Scraps Away!

Dad and Mom, Day After Wedding 91805

2011-11-11T05:27:00.000+08:00

Fresh-faced Oona

2011-11-07T05:25:00.000+08:00

Sisters

2011-11-04T05:24:00.000+08:00

Olly Ecstatic!

2011-11-01T05:22:00.000+08:00

Oona

2011-10-28T05:21:00.005+08:00

Sharing

2011-10-25T05:16:00.005+08:00

Adorable Olly

2011-10-21T05:15:00.000+08:00

Widdlytinks.com

Beautiful Oona

2011-10-21T02:32:00.000+08:00

Tinkering with Widdly Tinks :)

A Quiet Birthday Afternoon

2011-04-20T08:24:00.000+08:00

Credits: CottageArtsHopeSentimentPakDelicious Scraps Summer Suprises BlogTrainCreations by rachel BethanyHappiness QP 2.png

Olly And Lola Espie

2011-04-15T08:03:00.000+08:00

Credits: Celine Designs Precious Things QP Freebie

Olly and Lolo Lem @ the Farm

2011-04-10T07:40:00.001+08:00

Credits: Raspberry Road Designs Farm Chic QP Freebie

A Late Valentine LO

2011-04-05T07:38:00.000+08:00

Credits: KPertiet_CurledFrameDistressed.JSprague_EchoesofAsiat STI_SS_Embell_Matchbooklet_Special.BMU_DreamsMC_Frame_Special.LBraxton_Encourage Yourself_kit mterasawa-valentine-wordart12807-SP_SeasonalSampler_Amore

Olly @5 months, July 2010

2011-03-30T07:26:00.000+08:00

Credits: Pimp My Page Challenge Template Cindy Schneider, PeppermintCreative.com MissMint_Coordinated Kit_Painted Season MissMint_TropicalPopsicle

Olly's Guest Page

2011-03-26T07:28:00.000+08:00

Credits: Done with the invite, scrambled to make this and lost track of specific credits :( Designer digitals and Peppermint creative

Olly's Baptism/Birthday Invite and Map

2011-03-22T07:22:00.002+08:00

Credits: Designer Digitals, Peppermint Creative...plus so many to keep track of that I lost the list as I scrambled to finish this in time! My extreme apologies...please feel free to contact me for inquiries about the elements :)

Hanging Out

2011-03-20T07:05:00.000+08:00

Credits: RR_BasketsBunnies_Cluster__6_.png JEdwards_WebChallFreebie0417_1.png KPertiet_Web20080113.png

Layout for Grandma

2011-02-21T22:29:00.000+08:00

Fatherhood

2011-02-17T22:18:00.000+08:00

Remembering March

2011-02-14T22:16:00.001+08:00

One Month Olly

2011-02-11T22:15:00.000+08:00

Cherishing Being A Big Sister

2011-02-08T22:13:00.001+08:00

Dad and Olly

2011-02-05T22:12:00.002+08:00

My Daughters

2011-02-03T22:07:00.000+08:00

I Love Iced Tea!

2011-02-01T19:55:00.000+08:00

Sweet Dreams

2011-01-29T05:22:00.000+08:00

Sisterhood

2011-01-26T05:17:00.000+08:00

Best Friends For Life

2011-01-23T15:33:00.000+08:00

Baby Olly And Me

2011-01-20T15:33:00.000+08:00

One Afternoon At Delish

2011-01-19T11:35:00.000+08:00

One Lazy Afternoon
Credits: Designer Digitals

Scrub-Happy!

2011-01-08T02:41:00.001+08:00

The one thing I can really say about nursing scrubs is that I envy how comfortable nurses are. With how busy a Mom's day gets (comparable to a nurse's long hours!), scrubs win in comfort and functionality.

I was glad to check out Blue Sky Scrubs while I was browsing for scrubs that wouldn't look like I got into a sack. I was delighted to find tops and bottoms in different colors that look like they're tailor-fit for easy, free movement that running after kids require. The materials and stitching look very durable and I'm sure, child-proof! They're also very cool and comfortable to wear (not stuffy!) and easy to launder, a huge plus!

