Nihao, Cupcake!

Week in the Life 2012 :: Day 3 Photos

Here is a photo from our afternoon (Day 3 was our Saturday). This post will be updated soon with the rest of the photos from the day. But there was something fun about this one, that I had to share now.

Week in the Life :: Day 2 Photos

 

I just lost the last 5-6 photos I was posting. Slow internet sucks! I've got to publish this and go to bed! Thanks for stopping by.

Week in the Life :: Day 7 Photos

 

 

 

 

My route on the way to yoga.

Passing by the set-up for the premiere of a movie at a local theater.

Yet another Starbucks opening soon. The second one in a 1.25 block radius. And the seventh Western coffee shop in a 3 block radius.

While I was on my way to yoga, Nicholas' class was watching this performance next to the city wall of Pingyao. I should have had every member of my family take a camera along with them today to see what each of us was up to.

Looking down from the city wall.

Pingyao resident.

Meanwhile in Beijing, I'm shopping for feta cheese. 60 kuai for a small package. That is over $10 USD!!

And back in Pingyao, visiting China's first bank.

A stop at one of my favorite import markets after yoga before I head home.

Sights on my walk home...

A statue the kids have noticed since the first week we moved to Beijing.

Sidewalk cafe, Beijing-style, at lunchtime.

The newstand on the corner.

What Nicholas saw on his walk around Pingyao.

No homework during Experience China Week so finishing up some arts & crafts.

Such concentration on the handprint dragon.

Middle school still had homework so this is a common sight every week night. Reece wears his house shirt for sports day today. He's in the blue house, Temple of Heaven. He thinks his team may have won the event. He'll find out later in the week.

Recipe for Mediterranean lasagne online.

Fun with the self-timer! I set up my camera to take 10 photos in a row. When this kid gets wind there is a camera in the midst, he insists on being in front of it.

Nighttime in Pingyao. Pretty good attempt at low light photography by my 11 year old. I'm one proud "enthusiastic amateur photographer mama"!

Well, that's it for Week in the Life 2012! The documentation period is over. I will admit that it was a tough week for me - some days I felt alot more in the mood to take photos than on other days. I've documented with photographs several times in the past and have one completed Week in the Life album (July 2011). I also feel like I am constantly documenting the details of my life with my passion for photography in addition to my Project Life albums from 2010-present and my participation on Ella Publishing's Take 12 Design Team (taking 12 photos the 12th of every month). So, I gave myself a break when I didn't feel like picking up the camera every moment of every day. I didn't save as much ephemera from the week as I did in July. But then I am constantly saving bits and pieces of life for my Project Life album.

I feel like I couldn't document any more than I already do. Would any one want to read any more detail about my life? Probably not. Every moment is not meant to save and relive. Some stuff is just meant to be lived in the present and never to happen again. Sometimes the documenting has to be paused so that life can be lived to its fullest.

The photos that I do wish I had taken, were a foot massage with friends (I still plan to get one of these taken and slide it in my album since this has become an almost weekly habit - they are cheap and good here), lunch out with friends at a fun restaurant and I was hoping to visit a gallery for a photography exhibit, but a bad driver and heavy rain kept me away.

I still hope to post my favorite photos from my Day 3, 4 & 5. I'm also going to tally all the photos I took each day and the total for the week. I definitely take more earlier in the week, but I think that is normal.

How did your week go? What did you find the most fun? The most surprising? The most difficult? Do you think you will make an album? And finally, will you be doing this project again?

Week in the Life 2012:: Day 6

For some reason my internet is running incredibly slow (but it's par for the course here in China). This means that any photos I want to publish to Flickr take a tremendously long time and I get kicked off constantly (I publish to Flickr through Lightroom). Since I post photos for my blog via Flickr, this means I can't post anything until my photos are on Flickr.

Saying good-bye at 6AM in the morning. Off on a 3-night school trip. I'm still in my PJs.

Didi (Little Brother) is always a ham for the camera. I was taking a close up of the fruit and he insisted on being in the photo WITH the fruit!

Watering our plants.

Lots of rain today in Beijing and on Er erzi's journey to Pingyao. View from the train.

Self portrait at the restaurant where the class learned to make noodles.

Back in Beijing, using one of our favorite recipes for dinner.

Can't keep the kids away from a computer.

Silly bands from the store downstairs.

