Part of the Tree

This is my entry to the "'Tis the Season: A Photo Journal Challenge" by friends at Bookoto.com



Our normal holiday season routine is making a list of material things we want for Christmas, picking out a tag or two from the Angel tree at church or from a shopping mall, then shopping for gifts and groceries for the holiday meal we share with others. After all the hustle and bustle of shopping, wrapping, cooking, and cleaning is the spiritual wishes we make at church; after church is taking pictures by the Christmas tree.

Taking pictures by the tree has been a family tradition since we were kids and we carried on with our own kids. Year by year, we’ve taken photographs of us with the tree behind or beside us. Whether or not presents over-flowed under the tree, the Christmas tree is the focal point where we all gather with hugs, kisses, well wishes, thank yous, laughter and sharing. This family picture is the most important event for us. It signifies our closeness and the love we have for each other.

The tree has been a part of us every Christmas season. This year, instead of making the tree a part of us, we made us a part of the tree.

Happy holidays, everyone, may they be merry and bright!

Christmas Doll

Once upon a time, there was a craft fairy who had the time and energy to make crafts such as this doll:

How it's made:

I used a 4x4 piece of wood, about 7 inches tall as the doll's body. I glued this on a another piece of wood, about 3" in diameter and 1/4" thick. This was the base. I used a scrap of red material (a remnant of DD's Christmas dress which I sewed years ago when she was over a year old. Whew! Talk about a pack-rat!). I used running stitches (hand sewn, as I was too lazy to bring out the sewing machine) on one end of this material and pulled it together to make the neckline. I used a round wooden ball for the head. I couldn't find one that has a pre-painted face on it, luckily Michael's has these doll face rub-ons which I used for the face. I cut several strings of brown raggedy yarn, tied all strings in the middle and glued this on the top center of the head. I arranged the strands and glued some pieces to the wood to cover the head. A piece of gold and red bows (from a gift package) was glued on the head.

Then I glued the head on top of the body in an angle to make it look like the doll is lovingly looking at you.

I made the arms by sewing a piece of narrow scrap along its long edges, used some white stuffing, cut the edges of a popsicle stick and used these as hands, glued the hands on one end of the arm, glued the white lace around the wrists, glued the other end of the arm on the shoulders, glued a piece of white lace around the neck to cover the neck and edges of the upper arm, glued the back of the dress together, and glued another piece of white lace at the bottom of the dress. (whew!) There's a lot of glueing. I made the little gift box (out of a jewelry box) and glued this to the hands. The doll was supposed to be an angel. I put off making the wings...and never did get to do it. It looks cute as it is, though!

So here it is.. the first thing guests see as they enter the front door.

And oh... the tree is store-bought which I decorated with whatever small ornaments I could find. TFS

Supplies used: wood scraps, wooden ball, fluffy brown yard, red & gold ribbons, white lace, red remnants, popsicle stick, face rub-on, timy jewelry box and scrap of gift wrap, hot glue gun.

You Never Promised Me a Rose Garden

It was a simple marriage ceremony. We led a simple life. It would have remained simple and sweet had we not had our first child. That was when DH started thinking more of a good and stable future. We were not able to find it back home so we had to go farther out on the other side of the fence.

It was a big change, a big challenge, a completely new life and culture. It was very difficult the first few years. My DH... he never promised me a good life, but he gave me a great one!

Another one of Marj's challenge for November - distressing. It was night time when I took the picture. I used a fluorescent light which showed the depth of my layout.

Close-up of the journaling and one of the flowers I made by cutting a circle, wetting it on the edges and curling the edges inwards. I distressed the edges with Chestnut Roan fluid chalk and inserted a paper flower in the center.

Supplies used: background paper, mat and cut out flowers [the Paper Studio/Della Fantasia collection]; brown patterned cardstock [DCWV/Butterflies and Blooms]; pink & dark pink bling [Rhinestone Stickers]; inks [Color Box/pigment copper and chestnut roan fluid chalk]; silk flowers [Michael's]; foam squares [Miss Elizabeth]; journaling tag [Making Memories /{Note} Worthy

You Called It Home

Home is where the fun is.

Ever since we moved to the USA, we made several apartment buildings our home. A year after Christina was born, we rented my SIL's basement. It was an English style basement. It has a sliding door that led to a short stairway and into the backyard. Christina just loved the outdoors. The fenced-in backyard gave her the opportunity to play safely in the open space. During that time I worked at a company which manufactured leisure products such as slumber bags and playhouses [tent-like]. With employee discount, I was able to purchase one Barbie playhouse. Then there was another one that was used in a photo shoot for advertising which was given to me by one of my supervisors. I had those set up in the backyard. Christina and her cousins had fun playing house, pretending to be neighbors, or turning one of the playhouses into a shopping store. Their imagination was endless! And so was Christina's wish for DH to build her a tree house. DH promised her that when have our own house and yard he would. So here it is....

