Wednesday Sponsor Giveaway: Freehand Scraps, Big Picture Scrapbooking, + Paper & Co. Show
First, I want to pass along a thought for today that I came across on my friend Alex's blog about courage & leaps:
What I realized is that there is not just one big moment of courage in
our lives. There are many. These moments come to us in different ways.
At times we are forced into a leap (unexpected pregnancy, when parents
or partners pass away, when we loose our job). At times we are called
into a leap (when someone invites us for a trip of a lifetime, when our
partner wants to move to a new city, when we are offered a chance, when
we take the "money maker" role to support our family). Then there are
also the daily tiny leaps we take for the sake of adventure (when we
try new types of food, music, when we go out on a date, when we talk to
a stranger, when we transition from blogger friends to real life
friends). No matter how small, silly or hard, tiny, dramatic or
forgotten... All leaps are important because little by little, we live
through change, we figure out how to cope, we move forward, we learn
who we are, and we build our confidence for the bigger leaps, the ones
we seek for ourselves.
Maybe someone else out there needed to hear this today too...
And now, three cool midweek sponsor giveaways are on tap for today:
• One person will receive a February Kit from Freehand Scraps.
• Two people will receive passes to Stacy Julian's fantastic online Library of Memories class at Big Picture Scrapbooking. Focused on getting your scrapbook albums in working order and organizing your photos (in a very "you-centered" way), I highly recommend the class and/or Stacy's book Photo Freedom. Class begins February 12th and runs for 16 weeks. This class is only offered once a year.
• One person will receive 4 classes for the Paper & Co. event in Italy on March 27, 28, and 29 (giveaway does not include travel, accommodations, or food for the event).You can check out a list of the classes here. Italy sure sounds good to me right about now :).
To be included in the drawing today please leave a comment below and share your most recent "leap" or act of courage. Comments will be closed at 8pm Pacific tonight with the winners posted shortly after.
I would also like to take a minute to welcome and thank my newest blog sponsors:
Digital Birdhouse : digital scrapbook products
Scarlet Lime : monthly kit club
The Paper Pixie : paper embellishments
The Digital Scrapbook Teacher : photoshop tutorials and classes for hybrid + digital scrapbooking
Lettergirls : delightful hand-created address stamps
For more information on sponsor opportunities send me an email: ali at aliedwardsdesign dot com






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1452 comments
this is a tough one for me... but saying goodbye to my husband the morning he leaves for 8 months..knowing that i will be the one to take care of everything..knowing that i won't have him to turn to in a moment when i need it most...i am building my courage as this day approaches so quickly and i am very confident that i have every bit i need to keep on going
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my greatest leap was trusting in a higher power that my daughter would survive and flourish--all signs pointed to the worst outcomes, too little to survive, but she was determined and so I trusted in her, my faith
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CHANGE - my word for the year, has nothing to do with waht's going on in Washington, DC (my hometown).
I've been the primary wage earner for the past 15 years and took a big leap of Faith to start my own consulting business in a highly specialized area. I had no work for January, so I called it a vacation and Feb 1 I was blessed with a three month contract. God is meeting my needs and stretching me spiritually, but most of all I've been able to share these details with my children so they can see first hand how God is working in our life and THEY come up with the ways to scrapbook and remeber these times. What a blessing.
Praying you have a quick and safe delivery for Baby A...you new mommies warm my heart
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I love the February kit!
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This year my oldest started middle school. He is really enjoying it. I have chosen to back off a little bit, and let him do more things on his own. It has been hard, he still seems so young! Be he has proven that he can handle the added responsibility.
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My recent "leap" is working with children who have speech challenges and phonological processing disorders. What a blessing to be with children! I want to do my best to help where I can!
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I had to get over what Senior Management is doing at work to staff, with unreasonable timeframes and micromanagement. My new motto: "Build a Bridge and Get Over It!"
