JustMeAgain

A little break and giveaway results

As I had mentioned before, after December 19 I am planning on taking a little mouse break. I may pop in flickr briefly once in a while and for sure on Christmas Day to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and New Year's for a happy New Year wish, but other than that I plan to take a little break to spend the little free time I have with my family.  I'm only taking a few days off from my regular full time work so I have to maximize all the little time I have to make sure my family gets to see more than the top of my head above the laptop. 

Before I leave though, I want to share a really nice interviewI had the opportunity of doing for the Rev recently with Carlos Cruz.  I loved what he shared. He is such a talented photographer and writer and I feel very fortunate that he was willing to take the time for this.

And yesterday, as promised, I picked the winner of the giveaway for Carlos' book, The Big Book of Achieving Large Goals. The book will go to Corinna. Unfortunately, she doesn't have a blog I can link to, but I hope she will start one soon because her art work is amazing.  Everyone else who commented on that entry will be getting some cards and postcards from me. I also picked several other regular visitors to send a few surprise cards and postcards as a thank you. They should all be arriving to their destinations really soon. 

Thank you everyone who has visited this blog over the past three or so years.  It has been such a wonderful experience to get to know so many of you.  Love you all.  And I will "see" you again next year!  Hope your holiday season is filled with joy and blessings of every kind.

It is those little things I need to remember

*The things that matter most are the ones that cost less. This is ALWAYS true.

* In the rush of things, it is good to take a few minutes each day to just breathe. Do nothing, just breathe. Okay, maybe just stare at a pretty sparkly ornament. And while you are at it, take a picture! It's good for the soul. No, really. It is.

* Hold on to your real friends. They will be there for you in the good times to cheer you on, and will be there to listen when you need to ramble on; or they'll just sit quietly next to you when you feel you don't want to say a word.

* Call you mother more often. How I wish I could also call my father, too. It's sad  that long distance calls to heaven aren't quite possible yet. One can dream.

* Never, ever, let your daughter go to bed without saying good night and without spending some good quality time before bed time. If you do, you'll regret it every second of the next day.  And you'll get teary eyed when you think of it. No matter how busy you feel you are and how many cards and packages you are still working on. The moments you miss don't ever come back.

The best time of the year is filled with happy moments...

...moments that stay in out hearts forever.

Like the little glimpses of childhood memories that keep coming back at any given time in this season of Hope.

Or the lovely child-like feeling that comes from the fun-filled holiday preparations, the overwhelming anticipation from the obvious expectation of CELEBRATION to come. For me, it is that essential feeling of HOPE that always comes associated with Christmas. Such a joy. Such a glorious time of the year. 

This is really the best time for making the best of the joyful moments filled with lovely things that invite us to dream up new dreams. Just like it can happen at any other time of the year, but now it is just a little more magical and sparkly. Perhaps because it is the time of remembrance of the birth of the son of God. Or maybe because of His underlying message of Hope to all of humanity. Or most likely both.

But I just LOVE Christmas! 

And even thought I don't have as much time, or  the means, that I wish I had to be involved in the preparations of all the little and big things I truly wish I could ACCOMPLISH, MAKE, CREATE, or GIVE this season, I am still determined to enjoy ANY little bit of time I get to have.  And I am committed to make the most of it with the time, energy and resources that God has entrusted me with. 

Off to make more gifts, do some more of that seemingly never-ending laundry and dream up some fun stuff to do with my daughter soon.

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And remember, there is still time to participate in the book giveaway I have going on here.  I'll close the comments on that entry by the end of this work-week (December 19) and all the names on the comments section will be printed, folded and put into a container.  Then, I'll have my daughter pick a name from the container and  I'll order one autographed book to be mailed directly to the winner.  I will also add a few surprises for EVERYONE who leaves a comment in that post so don't be shy and leave a comment.  After December 19, I plan on taking a little break from blogging, flickring and twittering. At least until after the New Year, so this will be a little of a farewell 2008 giveaway as well. 

Today is Beth's birthday!

There are not enough words that can make justice to how I feel about my friend Beth.

