Halloween Prep
Posted on | August 31, 2011 | 2 Comments
Me: M, why don’t you help find Jovie a Halloween costume.
M: Ok.
M took over the computer and five minutes later:
M: Mommy, how about this one?
Me: Emmaaaa!! NO! Jovie is NOT going to be a peanut for Halloween!!
M: But she’ll be a cute little peanut.
Me: No! Jovie, what do you want to be for Halloween?
Jovie: Princess.
Me: There, go find Jovie a princess outfit!
M: Ok, mommy… (pout pout)
Kids!
We’ve been looking at Halloween costumes today just in case M wants something that is either cheaper (than buying here) or can only be purchased from the US (takes a week usually but I’ve had packages come six weeks after it was mailed out — per tracking number). In the past all of M’s outfits have been creatively designed by me but this year M wants something more like the character and not a spin off. In the past, since M’s was still easily influenced, I could wiggle myself out of buying an outfit. Last year she was a pirate. I suggested this because she already have everything for it (well, they all had to be gathered but they were all in the house), the year before that she was a ghost. Remember that ghost outfit I did? Yes, it was just a sheet and yes, no sewing was involved. It was just the sheet and my scissors.
The year before the ghost my mom made a kimono and M was a Japanese girl. The other years before kimono I can’t remember although she was a lady bug the first year and one of the year I forgot M’s face was painted all cattywampus — oh yes, her second Halloween. Her babysitter did it! One year I was at a conference and hubby took her… what was she that year? Hmm… I remember hubby said it was really cold and they ended up at a restaurant after just five minutes. M doesn’t like candies so it never bothered her that she never got a full bag of goods. <-- If this paragraph doesn't make sense, it's ok, it's not you, it's me. I was thinking out loud...
Although you might say I was creative with my approach I have to admit that it was mostly tightwadness and unmotivatedness to be a part of the tradition as the reason for M's 'simple' costumes. I've probably dressed up three times for Halloween my whole entire life. So this year I want M to have fun with it and get whatever she wants (and I'll try not to persuade her to be the paper bag doll or Punky Brewster <-- easily done by rummaging through M's wardrobe).
As for Jovie... we'll find something decent. This will be her first time dressing up. The first Halloween Jovie dressed as a baby and the second time she was a 1-yrs-old. I know, lame mommy, huh?
That's that. I hope you like the page I did using Daisy Jane Paper by Carina Gardner and many bits and pieces from Kitschy Digital. Yellow’s one of my favorite color (red is the other) and the background of this layout makes me so happy! You all take care and laters!
Gymnast #2
Posted on | August 30, 2011 | 1 Comment
How’s your Monday? It was lazy day for us. I had all these cleaning plans but my cleaning inspiration never came (actually I am not even sure if such a thing exist, cleaning inspiration, really?!?!). I did a bit but not like what I had in mind (I had an elaborate Cinderella kind of plan). Oh well. There’s still tomorrow (maybe).
It’s gymnastics day again Tuesday and while we’re at the gym I am going to sign Jovie up too for a mommy and tot class. I was going to wait until she’s three, when she can go on her own, but she’s been doing forward rolls on the bed, pulling herself up on any bar, and just bouncy in general that taking her might just be the thing she needs. Plus, it’ll be good for her to know the gym and instructors before she goes on her own next year — remember, Jovie is super clingy. If there’s space she’ll start next week. If not… guess I’ll just have to get a bigger bed…
I made another page last night. Another digi using a few pieces from Echo Park Be Mine. Such a romantic French/Paris set. Perfect for this photo because of one, Jovie’s coat color, and two, it was taken in France.
Let me share the journaling with you:
Why I Craft
Posted on | August 29, 2011 | 11 Comments
Why do you craft?
I was introduced to paper crafting when my friend took me to a Creative Memories workshop in 1999. First impression: NOT for me. Although I did warm up to it more over the years, I didn’t get into it until M was born. There was a reason to scrapbook after she was born and so I became a scrapbooker then card maker (I had to do something with my scraps of paper).
I’ve always blogged. I’ve had a website since 1999. They’ve all been mostly about me/us since I/we live far from our family and in 2007 I decided to add my paper craft work into the mix (and moving to this domain name). This decision changed the way I crafted. While I alway make sure my scrapbook pages were personal and meaningful my cards, or other projects, were mostly created for this blog. Don’t get me wrong. I loved creating each piece but I have no personal attachment to most of them. After getting into the paper crafting blog world I started learning about publications, DT gig, kits, manufacturers, current trends and products, folks active in the industry, etc. I also discovered different challenges and by participating I got comments. Who doesn’t like comments, right? So I actively participated in different challenges and actively commented on other’s work. There were pros and cons. The biggest con was time. The greatest pro was that the blog friends I do have now I met through those challenges (and the prizes were really nice too).
Creating for my blog wasn’t enough. Everybody was getting published it seemed and so I had to try it out. Coincidently I got published on my first try and since I was ambitious (sarcasm there) I quit trying. My goal was to get published. I got published, I could check it off my list of things I want to do, and the novelty wore off. I did get published a few more times after but they were by invitation (I think back then not too many people submit their work for publication).
Then I created to get DT gigs. Everybody I knew was in a DT and so I felt like I had to be in one… or two or three… too. Quite smug on my part in this department I think.
