Give Yourself...

As I scrapped today, I realized that I was a bit on a serious mood... oh maybe because of my photo. I was caught by the camera sitting in the park and just thinking about life. Being a wife, a mother and a homemaker is a full time job for me, leaving myself the least priority. But have you ever have the time to just look at yourself and think of what do you "still" want at this point of your life? Last year, I went back to school and took up some units on Education. I finished the required 18 units, but unfortunately, I was not able to take the board. I want to be a teacher someday! I want to live long to fulfill that dream, to be with boys and see my grandkids, I want... still a lot of wants!


I believe I should give myself more love, dream and time and everything will be possible! I hope I inspired you somehow, so come on... let's SCRAP it away!

Thanks for looking!

Pieces of Me

Hello *Scrap Yourself* followers.  Thanks for dropping by to see the many pieces of me.  On my layout, I am paying tribute to my many treasured roles in my life:   Mother, Sister, Daughter, Auntie, Niece, Accountant, Poet, Scrapbooker, Photographer, Diva, Friend, Child of God.

I challenge you'll to do a layout about the many pieces of you (i.e. your roles in life).
































Take care and have a blessed and scrappy day.

The ABC's of Me Challenge

We all know our ABC's...A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z. Did you know that there is a variation of the acrostic style of journaling? All you have to do is to use the letters of the alphabet to list your personal charasteristics. This is a fun and easy way to share details about you as you see it.  For example, on my layout I put:

Accountant * Black * Cricut owner * Darling * Ebay.com lover * Foxxy * Gospel Lover * Happy * Inspirational * Jamal’s sister * Kind * Lovable * Memory Works Consultant * Nissan Pathfinder owner * One blessed lady * Playmate of Christian * Queen of the crop * Red lover * Sizzix Sidekick owner * The best mommy * Unique * Voluptuous * Wilbert’s baby momma * Xtra sweet * Young no more * Zoo lover

Here is a nice example from Scrapbook.com:
http://www.scrapbook.com/gallery/?m=image&id=2732483&type=layout&c=289&start=340

 

Now it's your turn. Show us the ABC's of you.

If I Could Change the World

Happy Friday Ladies,
Wow can you believe summer is coming to a close!!  Summer please don't go!! I live in Minnesota and the winter is Really nothing to look forward to!! Anyone want a roommate warm climate taker only!! (LOL)

Well today the topic of choice is " If I could change the world'. What would you change about the world we are living in today? Well for me personally I would change the Racial tension that has divided this world for century. Wouldn't be cool not to be judge by your skin color! I truly believe in my soul that the spirit of RACISM has destroyed the world!! I serve a loving God that never see color !! I believe it start one person and family at a time. I choose to be that person that does not look on the outside. What a person posses on the inside is much more important

So if you could what would change about the world today? Challenge yourself you might discover we all can make a difference one person at a time. I leave you with the great words of Dr.Martin Luther King
"One day we will live in a world where we will not be judge by the color of our skin but the content of our character".. I have dream today :)

My Summer Crush

Yes, I am married but I still have eyes!!!!!! Seriously, have you ever tuned into a new or old show and just been totally mesmorized by someone? Well that was what happened to me when I watched an old re-run of Angel. My oh my can I say that I was crushing hard and fast!!!! From then on I had to set my DVR to record every Angel episode but it did not stop there, oh no! I then began to order all the Buffy seasons through my Netflix. The mail just could not get here fast enough. From there, Bones became a fascination too. It's kind of funny when I look back on it because you would think I was this thirteen year old girl all over again. This is one of the things I think we should also scrap about. My kids will forever remember my "Crush" on the Angel character. It makes us human and so female! Just because we grew up, got married, and had children doesn't mean we no longer have those same crushes we had as kids. Oh sure, we all talk about the newest, hottest, and latest "IT GUY" when we are with our girlfriends. But I want my daughter, especially, to know that I am someone other than just mom...I'm still a girl at heart!

Brand Loyalty

Good Morning!

We all have our favorite brands, and when it comes to technology, my loyalty to certain companies is evident!

The first layout I will share with you today shows my love for Canon products. If you're reading this blog as a scrapper, you probably also have a love of photography. Do you prefer Canon cameras like I do, or are you loyal to Nikon or Sony? I entitled my layout "Canon Girl" as I have purchased four Canon cameras in the last six or so years. I love to upgrade and never look to any other brand. I used a candid photo a friend took of me as I snapped away with my Canon DSLR.

