Friday, September 26, 2008

How it goes

I love to read about what other people are loving at the moment, so I want to do the same and share what is currently floating my boat.
  • The changing fall colors. I think autumn is officially my favorite season and I look forward to October's arrival!
  • Speaking of autumn, I have been loving Elsie's posts lately, especially this one. That girl never fails to inspire with her words and photos.
  • Absolutely in LOVE with this blog. Christina is truly a wonder for my senses and I am so enthralled with her minibooks!
  • Planning a trip to Vegas this coming December. Vegas in and of itself is stimulation overload, I can only imagine what the Christmas season is like!
  • Last night's season premiere of The Office . Holy moley, the Pam and Jim bit was the cutest thing ever!
  • Gen's Halloween minibook which is even more beautiful in real life! I'm lucky enough to work with this crafty girl and I think we have the same exact taste in scrapbooking supplies - we're constantly swooning over the same products!
  • Kerry Lynn's Kenner Road . The layout of the website is gorgeous enough but then you look at the gallery and it is heaven to my eyes! Especially this insanely inspiring minibook...
  • School is so busy that the time seems to be flying by - always a good thing!
  • Free podcasts on iTunes are just about the greatest thing my ears (and credit card) could possibly experience. I am really loving Morning Coach and Craftcast . I upload them to my iPod and take the inspiration with me wherever I go!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Surrealism.

I can't believe I am already back in school again - what in the world happened to summer break?! Oh well, this is where we are at and we are definitely going to make the most of it. This past weekend I was able to go home to visit my family before the madness of school and work and life combined takes over. It was so much fun, as usual. Got to use the sewing machine. Got to play with paint and glitter mist while sitting poolside. Made (and am still making) a new mini book all about my memories of home. Took a lot of Polaroids. Took a lot of photos with the Nikon. Played with my sweet pup.
I made lists about all the creative ideas I have formulating for the future. I slept in (so nice). On our way back down to San Diego, we stopped for lunch in Aliso Viejo and I just about died over the scrapbook aisle at their Target. They seriously were packing a big punch with all the Making Memories Halloween and Christmas lines and KI Memories Bloom Collection (which I totally snagged). Honestly, all the Targets in San Diego and Moorpark are just slackin' when it comes to wowing me over. What a happy surprise that was to experience the magic of Target. As if Target wasn't magical enough already...(haha).
Check out Jakey Boy. Such a good model for the camera I keep putting in his face, haha.

I'm hoping I will be able to stay afloat with all my school work and actually do things AHEAD of time (novel concept, I know). I say this every semester. But this time is FOR REAL. Life is gonna be good. Yesterday I brought my Ziploc of scrap supplies to school with me. On my breaks I sat on a grassy knoll under the trees and just enjoyed being my nerdy self who enjoys paper.

Life IS good.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Oh yes.

I asked Jamie out of the blue: "Are you a good jumper?" and of course she said yes (not knowing what her answer entailed). Hence, here we are showing off our jumping skills at Heritage Park in Old Town. I feel a new photographic obsession coming on...
And I HAD to bring the Polaroid with me. What's an adventure without the instant gratification I receive from that thing?
And here I am reveling in the fabulousness of the Polaroid.

P.S., I only recently learned what "Shake it like a Polaroid picture" truly means. All along I have been singing to Outkast, not knowing what I am talking about. Now I know :)

Friday, August 22, 2008

I was gone for a minute


Oh my goodness, what a bad blogger I have been! I've been meaning to update for oh-so-long, but just never did it. Sometimes reading about other people's lives is much more fun than sharing my own... But anyways, I have been very busy! I recently purchased a Polaroid camera from eBay and it has made everyday adventures that much more exciting! At $17 for a roll of 10 photos, I have been forced to learn how to set up the most optimal shots so as not to waste my precious film! ha! Recently we went to Disneyland on a whim and of course I brought along my Polaroid and a ziploc bag of scrapbook supplies. You better believe I busted out my bag of goodies while waiting in line! Scrapbooking photos that I just took is quite possibly the most exciting thing ever.

So here is the chipboard mini book I created about our most recent trip to D-Land. I was totally on an 8.5x11 kick for awhile, but I have definitely returned to my first true love: the mini book.