Kids and babies also have their own scrub uniform versions! I find that it's a very ingenious clothing solution for play and sleep. They're cool, comfortable, durable and easy to wash! With how many times a day children need to change clothes and the heavy duty demands of dirt, spills, food accidents and play time, a few good sets of kids' scrubs are a great investment.

Blue Sky offers a great place to buy stylish, quality but cheap scrubs.

With how easy it was to navigate through their site, I was even able to find that they can custom-make scrubs for you! From stitching to cloth, size and color, you just have to tell them. They also have fashionable accessories, lanyards and really pretty scrub hats!

From being on the go with the kids, doing my housework or digiscrapping on the computer, scrubs can easily be my outfit of choice.

Happy scrubbing!

The Family 2010

2010-09-04T00:05:00.002+08:00

After so long, I am BACK!!! :) To show what I've been busy with, when I fell out of the blogosphere, a layout of my beautiful family! As you can see, we have a new baby too, Olivia Eleanor "Olly", born February 19 this year.

Credits: AVictoria-webchallenge-jan20 Copyright 2007 by Designer Andrea Victoria Mary Ann Wise DD_QuoteChallenge_MWise_familychange 110407 Web Challenge 8 April 2007 By and © Anna Aspnes 2007 KPertiet_Ad21107Copyright ©2007 by Katie Pertiet Designer Digitals

UPDATES and RENOVATIONS

2009-10-17T11:48:00.000+08:00

Soon! :)

N@WIE LOVE!

2008-10-21T01:58:00.001+08:00

Reposted from Mommyluscious!

N@W is Newlyweds At Work, a Yahoo Group message board for newlyweds, about to be parents, wanting to be parents...everything that's got to do with being a wife, mother, woman, survivor, working parent, breastfeeding advocate, etc., etc., etc. Most are women though the odd guy comes around to see what post his wife keeps mentioning. Whatever the issue, there's a thread about it, a zillion ears to listen and shoulders to lean on or cry on. I'm not always an active poster, being guilty of running to the group mostly when I've got something I'm completely stumped about, but it's the equivalent of a sorority house without the hassles of being an initiate or a pledge. You can be sure of the support, understanding and wise advice of your sisters and brothers at N@W.

For those who don't know what being a N@wie is, it's the best group a first time mom can be in. Spinning off from the W@Wies (Weddings at Work) who went through the wedding and are now parents, the N@wies are a fun and supportive bunch even if I haven't met them all IRL (in real life).

And because I love this group, I made badges with the blessings of Benz of the W@Wie Rana Dynamic Duo :D Please feel free to grab one to post wherever you wish! Just right click and save. Link the image up to the W@W portal or N@W site so more moms out there can find their way to the group!

Here's the first batch! :)

More to come! Enjoy!

THE FACE OF POVERTY

2008-10-11T16:35:00.001+08:00

Does poverty have a face?

I am still hunting up a photo to complement my article at Mommyluscious for Blog Action Day, but every time I see the face of a child begging for food or lying in the street with a cup for a few pesos, my heart breaks. I have to stop because I don't want to cry. And as ashamed as I am to say it, I can't look into their eyes long, even through the lens of a camera, without tearing up inside and I have to look away before my feelings get the better of me.

LUSCIOUS BLOG NETWORK ROLL CALL

2008-10-09T00:25:00.001+08:00

So what have I been up to lately?

I can safely say that I have a new hat to wear: the Blogger Tweaker Hat. I'm not really a hacker, I can't invent code or CSS to save my life, but I do tweak existing and Already-Hacked Blogger Templates to suit my needs and wants. Sometimes I tweak them to death (not good). An example would be that 3-column template I wanted to convert into something else, I inserted a bit of code and then to my horror, sidebars and widgets ended up all over the place and refused to be reborn into something better than its former existence. As with anything, it had its limits and I had to let it rest in peace after it gave up the ghost in bytes and pieces.

At last I was able to finish revamping three of my existing blogs (Scraps Away, Weekend Wanderings and Luscious Picks) and put up a new blog for my photos named Photoluscious (what else?!). Mommyluscious I think I'll leave the layout alone and just streamline it a bit.

So here's my blog roll call, The Luscious Blog Network (naks!):

Of course Mommyluscious remains my standard bearer. It has since evolved from being the blog of a working mother trying to juggle motherhood and the demands of a growing art studio.

