Inspirations Classes

Christmas and all of the other exciting fall/winter holidays are just around the corner! If you are like I am, you love to give the most meaningful gifts,and it is an extra bonus if I can find a great price as well. Since I have discovered Heritage Makers, the bulk of my gift giving turns into a celebration of family and friends as I am able to personalize a quality project just for them.

Here is just one cute example of a fun family calendar:

One thing I love about Heritage Makers is that they provide a place to get new ideas--for gift giving, home decorating, and more--in the form of online classes and an extensive template gallery! I am not a creative person on my own accord, but show me an idea and I can certainly run with it! :)

The past two "Inspirations" classes (as they are accurately called) were on calendars and home decor. I highly suggest that you watch them!

The link to find the classes is here: http://studio.heritagemakers.com/onlineClasses.cfm

View the template gallery here: http://studio.heritagemakers.com/templateGallery.cfm

2011 Best of Heritage Winner "For the Good Times"

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This is such an amazing story. There is no better way than storybooking to pay special tribute to a life--storybooks last a lifetime!

Rest In Peace, Linda

My cute new storybooking friend, Linda Gray, lost her 15+ year battle with cancer earlier this week. On Tuesday, October 11, at 4:37 am, I received an email update that said that she ended up at the ER the previous Thursday where they discovered cancer in both lungs, along with pneumonia. They gave her 3-6 months to live. The next day she became disoriented then fell unconscious, after which an MRI showed the cancer had spread to her brain. They gave her 10 days at the most and sent her home. Monday morning, her life expectancy was moved to "a couple of days..."

Then later Tuesday morning, around 11:30, I received another update saying that Linda had passed...

She was part of my life for less than a week, but she has impacted me. I will never forget her.

I have offered to donate my time and the cost of publishing a copy of her life story via the Caring Bridge blog. I hope her husband will respond...in his own time.

The Reason I Do What I Do

The other day I had a powerful reminder of WHY I love being a Heritage Makers consultant. I got a call from a lady who had signed up for my community ed "Storybook Your Heritage" class but who was unable to attend because she didn't feel well. We arranged for me to come by her home so that I could catch her up on what we did in class...,

She greeted me in the driveway, and I could see that she walked with a limp. As she led me into her kitchen, she told me she was a "one eye," so she doesn't always focus well. She showed me that her eye was a prosthetic. Of course I asked what had happened...

She explained that she was in stage 4 liver cancer, stemmed from a melanoma that she developed over 15 years ago. It came back in 3 different places, then it spread to her eye, and now her liver. I always thought melanoma was a mild and "easy" form of cancer. She spoke freely and openly and really touched me.

She loves to ride bikes, but she has struggled recently with balance, so she bought a really cool trike--the kind that professional disabled athletes ride.



She loves to live life and does it the best she can, even with her physical struggles. What an inspirational person!

She doesn't know how long she has to live and she wants to write her story in the way she wants it to be told. THAT is WHAT I DO!!! and the exact reason why I do it!

She was the sweetest lady, and I could really feel her heart. I love these moments that I share with people. I always leave a better person; an hour really well spent. A reminder of why I do what I do.

Here is Linda's website, if you would like to read her story: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lindajgray

We all have stories that only we can accurately tell. Heritage Makers offers a simple, fun, and really fulfilling way to do it.

I'm just not sure if it is more fulfilling for "The Storybooker" or the consultant...