February Round Up

My February 2007 Round Up

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?

I still have Sudoku on my nightstand. Making progress with it.....doing the Medium puzzles and totally leaving the Easy ones unanswered! :)

I also have a copy of Simple Scrapbooks on my nightstand....it's still unopened, in it's plastic bag. Hehehe. Somehow, with the advent of digiscrapping, I rarely open my CK or SS mags anymore, much less buy them!

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?

We didn't get to watch any movies this month. I would rather NOT go and sit in a theater for 2 hours. My back will pay for it the following day if I do. Not much TV either, come to think of it. When I get home, I usually lay down on my tummy and scrap until the wee hours of the morning.

I have enjoyed watching a few Nick Jr. shows with Ranger. His favorites include The Wonder Pets, the Backyardigans, Dora, Diego, and Lazy Town. As for the other kids, I know I hear Pokemon and the Fairly Oddparents blaring in the background when I am scrapping. They've also gotten to watching this relatively new show on TeeNick. I forget the title of the TV show, but it does feature the younger sister of Britney Spears. Go figure *shrug*

What special days did I celebrate and how?

February 3 - Rielle's birthday. She turned 9 this month. Looking at her though, you'd think she was 6 or 7 because of her small stature.

February 14 - For the first time ever, as far as I can remember, we celebrated Valentine's Day in style. We had a catered, sit-down dinner at the 20th floor of the Malayan Plaza in Ortigas. Randy had arranged to reserve the whole floor and had it set up to accommodate all of us, including Mom and Dad. Boydee and Bang weren't there, as they are usually in Cebu helping out at the Chateau, Bang's family's restaurant. Dinner at the Malayan Plaza was cooked by RJ. Decorations were done by Stella and Elizza, including a photo corner of course. Rodney and Rondic were in charge of the menu.

February 15 - Reese's 10th birthday. We had dinner at Teriyaki Boy to celebrate.

February 18 - Kung Hei Fat Choi! Happy Chinese New Year! We welcome the year of the Pig.

February 21 - Lent starts with Ash Wednesday. We got our ashes early in the morning so Raegan could make class and swimming. My sacrifice for this year? I'm giving up beef and chicken. I will NOT swear (the heavy swear words at least). I will allow myself to eat SOME rice during the day, not going over 1 cup of rice. So fish and veggies it is, pretty much. Oh, and I have to watch what I say :)

February 24 - Bric was baptized at the Shrine. Reception was done in the crying room, catered by RJ Ungco. Well of course I was Ninang, seeing as I'm the only sister, and Bric was the first child of Boydee and Bang. Hehehe. I'm the godmother of ALL my brothers' first born. I don't expect this trend to be broken anytime soon....HINT! HINT!!!

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?

My back didn't improve or worsen this month. I can definitely sit down for longer periods of time, but I have to be ultra careful to stand up and stretch several times each hour so my leg and back wouldn't hurt. As it is though, I found myself staying longer at the office and consequently paying for it that same night and into the morning.

I did start YOGA this month. Bikram Yoga, that is. The super duper uber HOT kind. Like working out in a sauna! But after the first or second session, I felt my back improve.....I can stretch it out more, I can actually kneel down and sit back without feeling any pain.

Ranger was put on antibiotics this month for a bad cough/asthma. Hopefully he'll outgrow this soon.

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?

Yoga, albeit HOT, was a fun, good workout done with Japa. We also had Rodney and Zhar join us, as well as Stella on our last session. It was nice to compare how and what we felt doing yoga, discussing the good and the bad points of Bikram Yoga with family.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?

Other than digital kits-that-I-don't-really-need-to-buy, nothing I don't think. I remember thinking that I should vastly curtail my expenses this month since we're STILL paying for purchases done over the holidays....not so sure if I was able to do that, but I think I've controlled myself. A bit. :)

What were this month's disappointments?

My back and leg aren't improving that much. Of course, with no physical therapy, I dare not think they'd improve, but still. Hehehe.

I was a bit disappointed that the kids didn't win at their respective Spelling/Math Bees, but I was proud of them for representing their classes!

Other than the ONE DVD I had burned as back up, I have NOT done any backing up this month! I have started to panic as I now have less than 10 gigabytes on my laptop's hard disk!!!

I also thought I was getting caught up on blogging, but somehow in the last few days of the month, I stopped blogging! Ack!

What were my accomplishments this month?

CT requirements done, on time.

I finished the album I started for Rogan's class, Where in the World is Grade 1-A? The best part of that presentation was when some girls squealed and thanked me for making them famous, hehehe. Oh, and the WONDER in this boy's voice when he told his teacher that he didn't remember visiting the Little Mermaid in Denmark (he was photoshop-ed in!).

I had TWO layouts picked for the PICK OF THE DAY at 3Scrapateers: The Bride and Tongue Twist. Additionally, Kristi McFadden over at SBB emailed me to ask me if they could include 'Mallows Roasting on an Open Fire in the March Ezine! Now how cool is that?!?!!!

Anything else noteworthy to record?

As mentioned, the kids represented their class in Spelling (Rogan and Raine) and Math (Raegan). They didn't win, but they bested 20 other kids to get to the final round!

We have begun to plan for Lola Nene's 88th birthday in June. If you know our family, this is a MAJOR MAJOR record for us, as we usually do things last minute *roll eyes up here*

February Layout Count: 45!

***End of Round Up***

It's Beauty Time Again!....NOT!

On my way to the dermatologist again...need to lift up this skin of mine a bit before the wedding of Randy and Stella. Hehehe. Otherwise, I wouldn't even bother going on a regular schedule! :)

I've scrapped a CT page today....but I won't be showing that off yet since I've got a feeeew more layouts to show here before I'm all caught up!

{SCRAPS}

These layouts feature Nancy Comelab's awesome photoclusters. I tried to be the 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th or 50th person to submit a layout with her new clusters to win a gift certificate to her store, but no cigar. Oh well. I did get these awesome layouts though (if I do say so myself! hehehe):

COLD FACES
Journaling reads: These were Ranger's different faces while at Mount Charleston. He would keep saying "Mama, it's COLD" over and over again. He refused to sit on the ground or touch the ice COLD SNOW!

