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CATALYST 17 - THE BEST ME
 This is for catalyst seventeen: what's a quality you look for in a romantic partner? Journaling Reads: Maybe it’s weird that a quality I look for in others should be about me, but the more I think, the more I realize that the number one quality I look for in a romantic partner is that they make me want to be a better me. No scratch that. That they make me want to be the best me. What excites me the most is meeting someone I respect. Someone whom I look up to. Someone who inspires me to be better.  ART JOURNAL - PAGE 7
 And another page inspired by Teresa's class. This is a new technique I learned from her. How fun, isn't it? ART JOURNAL - PAGE 6
 I took Teresa McFayden's latest class on art journaling and it inspired me to create this little page. My art journal has been neglected a lot lately. 
MOMENTS TO REMEMBER
 Sometimes it's nice to do some scrapping just for fun. Not cause I have something due and not cause it has to be perfect, but just cause I have a bunch of photos I want to scrap. I'm taking Stacy Julian's Have More Fun class at Big Picture Scrapbooking. And I decided to have more fun.            YOU ARE MY HOME
 This is for catalyst sixteen for creative therapy. I have many things I dream of when I think of my ideal home. I have a size in mind, a style in mind, and a place in mind. But then I change my mind. I loved New York. I dreamt of living in Tuscany. Over a lake. With a big yard. Several stories. Overlooking the ocean. The places, the sizes, the colors, even the locations change. But the one and only thing that doesn't change is who's there with me. Jake and David are my family. Anywhere they are is my home. They are my home. Journaling Reads: Each time I look at this photo, I smile and feel a strong sense of peace. It reminds me you two are all I need and want out of life. You are my why. My home. This also uses the amazing July Kit from A Million Memories. WHY - AMM JULY
 Here's another layout with the AMM kit for July. David's been in this "why" phase lately. Everything is why? where? how? What's inside? Where's the truck going? What does that mean? How? Why? I love all this curiosity even when it drives me a bit crazy. MAD - AMM JULY
 Here's another layout with the AMM kit for July. This is another one of David's faces. I love them so much. I love him so much. I HEAR A SOUND
 I got the amazing AMM kit for July. It inspired me immediately. I did five layouts in one day. I never do that much. This kit is really pretty. They are all simple but they were just so amazing, I didn't want to add more. This one is about how David always makes this face when he hears a sound. CHLOE'S GIVEAWAY
My good friend, Michelle, who owns AMM has the most beautiful
daughter I've seen. This strong, little girl and her family have had a
long and tough year. Here are some more details in Michelle's own words:
As you probably already know, my daughter was diagnosed with Leukemia (ALL) last November at the age of 4. She and my family have been through a really rough last 7 months. She has been in the hospital numerous times, she has been really sick, angry, on all kinds of nasty drugs that have increased her apetite, had her physically acting out, had her in bed for weeks, left her with no emotion but sadness and a sense of joylessness. She was taken out of preschool and because of her illness we were unable to put our 3 year old son in preschool. The doctors worried that the kids would get sick in school and Chloe would end up in the hospital again. However, today, she went for her weekly doctor's visit and her blood count was at a safe level and she was given the go ahead to begin the next phase of her treatment, which is called "Maintenance." In maintenance, her blood count levels stay significantly higher than they are when she was undergoing the intense treatment that she has been receiving in the first 7 months of her treatment. She will be able to begin Kindergarten and Daniel will be able to start Pre-school. We are really excited! Chloe will have a bone marrow test on Monday and then she will officially begin her first "course" of Maintenance, which will go on for the next 2 years. In celebration of Chloe's milestone, I wanted to give-away some goodies for you. Here's the catch ~ Please post here a photo that brings you joy when you look at it. I will pick a random winner on Monday, June 30th. Here is a photo that I love of Chloe that I took at Easter: 
And here's the prize: 
click here to participate. I cannot tell you how happy this news makes me. I love you Michelle and I am so happy. INCOMPLETE
