Day 476 ~ Speechless? ... No ... Humbled!

{ SWITZERLAND's in DA HOUSE!!! }

As I sit here and start my post for tonight... well I am speechless?

When I set out to start my blog 476 days ago... yes 476 days... {CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?} ... I never expected any of this.  I must admit that every-so-often I have to pinch myself.

I know... I know... I've written about this before at earlier stages of my blog.. but I just can't help myself!  

THIS.. Blogging... putting my thoughts, experiences, feelings, pet peeves, griefs, happiness-es and joys... has not only been a learning experience, but an amazing journey for me.

Furthermore, what was more of a unexpected surprise and of which continues to bring joy into my life is... YOU!

Yes YOU!!

My readers, followers and new found friends... you all bring so much joy into my life.  Just to see your city pop up on "my recent visitors"... well it's just so surreal to me.

Just think... here I am in Texas and somewhere in Switzerland you are reading my blog.  Or ... maybe you are in the Philippines, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, India or even Australia.  Not to mention all those of you in the good ol' US of A!  This is just so amazing!!

I am humbled by your comments, your checking in on me from time to time and your friendships!  I am so blessed.  Thank you.

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ~Romans 12:10

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. ~Colossians 3:12-14 

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity. ~Proverbs 17:17

Do to others as you would have them do to you. ~Luke 6:31 

[here's to you finding your... ]

Peace...

I am second..

... for a, l & c.  You are my sunshine(s).  

Images are courtesy of google or Bing images.  Some images maybe labeled property of Carla Barila Karam and of this blog, Took It... Making It... Living It... My Life .  © 2012  U.S Copyright Laws apply.

Day 421 ~ Thursday's Favorite Things Hop!

Today I am taking a break from my 30 Days of Truth for something totally new!!

I am so excited to share with you my FIRST EVER co-hosting of a Blog Hop!!  Woo Hoo!!  No ... really... I am so exited.

First off... for my readers who do not know what a Blog Hop is... well let me enlighten you.  :D Big Smile.  A blog hop is where many bloggers link their site/blog on the hosting blog's site, and then everyone reads one another's blog and leaves a {meaningful} comments behind.  We hop around reading one then another... hence... Blog Hop.  

Us bloggers LOVE comments.  We love hearing what others think about what we've written.  There's only one other thing that a Blogger loves just as much as comments... and that is someone visiting and reading their site.  We do love receiving comments more- at least I do.

Soooooo.... here goes....

I am co-hosting with a great, talented gal... Katherine of Katherine's Corner a blog for sharing.  You all should definitely check it out... this woman truly has a gift!! 

As a side note here... I always get this idea in my head that Katherine should have named her blog Katherine's Korner... corner with a "K"... I don't know.. I just thought it would look kool (wink, wink)

I met Katherine, well nearly a year ago on voiceBoks, a social network for bloggers an awesome social network for bloggers!  This is where Katherine introduced me to Blog Hops....

I have to add here, that sure this has been an amazing journey for me, my blogging these past 421 days and counting.... the best part of it all... was an unknown hidden treasure... and that is that I have met and become "bloggy" friends with so many wonderful, TALENTED, worldly women {and men too}... and I am talking all over the world too!!

My life has been blessed in so many ways from my experience with blogging... 

and here's to you finding your hidden treasures!! 

About the Thursdays Favorite Things Hop, this hop is where you can link your favorite post or write a post about your favorite things and share with old and new followers!

Here are the rules, yes there are rules. But just a few:

• You must be a follower of Katherines Corner preferably through Email (or she has facebook, google plus, linky, twitter, blogloving too) If you’re a new follower, please let her know how you follow.
• Please follow my blog too.  I too am on facebook, twitter, google+, bloglovin too.  Check out my left side side-bar area.  Let me know in the comments area... and I will follow yours as well.  ;)
• No adult content blogs.
• Blogs only please.
• Visit and Follow as many other blogs in the list as you can. 
• Please leave {meaningful} comments after your visit so they know you were there.  Nobody expects you to visit all of them ( although that would be awesome) 
• now.... Just click and go.  Remember to leave a comment :-)

Now hop on and share your favorites. If you’d like to post this blog hop on your page please just grab the linky code. Or if you would like to be a co-host please contact Katherine.

