Yay! It's Friday! Let the foolishness begin!

This picture just makes me smile and it is so fitting for this day.  Today, I head up to the Scrappin' Retreats crop house to spend the weekend with 12 AWESOME, AMAZING women(including the ladies in this photo).  We do this 2x a year, every year.  This is our 14th gathering and there is never a dull moment.  We craft, we laugh, we eat, we laugh, we eat and we craft some more. It is such a joyous, wonderful, ruckus yet relaxing weekend.

I cannot wait!

Travel safely my friends.  See you soon.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Muah!

What's Wrong with Me?

OMG!  I did it again.  I jumped in feet first without regard to my own sacred space and time.  I
ignored the warning signs and my own commitment to self.

At the beginning of this year, as I do every year, I chose a word to encompass a specific goal I have in mind for the year.  This year my word is SIMPLIFY!  I tend to do much too much and give myself unnecessary tasks.

I created iClassygirl.com so that I could simply share all of my gifts with you.  I can share may weight loss, my crafting, my love, my joy, my life.  It keeps it all simple and in one wonderful place that represents me and all that I have to share.

So what did you do, you ask?

I created another blog!  What the what?  You know the one...I Make Money Crafting.  What can I say?  The wheels are always turning.   I promised myself I wouldn't do this to myself and I did!  Yes. I did.  That's the bad thing.  The other bad thing is I'm NOT going to blog at both spots.  The good thing is, I will blog about it here!  It's just one more gift I get to share.  The really cool and super wonderful thing about it is that there is an absolutely AMAZING book, From Paper Crafts to CASH that will come forth from the chaos!  I cannot wait to share it with you.  I will launch this new book in May 2013.  I've updated it since my special introductory workshop, to include more worksheets, great profiles, updated social media section and so much more.  It will be a MUST HAVE resource for anyone who has thought about turning their paper crafting hobby into an income generating business.  Stay tuned.

Now, let me apologize for losing myself!  I'm back on track and focused.  I've updated iClassygirl.com and have some amazing new posts and creativity to share with you in the coming weeks.  Getting and staying focused allows me to do what I love...share, inspire and create.  It allows me to be calm...

breathe. eat. create. amore. laugh. move. 

....which allows me to be HAPPY!

Now if you see me straying again, I give you permission to slap me upside the head or just shack me!

SIMPLIFY!

Muah!

PS. If you haven't subscribed to my email updates be sure to sign up today to claim your free gift!

Celebrating Sistahood! Celebrate SOC! 8th Anniversary Blog Hop!

Welcome to SOC's 8th Anniversary Blog Hop! I'm glad you stopped by for the celebration! If you're dropping by from Chauntelle's blog, then you're in the right place! However, if you started here, you can visit the SOC E:spire blog to join this party from the beginning!

To commemorate Scraps of Color's 8th birthday, I, along with some talented papercrafters, have teamed up to share projects based on the celebrations in our lives. We wanted to have this special blog hop to celebrate this great crafting community where we laugh, play, and create together and encourage and inspire one another. Of course, a blog hop isn't complete without blog candy! There will be giveaways on various blogs throughout the hop! Plus there will be a SOC blog hop gift awaiting one visitor!! To be eligible for that prize, you must comment on all the blogs by Monday, Oct. 8 at 11pm EST. From all who are eligible, one lucky reader will be randomly drawn. The winner will be posted on all the participating blogs on Wednesday, Oct. 10.

For this hop, I thought it would be fitting to celebrate friendship!  This layout features myself and one of dearest friends.  We represent more than 30 years of friendship.  We still giggle like little girls and when necessary we cry.  I LOVE my friend and I love my sistah friends and I am glad to be celebrating 8 years of SOC!!!!

Fun Tip:  Fold mat/paper edges for a unique touch for your layouts.

Now to play along and be eligible to win this fun prize, be sure to leave me a little love/comment below!  And while you are here: follow this blog (at right), share on Facebook, tell a friend!

And don't forget to visit the following blogs for more sistahly inspiration and more chances to win!

Celebrate Sistahood!  Celebrate SOC!  

BLOG HOP ORDER: 

The SOC E:spire blog http://www.scrapofcolor.com/

Tiare (Classygirl) http://www.iclassygirl.com YOU ARE HERE!