Credits: kit - Imagine by Rina Kroes at SBE; glittery scroll - by Kimberly Geswein; Polaroid cluster #2 - by Nancy Comelab; snowflake stickers - by Tiff Brady; bottlecap - by Leah Riordan; snowflake - by Meredith Fenwick; inked action - atomic cupcake; fonts - LDJ Fadoodle, KGD Tiffany, Freeze


COLD! COLD! COLD!
Journaling reads: Ranger was NOT a happy camper in the snow. He kept saying that he was cold, cold, cold!

poem - by Jack Prelutsky:

I am freezing! I am freezing!
I am absolutely cold,
I am shivering and shaking
like a pudding in a mold.
There are glaciers in my stomach,
there is sleet inside my bones,
I am colder than the contents
of a million ice cream cones.

I am freezing! I am freezing!
From my bottom to my top,
all my teeth are clacking madly
and I cannot make them stop.
Oh I cannot feel my fingers,
and I cannot feel my toes,
now my cheeks are frozen solid,
and I think I've lost my nose.

I am freezing! I am freezing!
Inside out and outside in,
every bit of me is chilly,
every single inch of skin,
I have icicles inside me
and my lips are turning blue,
and I'm sneezing as I'm freezing,
for I've caught a cold . . .
AHCHOOOOOOOOOO!

Credits: kit - Imagine by Rina Kroes at SBE; photo cluster #5 - by Nancy Comelab at MDM; photo filter - All That Pops by Holly McCaig at MDM; folded corner action - by Jen Caputo; fonts - KGD Tiffany, KGD Lindsay, Arial Narrow


RAINE'S SPELLING BEE
Journaling reads: These pictures show Raine’s expressions as she participated in this year’s Spelling Bee: Waiting for the word to be called; writing her word; raising her board when done; waiting for teacher to spell the word; rejoicing that she spelled the word correctly!

Credits: kit - Georgina by Nina at Oscraps and ndisb; torn edge - by Kim Hill; report card - by Jen Wilson; polaroid cluster #2 - by Nancy Comelab; bumblebee - by DeDe Smith; fonts - KGD Bretta, KGD Tiffany Script, Kookalicious

ETA: Well, scratch Beauty Day.....Mom picked me up and we went to Binondo to have lunch with Lola, Bang and Tita Nonie and company. Yup; Chinese food again. But it was good and I made sure I drank lots and lots of water!!! I guess the dermatologist will have to wait again!

TTFN!

I Need More Space!!!

On my laptop that is! I've been scrapping (ok fine, and working, sort of) with a mere 875 MB on my laptop's hard drive!!! Eeek!!! Because of pretty big RAM --- 1.25 Gig's worth --- I haven't noticed a severe slowing down of my Photoshop. However, I know that I am treading on very dangerous water here!!!

Not to mention the fact that this morning, I got an email from Heather Heinzer, on who's CT I am on, saying that I have 7-8 files to download!!! So I download....and start panicking that my hard disk space is just under the 500 MB mark.

So tonight, instead of scrapping, I went conservative and started BACKING UP. Whew! I've got a few DVDs worth of scrapping stuff among other things. I've cleared up a few hundred gigs of space on my EHD, to which I transferred scrapping stuff from my laptop.

I am NOWHERE near done, but as of this writing, I have close to 10 gigs of space F.R.E.E!!!! yeah! Not bad for a night's "work" eh? The next step would be to burn them all on DVD obviously, but that takes a looooong time to do. So maybe a little step at a time.

{PEDIATRICIAN}

I brought Ranger to the doctor today because he had a really bad cough AND he was getting this rash on his back whenever he perspired. He was put on antibiotics (ugh!) and prescribed cornstarch powder to apply on his back before he sweats. Hopefully, that should clear the problem of his rash!

This will be a non-scrapping night for sure. It's 10:47 pm and I think I'm going to turn in....

{SCRAPS}

SWEETHEARTS
Mom and Dad this past Valentine's Day.

Credits: kit - Sweet Valentine by moments4u (simone stefmacher)at Divine Digital; notebook paper, tag - by Royanna Fritschmann; curled arrow - by Deborah Vessels; bend it photo template - by Debbie Knorr; font - the King and Queen

for SSD's Spin a Lift Challenge


MOM & DAD IN LOVE
Credits: kit - Love by Vera Lim; background paper - Passionate Love by Vera Lim; stitches, brackets, tag - by Gina Miller; hardware - Get Fastened by Jen Wilson; paint - Falling for You challenge kit at Elemental Scraps; photo filter - Virtual Photographer; font - Porcelain

For Lifts with a Twist

And with that, I bid you adieu! :)

TTFN!

Sunday Sunday, Scrap Sunday

I'm posting this early, so I won't forget :)

I slept at 430 am last "night" sheesh! Scrapping, surfing the boards...all because I had a couple of glasses of diet coke for dinner at the baptism. What caffeine does to me! Sigh!

Anyhoo, am looking forward to relaxing today. By relaxing I mean just laying on my bed scrapping on my laptop. And maybe backing up to a few DVDs which I really NEED to get done! As of this writing, my laptop has only 1.5 gigabytes of memory LEFT!!! Panic mode is starting to set in. Again! :)

We are going to be having lunch at Spring Deer, a franchise (maybe) of the "famous" Spring Deer restaurant in Hong Kong. Yes *heaving a huge sigh here* it is CHINESE food. Again. Oh well. My family loves to eat out and Chinese is as good an excuse as any!

Leaving you with some scraps so I can get caught up!!!

{SCRAPS}

MATCHING PJs
The kids showing off their long-awaited Red Power Ranger PJs.

