Capturing life's journey

The accomplished graduate

2012-01-26T17:55:00.006-05:00

Even today — 7 months after my baby girl was born — I still cannot believe she is MINE. We made her!! Her little hands and feet and nose and perfect little lips... her big eyes and wide, happy smile. Yep, all that happened in my belly. That's amazing! She is my little miracle. God is good :)

Last week, my little Gracie Girl (who thinks she's all big and independent sometimes - ha!) graduated from her Level 1 Gymboree Play & Learn class. My baby girl, the graduate. Whoa! She met all the requirements and sits up all on her own (heck, she would even eat all on her own if we let her, but her strict mean mommy doesn't approve).

Her personality is starting to REALLY emerge and she is stubborn alright. She's a strong baby and maybe a little spoiled, too (but not TOO much). Uh oh!! Here comes trouble :)

Actually, she is a good baby. We are lucky. She has slept through the night for months now. She rarely complains. She just wants a lot of attention... and she melts our hearts.

Hope you enjoy her graduation day photos. Here she is in class before putting on her cap and gown :)

Oh, one more thing... she does this really funny thing now that her daddy and her Godfather taught her one night when mommy was not home... yep, the perfect time to be mischievous!! When you whistle or make a whistling-type sound, she leans forward in your arms or on the floor, etc. So after her graduation, her daddy decided that she needed to show off her new skills and he whistled so Gracie was bowing to her audience. Too cute!!!

God, I love her!!!!! xoxo

December Daily 2011

2012-01-17T14:32:00.004-05:00

I am getting closer to finishing up my December Daily album. My goal is to finish it completely by the end of January :) I think I can do it! This is my fourth December Daily album (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011). I skipped 2008 because, although I started an album cover, I just wasn't inspired to continue. It was just after my Mami passed away (seems like just yesterday).

So here's a peek at my album cover and first pages... I have lots more done, but I haven't photographed anything. I am just six days away from being done, but then I need to add a few more embellies and finish the numbers on my divider pages. Truth is that it's a LOT of fun and I enjoy the process so much. I love documenting our holidays, especially since it's my favorite time of the year! It just gets a bit tedious after January rolls around and you want to get it done :)

So without further ado, here's a sneak peek...

My front cover may change a little because I am thinking that I will need a large ribbon to tie around the album to keep it closed. It's getting really fat. LOL!

I'll share more of the album later this month... You likey?

Project Life 2012

2012-01-04T22:29:00.003-05:00

HELLO LIFE 2012. That's right! I've decided to jump on the bandwagon and participate in Project Life. These days, my scrapbooking time is somewhat limited, but it's still important to me to document our days and capture life's journey. I'm so excited to be doing this and I hope to be able to continue to add to my album throughout the year.

I am not going to stress out about it because I want to enjoy the process. I plan to break it up by month and I know some months will have more photos or more journaling than others and that's okay. I'll just see how it goes...

For those of you not familiar with Project Life, it's a concept that Becky Higgins introduced where you have a core kit (I chose the Clementine version, which I LOVE) that includes cards for titles and journaling. You insert photos alongside these cards, as well as anything else you are inspired by (receipts, art, greeting cards, event programs, invitations, etc.) And that's it! No adhesive needed and very little (or no) embellishments.

Here's my title page for 2012. Here I did embellish quite a bit and I typed up my journaling, but I plan to keep the rest of the album simple using my own handwriting.

I'm using the Project Life page protectors and envelope pages inside an American Crafts album (from my own stash). I also added Ali Edwards' Hello Life Boxes from Designer Digitals to the front of my album (I may also incorporate these inside at some point).

Are you doing Project Life this year? Please share! Let's keep each other motivated... It's going to be a great year! :)

Merry wishes and joyful dreams!

2012-01-01T23:18:00.006-05:00

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year's celebration! For me, it's been all about enjoying family time with my Gracie girl. We've been enjoying her first holiday season and cherishing every moment... I just ADORE her so much and I love being a mom. It's a LOT of work and our lives have changed completely, but it's all for the better. I cannot wait to see what new adventures the new year brings!!! :) Here are some of the photos we shot during Christmas...

We attended the local Gymboree Christmas party and took photos with Santa. How fun!

Christmas Eve was at my in-laws' house...

This year, we had our traditional Christmas morning breakfast at our house so that we wouldn't have to wake up Grace early and get her out the door. It worked out great and we had fun... It's just sad that several of my family members were sick and couldn't make it. Darn cold and flu!! :(

At night, our BFF's came over to visit their Goddaughter. She got lots of beautiful presents. What a lucky girl!!!

I feel very blessed and grateful for our family and friends. It was a beautiful holiday season!!!! Hope yours was wonderful as well!!

I'll be back soon because I am actually on Day 16 of my December Daily album (YES!!!! I am CRAZY for doing this, but I love it) and I am also getting ready for Project Life 2012. So exciting!!! Photos coming soon :) I have a new laptop, which makes posting to my blog so much easier.

So much to be THANKFUL for...

2011-11-27T10:22:00.005-05:00

Hi my friends,

The holidays are finally here and it's by far my favorite season of all! Love my family's gatherings, good food and cheer, love dressing up my Gracie girl and just giving THANKS every day for having her in my life this year, love the yummy food (but not the calories - ha!), and the cooler breezier weather here in Miami. Thanksgiving was a day to give thanks for all our blessings and we sure have many!!! How lucky are we?!

Here are some photos from Thanksgiving...

Yes, I'm even thankful for Gracie's teething!!! Because even though she's been a bit cranky and tired lately, her first tooth is emerging and that is amazing. Yeah!! Time sure does fly by! Can you believe she's 5 months old already?

I'm thankful to have started my December Daily album -- even if it won't be finished by Dec 1. Hey, I'm a busy girl! Lots going on and I am committed to getting it done, even if it's super simple. The cover is done and I love how it's coming together. I will share sneak photos soon :)

Have a wonderful holiday season and remember to enjoy each and every day -- I am trying to slow down and follow my own advise!!

Be back soon...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me!!!

2011-10-16T22:25:00.005-04:00

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while, but life has been very hectic. I'm back at work and it's been VERY busy and then when I get home my time is devoted to the baby... I have been posting updates on Facebook along the way so send me a friend request if you are on Facebook! :)

Today is my birthday and I am feeling very blessed to have such a beautiful healthy and happy baby girl. How lucky am I?! I love my Gracie girl!

Last night, I got to hang out with my scrappy friends thanks to my bestie who planned an outing to Paper Niche. We had a great time scrapping, talking, eating and talking some more. My sweet friends got me cool presents and we cut a delicious cake. How fun!! I got home at 2 am :) THANK YOU ALL!!!!

Here are some photos from today. We had an awesome dinner at CVI.CHE 105 in Downtown Miami. YUM! Our family joined us so we had a pretty big group.

Have a wonderful week and I'll be back blogging very soon :)

Scrappy Wednesday, umm Thursday

2011-08-25T11:51:00.004-04:00

Good morning (or is it afternoon?)! I lose track of the time of day... heck, sometimes I don't know what day of the week it is! Since having a baby it all has become a blur, but life is getting back to normal and I absolutely LOVE being a MOM :) wow, the sound of that alone is pretty damn cool! I can't wait for her to say, "Mama." Awww...

I am loving playing with my Studio Calico kits while I work on Gracie's baby album (which I promise to share very soon!). One of my recent faves was definitely Lawn Party - the exclusive papers in this kit were amazing with gorgeous butterflies and doilies - so girly and so ME!

Here's a layout I created with a gorgeous photo of my hubby holding our baby girl. This was for a SC weekly challenge to use a photo enlargement as the base for a layout. LOVE the result! Photo by Margie Bonilla.

And this one was based on a SC weekly sketch (using SC's Candy Shoppe kit)... I love that I'm finally making a dent in the kits I have been hoarding... Pregnancy really messed with my mojo!

I'm reallllllly looking forward to the SC September kit and the guest designer is Amy Tangerine (love her!)

This Saturday, my hubby will be watching the baby (LOVE YOU HONEY! You're the best!) while I go scrapbook with my girlfriends Wallie, Ana, Barbara, Alma, Esther and hopefully Lou! Looking forward to hanging out and chatting and maybe even creating something. LOL!

Two months old...

2011-08-22T16:34:00.007-04:00

Yesterday we went walking in Key Biscayne and we had a fabulous time. It was a beautiful, sunny day!

Don't worry - we cover her ALL up so the sun doesn't hit her! LOL! This is the second weekend in a row that we do this and it feels good to resume our weekend adventures! :) Of course, we can't wait to take Gracie swimming and to carry her in Richard's bike, etc. but at the same time we don't want her to grow up - she's growing sooo fast!! STOP!!!

Our baby girl turned two months old this past weekend. Here are some photos I took with my phone :)

And of course I had to dress her all up for the occasion!! HAPPY TWO-MONTH BIRTHDAY my little munchkin, my Gracie Girl, our croqueta of love!!!

I have some layouts to share later this week!! Be back soon...

Catching the sunrise

2011-07-31T18:37:00.008-04:00

We had our very FIRST family outing this morning. Teehee!! So exciting! Since we don't really want to expose our little one to the "outside" world till she gets her vaccines, we are careful when planning our outings. Plus, the Miami heat (mid-90's or more) keeps us inside way more than we would like!

What to do? Get up at 4:45 am and get everything ready to head out to Miami Beach and watch the sunrise, of course!

This was my darling hubby's crazy idea and I LOVED it! We can all go out, avoid the crowds, enjoy cooler temps and have some fun together! It was the perfect solution! Whoohoo!

It was lots of fun to be able to head out together as a family since we have only been to the pediatrician's office up to this point.

The sunrise views were beautiful and the weather was still nice (although it got up to 85 degrees by 8 am!). Afterward, we fed the baby in the car, drove down Ocean Drive and then caught breakfast close to home.

It was perfect!! And although our little one-month-old princess slept through most of it, I think she enjoyed it, too!!

Now what to do next weekend? Hmmm... If you have any baby-friendly outing (or vacation) ideas, please share!

One month old!!!

2011-07-21T16:09:00.006-04:00

My baby girl turned one month old yesterday, but I couldn't post photos because our Internet connection was down. It was an eventful day because I wanted to dress her up for photos, but she ended up peeing on one outfit and then after I changed her to a new outfit, she pooped! LOL! She wanted attention all day! But it all ended up well and she looked beautiful on her one month birthday! :)

I love my Gracie so much. She has filled my heart with endless love and she's teaching me how to have patience, too! Yes, I'm learning this at 35. It's never too late, right? Teehee!

I cannot stop taking photos of her. The miracle of birth amazes me and I cannot believe how lucky we are to have a beautiful, healthy baby. She is my dream come true.

I have been working on her scrapbook album little by little and it's coming along beautifully :) So glad that I pre-made a few layouts before she came along so all I had to do was add some photos. I will share photos of the album soon!

Happy [almost] Friday! xo

Mind the Gap layouts!

2011-07-12T11:51:00.004-04:00

RAK WINNER: Thank you to all who stopped by and left me such nice comments about Gracie's nursery! Even my DH, Richard, left a comment! LOL! The winning comment is #5...

Ursula said...
Your room is just beautiful. My faves, the clock and the tree on the wall. Love it! I have a sweet baby in mind for that journal, thanks for sharing!

July 7, 2011 9:13 PM

Ursula, please send me your mailing address to mvmolina[at]aol[dot]com and I'll get the baby journal out to you as soon as I can! :)

I also want to share a couple of layouts I made this weekend with this month's Studio Calico kit, Mind the Gap, inspired by the design team gallery. These are the very first layouts I've made of my Gracie Girl!

This first layout was inspired by a page that Susan Weinroth created of her with her sweet baby, Noah. Everything is from my kit except for the number "3" brad and the kraft envelope that I added with a note inside. The wood veneer butterflies are from SC (love them).

And this layout is a total scrap lift of Stephanie Howell, which I love.

Hey, I have a newborn so scrap lifting makes sense... quick, beautiful layouts during nap time! Works for me! :)

Gracie's Nursery Tour

2011-07-07T15:28:00.017-04:00

Gracie's room is finally complete and we love how it all came out! I hope you love it just as much as we do :)

Take a look at all the details and leave me a comment telling me what you like most about the room. I will select a winner to receive a Gadanke "You Are Loved" baby journal on Monday, July 11.

This is what you see as you enter the room.

Here's a bird's-eye view... (not the best photo but you get the idea)

And this is what Gracie sees from her crib (baby viewpoint courtesy of daddy! HEE!!)

There's a glider in the corner for us to feed and rock the baby. That pink and green quilt was made especially for Grace by my sweet friend, Maritza.

I fell in LOVE with this butterfly mobile from Pottery Barn Kids and just had to have it! And of course the vintage scale completes the look of the room!

This is a good view of the beautiful decals that Richard put up in the room. The tree is full of leaves in two shades of green and there are owls, butterflies and squirrels all around. LOVE it!

She's got a bookshelf and wall-mounted peg shelf that hold her books and other little things, including her first purse (Vera Bradley, of course! This was a gift from her Godmother, Ady!)

Here you can see the quilt in more detail.

And the scale, which is now holding a few stuffed animals.

These adorable hair bows were made by Richard's cousin and hung from a ribbon as a baby shower gift.

The decals look like they're painted on the wall... the quality of these is excellent. So bright and cheery!

We picked up this clock in Mount Dora during our last flea market trip in February.

This pink wooden sign is also from our Mount Dora trip. It's hanging above the closet doors.

A close-up of the gorgeous alphabet print, which adds a nice pop of color to the room.

And finally, a peek at Gracie's wardrobe. I'm only keeping clothes from newborn to 6 months in her closet and they're all sorted by size so I don't forget to use an outfit. I really like this system. I'm all for organization and convenience!

Hope you enjoyed the tour. In case you have any questions, here's a list of sources.

Crib: Pottery Barn Kids
Glider and ottoman: Babies 'R Us
Dresser, nightstand and bookshelf: IKEA
Crib bedding: Land of Nod
Lined baskets and hamper: Target
Wall decals: Simple Shapes (Etsy)
GRACE alphabet print: Penny People (Etsy)
Butterfly mobiles (both): Pottery Barn Kids
Vintage scale: Etsy find
Milk glass lamp: From my scrap room
Elephant canvas tote and yellow chickie bank: Tadpole
Wall paint: Lemon souffle, Benjamin Moore

Happy 4th of July!!!

2011-07-04T19:16:00.005-04:00

Our baby girl wore her red, white and blue onesie from Old Navy that her Godmother, Ady, bought her... then she fell asleep :)

All that play time this morning must have worn her out!! LOL! Actually, she is two weeks old today and it's the first time that she's enjoyed hanging out on her tummy time mat...

