This past weekend was the Scrapbook Your Heart retreat hosted by the wonderful Allison Orthner. The weekend focused on four themes in our lives, family, friends, faith and fun. We discussed how truly meaningful they are in our everyday lives and how important it is to capture them in our scrapbooks both in pictures and words straight from the deepest parts of our hearts.
This weekend was also a fundraiser Allison's presentations were amazing. They were completely heartfelt. This little lady definitely has a gift of being able to move your to laughter and tears and deep contemplation, all in a twenty minute period! I was lucky enough to teach and speak a little about the friends in our lives.
I spoke about Trisha and Anam and how our path crossed through Canada's Scrapbooking Crop for Kids and our lives beyond that now. I also talked about how truly friends can spit out the most profound wisdom that impacts you in ways that you can never imagine.
I shared a time that Trisha and I were having a conversation about dealing with the tribulations of life and how we deal with them. It was a long talk to which her and I tend to think much alike on the matter. During this conversation, she articulated something, that although I knew in my heart, but summed it up in a nice little package.
"Everyday, when you wake up, you have to make a choice. You either lay there and ignore what is coming your way until you it piles up to an unbearable reality,
or
you can get up and go through your day and conquer it bit by bit and find out that it wasn't as bad as your mind is making it out to be.
Which would you rather do?"
or
you can get up and go through your day and conquer it bit by bit and find out that it wasn't as bad as your mind is making it out to be.
Which would you rather do?"
And you know, that is what I came to realize a long time ago, but I just never said it to myself this way. And I take those words and I think about them often.
I also want to take the time to thank Upsy Daisy Designs for sponsoring the page materials and letting me add some Prima goodies to the mix.
The other gals also did a fine job presenting pages on the other three themes.
The fabulous Cari Locken from Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine did a beautiful page on "Family".
Allison did two beautiful page options on "Faith" in our lives.
And last but definitely not least, the charming and talented Christy Riopel, owner of Monday Night Class taught the last class on "Fun".
If you have not checked this site out, you should! They sell wonderfully designed two-page layout kits ever! And in pretty much every occasion you can imagine. These classes truly hit their aim to make scrapbooking accessible to everyone.I also got to meet the sweetest lady, "Calgary's Craft Diva" Christine Collier as well as the fun and bubbly Brittany Stephenson.
And that is just the beginning of all the ladies I got to meet! Thank you all of you wonderful ladies for making this a wonderful weekend.
I also want to say thank you to Camp Caroline and our wonderful host, Pam Morrow. You were truly an inspiration and beautiful soul to all of us. Thank you. And psst...if you come across this Pam, I hope you join us at the tables next year!
See! See! Look at all the other fun we had!
And take a look at what we looked out on.....
A gorgeous little chapel and in front of it ran this little brook. And as you can see, we also got the pleasure of watching a wedding. We all wish the happy couple lots of luck, love and many years of happiness.
Saturday night, I also taught a Prima Paintables make n' take that kept me busy and ever so slightly manic for an hour. Imagine this if you will, me teaching 100 ladies in an hour! It was insanity! But it was totally fun.
I also had the pleasure of teaching this wonderful, quirky and feminine purse-themed mini album, filled with Prima goodness.
And I want to let you know, that if you didn't get a chance to grab a kit at the retreat I have some that are available for $30.
They come with detailed, full-color instructions and are ready to go. If you are interested, you can email me at Janine.Wahl@gmail.com
and
I am also giving one away!
Just post on my comments your favorite girlfriend moment and I will randomly select a winner on June 1st. 
Thanks for stopping in!
Geocaching.com
12 comments:
wow you look like you guys had a blast and what a terrific venue. The chapel makes me want to go to church or renew my vows. Thanks for sharing and I loved all the great layouts
Glad you had so much fun Janine. It looks like a beautiful location!
I thought I'd share a quick girlfriends moment with you...Each year, I get together with three friends from high school (and a few new friends) and we head to the States for some shopping and visiting. It is so much fun, and I look forward to it all year. It really makes me value these girls and our friendship that has lasted through so many changes... kids, marriages, school, moves, embarassing moments, and much more. I only wish we could do it more often.
What a wonderful weekend. And a beautiful project.
Blogger lost my first comment so let's see if I can type it again. LOL
I entered the state fair scrapbooking catogory and was eager to see how I did. I took my two best friends (both in their 60's.....not me ;{ )
We laughed, screamed, ate like kids, stopped people to take funny photos of the three of us, had a "shoot out" with water pistols (I won)...overall we had a absoulte blast!
We go back every year now. It is our time to have a little out of the box fun for us.
Wow, Janine!!! Sounds like you had and awesome weekend!!!My favorite girlfriend moment is anytime we get together and laugh so hard that I almost pee my pants (unfortunately, that's not too difficult).
I had such a blast this weekend-thank you so much for everything you contributed!!
My favourite girlfriend momment is sitting out in the car with my GF Candice after a night out or just coffee-we have the most in depth and wonderful conversations right there-and usually for hours on end. Only someone that truly loves you will sit in the car and the cold!!!
Thanks again!
Jodi
Love the mini album!!
I have so many favorite girlfriend moments, but I think my favorite is related to my bestfriend Sharon who I met because of scrapbooking and the internet in a yahoogroup March of 2002...last May she flew from Florida to Maine and we spent an entire week together creating mini albums etc. She is flying back up next week for another week and I cannot wait!! I am blessed to have found this beautiful woman, who is truly, my bestfriend!!
Jenny in Maine
Followed your link from 2 peas and enjoyed your delightful blog post.
My fav girlfriend moment is recently my BGF and I got to share secrets with each other, we were becoming grandmothers at the same time. My BGF and i met in high school and 30+ years later, still best buds.
Looks like it was a blast! I get to have a favorite girlfriend moment once every month when my Girl's Night group gets together for dinner. We cry, yell, laugh and truly enjoy each other for all our similarities and differences!
hey Janine,
so sad I missed out on that fabby weekend! looks like it was a blast! My favourite girlfriend thought, is I've been best friends with my friend Natalie literally since the day I was born. we lived beside each other our whole lives and even now, we built a block away from each other. we have done lot's of fun & naughty things, but we are so into our fmaily lives now. but every once in awhile a thought triggers a road trip we went on, some idiots we dated, or clothes we wore, hairstyles, etc. and we can sit and laugh about nothing for hours. Sometimes we can't stop, and if our husbands walk in they think we are nuts. but it's these times we laugh that I really enjoy the most. to live carefree in our memories.
Hey Janine!
It was great to spend the weekend with you - too bad we didn't see each other more. I guess that's just how it is when we're teaching right?
Hope you had a good time!
Looks like you had a really good time. My favourite girlfriend moment was when I was driving home after a scrapbooking event that I said to my husband "I haven't laughed so much in a long time." We moved last year and I haven't made good friends like that yet.
Tracey B
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