions would replay over and over again in my mind. So I did. 

I asked:

WHY MY GRANDMOTHER?

WHY NOW?

MY ME?

I am grateful that I can ask these questions and that God prepares my heart for the really tough answers. But the answers are what bring clarity to the whole situation for me.

You see, God opened my eyes to purpose. We each have such tremendous purpose and sometimes that purpose is passed down from generation to generation. I am blessed to be a part of a beautiful legacy of women, I wish I could go into detail about the amazing women in my life, but that will have to be another post.

What God showed me is that my loss of my Grandmother isn't quite a loss. He showed me my heart and the space that she takes in it now, but what happened next is what really surprised me. God showed me my Grandmother preparing the space in my heart that should be vacant with her pending death. She was preparing the vacancy in my heart to now open up and allow love for others in.

You see.. THIS is the legacy that my Grandmother and her Mother, even my Mother have given me. As I saw this image of my Grandmother tending to my heart and preparing it for others it reminded me that THIS is what she would want. She would want me to share a message of LOVE for others and a heart for Christ. This is her message and just like the simple knowledge that she shared with me all those years ago with a needle and thread, she is once again sharing this simple knowledge of compassion and understanding.

I do not know why this is happening right now, but what I do know is why this is happening to my Grandmother and to me. My Grandmother is ready, she misses my Grandfather deeply and has told my Mother "I am ready to see my sweetheart and my Lord". My Grandmother is a beautiful soul and the bravest person I have known. I can only pray that I may have the opportunity in my life to share the gift that she has given me. 

Although it hurts deeply knowing that her days are few and I still fall apart at any given moment... My heart is at peace knowing that she is passing the torch to me, she is preparing me for my future and leaving me not with an emptiness but with a space for LOVE. After all, isn't this what life is all about?

This is one of the only pictures I have of my grandparents, it was taken right before my Grandfather fell ill and probably the only picture in existence of them kissing (they were a very modest couple).

I love this and although this year has been tough, busy and scary... What should have devastated me is now giving me an opportunity for growth and new perspective. I  LOVE my grandparents. I always always ALWAYS will. They will never leave my heart, but they have left their impression so strong that it polarizes me like a magnet towards their goodness and love. That is what I have to remember when my Grandmother does pass. It is my turn to take over where she left off. It is a blessing ♥

I will be taking the remainder of the year to spend time with my family, I want to be able to soak up what moments I can while we are in California spending time with both of our families. With this in mind, I will be taking a break from blogging for the next few weeks. I will try and get some fun stuff up before CHA and will continue to share on my Facebook page as I can. 

Thank you in advance for your support and well wishes, it has been hard for me to understand just why I needed to share this, but now I know that I needed to. It feels good to share real life stuff and not just always the fun crafty stuff... It just feels real and that feels good. 

Wishing you the best this Christmas and that you are able to treasure your family as the biggest gift of all. Hug them, love them, reconcile with them. Take the steps towards happiness in your heart and let your family be a part of this.

Merry Christmas with much love,

Liz Hicks and Family ♥

Mixed Media Blog Hop- Day 2

It's day two of our blog hop and today I want to not only share with you my second sneak peek of my project in the new Mixed Media 2 special edition issue from Creating Keepsakes magazine but I want to also share a little about the ladies I have invited to do this blog hop with me...

Here are some sneak peeks to my Insta-Life project where I shared a tutorial on how to make your own glittery art skin.

I used the art skins for these stars:

You will see this project featured on page 33.

I also created this hand made chevron background (with my husbands help!) by using small strips and cutting them at a bias. Some are glazed and some are layered with different types of papers and materials... I love this page just because of the background.

The rest of the hoppers...

So, In addition to sharing our projects we are also sharing some love and admiration for the other artists projects in this issue. I want to share some love for each of the girls and a little on how I met or know them :) Make sure to check out the rest of the girls (click their links) on this blog hop here! Both days are available for you to check out.

Wednesday September 25^th, 2013

Noel Culbertson 

• Noel has been a dear friend of our family for 6 years now, we met online but our families have now become friends and I am so grateful for that! She is also someone who will make you laugh non-stop if given the chance, beware :)

Ronda Palazzari

• Ronda I  met when we moved to Colorado. I am so blessed to be surrounded by such talented scrapbookers in Northern Colorado, but Ronda is on who has become a good friend and we see eye to eye on life. She is a good person through and through.

AngelaMagnuson

• Another wonderful family friend, Angela. I met Ang as we both rode up the mountain together to Brave Girls Camp and have been wonderful friends since. Her heart is so beautiful and overflows into her love for her family and her employees. I love this girl, through and through which is great because our husbands are friends too. At a hard time in my life, Ang invited me and James to visit and we did, I will never forget our time together. 

Marion Smith

• Marion is another friend I met while I worked at Tattered Angels. Marion is one of those ridiculously talented people that can seriously make something beautiful from nothing... She is also a wonderful person with a good heart. I am so grateful to know her and see her success.

