It was all good.

My birthday didn't suck. At all :-)

No matter what's going on in my life, I always know I have my WONDERFUL family to count on. They always go above and beyond to make me feel loved, and I will never be able to tell them how much I love them.

My mom and my aunt made me a delicious lunch at my Grandma's house, my cousins were there and we had a really nice time. The cakes, yes I got two, were yummylicious, and I just got to forget all the other crap for a while and just enjoy my day.

My mom, sis and nice got me this crazy cool ring I had been drooling over. My aunt got me those delish cakes. And my baby girl got me a box of chocolates. It was good.

Yep, not bad at all :-)

Digital letterpress. Whaaaaa?!?!? I die.

I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I found this crazy cool tutorial on Pinterest.

It teaches you very clearly how to create this letterpressed effect using Photoshop.

I played with it a little and these two images are what came out...

These were just my first attempts and I am gonna keep on trying to perfect it till I get it just the way I like it, but the process is so much fun.

Finding these tutorials for me, right now, is like buying embellishments.

(Oh how I miss my paper!!)

Definitely give it a try.

Tooddles.

It's my birthday.

I turn 39 today and I am hoping with all my heart that this is the year it all happens for me. I used to love, love my birthday. It was the best day of the year for me and I looked forward to it all year long.

For the past 13 years I've kinda wished that I could just skip it all together and not think about it anymore. It's always a disappointment. Always some kind of hurt. Always makes me feel lonely. I just don't like it anymore.

I want that to stop! I want to know that this day will again mean happiness and celebration for me.

I am so ready to get on with my life, to be free, to be the best mom, the best daughter, aunt and sister I can possibly be.

To have the life I deserve and have dreamed of.

Here's hoping...

I got this verrrry cool letterpress effect in Photoshop with an amazing tutorial I found on Pinterest and I'll share it with y'all on Monday. I also found the tutorial to make the circular text. Finally! I was complicating it so much and it's actually so easy. Sheesh!

Right now...

Listening: to the TV on the background. Old Christine is on.

Eating: still nothing. Where is my birthday breakfast in bed? Ha.

Drinking: not a thing, but I could so use an espresso.

Craving: a nice big ole IHOP breakfast.

Wearing: a tank top and sheets cause it's too damn hot in here.

Feeling: sad, tired, sleepy, angry... Yay.

Weather: it's gonna be another scorcher.

Wanting: to like my birthdays again.

Needing: a present would have been nice.

Waiting: for this little hell to be over already. How cheery am I?

Wondering: when, when, when?

Loving: nothing at the moment really.

I'm off to enjoy my mama's cooking and try to have a good day with my family.

Have a good weekend, lovelies.

This keeps me sane. Kinda...

Thank the Lawd my friend Karla Dudley got me into digital, or I'd be going insane right about now after two whole years without my paper and glue.

I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I saw this Paislee Press kit. I mean, those lemons. Duuude! I die.

Right now...

Listening: to the TV, but feeling like Country music.

Eating: ciabatta bread.

Drinking: cafe au lait.

Craving: a good night's sleep already.

Wearing: hot pink pjs.

Feeling: kinda sleepy still...

Weather: slightly cooler than yesterday's hellish temps. Sheesh!

Wanting: to feel excited about my birthdays again.

Needing: to start exercising again pronto.

Wondering: when will I ever see my stuff again?

Loving: that Scotty McCreery won American Idol. Yay! I love that kid.

I'm off to enjoy my last day of being 38. Kisses, lovelies.

Trying so, so hard....

I wish I knew how to do this... It feels like the past two years have been wished away.

Book of Faves: the cover.

I think this is the most perfect baby kit ever! I am so glad I have a little girl *squeals of joy*

Right now...

Listening: to The New Adventures of Old Christine on TV.

Eating: a delicious tamal.

Drinking: cafe au lait.

Craving: real coffee.

Wearing: pjs... Hey, it's still too early around here *grins*

Feeling: restless.

Weather: 60°F but it's gonna get so much warmer :(

Wanting: to find great new shampoo and conditioner.

Needing: calamine lotion for these damn mosquito bites.

Wondering: when, when, when???

Loving: how my girlie just told me she looked gorgeous before going to school.

Have a good one.

Another Book of Faves page...

Still creating my Book of Faves, using all those pictures I absolutely love but hadn't scrapped much before.

Here's number five in the series...



Oh, and color me surprised to be journaling on my pages lately *gasp*

I used One Little Bird's Billet Doux kit, like I have in all the other previous pages of this project.

Man, it feels GREAT to be creating again!



Right now...


Listening: to the morning traffic. Yay?

Eating: nothing. Too early to eat.

Drinking: Ditto, but I could sooo use an espresso.

Craving: Espresso!

Wearing: pjs still.

Feeling: not too great, actually...

Weather: 59°F. Not bad, but it won't last long *weeps*

Wanting: to go back home already!!

Needing: to know what's going on with a weird situation.

Wondering: what today will bring.

Loving: that my Nati is super excited about getting me a birthday present. She makes it all better. Always.


Have a great week, lovelies.

Hugely shameless lift...

