This is how I roll...

 I've been MIA because I've been working on some new convertables. I'm excited about the response to them, and to all of you that have ordered them... Thanks so much!

Excited to announce that a local boutique; Angelina in downtown Barrington has asked to have some convertables in her shop.

I thought I'd give you a little sneak peek. They are not actually all complete, and may look different once up on Etsy.

I was thinking about my creative process as I was taking these photos, and i realized I make the convertables the same way I scrapbook.

I wish I could say I am a "glue and go" kinda girl, but I'm just not. I like to look at the piece for a while.

My process is like this:

Gather all materials

Run up and down the basement stairs about 500 times ( totally great for my behind) to get all the things I am have now thought about... and that I could add.

Lay it all out. I get a convertable card just like I would a piece of paper and start laying out rosets and embellishments.

I do not sit either. I stand to scrapbook and had my scrapbook table installed at my hips height so that I didn't have to bend over. I stand to eat too. You'd think my butt would be alot smaller since it isn't squished out flat all the time, but unfortunately it isn't.

My favorite thing to eat while scrapbooking twizzlers red licoriceand way too much diet rite.

Music... show tunes, love them and love singing them at the top of my lungs while noone is home... whom I kidding I sing them at the top of my lungs whether my family is home or not!

I play around with the stuff, leave, come back, futz, leave, come back,futz, tweak, and eventually I come up with something.

 My biggest problem is I have a creative kind of ADD. I can say that because unlike Tom Cruise I DO know what I'm talking about.

Sometimes I am counter productive because I keep  jumping from one idea to another.

Eventually I can rane myself in, tie up the loose ends and have a finished product.

And that's how I roll!

Speaking of ADD, here's something that has NOTHING to do with the above post.

 You may remember my friend was getting married at our home last weekend. Here are some of the shots I took. I am obsessed with picnik!

 

 

 Some look a little grainy here, but not once printed, maybe too many processes.

If you would like to see more of where I create, you can click on the prop room button on the right side of this page and see some pictures of my scrapbook room.

That's what I've been up to in my world. Feeling like I've been running and spinning since October, but now I have time to take a deep breath, focus and

 as my sister would say...

I just need to...

Slow my  Roll

How do you Roll?

Like old friends

I don't know about you, but I watch movies over and over again. Yesterday I spent the day sewing and while sewing I watched/ listened to a movie I have seen at least ( no exaggeration) a dozen times, Sense and Sensibility. I know the movie so well that I can listen and then just look up at all my favorite parts. While stopping for a lunch break I started to make a list of the kind of movies I have watched over and over again. You know the ones where you are flipping through the channels and you just have to stop and watch it ... AGAIN!

Here's my list

1. When Harry Met Sally

2. Beaches

3. Jerry Maguire

4. both Bridget Jones movies

5. Somethings Got to Give

6. Dave

7. any Jane Austin movies

8. 9 months

9. Sleepless in Seattle / You've got Mail ( i know it's two, but I'm counting as one because the same people are in the movie.

10. and The First Wives Club

These aren't necessarily my all time favorites, they are the ones that always seem to be on t.v. and for me they are like old friends.  What I mean is when I watch them they can take me back  to timesplaces, and memories throughout my life. With When Harry Met Sally I can see my friend Marie and I watching it in the home she lived in during college. I see us in the homes library, with a boat load of snacks sitting on leather couches vegging out and  this movie is playing.

Are you like this too? Or are you a one time only kind of gal?

Do you have any favs you've watched too many times to count?

I'd love to know which ones.

I like to do Get your Freak on Friday's here on my blog, but with the crisis in Haiti I didn't think  we'd be up for that.

But in case you need to get out and you choose to see a movie I can give you my 2 cents  review  on some of them.

Most recently I saw Young Victoria. This movie stars Emily Blunt, you may remember her from The Devil Wears Prada. The movie could easily have been on Pbs as a Masterpiece Theatre production. It was good, but what I loved the most were the costumes, simply breathtaking. Definitely worth a matinee price to see.

Leap Year... HHMMM, How to explain this one?...

Well, I saw this too, most of it anyway. We had to sit closer than I would normally have sat and I had had a glass of wine before going in so I ended up falling asleep.

Without the popcorn to keep me busy, and having to keep squinting and adjusting my eyes to the screen I guess at some point I just gave up and gave in. I saw 3/4ths of the movie... I think. I woke up several times with my head back and my mouth hanging open, but I still can say it was really  a cute movie, or the parts I saw were cute. There is one word for Amy Adams ADORABLE, well no 2... TALENTED!

It's Complicated, Loved it! Mery,l Amazing, Baldwin, (not a fan), but AMAZING too. Very funny, refreshing to see a real woman on screen, and a surprise delight was the character that John Krasinski  ( of the office) plays. He was a scene stealer, and not getting enough credit for his performance. He is laugh out  loud funny!

By now you might be thinking... Gee I thought she would have mentioned 9. Well, I'm afraid to see it since they said it should be called a ZERO. I will still see it, but,  I've been in the mood for more, "it's a sure thing" kind of movies.

