Diary of a Renegade Scrapbooker

I am typing this out on my phone, so sorry in advance for any typos. I contemplated not posting anything and just taking the blog down but decided I needed to at least say something as I have a lot of online scrapbooking friends who have been very loyal to me over the years. I had to at least say bye.

My heart just isn't into this anymore. I will always create. Its a part of who I am. But I just can't blog anymore. Everytime I sit down to write a post, I have no words.

You see, things in my life just aren't right now. And wont be until I make it to Chicago. And I am tired of coming here and pretending things are right. I just can't be fake. It's not in me. There are pieces and parts of me that are broken. I have never pretended to be a perfect person or to lead a perfect life. I have stumbled, faltered and fallen along my path. And continue to do so every single day. Thats life. I have made some pretty bad decisions and am no victim. Accepting responsibility for my life and its direction is vital to me right now. Moving forward on a path of healing and making the changes necessary to reach my goal are my priorities right now. I know all of this is very vague. The things going on in my life are very private. And I don't feel the need to elaborate any more. I just need to say that I have things in my life I need to fix. And I wont be whole or right again until i do. No more pretending. Done with that.

Maybe one day I will blog again. Chicago. That's all i can think. Its what I dream of. What I breathe. What I cry for each and every day. I am letting go of mistakes made, forgiving myself, and moving forward. And if and when I do blog again it will be from the windy city. Hopefully deliriously happy and finally at peace with myself and my life. Until then....I wish you all nothing but peace and happiness! You can email me ya know! [email protected]

Love to you all! Blog will disintegrate in a few days. LOL.

checking in

Just wanted to say hi and that I will be back to posting soon. I have had a lot going on personally but I am alive and well! :) thanks for the emails checking up on me and for the comments here on the blog. See ya soon!

hello there! how are ya??

i decided to pop in today and blog a little. i never shared my s.e.i. projects for march here on my blog yet so here goes.....

layout....

i made a little spring mini book as well...

i love how that little book came out! it's pretty and feminine and just looks like spring! :)

i am working on putting together my summer mini book and also planning out a kit and class that i will be offering so you can join me in making one! because i have not done an online class in so long, i am planning to keep it really small with only 5 spots. i plan to have a private blog and forum and i want the class to run the entire duration of summer. and there will be a kit too! i find my style is evolving somewhat and i am really excited to teach a class and share some of the techniques and so forth that i have been playing around with lately. and of course, per my style, journaling and telling a deeper story will be part of the experience. hope you are interested!

other than planning the class and work, life has been pretty calm and relaxed lately. some changes going on. both personally and professionally. keeping those things kinda close to my chest for now, but hopefully will be sharing more in the coming weeks. still in the process of figuring a few things out and making plans for the new direction my life is about to take! all good things so far this spring! now if only the rain would go away! lol. yeah right. this is seattle. :)

have a great weekend!

peace,

kate

it's almost spring! we have had quite a few nice days of sunshine and reasonable temperatures. i am ready for spring....and SUMMER! :)
these are a few of my favorite shots i got last spring, things aren't quite in bloom here yet, but looking at these makes me excited for the coming weeks.

such pretty colors. i adore all of those photos. i can't wait to take new ones this spring!

speaking of spring, i was finishing up my march projects for s.e.i. i am in love with their couture collection. the colors are perfect for spring. the patterns are so so so pretty. i love the water color paper and the foiled papers as well. the colors and patterns remind me of spring and the lenten season.

i can't show you my march projects until they go up on the blog. but i had lots of scraps left over after i made my projects so i made a spring garland too. i really love those die cut butterflies and they look so cute on the garland! i haven't decided where to hang it in my place yet. but when we were in the park shooting my projects we took some photos of the garland too.

i hope you are experiencing some springlike weather wherever you are! :)

 

 

i got copies of the latest Scrapbook Trends in my mailbox today! i had written on my blog about how i had some projects published but had been unable to find copies. someone who works for the magazine and also reads my blog got in contact with me and sent me copies of both magazines! how nice!!!