I'm one happy mama!! She is soooo precious!! I cannot wait to start scrapbooking again and creating some layouts of my Gracie Girl!

Hope you've had a great holiday!! I know that I am very thankful to live in this great country of ours and grateful for the freedom we enjoy each day!!

Meet our Gracie Girl!

2011-06-30T21:27:00.008-04:00

Our beautiful baby girl, Grace Marina, was born on June 20 and she has filled our lives with so much love and so many blessings. She is healthy and strong and that's what is most important. She is also the cutest little munchkin (or little croquette of love, as Daddy calls her!) in the world! I am in awe and this all still seems so surreal... wow, I am a MOM! :)

This is the night we headed to the hospital on June 19...

After being induced overnight, I ended up having a C-section so the recovery was a bit painful but I am feeling much better now. Here's our very FIRST family photo in the operating room:

Daddy feeding his baby girl for the first time in scrubs (how sexy!)...

Mommy feeding Gracie...

Leaving the hospital...

Coming home!

We are also getting into a little bit of a routine now (one day at a time!) and doing our best to get used to the loooong sleepless days and nights that a newborn requires. Being a Mommy (and Daddy) is REALLY hard work but oh so rewarding!!

She always has her arms up in the air or her hands on her face...(I need to file those nails again!)

This past weekend, we ended up going to the ER twice. The first time was because of a bad colic attack that Gracie suffered. We called the pediatrician's office and they had us take her to the ER for a check-up. Things are better now. We changed her formula and we're trying to get her tummy feeling better and her gas pains to go away.

The second visit to the ER was for me :( This has been a really hard week! It seems that all the stress led to me developing Bells Palsy, something that's very common in pregnant women (I developed it 5 days AFTER giving birth!). It's a temporary condition that can last a few weeks where your facial nerves become inflamed due to a virus, etc. and it causes one side of your face to become somewhat paralyzed. Mine is NOT that bad, but it still feels very strange and it's difficult to eat, blink your eye, smile, brush your teeth, etc. It REALLY makes you appreciate all those things you take for granted every day! And I hate that I don't want to appear in any pictures because I want to take photos with my baby girl!! I also cannot give her my breast milk due to the meds that I have to take so I am pumping and throwing it all away!! Right now, I am trying some vitamins and I will start acupuncture treatment tomorrow to help me heal faster. I just pray that it goes away fast.

Be back soon...

39 weeks... and Grace is almost here!!!

2011-06-19T12:08:00.005-04:00

Thank you so much to you lovely ladies for your beautiful, funny and supportive comments on my last post. Just a couple of days after I posted that, this *woman* who's a friend of my mother-in-law's comes up to me at work and says things like, "OMG! You're so huge!! That baby must be too big!" When I told her the baby is just fine in size, thank you. She responds, "Well you should hold back on eating too much and watch what you are consuming...." To say I held back is a major UNDERSTATEMENT. I just walked away and said BITCH under my breath!! I was so angry she practically brought me to tears. It's hard to control your emotions when you're ultra sensitive and hormonal. The nerve of some people!

Anyway, enough about that!

I wanted to share with you two of our maternity photo shoot images that my talented and all-around awesome friend and photographer, Margie Bonilla, shot back in May. If you are in South Florida, look her up people cause she rocks. (Click on her name for a direct link to her blog.)

I'll leave you with a letter that I wrote my baby girl, which I will be putting in her album...

Letter to Gracie

Today is June 16, 2011 and I cannot believe you are almost here! I’m so excited to finally meet you after all the squirming you’ve been doing inside my belly. I love feeling you move around because that’s how I know you’re doing well. I won’t lie – it does get rather uncomfortable at times and it even hurts when you kick me hard, but I wouldn’t want it any other way my sweet Gracie Girl…. Yep, that’s the nickname I’ve given you. I’m sure you will get many other nicknames later on. When you start moving around, there’s a song that comes to mind… “There She Goes” by Sixpence None the Richer. Don’t ask me why! It just popped into my head one day and it stuck.

I pray for you almost every day and ask God to keep you healthy and strong and that the delivery goes well.

We’ve been working hard to prepare the house for you so I hope you will enjoy living here and have lots of fun in your beautiful room.

I want you to know how very much your Daddy and I love you and how badly we wanted to become parents. You have made our dream a reality and you will surely fill our lives with even more blessings and our hearts will know a new love like no other. Just know that Daddy and I are pretty silly and you may have to get used to us being crazy kids, too!

Gracie Girl, always remember to love deeply, be kind to others, cherish the everyday and chase after your dreams. Finish school, go to college, word hard and success will be yours. You can do anything that you set your mind to – don’t ever forget that!

I wish that Mami and my Mom were here to meet you – you would have LOVED them and they would have spoiled you rotten! I know that they are watching over us, but I miss them so much and wish they were here to share this experience with me and guide me through it all. Sometimes I get scared that I won’t know how to take care of you or how to protect you, but somehow I know that God and my little guardian angels will help me figure it out… one day at a time.

I love you very much already!

Vanessa (AKA Mom)

38 weeks pregnant!!!

2011-06-12T17:23:00.006-04:00

Where do I begin??? There's so much to say, so many thoughts going through my head right now...

First of all, my belly is BIG!!! Our baby girl is over 6 lbs now and I've been getting Braxton Hicks contractions. I'm working another week even though it's getting harder and harder to find the energy to make it in to the office. I went swimming a couple of weeks ago in our pool and I snapped this photo of my bump (well, it's more like a hill or mountain now - LOL!)

Which leads me to vent about pregnancy etiquette and the idiots out there who lack common sense, tact or sensitivity... (I bet you have come across these folks, too!) Sorry, but I need to get this off my chest!

Who gives people the right to come and feel up your belly when you don't really know them? (Ever heard of personal space, sir!?)
Oh, and the woman in the salon or the one at Target or my husband's family... (yep, there's been a few) who come up and ask, "How many babies are in there?", "Are you having twins?", "Are you sure it's not two or three?" (Last time, I responded that it's probably more like 6 babies, but I had lost count.)
"I'm sure you're not going to make it till the end - you're just wayyyyy too big!!!"
"Your boobs look so small now that your belly is so big."

And the trophy winner by far...

"Wow... you're so big you look like a submarine!"

It got to the point where I actually asked the doctor, "Is my belly too big? Is my baby too big? People are saying all this..." She says my belly is measuring a week or two ahead in size but that it's perfectly normal and that I should tell people that if they don't have anything nice to say, then they shouldn't say anything at all. So SCREW OFF PEOPLE!

OK, I feel better now that I shared my frustration! :) Now on to happier things...

My honey bunny and his uncle put together all the baby furniture a couple of weekends ago - here's a sneak peek!

Then my BFF (what would I EVER do without her???) helped me organize, decorate and wash baby clothes. She is truly heaven-sent :) I still have a few more things to do, but I will share photos of the nursery one day soon. It brought tears to my eyes when I first walked in there...

My aunt Mae and step dad, Jorge, came by to visit yesterday and they LOVED the baby's room :) It was so nice to see them and spend some quality time together. Jorge even brought me yellow roses - my favorite!

I'll be back soon - I may even have a layout to share. WOW!

My Baby Shower

2011-05-10T22:05:00.017-04:00

My wonderfully sweet, giving and all around awesome BFF, Ady, helped me make my vision of a "vintagey" shower with a nesting theme a reality. She worked hard to make sure that all the details were taken care of and that everything came out perfect.

My cousin Jessie was the wine connoisseur and she also prepared delicious appetizers, including homemade hummus and pate. She also helped decorate my house and paid attention to all the details.

Damaris (pictured on the left), my amazing gourmet cook of a friend, prepared delicious food including croissant sandwiches, pasta salad, meatballs, quiche and more. YUM!

I cannot thank these ladies enough for making my shower as perfect as can be!

Now for the details. The sign-in table had a framed message from my baby girl that I created in Photoshop. I also made these little tags where guests could write down their wishes and drop them inside a vintage birdcage.

We also had a candy station with apothecary jars and some milk glass... My BFF bought most of the delicious candy and made these beautiful stamped tags mounted on doilies to identify each flavor.

I mounted baby photos of Richard and me on little flower frog stands. Can you guess which one of us our little girl will look like? I personally have no clue but something tells me she will look like her daddy!

Then we had these amazing mini cupcakes from Misha's. Instead of a cake, my BFF had these custom made with pastel colors and she also ordered extras to spell out the baby's name, Grace. We placed those on a vintage baby scale I found on Etsy :)

Lunch was served outside under a white tent by the pool and the place settings came out beautiful! THANK YOU to my cousin, Jessie, and my friend, Ileana, who let me borrow the white plates, wine glasses, silverware and chargers for us to use. You guys rock!! The centerpieces had fresh flowers placed inside large mason jars decorated with doilies.

I had a great time hanging out with my friends and enjoying their company.

To my surprise, Richard came home a bit early and I found him in the bedroom. I brought him out and we got to open presents together. We received beautiful baby clothes, sunglasses and sandals, baby bottles, the car seat, and other essentials. A standout was this amazing quilt that my dear friend, Maritza, made for me. What a special gift!!!

Here I am showing off my new mommy bracelet that my talented friend, Esther, created for me with the baby's name on it. What a sweet gift! I love it so much that I've been wearing it every day!

For months I have been searching the Internet and looking at magazines for ideas and inspiration for my shower. I knew what I wanted... And I am so grateful for the love, support and hard work that my friends contributed in order to bring it all together!

What a special day :) There's many more photos, but I don't have them all yet...

My friend, Lou, also posted some photos on her blog and I love what she wrote because it shows all the little details :) Check it out here.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T15:53:00.004-04:00

To all you wonderful moms out there who love with all your heart and take care of your families each and every day! You are amazing women and I wish you all the happiness and love you deserve. Have a wonderful day!! xoxo

Mother's Day is always a hard one for me. I know I've said this before, but it's bittersweet. I'm so thankful to have spent most of my life surrounded by my Mami's love. She loved me unconditionally and was always by biggest supporter. My Mom was always full of love as well and, although our relationship was difficult at times, I know she adored me and I miss her dearly. Both of them are gone and I miss them all the time!! There's so much I wish I could say... and do!!! It just makes me so very sad...

I lit a candle for them both today and placed it next to their photos.

On a day like this, I am so very thankful to all of you who have taken the time to call, email and text me wishing me a Happy Mother's Day... that was so sweet. I know that technically I am not a mom just yet, but my baby girl will be here very soon! I am starting my 33rd week of pregnancy and she's weighing in at 4 pounds so she'll be here before I know it!

I have Baby Shower pics to share and I plan to post those tomorrow so come back and check it out!!

Happy Belated EASTER!!!!

2011-04-28T11:02:00.008-04:00

Hi my friends :)

It's been tough keeping up with the blog these days... I do have LOTS to share, but there's so much going on that it just consumes me. But I am still here and I will try to post more often as things calm down a little (or maybe get even more crazy - LOL!)

I was REALLY sick for two weeks. I ended up with a bad upper respiratory infection and asthma so my hubby had to take me to the hospital two weekends ago. Thankfully, they checked the baby in the maternity ward and all was well so they sent me down to the ER for treatment. I was given an aerosol treatment and put on antibiotics and some inhalers to help me breathe better and to help with the chest and nasal congestion. It was awful! :(

A visit to my OB/GYN to confirm that the meds were fine and then an emergency referral to a pulmonologist then followed... and then another visit... and now I am done with meds and the baby is doing well (thank GOD!!)

I was out of work for a while, which didn't help matters... and during all of this, we had people all over our home working on the pool, the backyard fence and installing hardwood floors in the bedrooms. YIKES!!! I am grateful that we were able to do all this work before the baby comes, but so glad it's finally over! I want my peaceful, CLEAN home back — not to mention my privacy! Teehee!

Last weekend, I visited with my lovely scrappy friends and little did I know what they had up their sleeves!!! :) Since most of them are unable to make it to my shower because they are going on a scrapbooking retreat, they planned a surprise shower for me complete with yummy food, donuts, cake and presents — not to mention the sweetest group of ladies!! We had a great time!!! THANK YOU to Barb, Esther, Lou, Alma, Ana and Wallie for doing this!! It really means a lot to me!!

I'll leave you with some photos from Easter Sunday at my in-laws' house. We had a nice time with family and friends and I even sported my bunny ears :)

Here's a baby bump pic of me at 31 weeks... It's all becoming very REAL for me now... wow...

xoxo

I WON!!!!!

2011-04-06T23:22:00.005-04:00

No, not the lottery...I wish! LOL!

My scrappy idol and bloggy friend Stephanie Howell had a giveaway for a Gussy Sews mini baby bag/wristlet and a $20 gift certificate to their store on her blog and I WON!! Stephanie has been raving about their bags for a while and since I haven't been able to find a diaper bag that I like, I'm very excited :) I cannot wait till the store re-opens this weekend so I can shop!! Hee!!!

I'm starting to send out baby shower invites this week and we're working on the ongoing home improvements and baby preparations... I'm most excited about the wood floors we're installing in all the bedrooms. Whoohoo!!! Goodbye yucky carpets!!

And, as promised, here's a photo of my baby bump at 28 weeks...

My baby girl is growing pretty fast now. I am geting BIG!!! On Monday, we had an ultrasound and she was rolling around, playing with her toes, putting her hand and arm over her face and she even stuck her tongue out... This made the ultrasound tech laugh out loud with us! Our baby looks healthy and strong. What a blessing... :)

I'm back!!

2011-04-02T11:11:00.017-04:00

Wow, I hadn't realized how long it's been since my last post... I've been asked if all is well and the answer is YES!! Although I was really sick for a week (food poisoning and gastroenteritis) the week after I returned from Savannah, I am doing very well now. Then I had to get caught up at work, plus my pregnancy doesn't leave me with much energy in the evenings... and weekends? well, we've been out and about, planning home improvements (indoor and outdoor) and clearing out the guest room to get the baby's room ready. LOTS going on!!

And I only have THREE MONTHS left!!! Time flies, I tell ya! This weekend, I begin my 28th week and that means the start of my seventh month of pregnancy - the last trimester!! She's been moving a lot lately. She's very active, which I love, but she sometimes surprises me with a swift kick...or two...or three! LOL! I told Richard she's gonna be a maniac with his personality - ha! I guess I can be quite feisty, too! Teehee!

Speaking of Richard, today is his 41st birthday!!! He's thrilled to finally be getting ready to be a daddy and I know he will do great! I cannot believe we will be married 7 years this October. It doesn't seem that long at all. I love my Grumpy Smurf with all my heart!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Now let's talk about the nursery. I have been researching and changing my mind all the time, but I finally see it all coming together and I love how I'm imagining it will be. :)

We purchased this white Kendall crib from Pottery Barn Kids (it was on back-order so we wanted to be sure it got here when we needed it). The white at PB is not white - it's a creamy vanilla color but I like it!

