A Few Layouts and a Freebie

Here are some layouts that I made using Spring Sunset Kit by Kimberly Bartlett (aka fishinmomdesigns).

A Happy Family
Here's my sister's family. Every two years they go to a studio to have a family picture-taking. Here are some of those photos. If someone will visit their place, one can see all their framed family pictures on the wall and it's so good to see how they changed through the years.

Add'l LO Credit: Template by Tracy Drane (slightly modified)

A Family in Harmony

I really admire my parents-in-law (PIL) for how they brought up their kids. DH and his siblings are all achievers; with "good moral character" and they are in harmony with one another. This LO is dedicated to my PIL for a job well done-- it was their wedding photo and the pictures of the three sibling are in the charm. The Chinese proverb is very fitting for them since they are Chinese too.

It's a Girl Thing

These are my nieces taken two years ago. They seem to be sweet and inseparable in the first picture but after several shots, they got tired and just wanted to sit down, relax and be apart...well, it's a girl thing!

Grab the kit here

All her megakits can be bought for only $4.00. All fishinmomdesigns' kit are scrap-for-hire/others (S4H/S4O) friendly, so grab a kit or two, now.

Download the freebie here
password: fishinmomQP

Freebie: My Superboy QPs Part 2

Just dropping by to give you the second part of "My Superboy QPs". I might become super busy this week so I better post in now.

That's my superboy, three decades ago. LOL

Download here

password: magicmaker

Sale, Great Blog and a Freebie

I have so many thing in my "To Do" list so here's just a quick post to some great news.

First, Scrap-n-Tag is having an INDEFINATE great sale. So what are you waiting for, hop over there and see the storewide sale fever.

visit scrap-n-tag shop here

Now, the above kit is designed by an eight-year-old girl named Lydia. This kit is for personal as well as for commercial use. Some girls her age are still playing dolls and here she is seriously making a lovely kit. Go and visit her blog and give her a hug. you can also leave a comment for her as you download her awesome creation.

Finally, here are some QPs I made about two months ago using several items from three designers where I am a club member (nana's attic, janniscrap and sugarshackscrap). Mostly, the QPs are fron Janice's "Blue and Green" Kit.

My husband is celebrating his birthday this week and these QPs are somewhat made with him in mind. You see, my mother-in-law said that he was a mischievous boy. Well, he still does a lot of mischiefs with me--he has grown into a man but the heart remains with that of a little boy. Why "my superboy"? When, DH was still a young boy (pre-schooler), there were some playmates introducing themselves saying "ako si Batman" (I'm Batman); "ako si Superman" (I'm Superman)., etc. When it was DH turn, he bluntly said "Ako si Mike" (I'm Mike). When, I heard about that story, I initially thought...Oh but you're a "Superboy" (he was still my boyfriend at that time). In any case, there are several things that my husband is so serious and I love and so proud of him for that. He's serious with his job/work and his faith.

Anyway, I was supposed to give away one QP each day until DH's birthday comes, but I don't think I can post everyday so I just divided these QPs into two parts. You can get the first part (2 QPs today, and the other two, sometime this week--I hope I can post them tomorrow)

Download here

password: magicmaker

Freebie: Powder Blue QPs: In Honor of Ruthie

Last June 15, I received an email from Alice, a friend of Ruthie of sugarshackscraps. She informed us (my fellow members of sugarshackscraps's club) that Ruthie is very sick. The short note read: "Ruthie has asked me to contact all the Club Members as she is in hospital and will be in and out for a long time.She is closing her shop and blog soon and giving pro-rated refunds to the members." There was no further information about her sickness but Ruthie has been sharing in her blog about her pains. I, for one didn't know it was serious.

On June 17, barely two days after that notice, another message was sent by Alice: "Ruthie lost her fight to cancer yesterday at 4:45 pm. Her battle with cancer has been a difficult one, as she just recently received the diagnosis. There was no time to say goodbye to her husband or 4 Children and 9 Grandchildren, it just happened so fast and unexpected. She will be missed!"

I have been a member of her club since January and like Anita and Janice, she also has a very nice TOU for her kits (for members only). One can use their kits for making QPs and S4H/S4O friendly.

One of the first kits I had with my membership is "Powder Blue." I made QPs from this kit which I was supposed to upload earlier this year but I always forget. I only remember I made these when I received the news about her crossing the silver thread. How I wish I was able to upload this before so that Ruthie would have seen it.

