Friday, February 18, 2005

Scrapbooking is therapeutic and healthy

Happy Friday to you! It's so exciting when Friday gets here and I am able to think about all of the things I want to do on the weekend to relax. I love that! Today, I made a trip to Jo-ann fabrics and Office Depot to grab some new scrapbooking items. That is my new hobbie that I came up with for this year. I am working on my scrapbook. I decided to start a scrapbook that would begin at my college graduation and would continue on through my adulthood. I think a lot of times in my life, I have been known to stare into the past and weep about things lost. I have decided that is completely unhealthy and I started this scrapbook at the happiest day of my life, my college graduation.

This scrapbook already has several pages in it. It has college graduation, trip up north with Joel, my birthday, trip to san fran with Joel, moving to the beach, and will contain one page for each of my really close friends. So far I have only done Josh's page. Not because he is more important than the rest of you but I found soccer stuff for the scrapbook and couldn't pass it up. I am also planning to do every trip I go on or memorable thing. I still need to do my colorado page and a few others but it's so much fun. Today I picked up lots of quotes, card stock, props, etc...and I am so excited about using my limited creativity to make my scrapbook better.

I have decided that this scrapbook is going to be a part of my healing process over the next year. It shows me how grateful I should be for the people in my life and helps me to dwell on happy times. It helps me to get out my creative energy even though I have no artistic talent. I am telling you people, you don't need artistic talent for scrapbooking, just need memories. It makes me want to take pictures at every turn in life and soak up moments that matter. I am hoping I will carry this hobbie on and use it to relax and enjoy myself. I think it is fun to imagine my new pages when I find the man I want to be with, get married, go on my honeymoon, get my first apartment out here, have a child, etc...I am excited more about all of those things because they fit into my hobbie!

If any of you actually do scrapbook, you know exactly what I am talking about. I am basically doing mine in the format of being adultlike and classic. I am not putting receipts, ticket stubs, cards, letters, etc...but only photos and little props to help me remember. I use vellum words that you rub on that are quotes, pewter tiles that say special phrases, etc. If anyone knows any great places to get scrapbooking stuff, please let me know. I am having so much fun with this!

One of my hugest goals this year was to find myself. Really find out who I am, what I enjoy, and what I am made of. I had always been terribly afraid of being alone before this year. I have been using my alone time for things that I enjoy such as reading, listening to books on cd, watching my favorite shows (Starting over, Dr. Phil, and Desperate Housewives), scrapbooking, organizing, and setting and making goals. I am having a lot of fun learning about Erica. I am becoming my own best friend. That is a great feeling!

Well, the subgoals are being reevaluated and I was thinking maybe I went too fast. I work on a very behavior mod type schedule. I am the type of person that must develop even the simplest habit due to my excessive laziness. This goes for how I learned to brush my teeth when I needed to, showering, etc... I know that sounds crazy but in my house there was no healthy parenting to tell me what to do. I have learned a lot of my regular adult habits by teaching myself. This is going to be true of my spiritual disciplines, my exercise habits, my eating habits, my emotional healing, and my advancement on my dreams. I know that I will have to whip myself into shape. Next week is going to be a big week for trying a new strategy. I have to figure out what that is during the weekend.

Please say a prayer for me if you think about it because tomorrow is weigh in and I really want to lose at least a pound this week. I maintained last week and I really just want some more weight off. I worked out every day this week which is huge for me. Today I did the treadmill and worked out my upper body. I need some muscles yo!

Anyway, here is my learning and thankfulness for yesterday. Have a beautiful weekend ya'll and God bless you!

Learning February 17, 2005:

1. A birthday is a huge deal for a child and we should all remember that.

2. If Pizza hut sends you a pizza with the wrong toppings, you get a pizza for free. :)

3. Cakes are expensive.

4. Being a parent really does take more than sleeping with someone of the opposite sex!

5. I have heard a lot lately that I have a beautiful smile and I am going to start believing it.

Thankfulness February 17, 2005:

Yesterday out of nowhere I heard from an old friend. He was a boyfriend in grade school and we continued to be very good friends all the way through high school. He was one of my favorite guys and really made me laugh and smile. His name is Mike Neves. He gave me a call yesterday on my cell phone and surprised the heck out of me. It was so nice to talk with him and catch up and hear what was new for him. He is a treasure and I am so happy that we got to talk. Thank you God for old friends and new surprises. Thanks Mike for the call, it was awesome!

~Shalom~

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