This is the quilt I have picked out from Land of Nod. Click on the link to see the complete crib bedding ensemble.

I just found this rug at West Elm and I think it's perfect. I want to get it in 5x8:

I fell in LOVE with this pink butterfly mobile when my BFF and I visited the Pottery Barn Kids store in Merrick Park and I just know that my baby will love it! Hee!! I plan to hang it above the dresser/changing station so she can look at it while she gets a diaper change :)

I'm still debating on a side table to place next to the glider/rocker and so far this round flower table is the one I like... I was thinking pink at first but now I think the white will work best in the room... what do you think?

I had placed a chocolate brown rocker on my Land of Nod registry, but I was still looking at other options and then I saw this AWESOME nursery chair from Target that Kelly Rae posted on her blog and I think I am SOLD!! Hee! I love the vintage feel it has and it's chocolate/vanilla, which will match the existing wood blinds on the windows and the new wood floors we hope to install before our baby comes!

You can see all my registry items linked on the left side of my blog. If you're a mommy and you think I missed something, please let me know!! I'm new at this! Teehee! :)

Have a beautiful weekend!! I promise to post a baby bump picture next...

Just back from vacation :)

2011-02-28T17:15:00.010-05:00

And it was awesome!!! Just wished we had more time, but isn't that always the case?! Hee!

We were gone for 9 days. We started off by driving to Mount Dora, FL on Feb 18 for our annual weekend getaway to the Renninger's Antique Extravaganza. We were there Sat and Sun and we found a few good buys (it's basically a HUGE flea market). We love going there and although it was hot this year, we walked a LOT and don't forget that I am five months pregnant! Richard was like, "Aren't you tired yet?" LOL!

R actually bought our baby girl her first gift from daddy :) It's a little skunk figurine... it's quite special, you see. There is a significance to the skunk, as it reminds R of the time he spent living in Philly and his cousin who passed away and the little butterfly reminded him of me and the baby because I LOVE butterflies. Skunks are not easy to come by so this was a great find!! So happy to put it in her room.

We then drove 7 hours to Atlanta, GA to take care of some personal business. We (okay, Richard, not me) worked on our house there, painted and fixed a few things so it's now brand new and in move-in condition for the renter/buyer.

To my credit, I went to Home Depot TWICE and to the paint store and bought R everything he needed and I hate Home Depot! And I supervised his work :) The second day I rewarded myself with a trip to Archiver's, where I bought some new Echo Park For the Record paper, a white shadowbox frame, a pink AC album for baby layouts and some other goodies. In the evening we went to our ALL-TIME FAVE restaurant, McKinnon's Louisiane Cuisine (TWICE). Yum!!! I so wish this place was in Miami - or maybe not! The owner, Aziz, always remembers us when we stop by and it's such a treat to dine there. If you are ever in the Atlanta area, this is a must!!

On Wed morning, we headed to Savannah (YIPPEE!!), a four-hour drive from Atlanta. What can I say? Our four days there were magnificent. We stayed at the Mansion on Forsyth Park. We walked around the historic district, taking in all the picturesque squares and the natural beauty all around us.

We walked a lot, explored the city, dined at some delicious restaurants, took a trolley ride, hopped on a riverboat cruise, took a ghost tour, shopped, ate some more, you name it!

Here you can see a LITTLE bit of my baby belly - I'm definitely getting pretty BIG now and fast! I am 23 weeks along and I am starting to feel her move around a lot more... what an amazing experience!

Savannah is such a treasure. It's got this fun, artsy vibe, but it's also full of history and culture and southern charm. LOVED it!

We also got to stay in a restored house that was amazingly beautiful and comfortable. And it was in the heart of the historic district.

Before heading to Miami, we stopped at Tybee Island yesterday. It was a beautiful day, but the beach was packed with both locals and visitors so we didn't stay long.

I know we will definitely be back to Savannah, with a baby stroller :)

Have a great week!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2011-02-14T23:17:00.000-05:00

Hope you've had a wonderful day!! I enjoyed a nice dinner with my hubby and I got some new big and fuzzy bunny slippers :)

Lots going on over here...

I am 21 weeks pregnant already and I am feeling so happy and blessed. Praying that the next 19 or so weeks go smoothly and that my little baby is healthy and happy! I tell you, I am so excited to meet her!!! :) I can't wait!

Last week, my BFF and I had a fun girl's day out. I picked her up and we did some shopping and baby shower and gift registry planning. WOW, that was overwhelming but so fun. Hee!! I am starting to make lots of plans and preparations, beginning with the continuous process of clearing out our guest room to convert it to the baby's room. Purging, purging, purging!!! It feels so good to declutter the house.

My bloggy friend, Dawn, presented me with this award.

Now I am supposed to link back to the person who gave me the award, share 7 things about myself, pay it forward to 7 recently discovered bloggers, and share the news with them.

Here are 7 things about myself:

1 - I was a HUGE baby!! I found my hospital card that my mom saved in an album and it says I was 8 lbs 13 oz and measured 20.5 inches. YIKES!
2 - I have always wished I had a sister (thank God for BFF's).
3 - I think I will be the disciplinarian and my hubby will be the "fun" parent, but who knows. We can both be fun, right? Hee!
4 - I am very organized and I hate clutter. My family laughs at me sometimes because my home is so neat. The only place I have a mess/clutter is in my scrap room :)
5 - I will be married 7 years this October.
6 - My favorite color is yellow, but I also love green and red.
7 - I am craving fruit all the time, especially berries. YUM!!

Now I am passing this on to 7 ladies who inspire me (not necessarily newly discovered but very cool blogs!).

1 - My BFF, Ady, who is like my sister
2 - My scrappy idol, Stephanie Howell - love her craftiness and inspiring stories
3 - Ali Edwards, who makes scrapbooking so cool
4 - Suzanne Sergi - love her crafty projects
5 - Damaris Rios - scrappy diva under the influence
6 - Caryl Hope - so glad we've become friends through this hobby
7 - Maritza - a talented quilter, scrapbooker and sweet friend

Hope you pass this on ladies :) xoxo

Pregger's Brain: it DOES exist!

2011-02-03T11:17:00.005-05:00

It's been a crazy week!! We had to pack up our home last weekend so it could be tented for termites — oh yeah, that's one of the joys of living in the Sunshine State. You can get termites and then you need to treat the house. We opted to use Terminix instead of Orkin because we liked their service guarantee better and the rep was a nice, professional, knowledgeable guy (unlike the Orkin guy who was annoying and didn't even go inside of our attic to do a proper inspection!) who let me ask all the questions I wanted to. Trust me, you don't want to mess with a crazy Puerto Rican pregnant woman when she is worried about her baby's health and the security of her home while away. LOL!

Well, thankfully the treatment is over and my hubby has been back home getting things in order and airing everything out before I go back today. My honey bunny is such a wonderful man!!! He worries about me and takes good care of me and our little baby :)

In the midst of all this, I showed up for my monthly doctor's appointment and the receptionist couldn't find me in the system... She asked for my name again, my date of birth... nothing. I thought to myself, "That is so strange. I come here ALL the time. What is wrong with this woman?" I mean, of course my appointment is TODAY! Then she says she has me down for an appointment the following day... Really?! No, that's not right. I look for my little appointment card... then I find it!!! OOOPS!!! She was right. I totally messed up the days. I felt like an idiot, the hormones kicked into high gear and I started crying. I told her I'd be back the next day, but she offered to check with the nurse to see if my doctor could see me anyway. And my doctor did see me :) And I cried again when the doctor was doing my check-up even though there was no reason to cry. My doc was like, "Are you crying? Oh my, let me find you some tissues."

The nurse was very understanding and said that since I'm pregnant things like this are completely normal. But I have never been scatterbrained!! Heee!!! To make this even funnier, I actually had the correct appointment date on my planner and on my work calendar.

So yeah — pregger's brain is no myth ladies!!! I have more examples of this... I forget people's names, confuse myself, ask silly questions, you name it! As I am only 19.5 weeks, I am sure I will experience more of this during the second half of my pregnancy.

Have a wonderful day!

I want (NEED) this!

2011-01-26T20:30:00.004-05:00

Hi there,

I've been seeing some of the latest CHA releases and there are two scrapbook collections in particular that are going to find their way into my house very soon. LOL!

I cannot wait till they become available!

First up is Emma's Shoppe from Crate Paper (click on the link to see entire collection). It is perfect for little girls and absolutely divine :) Check out all this gorgeousness with vintage touches!!!

Click here for more sample projects (that printer's tray is adorable!).

The second collection that I will be getting is Countryside by Studio Calico. The color scheme, the embellishments, the wood veneer, notions and more are beautiful! (I'm having problems pasting the images on my blog but you can visit the links to view everything).

I'm also liking State Fair a LOT, but that one can wait a bit.

What do you think? Aren't these gorgeous? What CHA releases are your favorites so far?

P.S. I am 18.5 weeks pregnant!! Whoohoo!!!! Almost at the halfway point. A little swollen but doing well these days :)

One Little Word: FAITH

2011-01-18T13:02:00.006-05:00

Thank you SO MUCH for your sweet comments regarding my baby girl!!! Richard and I are OVER THE MOON!!! I am 17 weeks pregnant now so I am counting down to the 20-week midway point. Hee!!! Everyone says this time just flies by, but for me it has not. I am learning so much about life and about myself these days and worrying a LOT (but that's just me — I'm a worrywart!). Praying every day that all goes well. Trying to enjoy this time. I cannot wait till I feel the baby moving!! Should be any day now... :)

That brings me to my One Little Word. I chose a word that I want to focus on and reflect upon in 2011: FAITH. It wasn't the very first word I thought of. Since I am pregnant, I first thought of nest, nurture and grow. But they didn't seem right to me. Something didn't click. Then I started thinking about what's most important, what I am feeling and what is going to help me through this exciting, but sometimes trying time... What will help me get through the loneliness, the dark times and the journey ahead?

My FAITH, that's what.

I loved this quote that I found online: "Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark." - Rabindranath Tagore

And this one by Martin Luther King, Jr.: "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

Definition of FAITH
(Taken from Merriam-Webster online dictionary)

1
a : allegiance to duty or a person : loyalty
b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) : sincerity of intentions
2
a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion
b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust
3
a : something that is believed especially with strong conviction

I have faith that God will help me along on this journey.
I have faith that my parents and grandparents who have passed away are with me, guiding me and giving me strength when I don't feel very brave.
I have faith that I will make the right decisions and do the right thing during my pregnancy in order to stay healthy and strong for me and my baby.
I have faith that if today is not a good day, then tomorrow will be a better day.
I have faith that everything will be okay (even when I have my doubts!); that my angels are watching over us.
I have faith that this feeling of loneliness will eventually go away (that's the hardest part for me right now: not having parents or siblings to go to for support, for help, for encouragement).

My faith gives me the courage and will to thrive, to succeed, to be thankful, to be the best that I can be. Richard and I have a good life. We are truly blessed!

In 2011, FAITH will be my fortitude.

If you haven't heard of One Little Word, this is something created by the artist and author, Ali Edwards. Ali is so talented and so inspiring. Click here to read more about Ali's OLW idea. If you'd like to sign up for a cool OLW workshop, go to Big Picture Classes.

Enjoy your week!

Baby Girl or Baby Boy?

2011-01-13T22:12:00.008-05:00

I was going to blog about my One Little Word, but something came up...

Today, Richard and I went in for an ultrasound. I am 16 1/2 weeks now. They checked the baby up and down. We saw the brain, the kidneys, spinal cord, belly, fingers, legs, you name it :)

The baby is doing well and growing fast now. I was told the baby is 8 inches from head to toe. WOW!

So exciting. Such a blessing. So real.

And then the technician asked us, "Do you want to know the sex?"

I answered, "We're DYING to find out!"

So she checked. Richard thought he saw a penis and said, "It's a BOY. You could see it." I thought I saw something, too.

Hmmm...

The lady then checked and said, "Looks like a GIRL to me! There's nothing hanging out there so I am pretty confident that it's a GIRL."

And she zoomed in and we saw her private parts and then I realized it really does look like a GIRL.

My beautiful baby girl. The baby girl my Mom always talked about before she passed away. My little angel girl.

How lucky are we? I'm thrilled and excited and just praying that I stay healthy and strong throughout this pregnancy and that our baby is healthy. I have a lot of faith and that faith gets me through each and every day...

6.2 miles

2011-01-11T14:47:00.006-05:00

That, my friends, is the distance I can walk now (again!) and it feels GOOD. Before I got pregnant, my hubby and I would go walking often and we would walk 4-6 miles — usually in Key Biscayne, but sometimes we like to change it up a bit.

Then I got pregnant.

And, well, I did NOT feel so good. OK, let me be honest... I still do NOT feel so good!!!

I'm tired/sleepy, achy, nauseous and cranky most of the time. But I've tried to keep walking, even if it's just 2 or 3 miles, depending on how I feel and what my energy level is on any given day.

Last week, I was back up to 6 miles. Yippeee!!!

I am looking into prenatal exercise classes now to see what else I can do to try to keep myself healthy and not gain too much weight. I am especially interested in prenatal yoga and I have a contact that a friend gave me that looks promising so I'm excited! Wish me luck and say a little prayer for me and my little one :) Pretty please? I need it!!!

On a different note, I chose my One Little Word for 2011 and I will blog about that very soon... I've also been working on my December Daily album (at a snail's pace) and I am up to Day 21 (4 more days to go!). Photos to come soon. Promise.

2010 Christmas in Pictures

2010-12-31T11:42:00.015-05:00

I hope you had a beautiful Christmas with your loved ones. We had quite an eventful holiday, but it was wonderful. I love that we get to do so much and see so many people from BOTH sides of our families.

(I know I keep saying this, but I just wish that my Mami and my Mom were still here!!! I miss them soooo much!!!)

The best gift (other than this baby of course!) was having Roxana home for the holidays. We were completely and utterly surprised to find her at her parents home on Dec. 20. WOW!!! Richard cried so much when he saw his sister. I cried, too! (In fact, writing this makes me all teary-eyed again.) Roxana has been gone for two years. She's been cloistered in a monastery with Carmelite nuns who are not allowed to go out and have any contact with family. When we visit, we see her in her nun outfit (or penguin suit, as we say jokingly!) through some metal bars. It's been very tough for her family, but this is the life she has chosen. For whatever reason, she was allowed to leave and she is here with us for THREE months! She wants to go back, but I pray that she stays. Not because I don't want her to be a nun, but because I don't want her to be a cloistered nun. I want her to do what she feels is right, but we want her to share with her family. When her grandma was critically ill in the hospital, we couldn't even reach Roxana to let her know -- and if we had reached her, she wouldn't have been allowed to visit the hospital anyway. Thankfully, Abuela Meri is home and doing well.

