Letterpress......An Amazing Craft

What an amazing tour I had this morning of Boxcar Press located in Syracuse, New York.  I was fortunate enough to be introduced to Harold Kyle, owner and founder of this incredible letterpress company that has been in business for over 12 years.  Bella Figura and Smock are divisions of this fine business who specializes in custom and stock stationary all done in the once dying art of letterpress.

google images

Boxcar Press is located in the Delavan Building just west of downtown.  It currently houses many of the city's artists along with Syracuse's largest art gallery.

One of the people I met on my tour today is Bob.  He is a press operator who was finishing up a job for a wedding in Maryland later this spring.  It was obvious he was proud of the finished product and couldn't wait to tell us that it was printed using their newest silver foil stamping/ink.

As the tour continued, I met Cathy who seemed just as excited to talk about letterpress.  She seemed very passionate about preserving the rich history and doing what she can to keep letterpress on the map.

One of the incredible things I learned about Boxcar Press is their passion for the environment.  They practice environmental printing techniques, they believe in eco letterpress and they embrace progressive green business practices.    They are also entirely wind powered.  To learn more about the "green" portion of their business and the eco causes they support, click here.

Here is just a very small sampling of what this company has to offer.

Thank you Harold for your kindness and time in showing me around your place.  It  is truly beautiful.  You should be proud of everything it embodies and is about.  You are making a difference.

Sincerely,

Holly

All images unless otherwise noted are from any of the three websites associated with Boxcar Press.

My Incredible Family

It's taken me quite awhile to write this post because I really wanted to use the right words to tell you just how much my family means to me and how incredibly blessed I am to have them in my life.

I often wonder what I have done to deserve such incredible people in my life.  I'm just an ordinary person doing ordinary things.  Actually, there is definitely room for improvement.  So, why me?  Why am I the one that God chose?

One thing I do know for sure; not a day goes by that I don't thank Him for blessing me so greatly.

Mark and I were married 24 years back on October 8th. That was one of the happiest days of my life back then.  Little did I know how much more incredible it was going to get.  My love for that man grows exponentially every single minute.  He is my rock, my love, my spiritual advisor and most importantly my best friend.  We are true BFFs.

Joshua Christian Kay.  My first born. My #1 son.  My confidant. I always say to him, "until you have kids of your own you will never know the depths of my love for you".  No truer words have ever been spoken.  He is the sweetest, kindest and most loving 19 year old I know.  He makes me smile everyday.  The shot above was not posed and the photographer just snapped the picture.  It's perfect!

Above two images from etsy.com

I have the above two images on my "Words to Live by" board on Pinterest.  They are two of my favorites.  I couldn't have said it better myself.

This is my Chlobie Joykins.  Chloe Joy Kay.  Her name couldn't have been more perfect.  She brings such Joy to my life.  I certainly don't know what I would do without her.  She's spunky, witty, and very opinionated.  She brings laughter into my life just when I need it the most.  I wouldn't want her any other way.  

They are the love of my life.  I couldn't be more proud of these two extra special kids.  I am a better person because of them.  They truly are gifts from above.  Deep down inside I know that they are not mine to keep forever.  They belong to God.....children of God.  My heart is overflowing with gratitude towards God for allowing me to raise His children.  My only hope is that he approves so far.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.....who does not change like shifting shadows. 

James 1:17

Thank you all for allowing me this platform to humbly talk about my family.  They mean the world to me and I would be no one without them.

Blessings,

Holly

All photographs are by Dominique

It's all in the meaning......

                                                                           

HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU READ WORDS THAT TRULY HIT HOME.  IN OTHER WORDS THEY ARE QUOTES OR SAYINGS YOU REALLY WANT TO REMEMBER OR  "WORDS " THAT CAN REALLY CHANGE YOUR LIFE....

I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU THE ONES THAT MEAN THE MOST TO ME, AND IF THEY HAVE TRULY CHANGED MY LIFE........

HAVE YOU EVER KEPT A JOURNAL?  HAVE YOU EVER KEPT A THANKFUL JOURNAL?

I WRITE IN MY THANKFUL JOURNAL EVERYDAY.  SOMETIMES I WRITE THE SAME THINGS, AND THEN SOMETHING INSPIRES ME TO ADD MANY OTHER ITEMS.  TRY IT, IT WILL MAKE YOU REALIZE HOW MANY THINGS WE TAKE FOR GRANTED.

THIS ONE KIND OF FOLLOWS ALONG THE SAME LINES.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW SIMPLE THESE 3 TASKS ARE, IS IT REALLY THAT HARD?  JUST THINK OF ALL THE HAPPINESS AND  PEACE IT CAN BRING.

I AM A BIG "FAITH" PERSON.  I PREACH IT, TEACH IT, BUT NOT ALWAYS PRACTICE  IT.  SO CONSEQUENTLY I GET IMPATIENT.  SO YOU SEE THIS IS A GREAT REMINDER.

