Here's a new layout fresh from Photoshop, LOL! The photos were taken from our camping trip at Avila Hot Springs Resort in Avila Beach at San Luis Obispo. It was Calix's first camping trip and Kail's second. It was a fun but exhausting weekend!

Credits: Template - Simply Yin Template 365 Set 9; Papers and Elements - Nature Kit by Jackie Eckels for Memory Makers

It's almost midnight but I was in the mood to create some digital layouts from my backlog of photos. I'm really loving digital scrapbooking because I can just sit in front of my computer (which I do a lot anyway), pull out a template, pick my photos, papers and templates, drag and drop them, and voila - a page ready to be printed and placed in an album! No messy adhesives, no cleanups needed either!

Credits: Template - Liv Esteban Time of the Year Template; Brads - Liv Esteban's Sun Fun; Papers and Elements - Michelle Coleman's Wild Sorbet for Memory Makers

Credits: Template - Simply Yin's Template #77; Papers, Elements, Photo Mats - Gingerscraps Independence Day Collaboration Kit

An Ounce of Creativity

Three posts in three days - wow, there must be something wrong with me! ;)

As I was on my way to work this morning, I briefly recalled my childhood (I'm not sure why, but I did) and realized that back then, I thought I was adopted if only because I never got an ounce of creativity in my bones. My mom was the artist in the family. She drew very well, she can make anything with her hands - from sewing, to crochet, to any kind of craft you can think of. My brother got the creative genes in our family. Even at an early age, he would be able to whip off a good drawing in the blink of an eye. His notebooks in school do not have lessons on them, but they did have very beautiful drawings! It just shows how much he doodles in class, to his teachers' dismay, LOL. He is both left and right handed. I admired him for that because he had what I craved for - creativity.

During school, I would always ace my Home Education projects (and my projects have always been chosen for exhibits) not because I was good, but because my mom made them herself. I make such rotten artworks that I think my mom couldn't bear to think I was her daughter!

As I left for the US, I realized how sad life away from family can be. I have seen some friends go through bouts of crying and feeling down. To overcome that feeling, I had to be busy - so I read book after book. Then I took classes. Then I got into crafts - from sewing, to cake decorating, to knitting, to scrapbooking and then photography. I found my niche in scrapbooking and photography. I enjoyed the process so much that I spend late nights when the kids are asleep reading on photography and scrapbooking, editing photos, scrapbooking, watching video tutorials on Photoshop Elements and scrapbooking techniques and digital scrapbooking.

I now realize that there are those born with the creative genes in their system, and there are those who develop said genes. I belong to the latter. I don't create over-the-top layout pages nor award winning photos - far from it actually. I scrapbook because I need to tell our story, to make sure memories will not be lost forever, and because I owe my children their life stories. I take photos because it gives a glimpse into our lives - however mundane it is. I take lots of photos because I only have a handful of childhood photos - most were either lost in the move or drowned in the flood. I find that unfortunate because I was a cute kid (ehem - need to feed my ego from time to time).

I take photos and I scrapbook because I am the family's life artist and nobody knows our story better than me.

Here is the niner I created last night for my last project for Frame Ups and Special Effects. The model is C, a friend's daughter. She is currently in college and doing some modeling on the side. She needed to update her portfolio and the mom asked me to take photos of her. She is truly a beautiful girl (inside and out) so I hope that she'll be successful with her modeling.

For more photos of her, please check this out.

Credits: Brushes by House of 3

The Frame Ups and Photo Editing free class wrapped up yesterday at the Spraground. It was a great class! I learned so much about adding interesting visual elements on my photos! Thanks so much Jessica Sprague and team - you guys totally rock!

Here are some of the photos I've enhanced using the techniques from that class (the photos below do not necessarily show the order in which they were presented):

1. Selective coloring technique - I converted the photo to black and white and recolored Kail's shirt with its original color:




2. Clipping Mask, Textures and Type


3. Clipping Mask, Textures, Darken Edges, Word Art, and Type


4. Clipping Mask and Textures

5. Hand tinted look on a photo and I colored Kail's lips with a shade of pink.

6. Photo converted to black and white and enhanced with brushes

7. Here is a photo of me and Calix with a round flourish frame and word art

8. Here is a 3-photo storyboard. Only the photo inside the frame remained in color while the image outside of the frame has that hand tinted look:
9. I burnt the edges of this photo so the background didn't show:

Credits - Brushes by House of 3; Frames House of 3; Textures by Fudge Graphics; Word Art by Jessica Sprague; Clipping Masks by Kimi Kreations and Jessica Sprague

I still owe another project - a niner. Hopefully I'll get to finish that tonight.

