Monday, April 27, 2020

Do What Your Heart Says, anak!



Thank you Scrappin' Moms' for reviving the passion for papers and memories! I can't believe its the 6th week of Enhanced Community Quarantine scrapping and I was able to submit entries and at the same time, finish more and more backlogs. This time, I did Luigi's graduation photos. I am just a proud Mom, looking at the many years you were in school and finally, telling me that you are graduating. Do what your heart desires, my son...

I used here strips and scraps of papers (Scenic Route, Chater Box, DCWV and We R Memory Keeper to name a few), chipboards, DMC threads, buttons, baker's twine, photo corners, tags, Ranger distress inks and Memories Mist sprays. So don't throw your scraps, this is a good way to use them to create more pages.

TFL!

Sunday, April 26, 2020

Georgina's New Pages...


I want to share a few of my favorite pages I did for Georgina Marie! This batch was given to me for scrapping last June 2019 and these were her memories since 2017 til March 2019. I am just happy to finish them ahead of time because of the ECQ. Well, this is one happy thought that ECQ gave me and that is, a lot of time to CREATE! Let's go...


Celebrate:  Her 5th Birthday in school.


Turning 6 at home with the whole family!


Cat-Cat: Her favorite company.


Look-a-Like: Guess who's the Mom and who's the kid?


I Love Plants: Learning to love living things.


School Starts: Her learning milestones.


September Celebrants with the Virtucios.


Summer Baking: Another summer activity.


Swimming Lessons: Learning how to be a fish.


Tooth Out: Her first dentist experience was a tooth extraction!


Zoobic: Learning about animals in Subic.


2 Front Teeth: And she is still happy without them.

I used a lot of brands and paper scraps, buttons, metals, ribbons, brads, threads, stickers, chipboards, paints, inks, tags and flowers. Georgina's pages are my sewing series until now. I had the most wonderful time scrapping these girly photos and themes until I run out of foam tapes. I just realized, I can scrap better with foam tapes rather than just plain double sided tapes and glue.

Speaking of Creative Time, I guess this is the best experience and stress reliever this ECQ ever gave me. I got to maximize my time in scrapbooking, organizing, sewing and of course, BLOGGING! I really miss blogging and sharing.

TFL! Happy Monday!


Tuesday, April 21, 2020

My Happy Place


I have two private rooms in my house... My own toilet and my scraproom! I love crafting ever since I was super young and I never thought it will be my constant hobby until now. I tried sewing both by hand and with machine, crocheting, paper art and scrapbooking. My only regret is drawing and painting, which I know I was good when I was in my elementary days. 

Since everyone is kept inside their homes, I am so sure everyone did their share of tidying up their own personal spaces. As I have said in my yesterday's post, I already cleaned my closet, our tiny kitchen, the boy's room upstairs and of course, my scraproom in 4 separate days during the ECQ. My living room and bedroom remained untouched because there will be improvements as soon as the lockdown will be lifted (which I can't wait to start!). I believe the cleaning and organizing will never stop!?

For now, let me share my craft room which I call My Scraproom HAVEN... 



Paper Stocks: I have quite a bulk of 12x12 patterned and cardstock papers. I have a generous supplier of these from the USA, my Auntie Linda, of course. My branded papers are starting to trim down because I finally let myself use them instead of look at them, hahaha! There are no new papers for now, I refrained from buying. I also have 8x8 and 6x6 papers which I love using on my Project Life series.








Embellishment Racks: This occupies most of the space in my scraproom. I love buttons, metals, stickers and flowers. I have plastic containers which were free from laundry soaps, I got 3 big ones where my stickers and chipboards fit perfectly. My ribbons are neatly organized in boxes and were packed in my wooden cabinet. I only have a few washi tapes and I am still finding ways to enjoy them to eventually start hoarding. My buttons are starting to vanish as well, it is my favorite embies ever since. My flowers are for my eyes only! I stopped buying Prima brands after 2 trips in Bangkok, Thailand. I love their paper flower because of their rich colors and textures. 




Stamps and Inks Station: I am a BOY scrapbooker and this is my bestfriend! These are my next favorite crafting stash-- paints, inks, sprays, rubber and clear stamps. My SIL Che handed me all her stash before migrating in the USA and so I got more. 




Tools and Machines:  This is my best investment in scrapbooking. I do not buy much chipboard letters because of these diecuts and machine. I have 7 sets of diecut letters and a few figures. I have a Crop-a-Dile eyelet setter which was a price in one of my contest. I have a zutter notebook binder which was so useful too. I have 2 paper cutters and a few trusted scissors. I almost forgot my boxes of punchers, they are also my great toys.


I have a tiny room to house all my hoards and I always clean it up to make sure that my stash are in good condition specially the inks and paints, adhesives and tapes. However you want to stock them-- go ahead, its your own personal space!

After tidying it up, its time to MESS it up again!

Happy creative mess peeps! TFL.

Monday, April 20, 2020

35 days ago...

Hello everyone!

I've been wanting to document this Pandemic Virus experience called COVID-19. When the scare started, life was just normal but everyone has started to be conscious and cautious. I am a daily commuter of Los Banos-Calamba-Los Banos route. I started wearing mask during the Taal eruption in January. Then I started rubbing alcohol in February when this virus started in the news. I am guilty on rubbing my eyes and nose because I have allergies all year round. After reading a lot of write ups on bacteria and viruses, I realized how careless I was.


