Daily Photos – July 14 2009



Some of our delicious CSA fruit from this week. Doesn’t it look amazing. And here’s some of the veggies.



And here’s David helping me prepare them:



I used to do that with my Mom. Today we went to gymnastics and then picked up our CSA and I did an upcoming catalyst. That’s about it sadly. Tomorrow is a biggish day for me so I am a bit nervous. I will leave you with several wonderful Nathaniel shots. Well, wonderful to me.























It’s almost midweek!

Daily Photos – July 13 2009



David spends so much time trying to get Nathaniel to laugh that I wanted to capture a few of the photos of Nathaniel looking at him and smiling.



And here’s David:



An uneventful day here, feeling tired and unmotivated. Trying to cut myself some slack and let myself rest. Hope your Monday is well.



And, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KUKI!

52 Questions and Techniques – Tag 27



This question was: “What have you found lately?”



This one took a long time. In the end I decided to make it about freedom. I feel freer and happier than I have in a long long time. So here’s to my newfound freedom.



I cut a transparency in a tag shape and used a collection of alcohol inks on it and some copper mixative. I then stamped it with a music stamp and put some butterflies and a few letter stickers. I don’t really like how it turned out but honestly I can’t ever get the alcohol inks right no matter how much I try. These tags are for experimenting after all so I am letting this one stay.



I am combining Emily Falconbridge’s art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here.

52 Questions and Techniques – Tag 26



This question was: “On my walls i would write… ”



I can never remind myself this enough. Before David was born, I literally put this on my wall “Give up that there’s something wrong.” I need to live life happier and less worried.



Fabric, some leaves, a frame, buttons and a little baker’s twine with some pretty trim and some small letters.



I am combining Emily Falconbridge’s art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here.

52 Questions and Techniques – Tag 25



This question was: “Have you had a hug today?”



I am lucky that I get and give hugs all day long. My husband and kids are very generous with that.



I stamped with the clock and used clear embossing powder. I then inked over it and added two clock faces and spinners.



I am combining Emily Falconbridge’s art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here.

52 Questions and Techniques – Tag 24



This question was: “Name something you don’t understand, but you want to…”



I thought of math and science. I am good at math but I wish I were excellent.



I put chipboard numbers and painted over the whole thing.



I am combining Emily Falconbridge’s art journal questions with trying a new technique each week. You can see the full list: here.

Daily Photos – July 12 2009



A productive weekend here and a relaxing one. I finished Nathaniel’s book and caught up on almost all the tags. Still have some catalysts to do but making progress.



I hope this week is just as productive.

Nathaniel’s Baby Book

Now that I’ve begun Nathaniel’s book, I wanted to share a little about my process. Months ago, I bought the baby kit from Lisa Bearnson’s KOTM, designed by Becky Higgins, thinking I would use it for Nathaniel.


I loved parts of the kit and wasn’t crazy about other parts so I made my own amalgamation of her ideas and mine.







I started with some of Becky’s cards and holders where I wrote his birth story, our tags from the hospital, the paper my sister-in-law Leila gave with the candles at my baby shower, etc. This is all the stories up to and day of Nathaniel’s birth.



Then comes one of the pregnancy tests I had taken. The only one that still shows the “pregnant” line. (Maybe it’s gross but I save these things.) and on the back is the paper where I kept track of Nathaniel’s pees and poops for the first few days.







Then comes the first piece of clothing they ever put him in. I also have his first hat and will put it in the back. And then one of Becky’s monthly cards to indicate the beginning of the first month.



And then the first layout welcoming Nathaniel to the world and finally a layout with one of the photos taken in his first week.







Next to the layouts is a page that has 4×6 photos from the other days on the first week. So I take photos of Nathaniel every day which means I have 7 photos a week. I scrap one and put the other six on a page that holds six 4×6’s. This way the spread shows the entire week.







So these are the first four weeks of his life. All the photos and all four (plus the one welcoming him) layouts. I do this for each month.







And finally, each month ends with this long journaling paper that came with the kit where I write about that month. Oh, and, each time we go to the doctor and he’s weighed, I use one of the stamps the kit came with and note his height/weight on the photo of the day when we went to the doctor.



that’s it!

My savior



Last layout for Nathaniel. All caught up now.

Catalyst 70 – Yes I Can



Catalyst seventy is: What’s the best advice you received that encouraged you to follow your dreams? (or advice you’d give to others so they can follow their dreams.)

my words: It may sound counter-intuitive but I have found that the best advice I ever got was someone telling me that I couldn’t do something. When I was in high school, I visited Israel and this gentleman told me that if I wanted to study computers (which I did since I was seven) I should attend Carnegie Mellon University. I had never heard of the school so I ran back to my room and wrote it down in my diary. When I went back home (to Turkey), I told my teacher that I wanted to go to Carnegie Mellon. She told me that there was no way I could get in. I didn’t have what it takes, she said. I was so mad that I made it my mission to get in to the school. Not only did I get in but I graduated with both an undergraduate and a graduate degree in four years and I graduated with honors. I have since then learned that nothing motivates me as much as someone telling me I can’t do something.

Sweet little bird



And another page for Nathaniel.

Your Loving Brother



Sorry for the bad light. Another page for Nathaniel.