Blitz

Today I chose to give away the Take Note Collection Pack. Leave a comment on this post and I'll choose a winner Thursday evening. Be sure to check out each SC dt member's blog to see what collection pack they're giving away!

Good Luck!

Supplies:

 

Much needed

I took a much needed break from my blog, my paper...most creative acts were put on hold. I've taken a few photographs but not as much I usually do. I didn't scrap or jot down notes. I just lived and it was nice. It's funny how living a creative life can become overwhelming at times. I knew that I was needed elsewhere and not held up in front of my computer or behind the lens or surrounded by mounds of patterned paper and embellishments. Tyler needed my attention and my family needed my attention. I needed my attention. Tyler is recovering like a champ. My aunt who is visiting from Vegas is out and about doing all the fun Alaska touristy things and I enjoyed my a 5 year old neice's mani pedi birthday party which really was one of the best birthday parties I've every attended.

I also turned 34.

That number seems bizarre. I don't feel 34 but then again, what in the hell is 34 suppose to feel like? Not sure but it seriously felt like any other day until I walked downstairs, tot in arms and saw the artwork that was made for me. Apparently Jeff and Tyler had some fun with finger paints the day before while I was out. Probably the best gift ever. (next to the nap I got to take on this past Saturday) I later had flowers delivered from a few good friends + Jeff came home from work with a couple dozen tulips (love) and an ice cream cake (double love). It was a pretty chill day....really couldn't have asked for anything more.

Now it's back to deadlines and schedules and creative goodness starting with Fat Mum Slim's April photo prompts. I saw it on a fellow Instagramer's stream and thought, humph...why not?

Let's go April!

Hey guys! Just taking a few days off to hang out with my Aunt who's visiting from Vegas. Be back soon to share some new things!

home has never been better

It feels so good to be home.. I know Tyler was relieved when all the wires and tubes were taken off his little body. He's doing really well. His strength amazes me because if I had the same surgery, I would be laying in bed right now feeling sorry for myself. I've mentioned this to several people already who have all agreed. It makes me thankful that we are doing this now and not later. If any of you reading this are curious about the specifics of his condition, it's called Vesicoureteral Reflux. It was severe, grade V. That is why surgery was needed. He'll have to go through additional testing but  our minds are more at ease now. Thank you all so much for thinking of us! And to our families for being there when we needed them. (+Words app, friendly night nurse + cheese and cracker plate)

Now I'm chomping at the bit to get some layouts and pl stuff done! I think being away from all my paper and supplies renewed my inspiration. I did manage a quick project for the Studio Calico blog before our hospital stay...

Take Note, Classic Calico and Abroad are now available in the Studio Calico shop! I'm so in love with the paper designs and the stamps. I haven't had a chance to play with any of the new wood veneer shapes but when I do, they'll probably be all over the place. Especially the little camera and people shapes.

Not much else to say here except happy friday!

Thoughts from a project life newb.

Starting Project Life has been an interesting journey. I remember being completely immersed in the idea of documenting everyday life by putting things in small pockets and making it all pretty. I had supplies gathered and told myself I would not buy anything special or add to my stash. I wouldn't make a mess and I would keep it simple. Then came January and I was like what the !@*& do I do with all this stuff I've collected? I wasn't into what I had done at all but I wasn't going to quit right off the bat. I like the idea of Project Life. It's quite genius really. I thought that maybe I was the one that was making this much more complicated than it is. I can't be the only one bogged down by this. I know I'm not actually. I know it sits on your desk, taunting you like mine does. Mine actually straight up bullies me. But after a good conversation with Jamaica about my PL woes, I knew that I had to just do it. (That's so damn cliche but true) You have to just dig in, start where ever you feel comfortable starting and make that PL your...you know what. Because really this thing, this beast of a scrapbook is going to be so worth it in the end. It really is. I can see having a collection of these and looking back 10 years from now. That makes it worth it.

So here a few random thoughts from a Project Life newb.

*You have to stay somewhat organized. I'm trying, I really am. I know that I want to keep specific PL things like 3x4 cards and date stamps in it's own area. I had purchased a big box to keep my album in but that idea quickly got out of hand.

*I'm starting to date photos after editing them. Also dating other items with post it notes. This has helped a lot. I found a big reason for not staying current is because I would forget dates and specifics.

*I also keep a desk calendar and write down a list of events. I also make note of any photos I'd taken.

*For me, having photos already printed is key. I scrap in my dining room and I have to bring my printer in from the garage, find an uncovered surface and plot out photos so I can get the most out expensive photograph paper. Half the time, I'm out of ink. So now I just do a big run at Costco. I get most everything printed on 4x6 sheets, even instagrams. I'm cheap, they're cheap. It's a win win for all.