Sherlock Holmes, I have to see it again. I loved the chemistry between Sherlock and Watson, truly genuis  performances, the comedic wit and writing was over the top. I want to see it again, because I was literally salivating over the sets, props and costuming. I have heard that Rachel Mc Adams was miscast, I think the problem with her character is she is really not part of the love story,or not yet. The love affair is really between Watson and Sherlock, and franklyI think the studio heads felt they had to have a woman for Sherlock so they threw her in there. There will be a sequel, and that is when they should have had a woman appear for Sherlock.

Just saw 500 days of Summer. Great, can't believe I waited for this on video. Very creative film making. loved the different perspectives part. Very refreshing.

Still have to see Avatar, saving that for a Jeremy and Mom only day.

Sunday's a big t.v. night. The Golden Globes are on as well as Return to Cranford on Masterpiece Theatre. Thank goodness I have a DVR!  Hoping Meryl takes it for playing Julia Child!

I just might have to see that again for the 3rd time, before Sunday!

Enjoy your weekend

Climb

This year I have taken the one little word challenge and decided to use the word Climb. I have also decided to give my word a little anthem song to go along with it. By now you've all probably heard this song, but just in case,  it is The Climb by Miley Cyrus.

Last year I didn't pick a word. In  the fall of 2007 my mom was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, cancer of the appendix. By the time the doctors discovered it it was already stage 4. The next year was as awful as you can imagine. My mom made it through to the following fall and then it was time for her to leave us.

Three days before she passed Brad was diagnosed with non hodgkins lymphoma. You know that term someone swept the rug right out from under you? Well that's what it felt like. I was in shock, I could not believe that this could be happening all at once. I was filled with despair, loss, worry, and alot of anger.

My one little word for the next 9 months was paralyzed. I wont give you all the gory details, but I was in a bad place.  It was right about the spring of 2009 that this song came out, and it was also very near the end of Brads treatments.

I can say that I was still in the ugly place until about August. With the help of my friends I was able to start to pull it together.

On New Years Eve I  was sitting on main street in the Magic Kingdom reading this blog entry from Carissa of the Brown Eyed Fox blog. I immediately started thinking about what my word could be.

I had taken this picture the night before at Hollywood Studios. I thought it could be a great idea for a scrapbook layout.

 

Then the next day I stood before The Tree of Life.

I started to reflect on the past year.

Life had thrown me a curve ball for sure. But here I stood in one of the happiest and funnest places on earth, with my family and a husband who is by the grace of God, still here with us. Gone were the feelings of anger, and selfishness. I wasn't  beating myself up for my shortcomings as a wife and mother. I was thanking God for giving me the strength to make it through that storm.

With my held held high,

knowing it's not about how fast I get there,

it's all the lessons, curveballs, ups and downs, joys and triumphs that make up the journey of my life.

I need to keep moving and climbing,

reaching and stretching myself.

With the spirit of that song in my heart I am excited work on  strengthening  my relationships with my family and friends, including my new blog family.

Stay connected to my pre-teen and teenager, in a world where we all think we are connected just by being plugged ... literally.

 Pray better, harder and more.

 Stay consistent with working out and eating better.

 Expand and grow Front -n- Center Designs.

Learn more about photography and digital elements

Come out of my shell a bit. I know looking at the blog you might not get that, but there are things I dream about doing and putting on here that I am too scared to do.

                 (no worries... they don't include a pole)

 I had to get something funny in there!

No, there arn't any crazy things like jumping out of airplanes or actually scaling mountains...

The metaphor in the song works fine for me.

So, putting all these elements together this is what I came up with:

 

 

 

At the end of the month I will be hanging it in a frame so that I can have it as a visual reminder for the rest of the year.

I loved the layered look of the billboard. 

I freehanded the tree, sponge painted the leaves in and then used a leaf punch to rough up the edges.

I tore little pieces of paper and stained them sunset colors like in the billboard and taped them down under the tree.

For the tree trunk I was inspired by the tree trunk on The Living Tree in the Animal Kingdom. I used words as my carvings.

If you would like a more detailed tutorial  I can do that for you.

Enjoy...

the Climb

"She" adds brightness to my day!

This morning I was awarded this

By my friend Heather at All A Flutter.

Her Blog is on my must visit list everyday. She brightens everyday. I love her attitude, her adorable family and her creativity and inspiration.

So I will keep the kudos going and tell you my must visits!

 Brown Eyed Fox

 This is our Story

 I am a honey Bee

And I second the ones Heather selected as well!

Here's my 7 random things you may not know about me...

1. I used to work for the Disney stores as a manager.

2. I eat and scrapbook standing up, unless in a restaurant.

3. I am actually quite shy in person and in social settings. I know you can't believe it , but it is true!

In fact I cannot speak... I know ... long story.

4.I am currently obsessed with Twitter.

5.I admit that I am watching the Jersey Shore, and do love the Housewives of... series.

6.I am a huge Masterpiece Theatre junkie and i missed the Return to Cranford last night Bummer!

7.Heather blogged about her hair so I will reveal a little secret about mine...

I'ts not all mine! But that will perhaps have to be blogged about further  at another time!

Coming back later with my January page.