There's more to LIFE... {HARVEST} FREEBIE

Another summer has come and gone. Autumn is upon us and soon winter will be here before we know it. I'm sure I'm not the only one but, the holiday season is my favorite time of the year and everytime it comes around, I get so anxious and excited when we get together with family. Reminded of the importance of family and how precious we all are to one another, I reflect on the little details of how much they all mean to me. How they've been a part of my life in ways they probably least expect themselves to be. So, this year I intend to let them know just how much they've touched my heart and life. I hope to make gift albums for certain people and show them just how special they are. Anyone care to do the same? I have so many album kits that are sitting on my hard drive just waiting to be created and printed out. Oh, what fun it will be!

By the way, regarding my last post about deciding whether I should go back to work, God has been so gracious and his wisdom and understanding has surpassed my own. At the time, I was so anxious and so concerned about it that I was ready to do things my own way and could have made careless and hasty decisions that would have led me to even greater consequences. But, I knew I had to pray and wait, wait for an answer, wait for a confirmation, wait for a revelation that will make better sense. See, sometimes we get so frantic and we panic about our circumstances that we want to do something about it right then and now. We'll even go to the extreme and find ourselves over our heads about something that is totally against what we would normally do or isn't practical. Then we end up in the wrong place and in a greater mess then what we first started out. Remembering God's words has kept me from making those mistakes. Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious in anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will keep your hearts and minds through Jesus Christ." Well, I did wait and I let the situation settle as I continued to pray about it then soon I begant o feel peace within that God is in control. A week later, things started happening and suddenly opportunities began to arise for my husband and for myself. I also realized that I needed to evaluate our expenses, find ways to cut back on spending, and ideas just started to flow on ways to earn income while staying home with my kids. Also, there were so many things that I didn't notice before that were in front of me all along. It just suddenlty all made sense! And if I hadn't waited on God for His wisdom and understanding, I probably wouldn't be so at peace with the direction I'm taking now and most importantly I wouldn't of seen my weaknesses and corrected them. God is Good!!

One of my ideas that I've always dreamed and thought about for so long became more and more evident to me. God gave me a gift and talents that aren't just for fun and play but, to use these gifts and talents to establish a career that I can enjoy while making income. I know all of would rather work doing something we love and are passionate about than to be stuck at a stressful, hard, dead-end job. We all want to feel like we're fullfilling our purpose and doing something that satisfies us physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally. I sat down and I wrote down ideas and it made me reflect on all the events in my past that led me to this passion of scrapbooking. Then a lightbulb came on! Why not make custom scrapbooks for others? Why not help others preserve their memories? I'm sure there are so many out there who don't have the time or just don't know how to make their own scrapbooks but, would love to preserve all those memories they have stored in a box or in a non-archival album. Notice up above, the words "others" were highlighted. Because I want to stress that not only is it a business I would love to do but, it's also going to help and touch other lives which makes this even more meaningful to me. I know this will take time and alot of research to get it started but, I feel strongly about this as if this is my calling and my purpose which is the beginning to something wonderful--a journey for me is about to begin. I know there are so many who already do this for a living and it has inspired me to pursue it for myself. God knew this was part of His plan because of where He has brought from in the past from all the job experiences working at a craft store, to working as a Creative Memories consultant, to taking Graphic Design classes, to knowing how to paper and digitally scrapbook, just endless situations of why this all makes sense to me now. All in His timing....

Thanks for reading this far and sharing in my journey called LIFE! I do have a gift for you and hope you like this one. It's full of rich colors that remind me of Autumn and the special holidays associated with it. There's a Part 1 and a Part 2 to make it easier to download. I'm still learning how to create my own elements but, papers are all I could do for now. One day, I'll be giving away full kits when I feel more confident in designing elements. Without all the wonderful resources and talented designers out there willing to teach others, we'd all be lost in the digital world of scrapbooking. God bless them all! So here is the FREEBIE called "HARVEST" for my wonderful blog readers. Please do not share this gift but, you may send them to my blog for them to download. Thanks!

HARVEST PAPERS PART 1 & 2

Download Part 1 here.

