a loud yawn and a drawn out stretch.

Life...
I can't really complain. My weekend was one of the best. Nothing out of the ordinary.
The sun was out, the weather warmer, the sound of geese flying over our home....finally. She's (spring) arrived, fashionably late but here none the less. I had great intentions of getting up bright and early saturday to change my winter tires but after a late night, that was a no go. Staying in bed was a much better option. A treat to myself as I'm always up early to get things done. Why not just lounge? I did feel a tad guilty over my laziness but that later passed.
Love...
Garden planning. Going to the greenhouse on my lunch break to check out all the flowers perfectly lined up, ready to be taken home. Purchased a few knowing that it's still early. Getting so excited about Memorial day weekend which will entail me being knee deep in dirt.
Paper...
I got creative, sneaks peeks of Studio Calico's May goodness will be up later this week. I can't get enough of their exclusive papers this month.

Still trying to catch up on blogs so I apologize if for my impolite blogger behavior.
I'm also in the process of a blog revamp. Guess I'm looking to change my format or the way I blog....I want to take full advantage of my little piece of cyber space. I'm pulling inspiration from certain blogs that I love and am always drawn to. I know I'm a visual person and expressing myself through words isn't always easy. More later this week. Back to coffee sipping.

I am currently....

catching up on blogs a la google reader.
about to finish my last sip of ice tea.

looking at my inbox and prioritizing the day's work load.
wearing my favorite old school Gap jean jacket. perfect worn in.
on the hunt for some new sneaks and wedge heal pumps.
ready to take on the week.
listening to the Weepies.

been out of sorts lately. writing seems hard. so much easier to translate my feelings through photos.
did manage to break out my May Studio Calicokit over the weekend. creativity felt forced but eventually turned into something I enjoyed. helped moving my stuff downstairs so I could watch movies and converse with J while slicing up paper. The sneak is tonight...oh and there is a give-away for the nifty Carter alphabet stamps.

 
that's all
t

words fail me.

what I see outside

what I feel inside

happy friday, Tina

you know what time it is.

Kits go on sale tonight!

nothing can stand in my way.

The last of my Studio Calico sneaks for March. I'm seriously pooped from scrapping all of yesterday. Not complaining though. It's nice to be on a creative high after a long slump on nothingness. I wanted to thank all of my SC girls for supporting me in the greengable photo contest. I wasn't bummed at all when I saw I didn't win because the love you all showed me was worth more than a win. I'm so happy to be apart of friendly, supportive scrap community. Thanks to all of those who went voted. :)

Can you believe we're in the last week of February?! This is a good thing. I feel as though I'm coasting through the worst part of winter. The sun is shining and even though it's only 17 degrees, I can still feel the warmth radiate through my body. Currently rocking out to the YeahYeahYeahs, and about to nosh on some delicious spring rolls which is adding to my euphoric feeling. This is unusual for a Monday...something I can certainly get use to.

happy monday,
Tina

I *heart* Studio Calico March.

Just two sneaks this morning. I'm still putting the finishing touches on my other layouts.
This one's from the main kit....

And one from add on #3... I'll have more sneaks posted tomorrow! Happy Thursday, Tina

twenty5

tagged by Jocelyne.
25 random things.

1. I've always loved Valentines day.
2. I'm normally a pink toe girl but I went darker this time. Doesn't feel like me.
3. I finally got the balls to take a photo in a public place.
4. I hated the movie version of Twilight.
5. I'm pondering the thought of going short with my hair again.
6. I'm crazy into pink right now.
7. I'm  not sure if I'm ready to take the next step in the fertility game.
8. I eat a bowl of rice with salted kim (nori) about 3 or 4 times a week for dinner.
9. I love the smell of my dogs fur on the tops of their heads.
10. I refuse to buy a pair of dansko shoes. Everyone in my office owns several pairs. I'm happy with my dirty Vans.
11. I strongly believe less is more.
12. I buy myself fresh flowers every friday.
13. I once wanted to learn to read tarot.
14. I buy skateboard magazines for inspiration.
15. If money wasn't an object, I would be driving a silver land rover.
16. and taking photos with a hassleblad.
17. Listening to the adam carolla podcast gets me through the workday.
18. I love pajamas. The majority of my wardrobe is sadly, pajamas.
Which brings me to random #19, I love my sleep. I need my 8 hours and I need my soft, clean sheets and favorite blanket.
20. I grind my teeth.
21. Give me coffee and tea but no energy drinks.
22. Sometimes I wish I was more in touch with my korean heritage.
23. I think it's extremely rude to not say thank you.
24. I miss Alice's Antiques here in Anchorage. I always found the best things there.
25. I love the way my little niece says my name.

a little random list is fun to once in awhile.
consider yourself tagged. :)
happy sunday....
Tina

love, love.