Download here
password: magicmaker

Small Miracles Collaboration Kit and a Commercial Use Freebie

I'm not actually a designer but I can make a few kits from some commercial use items that I bought and got as freebies. Here's one precious kit that I made for Kim's daughter who lost everything they own through a fire. When I downloaded Kim's Kit for DSO's Color Challenge, I read about this tragedy and the Small Miracles' Collaboration kit to somehow extend help to the family. Here's a preview of my part for the Small Miracles Mega Kit.

Now, here's a preview of the entire kit.

There are 22 files in the folder to download them, and the contents include . . .106 papers, 185 elements, 1 alpha, 2 wordart, 1 12x12 quickpage, 6 4x6 bragbook.

All of the proceeds from the sell of this kit will go to Kim's daughter and her family.
For a $9.95 donation, you will receive this HUGE kit.

Visit small miracle's blog and get this lovely mega kit.

Now, here's a small add-on for the Small Miracles kit. They are two angel elements which you can use to embellish your LOs. Okay, the preview does not give them justice as I included the TOU in it since some people who download my stuffs also re-upload them for others to download. These items are 5 inches in height at 300 dpi. They both are of high quality. These items can also be used in your commercial (making a scrap kit) and Scraps for Hire/Others projects.

Sorry, the links are no longer available

P.S. Another commercial use element awaits you at the small miracle's blog . So go and get that one too.

I've been given an award

Thank you Kim!
Now I'm supposed to pass it on.

(Can I pass it to more than 5? There really are a lot of blogs that I truly love. LOL)
I'm passing it on to the following wonderful people:

1) Netta at CreativeVictorianDesigns - as I always say, she's my mentor in digiscrapping. She has sophisticated kits which I truly love. She's the one who taught me everything from uploading at 4shared to starting this blog. I'm really proud to be a member of her CT.

2) Kimberly Bartlett at fishinmomdesings - She's the reason why I discovered DSO and joined her challenges just to get her awesome prize for posting. Her kits are just so versatile from classy to country style, you'll always be amused with her creativity. I really love being in her team as well.

3) Carolyn Kite at scrap-n-tag - this woman is simply amazing. Whenever she releases a kit, I always say "Wow!" Her elements are one of a kind she has this "magic touch" that can transform an ordinary element to par excellence. Her kits are filled with so many elements that has several elements within. I mean, a single frame will have some ribbons, laces, flowers and other wonderful stuffs. Okay, go and get one to see for yourself. And yes, I'm one of the blessed ones to be in her CT as well.

Now, those three persons are currently MIA in their blogs, they must be concocting so wonderful kits to watch out for. So my list continues.

4) Sally at Winged Heart - Now, here's the girl who has been separated from birth (SAB) with me. We have lots of common...from our interest in writing to digi-scrapping, even our courses in college are "sisters". Long before we became Kimberly's CT members, I've always love to visit her blog and her kits which are so elegant.

5. Candy at scrapsofcandy - Here's someone who's name is the personification of her as a person. She has such a sweet face and smile. She's so sweet in leaving messages to my LOs and everything about her abounds with sweetness. She makes wonderful QPs too.

6). Vicki at digiLover - here another sweet and thoughtful lady who always has something good to say about my work. I love not only her blog but her classic features. She has such a beautiful face. She has amazing kits, QPs and LO in her blog, too.

7) Rusty at jackedurscraps - I guess, creativity's nickname is Rusty or could she be the embodiment of creativity? Either way, she has this amazing talent when it comes to making QPs and bragbooks. Now, she embarks in designing QPs and wonderful tube figure at scrap-n-tag. She never runs out of great ideas. This sister -n Christ is also known as CC (Called and Chosen).

Happy Father! Day and a Freebie

So, it's Father's Day and with this greeting comes my layout for those special fathers in my life and of course, a freebie for everyone.

My Daddy's Love

My Dad passed away four years ago and I still cry every Fathers' Day in the church whenever they ask Daddies to stand up and/or when a special music is rendered dedicated for fathers. i don't know about this coming Sunday if some tears will still fall from my eyes. But one thing is for sure...Daddy's love is without end and I will surely see him in heaven, someday.

Happy Father's Day! Papa

Here's another LO for my father-in-law. He's a pure blooded Chinese, hence, the dominance of red color. He's also a medical doctor, thus, the presence of a stethoscope and the health book in this LO. My admiration is always there for him. He's one great deal of a father. I'm so blessed to have him as my father-in-law.

