'One Little Word' Tag Display (16 Years and Counting)

For 14 years, I displayed my One Little Word tags from cords, hanging directly on my wall. In 2025 when I made my 15th tag, I ran out of space with my current set up and moved the tags to a wood panel. I was really happy with how they looked, but it was only a one-year solution. There was no space for any additional tags. 2025 Cindy decided that was a problem for 2026 Cindy. 

2026 Cindy had been thinking about it for awhile (and occasionally shaking an angry fist at 2025 Cindy) before coming up with a solution that will last for 14 more years. I started with this 24x12" frame, then used Folk Art's Licorice (affiliate links) to paint the base black. I arranged my tags and stuck them in place with loops of washi tape. I still need to fix some little spacing issues and then put in the plexiglass, but this is how it looks now:  

I love seeing all my tags together and am excited to have so much more space for future years. I really hope I'm still making One Little Word tags 14 years from now.

One Little Word 2026

I first participated in Ali Edwards' One Little Word in 2011, making 2026 my sixteenth year. My past words, which you can read about here, include: Balance (2011), Celebrate (2012), Try (2013), Enjoy (2014), Relax (2015), Share (2016), Connect (2017), Believe (2018), Reach (2019), Focus (2020), Strengthen (2021), Thrive (2022), Play (2023), Learn (2024), and Adapt (2025).

My word for 2026 is Shine.

2025 was about adapting to my life as a breast cancer patient and empty nester, as well as the loss of my dad. It was not an easy year, but I've come through it stronger. I am doing so much better now than I was this time last year and I'm proud of that. I don't know what challenges await me in 2026, but I will continue to adapt as necessary. And, as much as possible, I want to Shine. 

When I was making my tag and how to represent the word Shine, the obvious choice was a sun. I had a chipboard sun that was the perfect size. I painted it with one of my favorite shades by Plaid, Mango Mambo (affiliate link). I didn't want to use blue for the tag since I did that last year, so I went with a beautiful leaf green, then sponge painted a true green on top of that. 

As always, this year's One Little Word doesn't replace previous years' words. I continue to live with Balance, Celebrate, Try, Enjoy, Relax, Share, Connect, Believe, Reach, Focus, Strengthen, Thrive, Play, Learn, and Adapt. The fifteen tags have been hanging like this in my craft room for the past year, but I'm going to have to do something different to make space for Shine. Stay tuned.  

Did you pick One Little Word for 2026? If so, let me know in the comments what it is and why you chose it!

Inspirational Rocks

The second craft we did during the Thriving Pink breast cancer survivors' retreat was to paint rocks. Can you tell which one is mine? 

If you don't recognize my handwriting or one of my go-to color palettes, perhaps you remember my One Little Word for 2025. The word felt right for my cancer journey, but I had no idea when I chose the word how appropriate it would be for this year of challenges and changes, including losing my dad. 

This was the first time I've done an art project with my One Little Word, beyond the tag I make each year. It was a great way to reconnect with my word and bring it to the front of my mind. As a bonus, the finished rock sits on my desk to serve as a physical reminder of the importance of adapting. 

A New Way to Display My 'One Little Word' Tags

For 14 years, I have been displaying my One Little Word tags on strings like a banner. As you scroll backwards through the posts, you can see the way the banner started with a single tag in 2011 then filled with seven tags in 2017. I started a second banner in 2018, which filled with the 14th tag in 2024. 

I've loved having my tags displayed that way. But with the 15th tag, I decided to do something different. Instead of starting a third banner, I moved all the tags to an unfinished wood panel by Plaid, which I painted with Folk Art black paint. I restrung the tags onto 3 strings, taped the banners into position, then used Glue Lines to secure each tag in place (affiliate links). 

I love how it turned out. 

I like that the tags are all together and I think they look really sharp against the black. Here's how they look on my wall. 

Obviously, this is a short-term solution, as there is no room for tags for 2026 and beyond. I can enjoy this for one year before I need to figure out something else. I intentionally adhered the tags in a way that I can undo this display without hurting them, so it's just a matter of deciding what my next display will look like. But that's a problem for 2026 Cindy. For now, 2025 Cindy is really happy with the way it is. 

One Little Word 2025

It's hard to believe, but 2025 is my fiftteenth year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word. My past words, which you can read about here, include: Balance (2011), Celebrate (2012), Try (2013), Enjoy (2014), Relax (2015), Share (2016), Connect (2017), Believe (2018), Reach (2019), Focus (2020), Strengthen (2021), Thrive (2022), Play (2023), and Learn (2024).

My word for 2025 is Adapt. 

