Show Me Your Layouts...

So today's blog is going to be a short one since I haven't been feeling very well today. And in the future I'm sure there will be more short blog posts, depending on how I feel every day. In  case that doesn't make sense because you haven't checked out my other Blog, I was diagnosed with Carcinoid Cancer on July 1 and every day I feel differently, usually not for the better. But some days you'll wish I'd hush up because I can also get long winded sometimes! 

I had a chance after typing up the last blog post to find some "newer" and favorite layouts to share with y'all.  

I have to apologize in advance for the quality of the actual pictures on the layouts and the pictures of the layouts themselves. I didn't have my new camera yet so any new layouts will be much better quality hopefully.  Anyway, here are the layouts I picked out to share.

I hope everyone enjoys the layouts. Hopefully it won't be so long between posts.

Until next time~~

Joyce

PS - Hopefully in my next post I'll be able to tell y'all about my first experience using Project Life!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Is it just me, or is everyone always happy when Friday rolls around? I mean, I don't work, I have Cancer, and yet I'm still happy on Friday's like back in the days when I worked! Sounds crazy doesn't it?!

I have been doing quite a bit of thinking and playing around with this blog for the last week.  And I've come to the conclusion that it should be devoted to scrapbooking and rubber stamping, due to it's name. I was considering putting everything in one blog - Nature and my photography, dollhouses, Carcinoid Cancer and Scrapping/Stamping. Instead of putting everything into one blog and confuse y'all and myself, I have decided to add the 3 other blogs to my list. One for my Dollhouses, one for my Bird-watching and Photography and one to keep track of my Journey with this Cancer. Y'all can read all 4 blogs or pick which ones you'd like to be part of. 

I haven't posted in quite a while. Yesterday I think I was just worn down and didn't feel well at all. But once I get the three blogs up and going, I'm going to try my best to do a post daily. Or at the very least every other day. So here is where y'all come in - if anyone has any questions for any of the blogs, PLEASE FEEL FREE to put them in the comments section. Suggestions for the blogs are always appreciated too. Constructive criticism never hurt anyone either :)

With all of the above being said, I'm going to leave y'all with a few pictures of some of the better hand made cards I've made over the years (and obviously can't bear to part with!).

Wishing everyone a wonderful and safe weekend!
Until next time~~
Joyce

Another Weekend Gone Just Like That

Goodness, but where does the time go?! Seems like it was just Friday and now the weekend is almost over. So a bit about my weekend, actually Friday and Saturday, since I'm back in bed today (Sunday).  On Friday I did get some great news - I went from having no doctors for my Cancer, to having referrals to 2 Oncologists.  One is in Holland and one is in Kalamazoo. I haven't heard from the Holland one yet but I was informed that the one in Kalamazoo wants to see me yesterday to determine where the tumor originated and to see how far along it is and where it has spread to so they can determine a course of action to take. You have no idea how happy I am about this bit of news!

After spending most of last week in bed, due to not feeling well at all, my husband said I needed to get out and get some fresh air and walk around . Since we needed some water plants for our pond, we took a trip to Apols Water Gardens in Calednia.  I just love this place and it's so beautiful there. I was even able to lose myself and my Cancer thoughts for a couple of hours. I shot a bunch of pictures of water garden flowers and other things there - you could spend a whole day taking pictures there.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

After we left Apols, we took the back roads towards Holland and found a Garden Center we had never been to called Garden Crossings Garden Center. Unfortunately, it was closed - we missed it by about an hour. But it gives us someplace to look forward to visiting next weekend if I'm up to it!  Now if you know anything about me, you know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE PINK!! And when you see these pictures, you'll know what made me want to go to this place! Oh to have a yard like this!

It was nice taking the back roads and not being in the rush of highway traffic. We stopped at a couple other places to pick up some necessity items and then came home via the Allegan SGA aka The Todd Farm to the locals here.  

So that was my big weekend - how was yours and what did you do or where did you go? I've love to hear from you so leave me a comment. 

Until next time~~

Joyce

Where Have I Been?!

So it seems like years, and actually it has been, since I've done anything with my blog. I was just thinking a few weeks ago about getting back to it and updating everyone with my stamping and scrapping projects and all my other hobbies I've picked up along the way. 

But life being life, I received a big shock last Wednesday that I never thought that I would. I actually stopped blogging because I have been sick for about the last 6-10 years, and have been continually getting worse. I've seen so many doctors it's unbelievable. I've even been to Mayo Clinic and the U of M. NONE of them could figure out what is going on with me.  I finally got a referral from my Neurologist to a new Rheumatologist in his office and he ordered a ton of blood work and a 24 hr urine sample. I figured no big deal - I've had these tests before (or so I thought) but he must have had a different combination because my results came back as my having Carcinoid Syndrome aka Cancer. 

So I figured now was as good a time as any to get back to my blog and get back to blogging about scrapbooking and paper crafts.  I hope by concentrating on these things, my various blogs and actually scrapbooking again will help me  to focus on the positive things in life, now more than ever. Even though I have Cancer, it seems very surreal at the moment.

On a happier note, aI have taken up dollhouse collecting and decorating among my many hobbies (I will have a separate blog for that tho). 

I haven't really done much in the way of stamping or scrapping since my scrap room is only have finished - we are redoing it in brown and pink with Hello Kitty accents. Yes, it's been in limbo for what seems like forever! LOL! But a few weeks ago I got some things out to make a card.  My wonderful niece just got married and I wanted her card to be special and I'm happy to report that she was very happy with it.  I used the colors of her wedding for the card and being the glitter girl that I am, added lots of bling to it.

I had been trying to continue to scrapbook until about 6 months ago. In the process of redoing my scrap room, my husband has moved all my supplies and now I can't find anything. LOL!  But it will be awesome when he gets it done.  

One huge scrapbooking project that I did last year was my first Project Life album - and I did it all in one night.  My wonderful mother-in-law passed away last August and I wanted a special album for the guests at the Funeral Home to be able to look at. I had been collecting PL items for a while but had never done anything with them. I stayed up all night and managed to start and complete the whole album in time for the Funeral. Everyone commented on what a lovely tribute it was to my mother-in-law.

I also managed to get to a long weekend scrapbooking retreat last spring. 

I'm sorry that my first post is so long and started with bad news, but there was a lot to catch up on, including hobbies and my health. For my next post, I'll try to find some pictures of what is finished in the scrap room, along with some other pictures to share with everyone. I also have a blog for my Carcinoid Syndrome (Cancer) if you want to check it out. 

I hope you've enjoyed this post and the fact that my blog is back among the world. I'd be very grateful if you would help spread the word that my blog is back up by emailing it to a friend or sharing it on Twitter or Facebook.  I'm also open to comments so feel free to leave one for me.

Until next time~~

Joyce