Sharon Laakkonen

• Sharon has been a beacon of light in my career since I met her in 2008. She is a pure and wonderful person who has helped me more than once. I love that we have a mutual love for life and God and that at times I remember wonderful chats with Sharon that just helped me affirm my direction in life... 

Teri Anderson

• I met Teri just a few years ago, I think when the first Creative Spaces issue from Creating Keepsakes came out. She was such a delight to be around and so kind. Although I don't know her as well as some of the other girls, I have loved her work in this issue and knew that all of you would too!

Candy Rosenberg

• Candy and me are kin. We have helped each other grow and support through life and work. It is such a privilege to see my friend THRIVE and grow. She is a beautiful soul and I am so grateful to have her in my life.

Thursday September 26^th 2013

Stacy Cohen

• I met Stacy when she attended one of my classes when I taught in California but it didn't take long for me to stop teach and just watch her create. She is an amazing artist and hand crafts beautiful layouts every time. She is also a wonderful beautiful kind soul. I am so glad to have met her that first day and continue to catch up with her at shows when we can.

Kim Watson

• Like Noel, I met Kim on line and we hit it off immediately. We have constantly kept in touch through the years and my highlight was when we met a few years ago in person for the first time. I love this lady and have been so happy to see her grow in this industry.

Agnieszka Bellaidea 

• I just met Agnieszka this week and asked her to be on the blog hop. Her enthusiasm about mixed media and her projects in this magazine are awesome. You will love her work.

 Susan Weckesser

• I met Susan a few years back and just like some of the other girls, fell in love with her beautiful kind spirit. She is a point of positivity in this industry that is much appreciated and such a beautiful friend too!

Layle Konkar

• Layle and I use to travel and teach at the same trade shows. We would do dinner and catch up here and there and grew to be good friends. I was really sad when she left our industry for a few years but delighted when she returned to work for Simple Stories. Layle is an amazing teacher and designer and a huge asset to the creative industry. I have enjoyed keeping in touch with her through the years but was so happy to be able to see her at CHA again this past summer.

Stephanie Ackerman

•  Stephanie always brings a smile to my face. I met Steph in 2008 while we were both on the Prima team and through the years we have encouraged each other via facebook and stayed good friends. She is one I consider a soul sister and I just love her heart and passion....

Sherry Mendoza

• I met Sherry through her work with Prima a few years back and what I love about Sherry is her honesty and friendship. She has always been a true friend to me and looked out for me. At one time our kids were able to meet and it was wonderful to see them hit it off so well. It is no surprise since both James and I love having Sherry as a friend.

Ashley Harris

• I first met Ashley while working at Tattered Angels and later was able to work with her on my time with The Scrap Review. I remember a dinner we had together with Noel at CHA that will forever in my heart be a reminder of what a beautiful person Ashley is. She is a good friend that I am fortunate to have in my life.

Courtney Walsh

• I met Courtney when she moved in down the street from me. Both of us transplants from different states and both of us were mentioned to each other from mutual friends... Finally one day we spent the entire day chatting on Facebook and finally met for coffee. She is such a wonderful person to have in my life, full of honesty and hilarity... even just today I am laughing still at an email she just sent me... Hers is another family that connected with ours and it was so nice for the short time we lived in the same state, to have each other... it was just enough time together to solidify our friendship :)

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

• Julie and I met while working on the ScanNCut project together and what I have loved the most about Julie (well besides her crazy ridiculous talent) is her honesty and her advice. When I talk with Julie it is like she understands me and what I am going through. This last year has been a tough one for me and I am so grateful that I had Julie at the perfect moments to just talk with me. She is not only gorgeous on the outside but beautiful on the inside too... very grateful for that.

So at the risk of sounding sappy... I really just wanted to take a moment to share not only WHY I asked each of these girls to blog hop together, but to also take a minute to let you all know what they mean to me in my life. You see... working in the Arts and Crafts industry is not easy, in all honesty it can be quite tough... and well these girls have been good friends to me through the years which is what gets me through the hard times. In any form of work, you need good friends around you to surround you and help guide and form you. I have been lucky to have these girls as well as so many more mentor and guide me. I just had to take a moment to talk about them, but also remind you to check out their work in this magazine... It is crazy how amazing it is when you get this much talent together...



♥ Liz

The FIRSTS...

Something about a new school year brings the idea of a fresh starting point.

As I was making dinner last night it almost felt as if the stress and fast pace of summer had dissipated and that things kind of felt, well normal.

Last week we had a few FIRSTS in our family...

Our eldest son started Junior high...

With junior high comes a whole set of new responsibilities and boundries...
For the first time all of our kids are not at the same school. This has give our oldest some freedom to figure out who he is and have his own set of friends. For the first time I see him texting and hear him talking on his phone to friends. He picked out his own clothes this year (normally he just has me pick out what to buy) and is now responsible for his lunch everyday... I know these are little things but it is crazy to see how these little leisures and responsibilities give him just enough leeway to becoming his own little person.

And then moments like this one above remind me that he is still my little guy.

Our younger two...

