Winners & Design Team Delights for Challenge #66--Opt. Theme: LOVE

Hello all our wonderful crafting friends! It is time to present the winners for Challenge #66. 

First we'll share the names of the Voter's Choice, the Most Inspirational and the Random Winner and then we'll move on to showcasing our DT Delights. Who are all the lucky peeps? Well, let's find out.

So, without further ado, here are the choices...

Drum roll, please....BBBbbbrrrrrrrrr pish

 The people have spoken and their choice for Challenge #66 is…

 

MEGHAN

Meghan, you are entitled to receiving a cool and awe inspiring personalized badge for your blog as the Voter's Choice for Challenge #66. Please feel free to copy your badge below...

 In the category of Most Inspiring, our winner is…

DEONNA

Deonna, you have won ONE image (value of $5 or less) from Scribbles Designs, our on-going sponsor providing a prize for the project chosen as Most Inspirational for each of our challenges in 2019.

Deonna, you are also entitled to a lovely, one of a kind personalized badge for your blog as the Most Inspiring choice for Challenge #66 which you can find below...

The Random Winner for this challenge (chosen by Random.org), 

based on all eligible participants is…

  SHELLY

Shelly, you have won $10.00 AU worth of digital images from Beccy's Place, our guest sponsor during Challenge #66.

 

Shelly, you are also entitled to a neat and unique personalized badge for your blog as the Random Winner for Challenge #66 which you can find below...

Big Congrats to...

  Meghan, Deonna & Shelly

If you have won a prize during this challenge, please send your message to popwinners {at} gmail {dot} com (be sure to replace 'at' and 'dot' with the appropriate symbols), or click HERE to bring our email up in your program, with the subject heading, "WINNER PoP Challenge #66" to make arrangements to receive your prize. Please note that I am rather behind these days so it may take me a while to get back to you but I promise I will.

Now it is time to announce our DT Delights from this challenge. As always, in each challenge you, the readers, get to voice your opinion by voting for your favourite and so it is only fitting that my Design Team get to do so as well.

Thanks to the 27 people who took the time to join along our Path during the month of February for Challenge #66. Check out the entries that really caught our attention...

AJ--chosen by Julie…

Julie had this to say:
"My DT Delight is AJ.  I am always impressed with AJ's watercoloring and use of colors. This image is adorable, the coloring is delightful, and the scripture is a favorite of mine."

To see the details of AJ's creation and read more of what she had to say click HERE.

Meghan--chosen by Katrina…

 Katrina said this:
"My DT Delight is Meghan. I love that Meghan made a valentine for herself! I think it's wonderful how she colored the digi to look like her and put it on her mantel for Valentine's Day! Many happy days to you, Meghan!"

To see the details of Meghan's creation and read more of what she had to say click HERE.

Monique--chosen by Pat…

 Pat said this:
 "My DT Delight is Monique. I love this card design--a sideways-easel-with-a-pop-out-window card."

To see the details of Monique's creation and read more of what she had to say click HERE.

Samara--chosen by Suze…

Suze had this to say:
"My DT Delight is Samara. There are so many interesting things to look at in this creation. Love the use of the different fonts on the sentiment and the colour scheme chosen too." 

To see the details of Samara's creation and read more of what she had to say click HERE.

Creative Congratulations to you all!

Thank you to those who played on our Pathway during the month of February. As always we greatly appreciate you sharing your incredible talents with us.

For our DT Delights chosen for this challenge...

AJ, Meghan, Monique and Samara

  You are entitled to one image of your choice from our on-going sponsor...

Please click HERE to check out the image previews. They are arranged into general categories; although, due to the nature of some of these images, they have been repeated in certain applicable categories. If you are interested in claiming a digi, please send me the name of the one image you want and let me know which section it came from. Send your request to popwinners {at} gmail {dot} com (be sure to replace 'at' and 'dot' with the appropriate symbols), or click HERE to bring our email up in your program, with the subject, "PoP#66-DT Delight Digi Request". I'm always running rather behind these days, so your patience is appreciated.

Additionally, you are entitled to the special Challenge #66 DT Delight Badge which you can find below...

Well, that is it for this one. If you haven't joined us already, there is still one week left in our current challenge with the optional twist of FRIENDSHIP. Click HERE for all the details.

If everything goes according to play, we'll be back next Monday with our newest challenge. Until then,

Challenge #67--Optional Twist: FRIENDSHIP...Midway

It is the third Monday of the month and that means that it is time to present the midway for Challenge #67.

