Everyday Epiphanies

The Kid...

... is doing alright.

Got another great monologue from the show, "Touch"

There are 31,530,000 seconds in a year, a thousand milliseconds in a second, a million microseconds, a billion nanoseconds. And the one constant connecting nanoseconds to years is change. The universe, from atom to galaxy, is in a perpetual state of flux. But we humans don't like change; we fight it, it scares us. So we create the illusion of stasis. We want to believe in a world at rest, the world of right now yet our great paradox remains the same. The moment we grasp the now that now is gone. We cling to snapshots, but life is moving pictures, each nanosecond different from the last. Time forces us to grow, to adapt because every time we blink our eyes the world shifts beneath our feet. Every day, every moment, every nanosecond the world changes. Electrons bump into each other and react; people collide and alter each other's paths. Change isn't easy, more often it's wrenching and difficult, but maybe that's a good thing, because it's change that makes us strong, keeps us resilient, and teaches us to evolve.

Despite all the changes in a short amount of time, I've seen him evolve and grow into an even finer young man. Having to move during his Senior out of his final year of high school was not an easy feat. And as much as I wanted to intervene and show him that everything will turn out okay if he just gave it a chance.. I had to learn to back off and let him choose his own path.

You see as much as we want to shelter and cater to our child's every heartache, sometimes we have to let them hurt, sometimes we have to let them cry, and worst of all sometimes we have to let him be angry with us. He was all of that and more.

So as I sat back and watch evolve into this fine young man and watch him enjoy his final year in high school with the friends he has made, I can't help but to smile and say "The kid.. is alright."

Inspired By.

I have these blank canvas' at home that has been sitting there for a while. I was just gonna the family paint a something with paint that matches our carpet/color scheme:

Okay so I'm still deciding on this:

Or this:

But so far, everyone is batting for the brighter colors...

But I've been wanting to do something like this:

Not the same quote or design but the concept of placing words on the canvas over paint. She explains how she does it HERE.

But I want to write one of my favorite lyrics from Mumford & Son's, "Awake My Soul."
I'm still debating to just write the title, "Awake My Soul" or these lyrics....

Here's another inspiration:

 And another quote I like...

 

This is so classy & simple.. I like this too!

 

And I'm feeling this for one of our (many)  bare walls.

And this:

All of these ideas are in a folder cleverly named "More Than Just A Pin" in hopes that they will become more than just a pin :)

And I've been all kinds of inspired from that new show, "Touched". (Thanks to Hulu, I can catch up to the current season!)

 

Last night's episode (I'm still on Season 1) He narrates to say this:

If two points are destined to touch, the universe will always find a way to make the connection; even when all hope seems lost. Certain ties cannot be broken. They define who we are... and who we can become. Across space... across time... along paths we cannot predict; nature always finds a way.

 

I'm realizing that inspiration is all around me, even the days when I'm feeling uninspired. (I guess that's what Pinterest is for.) Well I'm hoping to get some painting in this weekend, but weekends seem to be all about the kids activities.

2013 Project Life | Week 07 & 08

I got a chance to finish Week 7 & 8 and I have to say Week 7 was plentifull in photos but Week 8 lacked photo substance. But I have to say, I found fun and interesting ways to fill in the blanks.

2013 Project Life | Week 07

(left side)

A closer look at the left side.

If you haven't guessed yet, we are Walking Dead enthusiast. The show finally returned 2 weeks ago and we couldn't be more excited!  We even uploaded The Walking Dead app and "zombiefied" oursleves.

I've also been pritning my journaling a lot more especially since I found an easier way to print on my 3x4 cards. I like to add "Highlights" of the week,  just little tid-bits. I try to write some of these down in my binder througout the week like simple things such as the latest rave on YouTube, The Harlem Shake. I admit, we recorded a little shaking ourselves, LOL!

  (right side)

 

A closer look at the right side. For this page I used a layout that had a 6x8 opening, which I've grown to love. This is great for those days when I have tons of photos. I make a collage in photoshop and print it to fit.