Safe in Daddy's Arms

I took this picture of my brother-in-law together with my nieces seven years ago in a park. Faye didn't want her picture to be taken so she buried her face on her Dad's shoulder; while Meg gave her sweet smile, knowing she's secure in her father's arm. The kids may have different reactions but in their hearts they know for sure: they are safe in Daddy's arms.

LAYOUT CREDIT:

All three layouts were made using Kimberly Bartlett's (fishinmomdesigns) "A Man's World" kit. One thing I truly love about her kits is that they are so versatile and the colors and all other elements are so varied that if you'll make five LOs out of the same kit, you'll hardly recognized they all came from one kit. Yet, if you put them all together, they look great. Aside from that all her kits are Scraps-for-Hire/Others (S4H/S4O) friendly so it's worth every penny. Other LO credit goes to Anneli Andersson for the health book, stethoscope and pocket watch.

This kit was made with a man in mind but could be used in a variety of layouts. Full of rich deeply textured papers, and strong bold colors with just the right mixture of chrome and cardboard elements, it's bound to blend with all your "manly" pics!

Kit Includes:
15 papers
(4 crackled solids, 11 designs)
12 ribbons
4 ricrac
5 tags
2 journals
1 frame
4 slides
5 eyelets
15 buttons
14 bows
2 brads
1 cardboard edge
1 photo corner
4 pins
5 staples
4 tie clips

Buy "A Man's World Kit" here for only $4.00

Download freebie here

password: fishinmomQP

Box/es Freebie

For some time now, I wanted to do something 3D. My first attemp was for a bragbook that I did for Netta's Dragon Vengeance Kit. It took me several hours to do a one page bragbook. We're supposed to watch a DVD that night but I just can't get it right until DH got impatient and just went to sleep. Everytime, I'm doing a project whether in writing or digiscrapping, he's always my loving critic. He tells me how I could improve my work. When I did the 3D bragbook page, he kept telling me that I have a wrong perspective that's why it looked unrealistic...he explained to me something like it's a plane, etc...he even did some illustrations. LOL, I just couldn't get it. I want to try my hands on it and see how my brain will process things. My husband is an engineer and he's the only one who can explain Math to me in the way I can fully understand--(I wish he were my Math teacher when I was in college, hehehe). But the "perspective thingy" was really too hard for me. He said I have to know the concept first before I could do it perfectly, but then when I showed him what I did the following morning, I got his approval (he's always a big fan of my work).

Now, here's another project that I have in mind for a long time now: a box or a stacked of boxes. I saw them in some LOs and I just want to have one (actually, I have one already that I got as a prize when I did a challenge at Ksellman but I wanted something that has a different perspective...Oh! here goes that perspective thingy again). Too bad hubby is not here. He's still out of the country. It took me half day to just do this box. I would want to send it to DH to know what he has to say about it before I post it here. However, I'm satisfied with this one and I think he'll also agree that I did it right this time. Some people may have other idea of how a box should look like but for me it looks like box. LOL. Anyway, DH says I have low EQ, he's right coz I just can't wait to share it with you.

Please tell me gently what you think about this one and PLEASE if you will use this box in your LO can you kindly go back to my blog and leave a comment to link your LO. I would appreciate it so much.

Download here

Friday Freebie: Father's Day Bragbook 3

So, here's the third set. This set has a lot of "character" in it--I mean, there's one for a cowboy dad, a music-man and to Dads who love fishing. You know these people who created the kits are so creative. Not a single element is exactly replicated in all the 18 kits using just a single color pallete. In addition, they all have "Father's Day" in mind and yet each kit is unique. Wow! Now the big question...will there be a 4th set? That remains to be a question...

SPECIAL THANKS/CREDIT FOR THE KITS GOES TO:
Calvina Walsh (http://calvinawalsh.blogspot.com/)
Carjazi (http://carjaziscraps.com/)
Carolyn McComas (http://infinitevisons.blogspot.com/)
Elaine Dennison (http://crainbos.blogspot.com/)
S.Shanley (Xashee Design Kit)
SusieQ (http://thatsmyattitude.blogspot.com/)

Download here

Freebie: Father's Day Bragbook Part 2

Here's the second batch of DSO Color Challenge Father's Day Bragbook. I just realized that most of us will be able to use one of these as greeting card to give to father-in-law, grandpa's and even pastor. You can also print one for each of your kids to give to Dad. My Dad has already gone ahead of us but I will still make an LO for him.

