Christina’s Bridal Shower Invitations
Summer is wedding season and it’s keeping me quite busy with creative projects. Christina, my FSIL (or future sister in law for the non-wedding obsessed), is getting married to my little brother this fall. All of the bridesmaids decided to host a ultra fab Hawaiian themed bridal shower for her. Since I’m widely known for my paper obsession, I was commissioned to make the invitations. I picked some fun and spunky colors, representative of the cheerful Hawaiian islands. I designed a quick invitation on Illustrator and printed it on my Gocco, inspired by Miss Gloss on Weddingbee who kindly shared her font resources. Coral envelopes were made from scratch out of sheets of 8.5″ x 11″ card stock. I texturized them using a Sizzix embossing plant and my Sizzix machine. Those cute little blue flowers were cut and embossed out of turquoise paper using a Sizzix embosslit die (they emboss and cut a shape out in one pass through the machine).
Tutorial on the coral pocket to come! I’ll share the photos for now. 
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Simple Joys
Hello, hello!
These last few days have been beautiful, and hot, hot, HOT. 85 degrees in SF is as common as snow in July, especially in the Sunset district where Hubs and I live. Last night, we opted not to eat in and instead took a long walk to a delicious Chinese hole in the wall restaurant about a mile from our house. I love walking with the Hubs. It’s true quality time for us because we have no TVs, computers, or video games to distract us. It’s just us and our shoes as they hit the warm pavement.
After a satisfyingly salty bowl of beef noodles and black bean chicken, we stopped by a yogurt shop to reward ourselves for “working out.” As we slurped our melted treats on the stroll back to the Sunset House, I listened to Andrew as he chatted about his day. And, I couldn’t help by think, at that very moment, there was nowhere else I wanted to be or nothing else that would make me more content. Not a new condo, not a dream job, or even a winning lottery ticket. All of those would be meaningless without someone to share them with.
Life is truly about the simple joys of loving and being loved.
Recipe (all supplies SU unless noted): Cheers to You stamp set, kiwi kiss, whisper white, pacific point, summer sun cardstock, basic black ink, Sizzix tag die, oval punch, good morning sunshine designer paper, kiwi kiss ribbon, colored pencils
Trade Offs
The house/condo hunting journey that Hubs and I are on (that is also driving us nuts) is a true testament that life is about trade-offs. Buy a new property for prime $$? Or get a less expensive, older property that needs work? A large house with a yard in the burbs? Or tiny condo in the heart of the happenin’ city? Everything is a give-and-take.
Over the weekend, we found some super affordable, spankin’ new housing developments with hardwood floors, huge floorplans, large bedrooms, the works! The catch? They’re in a city that I don’t want to live in. I mean, I really, really don’t want to live in this city. I don’t like it at all. But, if we purchase one of these units, Hubs said that we could afford it on one income (his income) once he finishes grad school. That means I could devote myself to our future family and possible budding business enterprises, like photography, design, crafts… oh the imagination runs wild! I can’t imagine calling any city other than SF our home. However, the idea of not working a corporate job is almost irresistible… It’s most definitely a trade off.
What would you do?
I miss my craft time quite a bit. Yesterday, I got out the tools and whipped up a quick card. I love this stamp set (Trendy Trees). Sometimes I sell my used stamp sets after they’ve been retired, but I’m keeping this one for sure.
Recipe (all supplies SU unless noted): Trendy Trees and Absolutely Fabulous stamp sets, kraft, whisper white, bashful blue card, chocolate chip stock & ink, corner rounder punch, white gel pen, button bouquet, kiwi kiss ribbon, stampin’ dimensionals, white twine from Michaels
Life and all its Complications
Life has been creeping up on me fast, so my apologies for being MIA last week. With a house search and family stuff on my mind, my poor blog has been neglected.
My uncle (my mom’s brother) was admitted to the hospital for heart surgery last week. There were some major complications with the surgery, and coupled with the poor health of my uncle’s heart already, the situation was not good. My family was very, very worried. But, I believe in prayer and I spent the weekend praying for my uncle. Today, I found out that he opened his eyes! He’s still very ill and his recovery will be a long, slow process; but I know that our prayers were answered this weekend and I am so very thankful.
I know I owe you guys a lot of posts. Today, I’ll just share a card that I made for a friends’ wedding. Oh, and one more quick note: with all the stuff going on, I almost forgot that today is the very last day to qualify for free Sale-A-Bration products. On April 1st, the new Occasions Mini catalog will be released with tons of cute stuff.
Recipe (all supplies SU): Congrats stamp set (SAB set), Park Avenue Patterns stamp set, Polka Dot background stamp, kraft, whisper white, perfect plum card stock/ink, very vanilla hodge podge hardware (metal tag frame), flower from pretties kit, kraft ribbon, lace border punch
SMART Goals
Anyone that has worked in the corporate world has probably heard the cheesy term, SMART goals, overused and abused. SMART goals are all the rage at my workplace. The acronym stands for goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant (some people use Realistic here), and Time bound. A SMART goal would be something like this: I will create and sell ten cards by March 31st. The goal is very specific and measurable (I can tell if I achieved it or not), attainable, relevant to my interest, and time bound (has a deadline).
Although I think SMART goals are as Office Space as it gets, I’m going to set some for myself in my pursuit of photography. You see, I’m not really a go-getter type of person. I’m a sit-on-the-sidelines type of gal. I like to take things easy. I’m very cautious and even insecure when it comes to my abilities. Unfortunately, sitting on the sidelines and bemoaning my insecurities will not help if I truly want to start a business. I need to stop letting my fears take the best of me and just go for it.
