March 02, 2012
Hello March | Welcoming New Sponsors + Monthly Notes
How do you measure time? Hourly, daily, monthly?
When is that space in time where you take a break or a deep breath? At the end of an hour, a meal, a day, the end of a week, the end of a month?
I do a little of everything, celebrating the end of one time period (or just being thankful it's behind me) and then moving on to the next with a clean slate whenever possible. I like turning the calendar each month and I like seeing the new month ahead of me, I like going to bed each night and I like waking up each morning - I guess you could say I actually like both endings and beginnings.
This month I'd like to welcome (or welcome back) the following new sponsors to my blog for March:
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UPRINTING.COM | A leading socially responsible online printing, marketing and technology firm, has established itself as a major player in the industry with its distinct vision and clear approach to helping small businesses grow. It serves thousands of on-demand business printing and graphic printing orders online daily, using high-quality press printing and a robust yet simple and easy-to-use online ordering system, resulting in high-end printing services and reliable color printing at discount printing costs. -
BANANAFISHSTUDIO | A miniature design boutique owned and operated by graphic designer France Wisniewski. Based in a lovely Seattle neighborhood, she specializes in creating an assortment of paper and digital notions inspired by her love of modern design and vintage ephemera. -
LINDY HARRISON | Hi, my name is Lindy Gruger Hanson and I’m a joyful hearted, nature lovin’ artist...I like to paint colorful, whimsical worlds! You will see art with lots of vibrant color, line and pattern. I mainly sell my prints in my Etsy Shop at http://lgrugerhanson.etsy.com and my originals on my website at www.lgruger.com or at the Laughing Raven Gallery in Jerome, AZ. - A LIFE HANDMADE | A delightful new shop filled with a stylish assortment of paper and crafting goodies. A Life Handmade highlights the versatility of items like tags, twine, doilies and journaling cards, and they're constantly introducing new products to help ignite your creativity.
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CHIC TAGS | We specialize in designer, handmade, high quality, scrapbooking paper products. Our list of products include: journaling tags, journaling spots, and embellishments. Each item is uniquely designed and exclusive to Chic Tags.
Look for giveaways from many of these companies this month or next. If you'd like to learn more about sponsorship send me an email sponsors@aliedwards.com
SOME NOTES & HAPPENINGS FOR MARCH
- If you're a student in One Little Word a new prompt is now available in the classroom. This class is open for people to join throughout the year. You can read more about it and sign up here.
- I'm guest posting a couple times a week this month over at a cool photo + words site called Habit.
- The 5th Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge is underway at Two Writing Teachers.
- My 52 Creative Lifts Newsletter continues to be released at the end of each week. You can access the archives here or sign up to receive the once-a-week emails here.
- If you missed my announcement earlier this week I've got a new self-paced album class available called FIVE. It's a fun adventure into creating an album that includes enlarged photos, specific room to tell the story, and five fun crafting techniques to be used on top of enlarged numbers - all in an 8x8 book. Check it out and sign up ($14) here.
Hello to all your sponsors!
I'm like you in that I enjoy every morning and each night. I like to think over our day before going to sleep. Following the clock is a habit of mine though, like by the hour. Another change of time I like though is the seasons, love embracing each one and waiting for the next one. I can't imagine living somewhere without a true cold winter or being hot all year round. Having these seasons brings a different way of life and the way we do things (being outside or inside more & less). My favorite day of the week has always been Sundays and I make sure to enjoy each one and think about our week on this day. Now that March is here it seems these next few months always go by the fastest for me and then summer break is here and the kids are home!!
I wanted to include something about your post from yesterday, I left a comment this morning already but just had a new thought.
I have a tv show that does this for me, THE MIDDLE !! It comes on before Modern Family which I also like.
Well the mother Frankie always reflects on her family in the beginning and then things go wrong but at the end of each show she sees the positive things and the happiness of being ordinary and finding the small things that are big in her family. This show is so real and I relate to every eposide of it. This is what I do everyday before going to bed. Just taking those few moments to reflect back on the day and what I learned from it and move forward to the next exciting day.
Have a good weekend !
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Hi Ali,
The first question in your post immediately reminded me of this song from the movie Rent, called Seasons of love.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8iTeDl_Wug
Have a nice weekend!
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Hi Ali,
I noticed I have not gotten a "52" weeks newsletter lately. I believe the last I recieved is week 5. Now with that said I did have to adjust my spam settings as I was getting about 55 each day that was simply junk. I set it to "reccommended setting) I now NO longer get that junk but am wondering if thats why I have not gotton the newsletter lately. UGH!!! If I would add a address to my email address's do you think that would help. Thanks for your time and this OH so WONDERFUL blog:)
Hmmm. Yes, they are definitely still going out. You can add ali@aliedwards.com to your address book. You can also send me an email and I can double-check that you are in the system. You can also access the archives here:http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/home/?u=f12cbd6aabad2fe71f38a8209&id=6289de204f
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i'll be so happy to see you at habit. i love that site!