I have started with the third batch of this set and I don't know if I will still make other BB (4th batch) from the other kits that will be posted at DSO for this month (we're still halfway to the month of June and DSO's CC has more than 12 kits already. Fantastic!)

SPECIAL THANKS/CREDIT FOR THE KITS GOES TO

Erika (http://curlywirlytwirlygirlies.blogspot.com/)

Kimberly (http://kimscrapping.blogspot.com/)

LouCeeCreations(http://louclark.blogspot.com/)

Melanie (http://mmdcreations.blogspot.com/)

Tammy (http://thequeenandtheprincess.typepad.com/)

Victoria Lipp(http://mizamigosmumblings.blogspot.com/)

Download here

All about Fathers

*Did you know that the word "Dad" dates back to the sixteenth century, or possibly even earlier? It may have originated with the Welsh word "Tad" (meaning father), which later mutated to Dad.

*The word "Father" is derived from the Old English "Foeder".

*Animals are fathers too! Strangely enough, a father ocean catfish is a true example of a devoted father. He carries the eggs of his young is his mouth until they are ready to be born, which may take up to several weeks. During that time, he cannot eat a thing!

*Penguins are another good example; Father penguins keep on their feet in arctic temperatures for sixty days or more to protect his eggs. He hides them on top of his feet, hiding them with feathered flap. Like the catfish, he cannot eat for the duration of his guard of the eggs.

(source: www.kfor.com)

*Martin Luther King, Jr., was originally named Michael, like his father. When Jr. was 5, dad changed both their names to Martin.

*History of Father's Day Festival as seen today is not even a hundred years old. Thanks to the hard work and struggle of Ms Sonora Louise Smart Dodd of Washington that just as we have set aside Mother's Day to honor mothers we have a day to acknowledge the important role played by the father. However, some scholars opine that Father's Day history is much older than we actually believe it to be. They say that the custom of honoring dad's on a special day is over 4,000 years old.

*Scholars believe that the origin of Father's Day is not a latest phenomenon, as many believe it to be. Rather they claim that the tradition of Father's Day can be traced in the ruins of Babylon. They have recorded that a young boy called Elmesu carved a Father's Day message on a card made out of clay nearly 4,000 years ago. Elmesu wished his Babylonian father good health and a long life. Though there is no record of what happened to Elmesu and his father but the tradition of celebrating Father's Day remained in several countries all over the world.

(source: fathersdaycelebration.com)


Say Dad/Father in different laguages

* Arabic - "babba" or "yebba" or "abbi"

* Bahasa Indonesia - Ayah/ Bapak

* Filipino/Tagalog - Itay, Tatay, Ama (Father)

* Chinese - 父親, 父亲 bau bau/lo dow; Mandarin: "bà" or "bàba" (informal); 父親 (fù qīn) (Mandarin)

* Czech: Táta

* Dutch - Vader (Father), Papa (Dad)

* Filipino/Tagalog - Itay, Tatay, Tatang, Ama (Father)

* French - Père, Papa

* German - Vater

* Greek - Babbás

* Hebrew: Abba(h)

* Italian/Spanish - Padre, Papà, Babbo

* Japanese - If you're talking about someone father, or talking about your own father with your friends, you should say: Otousan (Oh-toh-oh-sahn) = Father

If you're talking about your own father with strangers, elders, etc. (in a polite setting), say: 父 Chichi (Chee-chee) = Father

* Hindi: "Papa" or "Pita-ji"

* Korean - 아빠 (Dad), 아버지 (Father), appa, abuji

*Portuguese - Pai (Father), Paizinho (Dad)

* Russian - Отец, pronounced as Ohteyetse

(source: answers.yahoo.com; www.ehow.com; babelfish.com)

How I wish these are all correct, I just got them from the web. Anyone here who can correct this "say Dad/Father in Different Languages" is welcome.

Top Ten Things You'll Never Hear A Dad Say

10. Well, how 'bout that?... I'm lost! Looks like we'll have to stop and ask for directions.

9. You know Pumpkin, now that you're thirteen, you'll be ready for unchaperoned car dates. Won't that be fun?

8. I noticed that all your friends have a certain "drop dead" attitude... I like that.

7. Here's a credit card and the keys to my new car -- GO CRAZY.

6. What do you mean you wanna play football? Figure skating not good enough for you, son?

5. Your Mother and I are going away for the weekend... you might want to consider throwing a party.

4. Well, I don't know what's wrong with your car. Probably one of those doo-hickey thingies -- you know -- that makes it run or something. Just have it towed to a mechanic and pay whatever he asks.