In addition to my love for Canon, I also adore Apple products. I got my first iMac after college and now I would never switch back, hence my layout title, "Strictly Mac." This past Christmas, Santa brought me the Macbook I wanted, and I was oh so grateful!

Think about your favorite brands and take the time to scrap your preferences!

I would love to see what you create!

Personal Goals

Hey Ladies, hope you are all enjoying the last few days we have until the kids go back to school. Will be nice to have routine again!
I turned 29 this year and set myself a goal to lose 65 lbs in 1 year! YES by my Big 30!! so I called it project 65* 365, I am currently 1 month in and although I have kept up with the exercise part the scales havnt really moved very much. BUT THEY WILL! determination will pay off in the end. Anyway back to my project, I like to set myself goals but I never scrap them, maybe I would have more determination if I did scrap them all the time.

So do you ever scrap personal goals? Projects your just about to embark on? Well if you have lets see them, if you havnt but want to then do it now! :D

I hope I have inspired you to create today. Thanks for stopping by.

Your Soft Side

Good Morning Ladies,
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!! I just love creating for Scrap -Yourself it has been some really  Fabulous layout and topic's ! My question for you today is "What is you soft side"? You know that place that makes your heart happy!! I can get in a mood sometimes and my five year old will come up and say
" Momma I just love you!! Oh does that get my soft side going! Random acts of kindness and treating other's well make my heart HAPPY!!!

                                          So what is your Soft side ? Think about it and scrap it !!!

Chalese

What Is The Queens Chariot?

What is the Queens chariot? Who is the queen...YOU....ME. What is a chariot?....your car, truck or minivan. Your vehicle is an extension of you. It can tell others alot about you.


For this challenge you might just want to do a pretty layout of your vehicle. You might even want to descirbe why you chose to purchase the vehicle you chose. What color must you have? You might even want to show us the inside. Is it neat or junky? The sky is the limit with this challenge. Put whatever spin you want on this.


Here is a layout of my fully loaded Nissan Patherfinder with leather seats, navigation, DVD, 3 row seating, sunroof, and more. I call her *Big Red*. Whatever vehicle I have will be my favorite color *red* and come with lots of features. What does red say about me?

Now let's see your chariot! Let's see that extension of you.

Things I've Learned Along The Way

I was inspired to bring you'll this challange straight from a book called *What About The Words*. On page 36, the book says "Journal the lessons you've learned or your perceptions on the stages of life in numbered list format, bullet format or etc.. Your items can center on one theme such as relationships, parenting or finding your own niche in the world. They also can be a combination of different observations that reflect your personality and the road you've traveled." I was inspired to create my own layout where I wrote:

You don't always turn out the way you dreamed when you were little.

You can fall out of love with a man but you won't with your precious child.
Some people don't pray or seek God until something goes wrong.

Pets bring joy to the heart and household.
Being a mother is the sweetest blessing.

Don't worry about what others think only worry about what God thinks.

Higher education is the key to liberation.

So my challenge to you'll today is to make a layout about the *Things You've Learned Along The Way*.

Submit your layout by 8/31/2010 for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate to Scrapbook.com. In the comment section of this challenge, please leave a link to you layout and your email address. A random winner will be selected on 9/1/2010.

Let's refresh yourselves!

Well, it’s already Friday! The weekdays are passing really fast, you do a lot of stuff and sometimes would be great if you could do one thousand duties at the same moment. When the weekend comes and you can enjoy your family and all the things you like, you feel tired. Time to recharge your batteries and do all you can in the weekend. So, let’s scrap about what you do to feel better, refresh. Is there any special place that you like to go or it’s something that you do?

I feel refresh when I’m in touch with nature, so I did this Layout “Nature Girl”:

One moment, it can be only 10 minutes, in touch with green is sufficient to make me feel better and have the strength to begin all over again. I live in a island and actually it’s hard to me to stay far away from the sea – I feel stuck when it happens. When I see that huge and wonderful water, I feel a little better.

This special place that you go or act that you do deserve to be recorded, so, let’s SCRAP! 

Past Love...

This photo was taken two years ago when I attended a watercolor painting class. It was totally something new and something that I wanted to do for a long time. The classes were held every saturday (4 sessions) and it was totally worth it. I"m a frustrated painter. I wanted to take fine arts in college but practicality took over because I was thinking what am I suppose to do after I graduate? Put up a booth for drawing peoples faces, nature, etc? heehee...

So I took the plunge and joined the class, thankfully the other attendees were also adults. I was scared at first that only kids will be attending but thankfully I was wrong. :)  It was a different kind of experiece and I loved the outcome of the class. I really learned a lot.

