January #2 sketch up today at Paper Bakery Kit

Yesterday the January Paper Bakery Project and Add-on kit went live. If you are still debating about the great "Sew Charming" kit, I heard that there's only two left! I hope you can get your hands on it before it's all gone.

Well today we have the new sketch up on the blog....

and here's my take on the sketch. I love the handmade scallop banner. It's so vintage and oh so charming.

You can see some more close up shots of the page in this blog post as well as info on how you can participate in the sketch challenge.

and here's a peek at the January Project kit

as well as the Sew Charming Add on kit.

definitely some cute stuff and they're selling fast!

Till next time,

Grace

Project 365 Week 2

Hello and Happy Sunday. How have you been doing with your New Year's goals/resolutions? Well I have to say I've failed miserably on some (especially the eating healthy part) but I've maintained some consistency in a few. One of those things is the Project 365. Granted I just finished two weeks but I really thought that I'd be so consumed with other things that this one would be pushed on the wayside a lot sooner. Not that I'm already giving up on it. On the contrary, I'm becoming more and more interested in this challenge. I've come to look forward to what will be the "picture of the day". But I still have a lot of learning to do so I'm going to just leave you with my week 2 project 365 photos.....

Till next time,
Grace

some links plus my January Take Twelve Scrapbook Challenge pics

Soooo glad it's Friday. Today's share is a combination of project plus my Take Twelve Photo Challenge....

Last Monday I got to post in the super cute, brand new blog in the new Paper Bakery site. Make sure you check the post here.  

This sneek peek is a mini that I made for Glue Arts with our team up with Momenta. You can see more photos of the project and a few more words in this blog post.

and yesterday I particpated in Ella Publishing's first "Take Twelve" Challenge. If you've not heard about it, check it out here. Here's my twelve photos from January 12th...

1. Submitted some projects for possible publication; 2. Went to goodwill and scored some great finds; 3. Worked on a wreath; 4. Maddie and I went to the backyard to search for some twigs that we would add to our wreath. 5. The finished wreath hanging on our front door; 6. Having some Christmas candy for snack while I create; 7. Helped Marcus with homework; 8. Finally being able to throw away the Gingerbread house from last Christmas; 9 Made some baked breaded Tilapia for dinner; 10. Made Snickerdoodle cookies for desert; 11. The kids played guitar hero after dinner; 12. Watched some TV with Mitch after the kids have gone to bed.

I have to say I'm really liking the concept of this Take Twelve Challenge. I'm excited at all the ways I can document our family's life. If you wish to be reminded monthly of the challenge, you can always sign up for the email newsletter here. And don't forget there's a Take Twelve Guide kit that can be purchased here.

Till next time,
Grace

Winner of Take Twelve + Project 365

Happy Thursday and if you are joining in for the Take Twelve challenge of Ella Publishing, today's the kick off day. How exciting, isn't it.

It's more thrilling for one of our lucky blog reader who wins the Take Twelve Guide. So according to Random.org the winner is.......Melinda!!! Congratulations. Email me at graceelainetolmanatyahoodotcom so I can send you further details on how you can claim your prize.

If you have not heard of this great challenge (where have you been?) make sure you check out the link here.

Speaking of Photo challenges, not only am I going to participate in the take twelve, I've also taken upon myself to try the Project 365. I've seen a lot of people do it and I felt like 2012 was the year I'm going to try it out for myself. The whole premis of the challenge is to photograph one thing everyday. Hence at the end of the year you have 365 photos saved. I decided to jump in the "bandwagon" because I know I need to improve in my photography and being able to shoot everyday will give me that practice. It will help me shoot in many different locations and lighting situations. I'm a bit scared to tackle this project as I'm not sure how it'll be come February or July or October but I'm starting it with hopes that I'll stay motivated and press the shutter everyday this year.

Ok so my first week's worth of photos look like these....

If Project 365 is too daunting, Take Twelve is your answer to participating in some kind of photography/life documentation challenge this year. So what are you waiting for? Click here for more details.

Till next time,
Grace

Take Twelve Challenge + a Giveaway

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

 So yesterday's post might (or might not be) the first time you've heard of Ella Publishing. I hope you checked out the site and the many great things they offer. I LOVE their ebooks. They present scrapbooking to people in a way which makes sense and not too "artsy". I think that's how a lot of people see scrapbooking- it's a way to document our lives and the "creativity" part just follows.

