Friday, April 11, 2008

I did it! (Kinda)



Here is my first scrapbook page in nearly a month! The last time I did one I was home for Easter, and since then, I just couldn't seem to get anything out on paper (literally.) I had pics, a great new kit, everything in place, but it just wasn't workin'...then last night as I was trying to force myself to scrap a childhood photo (and wasn't able to), I came across this pic laying on an old old piece of "no-name" paper I got a loooong time ago...I had laid it out over a month ago to do (this is how I get my pages ready to scrap: I pick my pic, then find the main background paper, and maybe a few other papers to go with it, then I lay them out. I pile up about 3 or 4 of these at a time so I can always go back and pick one up, add embellies, choose the topic I want to scrap, and voila, done.) Anyway, I saw this at the bottom of my 4-5 layout pile, and it just came to me...ok, scrap this. So I did. It's not superb or anything, nice and crowded and bright, which I like, but mostly I'm just glad I actually scrapped.

Other than that, not too much new from me, glad it's Friday and another week is over! Oh, I found out today that my little nephew was finally born, Hayden David Flynn (love the name!) at 4:40pm yesterday after being 2 weeks late, 8 pounds 4 ounces, all doing well. So that's cute, more babies in my life!

Hmm, what else? Oh, I'm drooling over these kits, and this is so cute, I want to buy it for my future kid's rooms! (sad I know.)

I'm also contemplating selling something on Etsy...not sure if I will attempt it or not, but I'll keep you all posted if I go for it ;) And finally, I'm going to see my friend and her baby in the Valley tomorrow, excited about that, will try and take some pictures of the babe, problem is that it's going to rain, so no outside photos, which is a bummer...oh well, that's Spring I guess.

I really want to watch Pan's Labyrinth again, it's sooo good! Has anyone seen it? It's amazing, check it out if you haven't, it's so fantastical and dark and eerie and violently beautiful. Definite my kind of movie (plus it's Spanish, so gotta love that.)

My 365 for today:



K, 'nough jabbering, ciao a todos!

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

I love Minis, flats and sunshine


My new shoes I got today at Le Chateau for 6.50$!!

Well today was a good day...it was gorgeous outside (about 15-16 degrees in April!), and I had a chance to take a nice long walk back to work after an appointment, and I just so happened to stop in at Le Chateau to check out their stuff, because, well, I love them, and I saw that a bunch of super cute shoes were on sale, plus an extra 50% off! So how could I resist? Well, I couldn't, I got these cute tennis flats for the weekends, and I also got a cute pair for work, flats, but with a tiny little kitten heel, bow on the front, black leather...perfect for work...and only 15$!! In total: 24.75$ for 2 awesome pairs of shoes :)

So people have been asking me about my "I love Art" mini, and I debated whether or not to show it, since I'm not super impressed with the overall result, which is a bummer, 'cause I was super excited about it when I started, but every time I sat down to do a page it just seemed to go from bad to worse, haha...but it's done, and it's what I wanted it to be, so I guess that's the point, I won't remember in 20 years if I had wanted to use different papers, or embellies, I'll just remember the content of it, what I considered Art in my day (I know the title is deceiving, but I actually did an album about creative outlets, I guess you could say, not just about "traditional" art like painting and sculpture.) Anyhoo, here is it:







Also, got some good news at work, can't really say what yet, but it's finally coming together :) On the downside, my dad also told me that the bank wants me to call them about my loan, since I was supposed to transfer it over to begin payments a year after I graduated...that was 2 years ago in May :S So we'll see how that goes, I'm scared to know what the payments will be...ugh, money.

Oh! Something awesome I found today through Ali's blog is this amazing scrapbook kit...it's not really a traditional scrapbooking kit though, it's mostly envelopes and journaling cards and file folders, things like that, it's called "Details Enclosed". The reason I think it's so awesome is because I've had this idea to create a mini called "bits of life", that was basically going to be a collection of items from my daily life, with some small pics, bits of journaling, etc tossed in...I saw Kate use an envelope to keep journaling inside it for one of her minis and I loved the idea of that, so I was going to incorporate it into this mini, to tuck receipts, emails, whatever inside...and then this kit comes along, all envelopes and other cool stationary-type stuff. It's a definite lust-after item.