3. No son of mine is going to live under this roof without an earring -- now quit your belly-aching, and let's go to the mall.

2. Whaddya wanna go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend.

And the #1 thing you will never hear...

1. Father's Day? Baahh--don't worry about that--no biggie.

from www.crosswalk.com

Small Wooden People

by Max Lucado

The Wemmicks were small wooden people. Each of the wooden people was carved by a woodworker named Eli. His workshop sat on a hill overlooking their village.

Every Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the village.

And all day, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing: They gave each other stickers. Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people could be seen sticking stars or dots on one another.

The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots. The talented ones got stars, too. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing very pretty songs. Everyone gave them stars.

Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time they got a star it made them feel so good that they did something else and got another star.

Others, though, could do little. They got dots.

Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots. Sometimes when he fell, it would scar his wood, so the people would give him more dots. He would try to explain why he fell and say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him more dots. After a while he had so many dots that he didn't want to go outside. He was afraid he would do something dumb such as forget his hat or step in the water, and then people would give him another dot. In fact, he had so many gray dots that some people would come up and give him one without reason.

"He deserves lots of dots," the wooden people would agree with one another. "He's not a good wooden person." After a while Punchinello believed them. "I'm not a good wemmick," he would say. The few times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had a lot of dots. He felt better around them.

One day he met a Wemmick who was unlike any he'd ever met. She had no dots or stars. She was just wooden. Her name was Lulia.

It wasn't that people didn't try to give her stickers; it's just that the stickers didn't stick. Some admired Lulia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But it wouldn't stay either.

"That's the way I want to be," thought Punchinello. "I don't want anyone's marks." So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did it.

"It's easy," Lulia replied. "Every day I go see Eli."

"Eli?"

"Yes, Eli. The woodcarver. I sit in the workshop with him."

"Why?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself? Go up the hill. He's there." And with that the Wemmick with no marks turned and skipped away.

"But he won't want to see me!" Punchinello cried out. Lulia didn't hear. So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other stars and dots. "It's not right," he muttered to himself. And he resolved to go see Eli.

He walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill and stepped into the big shop. His wooden eyes widened at the size of everything. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his tiptoes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm. Punchinello swallowed hard. "I'm not staying here!" and he turned to leave.

Then he heard his name.

"Punchinello?" The voice was deep and strong.

Punchinello stopped.

"Punchinello! How good to see you. Come and let me have a look at you." Punchinello turned slowly and looked at the large bearded craftsman. "You know my name?" the little Wemmick asked.

"Of course I do. I made you."

Eli stooped down and picked him up and set him on the bench. "Hmm," the maker spoke thoughtfully as he inspected the gray circles.

"Looks like you've been given some bad marks."

"I didn't mean to, Eli. I really tried hard."

"Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to me, child. I don't care what the other Wemmicks think."

"You don't?"

"No, and you shouldn't either. Who are they to give stars or dots?

"They're Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn't matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special."

Punchinello laughed. "Me, special? Why? I can't walk fast. I can't jump. My paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?"

Eli looked at Punchinello, put his hands on those small wooden shoulders, and spoke very slowly. "Because you're mine. That's why you matter to me."

Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this--much less his maker. He didn't know what to say.

"Every day I've been hoping you'd come," Eli explained.

"I came because I met someone who had no marks."

"I know. She told me about you."

"Why don't the stickers stay on her?"

"Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them."

"What?"

"The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about the stickers."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"You will, but it will take time. You've got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care."

Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground.

"Remember," Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door. "You are special because I made you. And I don't make mistakes."

Punchinello didn't stop, but in his heart he thought, "I think he really means it."

And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.

Image credit: posertubes.com

My First Bragbook Freebie Part I

I was planning to make another kit for DSO's June Color Challenge since I bought some commercial use grab bags that I'm so excited to use. However, I'm still not feeling well and no matter how I squeze my brain for some creative juices to flow, nothing happens. So I decided to do something that I love doing and which I think is what I do best: making QPs--but this time, I tried to make my first bragbook freebie. There are a lot of great kits made by different designers for this challenge, so I used them for this bragbook. Since, Father's Day is just several days away, you can use and print one of these to give to your Dad. Yup! you can use them as cards. The size is the standard 4R (4x6) at 300dpi. I'll still make some more before Friday since there are still a lot of beautiful kits at DSO that I can work with so that you can have a lot of choices for you card.