 2013 PROJECT LIFE | Week 08
(left side)

 

(right side)

 

A closer look at some ways I've filled in the photo-less slots.
I'm a big fan of quotes (my Pinterest is filled with them), so when I find one that catches my eye for the week I try to print it out and add it in my pages.
I also added a snapshots of the people I've texted that day. Great way to document the media world we live in.

Again, there's my week in reiview, little tid bits of the week.

 

*chuckle

I'm still laughing at how "cute" this photo is from my almost 10 year old :)

And yes, she watches Zombies..
She loves Zombies.
She knows how to kill a zombie (through the head)
She knows arrows and machetes are more effective because they make less noise.
And if need be, she may have to chain a walker to her to get around, but first cutting off it's arms and dislocating it's jaw (against the rock! aka, best scene ever!)
And yes we all believe there will be an apocalypse that we are preparing for.

I just had to share that it was indeed "Zombie Night" at our house last night! And Walking Dead, you never fail us.. Only if Andrea did stab the Governor that would've been lovely.. but to easy.

Inspired.

I've been doing a lot of brainstorming on how I want to revamp my blog, maybe dress it up with a lot of bling by asking my co-worker, an amazing web designer, to get in there and make this blog shine (shine bright like a diamond). Sorry I had to... But as I looked back at previous post that seemd to have more "life" in them (probably dating back to when I first started in 2006) when I got a thrill from writing my thoughts down. Not that life was more exciting, but my love for writing was evident. Lately it seems like all I do is "recap" my days kind of like a robot. Not that it's bad, but it lacks "life" in them, what it it lacked is my "voice". I've never had a problem expressing myself, in fact, that's what gravitates me towards people is my "zest" for life and my open-mind and willingness to explore life and to share it with people. But for some reason or another, I feel that my zest for life has been sucked out of me.

Then I realized that changing the appearance of the blog won't make a difference, I need to get back to the beginning of it all. Just stick to the basics, and just tell the story of my life the way I see it, the way I'm living it, for me...  cause at the end of the day the stories told are about me and the life I lead with those I love.

I've been inspired by a new show called Touch we started watching, no Zombies, no serial killers, just a story about a boy who sees the world differntly and in turn opeing our (the viewers) eyes to a whole new light.

At the end of Season One, Episode 4, the monologue says:

Human beings are hard-wired with the impulse to share our ideas… and the desire to know we've been heard. It's all part of our need for community. That's why we're constantly sending out signals and signs. And why we look for them from other people. We're always waiting for messages. Hoping for connection. And if we haven't received a message, that doesn't always mean it hasn't been sent to us. Sometimes, it means we haven't listened hard enough.

In spite of all our communication technology, no invention is as effective as the sound of the human voice. When we hear the human voice, we instinctively want to listen, in the hopes of understanding it. Even when the speaker is searching for the right words to say. Even when all we hear is yelling, or crying or singing. That's because the human voice resonates differently from anything else in the world. That's why we can hear a singer's voice over the sound of a full orchestra. We will always hear that singer, no matter what else surrounds it.

 

Well said, don't you think?

The show talks a lot about The Red String of Fate...

 

 

 

Ronalyn, the one eyed runner...

Clever little title.. but if you could have only "seen" what I meant.. I literally ran this race with one eye. It's one of those moments where everything seems to be going wrong and you have every legitmate reason to quit... but you tell yourself F*** it, Let's do this!

And as the cannons went off and the countdown started I said to myself "Self, you've only got one life to live, you'll be glad you did this, one eyed and all..."

So here I am at 6 am, my left eye was swollen shut... but still smiling :)

 

I try to share this quote with my kids but more importantly I try to show them what this means to me. The good thing about "dreams" is that there is never one big enough or too far fetched that you can't achieve as long as you don't give up.

I've been to many races before, but this one takes the cake... I was one in nearly 30,000 !!!!