2024 brought a lot of change to my life. Between my cancer diagnosis in May and becoming an empty nester in September, my life looks very, very different than it did this time last year. I've struggled with that. I can wish that I didn't have to be a cancer patient for the next 10+ years, and I can reminisce about life as a mom of a child I saw every day rather than of an adult who I miss very much, but ultimately I have to adapt. So that is my focus for 2025. 

When I was making my tag and how to represent the word Adapt, I thought about direction. I stamped a really subtle squiggle pattern all over the tag (too subtle- you can't see it in the scan) to show that life is unpredictable. I added the compass rose, then put the winding road on top to show that our paths aren't always straight. Everyone faces twists and turns - some good, some not - but the only way to get through is to adapt. The arrow is facing upward; better times are ahead as we adapt to our circumstances. 

As always, this year's One Little Word doesn't replace the previous words I chose. I continue to live with Balance, Celebrate, Try, Enjoy, Relax, Share, Connect, Believe, Reach, Focus, Strengthen, Thrive, Play, and Learn. All fifteen tags hang together in the craft room to motivate me. Currently, there are seven on the first string....

.... and seven on the first string, which hangs directly below the first.

Adapt is alone on its own string. I think I'm going to adjust them - maybe 5 on each string for this year. We'll see. 

Did you pick One Little Word for 2025? If so, let me know in the comments what it is and why you chose it!

One Little Word 2024

This is my fourteenth year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word. My past words, which you can read about here, include: Balance (2011), Celebrate (2012), Try (2013), Enjoy (2014), Relax (2015), Share (2016), Connect (2017), Believe (2018), Reach (2019), Focus (2020), Strengthen (2021), Thrive (2022), and Play (2023).

My word for 2024 is Learn.

Learning is pretty much my favorite thing to do. I love learning new skills or new information. I prefer non-fiction books and movies. My favorite TV shows include The Amazing Race, Project Runway, and Top Chef... all shows where I walk away having learned something. I love trivia and quizzes and the daily emails I get from Vocabulary.com. I love learning new Spanish words through Duolingo (not verb tenses though - ugh). Learning something I didn't know before is awesome and I can't wait to spend 2024 learning everything I can. 

As always, this year's One Little Word doesn't replace the previous words I chose. I continue to live with Balance, Celebrate, Try, Enjoy, Relax, Share, Connect, Believe, Reach, Focus, Strengthen, Thrive, and Play. All fourteen tags hang together in the craft room to motivate me. There are seven on the first string.

Learn joins Believe, Reach, Focus, Strengthen, Thrive, and Play on a second string of tags. They hang directly below the first.

Did you pick One Little Word for 2024? If so, let me know in the comments what it is and why you chose it!

One Little Word 2023

This is my thirteenth year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word. My past words include: Balance (2011),

Celebrate (2012), Try (2013), Enjoy (2014), Relax (2015), Share (2016), Connect (2017), Believe (2018), Reach (2019), 

Focus (2020), Strengthen (2021), and Thrive (2022).   

My word for 2023 is Play. 

I'm a person who thrives on making lists and checking things off those lists. I like schedules and routines and getting things done. None of this is bad; I like this about myself. However, I don't do enough playing. By putting "play" on my to-do list for 2023, I'm giving myself permission to experiment and dabble and do things just because they're fun. 

I'm excited to play in 2023. 

As always, this year's One Little Word doesn't replace my previous words. I continue to live with Balance, Celebrate, Try, Enjoy, Relax, Share, Connect, Believe, Reach, Focus, Strengthen, and Thrive. All thirteen tags hang together in the craft room to motivate me. There are seven on the first string.

Play joins Believe, Reach, Focus, Strengthen, and Thrive on the second string of tags, which hangs directly below the first. 

Did you pick One Little Word for 2023? If you did, I'd love to hear what it is and why you chose it!

One Little Word 2022

This is my twelfth year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word. My past words include: Balance (2011),

Celebrate (2012), Try (2013), Enjoy (2014), Relax (2015), Share (2016), Connect (2017), Believe (2018), Reach (2019), Focus (2020), and Strengthen (2021).  

My word for 2022 is Thrive. 

I'm turning 50 in 2022 and it's time to pay better attention to my health. I don't want to just survive - I want to thrive. I want to make the most of this milestone year and look for opportunities to thrive in all aspects of life. To me, thriving means moving forward, growing, strengthening, and enduring challenges. I'm eager to see where Thrive takes me throughout 2022.  

As always, this year's One Little Word doesn't replace my previous words. I'll continue to live with Balance, Celebrate, Try, Enjoy, Relax, Share, Connect, Believe, Reach, Focus, and Strength. All twelve tags hang together in the craft room to motivate me. There are seven on the first string.

