currents.

bringing currents back.

listening: Sublime, Doin' Time.
-not the biggest Sublime fan but I love this particular song. Makes me think of the hot sun beating down my shoulders, the smell of bbq, and the refreshing taste of a Corona with a wedge of lime.
eating: some cut up honey dew.
drinking: decaf skinny white chocolate mocha.
wearing: Gap straight jeans, black tank, black cardi, my favorite high heeled booties.
-have been wearing loads of black post-baby.
feeling: spiritual. 
weather: sunny and cool.
-although we've had some pretty good weather up here, I'm smart enough to know that this is not the official break up.
wanting: to squeeze an extra few hours out of the day.
-trying to find balance in my life right now. between being a mom, home life, office life, going forth with my own business ventures..I'm finding myself a tad overwhelmed. I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel though and that keeps me going.
needing: a haircut.
-my bangs are hideous.
thinking: about a long distance online friend.
enjoying: the warmth of the sun I'm feeling through my office window.
wondering: how other working mom's juggle everything and keep their sanity.

 
source 

xot.

bits and pieces from the weekend.

 
 
 ?And with a blink of an eye, the weekend has come and gone.
?So has another Monday, thank goodness.
It's amazing how quickly days go by now.
Funny how I thought time flew pre-baby.
Oh, the things I would tell that girl before she became a mom.

The boy's taking his last nap of the day so I need to get a move on with some chores.
I wanted to thank you all who commented on my new website.
Your input was greatly appreciated & helpful. 
Will probably nix the music for now but may eventually add something later.
And will also just stick to "lifelovepaper.com" and not throw in the photography.
It was good to hear things like linking to my blog which I'm still trying to decide if I want to do. I may be putting together another blog just for photography...who knows. Seems to be too many things for me to take on. I feel like there's too much personal stuff here and I don't want to change that. On one hand, I worry clients may be put off by too much personal info about myself. On the other, why not? What do I have to hide from potential clients? This may be even more of reason to hire me, no?
Speaking of clients, I had my first boudoir session over the weekend and it went really well. I wasn't sure how I would approach this type of photography but I did it the way I wanted and avoided the cheesy shots I've seen around. I couldn't stress "natural, natural, natural" enough to my client when she asked me to do these shots. They came out beautifully and I cannot wait to share them with you later this week. 
Before I say goodnight, I have chosen 2 comments for the give-away which will be a mix of my Polaroid/TTV prints.
?Genevieve & Amy Gomez
Please email me at lifelovepaper@gmail.com with your mailing addresses.

Thanks again guys! 
xot.

girl loves friday.

 
happy happy joy joy.
friday.
couldn't have come sooner. 

I wanted to blog all week but it was impossible to squeeze some extra time. And now I've forgotten all the things I wanted to blog about.
Really need to start keeping a notebook.  

Yet another big step towards my 2011 goal. I finally launched my photography website.
Check it out and let me know what you think. I may just have a give-away for one or two lucky comments. :)
And a quick survery about the website...
1. Should I add music?
2. Should I add "photography" to the end of lifelovepaper?

onto girl loves.

makes me want to redo my shelves. found here.

I'm totally infatuated with this mom's documentation of daily life.

wardrobe envy. desperately wanting to buy new clothes but not until all this extra baby weight is off.  
 

awesome.  
 
hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

xot. 

(credits....polaroid digital template is from Paislee Press, tape strips from Pugly Pixel, hearts from Picnik, font is from Myfonts.)

Studio Calico March

Links:
Into the Woods
Babbling Brook
Wildflower
Mossy Knoll
Claudine Hellmuth paint
Mister Huey
Scallop digital elements (Pugly Pixel) 

xot.

girl loves friday.

What the? Orea truffles? Get. Out.

This dreamy photo.

 
Tyler's 100 days is coming up in a few weeks and I'm planning a small gathering to celebrate. I may just wait to purchase his first hanbok for his first birthday and keep the 100 days small. Can't wait to see him in this. Makes me want to pull out my first hanbok.
 

 
Not much else to say but Happy Friday!
xot.
 

where we create.

New dare is up.
If you're curious to see where we all create, check it out.

Currently taking a much needed breather from work.
It looks as though a small wind storm as hit my desk.
Excel sheets, memos, post its and few crumbs from mystash of salt & vinegar Pringles.
Oy.

A few sneaks before I bid you adieu.

 
 

Headed back to the storm.
xot.

weekend best.

a quiet moment spent with a hot cup of decaf and some inspirational business reading. btw...the coffee press below is the best $20 spent this year. this gem is saving me lot's of $$.

family time/play time. the bestest.   
 

 current fave breakfast.
 early morning glow.
 
polaroid, naturally. 3 month old sweetness.  
quiet snowfall. 
playing in said quiet snowfall with butters.  
a toy I got for Tyler that turned into a toy for butters.  
 

hope you all had the a lovely weekend as well.
xot.

girl loves friday.

no I'm not lucky I'm blessed.
yes.
-Nicki Minaj

Something I'm feeling at the very moment.
I don't think I give the big man enough credit for the goodness in my life. Of course I look to him when things are down and ask..why me?
Another resolution for this year....less why me prayers and more thank you prayers.
Done.

