You are not allowed to laugh

Hi my friends!

I've been playing with my January kit from Cocoa Daisy. I'm making a mini album, but before I work on my mini, I wanted to share three more layouts I made this week with my fave papers in the kit.

I used some old photos that I had saved for a while of my Mami and Papi and my family.

This first layout includes a photo of my Mami and Papi in May 1995. Wow. Time flies. I love this Basic Grey paper! This one was inspired by Kim Watson.



Next is a photo of most of the women in my family, including my Mom (in bright blue) and my Mami (in lilac) before they passed away. This photo was taken at my cousin Liza's wedding in 2004. I wanted the photo to stand out so I kept the layout fairly simple. Yes, that's me (second from right) in my "thinner" days. Yikes.



Now comes a really old photo and this is why you are not allowed to laugh at me. This is the pre-teen version of me with an afro. Okay, really curly hair that's cut way too short! Teeheee! Here I am in Puerto Rico at my childhood home with my grandparents and my Godparents. Such happy times.




I am thrilled because I was able to get my hands on this beauty! I waited till midnight last night to order Studio Calico's February kit, Baker's Dozen, along with the Petit Fours add-on. It's sold out already so I am glad I stayed up for it. :) LOVE the bright colors and the beautiful layouts from the design team. I'm inspired.



Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Life Lessons

Last night, we went to Schnebly Redland's Winery for a fun night out with friends and some great-tasting South Florida wine.




I came across this on another blog. I am not familiar with Regina Brett or her columns, but I found these life lessons interesting and worth sharing. Ms. Brett is a columnist for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio.

Regina Brett's 45 life lessons and 5 to grow on

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Thankful

I'm so very thankful for my step dad, Jorge. He's an amazing person and I'm so glad that he and I are so close. He is finally done with his chemo treatments and now just has a few tests ahead of him and we're hoping he will officially be in remission soon. Please keep him in your prayers!

There's so many things I want to share with him in the years to come so I need for him to be around for a long, long time! Here's a layout I did a while back about Jorge with photos we took on Thanksgiving.



I am also thankful for beautiful winter skies in Miami and sunsets like this one. This is the view from the windows in my office.




Happy Hump Day!

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Jan Cocoa Daisy Kit

Yesterday I got together with Ady, my BFF, for a few hours at our local scrapbook store, Scrapbooks 'n' Stuff. We chatted, got caught up and had a delicious Panera Bread lunch. Then I was off to get a mani-pedi. Suffice it to say that I wasn't very productive, but it was fun! I did play a little with my new January kit from Cocoa Daisy with some of Lily Bee's Vintage Poppy goodies. I lifted this layout from the Scrapbook.com gallery and I love it! These colors go so well together!



I also started a little mini album inspired by my BFF (thanks for the great photos, my friend!). It captures all the fun we had on our little Redland Rally Riot scavenger hunt last weekend. I'm quite excited about playing with this album next week. :)

Last night, my hubby and I went to see The Lovely Bones, which I was dying to see. It was a great movie. Very gripping and hard to watch at times because of the subject matter. It was weird to see the contrast between the two worlds, but this is what makes it such a unique, other-worldly movie.

If you didn't catch my last post, check it out! It's all about my favorite new items debuting at the CHA-Winter event this month. Lots of great stuff and I included lots of links!

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

My CHA Favorites

I've been following most of the sneak peeks coming out from various companies for the CHA-Winter show (Craft & Hobby Association). There are a couple of MUST HAVES for me and some others that I like a lot. Without further ado, here's my Top 5 list so far.

Number 1 - American Crafts "Dear Lizzy"
This line is so fun, whimsical, girly and spring-like! Perfect for Easter layouts! Check it out here.



Number 2 - Lily Bee "Hello Sunshine"
I have loved Lily Bee for a while now. Their French Couture and Vintage Poppy lines were yummy. But this is by far my favorite yet! You can see some sample layouts on their blog.



Number 3 - Maya Road Chipboard
I must have these mini chipboard banners and butterflies!!! And those metallic ink pads, too!!! Then there's the flowers and dangling chandelier beads!!!





Number 4 - 7Gypsies "Avignon" Paper, Printer's Tray, etc.
There are so many goodies I love, including the Avignon paper, the printer's tray and receipt holder... oh, and check out the new binder rings, self-adhesive grommet reinforcers and knobs, too!!! Wow. Click here and be sure to scroll all the way down to see it all.



Number 5 - Studio Calico "Anthology"
Very cool prints and trendy designs. Visit the Studio Calico blog to see it all.



As always, my love for Prima continues. Their new flowers are gorgeous! Check out their new lines here and here (NOTE: I do NOT like their Umbrella paper line!)

Jenny Bowlin also has some nice stuff coming out, such as these banner stickers! I saw Celine Navarro create a banner on one of her layouts and I've been wanting to give it a try, but now I am noticing that it's the new trend.



EDITED: I just had to add these pics of the new Jenny Bowlin self-adhesive butterflies with rhinestones. LOVE THEM!!!




I haven't seen anything yet from October Afternoon or Collage Press so if you see those, please let me know!