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just a comment from a long time stalker, intense fan. so much of your work includes the word "hello" - the name of this post is Hello March, you have the whole hello life, hello ordinary day thing going on. so while the end of something is propably appealing to you, my impression is that you're an even bigger fan of new beginnings.
which will serve you very well in life since we're always saying goodbye and hello.
reminds me of when my first was born, i went thru her childhood convinced i had found the stage i loved best and then discovering i was wrong. I loved the infant stage, the smell, the wonder and thought it just couldnt get any better. then i saw her first smile/reaction. surely that was best. then she could sit up and i was positive that would be my favorite stage. until of course she started moving (and helped me shed the baby weight) and i got such a kick out of her wobbly exploration. it continued until this day when she is 20 and i just adore her now, as an almost woman and realize that it is all perfection, every wonderful challenging stage has its place in my heart.
I loved reading this!! You are right about the "hello" in Ali's blogging, have just started thinking of that myself and what a great thing it is.
What you said about the stages of our kids lives is how I feel too. It is so true and I try and remind myself of this most days. I'm raising two teenage girls and we have some rough days and part of me just wants to skip all these and get to the young adult (20's) stage so we can get along again. Thanks for sharing these great thoughts!
I, too, have loved every stage that my two beautiful daughters have been through, each time thinking "This is the best...how can it get better?" and, of course, it becomes even more awesome. Now I am the proud grandmother of a five month old baby girl, and the delight in seeing my daughter as a mother is quite profound. She amazes me every day, and every day I count my blessings.
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LOVE turning the page to a new month! In fact, my Project Life this year now starts a new page at the beginning of a month even if the weeks overlap. I'm not firm on the week per layout thing this year.
This is a favorite month for me, full of beginnings...the renewal of Spring, Lent, nicer weather. Just the 'springing' of everything. This year March brings an ending too.. a half marathon St. Pats day weekend which culminates months of focus and dedicated training. Proud of what I've accomplished thus far and happy to be at the ending.
Happy Happy March!
That's awesome Chris - good luck!
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I just checked out Habit and Two Writing Teachers and WOW! There ARE other people like me out there!
Thanks for the inspiration, Ali!
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I'm so glad you posted the Creativity newsletter about comparison. I read too many blogs sometimes. What stands out in most of them is the lack of reality. I so admire your approach -- you are real in your feelings, but still stick to the positive path.
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Your sponsors sound amazing. I'm off to check them out.
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Ali, thank you for posting about Habit. It was exactly what my soul needed today to refresh and recharge my inner spirit. Just reading through several days helped to slow my breath calm my heart and let me open my eyes with a new perspective.
Awesome Lauren. I felt that way about the site too.
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Like you, I'm partial to both endings and beginnings.
The tiny bit of breathing room in between is pretty cool too - the relief of the exhale and the invigoration of the inhale.
Have a great weekend!
A.
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SAME PHILOSOPHY OF NEW BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS
upon retiring I make a mental roundup of the day....than think about tomorrow .... I do morning writing pages daily which helps focus...this was from the The Artist Way book which is awesome!
than on to what lies ahead....sometime the road veers ...but HP steers the helm so I go with flow....
have great wk loved your sponsors and most of all YOU & the Family
Sharon PHX AZ
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Thanks Ali. You reminded me to turn over my little Leonardo calender to March.
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I love endings because they always lead to new beginnings. I end my PL every month with all the little snipits that didn't fit in during the month that I don't want to forget and I begin each month with a picture of my honey, our dog (Angel) and myself to affirm that we are still here and we can make it through anything together.
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Thanks for mentioning our Slice of Life Story Challenge, Ali! We appreciate it!
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Love 'Habit". Oh and '5', too!
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I just visited chic tags and I love the blog.March is one of my favorite months since I have quite a few achievements during this month. :)
Annabella MErlin
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Interesting question! I don't measure time very well at all! I lose track of time easily. When I flip the calendar I am usually dismayed that time is going by so fast. I prefer to let life just flow, without the tyranny of the clock and rigid schedules. I definitely "take a deep breath" in the evening before bed, when everything is done for the day, and no one needs me for anything, and I'm not anticipating anything more to deal with.
When looking back at memories, I think of them either by event, or by segments of time during certain circumstances (what grade the kids were in, where we lived at the time, etc.)
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thanks for all the cool links...had to place an order with chictags immediately!!!!
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