JustMeAgain

Oh, happy day!

Yesterday, the kid and I spent an entire day buried in books and it was the best day ever! We headed out to the book store at about 10 in the morning and somehow the next time I checked the watch it was already close to 3 pm! Time has such a funny way to keep moving, and it does so even faster, when you are having ridiculous amounts of fun.  She picked several books and has already read far more than I have! We are planning on reading these books simultaneously so that we can discuss the stories or ideas/concepts presented in these books, as we go along.  This is something that my dad and I used to do when I was young. I still have vivid memories of our book discussions!  It used to be so exciting to hear his opinion on the same things I was reading.  It always made me feel like we were connected, even on the days when we weren't spending time together and weren't reading them at the exact same time because of work and school schedules. I knew that at some point, we would both be reading the same lines and would be together in thought, and that later on we would be able to exchange thoughts and ideas. This is something that I now enjoy more than anything else to be able to do with Sabrina...and specially more now that she picks books I can be more interested on than when she was in earlier elementary school grade levels.  I feel like the fun is just starting!  Thank God she loves to read!

These were some of her picks this weekend (she chose these just for fun, not as part of her school accelerated reader program, those she has to pick at the school library and I am not sure if any of these books are included in the list for her grade level):

* Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. She has been interested in this book for a while now (fairy stories seem to capture her attention all the time!)

* Dog Lost by Ingrid Lee. A sweet story about a pit bull dog (no doubt she would find a dog story.)

* Kingdom Keepers, Disney After the Dark by Ridley Pearson. We are both totally hooked on Kingdom Keepers (no surprise here, as the stories take place in the Magic Kingdom!)

* Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi. DiTerlizzi is one of Sabrina's favorite authors. She was particularly fond of the Spiderwick Chronicles.

She also picked a book, The World Without Us by Alan Weisman, about a simple thought experiment that brings up interesting questions, what if humans ceased to exist?, what would happen to all the man-created things? I was surprised at her pick, although in truth, I shouldn't be. Her mind and heart are very passionate about environmental causes. She spent quite a bit of time in the Nature section picking a book on this subject. I have not yet started reading this one, but it seems like an excellent read.

We also browsed through the garden section (of course!) and delighted in 1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die by Rae Spencer-Jones and took notes of a few really cool places we must visit soon.  It makes me so happy to see her enjoy some of the same things I do.

February is here!

I have been waiting for this month to begin for a long time!  Not only because it's one of my favorite months of the year, and PINK is in the air, but also because this month is Journal Revolution month at the Reading Room, a FREE reading club offered by the awesome ladies at Big Picture Scrapbooking.  And, inspired by this book, Tena Sprenger is also giving a fabulous class this month called Tena's hand-made book of the month club for which I couldn't wait to sign up for!

The class seems EXCELLENT already! I just finished watching an introductory video created specially for this class by Linda and Karen, and I must say that it was just amazing watching the seesters in action. It was like having a little bit of Journal Revolution come to life on the screen! They so totally make me smile. Their whole life philosophy, and idea of journaling life, is just brilliant. I love that they use common sense, and are not afraid to experiment with any materials.  They always share great ideas on how to use simple day to day items, such an ironing board as an art table, or a beautifully decorated pizza box as an art journal page container!  I love it that they "get" the important aspects of life...like the fact that chocolate is one of the most important tools in every desk, or art table;  that spontaneity is such an important part of life; and that journaling can, in fact, be a way to express ourselves freely about the happy, and the no so joyful times of life. Because not everything is about a delightful trip to Disneyland. Everything in life deserves to be journaled...even the not so good and the in-betweens. After all, life is filled with art. We are art. And the seesters really get it.

This is a GREAT way to start one of my favorite months of the year! 

Oh yes, and don't forget to visit the Rev It Up List. It has been updated! 

Books and happy tears...

Not a lot of things make me cry. Okay, maybe I should rephrase that. I do cry quite easy, but not with quite as much sentimental emotion as when I read this entry today (click on the link and read it all the way down please.)

Come back in a bit.  I can wait while you read Linda's entry.

Did you read it?

Well, now that you know, too, why I'm crying. Let me just share with you that I agree with Linda, books make dreams happen.  They transport our souls into happy places. They make us happy when all we want to do is run away from pain or sadness. Books are magical tools that make people, and children, feel better/stronger/happier and become the best that they can be.