 

So, right now all I have are these photos for you from my Day 6. My day 6 was Tuesday because I started last Thursday (over a week ago now)! I will do my best to update this post as my photos are published on Flickr.

Thanks for stopping by to have a peek at my world. I took a lot of photos of the things on the streets that make this Beijing. The things that I will never see where I am from. So, those will go up as soon as I can get them published. So sorry about the delays. It really is disappointing not being able to share my photos along with everyone else.

Week in the Life 2012: Day 5 Photos

This post is my Monday in photos. I started the project last Thursday, so this is my Day 5. I will post my other days soon (out of order) but I wanted to link up today on Ali's blog where it is Day 5.

 

 

 

I will update this post with more photos as they are published on Flickr so keep checking back. All photos are straight out of the camera. No time to edit yet.

Click here to see photos from Day 1 and all the other posts from my Week in the Life 2011 project including my finished album.

Week in the Life 2012: Day 1 Photos

I'm joining in on Ali's Week in the Life project this year. I started my week on Thursday. This post are some of my favorite photos from Day 1. They are all straight out of the camera, so excuse the darkness (I shoot in RAW).

354 Photos taken! Two cameras used: my DSLR (Canon XSi/450) & my point and shoot (Canon SX10IS)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm linking up at Ali's blog for Day 1. Thanks for stopping by!

Are you doing Week in the Life this year? To see all of my Week in the Life posts for last year, click here. I did it on the cheap, so there is info there on how.

It's Ella Publishing Take 12 Challenge Time Again!

As I mentioned in my last blog post, this month for the Take 12 Challenge I wanted to document ways in which our lives are different now that we live in China and not in Los Angeles. There are so many differences and I could only capture so many in just one day! This may become an ongoing theme. In fact, I've done a layout on this same topic before but I only used four photos and they were all from different days.

I used template #11 from the Ella Publishing Take Twelve Template Pack. It was so easy to use!

My journaling reads:

I wanted to capture the details of our lives that are different because we live in China. In this day I noticed: * friendly caricatures of police reminding me of safety rules * McD’s entrance near the freeway with DELIVERY mo-peds waiting out front * my view behind “the wheel” is very different * “my other car is a TAXI” * bilingual kids menus * distinctive highrises landmark my neighborhood * friendly comics hung around town remind me how to behave * parking my vehicle is a very different experience these days * eloquent translations give wonderful suggestions on what to do in case of an emergency * instant coffee replaces ‘real’ coffee for a variety of reasons * Titanic in 3D is big EVERY where!

And because the elevator sign is hard to read, I will share what it says here:

When eleveator breakdown please keep cool, rings the bell to pray for rescue.

I LOVE that one! My 13 year old noticed this sign for the very first time on the 12th (lucky for me, huh?). It is in the elevator that we ride up and down to our apartment multiple times a day but because it is posted so high in the elevator, none of us had ever noticed it.

 

DID YOU TAKE TWELVE??

Did you Take Twelve photos on April 12th and make a layout? Join the link party at Ella Publishing! There's a great prize. But hurry, you have to link up today (April 18).

Do you want to Take Twelve but didn't do it on the 12th? Not to worry, it isn't too late! (Link party for prizes closes today but feel free to link up next month and/or leave me a link in the comments [here and/or at Ella's blog] and I'll come see your page.) Angie Lucas even gives tips on cheating on the blog. I'm all for cheating in scrapbooking if it gets another story told and a memory documented! It all counts, right?

Don't forget to check out the Take Twelve Flickr group and post your photos & finished layouts.

To see all my Take 12 Challenge Posts including my layouts from past months, click HERE.

Check out the blogs of the other Ella Publishing Take Twelve Design Team:

Like the Car

Janette Carter-Kincaid

Scrap Inspired

Scrappy Wife, Happy Life

Day by Day

Right Here-Right Now

The Scrapbooking Haven Diva

Scrapworthy Lives

People of the Scrapbook

My Little Blessings

Life is Sweet

A Swoop and a Dart

Endless Possibilities

Yeah, Write

It's Time to Take Twelve! | Ella Publishing Co.

via www.ellapublishing.com

Hopefully you remembered to take your TWELVE (photos) on the 12th this month.

Visit the Ella blog to link up your photos or layout.

I'll be posting my layout by the 18th.