*I've paired down the papers I want to use quite a bit. At first, I went through my whole paper stash and grabbed every paper from the last 5 years that I liked. Bad decision. I know I like neutrals, grays especially. The new Classic Calico and Take Note line from Studio Calico is my go to right now.

*I can take up to a dozen photos easily in a day. I tried to fit all of these photos in but I just can't. Then all my pages would be just photos and I didn't like that. So now I choose one specific photo that I thought summed up that day or if I didn't like the photo at all, I nixed it.

*Keeping it as simple as possible is the only way for me. I cannot be bogged down with too many choices. Here are the things that I'm keeping by my PL album.

Washi tape is a must/Smash date stamp/favorite letter stamps/SC journaling spots/Thickers/Hello Forever speech bubbles/post its/letterpress from jed/ Digital items I love for PL are Splendid Fiins 4x6 Halvsies + I just printed off a bunch of Paislee Press cards to have on hand.

And now for my PL pages so far. As you can see, there's still some bare spots and January is pretty much a fail but I'm going to try and salvage it.

Pretty much caught up. I want to make it a goal to not get too far behind like I did in the beginning. I also want to enjoy the process, not be bullied into it.

Happy weekend.

 

Have been dealing with no internet these past few days and I feel completely lost! but I'm back and catching up on emails. I'll have a better post for you too. :)

currents

time: 9:28 pm location: couch watching: Bill Cunningham New York on Netfilx eating: nothing yet, wanting a snack drinking: diet root beer wanting: more space needing: more space loving: being inspired by Mr Cunningham creating: a poster for an Illustrator class thinking: of doing a film only project wondering: what's next?

Netfilx has this feature where they pick your favorites...what you would be interested in watching. I thought I'd turn on something as background noise while I got some work done on the laptop after the boy went to bed. I clicked on Bill Cunningham New York and saw the word photographer so naturally, I had to see what it was about. Funny that I've never heard of this man or seen his work.  It's not like I'm picking up a NY Times paper from the newstand on the daily. Needless to say, I got sucked in. I didn't open up my laptop but I did have my notebook open and jotted down a few notes and ideas. Even though I didn't get the work I wanted to get done (not like it was a deadline or anything) I got something more. Inspiration. Not the "oh I"m on Pinterest and feeling inspired". Like, really truly inspired.

Here's this old gentleman, riding his bike on the busy streets of NY with only his camera bag. He shoots film and he shoots fast. And he shoots and shoots and shoots. He doesn't stop. After all these years taking photographs, he still shoots. He worked in advertising and made hats. Served in the Army and wrote. He lives very modestly and smiles a lot. He loves the details of fashion.

I want that for myself. When I'm old and gray, I still want to have my camera ready at all times. I want to tell my grandchildren that I wore many hats. That I never settled just to make do. I want to be passionate for the details, for the moments, for creating pretty things out of paper and through the lens. Hopefully they'll see that through my scrapbooks, sketchbooks, photographs and my blog. (do you think our blogs will be around that long?) I never want to stop. NEVER.

The reasoning for all this is that I've been stuck in a winter blues/creative rut type of mood for a little over a week and I can't stand it. But today, the weather was beautiful and I took Tyler out to feed the ducks by library. The fresh air and sun was intoxicating. Spring will come. I know being buried by snow for almost 6 months has gotten to me, usually does this time of year. I'm glad this yucky feeling is wearing off.

Okay, think I'm ready for that snack.

night night,

CORINA winter SESSION

I had the pleasure of photographing Miss Corina, an aspiring model. I couldn't get enough of those sparkly blue eyes and she was brave enough to take her coat off for a few quick shots in 15 degree weather. It was nice to do a session again. Winter is an extremely slow time for a natural light photographer. I wish more people would be open to shooting in the winter. I find the backdrop perfect with the snow acting as a natural refelctor. Guess the cold turns people off. :)

shop update

I've got a few sets in the shop right now! I thought I'd take a break from printing to actually put some sets up in the shop. Would help, right? Although I have this urge to hoard them when they look so pretty all stacked up on my table. I've also got some "mess up" packs for sale as well. Those would be fun to play around with...add some stamping/misting/whatevs.

Hope you all are having a lovely Sunday.

pin to action: lemon brownies

I love a good lemon dessert so when I spotted these on Pinterest, I had to give them a try. I was curious to see what made these different from lemon squares and how exactly lemon would fit into a brownie. Brownies, to me are always rich and chocolaty. These were somewhat light and the texture was very similar to a brownie texture which I found interesting and yummy. I also like that these were way simpler than the classic lemon square which entails making lemon curd (I could eat that by the spoonful). A few simple pantry ingredients and some lemons is all you'll need to whip up a batch of these brownies.

I couldn't resist tasting these as soon as they came out of the oven. They made the house smell soooo good.