So what about you? Do you have an unexpressed love for something that you didn't get a chance to do in the past but is able to do now or at least soon ? Share them with us!

Cheers!

Learning something about yourself from others

I love my kids' honesty--most of the time :) No, really, I do. Especially when it helps me realize something that makes me a better mom. On this particular day, I was working on a Suduko puzzle when my DS asked to take a picture of me. He could tell I wasn't really smiling for him--which amazed me. It helped me understand the depth of his knowledge of MY moods and feelings. I realized how much my moods and reactions really affect my kids. He kept snapping pictures until I gave him the real happy smile that he wanted.

Is there something about you that you have learned from others? Has someone said something to you that helped you come to a realization you hadn't had before? Or reminded you of an important aspect of your life? Document it on a layout or write it down in your journal.

Have a great day--and put on that Happy Smile :)

Obsessions

What are you obsessed with these days? Why not document that in your scrapbooks?

I've always considered myself more of a coffee drinker than a tea fancier, but when I got snowed in for a week this winter, I discovered a whole new world of tea!

My mom had given me a box of fancy tea for Christmas, and on that first snowy day, I opened up the box. And proceeded to drink up the whole box in just two days. The tea was packaged in these lovely silk pyramid shaped teabags and the flavors were so smooth and delicious.

When I ran out, I went online in search of some more Tea Forte. In my search, I stumbled upon a site called Steepster. I never knew there was a whole community people so obsessed with tea. People at Steepster chat about tea in forums, write tasting notes, and log what's in their tea cupboard.

I discovered a site called 52 Teas where they invent new and intriguing flavors every week, like Buttered Cinnamon Raisin Toast, Heath Bar Chocolate Toffee, and Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I proceeded to put seven different flavors in my cart, and they were delivered to my doorstep a few days later. I documented my new addiction on a layout I made when I was guest designing for WIP in March.

I've spent a small fortune in search of the perfect tea, and I think I've found it: White Coconut Crème by Art of Tea. Their teas are so smooth and creamy and delicious!

In case you'd like to share in my addiction, here are my favorite teas I've discovered so far:

Art of Tea - White Coconut Crème tastes just like the coconut custard pies I remember from childhood. Mandarin Silk and Caramelized pear are close runners-up.

SpecialTeas - I adore the Lemon Chiffon Rooibos, Almond Cookie, and Strawberry Cream with Pieces, and their Earl Grey de la Creme is to die for! Genmaicha Japan 655 is an unusual tea with popcorn pieces and toasted rice--I was intrigued by the tasting notes written about this tea on Steepster, so I bought a sample, and I wish I had ordered a bigger pouch!

Teavana - I recommend the Toasted Nut Brulee Oolong and Apricot Caramel Torte. If you visit their stores, they'll open these giant canisters and wave the top over the tea so you can smell the heavenly flavors to help you decide what to buy.

Teas Etc. - Yumminess can be found in Golden Monkey Organic and Coconut Custard.

Tea Forte - I swear the Coco Truffle tastes just like hot cocoa, minus the calories. And the Iced White Ginger Pear is the most perfect iced tea I've ever tasted!

Here in Maryland, we've had one of the hottest summers I can remember, but I still enjoy drinking my hot tea every day. It's an addiction I'm sure will last a long time, and now this obsession is a part of my scrapbooks. I'd love to hear about your latest obsession! I hope you'll take some time to record that bit about you in your pages.

The other Side of You...

What do you think is the next thing that excites you other than Scrapbooking?

Well, they say Scrapbooking and Photography goes like twins. I always admire photography but yet I still don't have formal training or classes about it. I wish one day I can enroll myself and learn more about it. I believe that behind those lenses and the person clicking that button holds the biggest chance of capturing everything about LIFE and the beauty of it. And so here's a layout about me exploring the love of photography with an EOS40D, entitled Capture Life's Little Treasures!

And so what's your next passion? Hope you can share it with us here at Scrap Yourself... Thanks for Looking as always.

What Makes You Happy?

Happy means enjoying contentment and wellbeing; glad, joyous, satisfied or pleased.  How do you define those happy things in your life?  What makes you smile?  What warms your heart?  What brings you joy?

On my layout to the left, I wrote:

Chocolate with nuts, My son, Family, Vacations, God, Living, Love, A good Govt job, Hugs, Kisses, Pedicures and eyebrow waxing, Good food, watching movies.

I found 2 more examples on Scrapbook.com.