Usually have me to guide them on their first day. Unfortunately for all of us I was extremely sick last week, so they had daddy instead. Daddy may not be mommy, but he sure does the job when needed.
I playfully refer to these two as my "twins" as they are only a year and a half a part and have always done everything together.
This year brings our little ones on their own at their elementary. They no longer have their older brother to rely on for things. Although they may not see much of a change, I see it in them. This freedom has allowed our middle son to take over as the "responsible" one after school.

This is the first year that our little guy has had to be in charge. I am grateful for that. Being slightly autistic doesn't normally afford him these opportunities. It is nice to see him stepping up into the big brother role.

And our beautiful girl... She is only in second grade but looks so much older. This is the first year that she is asking me for fashion advice. She is listening to my opinion on her outfits and actually listening :)

This is the first year that I look at her and see a child. She is not my little girl anymore. She is growing so big and it is hard for me to see my littlest not be little anymore.






So although this may not seem like much, it is a lot for our little family. I love the growth that we experience as individuals as well as a family. I look forward to seeing what adventures this new school year brings us.




Liz ♥




For a GREAT back to school teachers gift idea, click here for my project from last year.

MAKE TODAY COUNT- Art for Cheryl

I have been holding off on this post for some time. Not because it is not important (nothing could be farther from the truth) but because just writing down these words is a solid reminder of the reality of what I am about to write. I am not one to put off reality, truth... as a matter of fact I love truth and actively seek it, but being human sometimes the truth is more than your heart can bear, and that is what I have been struggling with.

A few months ago I fell ill. Our life this year has been a roller coaster of ups and downs which had eventually taken its toll on me. So from September to November I was in and out of doctors appointments trying to figure out just what was going on (The final assessment was that I was under a whole lot of stress, go figure). During all of this, I had a close group of friends praying for me and uplifting we with their words and messages. In October I went into radiology for a test to examine my stomach function (which ended up being just fine after a few more tests). It just so happened that on this same day, by friend Cheryl Waters (artsyfindings.com) was going in for a regularly scheduled mammogram. As we texted back and forth about our procedures, suddenly I got the text that no friend wants to receive. "Please pray for me, they want me to see a specialist". This was just a routine mammogram... that is NOT what your friend is supposed to hear.

We were both supposed to go home after our tests to our families, happy and just fine. This wasn't the case. My friend Cheryl was diagnosed with breast cancer. Never have I hated cancer so much as I do right now knowing that it is effecting my beautiful friend. I am sorry, but I do, I HATE YOU CANCER.

Cheryl has been my friend for about 6 years now, we met through the Scrapbook Industry through various events that have crossed our paths, but I know that God brought Cheryl into my life. Our lives haven't just intertwined, they have meshed and from this have created a beautiful friendship based on love in Christ and for others. Our families were meant to live life side by side. Our lives have paralleled, sometimes even our lives have happened just in the event that one would go through something and then be able to council the other... but regardless of the details our lives were meant to cross and be lived along side each other.

Cheryl has become a friend to me similar to an oak tree, sturdy, strong, dependable, comforting... embracing... I can say that I am thoroughly proud of her and the journey that she is about to embark towards healing. In our conversations and messages, I have seen a true authentic person, one that I never questioned was there... but one that no illness could take away or shake. I know that this is a struggle for her, but what I have seen from her is a beautiful abounding grace that shares with others the true humbleness of going through her journey. This is such a beautiful treasure to know that she is real... this is real. And that is ok.

One of the conversations that I had with Cheryl, she mentioned that through this journey all she wanted to do was to make each day count for the lord. This spoke volumes to me, as a christian and as a human that no matter what life hands us we still have the opportunity and the responsibility to make our best efforts towards utilizing what ever our given scenario is for good. So with these words: MAKE TODAY COUNT... I want to invite you to join me in a few exercises not only to keep my friends spirits up, but to remind ourselves of the importance of each day that we have to give.

This print (above) is one that I created, not because I wanted to do something kind for my friend but because I had too. I can only describe it as part of my own healing process or perhaps a part of God's greater plan. I had to keep my hands busy while I worked through the emotions of Cheryl's diagnosis. Regardless... I take no credit in the words or the thought behind this print, merely that my hands were the ones that hit computer keys and made it happen, nothing more.

A few of my friends have joined forces in taking this 8x8 print and altering it to share virtually with Cheryl. If you would like to join us the idea is simple and here it is:

• email me or message me on facebook (primadonnaliz@yahoo(dot)com or Liz del Real Hicks
• I will send you the original file
• print it up
• alter the print
• post pictures on facebook and tag Cheryl or myself (if you are not friends with Cheryl)
• If you want to write a blog post or do more, you are more than welcome

The idea is to shower a friend with love during her journey.

Another way to show some love (as some of us are heading to our trade show for CHA) is just to share a simple message or picture on facebook. One of my most treasured times with Cheryl was a night a few years ago that a small group of our friends had fun with some sharpies... After a long day of working the trade show we met at a restaurant and somehow we pulled out some sharpies and we ended up with Cheryl's art adorning our arms, hands, some killer finger staches... and a few of the ladies vowed their devotion to my husband and wrote TEAM JAMES on their arm ♥  It was a wonderful time of friendship, silliness and just wonderful time spent together.

