Pdx ace hotel session

I thought it might be time to share some photos from my Portland trip. I'll start off with the photo session I had with a friend, her mom and her 2 beautiful daughters. We ended up doing the majority of our session in the room Jamaica and I stayed in at the Ace Hotel. I grabbed a bouquet of bright orange ranunculus from a local organic grocery store + a cheap white posterboard from Dick Blick to use as a reflector. (man, I wish we had one of those here) The room didn't need anything else but the energy of this vibrant family.

I had such a good time photographing at the Ace. I plan on returning to Portland in the fall (September or October) and doing a couple more sessions. If you're interested, email me lifelovepaper@gmail.com.

xot

toddler tuesday//follow up on the "haircut"

I gained a lot of knowledge over the next several days following my last post about Tyler's behavior. The overall consensus was to be consistent which makes complete sense. We're already consistent with his schedule which he thrives off of. We've followed the same bedtime routine since he was about 3 months and with the exception of a few days here and there, he's always slept well through the night. We stayed consistent with reading books and working on our words which has helped his speech tremendously. It only makes sense to follow suit when it comes to disciplining.

I think Vanessa said it best with her comment....

"Here’s my advice : whatever you say you will do as a consequence, YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THROUGH. If you don’t take away the bubble gun after you said you would, you’re a goner!"

Jeff and I knew this from watching Super Nanny and were oblivious to the fact that we were not actually following through on this gem of kiddo advice. We just wanted to resolve the issue without a tantrum which meant just giving in. And so the toddler monster was created. Luckily we weren't in too deep. After a few days of being consistent, I've seen a big improvement. The crying after a certain item is taken away doesn't last long and it's done afterwards.

I also wanted to touch on the subject of disciplining myself as a parent to a toddler.

I will be the first to admit that I value the control I have/had in my life A LOT. It's an issue but I've learned that I cannot control Tyler. That's not how parenting works. He's a whole separate being with a mind and heart of his own. I have to let him be a kid and except that he's learning EVERYTHING. He's 2 1/2, not 30. He's doesn't know unless we teach him. We have to learn to pick out battles with him as well. I want to be consistent with disciplining but I also don't want to be overbearing with constant "No's!". He's not a bad of a kid and I need to give him more credit.

Hoping this helps a little for those who are new to parenting a toddler. Positive feedback helps a lot and knowing that we're not going out of my minds. I also wonder WWSD as in what would Stephanie do as I see her as supermom having double the trouble with her cutie tots, Lucy and Cate not to mention her 2 other girls. And here I am complaining about 1 crazy lovable cub. Sigh.

xot.

 

Tyler's new attitude aka the haircut.

Tyler's hair has been a bit of a hassle as of late. I had taken it apon myself to trim it up a few times throughout the year. I liked having it longer....I thought it differed him from the other little boys plus he simply looked cute. But with the many times I cut it, it started to look shabby. My intention was to find a place to have it trimmed but it never panned out. Well, it's gone now.

Jeff decided to  put the clippers to his head on an unusually hot day here in Alaska. I cannot believe how sad I was too see his pretty tendrils fall to the ground. I hated it at first, still not really use to it. Doesn't look like my sweet little Tyler anymore. I dramatically told Jeff that he cut away his innocence.

He looks at least a year older now and I swear his mentality has changed since that last little bit of hair fell to the ground. Laugh all you want but his inner, inner wild child has emerged. I seem to be dealing with a lot more "no's" and yelling and the glares, oh the glares. What the hell?? This isn't my child I think to myself.

I know this is (for the most part) normal toddler behavior. Please tell me this is normal toddler behavior??

Jeff and I share an inside joke about this whole situation which I think is important when raising a toddler. You've got to be able to see the humor in these things because if you don't, it'll make drive you mental. We now blame all Tyler's mishaps on "the haircut".

Example:

Tyler after repeatedly telling him to not use his bubble gun in the house, is making a mess on the floor. I calmly get down to his level and sternly say that if he pulls that trigger one more time, I'm taking it away. Tyler looks me right in my eye and slowly pulls the trigger to the bubble gun.

WHAT IS THAT???  The haircut.

In his defense, this happens more in the evening during his melt down time. You toddler parents are probably like "oh, that's the reason".