 Another mini inspired by a song. one by Alanis Morissette. I was feeling very emotional earlier in the week so I dug up my very newly bought type-writer and just let myself type away. to talk about all the things that make me feel incomplete. I then cut up the box my CI products came in and made a mini using Karen Russell's amazing Narratives papers and Samantha Walker's holey cardstock. It was really therapeutic. I feel better now :) Here's all the journaling: you will never be pretty enough you will never be skinny enough the conversations in your head are too loud the little girl inside is broken don't try to fix her it's pointless give up that it matters you have family now pretty is just skin eyes, nose, who cares if you're not the prettiest of them all. you seek acceptance from the wrong people you don't hear the nice just the critical you will not get it choose to seek from those who already do there is no formula do what works for you accept yourself give up that you're not worthy believe those who say you are not the others. you will never feel successful because as soon as it comes you dismiss it you move on to the next challenge always a bigger one harder one never satisfied or content never even savor the moment so give up that success matters what matters is the challenge be happy just do it there is no trick give yourself permission to wallow and then move on life's too short just give this one up be happy let it happen let joy in you are loved by people let them believe them it does not matter if everyone doesn't love you give up that you need it all you need is one it all starts with you karen believe in yourself trust yourself forgive yourself give yourself love and kindness believe in your incomplete self. Thank you to Creative Imaginations and A Million Memories for the beautiful paper.         SAN DIEGO 03-06
 I used the Creative Imaginations tag book and Christine Adolph's beautiful tidepool line for this little book. It is to commemorate our years spent in San Diego. Thank you to Cosmo Cricket and A Million Memories for the beautiful papers.                     YOU'RE GONNA MISS THIS
 This is done with Karen Russell's amazing Narratives line by Creative Imaginations. It was inspired by a song and it's for the days where David aggravates me and where I wish he would grow up already. This is for me to remember that i will miss these moments so so much! :) You can download the instructions for this mini by going to this link. Thank you to Creative Imaginations and A Million Memories for the beautiful paper.          TINY MEMORIES THAT MAKE ME SMILE
 This is a mini I made with the AMAZING Karen Russell papers from Creative Imaginations. This book is to commemorate a lot of small moments that make me smile when I think of them. Memories I never want to forget and memories I will come back to on sad days. Yes I went a little crazy with the stickles. :) Thank you to Creative Imaginations and A Million Memories for the beautiful paper.             CATALYST 15 - JOSHUA TREE
 This is for catalyst fifteen: your happiest memory. I decided to write about a car trip my husband and I took to Joshua Tree National Park. It was our first time at the park and we were awed by its uniqueness. We walked around and then sat down at a bench and talked for hours until it got dark. On the way home, we put the windows down, put on some music and sang at the top of our lungs. It was just another ordinary day, but knowing that I can still spend a whole day talking with my husband after having been together nine years (at the time) and just having returned from a 3-month cross-country trip where it was just the two of us, made me feel so happy. He has always been and will always be my best friend. If I ever doubt that, all I have to do is remember the day we spent at Joshua Tree. Thank you to Tattered Angels and A Million Memories for the beautiful Glimmer Mist.     OPAPA, AMORE AND YOU
 This book is to remember the time my parents came to visit David and us :) Thank you to Cosmo Cricket and A Million Memories for the beautiful papers.             CATALYST 14 - INTEGRITY
 This was for Creative Therapy #14 (what's one lesson you'd teach your kids) and an AMM spotlight for Tattered Angels. It is really really shiny in person. here's the journaling: Little boy, there are so many lessons I wish I could teach you. I wish I could teach you to enjoy each and every moment of life. I wish I could teach you to treat everyone with love and respect. I wish I could teach you to always be curious. To laugh often. To have a lot of courage. To give and ask for help. The list goes on and on. But if I get to pick one single lesson to share with you, it will be to always have integrity. Always do what you say you will. When you say you will. Keep your word. If you respect yourself and others, people will respect you and trust you on your word. That’s the most valuable thing you have in the world, David. Your word. There are times in your life you feel like cutting corners or doing things you might not later be proud of and I urge you to take the extra few seconds to think things through, my son. Be honest. Many things can be mended but a loss of respect is incredibly hard to recover. Your word is how others see you. Your word is who you are. Live your life with integrity and character, my son. It is the very best advice I can ever give you. CATALYST 13 - THANK YOU