There's a ton of information presented in this class! What's great with this site is that the course materials are available forever so I can always go back in case I forget something.

Now that the class is over, I'm having withdrawal symptoms but I'm so happy Jessica is offering two more classes for August. They're no longer free but I'm entitled to a 20% discount. I'm so excited!

I've neglected my blog for far too long now that there are days when I'm seriously considering packing it up and shutting it down. The reason why it's still up and running is because my writer self thinks it's my chance to get my thoughts down. Gone were the days when I used to keep a journal and write my heart out everyday. Besides, this is the only way I'd connect to my writer self (if she's still there). I so badly need a muse right now... ;)

I have been vocal about my lifelong love for photography. My love affair with camera started when I held a film SLR at 12 years old. For a long time though, I have been shooting in program or auto mode. I recently discovered the amazing possibilities of shooting in manual and I've never looked back. Our photos dramatically changed! Now I only have my camera in auto mode whenever I'd hand it over to someone else to shoot. I've also learned to edit our photos more creatively. I am one happy mamarazzi!

To prove my point, here are some photos I'd like to share. All photos were taken in manual mode with natural light (no flash). I enhanced them in Photoshop Elements. You can view more here.

Been out of commission for a while again! :( I've been terribly busy in May with hubz' and my dad's birthdays, then Calix's celebrated his first birthday, then Mother's Day, and then our 6th year anniversary! I've also been busy with baby showers left and right. Life can definitely get in the way of a good time! :)

I will make this a short and sweet post as what I really want to do is advertise this free class. I am going to sign up for the class and have encouraged a number of my friends to join in as well. I hope I'll see you there!

And I thought I could rest... 

One thing I realized since becoming a mom is that there is no rest, especially when you do not have the luxury of a nanny.  This three week break gave me a chance to bond with my boys - and bond so much we did!  My boys have been tugging my pants since Day 1.  All day I play with them, clean the mess, take care of the boys.  The husband is helping (bless him!) so that has been keeping me sane throughout.  In the afternoon, we head to the park.  Kail plays in the playground, or rides the bike with his dad, while Calix and I would walk around the park several times.  This serves as our family's exercise (as if we needed one after running after the kids all day!).  

I can only do the things I want to do (like scrapbook) when the kids are asleep - either taking a nap or sleeping through the night.  This leaves me feeling so tired the next day because I get to bed around 12mn or 1am!  

Am I complaining?  Nope - not at all!  It's tough sometimes, yes, but I won't have it any other way.  Our kids bring us tremendous joy - one that's beyond imagining.  They also give us gray hair and wrinkles, but we've long since accepted that it's part of the package.  I'm thankful for this chance to spend three whole weeks as a dotting mom.  

On a three-week hiatus...

I am taking the remaining three weeks of baby bonding time from April 20 to May 8.  Since Calix is turning one on May 8, I'd lose the time if I don't take it now.  

I've only been on vacation for two days but I'm exhausted already!  Saturday was our grocery and church day.  Sunday was gardening day with papa (a friend's dad).  Hubz and papa toiled throughout the day while I slaved in the kitchen and babysat our boys.  Yesterday was spent cleaning.  Today I completed 12 digital layouts for Calix's birthday mini album!  

These past couple of days, we have been enduring a very hot 90 degree weather.  I decided to take Kail for a haircut and I was inspired to have a very, very short do for myself.  The photo below is what a 90 degree weather and a house full of boys did to me... ;)  I traded my long locks for a less maintenance do!  

Here is Kail having his haircut.  His teacher told me when I dropped him off to school this morning that Kail looks like a big boy with his haircut! 

What this Recession Taught Us

One good thing brought about by this recession is that it gave us (me and hubz) a chance to take a good look at our spending and weed out unnecessary expenses. Don't get me wrong, I am not one who throws caution in the wind when it comes to spending anyway (except for my scrap hoarding, LOL) but it pays to really be careful. Now is not the time to indulge on uncessary things, to build up the nest egg and to formulate a backup plan in case we lose a job. It is truly sad that this economy is not getting any better and we haven't seen the light at the end of the tunnel - yet (I still remain hopeful that this will come to end soon). Add to that the fact that California is also experiencing major budget shortfall.

