Grateful, mindful and ready. A True Xoxo Girls Challenge

It's the first of November.
Happy Day of The Dead for those of you honoring loved ones who have passed.
I am honoring my Grandmother, Guillermina Martinez Hernandez, who passed last year.
A post on that later this week.

My day will be spent figuring out how to get to my daughter in the Bronx whom I haven't seen in 5 days due to bridge and tunnel closings during Hurricane Sandy.

We fared well through a historic storm and even though the recovery will be long, things could have been much worst.
I was reminded more than once than once this week, that scrapbooking is first and foremost a way to tell your family history.

Here's my take on the November True Xoxo Girls Facebook Time Line Sketch

For the True Xoxo Girls November Challenge: Facebook timeline sketch. Please swing by and join the fun.
Materials: American Crafts Ready, Set Go papers, Doll Thickers , Hambly circle transparency, Basic Grey alphas, My Mind's Eye journaling stickers and Maya Road star pin.

Doesn't this look like a killer challenge? I think you should try it!

We watched the water creeping our way and wondered if we would need to take in our neighbors on the first floor.

Things got really scary when the electric plant across the river exploded and lit everything up in eerie shades of blue. 

Then the whole east side of Manhattan went black. Only the Empire State Building still shone.

Sunday Mayor Bloomberg issued a mandatory evacuation order for everyone in Zone A.  We sent Lola to Grandma T's but decided to stay. A closer look at the flood zone map revealed that our building is actually in "Zone C"- but Zone A is literally across the street. The water never came close but all our escape routes were cut off- bridges and tunnels were all closed due to flooding. This was only a category 1 storm. Next time we will ALL leave.

Just some of my thoughts.

The water receded and when morning came, our neighborhood was fine.

Thank you Mom Teresa and Mom Reyna for being so AMAZING during the storm- you two are the  parenting examples I know.

Thank you Dave for being strong and smart when I was freaking out. 

Thank you New York City. 

We will get through this and the next one too.

Day of the storm we visited the pier. The water was already on level with
the board walk. Never seen anything like it. 

Feeling grateful, thankful and blessed,
Michelle

Punky Scraps Photo Challenge

Hello!

Punky Scraps has a new challenge for October.

Punky Rebel Challenge 54

I'll admit this month's photo wasn't very inspiring.

It's full of fun embellishment hints (tiny bows! strings of pearl! lipstick!) and the color palette is fantastic but all I saw was clutter my brain couldn't translate into a page.

My scrap time was severely limited this week so I budgeted an hour for this page and didn't want to spend it looking for colors or items to match so I used what was on my desk and took inspiration from the white background and the circles made by the bracelets.

Here's my page:

Materials: Pebbles paper and buttons, a Flair For Buttons badges,  Scrap FX "POW" stencil for the sunbursts, American Crafts twine, Studio Calico 6x6 paper, journaling spots  and Thickers and Ormolu happy Day tag.

I've been using a lot of yellow so I had plenty of those pieces lying around. I then noticed I had a lot of dark blue items I'd cast aside while making other pages so I used those as well.
The result is this trendy color combo that I wouldn't have gravitated to on purpose.

Some close ups:

I got a pack of American Craft burlap twine in 25 different colors from TJ Maxx.
At the time I was wondering if I would use it all- the answer is HECK YES!
That wonderful triangle badge/flair button is from the
Balloons and Rainbows pack from a Flair For Buttons. 

LOVE Amy Tangerine's Chipboard Thickers!
I usually leave mine unfinished- I really like the look.

Swing by Punky Scraps and join the challenge!

GRATUITOUS TODDLER SHOT!!!!

T-Rex costume! FOUND!!!!!

Michelle

Root Canal!!! A Punky Scraps Christmas page

To explain this admittedly SCARY page:

Shattered- an unChristmas page
MATERIALS: Lily Bee Memorandum paper and alpha stickers, American Crafts sunrise Thickers, Studio Calico wood asterisks, green striped washi tape from Giftwrap So Pretty on Etsy, Crafter's Worskshop template, Maya Road mists Green apple and Lime Metallic, MIster Huey in Schoolhouse

Growing up, my Dad was constantly admonishing me to BRUSH YOUR TEETH!!! YOU DON'T WANT A ROOT CANAL!!
According to Dad, root canals are the most awful thing ever. I took him at his word and brushed, flossed and rinsed away regularly.
My dentists always said "You've got BEAUTIFUL teeth!" ...
But I ended up needing a root canal anyway.
Not 1 but TWO- the second one a complete surprise.
A deep cavity was discovered under a filling that had come loose- no evidence showed in the xray- the dentist found it after digging away and finding a "soft spot" that just kept growing.
Excruciating!

So I'm preoccupied with my mouth right now. And with a second torture session scheduled for late December it's enough to completely distract me from the joy of the holiday.
But I won't let it!!!
December Daily photo not yet entered into my book:

Day 8- 65 degrees!!!! Brooklyn Bridge Park is awesome.
I love my custom made "scarf"!

Day 9: Wrapping the door and hanging the wreath.
Watch for my punchinella wreath project over at Gauche Alchemy on the 12th!

I loved this month's Punky Scraps sketch.

I think perhaps you'll want to mosey on over and check out the more bright and cheerful pages on the blog. PUNKY SCRAPS
The page should also use one of the following:

* corrugated cardboard*

*stamping*

*paint*

*misting*

*stars* 

*ribbon*

Get creative people! And keep those December Daily albums going!!!

Day 7- I know she looks uber bored but she really loved visiting the
empty lot turned Christmas Tree wonderland.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Top 10 of 2010

I just went over my scrapbook.com gallery and got a real look at my scrap progression through 2010. There's a definite style change- from frills and flowers to grids and stitches. Also- I stink at taking photos of my pages... I wonder what 2011 will bring?

I do have very definite scrap goals:
1. Use more spritz, paint and transparencies in my pages
2. Deepen my Photoshop skills.
3. Learn how to use my Leica in MANUAL so I can get exactly the shot in my brain.
4. Get published.
5. Get on a DT for a shop so I can get FREE monthly SWAG!

In no particular order (because really- I just can't commit) here are my Top 10 of 2010. Thanks to fave bloggers Alia, Lucy and Margrethe for this idea!! Please go by their blogs- these women are AMAZING!!!!

November- Date Night: Love that it sparkles. Love the mini pix.

October- Defy Expectations: Negative space- I held
back for  once.

April- 6 Months: frills, flowers and fabulousness.

August- Engaged! Lety & Berto: spritz madness

December- He Said/She Said: The photo is of the
bathrooms at IKEA- love the randomness of this page.

September- Out of a jar sprung Hope: This was a page
celebrating my daughter's birth. I got crazy with
the stitching and I LOVE IT.

November- 80's Child: Glad I used these photos- SO rad.

December- Feliz Navidad: After all the struggle with
 Christmas projects I was glad to make
 1 really nice project.

August- Precious: I combined some of my most favorite
elements,Maya Road Kraft envelopes, lace die cut
paper, flowers and spritz into 1 page.

August- Happy 2nd Anniversary!: Dave and I have been
together for 12 years- married for 2- it's been awesome.

I want to wish all me readers a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!! May your 2011 be filled with peace, hope, beauty and love. Thank you for taking some time for this blog- I deeply DEEPLY appreciate it!!!

AMOR, SALUD Y DINERO!!! (love, health and money)!
M.