So as we get together for CHA, we will continue this legacy and show our support with a Pink Sharpie.

TEAM CHERYL

There are so many ways to honor friends, help them through tough times or even just lift their spirits up... This is as much a part of our journey as their support. I know that Cheryl has started on this long journey for a reason, I have no question of that. What that reason is exactly is not for any of us to understand. As much as I want to take this burden from her and throw it out into the deepest part of the ocean, I can't... but what I can do is be as much of a help and support as I can for my friend. I hope you will join me in support of my friend... and perhaps be inspired to take action for your friends if ever the time calls for it.

In the Stillness...PAJWLH

I've never thought of being sick as a blessing but in this experience I have learned the value of being still. Something funny happens when you are forced to stay home, in the quiet, away from the kids... just you.

I think everyone deals with things in such different ways.  I for one, when I became sick didn't really think of it as a burden rather than just a common illness that I was sure to pass soon. I had no idea that it would take hold of me for the next two months. In the beginning though, I found myself antsy, out of sorts because all of my regular faculties were not available. I couldn't walk around, take my kids to school, be outside, cook...or even eat. I never realized just how much I took for granted these small details of my life. Fortunately, I had good friends and an amazing husband around to help me out but still... this left me alone, by myself with only my thoughts... kind of a scary thought, lol.

Like I mentioned in the beginning of this experience, I was antsy... just wanting to get back to my work...school...my kids...my husband...my life. But something was happening to me, my health I believe was failing at this time so that I could allow myself the rest that my body needed that I had neglected to give it for so long.

So often in our lives we get caught up in what we think we ought to do rather than what it is that we are supposed to do. I believe that we all have an important purpose and are a valuable addition to this world but sometimes the world takes control of us and we get a little skewed from our path. I think this illness was my body's way of tell me that it was time to stop...Listen...Pray...and Remember...

During my few months of being still... I found out a lot about myself. Somethings I was not too fond of but they are me either way. I can be stubborn, unnecessarily independent, opinionated, over whelmed... and well a whole lot more. This time helped to remind me of my purpose and allow me to see myself as I was. Human. Even the human in me though can use some adjusting. So during this time, I evaluated some of these attributes that I am not to fond of, some of them I came to terms with, but some of these I really had to humble myself and let go. I had to realize that some of these characteristics where not part of my purpose, who I am or who I wanted to be and purging of these attributes became a part of my healing process.

I guess the point of this art journal prompt is to share my perspective of being still and how sometimes it is so very important for our make up. I like so many cat lovers often find myself laughing at my cats as to how much they sleep, but I am sure that they look at me and think.... wow, does she ever stop?

My Cat... Ginger.

*Copyright and Property of Liz Hicks, please do not use without written permission.

So for the last art journal prompt it was to write down a list of words through out your day that you felt. For this journal prompt, divide that list into words that are you... and words that are of the world, not necessarily of you but words that the world displaces you with. Sometimes seeing the difference allows us to recognize and remind ourselves that there is a bigger purpose to us than just our day to day. That each day adds up to a whole life and well, we want this life to count for something, right? During the time of our life we are re-routed by what we THINK we should be doing... what the WORLD tells us is right. Sometimes we go with it, but sometimes there is that gut feeling that tells us that something is just not ok... and well that little something if we listen to it can get us back on track. The important part though is to be still, listen, feel who we are, remember what we stand for and allow ourselves to dig deep into ourselves and evaluate... it can be tough but so rewarding too...

As I have mentioned before, I am not a counselor and don't dare to claim to be. The prompts and art that I share are merely for those who enjoy following my journey. It is in no way to take place for a counselor or anything of the sort. Art journaling is a way of expressing what is going on in our minds and allowing us to connect with those subconscious thoughts that are so important to us.

Thanks for stopping by today. Our family is actually on a bit of a break and visiting family in California for the week. We are taking some time to relax, enjoy loved ones and just be... it is a pretty awesome thing.

~Liz ♥

GOOD is just fine... PAJWLH

I have been sitting on this project for sometime now. I can't really explain why except that for some reason or another...my thoughts or heart were not ready. Today is a great day to share it.


I made this canvas about a year and a half ago while I was on staff at my second Brave Girls Camp. Even as a staffer, I came to camp with the same openness as a camper. I needed to be there. I didn't think that I could love more women after my first camp. I left my first camp with a love, real love for my friends that I had made there. The kind of love that you know, loves you just as much if not more than you love them. The kind of love that gives, takes care of and treasures you. Yup... that kind of love. I was fortunate that both times I attended camp I had made true heart felt connections that I still treasure to this date. I have always had a tough time maintaining friendships with women and this experience made me forget all of that. Well now I am totally off topic, but as you can tell... these ladies mean a lot to me.

Back to my story...

At this camp, I created art from the heart. I chose words and images that were me at the time. This is one of them.

Let me back track to 6 months before I left for camp...

