Happy Birthday to me!

This week was my birthday.
Although there are many things that I hope for...
There are even more blessings I am grateful for.
Thank you Hashem for all that you've given me.
Thank you again and again.
And thank you for giving me the opportunity to celebrate with my children in New York.
(the lighting was perfect for me!)

The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work...

Every year now for 20 odd years I've been making Pesach.
Usually when you do anything that long you would think it gets easier.
The only thing that gets easier is.....nothing actually.
But not being easy doesn't mean it's bad.
Or not fun.
Or not exciting.
Anticipating the week of Yom Tov can be a paradox of emotions.
First thing in the morning I feel an overwhelming sense of panic regarding  'THE LIST'.
As the days pass I feel accomplished.
I race through the day crossing numbers off the 'THE LIST'.
And finally the night comes when I can no longer run anymore and I fall in to a fitful sleep thinking about all the things I got done.
Then I wake up and start over!
As my guests start arriving from out-of-town I feel an overwhelming sense of peace in my heart.
What is better than having all your children together under one roof?
What is nicer than waking up in the morning to two little grinning faces?
What could be more invigorating than preparing a delicious meal and enjoying the appreciation...
(Ma, You're amazing!)
It's a high that lasts for a long time.
The kind of high that doesn't drain you.
Or make you feel empty when you finally land.
It actually fills you up and gives you fuel to want Pesach to start all over again

In my experience, nothing worthwhile has ever really been all that easy. But it certainly has been worthwhile regardless how difficult it seemed. ”   
― Robert Fanney

The most important job is already done.
I am now officially obsessed with decoupage.
It's another fun craft that anyone can do.
Don't start Erev Pesach like I did.
But then again, why not?
For all the lucky guests coming to 'mi casa' for Pesach.
Souvenir's for everyone!
I can't wait.
What about you?

I watch my children grow...

No matter how old my child is I am always proud as I  watch my them grow.
Not in age.
In constantly becoming better versions of themselves.
One challenge at a time.
Challenges in life are never easy.
We all have them.
I love it when I see their strength.
I love it when I see them taking responsibility for their life choices.
I love it when they see the fruits of their labor.
It might take a little longer for some than for others.
But I have  patience to watch.
Because I know it's coming.
And the longer it takes the better it is when it finally happens.
IT  being the lightbulb moment.
The  'AHA' moment.
We all have them.
If our eyes are open we see it.
And that's what life is about.
Growth.
Every day.
Every minute.
Push through and get to the other side.
Makes me proud...

Making a layout  is sometimes more meaningful than when I say it.
Because it is always ready to be picked up and believed all over again...

We are taught you must blame your father, your sisters, your brothers, the school, the teachers - but never blame yourself. It's never your fault. But it's always your fault, because if you wanted to change you're the one who has got to change.”
― Katharine Hepburn, Me: Stories of My Life

I'm proud of my children for slowly learning that to be true...

So go ahead and scrapbook a compliment.

It will be testament forever and ever to how you feel.

Never to be forgotten.

Because I am generally a critical discerning person, I think it is vital for me to document praise and admiration to the people I care about most.

You know how you feel when you've created something truly special.

You're not just crafting.

You're preserving a lifetime of cherished memories.

It's never too late...

No matter how young or how old, how little or how much education you have, how little or how much money you have you CAN live the life of YOUR dreams starting now.

It's Never Too Late

It’s never too late to have an incredible day.
You may be having the worst day of your life.
Things might not be going your way and it may feel like your moving backwards but it’s never too late.
There is always a ray of sunshine, a glimmer of hope or an opportunity for a leap of faith.
This is your day and it has been given to you as a gift.
Challenge yourself to find the positive.
Reach out and draw strength from your family and all the wonderful positive beauty that they have to offer.           
Focus on those wonderful thoughts and turn this day around for the better.
Be the master of your domain.
Don’t let your day take control of you. You take control of it!
The experience you have gained from the power of turning your bad day into a positive one will only serve to make you a better and stronger person and this will have an incredibly powerful affect on your family.
Take control now because it’s never too late. Your family is counting on you!
~J. Charest

 This article caught my attention.

