March...Lucky all month long...

Wow!

Did i really only blog 2 posts in February?

That's really sad.

Well, it was a very short month + as usual it's hectic around these parts of the woods.

February was a busy month. I've been making sweet lil' things for my munchkins' Valentine's Day treats. To be exact about 40 or so little items. I didn't get a chance to take pics before handing them out to the kidlets but I had a bunch leftover and will be using them again for

St. Patrick's Day-YAY!

{i'm in the process of preparing a picture tutorial so you can make them too!}

Everyone wants to make neat things that's easy, quick + with stuff you already have, right?

Well these beauties really did the trick!

They really are easy to make. you'll see when i get my picture tutorial up, how really easy it is.

I found that you just have to do some good prep work inorder

for the assembly line to go smoothly.

Basically, you can use any type of paper you'd like. Cut them in rounds. Do a quick fold (this can be a lil' bit tricky), glue the middle and stick sweet treasures inside!

For my lil' fortune i wrote 'Lucky' and collaged 4 lil' hearts together to make a cute shamrock.

I had leftover Valentine heart chocolates and covered them in orange crepe paper then glued them onto strips of index cards-it was that easy!

(for Valentine's Day: i stamped cute heart, robot, 'bee mine' designs on strips of index cards, then glued a red chocolate heart to it. then stuffed it into the cookie-viola!)
In a couple of days, I'll have that tutorial up. in the meantime, I'm continuing on with my 'Monthly Calendar Project'.

Please enjoy March's Calendar. Couldn't decide on one photograph so, I've included a variety for you to enjoy. Here's wishing you a whole month of 'Luck!':

bonne nuit

xoxo

jo

642 Things to Draw...

(image from internet~i just added text+arrow)

What a nice thing to wake up to this morning: Chronicle Books Blog Art+Design: The 642 Things to Draw Book Challenge

How cool is this? I can totally relate to one of the featured artist , Summer Woodham . She's using this book to challenge herself on her blog. I really loved what she said, "When you don’t have an outside job, the guilt of engaging in a hobby is really intense because there is always something else you should be doing and it seems terribly selfish to take any time away from those chores because after all you’re not bringing any money in. Stopping to take time for yourself feels like you’re not contributing, but I really think it’s important to find things that are just for you. I think it makes you a better parent and a better partner to carve out that space for yourself."

This is so true for me. I commented back to her on her blog by saying this: "I'm also blessed to be a SAHM who's trying to find my passion + totally understand where you're coming from about the guilty pleasures/meaningful contributions...it's a constant battle over here in my world to find a balance between raising a family + finding time to create. I recently participated with my family on the SketchBook Project 2011 with arthousecoop.com. It was a challenge but we managed to work like a team to complete 4 books just in time for the deadline. I honestly don't know how artists with families do it. Manage a website, blog, shoppe, publish books, magazines, create, travel etc...I wish there was more time in the day to do all that I want. "

{As a sidenote: I think that staying home to raise a family does contribute a whole lot to this world. Some may not think that SAHMs financially contribute a penny but I beg to differ. We are the ones who are staying home + taking care of the children. We're managing the household, the groceries, making home-cooked meals, the endless laundrying+cleaning the homestead, managing the bills, the schoolwork, teacher conferences, mending the sick munchkins, playing+counseling the lil' ones, running around with all the extra-curriculars, etc. We're saving on child-care costs, travel expenses and other miscellaneous expenses associated with outside childcare. I really think I'm raising healthy, happy + good children that will hopefully grow up into healthy, happy + good adults. My munchkins are our future and I think SAHMs oftentimes get categorized as non-contributors to society. When you have a family with lil' ones, I really think it takes two (or if you're a single parent-support systems are vital!) to make the world go round + successfully contribute to society.

With that in mind, we SAHMs sometimes do not have co-workers to take over when we need a break or are sick. Sometimes, we SAHMs don't have vacation time. Our job is 24/7. I used to be a full-time corporate career mom. And somehow, I managed to have a scheduled workout time, break and vacation time. Life seemed a bit more easier than staying home. Now that I'm home, I really don't have time for myself. I have to remember to schedule some time for myself. So, when I'm discovering creative soules on-line, when I'm reading inspirational literature, listening to beautiful music, capturing beauty with my camera or when I sneak away to create...YES... I feel guilty. But I have to stop and remember that I DO so much and I deserve a break and to be MYSELF...it's a constant battle everyday for me. But there's really no one to back me up, except for myself. }

This book, 642 Things to Draw, sounds like another wonderful stepping stone for me in my search to find my passions...Go visit Summer here and enter her sweet giveaway (until 2/6/11 11:59 pm eastern standard time) for a chance to win your very own copy of this exciting new book! Also, check out Chronicle Books' blog and read up on their review of this book and meet other wonderful artists. Plus Chronicle Books truly have the coolest books + neatest stuff around!

picture days...

confession #1: i'm a closet wanna-be photographer... i really love still life. one day when i grow up, i'd love to be a professional photographer, stylist, graphic designer, illustrator, artist. i do not have any formal training in the fine arts department or photography. but i do love to capture beauty in different ways...create something sweet + there's something about France+ the Eiffel Tower that tugs at my heart...that's when something clicked and i started making these paper eiffels+i wanted to capture their beauty by taking pics of them...i also love drawing them...maybe one day i'll be able to set foot inside my beloved Eiffel but for now, taking pics+drawing them fill my heart with glee.

confession #2: i'm always asking what day it is or i'm always looking for a calendar to see what i need to be doing...and of course, i never can find one...i always divert back to my yahoo page...which isn't very pretty...

ok, so now why the confessionals? well, put those 2 together and what do you have? pictures+days...this is a new project i'm working on~monthly calendars of my photos to share with all of you...every month i'll put up a new photo/collage of mine...feel free to use them...i'm hoping you'll enjoy them... this will give me a chance to spark up some new inspiration for myself, improve my photography skills, think out of the box + finally know what day it really is...hahhhh!

bonne nuit

xoxo

change is good!

No. 1- 'Enjoy the little things'

it's been 3 years
(of blogging-well, i really haven't been a very good blogger. more like 'when i have time' blogger...).

i think a change is needed.

this is one of my lil' gals i sketched for the Sketchbook Project 2011 + here (coming soon... i still have to post my work on my profile).

i love this quote from Robert Brault, "Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the BIG things."

it's so true. i know that it's easy to take things for granted, esp. in our world today.

but, i'm going to really work harder this year to make things count.

to take more risks. to make things happen. to do more things. to enjoy life more.

you know...so much of my life really is filled with those 'little things' + to me those 'little things' end up being those very 'BIG THINGS' in my life.

1st. step, changing my header. i know it seems so minor. but to me, it's a step closer to one of my goals. this is allowing me to move in the right direction. to change something, do something differently. this is a start...now for the hard part...following through. how about you? are you doing what you want? is there something that you want to change? i say...go for it...what do you have to lose but those wasted days...start something today and start ENJOYING!

hmmm... let's see what's in store for this year...ok. DEAL! until next time...have a sweet weekend!

au revoir xoxo

make a wish...

today is your 'other' birthday.

happiest day to you, Pop. enjoy another sweet day...

love you...

Happiest 70th +14th Birthdays to Papa + Isabel!

01.24.11 Happiest Birthday to my Poppy. You're 70 today. You actually have

2 b-days.

The next one will be this Thursday 01.27.11. You'll be 69.

Crazy, huh?

It's a long story and it all had to do with the mix-up when you first came to this country.
If it weren't for you and Mom, where would I be?

Where would all of your 5 kids be?

You and Mom sacrificed everything and came to this country with nothing.

You knew no one, you had nothing.

Now, look at you. 5 kids. 9 grandkids and

A whole lot of living...

Thank you for working so hard.

Thank you for never giving up.
Thank you for all you do for us.

Thank you for loving us.

We are so very proud of you...My munchkins, Tim + I adore you.
You deserve the best in life...

Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and more birthdays to come!

WE LOVE YOU!!!

mahal kita, your 2nd born...

01.22.11

Slideshow created with Smilebox

January~a new beginning...

*Package of Love to Dionne~ PIF + Bday gifts

Happy New Year!

Hoping everyone enjoyed all of the sweet Holiday Season in 2010.

A lot has happened since my last post.

I'll try to post some pics soon.

2011 has already been hopping with events:

• 1/1-brought in the new year @ home (pics to come)
• 1/3-sent a kindred spirit (Dionne) an overdue package of love* (see above pic)
• 1/3-spent time w/ my sweet family @ Chicago's History Museum (pics to come)
• 1/7-wow...celebrated 17 beautiful years of wedded bliss with my sweetheart (actually we'll be going somewhere nice 1/29~more later)
• 1/8-my dear folks celebrated 45 years of wedded bliss (pics to come)
• 1/1-1/14-my family + I fevorishly worked on our Sketchbook Project journals
• 1/15-hosted a brunch @ my house for my niece+nephew's 1st Holy Communion (pics to come)
• 1/22-hosting another brunch @ my folks house for my Pop's 70th + sweet niece's 14th birthday
• 1/29-attending a Winter Whirl event downtown...to celebrate my Pop's 70th and me + my sweetheart's 17th wedding anniversary...
• working on decluttering studio + home
• working on upcoming art projects
• working on self-improvement projects
  
  This is a brand new year and I'd like to update this journal of mine a little bit more often. I'd like to discover new artists/blogs and continue to become inspired. I'd like to continue to improve myself. I'd like to enjoy more of life. I'd like to capture more beauty in different ways. I'd like to start something exciting...this is a new year, a new beginning...

Welcome January...here I come, ready or not...