Elderly Love....

The last week or so, Lola (filipino name for grandmother) has had a few visits to the ER because of her heart and gave all of us a scare. But, as we kept our faith and prayed for her, she came out of it okay. She is a fighter both physically and spiritually. Today, we decided to all go to the beach and take a walk with Lola. She has been advised by the doctor to try and get some exercise. She struggled at first, each step was a little challenging for her, but she kept going. After a short stretch, she wanted to turn around and go back, but we found a bench where she can sit and rest. All of us gathered around her and I could not help but take this picture of my boys sitting with their great grandparents (shown above). It made my heart simply melt.

As we started our walk back to the car, I know she was really pushing herself to take each step. She expressed that she was already tired and wanted to go home. We all congratulated her and enthusiastically told her that we were proud of her :) She looked at us and just gave us this big old smile! It was GREAT! She also said, "I'm happy. You're spending time with Lola."

Sometimes, I can't help but really admire elderly couples who have been married for decades and still hold on to one another with sincere devotion and dedication. It's such a gift and it is the example that I hope my husband and I hope to follow. Also, it is such a blessing to witness that they have lived to see the fourth generation. At 82 (LOLA-great grandmother) and 89 (LOLO-great grandfather), they are still very much alive and well with hearts and minds that are still strong and sharp. They do suffer age related weaknesses, but nonetheless, they have managed to keep going and refuse to stop living life as much as possible. 

Time is so short. I can't help but realize that these are the years to really cherish life with Lola and Lolo. It's amazing how their lives have made such an impact upon us that I know will last forever. My boys especially cannot go a day without wanting to be with them or at least see them since they live downstairs in our home. Their presence has definitely been significant in our home and in our family, always showing us compassion, love, and support. There have been lots of memories created with my boys that are priceless and precious, moments that I hope my boys will always remember. Every day, I hope to make every second count with them and to really treasure their lives as much as possible...

Josiah's First {Shutterfly} Photo Book :)

This finally arrived on my doorstep... :) And once I opened it, I could not help but get all teary eyed. Something about seeing your work and designs printed and reading the heartfelt words that I poured out on these pages, really resonates this sweet, fulfilling joy deep within... Especially when you see your son reading them with such enthusiasm and happiness that I created them about him and for him... Shutterfly does such a great job with these and I loved the look and feel of the photo pages overall. I also plan to make one for my youngest soon because I know he is anxious to have one of his own. Anyways, here's a few photos to share....

Front Cover

Some of my very first layouts dating back in 2007

Some of my recent layouts using my own ORIGINAL designs...

Josiah so happy with his first photo book

His eyes just melts my heart... I know he is thankful for it...

Josiah pointing at his favorite photo of him and one of his buddies at school....

*Sigh*.... I can't even express how much I love my boys and how much I cherish every single day with them. In just a few weeks, Josiah will be graduating from Kindergarten and going into the 1st grade while Lucas will be starting Kindergarten as well. Such an exciting and fun age they are in and I love, love, love being a part of their lives. So many memories and stories to share with them when their older, but photo books are so wonderful to have because I never know whether or not I'll be able to, just keeping it real... 

xoxo.

First Mixed Media Canvas | My Creative Voice

Last week, I was in this funky mood and it really stunk. I mean, I just couldn't shake it off and it felt like I was drowning within. Ever felt that way? If you want to know why I was in this little funk, you can read more about it here. Whenever I'm feeling that way, words are so hard to come by when I want to express what that is. So, after praying and meditating, I found a way to execute those feelings and thoughts.

I painted.....

Staring at a blank canvas can be so intimidating and a little scary. Before I started to put anything down, I worried about how I was going to do it, what colors to use, what to draw, and basically if it will turn out the way I want it to. Most of all, I was afraid to make any mistakes. Then it dawned on me, that MISTAKES are meant to happen as we go through life, isn't that right?? We all make mistakes and that is inevitable. Life is not perfect and so are WE. So, once I got over that fear, I jumped right into it whether or not I messed up. The only thing I let loose, was my imagination and it just took off from there. Yes, there were moments that I didn't like what I saw, but I kept going by painting another layer over it, redrawing and recreating textures and colors, and simply going with the flow. What was not so attractive before eventually became beautiful to me and that is the beauty of mixed media and art journaling. I felt like it reflected my life, how I've experienced such a difficult upbringing filled with so much pain, confusion, and resentment, but eventually became a life that has been enriched with grace, love, and joy....

On this 8x8 canvas, I gessoed it and played around with what I have on hand--craft acrylics, watercolor pencils, dry watercolor paints, heavy body acrylics, a butterfly rubber stamp, and india ink pens. I also experimented with collage using paper from an old book and gel medium. In the beginning I didn't expect to sketch out a portrait, but it evolved as I went along and in the end, I doodled the title--"I have a creative VOICE."  This is what the journaling reads....

"Creating art is my voice. Silence is my canvas where ideas begin to unfold and expressions of my heart can only be spoken through color and the creativity that flows through my hands. Spread your wings and fly."