So, I'm getting kinda disappointed with my photography lately...I want to be able to take awesome shots, but I just can't seem to do it, and it's not the camera's fault this time. I haven't had any real camera experience before, so I'm sure that has something to do with it, but also I just think that I'm too afraid to really go for it, you know? It sounds weird, but I get outside to take shots, and I become painfully aware of all the other people out and around me, and I think "They'll think I'm a loser if I get down on the ground to get this shot, or pose in a kitsch way in front of my timer." But I know that that's exactly how awesome shots are found, by going to the extreme, seeing the overlooked and just going for it, no cares. I need to get over that if I'm going to get what I really want: beautiful photos. (Oh, and looking at Flickr isn't helping my confidence much...so many absolutely stunning photographers on there, it's unbelievable really, and can really make you think how, well, bad yours are, hahaha)

Right now I'm doing my 365 and everyday I'm just blank for ideas (it's much harder to take self-portraits I find, and I wish someone could take shots of me, but that's the challenge I guess.). I suppose once I get better at it the shots will come, and I'm going to work really hard at not caring what other people think, and to climb on the rock if I want, or to pose pose pose! Also, I really need a photoshop program or some sort...does anyone have any suggestions? I need something fairly simple, but something that I can add effects/filters, blend out blemishes (I REALLY need this one lately!), and crop/do basic edits to...I think that editing shots is becoming just as important as taking them these days, so I'm working with only half my equipment right now, and I need to step it up.

Well I guess that's todos por ahora, Dan is in play-off mode right now, but I don't think his team will get very far this year...poor Ottawa. I think that I'm going to see my friend Sara and her babe Judah this Saturday, I hope to do a little session with him, so I'll maybe post some pics when that's done.

Night all!

Saturday, April 5, 2008

10:15 on a Saturday night, and the tap drips under the streetlight...


The beginnings of my friend Heather's blanket...can't wait to see it complete! I'm so jealous, I wish I knew how to knit or crochet, but I just don't have the mind for it I guess...

-My yesterday (day off!) was as relaxing as I had imagined it would be...got up at 9:30, didn't do much at all, went to the library and got groceries with Dan, then came home and chilled out, did nothing, just like I wanted...and this morning when I woke up and realized it was only Saturday and not Sunday, meaning I had 2 more days off, I was so happy! I gotta take time off more often :)

-I got an awesome book at the library called "Flea Market Style" (see pic)....man, I want to go to a flea market now and decorate my house with all the awesome finds! So many cool pictures and inspirations in this book, I read it cover to cover basically (rare for me.) I can't wait to move, I'm definitely going to incorporate some of their ideas (I already bought a cool plate I found at VV this afternoon, I'm going for the mismatched set now.) Luckily my hometown has a HUGE Flea Market every summer (biggest in the Maritimes I think), so this year I'm totally going to dig deeper than usual to find some awesome goodies for my new home :) Can't wait!



-[Related to above point] Today Heather and I went and did a bit of furniture hunting...she saw this awesome chair on Kijiji for 5$, so we drive 30 mins out of town to get it, but it was worth it, what a deal! Then we hit up the 2 Value Villages in the city, and she managed to snatch another awesome chair for 25$....they are both kinda retro shapes, and she's going to refinish them and re-upholster them. I'm a bit envious, but I'm sure I'll get some cool stuff soon enough.



-I think that tomorrow I'm going to scan in some of my mini pages, just to show that I have been scrapping a bit, lol...I feel so lazy, every time I sit down in front of a page, I just want to stand up and leave the table, but I forced myself to do 2 more I love Art pages, so I'm nearly done that, and then I'll have to move on to some 12X12, it's the only way I'll get back into it.

-Tomorrow is supposed to be nice out, so I hope to go outside and take some pics, because I am feeling very limited in what I can do in this old, white box of an apartment I live in...I need some fields, some air, some streets, some water, some sky, trees, flowers, grass, rain, mist...anything!

That is all.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Beautiful Calm Driving



Hey, how is everyone? Everyone glad it's Friday tomorrow? I sure am!

Well, I haven't done much in the last few days except take pictures (I'm still in the honeymoon phase with my camera...he's perfect in my eyes, haha.) Last night Heather and I went out for a walk behind out apartment and I took some pretty decent shots of her, hopefully I'll get to take some more this weekend when it's less cold (the wind was gusting like 60km/hr!). Yep, loving' my camera. Finding it hard to think of original self-portrait pics (and it's only Day 4!), but I think that once it gets nice outside I'll be able to spread out a bit more...anyhoo...

I'm hoping that this weekend I'll get to do some layouts, finish my I Love Art mini and hopefully start another. I have tons of things to scrap, both in supplies and pictures, I'm just finding it hard to sit down and do a layout that will take hours as opposed to a mini page which takes 15 mins...scrap laziness on my part. I'm going to work on snapping out of that bad habit tomorrow I hope...ahhh, tomorrow...

Ooh! Best part about tomorrow? I don't have to work! That's right, I took a day OFF...this is maybe my 5th or 6th day off in 17 months there (besides Stat holidays, and a few appointments where I had to leave for the morning or afternoon.) I never take time off, basically, because I'm Casual, meaning I don't get paid for sick time or vacation days, so I never could afford it really because of Dan being in school, but I realized today that since Dan is moving back home at the end of the month (woo!), we would save money on rent, gas, and food, which is awesome...so I said screw it, the Health Ed Resources could survive without me for a day...Loving Care could suck it up and not consume all my time and energy with it's millions of demands and changes and complications...the Reqs and Copy Changes could be taken care of by someone else....the Filing could sit for another day...the focus testing data can be entered on Monday...the French Parents and Families can be read line by line against the English next week...sorry, getting off on a rant! Anyway, point is, I've been tired and feeling kinda stressed, so this day will be really good for me. Dan is home so we are going to spend the day together, relaxing, sleeping in, and doing no-thing (except maybe some scrappin') It's gonna be awesome!

