There is so much going on in the world right now.  The headlines are filled with sadness, confusion and fear.  I am reminded that I am so fortunate.  My family is safe, comfortable and has more than we need.  There are so many around the world that don’t experience my privilege and I must stop and be thankful for all that I have merely because of where I was born and who my parents are.

I am so grateful for my family and friends, for the gifts I have been given.  The joy I am able to experience being part of my community here in Missoula, at Cocoa Daisy and other areas of my life is so special and I want to be aware and not take all this for granted.  It is luck.  I did not earn it.  It makes me realize that I need to help where I can and be passionate about each day I am given.  That is not easy to do.  It doesn’t take much to forget.

On my gratitude list is my family here at Cocoa Daisy.  I love checking in here on the message board and seeing what everyone is creating in the gallery.  What great people you all are!

This month I want to bring you this special person and help you get to know her a bit better.

Deb Lewis is an active member on the Cocoa Daisy message board and posts her beautiful layouts regularly in the gallery. Her style is clean and simple but with a touch of paint or texture.  Love her subtle and lovely creations. In her own words:

Hi my name is Deb. I live in Northern California with my DH of almost 15 years, my 24 year old DS, and currently his girlfriend is with us until she returns home to Australia in January after being here a year. I currently work 2 days a week as an office manager at a small law firm. I have 4 sisters and 5 brothers, with 2 sisters and 2 brothers who live locally. The rest are spread hither and yon, some even still in Alaska where we grew up. I got interested in scrapbooking after a SU party over 20 years ago and have never looked back! I love the creative outlet it allows me and also love taking photos to fill up our albums. I guess my love of photography has been passed onto DS, as he has also gotten interested in photography… I think he’s a better photographer than me!

What talent would you most like to have? I’d love to be able to sketch so much better than I do… I dabble at it, but it takes me forever, and I’m not always satisfied with what I’ve drawn.

Favorite quote that describes your life right now? “The stronger you are, the better you feel.” After having 3 procedures to replace my left knee, and almost 7 months of recuperation/physical therapy, this is my mantra to get me doing my stretching and strengthening exercises. This quote greets me on the front of my binder that holds all the exercise sheets from my physical therapist.

What quality do you most like in a woman? I think kindness in a woman is very attractive (well in anyone really). But there are so many women out there who seem to spend a lot of time being cruel, cutting themselves and others down. Life’s too short and it take so much energy to be negative in my mind.

Where do you find your strength? From the love of my family. Everyone has been my rock while I have transitioned through my surgeries. I don’t think I could have done it without them. And they are there for me every day, no matter what.

Thank you for sharing yourself with us Deb.  We are fortunate to have such special people like you here at Cocoa Daisy!

Deb is on Instagram @deblew.  I love her foodie photos and pictures of her adorable guinea pig.

https://www.instagram.com/deblew/

Here are some of my favorite projects from Deb’s gallery at Cocoa Daisy.

Now onto the rest of the gallery.

There is a lot of beautiful projects  as usual.  Here are just a few of them.

Look at this beauty by mariesheil.  I adore the way she used the floral paper with some of the flowers fussy cut.

This is a first time post for Effie who is getting her scrappy groove back.  I love all the layers and bits.

Carmen henriquez created this classic beauty.  Love the strips of paper and the stamped leaves.

Last is Shannon’s Starbucks coffee cup mini which was a challenge by Wilna Furstenberg.  So creative.

Thanks everyone.  I hope you US people have a Happy Thanksgiving and to everyone else, we raise our glasses to all in gratitude for love and freedom and the gifts we have!

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Denise M