THIS IS A NEW ONE FOR ME.  RECENTLY PINNED IT AND WILL BE MY NEW ONE TO PRACTICE.  MAKES SENSE DOESN'T IT?

THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF MY VERY FAVORITES.  PLEASE STOP AND REALLY READ THIS.  THEY MAY NOT BE KIND, OR TREAT YOU WITH RESPECT, BUT REMEMBER THE ABOVE.  BE KIND AND PRAY FOR THEM.

AIN'T THIS THE TRUTH!!!!!! HE IS SOVEREIGN, HE HAS OUR BACK, AND HE HAS A PLAN.  BE PATIENT.  DON'T PRAY FOR PATIENCE, PRAY FOR WISDOM.

AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO AREN'T 21, OR HAVE THE BODY, SHAPE AND TALENT OF THE DANCERS ON DWTS, GIVE YOUR HEART CREDIT.

AGAIN ONE OF MY FAVORITES.  PLEASE DON'T BE MISERABLE OR MOODY.  THIS TOO WILL PASS.  ENJOY WHAT THE GOOD LORD HAS GIVEN US AND BE H-A-P-P-Y.

THIS IS A NEW ONE ALSO....ISN'T IT THE TRUTH.  THEN YOU COULD REALLY HONOR GOD'S REQUEST....SUNDAY IS A DAY OF REST.

IT'S NOT MY FAVORITE TO LIVE BY, BUT IT IS THE ONE THAT MAKES ME SMILE THE MOST.  I STARTED SINGING THIS TO MY FIRST GRANDCHILD, AND HAVEN'T STOPPED SINCE.   CAN'T WAIT TO SING IT TO MY NEW GRANDSON IN APRIL.

WELL THERE YOU HAVE SOME OF MY VERY FAVORITES.  I HAVE MANY MORE, BUT I MUST SAY THESE HAVE IMPACTED ME AND THE WAY I THINK AND LIVE MY LIFE THE MOST.  THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SHARE WITH YOU.  I PULLED THESE ALL FROM MY "WORDS, WORDS, WORDS" BOARD ON PINTEREST....FOLLOW ME IF YOU LIKE. 

Chrissy

Worth the Read

Reading? Reading! What, reading? Me, read?  Haha! That's the biggest joke I ever heard. I hate reading.  Well, I use to hate reading.  Growing up I never read.  I don't even think I read in school, even though it was required.  Have you heard of Cliff Notes?  I had so many copies that I probably should have owned stock in the company.  It's still a mystery how I graduated at the top of my class, and was a member of the National Honor Society.  I'm pretty sure I would never make it through high school today.  When I see what kind of work my kids have to do these days, it blows my mind.  I tell them all the time that they are way smarter than I ever was.  Unfortunately, I think my kids inherited the "I hate reading" gene.  They also inherited the "I can't sing to save my life" gene.  Those genes are both from me.  My husband Mark (their dad) is an incredible singer and he is constantly reading.  Same goes for my Dad.  He sings just beautifully and usually has two or three books going at a time.


Anyway, I digress.  I now enjoy reading. What?  Did I actually say that.  Yes I did. I'll even say it again "I enjoy reading".  I actually woke up one day and thought that it would probably be a good idea to read more.  My idea of reading was to peruse the latest issue of Better Homes and Gardens or Coastal Living magazines.  Although enjoyable, and the pictures are to die for, probably not doing too much to expand my vocabulary or exercise my brain too much.  Did I just pick up some random book and start reading, you ask?  Well, no.....sort of.  I joined a book club.  It made me think I was back in school again because it made me read.  I had a deadline to meet and I didn't want to be the only one at our next meeting to not have read the latest.  So I did everything in my power to finish on time, even if it meant pulling all-nighters or bringing my book with me to my kid's latest band concert in school.  Oh, come on, don't tell me you haven't done that, or at least thought of it?  I can proudly say that because of book club I have become a reader.  I even read different books in between book club books.  That brings me to why I decided to do this post.  Most of the books I read on my own have been inspirational or spiritual type books.  Here are a few of my favorites. 

Mackenzie Allen Phillips's youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, in this midst of his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change his life forever.

A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery. An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel. A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream. A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it.


It begins outside a burning plantation hut in Louisiana . . . and an East Texas honky-tonk . . . and, without a doubt, in the heart of God. It unfolds in a Hollywood hacienda . . . an upscale New York gallery . . . a downtown dumpster . . . a Texas ranch.


Gritty with pain and betrayal and brutality, this true story also shines with an unexpected, life-changing love.

When Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they weren't expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the months that followed-a story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing their little boy's trip to heaven and back.

Heaven Is for Real will forever change the way you think of eternity, offering the chance to see, and believe, like a child.

