wednesday randoms

first of all, i want to say thank you for reading yesterday. i had a little bit of "blogger's remorse" after i hit that publish button. that was hard to put out there. and it felt a bit cathartic, but it also made me feel vulnerable. so thank you for reading.

second, please stop by my friend becca's blog and read up about her juvenile diabetes crop for a cause. and PLEASE help any way you can!

some of you have emailed or commented in response to yesterday's post, and asked how you can support the troops. here are a few ideas.

any soldier- adopt a soldier or a unit   

wounded warrior project

let's say thanks

operation write home

USO

fisher house

a cool PDF about how you can support the troops

operation comfort

operation homelink

CFSRF- children of fallen soldiers

and there is LOTS more that can be done. google...it only takes a bit of research. hope that helps!

one more thing, today i wanted to share a couple of layouts.

first is one i did for the ella blog. thanks so much for the opportunity, barb!

the prompt was- use an email to jump-start the journaling on your layout.

and here's what i made:

journaling: hundreds of emails and letters over the years. almost all of them signed with those two little words. love,j. i have read those words through laughter, through tears. those emails told me he was alive, okay. they gave me hope. some nights i slept with those emails. salvation in two little words.

supplies:

cardstock: jenni bowlin (back side of black core'dinations cardstock)

patterned paper, butterfly, labels: jenni bowlin

alphas: american crafts

punches: ek success (notebook), stampin' up! (heart)

border rubon- studio calico

and next is another layout i did for the scrapbook and cards today blog. 

i chose to do a spring layout using dear lizzy. and this combination makes me ridiculously happy.

patterned paper (except pink paper behind main photo, which is crate paper), flower trim, alphas, sunshine quote- dear lizzy

butterflies, journaling label- jenni bowlin

scalloped border sticker- sassafras

happy wednesday, y'all.

xo

Comments

[Stephanie Smith]

I think you are one of my new favorite blogs. You are coming at a perfect time in my life when my husband is about to leave for another very long deployment, destination, unknown:\
Thank you for sharing your heart, because it's helping mine.

[Stephanie Howell]

sending you so much love and big hugs. please let me know if you need to chat. im always here! ox

[Jonnelle]

Thank you for the links...cannot wait to visit and find a way to help! :)
Gorgeous layouts! I have the Dear Lizzy ribbon and I don't know if I want to use it on a layout or figure out how to embellish a cotton tee with it (ugh, I can go buy more....why don't I just use it? I'm such a nerd!!), so thanks for the inspiration!

[Suzitee]

I didn't comment when I read your post this morning (I live in Australia)...there was no way to put into words how it felt to read yours,or to see those photos. My heart has been aching for you all day. I have read your blog for a long time now, all the way through J's deployment, but I don't think I really "got it" until this morning. Powerful words. You are such a strong woman...and I admire you very much :)
Your pages today are awesome...as always :) Have a great day xxx

[Jessica R.]

I'm glad you put yourself out there with that post. It was beautiful and so true how we let things escape our mind when we are living in the thick of them each day. I know all of us are guilty of that & should be reminded. The picture of him crying killed me inside. I cannot imagine what you must have felt when you saw that picture for the first time. Thanks for the reminder. Also, love those layouts. Those Dear Lizzy colors are just amazing!!

[Steph H]

you are a good egg Stephanie Howell! Thanks for the links. Karl and I have adopted a unit through Any soldier every Christmas since we've been married, but some of those other links are new to me.

Oh, and the Love, J layout made me cry. I'm blaming postpartum hormones. I can do that even though he's already 9 months old, right? Right!

[Meghann]

These layouts are beautiful. Both the pretty paper & the words. I feel that I need to be more emotional in my journaling!

[Kimber-Leigh]

gorgeous layouts steph. and what a great idea for the prompt from the love, j layout!

great list of ways to support our troops too :)

[Holly S]

Beautiful layouts (as usual!. Please have no doubts about yesterdays post-you talk or rather write from the heart and without barriers and we love that about you-YOU ARE AMAZING! Live this life with NO REGRETS! XOXO

[Lora Oliver]

I love your LOs. They are so inspiring, both in their colors/design and in the pure heart you put into every one.

[Keshet]

Love these new layouts! The Dear Lizzy stuff just makes me so happy! And I loved the post yesterday--I think the beauty of blogs is that they let you into what another person thinks more than a very polished, sanitized website. I like the glimpse into the reality into someone else's life, ya know?

[Jenni Hufford]

hey there, thanks for the links! love both layouts. The journaling and message in "love j" completely blew me away.

[Angela W]

Beautiful layouts, Steph! Thanks for the list on how to support the troops. As I have said before, this is your blog. You can post what you feel you need to! We are here to read it and support you!

[Colleen Sheehy]

Thanks for the links! And I love the new layouts as usual!! Just got my Studio Calico pac in the mail and can't wait to get scrappin!!

[Pam]

I read your post from work yesterday I wanted to once again thank you and your husband for your service. My friends and I have been doing a Cards for Soldiers (www.cardsforsoldiers.blogspot.com) program for 4 years now and we plan on continuing until they all come home! Thank you for posting the links of other ways to help! I work on an Air Force Base and I know that each and every bit of support is appreciated so any way the word gets out is awesome!

[Jennifer.T]

I just loved those pics of Harper and I couldn't wait to see what you were going to do with them! Dear Lizzy is the perfect choice and you did not disappoint :)

[Lynn]

Beautiful LOs & touching journaling :)

[Barb]

Steph, I absolutely LOVED the layout you created for my email challenge. Thank YOU so much for doing that... and for sharing your experiences through your pages and on your blog. My friend's husband just left for Afghanistan today. I'm going to send her your way. <3

P.S. Like I said on the SCT blog this morning, your Dear Lizzy LO is fabulous. I LOVE how pretty it is. :)

[tammy inman]

I so love your layouts they are fabulous!
Thank you for sharing info about Becca's blog, I wouldn't have known about it otherwise and I emailed her to help out.

thank you for sharing,
tammy

[Lisa]

I so enjoyed your last post Stephanie. I enjoy ALL your posts, but that was extra special. I wanted to also share another organization www.soldiersangels.com is great one too.
Thanks so much for sharing your heart with us. You and your family are so beautiful!

[Kaila]

Please don't apologize for yesterday's post - I think everyone needs to see that! I know I did. None of us can truly understand what those men go through, or their strong wives like you!

[Amber Zimmerman]

Beautiful lo's and journaling. . .and your post from the other day. . .wow. No words. It was so beautifully written. Thank you for being vulnerable and posting something so real.

[jenney]

Beautiful layouts girl!!