Thankful Thursday :) PLUS K Andrew Designs Splashtastic Summer PREVIEW!!

Happy Thursday, everyone!! :)  Are you enjoying the beautiful day?  The window next to my desk is wide open...  A gentle breeze is blowing...  And the sky is a blue as can be!!  Even the clouds seem extra white and fluffy!!  Quite a change from the storm that woke me up last night...

I have a card and a story to share with you today...  I'll get to the card first for those of you that only have a few moments to share with me...
*I'm entering this card into the following challenges:
     Fantabulous Cricut - Challenge Me Monday #65 -- Summer Sun
     Card Cupids - New Challenge Sunday -- Summer

I was so excited to receive two BRAND NEW sets of K Andrew Designs Stamp Art Sets -- Splashtastic Summer and Amazing You!!

I've just been itchin' to start stampin' with both of these sets...  I have LOTS of projects planned to share with you, so be sure to check back or sign up for email updates so that you don't miss a thing (I have some GIVEAWAYS to announce in the next few days!!)...  If you haven't had a chance to check out all of Kristal's new stamp sets, I invite you to CLICK HERE and take a peek at all of them!!  Kristal is very generously donating a portion of the sales from EACH stamp set to charity...  So by purchasing a set of her stamps, we're all working together to do good!! :)  Now that's something to be thankful for on this Thankful Thursday!! :)

Okay...  Card details...  This is a standard A2 size card (4.25"x5.5").  My background paper is from the DCWV Flower Shower Stack (as is the paper used to make the two strips -- cut at 1/2"x5.25" for the orange and 3/4"x5.25 for the polka dot).  My sun was cut at 3" (base layer in gold, shadow layer in carrot) from the Doodlecharms Cricut Cartridge...  This is probably my favorite sun image EVER!! :)  I used the Peachy Keen Funshine Face Parts stamps for the sun -- I love how you can mix and match these stamps to get the perfect face for your project!!  I also used my Signo white pen to create some faux stitching around my sun...  My sentiment stamp says "Sending you Sunny Thoughts" and is from the Splashtastic Summer Stamp Art set from K Andrew!!  I punched the sentiment out with one of my SU! punches and then layered it with two more of the same punch...

I am SO impressed with this set of Splashtastic Summer stamps -- It is LOADED with lots of fun mix-and-match phrases -- I just know that I will get TONS of use from this set!!  I can also tell ya that I am a MESSY stamper -- I usually end up with ink everywhere (and all over my stamps)...  I am so tickled with how easily these stamps clean up!!  They are of great quality -- I hope you'll pop on over and order yourself a set!! :)  To see more wonderful previews, be sure to visit Kristal's blog as well as all of the Getting Cricky Design Team Member's blogs: Becka, Becky, Brenda, Brynn, Erika, Jess, Julie, Kathy P, Kathy T, and Rebecca -- everyone is showcasing some FANTASTIC projects!! :)

Now isn't today Thankful Thursday???  Yep, it is!!  So, what do YOU have to be thankful for today?  I mentioned the storm we had earlier...  It woke me up at about 1am...  Those of you who know me personally know that I'm not usually sleeping at 1...  The-Boy-Child and I have been making our way through the series of "Joan of Arcadia" (not sure if he'd admit that he enjoys it, so don't tell him I told you please!), and we usually watch it at a ridiculously late hour...  Then I usually try to take care of the last of what I didn't finish on the day's list before I fall asleep...  But last night I was especially tired, so I went to bed 'early' (not early for most, just early for me).  It had been hot all day, but we like the fresh air, so the windows were open wide to draw the warm breeze...  Normally, we would probably have the air conditioner on as hot as it was, so the storm might not have woken me up, but I'm so glad it did!!

It was the kind of storm that was really blowing...  I had to close most of the windows downstairs because the rain was just blowing in!!  But as I started to close the last window (above the loveseat), I decided to just pull the curtain halfway across and only close the window part of the way...  Then, I sat on my knees on the loveseat and simply watched the storm.  I watched as the strong wind blew the tree branches and flipped the leaves.  I watched as the rain seemed to blow horizontal from that wind.  I watched as the lightning lit up the yard and road.  I listened to the steady beat of rain against the side of the house and on the porch.  I listened to the thunder and felt it as it rumbled through the ground.  I could smell the wet ground -- the grass and the dirt thankful for the drink after a dry week...

And when I closed my eyes, I could see 'her'...  She wasn't exactly a friend, but she was an acquaintance.  I often saw her on my way from here or there.  We would chit chat about what was happening in her life.  Sometimes we would pass in the rain -- She was always dressed for the weather with a full-length raincoat -- She never carried an umbrella though because it never seemed to matter to her when the rain would get her hair and face wet...  We often talked about how we both liked the rain.  I felt like she would be someone who might splash through puddles when no one was looking -- or maybe she splashed through them when everyone was looking! :)  Sometimes, we would stand there in the rain talking, and I would look up at the falling rain to close my eyes and enjoy how the rain felt on my face...  And sometimes I felt like she was the only one who understood how that felt...

There were two things that she would always say when someone would complain about the rain...  #1 -- "It's just washing away the yuck for a prettier tomorrow!" and #2 -- "Just think sunny thoughts!"

Six years ago, on her way home from an after-work get-together, she was hit by another driver and killed.  The details about the other driver were never released.  She would have wanted it that way, I'm sure...  I remember how empty the sidewalks felt in the weeks that followed...  It seemed like it rained every day too...  Many times I would stop and again look up into the falling rain to feel the 'tears from heaven' on my cheeks -- While heaven rejoiced to have this angel in their midst, she was missed by the puddles around me...

Now some of you may be asking how on earth this could possibly be a Thankful Thursday post for me...  I'll tell ya!!  As I sat in the quiet of the night, watching and listening and feeling that storm, I thought again of my friend out there in the rain, and it really made me smile and be thankful (for her AND for the rain)...  I will never again look at rain the same because of her -- It rarely rains that I'm not reminded of her cheerful smile (and that's enough to be thankful for)...  I've since received some Chooka boots (galoshes) as a gift which makes splashing through puddles (no matter who is watching) even more fun...  And remember those two things that she would always say?  We all have those days when we need a good rainstorm to wash away the yuck from the day...  So I'm awfully thankful that last night's storm allowed for such a beautiful morning!!  And who couldn't use some 'sunny thoughts'???  Which is how my Thankful Thursday brings me back to today's card (and the PERFECT sentiment from the Splashtastic Summer stamp set)...

So...  From my friend, the rain, and me...  We're sending you some Sunny Thoughts!!  Hope the rain washes away any sadness, any pain, any yuck from your day...  And if it's a sunny, beautiful day wherever you are, I hope you'll pass some Sunny Thoughts on to someone else...  It may be just the thing that they need to have a Thankful Thursday too... :)

Incidentally, I should add that as I've been typing this, it's started to storm again...  Small miracle?  I think so. :)  Anyone for puddle splashing with me?

Until next time...