My Latest Project

I was bitten by the creative bug this week after browsing Ali Edwards' blog. Since I'm not one to mimic the work of others verbatim, I had to put my own spin on the beautiful butterfly collage that she created.



Cory recently renovated our spare bedroom into his home office for Second Nature Landscapes. Besides a giant whiteboard, the walls are totally bare. I decided to create this piece to both commemorate his start-up and decorate his space.

The leaves (also a Martha Stewart punch from Michael's, like Ali Edwards') are either scraps from my paper stash or pieces of his junk-mail and stationary. I chose leaves because of Cory's logo for his new business. The colors are also green and blue, to match his logo as well. It was incredibly easy (and fun!) to make. As soon as I finished it, Cory proudly hung it above his filing cabinet. Hopefully this piece will become a treasured keepsake as well as a nice piece of eye-candy for the wall!

Back to Scrapping

I decided on a whim in December of last year to enter Creating Keepsakes Hall of Fame contest. After scrapping my heart out, assembling my portfolio (at the last minute, I might add), and handing over my creations to the FedEx man on February 7th to be overnighted to CK (for a mere $101.44 - no joke), I thought I might never want to scrapbook again.

I was wrong. Seeing that endeavor through to fruition just intensified my love for scrapbooking. I am back to scrapping (on the coffee table, much to Cory's dismay) with a newfound gusto. Now I am trying to complete layouts for my 2007 album, mainly regarding our August trip to Chicago.

So glad I discovered this wonderful hobby! (More on my HOF entry to come at a later date...)

Someone understands

The previews on TV for the new movie "Atonement" sparked my interest, especially after having read and enjoyed Ian McEwan's latest novel a few months ago, "On Chesil Beach". So I picked up "Atonement" at the bookstore a few days ago. Haven't finished it yet (a great read so far, by the way), but just had to share the opening of Chapter 6.

As I read, I realized that the author had managed to put into words what a migraine is like.

"... Emily Tallis had withdrawn from the white glare of the afternoon's heat to a cool and darkened bedroom. She was not in pain, not yet, but she was retreating before its threat. There were illuminated points in her vision, like little pinpricks, as through the worn fabric of the visible world was being held up against a far brighter light. She felt in the top right corner of her brain a heaviness, the inert body weight of some curled and sleeping animal; but when she touched her head and pressed, the presence disappeared from the coordinates of actual space. Now it was in the top right corner of her mind, and in her imagination she could stand on tiptoe and raise her right hand to it. It was important, however, not to provoke it; once this lazy creature moved from the peripheries to the center, then the knifing pains would obliterate all thought... It bore her no malice, this animal, it was indifferent to her misery. It would move as a caged panther might: because it was awake, out of boredom, for the sake of movement itself, or for no reason at all, and with no awareness. She lay rigidly apprehensive, held at knifepoint, knowing that fear would not let her sleep and her only hope was in keeping still." (from Atonement by Ian McEwan, Anchor Books, 2001)

Finally, someone truly understands.

Let the blogging begin...

It's time.

I have read the blogs of others, but never considered doing my own until now. So here I go diving into the world of blogging.

What are my plans for this new endeavor? I'm not really sure. I just want to make my own little mark on the internet. Mainly I hope to post pictures, random thoughts, and record some of the events of my daily life. In short, I am doing this mainly for me. Maybe someone else will manage to find this interesting as well.