Relaxin' & Craftin'

Since I have stuck close to home (which also happens to be close to work) this summer people keep checking up on me to make sure that I'm not working too hard.  Just to put any worried minds at ease, I thought I would post some of my summer crafting which mostly consists of cards that I've made.

Introducing....

my very first shaker card.  So fun!

Loving the Rich Razzleberry cardstock from Stampin' Up!

This card and its awesome colors and happy little hello from Simon Says Stamp - 

well, they just makes me happy!

As does this skunk also from Simon Says Stamp who is just downright cute.

A little Hero Arts and The Alley Way Stamps goodness.

And then there is my very first card made with Lawn Fawn's Scripty Thanks die.  Love the font!

Hope this is evidence enough that I've been enjoying myself but if you need more you can come check out the rest of my stash.  There's plenty more fun where these ones come from!  

Supply & Demand

Prior to the beginning of Ramadan these hangars comprised a bustling little business, feeding faithful breakfast and lunch seekers along the side of the road.  Since the beginning of Ramadan and the Muslim fast the benches and tables have been stacked up, unused, collecting dust.  Across the city as I walk or drive, I notice the absence of these small street vendors who earn a living by providing food for those who pass by.  With the majority of the country fasting there simply isn't a demand for the service they supply.  In this nation that is one of the poorest in the world, what does it mean to lose your livelihood for an entire month?  At the same time, there is an increasing demand for faithful Muslims to spend their income on feasting each night and on brand new expensive outfits for the end of Ramadan.  This often leads to debt which they spend the remainder of the year paying off.  During this month when followers of Islam are working extra hard to meet the requirements of their religion, pray that God would open their eyes and help them to see that fulfilling all of these demands cannot supply them with peace or a right relationship with God.  Pray that many will encounter Jesus - The Way, The Truth and The Life.

Hello Hyena

You just never know what you are going to see when you wake up in the morning!  This morning I headed out for my morning walk and I actually grabbed my camera because I had in mind a picture that I wanted to take for my forthcoming newsletter.

These guys are members of a pack of dogs that I see on the mornings that I walk around the national stadium.

But this particular morning as I walked in through the parking lot a much larger, round eared animal caught my eye.

Well hello there, Mr. Hyena!  I did not expect to see you here this morning.

Yep, Mr. Hyena and a fellow hyena friend were just hanging out under the tree.  Don't let that fence fool you though, they were chained to the tree but definitely not enclosed.  Their owners had obviously spent the night sleeping on the pavement yards away from them.

Things that make you go, "Hmmm?"  There had to be a story there somewhere.  I didn't get it but I did get a picture of the curiousity of the day.

There you have it, you never know what you are going to see when you wake up in the morning.  So get up with a sense of expectancy, Sleepyhead, and maybe grab your camera on the way out the door!