What led me to this day was when I was watching Oprah one time and they featured those who have been greatly affected by this recession. People in Sacramento (a good hour away from where I live), in the capital of California, losing their homes to foreclosure. These are middle-income families now living in tents because they coudln't even afford to pay rent due to a job loss. These are families who, a year earlier, were able to afford a WII as a birthday gift for their kids but could now no longer afford to pay for housing. These families are no different from you and me. They have been victims of this hard economic times. It was truly an eye opener for me. This could happen to any one of us. Scary, scary thought.

So, no more lusting over a new LV bag, nor drooling over the new Nikon D90, or pining for a new VR lens, or salivating over yummy papers and new scrapbook goodies. The only thing we're not skimping on is food. Even that, I make it a point to buy new stocks when we have consumed the supply in the freezer. This way, we wouldn't need to throw anything out. Even when scrapbooking, my challenge is to use the supplies I have on hand. After all, what got me into this hobby in the first place is the need to document our lives, not the latest and greatest paper or embellishment.

What we are currently doing is pay using our debit card - as much as we can anyway. Since it goes straight out of our checking, we're more conscious of how we spend our money. I also started tallying (while shopping) how much each item costs so I have an idea more or less, of the final amount I have to pay at the counter. We are also cooking more and eating out less. However, I still buy take outs on days that I have to be in the office because I get home late that my boys are ready to eat the furnitures if I don't have food with me. But, the takeouts have to be $10 max and should last for two days, LOL. We turn off lights in areas of the house that are not in use - even Kail is already trained to turn off the lightwhen he leaves a room - it's never too early to start, LOL. I also make it a point to jot down our day to day expenses so we get an idea of where we spend our money on.

We are also foregoing buying new furnitures for the house. Our formal living and dining areas are bare so that has become our kids' play area. Since the boys are prone to breaking things anyway, we figured we'd wait until they're a little older before furnishing it, and hopefully the economy is better by then too.

We're taking one baby step at a time because at the end of the day, what's really important is that we're together, we're in good health, and we're happy even amidst all the cost-cutting that we do. That's what counts most - not the greatest and most expensive of things. All in all, this recession has taught us to live simply but meaningfully.

A New Layout - The Story of Our Family

I was in the mood the other night so I created this layout from a photo that was taken on Carnival Paradise cruise. The layout was based on a sketch from Pagemaps. It was one of those sketches that just jumped at me and gave me sleepless nights until I am able to create a layout based on that. My challenge on this layout was to use my existing stash. Because I have a lot of flowers and I rarely create a layout with them (with two boys, the opportunity is just limited), I decided to go all out and layer flower with flower. It took me longer than I anticipated but I was very happy with the result.

Materials:
Cardstock - Bazzill
Patterned Paper - K&Co Que Sera Sera; Cosmo Cricket Wanted
Flowers - Prima
Rub-ons - K&Co
Sticker - 7Gypsies
Pen - Zig

Journaling:
When you look at the four of us, you wouldn't be able to guess that Clifford and I struggled with infertility during the first two years of our marriage. We have spent a considerable sum of money on work-ups. The fact that our two boys were conceived naturally still baffles me up to this very day. God truly works in mysterious ways. He wasn't really saying "no" just "not yet"!

Belle De Jour Coupons

A friend got me a Belle De Jour power planner from her most recent trip to Manila. I just love, love this planner - so much space to write on. Plus, there's a menstrual tracker, vacation planner, expense tracker, 2009 Goals, dream board, health checklist, birthday list, and coupons - lots of them!

The downside is, the coupons are for retailers in Manila, so I can't use them. But, if you will be able to use them, please send me an email at cammfiveten@gmail.com with your name and mailing address (first to email gets the coupons) and I'll gladly mail you these coupons. If you're interested on the list of retailers, please check them out here.

Project 365 - 02/19/09

This is why I love Project 365. It gives me a chance to record moments that may have gone unnoticed, or may have never been printed off of my digital camera. The photo is a bit blurry, but I had to run and take this in a hurry because I might miss this pure brotherly exchange of affection! I love my life!