Credits: kit - B3 (bounce-bounce-bounce) by Amy Bleser at Digi Scrap Divas; alpha - Black Round n Round alpha - by Amy Bleser at DSD and ACOT; font - KGD Tiffany; layered sketch - I'm Not Square Vol 3 by Amy Bleser at DSD


ME, RIGHT NOW
Journaling reads:
Me, right here, right now: Feb 16, 2007
camera bag (of course!)
my purse with pic of kids;
kids’ artwork
oreo cookins for a snack
laptop (opened to SSD)
CD calendar
cellphone
calculator
glass of water

Credits: kit - Softly Spring Papers and Elements by Heather Heinzer at SBE; cardboard, journaling tag, "ME" - Crazy Cardboard Accents by Teresa Ferguson at SSD; layered sketch by Carole Neale


SNOW BELLE
Journaling reads: Raine was so excited to be touching snow for the very first time! The expression on her face was worth the 45 minute drive from the city to Mount Charleston.

Credits: kit - Le Chapeau Rose by Rina Kroes and Kimmi Stewart at 3Scrapateers; purple mat - Le Chapeau Rouge by Rina Kroes and Kimmi Stewart; stamped alpha - by Traci Reed; photo filter - All That Pops by Holly McCaig; fonts - LD Slender, Rusted Plastic; layered sketch - Jiffy Stax Vo 5 by Rina Kroes at SBE


HOW TO MAKE A SNOW ANGEL
Instructions on making a snow angel from Ralph Fletcher:

How to Make a Snow Angel

Go alone or with a best friend.
Find a patch of unbroken snow.

Walk on tiptoes. Step backwards
Into your very last footprints.

Slowly sit back onto the snow.
Absolutely do not use your hands.

By now you should be lying flat
with snow fitting snug around you.

Let your eyes drink some blue sky.
Close them. Breathe normally.

Move you arms back and forth.
Concentrate. Think: snow angel.

In a minute don't be surprised
If you start feeling a little funny.

Big and small. Warm and cold.
Your breath as light as a snowflake.

Sweep your legs back and forth
But keep both eyes tightly closed.

Keep moving the arms until they
Lift, tremble, wobble, or float.

Stand without using your hands.
Take time to get your balance.

Take three deep breaths.
Open your eyes.

Stretch. Float. Fly!

Credits: kit - Winter Glistening by DeDe Smith at Divine Digital; torn edge - by Kim Hill; bend it photo template - by Debbi Knorr; stamped alpha - by Michelle Coleman; fonts - KGD Tiffany, SBC Stone Inscription, Tall Paul


YEAR 2007
Journaling reads: Raine, Mama, Raegan. Matching blouses for New Year's Mass.

Credits: kit - New Year's Jewels by Georgia Oliver at Divine Digital; font - KGD Laurie M Print

Off I go to upload some layouts for CT requirements!

TTFN!

Yoga, Swimming and a Baptism

{YOGA}

Japa and I attended our first ever Bikram Yoga class with the prodding of Rod and Zhar, who went with us for support----that, or they wanted to see Japa and me suffer! Bikram Yoga is doing yoga poses in a freakin' sauna!!!

I mean, HOT was definitely an understatement! Oh my Lord! I swear, my sweat was literally flowing!!! It was hot as heck in that boiler of a room and we were in there for 90 minutes!!! The poses were okay, I just had to adjust a little bit ---fine, a LOT--- to compensate for the super duper tightness in my leg and back because of my slipped discs.

Yoga was at 930 am, so I figured I didn't want to exactly starve and be all weak-kneed from hunger. So what did I do? I ate a full-on breakfast: a bowl of spaghetti, with fruit salad as dessert! Boy, did I REGRET eating all those. About 15 to 20 minutes into our session, I thought I was going to throw up! Ugh!

The poses weren't that bad, really. But the dang HEAT was what did me in! I wanted to go out to get a breather but didn't because I may not be allowed back in, hehehe. I didn't want to waste my money that way! In my mind, I had psyched myself for yoga stretches and stuff for an HOUR. 60 minutes......NOT 90 minutes!!! That threw me off a bit, but hey, I survived!

It was an experience for sure. Will I repeat it? At least 2 more times, since I've already paid for it, hehehe. At this point, I know I NEED to do yoga for my back. I had a hard time focusing since all I could think of and FEEL was the freakingly, grossly, wet SWEAT dripping off of my face, my arms, my legs. Ugh, ugh, ugh!!! I really hate sweat and I have NO idea WHY I said yes to trying out Bikram.......

.....but after the session, I feel good. My body isn't hurting (I did take Tylenol before, to make sure it didn't hurt); I know I should be feeling sooo sore by now as I type this, but surprisingly (keep your fingers crossed!) I feel okay. Sure, my legs were shaking while doing the poses, and my hands cramped up after the session, but I feel GOOD. And isn't that what it's all about? :)

{SWIMMING}

So because I was SO HOT after Yoga, we called the kids and told them that we were going to jump into the pool to cool off. I was a goner in the car --- I went right to sleep on the drive going home, I was THAT tired. It was a good kind of tired though, if you know what I mean.

We get home, the kids are in the pool. I went to the pool and just sat on the steps in my full Yoga gear, hehehe. I didn't bother going upstairs to get my swimsuit; I couldn't! Hehehe. It was just easier to swim with what I had on.

It's been too long since I went swimming with the kids. I'd forgotten how much fun we all have when we're in the water. Japa and I are lucky in the sense that all our kids love the water as much as we do...even Ranger!

We played tag, raced a few laps (I didn't and couldn't since I was in a shirt and leggings), played water basketball. We ordered PIZZA for lunch and we were all ravenous. We finished off 2 family-sized pizzas in just a few minutes!

Already pooped, I begged off and showered, surfed the boards a bit, downloaded some CT stuff, and dozed off into oblivion.

{BAPTISM}

Bric's baptism had an anticipated mass at 5 pm at the Shrine. We were scheduled to leave the house at 4 pm. After dozing off, I woke up with a start, took a look at the time on my laptop and screamed, "it's 3:30!!!" to no one in particular.

But the scene that followed was probably funny if it had been filmed: the kids ---ALL of them--- jumped off of their beds and started for the door. Japa sat up from the couch where he had dozed of as well. It was a flurry of activity after that as we all got ready for Bric's baptism. Hehehe. We left a little bit past 4 in the end, but we made it to mass. Whew!