Valentines Day is one of those holidays you either love or hate.
Me...I'm a lover, no doubt. The hearts, the flowers, seeing the crowd of men hovered over each other in the card aisle at the grocery store and the looks on their faces as they ponder which flowers to buy. 
No matter what side of the fence you're on, I hope you have a lovely Valentines Day. 
 
have a great weekend,
Tina

fog lifted.

a lot of you are know the feeling mondays can bring on.  I sent my husband a text durring work I will not repeat on my blog but he called shortly after to say "case of the mondays, huh"
Yes, I was so sickened with the monday blahs. so much so that I was pretty much mute at work most of the day. the only time I enjoyed was my lunch hour where I immediatly exit the building and into my civic for a jaunt around midtown. Today it was barnes & noble...a usual lunch spot. My mood is lifted when I see new issues of regular reads. I quit buying ragmags but will occassional flip through an usweekly for amusement. I'm no fan of jessica simpson but the whole weight gain matter is over the top. after a few magazine purchases, a good cup of strong local coffee and some fresh air, I return to the office more alive and aware. I take on several projects and chat with a coworker about how we have a hard time shopping for tops versus pants and that funny kid doped up after a dentist visit on youtube. Before I know it, it's quittin' time and I'm overjoyed I've survived yet another monday in a small office full of women who all had the same case of the mondays. 
I have to say I loved reading all of your comments on what made your day. It's these good, positive things that allow us to weed through the bad stuff that comes up now and again. It's also these things that make a not-so-great monday worth going through.
I couldn't settle on one winner so I chose two.

I'm a little late, but thought I'd throw my two cents in anyway. - my best girl is asleep in bed -drinking a frozen coffee drink -checking up on all my favorite blogs -waiting for my husband to call......Mary Claire

A 4-mile run on my treadmill. A little crafting. Out to dinner with the whole family for my dad's birthday. :-)....Deana Boston

Please email me at lifelovepaper@gmail.com.
Thanks everyone for posting a little piece of your happiness here.
Tina

fog

I will be back later today to post the winner of the February print giveway...just as soon as I get my barrings on this fine Monday morning.

hiphiphooray for monday!

what? me...slightly overjoyed on a monday? it's a bizarre feeling I tell ya.
here why....

1. Being featured on the super blog, a cup of jo. Thank you Thank you Thank you. :)
2. Last nights episode of the Office. Maybe they should consider moving that show to Sunday nights. I find it's a great way to kick off the week.
3. That one Career Builder commercial with the cute koala getting punched. I can relate to everything up to the guy in the blue speedos.
4. The wool peacoat I wanted forever but never purchased that I found on the clearance rack today. Last one, my size, discount on top of a discount. Love. I have not shame. I will wear my clearance rack coat proudly.
5. The tasty apple goat cheese salad I'm eating for lunch. *pause for a bite*
6. Knowing that my treadmill is back from his 2 month sabbatical. So are my running shoes. They're eager to get back to work starting today. *must update ipod*

What's got you going on this fine day?
Hit me up and I'll pick a winner for a free print!
:)
Tina

 

love, friday.

Oh, how I love you Friday. I really do. I love the overall mood you bring, not only to me but to my colleagues. I love when J and I make plans for the weekend while drinking our morning coffee before we're off to work. I love that I get to stay up past midnight and not having to set the alarm for the next morning. That's life, some love, now for some paper:

Dare #126. Outlines. Just a little blurb about being guarded. And yes, I do realize I misspelled the word. grs. I hate that.

Before I head off into the sunset...er...sunrise, a quick update on the Valentine mini cards. I'll have some in the shop later this afternoon. Thanks for all the support guys! I never thought I would get such great response, I would of made more in the beginning. :)

Enjoy Friday and have a great weekend.
Tina

honest to blog?

it's exactly 8:10pm, Tuesday and I'm watching Juno for the 4th time. Not because it's cool but it's on and I'm not into anything else. I consider Juno to be a good movie as background noise for when I'm patiently waiting for a page to load on my ever slow laptop or finally deciding I might have something interesting to voice on my blog.
My hibernation week went by fast and I'm glad I took the time off work. I needed time away from my office. I was feeling a bit drone-like there for awhile. Bad thing is, after my 2 day back, I'm still feeling like a drone. A little office drone.