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My biggest leap of courage was to travel to England and Scotland. It was just after my baby sister died at age 43 and I came to the stunning realization that life is, indeed, too short to postpone your dreams. I worked lots of extra hours at my home based business and with help from my husband and my dear sister who left me some money I was able to make that trip.
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My most recent leap of faith... I'm actually still standing on the edge getting ready to jump! I'm faced with a big decision right now, stay home with my kids or go back to work. (i believe in my head and my heart, i've already decided) but i'm afraid of letting anyone down, or possibly making the wrong decision. I guess i just need to close my eyes, follow my heart and jump!
The most recent mini leap...stashing away our debit and credit cards to live off of cash (this was a tough one, but after a month is already paying off..literally)
If only we could afford a trip to Italy!! wouldn't that be amazing?! One can dream! :)
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Our most recent leap was moving from Floriday to North Carolina...My husband or I had never been away from our families...We are both only children. Our girls had never been away from their grandparents....It was huge for us, but it has turned into a wonderful experience. We're so proud that our girls just went for it and made friends and a life for themselves...I think it was a really positive experience for us all, but especially for them. After all, the only thing constant in this life is change!
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That's a hard one....I guess I would say my most recent leap of faith was letting go of unrealistic expectations of myself!
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Very timely, as usual! I took a major leap and quit my job last Friday to stay home with my kids (nearly 3 and nearly 5). It's something I've been thinking about for quite awhile. I feel a mixture of elation, freedom, and joy with a bit of anxiety thrown in for good measure. :)!
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I am in the process of my newest leap of courage. I am stepping back into the classroom as a substitute teacher. It is very scary and yet exciting! After having my own classroom for 10 years and then being away from that environment for over 6 years takes a lot of courage to go back! A lot of self pep talks and I know I will be OK! :) Great giveaways...thanks!
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My leaps was not big by any means. I took my sons dental matters more seriously than his dentist and took a proactive role by taking him to another dentist for a 2nd opinion and after 20 minutes had a plan of what needs to be done to help my son eat better. You have to be your own advocate and I'm glad I took a leap by getting a 2nd opinion. It may not seem like much, but I know my son is going to have some relief now.
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I'm not as very big leaper. I like things the same day to day, I've been trying some little leaps...saying hi to 3 people every day. doing more listening instead of talking, uncluttering and letting go of old stuff. As for the prizes, Italy is probably out for me. I am hoping for the LOM
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The biggest leap of courage in my life was quitting my job in June. I needed to be free to take care of my husband, who has chronic pancreatitis, my sister, who has autoimmune disease and liver disease, and my aging parents. I had missed work 40 or so days during the 07-08 school year and had struggled unsuccessfully to keep up. So, my husband and I worked on our budget so that it would be possible for me to quit my job and take care of my family. We are very thankful that it was possible. Scary thing to do, but very worthwhile.
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Hi Ali,
My most recent "leap" or act of courage was signing on to help out on visitors day at our local prison. When my police checks are done, I will be helping in the play area and encouraging parents and their children in play.
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I was recently laid off from Eastman Kodak after a "lifetime" of working there. My leap of faith is believing that when one door closes another one opens - I am looking for creative ways of making a living. Thanks for the wonderful giveaways!!
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Ooh! I would so love to take Stacy's class. A recent leap for me is slowly learning that my value comes not from what I make or what I accomplish, but who I am becoming and who I'm helping my children become. I think "leaps" can be slowly developed, too!
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My most recent act of courage was to not give into the fear that gripped me when I was told I had to go in for an additional mammogram because they saw something "they wanted to get a better look at." The first evening (I found out at 5:30 p.m. last Friday) was scary--I am the mother of a 5 and 2 year old. I worried not for me, but for my babies if something were to happen to me. Then, I told myself not to give in to the fear. I told my self to be strong (courageous) because if it was bad news, I would need to be so for my boys. I played with my boys every moment I could this past weekend, and tried to focus on the good instead of the negative (trust me: there were moments when it was difficult). I am happy that in the past hour I got good new. I am so grateful--for the good news and for not giving into the fear and panic and letting it control me.
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