You can find the recipe here.

random thoughts + snippets

*Remember when I wrote about (part of) the reasoning on leaving my job? How much better the rythem of our lives were when I was home on the weekends? Week 3 and things are really good. Establishing a routine, busy working on creative endeavors, a good balance of time spent with family. Perfect? No, not at all but good. There are still worries + toddler frustrations (is it possible for the terrible twos to come on early?) Problems just don't seem as amplified as they use to.

*I've limited time on Pinterest and Bloglovin'. Those were my biggest time suckers. Seriously, I'd jump on Pinterest and say to myself, "I'll just look on the first couple of passes on the screen and I'm done." An hour later....I'm left wondering what just happened. Like when you go to Target for a few things and walk out with bags and a lot less in your bank account. Target + Pinterest must be related.

*I spoke to my mom this week who mentioned they were filming a tv show in front of her store. Being Korean and speaking ok English, she says "Gdrimm? You know what that is? Actor very handsome but I don know who he is. He come in all the time." I'm thinking, cool..wonder what he buys? I should ask her next time. Not sure why I didn't think to ask her before. So now I'm watching GRIMM on demand.

*Also very into SMASH which is odd because I'm not a "musicals" person.

*Printed a bunch of stuff tonight while listening to Bon Iver. Love getting my hands all inked up and the sound the squeegee makes when I pull it across the screen. I cannot wait to update my shop.

Currents

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time: 5:55 pm location: dining room eating: asian chicken burgers w/ coconut rice drinking: diet rootbeer (of course) listening: Fresh Beat Band in the background watching: Tyler popping peas with his finger (his new thing) creating: another set of PL cards to be screen printed wishing: I was that parent who didn't think twice about traveling with a young one wanting: lemon brownies needing: to get the spare bedroom ready for a house guest next month (she will have to sleep amongst a sea of scrapbook supplies) having: too much fun playing with photobooth

Studio Calico March Reveal

Although I loved this month, I stuggled with my layouts a bit. I still can't really pinpoint why. Maybe I was just preoccupied with other projects? Who knows but I think through the struggle I found a burst of creative energy and got it done. It was nice to be able to pull some inspiration from the Studio Calico Pinterest board this month. You can see the pin here.

Items used in my layouts this month: Silhouette Cameo (still worth every penny) Mister Huey Clay Martha Steward Glue Pen (I've really fallen in love with this glue) Glue Art tape runner Foam Tabs Staz On in Jet Black  JBS in Weathervane Precision Pens Honey Bee scissors

And a quick sneak at some new things that will be in the LifeLovePaper shop this week...

 

 

 

 

TGIF//Currents//sc peeks

Trying to free up some time to create for the shop and establishing a routine with the little one has left little time for blogging and reading blogs. My google reader is so neglected. I have moved over to Bloglovin which I'm enjoying more. Being able to see the whole blog page is awesome. Now it's just a matter of getting all my other blogs from google reader switched over. Am I boring you yet? My point is, I know I owe a lot of comments back to my readers and on my favorite blogs. When I worked, I was in front of a computer screen all day. With the new transition of staying at home/creative business owner, it's more proactive in the since of I'm not sitting all day. Seems like I do a lot more running around, which is good. My ass needs it. I missed Currents this week which makes me sad but then I'm thinking, why not do Currents on a different day? Silly me.

time: 9am location: kitchen counter eating: nada drinking: coffee (which I almost poured in a bottle. I'm tired people) loving: productivity loathing: wasted food (I've got to stop this) wondering: if I'll have a photoshoot tomorrow wishing: I was closer to my creative buds creating: some screen prints (can't wait to show you!) thinking: of what I need at the store

And some Studio Calico sneak before I take off....

Enjoy the weekend!

bits + pieces from today

I had a full day planned with Tyler but that sort of got nixed due to the snow. We still ventured out...just not as far as I'd hoped. No sense traveling to a part of town that's crazy busy in this kind of weather. We did manage to go to Micheals to grab a few neon paints + a screen (I can't let a coupon go to waste), then to the video store to grab a couple of dvds (yes, I'm old school) none of which I've manage to watch yet. Today was a perfect day to get back in our pjs + make a pot of chicken soup. Oh and some crafting + picture taking...obvi, right? I was finally able to capture little man loving on Butters. Is it not the cutest thing ever? Ty's actually saying "ooooo" as he's full on bear hugging the dog + you can see that he's just soaking it in. I tried stopping the kiss but Jeff told me to let it go. Apparently it happens a lot when I'm not looking. Some things you just can't stop.  :)

currents

time: 1:01 pm location: kitchen counter aka my new office eating: nothing yet drinking: rootbeer thinking: about Tyler's testing tomorrow wondering: how he'll do wanting: everything to be ok needing: to streamline my routine creating: my own Project Life & a few digital layouts listening: to nothing. it's completely quiet and I love it. watching: the neighbor unload her groceries wishing: I could snap my fingers & the whole house would be clean

