I think I want to move back my blog to Blogger.
I found that wordpress is kinda difficult to add widgets etc..
See you on my Blogger Blog.. www.jeannemw.blogspot.com
Project Life Week #44
It’s been a tiring month, well, besides the belly’s getting bigger and heavier.. I also feel sleepy most of the time.I had a chance to stay at my parents house too.. it’s only for a night when hubby was away, but it was great. I miss chit chatting with them until late.. Michael had a great time too playing with his uncles.
I manage to bake things too.. starting from making Cheese Soufflé, Apple Pie, and 5 minutes brownie in a mug..
I love learning how to cook, although I rarely manage to memorize the recipe and have to look at them each time I’m going to make or cook things, haha..
And today, I feel more relax and decided to catch up my PL.. I decided to make my latest week, which is week #44.
I find it easier to do it that way (finishing the week closest to you). I’m using Studio Calico November kits, both scrapbook add-on kits and scrapbook kit. I haven’t got my November scrapbook kit because they sent me the wrong one, last month’s instead of the recent one, but it’s all sorted out and my SC November scrapbook kit is already on it’s way, YAY!
This is Week #44 :
Added a little envelope.. inside is a note about being thankful, and it’s also part of the challenge in 2Peas in a Bucket PL class.. 🙂
Thanks for looking.
Kindness is Contagious
I’m not a perfect person, and you can say that I feel like b*tch*ing too sometimes when I don’t feel like it, annoyed or angry or feeling other unpleasant emotion. But I always try to be good to people around me.. my families, friends, people I met on public places, etc.
It came across me that the month of November, especially in western culture, is a month of gratitude, well.. it is the month when they celebrate Thanksgiving day.
I’ve seen some scenes about Thanksgiving in movies and I really love it.. I wonder how turkey tastes, yes, I have never ate one before. I also learn this year, that there are a lot people keeping journal or make notes on what they are grateful during the month. I thank God for each day in my prayers, but never thought about writing them down in a journal. I thought that it will be great. I came across some challenges, and I like what Kristina Proffitt does in her blog. I think I’m going to follow her step. I know it’s already November 11th, which means I’m about a week and a half late.. but it’s not wrong to start anytime for gratitude right? :-pI’ll write more about this later.
And today, when I was browsing, I saw this article by Erin Pavlina.. it’s an old post, but after I read it, I like it.It’s about kindness.. like I said before, I try to be good to people around me the best I can. There were times when some family or friends said to me, “what did you do that for?”, “what’s the use of it?” or “do you have that much time?”, “don’t you have anything else to do?” – and other things, especially if I do something for a stranger. I backed sometimes, well..afraid of their comments etc.. but after reading this, I think I’ll just do it if i feel like it is the right thing to do.
Hope this article I quote from Erin will bring a new breeze to you..
Kindness is Contagious
One day I was doing some grocery shopping in a small but very popular health food store. The lines were always long, especially on weekends. It was Saturday and I ran in for a few things and saw that all 5 lines had people waiting 8-10 people deep. I grabbed what I needed as fast as I could and got in the express lane.
The problem with the store was that it was constructed poorly and once you got to the head of a line with your cart you had to back out in order to leave. That meant everyone behind you who had moved forward needed to move back so you could back your cart out, turn it around, and head out of the store. If you’ve ever been in a crowded line moving forward you know how hard it is to get everyone to take a few steps back.
The energy in the store was palpable. People were frustrated, anxious, tense, and in a hurry. The checkers had to take items out of your cart one at a time, punch in the price (no scanners!) and then bag it themselves. Basically, it took 3 times as long to check-out as it does at a regular, large grocery store.
I myself was feeling really frustrated. All kinds of thoughts were tramping around in my head. “God, why don’t they expand their store? Why don’t they get a bigger space? Why don’t they hire bag people? Why can’t they create a better system? This is insane!” The next line over was having a problem. An older gentleman was trying desperately to get to the front of the line to his wife who was at the checkout counter. He had a bottle of wine that he obviously ran back to get. Big mistake. No one would let him through.
Everyone was jostling around to make sure their place in line was secure (all that backing up to let people out made people nervous about line-cutters). I sensed people were about to go postal. Through the haze of my frustration I noted a blond woman in her fifties who was venting her aggravation out loud to anyone who would listen. “Hmm, she’s got really beautiful hair,” I thought to myself. “Too bad she’s being so mean to people. At least I have the decency to vent in my own head.” And then it hit me. We’re so quick to vent and complain and whine but how often do you actually see people complimenting total strangers out of the blue. I decided right then and there, in the midst of utter chaos, to share my feelings about this woman’s hair with her.
I tapped her lightly on the shoulder, she turned in a huff (probably figured someone wanted to cut into line), and looked at me. I spoke a little louder than usual to cut through the din of complainers, “I just had to tell you that I think your hair is stunning. Not only is it a great color for your complexion, but the style suits your face perfectly.”
