Pinterest

I am addicted to the website www.pinterest.com.  For years I have been ripping images out of magazines and have various notebooks filled with recipes, decorating ideas, quotes, books I love or want to read, places I want to visit, etc.  With pinterest I can store all of my ideas and images on a virtual board on my computer.  The best part about it is that you can see what other people are pinning and follow friends who are also on the site.  I spend more time repinning things than I do adding images I found on the internet.  For those who are technically challenged like myself and if this pinning business sounds like  Greek to you have no fear, there are several tutorials on the internet.  One that I came across is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtmmGA0M_yk .  Goodbye facebook, hello pinterest.  Happy Pinning!

Being Short

My family has been called the little people more than a few times.  I'm 5'4" and my husband is 5'3".  Needless to say our children aren't going to be giants unless their is a recessive tall gene that's going to appear before they are done with puberty.   Lately, my 12 year old daughter has been a little discouraged that she hasn't grown more.  We both love the website pinterest, and I had to laugh when I saw the above quotes pinned to her board.   There is a website dedicated to the fun sized where you can post grievances about being vertically challenged.  It is run by Sarah and Christina at shortpeopleproblems.tumblr.com. We may not all be blessed with the height to reach the top of a kitchen cabinet without the use of a step stool, but remember good things come in small packages.

Spring

It's officially the first day of Spring!  I welcome the beginning of a new season, especially Spring.  I love seeing the grass turn green again, pretty pink and white blossoms on trees, and buds forming on once bare shrubs.  The bleakness of winter disappears and is replaced by new growth. 

Magical

My family just returned from a visit to Orlando Florida's theme parks.  My son's high school marching band performed at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom over Spring Break.  I should know from past experience there are certain times you should avoid Disney World.  The week after Christmas is one, and I can now add Spring Break to the list.  The countless hours of standing in lines are definitely a lesson in patience.  Unfortunately, it's a virtue that I lack.  I sometimes switched lanes and tried to calculate which was moving the fastest.  I learned it's not important who finishes first, but how you run the race.  Although at times I admit I really wanted to be in the lead.  There were people who pushed their way through slamming myself and friends in the heel with their baby strollers.  The majority of guests were dignified and waited their turn like everyone else.  Is it really that important to get on a ride one minute earlier than everyone else?  There were moments I would have answered yes after waiting in line for 80 minutes, but I would rather be in the dignified group. 

The magic of Disney is looking around and seeing: topiaries carved into Mickey Mouse, Peter Pan and Captain Hook, adults wearing mouse ears and feeling like a kid again, and the glimmer and excitement in a child eyes upon seeing their favorite character.  Sometimes it's the magic of riding next to a ghost hologram and seeing the walls around you raise up in the Haunted Mansion.  You forget about your worries for the 3-4 minutes while your taken to another place.  I've never actually timed a ride so I'm guessing here. 

Disney World really is a magical place especially when you think of the time, energy and organization it must take to keep things looking pristine and people happy.  For some it is the happiest place on earth, for me it's magical and the perfect testament to what one mans imagination can create.  Thank you Walt! 

iphone

Simply Hue Designs

I said goodbye to my old blackberry phone and hello to the iphone.  I have never been much of a cell phone aficionado.  A cell phone used to be a nuisance to me and the battery would inevitably be going low the times I really needed to use it.  However, I'm enjoying my IPhone, and I'm still learning all of the bells and whistles on it.  Being from the old school of keypads the touch screen took a little getting used to. 

Not only am I excited about my phone, but all of the cool cases you can get for it.  I found this one by Simply Hue Designs on Society6. com.  I recently completed an online creativity course by the artist Vicki Dvorak.  I love her vintage and whimsical style and already have my eye on another one of her cases.  If a girl can have multiple purses why not phone cases.  After all, they have become somewhat of the new accessory.  Please feel free to comment if you have any favorite apps.

JOY

 

 
I think of joy as a constant peace within you. Happiness comes and goes, but to me joy is being filled with the Holy Spirit and seeing things through eyes of love.  It is also being able to find beauty in any circumstance which can be extremely hard to do.  My intention for creating this blog is to seek and share the beauty that I find in everyday life.  It could be things or thoughts that are obviously beautiful or it might be a new perspective on something that may seem mundane.  To me a full life is one that is joyful.  On a side note, I have a confession to make.  When I named my blog I didn't realize joyful only has one l.  I am a horrible speller.  When my husband saw the name of my blog he said, I get it joy and full.  So that is my story, and I'm sticking to it.

My Journey

 


I read a blog post awhile back that asked you to list ten things you've learned in the past decade. My immediate reaction was, I have no idea!  It seems like it would be such an easy question, but it's funny how often we don't stop to reflect upon it.  These are a few things I've learned along the way.  I actually went over ten.

• I've learned that things don't always appear the way they seem .
• Holding on to grudges only hurts you and not the other person.
• To have true peace and happiness there is only love.
• Happiness is a choice.
• Everyone wants to feel validated.
• We are responsible for our own life.
• Don't take anything personally.  It's not about you, it's about them.
• Everyone has their own journey in life.
• You lose yourself when you're constantly trying to please others.
• Think before you speak.  I keep relearning this one.
• An open heart is much healthier and a better way to live than with a closed one.
• Anything is possible when you believe it.
• Trust in God- He is our foundation, creator, rock and where the peace is.
• Don't be afraid to dream.  Have a vision for your life.
• Things I worried about 10 years ago don't matter today.
• You have to work at your relationships.
• Follow your intuition.  It has all the answers you need.
• Love yourself, be kind to yourself, believe in yourself!
• Don't waste time comparing yourself to other people. ( another lesson I need to work at)

What are some of the lessons you've learned over time?