Cocoa Daisy has a special section on their message board devoted to CHA sneak peeks. Click here to check it out.

What's at the top of your list? Is there anything that you absolutely love from one of your favorite manufacturers? Please share!

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Operation Helping Hands: Let's Help Haiti!

As you may already know, I work for a custom publishing company that is part of the Miami Herald Media Company and I wanted to share this with you.

The United Way of Miami-Dade and The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald have activated Operation Helping Hands to help the earthquake victims in Haiti. The earthquake, the worst in the region in more than 200 years, has devastated the country. Profound loss of life and injury is expected. One hundred percent of funds raised through Operation Helping Hands will be used to purchase relief items needed in Haiti during this time of crisis. Monetary donations made to Operation Helping Hands will go directly to help the people of Haiti through non-profit organizations working on the ground.

You can make a donation today at:

Operation Helping Hands

Or send checks payable to:

Operation Helping Hands
c/o United Way of Miami-Dade
P.O. Box # 459007
Miami, Florida 33245-9007

Thank you.

Scrapbook Retreat | Cocoa Daisy Layouts

So who is ready for a Scrapbook Retreat in a beautiful Central Florida resort far away from everyday stress? Throw in some AMAZING goodies because I know that Damaris always gives us the latest and greatest scrap stuff... Coupled with a group of fantastic women who will make you laugh till you cry... oh, and then there's the yummy food and deliriousness that comes with three days of non-stop scrapping... I don't know about you, but this sounds like a recipe for the perfect retreat to me! LOL! This September, Damaris is organizing a retreat at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howie-in-the-Hills. I cannot wait! :) For more info, click here.

I've been playing with my December Cocoa Daisy kit for a few days and here are a few layouts I made.

This is my sister-in-law, Roxana, at the convent where she is "studying" to become a Carmelite nun. For those of you that aren't aware of this, she cannot leave the convent and the family can only visit once per month through these gates. I know this is the path she has chosen, but it has not been easy for her family to accept.



This is Richard's friend, Karen, on her wedding day along with Richard's other UF Gator friends. The layout was inspired by the Cocoa Daisy gallery.



This photo was taken at the same wedding. I included a Christmas card that Ady gave me on this layout. I kept moving things around because I wasn't entirely happy with the layout, but in the end I just adhered it. Notice the stitching around the edges :)



And this is my mother-in-law's beautiful Christmas tree. It's magical! I meant to add the dark red strip of paper more toward the right side, but I wasn't thinking and I realized it after it was all done! LOL! Trust me, I was completely sober when I did the layout!



Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Weekend Fun | December Daily: Days 23-25

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!

It's actually COLD here in Miami so that's a refreshing change for us thin-blooded Caribbean folk. LOL! I actually lived in the cold weather when I was little and I really enjoyed the cooler temps, but being from Puerto Rico and living in Miami all these years makes you get used to the HOT, STICKY, MUGGY, HUMID, sometimes ICKY weather here in the "Sunshine State." Well, it was a chilly 36 degrees today at 10:30am. And I hear we actually had snow flurries in Orlando and other parts of the state as far south as Naples! Pretty crazy stuff! :) I feel guilty because I'm enjoying this so, so much... only because some friends are not adapting well and some of the local plant nurseries are suffering, such as my BFF's husband, but I know they are working hard to make sure that nothing happens to their plants.

So yesterday we embarked on a sort of "scavenger hunt" through the Redland as part of Rob's Redland Riot Tour, a self-guided tour through this beautiful part of Miami. Oh what fun we had! It was 43-degrees and raining the whole time, but we still made it fun! We visited many cool places along the way, some of which I had never been to before. The day ended with some wine tasting at Schnebly Redland's Winery. The Lychee, Mango and Category 3 Hurricane were my favorites!



Then we headed to the movies. Have you seen Avatar yet? It was an awesome movie with some spectacular special effects! We saw it in 3D and it was even better than I expected. Wow. James Cameron (of Titanic fame) wrote, produced and directed this masterpiece. I see an Oscar in his future!



Now on to the last of my December Daily album pages. For Day 23, I wanted to include a photo of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree that I bought for my Titi Mae (Aunt Mae). It was a big hit! I added my journaling right on the photo. I also added some stitching all around the page for more detail.



On the back is my holiday tribute to an all-time favorite: Starbucks Coffee. Yum!



I had a few photos for Day 24 so I printed wallet size pics on my little Epson printer and adhered them onto my canvas page, which I had already painted with red acrylic paint. I added the fleur de lis from Prima and stamped it with an October Afternoon Christmas text stamp.




On the back, I used the Prima house and inserted cute little pics of me and Richard wearing our holiday head gear... teeheeee! I sprayed some red Glimmer Mist and I added the felt Christmas tree from a Work in Progress kit and some Making Memories ornament brads and white foam snowflakes from Michael's to complete the layout.



And finally, here's Day 25. I started with some journaling.



Then I included my favorite photo of me from this holiday season. Here I am on Christmas Day just before I started opening presents. The text on the photo of from an Ali Edwards Designer Digitals kit.



