A new card in the new year! {Curtain Color Challenge #65}

Hello and a Happy prosperous New Year!

No, your eyes are not tricking you. I'm back with a card, the first one in the new year. It's for Curtain Color Challenge {Act #65}.

You may be wondering where in the world have I been or what the heck did I do for so long?

I....reflected! :-) First, I needed some distance to calm down dreaming about every single cute stamp out there, because it started being an obsession. I realized that I was trying to keep up with all you super-talented gals out there and somewhere along the way I lost the pure simple excitement of just making cards!

I also concentrated on a spiritual transformation that took place in our family! It was amazing to see how God took both my husband and I on such a challenging journey.

Oh, yeah, and running around after my sweet boy, who discovered how far he can get by rolling and crawling! I can't believe he's almost 1 year old. I need to start working on those 1st birthday invites! I decided on a hot air balloon theme! Any idea from you talented girls would be greatly appreciated!

Since I promised you a card at the beginning of this post, here it is:

{Happy Birthday to You} card 5 1/2 x 4 in

~ Cardstock: Papertreyink {Vintage Cream}, my garage sale collection;
~ Stamps: Papertreyink {Dot Spot, Butterflies Dream};
~ Ink: Papertreyink {Moulin Rouge, Spring Moss, Orangerie}, Stampabilities {Brown};
~ Gemstones {Paper Studio}.

I hope this year is going to be our best year yet!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Any comment is more than welcome, because I'd like to come and visit your blog, too!

New card, new wardrobe...

Hello everyone!

First of all, I would like to thank all of you who follow and read my blog, although it takes longer now to post something.

I'm back with another card, that I did on the floor, next to my boy, who was playing and wondering why he doesn't have mommy's undivided attention. My precious boy has the widest and cutest smile in the world and when he sees me in the morning, he lets out this excited shriek that completely melts my heart! To be honest, it's really hard to do anything else when he's awake, because I haven't gotten over the affection that he gives and needs.

But now he's sleeping so I'm rushing to post a card. It's for Curtain Call Color Challenge #15, which proves to be a rather old one. I mistook it for the most recent, because of "Halloween" colors. Never mind, hopefully I'll make a card for the newest challenge. This is the first time I participate in this challenge, although I've been following it with the corner of my eye for quite some time.

All this time, I've done some other things that I haven't talked about and maybe now it's the time.

I have lost 30 pounds since giving birth! So happy!

After having Mircea, I have given myself a couple of months, to see if breastfeeding will "miraculously" melt the fat off my body. Other friends have inspiring stories, but it didn't happen to me. I also didn't pay attention to what I ate, thinking that since I'm breastfeeding, it doesn't matter how much of what was on my plate.

Because I really felt the need to move again, I started going to Zumba and loved it! I had a great time, but...not losing much weight. I was feeling hungry all.the.time and I would eat whatever was there.

Unfortunately, or rather fortunately, until I changed my eating habits, the scale would not budge a single little line. I started thinking what was important for me in a "diet": I could NOT go hungry, that was sure and I needed some substitute for foods that I loved.

I remembered that, a couple of years ago, a friend of mine sent me a copy of a book written by a french doctor, Michel Montignac, who divided foods based on their glycemic index. He explains that we gain weight because the insulin function of pancreas is "uncalibrated" and therefore, instead of releasing the amount of insulin to metabolize only the carbs, it releases much more and ends up transforming everything in body fat. This is due to a history of eating carbs like refined sugar, white flour, corn starch, that spike the sugar levels in our blood.

After reading it again, I was convinced that I don't need to eat less, but better and that the abundance of bad carbs in our diet makes any amount of exercise futile (unless you're a professional athlete) or it takes so long to lose a little bit of weight that you become discouraged.(I'm talking here about people like me, I'm sure there are people out there that can lose weight only by batting their eyelashes..like my husband and his family. Seriously, these people have a secret and don't share with anyone!)

That day, I decided to give up over-processed foods and eliminate any products that have sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, starch, etc. You would be shocked how many products have unnecessary ingredients for nutrition, but necessary for preservation, so they can stay long amounts of time "fresh" and unalterated on the shelves.

I stopped eating sugar, white flour, white rice, potatoes and corn completely.