Here is a photo of Roxana and Richard the day she came home.

And here she is with her mom on the right and her grandma on her left (and her grandma's sisters).

Christmas Eve was very nice. I was happy to have my Titi Mae and Jorge join us at my in-laws' house. I love spending time with them and I cherish our family time.

After dinner, they were caught red-handed in the dessert section (heee!).

Here's our self-portrait for the evening...

And family photos by the beautiful Christmas tree...

On Christmas morning, we had our traditional BIG breakfast with my family. I baked two quiches, bought some ham and cheese, clementines, hummus with pita chips and some cheese danishes from Starbucks. Titi Mae got bagels from Einstein's, pate, and she baked a delicious cheese artichoke dip. YUM!!!

Then we opened presents...

And some family members went to bed and passed out afterward (I won't mention any names!)

Richard and I headed to my in-laws house next, where they dressed up the dogs (I got this doggy dress at the Target Dollar Spot for $2.50).

Then we opened presents...

Richard's grandma seemed to really like the soft cuddly throw we got her!

And we got a good laugh at my father-in-law and Richard's uncle FLASHING us with their awesome new robes!

My BFF was sick with a cold so we couldn't visit them this year since I am pregnant and all. Teehee! But we did get to go to Richard's cousin's house. They made a delicious dinner and this beautiful flan.

Oh, and by the way, my chocolate ganache cheesecake was a HIT!! My family and Richard's family loved it! In fact, my hubby said I "outdid" myself. Hmmm...

We ended the night watching Roxana sing some religious music and play the guitar. I missed seeing her play music. She's gotten really good! Richard joined in and sang with her. I LOVE this photo of the two of them...

I am finally working on my December Daily album -- after a brief scrapbooking hiatus during my first trimester! I still cannot stand the smell of my scrap room, but I actually have the urge (and need) to be creative so I am plugging along! I am on Day 16. I will post photos soon...

I guess I should have warned you about this loooong post at the beginning! But if you made it this far, I just want to say THANK YOU to all who left me sweet comments on my previous post and to those of you who come to visit my blog and leave me comments. I truly appreciate you!!!

Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR filled with love, health and happiness!!!

A Christmas Blessing

2010-12-24T09:54:00.006-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE my friends!!!

I hope you are all enjoying the holidays and cherishing each moment. I know it can get so crazy this time of year, but for me it's still the MOST wonderful time by far. It's all about sharing, caring and giving (with a few in a hurry, rude Miamians thrown in for good measure!). I love spending time with my family (even though I miss my departed loved ones the most during the holidays and it's just not the same without them!); I love the cool Miami weather (yeah, it's 67 degrees! Whoohoo!); and all the shopping, decorating, music, baking and eating, too!

Although I must admit this year has me feeling a bit less energetic (to put it mildly). All my decorations are NOT up, Christmas cards just went out on Monday, Richard and I wrapped gifts last night till 1 am, and I am only baking one batch of sweets this year...

Why am I feeling tired, nauseous and grossed out by red meat? Lightheaded, not enjoying the smell of my scrap room/studio, and craving chocolate milk and starches? Plain cheese pizza, rice and beans, bagels with cream cheese -- bring it on! For the record, I am also having a love affair with fruit right now.

Well, you see, Richard and I have been truly blessed...

And we're expecting a little Vanessa or a little Richard (no worries -- that won't be her/his name!) in late June.

I am 13.5 weeks along.

Lots of emotions going through my heart and mind right now. It's been an emotional roller coaster ride with all these hormones raging. So much excitement. So very blessed. So many questions. Missing my loved ones. Trying to stay healthy. Changing priorities. Seeking strength and faith to guide me along this wonderful journey. Not knowing who to lean on sometimes.

So that's the BIG NEWS that I couldn't wait to share with everyone!!! And the second reason (other than LOTS of work!) why I haven't been blogging as much lately. :)

But I am feeling a little better and looking forward to counting my blessings this holiday season. Life is good.

Merry Christmas!

Book Launch Party

2010-12-17T18:24:00.011-05:00

I know that I have been missing from the blog world for a few weeks, but I have good reasons to have been MIA. One of the reasons will remain a "secret" for a bit longer (check back in a couple of days!), but the other reason is work. Lots of work. Did I mention work? It's been a busy and challenging year trying to get all our publications out on time. This week, we finally released the four final magazines for 2010. But none of our pubs can compare to this one.

After almost three years planning and developing the concept, researching, writing, designing, producing and printing this baby, it's FINALLY here! I present to you "The Exile Experience: Journey to Freedom," a book we published in partnership with Emilio Estefan and Estefan Enterprises.

It's a one-of-a-kind, coffee table book that chronicles the pain and suffering that Cuban Americans have endured in search of freedom. It also celebrates their achievements after arriving in America. It includes historic images from many sources, including The Miami Herald Archives, and tells the personal stories of many. There are three versions: Freedom Flights, Pedro Pan and Mariel (each one lists the names of all Cubans that arrived here during that time period).

I have to tell you, the book looks AWESOME in person (and I'm not just saying that because I worked on it!) It just came together beautifully. The editorial and design team worked day and night, even weekends, sometimes till 1 am to meet deadlines. But we did it! I am so proud to work with such talented and dedicated individuals!

The big launch event took place this past Tuesday at the Freedom Tower in Downtown Miami. We had a VIP guest list and a limited number of books for sale. Emilio Estefan was on hand to autograph books and talk to everyone.

Richard joined me for some photo ops. He has read most of the book already and he really likes it. Trust me, that's a huge deal. I may not be Cuban, but my hubby is and he is as honest as they come. He is my biggest supporter but also my critic at times. Okay, maybe he had ONE complaint. LOL!

Many people from our company attended. Folks from all areas that worked on this book and it was a great feeling to see it so well received by many.

The book is on sale online at www.MiamiHerald.com/exile and you can still get it before Christmas so hurry up and order! It costs $34.95 plus shipping and handling. You can also pick it up at some CVS Pharmacy locations (and save on shipping) in Miami starting tomorrow (see website for locations). In 2011, we will expand the distribution, but we wanted to make it available here in Miami in time for Christmas.

If you're in South Florida, there will also be extensive coverage of the book in The Miami Herald's Sunday paper.

Now that the book has launched, I look forward to some much-needed R&R and to spending the holidays celebrating with loved ones...

I'll be back soon with more exciting news! :) Merry Christmas my friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T11:40:00.005-05:00

Thank you so much for the get well wishes and the support... I love reading the comments you all leave me :)

I am feeling much better now. Still a bit "nasally" but doing a LOT better so that's great!

I took the day off yesterday and did some shopping. I can't tell you how good it felt to go out and get things accomplished, not to mention the wee bit of shopping I did at Pottery Barn. Hee!! I bought a beautiful basket to display my mini albums, a vintage-looking ornament for an upcoming ornament swap with friends, some musical note paper pieces in the shape of stars for my glass bowl, and one or two other little things.

I bravely battled the loooong winding line at Honey Baked Ham to pick up my online order and except for one woman who was fighting and acting like her misplaced ham was her firstborn child, all went well. The police were even there keeping order. LOL!

Last night, I did some baking.

I baked two pumpkin pies and some Pumpkin Pecan Dessert Squares using this yummy Pumpkin Butter from Williams-Sonoma.

Now I am going to finish up with a Dutch Apple Pie - YUM! Then it's off to my aunt's house followed by Richard's parents house later tonight.

Happy Thanksgiving and many blessings to all!!

Still Alive (barely)

2010-11-17T21:54:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I am exaggerating just a bit but that's how I am feeling right now! Just wanted to check in and let you know that I am indeed alive and I'll be back blogging and sharing creative projects with you very soon...

But right now I am coming out of a REALLY BUSY season at work. I'm talking LATE nights and weekends, too! Making several deadlines, the most pressing of which ended just yesterday. It's an exciting project and I'll be sure to share the details of the book we're publishing very soon (in fact, it will be for sale!) I'm somewhat relieved that the worst of it has ended, but it seems that these days work just gets busier and busier. Don't get me wrong -- I know I should be HAPPY to have a job in this economy and I am, but it's been very tough this year!! I am looking forward to hopefully getting back to a somewhat "normal" work schedule in the coming days as we approach the holidays.

During all of this madness, it seems my body gave up on me and said, "I've had enough!" After getting home around 10 pm on Monday night, I came down with a horrible cold/flu that has had me bedridden for two days. Yesterday, I managed to work from home and get myself out of bed to review and approve some layouts that were being released to the printer, but today I did nothing but rest... and I am still feeling pretty sick!!

So that's where I have been and I am looking forward to feeling better, coming back to blog land and creating something really soon!!! (I can't wait!)

Until then, I'll leave you with a sneak peek at the Dec Studio Calico kit. These are the exclusive SC papers and some more papers that Sassafras has created exclusively for this month's kit. I'm so excited!!

Back to bed I go (with sniffles and all)...

WINNER!!!!

2010-11-09T22:26:00.006-05:00

Good evening my bloggy friends :)

I've been working so much lately and I've been so tired that I can hardly blog these days, but that will change soon (hopefully!)... Work should calm down a bit come next week.

I used the random number generator on Random.org to select a number between 1 and 7 and it chose 4. It took me forever to figure out how to add the screen image from Random.org onto this post because I couldn't figure out how to create a screen shot on a PC to save my life... It's so easy on a Mac! LOL!

Anyway, the 4th comment was from Caryl Hope! CONGRATS Caryl!!! Please send me an email with your mailing address and I will ship your print out to you by next week. :)

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Oh, one more thing! Have you seen the new SLICE Fabrique? It's so cool!!!

I don't sew, but this is super cool and maybe I would actually use this to create fabric embellies for my layouts and projects... Love this! Check out these awesome projects on Laura Vegas's blog.

I'm off to catch some zzz's...

I'm baaaack... with a giveaway!

2010-11-03T22:07:00.004-04:00

The Halloween party was soooo much fun (and a LOT of work!)! Everyone had a great time and we got to see many friends and family that we hadn't seen in a while. And Richard's haunted house was a HUGE hit -- even though he didn't have the time to create and build everything exactly as he wanted! Maybe next year :) Now that we have the foundation down and ideas to work with, I can definitely see us doing this again next year and taking it to the next level. Hee!

I will share some Halloween photos with you soon, but right now they're still in my camera...

October was a great month, but it's over now and I'm ready to embrace November and all that it brings :) To celebrate the holiday season, I'm giving away a beautiful print created by an artist that I really like. This is Kelly Rae Roberts' Silent Emotion. I thought I'd share this with someone who will enjoy having it up on their wall. It's an 8x8 print matted to fit an 11x14 frame. Click here for more info.

Oh, and it comes signed by the artist with a certificate of authenticity.

If you'd like to win this print, please leave me a comment on this post telling me what your favorite holiday tradition is... I'll select a winner on Monday!

For now, I'll leave you with a peek at my 2010 December Daily album cover, which I am really excited about this year.

Halloween Banner

2010-10-25T21:08:00.008-04:00

Last week, I completed this banner for our upcoming Halloween party. In the meantime, it's hanging above the French doors in my family room. This was a fun project to make! (Click on each image to view larger!)

I used old Scenic Route papers from my stash, as well as some new paper that we got at SPARK from My Mind's Eye. I created a template and cut up cardboard banner shapes to mount each patterned paper so that my banner wouldn't be too flimsy. I painted the edges of each one with Claudine Hellmuth black paint. I also painted the large corrugated letters black and covered each one with black and purple glitter that I mixed together.

I wanted each letter to stand out and read well so I mounted each one on a large orange or green scalloped circle (from Archiver's and Stampin' Up). Then I punched a smaller scallop circle out of my leftover patterned paper and glued the letters onto that. I kept the embellies pretty simple, with some pumpkins, spiders, a bat, a cat and some words.

It's strung on a garland and I attached rubber skeletons to each end! Hope you like my "SPOOKY" banner! :)

I also made some treat bags for the kids that will be attending our Halloween party.

And I bought these sticker labels and attached them to straws to make fun signs that I will place on the buffet table.

Happy Halloween week to all! More fall goodness (and a giveaway) coming up soon!

Six years

2010-10-23T09:23:00.002-04:00

Today we celebrate our sixth wedding anniversary and I cannot believe how quickly the time has passed!

He is indeed my soul mate and he makes me happy. I mean, yeah, he gets on my nerves sometimes -- don't all men get on their wives' nerves? LOL! Us women, we're perfect... we never criticize, nag or annoy our husbands. Nah! We're always right. Men just cannot see it. :) Well, I love my honey bunny even when we drive each other crazy and there's nobody else I would rather be with (or annoy!). He's still the one for me, the one I adore, the one I cherish, the one who loves me unconditionally. He has a heart of gold, a silly (and stubborn) personality, a fun and adventurous spirit, and he's always looking to help others -- not to mention he always wants me to be happy!

I love you, Richard, and I am looking forward to spending a lifetime loving you (and driving you crazy as you do me!). Who knows what blessings the next year will bring! You mean so much to me. Forever and always. Te amo.

Birthday Recap!

2010-10-19T22:32:00.006-04:00

First of all, thank you so very much for all the well wishes on my birthday! I really appreciate it. It meant a lot to me :)

As you probably gathered from my last post, I started out the day very sad... in fact, my wonderful hubby went out and brought back these beautiful flowers for me and I broke down and started crying! He couldn't understand why and that's when (in between sobs) I explained that I miss my Mami and my Mom and I so wish they were still here to celebrate another year of my life... it just always gets to me, especially on special days like this! :(

I told my family and BFF's that I wanted to go to my favorite restaurant, CVI.CHE 105 in Downtown Miami. I had already introduced most of them to this wonderful Peruvian place, but for a few, it was their first time and I think they're hooked! LOL! We had a group of 12 and we ate -- a lot! It was all about the food! YUM!

I spent a wonderful evening with family... here's my step dad and I (doesn't he look great? I am so happy that he has done so well after chemo and all!) I love him so much!

And these are my sweet aunts (my Mom's sisters), who hold a part of my heart!

My BFF and her hubby -- so lucky to have them in our lives!!!

My awesome honey bunny who made my birthday very special indeed!

I also opened some presents :) I received everything on my wish list... My mother-in-law bought me the 7Gypsies photo carousel. My honey got me LOTS of goodies, including a Ruche gift certificate and some milk glass planters I wanted. Here I am with my fab new Fuji Instax mini camera from my BFF -- love it!!!

There are so many other photos, but I just included a few here for you to see...

I am a lucky girl and I am truly BLESSED...