So that was my day.....how was yours?

{SCRAPS}

I LOVE THAT I AM
Journaling reads:
I love the fact that:
I am a Mama.
I am blessed with four children.
I am big enough to hold two kids on my lap.
I am able to hug all my kids at the same time.
I get impromptu hugs.
I am a recipient of many kisses.
I am LOVED.

Credits: kit - Celebrate Love by Nina at nidsb and Oscraps; film strips - Don't Be Negative by Gina Miller; lace overlay - Olivia Collection by Shabby Princess; chalk overlay - by Sue Cummings at Oscraps; fonts - KGD Mozer Print, KGD Karen


WONDER
Journaling reads: As you rode Roger Rabbit’s Crazy Cars at Toontown, your eyes grew wide and you looked at everything with this expression of WONDER in your eyes. It was as if you could not believe that you were seeing all the explosions of color during the ride, and the way the car moved you along the entire ride. You didn’t even want to touch the steering wheel for fear of missing something!

Credits: kit - Boy Thing by Heather Heinzer at The Daily Scrap; journaling arrow - Say Here by Eve Recinella at SSD; bend it template - by Debbie Knorr at SSB; scratch n stamp alpha - by Eve Recinella; layered sketch - by Kimberly Geswein; fonts - KGD Tiffany, KGD Anne Catherine, KGD Brandi


NEW YEAR'S EVE
Riley and Ranger, practicing their "Happy New Year" yells....er, greetings.....while waiting for midnight.

Credits: kit - Cool Beans by Heather Heinzer at The Daily Scrap; stitches - by Gina Miller; vintage frame - by Nancy Comelab; sequins - Spring Sequins by Heather Heinzer at SBE; font - KGD Bretta; layered sketch - by Kimberly Geswein


WHAT THE NEW YEAR WILL BRING
Poem reads:

May the New Year bring you
Troubles that last seconds
Giggles that last minutes
Chuckles that last hours
Laughs that last days
Smiles that last weeks
Happiness that last months
Friendships that last years
But most of all,
LOVE that lasts
a lifetime!

Credits: kit - Spa Day by Heather Heinzer at SBE; new year postmark - by Katie Pertiet; ribbon - by Amy Martin; photo border - by Terry Maruca; fonts - KGD Tiffany, LD Slender; layered sketch - by Rachael Giallongo

CAROUSEL DREAMS
Journaling reads: Raegan on the Burbank Mall carousel, finally letting go of her fear (sort of) to help ease one-year old Rogan’s anxieties about getting on the carousel for the very first time.

Poem (unknown author) reads:
What do you dream on that long wooden chair
When the wind of the carousel ruffles your hair?
See the smiles on the faces of kids spinning ‘round
And let your mind wander with the calliope sound.

Laughter fills the air oh, so full of glee
Have you ever felt so lively and free?
The horses gallop ‘round in their marvelous teams
Don’t ever lose sight of your carousel dreams.

Credits: kit - Eastern Spice by Rina Kroes at SBE; vintage photo frame - by Nancy Comelab; fonts - KGD Tiffany, LD Slender; layered sketch - Jiffy Stax Vol 5 by Rina Kroes at SBE

Okidoki...off to bed I go to rest this poor body....in a nice AIR CONDITIONED room!!! :)

TTFN!

Day of Beauty

I had an appointment at the dermatologist today at noon, which is why I didn't go to work. Besides, if I went in between the hours of noon and 3 pm, I get a 50% discount off all services. So who am I to waste money, eh? *wink*

I had a session of Derma Lift; I also tried a new thing called Aqua Detox. It's pretty much like a foot spa where my feet are placed in this small tub. After a few minutes, the water turns into this orange-y color AND I see small gross-looking brown stuff swirling in the water! Apparantly, these things are the toxins in my body. Ugh! A few regular sessions should help me detox, according to their brochure. :)

Then I picked up Raegan from school, went back home to rest my back and leg which hurt a bit after sitting down for the Aqua Detox. Scrapped some, including a calendar for Bric for his baptism tomorrow....

But first, more layouts to show off:

This first one I am especially proud of...it is currently featured in the RAKS newsletter for the Scraplift Challenge!!! Go check it out and see!!! :)

TRAIN TRACKS
Ranger walking the train tracks at Travel Town.

Quote by Harold R. McAlindon reads: Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path & leave a trail.

Credits: papers - Softly Spring Paper Pack by Heather Heinzer at SBE; swirl, flowers, buttons - Baha Blossoms by Rina Kroes at SBE; note paper, ribbons - by Amy Martin; painted cardboard - by Gina Miller; denim tag - Denim Bouquet Extra Embellies by Laurra Deacetis at SSD; photo filter - Vintage Actions by Kim Hill; fonts - KGD Tiffany, KGD Tara

FLYING THROUGH THE AIR
Raine doing a backflip.

Credits: kit - Flower Dreams by Miranda Bontan at digitaalscrappen.nl; word art - Birdie Bits; Doodles by Audrey Neal at The Lily Pad; photo cluster - Polaroid Cluster 1 by Nance Comelab at My Digital Muse; fonts - the King and Queen, KGD Anne Catherine

TIGGERanger
Ranger bouncing around as only a Tigger does!

Tiggers are bouncy, trouncy, flouncy, pouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, FUN!

Credits: kit - Celebrate by Gina Miller, Debbie Knorr, Natalie Braxton and Traci Murphy; paint blocks, painted chipboard - by Gina Miller; polaroid frame - by Faith True; bouncing ball - B3 by Amy Bleser at ACOT; paint splotches - b2basics by Shelleyrae at SBB; date stamp - by Paula Duncan at SSD; kraft stencil alpha, black paper - by Kimberly Geswein; heart doodles - Messy Alpha by Kimberly Geswein; stapled paper element - Art Chicks by Kristy Ann Designs; photo filter - All that Pops by Holly Mccaig at My Digital Muse; fonts - KGD Tiffany, Rusted Plastic

scraplifted from Lifts with a Twist

FIRST NEW YEAR'S EVE
Dad and Mom with Bric and Robyn, the newest additions to the family.