Time as a paper craft blogger got me wiser and while I have off days I got to the point where I have some sort of style. I then knew which company I could work with (before knowing I used to buy every stamp I liked… I didn’t realize that the blue ribbon I got in 3rd grade for a coloring contest wasn’t going to do it) and while I like looking now and then I avoid purchasing and using things that I know I cannot use (or use well).
Moving to the UK has also given me a new meaning in life. I realized that there are great things outside of this blog. There are places to see, friends to make and most importantly my family, the girls first and foremost. I now have this opportunity to be with them 100%, to be their supporter, teacher, cook, mom and my latest big gig: Chauffeur. My move has also made me a bad blogger. I quit commenting regularly on my friends’ blogs and replying to comments left on my blog.
While I still love the teams I am in and I still love to spend nights crafting, blogging has taken a back seat. Of course I can just post my project, list the materials and be done with it but I never meant for my blog to be just that. My blog is suppose to be my daily (non private) life journal that I can look back and read while sharing the crafty things I do (and to see how I progress there too). Most people don’t read anyways (if you’re one who got this far I congratulate you!) and that’s why I always put the photo of my craft project first so that photo viewers can just flip, look and move on to the next post.
So why all the rambling? A few weeks, could have been a month ago now, I came upon a site where there was a question on my ability to inspire and quality of my work. The question itself, or the person questioning, didn’t bother me any but it did make me think. Why do I craft? Why do I blog? Do I need to change? While before my lack of posting were due to having a busy life the last few weeks have been because of me questioning the purpose of my work and blog posts.
After much pondering I’ve decided to craft the same way I have been crafting and posting the same way I’ve been posting. While I know that I have a few companies I represent, I don’t want to have to feel like I have to share only my best on my blog. I figured that it’s only paper, glue, stamps, and embellishments. It’s not fixing the US deficit or saving the starving kids in Somalia. I can only hope that whatever I post makes my readers’ eyes happy. BUT if not, hey, I created, experimented and it turned out ugly. My bad. Often time I wrote on the post how I felt about the work I did. If you read you’d know I hated the color for example. If I didn’t post the card I wouldn’t be reminded (12 months from now) that using those colors was a bad idea.
I know people expect DT members to inspire and to show only their best work but every DT has off days and we’re all humans after all. I know I like trying new things and as you and I know, not all new things are for us or as cool as they seemed to be.
I craft because I love it. I blog because it’s great to click on February 2010 and see what I did that month. This is my tiny space in this very big world.
Materials:
Paper, tag, embellishments and more embellishments from Jessica Sprague
Friendship
Posted on | August 27, 2011 | 7 Comments
Happy Saturday! Have a little tag for you today! It’s inspired by Waltzingmouse’s sketch for this week and I had a lot of fun making it. While I think a lighter ink would make the background stamping better, the tag turned out alright and at the end I love it (and looking at it again this morning I still do). That’s what matters, right?
I have been having a lot of great fun here. I’ve been socializing more and making great local friends. At every place I’ve lived in I’ve managed to make some great friends but getting to know a handful of people all at once, especially those my age with kids, are rare for me. These gals have given me many laughs and it’s been awesome.
I wish I could have met more of my bloggy friends while in the US or lived closer to them. I know that I could have gotten a long splendidly with many of you!! I am very glad that I got to met Clouds in person before I left for the UK. We’re still great friends an it’s so fun to Skype crop now and then.
I mentioned that I have a hard time making friends. I can make acquaintances just fine but good friends are a tad bit harder just cause I don’t watch TV and so we can’t talk about TV/pop culture for example. I am an educator at heart and I tend to do better with those in it or have passion for it. I love following the news, more left than right in my views and while I am open minded I don’t like having long talks with those who aren’t. Call me picky but as I get older I like to spend my time with those who makes me all around happy.
Ok, gotta go gymnastics. I’ll post more later!
Anglesey Abbey
Posted on | August 26, 2011 | 4 Comments
Last week the girls and I spent part of a day at Anglesey Abbey, a National Trust property. We had lunch, walked through the old house, shopped at the second hand bookstore (it’s M and I’s favorite place, can’t beat £.30 chapter books), walked around the garden and then parked ourselves in the middle of one garden to read. Jovie ran around crazy (as photographed above) like usual while we read.
Today I asked M what she wanted to do and she said, “Let’s go to the garden again.” We couldn’t go though, it rained and so we just went to our local park after the sun came out. We’ve been having a great summer break. We still have a couple more weeks and we plan on doing as many fun things as possible. Tomorrow we’re hoping for a maze maize outing but if it rains it might just be a big indoor playground. We’ll be going with some friends and very looking forward to this part!!
I have here a digital page of our outing. This was at the Abbey’s rose garden. The flowers were starting to wilt but from a distance, they’re still pretty looking. I used some cute goodies from Jessica Sprague: Elle’s Studio Sweet summer paper and tags, Kitschy Digital Fabric Flowers, Carina Gardner stitching and staples, and Cosmo Cricket alphas. I had a fun and relaxing time making this page. I love the soft feel, the layering while still keeping it simple and the fun buttons. LOVE the buttons!!
Hope you all have a great one! Until next time!
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