You can download the entire kits at DSO

SPECIAL THANKS/CREDIT FOR THE KITS GOES TO:

Debbie Beckmoore (http://beckmoorescrapalittle.blogspot.com/)

Boo Silva (http://boolanddesigns.blogspot.com/)
Heande (http://heande.blogspot.com/)
Joni Gray (http://jonigray.blogspot.com/)
Kari (http://relocateddixiegirl.blogspot.com/)

Kim Broedelet (http://kimbsdesign.blogspot.com/)
and
A Father's Love WordArt By Candy Marcum(http://scrapsofcandy.blogspot.com/)

Download here

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

Today is my Mom's 68th birthday and here's an LO for her. My Mom is a midwife and she has delivered nearly a thousand babies since she was 18 years old. She's in her uniforn in this photo which took me days to restore. No, I didn't make any enhancement on her face but the photo has lots of marks--waterdrops, dirt, etc. I always wanted to retain the "truth" in a photo since DH and I were also hobbyist photographers, so, I seldom edit photographs. I love photos the way they were taken. But in the case of this photo, I only partially restore what has been ruined by time as per my Mom's personal request. The QP is from Julia.

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

Friday Freebie: Sweet as Chocolate QP

I have a few layouts using Kimberly Bartlett's (aka fishinmomdesigns) My Sweet Valentine Kit. Okay, it's no longer Valentine's Day but this kit is so versatile it can be used in any other LOs. It has rich color schemes with 28 papers (14 solids). It has lots of chocolate in it: from Choco doodles to choco staples. This kit is so yummy for any layout. You've already seen my first LO using this kit with my chocobox in it. So, here are my other LOs.

Self-Confessed Chocoholic

I don't like sweets but my darling husband loves chocolates. That's why I make sure, there's always black chocolates in our ref (I choose black for health reasons, LOL). In this particular picture, I gave him lots of chocolates along with my Christmas gift for him. Then, I took a picture of him with my gifts (this was taken three Christmases ago).

Meg Through the Years

This LO is supposedly for DSO's May Template Challenge but I was so busy, I wasn't able to upload it. Anyway, my niece, Meg, is celebrating her 10th birthday this coming July so I'm making some LOs for her and her sister, Faye, who'll be turning 12. This is just one of those LOs. This LOs compiles all her pictures taken during her birthdays.

My Sister's Wedding

I always wanted to make a layout of all the weddings in our family (including my cousins, Kuya Gerald, kuya Glenn and Gladys) but I still have to get their wedding pictures. So, in the meantime, here's one of them, my sister's wedding. The cake was from me, extracted from our friends' (Leo and Shiela) wedding cake.

Now here's "My Sweet Valentine" kit that I'm talking about. You can grab this big kit here for only $4.00

This kit is scrap-for-hire/scrap-for-others (S4H/S4o) okay.

Download here

password: fishinmomQP

Tips For a Happy Life

Alphabet of Happiness...

A--Accept

Accept others for who they are and for the choices they've made even if you have difficulty understanding their beliefs, motives, or actions.

B--Break

Away Break away from everything that stands in the way of what you hope to accomplish with your life.

C--Create

Create a family of friends whom you can share your hopes, dreams, sorrows, and happiness with.

D--Decide

Decide that you'll be successful and happy come what may, and good things will find you. The roadblocks are only minor obstacles along the way.

E--Explore

Explore and experiment. The world has much to offer, and you have much to give. And every time you try something new, you'll learn more about yourself.

F--Forgive

Forgive and forget. Grudges only weigh you down and inspire unhappiness and grief. Soar above it, and remember that everyone makes mistakes.

G--Grow

Leave the childhood monsters behind. They can no longer hurt you or stand in your way.

H--Hope

Hope for the best and never forget that anything is possible as long as you remain dedicated to the task.

I--Ignore

Ignore the negative voice inside your head. Focus instead on your goals and remember your accomplishments. Your past success is only a small inkling of what the future holds.

J--Journey

Journey to new worlds, new possibilities, by remaining open-minded. Try to learn something new every day, and you'll grow.