My focus this month was on details that tell me I'm not in Los Angeles any more. In other words, how I can tell I live in Beijing and not Southern California. I've got some ideas for cute titles floating around in my head.

Check back to see what I come up with!

It's the 5th of the month and that means Blog Hop x 2...

It's the fifth of the month so that means TWO Blog Hops in ONE post...

First off is the FAMILY x 12 Blog Hop: A small group of us support each other each month in getting a family photo. If we don't make a point of doing it every month, then too many days, weeks, years pass and we forget to take photos of our families altogether.

Our went to Xi'an for the weekend to see the Terracotta Warriors. Another fun thing to do in the city is rent bikes and ride all the way around the city wall. It takes about an hour. The perfect activity for our family.

Next on the hop today is PATRICIA.

 

The complete list of FAMILY x 12 participants is below:

Margie    http://xnomads.typepad.com

Patricia  http://patoliveira.wordpress.com/

Ruth     http://www.chattycraftyartypig.blogspot.com

Jo    http://www.mrsbeee.blogspot.com (she will post late, so be sure to check back) 

 

The second blog hop is the PROJECT LIFE blog hop hosted by Jill.

Here are a few spreads from last month. I'm still using the greyscale photos I print out using regular paper as holders until I get my prints ordered - usually once a month or so. 

In this sleeve I included a business card from our store that delivered some groceries to my home that day. I also brought home a brochure from a restaurant and cut out the back in the shape of a journaling card and wrote on that instead. Then I included a Valentine that a friend gave us to represent the animated Transformer DVDs my youngest has been watching lately.

My favorite photo is the wrinkled toes. His toes were still wrinkled from swim team practice even after he rode the bus home from school!

The logo from the school event came from an email. I saved the image on my computer and printed it out so it would fit on a journaling card. I also love that I took a photo of my son's weekly math homework - learning area & volume. 

This week was St. Patrick's Day so I used a lot of green journaling cards this week.

I'll have more spreads next month. Spring is very busy with lots of visitors, travel and kids home for break.

Next on the blog hop is Natalie (I am waiting to get her blog link - will update ASAP).

The rest of the participants are below. Be sure to hop around to see all of the amazing Project Life inspiration.

Jill http://jillconyers.com/

Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com

Natalie 

Sarah www.documentingchaos.wordpress.com

Devon http://www.youhadmeatneurotic.com

Brooke http://everysnapshot.com/

Helen www.helen-mills.blogspot.com

Alissa http://lifeonlakeland.wordpress.com

Jennifer http://vogtstories.blogspot.com

Arlene http://craftymomma-ph.blogspot.com/2012/02/project-life-2012.html

April 1 OLW Blog Hop

Welcome to the April 1 OLW Blog Hop!

We are a group of students in Ali Edwards' class at Big Picture Classes. Each month on the first we share our assignment from the month. It is a way for us to stay accountable and keep up with the class and support each other at the same time as well as create a sense of community.

Thanks for stopping by! 

My word is LOVINGKINDNESS. I am doing my best to treat myself, my family and all those around me in this way. I took some proactive steps in March to bring this feeling into my life more by planning activities that would brighten my days as well as those I love.

Next on the blog hop is MONICA. Please head on over there to be inspired!

If you should get lost along the way, please return here to find links to all the blogs on today's hop. There were some very last minute additions and someone who had to pull out at the last minute (unbeknownst to her), so please check the addendums below! Thanks!

 

APRIL 1 OLW Blog Hop Participants

Margie   http://xnomads.typepad.com/blog/one-little-word

Monica   http://scrapinspired.com/

Jill    http://jillconyers.com/

Jenn     www.studiojenn.blogspot.com

Kara     http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com

Cheri    http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Catherine  http://myview-catherine.blogspot.com

Nikki    www.inkyart.com.au

Cindy    http://www.cynthiacrysdale.com/

Lisa     http://backtoallen.com/category/one-little-word/

Donna    http://holimess.blogspot.com/

Coley    www.coleybelle.blogspot.com

Naomi    http://poeticaperture.com

Stephanie http://playinghouseinmaryland.blogspot.com

Ruth     http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com

Eydie    www.whatwecreate.net

Janet    http://lifeinsideascrapbookroom.blogspot.com

Orange Gearle    http://orangegearle.blogspot.com

Amanda     http://scrappnbee.blogspot.com

Jen      www.jenritchie.com <--- Jen got whisked away at the last minute for her birthday, so she didn't get a chance to post. Please go to Melissa right after Amanda! Sorry for the confusion.