She is one of the most caring, thoughtful, truthful, faithful, compassionate and beautiful women I know. The list of qualities can go on forever, really. She is most certainly one of my closest, dearest friends. I feel delighted and honored to call her a friend.

Happy birthday Beth!

A quick photo share

This week has been quite busy for me as I'm sure it has been for everyone else, too. And as I was about to complain just how sorry I have been feeling for not having the extra time to do more of the fun things I wish I could be doing, I realized just how lucky I am for the fact that I am busy.  I realized that I have no room complaining about a thing.

Life is good when it is busy.

Busy working. Busy creating. Busy decorating.

Busy thinking about far away family and dear friends.

Busy worrying about the things I cannot change, but also busy with active prayer and action about those very things.

Busy doing things that I must do for the overall good of others, and my community.

Busy petting my pets.

Busy contemplating the beauty of the shinny ornaments hanging from any decorated Christmas tree I run into. 

Busy with a 6:30 a.m. hair appointment today. 

Busy thinking about all the million little (and big) things I still have yet to do in less than 13 days from today!

Busy mailing Christmas cards and packages.  Yes, still.

Busy, busy, busy.

But it is okay. At least I am able to be busy and able to acknowledge the little sparks of magic everywhere I turn.

And now I am also busy being mindful of the importance of appreciation and gratitude. 

The part about this post that had to do with thephoto share is coming next.  Sharing a few collagesof photos of the other wonderful people around me that make everything happen. In such a cool way, they are the part of the every day magic-makers. Whether it is their wickedly good coffee making skills that keep me awake (and happy) when I'm too sleepy in the mornings (have I ever mentioned how much I love Starbucks?) or their incredibly fantastic skills at delivering photo printing and making sure that the prints I order from Wolf Camera turn out just perfect every time; they all do what they do with the most beautiful smiles in their faces. Day in and day out. Sometimes I get to see them more often than I see my own neighbors! And I love everyone of these wonderful young people! And I'm so glad they let me take their picture every once in a while.

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There is still time to participate in the book giveaway I have going on here.  I'll close the comments on that entry by the end of next week (December 19) and all the names on the comments section will be printed, folded and put into a container.  Then, I'll have my daughter pick a name from the container and  I'll order one autographed book to be mailed directly to the winner.

 

   

 

 

 

 

Just a quick list to share and a giveaway!

* A cute story.

* A fun quiz (and even though it has wrongly been attributed to cartoonist Charles Schulz, it is still a really good quiz with a strong message.)

* And a very exciting new book that is also a guide to achieving LARGE GOALS. What is also very exciting to me about this book is that it was edited by my friend Crys Aviles. To celebrate her first of many books to come, I am doing a giveaway on this post!  Any comments you leave here today will be eligible to win an autographed copy of this book!  And to make it even more exciting, please share with your comment a little something about your day today.  Anything.  Whether you had a good commute to work, or a bad one like I did today.  Whether you are done mailing all your Christmas cards and out-of-town packages, or you are not done yet like me. Or whether you are just happy to be enjoying the holiday season. Whatever is going on in your life today, share with us in the comments section and you'll be entered to win a copy of this fabulous book edited by my multi-talented friend Crys and written by Carlos Rafael Cruz.

So lucky...

...and very, very grateful.

The weekend was filled with beautiful moments and happy times. And a lot of sweetness in the form of many cakes!

It was as if suddently everyone knew just how much I needed chocolate.  And friends. Thank you!

I feel so very grateful for every person in my life.

So blessed.

And tonight I feel like I am having another birthday since I had forgotten to pick up my mail from the mailbox and I am just now reading many birthday cards that had arrived in the mailbox since last Friday, but silly me had not yet seen because I had been too busy eating cake! 

Thank you so much everyone! 

I do not think words can make it justice to all the happy thoughts I have inside.  How very grateful I am for all of you, for your friendship.

I am one lucky girl...

Thank you!

Thank you so much everyone for a day filled with text notes, e-mails and phone messages to wish me a happy day.  I feel very blessed for such wonderful, thoughtful and kind friends! 

The day went veryfast, but it was well lived.  I couldn't believe I was awake 20 out of the 24 hours in the day!.  I guess you can say I lived every possible hour of the day as much as I could...sleep is overrated anyway, ha ha. Of course, this morning I slept in....thankfully today is Saturday!   Yeay!

