Teresa Collins' Celebrate

I've had these papers from Teresa Collins for quite awhile. I tried finishing this layout for months until I've totally forgotten about it. The project was shelved for more than a year and finally got done a week ago.

Here's Ethan celebrating his 4th birthday. A few days from now, he's turning 8! I will be emotional again as I realize more and more each day that our children will only be babies for awhile.

Supplies used: patterned paper - Teresa Collins' Celebrate (Cupcakes, Tags and Pendants), October Afternoon (monster); spray mist - Tattered Angels, chipboard - Chatterbox and Bella Blvd, Vintage spool - Pink Pasilee, buttons - Fancy Pants; others - pen, ribbons and twine

Everyday Happiness

Our life isn't perfect and this layout is a proof of that. These are random photos taken during the first half of the year, mostly taken when we didn't have any househelp. 

- Ethan homeschooling on the bed while I put Erin to sleep
- Our pile of laundry and was waiting for me : )
- Playing at the elevator's mirror
- Simple pleasures like cooking fried oreos and topping it with ice cream and cornflakes for our merienda (snack)
- Doing artwork
- "Harutan" with daddy
- Waking up early in the morning and being greeted by a beautiful view at the balcony

We love our life even though it is never perfect!

Too late when I realized that the word, "Saturday" dropped while I was taking a photo of my layout.

Polaroids don't always have to be used as a photo frame. You can top it with any embellishments!

This is my 6th layout from the Echo Park Sweet Day kit : ) Tips in making this layout: Use the "days of the week" from the Journaling Cards paper for "A Week In the Life" page or any "Everday Life" page. For this layout, I gathered random photos taken during the first half of the year. I just inserted the days of the week on each photo, but honestly I didn't even check whether it happened on that particular day : )

Echo Park Sweet Day

Last September 29, 2012, I conducted my 2nd class for this year at Lasting Impression. 

Thanks to those who attended the class!

Nothing went to waste as all of the kit's content has been used up for the class! Check out how we used the cover sheet, the twine's scraps, the bottom strips of each paper and even the plastic container of the kit!

We also used 4 different base for the layouts for a different look each page.

 Almost One
For the first layout, I used a busy patterned paper as the base. To separate the base from the photo, I used a big photo mat. I also used a photo which doesn't have a busy background.
(Note: Buttons used in this layout are not part of the kit.)

Here's My Number ...

 The two small strips on each side are from the bottom strips of the patterned paper.
(Note: Buttons and letters used in this layout are not part of the kit.)

 "Four"

 Can you see the cover sheet? I used it as base for the photos.

 (Note: Mini buttons used in this layout are not part of the kit.)

 

 Some of the flowers here were cut from the cover sheet.

 

 Recreate this butterfly on your layouts, as an alternative to buttons, you can use small brads or blings instead.

 Sweet Kuya Ethan
One of my all time favorite base is black cardstock. Black can make papers and photos pop!

 I wrapped the buttons using the kit's plastic container!

 (Note: The Fancy Pants buttons are part of the kit)

 The "sprinkles" are from the small pieces of twine. 

As an alternative to these buttons, you can also use mini brads or blings.

 ( Note: the mini buttons are not part of the kit)

 Ark Avilon Zoo

 (Note: the letters used in this layout are not part of the kit)

 cute bee brad from Karen Foster (still available at the store; other shapes are also available)
(Note: Karen Foster brads are part of the kit)

Thanks for looking at my layouts! Happy weekend!

Echo Park Hello Summer

Sharing some layouts I created for Lasting Impression months ago. I used Echo Park Hello Summer Collection. To date, I created 4 layouts but the kit is still full of papers for more layouts! I really wish I could sit and scrap more often.

Thanks for dropping by today! Hope you're inspired to scrap! 

Happy scrappin'!

My Little Man

Ethan has just turned 7 years old when these photos were taken. How fast time flies because he will be turning 8 years old a month from now.

Here's a layout I created for him for his birthday, "My Little Man". This is just one of those few layouts I have not posted here on my blog.

 Photography by Owee Salva-Yulo

Supplies used: BasicGrey What's Up - papers, diecuts and transparencies,element stickers, mini envelope, and alphabet stickers; Pink Paislee Vintage Vogue Spool Buttons; spray mist - Tattered Angels; others - buttons and baker's twine

Working Mom Magazine May 2011

Now I can share this with you ...