Melissa S         http://blog.mshanhun.com

Kaylea    www.myscrappylife.com

Missus Wookie    http://www.mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.co.uk/

Cindy    http://seriousplay.typepad.com

Beth    www.thesingularlyordinary.blogspot.com 

Tere     http://terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com/

Kelly    http://mindingmynest.com

Heidi    http://mommy.heidimdavis.com

There was some confusion with the links, so please be sure to stop by the following blogs to check out their OLW posts:

Veronica     www.veronicanorris.typepad.com

Rebekah      http://istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com/search/label/OLW%2012

 

April #OLW Blog Hop Participant List is Final

Sign-ups for the April 1 OLW Blog Hop are now CLOSED. Please visit this link to see the list if you signed up. Make note of the person below you in the list and be sure to link to them in your post. Email me if you have any questions! Thanks! I can't wait to see your post on April 1st!

Ella Publishing Take Twelve Challenge {March}: Our Day in Feet

I had lots of fun this month for the Ella Publishing Take Twelve Challenge. As I mentioned before I wanted to change things up visually so I changed my perspective and I pointed my camera down the whole day capturing our day through our feet (and sometimes our shoes).

Over the past few years I have done a lot of documenting my family's everyday lives through Project Life, Week in the Life, etc. and I thought it was time to find a new way to capture one of our days.

I like the repetition of seeing the same thing, although a little different, in each photo. It's kind of a fun and easy way to see life in a new way.

The calendar circle in the top left of the layout is from the Ella Publishing Take Twelve Inspiration kit. So many cute things and ideas are included! 

Did you take the EPC Take Twelve Challenge this month?

Go to the Ella Publishing blog by March 18 to link up with your photo or layout and have a chance to win a great prize from Persnickety Prints! I can't wait to see what you did!

PS Don't forget to check out the great deals at the Ella Blog today! 

Ella Publishing #Take12 Challenge: Our Day in Feet

Did you take your TWELVE photos on the TWELFTH for the Ella Publishing Take 12 Challenge?

I did!

I wanted change things up visually this month and do something a little different so I changed my perspective and looked down the whole day. This was a fun and new way to document our every day. It was fun and I love how the pictures look all together in this mosaic. Come back in a couple of days to see my layout. 

Any ideas for a good title??

Monday! Monday! Monday! | Ella Publishing Co. #Take12 Challenge

via www.ellapublishing.com

The Ella Publishing Take 12 Monthly challenge is up on the blog! It's a great prize this month. Head on over and link up your 12 photos or your finished layout!

Tomorrow (US time) its time for another Ella Take Twelve Challenge

via www.ellapublishing.com

Do you have your camera battery charged? Your memory cards cleared? It's 1 PM here on February 12 so I've started filling my memory card already.

What's your theme going to be? Or are you going to go with the flow and capture details of your everyday as you move throughout your day?

It's so much fun! Why not give it a try? And don't forget to link up on the Ella blog when you've completed your Take 12 Layout or have your twelve photos? I can't wait to see what you do!

My Life in Maps

Margie's World Travels

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

I've spent most of my time in the US, Europe and Asia. I must expand my horizons to other continents one of these days. After all, some people consider Eurasia just one continent. If that is the case, then I have only visited two continents. I have 4 or 5 more to go! I better get on that.

Margie's US Travels

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

I know there are a few states missing. I must ask my mom what they are. When I was three, my family drove cross country in our blue VW van to Florida where we took a boat or an airplane (again, I need to ask my mom) to the Domincan Republic. If you look at the map, there would be no way for our family to get to Florida overland without hitting at least one or two more states, but which one(s)?

This would be a fun give away if I had something to give away. Unfortunately, I don't have anything, but you can guess for fun and I will ask my mom and let you know soon! :)

The one and only memory of that trip that sticks out in my mind (I was only three after all), was sitting in the back of the van (or maybe wandering all over the van and even sitting in the front seat because we never wore seatbelts back then and often sat in the front with my dad) and arguing with my father. He would say, "It's MY-ami!" and I would say, "No! It's MY-am!" At that time, I honestly thought everyone had an ami. I really did not understand it was a city or even what a city was. I just remember enjoying that "argument". 