Finish line was in the stadium where hubby was waiting for me :)

And my official race photo... (I don't look so thrilled for someone who actually had fun).
(I'm not giving up, there were so many photographers that day, I'm determined to find more :)

The experience was worth it and will definitely do it again next year!

8.2 miles went by effortlessly. Of course I've been training for nearly 10 weeks, so its a compilation of my body getting used to the increased mileage. I never recommend anyone just picking up and running 8 miles on the fly.. well unless your that "guy" (aka Barney on How I Met Your Mother, remember that episode where he ran the marathon?) Also to clarify, the route is rather flat, with a slight uphill towards the end... but a road race is simpler than a trail run for sure. And when your running with a crowd that large, you are so well entertained watching everyone around you that you don't realize 4 miles have passed.

For a number's kind of person, (it's all about the stats)  I wasn't too thrilled at my time. I was running at an easy pace of 11 min/miles, but this has proven to be my long distance pace.. (I was more excited at last weeks 4 mile run with a 10 min/mile pace) But as with any race, it pushes you to train harder to always try to beat your last race time.

The thing about races.. is when you are done with one.. you come home to sign up for the next one..

Write On...

The problem with trying to keep a blog going is not so much content, cause there's enough going around to write about. But more so, in trying to keep the writing "alive" where it makes me want to settle in front of my computer and write to express myself.

I was teeter tottering with the idea of "why have a blog at all?" and then I go in to read past posts.. and realize exactly why I have one and why people should all have one, in one way or the other. Whether it's in a composition notebook next to your bedside or braving it enough to publish it on the web. At the end of the day, the words you leave behind are all yours. The thoughts expressed are genuine because they are all yours. And when you look back, a month from now or even a year, you will smile at your journey just to see how far you've come.

So Write To...

• Express Yourself. Share the best of yourself, share your personal vision of the world, which is unique and seen through your eyes.
• Entertain Yourself. Write to add some color, excitement, or meaning to your days. Think of writing as an adventure.
• To Keep Yourself Company. I've learned that writing is like a conversation with a friend, or just with yourself. Or a way to interact with readers. 

Keyword in all is "yourself". The stories you write is a tale only you can tell.

I saw this on Pinterest and thought, "yes.. exactly!"

So grab a pen and paper or log into your blog account and type something... You can start with a simple "This is what I did today.." and see where that takes you. And 10 posts from now it will be like visiting an old friend, with a cup of coffee in one hand, some good music playing in the background (preferably Mumford & Sons) and enjoy the story in which we call, Life....

 

 

Pow Wow Hawaii

To sum up my week(s) -- It's been all about the kids. The kids have been so busy these past few weeks we are juggling around with our eyes close, all the meanwhile the hubby and I are trying to continue to do our own thing. Not an easy feat, but the one thing I looked forward to was witnessing the Pow Wow Hawaii. My co-worker asked if I've heard of it and I had no idea what he was talking about, but being a fellow artist myself, I was intrigued. You can find the backstory on Pow Wow HERE. Basically a group of artist from all around the world gather here to paint the town, literally. We had a great time! A night of good food, music, artist, creative people, and witnessing creative people at work, how could I not enjoy myself? I was totally in my element. Izzy and I trailed away from the family and explored all the little shops, seeing all the art created, and meeting the artists. By the end of the block party was a little club set up with a live dj and I just remembered thinking "... ooh drinks & dancing" then looked over at my hand as I held my daughter's hand and looked over at my brother in law with his daughter over his shoulder and said "Oh well.." LOL! But that didn't stop us from entering and dancing the night away... with our kids. 
(pic below)

Izzy enjoyed one of the booths they had set up where a local artist came and taught the kids a few tips and tricks to drawing. I loved how he said, "Have a seat and let your mind go.. draw whatever you want!"

And she drew this :)

She literally makes my heart skip a beat and melt.. I love how uninihibited she is when it comes to creating.. she just lets go and allows her mind to do the creating.