Credits: kit - Go Lightly by Becky Vosburg at The Digi Shoppe; poka dot papers - Lil Flurries Paper Pack by Gina Miller; ricrac, sequined flower - Denim Bouquet Extra Embellies by Laura Deacetis at SSD; font - KGD Tiffany; layered sketch, swirl, butterflies - by Teresa Ferguson

PLASTIC PLAYGROUND
Journaling reads: This plastic playground was just outside the restaurant where we had breakfast. The kids had a blast on it.

Credits: kit - Miss Peacock in the Conservatory by Becky Vosburg, as part of the February Sampler at the Digi Shoppe; denim - classic denim by Kimberly Geswein; chipboard reel - by Manda Bean at SSD; tongue twist ties - by Jen Wilson; gingham ribbons - Denim Bouquet Embellies by Laura Deacetis at SSD; glitter graph notes - by Gina Miller; notepaper alpha - by Ashley Olson; fonts - KGD Mozer Print, Rusted Plastic, Orlando; frayed fabric action - by Atomic Cupcake; layered sketch - by Teresa Ferguson at SSD

Ok. This should be it for now...it's past midnight and Japa just remembered that we were going to try doing YOGA tomorrow morning!

TTFN!

Pretty Productive Day

Elizza and I went to Victoria Wave today to talk to some people about setting up a Co-op of some sort at the office. We learned lots of new stuff and in a nutshell, we ARE going to set up one such organization in the office. Now, to really get organized and do all the paperwork needed....

Pretty productive scrap-wise as well, as I did 2 of my 3 layout assignments for my NEW Creative Team!!!! I am now a member of the Divine Digital CT! Whoohoohoo!!! I am hoping to work more with Royanna Fritschmann's designs, as she is one of my absolute faves in the business!

But first, gotta get caught up with the rest of my unposted layouts:

{SCRAPS}

SWEET BABY
This is Ranger sleeping. Check out those gorgeous eyelashes of his!

Credits: background paper - Winter Dreams by Kim Smith at SDK; word snippets - Porcelain by Zoe Pearn at SSD; word tiles - Dreamer from Pieces of Me Collection by Meredith Fenwick; folded paper frame template - by Melany Violette; heart strings - by Carole Baumann; bling - Bling Bling Alpha by Angela Barton; stamped date - by Paula Duncan

LOVE
Randy and Stella.

Credits: kit - Strawberry Shortcake by Rina Kroes, February Daily Download at 3Scrapateers; stitched frame, chipboard heart - by Gina Miller; cardboard heart - by Vera Lim; antique heart - by Meredith Fenwick; sequined heart, envelope fastener - Amore by Agnes Lahur; stamped alpha - by Traci Reed; fonts - KGD Saxon, KGD Renee, KGD LisaE Script

RANGER'S MATERS
Ranger and his "best friends".

Journaling reads: We were at the Golden State Plaza at California Adventure, waiting for Lightning McQueen and Mater the tow truck to make an appearance. You whiled away the time playing with your Mater trucks, which you had gotten from McDonald’s Happy Meals. You were so excited to have the Maters with you! You vroom-ed vroom-ed and kachow-ed the whole time we were waiting. It was a joy to see my little boy and his trucks..my Ranger with his Maters!

Credits: kit - Dump Truck, Challenge Kit at Elemental Scraps, by various designers; duct tape - by Karah Fredricks; felt circle - Organics by Shabby Princess; brush strokes - by DaniB; cardboard frame - Doo B Dude by Eve Recinella at SSD; scalloped frames - Picture Perfect Frames by Gina Miller; film strips - Don't Be Negative by Gina Miller; beaded letter alpha - by Kimberly Giarrusso; stamped date - by Paula Duncan at SSD; font - KGD Tiffany

scraplift of Gina Miller's Shirley Temple Lovin' Gals for SSD's Spin A Lift

RAINE'S HEELYS
Raine trying out her Heelys for the first time.

Journaling reads: Raine was on the Promenade by Grand Pacific Palisades in Carlsbad an hour after she had gotten her Heelys. She could not wait to try them out! Skating wasn’t as easy as she thought it was going to be...she had to raise her arms up high for balance, and she kept falling on her butt! Check out the single wheel embedded in the shoe heel!

Credits: kit - Lolly Pop Shoppe by Eve Recinella at Sweet Shoppe Designs; stitches - by Gina Miller; bend it templates - by Debbie Knorr; shoe doodle (modified) - by Christine Honsinger; paper strip alpha - by Traci Sims; journaling tag - Say Here Digi Extras by Eve Recinella at SSD; font - KGD Dixi

OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER
Quote reads: Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Credits: kit - Whispered Promises by Rina Kroes at SBE; other papers - Always and Forever by Rina Kroes at SBE; compass word art - Simple Sayings by Eve Recinella; collaged date tag - by Robin Carlton; fonts - KGD Lindsay, KGD Curvy Script; frayed action - atomic cupcake; photo filter - All that Pops by Holly McCaig; layered sketch - Jiffy Stax 5 by Rina Kroes at SBE

And I am ALMOST caught up with my layouts! Hehehe.

TTFN!

The Lenten Season Starts

Yup. It's time for prayer, sacrifice and alms-giving; a time for fasting and abstinence. See, I listen to the homily!

Seriously, every Lent, I've traditionally sacrificed something...like not eating rice, or meat, not swearing --- which, by the way, was EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to do!

So this year, I'm thinking of:
1. Giving up meat, including Chicken
2. Giving up rice, but I may allow myself to eat a little bit of rice for dinner
3. TRYING to not shout and cuss....I will need help on this, God!

So there you have it. It's in black and white. And as I type here and look at my list....I think I'm in for a not-so-easy Lenten season.