I was just over at Katie the Scrapbook Lady's blog and she posted a map like I did. I've done these maps before, but she is the one who reminded me of it today. GO over and check hers out!

March Blog Hop x 2 {FAMILY x 12 Blog Hop } and {#ProjectLife Blog Hop}

Another double blog hop day! Welcome!

Every month on the fifth, I host a blog hop for people who want to take at least one photo of their family each month. It's amazing to realize how few family photos we take, unless we take a moment to notice. Thanks to this blog hop, I have gotten much, much better about making an effort to take family photos on special occasions and not so special occasions. Like this month!

Here is our photo for the month. Truth is, we cheated! I didn't manage to get a photo in the short month of February (even though we had the extra day), so this was taken last night before everyone headed off to bed. When I knew I was going to be cheating, my idea was to get a pajama photo. Not everyone is in their PJs, but we are all in our lounge or comfy clothes, so I suppose that is close enough. I'll do better this month! A late photo is better than no photo and by the end of the month, we will have at least twelve family photos.

If you are interested in joining us next month for the FAMILY x 12 Blog Hop, send me an email (in the subject line of your email put April 5 FAMILY x 12 Blog Hop) and I'll send you all the details.

If you are here for the Project Life blog hop, keep scrolling down, otherwise it is time to continue on the FAMILY x 12 Blog Hop...

Next on the hop is Monica.

 

Margie     http://xnomads.typepad.com/blog

Moncia    http://questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com

Ruth       http://www.chattycraftyartypig.blogspot.com

Jo         http://www.mrsbeee.blogspot.com

Jill      http://jillconyers.com

Patricia   http://patoliveira.wordpress.com/

PROJECT LIFE BLOG HOP

Thanks to Jill for hosting the Project Life Blog Hop every month. This is lots of fun.

This month I have quite a few weekly spreads to share. I had hoped to share my Project Life photo work flow, but I've run out of time again! I have all the screen shots ready, but I need to upload my photos and compose my explanations. I will post it soon, I promise!

The black and white pictures are not actually photos. They are place holders until I order my prints. I wait until I need 100+ photos and then I place my order.

The pictures are just fast quality printed out in grayscale on my printer. Nothing special at all - quite the contrary. But it allows me to keep moving forward on my Project Life layouts.

 

To save time I have used coins to cover up the faces of people who are not in our family to preserve their privacy. Isn't that tricky?!

 

Sorry about the bad quality of the photos. I didn't take my photos until the sun went down. There is so little time in the winter for decent natural light, isn't there?

In this layout, I took a photo of the book I read for book club. And we kept a wrapper of a treat that my son picked out from the store in our apt complex.

I saved tickets and advertising materials from a literary festival.

 

More wrappers and photos of things my kids are into and up to these days. My youngest LOVES jumping rope every day after school and my oldest competed in his first swim meet on Saturday.

I'm also linking up here:

Thanks for stopping by!

Next on the hop is DONNA.

Here is the list of all the participants in case you should get lost along the way:

 

Jill http://jillconyers.com/

Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com

Donna www.joyfullydonna.blogspot.com

Tamara http://tamarasscrapping.blogspot.com.au/

Natalie http://dalys2012.wordpress.com

Devon http://www.youhadmeatneurotic.com

Alissa http://lifeonlakeland.wordpress.com/
April http://capturethememories.blogspot.com

Noelia  www.noeliaevangelista.typepad.com

Sharon  http://projectsofmylife.wordpress.com/

Jennifer http://vogtstories.blogspot.com

Sarah http://documentingchaos.wordpress.com/

Arlene http://craftymomma-ph.blogspot.com/2012/02/project-life-2012.html

 

 

A Family Story for Storytelling Sunday

Thanks for stopping by my blog today! I'm linking up at Sian's blog for Storytelling Sunday (first Sunday of every month). Sian shares a story and invites others to tell a story on their blog and join her linky party. If you have a story to tell, why not think about joining in?!

I'm excited to get this story documented today. I can't believe I managed to get a scrapbook page made as well!

Here is the journaling:

Guilou: This is likely a word we heard while we were sitting at a table in public in Golmud, China in 1997. We were traveling with our friend Bob (from London), who we met on the road. Bob studied Mandarin in Beijing so he was our translator. On this day, we were sriting postcards and since foreigners were a rare sight, we attracted quite a crowd. Bob made a sign (in Mandarin) asking for a few kuai (about 5 cents) to watch the show. Unfortunately, we didn't get any takers so our only take away was a good story!