CraftySue52 http://craftysue52.blogspot.com/

FranCine http://confiseriespapier.blogspot.com/

Cheryl http://www.onecraftyncpeach.blogspot.com/

Lisa http://www.craftcardrx.blogspot.com/

Cyndi http://nashvillesscrappinsisters.blogspot.com/

Patricia http://www.triciatreasure.blogspot.com/

Kristen http://1206designs.com/

Princess http://www.papercraftingparadise.blogspot.com/

Trina W http://trinamadethis.blogspot.com/

Felisa http://felisa21.blogspot.com/

MJ http://afrocentriccreations.blogspot.com/

Sharette http://scrappernthemaking.blogspot.com/

Christa http://sacredmemoriespreserve.blogspot.com/

Happy Hopping!

I've Been Featured: Fascinating Fridays!!!

Check it out!  I've been featured for Fascinating Fridays!!!  

Thanks Noor for sharing my creativity with your readers!  You ROCK!!!

Click here to check it out!

Freedom. Courage. Beauty.

For two years, I've been threatening to cut my locs.  I've scoured online galleries looking at photos of people with short, natural styles, to help build my courage.  I've tried to hide my locs to see what I think I'll look like...which by the way is so absolutely ridiculous since I've had a short haircut/afro before.  I've talked about it and talked about and talked about and talked about it.

Then one day, I cried, said a little prayer, grabbed the scissors and cut off the first 5 locs in the front of my hair.  I combed them out and to my surprise, I felt an awesome wave of relief.  I felt rejuvenated and thrilled that I combed my own hair for the first time in just over 11 years!

Next, I cut all of my locs and was left with short pieces of locs with some new growth.  My head and my NECK felt so light, so free, so wonderful!  For the next 3 hours I sat and detangled the left over locs and I trimmed myself a nice little afro.  I combed, I washed, I conditioned and moisturized.  I SMILED!

Through the entire process my dh spoke only kind and loving words...your hair looks so good, you are beautiful, you hair looks nice, you did a great job!  So encouraging, so loving I can't help but feel beautiful, no matter the length of my hair.

Today, 2 days later...I am still tickled that I cut it myself and I like the way it looks!  I seem to LOVE it more and more each day!  Yay!

I feel FREE!  I feel COURAGEOUS.  I feel BEAUTIFUL!

Now here are a few pics....

I trimmed and shaped it a bit more and now I REALLY love it!

I do not live my life by the hand of fear or for the approval of others!

A Scrappy Weekend!

This weekend I had the pleasure of hanging out with my girl Ms. Lisa Renee at a Scrappin' Home Retreat in Flowery Branch, GA.  What a fun weekend. Not only were we at the retreat but this was also the weekend onf the Scrapbook Expo in Duluth, GA which happened to be about 10 minutes from the retreat!  Woohoo!

Needless to say, we took some time away from the retreat to hit the exhibit floor to pick up a "few" goodies!  LOL!

What a fun experience.  I was so surprised to hear people calling out Classygirl or SOC or Scraps of Color when they saw me.  Many people came up to me to tell me how I have inspired them with my weight loss or with my creativity, how much they enjoy SOC.  Those moments will be forever etched on my heart and in my mind.  They were so unexpected and touched my heart in so many ways...especially those who mentioned how much weight they had lost and how I had motivated them or supported them while sharing my story.  I get emotional just typing this.  I am forever grateful for this journey, for being able to share this journey, for those who have taken it with me and for all the kind words and encouragement I have gotten along the way.  Who knew I would touch others lives in such a significant way...so I say, Thank YOU!  YOU, your words, your successes are the true gifts to me.

Ok...pull it together!  LOL!

Now...I have to confess that in all the excitement, I forgot to pull out my camera...so I don't have photos of all these wonderful women! Uuuuughhhh!  I do have the memories and next time, I'll have my camera in hand!  I was pretty bad about taking photos all weekend long.  I only captured a few.  Here ya go...

My scrappy haul from the expo and Archivers!  I'm planning
mini albums and altered art for future projects!  Stay tuned!

I met these wonderful ladies from DC at Archivers!
The only photo I captured meeting others!  LOL!

Funny story.  I overheard these ladies talking about a group in the Atlanta area called Scraps of Color!  Of course, I had to stop and introduce myself.  Sweet!  I hope to see them in March!

The only picture I have from the retreat house!

I truly enjoyed attending Scrappin' Home Retreat and met some really fun and nice ladies!  The crop area is beautiful, clean and very bright with plenty of table space for each cropper.  A full kitchen and bathroom right off the crop room makes it quite convenient.  I loved that you could hang up your layouts, as you completed them...see mine hanging behind me.  It was just a great way to share what you had done.  If you are like me at some point you want to walk around and check out what everyone is doing...this made it very easy and added fun, inspiration and easy talking points to the retreat.  

I had a great time. Needless, to say...I'd do it again.  Perhaps I'll plan a retreat soon and you'll come and crop with me!

