2-Ply, or not 2-Ply...

To follow up with last week's post....its SCARY to put yourself out there, to take that risk and share your dream with no guarantee that support will follow. But I did it...its been a slow but steady start. With all of your help, we've already raised $41 dollars to help Nashville flood victims! Thanks to everyone who has supported this effort. As news of the flooding starts to fade from the headlines, please know that the clean up effort here is a continuous long term project, and anything we can give back is a huge help right now.

So I feel that in taking that big scary leap last week, God really blessed me! I received an email last week from someone by the name of Ashley. She worked for Quilted Northern and had come across my post about wanting to upgrade my toilet paper. Only a few days later, I recieved a huge box of Quilted Northern toilet paper. And as if heavenly softness of 2-ply was not enough, they threw in a pack of 3-ply toilet paper. I didnt even know they made 3-ply!
A few days later, I get an email stating that I have won a VIP concert package to meet John Tesh. For someone who never wins anything, this was an awesome surprise! John Tesh is not only an amazing musician and radio host, but has been one of the driving forces inspiring me to go after my dreams. If you know anything about this guy, he's all for spreading positivity, and sharing your dreams and talents to help other people. So, looks like pretty soon I'm gonna get a chance to tell him he has been a huge encouragement, and then enjoy an awesome concert, dinner, soundcheck and who knows what else.
You can check out the silly picture that helped me win here..... http://tesh.com/ittrium/visit?path=A1x97x1y1x2264x1x65y1x1ee97x1x65y1x1ee9ax1x83
So then, just so God could be funny, I get another email from the John Tesh team saying I won another contest for free cereal bars, and an IPod Nano!
Maybe some people would pass that off as just luck. But I fully believe this was one of God's creative ways to bless me for taking a risk, and trusting Him with my dreams!

All these little blessings have been nice. They kept me going this week. I pray the cards have found a way to bless the lives of each of you who have received one or purchased one this week. 

So big thanks to Quilted Northern for providing some awesome toilet paper, the John Tesh team for making my week awesome with the 2 contests I won, and last but not least, God, for fulfilling your promise that when we trust you, you will provide everything and more than we could ever want! :-)

As always, thanks for reading and stay blessed!

Standing on the edge...

You've worked for hours, days, years climbing that steep mountain. Each step was a struggle, a lesson learned, an opportunity to grow. You are so close to the peak that you can already imagine breathing in that crisp air of success. And suddenly, out of nowhere, is the ledge. You catch your balance looking over the edge of the cliff at the vast beauty spread out before you. This is the moment you've waited for, all you have to do is jump.
Suddenly the view seems a little too high, and the air is a little too thin. You knees feel weak and all you want to do is slink back down the mountain on to flat, stable, dependable ground.

I wonder how many people have felt this way. They work all their life chasing a dream and when opportunity is laid out before them, they shy away. I know that this has been and is a struggle for me. I've talked to several other 'creative' people this week who face the same struggle. Its hard to think about, its hard to talk about. We would rather slink away from our dreams, than have to face our fears.

Art is it for me. The ability to create art is something God instilled in me since as young as I can remember. It makes me happy, really happy. It frustrates me, and challenges me in ways that constantly keep me growing and learning. There's no bigger joy for me than seeing a smile on someone's face as they look over a painting I've given them. If I could, I would just create just for the fun of it, and give just to see people smile. So in a sense, its hard for me to put my work out there and accept money when people want to buy it...because in all honesty, I'd do it for free.
But I am learning something, God gave me an ability, just like he's given you an ability, that no one else has. We can create and do unique things that bring other people joy. So its OK to put your work out there and try to make a living off of it. There is no rule, that you must hate what you do in order to earn money. Its a blessing to be a blessing in other peoples lives.
So how does all this tie in personally... I just recently activated paypal on my website, so yes, that means that people can finally buy my cards. And after all the flooding in Nashville, I felt blessed to be safe, and wanted to find a way to give back. So one late night, I created a card, called "River of Hope." I am donating $5.00 of every card purchase directly back to help the Nashville flood victims. In all honestly, I am pretty happy with how the card came out. But there are always those doubts in the back of your mind that tell you "People wont buy that", or "there's already so many people raising money out there, no one will want to donate through your cards." Yeh, its scary to come out and admit that fear of rejection or failure. But there it is, all laid out. Now what?
I wrote this honest post, not to guilt you into buying my cards, but to let you know whats going on in my head. I think alot of people can relate to it. Just remember when you have a dream, God put it there for a reason, so OF COURSE there are going to be voices from the enemy trying to bring you down. Just do what you love, support others, and just remember, if you hear those voices, you are not alone. People can't tell you how much they love your stuff, if you don't show them.
So thank you to everyone who took the 'jump' and risked it all. You are an inspiration to us all and God is surely using your gifts to bless.
I am attaching a picture of the Nashville Relief card. For more information about the card or purchasing, please go to www.lisscatcreations.com.  Let me know what you think. And please keep praying for Nashville.
Thank you for reading. Stay blessed! :-)