Thrive joins Believe, Reach, Focus, and Strengthen on the second string of tags, which hangs directly below the first. 

Did you pick One Little Word for 2022? If so, I'd love to hear what it is and why you chose it!

Inspirational Words Mandala and Name Art Mandala

The possibilities are endless for making mandalas using PicMonkey. Here is a mandala made from 11 years' worth of my choices for One Little Word. 

The basic steps are the same as in the Easter Egg and Jelly Bean mandala, except instead of graphics, you're using text. After steps 1 and 2, instead of adding a Graphic, you'll click Add Text. Type in your word, choose a font, add some color, and drag it into position. 

Repeat until you have filled the upper right quadrant with words. All words should be fully within the quadrant.

 

Now pick up the egg mandala tutorial at Step 10. Group the words, then duplicate and flip. Group those two, then duplicate and flip. You should have a completed mandala.

 

You're not limited to inspirational words, of course. It's awesome for name art, too. (You know what a fan I am of name art!) To make this, I went back to my completed quadrant and changed each of the words to my name. I had to change a few fonts and resize a bit to make it fit, but it's mostly the same.

My brain is already whirring with more mandala possibilities!

One Little Word 2021

This is my eleventh year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word. My words include: Balance (2011), Celebrate (2012), Try (2013), Enjoy (2014), Relax (2015), Share (2016), Connect (2017), Believe (2018), Reach (2019), and Focus (2020).  

My word for 2021 is Strengthen. 

Some years, my words come to me early. Strengthen didn't come to me until New Year's Eve, but I'm certain it's the one. I'm looking forward to strengthening my mind, my body, and my relationships. I'm eager to see where Strengthen takes me throughout 2021.  

As always, this year's One Little Word doesn't replace my previous words. I'll continue to embrace Balance, Celebrate, Try, Enjoy, Relax, Share, Connect, Believe, Reach, and Focus. My tags hang together in the craft room. There are seven on the first string.

Strengthen joins Believe, Reach, and Focus on the second string of tags, which hangs directly below the first. 

Did you pick One Little Word for 2021? I'd love to hear what it is and why you chose it!

One Little Word - 2020

This is my tenth year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word. I started with Balance (2011), followed by Celebrate (2012), Try (2013), Enjoy (2014), Relax (2015), Share (2016), Connect (2017), Believe (2018), and Reach (2019). 

My word for 2020 is Focus. 

This year, I want to focus on what's most important to me. With the limited time and resources we all have, focus will help me make choices that reflect my values and goals. I want to focus on self-care, as well as narrow the focus of my business.

As always, this year's One Little Word doesn't replace the previous ones. I'll continue to embrace Balance, Celebrate, Try, Enjoy, Relax, Share, Connect, Believe, and Reach along with Focus. All the tags hang together in my craft room, with seven on the first string...

... and Focus joining Believe and Reach on the second string of tags. They hang right below the first. 

Did you pick One Little Word for 2020? I'd love to hear what it is and why you chose it!

One Little Word 2019

This is my ninth year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word. I started in 2011 with Balance (2011), then did Celebrate (2012), Try (2013), Enjoy (2014), Relax (2015), Share (2016), Connect (2017), and Believe (2018). Spending the year focusing on each of these words has been very positive for me.

My word for 2019 is Reach. 

I love this word because reach can mean stretching toward something, or actually arriving there. Both are important. You can’t reach your goals without first reaching toward them. All progress is positive. This year, I will reach toward, reach for, and reach out. I’m excited to see where it will lead me.

As always, my new One Little Word does not replace the previous ones. Balance, Celebrate, Try, Enjoy, Relax, Share, Connect, and Believe will be as much a part of 2019 for me as Reach. My tags hang together in my craft room. These are the first 7:

Reach has joined Believe on my 2nd string of tags. They hang right below the first. 

Did you choose One Little Word for 2019? I'd love to hear what it is and why you chose it!

One Little Word, 2018

This is my eighth year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word. I started in 2011 with Balance (2011), then did Celebrate (2012), Try (2013), Enjoy (2014), Relax (2015), Share (2016) and Connect (2017). Focusing on each of these words for a year has been very positive for me.

Usually, my word comes to me early. By November, or December at the latest, I know where I want the upcoming year to go and what word will help guide me. This year was different. My word simply wouldn't reveal itself.