this is my first time getting published in scrapbook trends. i must say, i really really love the way that they photograph the layouts. it's like pieces of art on display rather than just scanned images. i loved thumbing through the issues. seriously? i haven't seen so much good work and inspiration in one place in a long time. i think the issues are more like little books rather than magazines!

i'll be back in the next day or so to share some of the art journal pages i have been working on.

today marks the beginning of the lenten season. i have been looking forward to lent for some time now. when i was more active in my faith, lent always represented change to me. promise. a new beginning. taking time to reflect on my life and make changes and to foster deep self discipline. last year i just wasn't excited about life in general and didn't really even recognize lent. this year, however, i plan to fully immerse myself in it. 

i making a special project also to journal in for the next 40 days.

i took this self shot the other day. i love it. i am going to use it for all of my profile pictures now.

i stumbled upon BeliefNet.com the other day and i am hooked. the site is Christian based with tons of inspirational articles on happiness, faith, physical and emotional health, leading an authentic life and so so so much more! there are forums and lots of ways to share and connect with others. and online support groups for just about anything. it's a lovely inspirational stop on my daily online reads. you should check it out! and join! friend me. i'm kateobrienx75 on the site.

i have a quick project to share today. it's something i have wanted to make for a long time and finally got around to. a little recipe book. a home for all of our tried and true favorite recipes. my book is 4x6 and perfect for just punching holes in a 4x6 print and adding the recipe to the back. that's my plan. to take a photograph of the dishes i make and then type out the recipe in wordpad, print it out and attach it to the back of the photo. punch two holes and add to the proper category. so simple. so cute!

have a great weekend!

peace,

kate

i wanted to pop in and share a few things!

we had some snow here last week! it was so pretty. makes getting around hard, but pretty all the same.

we were having soup for dinner on one of the nights it snowed and it was way hot. so andrew had the clever idea of putting the soup bowls in the snow. lol! i made him take a photo.

we also made a trip to the same park we always go to. i got a photo in the same exact spot i took one in a few months back when we went there to take photos of the pretty leaves. here is that photo from back in november...

and here is the shot i got last week...

neat-o. i can't wait to scrapbook those!

speaking of scrapbooking, i have a new layout to share. i made a page with those outfit photographs i took.

i knew i wanted to document the daily stuff this year and finally figured out a way that would work for me. i plan to make several mini books throughout the year for the daily stuff and for all of my momentos. because my mini's get rather bulky because i add so much stuff, i decided to do three months in each little book. then i can add as much as i like and not worry about the bulk. i am thinking this will work out just fine. we shall see!

i don't even have the book on rings yet. but figured i would share anyways.

i'm finding it easy to keep up with. i plan to use mainly index prints and keep it focused on the journaling.

i'm feeling so good these days. i am taking better care of myself. i have been working out and have been doing really good with implementing water into my diet. i have been averaging a gallon and a half at least a day and it's amazing how much better that makes me feel! next i plan to tackly my rather unhealthy diet. the cheeseburgers i have at work every single day HAVE to go! i don't need to lose any weight. i could actually stand to gain a little. but i want to be healthier in all aspects of my life. even though i still have a long ways to go to get to the point where i am living the healthy lifestyle i want, i am proud of myself for taking little steps! :) 

have a great weekend folks! leaving you with a video for a song i looked up this morning when i got home. it's an old one, but they play it all the time on a station here and every time it comes on i get excited and turn it all the way up. i had forgotten who sang it so i had to do a google search to find out. if you need a pick me up have a listen!