You should have seen her reaction. A huge smile broke out on her face, she practically beamed with pleasure and she reached out and touched me lightly on the arm and said, “Oh thank you so much! What a kind thing for you to say!” I think I noticed her eyes welling up. I smiled too. I felt good! A little positive energy in the middle of the negative.
But then the most amazing thing happened. She stopped barking at people and started acting very politely to everyone near her. I heard her say, “Oh please sir, you should go ahead of me. You’ve only got one item. I can wait.” The man behind her thanked her profusely and moved forward. He was smiling too. The guy behind me in line leaned forward and said to me, “That was a really nice thing you said to that woman. I’ll bet she feels really good about herself now.” The woman in front of me also turned to me and smiled and said, “I agree. That was a nice compliment.”
And then I noticed a shift in the energy of the entire room. People around me started joking about our situation. Instead of complaining, they were sharing their frustration without blaming anyone. People even started laughing at the absurdity of the whole situation. A few moments later the manager of the store stood up behind all the checkers and said, “Hey everyone! I know the store is really crowded today and I’m sorry about the long waits. We really appreciate your patience and I promise we’ll get you out of here as soon as we can.” The checkers even started to relax a bit and that allowed them to check us out faster. By the time I finally left the store the energy had completely changed and people were calm again. The blond woman waved goodbye to me and said, “Thank you again! What a sweet girl you are!”
And from that day on I decided that if I ever had a complimentary thought about a total stranger I would express it to them. After all, who is going to be upset at being stopped for such a reason? Do you ever see someone while you’re out running errands and think things like, “Wow, that’s a beautiful skirt she’s wearing. I wonder where she got it.” Or, “That guy is driving an awesome car! I’d love to have a closer look at it.” Or “What beautiful and well-behaved children that woman has. How does she do it?” If so, why not go up to that person and say what you’re thinking?
How do you feel when a total stranger compliments you out of the blue? I know I feel great and it totally affects my mood after that. I feel happier and I feel like I want to make others happy as well. Kindness is contagious. You have the power to spread joy so easily! A small 3-second compliment can shift the energy of an entire room. If everyone started doing it, what effect would it have on the world?
So the next time you realize you’re having a kind thought about someone near you, share it and see what happens!
Have a great Day!
Going Small Next Year?
I’m so glad I can really do Project Life this year. I decided to start last year, but when Michael came.. every plan just burst and messed all over the place. I didn’t make any layouts (I think only 2 or 30, and the PL quit just like that. I still have the pictures saved in computer tho.. and I’m think of replacing it with monthly review of 2012 or Michael’s 1st year.
So, this year.. I finally can do PL, and it’s going on to the 2nd album already.. now I get it why everybody must have 2 albums each year.. the 52 weeks cannot stay in one album because of the photos, journaling and more over if you are using thick embellishment.
But yea, I still need to catch up on some weeks that I skipped because I haven’t found the right picture, embellishment, lost tracks or just because.. haha..
By the way, I’m also thinking about switching to smaller PL format next year. I’ve been seeing some people done that this year and thought that it’s fun and not taking too much space on the table. I’ve gathered some inspiration for smaller PL pages using Snap! book, Studio Calico’s handbook etc. And I’ve pinned them too!
I really like what Kristin (rukristin.com/blog) did with her summer album and this baby album using Snap!.
Got so many ideas and projects I wanted to do. I hope I can do them all 🙂
Have a great day!
Night Time in Macau..
Just got back from holiday and i got so many photos that I wanted to scrap. I hope lots of ideas and inspiration will come in a large portion.. hahaha. .
I really love this photo of us, taken in Macau. There’s hubby, Michael, me & the little bub. We first came her last year when i was still pregnant with Michael, so when we came back, I just thought that we should take one with him. And seeing the condition now, me being pregnant again, of our second child, do you think that we should be going back next year? hahaha..
Oh well, we’ll see about it as the time goes.
And now on to the LO. I really like this night time photo and this paper by Maggie Holmes. First time I saw it, I just knew that I wanted to make a night time photo LO with it, because of the bokeh effects that it has.
And as for the technique, I’d like to try doing some layering with paper, doilies and embellishment. I honestly was confused with the positioning and colors to use.. but I decided to use just anything pink, yellow and bright from the Maggie Holmes line for the Lo and I also gathered some ideas from everybody’s LO that are using the same paper as background. So thankful that there are many talented ladies that gave me a lot of inspiration.
So, this is it!
I was not really confident with the layout, but hubby said that it looks great..not a favorite because he’s more into minimalist, but he said that it brings out the photo and he likes it. fiuhh..so glad to hear that.
I’d like to make more LO and try different techniques, I hope I can find more time with my scrapbooking hobbies 🙂
Thanks for looking! 🙂
Saying Goodbye to Studio Calico
Has anybody receive the email update on International shipping charges?