I'll be back soon with my finished Halloween banner!!!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!!

2010-10-16T09:32:00.005-04:00

Today is 10.16.10. My birthday! :)

It's funny because I have had a hellish week at work. In fact, I was going to do a layout about one "very bad, no good, horrible, stinking day" because it was so bad. And I felt down, a bit depressed. Maybe it was because I was thinking about my parents and grandparents and missing them soooo very much! I still cannot believe that I have no Mami and Papi. No Mom either. I just cannot comprehend that. It makes me so sad... even on happy days like this!

I don't want to make this a depressing post and I don't want to cry either so let's move on...

What's on the agenda for today? A few errands, some ME time and a wonderful dinner outing with family and my bestie.

If I am lucky, maybe I can even scrapbook (or work on my Halloween banner) since I haven't had some crafty time in so long!!!

And here's 5 things you may not know about me (just for fun!):

1 - My fave color these days is YELLOW
2 - The name Vanessa means butterfly (which I LOVE)
3 - I dislike pickles (cannot even stand the smell!)
4 - My fave cake is strawberry shortcake (but I am craving banana cream pie today!)
5 - Sometimes I wish I lived in a place with mountains and fall colors

But, most importantly, I AM BLESSED.

Have a wonderful weekend!!! I'll be back soon to share photos!!!

Halloween Projects & Ideas

2010-10-12T19:38:00.009-04:00

This year my hubby has decided to throw a BIG Halloween party complete with a haunted house and all. Yes, he's transforming his parents two-car garage into a haunted house. It's a huge amount of work and I cannot believe he's taking on such a massive project, but he's realllllly excited about it! He's always LOVED Halloween, but it's never really been too big a deal for me. I mean, I like to dress up and hang out with our friends. We've even gone Trick or Treating with our friends' kids. Last year, I made my first ever Halloween mini album.

But this year is different. This year my hubby's excitement has rubbed off on me! I've helped with some ideas for the haunted house. I took the hubby shopping at the dollar store (wow - you can find soooo many cool things for a buck!). I'm making a Halloween banner, filling some treat bags with candy for the kids and I may even do another fun craft project! Teehee! Stay tuned!

I've seen some awesome things all around the internet and I thought I'd share some of my favorites. I found a lot of these projects through the Scrapbook Trends magazine newsletter.

Kerri Bradford created this Halloween kit to be used with the 7Gypsies Printer's Tray below. Each piece is perfectly sized to fit inside each cubbie. LOVE this project!

And here's a cool FREE Halloween digi kit by Jen Allyson that you can download for your layouts or other projects :)

And check out these cool 4x6 bingo cards for Fall from Designer Digitals! :)

I think I will be getting one of these for our Halloween party! These are Halloween labels you can resize and print out to use on just about anything -- even scrapbook layouts!

These Poisonous Labels are by Sande Krieger

And these Haunted Labels are by Rhonna Farrer for House of Three

And last but not least, I love all the Halloween projects that Suzanne Sergi is creating. Here's a look at one of them -- a ghosts and goblins frame!

I hope this inspires you to create a spooky Halloween project! Have fun and please do share your projects with me!

Blog Redesign & Wish List

2010-10-08T13:26:00.009-04:00

Isn't my blog pretty!? I LOVE it!! :)

I started with an idea: something simple with vintage flair.

Then I asked around and my search led me to Kristina Proffitt from Blog Designs by Two Happy Mamas. I chose one of their pre-designed backgrounds (the light blue damask), used a vintage doily kit from House of 3 to create my banner and post divider, and we customized some "happy art" elements to finish it off... (sounds simple, but it wasn't! LOL!)

You'll notice I also have a typewriter font that's used on my banner, blog posts and for my signature. Across the top of the blog, you'll find links to my creative space (office/scrap room), some layouts and my music play list.

I cannot say enough positive things about Kristina. She was AWESOME! So enthusiastic, sweet, friendly, professional and patient. Hee! Since I work in the design and editorial field, I wanted everything a certain way (yeah, I am a little anal!) and she stuck with me until we got it to my liking :) What a trooper! Kristina ROCKS!! I highly recommend her if you are looking to redo your blog. The only thing is that you'll have to wait a little bit because she's about to have a baby and is taking a little time off right now. She's worth the wait though!

Now on to a different topic: my upcoming birthday! :)

I love October because I get to celebrate both my birthday and wedding anniversary. My hubby has been struggling because he doesn't know what present to get me (he likes to surprise me!) and I keep telling him to "Check my blog!" Why do men not get it? LOL! After all, I always have a running list of things I want under my wish list sidebar... I think the only one that ever checks my wish list is my BFF (thanks, Ady!). In any case, it's the thought that counts and I know that I will love anything he gives me... (I love you, honey!)

But since we're on that topic and I like to include pretty pictures on my posts, here are some things that I like:

Fujifilm Instax Mini Camera (Chocolate)
This cute camera shoots small polaroids that are perfect for my crafting projects and the quality of the photos are really good! I also love the instant gratification.

7 Gypsies Artist Trading Card Display
I wanted one for a while but I didn't know what to do with it... Then I saw a project that Elizabeth Kartchner did where she simply used Instax photos and displayed them on here. Love that idea!

Faux Leather Strap Handle Tote - Large Black
I need one (or two) of these to finish organizing my IKEA Expedit bookcase. I will likely use these for punches and/or kits. (sorry for the tiny photo!)

Chance Meeting Necklace
Yes, I know this is an expensive item... BUT it makes me so very happy :) I just love all the details on it. The butterflies, silk, embroidery, beads... the handmade nature of it! It's so pretty!

Capture Life Necklace
Here's another cute, less-expensive necklace that caught my eye...

And who wouldn't be happy with a gift certificate from Studio Calico or Ruche?

So my honey-bunny, if you're reading this, I hope this gives you some idea of what I would like :) Heehee!!!

Happy Friday!

Happy October!!!

2010-10-05T21:02:00.004-04:00

***NOTE***Please pardon the dust. I am in the midst of a blog makeover so pretty soon you will see the whole thing in all its glory... (Isn't it coming out awesome though? I'm so excited!) But for now, it's a work in progress :)

October is here. The days are getting a bit cooler (okay, at least not as steaming hot as last month!), Halloween is near and fall is in full swing... I just wish I could see the changing leaves! :( It's also my birthday month! Yeah! And so I felt it was okay to do a little online shopping. I visited Ruche and I picked up this blouse:

And this necklace:

And today I wore my lovely, big, beautiful bib necklace from Miss Ruby Sue that I bought after seeing her amazing creations at SPARK. This necklace makes me happy :) (Sorry for the grainy iPhone mirror pictures!)

That's all for today! Be back soon...

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

On the Easel

2010-10-01T22:35:00.004-04:00

The weekend is finally here! Hooray!!! What a loooooong week it's been. Too much stress at work with deadlines and more deadlines and a gazillion magazines and books to complete.

But looking at this beauty makes me forget about that stress :) This is the Studio Calico October kit, On the Easel, which is still available by the way. I LOVE it!! I cannot wait to play with it (sometime in 2011! LOL! Just kidding!)

I bought this add-on, Watercolor (sorry! it's sold out!), because of all the goodies in it. I especially loved the Seaside papers, that dot stamp and the banners.

And then after I looked through the sneak peeks posted by the design team (specifically, Stephanie Howell), I caved and just had to buy a second add-on, En Plein Air (still available!) Those yellows are calling out to me!! Yeah!

On a different note, "Operation Get Rid of Stuff" continues... Here's just some of the stuff I emptied out of my scrap room. Now I will organize it all for an upcoming garage sale and start with other rooms in the house. Fun, fun! It will all be worth it in the end.

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Time to purge | Layouts to share

2010-09-26T00:33:00.004-04:00

Hi my friends!

I spent most of the day going through stuff in my scrap room/office (it's an all-purpose room!) and I feel like I made more of a mess than anything! LOL! I had stuff all over the place and it even went out into the hallway. It's still pretty messy, but I just felt like taking the room apart and going through all my stuff and purging. I just have this need to declutter my entire house! And so I started this week and have not even gotten to the other rooms yet... which sucks because all I want to do is finish so I can do some FUN stuff, like edit photos from SPARK and from my vacation and scrapbook!!! (Oh well, hopefully soon!)

Anyway, since I have scrapbooking on my mind, here are a few layouts I made before leaving on vacation last month. I scraplifted these from the July Jenny Bowlin gallery :)

This first one was lots of fun because I got to play with some Maya Road mist and I loved it! These pics are from Lake Tahoe in May.

This was a photo of a rainbow that my hubby shot in our neighborhood.

And these are pics that I took with my iPhone on one of our Sunday walks in Key Biscayne. It was such a lovely day!

So I am thinking I should plan a blog giveaway for October since I am purging my scrappy stuff... and it is, after all, my birthday month!!! Stay tuned!!! Hee!

P.S. I am looking for someone who can help me redesign my blog header/background so if you know of anyone, please leave me a comment! I want something that reflects my style, something with a little vintage flair. Thx :)

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

SPARK Part 3

2010-09-20T20:29:00.012-04:00

Happy Monday :) I'm back with more SPARK goodness!!! The photo above was some doodling that Rhonna Farrer did on the side of the building where SPARK was held... so beautiful and so fun :)

One of our core classes was on photography and it was taught by the amazing Wendy Whitacre of Blue Lily Photography. I loved her personality, her patience and that she took the time to teach us a few techniques and challenged us along the way.

She set up some practice stations and we got to play a little bit while in class...

And we were asked to bring a special keepsake to photograph so I brought this pendant that I purchased at the Dear Lizzie Boutique the day before...

This is my BFF trying to figure out her camera settings...

Wendy also gave us these adorable little booklets she made (which were strung above us with clothespins). They looked so pretty!

I know that I've said this a gazillion times, but I LOVED this event! SPARK really inspired me to think creatively, to take a chance, to reach for the stars!

***

SIDENOTE: Just wanted to let you know about a great giveaway on the Evalicious website.

Eve makes the most amazing art journals and other goodies so be sure to check it out! :)

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

SPARK Part 2

2010-09-16T21:23:00.011-04:00

I had the pleasure of meeting some wonderfully talented celebrities! Here's Heidi Swapp (a surprise guest who actually popped in for Janet's class and we had fun with her) and the very sweet Janet Hopkins from House of 3. (I played a little with the digi kit that we got for Rhonna Farrer's class! That's where the border came from.)

Here we are with the awesome Margie - what a funny gal!

I'm in LOVE with her Second Sister custom necklace and I.want.one.so.bad.

Lizzie was so nice and sweet -- not to mention absolutely beautiful!!

In my first post, I mentioned how uber talented Mindy Gledhill is... well, I cannot say enough positive things about her warm personality, her uplifting spirit, her beautiful lyrics. After the concert, Ady and I asked Collin (Lizzie's funny hubby) to take our pic. And we asked Mindy to sign her sheet music for us. I've been listening to her CD since I left SPARK and I LOVE it! :)

I really loved all our classes. From left to right: 1- We got to make one of these fabric chandeliers. Mine is not yet finished, but the hard part is done. I just need to embellish it... we could have stayed in this class with Margie for a couple more hours but we had to leave! 2- We learned all about wet felting with Emily Falconbridge and I made this colorful, neck scarf (which my hubby thinks is very odd! LOL!). I finished mine in class, but I haven't taken a photo of it yet. 3- This is a beautiful flower brooch that we made in Janet's class and this one is the one I created :) Isn't it pretty? You can pin it on your clothes or clip it somewhere... How fun!

There's more projects, but I haven't taken photos yet!

Of course, no trip to the area would be complete without a shopping spree at the Dear Lizzie Boutique... we had so much fun! My BFF had to drag me out of there! Teehee!

...and CUPCAKES galore!!! These are from SPARK and Dear Lizzie Bistro!

And did I mention how amazing the decor was??? WOW. It was surreal.

These ladies outdid themselves. SPARK was magical!

One more post to go! Hope you don't get tired of all my SPARK pics :)

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

I'm SPARKED!!!

2010-09-15T11:01:00.019-04:00

This past weekend, I was blessed with the opportunity to spend a couple of days with some lovely women from all over the country — and beyond! They sure did SPARK my creativity!!! I laughed, I cried and I had a blast!

I was so concerned about leaving town because my hubby has a kidney stone and he was in pain. I hated leaving him, but thankfully he felt fine during the time I was away...

SPARK No. 2 was such a magical and special event, unlike any other creative event that I've been to. Elizabeth Kartchner, Rhonna Farrer and Margie Romney-Aslett are the creative souls behind SPARK, with the help of some very special friends and family. They are all three tremendously talented and so inspiring. In fact, I found myself teary-eyed just by watching the welcome video they played. It touched me! (I can't wait to get my completed SPARK video in the mail!!! Of course, I pre-ordered it! Teehee!!)

This event lifted my spirits, taught me so many creative techniques and inspired me to want to create something (too bad I haven't found the time yet! LOL!)

The decor was breathtaking! There were so many gorgeous details outside, in every room, on the walls and ceilings, on the tables, around every corner. It was definitely a sight to behold when you entered the main hall. All I can say is WOW.

We even had our picture inside a mason jar so we would know where to sit -- they moved us around so we could make new friends...

If I had to sum it up, I would say that SPARK was pure magic and I am so happy to have had this experience with my favorite SPARK sister, my partner in crime, my BFF, my conscience (when I'm spending too much! Teehee!) — Ady. That made this even more special for me.

We also met some lovely ladies, including Kris and Kim, identical twins who host a cool crafty website called The DIY Dish; Nancy, a fun and friendly lady who offered to take a photo of us when we didn't have our camera handy; Janelle, who runs a scrappy kit club in Indiana called Midnight Rooster; April Meeker from Second Sister, an amazing artist and jewelry designer; Jasmine, a friendly gal who we loved chatting with; and many more!!!

It was definitely a memorable experience that I will cherish. I told my hubby that it was much more than just a creative retreat — SPARK was all-around amazing. The ambience, the food, shopping at the Dear Lizzie Boutique, the teachers, the classes... loved it!!! We did very little scrapbooking, which is what I do mostly, and I liked that. Instead, I learned about digital techniques, photography, wet felting, canvas art and more. When we did scrapbook, I learned new stuff, like how to make some adorable paper and fabric flowers with Lizzy.

Oh!!!! And did I happen to mention that we were treated to an incredible concert outdoor in the garden??? The sweet, uber-talented, beautiful Mindy Gledhill sang some songs for us from her latest CD, Anchor. If you are not familiar with Mindy's music, you don't know what you're missing! Go check out her website and listen to her music and download it from iTunes :) She was awesome!!! More on this in my next post...

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Back from vacation...

2010-09-07T23:03:00.005-04:00

Hello my friends!