 This is for creative therapy catalyst 13: thank someone. There are many people who have helped me in my life. Many people who deserve thanks for so many things. But what my son has already done for my life will forever be the one thing I am eternally grateful for. Before David was born, I had always been a sad person inside. Not that I didn’t have happy moments but overall, my normal state of being was on the sad side. I remember that when I was pregnant, I was really worried that my son would have a sad mom and blame himself. I was worried I would have really bad post-partum. I was worried about a lot of things. I wanted to “fix myself” before he came. I made up this big sign that read “Give up that there’s something wrong.” and I put it above my bedroom door so I saw it every morning and night. I was going to learn to be happy, no matter what it took. It turned out that I really didn’t have anything to worry about. I cannot explain why or how but the minute David was born, something fundamental shifted inside me. Not only did I not have an inkling of post-partum, but David made me a happy person. Since his birth, I have felt a deep peace inside that I had never experienced previously. He has literally changed who I am. No matter what the coming years bring, I will forever be thankful to my boy for giving me this priceless gift. Journaling Reads: David the list of things for which I am thankful to you goes on and on. You have brought so much joy into my life and you have taught me that life is full of fun and happiness. The way your life is all about the little moments and making tons of tiny memories is what I cherish the most. You have taught me how to live and how to love you. --- I've used Glimmer Mist that I was lucky to get as part of being on A Million Memories DT. You can't really see but the hearts glimmer. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 24
 DAILY ATCS - WEEKL 23
 DAILY ATCS - WEEK 22
 It's been a while. I am trying to catch up. CATALYST 12 - HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD
 This is for catalyst twelve at creative therapy. The catalyst is "If you could do something to make a big impact on the world, what would it be?" For this week's catalyst, I wanted to do something different. I feel very strongly that every one of us can change the world by doing seemingly small things. We all have the power and the ability to make this world a better place. So I made a little minibook with my ideas on how you can change the world: Here are the sections: 1. Help others: Imagine if everyone spent a few more hours a week volunteering? We could make such a huge impact on the world. Or maybe something tiny. Help hold the door for the person coming behind you. Do a tiny kind gesture, you can never be sure what effect that has on the rest of the world. 2. Be kind: Be kind and loving to people. Always assume the best of others. I think if everyone did that, the world would be a different place. 3. Have a child: Children are our future. They represent the world of possibilities, they are going to create the tomorrow we live. They will definitely change the world. 4. School and Family First: I believe that everything starts with family and education. Those are the two pillars of any human and if you get those right, your impact on the world will be that much stronger. 5. Change yourself: It all starts with you. Don't wait for others to change. Start with the man in the mirror. I think the world is changed by seemingly tiny things all the time. If we do any of these five, I think we are moving the world in a more positive direction. I used tattered angels products I got for being on AMM DT                 NOTE TO SELF
 This is for A Million Memories June Kit. I used the USPS box to make a minibook. You can find the link to download instructions for this mini here.          HAPPINESS IS YOU TOGETHER
 This is a LO I made for A Million Memories June kit. Journaling is about how much I miss my sister and how happy this photo makes me. WATCHING YOU LAUGH
 This is for A Million Memories June Kit. Journaling Reads: My wonderful boy, Today we took one of our walks. You were in a funny mood and kept putting your hands on your ears and singing. I had no idea why you were doing that and kept getting frustrated cause I wanted to talk to you. But then I stopped for a moment and watched you have fun. Watched you laugh with all your heart and it made my day. I realized that sometimes our walks don't go the way I want but that's okay cause they are not my walks, they are our walks. And honestly the best part of any day is watching you laugh and seeing you smile. How can I ask for anything more? April 08 PLEASE
 This is for A Million Memories June Kit. Journaling is about how this is David's "Please Mommy" face. So very cute and irresistible. MOMENTS OF JOY
 This is for A Million Memories June Kit. Journaling is about how David has hundreds of faces and they all bring me so much joy. CATALYST 11 - THE LOVE OF WORDS