I was a little reluctant to share this at first, thinking that I'm so new at this and cannot compare to the amazing mixed media artists out there. But, you know what, I'm doing this for me. This is what helped me get through the funk and gave me a sense of hope. I know that whatever I create is unique and straight from the heart which is authentic to who I am. Every artist starts somewhere and this is where my journey begins into mixed media art and art journaling. More to come....

xoxo,

25 Years Ago....

Just wanted to share a little bit about why May 21st is such a significant date for me (no, not because of the recent scare of Judgement Day). Every year, May and June always seems to be those few months out of the year, where I find myself a little down and depressed, especially when Mother's and Father's Day come around. This year marks 25 years since my beloved mother passed away from Leukemia and regardless of how so many years have come and gone, I still feel that pain and sorrow as if it were yesterday. Don't get me wrong, I do celebrate their lives and honor them during these special holidays and am very thankful that I can still cherish the memories I have of them. But of course, I still yearn and long for yesterday and often question what life would be like if they had lived. So, just wanted to briefly share what has been on my heart lately and how at times I tend to get lost in my emotions whenever I think of my parents being gone too soon. Yet, I do believe that one day when that moment comes, I will be reunited with them again and all I could do is live each day, one day at a time, living out my life the way they would have wanted me to, especially to be the best wife, mom, sister, and friend to those that are near and dear to my heart....

xoxo,

First 5 Years....

Hey y'all! Happy Wednesday!!!

Several months ago, I took advantage of a Groupon deal for Shutterfly--8x8 Photo Book for only $10-- and created my very first photo book of our first trip to Seattle as a family. The results were wonderful and my family enjoyed remembering our trip as we cherished these memories. So the next time Groupon posted this deal, I jumped on it immediately! Then just the other day I was going through my Groupons that I purchased, to make sure that I didn't forget to use them before they expired. So glad I did because I totally forgot about the Shutterfly deal which was going to expire in a week! I had not worked on it at all and felt really pressured to hurry and take advantage of it. 

Although, I wanted to make a cohesive album with a theme and color palette that coordinated together, I knew that time would not be on my side to create one. So, I realized that I still had all these digital scrapbook layouts that have not been printed (gasp!) and put in albums. Yes, I know... I am one of those! LOL! But, I finally did it today, by putting together all of my eldest son's scrapbook layouts that I've created over the years. It's definitely been a journey and I'm so glad I was able to document some of his special moments :) 

It's called---Josiah Robert Co | FIRST FIVE YEARS.....

Thanks for looking!!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Mother's Day -- Part I

Hope all you beautiful Moms had a wonderful Mother's Day! I just thought I'd share real quick some photos that highlighted my day.... 

beautiful orchids from my hubby

love letter from one of my sons--Josiah

My sons and I--Josiah and Lucas by SF China Basin

@ AT&T Park getting ready to watch the SF Giants MLB game!

And they won!!! woohoo!!

Josiah & Camryn the Little Giants

yummy Garlic Fries!!!

Lucas covering his ears because the crowds were going crazy, lol!

This was my FIRST time at the ball park watching the SF Giants and I loved it!! I'm so glad I got to experience it and see things happen live from a distance and not just on TV. Ever since last season when they began their journey towards the World Series, I can honestly say that I am such a fanatic and really hope they continue to defend their title as World Series Champions! Go Giants!!!! Yeaaahhhh!!!

My boys also had a blast as well and my hubby was happy that I had a good time! Also, my close friend and her family were with us which made it that much more memorable. We're already planning our next outing to their games soon! 

More photos to come!!!

SIMPLIFY. BALANCE. FOCUS. PERSEVERE.

Hello and Happy Wednesday!


Right now, I should be working on several projects that need to get done on my to-do list, but with such a crazy schedule it's hard to focus on one thing at times. Being a stay at home mom and a independent designer can be challenging because there are times when it feels too overwhelming. First, you have a 24/7 job as a mother and wife to keep the family and home happy. Then, out of the entire day I may have a few hours here and there to design and fulfill assignments for my shop along with investing time to promote and advertise as much as possible. In order to keep the momentum going for customers and followers to commit to you, you can't afford to be inconsistent, otherwise this business will never really grow or succeed very well or even at all. It's tough and there are moments where I wonder if I'm wasting my time, but I feel like this is my passion and I love what I do so I am reminded that PERSEVERANCE is key.

I may not be on the cover of a magazine or have 10,000 followers on my social media sites, but I know that even those who have succeeded to that level, started out at the bottom. Success doesn't happen over night and it sure doesn't just fall on your lap. There's so many out there who have had to work extremely hard, some may have had to make huge sacrifices, or had dealt with failure before they were able to reach the top. Mistakes are always your best teachers because that is where the most valuable lessons are learned. Whatever the case, true success never comes easy, it always comes with a price.

The other day, I sat in my car and instead of praying like I usually do, I asked God to just speak to my heart and I will listen. This is what I felt resonated in heart, "...there's more to life than what you think, there's more in store, but how much are you willing to give or sacrifice in order to receive it?" I sat there and meditated on that simple, but profound message. I realized there were a lot of things in my life that needed to be eliminated or simplified because they were taking my focus away from my vision that I had for my life, my family, and my purpose. They weren't necessarily bad things, but it were little things that ended up becoming big distractions which took away my focus on the areas of my life that I needed to give more attention to. Balance is basically what I often have a hard time achieving, which means my priorities need to be straightened out and in place. Not at all easy to do, but it's definitely something I am learning as I go as I travel this journey...

So, hopefully this is just one of those lessons that I can share with someone out there who may feel like they've almost lost their passion or desire to succeed in doing what they love to do as a career... It's so easy to give up, but as long as you remember to SIMPLIFY your life, find BALANCE and to stay FOCUSED, but most of all PERSEVERE.... You will SUCCEED!!!

xoxo