This regimen meant that I would cook and eat most of the meals at home. I used to cook before, but I would always have a frozen bag of "goodies" for days when I didn't feel like going near the kitchen. But now, unless that frozen bag was "spinach", I had to (and wanted to) eat a homemade healthy meal everytime I was hungry.

I didn't count calories, I ate when I was hungry and how much I needed and in a month...15 pounds! Have I really eaten 15 pounds worth of sugar, flour, corn starch, corn syrup before?! It was hard to believe, but I did!

I gave up all these, but I discovered cabbage, beans, oat bran, wild rice and "exotic" things like quinoa and jicama. I've substituted white flour with a mix of oat bran flour and almond flour. I've always loved to try now things and I had the chance with this "diet" also. I wouldn't call it a diet, but eating healthy and being mindful of the crap that it's offered out there as "food".

These are some of my favorite dishes:

Oat Bran Blueberry Muffins

(made with oat bran flour and almond flour, not even a trace of wheat flour)

And because nothing says "diet" better than pizza, I'd like you show you a pizza with pinto bean crust.

A modified version of the well-known Shepherd's Pie (with mashed cauliflour puree instead of mashed potatoes)

And now, my 35th birthday cake: Black Bean Cake. (I was suprised how "tasteless" unseasoned beans actually are. Cocoa had a stronger taste than the black beans.)

Isn't it fun to "diet"??? *smile*

To be honest again, sometimes it's a lot of work to cook every single day, but it's worth it!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I'm leaving you with the cutest face on Earth! Trick or treat?

HAVE A SCARY MERRY HALLOWEEN!

{Count my blessings} Card 5 1/2 x 4 in

~ Cardstock: Papertreyink {Vintage Cream}, unknown orange cardstock;
~ Stamps: Papertreyink {In Bloom, Fall Elegance};
~ Ink: Papertreyink {Ripe Avocado}, Stampabilities' {Plum};
~ Ribbon: Martha Stewart
~ Buttons: Papertreyink Vintage {Spring Moss}, purple button from my collection.

A season of Gratitude {FTL 110}

Hello everyone,

I'm finally back with another card, in all these beautiful fall colors.

Whenever I need a simple and quick idea for a card, I go to Clean and Simple Stamping. I am always inspired by the sketches over there.



I can't explain where the time flies. Mircea has started developing a personality and one sign is that he does not like to wear a hat. Period. Ha ha. He can take it off himself. Two of his bottom teeth are coming out and I expect surprises every night. Sometimes he wakes up, sometimes he doesn't. And I am afraid I "caught"some kind of insomnia...I'm falling asleep standing around 10 pm and usually go to bed, but I'm waking up around 1 am and unable to go to bed for a couple of hours. Like last night....So days like today are a little bit of blur, tired enough to not function normally, but not enough to take a nap. Uggh!

Anyways, enough about me. What are your plans for this fall? How is Fall where you live? Full of changing colors, cold, hot (like here!)? Don't you just love the chilly mornings, when you can sit outside with a cup of coffee and muse about how wonderful life is? :)

I'm looking forward for all that this Fall has for us, except one thing: to the table cloth that my in-laws use for Thanksgiving dinner. Any suggestions on how to delicately suggest another table cloth (this is going to be my husband's duty, for sure)?

I am really determined to not let so much water pass under the bridge before I post another card. I have some dreams when it comes to card making, but they look farther than I thought. But I hope that day will come! :)

{a season of Gratitude} card - all products Papertreyink, unless otherwise noted

~ Cardstock: Melon Berry, Spring Moss, Vintage Cream;
~ Paper: Autumn Abundance;
~ Stamps: Fancy Flourishes, Fall Elegance;
~ Ink: Scarlet Jewel, Ripe Avocado, Spring Moss, Melon Berry, Dark Chocolate;
~ Buttons: Vintage Melon Berry, Vintage Scarlet Jewel.

Here is Mircea wearing my husband's 6-months old outfit!

The Fall is here!

Hello everyone,

I'm back, finally! I'd like to thank my friend Genuta for nudging me about not posting anything for some time.

The last month, our little boy has been keeping us on a roller-coaster. Overnight, he started to roll over (we found him one morning rolled on his belly swaddled! What a scare :) ). Then, the breast milk wasn't enough anymore and moreover, he became quite disinterested in breastfeeding. My heart is broken! :)

I love Fall! After a little bit of thinking, I realized that Fall is my favorite season. Maybe it's connected with the touch of coolness it brings after the suffocating summer here in southern Texas and the all these holidays that brings us closer and closer to Christmas.