Still. These changes that seem to happen with a blink of an eye are sometimes daunting. I just hope we're handling it as best we can. We still laugh and play more than anything so that's a good thing. But I've got to get a time out system in place. I'd love to hear your tips on disciplining a toddler.

xot

Sale ends tonight!

Just a reminder that the LifeLovePaper sales ends tonight! Take 10% off stamps....use code MAY2013. Also release the new states printables. CA, WA and OR are available now and there will be more to come soon. Studio Calico reveal is today. Really enjoyed working with Roundabout....the colors, the stamps. Love it all. Here are some sneaks.

Happy Memorial Day everyone! xot

girl loves friday

Happiness today? Let's see. First, it's Friday. Gotta love that. Second, the sun is out and it's suppose to be like this all weekend. Third, I bought the first round of plants and I'm ready to get my hands dirty ( a Memorial Day tradition) Forth, New Paislee Press Press Plate in the shop. It'll be 20% off through the weekend. Better yet, it's free to Paislee Press Facebook fans.

Fifth, I just picked up a new Canon Selphy printer at a garage sale for $25. Couldn't pass that up.

Sixth, LifeLovePaper is having a sale too! All stamps are 10% off starting tomorrow through Monday (ends at midnight) coupon code is MAY2013. starts tomorrow 12pm eastern.

AND I've got several NEW digital releases that'll be in the shop tomorrow as well. Pretty excited about these.

Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone! xot

 

show & tell//may lilies

Sunny Yu with May Lilies sent me a pair of her oh so cute earrings. They've become one of my faves amoungst the few that I wear on rotation. I use to love my big ol' hoops but post kiddo, studs are more appropriate for my lifestyle. (I have this fear of my earring being ripped out of my ear lobe) Not only is the design + color cute but they are incredibly comfortable to wear. Doesn't even feel like I'm wearing earrings. Plus I have super sensitive skin so the sterling silver is a huge thumbs up.

Sunny Yu also creates beautiful necklaces and other delicatly shaped earrings. Check out her shop here.

xot

New paislee press!

Paislee Press From Where I Stand. Such a cool kit. Perfectly suited for my series of "from where I stand" shots I took while I was in Portland. The one above is my favorite and was taken in a comic book shop. Lot's of cool local zines and inspiring art.

There are also journal cards that match the kit...FREE with the kit purchase until 5/19. I'm in the process of printing them now so I can work on my PL. I'm  not caught up quite yet but there's no stress at all. It's been a fun process so far. And it may seem like this PL in which I speak of doesn't exists since I hardly show it but it does. That was another "thing" I wanted to shake off and that was the stress of having blog/gallery worthy pages. It helps move me along. That and the ease of using these digital kits.

Hope your weekends are full of good stuff. Happy Friday. xot

mom's day recap

I'm not one that likes to be fussed over but it was a welcoming feeling this weekend. Jeff surprised me with a cake from one of my favorite local bakeries, the Flying Dutchman. They're old school and that sometimes is a good thing, especially when they produce super moist flavorful cakes. They don't dabble in trends such as cake pops. It's just good old fashioned baked goods. Love that.

I think the best gift was waking up before my son and spending a little time reading and enjoying a cup of coffee. No tv, just the sound of birds singing their morning song. Seems simple but this rarely happens. Tyler gets up early these days and brings it full tilt until bedtime.

I used this time to catch up on a few books I recently downloaded, Steal Like an Artist and The $100 Start up. I finished Steal and loved it. It was more than I expected it to be. Good read for what I'm feeling right now.

I also reflected a little on how good I felt this mother's day. Past holidays were a little tough since there was that void. But since reuniting with my mom last month, things have been really good and positive. I was going to leave this part for my Portland post but since it's post Mother's day, I'll write a little about it now.

I was a little nervous but it didn't overwhelm me. It helped to hang out and have a little fun with Jamaica beforehand and that's why I had planned my trip that way....to have some time to myself before taking the huge step of seeing my mom. And I know I've repeated myself many times but 22 YEARS!! (ever see the movie Gross Point Blank? when Jeremy Piven's character yells, 10 YEARS!! to John Cusack's character...that is what I'm quoting when I say 22 YEARS)

Yep, 22 years. I know. We've been talking on the phone for the past 3 years though...sort of rekindling our relationship. It never felt like a mother/daughter relationship though. More like I was talking to an aunt or a friend. And anytime she would try to act motherly, I would dismiss it. Hell, she was gone when I needed her most and I'm going to take her advice and lectures now?