 This is for creative Therapy catalyst eleven. Here's the journaling: You gave me the love of words. My first memory ever is of you sitting on our parents’ bed and reading the newspaper. I was so envious, I asked you to teach me to read, too. And you did. One letter at a time. Yona, you may not know this, but you gave me the biggest present anyone ever gave me. You gave me the love of words. Over the years, through sad, boring, and even happy times, I always had books. It didn’t matter where I was, with whom I was, or what I did. As long as I had a book or two, life was swell. Those few hours we spent together opened up an entire world for me. It became my best escape. My way of falling into other people’s lives. My way of living, loving, learning. My favorite thing in the whole world. I went through a tough childhood and didn’t have a lot of good friends. But I always had books. I lived vicariously through so many of them. I still remember how you drove me to bookstores far away just so I could pick my favorite books. I remember how much you supported my love of the written word. From that first memory and onward. Over the years, many things about me changed. But not my love of reading. I still read two books a week, most weeks. I still crave the words, the stories, the lives that I get to experience. I still carry a book with me everywhere I go. It’s still my very favorite way to relax, escape, and to feel happy. I want you to know, Yona, that I owe it all to you. To that moment when you didn’t tell me to leave you alone. That moment when you let me lie there, next to you, on Mom and Dad’s bed, and showed me how to read each letter. You gave me the love of words, my sister. The best present I’ve ever received in my whole life. GENEROUS GIVEAWAY
If you're into scrapbooking nearly as much as I am, you'll be very
excited to see this:
Michelle, at AMM is giving away the new, and very happy, Cosmo Cricket line. Check it out here. CATALYST 10 - TIME PASSES AND I MISS YOU MORE AND MORE
 This is my layout for catalyst ten. Journaling Reads: You were the only one who really understood me. The one who truly supported me. The one who made me feel less alone in the world. I love you each and every single day and miss you with all my heart. I used papers graphic45 sent us as part of being on AMM DT. CATALYST 9 - JUST WAIT LONGER
 This week's catalyst is about "What do you feel pessimistic about?" Journaling Reads: I used to get pessimistic about everything. I felt that if things could go wrong, they would. Then, I realized that with time things started to get better and look less scary. So I learned to tell myself that if I feel down, I just have to wait a little longer and, with time, all of it passes. JOY - MAGISTICAL MEMORIES
 I was one of the lucky ones to receive these amazingly versatile Magistical Memories chipboard for being on the AMM DT. In this one, I used a lot of glitter. It shines orange or green depending on your point of view. SWAK
 I was one of the lucky ones to receive these amazingly versatile Magistical Memories chipboard for being on the AMM DT. FINGER PAINTING
 I was one of the lucky ones to receive these amazingly versatile Magistical Memories chipboard for being on the AMM DT. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 21
 DAILY ATCS - WEEK 20
 YOU ARE MY LOVE
 I was one of the lucky ones to receive these amazingly versatile Magistical Memories chipboard for being on the AMM DT. INNOCENT
 This one is withAMM's Beautiful May Kit. BECAUSE I NEVER EVER WANT TO FORGET
 More with the beautiful papers from Around the Block for being on the AMM DT. A MEMORY IN THE MAKING
 More with the beautiful papers from Around the Block for being on the AMM DT. OUR MOMENT OF LOVE
 More with the beautiful papers from Around the Block for being on the AMM DT. ROBOT
 I was one of the lucky ones to receive beautiful papers from Around the Block for being on the AMM DT. This is the simplest LO i made with them. My DH thinks it's too simple but I like it so I wasn't willing to change it. The journaling is about how David played "robot" when DH and I were at school in the parent-teacher conference. Apologies for the photo. I have tired 4 times and will try again tomorrow to take a clearer one. POSTCARDS
 From a Graphic45 spotlight for AMM. I love these papers so much!! I don't normally do vintage stuff but they inspired me to do so. I took photos from our recent trip to Santa Cruz and made them look old and vintagy. I then made postcards out of each of them and stamped over them etc.            MY ANGEL
 From a Graphic45 spotlight for AMM. I have this photo of David from bedtime that I love and I just wanted to capture it and my words only so I did something simple. I cut out clouds and put them on with dimensional tape. I then added wings to the photo and put a little "halo" over the A of Angel. The journaling is about how much fun we had that day and how funny and sweet David is.   A BOY AND HIS ANT
 From a Rusty Pickle spotlight for AMM. This is a little children's story I wrote using David's photos. David's been really into ants lately so I wanted to commemorate that. I also painted the papers as if a kid drew on them with crayons. The story goes like this: There once was a little boy named David who was friends with an ant. They did everything together. They went everywhere together. They were friends. But one day, the little boy lost his ant. He looked everywhere. Desperate, he went to the chicken and asked if she'd seen his friend. He then went to talk to Mrs. Pig but she hadn't seen David's ant either. He checked every tree and talked to the other ants he saw along the way. He looked for hours and hours. He walked all over, searching. He turned every stone he could find to see if his friend was stuck or playing hide-and-seek. He walked up the stairs to the house where they were staying to check if he took a nap. But the ant was nowhere. He wasn't sleeping or hiding. David was tired. Just when he was about to give up, he decided to check one more place and there he was! He greeted his friend. And finally the boy and his ant were united once again. David was really happy.            MY HEART MELTS
