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If just one person I “knew” from two years back from blogging would post something upon my return, I will be happy. A single post would be a blessing for me. I needed a “welcome hug” away from doing too much of what the world deemed as important I started believing it. I just had to step back as I did four years ago when I started this blog.
Less than two minutes after clicking the “feed” that sends out all the emails to those subscribed in this blog a very good friend immediately posted a welcome comment that brought tears to my eyes. Tammy and I shared so much stories almost right from the start this blog started. It felt like coming home and being hugged by a great friend. A few hours later, another friend from way back posted another comment – Mary… and finally Rene. Each comment my blog post received after 24 months of being away, brought me to tears. Good tears. I felt hugged.
I can enumerate some of the names of the ladies I’m hoping will drop by soon. I remember each one and the stories they’ve shared… I guess that is what made this blog so special and different. We all share here. This isn’t just an ordinary digital scrapping blog. Its the stories behind the “stuff” that makes everything precious. I miss everyone so dearly and like a “prodigal” friend, I seek forgiveness for being away for so long and offer my apologies with a gift. So appropriately, the password to the file is gift.
The alpha set is done in green with a touch of white magnolias. Why magnolias? Magnolia flowers begin to show in early spring – just like I did. This alpha set would be great for anything “spring” in your layouts. It’s in .png format, meaning it will not have any background. Its also in high-resolution. Sized-just right for your layout. Try not to enlarge them too much though as the images would degrade when you do so.
Honestly, I chose Magnolias not just because I find them so beautiful but because of the movie titled “Steel Magnolias.” Have you watched it? It stars my favorites Sally Field and Shirley MacLaine. It also has Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis (another great actress) and a young Julia Roberts. Steel Magnolias is a favorite movie of mine, just like The Joy Luck Club. My hubby calls them “chick flicks” and would rather sit waiting for me in a coffee shop than accompany me to watch one! LOL!
Steel Magnolias presents the views of different women with regards to love, apathy, pain, loss and yes, happiness – just like what we do with our exchange of stories. But more than that, it shows the unbreakable bond between true friends – just like we are.
So here is my freebie. A “welcome gift” and a token of thanks to the first three women who warmly welcomed me “home.” It’s great to be home in the company of friends. I missed you all. Do post something. Anything! It would be great to hear from you.
To subscribe to mydigiSTYLE via email enter your email address below and click “subscribe.” That’s it. The system automatically sends you an email the moment I publish something here. I don’t spam. I wont share, sell or publish your email address. I hate unsolicited mail.
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April 17, 2011 6:54 pm
Hmmmm. Okay, going out to look for wild turkeys! glad you’re back. Can’t wait for new stories.
April 17, 2011 7:58 pm
Lol! Wild turkeys?! =) I hope you find ‘em and I too am looking forward to YOUR stories =) ((hugs))
April 17, 2011 8:25 pm
Oh and Denise? Your guess was almost right but not quite. You missed two letters. =)
April 17, 2011 8:31 pm
It was a nice surprise to have you pop up in my Inbox this morning! Your work is lovely as always!
April 17, 2011 8:36 pm
And you are as warm as the morning sun =) Thank you for popping in and saying hello Becky… I really appreciate the gesture. Do download the freebie. Its really a gift to you all =)
April 17, 2011 9:06 pm
Wow Mabelle – I couldn’t believe my eyes when I got your email this morning. So glad you are back – looking forward to see more of your beautiful work. Thanks so much for the freebie!
April 17, 2011 9:23 pm
Thank you Tricia… Enjoy the freebie. Haven’t posted in any freebie site about my new post – only through the feed- so Im pretty sure that only my old friends get to enjoy this release. Now unpack the freebie and post your guess! =) ((hugs))
April 17, 2011 11:44 pm
I took a wild guess, although I did it backwards I think. I guessed before I opened the zip file. I do love magnolias. My mother had a huge magnolia in our back yard that I grew up with. It later became a favorite climbing tree for my three kids. When we bought our house some 30 years ago, I was delighted that there was a small magnolia tree in our front yard, planted by the previous owners. It struggled every year, and never grew. It would courageously set three, maybe four buds every year, but had been planted in a shady area, and never grew. After my mother’s death, we sold her house and the new owners promptly cut down her huge and beautiful magnolia tree. At least I have photos of both trees, and this alpha would be perfect to scrap them with! Thank you so much!
April 18, 2011 10:26 pm
Mary, Thank you for the short sharing. That was so nice of you… Wait for a few days. I have a surprise coming BECAUSE of you. =)
April 18, 2011 12:22 am
Welcome back ! Hope you are doing well now. Sometimes we need to step back, to recharge and reflect, putting our priorities straight and do what we love to do with passion.
Glad you’ve picked your blogging again and sharing your ideas. Keep it up !