Japa and I woke up early to be able to take Raegan to mass at 630 am at Pentecost. We attended mass, got our ashes, and just made it to school in time for Raegan's class. :) I'm glad Raegan has seriously joined in on the sacrifice bit...last year, she gave up catsup, I think. This year, she has decided to give up gravy. This is going to be a bit hard for her since she just LOVES gravy, especially with her chicken! But I'm proud of her for doing this.

Also, Raegan has tried to follow abstinence as well. After swimming, at Ayala, she calls me to tell me that kids under 14 don't have to follow the abstinence rule. And I told her that yes, I know, but it would be nice if she could TRY to follow it. She tells me in a sort of panicky voice, "But we have ADOBO!!!" Hehehe. I told her she can have adobo for lunch the following day, but to TRY to abstain from having it.

What did my little girl do? She had noodles for dinner. Now isn't that a proud-mommy moment?

Anyhoo, gotta get back to showing off my scraps:

{SCRAPS OF MAMA}

BEAUTIFUL WORLD
The kids, after a few hours of playing in the SNOW for the very first time.

Credits: kit - Sweet Nothings from the Muted Memories Collection by Rose Farver at The Digi Shoppe; word art - by Sue Cummings from the (52) Inspirations collaboration of Sue Cummings, Vickie Stegall and Lauren Reid at OScraps; date stamp - by Paula Duncan at Sweet Shoppe Designs; font - Arial Narrow


FATHER LEO
Journaling reads: At cousin Robyn's baptism, Fr. Leo officiated, as usual. He was also the one who baptized Raegan in 1998. Although Raegan has grown into a beautiful young lady, Fr. Leo has remained the same---a few more wrinkles maybe, but still the same soft-spoken favorite priest of ours.

Credits: kit - Grunge Love by Jessica Dixon at The Daily Scrap; flower stickers - by Gina Miller; sticker frame, date - Stick 'em Up by Manda Bean at SSD; tag, index card - Journaling Bits by LaWanna Desjardin at DSD; fonts - My Own Topher, Kookalicious; layered sketch - Stepping Stones 3 by Heather Heinzer at SBE


LITTLE THINGS
Journaling reads:
It's the little things that matter....
...like a heartfelt HUG between sisters.
...like a kiss during “Peace be with you” in church
...like a smile, a thank you, a please
...like a toothy, cheeky litte grin
...like a shared giggle.
...like an “I love you, sister dear”.

Credits: kit - Days Gone By from the Muted Memories Collection by Rose Farver at The Digi Shoppe; chalk frames - by Sue Cummings; word art - by Sue Cummings from {52} Inspirations collaboration with Vickie Stegall and Lauren Reid at Oscraps; glitter graph notes - by Gina Miller; element cluster - Cluster Fun by Nina's designs at ndisb and Oscraps; lacy edge photo border action - by Terry Maruca; layered sketch - Valentine Special by Nina's Designs at ndisb and Oscraps; fonts - LD Whatever, Orlando, Porcelain


"J" IS FOR JUMP
Raegan jumping during a dance for a school Christmas program last year. Her teacher told the class not to jump so high so as not to miss a beat in the music, but she jumped away, lol, AND didn't miss a thing! Glad I took a pic!

Credits: kit - Positively Patterned by Betsy Tuma at SOTB; arrow - Stained Shapes by Eve Recinella at SSD; word art - Just Be You Birdie Bits by Audrey Neat at The Lily Pad; stamped alpha - by Michelle Coleman; layered sketch - Aa to Zz Vol.2 by Betsy Tuma at SOTB; fonts - Arial, KGD Joanne


'MALLOWS ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE
Credits: cardboard - Disheveled by Shawna Clingerman at SSD; paper strips - Cosmic Space by Eve Recinella at SSD; sticker frame, month, year - Stick 'Em Up Frames by Manda Bean at SSD; red paper - Sassy Pink by Meredith Fenwick; strip template - by Kimberly Geswein; tear - by Kim Hill; flourish - Scraps of Art by Krista Moore; beads - Hot Cocoa and Warm Mittens by Gina Miller and Meredith Fenwick; felt Santa - by Yvette Sanders; doodled alpha - by Kate Hadfield; fonts - the King and Queen, KGD Bee, KGD Chele

scraplifted Gina Miller's Hoodie

TTFN!

Forgetting to TOOT!!!

Sheesh! How can I forget to toot my own horn!!! Busy busy busy so far....this month has just zipped through...

Anyway, back to my TOOTS: Just wanted to record here that i was PICK OF THE DAY at 3Scrapateers!!! Not once, but TWO times in a week (February 13 and February 17)!!! How exciting is that?!?! Yeah!

My POTD (that's Pick of The Day) LOs (layouts):

THE BRIDE
Yes, this is me....almost TEN years ago!!! Sigh! I can SEE my collarbones!!!!

Credits: kit - Whispered Promises by Rina Kroes at SBE; corner rose - from Always and Forever kit by Rina Kroes; cream flowers - from Blessings kit by Rina Kroes; other flowers - by Brenda Kempf, Trish Jones, Amber Clegg, Heather Heinzer; font - Fiolex Girls; photo filter - All that Pops by Holly McCaig; sketch - adapted from a sketch by Carole Neal


TONGUE TWIST
Journaling reads: You are so funny when you show of that you can twist your tongie. You have a blast making this goofy face and getting everyone's reactions to it! You are such a silly darling boy!

Credits: kit - B3 by Amy Bleser at ACOT; painted cardboard - by Gina Miller; font - KGD Angela; layered sketch - by Amy Bleser at DSD

TTFN!

B.O.A.R.D. Meeting

It's that time of the year....and the month. Board meeting time. Usually a loooooong day. :)

During the meeting, I was able to burn a whopping ONE back up DVD. Uh huh...about 7 hours of meeting time and all I had to show for it was ONE DVD!!! Oh well. It was a pretty interesting meeting, considering the fact that we hadn't had one in over 4 or 5 months! Which is why I couldn't scrap either, since I was listening in on the discussions so I would know what was going on in all the companies.

Anyhoo, some more scraps. I've got a TON before I am actually able to catch up (yeah, right!) and post my daily scraps of whatever.