 From a Rusty Pickle spotlight for AMM. The journaling is about how my heart melts each time I see these photos of David. I cannot believe I got so lucky as to have such a beautiful, kind and generous son. I am so blessed. MOMENTS
 From a Rusty Pickle spotlight for AMM.     ALWAYS FOREVER
 Done with AMM's May Kit. CATALYST EIGHT - GUILT-LESS PLEASURES
 This week's catalyst is about "What is your guilty pleasure and why does it make you feel guilty?" Journaling Reads: I spent the last week thinking about my guilty pleasures and kept coming up empty over and over again. I have lots of things that I shouldn’t be doing but somehow I just don’t feel guilty about any of them. CATALYST SEVEN - WSYIWIG
 This week's catalyst is about "what makes you, you?" I used the cardboard to emphasize the feeling of being "bare" and the authentic me. I also tore the papers to give the impression that all the layers of me were stripped off and this was the true me. Journaling Reads: what you see is what you get. that's me. i don't mince words. i am not cruel but i also don't lie. i have no time to play games. too many people have messed with my head and i refuse to play with yours. when you get me as a friend, you get a loyal person who will always be honest, kind and generous. i will not change on you. i will not deceive you. i will not stab you in the back. i only know one way to be and this is it. it may take a while to get to know me. to see that i truly care. and i really will be there. always. you may be confused. you may think there's more under the surface. you may wait anxiously to see what's really going on. but it's really simple with me: what you see is what you get. always. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 19
 DAILY ATCS - WEEK 18
 CATALYST SIX - DONE
 This week's catalyst is about "Someone or something that really frustrates you. Feel free to vent, but in a therapeutic way." I've been hurt many times by people who seemed like they were my friend but turned out not to be so. I decided to dedicate this week's layout to them. I used crackle paint and then inked it. I also made my own background. I took a photo of one of my such friends and me and scratched her face out and tore the photo. This was indeed very therapeutic for me. Journaling reads: fake. yes, i'm talking to you. i thought you were my friend. now i can see that you don't even know what it means to be a friend. if there's one thing i hate in the world more than anything else, it's people being one thing to your face and another behind your back. i wouldn't take that from anyone and i am surely not taking it from you. i was surprised, at first. then i was sad. and then mad. now i'm finished. done. Come play. THE BOOK OF ME
I am so excited to announce that I will be teaching AMM's first online class:
The Book of Me: Six easy and six not-so-easy facts about me.
 You'll have access to a students-only board and here's some more information about the class: This album will guide you to make a minibook containing 6 easy and 6 not so easy facts about you. Each page of the minibook will be a list of six things on a particular topic, like songs you like or places you've been. There will be six pages of easy and fun facts about you and then six pages of deeper, more meaningful facts. A total of 14 classes will be spread across three weeks to give you plenty of time to catch up. Each class will contain an example page from Karen's minibook with alternate ideas, photography tips, journaling tips, and lot of other inspiration. You will have access to a private bulletin board where you can ask questions, show off your minibook pages and share the joy of creating a memorable and meaningful album for yourself and your loved ones. The best thing about this class is that you can use your own stash and your own, unique style to create your book. It will be 100% authentic to you. You can find a lot more information here. and register for the class here. I hope you join us! You won't regret it! BECKY'S AMM CLASS - WELCOME SIGN
My good friend Becky has her first class up at AMM. It's this beautiful
sign: Go check it out here. It's absolutely beautiful! CATALYST FIVE - UNBOUNDED LOVE
 This week's catalyst is about "what you like best about yourself." Journaling says: There aren’t many things I like about myself but I will always cherish my ability to love people in an endless and unbounded way. When I love someone, even if just a friend, I give that person 100% of myself. I am always there and will always do anything needed. My capacity for love is my very favorite thing in the word. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 17
 The set from last week. IF FOR ANY REASON...