I really love the Maya Road clear journaling spots that I just hole punched and added to my book for interest.

I lOVE the new KI La-di-dah collection...how stunning is that flower paper?


I had so much fun making this album while in the moment of it all. Just give me a Ziploc bag, some random scraps of paper, buttons, ribbon, a glue stick, and a corner rounder and I am good to go! OK, I am off to work! Have a great day everyone :)


Thursday, July 10, 2008

Countdown to Christmas!

I have been really pining for the Christmas season lately! I can't wait to bust out the decorations and the gift wrap and spend time in crowded malls! I would say I'm excited for the music too, but I listen to that year round - nothing like a little "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Ella Fitzgerald style) to keep me breezing through a summer workout :) Haha! I know I should just be content with the summer, but this is totally the way I am. I always need to have something to look forward to if I want to enjoy the present moment. Sounds kind of backward but it's how I roll :)

Also, I have really been loving iTunes lately. I go through music-buying phases where I'm on it everyday and then all of a sudden I abandon it for weeks at a time. Nothing better than finding music that you LOVE and keep hitting the back button so you can hear it just one more time.

So today is my day off from work and I am loving the freedom. Last night while shopping -ahem, working at the store- I snagged a few new things to play with and now I'm so excited about them! The buttons were such a great deal (shown above): you fill up a mini-Gladware container with as many buttons as possible and it's only $5! If you want to buy an individual button, it's 15 cents. So being the mathematician I am (ha! I wish!) I determined that $1.00 would only equate to 6 buttons...not good enough for me. So the Gladware it was!



I love the American Crafts Remarks pack - I think bold letters always tie a page together so I'm excited to dig into those. And the cute little girl icons actually came from a keychain of about 7. They're acrylic and I already painted two because I love them so much! The mini tags are just too cute. Even though I could make them myself, their minature size was just bowling me over so I caved and bought 4, haha.

Last night I came home from work and John was making orange chicken for us - it was so good! What a guy ;) He's become quite the Emeril lately and I sure as heck do not mind!

Today I'm going to workout, pick up some groceries and lord knows whatever else catches my eye at Target, and play with my new scrap supplies! :)


Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Always thinking...


I'm always thinking about what's next, where I'm going, what I'll be doing, what I'll be wearing, and most importantly, where i'll be living. I don't feel much of an attachment to San Diego. Don't get me wrong, I think this city is fabulous. There are so many awesome things I love about this place, including the swap meet, the weather, Fashion Valley, and even touristy stuff like Old Town and Seaport Village. But I don't know if this is where I want to plant my roots, so to speak. Come graduation, when it's time to make some real decisions about careers and real estate, I want to start fresh and move somewhere new. I have so many ideas: Mission Viejo, Carlsbad, Redondo Beach, Irvine, Agoura...the list is endless! I even think it might be fun to move up to Mammoth Lakes for a short while and experience the mountain life. But then again, that would take me away from my beloved D-Land and lord knows that would be pushing it (hahaha):

So for now I'm staying in SD. Actually I kind of have to if I ever want to get my degree (ha!). And I'm gonna live it up while it lasts :)
This past week I spent some time at home with my family (another reason why I want to move out of SD - 3 hours is too far away!). I got some scrapbooking done which made me feel happy. I'm into using old photos right now that I have had tucked away for too long.

In other news, I won a contest on Kristina Contes' blog! Woo! I was so psyched and still am! Alright, I'm off to workout before I work tonight. Have a great day ;)



Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Estoy aqui.

Oh my goodness, why am I so bad at updating? I'm always putting it off like it's a ten page paper or something...not quite sure why I do that? So anyways, I have been super busy, working all the time, making money to support my hobbies, haha. In fact, I actually work at a scrapbook store! It includes a LOT of restocking and pricing and doing things you don't normally associate with the glamorous world of scrapping, but it is money in the bank nonetheless. AND there just so happens to be a sweet discount on all merchandise for employees, which I am ever so pleased about, haha. And every once in awhile, when I return home from a long day in the scrapbook world I actually find the time and energy to create!