And seeing those two priceless pictures from Linda, her yellow and bent copy of Mandy, and Julie Andrews signing a book for her, just made it all come together for me. And the tears just followed. Happy tears, of course. I remembered my own little book hideaways when growing up.  Perhaps that's why I have always be so fond of Don Quixote De La Mancha (the man who hid in books and created his own little world, who was not afraid of fighting imaginary giants in order to follow his dreams and his quest.)  Thank you, Linda, for sharing and making me think about my own journey.

This is why I feel it is so important that we help Lain in her dream, by donating to the Books for Kids Foundation (see the donation badge in the right hand side). 

And like you read in Linda's entry, there will be several fun prizes from her and Karen, as well as Suzi Finer.  Do not miss out on the chance of being a part of a beautiful thing, sharing books with children and making dreams come true.  And, while you are doing something so great, you might even be one of the lucky winners!   

I got linkage today...

...from Paolo Coelho.  How incredibly cool is that?  I had sent him this link a while back to make sure it was okay to post pictures of his flickr page in my entry (wouldn't want to post his pictures without his permission.)  At the time he had sent me an e-mail saying that it was okay with him.  And of course that made my day then.  I never imagined he would actually link me on his blog!  If you are a regular reader of my blog, you probably have already seen some of my favorite quotes from his books in my quote a day blog.

If you haven't read his books, add them to your Christmas wish list.  They are among my favorite books.  The Alchemist was the first one I read (and I've re-read at three times, it's a big favorite), but I also loved all of these:

THE WITCH OF PORTOBELLO (2006)
LIKE THE FLOWING RIVER (2006)
THE ZAHIR (2005)
ELEVEN MINUTES (2003)
THE DEVIL AND MISS PRYM (2000)
VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE (1998)
THE MANUAL OF THE WARRIOR OF LIGHT (1997)
LOVE LETTERS FROM A PROPHET (1997)
THE FIFTH MOUNTAIN (1996)
BY THE RIVER PIEDRA I SAT DOWN AND WEPT (1994)

And I'm happy to report Katie got the news of her Diva bag RAK winning and she linked me as well!  Thanks Katie!

By the way, thanks to Katie, I was able to connect with fantasy book author Jim C. Hines from Michigan. He is searching for authors out there that would be willing to donate an autographed book (any genre) to give to a local battered women’s shelter in the Lansing area.  Check out his blog entry for more details if you are interested.  I'll be sending him some of my framed photographs and a couple of autographed books that I have from a few friends who are book authors. 

Originally downloaded by Justmeagain2006.

Just so you know...

Today is November 1st.

And I'm sure you already knew that, but it somehow seems so unbelievable to me. Wow. Time has certainly flown by this year.

And well, today I have so much to share, a Circle Journal, new scrapbook pages, Halloween pictures from last night...but they all require extra time to download pictures, which I don't have right at this moment....so, instead I'll share this piece from a little something for Linda Woods.

And yes, I've said it before, but just had to say it again. Journal Revolution is such a revolutionary, fun and creative approach to art journaling and life philosophy...we all love this book at StampBug and are so looking forward to having Linda and Karen come visit soon for a book signing! Can't wait to be able to share more details on this.

Books, book signings, shopping, scrapbooking, life.

Downloaded by justmeagain2006

Last week I found out that Paolo Coelho has a page in Flickr. Somehow that just made me happy.  And perhaps even more so when he added me as a contact! Yeap, these kind of things can really turn my day around and bring a smile to my face! It's no secret I can be quite dorky.  But it's all good.

These are a handful of my recent favorite pics from Paolo Coelho's photo stream in Flickr. And I believe I have mentioned here before how much of a big fan I have been of his books ever since I read the Alchemist, one of my all-time favorite fables, about 10 years or more ago. And by the way, The Alchemist has now been turned into a musical too! Here is the link to the musical's website.

And because it has been a while since I have updated my lovely blog friends on anything going on in my world, I guess this is destined to be a long post.

Last Friday I had the amazing opportunity of stopping by a book signing by author Teresa James. She wrote a fictional book called Below Judaha. And I am glad I waited to post this until after I finished reading her book so I can tell you what a fabulous read it truly is! 