 And finally, this is the minibook I made for AMM's DT call. It's inspired by my friend Lori who told me about this submission to Chatterbox about an album for your kids. So that if anything ever happened to me and Jake, David would have letters from us to read on each of the big occasions on his life. The pages are: 1. overall letter 2. first day of school 3. first love 4. first heartbreak 5. graduation 6. first job 7. first home 8. wedding 9. first baby 10. whenever he feels alone in life I used the an envelope minibooks so I could put our letters inside. And the photos are of David are from youngest to now up as we get towards the end of the album. You can see the full album here. And there's a link on the side, too. YOU AND ME ALWAYS
 This is another one of the layouts I did for AMM's DT call. It's about how I will always be there for David. BEST FRIEND
 This is one of the layouts I did for AMM's DT call. JUST LIKE MOMMY
 Here's the layout from today. We took David to his 3-year appointment a few months ago and he wouldn't let go of his book the whole time which is exactly how i was as a child (and still am). The little shininess didn't photo well but I tried.  LIFE LESSONS
 This is a minibook I had made for the Maya Road CHA call. It's called Life Lessons from the playground. It was selected and showcased in Maya Road's booth at CHA Winter 2008. You can see the full album here. YOU'RE NO ANGEL
 I'm still trying to do a one-hour layout daily. Day two. So far so good. I've actually done two today but the other one is a future catalyst. The journaling is about how we caught David sneaking into the candy drawer and how he figured out that if he opens the bottom cabinet, he can step on the ledge and gain the extra few inches he needed. I guess he gets points for creativity. FRIEND
 This is the one-hour layout I did today. The journaling is about how we were worried David wasn't playing with any kid his age until he met Franklin. And then we realized, there was nothing wrong with him. He was just picky. MOMMY: I DIEGO
 So I decided I wanted to scrap more so I can use some of the materials I have. I have so much of everything and I keep buying more so I need to use some. I also want to start scrapping a bit faster, not to save time but just not to wonder too much, let the process be more organic and see if I can trust my instincts a bit more. So here's attempt one, from last night. This photo is of David wearing the little Turkish backpack book my sister got him when he was born. The other day I came home, and he was wearing it, telling me that he's Diego and that he needs some rope. He's a riot my little one. CATALYST FOUR - LIFE IS GOING TO WORK OUT
 This week's catalyst is about "something you remember from your childhood." My whole life I was this sad, little girl. I always worried that something was wrong with me or that I would always be unhappy. I wish I could tell that little girl now that Life is going to work out for her and that she should give up constantly thinking that something is wrong. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 16
 And this catches us all the way up. I can't believe it! DAILY ATCS - WEEK 15
 DAILY ATCS - WEEK 14
 CATALYST THREE - US
 This week's catalyst is about "the best part of your day." I took a bunch of the photos I've taken of David this year and made this. The journaling reads: Since the beginning of this year, I’ve been taking daily photos of David. It guarantees that we spend some quality time together every day. In the last month, we’ve also started taking walks when I come home and it’s our time together. Now when I walk through the door, David says, “Go for walk, Mommy?” I grab my camera and we run out the door. We hold hands, we talk, we look at the flowers, we laugh, and I cherish each and every moment. What started as a fun little project has become the best part of my day. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 13
 The last day is still waiting for the photo to be printed out. I will replace it when I have the photo. I am almost caught up. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 12
 AMM APRIL KIT - MOMMY SAYS MINIBOOK
 A little minibook to remind David all the things he should remember to have.           And that's it with this month's kit. AMM APRIL KIT - MARCH 2008
 My calendar page for March. AMM APRIL KIT - IN MY HEART
 This has e.e.cumming's poem on it. i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling) i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true) and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)  AMM APRIL KIT - LOVE
 My mom and David. AMM APRIL KIT - CHINA DOLL
 April is not my month usually but Michelle did us a favor. Isn't the kit magnificent? DAILY ATCS - WEEK 11