I was thinking that another one of my friends needs to get married STAT because last summer was so much fun with all of Heather's bridal festivities. And no, it won't be me, hahah! I was going through all my old photos yesterday, just looking for something new and excting to plan scrapbook pages around, and I found so many fabulous things! I love when I forget about what I have and then rediscover it in all its glory - its like finding money in my pocket! Yessss! Tonight I am heading home to Simi to see my family which I am so excited about. It's funny how when you move away, you suddenly feel so nostalgic for home and all the things you took for granted for so long. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, perhaps?


Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Hmm...

So here we are, back in San Diego, job hunting, scrapbooking, working out, sleeping, etc. This past weekend John and I went hiking over at Mission Trails which was a lot of fun. First we started out on a "real" trail but then we heard a snake rattle so we booked it outta there! Then we decided we could walk along the paved road, which would be the safe alternative to hiking, haha. We like to think we are nature savvy, but maybe we're just better off enjoying it from a nice distance :)

Of course, my scrapbook addiction is alive and well. Actually right now I think I'm not as motivated to whip out pages, but I know I'll get back into it.
A few days ago I downloaded a trial version of Adobe Illustrator and it has been so much fun! John - the former graphic design major- is already a pro at this program so it's nice having my own little tutor to help me work out my computer challenged-ness, haha. I've made a ton of tags and circle journaling spots and little designs that make me feel super excited! Making your own embellishments is fun! But I must say the most exciting part has been my obsession with making "faux" photobooth strips. I just make a photobooth template, resize my photos and drop them in their little slots and wa-bam! Instant photobooth gratification, minus the three dollar fee!





My mom and I really do have a thing for Pottery Barn - it is just so fabulous and their bathrooms are always the best! This particular one in Pasadena was two stories - always a bonus! kinda reminded me of the ones in Santa Monica and South Coast Plaza. See how we are addicted? Haha.



So recently I feel as though my style has been evolving at a rapid pace. Things that used to inspire me no longer do and things I never thought would inspire me have set my mojo on fire! Haha, I always think it's funny how creativity ebbs and flows. Kind of annoying when it ebbs, but I think Ali Edwards is the master of explaining how it is just part of the process. I think Ali Edwards is really just the master, period.
Alrighty, more later! Have a great day :)





Friday, May 23, 2008

Living the life.

I am SO enjoying my time off of school. It has been absolutely great, I get to scrapbook, read about scrapbooks, look at scrapbooks online, and basically live in my own scrappy world. And I also workout and take the dog for a walk somewhere in between all that scrappiness. Haha, I wish I could always be so free! I was flipping through channels on the TV yesterday and came across a scrapbooking segment on the Home Shopping Network. Holy moly, pure velveeta! I swear, these people were just so cheesy and over the top, it makes me wonder who would actually buy things from such goofballs. But anyways, I need to be nicer so I will just zip it :)
Today was amazing, I got to meet up with two of my bestest friends for coffee and catching up. We had such a good time reminscing and sharing our lives as of late. I forget how good it feels to be in the company of those who know you best! Val and Christina, I do love you both! We took some ridiculous photos as well because I am a demanding friend who needs photos for her scrapbooks, hahah. I love this one of us in the reflection of Val's car. I touched it up in Photoshop because I wanted to give it a cool campy, 70's vibe and I love how it turned out. The more yellow and funky it looks, the more I like it!

More "head trauma" photos, haha! When we were in junior high we used to smash our heads together in photos (lord knows why) and we lovingly refer to it as "head trauma." I guess you had to be there, hahaha. Sometimes I think back on all the strange, neurotic traditions we created over the years and all I can think is we were so ODD!!! HAHA! But I love all of my friends, every last one of them...


Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Mini Vacation

John and I decided to go home for a week to spend time with our families before he starts summer school and I start working full-time and we never see them again. So of course, on my way to Simi, I had to stop off in Irvine for some Scrapbook Oasis loving. Here's my latest loot. So fun! I can't wait to get in there and play around with all this goodness! I also stopped by South Coast Plaza to check out Paper Source. Holy frick, that place is FABULOUS! I can't wait til we get one in Leucadia! They had all types of fantastic-ness, including American Crafts, Jenni Bowlin, Hambly...geez louise! I was hyperventilating, but I was also watching the clock knowing that I had best hop on that 405 before traffic set in for good. Well, it still took me two and half hours to get from Irvine to Simi Valley, but it was worth it. And what a busy weekend I just had! My family came down to stay with John and me for my uncle's wedding. They're all about the free lodging, I tell ya... :) It was a good time, we had fun, I drank everyone's champagne glass at our table and then took two bottles home with me, thanks to the help from my accomplices (i.e. boyfriend, brother, brother's gf), hahaha! Good times were had, as you can see from Andy and Ashley's faces below:

Family portrait right after the ceremony. I don't know why we all chose black (well, Andy and my dad were part of the wedding, so they had no choice!). Apparently we like to offset our albino skin tones... hahaha

Ashley, me, and Mom sweating it out in the Santee sun:



Aww, we just love my aunt's and uncle's dogs so much, especially this little guy named Spud. John is the dog whisperer, they all flock to him and run away from me, haha. I think I love them too much for their liking.


Alright well I'm off to Michael's and Target, just because!



Friday, May 16, 2008

Life, it's so good to have you back

Ahh yes, school is out and I am a free bird at last, thank god! Sheesh, this was the semester that just would not end. It sort of felt like Groundhog's day where I just kept reliving the same monotony day after day...but now it's behind me and I feel so excellent! Lots of new changes in this past week. The biggest change of all would be my decision to switch my major from interior design to multimedia. All semester long as I would begrudgingly do my drafting, model-building, etc. and feel like life just plain sucked, I would ponder other routes to take in terms of a major and ultimately a career. As much as I love interior design and decorating my own personal surroundings, it just was not working for me. Not only that, but it was going to take me at LEAST another FIVE SEMESTERS to finish up NINE classes! Hello, that is just plain ridiculous. I'm already a senior in college! What a waste of time and open units. I could easily squeeze that curriculum into two semesters if only they didn't set absurd prerequisites that set you back unnecessarily. So anyways, one day John calls me at school and tells me he had been looking into other majors that we both could switch to (he was originally graphic design) and says that multimedia would get us out of college in one year (YESSSSS) and we would take awesome classes for it. I was SOLD. As of that day, I checked out of ID mentally and was ready to tackle multimedia with great fervor. So here I am, a multimedia major, doing exactly what I want to do and feeling great about the future... So, ever since I got out of school on Wednesday, I have jumped right back into the wonderful world of scrapping! SO. MUCH. FUN. First order of business was to create these "kits" so to speak, where I pick out a limited amount of supplies and work only with those items. It definitely makes my scrap time super enjoyable and less overwhelming (especially when it comes time to clean up). So I plopped everything into the bag I made (shown above) as well as into my old interior design supply holder (I knew ID was good for something!) and have been loving life ever since!
Also, I entered a challenge sponsored by Jamie Waters on NSD at 2Peas using this layout:


and won this fabulous prize! Talk about excitement over receiving mail! Yessss!


I also started a new scrapbook using this awesome ID binder I found in the trash of the ID supply room closet. From trash to treasure, just how I like it.




And in other news, I made some new decorations for our apartment using fabric stretchers. So fun and easy and a great way to use up fabric scraps and jazz up boring white walls.


Finally, I must say the Office was so great last night! Go Dwight! hahaha, love that surprise ending...
Annnnd, I recently discovered two new blogs from scrapbookers with the most awesome style! I can't get enough of Michelle and Jennifer . Oh how I love discovering new and exciting things :)





Saturday, May 3, 2008

Holy Moley


I knew my luck was changing...check out all the sweet stuff I snagged from the swap meet today. SO SO psyched! Sometimes we go and there's nothing that I really want and sometimes we go and I want EVERYTHING! This one person had table after table of paper and I am obsessed with paper. Another booth was all about the scrapbook supplies which of course I just fall all over. I don't know what it is with me and other people's stuff, but we definitely go hand in hand! :) John and I were talking about how swap meets are an acquired taste - you either love it or you hate it. The people are, shall we say, interesting. There's a lot of digging around and touching dirty things and working out deals. I know for fact my own parents would HATE it but for some reason I didn't get that gene so forever more I will be fascinated with other people's hand-me-downs, hahaha.
In addition, it is National Scrapbooking Day. I can't believe there's actually a day for this hobby but I'm down! 2Peas has some cool things going on all day so in between attempting homework I will be checking it out.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Don't Worry Be Happy