Today marks the 35th day of isolation from work, from my students, from friends, from other family members and the world outside. Sooner, I will be part of the history and so as my boys, Luigi and Lorenzo. As much as I wanted them to be calm and comfortable, I know there is this anxiousness in them why all this had to happen. The experience started in March 16, 2020, Monday, when I had to take the morning off to rest because of my monthly sickness. I decided to go to work at 1 in the afternoon, while my Mom and the two boys needed to visit the wake of a relative in Tanauan, Batangas. Shortly after I settled in my office, my lady-Boss called for a meeting with the faculty members and her school staff, she announced the cutting short of school classes and our business office. Then after that, all the people in the room vanished, leaving just the four Academic Heads-- Ma'am Haydz, Sir Marvin, Ma'am Fe and myself. The last instruction was, the four of us needed to report for work until further instructions from our dear Head Office. I went back to my room and finished the timekeeping for March 1-15, and that was the last task I did before the lockdown. The following day, we were instructed not to report for work anymore.



Week 1 of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) was very relaxing for me... No early alarm to cook breakfast for Lorenzo, my normal tasks at home were done in no fuss and my hubby was home! The idea of ECQ was not yet clear in my mind, but I did stocked up on food, milk and medicines. I continued reading things about the virus, to the point of developing anxiety and confusion. The boys did their normal routine of cleaning and feeding the dogs, enjoying their late nights and playing with their toys.


Weeks 2 and 3 was "finding ways" moments! People maximizes ways to keep up with the outside world. People continued to search the net with tons of information-- good or bad, it seemed like being aware was the only thing that we can do at home. I even saw a video telling that this is the perfect time to re-connect with family, friends and most of all, our enemies. I joined a lot of Facebook challenges on old pictures, motherhood and the like, just to show positivity. My everyday chat with my cousin Janice turned out to be video calls with little George.  I got reconnected again with my LBScrapaholic family.


Each morning of hope turned out to be trying moments because of the adding numbers of infected people in our barangay. I was thankful to see a fire truck in the morning of April 1, disinfecting the main roads of our subdivision. But later, I was anxious again to find out that there was an infected neighbor in our street. I became virus conscious and this pushed me to CLEAN my house! I started cleaning and organizing my closet on Day 12, my kitchen and all the cabinets on Day 16, my scraproom on Day 18 and the boy's room on Day 19. With all the cleaning and disinfecting, I started to develop Acute Sinusitis. I just ignored the pain and instead,  I self medicated for 3 days. But on April 12/ Day 27, I took the courage to consult my Head/Neck Doctor online. I had sinusitis for years, but it was my first time to have continuous head pain and discomforts. I learned how to cook fried rice! Since I have the mind-set on saving food everyday (which is the best way to delay my going out to do groceries), I keep the leftover rice and meat for breakfast the following day. Most of our dinners were light and so I have noodles and bread on stock.


Before the ECQ, Scrappin' Moms' reopened for weekly challenges. They aimed to rejuvenate  scrapbooking  and put out our hoards to use them again. I was able to join their 5 challenges until last weekend. Here are my pages...






Week 4 was spent creating more... I dusted off my ribbon boxes on Day 23 and made bows and bands for baby girls, which I planned to sell soon. I wanted to activate my selling site, but eventually I decided to close permanently. 


After the bows and bands, I spotted my cross stitch towels. I had them washed and ironed first before I started stitching. From Days 26 until 34, I did a lot of stitching on kitchen and face towels. During this time, I was on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I had severe facial pain because of my Acute Sinusitis attack, anxiety on my new pair of reading glasses and another anxiety on the growing numbers of infected people in our barangay. I had sleepless nights on hopelessness and worries. Good thing my blood pressure seemed to be cooperating, and after three days of antibiotics and Flo sprays, I begun to feel well. 


Week 5 was spent HEALING, both physically and emotionally. 

COVID 19 gave me the biggest scare of my life for my family and our future. I can only ask my God to answer all my questions of fear and uncertainty. I came to realize that I pray not to ask anymore. I pray now to thank Him for His unending protection, peace and hope. I was on the dot to TV masses every Sunday, 6 in the morning. Last Sunday was Divine Mercy Sunday, the mass was officiated by Fr. Oscar Orbos on mask. He said that this pandemic should not only teach us to wear face masks, but to put on a strong Faith Mask as well. Learn to trust the Lord and never forget to Hope. I taught my boys to offer sacrifices thru prayers. We religiously say the Angelus, the Holy Rosary and the Divine Mercy prayers everyday at 6 in the evening. We may not be out to help in the hospitals, feed and help people, but we are HOME to lessen the problems and be our country's prayer warrior.


It is the start of Week 6 today. I woke up with the chorus of chirping birds. I have a garden in front of my tiny home and normally, there were only 2-3 birds chirping and a lot of car horns to wake me up. Now, I am starting to get excited every morning, because I feel that these chirping birds are like blessings of new life and the world's own healing. Let us use this time to REFLECT. Reflect on the things that we have done and needs to be corrected. Reflect on what you still need to do after experiencing this pandemic scare. Reflect on what you have learned and still enjoy the coming days. There is still life and it will still go on... 

May the coming days of ECQ still be productive, meaningful and fulfilling. 

Let us all stay at home!

Thanks for looking, as always.