In case you've been wondering, I returned last week from an amazing, fun-filled, action-packed, adventurous vacation. Yep, no rest for us! We were gone for a while and we came back exhausted and jet lagged. But boy was it worth it! It's been a crazy busy week unpacking, cleaning, editing photos, working, visiting family, etc... so that's why I haven't blogged. I haven't had a chance to go through all our photos yet, but here's just a little taste of one of our favorite parts of the trip: Rafting in the Colorado River at the base of the Grand Canyon. :)

Yes, that was just one gush of nice, muddy river water coming right at us. LOL! I'll share more photos in the weeks ahead.

I'm off traveling again this week. This time with my BFF. We're heading to Utah for SPARK, where we'll see Elizabeth Kartchner, Margie Romney-Aslett, Emily Falconbridge and more... it will be a fun girls getaway... hee! Photos to come...

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Preparing My Vacation Album

2010-08-21T03:38:00.003-04:00

I wanted to share my process of documenting my vacation. I love planning it out and putting together the "guts" of the album where my photos and layouts will eventually be inserted. I'm so excited! I cannot wait to come back with tons of photos to place inside my album and to scrap :)

Here's a peek at what I am doing.

I am using an embroidered American Crafts album in black. I will likely choose one favorite photo to place inside the cover window.

Then I am using this Panorama map paper as the opening page. My plan is to highlight the route we take on our road trip (we're driving through at least seven states). Behind that, I will insert a scrapbook layout.

My original plan was to use the Becky Higgins album from Project Life, but I was disappointed to discover that the album is larger than my American Crafts 12x12 D-ring binders so it doesn't even fit inside my IKEA bookcase. :( I think I am going to use some of the cards that came in the kit as graphic elements throughout the album and I LOVE the page protectors that came with it so those are going in my album as well. I can mix my photos with a few of these cool cards. I'm still deciding on that...

I also have my standard 6-up photo sleeves that I love (my favorite are the ones from We R Memory Keepers because the quality is phenomenal - not flimsy like some other brands). I use lots of these to slide in photos from my trip. Then all the layouts I create just fit in between all the photo sleeves.

I love this system! I've been doing this for the last three big annual vacations we've taken (Spain, BVI, Puerto Rico) and now our USA road trip and it works great. This way I actually get my vacation albums finished, which is great... and that makes my hubby very happy! Teehee!

Here's a link to a post I did a while back showing my completed Spain album.

I am hoarding my July Studio Calico kit, Continental, as well as my SC Documentary papers because I think they will be perfect to document our amazing vacation.

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Sketchbook Class: Day 3

2010-08-08T22:39:00.006-04:00

Hi my friends!

Well, I hope you had a nice weekend! I've been quite a busy little bee :) I have been running around all weekend buying stuff for my upcoming trip, running errands, preparing stuff and visiting with friends and family.

Yesterday afternoon I got to spend some time with two of my favorite people: Barb and Esther (oh and Suzy, too! Hee!). We hung out at Barb's house, chatted a while and attempted to scrap (although I feel like I just trimmed some paper and moved the pieces around. LOL!) I also enjoying petting and playing with Suzy, the sweet Beagle.

Actually, I was working on a little mini album with photos of the awesome weekend that hubby and I spent in the Keys back in June. I was inspired by the Stories of Summer series on Ali Edwards' blog (particularly Molly Irwin's mini idea). I am using some goodies from my stash along with the June Partly Sunny kit from Studio Calico (which, by the way, is a lovely kit and still available!). Here's a peek at my cover.

I also managed to make ONE layout with a couple of photos from that same trip. I used the Sketchbook Class Day 3 sketch for this one. Simple and summery. I felt like it still needed something when I finished with it, but I really like the graphic elements on these patterned papers.

I have a big week ahead of me at work with client visits and budgets in full swing! So here's hoping you have a wonderful, fun-filled, stress-free week...

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Sketchbook Class: Day 2

2010-08-05T23:10:00.002-04:00

Hello again! I've enjoyed receiving these sketches from Kelly Purkey and being inspired with the sample layouts provided. I'm finding it easy to just take the sketch and make it my own with the flexibility to add or eliminate some of the elements as I create my layout.

And I am loving some of the layouts that SC members are posting :)

Here's my second sketch layout of the week (I gotta take advantage of the time I have at home before I leave on vacation!) Again, I used the Echo Park Sweet Summertime collection.

Thanks for stopping by!

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Sketchbook Class with Kelly Purkey

2010-08-03T21:41:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was the first day of my Sketchbook Class with Kelly Purkey and the Studio Calico Design Team and I love it! I got my first sketch in my in box and I was inspired to create something last night.

I love that I can go at my own pace, but that I get 3 sketches a week with many different ideas :) I love that even when I leave town I could still come back and be inspired to create some more... and I love that the talented SC DT is part of this!

Here's my first layout based on the sketch:

Pretty much everything is from the Echo Park Sweet Summertime collection. It's so fun and colorful -- perfect for summer!

I cannot wait for the rest of the sketches!

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

What a crazy week!

2010-07-29T22:02:00.008-04:00

I have been meaning to post, but my life has been crazy this past week and a half. I won't bore you with all the details, but suffice it to say that the following incidents have taken place...

• I got bronchitis
• iTunes wiped out the operating system on my iPhone and everything on my phone (after much freaking out, I somehow got it all back a day later)
• I was called back for "further evaluation" after my mammogram and went through quite a scare; after much prayer and freaking out, I was told I was fine (I've only had two done in my life, but I started early since my Mom had breast cancer)
• I accidentally deleted my "Vanessa" folder from my work computer and managed to erase 9+ years of files
• My work computer was taken to IT and stayed there for 3 days where they managed to totally kill it; then they reconfigured a new computer for me and restored it (still trying to see which files have been lost!)
• I got a migraine
• And so on... I think you get the picture!

Thankfully, things are looking up now. I am healthy and my vacation is coming up pretty soon. We also won 11 national awards for best editorial, design and photography. Not bad, eh?

A couple weekends ago, I got to hang out with my scrappy friends, which is always a treat! Here are photos from when we got together for Ady and Lou's birthday.

And these are photos from my weekend celebrations with Ady.

Finally, I'll leave you with two layouts that I worked on last month based on Stephanie Howell's creations (using some BG June Bug papers from my stash).

Be back soon!

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

7Gypsies Letterblock Tray

2010-07-21T20:58:00.004-04:00

I am so happy that I finished my 7Gypsies printer's tray! Whoohoo! It was lots of fun to create. I was inspired by Ali Edwards' tray and I added my own touches, such as the white flower, the yellow Jenni Bowlin butterflies and some cute pop-up phrases. I used photos from our recent trip to Lake Tahoe, but I love that it's generic enough to hang year round and I can update the photos later on as I please...

LOVE THIS!!!

Now, where to put it? :) Oh, the details!

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

My SC sketch layout | Debby Schuh

2010-07-18T16:50:00.005-04:00

I am SO EXCITED!!!! I posted a layout based on Stephanie Howell's Sunday sketch on the Studio Calico blog and I was one of two winners selected to win a SC gift certificate. WHOOOHOOO! I am over the moon happy, especially after seeing all the beautiful layouts everyone posted. Here's my layout:

Thank you to my BFF, Ady, and my friend, Damaris, who called this morning to tell me I won. Ady called me screaming with joy. Too cute. And thanks to my friend, Caryl, who emailed me letting me know I won. That was so sweet! :) I am so glad they can all share in my joy!

On a separate note, I've had the good fortune of meeting the wonderfully sweet and talented Debby Schuh and taking a class with her. The class is called Tiny Tales and we created the cutest little Pink Paislee mini album using October Afternoon, American Crafts and more. I love the album and the best part is that we actually FINISHED it all in class (no more unfinished projects to bring home!).

Here are a few photos of my album:

I haven't added the title ("Tiny Tales") to the front yet because I wasn't sure what to use it for... I went to the class with one idea and then I changed my mind. Debby explained that her thinking was to document her own childhood and add some of her baby pictures. Well, I like that idea! And since I have many baby pics that my Mom saved (my step dad gave me the album after my Mom passed away!) that would be perfect -- and it would be a treasured keepsake for sure.

I'll be back in the next day or two with layouts to share and some pics of my scrappy friends! Yippee!!!

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

CHA Favorites

2010-07-15T22:04:00.016-04:00

Hi my friends!

I've been sick this week :( No fun! Turns out I have bronchitis. Yuck! Why is everyone getting sick in the middle of summer? Anyway, I started my antibiotics today so I am resting now and hoping to be better soon...

In the meantime, I've been checking out all the new releases that are coming out at the CHA Summer event later this month and I'm actually surprised that I really don't like most of the releases this time around. But there are some that I LOVE and here are the ones that really stand out for me... Now for the eye candy (click on the links to view the entire collections):

My fave release is probably Studio Calico's Elementary line (avail in September). LOVE this entire release! The bright papers and cool designs make me so happy and the quality of their products is top-notch. Although it's a "Back to School" theme, it's very versatile and can be used for just about anything. (I promise, I am NOT getting paid for this! LOL!)

I also really like Seaside from October Afternoon because I can see myself using this line with some weekend beach photos. Plus, the patterns are way cool!

Jenni Bowlin is always on my top list and this time around she has a line called Family Tree. I love most of the papers and all the NEW embellies! Those new vellum and pearl butterflies and the chipboard butterflies that coordinate with the banner stickers. SWOON! I love all her butterflies!!! And more vintage buttons in YELLOW!

Cosmo Cricket's Togetherness line is absolutely adorable! Too freakin' cute!

Sassafras has a new line called Indie Girl and I like most of the papers and embellies. I think it would complement other collections very well.

And finally, Crate Paper's Restoration line is full of vintage patterns that really appeal to me.

I don't have the time or patience (and I don't feel well!) to post all the photos so check out the links. I'm sure that I haven't seen everything yet, but so far this is what I like from all the new releases. And I definitely must have the first 3 on this list!

If you are interested, both The Scrap Review and Scrapbook Update have links to all the CHA releases...

So, what do you like most so far??? Please share!

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Inspired by...

2010-07-09T11:08:00.009-04:00

Lately I am inspired by the bright happy colors of summer. I am enjoying the sunny days, less traffic and the lasting daylight. I love ice cream cones and walking along Key Biscayne. Driving to the Keys and seeing the beauty that surrounds us here in South Florida. (Although I am not particularly fond of the humidity — eeek!) My June Studio Calico kit, Partly Sunny, is perfect for my summer photos. It provides plenty of inspiration... I am thinking I need to do a mini album with this kit! Hmm...

(By the way, there are still some of these kits available if you want one!)

I have so many beautiful images from my weekend trip to The Moorings Village in Islamorada. It was such a peaceful, relaxing place to be. (Wish I was there right now!) I also have photos from our trip to Reno and Lake Tahoe in May that I haven't scrapped. And now I am gearing up to go on an awesome summer road trip that will take us from Las Vegas, NV to Sedona and the Grand Canyon, AZ. Then to Zion National Park in Utah, up past Salt Lake City to Jackson Hole, the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park, WY. After that, we'll head to Seattle, WA via Montana and Idaho. 16 days of adventure, no work and pure enjoyment. I can't wait!!! :)

I splurged on a little gift for myself (it's okay to do that sometimes, right?) This is something that I know I will be using a lot on our summer vacation... I bought a new camera bag from Epiphanie and I love it! It's so soft and roomy and beautiful. It's not your typical ugly manly bag; this one is actually stylish and easy to carry. This is the bag on the left of this photo; it's brown leather and the style is called Ginger.

Lastly, here's a layout that I did last week for the Studio Calico sketch challenge using the Anthology papers. This is me at the Bon Jovi concert earlier this year!!!

I have lots more layouts to share, but I'll be back soon with photos of those. Tomorrow, I'll be hanging with my lovely girlfriends at Barb's house, scrapbooking and celebrating Lou's birthday. How fun! I am really looking forward to the weekend...

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Anyone up for a PLAY DATE? :)

2010-07-01T21:04:00.009-04:00

I am! I got the June kit from Jenni Bowlin Studio, featuring the new Play Date release, and I created seven layouts with it. And I still have some goodies leftover! I used some of my own cardstock and a couple of other extras, but it is mostly what came in my lovely kit. I love the fun patterns and bright primary colors in this collection... I've been dying to share these layouts because they make me happy :)

I hope you LOVE them as much as I do. Most are scrap lifts from the Jenni Bowlin gallery and a couple are my own designs. Enjoy!

These are photos from my mother-in-law's birthday...

Inspired by Wilna Furstenberg

Here's Richard in the Keys at our favorite beach, Bahia Honda...

Inspired by Lisa Dickinson

This is a self-portrait I took while in the Keys in early June...

Inspired by Jennifer Johner

A random photo of my honey -- I first considered doing a layout with this bulls eye paper on Target (the store), but then it hit me! This would be perfect to say how we hit the "bulls eye" when we found each other. Cute, huh? LOL!

My BFF, Ady, and me at Jungle Island...

Inspired by Stephanie Howell

Silly self-portraits at Jungle Island...

Inspired by Lisa Dickinson

More fun times at Jungle Island...

Thanks for stopping by! I really appreciate my friends and I look forward to your comments. Be back soon.

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

My Week in Review

2010-06-27T22:00:00.004-04:00

I spent last weekend by myself because Richard was in Ohio visiting his sister. As I mentioned in my previous post, her boyfriend/partner has brain cancer and it's pretty serious. It sounds like his prognosis is somewhat grim -- although every case is always different and with cancer you just never know. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Anyway, before heading to the airport to pick up my hubby, I picked up Jorge and took him to a nice Father's Day dinner at one of our "new" favorite restaurants, CVI.CHE 105 in Downtown Miami.

YUM! He and I had a great time together and we enjoyed talking and sharing some very good food. It was perfect. We had lots of Peruvian specialties and these two were our dessert plates... (note that if you haven't been there you must go! It's fresh, delicious food at reasonable prices!)

After a week filled with long workdays and the usual stress, this weekend started with us going bike shopping. Hubby wanted to upgrade my "cheap" Target bicycle since I complain that it's too uncomfortable to ever ride it :)

Of course, I saw this comfy baby right here and said, "I want that one!" LOL! To which my hubby replied, "I don't think so!" Teehee! Check out my iPhone pics...

I enjoyed playing, I mean, test riding a couple of bikes before giving in to my hubby's choice of best bike for the wife...

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Here's Richard trying it out after I made the bike guy lower the seat and adjust the handle bars and everything else so that it was to my liking :) This is my new Trek bike! It's not a cool color but it will do. The seat is big and comfy though and that is what's important!

Then I was off to get a mani-pedi, followed by dinner and a movie at home with one of our friends...