Mommy Laya quit the art studio a few months back. I haven't really covered the experiences and implications the decision to be a Stay At Home Mother presents because I'm still going through it now. All I can say is, there's much more time to spend being a Mother to Oona even if I do spend lots of time on the computer pursuing personal projects.

I'm lucky enough to have a very understanding husband. He does say that he likes me being home more than being a double-income family. Although of course, it would have helped if we financially prepared for my quitting ahead of time. But when you're not happy in a particular situation, there's no contingencies for that. Anyway, I am now a SAHM who's juggling the family budget, trying to find ways and means to add to it via projects I can do at home and with my limitations (time is such a valuable commodity with a baby!).

I blog, do graphics and try to be a mother to Oona as best as possible. I can also say I'm a recovering workaholic. Sometimes I get depressed over finances especially when bills get stacked in my in-box. Sometimes I envy the other people who have schedules and places to go to and things to DO. I know that sounds like a ton of regrets in the future. Honestly, I can't say what will happen ten years down the road, if my decision to quit and stay home will haunt me. But I do know the feeling passes.

Every time Oona achieves a milestone in her young life and I'm here to witness it...no salary in the world matters. Other parents know what I'm talking about. It's different when you're single. It's different when your child discovers she has legs and can run around and the nanny just tells you about it when you get home from work. It's different when it's YOU she runs to with that face split in a smile so wide, it melts your heart, with the look in her eyes that says "Look, MOM! LOOK!!!". :D

Scraps Away is my digital scrapping blog. It's really in my DNA to do something creative and it's to make sure my creative muscles don't atrophy. Nowadays, since I took this crash course in Template manipulation and blog improvement, I haven't been able to update as regularly as before. Rest assured though, I have a couple of LO's already in the pipeline, just waiting to be finished and posted.

To satisfy my wanderlusting, I came up with Weekend Wanderings. Travel is really one of the things RF and I love. We also want to impart to Oona the wonders of the world we live in, our own backyard, most importantly. I'm not really a die-hard nationalista, but I do have an intense appreciation for this place. There's really so much to like and enjoy more than complain about. After all, it isn't the actual place you go to, but the myriad little things that get you there that makes the destination really special.

I put up this blog primarily as a partner to Weekend Wanderings. I find that I really am trigger-happy, just about as much as my husband is with his camera phone. At first, using my N95 8GB was a means to an end since I have a Canon Ixus as well. But I found myself using my Nokia more because it was easier to whip out and I didn't need to carry around extra memory cards just to augment my Canon's 16MB default card. Besides, they're both 5 Megapixels so not much difference when it comes to resolution.

So, I am currently indulging my National Geographic Photographer fantasies using my trusty camera phone with a beautiful 8GB storage space. I did adjust the photos' contrast and saturation a bit with Google's Picasa, but all the photos came from my phone. Someday, I hope to be able to save up for a DXLR, the real sweet deal! Until then, I plan to enjoy this little baby.

Last but not the least, my blog for stuff that I like online and offline. I love a lot of stuff that I can't usually afford, but you don't really need money to appreciate beautiful things. For me, the truly beautiful things are truly useful things as well. Yes, lingerie are useful things. They make you feel beautiful, so there! That's why in this blog, I have lingerie, earth-friendly furniture, baby stuff, make-up and power tools in the same place. I just don't have car accessories or hard-core guy stuff (like jockstraps or whatever only for guys thingies there are). I can't drive and I'm not a guy. Anyway, I put stuff in here in case anybody stumbles on this blog and happens to be looking for something I've already seen. Hope this blog helps!

So there you have it, my starting five. Check them out and let me know what you think! Enjoy! :)

LO for Oona's Uncles

2008-10-05T17:40:00.000+08:00

These two were made for my brothers, Oona's uncles, who were both moving out of my parents' house and striking out on their own. I wanted them to have a memento of Oona, to remind them a little bit of home and family. It features snapshots of Oona's first few months.