It was the end of summer, I was in transition; leaving a situation that was not good for me. I was letting go of friends, work, art... a whole lot of things that I loved dearly. Deep in my heart I knew that God had brought me to this place and that He would guide my heart through it as well (even as I write this, I CANNOT believe just how good He is to me and just HOW MUCH my heart is full of joy now) but at the time it seemed like a long and bumpy uphill battle.

At this time, a lot of my close friends were calling me up or emailing me to check in on how I was doing. The most common response from them was don't worry...everything will be alright or you are doing the right thing. And it was all true, everything was alright and yes I did do the right thing. One of my friends phone call is what stuck with me still to this day.

One of my friends who called to check in on me was having a really tough time at his job. For him to call me and check in at this time meant a lot to me since I knew that he was going through his own trials. When he first asked me how I was doing, I said. "I'm good I guess". His response to me was... "Well, sometimes good is just fine".

These words hit me to the core. I couldn't shake them, I could not let them leave my mind. They couldn't even if I wanted to.

Up until I heard these words, I had slowly allowed my life to be taken out of my own hands. I had not realized it yet, but my life had become something I didn't even recognize. Hearing these words reminded me that my life didn't have to be exciting, adventurous, over the top amazing. It just needed to be good. And that was just fine. I immediately felt my heart change. I looked at my situation and realized that what I saw as bad, God saw as good. I didn't know it at the time, but God was working His way toward making a better life for me and this was the first step towards that. I needed to change my perspective on what I needed out of life first and in order to do that, I had to hear these words from my friend.

GOOD IS JUST FINE- 6x6 Mixed Media Canvas

 

 This image shows the layers that I placed as the base of my canvas. Dress pattern tissue and music note paper.

Here is the layer I placed on after, Mod Podge mixed with Smooch Spritz with gold glitter. I allowed the tissue paper to remain wrinkle and sealed it with bees wax.

 For extra flair, I used gold foil on select places to create a tarnished patina look.

 

Here is the title, I textured it with Chip Art embossing tools, painted it with gold paint and glitter and distressed it with pen and ink.

This art piece sits in my studio as a reminder that Good is just fine. My life doesn't need to be what I had always dreamed it to be or as adventurous as my friends lives seemed to be. It just needed to be good. I am not exactly sure at what point the words good became not enough for me, but I have a feeling that it involved me being around the wrong people and listening to wrong things. Wrong is never right, as much as it may make sense... wrong is wrong and we have a feeling deep down inside of us that reminds us when we are confronted with wrong. I have for the longest time tried to tell myself that wrong was ok or maybe wrong wasn't too bad. But wrong always has a way of getting to you... luckily for me, God saw that I was surrounded by wrong and paved my exodus from it all. That little voice (feeling) deep inside of me started to speak up, speak louder and soon became loud so loud that I couldn't deny what it had been telling me for so long. I am forever grateful for this. So many lies, fears and insecurities made me feel that wrong was right, that I couldn't do better... but again God knew better and eventually I learned too, but that is another story.

So for this art journal prompt it is simple.

• Creative - Use texture... whether you build up with paper, tissue, foil...whatever, get messy and build up some layers.
• Prompt - What does the word GOOD mean to you. Do you need it to be EXCELLENT all the time like I did, or is good just fine?

I struggle sometimes sharing some of my stories, but I can't help but feel obligated to share my imperfections and insecurities in hopes that others will know they are not alone. I am not a counselor nor a therapist, so this is in no way meant to be therapy... but art has a way of helping us find truth, in ourselves, in our surroundings... in our relationships. It took me almost two years to develop from this beautiful message shared to me, but I can see the difference in me now and fully appreciate it. I pray that open hearts read this and that you find a story that doesn't necessarily speak to you, but that allows you to see that you are not alone.

We are all on our own paths, some ahead of each other, some behind... but our stories are our responsibility to share in the hopes that we can assist those to further their path in peace, love and comfort.  Judgment isn't always something we feel from others, most of the time it is something that we conflict on ourselves. I pray that sooner rather than later these hurts and fears are extinguished and that life can be lived as it was intended too.

I believe it will ♥

If you didn't get a chance to see this weeks My Craft Channel video and this weeks giveaway, check it out here. For the giveaway make sure to use the widget, you may need to refresh the page to use it.

thank you for your visit today :)

~Liz

A day with the President of the United States of American

It is crazy to think of the turn of events that allowed me to be exactly where I was yesterday. At Colorado State University able to be a part of our Presidents visit.

Here are just a few of the road blocks I faced:

• I didn't have a ticket.

I found out about the event last Wednesday, at which point I waited to hear of the details to plan my childcare around. By the time the details came out on Saturday, rumor was that the tickets were all sold out. As I walked out of class on Monday Morning (the day before the event) there was a campaign lady passing out the last of the tickets right in front of my class... I stopped and grabbed one just in case, what would it hurt?