I have a card today, my first card for Fall this year. I made it for Dawn's Color Cue {8} Challenge. I wish I could use my Chartreuse ink, but unfortunately it has a very low quality. I'm glad that Papertrey Ink changed their inks manufacturer.

Recipe for {I am thankful for you} card 4 x 5 1/2 in
~ Cardstock: Papertreyink {Lemon Tart, Vintage Cream};
~ Stamps: Papertreyink {Vintage Labels}, Making Memories {Autumn Splendor};
~ Ink: Papertreyink {Scarlet Jewel, Ripe Avocado}, Stampabilities {Brown};
~ Buttons: Papertreyink {Vintage Spring Moss, Scarlet Jewel}.

I hope this Fall will brighten your life!

Giveaway WINNER!

Good morning everyone!

I'm back with the winner of my little giveaway. It's....

Probably you wonder "What is this?" It's the mirror image of the name Christina. So, the winner is:

Christina at Sea Glass & Sentiments

Congratulations, Christina! Please contact me by email with your address so I can send you the prize. 

I'd like to thank everyone that took precious crafting time to comment on blog! *smile*

Today is my second Blogoversary!

August the 4th.

In 1693, Dom Perignon invents Champagne {Cheers!}. In 1830, the plans of the city of Chicago laid out. In 1862, the US Government collects its first income tax. 

In 2008, I made MY FIRST CARD. Here it is!

It's been an amazing journey so far. Card making has helped me in ways I have never expected. 

I have always struggle with noticing details. They could be right in front of me and I would miss them. I am more of a bigger picture person. After two years of making cards (where, let's be honest, the battle is won in the little details), I could literally sit down for a couple of hours working on a details of a project with no pain. The emphasis is on no pain. Because I've been dealing with a lot of details before in my life, but it's been always painful. I remember the first time I had to write a scientific article in grad school, I got sick. For real! My body fought it as an illness. 

I have met some incredibly talented ladies in the blogosphere. Ladies that inspired me with their stories of their family, their children, their own journey though life. They taught me that no matter how hard life gets, there is always a little bit of energy and creativity to make a card!

That's why, for everyone out there who stumbles (or comes on purpose!) on my blog today, I'm offering my absolute favorite stamp set so far, Papertreyink's Guide Lines 2. 

Please leave a comment to this post until next Wednesday, August 11th 2010, 11.59 pm, about the first card you made, if you remember, about how you decided to start making cards or a memorable moment in your card making journey...anything that had to do with card making. 

The winner will be chosen randomly. {Unfortunately, this contest is open only to U.S. residents, as the cost of shipping outside of the U.S. is too much for my budget right now.}

I am looking forward for many more years of browsing beautiful cards on line and making some myself. I'm actually very curious how this is going to "evolve" from now on!

THANKS for stopping by and I'll see you soon! 

Embellish Magazine Color Challenge {featuring Birds}

Hi everyone!

I'm back with a card with birds! First, I thought I had no stamps with birds, but I dug in my rubber stamps drawer and I found this cute Hero Arts stamp. I was more than happy to put it to use. {By the way, I think everyone should have a stamp with birds}.

Here it is:

Recipe for {Thank You for Caring} Card 4 x 5 1/2 in

~ Cardstock: Papertreyink {Spring Moss, Dark Chocolate, Vintage Cream, Raspberry Fizz};

~ Paper: Papertreyink {Dotty Biscotti};

~ Stamps: Hero Arts {Thank You Card};

~ Ink: Stampabilities {Brown};

~ Button: Papertreyink {Vintage Spring Moss}.

I really love ledger borders in general, but because I wanted to be true to my promise of taking ordering new crafting stuff a little easier, I decided to make my own! Here's how: with the help of a ruler, I marked a few dots at equal intervals on the left border of the paper. I punched a little circle for every dot. Then I took the "line" puncher and punched a line from the side until it met the circle. Pretty easy, isn't it? I bet it looks even better with a smaller circle punch.

So, this is my card for today. But don't forget to stop by tomorrow, 4th of August, as it's my second Blogoversary! A little giveaway will be waiting for you!