     *participants who link up will be sent weekly reminders of this wonderful hop*

Please grab the hop button to share with others, you can copy and paste the image with a link to KatherinesCorner.com OR grab the code from Katherines Corner it's on her right sidebar.

I am second.

[here's to you finding your... ]

Peace...

... for a, l & c.  You are my sunshine(s).  

Images are courtesy of google or Bing images.  Some images maybe labeled property of Carla Barila Karam and of this blog, Took It... Making It... Living It... My Life .  © 2012  U.S Copyright Laws apply.

Day 372 ~ "Design Mode" Preparations

I can't believe how fast time goes by when I'm in "design mode".  

Yes... "design mode."  Graphic design, that is.

I've been trying to put Calley first lately, being that I can get lost in my computer.

Once I log on, be it morning, noon or night, I'm "into" my computer for at least forty-five minutes... and that's just checking email and my blogs {for comments and what not}.  

Now... if I get into "design mode"..  foeget about it!  I can get "into" my computer for hours on end.

However... there's a MAJOR draw back... a dark cloud if you will.  My Calley... my house... my husband... just life in general ... it all can get neglected.

So to avoid addiction... I must plan ahead and tread lightly when I know I have to be on the computer for a while.

When I know it is inevitable and I must get some work done, I must first prepare.... I make sure Calley is not hungry, I make myself a snack, then I set Calley up right next to me, we pick a movie for her to watch... press play and i get to work.  {because I can not take my eyes off of her.. she just gets into too much trouble}

Preparing as I do, I am guaranteed at least two hours of uninterrupted creativity.  {and} if done right... I am able to do this once in the morning and if necessary, I can squeeze in another "session" once more in the afternoon..

However... I must say, once the movie is over, I MUST step away from my laptop and turn my attention to Calley.  Today, we prettied up her room.  :)

If I do not do take the above measures...  foeget about it!

I will not get any work done what-so-ever...

{and} would be setting us up for failure.

 A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom, but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.  ~Proverbs 29:15

[here's to you finding your... ]

Peace...

... for a, l & c.  You are my sunshine(s).  

Images are courtesy of google or Bing images.  Some images maybe labeled property of Carla Barila Karam and of this blog, Taking Back My Life ~ Making It My Own.  © 2012 U.S Copyright laws apply.  

Day 366 ~ One Year !

Yes... yesterday was my 365th day in a row that I have blogged.  

However... this was a Leap Year... therefore... tomorrow is my actual one year anniversary... or rather... One year ago tomorrow I set out on my journey.  

So.. having today be my closing post is perfect.  More on that at the end of my post.

Wow!!  What an adventure!!  So many times I have shared with  you that I am gaining so much from this journey.  

Reminding you again... that this was to be like a "handbook" of sorts on me for my children, family and friends; a memoir if you will... in hopes that my sharing my life would help another with their's.

I have had ups this year, as well as downs... but as I sit here and look back... this has been the best year I have given myself!  For something that was meant for others... it has turned out to be such a HUGE part of my life.

I had literally cried with you... laughed with you... ached with you... and healed with you!  ... now I would be lost without you... life just would not be the same.

Am I done?

I really don't think so!  How can I be?  My life isn't perfect by any means... but... writing this blog night after night... at first anxiously awaiting the moment I would sit with my lap top... then there were some nights that I actually forced myself to share [only because I was tired]... other nights where I actually struggled with my thoughts...

All in all... I would not trade my experience with anything!

So as I have anticipated this moment for a while... wondering how I was going to continue my blogging... if I was going to do a sequel to this blog or just continue on...

I have started other blogs... I have a health-lifestyle blog {My LifeStyle ReDesign}... and I also have my gratitude blog {Humble Gratitude}... and my website I created which all my creations can be found {Carla Barilá Karam}... 

