Book review-Building Family Ties with Faith, Love, and Laughter

Building Family Ties with Faith, Love, and Laughter is the second in the Faithful Family series where Dave Stone applies his practical, conversational, and humorous approach to the challenge of building strong spiritual ties to each other as a family. Topics include: Contentment, Security, Loyalty, Gratitude, Spontaneity, Communication, and more.

After reading several positive reviews I was excited to read Building Family Ties with Faith, Love, and Laughter for myself. Dave Stone is a pastor and father who work with the families in his church to build strong relationships- with each other, others around them and with God. I found many helpful, creative ideas to try with my own family to bring us closer together, closer to God and have a little fun along the way.  One is,  I have already began talking with my children about doing what would be their good, better and best choices in different situations.  We also have been talking more during our family dinner each day. I am very happy to add Building Family Ties with Faith, Love, and Laughter to my own personal library and I will be using this book as a reference in the future.

I would certainly recommend Building Family Ties with Faith, Love, and Laughter to anyone wanting to develop strong family bonds. There are many ideas that can be used with children infant through teens.

I received this book from the publisher through the Booksneeze program in exchange for an honest review.

(The kids are back in school now, and I have had some scrapping time in the studio. As soon as I get some pictures I will have some Layouts to share.) 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Until later~

Booksneeze Boook Review-

 Last week I requested the eBook Brush of An Angel's Wings by Ruth Reid from Booksneeze.  The story is about 20 year old Rachel, an unmarried Amish girl with no marriage prospects. She would rather be working in the barn or the fields than working on improving her cooking or sewing skills. The other main character is Jordan, the son of a former Amish mother and an absent English father. Jordan is struggling trying to find where he needs to be after his mother’s death. Although their lives are very different they do share some similarities which keep the story moving along nicely.

 I have read other books based on the Amish and find them quite entertaining after growing up in an area with a huge Amish population.  I was very surprised to find Brush of An Angel’s Wings was not like the typical Amish story. I found the inclusion of the two angels, one good the other fallen, to be a very good addition to the story line. I had a very hard time putting the book down once I started reading it. It was very easy for me to get caught up in the story line.

I received this book for free from the publisher through Booksneeze in exchange for my honest opinion.

Until later~

Book review- Constantly Craving Marilyn Meberg

We all have to deal with cravings, we find ourselves forever wanting more.  Constant Cravings: How to Make Sense of Always Wanting More by Marilyn Meberg  speaks about many of the cravings we have in common: wanting more, more romance, more from our relationships, more meaning in life along with several other relevant  cravings. Our cravings are written into our DNA. They are influenced by our childhood experiences. They’re driving the choices we make as adults. And often, they’re keeping us hungry. Never satisfied. Ever searching. – Marilyn Meberg

I appreciate that the author uses many of her own personal stories to get her point across. I realize I am not the only one facing these obstacles.  I especially enjoyed the reminders from scripture that I can overcome my own Constant Cravings.

While Constant Craving offers no new advice for someone who has a Christian background, the advice offered by Meberg could be very helpful to those without that kind of background.  I feel Constantly Craving would be a good choice for a book club or small group with lots of discussion.

I received this book for free from the publisher through Booksneeze in exchange for my honest opinion.

Until later~

Copic Grays- warms and cools

You're beautiful inside and out!! This is Cookie, a cute little mouse from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. She makes an adorable card. My cards today are pretty much the same, I just switched up the colors and used different embellishments.

I used Cookie and the lipstick tubes to work with the warm and cool Gray Copic markers. This was my first time working with the warms and I will definitely be reaching for them more often. Looks like the cool Gray will not be my "go to" grays now. :-)

Thanks for stopping by!!
Until later~

Oops a Daisy

A couple of months ago during the monthly release, I won this stamp set from Taylored Expressions!! Woo Hoo!! I was so excited because I had never won anything before. Let me tell you,  I can not tell you how much I love this set.

Oops a Daisy has both line stamps and solid stamps of the flowers. For this card I wanted to color the flowers, so I went with the line drawn flower. The good thing about this image is it is a very quick one to color or you can really spend some time and add a lot more detail.

I stamped the Daisy with black ink on white cardstock, colored them with Copic markers and finished off with some Diamond Stickles. I fussy cut them before adhering them to my card. (I fussy cut the flowers because I was too impatient to wait for the die to make it's home in my studio.) The stem and leaves are individual stamps which makes placement super easy when creating a bouquet. Because they are separate you can use a different color to stamp them. 

 

I have stamped and cut several of these pieces and let me tell you, I much prefer the dies to fussy cutting!! But you already knew that, huh? LOL

 

Thanks for stopping by and taking a look!! I appreciate you!

Until later~

Spring Cottage

I love the series of house stamps being released over at Taylored Expressions! I knew instantly when I saw this darling little cottage that I had to have it. 

Spring Cottage is paper pieced with small accents added with Copic markers. (Did you know you can use your Copic markers to color on designer papers? Pretty cool, huh?)

I used several dies to complete my landscaping, the Picket Fence border die, Fresh cut grass (which I cut twice and layered) and the Die-namics Cloud trio. 

I wanted my scene to look like a page from a child's story book, something without a lot of "fancy" details. (The small strip of blue was left at the bottom until I decided if I was to stamp a sentiment there or just trim it off.)

For the inside I stamped the cottage image again, leaving it uncolored this time. I added a couple of die cuts, continuing the look from the card front. I will added a sentiment to the roof of the cottage later, when I am ready to mail my card. I think even with the inside finished I still have ample room to add a personalized note. 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Until later~

Circus Tent

My card today kind of sums up our lives lately- it's been a circus!! :-)  I am sorry I have abandoned my blog, I hope to post more often now!
 Although I intended for this card to be for a child, it would work for an adult too.
 

 The stamp set is from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps. (Sorry, I do not see it in their store.They do have the digital set available.) I used Copic markers and paper piecing on the tent. (Yea, you know how much I complain about fussy cutting- but look how cute it is once you are done!!) I added a couple more hand cut pieces to finish the card front.

 The inside needed some love too. I used the Corner Chomper for the oversize ticket, I like how it works with the theme of my card.

Thanks for stopping by!!
Until later~