{Credits: Shabby Princess Harvest Spice, Cottage Arts Hope and Sentiment Pack}

My AKA/ID cards at Designer Digitals

2008-10-03T16:24:00.000+08:00

{Credits: Katie Pertiet Web Challenges 20080113, 93007, 111807;
Ad Challenge 123007; ScrapPink; ATCLayeredTemplate; Cottage Arts March 04 freebie}

Getting Started On Your First Layout

2008-09-30T13:52:00.000+08:00

Previous: So You Wanna Digi-Scrap Too?

Pictures? Check. Hardware? Check. Software? Check! All systems GO!

(This is a simplified version for Photoshop users. It's a little bit more advanced than if you're going to use a ready-to-scrap software Scrapbookflair, Smilebox or Scrapblog. Those softwares are very user-friendly with prompts and built-in directions from start to finish. The last two even supplies their own musictoaccompany your finished albums!)

1. Pick out a theme. It'll be easier when you establish a focus for your project like, Our Summer at the Beach 2008 or Christmas Vacation 2007. Being specific is always good as it will help you pick out designs and ideas faster than having a scope that's too general or broad.

2. Select a picture or a set you want to work on, based on the theme you have in mind. You might want to go through them to pick out the good shots. This is when it's toughest, trying to pick out the best among all the cute photos! But, tough love, baby! Leave behind the ones that really don't tell a story, are blurry or too dark to be edited. Put the ones you picked in a separate folder just to segregate them from the rest you aren't working on.

3. Edit the photos on your photo-editing software. Crop, enhance and clean them up to make sure they stand out.

4. Search for papers, elements and other materials that correspond to the theme you picked.

5. Start layouting (For Photoshop, this is assuming you're familiar with the software)

a. First rule of thumb is: KEEP IT SWEET AND SIMPLE. There are a number of free layouts and quick pages downloadable from the scrapbooking community. If you're stumped for ideas, browse through the galleries to get inspired. One thing you will notice is that the layouts may be simple, but they all kick ass. It's a good idea to make a sketch of your composition first so you'll have something to base your final layout on.

b. Set your canvas size to what you would like your final project to be. Most projects are set at 12x12 but you may modify it to 8.5x11 especially if you're printing them. The 12x12's are also printable as photobooks but usually via print shops.

c. Lay out the papers you want to use for the background. Usually, this depends on whether your photos are generally light or dark. I would suggest a light colored background paper if your photos are dark and vice versa for light photos. This is to provide a backdrop for your photos so they ought to provide a certain contrast. However, if you still want to use a dark background with dark photos, you can still provide contrast for your pictures by the use of lighter shaded frames and embellishments. You may also use other papers, placing them side by side or layering them one on top of the other for further effect.

d. Place the picture/s you want to feature on the page. I would suggest a maximum of five pictures on one page and no more. Unless you were going for a mosaic look, too many pictures on one page can overwhelm your viewer. A good layout for me would be to have one focal point and that the rest of the elements and other pictures would visually support.

e. Frame the pictures with your chosen frames and elements. Focus on developing your focal point, leading the eye to it.

f. Save your work periodically. When you're done, save a .jpeg version of it to post or bring to the photo printing shop.

Viola! You're done!

ANGEL'S PAGES: 12-14

2008-09-28T23:14:00.000+08:00

Proud Mommy Ate Rina and the Angel!

Posing with Ate Joy and her trophy.

On days that she's with us, she's a very attentive Ate to Oona. She's very inquisitive and is always interested in everything!

WORKSHOP! WORKSHOP!

2008-09-26T14:50:00.000+08:00

Robo Monkey Pixel Fighters (it's a mouthful, I know!) in partnership with Euphony Music Studio, is going to be holding a series of Cartooning Workshops. For those in the Makati area, enrollment is on-going! Sign your kids up or maybe even yourself! Check us out at our website for more details! See you!

HOUSEKEEPING!

2008-09-25T02:38:00.003+08:00

As ya'll can see, this here's a new layout. Not that the old layout wasn't okay, but it stood for some improvement. Just as I was getting on with said improvement, tweaking code here and there, Blogger went all error on me, Firefox hung and that was the end of my previous code.

When I opened my browser again, everything I put in was gone. All that was left were empty widgets that I couldn't possibly remember the codes for.

So, as perfect a time as any, I'm trying out this layout. At least, I was able to tweak this one in record time. I don't take a day and a half anymore. Maybe half a day, but still! Progress!