Download Part 2 here. *This is no longer for free but, you can purchase this for$1.99 in my store at Faith Sisters. Thanks!*

Change

Some of you must of thought I mysteriously disappeared. Actually, even I sometimes felt like I've lost myself. Can I just be real with you right now? I've been struggling with so many decisions that my mind is spinning. I know that life is constantly changing and change is inevitable if we want to grow. Yet, like most people, I tend to fear change. What I've been dealing with the past few weeks is deciding whether I should go back to work. I've been a stay at home mom for the past 2 1/2 years and my boys are under 3 yrs. old. But, with the financial situation that our family is in, I'm left with this dilemma to either go back to work and put the kids in daycare or figure out a way to earn income and still be able to raise my children. I've researched the internet, read books about home based businesses, found job opportunities on job search engines, emailed friends and family, and so forth. Yet, I feel confused and afraid of sacrificing my attention away from the kids whether I work outside or inside of my home. I know God has blessed me these past years to be able to be there for them and I know if it's God's will, then He'll open a door for to be able to work from home with something flexible. Anyways, I've been super busy with so many family events, birthday parties, and school. I haven't even had time to blog or do much designing. I'm really thankful for all the people who continue to leave comments and who are able to download my freebies. I wish I had more time to work on another freebie but, for now my hands are full. I do have some layouts to share and hope it gives some of you inspiration. Check it out...

Credits here.

Credits here.

I also got some new stuff from Little Dreamer Designs which I can't wait to play with!

Dreams

At church yesterday, our youth campers and counselors were given the chance to share their experiences at youth camp and give their testimonies of what God has done. It was amazing to hear what they had to say and how awesome it is that even at the ages between 11-15, God met them in such a special way. They had been dealt with about forgiveness, honesty, purity, and what it means to be the child of God that they are called to be. To me, it gives me such a strong desire to see my boys grow up and live godly lives but, most importantly to love the Lord with a whole heart. My cousin, Joy, who was a counselor really ministered me when she said one of the points that the speakers taught them was that DREAMS DON'T HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE. Sometimes we have these dreams, goals, and aspirations that we feel may be impossible to achieve and even if we've been waiting for so long for it to happen, sometimes the enemy can come along and destroy our belief that our dreams are of no value to God and that God doesn't care about our dreams. But, just like the story of Joseph in the Bible, regardless of all the horrible things that have happened to him, God remained faithful to him and through Joseph's obedience to God, God made his dream a reality after all. People tried to shatter Joseph's dream, his own family sold him into slavery, and he was cast into jail several times as an innocent man. But, God was with him the whole time and no matter what the circumstances were, Joseph had so much favor and was later blessed to become one of the most respected leaders in his land. Thus, Joseph's dreams were fulfilled. This is what's been in my heart today and I thought I'd share it with you. Perhaps you have a dream that you desparately long for or a dream that has been shattered and left you feeling hopeless or maybe you gave up on a dream you had for so long but, simply because you think it'll never happen. Just read the story of Joseph in Genesis 37 - 50 and I hope you'll read for your self the awesome testimony of God's love and faithfulness. God is a BIG God, so don't be afraid to have BIG dreams and to ask largely of Him. He surely will grant the desires of your heart if you will put Him first and love Him with your whole heart.

I also wanted to share with you the layouts created by some of my readers who used papers that I created. It's unbelievable to me that people actually like my designs and I am so grateful for all the encouragement and kindness that I've been receiving as a result. It's so nice to meet all of you who also are sisters in Christ and truly understand what it means to be blessed to know Him. And it's always a pleasure to be able to witness to the world who may not know the love of God and I hope in return whether or not you believe, that at least it would shed some light to those who are looking for encouragment and peace in their lives. Also, I want to say that I was so glad to have read comments from some of you who lived in or nearby to Seattle. You guys are so blessed to live there!

Here are the layouts created by Julie and Agring using my papers...

Layout using Bitter Sweet papers by Julie.

Layout using Wild Tropic papers by Agring.

Thank you for using my papers and sharing them with me! I appreciate it so much!

If you are looking for a desktop calendar freebie, here is a really cute and SHABBY one by SHABBY MISS JENN at her site. You'll also find a quickpage for free, too. Click on the image to go directly to her site. Check it out!