Have you met my daughter?

A conversation between me and the nurse in ER last week:

Nurse: You have a beautiful daughter.
Me: Thank you... except he's my son!
Nurse: Oh, I'm so sorry (looking embarrased). He has lots of hair so I thought he's a girl. But regardless, he's a beautiful child!

Now, tell me please, why do they always mistake my little boy for a girl, even when he's got all blue clothes? I just don't understand! :)

Project 365, etc.

During the weekend, I have edited the photos, added the texts for the days of the week and the date, had them printed at Costco, and have started assembling them on the page protectors last night. Photos for January are now neatly stored in their respective 4x6 page protectors, and I'll work on the journalling next. I also ordered a 3-ring 12x12 KMA red album today. I initially ordered the We R Memory Keepers ring album but it's no longer available at Ritz Camera. I ordered it from there because of the deep discount that came with it. I have posted the digital photos down (minus the journalling) and I smile whenever I see them. It reminded me of how we spent our January. As soon as I'm done with the journalling, I'll post photos of the actual spread.

I'm still taking photos - lots of them in a day actually - I can probably swing a couple of photos a day even! It's very exciting and it's not too late to join me in this journey. You can start today and end on the same day next year. It doesn't necessarily have to start on January 1st.

Yesterday was Kail's first day in preschool and you guessed it right, that was my photo for the day. We enrolled him thrice a week for 2.5 hours each day. He always has an artwork on his hands, which I plan to compile in a binder. It'll showcase how the artist in him would evolve.

Calix has started crawling on Sunday, Feb. 1st. He's probably late at 8 months - some babies are already walking at this point, but I'm just as excited like when I first saw Kail crawling a couple of years back.

Calix just recuperrated from flu last week. We rushed him to the ER on Wednesday night because he was harboring a 105 degree fever, which only went down to 103.6 after a cold sponge bath. Good thing he has a very good pediatrician who sees him almost everyday after the ER scare to make sure he'll get over this. She even ordered a nebulizer for him when she noticed him wheezing - delivered right at our doorstep! She's truly a gem and I'm so thankful we found her. She's F. Shanee Martin, MD of North Bay Pediatrics. They have clinics in Vallejo, Benicia, and Fairfield. Thank God Kail was spared from the flu. He had the usual cough and colds, but I started feeding him with way too many oranges and strawberries for the Vitamin C.

This reminded him of how much I hate it when kids get sick, especially those that just cry a lot and couldn't say exactly what's bothering them!

Project 365 - January

Week 5 - Jan. 23 to 31, 2009

Project 365 - January

Week 3 - Jan. 11 to 17, 2009

Week 4 - Jan. 18 to 24, 2009

Project 365 - January

Week 1 - Dec. 28, 2008 to Jan. 3, 2009

Week 2 - Jan. 4 to 10, 2009

A New Year, a New Post!

We just got back from our 13-day vacation on Friday, Jan. 9. We were practically living by the suitcase as we travelled from Las Vegas on Dec. 28 to Jan. 1, to Disneyland in Anaheim from Jan. 1 to 5, to a Carnival Paradise cruise to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico (courtesy of a very generous sponsor) from Jan. 5 to 9. Here's a little rundown from our travels:

• Talk about spending the New Year in Vegas with style - we did just that! They closed the strip down for cars so we were basically walking down the streets - LOVE IT! We also witnessed lots of people overdrinking and some were even lying on the streets - couldn't get up - drunk! The fireworks were a disappointment though. Unlike the previous years (or so we were told), they decided to launch them at ground level. Thus, those of us already at ground level couldn't see anymore... :(
• While in Vegas, we also visited Red Rock Canyon and Rachel, NV. Rachel, NV is the town closest to the infamous Area 51 where a top secret government location exists focused on studying, researching, and discovering lives beyond this world (aliens). We had some photos taken at so-called Extra Terrestrial Highway. Passing through this said highway is so eerie because it looks deserted - you could drive miles and miles without encountering any other vehicle on the road! Makes you think what'll happen if your car suddenly breaks down in the middle of nowhere - no cellphone signal as well, and the nearest gas station is hundreds of miles away! The temperature dipped as low as 19 degrees Fahrenheit when we were there. In fact, there was snow on the ground.
• On Jan. 1, we passed by Mt. Charleston on our way to Anaheim. Kail had fun playing on the snow that he doesn't even want to go. When we finally convinced him to leave, we witnessed a helicopter rescue from the ski resort up on the mountains. We gathered from the grapevine that a kid broke his neck skiing or snowboarding. A helicopter came to rescue him and take him at our ground level for first aid before finally taking him to the hospital. It was the first time I ever witnessed a 911 rescue at work!
• For three consecutive days from Jan. 2 to 4, we went to Disneyland to fulfill our promise to Kail that we'll take him there to celebrate his birthday. The lines were horrendously long everywhere we went! We waited a couple of hours before we finally got our tickets, and then there were more lines for the rides and even for the photo op with the Disney characters! What's good is that It was Kail's first time there and though Calix coudln't care less, Kail was, on the other hand, so giddy at seeing his favorite characters come to life! He had a blast having his photo taken with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Lightning McQueen and Mater, seeing Woody and Buzz Lightyear pass him by, watching the parades, watching Fantasmic, seeing fireworks, watching Playhouse Disney live! Good thing we had 3-day park hopper tickets so we were able to fully enjoy the parks. We even went to California Adventure on Jan. 3 and wondered where all the people were! We capped off his 3rd birthday with a character dinner at Goofy's Kitchen in Disneyland Hotel.
• We left Anaheim for Long Beach on Jan. 5 to take the Carnival Paradise cruise. Hubz was already getting stressed hauling suitcases whileI was pushing a stroller with the two kids in tow. Travelling with two small children is NOT an easy feat. Aside from our luggages, we needed a great deal of patience to handle the tantrums and meltdowns along the way. Good thing we can leave Kail at Camp Carnival most ofthe time and Calix on specific times. This allowed us to get a bit of a rest. Kail enjoyed himself immensely at the Camp. They always had activities for kids, and tons of toys to play with, even movies to watch. When I picked him one time, he had face painting on, a crown on his head, and an artwork of his hands. This made us realize that he's truly ready for preschool. And oh, talk about food - there's tons of food - 24 hours a day. We can order room service without having to pay anything. The sit down dinner menu is delicious. There's buffet available if you don't want to sit through dinner. We'd truly recommend this experience to everyone. We were so pampered at the ship! When Calix would fuss and it was dinnertime, the dining room staff would carry him just so I can continue to enjoy my dinner. If Calix would fall asleep in my arms, the dining room staff would slice my food into manageable pieces so I can continue eating. It's service par excellance! Thanks to J for recommending this trip and giving us tips. Of course a big shout-out to our very generous sponsor!
• It's home sweet home for us on the evening of Jan. 9th, and after a great deal of unpacking, tons of laundry, and a little bit of rest, I'mback to the grind at work!

So, what's the plan for 2009? Well, I'm embarking into a new challenge - the Project 365 by Becky Higgins. I was one of those unlucky ones who didn't get my hands on the kit. Nevertheless, I am taking a photo a day to document our year. I'm taking photo of even the most mundane of things and documenting such at Shuttercal with bits of journalling. I'm still hoping CK will offer more Project 365 kits in the future. But if not, I have an idea forming into my head as to how I'll be able to turn them into layouts. What's good about this option is that itwill make good use of my stash. I'm only on Day 15 but I'm already having fun with it. I take photos even with my iPhone so as not to miss a day! I challenge you to try it - it's fun, and a very good way to document everyday of the year.

Happy New Year everyone! Looking forward to celebrating the Chinese New Year as well because the next one's Year of the Ox and it's my year!The last time the Year of the Ox came around, I left for the US so yes, I'll also be celebrating my 12th year in the US come November!

Christmas is here...

'Twas the night before Christmas. Our oven is busy making cassava cake for tonight's noche buena with friends. I also made peach cream pie earlier.

The kids are asleep, trying to recharge for a long night with their friends. The husband is watching Tagalog news in Pinoy TV. I'm busy with a Christmas entry on my blog.

This is probably our happiest Christmas ever. It's Calix's first and our first Christmas in our new home with just the four of us. Despite the recession, we still consider ourselves blessed. God has been truly good to me and my family.

From our family to yours... a very Merry Christmas and a Properous New Year!