Several years later, one summer DS and DH built this house from scratch (no, this is not a kit). DH made drawings and measurements; he started cutting out the materials for the posts, the roof, the doors, the windows, etc. With the help of DS the house took shape.

Of course, the Christina and her cousins who visited often were very excited to see the house and their imaginations and plans took shape. Christina chose the colors - milky white, pink and her favorite color, purple! She even helped paint it.

The house is 6' high from the center of the room on the top floor. DH built the ground floor by putting up a lattice fence on 3 sides and putting in wooden floors. When we had summer backyard bbqs, the kids would dine underneath the house. Upstairs is a room that would fit 3 adults [my size (^.^)]! There was a bookshelf filled with books, little toys adorned the walls, I put up a wreath above the front door, and there is a "home tweet home" hanger by one of the windows. There are plexi glass walls on both sides of the front door to let in more light. The door was taken out after a little accident with someone's fingers. The spindles used to decorate the front porch were made in the Philippines! Oh yes, I brought those back with me when Christina was only less than a year old, with plans to use them in building book shelves. The roof is made of real roof material to protect everything against the weather.

The house is complete with a little green mailbox! I remember one time, Christina came up to me with a sad face. She expressed concern that the mailman does not see her mailbox that's why she doesn't get any letters. Doh! How could I forget that. There were times that I would sneak in the back and put all the junk mail in her mailbox. She was happy as a lark when she opened her mail!

The house was finished in time for Christina's birthday. We had pre-schoolers crawling all over it, although the plan was not to have the party outside because it was a cold October day. They saw it from the main house, opened the back door and out went the goblins and witches and fairies [it was a halloween b-day party!].

People who visited couldn't resist not having their picture taken by the playhouse. The following summer, DH added a regular stairway so the little kids could go up and down the steps safely. He also added a back porch so there'd be more room.

The last two pictures on the second page is of Christina when she was 13 years old. I took lots of pictures of her in and around this house. That was the year when we moved to another city. It was sad to leave this house she called home. But we know that it will make another kid as happy as Christina was!

Supplies used: Papers and cutouts [the Paper Studio]; birthstone gem stickers blue zircon [Martha Stewart]; flowers [Prima]; heart charm [Blue Moon Beads]; fluid chalk Chestnut Roan [ColorBox]; journaling tag [Making Memories]; foam squares [Miss Elizabeth]; chipboard alpha [ChipChatter/Pressed Petals]

TFL

A Pocketful of Dreams

This mini is about my dreams and wishes and hopes since I was a little girl. I will be adding pages to it as a dream comes true. I will also make a page about dreams that never came to be.

I first made this mini just for myself. Then came the PS challenge about making a mini book. It gave me the motivation to finish more pages. When I saw Bookoto's Show Me the Mini, I thought...hmmm... why not. It might not be the same style as Ali Edward's because of the lack of journaling but I thought the pictures and my mini journaling will tell the story.

I am so lucky that most of my childhood dreams have come true. Not all of them yet, but most. I am truly lucky.

This is me, the Dreamer. Always day dreaming. In fact, that was my nickname in HS. Miss Day Dreamer.

This page says it all about my first crush and first love. Behind the journaling tag which opens to the left is a picture of that guy and me. I had this huge crush on the boy next door. But he didn't pay attention to me. He avoided me like the plague! Whenever he's out there on the sidewalk and sees me come out of our front gate, he goes back in their house. If I chance to meet him on the street, he'd either cross the street or turn around just to avoid me.

So here's that guy who's the reason for the teardrops on my school books [bwahahaha! sounds like the song "...you're the reason for the tear drops on my guitar"]. I had a crush on him when I was in the 4th grade. There he was on stage singing "We Three Kings" with two other "kings". I was hiding behind a classmate because he might see me staring at him and decide to not finish his part of the program, turn around, and hide.

I had the biggest crush on him [still] when I was in high school. When all my HS friends were talking about their crushes guys they say are to die for, I was the silent one. In my mind, wishing I could talk about him.

My true love and I never did talk to each other. I thought it would be different when I went away to college. Perhaps he'd miss me and send me letters. Valentine cards? uh.... birthday cards?.... uh, I'll settle for Christmas cards?... no...?

To my surprise, 3 days short of turning 23 he asked my mom if he could take me out for lunch on my birthday. I didn't know this until the day before. My mom asked me where we were both going to celebrate my birthday. Yup! for the first time in 23 years, he talked to me.

You see, we were neighbors since we were born. I know all of his relatives as he knows mine. He says he never talked to me then because he was always teased by his older siblings. Ah! so it's my fault. I am the reason why he never talked to me and why he avoided me.