I wasn't sure if I wanted to blog about Tyler's testing or not...I can't even remember if I mentioned this whole ordeal about his kidney when he was born. I think I did, maybe? I can't remember anything anymore. Tyler was born with a severely dialted kidney and we had gone through several tests the day after his birth to figure out the why and how bad it was. 3 months later, more tests. Unfortunately it wasn't good news. Our specialist recommends waiting a year until any type of surgery can be done with the possibility that this may correct itself. So here we are a little over a year later and back to testing. This time it's going to be hard. He's not just a little baby who lies still. I'm told they will forcefully hold down his legs to insert the catheter. That not only makes me cringe but makes my heart sink. The thought of him being held down kills me. The nurse assured me that this will be quick and that it's almost always harder on the parents than the child. Then it's waiting on the results. I'm shaking my head at the possibility of surgery. Jeff and I have this inside joke about Tyler being like the Wolverine. That he heals faster than a normal human and he is a little on the hairy side. :) If you all could do us the favor of sending your positive thoughts and prayers, we would be so grateful.

happy love day!

Oh love. Isn't it sweet? And I'm sure those of you who are bitter on this day are telling me to shove it but hey...I've got a little something for ya!A few free Currents inspired PL cards for your love (or hate) day. It's a PDF that's ready to print, waiting for your Currents list!

 

DOWNLOAD HERE

I had the pleasure of creating with March's Studio Calico kit over the weekend. Each month I tell myself  "this is definitly my fave" and of course, this month is no exception.

Making bakers twine work for me again. This time with my nifty Martha Stewart glue pen. I simply traced around the circle and patted down the twine. It was just too cool to put aside and not use.

First day with the new routine. Going well, going very well. Will be even better tomorrow when I don't have to get up + drive through morning rush hour traffic in the snow. Instead I'm tackling the task of teaching myself Adobe Illustrator. Quite daunting but that's how I felt about Photoshop at first. Some where in the I'll have to whip up a quick Valentine for the hubs. Little man already got his gifts but I'll be making him a special treat (strawberry shortcake). I made this a few weeks ago and let him have a few bites. It was hilarious....he kept saying "mmm...mmm" with such delight, like it was the best thing he's ever eaten.

Happy Valentines Day!

CURRENTS

time: 9:24pm location: bed eating: cheerios w/bananas drinking: water watching: TopChef thinking: about how weird it will be to not be employed wanting: a mouse + stylus for my Mac needing: to take my camera in for repairs creating: a chalkboard with MS paint + an old pin board. wondering: how awkward it's going to be on my last day loving: Tyler learning his body parts, can now show me where his belly is

2 days left. It's starting to feel surreal and odd. What I'm about to write is not meant to offend...it's just something I feel like I need to say out load. I never ever thought I would be a stay at home mom. Never say never, right? When I was pregnant with Tyler, I remember being adamant about working after he was born. I've always worked. At the time, I liked my job. I liked getting up in the morning with a purpose and using my head to solve a multitude a problems. Tackling various tasks, chit chatting around the water cooler...all of those things you do when you work in an office. I thought I had it all figured it out. That was the Tina who was niave and had no effing clue about motherhood. Not one. I had my own idea but it's no where near the reality of actually being a mom. People (other moms) warned me about the possibility of wanting to stay home after Tyler was born. Nope, I told them. Not me. I will be returning to work in 3 months, ready + willing. I was neither. The day Tyler was put into my arms, everything changed. EVERYTHING. That's not just some cliche from a Gerber commercial. My hopes, my dreams, my heart....it all became more significant. I no longer just wanted to live coasting by like I've always done. I didn't want to tuck away goals or brush away ideas. My job was no longer satisfying and quite frankly, the frustration I felt was starting to wear on me. Then my grandmother passed away last fall. So there's the equation. The birth of my son after 4 years of trying + a job I no longer enjoyed + the loss of my grandmother, whose influence helped shape the person I am today = ONE HELLAVA LIFE CHANGE. I'm always weary about bringing up this whole stay at home versus working mom thing. Not trying to start any kind of debate. Really, there's no debate to be had. Each choice is so very personal and no one person can ever say which is right or wrong. I already feel as though I'm defending my choice to people who ask me, "what are you going to do now?" Some one actually mentioned something about me watching soap operas in my pjs. Are you kidding me? You think I'm quitting my job to stay home and watch tv? How do you reply to something like that? I feel like I'm babbling now so I'll leave off by giving you a peek at the Currents downloadable PL cards available this Friday.

I'm already working on the next round of cards and yes, I will have the first series restocked soon. :) Oh and one last thing. My blog is a bit of a mess right now. Working with Wordpress is quite the learning experience. So please excuse the mess. :)

xot.

**the image was pinned from Tumblr but I can't find the original source. If you know that person or you are that person, please contact me at lifelovepaper@gmail.com.