Waiting for June challenges? Got a blog challenge for you!

Oooh. Christa is an amazing scrapbooker and her galley is overflowing with inspiration. Definitely a great idea. Heading there now.

 

Hi! @bellbird ...When is the deadline for this challenge ?...Thanks... ...

 

@bellbird Thank You!... ...

 

I am so honored to be selected as the first Polly pick Thank you @bellbird Justine.. Love your page by the way and I cannot wait to see everyone's pages!!!

 

@bellbird I love that there is a Polly Picks Challenge Gallery too!

 

What a great post and I love reading about someone I know in my computer!

 

Fabulous post! I love that we are reviving the Polly Picks! I just went and checked and it was 10 years ago that we finished up our last round of Polly Picks, so it's definitely time to do it again! So fun!

 

What fun! I can't wait to work on this! I have admired Crista's style for as long as I've been at TLP! Also her kind words always and encouraging words! @cfile I'm glad to have "met" you here at TLP! I've really enjoyed reading the blog post!

 

Thank you so much Jagruti for your sweet and kind words!! Big hugs! I cant wait to see your page!

 

I tried to post my link to the blog post, I don't see it yet. Maybe there is a delay? I did try twice!
Here is my page:

 

We've had tons of spam comment on the blog, so every comment must be manually approved. I'll head over there and doing a round of approvals.

 

You're all set now @jagruti patel

 

posted to the blog comments as well.

 

Hi Everyone...

*Necessary Rules : For this Challenge :

1. At least one blended/masked OR black and white photo
2. A flower OR foliage element
3. Stitching OR twine
4. Some ephemera
5. A neutral Or pastel Background

*I followed all of these rules...My background paper may seem a bit buried under all of my elements and so on...but it is a neutral beige with some white there...This challenge was yet another milestone for me in my mission to keep moving forward in a positive fashion...Most of you may or may not know this about me...but I am not one of those smiley people...It is just not my personality...But...I definitely lost my ability to smile at all after my husband passed away...Smile? What's that?...I don't think I smiled for over a year after he died...I mean I may have smirked a few times...but a real smile...probably not...I felt what did I have to smile about?...My life was h*** and had fallen apart both mentally and physically...It took me a long time to just even try to smile a little...but I am learning to find some joy again in my every day life too...and that's how I started...Being thankful! for something each day,no matter how small or big!...I have begun to learn patience again with myself and know that everything is not solved in a day,week,month or year...Grief takes it's time & does...what I call... "marinates" in your heart and soul...and one must learn to function around it and or work through it...because it is always there...even when you don't think it is...it's there waiting to remind you of a memory or a moment wrapped up in grief...and more importantly...because I have learned this...it has changed my overall thinking about grief...I once thought I had to wait for my sad feelings to diminish to the point of letting go of my memories or trying to forget them in order to move forward...but that is not how it works [at least not for me] ...So,with much soul searching and guidance,I have decided that I don't want to be sad all the time anymore...I am gonna try to find some kind of life for myself again...whatever that means...I even colored my hair last Saturday evening!...I have been trying for months to do this and just like that!...I did it!...It didn't turn out exactly as I would have wanted it to...but I am happy with it, for now...I will create a layout about it down the road...

So this layout is about me and my version of a smile...the picture is a new picture I took just a few days ago wearing one of my summer fedora hats...after going for a lovely walk outside in the sunshine [before I colored my hair]...but this photo is black & white for this challenge...

Looking at this layout...shortly after I just posted it...I just smiled...and thought to myself...you sure have come a long way in 2 years...

*Thanks! for this challenge!...
*Credits in my gallery*
*My : Finding My Smile Again : Layout :