 The beginning of March now almost there. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 10
 DAILY ATCS - WEEK 9
 Here are the ATCs from this morning. Sort of subtle today. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 8
 And the ones from this morning. A lot of blue today. Can you tell I got some new stamps? DAILY ATCS - WEEK 7
 Here are the ones from this morning. New stamps coming soon, can't wait. CATALYST TWO - NATURE
 Here's my second catalyst. This week was about "a place you go to find your center." Journaling Reads: when i feel like my problems are huge and about to swallow me i visit nature i look at the towering trees the endless ocean and it reminds me that i am a very small part of this earth tiny and my problems, i realize are not so big. CATALYST ONE - THE GIRL BEHIND THE CAMERA
 Here's my art for the first catalyst. It was about "something you lost". Journaling Reads: I am the girl behind the camera. I am the one who takes photos I capture the moments I preserve the memories. There was a time when I was in front of the lens. When I let people take my photo, but now when I see a photo of me I cringe. I see all the flaws all the fat all the ugliness. I lost the ability to see myself clearly. I can’t remember what it felt like to look at the photo and see me. I miss that. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 6
 And here's to week 6. Will be all caught up in about 10 days. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 5
 Almost finished with January. Catching up is half the fun. Hope you like these. 21 - INSIDE BACK COVER
 And the inside of the back cover. All done with this little project. I love how the book turned out. Now on to painting ATCs.  21 - INSIDE COVER
 Since my little book only has 20 pages, I decided to paint the insides of both the front and back covers to ensure I went all 21 days.  21 - DAY TWENTY
 One more day left. This one is quiet, or at least I think so. And there's a secret shiny butterfly below.  DAILY ATCS - WEEK 4
 Here is week four. More coming soon. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 3
 Here is week three. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 2
 Here is week two. DAILY ATCS - WEEK 1
 Here is week 1. DAILY ATCS
 This is a new project I started to do a little painting and daily cards with David's daily photos. I will put a section on the side so you can see them daily and I will only post them here weekly. The first two weeks are scrapping. The rest will be painting. 21 - DAY NINETEEN
 And here's the one from this morning. Almost at the end of this journey. Quite sad. 21 - DAY EIGHTEEN
 and here's a side look:  21 - DAY SEVENTEEN
 Not a big fan of this one, but today's been a bit chaotic so I am glad I painted at all:  21 - DAY SIXTEEN
 21 - DAY FIFTEEN
 21 - DAY FOURTEEN
 21 - DAY THIRTEEN
 21 - DAY TWELVE
 Here's another view:  21 - DAY ELEVEN
 Apologies for the delay in posting these. I have actually been doing them daily. Here's another look:  CREATIVETHERAPY
 It's live. Come play. 21 - DAY TEN
 I took it easy today since I was sick. Very shimmery though.  21 - DAY NINE
 Almost halfway. 21 - DAY EIGHT
 And here's day eight.  21 - DAY SEVEN
 And here's another view.  21 - DAY 6
 And the one from this morning. Nothing like starting every day with some paint. 21 - DAY 5
 Still going strong on these. 21 - DAY FOUR
 Day Four! 21 - DAY THREE
 Day Three. 21 - DAY TWO
 21 - DAY ONE
 Here's day one. 21 - COVER
 I am doing Rhonna's 21 Day challenge where you do something for 21 days so it becomes a habit. For my theme, I chose 21 days of creative freedom. So I am applying some of what I learned at Paulette Insall's class. I hate my handwriting but I love painting daily. I've also added it to the side so you can see the full thing at once. BIRTHDAY PARTY - AMM MARCH
 And finally the minibook I made with AMM's March Kit. I love the Scenic Route album so much.     TURNING THREE - AMM MARCH
 Here's another layout with AMM's March Kit. Photos from the little celebration we did on David's actual birthday. CONFIDENCE - AMM MARCH
 Here's another layout using AMM's March Kit. The journaling is about how David has so much wonderful self-confidence right now and how over the years, if he ever doubts himself he should pull out this page and remember how he was now and remember that he's amazing and has no reason to doubt himself. FEBRUARY - AMM MARCH
 Here's the February calendar with the laftovers from AMM's March Kit. I love doing these so much! MICHELLE - AMM MARCH
 Here's one of my layouts with AMM's March Kit. This is to commemorate David's first best friend and speech therapist, Michelle. Here's a closeup of the journaling:  THE PROCESS OR THE OUTCOME?