It is a short but sweet one today. I hope you enjoyed it.

OLW March 1 Blog Hop

Hello! And welcome to my blog. It is time for another One Little Word Blog Hop. One Little Word is a class taught by Ali Edwards at Big Picture Classes.

**NOTE: The blog hop does not go live until 8 AM PST (Thurs, Mar 1), but my internet was acting funny and I was worried I would lose my post so I had to publish early. Please come back at 8 AM to visit the other blogs. Thank you!

To find out more information about our monthly blog hop, click the OLW link under my blog banner. 

This month's assignment was all about photography. We were meant to find nine photos that represent our word. My word is LOVINGKINDNESS. I went through all of the photos that I took this past month and found exactly nine photos that represented LOVINGKINDNESS to me. I loved finding the ways my family lives out and experiences this word(s) in our daily/ordinary lives.

I'll leave you with only a few words this month and let the photos speak for themselves.

To see everything ONE LITTLE WORD on my blog, click here.

You have another great list of blogs to visit this month, so without further ado, be on your way to see Melissa who is next on the blog hop.

 

Here is the complete list of participants. Please come back here to find your way in case you should get lost along the way.

Margie            http://xnomads.typepad.com

Melissa S         http://blog.mshanhun.com

Sharyn            http://LaVieEnChic.com

Kimberlee         http://scrapsandsass.blogspot.com

Jill              http://jillconyers.com/

Cheri             http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Cindy             www.cynthiacrysdale.com

Jenn              www.studiojenn.blogspot.com

Monica            http://scrapinspired.com/

Catherine         http://myview-catherine.blogspot.com/

Naomi              http://poeticaperture.com/

Jamie              jmpgirl.blogspot.com

Coley              www.coleybelle.blogspot.com

Melissa C          www.smudgetime.com

Donna              http://holimess.blogspot.com/

Monica B           http://questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com/

Veronica           www.veronicanorris.typepad.com

Heidi D            http://mommy.heidimdavis.com/

Lisa               http://backtoallen.com/category/one-little-word/

Nikki              www.inkyart.com.au

Devon              http://www.youhadmeatneurotic.com

Amanda             http://scrappnbee.blogspot.com

Brooklyn           www.everysnapshot.com

Kristina           http://hrinspirationfromthe403.blogspot.com/

Jen R              http://jenritchie.com

Kara               http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com

Eydie              www.whatwecreate.net  

Ruth               http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com

Missus W           http://www.mrswookieswanderings.blogspot.com/

Marilee            http://rose-brier.blogspot.com           

Cindy              http://seriousplay.typepad.com

Kaylea             http://www.myscrappylife.com

Dawn G             www.sunshineandcreativity.com

Rebekah            http://istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com/

Becky              www.becky-handforth.blogspot.com

Orange Gearle      orangegearle.blogspot.com

Katrina            www.katrinasimeck.com

Jo                 http://www.mrsbeee.blogspot.com        

Nicky              Www.seejanebake.blogspot.com

Beth               www.thesingularlyordinary.blogspot.com

Kelly              http://mindingmynest.com

Tere               http://terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com/

 

American Artifact?!

I haven't been sharing much on the blog lately. I suddenly had a change of heart and needed to be away from the computer as much as possible. I had felt like I was doing far too much documenting my life and then sharing it online and not enough living my life. That was easily remedied.

I have even been enjoying ordinary household chores now that we let our housekeeper go. That is an entire story in and of itself, but for another time! I am still taking photos nearly every day and working on Project Life, I'm just letting go of some of my self-imposed deadlines. I had taken some of the fun out of the whole process and with this small change, the joy is back!

Don't get me wrong, I'm still going to document and share on the blog, I'm just cutting back for the time being.

Here is a recent layout I made. I love the photo that my son's teacher took! Too funny!

Mar 1 OLW Blog Hop Info

Sign ups for the Mar 1 OLW Blog Hop are now closed. If you would like to sign up for the April 1 OLW BLog Hop, please click the link above for more information. If you are a participant looking for the updated and FINAL list for the Mar 1 OLW Blog Hop, please click this link. Email me with any questions. Thanks!

February Take Twelve Roundup | Ella Publishing Co.

via www.ellapublishing.com

It's time for another Ella Publising Take 12 Monthly Round-Up. Click the link above to check it out!