Rain, Babies, and Toilet Paper....

What do these three things have in common. Well, very loosely, they sum up my weekend!

1. Rain: To say it 'rained' this weekend in Nashville is an understatement. It POURED for two days straight, with the not so soothing sounds of the tornado sirens in the distance. The result = the worst flooding in the history of the city. I'm sure you have all seen the pictures...people being evacuated, cars and homes under water, collapsed bridges, houses floating down the highway, and of course my personal favorite, the Judd's buffalo roaming Franklin in the rain. I can not thank God enough for how blessed I am that my apartment and car and immediate surrounding area are OK. This weekend was weird. It was emotional. You don't realize how tiring it is to be checking the weather every 2 minutes, checking for twitter updates about the town, or reading devastating news reports until you sit down and it all hits you. Some people lost everything this weekend, some even lost their lives. But by God's grace, me and my family / friends are safe.

2. Babies: No, I'm not having one, but I do have other exciting news. Lisscat Creations Cards, specifically baby cards are being sold on www.bekaboobaby.com. This is an amazing online baby boutique ran by two good friends of mine. They carry everything from baby wraps, blankets, headware, and now baby invitations and thank you cards. As sad as it is, I have somewhat neglected my personal website by not activating paypal to allow people to purchase my own cards. So it is really nice to have an adopted online home for the baby cards. Please be sure to check them out. I think you enjoy them along with the rest of the goodies on the site!

3. Toilet Paper: I always joked that when I finally officially sold my first card, I was treating myself to nice toilet paper. For those of you who know me, you know I'm very frugal. I wont by anything unless I have a coupon, its cheap, or on sale. So, buying nice plush toilet paper for me, would be living the good life! ;-)
I'm trying to decide what brand to get. Charmin, Angel Soft? Any suggestions?? The double quilted kind is sounded nice! Oh! And thank you to a very special lady in Florida, I have sold my first two cards, and am on my way to getting some nice toilet paper. Incase you are wondering, she ordered 2 of the 'Baby Boy Blue" cards on bekaboobaby.com  Check em out!

Well, I think that wraps up this blog. Please remember to stay encouraged and inspired this week. Prayers going out to everyone here in TN who survived the flood. God is still with us!

Rain Rain Don't Go Away...

I think most people would describe the weather here in Franklin, TN today as ... "crappy". "Crappy" because the rain and expected tornado watches probably inconvenienced the crowds attending the marathons and festivals today.
But as for me, I LOVE the stormy weather. It was the perfect excuse to stay inside (yes, in PJ's) aaalllll day! But the best part was I got some time to paint. Not for the cards, or a special request for someone, it was just for me. I needed a new painting to accompany the new bedspread I bought last night... so there ya go! There was my productive Saturday. :-)
And for the inspirational part of this blog, I gotta say I love the rain for another reason. I love rain, wind, and thunder because its such an awesome example of God's power. The storms can be intense, but afterwords, there is always light, growth, and a calming sense of peace. No matter what storms you are going through in life, just sit back and know that God will bring forth something positive into your life.  Most of the time, the outcome that God delivers strongly outweighs those stormy times.

A little Disney Magic....