So, please let me know how this does compared to the last layout since my brain is all coded out.

Thanks!

ANGEL'S PAGES: 8-11

2008-09-23T23:05:00.005+08:00

The little winner!

Playing with her friends at home after the pageant.

Hamming it up with Ate Joy, Angel's Aunt and very patient tutor!

Posing with Ate Joy and Nanay Lita!

{Credits: Smilebox Spring Chick}

SO YOU WANNA DIGI-SCRAP TOO?

2008-09-23T00:10:00.009+08:00

Why do I digi-scrap?

Why do I spend hours on end, sifting through pictures, elements, papers, embellishments, alphabets and little decorative pins?

Why do I let my behind acquire the shape of my seat, my eyes get bleary and my hand cramp from clicking...clicking...clicking?

Let me tell you, this kind of scrapbooking is ADDICTIVE.

If you don't mind developing the habit though, here's how to start getting hooked.

Things you need:

1. Digital Photos
If you have film stock photos, scan them in full color at 300dpi for best quality. Word of warning though! If pictures are blurry or crappy to begin with, don't expect miracles. There is no photo editing software in the world that can save a bad, blurry, out-of focus picture.

2. Hardware
These are just suggestions as I am aware that it's expensive to buy or soup up a machine. Scrapbooking isn't the only thing I do so having a monster on my desk is justified. I had mine assembled at PC Express. Villman is also a good place to check out but PCE was nearer to my place. However, these are the basic needs I think every computer that's going to be used for graphics, no matter how amateur or basic, should have.

A good computer for a digital scrapbooker to get would be one that has the specs for graphic design. You will be running a couple of programs that are RAM-hungry so it's best to have a large RAM and another disk drive apart from your system drive. Install all the programs in the system drive and save all your projects in the other disk drive. This is a sacred rule. Among other things, this is so you don't crash your machine, your projects are safe in case you need to reformat your hard drive and the incidence of a virus infecting everything in one go is significantly reduced.

Mind you get a good processor and its appropriate corresponding motherboard. The faster it is, the better. Your video card should also be as good (gamer specs nowadays is cheaper and just as good). Of course, ask your technician about the heat sink, power supply and fans. You don't want to overheat and cause a melt-down.

Peripherals: I use a Graphire 3 Wacom tablet instead of a mouse. It makes for less possibilities for carpal tunnel syndrome in the long run, especially since I draw my own stuff sometimes. I have speakers, a web cam, an Epson Stylus C67 BubbleJet printer, assorted USB jacks for card readers and my N95 8GB camera phone (I don't have a digicam so that's what I use). I don't have a scanner but I'd love to have one.

3. Software
Photo editing: There are a number of this type of software that are easy to use. The most reliable for me are Adobe products like Photoshop and its less complicated sister, Photoshop Elements. You will need this for enhancing your photos, resizing, cropping and general clean up. Another good software for quick fixes is Google Picasa. It's free, easily downloadable, reliable and also does a bang-up job of organizing your photos. The only thing you can't do with it is create complicated projects like you would using Adobe and toast bread for breakfast.

Digital Scrapbooking: All over the internet, there are freebies or if you can afford it, really good programs that offer ready made templates. Two of what I've personally used are Scrapbookflair, a free downloadable program and Smilebox, which is available only for a short trial period. Scrapblog, an online album service, is also good to use if you want to do quick layouts and have a fast, reliable internet connection. I prefer working offline so I worked with Scrapbookflair mostly before going Adobe all the way.

4. Papers, Embellishments, Scrapping Materials and GREAT TUTORIALS!

There are websites offering free downloads of beautiful material and even tutorials. Just be sure to join their newsletter and messageboard, the support, advice, tips and tricks are invaluable to beginners. I would definitely recommend Scrap Girls! Posting your work in the group galleries would also help you improve your craft. Rest assured that the ladies are always encouraging and appreciative of your efforts. There are no haters should you ask for creative criticism or help with a layout you're stumped with.

For links to various websites, look to my right sidebar (yep, your right) and take your pick!

Next: Getting Started on Your First Layout

ANGEL'S PAGES: 4-7

2008-09-21T21:58:00.000+08:00

Angel with her Mommy, Ate Rina!