Ella Publishing Take 12 Challenge :: The Best Part Layout & Another Story from the 12th

I had so much fun with this layout. We had a party for my youngest son on the 12th of this month so it was easy to get 12 photos. There was more to my story than a birthday party. It was all about how the party came together. It was truly a family event. I could not have pulled it off without the help of my entire family especially my two oldest sons. 

I wanted a layout that allowed me to tell the story I wanted to tell and I found it in the Ella Inspiration Kit. The design you see was perfect! I could show the highlights of the party on the left and BEHIND the SCENES on the right. BEHIND the SCENES is also one of the themes suggested in the Inspiration Kit and I love how it inspired me to tell this deeper story of my son's party.

JOURNALING READs:

The best part of this party was behind the scenes. Even Dad remarked after it was over that this was one of his favorite birthday parties because we all worked together to make it happen. And now that it is all over, I wish I had more of those photos. If I could do it all over again I would take some photos of Reece drawing each treasure hunt clue in amazingly accurate detail (I did save the clues), Reece & Nicholas planning out the treasure hunt and planting each clue, Nicholas planning secretly to be the Birthday Santa, hiding in the ayi closet ready to give out the goodie bags at the end of the treasure hunt, Mom searching the internet for the perfect Superman “B” image to print out and trace for the birthday cake, Mom printing out Superman & B logos to wear for the “photobooth”, Reece helping mom set up the backdrop for the photobooth, our neighbor Kristin stopping into the store to look for balloons after mom texted all of her friends to be on the lookout, Dad cutting up the yellow paper for the scrapbooking we ran out of time for, Mom planning out the cake with Braden and making the design happen with chopsticks and frosting.

 

The journaling spot is also from the Ella Inspiration kit. Isn't it cute?

Visit Ella Publishing for more information! And don't forget to go to this Ella Blog Post to add your layout or 12 photos to the linky party and your chance to win (linky closes on the 18th - see end of post for exact time it closes).

Visit the rest of the Take 12 Design Team:

Alizia

Amy

Angela

Jennie

Stephanie

Van

Valerie

Monika

Lisa D

Janette

Lisa O

 

ANOTHER STORY FROM the TWELFTH

There was also another amazing story to be told on the 12th of this month but for privacy reasons I cannot share the photos. I had the amazing privelege of meeting the new family of one of the children I care for at the orphanage I volunteer at every week. The family who had just adopted her, was in town an extra week or so waiting for their new daughter's passport and they asked to meet with some of us volunteers. I was so excited. She had been away from the orphanage for only one week and the first thing I noticed when I walked through the door was how she was a completely different child. She was animated, instead of sullen, she was smiling instead of somber, she was affectionate, instead of crying, she smiled and laughed and giggled more in that hour than I had ever seen her do in the year+ I had known her at the orphanage. She looked at her new parents and big sister with such love and adoration, it was astounding. I couldn't believe a child could bond with their new family so quickly and that she could so quickly become the child she was always meant to be. I had always felt so strongly, if this little girl could just have her own family, she would blossom. But I had no idea she would blossom so quickly and that she had so much potential to ever be that child I met just a week later. 

Many of the children at the orphanage have special needs. We don't always know all of their details so we often wonder. We had said that she was so somber and rarely interactive in a distinct way that we wouldn't be surprised if someone said she had special needs and yet we wouldn't be surprised if they told us she was perfectly normal. After that meeting, it became clear to me that she is perfectly normal and she is now exactly where she should have been since birth! What an amazingly lucky little girl to be with a family so full of love! It warms my heart to think about her sleeping safely in the loving arms of her new family in her fresh PJs, squeaky clean hair and adorable rosy red cheeks.

If only her little friends still at the orphanage will be so lucky.

 

Psst... It's February 12! | Ella Publishing Co.

via www.ellapublishing.com

It's that time again! Join the challenge. Take 12 Photos on the 12th and then show off your photos and your layout.

#Take12 | Ella Publishing Co.

via www.ellapublishing.com

Sunday, February 12 - Another TAKE TWELVE Challenge! Will you join us? We have a birthday party, so this will be an easy one for me. Church in the morning, party in the afternoon. I even think there are 12 friends coming over. It should be a fun day. 12 Friends, 12 Photos, February 12th. I can't wait to see your photos!