#embellishcreate Day 11 Thankful for Veteran's Families

I wrote my post and forgot to publish yesterday, so yesterday  I was thankful for the families of veterans!  You share your husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and children with our armed forces and I can't imagine how hard this must be for you too!  

The picture above is my Grandmother with the three sons, all of whom served in WWII and came home safely.  Today, if you get a chance, watch Saving Private Ryan and remember how hard having a family member that is a veteran can be!  Then thank a vet's family or send them a little love too!

#embellishgratitude Day 10: Thankful for Veterans!

Sometimes it takes a child to see truth, and this week as I read a book about Veteran's Day to the grade school students during library hour, I saw some truth!  After reading the book, I asked all the students who had family members who were veterans to raise their hands.  I didn't actually run the stats, but it had to be 90-95 % of students, who had a family member who was a veteran.  Thanks veterans!

#embellishgratitude Thankful for Anna Griffin Card Kits

Ok, if you follow my blog you can tell I am currently Anna Griffin obsessed.  It all started when I bought a card kit for my grandmother in law as a gift.  Her eyesight was not good enough to keep up her hand embroidery and she needed something.  I showed my Mother-In-Law and she said that my grandmother in law wouldn't like it.  So, I kept the kit and brought it to my next scrap booking crop.  The rest is history.  Most cards with envelopes are $1.00-$1.50 each and the kits always have what I need.  Just this week I had to make a bridal shower card, a sympathy card and a get well card.  I had all the supplies in my Anna Griffin's kits and my family and friends get an handmade card filled with love.

#embellishgratitude Day 7 and 8: Good Health and Modern Medicine

Yesterday was a busy day, so I only posted my gratitude item on Facebook.  It was good health.  Today I am thankful for modern medicine, which has helped me have good health!  

A few years ago I ended up in the emergency room with what I thought was dehydration from a stomach bug.  A scan showed I had an abdominal blockage and after 3 long days of hoping it would resolve I ended up with surgery.  So, today I am thankful for scans, and surgeons and medicines.

Here is my print out of the design from yesterday's post and as you can see I have run out of ink.  I still love that I can make my own pages as needed with Anna's designs!

#embellishgratitude Day 6: Thankful for Creativity

Today I am thankful for creativity!  It makes me happy to make something pretty, especially if it is a gift from someone.   I am working on my Christmas list for my Anna Griffin Planner using my Cricut Explore Air and my home printer.  I used Anna Griffin Printables, but I would still love this to be an add on I could purchase!  Just one more thing I need I can take off my to do list.  
If you have an Anna Griffin planner and want to make one, use this link.  Stop by tomorrow and I hope to have time to print it out!

#embellishgratitude Day 5: Thankful for my sisters

I have been fortunate enough to have six sisters.  Over the years, friends have come and gone.  They may have made new friends I didn't think I should hang out with, moved away or just drifted apart.  But I will always have my sisters.  They are my forever friends.

Everything on this is Anna Griffin!  The flowers are from the Anna Griffin Window Ledge card kit.  The gold embellishment is Anna Griffin Cut and Emboss Fretwork die.  The sentiment and border strip are from a card kit.  The circle from Anna Griffin Nifty Nested Layers. and the blue cardstock if from one of Anna's 12 x 12 paper packs.  All of it is on an Anna Griffin planner page.

#embellishgratitude Day 4: I am and Optimist

Today I am grateful that I am an optimist!  I have always seen the glass as half full!  The quote on this page says, "What we see depends on what we look for..."

I love that I can use some of my Anna Griffin Card Kit goodies in my planner pages!  I keep giving away my prettiest cards, and having a planner allows me to make something just for me.

#embellishgratitude Day 3: My Husband

It's Day 3 of the 30 Day Gratitude Challenge and today I am sharing that I am so thankful for my husband!  We will celebrate 25 years of marriage this coming March.  

I used Anna Griffin planner page for November and added a sentiment from an Anna Card Kit.  Some stickers and journaling and I'm done.  

#embellishgratitude Day 2: Thankful for Family

Today I am thankful for family!  My quote says, "Family, the secret to having it all is knowing you already do!"  The black die, and yellow framed image are Anna Griffin and this is a cover page for my October month in my Anna Griffin planner.  I made the frame with my Cricut, Cricut pens and Anna's Lace Cards and Embellishments.

You can join the 30 Day Gratitude Challenge here. 

30 Day Gratitude Challenge Day 1: Thankful for my In Laws

In the past few years I have noticed that many people post what they're thankful for every day in November.  Since I am not on Facebook every day, I have forgotten to start on the first of November and post something every day.  This year I joined the 30 Day Gratitude Challenge Group on Facebook to hold myself accountable and share some of the many things I am thankful for.  

On my first day of the challenge, I wanted to share that I am so thankful for my In Laws:  Pat Camalliere and Christ Camalliere!  They are beyond generous to us and this past weekend really helped me out!  I was the volunteer coordinator for our town's local Music Booster Pumpkinfest Craft & Treasures market.  I have to recruit student and adult volunteers to work over 4 days.  The final day of the event also happens to be the same day as our local Pumpkinfest parade, reported to be the 3rd largest parade in the state of Illinois.  Since so many band students march in the parade, and all the locals entertain on this day, it is difficult to fill most of the volunteer shifts.  I knew this was an issue and asked my in laws to work a shift for me on Sunday.  They drove an hour there and back and worked for 2 hours at admissions.  Thanks so much Pat and Chris!

My photos for this post are for a pocket page I made for my Anna Griffin planner using my Cricut.  This page is perfect for any planner with an 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" page and is a bit longer so that it can be seen.  I left off the holes, so that others can customize it to their own planners binding.  You can find the file here.  I added a bit of sticky velcro to close this pocket page.  This pocket organizer was used to keep my volunteer project organized and contained donation checks, so I wanted to make sure it closed!

And be sure to check out my Mother In Laws blog, where she posts regularly about her mystery books and other interesting topics!  She has published two books, Mystery at Sag Bridge and Mystery at Black Partridge Woods and is currently writing her third.