The night was so much fun! I'm so glad we took a break from the everyday ho-hum-drum to enjoy a night out with the family.

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He's Three!

My sweet four legged pup turned 3 on Friday!!!
I can't even explain how much joy this guy has brought to all of us!

I know I've boasted about him over and over again... But really, he is just like one of my kids and he's treated like one of them too, just a little more cuddlier.

We had family over the weekend and celebrated his 3rd Birthday.

I can't believe it's been 3 years, time does fly as with all of my kids and yet he continues to bring us all an immeasurable love with immense smiles and hugs from us and everyone he meets. Even though we have been through some changes in the past year, with moving to Hawaii, where it's extremely warm for him. We found our niche and we go out early every morning, 7:15am to be exact and in the later part of the afternoon. In between we both enjoy sitting out and sun bathing or a trip to the dog beach. Although there is no snow.. he does love the sand!

(Below) I found this on pinterest and bought some canvas' so Izzy can recreate this or make it her own with this quote.

Here's to many more years, my sweet boy.. Happy Birthday Kai.

2013 Project Life | Week 06

2013 PL | Week 06

(left side)

(right side)

 

Week Six, came and sped on by....
I don't know what it is, but I've been slacking in the blogging area. What can I say, as a fellow blogger of over six years, there are days... when you just don't feel like getting in front of the computer to recap your day or to just write. By 8pm this house is ready to call it quits and hit those lights off, everyone just seems to always be on the go. The kids with their after school activities, getting out there to push for a late afternoon work out (it's simply to hot during the day to do so).

But week six did not go by unnoticed.

Last night (Saturday night) Izzy and I have discovered the joy in water colors! And we have had so much fun creating inserts for my Project Life, okay I had a say in the size and orientation the cards should be (3x4's or 4x3's  right fellow Project Lifers :)

So below are just some of the many inserts that are getting ready to be placed in my albums.

(Below) you can see I figured out how to print on one of Izzy's painting for me. Unfortunately I cut them all to size already and as you know, that size is not easy to stuff in your ink jet printer. LUCKILY, Paislee Press had a tid bit on her blog about trying to print this size HERE. So I added a quote I found via Pinterest. (Thinking adding Pins from Pinterest maybe a part of my weekly "must-have".)  I can't wait to add more, there's just enough space in a 2 page layout :)

 

*****
A closer look at some of my pages.
Now I'm actually not so thrilled about my pages, I feel like I'm lacking creativity, but again it's hard to get so creative when I'd rather stick photos in the pocket than add some cute little flower, ribbon, or arrow.. And as of late, I've had more photos than journaling. Which is a good approach, the photos pretty much tell you how my week is going.

Here Izzy had a sleep over on Friday Night with her friend and we took them out for some late night dining. They goofed off as I snapped photos of them. I love how a simple black and white collage was enough to show for her night out.

 

(Below) Titled, Photobombed. Hilarious!  I used one of the water colorings I made. I've also been into writing captions on my photos instead of trying to squeeze them in around the photo or using an extra slot for it.

 

 

(Below) We visited an office store and I found a pen that was photo safe and had a nice thin tip... hence, my over-writing on each photo... I'm kind of wishing I didn't write all over this photo, but oh well.. It was a caption that I used for my Instagram Photo with my 4-legged pup... who celebrated his 3rd Birthday with us. What better way to spend it than a day at the Harbor enjoying a long walk. I sat on the edge of the harbor and I saw our silhouettes in the water and "snapped".

 

*****
There was so many more photos I wanted to add to this week.. but I've learned to cut them down a bit. I wanted to save a few for some serious journaling. Most of which are about my children. One of which was Caelan and his friends, it just warms my heart to see him out there taking on this world, fearlessly.. like he has always been. I fell in love with a photo of Izzy being carried by her dad. But just before that she refused to hold my hand. LOL! It's simply watching "daddy's girl's" evolve as the years past. More to document about that.. soon :) For now, good night, we are all "Zombied Out!"