As we are a unique kind of challenge blog, it is important for you to understand how things work in order to be sure you are eligible to win any of the prizes offered. Please be sure to check out the START POST FOUND HERE for the specific details related to this month's challenge, and you can find out all the general details you need to know in order to participate in the 'Challenge Details' tab (located at the top of the blog). For your convenience, a summary of the most important rules can now be found in the right sidebar under the heading 'General Rules'.

Don't forget, we've made some changes to our rules for 2019, including the fact that ALL entries now qualify for the Most Inspirational prize and that the optional twist is simply a way for you to stretch yourself as a designer if you'd like. You can read about all these changes at the top of the START post for JANUARY.
 
Right now, it is time to continue with our midway. Here is a refresher of the details for our current twist:

Challenge #67

Optional Twist: FRIENDSHIP

This challenge, our optional twist is a focus on FRIENDSHIP. If you would like to challenge yourself, create a project designed to convey the warmth of friendship to someone who could use a reminder to let them know they aren't alone.

In order to be considered eligible for this month's prizes, remember that regular types of projects such as birthday cards, or other general type projects/posts will not qualify for the prizes UNLESS they are also positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. Prizes this month include:

• A $12.00 gift certificate from Bugaboo Stamps, our guest sponsor for this month, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.
• ONE image (value of $5 or less) from Scribbles Designs, for the post or project that the team deems most inspiring of the bunch based on all qualifying entrants.
• One digital image from Creative Bug Digital SnapShots for each person chosen as a DT Delight.

Talking of our sponsors...

Bugaboo Stamps

To learn more about Bugaboo Stamps, this month's guest sponsor, be sure to check out the START post; and of course, also pay this generous company a visit.
 

Scribble Designs

During the midway, you will also be seeing projects from half of the team using images from Scribbles Designs, one of our on-going sponsors. Scribbles Designs will be providing the prize for the Most Inspirational choice during each challenge in 2019. Please be sure to pop over and check out the amazing images offered up by Sandy Sommerfeld, the designer behind Scribbles Designs.

To help inspire you further down the path of FRIENDSHIP, check out the wonderful projects my Design Team had the opportunity to create. Clicking on each team member's name will take you to their blog where you can check out the details for their inspirational creations. If you are interested in purchasing the image featured in a particular creation, you can click on the link indicated below the project…

using #005 Friendships and #848 Flip Flops from Scribbles Designs

 

using and image and a sentiment from  Mini Set Roses from Bugaboo Stamps

using #718 Woolley Thoughtful and #004 Friends from Scribbles Designs 

along with Leaves Digi Paper from Scribble Doodle Designs

using Girls Happy Trio from Bugaboo Stamps

using #0185 Life is Brewtiful and #939 Cup Saucers from Scribbles Designs

using Friend Flower Doodles Colouring Page from Bugaboo Stamps
 

 

Thanks again to my incredible design team! As always, each of them have their own unique styles and ideas which amaze me to no end. Each of these projects has showcased the concept of FRIENDSHIP wonderfully and I hope we have inspired you throughout this challenge. Be sure to go and visit these talented ladies so you can see just how their projects tie in to the twist.

Why not join us, if you haven't entered already? Create a project and/or post that is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature and join our link up. How about stretching yourself by also opting to follow the twist?! While it isn't mandatory, we'd also love to find out how this month's twist affects your own life. Do you have a story to share on the concept of FRIENDSHIP? If you'd like to share how you have personally been affected by a special friendship, we'd love to hear it. You can write a sentence or two in the body of your post, write a sentence at the bottom of your post next to the link up for this challenge, or simply leave a comment on this post (or the start post) if you'd like.

Also, I know that the participants would love for you to go and pay them a visit. Remember we're creating a Path of Positivity to follow one project at a time and we'd love to see you somewhere on that route even if it is just by leaving a comment on an entry from someone who has touched you somehow with their project and/or post! You can find our list of participants and enter our latest challenge yourself by clicking HERE and scrolling down to the bottom of the post.



GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY…

Please show your support to our wonderful sponsors by going over and checking out their work and saying hi if you have the chance. You may also just find an image or two to add your your collection!

Along with Bugaboo Stamps, our guest sponsor this challenge, and Scribbles Designs, one of our on-going sponsors, we also have two additional ongoing sponsors including...

Thank you so much to all these awesome companies for their
continued support of this challenge blog!

Don't Forget...

You have until 11:59 p.m., EST, Monday, to vote on your favourite entry for Challenge #66. Voting is quick, easy and painless so I hope you will consider casting your vote if you haven't already. Winners for challenge #66 will be posted next week if everything goes according to plan. You can find the Top Picks post HERE.

 

Click HERE to head to the current challenge post & link up!