Rainbows after the rain....and a *Rise UP* FREEBIE

Rain. Something about rain that fascinates me. It rained almost everyday when we were in Seattle, except for one day - my birthday - which was also the day before we returned home. We called it the real Seattle experience so we couldn't complain. Usually, the summers there are hot and humid but, it so happened that this was the one week that it had to rain. Sigh. Each day that it rained, we still made the most of our vacation. Still made it to the Spaceneedle, Westlake & Pacific Place Shopping Centers, Pioneer Square, Pike Place market, Snohomish (very rustic, but simply beautiful), Tukwila to visit my favorite store - Impress Rubber Stamps, and visited with family I haven't seen in years in Tacoma. We did all this with our kids and my sister, Daisy, all in a short period of a few days.

Seattle Center - Lucas & Josiah

Impress Rubber Stamps store

Everyday was an adventure. We did get lost not once, twice, or three times but, several times. Yet we didn't mind, it was pretty exciting if you ask me, to explore and discover the streets of Seattle. If we needed help with directions, there was always a friendly Seattlite who was more than willing to help us. Although, their information was often inaccurate and we'd get even more confused, it's what made our trip a trip to remember. All the while that we drove almost everywhere, my two boys were surprisingly tolerant and didn't seem to mind at all except when of course they were extremely bored and so desparately needed some "playtime".

To be honest, it was a major challenge traveling with small children and it made this vacation more of a learning experience. There were times that I felt like I never left home and that I couldn't really enjoy myself. But, I had to slap myself out of that attitude and choose to live my life with gratitude and to see that we were making memories as a family. Memories shared with each other that I hope one day we can laugh at and reflect on when we look at it in a scrapbook. Memories that even though my children may not remember it when they're older but, will always warm my heart in my aging years when they're away from home. It was our first family vacation and it will definitely not be our last. So, the least I could do is learn and grow and adapt to the fact that my kids will only grow bigger and traveling will only get easier. Let them be little because they're only little for a little while. I had to have this reality check and remember that it's not all about me anymore whether I'm at home or someplace else. As long as my kids are happy, I'm happy. End of story.

My cousin Tess & I

The highlight of this trip to Seattle was the day of my birthday. Like I said, it stopped raining and the sun was shining! But, what really made my day was all the rainbows that peeked through the clouds. I recall Josiah screaming from the backseat, "Mommy, look! Wainbow!" , over and over and over again. It something we rarely see here at home in San Francisco. I thought of how beautiful everything turned out to be despite all the muggy, rainy, gloomy days that greeted us when we got here. Also, my cousin Tess who I haven't seen in years was so very generous to welcome us in her home, made us lunch, and took us to this beautiful garden. She and I were childhood playmates yet, we were separated by thousands of miles which made it complicated to really keep in touch. Growing up, we tried to stay close by writing ( when email wasn't popular ) and also during times that I would come visit her when she lived in Hawaii. Then, we got busy with our lives, finishing college, beginning relationships, getting married, having kids and time just slipped in between us. Reuniting with her again was a blessing and being able to see our own kids playing together was timeless. I look forward to many more gatherings together. The garden she took us to not only had roses, but it also had dahlias, too. The flower that I was named after didn't become my favorite flower until my husband started growing them for me in our own backyard. After such a wonderful day with family, my husband treated me to Ruth Chris Steakhouse and it was the BEST dinner ever. Steak and lobster did it for me. It was da BOMB! Expensive, but worth it. And thanks to my sister for putting the kids to bed for me even though she couldn't wait for us to get back so she could go out and have her some fun, too. I didn't expect her to really like it in Seattle but, when we got back, she expressed how she actually misses it.

Now that we've been back, it feels like I'm in zombie mode. All that walking and eating we did has left my body in complete shock. I've been slowly getting back into the routine of the normal life. My body is here but, I feel like I left my heart in Seattle. :( If I want a taste of Seattle, I'll go to Border's bookstore and grab me a cup of Seattle's Best coffee. Or, I'll browse over 1000+ photos that my husband took and try to recapture those moments. The one photo that I absolutely love is the one of my babe and I at Kerry Park. It gives me this magical, nostalgic feeling everytime I look at it. We got lost before we got there and was rushing to make it before the sun went down. As soon as we arrived, another rainbow appeared right above the Seattle skyline. It was the perfect moment to capture on film and is what made this birthday as memorable as can be. It wouldn't be so bad if I blew up this picture and hung it on a wall would it?