Welcome back!....As you may have noticed the blog got a new make over recently. I thought it would be nice to add a little something new, as we prepare for a new season. Hope everyone enjoys the new color scheme, the blog posts, artwork, and of course the new little Koi Fish pond on the left hand side.

Late last night I returned from a week long trip to Florida. Aside from being severely sick half way through the trip, it was refreshing and inspiring to see some family, friends, and college buddies.
I even went back to my old university (Univ. South Florida). It was kinda cool to walk around campus again, the place that was 'home' during my early 20's.

I ventured back to the old fine arts building and was hit really hard (in a good way) with reality. I had spent so much time, money, energy, materials, and thoughts in that building. I worked so hard to learn as much as I could, working towards my life long dream to pursue art. And every year, I couldnt wait until I'd graduate so I could be done with classes, and be able to do my thing. Well...that was over 3 years ago...and everyday since, I've been working hard trying to do the best at the job Ive been blessed with, working hard to pay bills, working hard to challenge myself....leaving very little time for the one passion that God had instilled in me a long time ago. You always think "when I have a little time off Ill get to that" or "maybe this weekend after all my responsibilities are done, I can finally get to do it"... and eventually life ends up passing you by. I dont want to be 60 or 70 and realize that Im running out of time. Yes, we need to live responsibily, but if God plants a dream in our hearts, isnt it our responsibility to pursue it, give it everything we've got, and trust Him to make that dream blossom.

I was fortunate to spend some time at Disney this weekend (thanks to a very generous friend- Thanks Laura!!!) You gota love the colors, the music, the designs, the fun, and the 'magic' at Disney World....but I also was inspired by some quotes that were posted on the walls of the park by Walt....

"All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them"

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing"

"When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable."

Just a few things to keep in mind. :-) As for me, I promise to try and post more inspirational blogs more often, as well as new artwork and cards. I have some cool things to share with you all soon regarding my site.

Thanks for everyone's support and love! 

Alyssa and I back at USF

Playing around can be successful

So last week I shared my excitement over the shopping trip to the art store. This week I just wanted to share some of the results of last weeks' "play time".
I have had it on my heart for a long time to make these cards, and get them out there. The making them part is fairly easy (other than trying to find the time!)...its the 'getting them out there' part that seems to be hard for me.
Last week I was particularly motivated to create, and stayed up late to finish some cards for a few co-workers. I just wanted to take the time to say "thank you" to them for who they are, and let them know how blessed I am to work with them.
Coincidentally (or not) a lot or drama and hurt feelings broke out in the workplace the day after the day after I handed out the cards. This is the second time I felt pushed to get the cards out to people, right before a chaotic event broke out.
Now part of me wants to think, "Ok last time I give cards to people! They are bad luck!" But it in my right mind, I know God had me create these for a reason. I am not sure how or if the cards helped those involved in the drama last week, but I do trust that God will use them to bring some healing and comfort. After all, that's why I created Lisscat Creations...everyone needs a pick-me-up now and then.
Go do something nice for someone this week. Don't wait until a chaotic event to happen. What you do might just brighten their day, or give them the strength they need on stormy day.

Play Time

Just had the most fun, thrilling, exciting experience of my life.... just got back from the ART STORE!!! (Ok, so maybe I am exaggerating a little bit).

But come on, I'm sure everyone can remember a time when they were a kid, and just received the newest coolest, most awesome toy, or maybe they got their first puppy! There is that overwhelming excitement that takes over, and for me, a successful shopping trip to the art store really does it for my 26 year old self. :-)

It's so interesting how we are wired. The things God instilled in us that really make us tick. What are yours?

Part of the reason I started the cards at Lisscat Creations was to inspire people.
The stamps I just got at the art store (which were also on clearance by the way) are all about words of encouragement, passion, excitement, and all the other way's God shows his loving existence to us over and over again.

So...I leave you with this... What are you passions, the things that make you YOU? Go re-discover them, and spend a little time letting yourself have some pure fun. After all play time, isnt just for kids!

This week's pic is the outcome of my successful trip to the art store. Hopefully soon I'' have some pics of the art that came out of it. :-)

Till next week, stay BLESSED!