• I almost dropped my class

I started the semester with 5 classes and each week as I prayed about our family and what my role would be this year, I kept feeling the need to be home and available for my husband and kids. So class after class I dropped until I was left with one.  Photo Journalism. I am not a photo journalist, by far but I liked the instructor and I wanted more practice with live situations and my camera. Right before I had received my ticket for the event, I was in class. It was an overwhelming day in which at the end of class I really thought I was in over my head. I spoke with my instructor, who just happens to be the head of our department and my un-official advisor (I go to him, all the time with my questions, lol). Talking with him and explaining my reservations he was able to bring me back into reality and see that the class was managable. So with that phone call, I decided to stay in the class.

• I didn't have childcare

This was a biggie for me. But thankful to my friends, (my really good friends) I was able to make it, even with just one days notice. I am so fortunate to have friends available to help on such short notice.

• My camera lens was broken

For some time now my 55-200 lens had been broken. It just wouldn't focus or take pictures. I thought that I would have to use my 18-55 for this event. On a heart feeling... I decided to just try out the lens... see how bad it was (trust me, the last time I used it... it was BAD). When I put my lens on my camera body, it worked. I can not explain it any other way than it was a miracle and I am so grateful to God that it worked and I was able to get some great shots with it. If I had been left with my short distance lens I would not have received nearly as many good pictures.

• They wouldn't let us in

We arrived 4 hours early to the event only to find out that some students had shown up from our school and already taken the spots we had counted on. After waiting an hour, the Denver Press Secretary was able to fit us in, but only 2 of us could be on the risers at a time... I didn't care where I was as long as I could be a part of the event. I am so grateful that our team works well together and that we rotated positions allow all of us to get time on the risers.

 

It was strange as I heard about the event with Obama, I knew I would be there for some strange reason or another, I felt it. even though I had given up on the chance to go, God had different plans for me. I really didn't have an urgency to be there, but as the pieces started to fall together, I felt as if I was floating towards where I was supposed to be. Kinda strange, but really cool. It just reminds me that in life... it is best to go forward in gratitude and expect nothing. Good things come whether you like them or not, so just let them come. After so many years of trying to make things happen, with limited success... its days like this that remind me I am exactly where I am, and going exactly where I need to be... just put on the cruise control and glide in. Blessing will come, and blessings will go... but nothing I do will make them come faster.

Being a part of the press at this event was a once in a life time opportunity. One I will never forget. It is surreal to think that I was merely feet away from the President of the United States. Next to me on the press risers were the reports for Denver Fox 31 news and the secret service... yes I said the secret service... the official MEN IN BLACK. It was surreal to say the least.

I have more pictures, which I hope to post. But for now, these were my favorites.

Thanks for visiting today... I hope you enjoy reading about my miracle adventure!

~Liz Hicks ♥

Oreo Mint Truffle Cake Pops

If we are friends on facebook than you saw that yesterday I attempted to make cake pops. I had never tried cake pops before, mostly because I am a cupcake snob and well... the thought of simple cake on a stick just didn't cut it for me. This past Sunday at church cake pops were served at a reception our family and friends attended, and well... who am I to pass up cake?

I had NO IDEA that cake pops were more than just cake. That they were actually moist tidbits of heaven covered in chocolate. At this point I was hooked... if you are anything like me than you can understand how this simple encounter now became an obsession. If there is ever a time that I find something that interests me... I have to figure out not only how it works, how it is made, what are my options and just how much I can customize it to my liking. So with this in mind, we stopped by the store on the way home from church picked up some simple ingredients and I challenged myself to come up with a recipe I liked in time for a neighborhood cookie exchange I was attending Monday night.


So between this all, I posted on facebook for any pointers on making cake pops. Here is the recipe I came up with along with some pointers that really helped me with my prepping. I adapted this from a truffle recipe I have used for some years now.

Oreo Mint Truffle Cake Pops

ingredients:
1 package of oreos (I used mint oreos, you could use whatever you like) crushed and separated (for fill and topping)
2 blocks of Cream Cheese
1 13x9 fresh baked devils food cake
2 bags of nestle dark chocolate mint chocolate chips
Andes mint (garnish if desired)

supplies:
wax paper for drying
candy/lollipop sticks

Bake cake according to directions. When done, take cake while warm and place in large mixing bowl. Add in two blocks of cream cheese as well as Oreo cookie crumbles (all but 10 cookies, leave 10 cookies crushed for topping if desired). Once fully mixed, take mixture and create bite-sized balls and lay on baking sheet covered with wax paper. Recipe should yield about 50 bite sized pops. Let chill in refrigerator for an hour. One suggestion that was given to me by my facebook friend Marjorie was that if my hands started to melt my mixture, I could use ice cubes in paper towels to cool my hands down. I didn't have this problem like I thought I would, but if you do... this is great advice.

Coating:
For outer coating shell. Take your chocolate chips and melt starting with first bag (leave second for when needed). Start by placing entire contents of first bag in a pyrex measuring cup and melt for 1 minute. Chips will still be a little lumpy when done, mix with a sturdy plastic spoon and microwave in 10 second increments, mixing well in between. You should only have to microwave for 10 seconds beyond the minute, but if you do microwave more... just make sure your chocolate consistency is that of pancake batter, not to thick nor thin.

