A Thankful page- Daily Grace Project

This week has been a little crazy schedule-wise. I've been trying to avoid Facebook (and more importantly- Pinterest!) so I can concentrate but like Al Pacino in take-your-pick gangster flick- I keep getting drawn in!

I managed to make a page:

2011 Daily Grace (Project) It's like a December daily but without the STRESS!
MATERIALS: Sassafras Lass paper, Pink Paislee Nantucket die cuts, Smooch Spritz in magenta, green and dark blue, American Crafts Elf woodgrain and Sunrise magenta alphas (MUST HAVE MOOOORE!) and kraft butterflies (ditto!!!) K and Co alphas.

Fave scrapper Sasha Farina posted this Pinterest image in her blog as part of a mini hop she participated in. I gladly surfed along since I will do anything Ms. Sasha suggests (fangirl!! stalker!!!)

Why not try it? LOVE the modern typographic design.

I suggest you swing by- the work by fellow fave bloggers Diane Paine, Emily Pitts and Kimberly Neddo is not to be missed. 

And I found a new (to me) fave- Mandie of http://lemonstolimes.blogspot.com/

Mandie is hosting a give-away with some great scrap goodies if you make a page using the illustration above.

Oh MAN!!! I really wish I had used an AC Slick Writer from the start!

How does my page relate to the illustration? I should've had the writing crawl down to each image... oh well. I'm not gonna front- it's far from the original but I credit the vaguely triangular placement of each photo to the illustration- I was going to make a simple grid layout but it just didn't seem "me"- I liked it messy and random. ;)

The Daily Grace project is now back in gear. Here are some recent additions. Another page is soon to follow.

11/13/11 Grateful for: getting to live this... 

11/14/11 ... AND this.

11/15/11 Grateful for: Apples in general

Before I forget- I've had 3 images published over at Scrapbook News and Reviews Magazine. If you have a moment swing by to check it out (you need to subscribe to see the magazine I believe) Here's a link:SNR Travel and Vacation and here: SNR Fall and Thanksgiving.
What do you give thanks for?

MuChOs SmOoChEs!

Michelle

Sketchy Thursdays and Sassafras Lass

I got my last Sassafras order last week. It's a bittersweet experience to open a box full of beautiful color and happy prints knowing you will never get another one like it again. I got some beautiful Sunshine Broadcast loveliness so I made this page AND tried to shoot it in a similarly appropriate manner.

Sketchy Thursdays Guest DT Grateful page
MATERIALS: Sassafras Lass Sunshine Broadcast paper and stickers,  Smooch Spritz Sun kissed, Tattered Angels Sand mist, Mister Huey in Lemonade, buttons from Crate, pearl beads from Art-C, hearcleare heart buttob from Epiphany crafts, gold beads from Michael's

This page will be submitted to the Sketchy Thursdays December Guest DT challenge. I really love this sketch- the simplicity allows for a lot of creative play and I'm always a sucker for square format images.

A quick detail shot of the journaling:

I also made a second page for a sketchy Thursdays challenge sponsored by Paper Issues. Paper Issues teamed up with Pink Paislee to promote the release of their Snow Day line and the projects are GORGEOUS- please swing by to see the fantastic projects submitted so far!

Planet Hoth- Sketchy Thursdays 11/3/11 challenge sponsored by Paper Issues
MATERIALS: Bazzill white paper, Tattered Angels Patina mist. Smooch Sea Green mist, Mister Huey in Cream and White, Maya Road snowflake transparencies, Melissa Frances starburst and water bling brads, Crate,  Jenni Bowlin and Basic Grey buttons, alphas by Sassafrass Lass and Basic Grey, Sakura gelly pen in gold, Stickels in Diamond, star punchinella and white corrugated board from Gauche Alchemy

An apology- these were supposed to be ready on Monday but now that my husband is back in school weekends are a crazed mass of laundry, cooking and taking Lola to the park before the 4:30- sun deadline- did I mention I hated Fall? Sun rationing kills it for me. But I won't complain it was 68 (!!!) degrees here yesterday- I KNOW!!!

I'm struggling a bit on my Grace Project photos- mostly finding shots varied enough to include. May I submit that I am grateful for the "push" I'm getting to up my photo game? I'm trying all KINDS of crazy things to shoot my projects these day- can I show you on failed experiment?

Dave's architect's table makes for a really fun "stage".
Aluminum Foil is a dark apartment dweller's best friend!