Now it is your turn to show us those people, places, things or moments that make you happy.  The deadline to submit your layout: 8/31/2010.  You need to submit a link to your layout and your email address.  The prize is  a $10 gift certificate to Scrapbook.com. 1 random winner will be selected on 9/1/2010.

Your Freedom

Hello Ladies,

What do you think about when you think of freedom? When I created this layout I thinking what are you free from Chalese! In today world it seem we are always living for something or someone! I am FREE from judgement and other thoughts of me!! Happy to be me yeah maybe I could stand to lose a pound or too but I am happy with me !!

So today be happy scrap your freedom what are you free from?

Happy Scrappin~

Adjectives

Happy Thursday Ladies! Cathy here blogging for today and I'd like to share this layout to you. It is of course  about me. Surprised? I bet! teehee...

The photo was taken on our pre-nuptial shoot last November of 2008. I love this photo and I think I've scrapped this for the 2nd time already but this time I asked my husband for several adjectives that describe me and he came up with five. I want them to be part of the focal point of the layout and to make them stand out I decided to use the letter "O" as the center of the cluster of  all the adjectives and layered them together and mixed different sizes of alphabets.

I also got a chance to use those huge chipboard letters I've had since forever. I stamped and heat embossed the letter "O" for it to pop out. The adjectives are: Emo (emotional), OC (y'll know what that is), Explorer (I love to travel), Jolly (always happy) & Organized (part of being OC i guess).

So go ahead and ask your husband, boyfriend, siblings, parents for adjectives that describe you and scrap them! I challenge you to fit more than five and see what you come up with! Link us up to your creations so we can check out and leave you some love too! Have fun girls!

Cheers!!!

Random Little Things

Hey Everyone it's Zoe here with my very first post on this super inspiring blog! :)

If you had 10 minutes left to live what would you say? Just random ramblings no doubt. I know a little morbid to start off my post. But do we put enough details into our pages about random things that are so important to make us who we are, but when we are gone will your grandchildren, great niece or second cousin know what your favourite colour was? What you wanted to become when you grew up?

Well I decided to create a layout about this, these are just regular odd random thoughts of what I would like my family to know, some are good some are not, some are just a little strange.

So will you create a layout with random thoughts today?

Thanks for stopping by and I hope I inspired you to scrap yourself today.

Scrapping the Journey

The weight-loss journey, that is. I've been struggling with my weight for a long, long time. About a year and a half ago, I joined Weight Watchers for what seems like the millionth time, but I think I'm really going to stick with it this time. It's been a bumpy road, but I'm headed in the right direction, and since it's a really important part of my life, I've decided to scrap my weight-loss journey.

I've done a bunch of pages about different aspects of this journey, and I'll share a few with you here. (Click on the images for a larger view to read the journaling.)

This will be an ever-growing album as I am shrinking. Some pages I plan to make but have not yet scrapped:
* my attempts at exercising
* my Weight Watchers leader
* my favorite Weight-Watchers friendly foods
* the fact that I can now cross my legs!
* other milestones I hit
* a before and after picture

I will share some more pages in a future post. If you're struggling with weight and have begun a weight-loss program, why not start a scrapbook about it? I'd love to hear your thoughts about this topic.

It happen in 1974

Hi Ladies,

So I was thinking what would be my theme for SY!! I came across these really cool stickers "It happened in 1974!! Sweet I thought this would be a really cool layout!! What was going on in the world the year I was born!! Of course the world would be grace with ME!! This was a really fun project to do!! Here are some statistics on the happening in 1974!!

President : Nixon ,then Ford
Bread: 28 cents
Stamps: 10 cents
Avg Income:$14,711
Minimum wage: $2.00 per hour (WOW)
Car:$4,400
House:$38,900

I think if these prices existed today I would  be RICH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could use a nice car for $4,400 :) ! So go have fun do a little research and scrap the happening when you were born!!

Have Fun Ladies,

She...

Good Morning Everyone!

I am Issa and I wish to share a mini album about ME. This album was one of our projects during the 2007 Scrapfest here in the Philippines which was sponsored by the talented ladies of Scrapping Moms. This is a way of celebrating US as a person, a mother, a wife, a friend, an artist and just everything that a woman can be...












The pages were created on 6x6" Basic Grey papers, Prima flowers, brads and metal ornaments, buttons and threads, cardstocks, ribbons, fluid chalk inks and epoxy letter stickers. The album cover was customized and was covered with Chatter Box papers and decorated with K and Company papers and some ribbons. This was my first ever "All About Me" project and it made me appreciate and love myself more.

Thanks for looking, hope you can also create your own SHE mini album soon...