If you ever have any questions be sure to leave me a comment.

We look forward to seeing you participate!

Ponderings Along the Pathway...WEARIN' THE GREEN

Hello folks! I know it has been a while since we had an edition of Ponderings Along the Pathway, an exclusive feature over here on the Path of Positivity but Pat's writing muse is with her this month so we're in luck. The purpose of this column is to continue with the goal of this blog which is to create a space "designed to inspire, nurture and provide support for the soul by creating a positive path to follow, one project or post at a time". Providing some motivational introspection, is one way of achieving this goal.

This month, PAT is here to share her thoughts on the subject: WEARIN' THE GREEN…

It’s that time of the year again where my Irish roots take over. I start wearing green, quoting Irish blessings and looking for rainbows (you never know…). Now that Ancestry and DNA companies can give one a better understanding of where your ancestors came from, I’ve discovered that I am a wee bit more Irish than what my father described as “your big toe is Irish” (meaning not much).

I’ve discovered names in my family tree like Foley, Fogerty and O’Halloran, with records dating back to 1805 from Kerry County, Ireland. The Internet surely does make the world a smaller place.

In celebration of my discovery and the upcoming holiday of St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to offer a little fun. First off, here is a link in which you can sign up for email newsletters from Ireland on what’s going on there, fun facts and even learn a little Gaelic: http://www.ireland-information.com/irishphrases.html I’ve already learned that...

Maidin mhaith means Good morning

(and yes, it does give you the correct pronunciation)

If you’re not up to learning a new language, you can use this cheat sheet found at Irish American Mom that clues you into Irish slang.

At Irish Central you can look up tons of family names. I found out my husband’s name, Martin, is one of the 50^th most popular surnames in Ireland (and it’s sure to be the same in the U.S.). And at Irish Surnames, you can find the history of your Irish name and your family crest (and purchase items to proudly show off your ancestry).

According to The Irish Jewelry Company, it was considered Bad luck for a new bride to be congratulated first by a woman. For Good Luck she used to carry a horseshoe (ends up) until after the ceremony, when the groom would take it and hang it in their home, again ends up, so that the good luck wouldn’t spill out.

The best part of my Irish roots is in the recipes handed down through the family. My Irish Soda Bread has only 4 ingredients, but comes out perfectly every time. You can find a similar one at Let’s Dish Recipes. Yummers! 

Interestingly enough, our family has a favorite dish that has crossed the borders of Ireland, Italy and America! We call it Irish Spaghetti and here is my family’s most secret recipe (it’s best served the next day after warming it in a frying pan. Just saying)

Pat’s Irish Spaghetti

(full on)

1# Bacon, cut into small pieces and cooked

   (set aside bacon, save drippings)

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

2 14 ounce cans chopped tomatoes w/its juices

1# cooked spaghetti pasta

(heart healthy)

1# Turkey Bacon, cut into small pcs & cooked

 (set aside 1 TBSP bacon drippings)

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1 green pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

2 14 oz cans chopped tomatoes w/its juices

1# cooked whole wheat spaghetti pasta

Cook pepper, onion and celery in olive oil in large pan until tender.

Add pre-cooked spaghetti and bacon to pan. Mix well.

Add tomatoes and its juices and again mix well. (For heart healthy recipe, you can add the 1 TBSP of drippings if you wish).

Warm in pan over low to medium heat. Serves four. Here’s where we deviate from the handed-down recipe. We may or may not eat it the first night. The second night we re-heat it in the frying pan and because the pasta has had a chance to soak up the juices of the tomatoes, the flavor is out of this world. You could try it both ways of course and choose for yourself…

I bet you’re wondering what this all has to do with the Path of Positivity. Just think of it. Families passing down their recipes and traditions, making them living legacies of the past. Lucky horseshoes, four-leaf clovers and other superstitions that have stood the test of time, creating continuous memories throughout the generations.

This may not be a straightforward pondering about a specific theme, but it sure makes me happy to know I’m following in the path of my ancestors when I gather my family around the table and serve up Irish Spaghetti or Hungarian Pancakes. I’m happy when we tell stories our parents and grandparents told us as kids about when they were kids. It’s like they’re somehow with us on the Path, you know?

And who knows, maybe this month your path might lead you to the end of a rainbow. What will you find there? I hope you’re lucky!!

Regardless of our heritage if we follow along the Path of our ancestors and incorporate their various traditions into our own lives, then we are honouring those that came before us. By sharing stories about our ancestors lives and how they've impacted us, we're helping to keep those people alive in our own memories and introducing them to the next generation. Family, friendship and heritage are all 'stops' on the Path of our lives--important stops that we should never forget.