Once you have your chocolate ready take your cake balls out five at a time and begin topping them with chocolate. To top the with chocolate, I used a great recommendation from my friend Michelle on facebook and dipped my lollipop stick into the chocolate before plunging it into my cake ball.

Once your lollipop stick is in your cake ball you can begin to cover your cake pop with chocolate. For this I found it easiest to use a plastic spoon to cover my cake pop with chocolate. I also started from the base of my pop, making sure that my stick was covered and worked my way to the top. The nice thing about making these Cake Pops is that your chocolate doesn't have to be perfect, nor does your cake Pop have to be perfectly round. When you garnish it... it all just kind of comes together :)

Once you have your chocolate as you desire, quickly garnish with remaining Oreo crumbles and chopped Andes Chocolate Mints. Place finished pop on a Styrofoam base to dry. When you have all of your pops done, place Cake Pops in refrigerator until you are ready to serve. You can keep your pops on the Styrofoam to server or take them off and platter them.

So this is it!

A really fun and easy recipe, perfect for making with the kids or for a fun dish to share at parties. As I said before, I made these for our neighborhood cookie exchange and I have to say... they turned out very nice.

Here is my take from the Cookie Exchange... This is one of my favorite things about the holidays, and I am so grateful that we moved onto a street that shares this same sentiment. I love our neighborhood. I am always excited when we get together, so spending the time to experiment and make these fun Cake Pops is truly worth it for these special friends.

I hope this inspires you to experiment and take a chance on learning something new. I for one am really happy I took this chance to experiment... I look forward to coming up with some other fun recipes on a stick :)

Enjoy!

~Liz ♥

12 days of Blessings...

When I was younger... my family had a tradition of celebrating the 12 days of Christmas. As I grow older, the things that I took for granted the effort and thoughtfulness that went into all of this. I know now that I was wrapped up in my own teenage world, and I understand the need of this for growth, but I still try my hardest to prepare my children so that when they get to this point of their life, they will be aware of the the growing needs around them and the value of those who love them.

With this in mind... I want to take the official 12 days of Christmas (December 13th-25th) and share with you all some fun family traditions... values and some homemade ideas for the holidays. I realize that most of you have small children and I hope that all of you can appreciate the dedication of these next few days to promote love, kindness, thoughtfulness and gratefulness not only my children but hopefully in yours too.

I often find myself thinking of what Christmas is all about for our family. If you celebrate any other holiday season during this time, I hope you can still find some joy in this effort that can be tailored to your beliefs. Christmas for our home is the beauty of selfless gifts and unconditional love. Now this is wrapped up in the story of the first Noel, but the feelings that the first Christmas gift are timeless... the thoughts of meager beginnings, humility and unconditional love and kindness. This is a treasure that we can continue to gift during this holiday season.

Television and advertisers have told us that the holiday season is about getting or giving the perfect gift, getting the best price, or for this one time contributing to your favorite charity or the person waving a bell outside of your favorite store. I do not blame advertisers for doing their job, my hope is that people and children alike will see through these advertisements as simple suggestions rather than the norm to live by...

So this year, I want to take some time to reflect and appreciate the growing sense of gratitude that this past year has given our family. I am not going to lie... this year has brought a roller coaster of emotions, days that have started with no way of success that have miraculously ended with victory, or even days (definitely plural) that have just ended with no excuse for the pain they have brought... but alongside with my family, friends and my faith... this whole year, even the tough days... I can add to the victory category of life. It really took me taking a back to my childhood, considering all of the sacrifices that my parents have made through the years and realistically looking at the past years offering and mirroring them with the struggles I have sen my own parents go through. And yes they did go through them, never stopping just going through them, coming out on the other end victorious. It is a beautiful gift to be able to look back now and see the beauty of this last year. Although there were times where I wanted to scream truth out on the highest mountain, I remained quiet. And there were times when I wanted to rectify all the wrong that I have seen our family and our friends go through, but I allowed my heart to process, rather than to act rash... I was able to compose myself and act rational. Time is a beautiful thing to have, it is free and we have an infinite supply of it... so why not take the time to think things through? Forge a plan of healing rather than to contribute to the destruction of the situation. It is not easy... and I am not perfect, but I do have good friends... that have gone through hardships, we have helped each other out tremendously this year and for this I am grateful. I have never had to open myself up as much as I have had to this year... and I am truly grateful to have good friends along side myself and my family as we go through the "yuckies" together....

So to contribute to this beautiful holiday season and the things I am grateful for I want to share the "12 days of Blessings" and take the traditional 12 days of Christmas and re-program our brains to remember the good things of this year... even for these 12 days. I will continue to take this throughout 2011, as I can see myself wanting to share so much more than what 12 days can offer... so I will probably repeat around valentines day, as well as a few other choice times in the year.

So to start this off, I want to re-introduce one of my easiest recipes. This recipe is not only super easy, it is quick and it also is a high impact gift. The taste alone will make your friends happy, yet when they find out that you made it... that will be so much more special...