With Nanay Lita, Ate Rina's Aunt where Angel stays during the week Ate Rina works for us.

At the school on Coronation Day!

{Credits: Smilebox Spring Chick}

ANGEL'S PAGES: 1-3

2008-09-19T16:09:00.000+08:00

Oona's Nanny Ate Rina has a very pretty, bright and talented daughter, Angel.

She's years old, in and wants to be a when she grows up.

She's also her mother's very special girl. It doesn't look like it in these pictures, but Angel suffered from hydrocephalus as a baby.

At three months old, she and Ate Rina journeyed all by themselves to Manila to seek medical attention and financial assistance that was not readily available to them in their small hometown. Angel made the _____ hour journey on a pillow, riding a boat and crowded buses.

With a fierceness born out of a mother's love, Ate Rina fought for everything she could get to have Angel treated. She tells me of long lines at , fearlessly walking up to Malacanang on her own and patiently waiting in charitable institutions for her turn to plead her daughter's case. Her tenacity bore results as Angel was admitted to for a series of operations that would drain the fluid in her head through a shunt. At just a few months old, she has had operations and had spent in the hospital.

After months, Angel's prognosis looked good and they were finally allowed to go home. However, she had to have regular check-ups, childhood illnesses needed to be carefully monitored (no matter how mild it seemed) and the shunt needs to be replaced as soon as Angel reached a certain age and height.

Given the iffy survival rates for a neuro-surgical operation on one so young and the complications during and after the procedure, Angel is living proof that miracles do happen! She is now a bubbly, precocious little girl doing well in school and has a talent for singing.

Although the second series of operations are looming nearer, Ate Rina and Angel are confident that something will turn up to help them through it. For now, Ate is saving everything she can for that time and praying everything goes well for her little Angel.

This series is an album I made for Angel when she won a little pageant in school. Enjoy!

{Credits: Smilebox Spring Chick}

I GOT FEATURED!!!

2008-09-16T16:46:00.004+08:00

IT'S OUT! IT'S OUT! JUST OFF THE PRESS!

Read it at the Databazaar Blog!

{Credits: Papers: Designer Digitals Katie Pertiet Ad Challenge 11407, Ad Challenge 123007
& Scrap Girls Theresa Kavouras Sweet Success 12x12 Diamond Glory SPECIAL;
Embellishments: Designer Digitals Swirlies by Anna Aspnes Web Challenge 18 May 08,
Scrap Girls Refresh 2 frame;
Fonts: Old Script & Digikeepsakes Vivaldi Alpha by Leslie B.;
Photo frame: Free Digital Scrapbooking Andrea Rascaglia}

WOOT!!!

For Grandma Nida

2008-09-14T16:20:00.003+08:00

Credits: ShabbyPrincess Shabby Mommy kit Piece-a-Cake Page and Overlays and
Sun Porch by Amy Teets; Cottage Arts Hope Sentiment Pack

This is RF's Mom, Oona's Grandma. We think that Oona's got her eyes!

Oona's Second Album: LAST PAGES

2008-09-13T14:33:00.002+08:00

It was pretty typical for everyone after that.

Sleeping was our favorite activity. (It still is, with eating and playing a close second and third!)

Before August ended, Lolo Lem got to play with his recovering little granddaughter. She still couldn't see much, as with typical newborns, but she knew how to work the crowd!

It was as if she never got sick!

CALL OUTS FOR BLOG ACTION DAY!

2008-09-12T03:37:00.003+08:00

October 15 is the BIG DAY for bloggers, podcasters and videocasters all over the world wide web! It's when all of us talk, post and blog about one topic, create enough noise to be heard about it and hopefully effect a change that would go beyond our computer monitors. This year, the topic is about Poverty. We see enough of it everyday, but what do we do about it?

Ripples, people! Ripples! The power of the written word, bloggers! Pen, mightier than the sword! The spoken word puts ideas into other people's heads! Let's use what we have to bring this issue out and make it possible for our thoughts, ideas and feelings to walk out into the world and into concrete action.

Just one day. Imagine what could happen if we all talked about it, all at the same time! How far would our ripples go? Let's see it touch the lives of people all over the world!