{SCRAPS}

I LOVE MY FAMILY
Credits: kit - Forgotten Fairly Tales from a Muted Collection by Rose Farver at The Digi Shoppe; overlay and word art tag - 52 Inspirations by Sue Cummings, Vickie Stegall and Lauren Reid at Oscraps; beaded letter alpha - by Kimberly Giarusso at Pure Scrapability; alpha ticket - Doo B Dude by Eve Recinella at SSD; square alpha - Porcelain by Zoe Pearn at SSD; font - Marcelle Script; bend it template - by Debbie Knorr at SBB; scraplifted from featured LO at Lifts with a Twist

CHRISTMAS DRESSES
These dresses were used during the wedding of Boydee and Bang over 2 years ago!

Credits: kit - Regality by Eve Recinella at Sweet Shoppe Designs; some papers - Spunkylicious Paper Pack by Eve Recinella; floral stamp alpha - by Eve Recinella; stamped alpha - by Michelle Coleman; calendar numbers - by Mista Mareda at The Digi Shoppe; sequins by Sandra Boddington at SSD; bend it template - by Debbie Knorr at SBB; layered sketch - Everyday Templates 4 by Amy Bleser; font - SBC Stone Inscription; photo filters - Vintage Actions by Kim Hill and Purty Pics by Holly McCaig

NEW YEAR GALS
Journaling reads: Waiting to greet the year 2007, we spent the few minutes before midnight taking pictures and positioning ourselves in front of the big panel windows at the Mandalay to view the fireworks.

Credits: Everything by Eve Recinella at Sweet Shoppe Designs; papers - Metropolitan Paper Pack; pale green paper - Spunkylicious Paper Pack ; alpha - Music Alpha; star - Stained Shapes; stitches - by Gina Miller; layered sketch - Building Block 10 by Heather Heinzer at TDS

I HEART DISNEYLAND
Journaling reads: Ingredients: a car, Minnie Mouse, cold weather, matching red sweaters.

Directions: The girls were in line for a photo with Minnie, while the boys were lining up for Pluto. When it was the girls’ turn with Minnie, she gestured to the boys to get in the Toon Town car while she went around it; Minnie wanted to have a family pic with the kids! It must have been the matching sweaters!

Credits: Everything from the 2007 Sweet Shoppe Quarterly Assortment Vol.1: letter D - Wintergarden by Laura Deacetis; stamped alpha, red flower - Garden Party by Zoe Pearn; recipe card - Chicken Lil' by Robin Carlton; gold circle paper - Sampler by Sandra Boddington; striped circle paper - Mini Moose by Christy Lyle; green circle paper - Margo by Eve Recinella; staple, dotted circle paper - Little Slice of Love by Amanda Rockwell; polaroid frame, small ricrac - Fashion Statement by Paula Duncan; kraft paper, graph paper - Disheveled by Shawna Clingerman; ricrac - Peppermint Tea by Suzy Nunes; blue starry paper - 24 by Angela Barton; I heart element - I heart Prunes by Manda Bean; heart - Crazy Little Thing by Dani Mogstad; paint frame (colorized) - Jiggle Jiggle Jelly Love by Lauren Grier; layered sketch - Smarties To Go by Teresa Ferguson; fonts - KGD Tiffany, SBC Stone Inscription

AN EAR FOR MUSIC
Riley and Ranger sharing an iPod....the song? Probably "The Wheels on the Bus...."

Credits: kit - Simply Linen by Jessica Dixon at The Daily Scrap; stitched and folded ribbon - by Amy Martin at SBB; layered sketch - Stepping Stones 3 by Heather Heinzer at SBE; fonts - Porky's, KGD Renee, Papyrus

Have an awesome day today! TTFN!

Kung Hei Fat Choi!!!

Or, as they say in English, HAPPY (CHINESE) NEW YEAR!!!

Spent the day at Ayala where we "celebrated" by eating tikoy --- some sticky concoction that is fried. Chewy when being eaten.

Just putting up my SCRAPS kind of day today:

{SCRAPS OF MAMA}

SWEET GIRLS
Journaling reads: It is a Mama’s fervent hope that the love and sweetness beaming out of this picture become a reality. At the tender ages of 8 and 6, you both are constantly fighting, most of the time not seeing eye to eye. With the passage of time, it is hoped, your relationship will get better and you will be closer; to be true sisters because you WANT to be.

Credits: kit - Lucky Girl by Heather Heinzer at the Daily Scrap; folded ribbon - by Amy Martin
title - by Jen Wilson; font - KGD Lindsay; layered sketch - Stepping Stones 2 by Heather Heinzer at SBE

POLKA DOTS & THE COLOR RED
Journaling reads: For the New Year, it has been our tradition to get dressed in polka dots for good luck. We get even more luck when we wear red. The best combination? Polka dots on a red shirt or dress. According to the Chinese, red is always a lucky color, and wearing it to greet the New Year will bring good things to the wearer in the coming year. Polka dots, because they look like coins, signify prosperity for the coming year.

Credits: kit - Prismatic Petals by Rina Kroes at 3Scrapateers; sparkly alpha - by Julie Howard;
fonts - KGD Amber Print, KGD Flower Girl; layered sketch - by Ronee Parsons

THE MEANING OF POLKA DOTS
Journaling reads: An age-old tradition that our family does for New Year’s Eve is to wear POLKA DOTS. Polka dots represent prosperity, i.e., it is the shape of coins. We want to ensure that we greet the coming of the New Year with “money” on our person. Mama had the boys’ shirts made to match, the better to scrap with. New Year’s Eve this year was spent at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, where we viewed fireworks from our hotel room.

Credits: kit - Prismatic Petals by Rina Kroes at 3Scrapateers; glitter ornaments - by Gina Miller; alpha - by Michelle Pearson; fonts - KGD Tiffany, KGD Tiffany Script; layered sketch - Stepping Stones 1 by Heather Heinzer at SBE

Didn't think I'd post the New Year layouts on a new year, but I did!!! Hehehe. Yay me! :)

TTFN!