Admittedly 2008 has not been a great year for myself or those around me. People have been in and out of the hospital, crucial funds have been denied, school has been so insanely stressful. Buuut...being the new optimist that I am, I say things are really looking up! Honestly it can only get better from here on out. School is out in a week and a half and it's gonna feel oh-so-good to turn my ridiculously long list of projects and papers in and be done with it! Yessss...

As for now it's all about getting my projects done. But in the spirit of positivity it is the weekend and I am healthy and I have good music on my iTunes :) AND tomorrow is National Scrapbooking Day and I hear 2Peas and ScrapInStyle have some fun things in store...
Once finals are finito I plan on playing with this nice stack of papers and labels and tickets and gift cards and getting back to my scrapping addiction. It's gonna be so great!


In other news, a few weeks ago ( has it really been that long?) John and I stopped by Scrapbook Oasis while in Irvine visiting family and it was SO. FREAKING. AWESOME. Talk about scrapbooker's paradise - as nerdy as that sounds - and I cannot wait to go back! Here's all the stuff I managed to pick out after much deliberation. I finally convinced myself to go with these things under the notion that I will indeed be back to get more :) But I have to say one of my most favorite things about that store was seeing some of my favorite scrapbookers' work in person, such as Jamie Waters and Amy Tangerine and Emily Falconbridge. Ahhh it was so exciting!


Friday, April 18, 2008

Best day of the week!







Lately I've been really into scrapping again. It definitely appears to be a cyclical thing for me. I am always in the mood to look at other people's layouts but to do my own takes some motivation. But it is FRIDAY and that is the best news of all!
The other night when I was taking all the pillows off the bed to go to sleep I found a lovely surprise under the covers: the movie "Juno"! I was so psyched. Someone knows me too well and remembered that it came out on DVD that day so he swung by Best Buy to snag a copy for his Michael Cera-loving GF. I haven't watched it yet, but maybe that will be on the agenda for tonight!
In other news, we got a Chipotle right down the street from us! Hallelujah! Not like there aren't 50 others within a 10 mile radius of us, but this one is so fabulous. I will explain. Reason A: plenty of parking. Reason B: Right by Target. I don't even need to go into Target to be happy. Just to be in the vicinity of my holy land is good enough for me. And Reason C: When we drive home after snagging some giant burritos, I always try to dig my sticky fingers into the chips because they are so yummy and easy to snack on while I drive. Buuut...it just so happens that a certain BF of mine does not believe in breaking into the chips before we are home and settled (heaven forbid). I think his reasoning is retarded and he thinks I am pathetic for being so impatient. So to be only 5 seconds away from home means a shorter waiting period for me to bust open that bag and a happy camper boyfriend who can have his burrito and chips coexist peacefully in the comfort of home. The end.
Tomorrow we are headed to the OC to pick up John's car which has been malfunctioning like mad lately. So in order for him to have my lovely self accompany him on his journey, I blackmailed him to take me to Scrapbook Oasis in Irvine. YES YES YES, I cannot wait! Plus I'm just excited to go somewhere. Getting out whenever possible = a happy Ann-Marie.
Yesterday I had the worst stomachache. I have a feeling it was PMS-related so I wasn't worried about things getting vomitocious (TMI?), but it did make for an interesting 6 hours straight for two classes back to back in the same classroom. I spent a good portion of a drafting demo essentially laying on the teacher's desk to ease my knotted tum while he showed us how to do the next project. I'm sure that looked great. Very professional. Finally we were done with the demo and I was able to hunch over in my chair (never be completely upright when cramps are involved. always go hunchback-style, it works) for over 4 hours straight. Typically when one class ends, I run over to an on-campus Starbucks to pick up a drink simply because I like to drink away my sorrow over the fact that I have ANOTHER 3 hours of school before I can bone outta that joint. But not this time. I was staying put in that chair for as long as possible and it worked like a charm.