Change.  October in Chicagoland is all about change.  The weather can go from sunny and 70 on Monday to a chilly windstorm on Wednesday to a Friday snowstorm.  A tree can be green and then red and then bare before you have time to grab your camera for that perfect shot.  You can actually smell the change in the air the minute you step out the door.

I know that it may sound crazy, but I am a fan of change.  That is not to say that I have loved all the changes in my life, for some of them were doozies that I would gladly have skipped.  And there are certainly days that I look in the mirror and wonder when in the heck did that line arrive and who invited it to my face.  But with those thoughts aside, I am a change girl.  My husband learned early in our marriage to always turn on the lights before entering a room since there is a good chance I will have rearranged some (or all) of the furniture while he was out.

Why do I like change?  Because I see my life as a work in progress.  I need to still grow and learn.  The world is so full of ideas, inspiration, lessons, books, people, plans, places--the list is endless!  I want to grab life with both hands and if I am spending my energy holding on to the life I have then how can I grab? 

This helps me as a professor, a scrapbooker, and a mom.  My classes stay interesting since my students and I delve into new ideas.  My scrapping style changes and grows with each class I take and each challenge I try.  I never have a chance to get bored with this ever-changing hobby.  As a mom, I can celebrate each new phase in my kids' lives.  I know my goal is to raise adults who can live without me, so instead of mourning the years when they needed me, I can cheer as they take each step into the world.  And then I can curl up with my scrapbooks and take a quick walk through all those days gone by.  Because I have captured the moments; I can embrace the change.

Card making was a change for me over the last couple of months.  I used to think of cards as a way to use my scraps, but now I make cards using all my "best supplies" happily.  With some new tools, some favorite blogs, and a new attitude, I can now call myself a card maker.  And I love it.  October 3rd is World Card Making Day.  Honest, a whole day dedicated to cards.  Looking for a small change you can make today?  Grab some of your favorite goodies and create a card.  You might just find the freedom to make more changes!

Wishing you happy changes,

Thanks by Dora Phillips

Supplies: Papers: Paper Trunk, Cardstock: Bazzill Basics Paper, Letters: American Crafts, Bling: Kaisercraft, Tools: Scor-it, Cuttlebug, Other: pipe cleaners.

Design Notes: I cut out the flowers from this gorgeous heavy weight paper and made a vase out of a journal block.  No saving the pearl bling!  Look how perfectly it accents the vase.  Save the Thickers for a layout?  No, ma'am.  I am a changed woman using those letters on my card.