Now off to another busy day...mailing off Christmas cards, kicking off the new basketball league, getting our Christmas tree (yes, we are late this year) and dinner at a friend's house.  One of my good friends to whom I don't get to see very often, but when I do we spend great times together. 

Have an awesome Saturday!  And thank you all again for making me feel loved and special.  Thank you!

**Pictures to come soon.  I have a couple of cute pictures from yesterday. I just don't have enough time to download them right now...I'll be back!  :D

Celebrate! Eat cake and work.

My dad used to say that it is good luck to work on your birthday. I think it was a way to make himself feel better because he always worked on his birthday. And since I have to work like crazy today it certainly is making me feel a whole lot better. 

I woke up at 2:30 or so this morning and I figured, instead of getting back to bed, I could blog for a few hours and then start getting ready for work since I need to get there super early anyway. In an alternate universe, I would have loved to sleep in, go to the spa, have a late lunch, and perhaps have a little time to myself to do some thinking about this whole concept of getting older which I don't quite like anymore.  It was fun when I was little. Always lookingforward to being one year older, and hopefully wiser, or smarter. But it certainly is not happening.  I am getting older, is just the wiser thing that seems not to be happening anymore. But, as long as I am dreaming up the perfect birthday day inmy alternate universe, I would also have included a dinner date with Josh Groban (yes, Beth, you could come, too. In fact, you would have to so you could take our picture!)  

In all seriousness, I am just grateful to have the most amazing family and group of friends a girl could hope for.  So many of which have been wishing me a happy birthday even since last Monday!  Thank you everyone!  I feel the love.  And I am grateful EVERY day for your presence in my life.  

I find it very exciting that so many of my friends are birthday babies , too!  Today, I happen to share the same birthday as my friend Rachel so please go to her blog and wish her a happy day!  She has really cool Christmas music going on there!  I am listening to it as I am typing this entry! 

And today is also Walt Disney's birthday!  Sharing this special day with this creative genius has always been a highlight in my life!  I know, I can be a bit dorky that way :D

My friends Beth, Eve, Sandy and Holly all celebrate their birthdays in December,too! Happy birthday to them, too!  As well as the gorgeous Kimberly Kwan and Claudine Hellmuth!

And it wouldn't be a good birthday without a picture of a cake so I'll share the gorgeous cake crafted by my friend Alona!  Pure ART, I tell you. It was the most delicious cake ever!  Ever.

 

The magic of Today.

* What I am about to share might share a light on just how much of a nerd I was as a kid, and may still be. Today I was so giddy to find out that Placido Domingo has teamed up with no other than my beloved Josh Groban, and Andrea Bocelliamong a few others to record a new album of songs based on poems written by the late Pope John Paul II.  I have been a huge fan of Placido ever since I can remember and probably way before Josh even existed (I warned you I was a nerd!) In fact, when I turned 15 my most priced gift was an entire cassette collection of his Opera music along with some of his duet albums and cross-over material he had released at the time (yes, there were cassettes back then, no CDs yet.)  I have always dreamed of hearing him sing live by the way.  It hasn't quite happened yet, but I sure have heard his songs played over and over again through the course of many years.  I cannot wait to get my hands on his new album!  It cannot get any better than this!  I heard that even his son, Placido Domingo Jr., is collaborating in this new project!  So exciting!  Talk about magic to my ears!  :D  

*Work was busy (Tuesday). Did not get out of the office until 7:00 pm, but even though I was really tired, I was able to come home and get moving with more Christmas cards/gifts making. I even had a little extra time for a few quick sets of ATCs, a few birthday cards and a few pages for a mini December Daily.   A little picture overload ahead.  I'm too tired for words tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stamp on the Friday Kahlo ATCs (I AM ART) is a one of a kind stamp made by Linda Woods. One of my favorite stamps!

Oh, and I just came across a few more links I want to share:

Harpen Collins is offering personalized Children's books for Christmas and a 20th anniversary hard-cover personalized edition of The Alchemist (one of my favorite books!)