Well that's all for now folks. Hope everyone has a good week, and hopefully by the end of the weekend I'll have a new nephew (who is being very stubborn and refuses to leave his home inside my sister-in-law!) She's a week overdue already, poor thing...joys to look forward to I guess :S

Night all!



^^^^^^^My model^^^^^^^

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

[Kind of] Non-Scrappin' Ramble...



1) I made this yesterday as part of the 365 Creative Challenge (make something everyday), and I must say it was the quickest, most thoughtless thing I've ever made, in total it was maybe 5 mins...had this cute post-it stuck on a 6X6 sheet to scan in, then I thought, hey, make a page NOW! So I slapped some flowers on there, some staples, my Dymo, and it's now the first page for my Happiness album that I made a few days ago...love it when that happens :)

2) Not sure why I felt I needed to write down what I wrote though, because I realized tonight that I am actually quite happy (for the moment, which is rare for me.) I mean, I have a great job (I'm actually getting a letter this week regarding my status, hopefully it'll be permanent soon, or at least another term wit benefits and vacation days!), I have an amazing husband who's really supportive of everything I do and who still loves me after almost 5 years of craziness, my family is great, I have an awesome roommate and friend, and most of all, I'm starting to feel like my creativity is coming into its own...I still struggling with it, but I'm also starting to express myself in a way I enjoy, it feels more like "me"...might be vain, trendy, trying-to-be-cool, yeah, but I'm learning to forget all that and just do what I want.

3) I started my 365 Self Portrait Flickr group, in case anyone wants to check it out (only 2 days so far, haha...) [It's located in my sidebar here -->] Heather said that she would do it with me too, so that's fun, I'll get to do a self portrait, and also a portrait of someone else everyday, which is great...I think that tomorrow we are going to try and head outside, it's supposed to be sunny and +4 (last week didn't work out, stupid Maritime weather, it changes more than I change my socks!) Photography is definitely my new obsession.

4) I'm getting into Dragon Warrior again, it's awesome...for those who don't know, it's an old school Nintendo (original Nintendo!) game, you walk around fighting slimes and magicians and skeletons and beat a dragon, it's the best...every now and then I get the itch to play a Nintendo game, and it's usually a toss up between this game, Zelda, Zelda on Super Nintendo or Mario on Super Nintendo...as you can see I stick to the originals.

5) Been super inspired by this girl and by this one too, such talents, I can't believe it. Their art just makes me swoon.

Well that's all for nowzies, check y'all later!

Monday, March 31, 2008

Favs from March-Flickr

1. the mood is there ..., 2. 130/365--------when I feel blue, 3. nothing in the past or future ever will feel like today., 4. interseção, 5. Untitled, 6. Rubber Duckies, 7. tree and furrow, 8. Untitled, 9. On my way., 10. El peso, 11. psyche!, 12. slow like honey, 13. Pour faire des choses, des tas de choses..., 14. rjdrthjsrtjr, 15. One flesh, 16. young, 17. 365-109, 18. Untitled, 19. Shining Shore, 20. Girl underground, 21. Chmurka Weirdo..., 22. Sophie - Cooling Tower 2, 23. Day 242 of 365, 24. On the Shore of Their Memory, 25. In the Cold Light, 26. Tormenta de Verano, 27. El vuelo del pajaro.........., 28. DSC_9009, 29. I'm ready for Autumn, 30. Het Vinne, 31. moulin, 32. Dampness, 33. Looking for the sun, 34. The end of the storm, 35. A frozen dream, 36. Squirrel's bad hair day

365 Challenge

So I've been seeing a lot of people in the 'scrapping word' doing what is called a "365 Challenge", which basically means doing something specific everyday...in this case, either taking a photo, scrapping a layout, or doing something creative everyday. Now that I have my camera, I think I'm going to try the 365 Self Portrait Challenge (vain, yeah, but who cares), and I've been trying to train myself to do something creative almost every day, either a layout, a mini page, a note, some journaling, a picture, a blog post, anything!, so I think that as of April 1st, 2008, I will attempt the 365 Day Challenge.

Once I figure out how to link a flickr gallery, I'll put it up there --->

Wish me luck!

Also, check out these cool little Post-It notes I got a Chapters yesterday, I love using office supplies/non scrappin' items on layouts, and these are perfect for writing a bit of journaling. Super cute :)