After Tyler came along, he soften my hard edges tremendously (+ maybe it's me getting older too). My heart was bitter and wary. I held on to negative crap just to be angry which is just stupid and a waste of life. Tyler made me see the world and myself differently. I don't know if he'll ever know what he's done for me....what he continues to do for me.

Back to the renuion. So the day came and I had requested no tears beforehand. She obliged but I could tell she wanted too. We hugged like a mother and daughter in the middle of the Ace Hotel lobby. And later we talked. We shared things we couldn't over the phone. I understand a great deal now. Things that I would have never understood as a kid. I'm not saying it's ok as mother to leave your young children but now I know it wasn't easy for her or that it wasn't our fault. The 2 things that always angered + hurt me.

We spent our day together in good spirits. I can't tell you how good it felt to go do something as normal as shopping sales and eating lunch together. These things that people take for granted everyday. I never up until now had experienced this. Kind of mind blowing.

The day went by fast. She kept saying it was like a dream, having her daughter in her home. She and her husband watched me as I went through the security gates at the airport and waved goodbye until I could no longer see them.

We've talked almost everyday since then. She's my mother now. Maybe she wasn't then or maybe she always was but she's here now and I fully accept that. I plan to visit again in the Fall and hopefully soon she can meet Jeff and Tyler. That's the next big step, one I'm excited for.

I hope all  of  you moms, aunts, grandmothers and sisters had a wonderful mother's day! xot

 

girl loves friday

I finally put up the new stamps that were meant to be new back in March. : /  This is just a small sampling...new ones are in the making. Maybe they'll make an appearance in August? Haha...no, I'm going to be more present here thanks to the push you all gave me. I can't let my fear or the excuse of being busy stop me from doing this, right?  : )

Hoping to have some new screen prints up in the next week. Can't wait to get my hands dirty again. I moved my studio over the winter and never really got it sorted out so that has been a huge obstacle. Again, I can't let that get in the way.

Happy Friday + a huge Happy Mother's Day to you all.

xot

 

NSD 2013

(1. Paislee Press lovelies 2. watching my guys rake the yard while enoying a read + a cup of Stumptown's coffee 3. Night owl scrapbooking)

Did you all enjoy your paper + memory filled weekends? I spent NSD setting up my new printer + finishing the month of March in my PL. I'm that behind.

But, it's coming along nicely thanks to a few things that have made my weekend + scrapbooking awesome.

I replaced my old Epson R340 with the http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=lifelovepaper-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B00AGV7TOS " target="_blank">Canon Pixma MG6320.  I love it. So glad I finally made the purchase. I have to thank Liz for enabling. :)

Speaking of Liz, her recent Paislee Press releases You Are Loved + On My Desk have been a huge time saver and inspiring my work like crazy.

(sidenote) thanks for your comments + emails from my last post. never expected that kind of response. much appreciate aka thanks for pushing me.

xot

Here

Not exactly sure where to start. So much has happened in the month I've  been absent from my blog. A lot of good, some bad, some just....meh. I have several drafted posts that were never published. I had a really hard time expressing myself publicly through writing. I also question the entegrity of blogging these days. But I'm not going to start in on that subject. I really need to get over it and continue to do what I do here.

I was in a serious funk. Dealing with several issues within my family, having my papa pass away, unsure of who I am in the social media network and what I want out of Life.Love.Paper.

I have been busy designing and working. That's the good. You can find the majority of my work throughout Studio Calico. From stamps to papers to PL cards and photo styling. It's fun and I can't complain.

My own brand is lacking though and that makes me feel like shit. Especially when I see so many others do so well in this market. But I know it takes a lot of dedication and hard work. I have a hard time consistently feeding social media outlets with ads of "what's new" and "what's to come" and I feel as though that maybe my demise?

I know I've gone in a direction that doesn't suit me. I'm focusing too much on keeping up with the Joneses rather than doing what I LOVE MOST and that has made me really unhappy. It puts me in neutral when I'm comparing myself to these successful makers. But then it also fuels me. Inspiration is a great thing. Pinterest, blogs, etc.....it's all good but it can really overwhelm you. I think I got sort of scatter brained and started working on things that made no sense to Life.Love.Paper. I wasted my time trying to come up with the biggest and best and new and that's just silly. I lost my focus of keeping things simple and producing items that I love.