(PS, in the meantime tried to download the file, but I needed a password, not sure what it is
April 18, 2011 10:30 pm
Graciela, Thank you for dropping by =) As always, the password is mentioned and tucked in one of the paragraphs. =) Sneaky… sneaky me. =) Prevents the downloaders to just drop in and click. =(
April 18, 2011 1:26 am
Awww..you made me CRY when reading this post! I have thought you about often over the last 2 years wondering and hoping all was well and I knew in my heart you would come back someday!
Steel Magnolias is my favorite movie of all time. I named my daughter Shelby….I watch this movie often and always discover something new or different I missed before.
I guessed. And if I am right, how appropriate.
So much to tell you Mabelle! So much to share….
Love you.
April 18, 2011 10:33 pm
Tammy, and so much to tell YOU too! LOL! I think we all have been to so much of everything… and Im just glad most of us are still here so we can share and learn from each other. Im still hoping for certain ladies to drop in though, to make the “circle” complete. =)
April 18, 2011 4:49 am
Mabelle, Where have you been!? I hope you have had more good times than challenging ones. And I am very glad you’re back!
April 18, 2011 10:43 pm
Dear Lori, I do believe that the good times and the challenging ones are really one and the same if you look at it from a different perspective? LOL! Happy ones? I’ve had my precious few. But it’s when it was challenging that I discovered how “good” I am on some things and has a blast =) So glad youre HERE! ((hugs!))
April 18, 2011 5:25 am
My goodness, sweetie, I’m just so blessed to have you back in my life. There was such a big hole when you disappeared. To be fair, about a year ago, I did a similar thing, just dropped out because I couldn’t talk or share, and I felt badly that we’d never actually started a way for the “family” here to keep in touch with each other. I think we mostly communicated through your pages, and not any other way. If anything, I think I’d like to find a way to have an email circle that whoever wanted to join, could… just to talk privately about things and keep it in the family, so to speak.
I’ll email you, absolutely, but it may be a couple of days. I need the time to write. Things aren’t so good with me, in some ways, and better in others. But that’s life, isn’t it. I just keep tying knots to hang on. As Tammy said, so much to share… MUCH MUCH LOVE to you.
April 18, 2011 10:52 pm
My dearest Elaine, I really do wonder what part of the world you are in now =) The last time we talked I remember you thinking of moving somewhere else… Let me get my bearings back in a couple of days, overhaul the website into a “community” with pages “registered” users can access and post into EVEN WITHOUT ME LOGGED IN =)
Whatever it is you are going through, do remember: “The most authentic thing about us is our capacity to create, to overcome, to endure, to transform, to love and to be greater than our suffering.” – Ben Okri
Much love my friend. =)
April 18, 2011 6:42 am
thanks so much for this gorgeous alpha – and welcome back!
April 18, 2011 10:52 pm
Thank you Connie! And welcome back to you too! Thank you for dropping in =)
April 18, 2011 8:33 am
Mabs!!!
I was in Blue Mountains when I received your email yesterday.
The reception was really bad, thus I wasn’t able to go online and read your new post.
Read it today and just super duper happy to welcome you back!!!
Yeah, you are sorely missed =(
I’ve been visiting your blog every now and then just to check if there’s any new post or a note from you saying goodbye to everyone (some people do that when they decided to stop for good). I wonder what happened to you…I’m sure heaps of exciting things happened, yeah?
I hope you still remember me. I’m the Pinay student from Sydney who bought her first digital kit from you (Attic box#2). Then asked her friend in Phils. to pay for it because she doesn’t have a credit card. Hahaha! I bet I’m the only one who did that =)
Anyways, heaps of exciting things happened in my life too within the past 2 years. The most beautiful moment is our wedding last October2010. Yeap, I am a happily married woman now (^_^)
How about you?
Oh I can’t wait to read some of your beautiful, inspiring stories here in your blog.
Thank you for letting us all know that you’re back “home”.
God bless you,
.mickey.
April 18, 2011 10:54 pm
It would be so hard for me to forget you Mickey. LOL! You are one of a kind! Im so happy for you! I cant wait to hear YOUR stories! It would be like sunshine to my doom and gloom! LOL! You have to scrap some of your wedding pictures with something by me pretty please? =) I missed you much!
April 18, 2011 1:40 pm
I’ve missed you Mabelle! Welcome back!!!!!
@Tammy, is that you? I’m really missing you, Pom and Rachelle
April 18, 2011 1:54 pm
LOL! you know how slow i am! I thought the gift (yes, i got the password, LOL) was only for 3 people, and even though i looked, i couldn’t find the download link–i’ve gotten older and blinder since we last communed. So, seeing the letter that WAS there and thinking of your return, i made a guess. If i only missed two letters, i did great! and as usual, i’ll buy what’s not gifted when/if offered for sale! I’m a penny pincher, but i know quality, babe!