A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.
In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.
"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." --Randy Pausch

This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls “Anne Lamott’s hip, yoga- practicing, footloose younger sister”) is poised to garner yet more adoring fans.

This one is my favorite.  It answers anything and everything you might be wondering.  It's the one book that I keep with me all the time.  It is either next to my bed, on the kitchen table, at my desk or in the family room.  Pretty much wherever I am.  I highly recommend it.  Another one I recommend:

Jesus Calling is a devotional filled with uniquely inspired treasures from heaven for every day of the year.  After many years of writing in her prayer journal, missionary Sarah Young decided to listen to God with pen in hand, writing down whatever she believed He was saying to her.  It was awkward at first, but gradually her journaling changed from monologue to dialogue.  She knew her writings were not inspired as Scripture is, but journaling helped her grow closer to God.  Others were blessed as she shared her writings, until people all over the world were using her messages.  They are written from Jesus' point of view, thus the title Jesus Calling.  It is Sarah's fervent prayer that our Savior may bless readers with His presence and His peace in ever deeper measure.

I have this book in journal form.  It gives me room to write down my thoughts and prayers each day to accompany what Jesus has to say to me.  It's like I'm talking to Him through my journaling.  Nothing feels more comforting.

These are two books that I currently have on reserve at the library.  I'm in line.  It seems everyone else wants to read these too.  I've heard wonderful things about each of these books.  What I like to do sometimes is borrow them from the library first and if I like them, then go and purchase them.  It's nice to have them to write in, hi-light or fold pages back.

So there you have it.  These are definitely "Worth the Read".  What's on your night stand now that you are reading.  Let me know and maybe I'll add it to my "pile" of up coming "reads".

Thanks for stopping by,

Holly

sources: www.amazon.com

           http://beeslikehoney.tumblr.com/ 

Birth Verse

One thing that Mom and I do have in common is our love of the Lord.  He is the center of our lives.  We are who we are because of Him.  His plan for us has brought us exactly to where we are today.  Be thankful for it everyday.

I have a little story to tell.  A couple of years ago it was time to start thinking about what to get Mom for her birthday.  I always want to try and find something that she would absolutely love and that is totally unexpected (meaning, she hasn't asked for it).  So, this particular year I was browsing through a catalog that had just come in the mail (I average about 3-4 a day).  I came across this sterling silver beaded bracelet that you could order with your "birth verse" on it.  You  had to trust that they would choose a verse that would be an inspirational one.  Her birthday is December 19th.  The verse they chose for her was: "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written:  It is mine to avenge; I will repay"......Romans 12:19.   So I started wondering what could be my birth verse?  My birthday is January 9th.  After hours of reading the bible (which was really great by the way, I highly recommend it), I proclaim my birth verse to be:  Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go......Joshua 1:9.  I chose this verse for a few reasons. First, Joshua is the name of my oldest child and secondly, it just spoke to me.  Who wouldn't want the Lord to be with them always? 

The story gets even better.  The other night Banker Man and I rented a DVD for the two of us to watch.  We rented "Courageous".  What a great movie!  It definitely brought tears to my eyes.  I think Banker Man cried through the whole movie.  Anyway, at the very end they flashed a bible verse on the screen.....Joshua 24:15.  It is very popular, one I'm sure you've heard of: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord".  At the exact same time we both had an epiphany.  Not only is it in the book of Joshua again but it's chapter 24, verse 15.  You see,  our children were born on those days.....Joshua on the 15th and Chloe on the 24th.  We cried even more.  I believe that there are no coincidences.  Everything is of God.  You just have to choose to look around, be aware of your surroundings, let the Lord be apart of every aspect of your life.  That night the Lord opened our eyes to that bible verse, one we have heard so many times but never realized what the chapter or verse was.  What is your "birth verse"?  Look it up.  I'm sure you'll be inspired.

This is my favorite bible verse.  Here it is in it's entirety:  "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"...1Thessalonians 5:16-18.

I'm going to leave you today with this thought:  "Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people he has made." Francis Chan

Well this is the 2nd day of the blog, and daughter and I will be parting ways.  Our little sojourn is over and back to our lives in separate states.  Wood worker man (husband) and I will be stopping in Virginia and visiting Son and family for a bit, then on to South Carolina.

What a fab visit this was.  Spending time with the Grands and eating, shopping, walking, laughing, game playing, cooking and talking about the blog.  We have decided we would each post an entry once a week and entertain you with two entries.  Please be patient with us as we are trying to educate ourselves as we move forward.  I promise we will get more interesting and hopefully hold your attention as we go.  You will soon find out that I am a true lover of words, quotes, humorous sayings, and inspirational quips.

This following quote is one of my favorites, and is something Daughter and I are trying to convey on our blog.

Image: Pinterest