So here is the link for the original post form 2007 I STILL have people Googling this through out the year, lol... so I hope that gives you the satisfaction that it is a yummy and easy recipe :)


Peppermint Cookie Crunch Bark





1 lb. white chocolate melts
1/2 cup of peppermint crunch
1/2 cup of crushed Oreos

Directions:

put white chocolate melts in a Pyrex dish and melt for 30 seconds and then mix. Continue to melt in 15 seconds increments until chocolate is smooth (like cake batter, but with no lumps ☺)

add crushed Oreos and peppermint crunch and mix thoroughly.

lay out on waxed paper and spread out evenly to a 1/4 inch thick layer.

let dry and harden for 45 minutes. (you can also place it in the refrigerator if it helps to chill it faster, just make sure it is supported on the bottom)

break up into pieces and eat till you get sick!

It also tastes really yummy melted in some hot chocolate! (seriously, this is awesome!)

Enjoy!

I hope this blesses you, your family and friends this season... and I do hope you will join me December 13th-25th for the "12 days of Blessings"

If you would like to join in on this... there are some other girls that are giving their kindness on their blogs.... Check out my sweet friend Candra George.... she has organized this weekends blog hop and giveaways... she is giving away a free photo session (she is the talented photographer that took our families pictures)

Candra has invited us to do a giveaway and spread some kindness!

1.Lauren Norkum www.lnicolewrites.blogspot.com
2.Ashley Meek www.hazelolivedesign.blogspot.com
3.Tayla Thomford www.taylasjourneyhome.wordpress.com
4.Liz Hicks www.blogerisms.blogspot.com
5. Candra George www.mycreativereality.com

So just leave a comment here and on the other blogs for a chance to win. Each blog has their own giveaway so there are many chances to win!

For my giveaway I will be giving away some of my favorite craft supplies right, now... vintage stuff, paints, trims and glitter of course! Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to win!!! I will pick a winner on Monday, December 13th... this will start our 12 days of blessings.

thanks for participating!


~Liz ♥

Blessed and truly grateful

It is so easy to rush right past today. And with all of the Christmas music, decor and sales already starting, I find that it gets harder and harder to truly appreciate Thanksgiving. Truth is that Thanksgiving is probably one of my most favorite holidays of the year. It is easy to love Halloween with all of the imagination and pretend that it offers, and Christmas with the giving of presents, snow and happy little faces on Christmas morning peeking out from behind wrapping paper as they see their special gifts.

Thanksgiving is so special to me, and I am thankful for my family for gifting me the opportunity to pass these values on to my children.

I have been very blessed to have some wonderful women in my life. My mother first off, who has taught me love and compassion. For my aunts who have helped be a part of molding me into the woman I am today. Most of all on this day, I am reminded of my grandmother and her compassion for those in need, and every Thanksgiving I am reminded of her beautiful heart and love for others.

When I was younger, my mother, brother and I lived for the first few years of my life with my grandparents. Each year my grandmother would say a special blessing at Thanksgiving, thanking God for the food that we had before us and she would then pray for those in need and tearfully pray for them to have food this year and not go hungry. Being little, it may not have always made sense to me what she was talking about, but those words always stayed with me.

Now this could have been merely words that were said, thoughts being felt and emotions attributed to the season of family speaking through my grandmother, but it didn't stop there. I noticed year after year that my grandmother would always cook extra food and during our family dinners, she would pack it and send it off with my grandfather. Year after year I would see this and not think anything of it. One year my grandfather allowed me to go with him, and I will never forget this. As we drove to the other side of the city, my grandfather told me of this family who had nothing to eat not only for this holiday but for most of the time. As we approached the house of this family, I really had nothing to compare what I was about to witness. We came into a modest living room that had piles of clothing laying around, no furniture, just clothes. In their kitchen was a table with no chairs. As we laid the food on the table, the mother and the father both cried. I remembered looking at the children still in their pajamas, to young to know what the holiday was about, but still grateful for the food.

I think of this day every Thanksgiving. Although I only went with my grandfather this one year, I do know that my grandparents continued this year after year for many families. I never understood why my grandmother would cry as she said a prayer over Thanksgiving dinner and why it was that she always (still to this day) in her beautiful broken English prayed for those who had no food and that didn't have family to share the holiday with. I am grateful for their beautiful heart and can only hope to be able to give my children what they have given me.

pictures courtesy of Candra George http://www.mycreativereality.com/

I have so much to be grateful for, my beautiful family both here and in California. Our amazing friends Patti, Eric, Kaydi, Ken and their family who have opened up their family and home to us this Thanksgiving. My amazing grandmother and her giving heart, and my loving grandfather who is in heaven. I never want to forget what God has given me, and although I try as I might to remind myself and our family of this each and everyday, I am grateful for Thanksgiving to be a yearly reminder to take a moment and remember all that we are blessed with.

pictures courtesy of Candra George http://www.mycreativereality.com/

I hope and pray that all of you have a safe and amazing Thanksgiving and that you are reminded of what you are truly grateful for today!