April 18, 2011 11:01 pm
Haha Denise! And you think I would not give you the freebie even if you guessed wrong?! LOL! I wuv you so much! LOL! And it is “almost” right… Just a teensy-weensie bit wrong =) LOL! Give me a day or two.. Im cooking something special to post sooner than the 25th =)
April 18, 2011 2:05 pm
okay fixed up my eyes! Thank you for the gift! It’s beautiful! Let me just say i was sorta way off although there’s probably a reason the word i sent is in the word that is. So second question is, is there a backstory here?
OK i’m done with the nosy parker. No wait! Are you eating properly? Ok, i’m done now.
April 18, 2011 11:02 pm
Nah Denise. No backstory. You just have to remember what or whom the freebie is for! LOL! Now THAT is saying too much already! =)
April 18, 2011 2:51 pm
I am SO glad to see your name in my inbox once again!! I’d been worried about you. Figured you’d come back when and if you could. You are not typing into empty cyberspace, we’re here. Thanks so much for the contact.
(( ))
April 18, 2011 11:03 pm
Janine!!! Thank you so much for dropping in =) I remember you… and Im really glad you are “here.” =)
April 18, 2011 4:16 pm
Welcome back. It is sooooo good to hear from you again.
Thank you so much for the alpha.
April 18, 2011 11:04 pm
Hi Kirsten, Am glad to be back and so happy you dropped in =)
April 18, 2011 5:01 pm
well received gift from you, tyvm for your blessing!! love them both the movie and the flower!! Magnolias.
April 18, 2011 11:05 pm
Hi Rene! The flowers are so beautiful! And there’s more about the Magnolia than meets the eye. Give me a couple of days to post =) Another freebie coming very soon!
April 18, 2011 8:45 pm
Thank you for the kit – i love magnolias, as well. i am glad you kept our email addresses so when you were ready, you could contact us again. Yes, i have seen SM – in fact, i have seen the movie and the stage play. It is a timeless story of family love.
April 18, 2011 11:12 pm
Jayleigh, its Feedburner that kept your email addresses safe. Not me =) I could have just screwed it up. Just glad that everything was restored to normal after a “problematic migration” a year ago and a “crash” a month ago. Talk about a “digital end of the world” scenario – those two happening simultaneously scared me to death! The problematic migration had SO MUCH of the old comments missing! Your stories shared!!! That’s more important than my posts! =( Took me US$400 to restore it back. Worth every penny =)
April 18, 2011 10:59 pm
Please feel a hug coming your way. Even though I’ve not done much scrapping lately, you are one I have missed. I’ve always enjoyed reading your newsy blog and love your designs. Welcome back!
April 18, 2011 11:18 pm
GrannyMike! =) I REMEMBER YOU!!! =) I do hope you’re ok. Looking forward to seeing you scrap more. I have some stuff Im creating now and will give away soon simply because Im so happy all of you are here =) ((hugs)) back to you!
April 19, 2011 10:55 am
wow Mabelle! didn’t thought you’d post again so soon — with freebies to boot!
this year’s Holy Week is shaping up to be a great one for me, hehehe!
looking forward to your stories and thanks for the freebies! have a meaningful Holy Week! ^_^
April 19, 2011 6:29 pm
Hi Issa =) My hubby is there in your area for the last 2 months =) I hope everything shapes up great for you all the time! Im busy working on a kit and I hope you will like it. I’ll be posting it real soon!
April 20, 2011 5:12 am
Mabelle, I am SO glad to see you back! I’ve worried about you and searched for you, on the ‘net and on Facebook, as well as checking your blog periodically just to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. I hope your time away was fruitful. Thanks for sharing your work with us, and I look forward to hearing what you’ve been up to!
April 22, 2011 6:58 pm
I guess that is what friends do Sharon. =) They DONT let go. Im glad you’re back too! Im so happy you dropped in! =)
April 22, 2011 9:09 am
Glad to see you back sweetie, I made a guess, but I’m sure I’m wrong LOL. I’m just glad to see your back and OK.
Blessings
April 22, 2011 7:01 pm
Oh am glad you posted Kim and shhh…. YOU GOT IT RIGHT!!! Attagirl! =) Im so happy you dropped in! One great freebie coming up! =)
April 24, 2011 2:44 pm
Welcome back! I’m glad to see you back and I’m looking forward to reading your stories.
Hugs,
Lynn
April 24, 2011 5:22 pm
Wow… I really enjoyed reading your blog. Rarely do you come across a blog that has substance and connects women the way your comments and your stories do. I have bookmarked you site and will be awaiting your stories.
April 24, 2011 10:55 pm
Thank you! Great alpha!
April 26, 2011 9:20 am
Thanks, it’s lovely.