The last page has a few photos and a journaling card inside an artist trading card page protector. I also added fabric stars and a canvas tag from Serendipity Scraps on Etsy.




And there you have it -- my complete 2009 December Daily album. I gotta tell you that I feel a great sense of accomplishment for having finished this by Dec. 31st. Whoohoo! Now I just need to tackle all my other unfinished projects. LOL!

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

One Little Word | December Daily: Days 20-22

This is me wearing my new Kelly Rae Roberts CREATE necklace

Have you chosen your One Little Word for 2010? Do you have any New Year's resolutions?

After selecting my word for the year, I went back to my old blog posts and this is what I wrote about my One Little Word for 2008 and 2009.

2008 - ENERGY. Energy can be defined as 1 a: dynamic quality b: the capacity of acting or being active c: a usually positive spiritual force. I hope to have more energy and be able to energize those around me. I want to be stronger and more active, enjoy my life more, be free of so many worries, and focus on what's important and that includes starting a family one day soon. Here's to more physical and spiritual energy in 2008!
Maybe I did let go of some worries, but I definitely did not increase my physical energy that year! LOL

2009 - SIMPLIFY. As in simplify my life. Focus on the little things. Don't dwell on the possibilities. Make it happen. Get rid of excess. Feel the love. Streamline. Unclutter my home and office. Put family first. The simple things in life are the most beautiful. How did I pick this word? Well, last weekend while I was out and about I kept bumping into this word and it made sense to me. First, I saw a little throw pillow that read, "Simplify." At the next stop, I found a wooden piece with "Simplify" on it. Next, a plate stared at me, "Simplify your life." And so on... OK, I get it!!! Simplify it is.
I'm happy to report that I DID actually simplify some aspects of my life and I did get rid of a lot of clutter, but I still have more to work on in terms of simplifying my everyday life. I did put my family first and I focused on the little things in life more than ever before.

For 2010, my new word will be CREATE. I love this quote:

"Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."

I really think that I need to look deep down inside of me and think about who I wish to create this year. What kind of person do I wish to be? What creative pursuits to I want to take on? What goals do I want to meet? Anything is possible if you believe. I can create my own destiny!

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Now on to my December Daily album. Here are photos of Days 20-22.

On Day 20, I spent the afternoon at Damaris' house. I used one of the canvas pages and created a clear pocket on the bottom of the page with a leftover piece of the Clearly Heavy Hambly overlay. I applied Glossy Accents (or maybe it was Zip Dry?) glue all around the outer edges and it worked perfectly. Inside are two cards that I received that day, including one from Maritza that she sewed for me using leftover fabric from my gorgeous throw pillow. Love this.



On the back, I used some snowflakes as stencils and sprayed some Glimmer Mist on the canvas page. Then, I simple adhered my photos and embellies. That's Damaris' house, which was decorated beautifully for Christmas, and that's my awesome pillow that Maritza made me.



The opposite page is a 5x7 image of my BFF sticking her head into the photo I was taking of Damaris' tree. Great unplanned shot! I used Ali Edwards' overlays from Designer Digitals on the photo.



For Day 21, I simply adhered a photo of my Gingerbread Hug Cookies to some patterned paper and added my circle number tag.



Day 22 has two of the Christmas cards that I received adhered to each other. I punched out and stapled a tab at the top for the number 22.

Front


Back


I sewed these pockets onto the pages with my new sewing machine! I used some Hambly transparencies from my stash and I channeled Ali Edwards! LOL! I love that these pockets can hold some of my most special holiday cards. I know that I will love going back years from now and looking at these.

Front


Back


Wow -- that was a long post! If you stuck with me through it all, you're a trooper! :) Thanks so much for visiting my blog. Your comments make me smile every day!

I'll be back soon with the last of my December Daily pages and some layouts...

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Weekend with friends | December Daily: Days 15-19

Happy Monday!

I spent Saturday with my scrappy friends celebrating Barb's birthday. We had a great time as always even though I barely scrapped! LOL! And the best part is that I get to see most of these wonderful ladies again on Wednesday night!



Here are a few more pages from my December Daily album.

For Day 15, I mounted our annual photo card on patterned paper and used my NEW apron lace punch that I love so much along the edge of the paper!



On the back I started Day 16. I used the Designer Digitals Ali Edwards Days of December overlay on the photo and added a green bow for a pop of color.



The opposite page has a postcard from the boutique hotel I stayed at in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Once you lift the card, there are two more photos inside.




For Day 17, I used two photos printed on my little Epson printer and mounted them on a sheet of Making Memories spiral notebook paper.



Day 18: Here I incorporated another trading card holder trimmed to fit inside my page protector just like Ali has done. I used photos of my egg nog shakes and Richard whistling to Christmas music while filling out holidays cards. I journaled all about our very own private Christmas party inside the red pocket. I also inserted my handwritten Christmas gift lift in one of the clear pockets.



And finally, Day 19: Here I used Making Memories Tinsel paper and adhered it back to back with another sheet of the same paper. I added photos on the front and my journaling on the back.




That's all for now. More photos to come later this week. Also, I'll share my thoughts on my one little word for 2010: CREATE.

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa