Flygirl...

lately this month, i've been watching a lot of superhero type of movies with my munchkins: Thor, Dare Devil, Electra, Transformers, Aeonflux, Indiana Jones, Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Hornet, Harry Potter, heck, even Charlie's Angels. it's very fitting for this month as Halloween is just around the corner. don't you wish you could just have superpowers and get everything you wanted done?! sometimes having superpowers can help you ward off evil mojo + bad karma that negative people try to displace onto unexpecting souls. hmmm...what superhero would i be? what power would i want? well...

a few days ago, a friend on fb tagged me to do this fun meme:
1 - Go to wikipedia and hit random. The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band. 2 - Go to quotationspage.com and hit random. The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album. 3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”. Third picture no matter what it is, will be your album cover. 4 - Use photoshop or other similar free online photo editors to put it all together. 5 - Post it with this text in the "caption" and TAG the friends you want to join in...

i did everything, except #3 had me thinking about copyright laws and the owners of those pictures on Explore/Flickr. i found a cool picture (that was the third picture of Explore) of a woman in a long, white gown. her hair was wrapped around her face and her arms were wrapped around herself. it was gorgeous. i believe the photographer's name is Vanessa Ho. i added text to the picture and it looked great. but i didn't feel right using that photo without the expressed consent of the owner. so i deleted it. but i loved the title of my band: Flygirl and i loved the title of my first album: No bird soars too high, if (s)he soars with her (i added the word 'her') own wings (quote from William Blake). it got my creative juices flowing and i edited a photo of myself by using the pencil sketch option via photoshop and added the text and viola, a great poster/album cover was born (see photo above)...

so, i guess the universe is telling me that if i were to be a superhero, i would be 'FLYGIRL' with supermagnificent and unbelievable speed, intelligence, power , strength and of course the natural ability to FLY.

with that being said, this one superhero (ha~moi!) has been a busy lil' beaver...we've decorated our lil' house with neat + stylish Halloween decos (will take some shots soon)...we're going to be making our lil' mummy cups (see this post for mummy goody cups + more Halloween ideas) for their treats to give out to their lil' buddies at school and i've been scouting our town for our next family portrait photoshoot location. i'm also preparing to send my 1st 52 week mail out of town + a long-awaited package to someone special. whew...i'm just exhausted reading all the things i have to get done.

well... i hate to talk and run, but duty calls...until next time! mwah~Flygirl ;)

52 Weeks of Mail Love...

A sweet friend, Anastasia, wrote about this special event in FB. She is a beautiful artist and also loves letter writing and receiving mail from all over.
I instantly fell in love with this idea!

I love letter writing, receiving letters from pen-pals and just checking the mailbox for any sweet surprises from special hearts across the world. Call me old-fashioned. But whatever happened to sending mail through the postal service? In this fast, high-tech world, I think people have forgotten how to be civil to one another. I think the Etsy Creators have got a great idea.
Bringing people closer together by a simple surprise in the mail. I like it.
I'm participating in this event and I'm starting with a person that has been waiting for something from me for 3 whole years. I don't know where those years have gone. All I know is that LIFE got in the way (esp. with my Hubby deployed to the Middle East-life was hectic for sometime.) So, to get back into the groove, I'm preparing a lil' package to this special heart. They should receive it before Halloween. I'm determined to mail it this week. I'm getting everything ready and I'll post a quick picture of it before the week is out.

Check out 52 Weeks of Mail here for more info and check out the other FBers looking for pen-pals. Great way to connect!

Also, through FB, here is another Artist, Jenny, (The Modest Peacock) who writes a great post about how and why she's participating. She also gives out fab links to other places to connect with and find some great pen-pals!

If anyone would like to send me their snail addy (mail address), I would be happy to send mail from my lil' world to you. Just let me know your snail addy by sending me a quick e-mail at labourof_love at hotmail dot com or you could send me your blog link and I could contact you through your blog.
(Please no weird, stranger-danger types.
Just real, wholesome+good hearts, PLEASE!)