Since I have frozen all kinds of digital stuff acquiring until I have used all my kits at least once, I got creative trying to make me some of those AMAZING Curated templates by Paislee Press, whom I adore.

Here's what came out...



The über talented Karla Dudley taught me how to make those shadows in one of her tutorials, which you can find on her blog, here.

Toodles, loves.

Who knew I liked lavender...

More oldie but goodie pics of my baby girl, all ready for Hawaiian day at preschool.
Her face in these pics kills me dead. Just sayin'.




I used One Little Bird's Focal Point kit and Karla Dudley's staples and jewel brads. I know, huge surprise there, huh?



I saw this on a pal's blog and I thought I'd give it a try...

Listening: To Bridezillas on TV on the background.

Eating: A lollipop.

Drinking: Nothing, but I need a decaf diet Coke pronto.

Craving: The fish tacos I'm about to eat.. Yummy!

Wearing: Um... I'm gonna plead the 5th here. Ha!

Feeling: A little worried about someone I love *weeps*

Weather: A pretty perfect 74°F. Let's hope it holds.

Feeling: So tired of waiting to go back home to Miami.

Wanting: A phone call with the best news evah...

Needing: For the damn gas company to restore our service so I can have a hot shower. Ugh.

Wondering: When, when, wheeeeeeeeeeeeen?

Loving: My Nati's voice on the phone.

Toddle loo, dhalings.

Even more faves!

I'm just having too much fun doing this. Templates=Anilú scraps a lot.

Have a wonderful day. Kiss.

It's great to be back!

Just a little page using some pretty old pics of Nati having this crazy conversation on the phone. Nothing that girl loves most than talking on the phone.



Used Paislee Press' Sorriso kit on this LO.

Ah, fresh new blog look... You like?

For this one I used nothing but one of Karla's brushes (she RULES the brushes) and some type and brads.

I was feeling very minimalist here and I had wanted to use that very cool hot pink/navy blue color combo.

Kisses, lovelies.

Book of Faves #3...

I am so in love with this kit! It's just perfect for all those adorable baby pictures of Nati that I hadn't scrapped yet.

Plus, scrapping with Karla's templates is a joy.

Here's my third page, now I'm gonna go work on the cover...


Have a great weekend, lovelies!

A book of faves. Part deux.

Here is another one of my Book Of Faves full of the best pics I have of My Nati.




Of course, still using Karla Dudley's book templates and One Little Bird's Billet Doux.

Off to make some more...

A book of faves... Part one.

I'm happily still scrapping every chance I get and having fun again doing it.
I haven't taken lots of new pictures lately, but I have lots of oldies but goodies that I hadn't scrapped before, so yay!

I could use these book templates by Karla Dudley on every LO I make. They are genius and make the process so easy.



For these pages of my Book Of Faves Of Nati, I used One Little Bird's Billet Doux kit. I loved the kit name so much. So very ad hoc.

I have many more of these pages to come, so I hope you like.

Later honeys.

First draft...

This is what that birthday LO I posted a few days ago was looking like, before I undid that whole thing and went a completely different way.






I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. I just needed, NEEDED to use that number mask by Karla, already. But, I will use it again soon in another page I like better than this one.

Kisses, dears.

Yet another new blog look

I am having so much fun creating these headers for the blog. I dunno why I held onto the old one for so long.






I've been in love with the teal-gray-mustard color combination for a while and I found this great digital kit with those same colors and I had to have it. Of course it's been sitting on my hard drive for ages and I am just now putting it to good use.

I'm the incurable hoarder. For shame!!

Getting back in scrapping shape. I think...

So, I guess inspiration and/or mojo are like a muscle which just needs to get some exercise to get back in shape.

Mine is slowly getting there, and I'm still doing my page & kit a day thing and it's working. I actually look forward to my daily page. Yes I do!

Here's today's...




I shamelessly lifted one of Karla Dudley's AMAZING templates & used One Little Bird's Flashback kit also Karla's stitches which I love and use on almost every page I make, along with her essentials kits.

Have a great weekend.

Feeling nostalgic....

And wondering where the time went. One day I was bringing her home *blink* she's seven and no longer my little baby.




To top it all off, she'll be eight this Summer. I want my baby baaaack!

I used nothing but tags and fasteners for this page. Elements are Karla Dudley, Sahlin Studio and Studio Baers Garten.

Have a great day, lovelies.

A new Spring wallpaper for May

artwork copyright Rhonna Designs www.rhonnadesigns.com

I'm still playing with my Rhonna Farrer brushes and I felt like a change of wallpaper for my Mac's desktop was needed.

I'm loving her beautiful, flowery images and all those butterflies... Love them!

Here's what I came up with. It's for a 1280 x 800 display, so if you like it just click on the image to get a larger size and save it to use on yours too.

Toodle loo.

The most wonderful month of the year is here!

Here I am channeling my inner Rhonna Farrer. I got these amazing brushes and spring-y images on her blog and hadn't had a chance to use them. So, I brought them out to celebrate the start of my favorite month...







The month of May is my birthday month and this is my last year as a thirty something. I have to say I'm kinda excited about it.

Here's hoping this year's better than the last few...

Happy May!