... a summer mini album I made for Working Mom Magazine and Lasting Impression. I'm so proud of this project because it was a family bonding activity for us! Jeff contributed in the article and was the also official photographer while Ethan got to be featured because he did most of the journaling notes using his own words in his handwriting!

Pardon the over exposed photos though ...

cover page

 pages 1 and 2

 

  pages 3 and 4

hidden journaling

  pages 5 and 6

pages 7 and 8

pages 9 and 10

pages 11 and 12

Some of the layouts were not included in the issue so I thought of sharing all the pages here. I hope I was able to inspire you to create a simple and easy summer mini album.

Album Size: 6"x6"
Photo Size: 3" x 4" (half of 4R or you can use wallet size prints)
all materials are from Lasting Impression (except for the ribbons, paint, office supplies and ring binders): album chipboard; Cosmo Cricket Snorkel and Joy Ride Collection; Fancy Pants buttons

Thanks to Vivian of Lasting Impression and Ms. Dedet Panabi, EIC of Working Mom for another wonderful opportunity!

28 weeks and other updates

I'm back again! We have been through a lot of things this summer so blogging and scrapping, as always, need to take a backseat. My OB also advised me to rest because I am underweight - it must be because of the stress that keeps on building up each day. 

I'm on my 28th week of pregnancy right now. It has been quite difficult because of the unbearable heat (it must be my worst summer). My two boys are both helping me out with the chores at home. Ethan would fix his bed, throw the garbage, set up the table, sometimes wash the dishes etc. while Jeff would do the laundry. We are making ourselves ready for the coming of our baby with or without a househelp.

Ethan finished 3 of his summer lessons - thank God for all of these despite having financial difficulties. We wanted a fruitful and enjoyable summer for Ethan so I really planned for his activities. I enrolled him in swimming lessons which only cost me P2,000 for 15 sessions (not bad at all); he swims in our community pool which is a walk from our unit and has saved us from gas. My little boy learned to swim fast only after a few sessions, in fact even faster than Jeff!

Ethan (the one in black rashguard)

We also enrolled him at the McDonald's Kiddie Crew which was only P500 for 5 days! 

 

First day: Drive Thru

Second Day: Counter/Kitchen

Third Day: McCafe

We thought that was it when God has sent us an angel through Tita Arlene. She enrolled Ethan in Friday's Kids on Stripes! Ethan truly enjoyed this one, in fact, he was even awarded "Most Active" because he would always participate in all of the activities of their class.

Kids On Stripes -ATC Branch, Batch 2 during their Recognition Day. Each kid received a certificate, an award and a cute Snowman!

Summer has been busy for Ethan. Our young entrepreneur also sold ice candies to our neighbors! And one of his greatest feat would be sleeping on his own in his own bedroom! We are really proud of our little "Kuya"!

On my 26th week, I had my ultrasound. But I told my OB not to tell us the gender yet instead she must write it down in a card. I told her that we want to reveal the gender together with my family and friends. She loved the idea and she kept telling the other doctors and staff about our plan! I then sealed the envelope (nope, I didn't peek!) and even tied it with a pink and blue ribbon just to make sure nobody from us will dare open it hehehe.

We asked our friends to come in pink and blue shirts - depending on their guess (pink for a girl and blue for a boy).

 

I was surprised to see Jeff wore a blue shirt! Ethan was consistent - he said it'll be a baby girl!

My mom and our very kind neighbors.

My mom and our neighbors threw this simple get together for us. We feel blessed!

I can't even look at the result!

We are very thankful for our family and our new friends who were there with us to share the exciting news! 

 

We feel happy that we are going to be blessed with a baby girl!

Here are some layouts I managed to make the past weeks.

title: Home Sweet Holidays

materials are from Lasting Impression: patterned papers - Crate Snow Day Collection; cardstock - DCWV; chipboard - Cosmo Cricket; pompoms - Fancy Pants (thanks Iris!); others - buttons (thanks April!) and pens

title: 31

materials: Thanks April for the papers and embellishments! patterned papers - Prima, Fancy Pants, Teresa Collins; felt flowers - Queen and Co.; sticker - MYLB (thanks Iris!) ; brads - Nikki Sivils (thanks Ria!) others - pen 

Thanks for dropping by!