I have three primary goals for the year: 1) to lose weight (25 pounds); 2) to reduce possessions and eliminate clutter; and 3) to grow my business. These goals seemed to be pointing in different directions. Words like Reduce or Simplify work for two of the goals, but not the third. Likewise, I didn't want to pick something like Grow or Expand that seems at odds with the first two goals. Maybe my word was Prioritize? Choose? Concentrate? Value? None of them felt right. I wanted a word that would help steer me toward important, yet difficult, goals. I also wanted something uplifting that would help me cope in a society that I increasingly don't understand. Finally, it came to me.

My One Little Word for 2018 is Believe.

First, I believe I can achieve anything I decide to do if I am dedicated enough. I can lose weight, I can get rid of stuff, and I can grow my business. None will be easy, nor will the steps I need to take always be pleasant. But I believe in myself. I believe that God is there for me and supports me when I need it. And I believe in the good in people. We can come together, but it takes openness, risk, and compassion. 

As always, my new One Little Word does not replace the previous ones. Balance, Celebrate, Try, Enjoy, Relax, Share, and Connect will be as much a part of 2018 for me as Believe. Usually, I add my new tag onto my previous string of tags, but the space is full! Believe will be the first tag on a new strand that hangs below this one:

Did any of you choose One Little Word for 2018? I'd love to hear what it is and why you chose it!

One Little Word, 2017

This is my seventh year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word. I started in 2011 with Balance (2011), then did Celebrate (2012), Try (2013), Enjoy (2014), Relax (2015) and Share (2016). Without exception, focusing on each of these words for a year has been very positive for me.

My One Little Word for 2017 is Connect.

I want to strengthen the connections with close friends and family, and reconnect with people I haven't seen in far too long. I want to build new connections within the blogging and crafting communities. I want to make connections with other parents as Trevor transitions from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts and from elementary school to middle school this year. I want to do a better job of connecting with you, my readers, through my blog and social media. 

I thought a puzzle piece would be the perfect symbol for Connect, so I built this year's tag around that. I'm not sure what made me choose eraser pink for my tag, but it's covered with little plus signs (actually, X's) to inspire me to make connections.

Coincidentally, Connect is the same word that Ali picked this year. None of her previous eleven words match any of my six, so it's surprising that we chose the same one this time.

As always, my new One Little Word does not replace the previous ones. Balance, Celebrate, Try, Enjoy, Relax and Share will be as much a part of 2017 for me as Connect. Here is Connect with all my other tags.

Did any of you choose One Little Word for 2017? I'd love to hear what it is and why you chose it!

One Little Word - 2016

This is my sixth year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word. My previous words have been Balance (2011), Celebrate (2012), Try (2013), Enjoy (2014) and Relax (2015). Each One Little Word experience has been very positive for me.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about my 2016 word. This year's word is:

As always, I have some plans about how I'll incorporate my OLW will throughout the year. More on my plans for Share later.

Also as always, my new One Little Word does not replace the previous ones. Balance, Celebrate, Try, Enjoy and Relax will be as much a part of 2016 for me as Share. Here is Share with the other tags. I seriously love them.

Have you chosen One Little Word for 2016?  I'd love to hear what it is! 

One Little Word - 2015

This is my fifth year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word. In 2011, I chose the word Balance. In 2012, I chose the word Celebrate. 2013 was Try. Last year was Enjoy. Each One Little Word experience has been very positive for me.

I've been thinking about my 2015 word for a long time. After careful consideration, I chose Relax.

I am not good at relaxing. I am happiest when I am being productive. I like finishing things, I like accomplishing things, and I like checking things off a list. It is hard for me to do many of the things that other people consider relaxing. Window shopping, a spa day, or a movie marathon all sound like torture to me. I relax by scrapping, crafting, cooking, and reading (non-fiction). In each case, I'm working toward an end result - a completed layout, a gift that's ready to give, a meal to enjoy, or knowledge gained. Doing something with nothing to show for it is very, very frustrating to me.

I really fought with myself before committing to Relax as my One Little Word. I find it incredibly irritating when other people tell me to relax. I can't relax on command. (Can anyone?) Obviously, I'm not trying to spend all of 2015 feeling irritated. But OLW is internal, not external. No one will be telling me to relax just because I publicly announced it as my OLW (at least, I certainly hope not). Choosing Relax is more about reminding myself to make time for what I love to do and to work on ways to make the must-do's more relaxing.

Each year, I choose a new One Little Word, but I never get rid of the previous ones. Balance, Celebrate, Try and Enjoy will be as much a part of my 2015 as Relax. There's a lot of overlap between them. Here is Relax with the other tags.  I love them.

Have you chosen One Little Word for 2015?  I'd love to hear what it is! 

One Little Word - 2014

This is my fourth year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word.  In 2011, I chose the word Balance.  In 2012, I chose the word Celebrate.  Last year was Try.  Each One Little Word experience has been very positive for me.