Easier said than done! One thing I’m so grateful for is the full, unwavering support from Hubs. He believes in me a thousand times more than I believe in myself. Just yesterday, he came home and found me sitting on our kitchen floor with a frown on my face; I was upset because my mind was racing through the list of all the things that could go wrong if I pursue photography and fall flat on my face. What if I invest thousands of dollars in equipment and fail? I have zero professional training, what gives me any idea I can pull this off?
Hubs smiled and picked me up, gave me a huge bear hug, and told me he believed in me and that he wouldn’t encourage me if he didn’t think I could be a photographer (and a good one too). Of course, I think he’s biased. He has to believe in me–he’s my husband! But, Hubs also reminded me that God is the one guiding me on this adventure. And, if He’s the one leading, I have nothing to worry about. He always provides. I don’t know how I would stay grounded without Hubs. Seriously. He is my rock.
So, I’m taking a practical first step in the direction of my dreams. My first SMART goal is to learn to shoot (and feel comfortable shooting) completely in manual mode with my camera by July 31st. I signed up for a photography class, but it doesn’t start until June. So, I’m not actually sure if this goal is attainable or not. At least it’s a start!
Project Recipe (all supplies SU unless noted): Owl Together Now stamp set, card stock in bashful blue, whisper white, pumkin pie, ink in kiwi kiss, chocolate chip, ruby red, designer paper in Good Morning Sunshine, On Board So Tweet (for the chip board owl cut out–in the current catty), stampin’ dimensionals
The Jungle Effect (continued)
I normally wouldn’t post about the same subject two days in a row. But, I can’t help blogging about the things most important to me; right now it’s definitely nutrition.
Last night I finished reading The Jungle Effect (the book I wrote about yesterday). I have to admit, I think it’s going to change my life. I’m now fully convinced that I need to shop organic, remove processed food, sugar, and flour from my diet, eat meat as a side dish instead of a main dish, and support our local farms. Gosh, I had no idea how much quality is lost in food when it’s mass produced with pesticides and herbicides.
For dinner last night, I cooked up some Jungle Effect recipes–a spinach and goat cheese omelet made with free range eggs, and a soupy veggie stew, simmered with chicken broth and eight different kinds of vegetables. The dishes were delicious, both hearty and simple. Eating sustainably is very tasty! However, while I was grocery shopping for my dinner items, I had trouble finding quality veggies in the tiny organic section in the store. Many of the veggies were wrinkly and old and the selection was a joke. I can’t believe how hard it is to eat sustainably and healthily! It requires multiple stops at different markets, plus extra money out of the pocketbook. Eating healthy takes massive discipline and label reading, even in the SF bay area, where organic farms are only hours away and farmers’ markets are regularly held. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be for people living in remote parts of the country. Sadly, unhealthy processed foods are always cheap and widely available. It’s all upside down and rather disturbing.
Anyway, while I’m on this health kick, does anyone have recommendations for good recipes or cookbooks? I need tons if variety in my food, so I’d love to try some new stuff out. Any tips are much appreciated!
Before I go, I have another simple card to share even though it has absolutely nothing to do with my rambling about healthy eating.
Project Recipe (all supplies SU unless noted): Friends 24-7 stamp set, Polka Dot background stamp, card stock in very vanilla, pink pirouette, close to cocoa, ribbon in pink pirouette, scallop edge punch, lace border punch, cutter kit (to distress edges), sponge daubers (to sponge ink on edges), stampin’ dimensionals
The Jungle Effect
I’m reading a very good book right now called The Jungle Effect by Daphne Miller, M.D. and I just wanted to share it with you guys. I first heard the author on NPR; her interview was so compelling, I ran to order her book right after the show ended.
The tag line for the book is: ” Doctor Discovers the Healthiest Diets From Around the World – Why They Work and How to Bring Them Home.” These words exactly captures what the book is about. Dr. Miller studied the indigenous diets of different “cold spot” communities around the globe (areas where there are extremely low cases of heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, etc) and she writes about how the diets of our ancestors that have been cultivated over centuries is the key to good health. For example, she talks about why the Mediterranean diet is so healthy and explains that not all olive oils are created equal. She even uncovers why Iceland, a nation that is unbearably cold and depressing, has one of the lowest rates of depression on the planet. In the back of the book, a number of easy recipes are included, along with grocery lists. The book is so convincing, it is actually changing my eating habits. I’ve been through all the heath fads that have come and gone, including South Beach, Atkins, etc, but I’ve found Daphne Miller’s book to be really different. Miller brings the nutrition, diet, and health together into a holistic picture that one can actually apply. I’m halfway done with this book, but I can see it really changing my life! I recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their diet.
Before I sign off, I’ll share with you a wedding card I made recently with one of my favorite wedding sets, For the Bride. It’s another shadow box card and you can find the tutorial here.
Here’s the card in 3-D effect.
It easily flattens out for mailing.
Project Recipe (all supplies SU unless noted): For the Bride stamp set, card stock in certainly celery, perfect plum, pale plum, very vanilla, scallop oval nestabilities die, ribbon in very vanilla, ink in perfect plum, heart to heart punch, bone folder, glue dots, stampin’ dimensionals, Sizzix texture plate
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