This is a beautiful "staging" set up but without full sunlight or a tripod to steady the camera for the long exposure time it's just too dark in this room. I will FORCE myself to work with my cheapo tripod- it literally takes just as long to set it up as to shoot, edit and write a blog entry- very annoying.
A couple of detail shots:

The latest entry to the Daily Grace project:

11/7/11- Grateful for some time alone

11/8/11 Grateful for the PERFECT hamburger from Fanny on Graham St.

11/9/11 Grateful for THE BEST PRESENT EVER! Thank you Dave!!!

MuChOs SmOoChEs!

Michelle

Thanks Monday!

WHAT? WHAAAT? 60 degrees in November? SO THANKFUL!!! Time to seize the day and get take some "Fall" shots in Central Park- if there's any actual leaves left!

November 4- Grateful for Autumn sunlight.

11/5/11- Grateful for Kangols and ears that stick out.

I got exactly NOTHING done over the weekend. Not having a dedicated scrap space to run into really puts an end to my creativity as I need complete concentration to let ideas flow. I was supposed to have 3 pages to show for upcoming sketch challenges but all I have is photos. It's taking all my will power not to "share" exactly how I feel about that.

For today I have to try to get a photo of "Something Funny". ;) I've been ignoring the prompts as of late...

MuChOs SmOoChEs!
MIchelle

Picture Dodger! And The Halftone app

Today I was gonna share another awesome card with a "Thank You" theme but the actual card has taken a severe left turn from what I imagined so I am giving it another go and posting later.
But I will share this:

Picture Didger- GOTCHA!!!
Materials: DCWV turquoise graph paper (AAA! LOVE!), alphas from Glitz and Cosmo Cricket,  Little Yellow Bicycle word bubble (transparency I added a background to), Studio Calico rub-ons added stick side out, Smooch Black mist, Gauche Alchemy Red Mixed Media kit items, buttons from Sweet Tierney on Etsy.

I've written several stories on iPod photo apps- you can check those out in the resume page above. Then I found Halftone- or as I like to call it- the perfect marriage of new and old paper obsessions.

Faceless Halloween shots are now so much fun!

Back in my early 20s I was broke but spared what I could to buy comic books- specifically all "Batman" titles, anything with the name Neil Gaiman on it and "The Invisibles". I eventually gave up the comic habit but I've been looking for a way to add comic book quote bubbles to my photos ever since.

REALLY funny Dave! I am SO gonna get you back! COOL effect right? This photo was taken in almost complete darkness- the halftone pointillist comic print effect did the rest.

Well Halftone makes that super easy! It also has 12 different paper backgrounds, 9 different caption layout options,  6 different quote bubble designs, 21 different stamps (words like BAM! or Splash!) and over 20 fonts for your captions- it's amazingly powerful and can send a high rez version of your photo directly to other camera apps like Instagr.am or directly to your Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr accounts. Is that not fabulous? It is to me- I LOVE this thing!

Dignity and adult demeanor be darned! I'm having FUN! 

In also humming right along in my daily grace project.
Here are the last 2 days.

11.3.11 Grateful for helpful Abuelas and the smiles they inspire. 

11.4.11 Grateful for her feeling confident enough to leave...
yet always returning to take me along.

Muchos Smooches!

A month for grace

I swung by the American Crafts blog and noticed they are having a week to celebrate gratefulness. I've been thinking of doing some kind of conceptual photo project on this for a while but it's harder to do without concentrating on it fully- it's November why not start today?

Nov. 1 2011 - A partner who is supportive in every way. (and a hottie!!)

Today I set a moment aside for grace.

• I give thanks for the family I have not the one I wish I did.
• I give thanks for being fat- it is a sign I am not starving and it is a state of health I can change.
• I give thanks for being unemployed. This is hard because many Americans (including me) tend to equate success by how much money they earn or how many hours they log in at work. My two and a half year hiatus has taught me that happiness has nothing to do with financial matters and everything to do with TIME. 
• I give thanks for having the luxury of time. Time with my husband, time with my baby and time to write this sometimes incredibly self indulgent blog. I wouldn't be able to get away with it anywhere else.

Nov. 2 2011 That smile.

I will stop there but for the rest of the month I will post photos that show this state of grace I am under and hopefully by Thanksgiving I shall have a cute mini book or page I can share. 

Apparently my "idea" is not remotely original (insert smile here). This is a prompts list I found on Pinterest.