Anyways, Ella Publishing is starting a really great photo challenge this year. And if your like me that photography is just as important as the story we want to tell, then this challenge is for you.....

Here's a little more info and samples of the challenge...

 you might've noticed that the "guide" is actually an ebook and IT IS. Fantastic, I say!!!

Don't you think it is such a great concept? It's a project/challenge but not as overwhelming as some others might be. Totally doable. So are you ready to participate. Even my non scrappy friends can join in *wink*

So to get you more motivated I'm going to be giving out a copy of the Take Twelve Guided Inspiration Kit  ebook to one lucky blog reader. That's a $18 value!!!

Here's your chances to get your pretty little hands on this awesome giveaway....
1. Leave a comment on this blog post telling me your commitment in joining this challenge.
2. You name will be placed in the hat a second time if you "like" Ella Publishing on FB.
3. and a third chance for the giveaway if you sign up for my Google Friend Connect :)

*Mention all of the ways you shared this awesome news and I will pick a winner on the12th. Way to kick start this great challenge, don't you think?!

Till next time,
Grace

being an Ella Friend...

Happy Monday everyone. Today's post is short and sweet. This year, I am a part of the Ella Publishing as an "Ella Friend". What is it you might ask? Well it's like being an ambassador for memory preservation. I not only get to make projects, but more importantly TALK UP SCRAPBOOKING to anyone and everyone that would listen. How fun is that?! It's definitely going to be a great 'gig' and I can't wait to start. Make sure you check out the rest of the team (boy am I surrounded by talented people) here.

thanks for letting me share. Till next time,

Grace

some links plus food pics

I mentioned in my cali trip post that I had all the intentions of visiting my fave food places there. Yes I consider myself a foodie. I not only LOVE to eat it but I'm also very interested in why certain types of food work well together and how it's made. I enjoy cooking them and most importantly devouring them. *wink* And because of that I've noticed that there are certain kinds of food that I can only "acquire" in California. Hence the seperate post for it.

But before I share my "food" trips with you, make sure you check out the brand spankin' new website of the Paper Bakery kit. It went live today and I'm super excited to share with you the fantastic design that Sarah put on it. Check it out here. Make sure you take the time to browse through all of the tabs and I bet, it'll be a place that you'll want to add to your bookmarked links. :)

Another link I want to share with you today is my Glue Arts project which went up yesterday. Glue Arts teamed up with Simple Stories and the design team were able to create with the "year-o-graphy" line. This line was fun. I love the layered design of the papers and the many possibilities of using it in our paper crafting projects.

For me, I decided to use it to document a fun little visit my kids and I took to Downtown Disney over a year ago. Becuase the line was filled with "documenting" words, design and themes it wasn't hard to complete my mini. Check out the post here to see more photos and information about my project.

PULLED OUT FOR PUBLICATION

ok so onto the food trip share....
First one that I got to visit was a local Taco place called Albert's Mexican Food. We have one in Norwalk (the city we used to live in) and Mitch and I ordered our favorite wet burrito. It's called that because they pour green sauce on it. You can pick which meat you want in it. Usually we pick carne asada but this time I felt to order it with some Al Pastor meat. It's HUGE, filled with lots of calories and oohhh sooo yummy! I also ordered some Horchata to drink which made the meal complete!

Then my mom treated us to a Korean feast. I say feast because it was a huge amount of meat and sides and my family left there gaining at least three pounds. I love Korean food especially Kimchi. It's my fave and sad to say that the Korean places here in Colorado just doesn't match up with the ones in Cali. The only bummer thing about this trip is that we were blind sighted by the cost. The waiter we had was korean and he didn't say much words, just nods and smiles, so we ended up ordering way too much meat and for a hefty price.

Of course we sampled some great Filipino food. There's no better place to have filipino food that at my mom's house. My parents cook it the best (in my opinion) and having lechon, adobo or sinigang brings back so many great childhood memories for me.

And of course, we can't go to California without stopping by In n Out. We love our animal style fries and burger. If you wish to order a burger or fries "animal style" it's not in the menu but if you mention it to your order taker, they'll know what to do.