You can't have rainbows without the rain. Call me corny or weird but, this is what it means to me. Life will always have storms and unexpected pitfalls, let downs, disappointments, defeats, and sorrows. But, the beautiful thing is, the sun always shines after the rain. Life gets better as we grow wiser, stronger, humble, thoughtful, compassionate, and most of all thankful. Even more, our faith continues to perservere. It gives you the belief that even if the world falls apart, with God you're life can never be shaken. He is our foundation, our stronghold, and our refuge in time of need. That is what He has taught me throughout the years and I will continue to hold on to that as long as I live. Sometimes we have to see through the rain and know that there is a rainbow waiting to adorn you with renewal and hope for a better day and the determination to not give up and keep moving on. So, rise up people and enjoy life. You only live once so live it, not waste it.

Here is my FREEBIE that I created in memory of this soul searching adventure and also of the beauty of Seattle even though it rained and poured, it's beauty still existed and brought some sunshine into my life....

You can download this here. Leave me a comment and remember to respect my terms of use! If you create a layout with this, I'd love to see it!

A new day to celebrate...SEATTLE here we come!

I woke up this morning and thanked God for another day. I thanked Him for my family, for my home, for showing me that everyday is a NEW day. And today we're leaving to Seattle! I pretty much got most of our things packed and should be on our way by noon. I'm anticipating our first trip with our two kids and know that it will be a challenge but, also an adventure for all of us.

There's also a freebie in process and it's going to be called "Rise up". You can imagine what that might look like but, I know for sure you will love it. So, when I get back I'll be working on it to bless you all who have been so kind to me and have showed me sincere appreciation for these gifts. I love to give and love to see God's children be blessed. As it says in God's word, it's more blessed to give than to receive.

Bittersweet FREEBIE

As I wrote down my list of things I need to get done before our trip to Seattle, I just had to stop and let myself be still for a moment. Sometimes my life slips away when I get too caught up in life's endless responsibilities. I know that when the load starts to get too heavy, my only retreat is to give it to God and cast my burdens upon Him. What helped me feel at peace was Psalm 42 and it taught me not to be discouraged because God is my helper. So, if anyone is discouraged right now, I hope I can encourage you to keep your head up and don't give in to life's pressures. Tell yourself it will only make you stronger and wiser.

I finished another lesson in Illustrator and still have 3 more classes due before the end of this month plus 2 more classes in Color Theory. I'm doing so well that it gives me this sense of accomplishment that even though I'm at home raising my kids, I can still achieve my goals to finish school. It's such a blessing and I praise God for it. I look forward to what this will eventually lead me to do in life and hopefully it will be very rewarding. Because money is no object to me, it's about fulfilling my purpose in life.

Last week was awesome! I couldn't believe how many people downloaded my Wild Tropics freebie. Those of you who left me comments are so very welcome and I truly appreciate your thoughts and just taking the time to say "thank you". It really blesses me. So in return, I created another FREEBIE for you. It's called BITTERSWEET. It was a name that just came out of nowhere. I guess it's something that reflects what I think of life sometimes, it has it's good, the bad, and the ugly. Yet, it is what life is all about and it is what makes me who I am. Just like ingredients in a cake recipe--the elements combined together make it taste wonderful but, if you were to sample the ingredients separately, it would be unpleasant.

Life is somewhat the same but, in the end I'm just grateful for the lessons learned and have a deeper appreciation for life, love, and my family. God bless! Enjoy this paper pack called "BITTERSWEET".

You can dowload it here.

Catching up with school

There's so much homework I need to catch up on! I just finished my second lesson in Illustrator Basics and I don't know if I'll get a perfect score this time. I just don't feel completely satisfied with the final outcome but, it was a lot of fun practicing and learning the tools. I'm going to share my work with you but, please don't laugh! My assignment was to make two CD covers for "West Coast Jazz" and "New In Blue". Each one had to be unique but, share similar elements so that they look part of a series. We were to create our images entirely by Illustrator and try not to use any pixel based images but, if we did it could only take up 25% of the entire cover design. It gave me the opportunity to play around with my Wacom tablet and get used to the feel of it. So this is what they look like....