So do what you've always dreamed of doing.

If you're not a kid anymore, be a kid again.

That's a great way to begin.

Remeber what you enjoyed doing when you were little.

Just play.

Be free of your adult voice telling you to 'stay still and stop making noise.'

Make noise.

Dance.

Do it when you're alone.

Free of any critics who say 'you shouldn't'...

I love 'Maxine' cartoons.

They make me giggle.

So I did a layout about her.

And me.

Just for fun.

That's what I'm talkin' about.

Not everything has to be so serious all the time.

Take a break.

Be nice to yourself.

Laugh a little.

Or a lot.

Whatever floats your boat.

Excersize your creativity muscle.

Try something new.

Ask yourself.

What do I love to do?

And do it.

NOW!

I'm starting for Pesach. Are you?

If there is one sentence that strikes fear in any Jewish balabuste's heart, it's
"Have you started to clean for pesach yet?".
My mind goes blank.
My hands feel cold.
My heart stops for a minute.
It's only natural to react this way.
I close my eyes.
Trying to visualize something peaceful and serene.
Doesn't work.
But I am  not ready to get the ball rolling  yet.
The earlier I start, the longer it lasts.
Like pregnancy.
If you don't talk about it for the first few months it doesn't seem so long an endurance!
So I do what I do best.
Distract myself.
With my papers, paint glue and scissors.

I had this lightbulb idea.
I will start to prepare for Pesach.
But in a different way.
How about I make souveneirs this year for any guests that come for Pesach?
That sounds like something I could start doing early.
So I take out my stuff and go to work play.
It takes a little more than a couple of hours of going back and forth to come up with this.
Vases for everyone!
On the house!
Decorated by MOI!
This is the first of a bunch more I will be making.
The one who helps the most on Pesach gets first pick.
Just in case one is prettier than the other, that would be worth something.
But then again, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
What do you guys think?
Do you like it?
I think I do.
I say 'I think' because I'm never quite sure.

I wrote "Life is full of beauty. Pay attention. You don't want to miss it."
             "Why live in black and white when you can live in color?"

I have different shapes and sizes of glass vases.
I'm excited to see how they will turn out.
The poppy flower was an inspiration from one of my favorite girls.
She makes me want to create all day...
So as all of you are beginning to prepare for Pesach, So am I.
Just in a different way!

More to come...

There is no such thing as the pursuit of happiness, only the discovery of joy.

"It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good to check up once in a while to make sure you haven't lost the things that money can't buy. Lorimer, George Claude

Yesterday was PURIM .
I wish I was with all my children and grandchildren.
I spent it with my friends instead.
And I was joyful.
Because that's what Purim is about.
Last year we had Purim at our house.
We had a grand time.
I've just gotten around to making a layout about it.
Brings back such fun memories.
Much more than you can see on this layout.
For that you need a complete video!

I don't necessarily enjoy scrapping lots of photos.
But sometimes you must.
It's not artsy.
But it still speaks to me.
Here's a preview of this years Purim.
I will be scrapping them at some point.
I doubt it will be before Pesach.
But y'never know...

...........and the best Mishloach Manos award goes to.......

Cake in a jar.
How cool is that!
Made by my one and only Daughter-in-law.
I know you're thinking I'm biased.
But you've got to admit.
This is a pretty great idea.
AND beautifully executed.
My second best is this one below.
From adorable parents of twin boys.
Theme being duck duck goose.
(As in Grey Goose!)

So there you are.
Another Purim gone.
I'm holding on hard to the Joy part.
Hope you do too!
Until next year...

I order you to be happy!

