Some of my favorite photos and all the techtechniques they taught me. My second minibook ever.
Layout Number Two for 1-in-48 Sketch Challenge class I am taking. A rare
one without journaling.
My very first minibook. It’s about my six passions: scrapbooking,
writing, reading, photography, technology and languages.
A few years ago, I wrote about how music
gets intertwined with memories. There are thousands of songs that
within seconds transport me a certain time, location, and emotion. Once
a song is infused with a certain feeling, it’s pretty much impossible
for me to disassociate it ever again.
But not fully impossible.
There’s a Dixie Chicks song that I used to love. I was listening to it
on continuous repeat for a few weeks. It just turned out that I also had
some things happening in my life that were less than ideal and beyond my
control at the same time. So, pretty quickly, this song got entangled
with the situation and got associated with very sad and frustrating
feelings. Months passed and I still could never listen to this song
without reliving the events of that time and I quickly started avoiding
the song. Which really bummed me out since it was a fantastic song with
amazing lyrics that would have otherwise made me feel stronger and inspired.
Last night, on my way home, the song came up on my ipod and, to my
surprise, instead of the typical resentment, I felt the sense of
strength and empowerment I had felt before the song had gotten
associated with the sad events. I had finally completely given up my
resentment and finally moved on so it allowed me the space to reclaim
the song that I loved.
What a great way to feel the power of closure.
I came home early on Thursday due to an appointment and took the time to
take David to MyGym for the free play hour. We were laughing and playing
and just in general having a lot of fun when he ran up to me and hugged
me and said “I Love You.” Completely unprompted. Not as a response. Just
cause.
It was one of the best moments of my life.
This is from an old blog entry. Journaling Reads:
When I was younger, I used to travel in a crowd of beautiful women. I
don’t know how it happened but all my female “friends” were drop dead
gorgeous and within a few weeks, my self-image managed to wither away to
nothing. At the time, I started playing a game where each time I caught
myself wishing I had someone else’s something (like hair or eyes or nose
or legs) I would force the issue.
I told myself that the rules were such that I wasn’t allowed to take
body parts or personality traits and plug them into the rest of me. If I
liked someone’s something, I had to completely change places with that
person. Not only did I get their whole body, but I got all their
personal issues, emotions, family, psychological state of mind, past,
living status, job and anything else you can think of. I basically
forced myself to choose between me and this random (or in some cases not
so random) person. Yeah, I got to have their small nose or blue eyes,
but was I ready to also have their eating disorder? How about the
disinterested mom? Was I willing to give up all of who I am to look like
this person? It was my way of forcing myself to face the fact that
people don’t come in pieces. You want a part, you get the whole thing.
How do you like them apples?
In fifteen years, I’ve never met one person I was willing to change
places with. I don’t know if it was the fact that I wasn’t willing to
give up certain aspects of who I am of my life or the fact that I tend
to favor the known over the unknown. Looking at a woman walking down the
street, I can see she has pretty hair or a size-2 figure, but I can’t
see what goes on in her head or how much she suffers daily. With me, at
least I know what I’m getting. Or maybe I was finally growing to like
myself. The game’s done a lot to improve my self-esteem.
An old old layout from the first time David ever went down a slide on
his own.
This is one of my favorite quotes of all time. Each time I am too
chicken to do something, I remember Twain’s words and know that real
people would be supportive of me and I can do anything I want.
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions.
Small people always do that, but the really great make you
feel that you, too, can become great.” –Mark Twain
Journaling Reads:
My mother used to like telling me the story of how when I was a baby,
I’d sit there any stare at my hands for hours. She said that I was a
very self-sufficient baby, didn’t need a lot of attention.
Maybe it’s because I’ve worked since the day you were born, maybe you
were just born this way. Either way, you’ve always been the same kind of
kid. You used to take all of your toys and bring them next to me and
play while I worked.
A few weeks ago, we were invited to your dad’s cousin’s wedding and I
completely forgot to bring any toys or crayons to keep you busy.
Thankfully, Daddy’s mom had bought you a pack of little cars. Those four
cars, and the package they came in, entertained you for the full two
hours. You didn’t scream or have a tantrum once. You didn’t even make a
sound. You just played with your cars, quietly and made me so very proud
for having you as my son.
I think being self-sufficient and easily-entertained are two important
skills, David, and I am thrilled that you have successfully mastered
both. – June 23, 2007.
No journaling needed. (Just the date of July 2007)
Journaling Reads:
” I wish I could enjoy anything the way my kids enjoy bubbles.” – quote
from “Knocked Up”
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projects for twenty twenty-six
projects for twenty twenty-five
projects for twenty twenty-four
projects for twenty twenty-three
projects for twenty twenty-two
projects for twenty twenty-one
projects for twenty nineteen
projects for twenty eighteen
projects from twenty seventeen
monthly projects from previous years
some of my previous projects
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