I feel renewed having just returned from a Portland. Man, what an inspiring city. Closing the browser and seeking inspiration in beautiful surroundings.Being taken out of your  everyday routine.  That is the best medicine for a struggling creative and it's just what I needed. Add in a creative, like-minded friend and some REALLY GOOD food + coffee and call it good times.

Jamaica and I hopped from shop to shop, collecting fodder and ideas and laughs. So good. I'll post more on our trip but wanted to sort of get back in the routine of blogging.

I'm here. Ready to take on the world again. XOT

Happy Easter!

Hey guys! Long time, right? Well a lot has happened in the past 2 weeks but I won't go all promo crazy on you today. Instead, I'd like to gift a little Easter printable.

You can download it here.

Enjoy! Tina

(Printables measure 3x4 and are in PDF format. These are for PERSONAL USE ONLY. Please don't steal my artwork. Credit to LifeLovePaper is always appreciated.)

CURRENT PINS

1. Love not only seeing art in progress but the same image in sequence//idea for a layout. 2. Replace draw with make//that's me. 3. Toddler advice I need to read//quiet time for toddlers who no longer nap. 4. I can't say that I'm a huge lover of pb&j's but in the form of a donut, well now that's a different story. 5. Color inspiration//pops of pink. 6. Light. Light. Shadow & light. 7. The wonton soup I made & put up on my IG this week//SO GOOD. *added less ginger to the wonton mixture and a little more cabbage. also added soy sauce + Sriracha to the broth. 8. More color inspiratoin//pastel + pop. 9. Couldn't be more perfect. (can't find the original source. pin)

Happy Weekend. xot

 

Meet Max

 

Last week my husband tells me he found us a puppy. Totally out of the blue. My first reaction was not of joy. We only just lost our dog a month ago and I just wasn't ready to have another.

But. We always said that we would know when we found "our dog". It had happened with the last 2 and it was always by chance. My first, mama bear (official name Crystal) was given to me by my brother when he was in high school. I had already moved out but never desired to have a dog. It was pretty much love at first site when I saw her crystal blue eyes, hence the name Crystal. She was a little crazy but protective and fiercely loyal to me. She passed a few months after I was pregnant with Tyler. I'm sad he never got to meet her.

Then our second, Butters (official name Jesse) was the runt of a Catahoula litter. A person was trying to give him away at a garage sale. He definitely looked the part....so scrawny next to his brother who was already set to be adopted. She said no one wanted him. Well that was our sign. He was extremely skittish but a cool dog who only wanted to be loved. He passed last month.

Now our third....Max. Half Husky, half German Shepard. His litter + mom were rescued from owners who couldn't afford to feed them so they were a little starved. He's pretty chill which is nice since Jesse was always so alert and nervous. He reminds me a lot of Crystal....the German Shepard is what attracts me to him since she was half GS.

It took a few days for me to adjust to having another dog in the house other than Jesse or Crystal. He's a cool litle dude though.....his charms are slowly creeping there way into my heart.

Currents//eating

This donut recipe has been sitting in my "like" Pinterest page for awhile. It boasts (the descriptoin of the Pin) that it's the original Krispy Kreme recipe which it is not. Not to say they're not delicious and that there isn't one left from the batch I made this morning. Well...we made.

The boy automatically pulls out a chair when he sees the big tub of flour come out. I've come to embrace it. It gets messy but I love seeing how into it he is.

I wanted to make something special this morning so I started the dough first thing. I liked what she said about this being an easy recipe and the tip on keeping the room well ventilated.

These donut holes were SO GOOD. I had the oil a little too hot so they browned really quickly but they still came out fine. The boys enjoyed them a lot. The outside had a light crispy texture and the inside was soft and slighty dense + chewy. That's what made it different from a Krispy Kreme donut.  Definitely keeping the recipe for future use.

* a few personl notes I used just under a 2 cups of flour which was perfect. I let the oil get too hot, may need to invest in a thermometer. This recipe made the perfect amount for 2 adults + 1 hungry toddler. I liked that it wasn't a recipe that would feed an army.