The first dream

We got married 2 years later on the first of May. It was a simple wedding. My only regret on that day was that in all the excitement, no one thought of hiring a professional photographer. I only have 12 shots of our wedding day [boo-hoo-hooo...]. His hand around my shoulder, he now comforts me and says, "that's OK. We have all the wonderful and happy pictures/memories in the world". Yes, I agree. Better than those who have the most expensive wedding gowns, and biggest diamond rings, several albums full of wedding pictures + videos to show off, then yell and fight most of the time and eventually get separated after a few years, I am indeed lucky!

The second dream

This is Lennart, our first born. There were no ultrasounds yet during the time I was pregnant with him. I didn't know if I was going to have a girl or a boy but we did prepare two names: Lennart Nillson and April Ann. After 2 days of labor pains, I had a C-Section. The last thing I remember, the anesthesiologist asked me if I wanted a boy or a girl. I said, "boy." He turned around and said, "You heard that, Dr. Zamora? You have to deliver a boy!"

I knew it in my heart that I have a boy. It broke my heart when we have to leave for the USA without him. It was a great sacrifice but we were thinking of his future. Sometime I wonder what life would be had we not left the Philippines.

He is Philippine-grown. He takes your hand and kisses it to ask for blessing. He says "po", and "opo". He doesn't talk back much as he wants to defend or express himself. I didn't see my son grow and missed a lot of his milestones. I still wonder, the move we made...was it all worth it?

The third dream

This is Christina, the girl I wished for! My very own baby doll! We waited a long time for her to come along. Papa's princess; my excuse to buy girly stuff and lots [and I mean lots!] of dolls!

And here she is, a senior in HS. Fiesty and sassy. But deep within a good kid who is ready for college life.

The fourth dream

Every wife's big dream is a house she'd call their own. After several years of moving from one apartment building to another, we purchased our first single family home. It was old and who knows how many families have lived there before us. It took years before we were able to have our first home, built from the ground up. I hope for us to grow old and share this same home together with kids and grand kids for a long time!

Thirty-one years of being married to my first crush, my first love! Thirty one years and it gets better every year!

Supplies used: border puncher used is Fiskar's Sunburst; background paper by K Ology; cut-outs from various patterned papers by DCWV [complete list to follow]

Pieces of Me - Challenge #19-2

This picture was taken during our trip to Toronto. No wonder the kids were quiet. I turned around and this is what I saw! Thank goodness for Marj's challenge I was able to come up with an idea of how to put this on paper! This challenge is all about the use of negative space. I love how this turned out. I would love to keep this as my own style but that would cost me lots of albums [LOL!] I already have a huge back log of unmounted pictures, and what I'd really want to do right now is cram them all on a few pages just to get done!

But that won't be any fun now, would it?


These are pieces of me, born 12 years apart. Looking at them now, it seems DD has caught up in maturity with her big brother. I am so proud of these kids!

The crocheted doily gave the layout a dreamy look. I have to start making smaller crocheted flowers to use. There was a time I crafted lots of bead bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. I have so many left-over beads that I want to incorporate into my layouts. I like how this turned out. Perhaps there will be more beads used in the future! It will be fun for my kids and their kids to look at my layouts and talk not just about the pictures but also how I crafted the embellishments I used!

Supplies used: Background paper [Basic Grey's Granola]; strips of paper [Basic Grey's 8x8 Boxer pad]; crocheted doily, flower [Prima], journaling tag [Making Memories' Note Worthy], rhinestone stickers, glass beads [Bead Gallery], hemp cord [Jewelry Design], journal tag [My Mind's Eye Laundry Line]; thicker foam dots used under the photo [United Manufacturer's Supplies]; thinner foam squares used on the title [Miss Elizabeth]; permanent orange marker [Bic].

Marj's Challenge #19-1

Marj came up with this idea of challenging PS members to make one traditional layout a week for the month of November. I thought...whoa! that is too much! But I am loving it. It forces me to make more traditional pages.

The first challenge is to use a big bow. I've seen Marj's layouts using big bows. They are beautiful. That's coz Marj artwork is always awesome. I don't know what a big bow would look like on my page. Also I couldn't find any ribbons that are more than 1.3" in width except for this holiday ribbon so I was forced to make a Christmas layout. I found this picture of DD with a big red sash and bow around her waist. The big bow challenge was a perfect fit!

I wasn't too happy about this layout after it was done. I tried too hard to balance everything on the page. I wanted the break [the line of punched borders] lower but I made a mistake cutting the paper and I don't have duplicate copies of the sheets. Oh, well.... Next time will be better.


Supplies used: Lace border punch [Martha Stewart]; papers, swirls, tag, and flower [Me & My Big Ideas Christmas specialty pack]; liquid glue [Scotch]; foam dots [Sticky Doos]; sticky bling [Claire's Boutique]; journaling tag [Blue Awning by K&Co]; Child of Mine mini tag [Sharon Ann/Deja Views]; holiday ribbon [Michael's Arts & Crafts Store]