 

 

we went out for sushi last night. we found this amazing little hole in the wall place a while back but up until now have only ordered take out from them. we decided last night to actually make it a date and went out to eat for a change. it was really nice. i love spending time with him. and the good food made it all the better. i got one shot of the last sushi dish we ordered. i feel like such a nerd sometimes when i am out in public and want to whip out my camera and take a photograph of my meal or something random. i don't know why i care but i always imagine everyone wondering why that strange girl is taking photos of her food. :) 

we rented the social network and came home and watched that after. gotta say, i was surprised by this movie. i didn't really think i would like it. but i did. i never knew there was so much drama involved with the beginnings of facebook. the movie only reinforced some of my reasoning for deleting my own account. glad we watched it!

i saw blue valentine a few weeks back too. i was really excited because michelle williams is my favorite actress and ryan gosling is my favorie actor. i loved the movie. it was so well made. the story resonated with me, that's for sure. but it's definitely a sad story that will leave you walking away wondering why it is that so few people find true and lasting love in life. and the sad truth that most loves are usually only chapters in our lives with both a beginning and an end. sigh. great movie. thought provoking for sure. but the kinda movie where afterwards i wasn't sure if i was glad that i had seen it or not. if that makes any sense!

i rented eat pray love. but it went back to the red box machine without me watching it. gotta get it again because i really want to see it. anyone seen it? did you like it? i read the book. three times.

enough about movies! :) the weather has been so cold here but the sun has been out for two days in a row and that is rare here and makes me happy! 

i was thinking last night about all of the places that i have lived. i was born and raised in new olreans and that is where i have spent most of my life. 9 years in chicago and now a year and a half here in seattle. when i was younger i also lived in san antonio, texas for a bit. charleston, south carolina and also orlando, florida. those were all short stays though. most of my life has been spent in chicago and new orleans. each place is so so so different. out of the three cities i have spent the majority of my life in, they all have their pros and cons and are each so unique in their own way.

chicago......there is always always something to do, see or explore there. the city has this vibe that i love. the people of chicago have a strong sense of pride in their city and especially in their sports teams. there is no better place for sports. the sox, cubs, bears, blackhawks....sports rule this city. there is nothing like walking down lake shore drive in the spring or the summer. the fireworks on the lake. the festivals. and fall. fall is amazing in chicago. chicago has the best parks and recreation facilites i have ever seen. the parks are amazing. and they are everywhere. it's so so so clean. they really keep up their city. 

the one thing that kept me from totally falling in love with chicago...the brutal winters. and they are BRUTAL. and long. and gray. and long. it's bad. and i hate cold weather. hate it.

with. a. passion.

 

another downfall is the people can be kinda rude and are always in a hurry. the whole city seems to constantly move at a hurried pace. and the traffic. it can be pretty bad. thankfully, the city has some of the best public transportation there is.

 

seattle.....reminds me a lot of new orleans.

very eclectic and art based. there is a similar laid back vibe here like new orleans.

and the scenery is breathtaking.

 

there is a LOT to do here as well. most of it outdoorsy stuff. i've never met so many environmentally conscious people before in one place in my life. hippies are very alive and well here. if i had to sum up seattle in one word it would be...earthy. lol.

the downfalls are the ever present rain.

and by ever present i mean nearly every single day! seriously. it's more of a mist most days. but it gets to be a real pain. and the lack of sun does me no favors. the people here are no where near as friendly as back home. they can come off a little pretentious at times. i can't tell you how many times since being here i have heard derogatory comments about southerners and our lack of intelligence. but hey, what would the great united states of america be without sterotypes right? ;) overall i love seattle. but like any other place it has it's downfalls.

one thing i thought was odd when moving here, is that there really is no really run down areas or any "ghettos" as we would call them back home. i remember asking andrew where the bad area of the city was. but there really isn't any. in chicago you've got the south side. a really really really rough area. and in new orleans you've got the ninth ward and general de galle. areas you wouldn't want to be caught walking around in at night. seattle for the most part, is pretty well kept and i have yet to see a "ghetto" or what i would consider a shady area of the city.

then there is home. my favorite place on this entire planet.

friendly people, wonderful food, abundant sunshine, mardi gras and crawfish.

there is nothing like it. to me, new orleans = perfection. and i miss it every single day.