K--Know

Know that no matter how bad things seem, they'll always get better. The warmth of spring always follows the harshest winter.

L--Love

Let love fill your heart instead of hate. When hate is in your heart, there's room for nothing else, but when love is in your heart, there's room for endless happiness.

M--Manage

Manage your time and your expenses wisely, and you'll suffer less stress and worry. Then you'll be able to focus on the important things in life.

N--Notice

Never ignore the poor, infirm, helpless, weak, or suffering. Offer your assistance when possible, and always your kindness and understanding.

O--Open

Open your eyes and take in all the beauty around you. Even during the worst of times, there's still muc h to be thankful for.

P--Play

Never forget to have fun along the way. Success means nothing without happiness.

Q--Question

Ask many questions, because you're here to learn.

R--Relax

Refuse to let worry and stress rule your life, and remember that things always have a way of working out in the end.

S--Share

Share your talent, skills, knowledge, and time with others. Everything that you invest in others will return to you many times over.

T--Try

Even when your dreams seem impossible to reach, try anyway. You'll be amazed by what you can accomplish.

U--Use

Use your gifts to your best ability. Talent that's wasted has no value. Talent that's used will bring unexpected rewards.

V--Value

Value the friends and family members who've supported and encouraged you, and be there for them as well.

W--Work

Work hard every day to be the best person you can be, but never feel guilty if you fall short of your goals. Every sunrise offers a second chance.

X--X-Ray

Look deep inside the hearts of those around you and you'll see the goodness and beauty within.

Y--Yield

Yield to commitment. If you stay on track and remain dedicated, you'll find success at the end of the road.

Z--Zoom

Zoom to a happy place when bad memories or sorrow rears its ugly head. Let nothing interfere with your goals. Instead, focus on your abilities, your dreams, and a brighter tomorrow.

Animal Trivia

Okay, you read in my previous post (I've been tagged) that I'm zoophobic but my entire family are animal lovers. I even have a brother who is a vegan simply because he has high regards to animal welfare. So, for them and all the animal lovers out there, here are some facts about the love of your life.

*A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.

*A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.

*The giant squid has the largest eyes in the world.

* A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

* Some baby giraffes are more than six feet tall at birth.

* Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.

*A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

* The world's smallest mammal is the bumblebee bat of Thailand, weighing less than a penny.

* There are more chickens than people in the world.

* The largest animal ever seen alive was a 113.5 foot, 170-ton female blue whale.

* A chimpanzee can learn to recognize itself in a mirror, but monkeys can't.

* A rat can last longer without water than a camel can.

* A single little brown bat can catch 1,200 mosquitoes-sized insects in just one hour.

* An electric eel can produce a shock of up to 650 volts.

* Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.

* Certain frogs can be frozen solid then thawed and continue living.

* Dragonflies are one of the fastest insects, flying 50 to 60 mph.

* Goldfish lose their color if they are kept in dim light or are placed in a body of running water,

such as a stream.

* In its entire lifetime, the average worker bee produces 1/12th teaspoon of honey.

* Owls have eyeballs that are tubular in shape, because of this, they cannot move their eyes.

* Large kangaroos cover more than 30 feet with each jump.

Note: Some of the trivia's here, I got from corsinet.com . The others were sent to me through email. There is no way I can tell who the original writer of this. If any of you knows who they are (or you might be the one); just email me or leave a comment here. I would be very glad to give the credit to whom the creadit is due.

What's Up with Me?

I missed three days of posting. My husband is once again out of the country and aside from experiencing separation anxiety (am I a pre-schooler?) I also find it hard to sleep. It's been two days already that I'm not feeling well. I can't do anything productive, even if it's just posting something here. Anyway, I have a whole bunch of posts today coz I just felt better though I have a headache right now.

What to Say If You Get Caught Sleeping at Your Desk

1. They told me at the blood bank this might happen.

2. This is just a minute power-nap like they raved about in the last time management seminar/workshop you sent me to.

3. I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the mission statement and envisioning a new paradigm for our company!

4. This is one of the seven habits of highly effective people!

5. Someone must've put decaf in the wrong pot.

6. Boss! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out a solution to our biggest problem.

7. Amen.

Note: These was sent to me through email. There is no way I can tell who the original writer/s of this. If any of you knows who they are (or you might be the one); just email me or leave a comment here. I would be very glad to give the credit to whom the creadit is due.