Will I keep my baby {this blog} going?  I don't know?  I almost want to keep going to see how long I can keep it up.  After all, what harm can it pose?

I honestly do not have the answer right at this particular moment.  But what I do know is that I am not going to stop blogging any time soon.  BIG SMILE!

Glory lies in the attempt to reach one's goal and not in reaching it.  ~Mahatma Gandhi 

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.  ~Eleanor Roosevelt 

[here's to you finding your... ]

Peace...

Leap Year!... {I DID IT!!!...  I can't believe it!...}

read about this count down in my "About my Blog" page

... for a, l & c.  you are my sunshine(s).

Images are courtesy of either google or Bing images.  Some images maybe labeled property of Carla Barilá Karam and of this blog- Taking Back My Life ~ Making it My Own.  US Copyright law apply  ©

Day 365 ~ "Zen"... ummmm... umm

What I Learned About Me... from A to Z

What have I learned about myself this past year {blogging}..?  hmmmm... First off... I would like to make sure you know up front... I never had blogged before until I started this blog 349 days ago.  Secondly... I never intended on learning anything.  HAHA! LOL!  No but seriously... It wasn't my intention...   Check out what my intention(s) were/are here.

So here goes... What I Learned About Me... from A to Z

"Z" is for...  Zen.

Miriam-Webster defines zen as a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism emphasizing the value of meditation and intuition rather than ritual worship or study of scriptures.  

However... what I am talking about is what the urban dictionary defines zen... a total state of focus that incorporates a total togetherness of body and mind. Zen is a way of being. It also is a state of mind. Zen involves dropping illusion and seeing things without distortion created by your own thoughts.

Okay... so now that you know what zen means... wink, wink.

Oh, I'm not saying that my life is all zen ... not by far... but I sure am working on it.  Yes working on it.  We can either focus on the negative or focus on the positive.  

I choose to focus on the positive.  Hey.. I'm not saying it is easy.  After all I am a survivor of depression (see... there's a positive statement).  As a side note... I think that depression is like alcoholism... {now hear me out...}  They are alike in the sense that you always have to work on not falling back into "old habits".  Once an alcoholic, that person survives it, however can never take a drink again.  With depression, you survive it and then need to handle sadness differently instead of allowing it to take over your life.

There are days where the negative tries to creep in... this is where the "work" comes in...  I get sad, bummed out at times.  Something will "trigger" my thoughts to think of my sons and what I could have done different [which I must accept as the past, which I can do nothing about today] outside of praying for them everyday... then I start missing them... then my heart aches for them... Then I have to stop myself.

Self stop!  wink, wink... seriously now... I have to force myself to think of both of my sons as healthy... that they're going to school and working... and leave the rest to God.  

So... I have come to learn that it's okay to have sad moments... the important thing is to recognize it right away and handle it different.  Get away from old habits.  Keep busy... focus on Calley... focus on my husband Dino... focus on how I can help my family... focus on how I can help my church... focus on helping those who are in bad times... focus on the positive in life.

Once I finally get all this down, I will have finally reached my Zen.

Remembering a wrong is like carrying a burden on the mind.  ~ Buddha

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.  ~Martin Luther King  

Tomorrow... my closing post.

[here's to you finding your... ]

Peace...

0 days to go... {I DID IT!!!...  I can't believe it!...}

read about this count down in my "About my Blog" page

... for a, l & c.  you are my sunshine(s).

Images are courtesy of either google or Bing images.  Some images maybe labeled property of Carla Barilá Karam and of this blog- Taking Back My Life ~ Making it My Own.  US Copyright law apply  ©

Day 364 ~ "Xanadu" "Young" or "Young" "Xanadu"?

What I Learned About Me... from A to Z

What have I learned about myself this past year {blogging}..?  hmmmm... First off... I would like to make sure you know up front... I never had blogged before until I started this blog 349 days ago.  Secondly... I never intended on learning anything.  HAHA! LOL!  No but seriously... It wasn't my intention...   Check out what my intention(s) were/are here.