Every Jewish month has a special meaning.
Entering the month of Adar we are told to increase our joy.
But what if one is not happy by nature?
Can you order someone to be happy?
Yes!
Happiness and the lack of it , are not so much as results of reality.
They are our perception of it.
If it's in your control, YOU change it.
And that's an order!
Happiness is not always easy to find.
If we're looking for it in the wrong places.
For me happiness is accomplishment.
Physical and/or spiritual.
When I feel 'down' I know I need to do something - fast.
That's where scrapbooking comes in.
It helps me focus on happy moments in a way that makes it seem like they last longer than they actually do.
It magnifies good times.
So if you want to scrap and you're not feeling it try this.
Putting yourself in a happy place can simply start with a smile.
Look in the mirror.
Smile at yourself.
See? I bet you feel better already.
Because actions trigger feelings.
Turn up the corners of your mouth.
Your mood will change.
JUST AS ORDERED!
A few months ago this lovely lady came to have her sheitels done for her grandaughter's wedding.
My husband remembered her from when he was a child living in Montreal.
She remembered him too.
What's amazing about that is that this wonderful woman is 98 K"H!
Just look at her smile.
That's the one you'll want to keep.

                                                flowers doodled by yours truly
This is a simple layout with a burst of colors.
I wanted that to be a reflection of Mrs. Kagen's personality.
Layer solid cardstock for a frame.
Doodle a flower and color it with markers.
Or put any other fun embellishment on the corners.
It's the colors that make it work.
And of course the smile.

And here is a layout I did showcasing my daughters Mishloach Manos from a few years back.
Aren't they cute?
I told her to think of something to create that won't cost a lot.
She loves slurpees from 7-11.
So she came up with this idea.
What a great imagination she has.

So remember.
Smile.
A lot.

And be happy.

THE JOY YOU PUT OUT WILL COME BACK TO YOU.

If you see a friend without a smile, give him one of yours.
Because of your smile you make life more beautiful.
For yourself.
For someone else.
Forever!
Happy Purim.

Happily obsessed...

My daughter laughs at me.
She says I become an obsessed person when I find something new to do.
So what if I am?
Right now I am a 'little' obsessed with zentangle.
I think it's because all you need is 2 things and you're off.
With scrapbooking I have to schlep out all my stuff.
Cover the kitchen table with glue, tape, paint etc...
That's the easy part.
The worst of it is that I have to clean up at the end of the day.
The schlepping begins when I have to put back all my portable drawers.
Down the stairs.
Ugh!
Now you can appreciate all the more how much I want to Scrapbook.
And the knitting takes concentration.
There's a time for that too.
But sometimes I want to just zone out.
As apposed to zoning IN.
So I doodle.
You might call it obsessed.
I call it 'happily' obsessed.
No harm done to anyone.

You have no idea how relaxing it is.
I would be surprised to know that you haven't tried this yet...
And still I am also 'happily' scrapbooking.
HAPPY stuff.
Colorful.
Making little moments count.

Not my finest artistic creations.
But they make me happy.
So happy.
Little tiny moments.
Strung into long memory necklaces...
By itself, nothing special.
Together - fabulous, gorgeous length of beauty...

Come Zentangle with me...

For many years I've thought about doing Yoga.
Or pilates.
Excersize for the body.
To be fit, healthy and calm.
I finally did it.
Yoga that is.
For the mind.
What?
For the MIND.
I've been doodling since I was a little girl in school.
As I grew older I became much better at it.
It was a great way to look like I was taking notes in class.
So you could imagine how much of that I did back in the day.
Finished school.
Stopped doodling.
Got married.
Had children. (B"H)
Went to learning class.
Started doodling again!
I never saw anyone else doing it, so I figured it was just me and my inability to focus without scribbling.
Enter the computor age.
Now it's me and a million other people who doodle.
Except there are people who take this really seriously.
Blogs and books.
Who knew?
And I learnt a new word for it: ZENTANGLE.
Doodling is for babies!
Zentangle.
Has a sophistication to it.
The more I explored this world of Zentangle, the more intrigued I became by it.
Now I am more than just a doodler.
I am a Zentangler.
Imagine that!
Last night I did my first real zentangle.
It was so pleasant.
Just me my marker, and my music...
Now I understand why it's called 'yoga for the mind'.
I will be filling this with color at some point, but for now here it is.
Presenting - my very first authentic Zentangles.......