XOT

pin to action//chicken + dumplings

Tyler caught a nasty bug last Friday. I haven't seen my boy in this bad of shape since his surgery last year. Naturally his parents would catch the virus. After just recovering from the cold I had just a month ago, I saught out other remedies other than the usual hot tea with lemon and a healthy dose of Nyquil. I'm giving Zycam a try + so far it's working. Not expecting miracles...I know there's no actual cure for a cold but this so far is lessening the damage. I don't feel as bad but my head/nose is stuffy. I can live with that for now. It's the tiredness + body aches that get me.

Another usual cold fix is homemade soup. It's something I crave ever since my dad made me a batch of homemade chicken soup in the crock pot when I was sick. That hot brothy goodness warms your insides and for a moment, you forget how sh*tty you feel.

It doesn't take too much effort. Just throw a whole chicken in the crockpot with salt + pepper and some cut up veg. I used onion, carrots + celery. I also used a bullion cube + some water. I set it on high since I was in a hurry. My first intention was to make chicken noodle soup but then I felt like something a little more heartier. I craved chicken + dumplings. Not the usual Martha Stewart recipe I make though. I wanted a more authentic dumpling. I scoured Pinterest and came across this recipe. So easy to put together + so worth the extra step of rolling + cutting out dough for the dumplings.

After the chicken is done, I pulled it out and set it aside. Then I poured the broth through a fine mesh strainer. Homemade chicken broth. Done. I followed the recipe and used the cooked chicken instead of the rotisserie one. I loved that it was still somewhat brothy as opposed to super thick. We all enjoyed it cuddled up on the couch. So good + comforting. Seriously the best medicine.

What kind of things do you crave when you're down with the crud? xot

making it work//creating with a toddler

I remember the days I use to stay up in my craft room + scrapbook for hours on end. Sometimes I would even call in sick from work just to play with my kits. Boy have times changed. You'd think that I would have many more hours to spend playing now that I work from home. Not the case. Add in a rambunctious two year old that has to do whatever mom is doing and this is what we have.

My new "craft room" is our dining room. I only keep essentials on hand. There has been A LOT OF PURGING and because I create in a high traffic area, I continue to purge each month. Containers are my friend. I love the ones Target puts out in the dollar bins. I keep several empty ones on hand while I work with a kit. They're handy for when we use the dining room table for it's oringial purpose. I just throw my stamps, embellishments and smaller bits in a container, pile the paper, throw it in a large bag and put it aside.

Tyler's at that age where he wants to be involved in EVERYTHING I do + I'm happy to accommodate because it's the only way I can create during the day. So I keep his box of crayons, paints + lot's of blank paper on hand. It stays right with my scrapbook supplies. Seems simple but it took a little bit for me to realize having these on hand and having him create with me was the key to making us both happy. Before I would beg him to play or watch a movie so I could do a little something during the day. Mostly I would just wait until he went to bed but that didn't leave any time just to chill and watch a movie with Jeff.

This is how I make it work. Would love to know how you fit scrapbooking in your busy day. Any tips on making the most of your time?

Here are my layouts from the Neverland gallery starting with my personal fave.

Still love working with watercolors and I love that SC created teeny tiny mists. So stinkin' cute.

XOT

 

currents//loving

+Skyfall by AdeleI've been wanting to see a good action movie so we watched Skyfall over the weekend. I think my favorite parts are the beginning with Adele singing Skyfall + when they showed the Skyfall location. Really beautiful setting + song.  I purchased the single today + haven't stopped listening to it.

+Seeing Tyler after he's been away for a few hours.  I found a great in home daycare for Tyler a few weeks ago. I can't tell you had difficult it was for me to find someone to watch my son. Not only finding someone but the over-protectiveness I felt about having Tyler being cared for by another person. I've learned to let that go now. This little bit of time apart has done wonders for all of us. I get time to work and get things done that are a million times easier to get done when you don't have your kid(s) with you. He gets play + engage with kids his age. He loves it + looks forward to HIS time. And when I pick him up...it's a one of those magical happy parent moments that make all those tantrums + fussing + crying for not apparent reason meaningless.

+this layout. This is just a little snippet of the one my layouts created for the March Studio Calico kit. The Kesi'art paper in the Hook (#4) add on is gorg + I love the actual texture of the paper. Remember this tutorial? I applied it to a very photo taken a few weeks ago. Love the results but I hate that I botched the typed journaling below. You'll see after the full release. I'm thinking I may have to track this paper down and recreate it again.

Your turn. xot