downfalls....i can't think of many. but then again, i am biased! lol.  some might list the crazy intense summer heat as a downfall...but to me, i always loved it. loved being outside swimming and being in the sun. the only major downfall for me is economically related. louisiana is a poor state and there is not a lot of funding for parks and recreation, schools and general upkeep of the city. but i guess in some ways that is part of what makes it what it is. new orleans most certainly isn't the cleanest of cities, but what it lacks for in cleanliness it makes up for in character. for sure. 

so out of those three cities new orleans is my favorite, chicago is my second and seattle comes in third. my life dream is to one day own a home in the garden district of new orleans with my children and my soulmate and live a rather simple life. one day! 

that was a totally random post, but FUN! i will see ya soon!

peace,

kate

art journals are my favorites. because they are a "whatever" kinda book. whatever inspires me. whatever i want to express. whatever i want to create. no rules. no theme. whatever. i am excited about this new art journal and i love the cover!

yes, i am a little obsessed with the little circles that come out of the hole punch. i love the way the different colors and patterns look on projects. i punch holes out of real photographs and magazine ads rather than patterned paper. i think the colors are more vibrant that way.

i can't wait to fill it with all kinds of fun things.

and an outfit photo...i am taking a bunch of these for a layout i have planned. ah. i love clothes.:)

i know a lot of my scrapbooking friends and i used to keep in touch via facebook. i have gotten a few emails asking what happened to my account. i decided to delete it. and i am SO glad that i did. the reasons were many. it's a time waster. and i have so little free time. and on a deeper level, i just didn't feel it was healthy in my life. i talk on the phone or text or email with those that i love. and that's how i like it. and it frees up time to do more creative and fun things. like make art. or make out with my boyfriend. :)  one of my goals this year is to simplifly so that i can live more. do more. see more. experience more. so my life is now facebook free. and better for it.

have a great day guys! see ya soon!

 

"I'm looking in on the good life i might be doomed never to find.
Without a trust or flaming fields am i too dumb to refine?
And if you'd 'a took to me like
Well i'd a danced like the queen of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well."

lyrics from my favorite song ever...."new slang" by the shins.

that song never fails to move me. it's on the soundtrack to garden state...one of my favorite movies ever as well. 

one of my goals this year is to blog more. and to share more of myself and my life. to share my personal journey along with my art. because to me blogging has always been somewhat of a journal as well. 

i can't exactly pin point why it is that i am so excited for this new year. i think it's just a season of change in my life in general. the new year just so happend to coincide with change already in progress. 

i have been through more than i care to remember in the past three years. a lot of it has been the hardest stuff i have ever gone through. it's all been a learning experience to say the least. 

change began to happen for me, when i finally not only realized but started living this truth....life isn't perfect. life is never going to be perfect. there is always going to be some unattained goal, some habit that needs to be broken, some crisis that needs tending to, work that needs to be done...etc.

peace and happiness came when i started being happy....regardless. happiness is a choice. and i can choose to be happy each day knowing that my life isn't where i want it to be. that there is still change that needs to be made, work that needs to be done and goals that have to be met. but enjoying the journey, the in-between, that's what life is made of. for the most part we are always "in between". 

i deserve to be happy. i deserve to protect my personal space. to only allow those that bring joy and happiness to enter my space. i deserve to enjoy my life in the midst of working hard to make it better. i might not be exactly where i want to be in my life right at this very moment. but that's ok. i am getting there. and in the meantime, counting my blessings and loving my rather simple life. 

that's why i am so excited for this new year. that's why i am so excited about life in general. because i feel that now that i am finally living in the light of that truth, that true change can happen. that by simply relaxing and taking things day by day i am giving myself back energy that used to be directed towards stress and negativity and redirecting it where it should be. the present moment. and i find myself a whole lot happier because of it.

so back to the shins... if you haven't heard "new slang"...you so should. as natalie portman said in garden state..."You gotta hear this one song. It'll change your life, I swear."