I will be actively ignoring some of these but it's a great list.

MuChOs SmOoChEs!

Michelle

Sunny Sunday! WOO HOOO!

So imagine my great surprise when I get a private message from a very nice member over at Studio Calico willing to send me their 7/11 patterned paper.
YOWZA! That was NOT expected!
No seriously- not expected!
No really- REALLY!
I had no idea you could even send messages via the SC boards!
I am throughly humbled by the kindness and generosity of this gesture.
It's not that I am offered something material- it's that someone is willing to go through the trouble! For me- an open mouthed mama jama!

Miss friendly- I hope you know I will use that return addy on the package to send something awesome right back at you!
I will skulk your SC member profile to see what your fave items are and return something I hope you will like.

I don't take anything I said back but I must acknowledge that scrappers as a rule- are a great bunch of people- generous, kind and open- minded. I'm glad to be part of your world.

Today I will share this:

LAUGH
MATERIALS: Studio Calico exclusive paper, Sassafras Lass flowers, sticker and paper, Prime quilted word, Pink Paislee green banner

A fun simple page I made because I love the series of photos it shows. Also- That's my favorite print  EVER! It's an SC print. Oh the IRONY of it all!!!!

When we were in Salt Lake City we went to the Olympic Pool and had one of the best days ever. I wish NYC had such amazing facilities for kids!!!
Lola was terrified of the water but was willing to give it a go as long as DADDY held her.
I was jealous.
But I got over it.
I'm glad I photographed this because those smiles are the coolest thing I'd seen in a while. Miss Thang rarely smiles at the camera right now- she's utterly annoyed by my need to shoot everything she does.
I guess I'd be irked too.. but it's so FUN!
Being part of this family is one of the best things that's ever happened to me.

The word for today is: GRATITUDE.

O! What's this? I'm working on my SOME ODD GIRL FEATURE on October 17th!
Having fun with some of Kristi's amazing digi stamps, matte medium and the Instagr.am app.

MuChOS SmOoChEs!
Michelle

Hope SPRUNG! September 2010

I created this page in September 2010 for Lola's first birthday. I found I was hugging her entirely too hard that week. I was, and still am incredibly, fantastically, overwhelmingly grateful that I got to keep her. I'm telling this story because it is truly the central story of my life. I have had a very comfortable, no problems kind of life. Then I was told that most probably my daughter would either die in utero or shortly after being born.

Hope Sprung! September 2010

This is strikingly awful news for any expectant parent. For me it seemed doubly so because I had waited to so long to have a baby. David and I are both in our mid thirties but we were together exclusively for 9 years before we got married. We love each other and both wanted a family but we kept thinking we needed to wait for the perfect moment- for financial "security", for the "grown up" feeling, to buy a house- all the excuses people use these days to extend the teenager stage for just 1 more year- or at least it seems that way to me now.

Then 1 day we decided Ok NOW. We found out I was pregnant right away (WOO HOO!!), next day I was out of a job (there went financial "security") and 3 weeks later I was given the news that a large Cystic Hygroma was growing on my daughter's neck- it was 9mm which is incredibly large for a baby 4 months in development.  I was told that it was a signal that there most likely was a "terminal" genetic or heart defect in the fetus. I was given a battery of tests and 6 weeks later I was told they were all negative but the doctor STILL recommended we "terminate" the pregnancy due to the overwhelmingly strong possibility of a mechanical heart or lung defect in the fetus. But no one could give me a definite answer- no test could be 100% negative. I had a decision to make and no expert, no doctor, no scientific fact- information always being my fall back position- was going to help me make it.

Devastating. 

Against all logic and reason I drew up inside reserves and found I believed with all my heart that this baby is going to be okay. My Mom and David agreed and we fought our own fears and those of our entire family to make sure baby Lola was born- and here she is 1 year later!!! She was 6 weeks premature and struggling through a diagnosis of fetal hydrops where fluid had accumulated around her neck and both lung cavities but after 2 months in the Columbia Presbeterian NICU she was ok- no defects or observable problems of any kind have developed. 

I wanted to post this because after I was given the first set of bad news I started doing research and it seemed the odds were very much against my pregnancy having a positive outcome. I want to give hope to other parents- yes the odds are very slim but the possibility is there. I have proof- she's walking, smiling and yelling for Dada at this very minute. And for that I am grateful and will never again doubt the power of hope, motherly intuition and a fantastic medical team.

As always- muchos smooches!
M.