I ❤ IT WHEN YOU LEAVE COMMENTS!

My Fun Weekend in Photos!

Today, I am recuperating from a weekend of fun and creativity with a bunch of wonderful women!!! 
(I've been away since Friday...hence NO AASE....the fun didn't end until late last night.  I should have it up in the next day or so.)


14 of us get together, every year, twice a year for a scrapbooking and FUN weekend!

We always go out for dinner on Sunday night.  And this year after dinner we stopped at a carnival..not planned...but such fun!

Pretty ladies!

Just silly.  Is that guy checking out our butts???

Erika and I...getting our slide on! 

On Monday, some of us continue the fun by finding a spot somewhere around town to take photos and just have way too much fun!  Here are 4 of my favorites from our fun day.

...and these are just a few of my "me" faves from the weekend.

Camille and I.  I think this is just beautiful!

We all did a photo booth shoot using the photo booth app!  FUN!

Angie and I being silly in the car.  I ❤ Angie.  She is such fun!

No she wasn't driving.  We are in the backseat, cutting up!

Seriously, scrapbooking has brought some wonderful people to my life!  These pictures not only will remind of that but they again celebrate how far I've come!

Once upon a time at almost 300lbs, I was unable to jump. I would've been more afraid to take that slide and that swing, if at all(I used to think everything would break, when I sat on it.).  Although I've always enjoyed being in the photo, today I am more confident and excited about being in the photo.  I have so many photos of people, places and poses...that I missed before.

Ooops!  I almost forgot these!  I worked out too (during the retreat, while the other ladies were still sleeping) and once upon a time, I surely would not have done that!  Oh yeh!

Have a Happy, Healthy Week!  Do something GOOD FOR YOU!!!

I've Lost My Mojo!!!

I've been a bit absent.  Not blogging, not scrapbooking...just a bit blah!  However, I've made a video.  I've written a poem and I'm sharing a little something with you to tell you how I feel!  Hmmmm?  I guess that says a lot.  EnJOY.  Be sure to leave me a little love!

Have a great weekend!

My MAC Makeover! Yay!

I really don't know what prevented me from doing this or so many things when I was heavier.  Fear? Not feeling pretty enough?  Too self-conscious to sit in the chair???  I just know that now, I feel so FREE!  I am just more confident, more open to trying things, more adventurous.  I am now HAPPY to experience life in so many ways.

Don't get me wrong, I've never been a lover of makeup and this experience will not change that.  A bit a lip color and a little eyeshadow, I can do...but for now I know that foundation and a BIG makeup regimen is NOT for me...no matter how pretty I look.  LOL!  I tend to be more simple, enjoying my natural beauty and maybe...just maybe slight enhancements to highlight my natural beauty.  However, every girl should have a least one makeover in her life!

My neighbor and I have been encouraging one another to step out of our comfort zone and try new things. So on this day, I got a makeover!  Here it is....

I absolutely LOVE my eyebrows and my lips!  Needless to say, the eyebrow pencil, lip liner and lip gloss came home with me...that's about all I can commit to right now...on a special night out!  LOL!

I feel elated that I had the confidence and comfort to sit in the chair!

Love yourself at every size and love yourself enough to CHANGE!

Happy, Healthy Saturday!  Muah!

Me and Jennifer Hudson: I GOT THIS!!!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting the lady, Jennifer Hudson and getting an autographed copy of her book, "I Got This."  She was signing her book at the new Weight Watchers' Center in Kennesaw, GA.

I must admit, when I see Jennifer in the Weight Watchers' commercials she makes me think of myself...we have quite a bit in common: both born and raised in Chicago, significant, successful weight loss, we both like and use Weight Watchers' as our program of choice, she seems quite happy and truly enjoying her slimmer self and she ROCKS those little short dresses and y'all know I can't live without my short dresses!  LOL!

She is smaller in person than I expected, friendly and full of smiles! She is quite an inspiration and I am glad to see her story growing and going in such a positive, uplifting direction, after such a rough start.  She is doing the doggone thang and I am proud to see her "represent!"

Anyway, here are a few photos from the day.

This one is me waiting to me J. Hud!

Next...just before our handshake, she is happy to learn that I too am from Chicago.  (Notice my before photo on the table in front of her.)

Jennifer Hudson's reaction when she sees my before photo...that she is holding in her hand!  FUN!

My neighbor and WW buddy(and one of my biggest cheerleaders), Yolonda enjoyed the day and meeting J Hud too!

It was a fun day and a JOY to meet J. Hud!

FLOURISH!