Today we went on our usual Sunday exercise walk (which will soon incorporate bike riding!) in Key Biscayne... It was HOT, but it was nice :)

This afternoon we visited my sister-in-law at the convent where she lives... it was bittersweet as always. It's wonderful to see her, but so sad to see her in this order she has chosen where we can only visit her through bars and never ever spend "quality" time with her. I miss her vivacious, free spirit! And I just haven't been able to accept this lifestyle. I don't mind that she wants to be a nun because that is a Godly thing to do, but why a Carmelite nun? Another iPhone pic...

After a Puerto Rican dinner of mofongo with my in-laws, we headed home... Tired, but feeling blessed to have each other and to have our family and friends.

Tomorrow is the start of a new, stressful week at work... but next weekend is a nice looong weekend! I can't wait! :)

This week I'll be sharing some NEW layouts with the Jenni Bowlin PLAY DATE collection so stay tuned... I have 6 LO's done. I just haven't had a chance to take photos yet...

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Have a "sunshine-y" weekend

2010-06-19T18:33:00.005-04:00

I hope you are enjoying your weekend and that you are finding time to relax, unwind and to scrap (in the midst of your chores and other duties!)... I took care of all my stuff early today so I've spent the past few hours scrapping with the new Lily Bee collection, Hello Sunshine, which I absolutely love! It's such a happy line!

And I sure needed some happy scrappy paper in my life!!!

These first two layouts are some of my favorite EVER and they are scrap lifts but that's okay :) This one was inspired by Stephanie Howell and I used an old photo of my Mom that my step dad gave me for Christmas. I just adore this photo because she is laughing with so much delight. (I miss her so much!)

I cannot recall where this one came from, but I think it was posted on the Lily Bee blog... LOVE the use of all the paper, rub ons and chipboard flowers! I also used some red Glimmer Mist.

I've been wanting to scrap this photo for a while. This is my step dad and me in California... we spent some really nice quality time out there with family :)

(also inspired by Stephanie Howell)

The next two images are from Jungle Island. My honey and I went with my BFF and her cousins and we had a great time! I plan to scrap more of these pics... This is the "official" photo they take of you when you arrive -- complete with parrots and all!

My BFF shot this pic of us just before a bird show... I wanted to use the rub on lyrics to "You are my sunshine" because we always sing that song to each other... in fact, a couple of weeks ago when we drove down to the Keys, we sang it together! We are like kids sometimes! :)

(also inspired by Stephanie Howell)

This last one was inspired by a layout in the Lily Bee Ning gallery... My honey has sent me a few sweet poems via email and he always writes sweet sentiments in his greeting cards so I wanted to scrap that... I took a photo of an email he sent me, but I only focused on the poem by E.E. Cummings since the rest was a bit personal. I printed the entire email onto cardstock and adhered it to the back of this layout. :)

On a much more serious note, my sister-in-law's boyfriend/partner was recently diagnosed with brain cancer and it sounds quite serious... I hope you will join me in prayer and help me wish him and his family (including his kids) peace and many blessings. They need all the prayers they can get!

Thank you and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Back from Mexico | Layouts to Share

2010-06-13T11:09:00.008-04:00

Well, hello there! Where is everyone??? What are you all up to???

I just got back from Mexico on Friday evening. I was there for a couple of days to meet with a new client and start developing a concept for a new magazine. Needless to say, we'll be quite busy during the next few months, but it will be exciting as well when the publication finally launches later this year!

It was a hectic trip. I was up around 3:45 am on Thursday, headed straight to the airport to arrive in Mexico City by 10 am. We checked in to the hotel and headed straight to our meeting. It was a long day! On Friday, we got up at 5 am, went from Mexico City to Toluca and then on to Cancun as part of the work we had to do. Now you see why I was exhausted when we returned on Friday night? But it's all good!

I was catching up on blogs this morning and I came across this site on Caryl's blog. I was immediately interested. Neil Pasricha wrote a book called "The Book of Awesome" and he keeps a blog where he posts one awesome thing every day. It sounds like a great read to inspire you when you're feeling down and depressed. I will definitely be checking out the book!

Lastly, I want to share some more of my layouts with the May Studio Calico kit, Granny's Cupboard. I have had such a BLAST with this kit. Here are some more layouts (all inspired by the beautiful work in the DT gallery).

This one also uses the OA Thrift Shop line, but I found this layout while blogging and loved how it used up the shape stickers (wish I knew who inspired it so I could credit them here!)

And this one uses a mix of my April Cocoa Daisy kit and some extras. This layout is just like one that Davinie Fiero created, but I added a few of my own touches, including that fabric flower that I made. After all, you need a cute flower to round out a boyish layout! LOL

That's all for now! I'm off to go for a nice Sunday walk with my hubby (in this delightful HOT and HUMID weather! Eeek!)

Thanks for stopping by and leaving me a comment. You all are the best! :)

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

A Perfect Weekend :)

2010-06-08T20:39:00.012-04:00

My honey and I were lucky enough to stay at a magical place here in the Florida Keys. It's a hidden gem, an idyllic paradise that I never even knew existed... My most recent press trip took us to The Moorings Village in Islamorada. And to my surprise we actually had a nice, relaxing weekend -- something we NEVER really get to do (we usually like adventures, not relaxing)! It was perfect. My only complaint was that it ended way too soon. Time flies when you're having fun!

We stayed at this oceanfront beach house... and the house came with a cat! Teehee! This cute kitty followed us around all weekend cuddling, purring and begging for food. I'm allergic to cats, but I gave in and pet her and she was so sweet!

And this was our "backyard"

This is the front of the house... beautiful!

We had a wrap-around veranda overlooking the ocean.

And a hammock tucked between coconut palms where we could relax...(and play with our weekend kitty)

The grounds were so lush and inviting... this used to be an old coconut plantation.

On Saturday night we had a delicious lobster dinner at Pierre's (YUM!) and watched the sunset.

This was the view out of our bedroom...

And this is the living room where Richard grabbed a book and sat down to read...

We fed kitty on Saturday night and then three cats showed up. LOL!

I just loved it here!!! (Did I say that already?!)

We also headed out and did some sightseeing on Saturday... (but not for long because I wanted to get back to the beach house)

I took LOTS of photos (what else is new?) and now I have lots more to scrap with my new Studio Calico kit, Partly Sunny. Yippee!

I really hope that we can return to this little hideaway one of these days :) It truly was a little slice of heaven on earth.

I'll leave you with a layout I lifted from Waleska Neris at Studio Calico... enjoy!

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Memorial Day Weekend & Layouts to Share

2010-05-31T23:29:00.004-04:00

I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. I also hope that you took a moment to reflect on what Memorial Day is all about. It's about remembering those serving our country and those who lost their lives as well. For me, it's about recognizing the sacrifices that my cousin -- a captain/commander in the US Army -- has made for her country. She was just deployed (again!) and she'll be gone for a year (away from her family and her children). My thoughts and prayers are with her and her fellow soldiers. I know she'll be back home safe!

Memorial Day also marks the beginning of summer. A time to be with loved ones and go to the beach, have a barbecue, etc. We had a nice day today with family and friends. We planned a last-minute barbecue/pool party and had a wonderful day. (Photos to come!)

This past week, I have been spending my extra time (what extra time? oh, yeah, my late nights when I should be sleeping!) playing with my May Studio Calico kit, Granny's Cupboard. I LOVE this kit and the design team really rocked it to the max. That's why I have been scraplifting numerous layouts and having fun doing it :) So far, I have completed 13 layouts and I have a couple more to go... Here are just a few...

I'll share more layouts with you later this week.

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Reno/Lake Tahoe/Virginia City Photo Overload!

2010-05-23T22:41:00.013-04:00

Hi my friends!

My work conference was great and it just so happens that Richard was also attending a conference four hours away in San Francisco. He drove up to meet me in Reno and we spent a wonderful weekend together sightseeing. We had so much fun! I have TONS of photos, but I will just share a few of my faves here with you...

The weather was beautiful... low 40's and 50's at night and 70's during the day. Of course, the higher the elevation the cooler it got. And there was still lots of snow in Lake Tahoe and in nearby Squaw Valley.

First, we drove around the entire Lake Tahoe. It was majestic! The first time I visited was in August, so it was great to visit again in May and still see so many snow-capped mountains. Wow.

Funny story: I got out of the car and walked a ways in this wooded area up to this pile of snow, but I kept telling Richard to hurry because I was scared a bear would be nearby! He laughed at me, but then it turns out we saw bear tracks, bear poop (with fur in it! eek!) and even tree trunks that bears had clawed into... so I guess my bear theory wasn't that crazy after all!

We even went sailing on a catamaran on Lake Tahoe :)

We also visited Virginia City (I visited first with my conference group and then returned with Richard), a historic town where many made their fortune in Comstock mining. It still maintains that Old West charm. I got to ride on a restored steam railroad train, saw wild Mustangs, and even entered a real mine for a tour.

At night, we drove to Downtown Reno...

I loved Squaw Valley -- it was full of snow! :) This was actually the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics.

I hope you enjoyed our photos! I had been meaning to post these, but it's been a crazy exhausting week ever since we got back... I cannot wait to scrap these. Teeheee!

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Heading to Reno/Lake Tahoe

2010-05-12T20:32:00.000-04:00

Hi my friends!

I am on an airplane at this moment. I am a speaker and part of the editors panel at the North American Travel Journalists Association conference... Be back soon with photos!

In the meantime, check out my previous post with LOTS of layouts :)

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Mother's Day & Scrappy Sunday

2010-05-09T22:34:00.007-04:00

Hi my friends,

Today we celebrate all the wonderful mothers out there, including my closest friends and family. It's a day to be thankful, joyful and -- in my case -- to remember those we loved and lost. I am not going to lie. I haven't been much of a Mother's Day fan this year or last. In fact, last year I stayed home all day Sunday preparing for some medical exams just before my gall bladder surgery. This year, I spent Saturday night celebrating with my in-laws and today I had a wonderful brunch with my family. It was a somewhat difficult day for me because I miss my Mom and my Mami (grandma) so very much. Always. But I know they are with me every day. And that's what I hold onto...

So for all you mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day. Hug your moms and your children and cherish every moment you have together. :)

I've been scrapping and I have some more layouts to share so I hope you enjoy my latest creations.

Oh, but before I share these, let me just show you some new releases that I am drooling over. Have you seen the new Jenni Bowlin Play Date? LOVE those bright colors for the summer :)

And I am in LOVE with Studio Calico's newest release, Documentary. I cannot wait to see it all!

Both of these seem perfect to scrap my upcoming summer vacay! Yep, I'll be going on a looong road trip starting in Las Vegas and heading through Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park (Utah), the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, Idaho, Montana and Seattle. I can't wait!

Anyway, here are my layouts.

This first one was just finished today. I love that I got eight photos on one layout and I love the result!

This is a scrap lift of Stephanie Howell and I just LOVE this layout! Love the bright colors, that gorgeous Dear Lizzy ribbon and that deep green polka dot paper... it just makes me so happy!

This one was inspired by Christine Drumheller of Cocoa Daisy. I loved the layout she created and I had the perfect photo for it! I also added those rain drops that I have had in my stash for years... I remembered these after seeing Caryl's beautiful rain layout on her blog.

"My Goofy Silly Love" uses the new SC Anthology collection and rub-ons, which I love. They go on like butter!!! Another Stephanie H. inspired layout.

And finally, I've always loved the way Susan Weinroth combines colors and patterns. This is similar to a layout she had in her SC gallery...

Have a great week!

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Scrappy Sunday

2010-05-02T12:53:00.005-04:00

Hi my friends,

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

This past week, I got to see my dear friends, Esther and Barbara (along with Barb's DD, Amanda). We got together for dinner at this delicious Peruvian restaurant in Downtown Miami called CVI.CHE 105 to celebrate Esther's birthday. YUM!!! We had lots of fun. You may recall that's where we took my step dad, Jorge, who's Peruvian for his birthday. It's really delicious so if you haven't been, you should plan to go. Seriously.

Speaking of Barb, we got together at her house a few weeks ago to scrap and I didn't get around to posting the layouts I made while at her house. I finally got to use my new AC Dear Lizzy goodies so that was awesome. Although it was difficult to cut into that gorgeous blooming rose ribbon, I am so glad I did it! LOL!

This is a lift of Stephanie Howell (I love her style, it's so girly)... I mixed some Dear Lizzy with Cosmo Cricket Material Girl. LOVE it!

Now this is an Elizabeth Kartchner lift... cutting into those little clotheslines was a bit tedious but well worth it. :)

And this one was inspired by Jen Davis using the Material Girl paper and chipboard accents. How cute is that?

This weekend, I made two Easter layouts with some Jenni Bowlin, Dear Lizzy and other extras from my stash. I'm having a blast using lots of Spring colors! These were both inspired by layouts on the Jenni Bowlin Inspiration blog.

Thank you Esther for those beautiful crochet flowers :) I LOVE them! I've been hoarding these, but I finally decided to use them! Teeheee!

I hope you have some time to create and get crafty this week :) I have a framed print in my office that reads "Keep Calm and Carry On," but I recently came across another version that read "Keep Calm and Get Your Craft On" -- gotta love that! I need one of these...

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Key West Adventures

2010-04-27T22:30:00.012-04:00

So hubby and I spent a nice weekend together in Key West... It was a little bit of a working vacation because I got to experience this great hotel, Casa Marquesa, as part of a press trip. This property is really beautiful, private, perfectly situated just a couple of blocks from Duval Street and the service was excellent. I will definitely do a very nice write up on them :)

On Saturday, we slept in, enjoyed the hotel, ate breakfast on our balcony overlooking the pool and gardens and then we headed out for a nice walk around Key West. We visited an antiques store, some museums, the Truman Annex and more.

On Sunday, we checked out of the hotel very early (against my wishes) and headed off on a two-hour catamaran journey to the Dry Tortugas National Park (to make my hubby happy). Well, as it turns out, we had a great time and I LOVED it there! We toured Fort Jefferson, walked around the complex, went swimming and took lots of photos. The beach there is awesome and the water is crystal clear. Great snorkeling, too! If you haven't been, you should definitely plan to go. It's truly awesome!

Please ignore my nappy windblown hair below. LOL!

Before I go, I just want to share that I am now a subscriber to Studio Calico and I'm getting my first kit in May. I have been buying their kits on and off for some time, but I finally decided to sign up and I am very excited. Look at this beauty. I cannot wait! :)

I hope you are enjoying your week!

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

5 years.

2010-04-22T21:35:00.003-04:00

I cannot believe it's been 5 years, but it has... It seems like just the other day... so many thoughts running through my mind this week. So many "what ifs" and no real answers.

