Friday, January 22, 2016

Five for Friday

Welcome to my first "Five for Friday" post for 2016!

1. Thanks so much for everyone's encouraging words about Austin getting his driver's license!
And, it has been great!
On evenings, when I'm making supper, I've been able to ask him to go and pick up
his siblings if they've stayed after school for art club, basketball practice, choir, etc.,
which has been wonderful!
And the other night, he took the car to youth, so I didn't have to leave my house at 9:30pm
and go and pick him up.
It's awesome!


2. For the past few months, I haven't been reading very much.
But when I was subbing at the middle school, I picked up a copy of the book
 Wonder by R.J. Palacio and was hooked from the get-go.
I got a copy at my local library to read and loved it!
I noticed that the author had another book called 365 Days of Wonder and picked
it up at my library yesterday.
It's filled with wonderful quotes about kindness, etc. -- one for every day of the year.
Sage found the ones for our birthdays and I just loved the one for mine,
so I decided to put it up on the chalkboard over our piano.



3. So, I made some goals for the new year...
One of them is to test for my 3rd Degree black belt in Taekwondo in May.
And, in order to achieve this goal and feel great about it, I also made a goal to lose 30 lbs.
I've cut out sugar & deep-fried foods and am keeping my calories below 1200 each day.
I'm using an app called Lose It to track my calories and so far, so good.
I weighed myself yesterday and I'm down 6.5 lbs. :)


4. Our town's festival of the arts is coming up this spring,
so we've been busy selecting pieces to perform:
voice for Sage, poems for Jonah and Sage
and piano for Jonah and Sage.
Jonah and I will be performing a duet of the Mission Impossible theme song
and Sage and I will play Amazing Grace together. 


5. And lastly, I have a card to share today that I made for
the Muse Card Club Challenge #149, which was to be inspired by this card by Tracey McNeely:



Sage's voice teacher recently lost her mother, so I decided to make a sympathy card for her.



I diecut my spring moss and white cardstock using Mama Elephant's Femme Frames.
I stamped the flowers using Papertrey Ink's Brushed Blooms.
I used a paintbrush dipped in watered-down ink to add some detail to the smaller yellow flowers.



I stamped the sentiment using Reverse Confetti's Lots to Say stamp set.

Thanks for looking!

30 comments:

Karen B. said...

Beautiful card.

Betty said...

good to have have your "five" back Leigh - some company ought to make a stamp of that quote - and your cards are lovely as always.

Lindsey said...

Enjoyed reading through your post — and that is a fine quote to have on display where everyone can see it. Your take on Tracey's card is gorgeous!

merryf said...

I love reading your Five for Friday posts. Your sympathy card is gorgeous and you're reminding me to pull out that set. And congratulations for having another driver in the family!

Anonymous said...

what a lovely sympathy card using Brushed Blooms.

Katy M

Colleen said...

Gorgeous card, Leigh, I especially like the big sentiment!

Megan Carroll said...

I'm glad you are back with your "Five for Friday" posts. Good luck on your weight loss journey, and as always your card is lovely! Have a great weekend!

Joyce said...

Loved the update on your week. Way to go with the weight loss. I seem like I am always working on that. And, your card is beautiful--a perfect sympathy card. Congrats to Austin on getting hs license. I am still working with both of my girls to teach them how to drive. I know once they have their licenses, my life will be so much easier.

Vikki H said...

Your card is lovely and will be cased today as I have a funeral to attend this weekend. Brushed Blooms is so pretty. Also as a volunteer librarian the past 20 years I absolutely love Wonder and try to get my students to read it every chance I get. I'll have to pick up the other one at our local library. thanks always for your "5"

Sharon Underwood said...

I enjoyed your post! Lovely Sympathy card. The watercoloring is beautiful.

Kathy said...

Glad to hear all the good news of your family! Also a beautiful card again today. Thanks, Leigh!

Lynn said...

I love your five for Friday posts...so wonderful to hear what's going on with your family. Way to go on your weight loss. That is fantastic! I'm trying but not being diligent enough. So impressed with your Tae Kwon Do goal. We'll need pictures and/or video.

Your card is beautiful as always. Love how you were inspired by Tracey's card.

Lynn said...

PS If we lived close by, we'd have such a ball going to our kids performances. Would love to hear yours performing!

Michelle said...

Beautiful card, Leigh! Good luck with the 3rd degree black belt! Make sure you eat the full 1200 calories to keep your metabolism healthy. ;-)

Cris G. said...

It's a gorgeous and kind card, Leigh! Love the watercolor look!
Yay for goals! Speaking of goals, congratulations to Austin for getting his driver's license and being able to help you. Wish you all the best for 2016!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment :).

Gerry said...

Love the updates on you and your family. Wonder is one of my favorite books. I sobbed through most of it. sobbed. The author has 3 (I think) books that are only available electronically. Iv'e read one and it was wonderful. And yes I cried through it also.

Ardyth said...

Wow! You sound like you're full of direction and determination - good for you! Love this beautiful card - the layered stamping really adds depth! So glad you joined us at Muse this week, Leigh!

Lisa Elton said...

Congrats on your weight loss Leigh, hope all of your goals work out! So great that Austin is able to help you out now that he's driving! Sympathy cards are difficult to make. This one is beautiful!

Lisa Lara said...

Absolutely beautiful Leigh.

Linda said...

Lovely card Leigh. Perfect for a sympathy card.

Tracey McNeely said...

Leigh I missed your five for Friday posts. So glad to catch up. Congrats to Austin and yes doesn't it make a huge difference when you kids get their license. Picking up siblings, getting milk from the grocery store or as you said getting themselves home. Congratulations on your weight loss and keep thinking positive about it. You Muse card is lovely and it will bring comfort to Sage's teacher. Love the water effect you used. Thank you so much for sharing with us at Muse this week!

Ruth said...

Have missed your five for Friday posts. Am so glad that Austin driving is being such a help - gives him practice and you a break! Great news on losing weight, you're better than I could ever be. It's a beautiful card and perfect for Muse. I shall remember to vote this week! Xx

Shirley said...

Great post (need to look at books) and love your card.

Bobby said...

Sounds like you have quite the talented family, Leigh. It's a blessing that you can share in it with them. Your card is wonderful with its bright blooms and green scalloped border.

Diana K said...

I'm so glad that you're back with Five for Friday posts. I've really missed having sneak peeks into your life :) Beautiful card, Leigh!

Sand Lee said...

Love your quote...so true!!!! and your take on Tracey's card is fab!!!! xx

Marilyn said...

Beautiful card, Leigh. The colors make for an up-lifting sympathy card.

Vikki H said...

I always look forward to your Five for Friday posts and the Muse challenge is so pretty. I cased your card immediately for a sympathy card but used Oopsie Daisy for the Muse entry.

Karen M said...

Love your card Leigh and your flower is so pretty xx

foleysfriend said...

I love your interpretation of Tracey's MUSE card; thank you for the inspiration to take that PTI stamp set out of my stash and ink it up; my sympathy cards tend to be black or white; your sympathy card is lovely and need to remember this for future cards.