Creative Juice

Splash of Color : Purple, Orange & Hot Pink

Spring Break 2012, Part One

We are on our second week of Spring Break over here. This time last year we were in our beloved Bia. This year we decided to stay home and enjoy the DC spring. There have been sunny days spent outdoors and rainy days spent in pajamas. There has been lots of video games, reading, playing and ice cream. Here are a few photos. 

One of idea was to do something special with each boy. Today I'm spending the day with Maxi. (At his request, we are going to Ikea to get him reading light for his bed. One that he can choose himself. He didn't like the one I chose for him weeks ago.) Tomorrow I'm taking Andrea and a friend to the Spy Museum. I haven't planned anything with Luci, but I'll come up with something before Friday.

I love the break we get from the school routine although Lucien still wakes me up too early. How did you spend you Spring Break?

Discovery Over DC

I remember class being interrupted so we could watch the shuttle take-off and land when I was a kid. That memory was enough to get me out of the house Tuesday morning and see the Discovery fly (be flown?) over the National Mall. Nostalgia? I think so. 

I am always drawn to the process of how my layouts happen. This one was by chance. I printed the photo directly from my phone because I wanted to test the feature. There was 5x7 photo paper in the printer so that's how the photo size was decided. I was surprised it cropped this photo instead of re-sizing it.

A few days earlier while working on another layout I stuck two round stickers onto white cardstock. I could have put them back on the sticker sheet but I liked how the two colors looked together. It doesn't mean anything in particular "Miniature Campagne" but I liked the contrast of the script and slab (or sans serif? or both?) fonts. Along came the photo and a layout began.

Next the striped tape and title happened - again, a choice based solely on color preference. Ok, I like the graphic element of the stripes too. I added the tag to include the names of those who were there. I added the star because the tag "needed something" to hold it in place. I hand wrote my journaling last but ran out of space so continued on the back. And then I was done.

It looks bare but that's ok with me. It was fun to let this come together on it's own without a design in mind. Just being around my supplies and making something is good because I feel a little out of practice.

Where are my words?

Hi there. I've been enjoying spring. The trees and plants keep blooming one after another. Last Friday we went to the Tidal Basin, along with hundreds of other people, to see the cherry blossoms (photo above). There is no doubt why these trees in bloom draw so many tourists to DC, they are beautiful.

I have a bunch of half-written posts in my drafts folder waiting to be published. Funny enough, I've read two posts this week about writer's block. Ez's post reminded me that I'm not alone and Katrina posted the quote that got me here. To this very spot where I say I've been having a hard time finding my words. And that is why it's been quiet around here.

Earlier this week I decided a blog re-design would be just the right project to help me come around. It's time for me to organize my content. Also, I've been receiving many requests for my downloads - apparently not all the links are functioning properly - so I will have a look at that too.

That's where things are for me. Hope you have an awesome weekend!

Pugly Pixel's Vintage Label-Inspired Shapes used in the photo above.

Un Avant Gout

Spring is around the corner but right now there are a few plants and trees that are a blooming spectacular. Admiring them does not get old but listening to me say hey, look, a magnolia tree! does. Yesterday we took our cameras and set out to document the new blooms in our neighborhood. Everything else still looks very much like winter so these trees are show stoppers.

Isn't it just amazing? You can see the rest of the photos here.