If I say it's easy will you believe me?
Ok. Maybe it's a little intimidating, but there are videos galore you could see.
Then try it.
White cardstock.
You can start with regular paper if you want.
Fine point marker.
You're ready.
Easy as that.
Keep at it.
The little or big artist in you will emerge.
That I promise you.
Everyone has one living deep inside of them.
Remember, there's no wrong way to do it.
Only your way!
...and here is one of my 'old' ones.

I have a feeling some of you may try this.
Here's a good place to start.
Google 'zentangle' and go!
You will see.
The quieter your mind becomes, the more you can hear.
That's enough reason for me.
What about you?

Our chains may stretch a little sometimes, but they never break.

Lately I've become nostalgic for my family that lives far away.
I have a large family  K'H and a huge extended family.
(One day I will make an effort to take pictures with each of  my neices and nephews etc, and make layouts galore.)
It's not easy to keep up with everyone.
We live in different parts of the globe.
Isreal, Australia, Canada and more.
We are fortunate to live in this generation, though.
Technology has significantly changed how we connect with each other.
"A'int no mountain high enough to keep me from gettin to you..." is not such an impressive statement anymore.
We 'see' each other on Skype whenever would like.
We speak to each other across continents like we are talking to our neighbors.
It took the generation before us a little bit of time to grasp the fact that long distance fees no longer apply.
The paradox of it all is now we don't have enough time to spend connecting
Too much technology, taking up more time, to do things more quickly than before!.
So I do it the way I know best.
I spend time creating.
Quality time.
Almost like meditating about myself and this person.
In my heart I feel close to whomever I'm concentrating on.

I hope my sister's other children won't feel slighted that I chose this nephew to scrap about.
I love them all.
But I especially love this one.
I think about him more than he knows.
I was so lucky to be in New York at the same time as he was.
Some time after that we actually visited with him and his family in Italy.
What a great experience that was.
To our great disappointment the weather was horrible.
But staying by Mendy and Chanchi was worth every cold rainy second.
I feel as comfortable with them as I am with my own children...
This next layout is one of their first 3 children.
It's a scraplift from one of my scrapbooking magazines.
I don't know these children at all.
But I love them anyway.
Because they belong to my very delightful  nephew and neice.
This is a wonderful layout to copy.
Easy and fun.
Anyone can do this.
Practice writing between the stems.
Use any color combination you like.
A black and white picture is effective here.
But you can do it any way you like.

There are friends that I consider my family.
Some of my children's friends have become mine too.
The first time I met Rina, Rochelle's friend, I fell in love with her.
Ane now she is my friend too.
I wait every year for Pesach.
Not only for my family to be together.
But for my 'extended' family.... Rina and Moshe...

Note to my nephew and neices (or anyone who wants one): if you send me a picture that you have of us together, no matter how old it is, I will be happy make a beautiful, meaningful layout.

Like this one....

This layout was created 6 years ago.

WOW.

Time does fly...

But for the moment I look at it, time does stand still.

And that makes it worth it for me.

And it will do that for you too.

Go for it.

Noone has to see it.

You can show it 6 years later too!

Same photoshoot, different layouts...

As many of you know, my daughter is a photographer.

She is remarkable at what she does.

She is dedicated to pursue excellence in her work.

Having a camera makes you no more a photographer than having a hammer and some nails makes you a carpenter. - Claude Adams

Self taught, she has a gift that stands out in her field.

Whenever we are lucky enough for her to visit us, she makes time to photograph her sisters.

Sarale allowed herself to be used for Rachel's first photoshoot ever.

The one that inspired her to take the journey into photography.

She's come a long way since then.

Her pictures speak in a way that needs no translation.

I luckily have the pleasure of making memories of each photo shoot.

I enjoy challenging myself to come up with different layouts for similar pictures.