Feeling so relieved it's Friday. Seems like a long week, maybe because I actually worked a full week rather than taking Friday off. 
Yesterday I woke up so amped on creative thoughts but they were quickly killed after a conference call first thing in the a.m. in which I was not given credit for a grand business decision I had made last week. Not to say I need a pat on the back for every thing I do but this particular situation would have been nice. Was pretty let down but also pushed me more into wanting to become my own boss. I'm ready to mesh my own business/sales/creative skills into Life.Love.Paper Photography. Every night this week I've dreamt of being on photo shoots and woke up with fabulous ideas and enough motivation to get me to my next step. I'm extremely excited about my upcoming shoot which is going to be totally experimental. It's a boudoir shoot. Yikes. Totally far from the newborn, maternity direction I'm headed but at this point in my photographic career, I'm not going to shy away from something new.

I love cuddly creatures.

Speaking of cuddly...I also love that my baby boy loves to cuddle. He snuggles right into the nook of my arm when we take our afternoon naps. Yes, he sleeps with me. In my bed. I can hear the gasps now. And you know what...I'm not going to apologize for it. With all the books and advice combined, what I know is that I have to do what's best for us. He does sleep comfortably in his bassinet now at night-time but nap-time is cuddle time. 
Moving on.

This book . This was Tyler's Valentines gift I got him and has become part of our bedtime ritual. He coos and ahhs while I'm reading it which tells me he loves it as well.

This beautiful post on motherhood. I foresee lot's of blanket forts and dance parties in my future.

happy friday.
xot. 

I love love.

xot. 

a layout.

We've added a new feature on the Studio Calico blog this month.
It's all about spotlighting past and present kits. 
I chose to pull out my leftovers from Back 40 which is still available in the shop...something that doesn't happen too often.
I added a little strip of my beloved circle overlay from Hambly, the photo rub ons and white Mister Huey from Studio calico....2 of my all time favorite items and a few star punches. 

Hope you're enjoying the weekend so far. Tyler's getting ready to visit his grandparent while I start on our taxes. Not fun but necessary. Keeping my fingers crossed for a nice return! Also still plugging away on the blog revamp. The banner is a temp for Valentines Day.

Ok, the boy's ready for breakfast!

xot.

boy loves friday.

giving a pound to friday.:)
i wasn't planning on blogging today but i'm up early with a hot cup of decaf and sleeping boy so why not?
still in the process of updating this boring blog.
was going to hire some one to do it but my funds are tied up at the moment so now i'm researching/learning how to do it myself. harder than i thought but i'm sure i'll get there.

onto girl loves.

things i am thankful for.
i love this illustration although i would alter a few things. certainly an inspiration for an upcoming layout using my March Studio Calico kit due to arrive on my doorstep in the next few days. 

one love photo's booth.
of course you'd expect nothing less from these ultra creative photographers.
love the idea of hanging old cameras directly onto the wall...an idea that my spring up in my son's nursery. he's mesmerized by the cameras i have strown across my mantle.

this look.
the jeans remind me of the old 501's i use to scour the thrift stores for. already been sporting the messy bun for a few weeks now but i'm really on the hunt for a blazer. i have issues with them fitting me comfortably. i hate the feeling of being confined. blazers usually do that to me.

also loooving yogurt with granola. my perfect combination is the Yoplait light banana cream pie topped with Bear Valley vanilla almond and some chopped bananas. wish the rest of my eating would play out this healthy.

happy friday.
xot 

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!

under construction.

 
my blog.
my photo website.
my finances.
my life.
it's all under construction.
be back soon.
xot

wordless weekend.

 
 
  
 There's still time left for the CHA challenges some of us are hosting at Studio Calico. My challenge is to take a photo of yourself in front of a mirror/window..something that gives off a reflection of yourself, preferably something in the past week.
Mine was taken on Saturday morning with my son. Our weekend morning routine has to be one my favorite parts of the day.  

xot.  

girl loves...thursday?

Yes, Thursday.
Why? Bbecause it's my Friday.
Not that I'll be lounging around in my pjs tomorrow.
We've got a full day of doctor apointments and errand running.

Being back to work started off well but in my second week, I'm feeling a bit like this:
I'm am running on fumes rights now. 
Tyler's going through something because his little butt kept me up until 3:30am this morning.
It's hard to be frustrated with him though. He spent the night/early morning wide-eyed and cooing the whole time. Possibly a growth spurt? Not sure but he's been doing so well with our routine. Just hope he gets back on track soon. 

