Love is in the air...

It's almost Valentine's Day! YAY! I used to really not like this particular holiday at all. I actually dreaded it each year. I was either single and sad that I didn't have a Valentine or not single and wished I were because I was stressed about what to get the new guy (if i should get him anything) or the old guy who I knew was on his way out anyway...

Now I LOVE Valentine's Day. It's not because I'm happily married (although I am... Love you, Jonny). I look forward to Valentine's Day every year now because of gratefulimages! Our Valentine's open studio is one of my favorite events of the year. I get to be surrounded by great friends, I get to eat lots of 2 bite brownies (yum), and I get to watch people pick out something special for their Valentines. The best thing is knowing how many of my mom's lovely heart images have brightened someone's Valentine's Day.

So, if you know someone who is not too excited about the upcoming holiday, I encourage you to take the challenge and use gratefulimages to spread the love.

ps. Mom... I just read your comment (a month+ late) and since I'm all practiced up for the GMAT, I did the math. If you laid all of the Create Hope cards that have been sent they'd be 513 ft. 4 in. long. That's pretty darn long!!

Happy 2010!!

A new year! A new start! Let's all resolve to spend some energy spreading hope and encouragement and joy. Just think what a positive, uplifting place this world would be if we made even a small effort to build up our friends, family, and neighbors. Now, that's a New Year's Resolution I can get behind!

If you're the note writing type, we'd love to have you use this opportunity to spread some light with gratefulimages note cards. Remember, they're free! And, you can use them however you want... birthday cards, thank you notes... you name it (don't forget to write your mom).

I can't believe how many notes you've already sent. Over 1,000!!! Way to go you. And remember, spread the word and the hope.

Merry Merry Happy Happy!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Is there a better time to spread around a little hope and joy? Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, maybe really THE favorite. I love making cookies (and eating them), decorating the house, singing carols, and spending time with my family. However, it can also be a little stressful! Shopping for the perfect gifts, getting the Christmas cards done in time, running from one event to the next... that's probably why some people don't really like Christmas very much at all. I think that Create Hope Challenge cards would be an awesome way to spread some Christmas cheer and remind each other about the hope and promise that came with Christ's birth.

I'm thrilled that more and more people continue to accept our challenge and send out notes of hope and encouragement. We're up to almost 1100! WOW, is all I have to say about that. Thank you for being such encouragers!

Keep it up! And Merry Christmas to YOU!

Yee Haw!

We're over the half way point! Way to go YOU.

It is pretty awesome thinking that collectively you've sent over 1000 notes! That's over 1000 smiles as people reached into their mailboxes and pulled out something that wasn't a bill. Over 1000 positive messages. Over 1000 little lights going out into the world and making a difference in someone's day.

I know we'll be able to get through the next 1000 too! As I mentioned before, all God's timing. Here's part of an email I received about just that:

I am going to accept the challenge and send four notes of encouragement. I'm not sure what took me so long to do this...I had planned to when it first started. However, as you say, everything in God's time! I was looking at the map of receivers. I actually have a friend in Montana to send a card of hope too, as well as a friend in Poland (who really needs hope right now!) - Susan from Texas

Thanks, Susan, for taking the challenge and spreading more Hope out to the world. And, thanks to everyone for all of those awesome notes you've written! Keep it up!

half way to half way

So, last month at this time we were 14 senders away from 1/2 way to our goal, and now we're only 7 senders away! So, we're half way to half way to our goal. Woo hoo!

I'm again questioning my sanity at setting the goal of 2000 notes, but you know what? We didn't set a time limit. So, it's all God's timing, right? It's a huge relief to realize that. I know that if we just keep on doing what we're doing and keep on spreading the word, God will get us there. I really love to believe that I'm the one in control, and that what I want and plan for is the best thing. Funny how when I give up, and finally shout out for God's help everything seems to fall into place (usually in a totally different place than I thought it should).

So, one step at a time. 7 more senders and we're half way there. Then I can't even begin to think about how we're going to find 250 more! I do believe that it will happen... eventually. And, that when those 250 people send out their notes, it's going to be the PERFECT timing for the receivers.

With that said, tell everyone you know about the Create Hope Challenge! Or at least everyone you know that you think might like to send out notes to their friends and family.

a l m o s t . . . s o c l o s e . . .

It is only fitting that at the beginning of our 6th month of the Create Hope Challenge we're almost half way there. Only 14 more hope note senders until you have sent 1000 messages of encouragement!

I have to admit that I'm the one who decided 2000 was a good number, and I'm starting to question what on earth I was thinking! However, 2000 receivers is "only" 500 senders, and just think, if each person who has participated in our little project so far just encouraged one other person to pick up a pen and write 4 notes to 4 people we'd be there! Trust me, I know the thought of writing 4 notes when email and texting is so much easier (and faster too) is a bit unappealing, but think about the last time you pulled a hand written note from your mailbox. How fun was that?!

Here are some suggested uses for the 4 FREE cards we'll send to you or your friend who is up for the task:

- Birthday Cards: "It's not a birthday card" you say? It will be after you write "Happy Birthday" in it. Go for it, I promise, the birthday boy/girl will be glad you did.
- Thank You Notes: Um... 4 free thank you notes? Your mom would be proud! You'll get your thank you's out and save $$ at the same time!
- Speaking of Mom... when was the last time you sent your mom a note? Don't even try to tell me she wouldn't LOVE it! (or Dad for that matter).

That's all I've got for now. I'll work on some more totally awesome uses for Create Hope Challenge cards and will definitely keep you posted. In the meantime, get signed up to take part in the Create Hope Challenge. If you've already done it, I bet you know someone else who could, so pass it on!

inch by inch...

We're up to 900 receivers! I feel like that's a pretty huge milestone. Not only that, but we're only 25 senders away from being half way to our goal. That seems really doable to me. If we just keep on going, inch by inch, one day at a time, I know we'll get there. Sometimes I have a really hard time looking at what we've accomplished today because I'm so worried about how we're going to get to our goal, but seriously, 900 is amazing! So, keep up the good work and please spread the word so we can keep on truckin'. Thanks for all of the wonderful notes you've written