I've been thinking about my 2014 word for months.  Every time a word jumped out at me, I wrote it on a scrap of paper.  When I gathered up my scraps last week and looked through them, it was clear that there were two words that were fighting for my attention in 2014.  After careful consideration, I chose Enjoy.

I have always been someone who has saved for a rainy day, both literally and figuratively.  While I won't be changing that, I will make an effort to do things I enjoy now instead of waiting for 'some day.' I will actively make time for the things that I like to do.  I will go out of my way to schedule time with the people I care about.  I will look at the activities that fill my days and look for opportunities to eliminate the things I don't like doing and replace them with things I truly enjoy.  I will use my favorite art supplies without any consideration for whether the project is special enough.

I decided to go with a muted yellow for my Enjoy tag.  Here it is with the other tags.  I like how they look together.

 

Have you chosen One Little Word for 2014?  I'd love to hear what it is! 

One Little Word - 2013

This is my third year participating in Ali Edwards' One Little Word.  For 2011, I chose the word Balance.  For 2012, I chose the word Celebrate.  Both experiences were very positive for me.

I've been thinking about my 2013 word for awhile.  Three different words presented themselves.  As I considered each, I thought about my hopes and goals for the upcoming year, as well as the fun I had with Celebrate during 2012.  After careful consideration, I chose Try.

 

To me, Try means that I will be open to new experiences and opportunities.  I will welcome chances to do things in a different way.  I will work deliberately toward my goals.  I will continue to explore the many "What would happen if....?" questions that pop into my brain on a daily basis.  (Things like, "What would happen if I baked goat cheese in a cupcake?" Awesome stuff like that.)

In the spirit of Try, I tried a new-to-me technique for this year's tag.  I painted a piece of chipboard white, then while it was still wet, I misted it lightly with blue and purple.  I used my finger to blot and swirl the color.  When it was dry, I cut the tag out, then stamped two stars on the scraps and cut them out.  I stamped the swirls, then added the rub-ons to another scrap of the chipboard and layered that on top.  Finally, I added the date.  

Here it is with the other two tags.  

 

Have you chosen One Little Word for 2013?  I'd love to hear what it is!

One Little Word

I had a really positive experience with One Little Word in 2011.  I've been debating between two words for 2012.  As I was cleaning, I found this tiny little metal charm at the bottom of a tub.

And wouldn't you know it... it was one of the two words I was considering.  So 2012 is my year to CELEBRATE.

I'm turning 40 in March, so I want to celebrate that milestone in a memorable way.  But I also want to celebrate smaller things.  I want to take time to appreciate and celebrate everything that makes me happy.  Here's my tag for 2012.

See those balloons?  They were my second draft.  Originally I'd planned a party hat.  It was looking really cute... until I realized it looked more like a slice of pepperoni pizza than a party hat.  See?

So I left it off.  I like the balloons better.  I especially the little strings tied with a cute bow.  Much cuter than the pizza hat!

Here's the 2012 tag with the 2011 tag.  I'll be hanging these up prominently on the scraproom wall.

Have you picked One Little Word for 2012?

One Little Word

It has been five years since Ali Edwards first introduced scrapbookers to "One Little Word."  The basic idea is that you select one word to focus on and strive toward during the coming year.  Ali says:

It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother’s word or your spouse’s word or your child’s word – this is YOUR word.  One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities...

I'd read about One Little Word for several years, but never felt moved to join in until last year.  As I read Ali's post at the beginning of January 2011, I felt a strong sense that my One Little Word was supposed to be "balance."

For years I've struggled with balance.  I am a mom, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, godmother, goddaughter, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, and friend.  I am a scrapbooker, card maker and crafter.  I am a Contributing Artist, Design Team member, and Fiskateer.  I am a classroom volunteer, a board member, a playgroup coordinator, church member, and a blogger.  A lot of different things fight for my attention and time.  Too often I give 100% to a few areas and don't spend enough time on others. 

As we come to the end of 2011, I've been reflecting on how balance has played a role in my life during the past year.  I've also been thinking about what I want my 2012 word to be.  While I have a concept in mind, I haven't chosen my One Little Word yet.  But I did realize that I am not done with my journey toward balance.  I'd like to continue to find a way to balance my various commitments and roles.

So I decided to make this:

It hangs on the wall of my scraproom.  Each year I will add the new One Little Word, but I will never remove an old one.  I'm hoping that displaying all my words will help keep them in mind.  I've added a blank tag, which will eventually display my One Little Word for 2012.

Did any of you choose One Little Word for 2011?  Have you chosen your word for 2012?  I'd love to hear!