My Mom passed away 5 years ago this week. She had been very ill for years, but it was septicaemia that eventually took her life. I'll never forget when we got the call. I was at Wendy's with Richard and he received the call and I knew. I knew something had happened. I knew it. I didn't believe it and I certainly didn't expect it, but I knew.

We were picking up something to eat and then we were heading to the hospital. But when I got to the hospital, it was too late. She was gone. I got to go in and see her and I broke down. I never got to say "goodbye" or "I'm sorry." There was no closure. And I will be sorry and regret this for as long as I live.

My Mom and I had a difficult relationship and so much was left unsaid. But I did love her. I just didn't realize exactly how much until she was gone. Until she was no longer here for me to call or hug or talk to her. I miss her terribly. I miss her craziness and drama. I miss her trying to baby me and give me advice. I miss her laugh and her big personality. She was one of a kind. She was special. And I know now that I meant the world to her and that she loved me so much. After she passed away, my step dad, Jorge, gave me albums, notes and keepsakes that she kept from my childhood. Some things I didn't know she had.

I just wish I would have been there for her much more than I was. If only I could turn back time... Now I just pray and talk to her and I hope she can hear me and I hope that she continues to be with me throughout my life.

This is an old scrapbook layout I made a few years ago with my favorite photo of my Mom

That baby in the photo is me with my Mom sitting behind me

That's my Mom (far right) the day she married Jorge

I love you, Mom.

Thank you for letting me pour out my heart tonight...

Tomorrow afternoon, I am heading to Key West with my honey so I will be back on Sunday. Have a good weekend!

xoxo,
Vanessa

Bon Jovi was AWESOME!!!

2010-04-20T22:32:00.010-04:00

As usual. I have LOVED them since I was a pre-teen. I used to touch the TV screen when their videos played on MTV and sing along like a mad woman. I was obsessed. Still am, actually, to some extent. I think Jon and Richie are HOT and I love their music. Their lyrics speak to me, their music energizes me, seeing them in person gives me pure delight and goose bumps. Every time. I cannot get enough of my favorite band. I had a silly grin on my face all day Sunday just thinking about the concert. Once I arrived, I was overcome with joy and it didn't matter that it was pouring outside.

VIP Parking right in front of the BankAtlantic Center entrance - check
VIP T-shirts and badge - check
VIP souvenir tickets - check
Autographed tour programs - check
Kickass seats - check
Camera turned on - check

I was ready. It was showtime baby!

These are just some of the photos I shot. It was hard getting good photos with my point and shoot camera... especially with the red and blue lights and the smoke inside the arena... BUT I managed to get a few good shots to remember this special night. I had Circleside VIP tickets so when they moved up to the outer stage circle, I was literally four rows away from Jon! Wow. (Heart beating fast now!) I could see his gorgeous smile, that boyish grin, the sweat coming down his chest. Oooh, baby!

I can't wait for their next tour! They put on such an awesome show and it just keeps getting better :) They ROCK my world!

By the way, I downloaded the Poladroid demo and created vintage-looking Polaroids from a couple of my photos. Love it! So cool, easy and fun! Check this out:

That's all for now... I hope you enjoyed my concert photos!

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Bon Jovi | Cool Etsy Find

2010-04-18T10:38:00.009-04:00

Hi my friends!

I hope you've had a fabulous weekend!

Yesterday I sold TONS of goodies at my local scrapbook garage sale event at Scrapbooks 'n' Stuff. I feel good because I purged a LOT and got rid of some older items and some excess in my scrap room. I can still purge some more, but let's leave that for the next garage sale. LOL!

Do you know what TODAY is??? C'mon, the clue is on the subject line of this post!

It's my Bon Jovi concert day. I've been waiting for this day to come!!! A few months ago, my honey bunny bought me Circleside VIP tickets and I am over the moon happy! I received this awesome VIP package that includes a T-shirt, VIP badge, postcard from Jon Bon Jovi, preferred parking, merchandise gift certificates and more! Plus, I get to be "close" to Jon, Richie and the boys -- well, right next to their stage "circle." Unfortunately for me, this did NOT include a backstage tour and that's the only other thing I could hope for... getting to see Jon and Richie up close and personal and taking a photo with them! Maybe next time (if I win the lotto! LOL!) Anyway, I will be taking my camera so I hope to get some good shots tonight! I'm so giddy! Wish me luck :)

Enabler Alert!
On a totally different note, I discovered this cool Etsy shop (via the Studio Calico message board) and added it to my favorites. It's called Pretty Little Studio and that's exactly what it is... teeheee! They sell the cutest alpha banners, little (and not so little) vintage cards and calendars, themed flashcards, journaling cards and more! Some of the scenes remind me of the cute little Golden Books I read as a kid. Anyway, I was lucky enough to win a gift certificate to the shop and I got to order some adorable items. But they have lots more stuff so here's a peek into their shop...

This week, they have two great offers (and 73 items for sale!) so be sure to visit their site.

FREEBIE! Receive a set of 6 mini (1 1/4") Cupcake Scalloped Circles with any purchase!(through April 25).

FREEBIE #2: Receive a set of Apothecary Calendar Cards ($2.99 value) with a $25 order (through April 25).

I am so ordering one of these banners for my baby's room (when I have a baby that is!). LOVE it!

That's all for today. I have lots to do so I gotta run!

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa

Layouts to share

2010-04-11T22:20:00.005-04:00

I hope you had a great weekend!

I enjoyed myself, but the only problem is that I don't want the weekend to end! Yesterday I got to spend some time with my friends Esther, Alma, Ana and Barb and we had a wonderful time as usual! These ladies are the BEST! Barb is such a wonderful hostess and we also inspire each other, talk about personal stuff and I just feel better when I leave. They make me happy! :) I created a couple of layouts and we also made some twisted fabric flowers together. I'll share these with you later in the week...

I also got to spend a beautiful day with my honey bunny today. Lots of cuddling and quality time! You can't beat that!

Here are some layouts I made with the March Cocoa Daisy kit (click on each photo to make it bigger). I used that beautiful Melody Ross GCD Studios paper for a layout about Barb's birthday get together a few months ago.

And here I used more of that same paper and added in some Studio Calico patterned paper. These are photos of Richard's grandma on her birthday...

This is a scrap lift of one of the Daisy Divas (Sue). I loved how she cut out the bird and flowers for this layout!

And lastly, one of my favorites! This is also a scrap lift of a layout created by a Daisy Diva (Kim Watson). I love how this one came out and I added my own handmade flower to the page. I am also lovin' that scallop dot border punch (it beat out apron lace as my new fave)!

Hope you like what I have done this past week! Now I am off to finish up some vacation trip planning and other things before going to bed. Have a lovely week. Be back soon...

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Surprise Birthday and Easter

2010-04-06T23:24:00.005-04:00

I hope you had a beautiful Easter weekend!

I took Friday off (without my hubby knowing) in order to get ready for his surprise birthday party. I had already invited close family and friends, but I had to wait till the last minute to clean the house, do the groceries, shop for decorations, decorate the house and everything else that goes into planning a big surprise.

Well, we had loads of fun and Richard was so happy that everyone was there when he arrived! I had asked my neighbors if we could use their driveways so the only car in front of the house was mine. Richard did suspect that something was up though, especially since my MIL never even called him for his birthday! He said that he was having a crappy day because nobody called him. Poor thing!

Then on Easter Sunday, we had a barbecue at Titi Mae's house and it was great. I finally got to use my new 50mm lens and play a little so here are some of my favorite photos.

My family played croquet and horseshoes in the great outdoors. My aunt just moved into this house and we love it! It's on a one acre lot.

This is my step dad, Jorge. Doesn't he look great?! His hair is growing back and he's gained weight. Thankfully, he's been done with chemo for four months now and he's feeling well. Notice how he's looking at my completed Puerto Rico scrapbook. Teeheee!

After visiting with my family, we went to my in-laws' house and I got to shoot some more photos.

We really had a great weekend!

I hope you are enjoying your week so far. I've created four layouts with the March Cocoa Daisy kit so I will share those with you later this week...

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Happy Easter!

2010-04-03T23:38:00.004-04:00

Well, I finished my first week of Karen Russell's Photography Workshop (just 9 more weeks to go!). The first week gave us a chance to learn all about the course, upcoming lessons, message boards, etc. Now the real work begins and boy is it a LOT of information... But I hope to learn TONS by the end of the class. Wish me luck! :)

Last week, we celebrated my mother-in-law's 65th birthday. Her birthday happens to fall on the same day as Mami's birthday so it's a little bit bittersweet for me. I love birthdays and celebrating with my loved ones, but of course I miss my Mami.

First, we went out to a local restaurant.

These are my in-laws...

And then we went to their house to sing happy birthday and cut a cake. It was a BIG cake made by a family friend (but the filling was a mystery to us!). It turned out to have a little taste of guava and some coconut.

Here are some layouts that I hadn't posted made with the February Cocoa Daisy kit. A couple of these were inspired by the design team.

I just started playing with my March Cocoa Daisy kit so I'll have more projects to share soon... I also received my delicious AC Dear Lizzy goodies. Wow. This collection is beautiful and perfect for spring!

Before I go, I want to wish you a Happy Easter holiday! Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving me comments. I LOVE reading them. You all are the best!!!

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Spring Banner | Photographer's Workshop

2010-03-27T12:00:00.008-04:00

Hi my friends,

Sorry I've been missing in action! It's been a bit crazy lately and I have been wanting to blog but life gets in the way. I'm sure you can relate. :)

Anyhow, there's sooooooo much I want to share, but in order to NOT overwhelm you, I will just pick TWO things for today. Gee, how considerate of me! Teehee!

So this morning I finished my beautiful Spring banner project from Studio Calico. I bought this add-on kit and I think they still have some left in case you want one! I'm such an enabler!

After pondering (and pondering some more) about what to do with my banner, I finally decided against using photos of people and instead I opted to use destination shots from my unforgettable trip to my island of enchantment, Puerto Rico. That way, I could keep this banner for a long time and it won't seem dated after a while. Also, it's a reminder of a place that I will always hold close to my heart (even if I'm a Miami girl now).

I found LOTS of great ideas on the Studio Calico website, but in the end I loved what Celine Navarro did so I used hers as my inspiration. I mean, that girl is super talented. If only she could bottle up an ounce of her creativity, I'd buy it for sure! LOL!

Here's my completed Spring banner (sorry for the bad photos, but it was difficult to photograph) For the iron-ons, I used photos of my childhood home, El Morro and Flamenco Beach. I also incorporated Davinie Fiero's misting idea for the edges of the pennants (using a border punch) because I loved that detail and wanted to use it somehow.

Did you notice that I made a cute little twisted fabric flower on the fifth pennant? In the end, the banner made its home in my bedroom and it's hanging from my dresser mirror.

Since I was so inspired to keep sewing (hand stitching that is! My sewing machine and I had a little spat last night and we haven't made up yet! It might take a while...), I found a tutorial here (thanks to Trish from Work in Progress for sharing the link) and I made this cute little flower using five different patterns of fabric. Isn't it cute? It's perfect for a layout or a mini album cover.

This Monday, I begin my Photographer's Workshop with Karen Russell and I am REALLY excited! :) I received this beautiful binder and a personal note from Karen (sure makes me feel special). I bought my recommended 50mm lens a couple of weeks ago and I am now ready to learn all about photography... yippee!

If you've taken the class, please let me know how it went!

I have lots more to share, including my completed 2009 Puerto Rico vacation album and more layouts, but I'll save it for a later post!

Have a wonderful weekend! My honey bunny returned from a work trip to Philly last night so we're heading out soon for some quality time together :)

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

Birthday wishes

2010-03-17T22:11:00.005-04:00

I hope you all are having a wonderful week... Unfortunately, my week has been filled with 2010 budget reforecasts and client proposals. Plus, this time change is just not agreeing with me. No, not at all. I'm a morning person, but I don't like having to get up when it's still dark outside. It just doesn't feel right. Between work and the dreaded time change, I'm feeling gloomy this week. And it doesn't help that my poor honey bunny is working loooong hours on a big project and he'll be off to Philadelphia soon.

I sure hope my creative juices kick into high gear because I want to create with my new kit. I can't wait!

Last night, we celebrated Richard's grandma's 83rd birthday. She is such a blessing. What a special lady. I love her so much! She makes me miss my Mami even more, but she's always looking out for us. She jokes that I have saved her life because I am always worrying about her. I did save her at least once though. We were at the beach last year when she was hit by a wave and she panicked and went under water. She was yelling for Mari (Richard's mom), but nobody noticed except me and I ran over and pulled her up out of the water. Pobrecita. I really do love her as if she was my grandma, too.

Here are some photos from last night. I captured this photo of her and Richard and a close-up of them holding hands. So sweet.

This is my mother-in-law, her aunt Felina, Richard's uncle and grandma.

And here she is blowing out her candles...

Toward the end of the night, Richard was holding his cousin's baby and I snapped a few photos. The funny thing is that Richard is terrified of holding little babies. He won't do it. Ever. This is the very first time I've seen him hold a baby. He is afraid to hold other people's babies, but yet he is so awesome with kids. How cute is this?

I leave you with a layout using February's Cocoa Daisy kit. This photo cracks me up. It was taken on our anniversary and we were at South Pointe Park in Miami Beach. It was REALLY windy and we were on top of a hill so we are taking a self-portrait while the wind is hitting us directly in the face. :) Good times.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Peace and happy scrapping,
Vanessa

I'm tired (yawn)

2010-03-13T16:56:00.004-05:00

Hi my friends,

I had a crazy week with some wild travel schedule, work deadlines, and other stuff. I was in Los Cabos meeting with a client and we were rewarded with great weather and -- to my surprise -- some whale watching!

Here are some iPhone photos of the marina and a Cabo Dolphins water attraction, taken from the famed Hotel Finisterra, which also boasts the Whale Watcher Bar.

From my hotel, the Marquis Los Cabos, I could see and hear the crashing waves outside my room. The next morning, I watched the sunrise and caught some huge gray whales from my balcony. It was beautiful! Too bad that we had to make a mad dash to the meeting and then head to the airport for a stay in Dallas.

Anyway, this morning I woke up and I thought I was okay, but then it hit me. A sudden tired feeling and a headache. So I went back to bed around noon and didn't wake up till 3 pm. My DH has been working here in his home office all day on a big project so I took advantage of the time and got some needed rest.

Here are some more layouts I made a couple of weeks ago using the Studio Calico February kit, Baker's Dozen (some were inspired by the DT gallery). Did I mention that this was my fave kit... EVER? Teeheee! I probably did. :)

Thanks for stopping by and leaving me your comments! :) I hope you are having a fantastic weekend! The weather here in Miami is just perfect so I hope to be outdoors tomorrow...

Peace and happy scrapping!
Vanessa