I should be getting my grade within the next day or two so, we'll just have to wait and see!

I'm working on a new freebie which I should be able to get out to you this week. I'm so blessed to hear all the kind words and encouragement from those who left me comments. One had asked me to maybe think about writing a tutorial about how I created these papers which I would love to do but, I'm not sure how to do that yet. I eventually will learn and most definitely would love to be a resource to the digi scrapping community. In the meantime, there are so many valuable resources out there that can help you get started. The places that I found that were very helpful to me was Digital Scrapbook Place, Scrapbook- Bytes, Two Peas In a Bucket, and Sprague Lab, just to name a few. However, the real answer to how to learn a program is to just play around with it and go to its Help menu and start from there. Most designers who create such beautiful designs are self-taught and didn't have any educational or professional backgrounds which I wish I could have done but, for me I chose to pursue formal training. I'm the type that needs some sort of structure in order for me to really learn something. Otherwise, I wouldn't have the motivation to take time to sit and try to figure it all out on my own. That's just me. Whatever you prefer is all up to you. I believe that everyone has creativity in them and if you really want to learn how to create and design, all you really need to have is PASSION within you to do what you love.

Hope everyone has a safe, blessed, and wonderful week! Be back later!

Dreaming of paradise and another FREEBIE

Do you ever close your eyes to picture you on an island of beautiful imagery everywhere, feeling the warmth of the sun, and smelling the sweet smell of flowers in the breeze? I do, all the time. For several years in the past, I made yearly trips to Hawaii to visit family and also to get away from the busy life. But, long gone are those days and all I could is just dream about it. So, that's why I created these papers and perhaps it would take some of you back to that place where summer days were spent in the tropical sun. Scroll down to see the preview and download link.

Our Fourth of July celebration was our usual annual gathering of close family and friends. This year was my youngest son's first time to see the display of amazing fireworks. To my surprise, he loved it and didn't cry at all despite all of the loud sounds. The photos that my husband took weren't quite as amazing since our Canon SLR doesn't have a good flash attachment. So, they were pretty dim and blurry. I guess we'll try again next year. But, our good friend Josh, the other camera guru, took some pretty good shots and you could check out his album here. I'm not sure but, you might need to have a Snapfish account or create a free one. The one thing I did enjoy this year was the view from our back deck which we did not have a year ago. This year we cut down all the trees that blocked the gorgeous view of the Montara mountains and the valley below. I just couldn't help myself but get chills just seeing all the firework shows that were going on in all directions. Too bad, I couldn't take photos of it because everytime I tried, I had the worst timing and all that came out was just a black photo.

Okay, 9 nine days and counting until we leave to SEATTLE! I'm so excited and will be sure to take photos of our vacation. This year, we're bringing our kids and my sister Daisy with us. I'm sure it'll be a blast celebrating my birthday with them. I took some photos of my last trip to Seattle with just my husband and I so if you want to check those out, just click on the link "Yahoo Photos" on the left.

Well, here is the freebie for all you fabulous scrappers out there! I enjoy sharing them with you and love hearing comments because I know that I'm blessing someone with the creativity that God has given me. But, be sure to read and respect my Terms of Use. Don't be a pirate and what I usually would say to my kids, "Do unto others, as you would do unto you."

Download Wild Tropics papers here.

New link to freebie

First of all, I want to say thank you for all those who left me comments about the freebie. It's all new to me and I didn't know what to expect whether or not it would do well but, to my surprise it did. If it were not for all the talented designers, amateur and professional alike, I probably would not have had the inspiration that I do now. Therefore, I'm grateful that I'm a part of this digital scrapbooking community because we're here to inspire and encourage one another.

I uploaded a new zip file that included my TOU agreement with special thanks to PODGURL who was kind enough to point this out to me. I originally did have it typed up but, forgot to include it in the previous file. So, if you would like the Lotsa-Polka-Dots freebie, you can download it here.

Need feedback!!

I'm thankful for the comments that people have made so far for the freebie but, I'm curious to know if anyone is having trouble downloading the file. Please let me know if you're able to download it so I know it's working. On my end, I see the comments but, I also see that the file has not yet been downloaded. I just don't want anyone feeling empty handed! So, please leave me a comment! Thanks!

Happy Fourth of July and a FREEBIE!

Beware! This will be a long post....

Hi everyone! Tomorrow is July 4th and I have to get up early and clean house because we're having our yearly Fourth of July gathering. This year will be a little different since it falls in the middle of the week and also because it probably won't be the usual big group of people as we had in the past. However, it will be small and intimate with close friends and family. For the most part, I look forward to seeing the look on Josiah's face when he sees all the fireworks. Last year, he was so fascinated by the noise and the lights that he would not stop talking about it for weeks and weeks after. It will be Lukie's first time to experience such an exciting event and I don't know how he'll react but, I know one thing for sure is I'll probably end up being inside watching from our window. sigh....

Anyways, I had a good week last week but, my poor hubby did not. There seems to be a stomach flu virus lurking around and he had it really, really, really bad. My poor baby. So watch out people, wash those hands really well.

Aida C. and I finally reunited after so many years. She and I realized how much we've grown and despite all the time that has passed our friendship has not changed. That is one of the sweetest gifts to have - a friend that is always a friend in and out of season. Rob (my husband) and I were having a conversation about friendships one night. We reflected on all the friends we've had since youth and which ones are still considered our "close" friends. It turns out, that only a few still remained and those friendships that we thought would last forever have either disappeared or have turned to casual acquaintances. He always refers to the lessons he learns as a gardener when it comes to life issues. For example, I never knew what the difference between a PERENNIAL and an ANNUAL flower was until now. For those who don't know, a 'perennial' is a plant that is recurrent or everlasting and will continue to grow but, the 'annual' are plants that will only grow once for one season and then die. And it really made sense how it relates to friendships. Miriam G. came over for dinner and came to the same topic about friendships and because she has such a gift of communicating and has a very articulate way of expressing her words, she really hit home and gave me some valuable insight about friends. Her perspective is that sometimes friends are there for that specific time for a reason but, then things change not necessarily because of something bad but, because of the different directions that life leads us. People change and that's life. Yet, there are some friends that are God-given partners who will stand the test of time with you and no matter what you go through together, nothing can separate you, not even time itself. There are only a few people who has proven that to me and I am eternally grateful for them. I believe that one of the greatest gifts from God is a true friend. One who has seen me at my worst and seen me at my best yet still loves me for who I am. When I think of what a true friend should be like, I can't think of anyone other than my Lord and Savior, Jesus. Because He still loved me even when I did wrong and He brought me back to this place where I could be free from all the things that held me down. Because of Him, I'm so blessed to even be here and to even have the opportunity to be loved by my husband and two precious sons. Lord, thank you.

Okay...don't want to be over dramatic here! I do have some eye candy to share with you. I've been working hard to finish some scrapbook pages and finally got them done today! I also have a FREEBIE!!!! Yes, I know. It's about time lady! Well, I don't even know if anyone will even use them but, I sure hope someone will care enough to grab them and create something with it. Please comment me if you do and maybe it'll give me the confidence to keep trying and creating more freebies. Special thanks to Chickypow Designs for giving me words of encouragement to give it a try. Anyways, check out my layouts first and then scroll down for the freebie! Have a wonderful and safe 4th of July! God bless!!!!

In Your Eyes

Credits: Papers, flower, labels, ribbon, stitch,and buttons-Welcoming Spring Kit by Weeds & Wildflowers; Stapled Tag - Linda Billdal; Stamped Alpha - Michelle Coleman; Paper tear template - Traci Sims;

Fonts - Agency, Rage Italic

Journaling says:
"There was a time in my life when I didn’t believe in true love. But,the moment you looked into my eyes, I already knew that what we had was meant to last forever. I remember that still voice in my heart saying,“You’re purpose is to love each other,so other purposes will be fulfilled.” And because of our love we have witnessed so many miracles. You have made me the happiest woman alive and I can’t even express how blessed I feel to have married you. Being married to you is one of the most precious gifts God has given me. You are my husband, my best friend, and the greatest father to our beautiful children. I LOVE YOU...."

Dada - Our Father, friend, and hero

Credits: Papers - J'adore Kit by Michelle Coleman; Chipboard Alpha and Brackets- Leah Nicole; Corner chipboard and Scribbled alpha - IMadeThisToday; Brown label - Jackie Eckles; Stapled Tag - Linda Billdal; Stitches - Tracy B; Fonts - Kunslter Script, SF Grandezza, 8514oem

Journaling says:
Even though you tell us all the time that you love us, you prove how much by your actions. We know you work hard so that you can support our family while Mommy can stay home to take care of us. You teach us how to love and respect one another and how important it is to cherish our family. Loving the Lord is one of the greatest lessons you have taught us and that if we put Him first, then all our needs will be taken care of. Thank you for always taking the time to be a part of our lives and showing us that not only are you our Dad but, you are our friend too. We look forward to all the years of of wonderful memories that we hope to create with you...We love you, Daddy!

Introducing my very FIRST FREEBIE!!!

*this link has changed, please use link on 7/5/07 post*

You can download this here.
7 colorful grungy polka dot papers in 300 ppi res. Enjoy!

Quick post...

I've been under the weather the last few days but, I'm recovering. Just want to quickly share some highlights of the week. Maybe I'll elaborate on it later. But other than being sick, I got a perfect score of 100 on my first Illustrator lesson. Very surprised but, very happy. It was challenging and I almost gave up on it. There's a lesson to be learned here - never give up trying. Anyways, I'll post a picture of my robot down below. Yesterday is my beautiful friend Miriam Gray's birthday and I've invited her over for dinner this week. I'm also having a good, old, longtime friend of mine visit me this Friday - Aida C. She is one I hold dear to my heart even though a lot of time has slipped between us. We share a lot of memories together. I'm so excited to see her again and can't wait for my kids to meet her. Then, on Saturday is my long awaited hair appointment. I just hate my outgrown hightlights. ack! No real plans for 4th of July. And the one thing I'm looking forward to is our family trip to Seattle for my birthday next month. yeehoo!!! Well, that's all for now...I'll be posting up some LOs soon!

Graduations, Father's Day, and the ER...

Busy, busy, busy. I would love to just chill and relax for just one day, just ONE, and just sleep. The past 2 weeks have been one thing after another. My two nieces have graduated - Akaela - Kindergrad and khadijah - Junior High - which their graduation I would not miss for the world. These two beautiful girls are like my own daughters and just seeing them all grown and getting their diplomas was an emotional experience for me. Any of my nieces or nephews that graduate is such a blessing and it makes me look forward to the day that my own children will too.

Then, Father's Day came around and I didn't get to finish the page I was working on for my husband so I'll be posting it late. However, I have some really cool photos of our family daytrip to share with you. We went to California Carnivores in Sebastopol, Ca. where they grow exotic plants that eat bugs. Yes, I know...weird but, cool. This is where my hubby wanted to go for Father's Day and of course he ended up leaving with more plants to add to his ever growing collection. Josiah and Lucas were of course fascinated by it all and already learning to appreciate the art of gardening. I can imagine them when their older, planting their own garden (just as long as it's not illegal :0 ). If you want to know more about it, you can check out The Buffed Garden website owned and designed by none other than my hubby himself.

So, after such a long, happy, two weeks....Josiah came down with a really bad wheezy cough and couldn't breathe which led me to take him to the hospital. I almost thought I was going to lose him. As I prayed over him and wept, I remembered to be still and know that I serve a God who has everything under control. It's moments like this that I feel His presence the strongest and know that no matter what, I'm never alone. Josiah had 3 breathing treatments and a steroid shot. Although, I know Josiah is a fighter and has that strength to bounce back after all of that, it was the Lord's mercy that kept my son alive. Hallelujah! Whewww.....So, back to normal now except now Lukie has a mean snotty nose. I have ALOT of homework to catch up on. I'm currently learning Adobe Illustrator and let me tell you, it is way too cool that I am so amazed at what you can do. OH...and I also bought a WACOM tablet which is OFF THE HOOK! It's like drawing or painting on traditional mediums except it's on a graphic tablet hooked up to the computer. I cannot wait to show you the robot that I am drawing for my homework assignment, which I'm almost done with. Be back soon....

Where was I?

I haven't blogged for a week! But, now I'm back and definitely have some stuff to write about. But, first let me share what I was busy doing the last few days. My friend, Miriam, (hi Mir!! yes, I thought I'd share my experience with everyone. hope ya don't mind) asked me to help her with making programs and menus for a graduation dinner being held for her work. So, of course I was willing to help her because there's nothing I wouldn't do for a friend. Besides, this is my thing and I love what I do. Anyways, it was simple but, elegant like she requested and I love the color she picked out for the paper cardstock...after spending an hour deciding which BLUE to pick. LOL! Oh, and special thanks to my beautiful cousin--JOYJOY--who waited for us to decide so she can close the store and not to mention helping us with the paper selections. So, after tweaking and revising the programs and finally printing, cutting, punching, tieing ribbon and all, it all came together nicely and on time. I had two days to finish! Yet, there were some obstacles as always whenever I begin a project....JOSIAH got sick with a fever and a horrible, ucky, cough. I now realize, working from home IS great because I can still be home with the kids when they're sick and not have to drive across town to pick them up and take them home. Love it! No time wasted, no gas wasted, and no money on gas wasted. All I have to do, is keep them nice and comfortable, plug in a good DVD like The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Happy Feet, or Cars and work on my laptop, in my pajamas, with a nice hot cup of joe. And on top of that, I can bake cookies and enjoy them without all my coworkers snatching them all or my boss hovering over my shoulder to make sure I'm getting work done. But, I do have this little cookie monster, Josiah, who loves to take one bite out of each cookie and not finish it so he can take another bite of the next and the next leaving me a heap of half moon chocolate chip cookies. What's fun about it though is he and I love to dip our cookies in milk the old fashioned way and make funny milk moustaches. Speaking of cookies, that sounds good right about now, I think I'll go make some. Cookies anyone? Before I go, take a look at the programs/menus I made for the residency graduation dinner for Miriam's department of Radiation Oncology @ UCSF.

TGIF

It's FRIDAY!!! Not that I work in an office and spend endless hours at a desk in front of computers with the phones ringing off the hook! But, for me it's when my husband can spend time with me and the kids after having such a long hard week with endless hours at a desk, in front of a computer, with the phones ringing, and to top it off with clients who give him such a hard time. So yes, it is a great feeling to know that he will be home for the next 2 days and I actually get to see him for more than just a few hours in a day. Yay!

The last few days, I've treated myself to some really cool kits and took advantage of some sales. I usually don't buy anything unless I really, really, absolutely must have what I see but, I love it when some of my favorite shops/designers put up their items for sale. So let's see what things came my way.....

Zoe Pearn of Sweet Shoppe Designs had some really funky, shabby, but, classy kits on sale and I took my pick of the ones that I thought really made me feel happy! Of course, there are so much more adorable kits to choose from so go look for yourself and you'll see what I'm talking about.

Next up, Srapgirls, also had a sale that ended last night and boy, was I racing to get my kids to bed so that I can purchase what I had in my basket for quite some time before the sale ended mind you, they were going to close it down midnight sharp MST. Well, the kids fell asleep quickly to my surprise at 9:30 pm sharp and that is not common. Boy, was I glad! I pretty much splurged but, I said what the heck, this is my chance! heehee!

Here are the goodies! Take a look!

The Daydream Collection

All About Marriage Collection

Mulberry Wine Collection

Yup, I know...how many collections do I need when I already have an enormous library of it. I guess you can say, I'm an ADDICT! But don't worry, they will not go to waste because if you can already see where I'm going with what I purchased, those of you who know me know that my wedding colors were purples, plums, and violets. And I just love anything purple! But, lately I've tended to be drawn towards greens, teals, and blues! These products will definitely be used in my engagement and wedding albums. I can't wait to start!

Anyways, before I go, here is my most recent layout of when I was pregnant with Josiah. I've started working on his album and will hope to complete by the end of the summer. Hope you like it!

You can find credits here.