Her book is a sweet and inspiring story about an Apache Native American girl who lives on the Blue Mountain Reservation in New Mexico. She travels to the East Coast to attend law school with the purpose of helping her people keep the land on Blue Mountains untouched by developers. This is a journey that much like life itself, includes loss, sadness, beauty, love and the pursuit of our dreams. A great read indeed.

And while we are on the topic of totally inspiring and uplifting reading materials, it is about time I share with you how much I am in love with the new book Life Artist by Ali Edwards.

So full of rich content. Not only amazing inspiration in terms of layouts and ideas, but a great deal of good writing. She shares so much about her life philosophy, her journey in this whole Life Art path she has chosen and with which I have undoubtedly felt so deeply connected with for so long now.  I am a big fan of her previous two books, but I think this might just be her best so far!

Do not miss Lainie's podcast with an interview of Ali Edwards about her book. 

You can download the podcast here.

I am still totally bummed that I couldn't make it to Kansas to meet up with Tiffany due to some work related commitments, but we are planning a get together in her area next year! And I truly cannot wait to see her.

And this weekend I got the chance to spend some quality time with my long time friend Christie. We only live a few houses around the corner from each other, but somehow can never get the chance to get together (life and work keep getting in the way) but this time we did. And I am so happy we did. She is a wonderful friend. We love so many of the same things. I truly feel grateful for her friendship throughout all of these years. Talk about people that inspire you in so many ways!  You know, one funny tidbit about our friendship, Christie and I first met on line at a message board. And later found out that our children were on the same classroom in Kindergarten. And that we were neighbors! Talk about coincidences!  Now our children are in fifth grade. Time sure flies, doesn't it?

So Christie and I ended up driving to the city of Tracy to what seems to be one of the biggest scrapbook stores in California called Youngplay Memories. And while we were there, we also checked out some adorable shops in their downtown area.  So many cute crafty places!  I certainly had to take pictures of all the eye candy!  We even encountered an adorable cat that lives in one of those shops!

I also found some cute Cinderella dolls...and no, I did not buy those pictured here, it was just part of my window-shopping-drooling experience and it deserved to be documented.  I certainly do not need any more dolls, but I can't help to totally fall in love with these artsy creations every time I see them.

And last, but certainly not least (I was sharing in order of events) my dear Canadian friend of many years Nicole just sent me the most adorable picture of her insanely CUTE children...I just got it in the mail yesterday (along with a totally amazing care package filled with scrapbooking goodness) and I just simply had to scrapbook it immediately (thank you so very much Nikky.)  I'll share a picture of the page I made, but you'll have to pardon the picture, I did not have enough time for a re-take and I did not have the best lighting conditions at that time in the morning.  Aren't those two smiling faces just about the cutest you've ever seen? I totally think so!  :)

And if you've stayed with me this long, I think you deserve a brownie point, a star, or something good for keeping up with what could be noted as the longest post ever. For me at least. 

Have a great Tuesday, or what's left of it anyway.

Another fabulous read this weekend!

This weekend I finally got my artsy little hands on Linda and Karen's Journal Revolution. 

And for lack of a better word, I will tell you that it is indeed revolutionary! It screams ART in every page. It invites you to RISE UP AND CREATE. Just the kind of book I love. Just like their Visual Journals, this is a book that reaches into your soul.

I completely "get" their philosophy...life is art. Everything we come into contact that  is part of this wonderful, crazy, art-filled world we live in is indeed a piece of our very soul.

Thank you Linda and Karen for sharing your vision with the world. What an amazing addition to your already beautiful legacy.

I'll come back soon with some pictures of my latest scrapbook class at StampBug this weekend and the rest of the ATCs I've promised to share. 

Book heaven

Most certainly so. I have been in book heaven thanks to Wendy and Aby's book, which, like I said in my last post is simply amazing.  One of those books that you simply cannot put down (unless it is to take a picture of it of course)...it fills you with a lot of inspiration and ideas.  It makes you feel like all you want to do is get organized and ready to CREATE something. I loved the pace of the book, the creativity it spills, the visuals they share, the super fun and cool scrapbook rooms of so many inspiring people, like Stacy Julian and Kelli Crowe to name a few; everything about this book is fantastic!  And one thing I really got from it was that it is so important to value and understand the significance of letting our own creative space be a true representation of what we love most. It makes you draw inspiration from the very things that fill your soul. I highly recommend it. And I love the fact that it inspired me to get into gear and ready to make ART. And there are so many great ideas to store supplies in an organized and creative, or should I say inspired way, that I simply cannot wait to try! I even started a list of all the new things I would love to make use of. I'm thinking I'll even do a small photo shoot of my new and improved scrapbook space after I use Wendy and Aby's ideas and I'll share those pics here.