I haven't been scrapbooking that long. I started right before David was
born but didn't really, seriously get into it until last spring. One of
the complaints I see everywhere I go is how much people complain about
how many (or few) layouts they've finished. I'm always sort of taken
aback by this.
To me, it's not about the quantity of pages you've finished. If you really just want a way to display all the great photos you've taken, there are photo albums both in real life and online to allow you to do that. If you're mostly about the stories, you can blog or write in a journal. You can even combine the two in a blog or journal. You don't need to do scrapbook layouts for that. Cathy was just writing about how the pages with just photos miss the point for her. What is scrapbooking for you? This is a serious question. Why do you do it? I've been thinking about this a bunch lately. Here are my reasons:
So there you have it. For me, it's not about getting published, getting recognition, or using the most latest product. Most significantly, it's not about getting it done. The process is half the reason I do it. If I am lucky, it will never be done. It will go on forever, until I can no longer hold paper and glue. For as long as there is life, photos to capture and stories to tell, there will be scrapbook pages to create. So what's the rush? Enjoy the journey. PAINTING CLASS
Have I mentioned that I signed up for Paulette's organic
dimension class?
I am so excited. I love the idea of mixing things up in my scrapping. I
love stitching and I love the idea of using fabric, found items, and
paint. I adore her work and can't wait to get started.
JOURNALING GALORE
Thanks to some wonderful comments, I spent some time going back and
reading the journaling on my layouts today and realized how much I
already love reliving the memories. I can't even imagine how much more
wonderful they will be to remember years from now. Here are a few of my
favorites: imperfect,
sign, today, magical
moments, you
make me happy, staying
up, no
sad, and more recently clouds and, of
course, not
just a dinosaur. I love having the words along with my favorite
photos. I love some of the other layouts too, but it's these with the
words that I go back to over and over again to relive the moments.
This is for me to remember that it's always worth it to take the time and write the story. Always. Always. CHA WINTER 08
It was really wonderful fun to get to go to CHA in Anaheim. I got to
meet the amazing AMM
ladies. I didn't take nearly as many photos as I should have but here are a
bunch.
OUR GARDEN
 And finally, another album with Pageframes. Love these photos. Here's the full album. I LOVE...
 A minibook for my little boy, using the wonderful album I received as AMM DT. Here's the full album. BOOK LOVE
 Here's another layout with the wonderful SEI papers. SOAR
 Here's another layout with the wonderful SEI papers.  I am starting this new album of "advice from mommy" here's the first LO for it. journaling reads: There's nothing you can't do. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Ever. If you know what you want to do, if you feel passionate about something, go after it. Give it all you have. If you get it on your first try, you were lucky. Most people aren't. If you really want something, you have to work for it. Sometimes you have to work very hard. Other times, it might feel like you will never achieve it. But, my son, it's still worth trying. Be unstoppable. Because, along the way, you will discover marvelous things. You will learn. You will grow. You will find your own limits and you will stretch yourself. And life is all about expanding and discovering. Maybe you will never reach the end goal you've set for yourself but you will have achieved so much along the way that it will be worth it. Don't let others' negativity or weakness get in your way. Believe in yourself. Give it all you have. Spread your wings and soar. CLOUDS
 I was also lucky enough to receive SEI Jolie Chocolat papers as part of being AMM DT. What a blessing. Journaling Reads: Last Wednesday, I came home early and got to spend a few extra special hours with you. You were in a good mood, and we decided to play on the bed for a while. We hugged, we kissed, we tickled, and we laughed. Finally we leaned back, and lay on the bed together. You put your arms behind your head and said, “Clouds, Mommy.” It took me a few minutes to understand what you meant. I closed my eyes and let my imagination take me where you were. It had been raining for days and I enjoyed having blue skies with puffy, white clouds. Even if imaginary. Then you looked towards the edge of the ceiling, where it met the wall and the light wasn’t reaching as much, and you said, “Dark clouds.” I couldn’t help myself; I let out a chuckle. This is one of the millions of reasons I want to spend all my waking hours with you, David. Your wonderful imagination and creativity reminds me that life is wonderful and I love experiencing the world through your eyes. Thank you, my delightful son, for giving me the opportunity to share it with you. JANUARY 2008
 Here is the January calendar I made with A2Z papers I received as being a part of AMM DT. These calendars are |