Looking forward to sending my lil' something to that special heart soon...
Hope you will join in the fun too!

Until next time... bonne nuit!

xoxo

once in awhile...

is it already the last weekend of September... where does the time go?

there's already a chill in the air...leaves are falling...warmer jackets are being put on...

what a weekend...fall clean-up, packing summer stuff up and getting into the fall groove...

looking forward to creating something special for someone who deserves a
lil' surprise~i haven't forgotten...just wishing time was on my side...this surprise will hopefully make it in time for one of our favourite holidays...Halloween!

In the meantime, the munchkins, dear hubby + i had a sweet family dessert date...what a nice way to mark the end of summer...
Do you have any traditions to mark the end of Summer and welcome Fall?
Here's to a delicious end to summer...
au revoir hot sun, bonjour crisp, fall air!

xoxo

what love can build...

16 years ago...you and i exchanged vows in my childhood church...

you're my best friend. you're my one and only.

look what we've built together...we've gone through so much together.
we have so much history together...i look forward to sharing many more years with you
and our lil' munchkins...i love you for eternity...
mahal kita...Happy 16th anniversary mahal!
je t'aime
xoxo

blueberry love...

hoping you're having a good monday...

love blueberries, don't you...

these are sugarfree mini bluecakes i made for my lil' guy...

have to run but will post recipe soon.

happy september!

xoxo

Those Special Hearts...

{image found on internet, I inserted words + heart banner}

{created by me: labour of love}

{created by me: labour of love}

10 years...

I remember it like it was yesterday. It was early morning, I was downtown at work in Chicago, when a colleague had his tv on in his office and said something weird was happening...World Trade Center was on fire...then we all saw the second plane hit the second tower...burst of flames, black smoke, we were dumbfounded, and utterly scared for those trapped in the buildings and the horrible thought that something terrible has gone on...then my hubby called me and said something I will never forget...
"Terrorists hit NYC and America is in danger"...I thought I was in the twilight zone...
he then told me to get out of work and meet him on the train to go home...

That day changed the world forever.

I will never ever forget the many hearts that were taken. Life cut short for so many innocent people. Lives lost in a second. Families torn. The world in chaos. The kind hearts that helped. The very meaning of unconditional love pouring out to so many...

Today, I will always remember all those special hearts...our Heros...

September 11, 2001 will never be forgotten.

My three little miracles were created 2 months after this tragedy...and I am truly grateful to God. He brought us hope among the darkest day...and I will continue to keep those special hearts in my prayers...
as the loves of my life keep burning bright lights for the future...

xoxo

Stormy Tuesday...Anyway...

Today is Tuesday. Today is stormy. Today is all about "Anyway..."

I stumbled on to one of my friends' facebook status and this is what it said:
Words to live by: If u r honest, people may cheat u. Be honest anyway. If u find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good u do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, it is between u and God. It was never between u and them anyway. (attributed to Mother Teresa, based on Dr. Kent M. Keith...borrowed from my friend, Kristie...)

1. This version was found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

-this version is credited to Mother Teresa (*) The verses above was reportedly written on the wall of Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, India, and are widely attributed to her. And some sources say that the words were written on the wall in Mother Teresa's own room. However, these words are based on a composition originally by Kent Keith, but much of the second half has been re-written in a more spiritual way.

2. Here is the Original Version:
The Paradoxical Commandments by Dr. Kent M. Keith:
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.Give the world the best you have anyway.

© 1968, 2001 Kent M. Keith"The Paradoxical Commandments" were written by Kent M. Keith in 1968 as part of a booklet for student leaders.

This was perfect for today. I needed this to remind me of who I am...
What I am all about...Honesty, Integrity, Goodness.

Thank you, God. Thank you, Mother Teresa. Thank you, Dr. Keith. Thank you, Sweet Kristie.

Merci Beaucoup xoxo