You're probably thinking that I've eaten out way too much on this trip and it might be so but on the five days we were there, we only ate out once a day. But who's counting anyways! Definitely not me. LOL. Next stop we took was to our favorite Chinese fast food place. I love how this place fills up the plate for not a lot of money. The deals are still the same and my favorite orange chicken still tasted the same delicious way like I remember it to be.

and finally, I had my fill of Lee's Sandwiches. The one thing I love about this place is it's a combination of Vietnamese and French flavors. French bec. it used a bagette and Vietnamese because the way the meat was cooked and the veggies that went with it is in that type of food genre. I also ordered an avocado smoothie which at first my kids thought disgusting but after having a taste of mine changed their minds. I didn't get to take a photo of it before eating it because I was on the move while doing so but here's the leftover of my great sandwich experience...

so now that I've consumed all that calories, it's now time to try to burn it all. Now why can't burning the food be so as enjoyable as eating all these yummy things?

till next time,

Grace

2012 Mantra

It is Wednesday and I'm glad that this week is halfway through. Not that the "to-do" list is any shorter today than on Monday but still the thought that I'm only a couple of days to the weekend is bringing smile to my face.

Today's post is about what I want to pattern my life to in 2012. If you've followed my blog for a while, you know that every year I have a mantra that I choose to live my life by. See this post for the previous years mantras.

I also like to put them in a frame that I place in my scrapbook room. If you don't know what a mantra is, it was defined in an old Creating Keepsakes article as.."your purpose statement- the underlying premise that drives you why you scrapbook".  At the underlying statement or drive I want my life to be that year.

Last year, I think I was pretty successful in fulfilling my vision which is to be proactive. I really went out of my comfort zone and I saw the rewards. In December, I started thinking about what I want to accomplish this year and then this quote from pinterest kept on ringin in my ear....

So I decided to go with that. I just went on a hike today and I noticed that I don't like to be surprised anymore. I want to know where I'm going and when I'm going to reach it. That's why this goal/mantra/vision is PERFECT for me this year. I believe I need to take more chances in life, have more courage to reach my dreams and to pursue my ambitions and more importantly to "let go" of expectations especially the ones I harshly put on myself. After all, I don't know what the Lord has instore for me and I can't reach that if I'm too rigid in my actions. This also means I need to have more faith. Wow that's a lot of things in just one quote!

Making the frame this year was super easy too since I have the quote already saved and all I had to do was print it out in cardstock. I also added a butterfly there to emphasize the need to "fly" and take chances.

what about you? what is your word/phrase/mantra that you are striving for this year?

Till next time,
Grace

top 10 highlights of my Cali Vacation

So like I mentioned yesterday, we spent our Christmas in California. It's been over a year since we were there and have seen some family members and thankfully my husband got these days off of work that we were able to drive down there.

It was a short week but we packed it with lots of visiting with friends and family and checking out old favorite spots and "acting like tourists". I can't pack all the 300 or so photos I took in one blog post so I'm doing a top 10 highlights instead.....

#10 Opened lots of gifts. Santa came to California for us and the kids were over the moon with all of their gifts. Below is a photo of what I was able to open on Christmas morning.....Cricut (from Santa *wink*); the flower pot from Maddie (don't ask me why) Foam ball from Marcus (his crafty mom helped him pick that out) a puzzle box (a family gift from one of our dear friends) Handmade ornament (from one of the kids made at school) and candies inside my stocking. :)

#9 Mula aka Money. Our side of the family (DeLeons) have this tradition of handing out money as gifts. Over the years, many family members have gone abroad and during the Holiday season, to spread the joy to family members back in the Philippines, they would send some cash for an adult to spread the money around. My parents, Aunts or Uncles usually get new and crisp bills from the bank to give out. This cool tradition has followed us here in the States and my boy really loved getting his money envelope. He counted all of his dollar bills to make sure Lola (grandma) gave her the right amount. *wink*

#8 Eating at all of my favorite spots. In and Out was something I sooooo missed while in Colorado and I made sure I revisited this fave spot. Can't get my animal style fries anywhere else. *because I was on a slight food hunt while in Cali, I revisited a lot of spots and I'll share the "food stories" in a different blog post. :)

#7 Shopping. We stayed at my inlaws house and my mother in law was so kind to let me sneek out one morning without kids to do a bit of shopping. I know I'm super lucky to have a MIL like her. Anyways, they live in Orange County and I got to go to the Block in Orange which is now an outlet mall. I went straight to stores that we don't have here in Colorado Springs like H&M and Forever 21 but for some reason didn't find any gems in my visit but I did manage to get some deals in other stores.