By the way, I cannot wait to get my hands on Linda's Journal Revolution, which is available too!  This will be my next purchase, hopefully this weekend.

And in case you didn't see Lainie's comment on the last post, she has something cool going on...if you listen to her podcast  this week (www.scraphappy.mypodcast.com), she has an interview with Wendy and Aby, and you can win a free copy of their book! It cannot get any cooler than that :)

And I know I said it yesterday, but good news are worth repeating, Lainie and Tina are among the newest editorial board members at Simple Scrapbooks! So happy for them! Go to their blogs and send them a virtual hug.

A big huge thanks times two.

Wow.

Hard to find the words to make it justice. Thank you just doesn't seem enough.

My dear friend Cheryl surprised me with an amazing RAK (random act of kindness) this week.  I received a copy of her book "Writing for Magazines" and she even autographed  it for me! Thanks so much Cheryl!  It is such a fabulous book filled with inspiration and ideas on how to get published in magazines. 

And her hand-writing is so perfectly beautiful...I felt like framing the cute little bookmark she included and photocopying the signed page to hang it up my wall!  I think I'll definitely do that!  I might just scrap it all together and frame the entire page!  I really have been in pure heaven delight since getting her parcel this week...thank you so much Cheryl for your encouraging words.  Coming from someone I admire so much, it truly means the world.  THANK YOU CHERYL!                                             

This week has certainly been filled with many blessings and surprises.  Another HUGE, HUGE, HUGE, THANKS goes to the amazing Wendy Smedley. She is the phenomenal creative editor of Simple Scrapbooks.  She recently held a RAK in her blog and I was the lucky person who got it!  I received this week a box filled with paper, scrapbook supplies and so many little wonderful happy things.  THANK YOU Wendy from the bottom of my heart!  I feel so humbled and happy and excited and well, thankful. VERY thankful.

And here is a little peak at the goodies she generously showered me with. Thank you Cheryl and Wendy for making my week such a heavenly RAK-happy week.

ETA: By the way, Wendy's new book (co-authored with Aby Garvey) is on pre-order now!  Can't wait to get my hands on their new book "The Organized and Inspired Scrapbooker." Even my hubby already said that it is a "must-have" for me. I wonder why he said that...mmm, maybe the current status of my scrapbook room needs so much organization and inspiration that even the hubby can tell I am in great need of that book (insert big red-faced smile here.)

A book recommendation and a request for prayers.

Well, last night after I posted, I went back to read the Flamboya Tree and simply could not put it down. What an amazing story. A true story. Very vivid. Raw realities of the horrendous conditions of a Japanese concentration camp in World War II. Very, very sad, but it shows what the heroic spirit of a mother is able to accomplish even under the most severe of circumstances.  I completely recommend this book!   

And today I am off to visit a dear friend of mine. She is at the hospital with her son who has been hospitalized since last Wednesday night because of Guillaine-Barre syndrome. Such a scary type of syndrome. Her little guy is completely paralyzed from the waist down. Please say a prayer for him today.

Like the website describes it, Guillain-Barre syndrome is a "rare disorder that causes your immune system to attack your peripheral nervous system (PNS). The PNS nerves connect your brain and spinal cord with the rest of your body. Damage to these nerves makes it hard for them to transmit signals. As a result, your muscles have trouble responding to your brain. No one knows what causes the syndrome. Sometimes it is triggered by an infection, surgery or a vaccination.

The first symptom is usually weakness or a tingling feeling in your legs. The feeling can spread to your upper body. In severe cases, you become almost paralyzed. This is life-threatening. You might need a respirator to breathe. Symptoms usually worsen over a period of weeks, then stabilize. Most people recover. Recovery can take a few weeks to a few years. Treatment options during the symptom period include medicines or a procedure called plasma exchange."

This is why we need a lot of prayers for my friend's son. Please pray that he will recover soon. I'll leave you with a picture of him and his mom that I had taken only a few weeks ago.