I’m so sad that Studio Calico decided to change their shipping terms for international customers, which is no more free shipping.
Telling you the truth, when I first subscribe to Studio Calico, first, is because I REALLY LOVE the exclusive stamps they made on their kits. You cannot find it somewhere else and they are just so cute and lovely.
Second, I love the kits and layouts the DT makes and I wanted to make layouts like them.. I consider myself still new in scrapbooking and so lack of layout-ing experience and techniques.
And the third, of course, FREE SHIPPING for certain amount of purchase. I always try to hit free shipping every month, I even gather some friends with similar interest if they want to get some products from SC.
My kits used to arrived about a month after the shipping date… the fastest is 3 weeks after the shipping date. I don’t really mind about it. I know that Indonesia is not that close and I’m used to receiving goods late on international shipping.
The increase of free shipping (to $129) kinda shocked me at first.. meaning that I have to spend more each month, but I didn’t complain much because I like SC stuff. Although some that I bought (just to hit free shipping) actually just sitting there (until I found out what I’m going to use them for). And now.. Studio Calico is not giving any free shipping, which is so SAAADDD for me.
In fact, I just found a friend in the same city abut 3 days ago that would love to shop at SC with me too.. I was planning to gather sometimes and make kits together.
But I guess we have to cancel it now.. 😦
So sad about the news.
And telling you the truth, I think I’m going to have to cancel my subscription.
I cannot afford more on the shipping cost increase and the additional fee.
I think it’s a good call too because I’m going to renovate some of the room in my house into nursery for my 2nd child. It’s right next to the crafting space I’m using.. so I’m going to have to pack my scrapbook stuff until the renovation is finished.
Good luck for SC, thanks for all the experience shopping and creating with you 🙂
I will still follow you through forums, blogs and visit your store for browsing and galleries for ideas.
Ciao!
New Crush
Have you seen the movie Pitch Perfect?
Yes, i know.. I’m so left behind, I just watched it like…last month! So, I just wanted to say that I REALLY LOVE IT! Love all the fun characters in it and mostly, the songs they are pitching, singing, whatever!! I love it all.. in fact, I’m googling for the video that I can download right now.
I love what Anna Kendrick did on the rehearsal.. singing “When I’m gone” with the cup.. when the Bellas singing “Just the way you are” and of course, the songs at final! So awesome!
And ssstt.. don’t tell my hubby, I’m also in love with the character Skylar Astin is playing on the movie, Jesse. Just like him, hahaha..
Ouw.. and I also almost watched Adele’s concert twice today.. haha.. just love her too!!!
If you want to listen to the soundtrack, click here 🙂
Project Life Spread : Week 3 & 4
Just finished them last night. I have a lot of catching up to do.
I made week 3 with some supplies that I have and journaling cards from the Clementine kit. Didn’t have so much things to share on week 3, because I was still sick. Didn’t get to take as much photo as before and clearly..no journaling at all.. so I just put some highlights on what happenned on week 3.
Amy Tangerine’s signature book was on sale on Studio Calico, and because she’s my favorite DT, I just got to order it 🙂 We also got a new Selphy printer, CP900 series. I gotta love this thing.. because it can be connected with wifi, which make is easier to print from computer and even iPhone!! PL will be so much easier with this.
I also started to read again.. Life of Pi. It has been made into movies and my friends told me that it was great, but I missed it. So I decided to read the book, and it was great 🙂 Last, I added a currents journal. I think it will be a fun addition for PL. I might do it again on other weeks.
Now, week 4. I made it with Studio Calico scrapbook kit Sock Hop and Poodle Skirt add-on. I have hoarded a lot of SC kits and haven’t got the time to make them into LO.. so I guess this is just another way of using them instead of leaving them just like that or buying new supplies just for PL. Save more cash, right?! Haha..
These are week 3 and 4, I hope you like what you see.
Have a great weekend!
Everyday is Valentine
I made this layout for my husband and my son for Valentine. I wrote the title “Not Just on Valentine’s Day, I Love You Everyday”, but highlighted the words Valentine’s and Everyday.. meaning that Valentine is everyday, and that I love them everyday. That’s why I also stamped the name of the days as the background.
I made the heart because I’m in love with the video by Corej http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/gallery/projects/videos/1883540-213-in-2013-love-her/ [twopeasinabucket.com]
But I guess I should’ve try it on a pic of paper first, because it looks kinda messy..but I still used the paper because it’s the last natural paper I have :p
I added stitches with black thread to make e frame like effect because the sides look empty before.
I’m so happy that my husband likes it and posted on his Instagram & Facebook, and got positive comments from it, haha..
You can view it here too.
Giveaway from Andrea
Look at this gorgeous lady’s project.. and she is a generous one too 🙂
She’s having a giveaway on her blog.. it’s easy.. just become a follower of her blog, leave comment on the post and post it in your blog or other media. I hope I’m lucky this time.. 🙂
Jeanne 