#6 Eyebrow Threading. I'm not a vain person. I don't put make up on everyday and I don't get mani and pedi's on a regular basis (I think the last time I got one was last year). But last year, before leaving Cali, I got hooked on Eyebrow threading. Some have asked me if it hurts and YES it does but it's fast pain so I can deal with that and the results are great, especially if you have a great "threader" doing it. It also lasts longer than plucking. Threading in Colo. Springs is wayyyy to expensive so when I was in Cali, I made sure I visited my fave threading place and got mine half the price of what I'd pay here in the Springs.

#5 Got to visit with friends. We have lived in Cali all of our married life and we've accumulated a great amount of friends. So with this visit, we tried to hit them all. Of course we didn't get to see everyone but we manage to see a lot. We even got to have a "park day" with our church friends, which brings back so many great memories for me and the kids.

#4 Walked the Huntington Beach Pier. Here's one of the examples of things we did as a "tourist". It's funny how in the 10 + years I've lived in Cali, I never had in incling to visit this place but once I left, beach is the one thing I wanted to go to. And it seems like on our visit there, we weren't the only ones thinking of beach because, even though the water was cold, there were still tons of people there.

#3 Playing at the Beach. Yes I know I need to be grateful for the beautiful mountains that I can see on a daily basis in Colorado Springs but lets face it, there's no ocean or sand! Of course we didn't swim in it (we're not that gungho about it) but we played a bit in the sand.

#2 Seeing the Sunset. One of the highlights of our trip was my first time to ever see the sun set. Yes it only took me 31 years to see it and I'm glad I got this chance. It was actually kind of an accident. We were walking away from the beach when I noticed that people were starting to pile up in one side of the road looking behind me with video and still cameras out. I turned around and saw the sun going down at an impressively fast pace. I quickly grab my camera and started shooting. I didn't have my camera bag so there was no time to change out to a better zoom lens so this is all I got but I still treasure it.

#1 and finally being with family. We've missed them all and are glad to see so many of them in a short amount of time. We were spoiled by both families, being showered with love and gifts.

The holidays was definitely completed by being with family. It was worth the 18 hours of straight driving we did. And it was mostly at night too!

So that's it! California is a blast to visit. But I'm glad to be home in Colorado Springs where gas prices are not outrageous and there's no traffic! *wink*

Till next time,
Grace

Giveaway winners + new Paper Bakery Sketch

Happy Monday and Happy New Year everyone!!!

I had an amazing Christmas vacation which I spent in California!!! Yes I was super excited when everything fell into place and I was able to spend the holidays with our family back in Cali. I will for sure share photos of our trip but for now lets announce the winners of the giveaway.

First off, I'd like to say thanks to all those that have left their comments and although we had a small number to choose from I had to keep it to two giveaways this time. But don't worry, having more giveaways in the blog is on my list this year and I hope you guys will comment again.

So according to random generator....comment #1 and #3 gets the goodies. Sandra and Beatrice Lawson, please email your snail mail addy to me at graceelainetolmanatyahoodotcom so I can mail your goodies to you.

Thanks guys (along with Cathy and Anita) your comments are greatly appreciated and I will get the technical issues mentioned worked out. I love how through blogging, I'm able to have friends from all over the place like you. ((((big hugs)))) goes out to all of you. :)

Ok so today is the reveal day for my 1st January sketch at Paper Bakery kit. Make sure you check out the post here.

 I went with a simple, minimal sketch this time because I know that there's some simple scrappers out there that would love to participate and here's my take on the sketch...

this page is made with the January Add on kit which will debut on the 15th. The layout shows just a few tidbits of the whole loot but I have to tell you, it's another great kit! Make sure you get your hands on it when it goes on sale. :)

Paper Bakery kit is on the tail end of getting a new site built. I saw some sneek peeks and I have to say, you are going to LOVE Paper Bakery kit's new home!!! We are just days away from it's reveal so stay tune for that.

I hope you will play along with our sketch this time.

Till next time,
Grace