A very special thank you.

Ali - thank you for posting the mini album class. Also, thank you for your willingness to share your life with us. In reading your blog daily, I am repeatedly awed by your spirit. Your heart is full of love...for your family, friends, strangers and the world around you. Thank you for being "you".
I agree with Cari's post:
You inspire me to be a better person every day.

You are the bestest Ali!!
I'm SO excited to see you on Friday at ARTistry! Hugs!!

So excited for your progress! It is SO COOL that one person can do so much!!! Congrats. And thanks for sharing a class with us--I would have donated regardless. Thanks for being so inspiring to so many!

Thank you so much for sharing this project with us Ali...so sweet of you. I can't wait to gather my stuff and create!

Sweet:-)
I just came to post a request/beg that you attend CKC in Phoenix next September. My best friend (who lives oh so far away) and I are going to meet there, and we'd both LOVE to take a class of yours.
And now we can, via your blog. I have an 8x8 Maya binder that had me feeling clueless on how to begin. Now I know where I'll start!
I wasn't able to give much, but I gave the first day and have enjoyed watching the numbers climb. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to contribute, and lifting us all with your spirit and your generosity.
Of course, I'm STILL hoping you'll want to go to Phoenix in September!

Thank you so much Ali! Wow, that is generous and can't wait to work on this. I also want to say, thank you for being you. Thank you for sharing yourself, and your family with us. You inspire me constantly to OPEN MY EYES. Feeling truly blessed by your inspiration.

Thank you Ali. I am excited to make this. I love the Heidi Swapp mask and using it on the album cover is awesome.
I hope your numbers keep climbing.
Teresa

Love that album. I am all about the mini album.

Ali... you are so inspiring.
Bek

Oh, Ali, that is so sweet of you to share. I took this class in Tracy and sent it to my sister for her birthday. She loved it. ;)
Peace, Eileen

Thanks so much Ali!! You are so sweet! Thanks for being an inspiration!

thank you ali for continuing to inspire me :)

you are so awesome, and so sweet - we all donate b/c its such a great cause, and b/c you inspire us each day, and you turn around and thank us
it is you who should be thanked, for raising both money and awareness

Thank you for the great project! I'm an avid reader of your blog. My four year-old nephew has Autism and I'm learning something new about it every day. I have the utmost respect for you and what you are doing to raise awareness and money for Autism Speaks. Simon is absolutely adorable! It is obvious in his pictures that he is a happy little boy that you are very proud of. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO!!!

Thank you Ali. But you have already done soooooo much for me. I'm going to echo what another "Jen" had posted earlier regarding reading your blogs.
I also have a son Vincent who has autism. He is almost 7 now. He was first diagnosed at 3 y/o. At the time, I was so lost. My world was turned upside down. Scrapbooking was put aside for me. My biggest challenge was I didn't know how to scrapbook about his autism. People scrapped about happy occasions like holidays, birthdays and milestones. My pictures of Vince's holidays were of him crying (I know now that he was over stimulated). I didn't have the heart or stomach to scrap these events. I gave up on scrapbooking all together.
Enter Ali Edwards.
I already knew you because I loved your first book & I always read you articles in CK. In one of your articles, you were discussing your blog and how you talk about autsim. That's when I discovered your wonderful blog and learned how you and your family have dealt with autism. Needless to say, I have been hooked every since. I just can't thank you enough for introducing me to your concept of celebrating the everyday. Reading your blog and your adventures has touched me in so many ways. It has changed my life AND the way I scrapbook. I learned to love scrapbooking again because of you. Scrapping Vince's uniqueness has been so therapeutic for me. It's just so cool to see your ideas of how you scrap about Simon's autism. I see the pictures of his PECS in your layouts and it gives me inspiration to scrap Vince's therapy. You are so open and honest about your life and it really shows in your scrapbooking.
So Ali, THANK YOU for being YOU. And the instructions to your cool mini album is just icing on the cake for me.

Ali, how awesome! When I saw the picture of the album my first thought was "Gosh, I would love to see how she made that" ... and then I read the post. I'm super excited! Hopefully I can get my hands on those products soon, and get to it. Thank you so much!

thanks so much ali. can't wait to make it. have a great trip.

wow! thanks for the album instructions! I was so excited to see the numbers of donations jump! I think it WILL happen!!!! Peace!
-rani

Thanks for the instruction Ali!! While I never expected anything in return for my donation, I do love that you shared this with us.

Thanks for the instructions Ali - it looks like an awesome project! I'm constantly in awe of how the scrapbooking community, and others are all working together for such a great cause. And I'm so inspired by you, and your family and how you are battling autism - I'm sure it's not easy. And thanks for always being so real.