So here goes... What I Learned About Me... from A to Z

"X" is for...  Xanadu.  My fun with "x"... after all what did you expect with the letter "X"?   What's your "x" word?

Xanadu  noun  a place of great beauty, luxury, and contentment.

I learned that we make our own "hell".   Now... hold on a second...  What I mean is that what I learned for myself was and is that I have a choice.

I have to make my own Xanadu... if that is what my desire is.  No one else can do it for me.  If Xanadu is what I want... then that is what I should work towards.  

I can't blame anyone but myself if my dreams, my Xanadu doesn't come true.

"Y" is for...  Young!   ... Why Not?!.. 

Here I am living my fiftieth year eventually reaching the inevitable...  the B I G   5 - 0  !  !


Well.. through my little journey here (I'm getting all whiny here on you!  lol) I have discovered that ... 


I can sit here... and piss and moan (sorry about the reference there... but I needed to get my point across there)...  ehemmmm... . as I was saying...


I can sit here, piss and moan or I can do something about it.


Bottom line...


I can sit here and complain about turning 50 in ten months or I can make a great "youthful" life for myself.  We only live once!  Right? 


I choose to be young and make a great life for myself and my family.  

Solitude is painful when one is young, but delightful when one is more mature.~Albert Einstein

Tomorrow... What I Learned About Me...

from A to Z ... the letter "Z"

[here's to you finding your... ]

Peace...

1 days to go... {OH MY G...!!!...  I can't catch my breath...}

read about this count down in my "About my Blog" page

... for a, l & c.  you are my sunshine(s).

Images are courtesy of either google or Bing images.  Some images maybe labeled property of Carla Barilá Karam and of this blog- Taking Back My Life ~ Making it My Own.  US Copyright law apply  ©

Day 363 ~ Wordy? Me? Yup.

What I Learned About Me... from A to Z

What have I learned about myself this past year {blogging}..?  hmmmm... First off... I would like to make sure you know up front... I never had blogged before until I started this blog 349 days ago.  Secondly... I never intended on learning anything.  HAHA! LOL!  No but seriously... It wasn't my intention...   Check out what my intention(s) were/are here.

So here goes... What I Learned About Me... from A to Z

"W" is for...  Wordy!  Okay I wanted to have fun with "w"... 

SO when I saw wordy, I thought PERFECT!  Yes!  During this journey of mine I have discovered that I can get a bit wordy.

But... like always, I can explain.

You see when I am sharing something with you, telling you a story or an experience, being wordy is perfect!  

Why? Because then I have a great chance of describing my moment making it easier for you to see and understand... possibly even visualize what I am telling you.

However... when my husband or father-in-law ask me a question being wordy is not what they are looking for.  I always get... "get to the point..."  ..." the point is? ..."  

By the way... my mom (mil) gets the same from them.  With that said, is this gender related? or are they, my husband and father-in-law, simple minded?  LOL!! hahaha... wink, wink.  {that was actually funny!}

What {they} do not understand is that this is how my brain works.  I have discovered that I talk in detail, and write in detail as well.  It's just not easy for me to give a cut and dry answer.  Many times there's an explanation that goes along with my answer.

Solution:  write down my answers to hubby and dad's questions!  LOL!!  {and} then my world's perfect!  Hahaha.

But seriously... I guess I have to give it more effort to be direct.  However... what fun is that.  We would all be just responding "yes" or "no".

You know what? ... I'll just continue to be who I am.  {and} they'll just have to deal with it.  wink, wink.

Blessed is the man, who having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact. ~ George Eliot 

Tomorrow...  What I Learned About Me... from A to Z ... the letter(s) "X" & "Y"

[here's to you finding your... ]

Peace...

2 days to go... {WOW!!!...}

read about this count down in my "About my Blog" page

... for a, l & c.  you are my sunshine(s).

Images are courtesy of either google or Bing images.  Some images maybe labeled property of Carla Barilá Karam and of this blog- Taking Back My Life ~ Making it My Own.  US Copyright law apply  ©