I think I've accomplished that here.

What you want to do is make sure the picture pops.

I have a few beautiful linen tablecloths from when I got married, that include fine linen napkins.

I've never used the napkins.

So I decided this would be the best way to enjoy them.

Forever.

In my scrapbook.

It adds femininity and elegance to the layout.

A reflection of Sarale...

This next layout, I used a canvas frame, washi tape,  paint, brads, page from an old book and  paper ribbon.

Washi tape gives you many different options for design.

Very easy to use, washi tape comes in a ton of patterns and colors.

Be careful though, it's addicting.

Now the canvas is hanging on the wall.
Makes me happy to look at it.
My daughter's in it.
My daughter took it.
And I made it.
That's three for one!
Maybe you just see a pretty picture.
But I put my emotions into each layout I make.
They each have a message from me.
To you.
Time will never stand still and those moments that bring us such joy become memories in an instant.
To capture such a moment and record it forever is truly monumental.
This is why I love what I do.
If you do it, you will love it too.

Why does time pass slowly when you're waiting for something good to come...

When I create layouts of adults I really mean business.
Thats when I get serious.
I have to dig deep inside myself to get to the core of how I feel.
About my family.
About my friends.
And about myself.
The easiest layout for me to create are about my grandchildren.
The love I feel for them is always fresh.
Like a hot cinnamon bun melting in my mouth.
The happiness and love I feel hits my brain like sugar.
Sends me directly to a happy, good all over feeling.
Living far away from them I have to satisfy myself with little morsels of lovin' in the few and far between visits.
In a few weeks almost all my children will be here for a family wedding.
I am excited in the way a little child is.
I keep asking my husband "How many more days till they come?"
I am most excited because the grandchild I see the least will be here for a full week.
How can I make the time count?
I want to know her.
I want her to know me.
Can we do that when the time we have together is so short?
Hashem runs the world and there's a reason for everything.
So I have to believe there is a higher source of explanation for me being here and them being there.
Meanwhile I scrap....
And dream...
About when we will finally live in one city together.
Sharing ordinary moments made significant because I will be witness to them.
I dream about picking you up from school, holding your hand and walking home together.
I think about me and you (any one of my children or grandchildren)on the train going somewhere.
Anywhere.
I dream of you falling asleep on my shoulder on the way home of a satisfying day together.
I dream of being a little bit parent, alittle bit grandparent and a lot of best friend.
Whilst I dream I scrap...
(I obviously dream and scrap alot!)
As soon as I heard about my children's visit I was inspired to create.

Notice the combination of different papers that work well together.

Using a black and white picture makes the subject stand out.

Feels like a minute ago when in fact almost six years have passed since this picture was taken.
I love the idea of cutting the photo and matting with black.
Use the right picture to capture a moment like this.

This is one of my favorites.

You can try this too.

Practice writing the word Love the way I did here.

Use a sharpie to outline.

You can fill with puffy paint, glitter, color, anything you want.

Copy this one exactly.

Make me proud!

This is one of my favorite.

Not only because I love the picture.

Because I love the memory of making the layout.

I used tissue paper scrunched up with mod podge.

Paint, stamps, gold embossing, fabric, brads, flowers and rubons.

It takes time.

I usually leave my work on the kitchen table and in between working (sheitels) making supper and then some, I keep adding to the layout until  I feel satisfied.

The longer I work on a layout the better.

It keeps my mind on the subject.

It keeps my heart full of love.

It forces me to figure out how to transfer what I feel in a physical way.

It's an emotional process sometimes.

But well worth it.

At least until I see them again.

Then who has time for this nonsense!!!

Adair Lara, author of The Granny Diaries

"Grandkids bring you into a sweeter, slower present. They show you the future at a time when a lot of your friends are thinking about the past. And they take you back to childhood--theirs, the Parent's, your own: a three-time admittance to wonderland."

So Grandmothers get scrapping.

And you too, grandchildren.

The days pass slowly, but the years fly by.

Don't wait.