Weekend Plans

Thanks to the Sweet Shoppe Design's From Our Blog to Yours, I'm getting back into blogging.....sort of.

This weekend will be spent scrapping, hopefully. Yes, I've still got a ton of layouts that need to go on this blog, but I'm also behind in my CT duties :). A few more and I should be done....unless "my" designers suddenly get bitten by the designing bug and they start throwing out kit after kit after kit!

I also need to update my galleries for Eve Recinella and Nina's Designs. Basically just re-uploading older layouts to their newer galleries at SSD and at Nina's Scraps. I like to be organized, hehehe.

Of course, I really NEED to blog more....those layouts NEED to be on this blog!!! I always tell myself at least a layout a day on the blog....but for some reason, I don't get it done. *grimace here* I guess I really need to try harder eh?

Tomorrow it is the Chinese New Year..which brings me to a great hobby of mine....well, my entire family's hobby: EATING!!! Is this a hobby? Why, sure! If you know our family, we can eat anytime. And with gusto! Not just a small snack, a full-on feast, by normal standards!

Lunch is a heavy meal at La Vista. And it can last for a couple of hours at the very least, if we're not "careful". This can easily lead into a mid-afternoon snack, our merienda. And this won't be a light snack either. Picture, spaghetti with a couple different kinds of sauces, fresh strawberry shake, banana bread and other kinds of desserts.

Then dinner time to sort of welcome the Chinese New Year. It's not enough that we ALREADY celebrate a New Year; we HAVE to join in the fun and have a CHINESE celebration of sorts! So off we go to the China Bistro and totally pig out on chinese food (which is not exactlya favorite of mine), including Peking Duck!

So yes, eating IS definitely a favorite pastime of our family! :)

Kung Hei Fat Choi in advance to welcome the year of the Pig!!!

TTFN!

Where in the World is Gr1-A?

Weird title? It's the album title for a few pages I made for Rogan's class. I had volunteered to "talk" about different countries in the world for Rogan's class. And the best way for me to "speak"? Why, through photoshop of course! Hehehehe. It was a FUN album --- and the kids were squealing with delight....unbeknownst to them, they were LEARNING new stuff about some countries!

{WHERE IN THE WORLD IS GR1-A?}

COVER PAGE

Credits: kit - Strawberry Shake by Rina Kroes, February 2007 Daily Download at 3Scrapateers;
word art - Simple Sayings by Eve Recinella at SSD; fonts - Chiquita Banana, SBC Stone Inscription; layered sketch - by Rachael Giallongo

EGYPT

Credits: kit - Moroccan Influence by Sara Amarie at Oscraps; stamped alpha - by Michelle Coleman; Egypt photos - from Culture Focus, downloaded from the internet; notched and torn photo borders - by Terry Maruca ; bend it template - by Debbie Knorr; layered sketch - Stepping Stones 3 by Heather Heinzer at TDS; special thanks to atomic cupcake for use of the Labelmaker; font - KGD Bee

This 2-page spread on India can be found in the February RAKS Newsletter here.

INDIA

Journaling reads: The TAJ MAHAL was built by the Emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife. The Golden Langur is an endangered Old World monkey found in the foothills of the Himalayas. Mahatma Gandhi is known as the “Father of the Indian Nation” and believed and practiced non-violence.

Credits: kit - Moroccan Influence by Sara Amarie at Oscraps; stamped alpha - by Michelle Coleman; arrow - by Kate Hadfield; photos - downloaded from Wikipedia; font - KGD Tiffany;
layered sketch - by Rachael Giallongo

NATIONAL DRESS

Denmark is likewise featured in the RAKSnewsletter:

DENMARK

Journaling reads: Hans Christian Andersen is a famous Dane. He wrote fairy tales, of which The Little Mermaid is the most remembered. The Jelling Stones are said to be Denmark’s “birth certificate”.

Credits: kit - Rusty Flowers by Jeannie Papai at The Daily Scrap; stamped alpha - by Michelle Coleman; layered sketch - by Rachael Giallongo; font - KGD Tiffany

THE NETHERLANDS

Credits: kit - Boyish Charm by Jeannie Papai at The Daily Scrap; stamped alpha - by Michelle Coleman; pictures - downloaded from Wikipedia; font - the King and Queen, KGD Lori;
layered sketch - by Rachael Giallongo

CLOGS, WINDMILLS AND TULIPS

Credits: kit - Girly Giggles by Jeannie Papai at The Daily Scrap; stitches - Stitch Essentials Yarn Like Circles by Gina Miller; butterfly buttons - Birthday Blitz by Gina Miller; pictures - downloaded from Wikipedia; layered sketch - by Rachael Giallongo; special thanks to atomic cupcake for use of the Labelmaker

This page is also in the RAKSnewsletter. Read it here.

AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS

Credits: kit - Vavavaroom by Jeannie Papai at The Daily Scrap; stitches - Stitch Essentials Ziggies by Gina Miller; pictures - downloaded from Wikipedia; font - KGD Flowergirl; layered sketch - by Rachael Giallongo

AUSTRALIAN ANIMALS 2

Credits: kit - Bohemian Gypsy by Berna Datema at digitaalscrappen.nl; stamped alpha - by Michelle Coleman; pictures - downloaded from Wikipedia; font - KGD Lindsay; layered sketch - by Rachael Giallongo

EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN

Credits: papers - Mary's Wish Paper Set by Nina's Scraps at ndisb; stitches - Stitch Essential Ziggies by Gina Miller; word art - by Jen Wilson; element cluster - Cluster Fun by Nina's Scraps at ndisb; fonts - KGD Lindsay, KGD Tiffany; layered sketch - by Rachael Giallongo

A couple of comments by thekids that made my day:

"Thank you, thank you! Thank you for making us FAMOUS!" --- this said by 3-4 girls, with hands clasped and eyes shining.

"But....how did we get there? I don't remember going there!" --- this said by a boy classmate of Rogan as he looked at himself by the Little Mermaid in Denmark.

If ONLY these kids knew about the power of Photoshop, eh? *wink!*

TTFN!