______________________________________________________________________________

9:16am, Thursday at work. I don't know if this post is meant to be but I'm going on day 3 of trying to get just 1 entry done. I began to type again last night but my lovely laptop froze up on me for the umpteenth time. I think I need to just take it in and have it cleaned up. also must learn to save a draft.
I ended my last post because I felt as though is was headed towards the negative side of things. I'm all about honesty and would normally just blurt out my thoughts, good or bad but I don't always want things to sound so dramatic. I simply am having a hard time getting back into the swing of things at the office.
On the upside of things, I put up my sweet mini Valentine Day cards last night. As of this morning, they are all sold but I will have more up hopefully by Friday. If you want to put a set on hold, email me and I'll be happy to do that for you. I'll be making 2 sets, one with TTV images, the other with my polaroids. Also, if you ever see anything on my Flickr page you would like as a print or turned into mini cards, just drop me a line. :)

Did you catch the release of February's Studio Calico kit? There are some sweet exclusive SC papers in this one. My favorite was the fortune cookie paper.
Cool, no? I've posted my other layouts in the Studio Calico photo album to the left of my blog. Of course I had other things I wanted to put down but have forgotten. How likely of me....to forget. I cannot tell you how many moleskin notebooks, pieces of paper, printed emails, and torn bits that have thoughts written on them. That's one resolution that's going slow. We live in the age of organization yet I still haven't come to terms with the meaning. One day I tell you, one day my home will be the epitome of organized bliss, all Martha Stewart like with matching baskets in robin's egg blue and seafoam green. one day. 

A glimpse of my hibernation week. Valentines Day projects, enjoying a cup of hot tea next to the fire, playing with my new camera lens....happy, rested me.
Take care,
Tina

today I will....

...do some blog reading. the googs is screaming at me +1000!
...make buttermilk pancakes. bisquik need not apply.
...finish up with Feb's SC kit. my desk is an utter disaster. could only mean good things.
...update SC blog. compiling sneaks.
...re-arrange bedroom. new sheets in cool color prompts for immediate re-do.
...emailing those who wanted sundried tomato cream sauce recipe. butter & cream can do no wrong.
...picture taking, polaroid shaking.
...dareskys.
  Tina.

it's the simple things.

-new, freshly laundred sheets in the prettiest shade of amethyst.
-the full bloom of a white hydrangea
-a warm slice of chocolate pecan banana bread. recipe found here.
-finally finding the perfect solution for dry winter skin: Khiels creme de corps body scrub & lotion.
-getting to sleep in past 5am on a weekday.
-the silky feeling of little butter's coat after a bath.
-new issue of Domino waiting for me on my nightstand. 
-the success of a new dinner recipe: sundried tomato cream sauce with chicken.
-giving an old camera a new home...and a good cleaning.

what simple things bring you happiness?
 

mysteries of the mid-afternoon crash: a typical tuesday

good thing blogging on a regular basis wasn't one of my resolutions.
the best thing I can report is that our crazy cold spell has finally broke. bad thing is that it's snowing now. how can I complain though? I live in Alaska. A-L-A-S-K-A. grin and bear it I suppose.

At the moment I am going through the dreaded mid-afternoon crash or slump or the period in the work day in which one wants to lay their head on their desk for a snooze...knowing they can't, they reach for whatever sugary and fattening snacks that reside in the kitchen. Maybe it was the warm and comforting spicy chicken curry I had for lunch that's making me extra sleepy today.
I will NOT go towards that costco sized bag chocolate pretzels, I tell myself. Instead I'm noshing on a kashi go lean bar, something I don't highly recommend because of the cardboard essence I'm getting after each bite. it is loaded with fiber and has some sort of chocolate coating that's curbing my said chocolate pretzel craving. And maybe it's the combo of thinking of witty blog lines and the cardboard bar but I'm starting to get a little boost. that's good. Looking down at the time....2 hours to go. I can do this.

more tomorrow. must get back to work.
tina

it's alive!

wow, I've been in total solitude mode since the new year. it's still extremely cold here. too cold to really do anything that doesn't involve thermal long johns, slipper socks, and a steaming hot cup of tea.

resolutions 09 going strong and I think I've finally settled on my "word".
 

I want to believe again. I want to find lost hope. I want to trust in what lies ahead.
I am ready to make sacrifices and I am ready to make the best of 2009.

Tina

is it cold enough for you.

I always want to say something smarmy to the guy who feels the need to ask "is it cold enough for you" when it's 15 below. Yes. It's cold enough.
This time last year I was held up in my bedroom under mounds of blankets, eating every snack in sight and bellows of "woe is me". The usual winter depression hasn't hit me which I'm so very thankful for. I've kept busy with my picture-taking ventures and now that I've got a good supply of polaroid film thanks to  my bro & sis law & my sweetest, I should be good until spring. Ah.....spring.
I have to say that I'm ready to kick off a new year. 2009 will bring good things as long as I bring good things to 2009. My first resolution:

Enjoy the new year!
Tina

I'm going to be politically incorrect and say...

Merry Christmas friends. Tina