Difference Between Mayaman & Mahirap

Kung mayaman ka, meron kang “allergy”;kung mahirap ka,ang tawag dyan ay “galis” o “bakokang”.

Sa mahirap, “sira ang ulo“;sa mayaman, “nervous breakdown” dahil sa “tension and stress”.

Sa mayamang “malikot ang kamay” ang tawag ay “kleptomaniac”; sa mahirap, ang tawag ay “magnanakaw”.

Pag mayaman ka, you’re “eccentric”;kung mahirap ka, “may toyo ka sa ulo”.

Kung mahirap ka at sumakit ang ulo mo, ikaw ay “nalipasan ng gutom”; kung mayaman ka naman at sumakit ang ulo mo, ikaw ay may “migraine“.

Kung mahirap ka, ikaw ay “kuba”; pero kung mayaman ka, you are referred to as someone who is “scoliotic”.

Kung isa kang domestic na maitim, ikaw ay “ita” o “negrita” o “baluga”; pero ang senorita mo kahit kasingkulay mo, ang tawag ay “morena” o “kayumanggi”.

Kung nasa high society ka, you are called “slender” o “balingkinitan”; kung mahirap ka lang, you are plainly called “payatot” o “patpatin” o “ting-ting“.

Kung nasa high society ka pa rin at ikaw ay maliit, ang tawag sa iyo ay “petite”; kung mahirap ka lang, ikaw ay “pandak” o “bansot” o “unano” o “jabbar”.

Kung socialite ka, ikaw ay “pleasingly plump”. Kapag mahirap ka, ika’y “mataba”, “tabatsoy” o “lumba-lumba”.

Kung mahirap ka at date ka rito, date ka roon, ang tawag sa iyo ay “pakawala”; kung well-off ka, ikaw ay “game”.

“Malandi” ka kung isa kang dukhang alembong; pero kung mayaman ka, ikaw ay “liberated”.

“Kakaawa” ang mahirap na puro gulay ang kinakain. Habang “health conscious” ang tawag sa mayayamang ganito.

“Walang hiya” ang mga mahihirap na batang sumasagot sa mga guro. Pero pag sumagot ang mga nasa exclusive school, sila’y “assertive”.

Ang mga mahihirap ay “gumugurang”; Ang mayamang tumatanda, “are graduating gracefully into senior citizenhood”.

Ang anak ng mayaman ay “slow learner”; ang anak ng mahirap ay “bobo” o “gunggong”.

Kung mayaman ka at marami kang kumain, “you flatter your host who says masarap kang kumain, and I like you, you do justice to my cooking”; kung ghastly peasant ka eating the same amount in the same house, your host will say to himself na ikaw ay “patay-gutom” o “hampaslupa” o “masiba”.

Note: These was sent to me through email. There is no way I can tell who the original writer/s of this. If any of you knows who they are (or you might be the one); just email me or leave a comment here. I would be very glad to give the credit to whom the creadit is due.

In Whose Hands?

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19.

A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.

It depends whose hands it's in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6.

A baseball in Mark Maguire's hands is worth $19 million.

It depends whose hands it's in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands.

A tennis racket in Pete Sampras' hands is a Wimbledon Championship.

It depends whose hands it's in.

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal.

A rod in Moses' hands parted the mighty seas.

It depends whose hands it's in.

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy.

A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.

It depends whose hands it's in.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands.

It depends whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse.

Nails in Jesus Christ's hands produced salvation for the entire world.

It depends whose hands it's in.

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in.

So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes,

your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because...

It depends whose hands it's in.

Unknown Author

Freebie: Choco Box

Yup! it's not yet Friday but I have an out-of-the-blue freebie. I wanted to join DSO's June Ad Challenge. I love the pink ChocoBox in that Ad. I tried to take several photos of a ChocoBox but I'm not satisfied with how they looked. So, I just decided to try making one in photoshop and voila, I was so happy with the result. If any of you would want to join that challenge you can use this ChocoBox as well.

The layout that I made was something I really would want to do for a long time, that is to make a gallery of our baby pictures (me, my siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews). But finding their baby pictures is such a difficult task so I better start with what is available in my photo album. As you can see, these are not baby pictures but a toddlers' galore (photos of my nieces and nephews). Well, I'll make a babies galore one of these days--when my baby photos collection is already complete.

Layout Credit: chocoboc-mine; all other elements and background from "My Sweet Valentine" by FishinmomDesigns available here

Download here