Not only am I dog tired but tasks at work are starting to pile up.
It's nice to be busy but with so little sleep, it's hard to concentrate. I have to say I'm handling it all quite well though. As emails keep flowing and my inbox gets full, I keep a smile on my face.
This year I decided to do 2 things.
First was to not complain...or complain less I should say. (when snowblower wakes me up in the a.m., complaining is a given) So far so good.
Second was to not let the negativity that surrounds our office get to me. So when coworkers gossip/complain, it goes in one ear and out the other.
I just don't have the time or energy for this @$#% crap anymore.
Not when I've got so much good going for me.
There's no way I want any of that negativity to rub off on Tyler and he in no way deserves a grumpy mom.
I'm taking it all in great strides.

happy thursday/friday! 
 xot

Oh how I wish I could send every one of you a bottle of my favorite Mister Huery.
Unfortunately there can only be one winner here but that's not to say you can't get your hands on some Huey! New colors should be in the shop soon.

And the winner is.....

LOVE your messy desk as much as I love this layout! Can't wait to try the new Mister Hueys!
Commenter name: Allison Romero
Commenter email: allisonromero24@gmail.com

Please email me your info at lifelovepaper@gmail.com

Thanks everyone! You all are so awesome. :)

xot
 

hip hop

 
We're celebrating the release of Studio Calico's 2 new lines, State Fair & Countryside with a blog hop!

This was the scene after recieving Countryside...a total creative mess. I forgot to scan my layout I made for the CHA booth but there's a little glimpse of it.  
I love how the rub ons I used below resemble actual letterpress letters. They make a great statement to a layout.
I also really love the Barnwood shad of Mister Huey. So much so that I'll be giving 1 away here on my blog.
Just leave me a comment and I'll choose a winner tomorrow morning.

Next stop on your blog hop....ms Vee.

xot

I don't know what's worse.
The neighbor who mows his lawn at 11 p.m. or the one who snowblows their driveway at 6 am.
I knew it was snowing but we couldn't have gotten more than an inch.
Why this guy felt the need to snowblow that early is beyond me and extremely inconsiderate.
45 minutes before my alarm goes off, I'm awaken by the sound of a loud motor and the scraping of a shovel.
I ponder going back to sleep or just waking up.
I can't go back to sleep.
I lie there, my mind flooded with so many thoughts.
Thoughts that have been pestering me for the past few weeks.
Thoughts that I care not to discuss here.
Let's just say they involve finances, current career as desk jockey, following a dream and a shopping list.
All I know for sure is that I need to be proactive in every aspect of life right now.
That's truly the only way I'm going to accomplish anything.
Truthfully, I always expected for things to work itself out, for situations to just fall into place.
Is that me being laid back or just pure laziness?
I dunno.
One thing that I do know...the thing that is more solid than anything right now is that I love being a mom to a happy, cute, snuggly baby.
He's my light.
Cheesy, I know but I have no other way to explain it.
I rush home, wash my hands, get out of my work clothes, grab my guy and hug him as tightly as I can.
He hugs back and nestles his head in my nook.
I drink in his sweet baby smell and am overcome with relief and happiness.
He hasn't forgotten me.
That was my fear when I went back to work.
But we've established our bond and it's as tight as my skinny jeans. Even more so.
He's my guy.
He's my heart.

 
xot

currents.

listening: my dog yapping at the mailman.
eating: peanut butter cookie, freshly baked.
drinking: diet A&W rootbeer.
wearing: a well loved, broken in pair of abercrombie jersy knit pants.
feeling: content.
weather: COLD.
wanting: a crunch roll from sushiya 
needing: a pair of jeans that don't have a maternity band around the waist.
thinking: how angelic my little boy is when he's sleeping.
enjoying: the sound of Tyler's coo as he sleeps.
wondering: what his future holds.

I am currently chillin like a villain.
The boy and I are upstairs snuggled in bed because it's the warmest spot in the house.
My little chunk-a-munk went to his first party over the weekend where he was the only baby boy amongst many baby girls. It was cute to be in the presence of all these babies ranging from 6 weeks to 9 months.

We were all there to celebrate the coming Paula's second baby girl. She was radiant and beautiful and sported the familiar preggers waddle that I personally do not miss. :)

Things I'm anticipating this week? 
Getting my box of the newest release from Studio Calico which can be viewed here.
Also getting excited about my first photo shoot of 2011 this week. Can't wait. 
I'm really looking forward to getting back in the photo business. 

xot
 
 

girl loves friday.

 
Getting organized is up there with dieting/healthy eating.
It's one of those resolutions that fails even beforer it begins, for me at least.
Dieting is so not on my list this year being that I'm currently eating french toast I made out of leftover croissants from Costco. It's especially good because the boy is sound asleep and I can actually eat using both hands.  

One resolution that I want to keep is stated above.
Do something creative everyday.
I first thought that this was one of those sure to fail resolutions but it really is a lot more simple than it seems.
Being creative does not mean I need scrapbook everyday or make something tangible.
Playing around with some of the items I had on my desk and styling them for a photo was creative.
Journaling my son's birth story was creative.
Re-decorating our mantle was creative. 
Even if I take 5 minutes out of my diaper changing filled days to do something creative, I will continue to grow & evolve.

xot