Join us! Click that graphic up there and contribute a little of your time to make that ripple grow!

Oona's Second Album: PAGES 17-19

2008-09-11T00:42:00.001+08:00

We got visits at the hospital, the night before we came home. Everyone was relieved that she was better. They weren't allowed in the NICU so no one had seen her for a week.

She was less fussy in the following days and her real character began to come out.

She still couldn't focus her newborn eyes, but she would try to stare at faces. It was as if she was catching up for the first few days she was out of commission.

RF would gamely take on anything he could short of feeding her as she was still breastfeeding. However, he did get the hang of cup feeding her from the hospital and he would tell me to pump a bit so he could feed her if she was hungry while I snatched a few minutes more of sleep.

Oona really slept a lot during those following days. We would watch her as she slept and try to make her as comfortable as possible.

Her color improved and so did her temperament. Of course, RF coming home from night shift would still take her to the rooftop deck for some sun. Then, they would come down for breakfast and fall asleep together.

Oona's Second Album: PAGES 15-16

2008-09-09T00:09:00.000+08:00

This is back to the hospital for us.

The pedia didn't let us leave after her check-up. We had to have her admitted at the Newborn Intensive Care Unit for emergency light treatment.

That blue light is what kept her alive.

Without it, she could have lost the function of vital organs and her brain function.

I thought jaundice was just a small thing. It really is normal since all babies are born with it and their liver is able to process it immediately with the help of mother's milk.

The nutrients in the milk helps push out the toxins. But sometimes, it's not nearly enough. So, for my Oona, we had to spend a few more days in the hospital fighting it down.

I almost camped out at the NICU, spending more time there than in my own room. I couldn't bear it when I had to leave her after feeding time. I would instead spend the time in the nursing room, pumping milk for her. The good thing about it though, she was a natural being fed from a cup, as the hospital wanted to avoid bottle-feeding to help the newborns get used to their nursing at their mother's breast.

I was also unable to save the piece of left-over umbilical cord that fell off. Traditionally it's kept but Oona would have to do without the gross awe of seeing a piece of her cord when she's older. If she had gotten any worse, the pedia was preparing us for the eventuality of a blood transfusion. The only way to do that with a vein large enough was through her navel. I shudder to think how. So they kept her navel prepped and damp so the navel wound would be tender enough for the procedure. So naturally, the cord fell off and was thrown out.

Poor RF had to go back to work since his paternity leave was only a few days. He came straight from the office everyday, to crash on the hospital couch in my room. I was still being monitored for my blood pressure and the nurses had to tell me in no uncertain terms that camping out at the nursery was courting a relapse or binat.

Thankfully, the jaundice went down far enough for the pedia to be sure that it would continue going down after she's taken off from the blue light and we didn't have to go for the blood transfusion. Seeing her in the NICU with the clinical paraphernalia surrounding her with a dextrose, I don't think I could stand seeing her suffer anymore. She was just too tiny!

We were finally allowed to go home with out little tomato girl. Although her face was still puffy from the dextrose and the medication, her redness had lessened and we were told that the yellow would disappear.

We were just glad to have her out of danger, that even if she were marked with yellow eyes all her life, I wouldn't have minded at all.

Oona's Second Album: PAGES 12-14

2008-09-07T23:52:00.000+08:00

These are the first few days at home. Sleepless, still racked with pain, exhausted and overly worried about Oona.

Is she crying because she's hungry? Too hot? Too cold? Not swaddled enough or too tight? Did she poop or pee? Does she want to cuddle? Be sung to? Are we too noisy or too quiet? Is she in pain? Is her navel bothering her? Is her jaundice getting worse?

Hay, the insecurity of new parents!

Plus the added worry that her pedia wanted to see her immediately after the weekend was over. The usual was seven days, but we were scheduled to see him three days after coming home.

It was the rainy season and no sun was coming out long enough for her to absorb as much vitamins as she can to beat the jaundice in her system. We were putting her under fluorescent lamps night and day, but we were scared it wasn't enough. At first she was just newborn red, then before the weekend was over, her eyeballs were yellow.

I was sick scared and RF was better at managing the worry. I didn't know what to do.

I was so frustrated because I just wanted her to be okay. I wanted her to be a normal, happy baby. I wanted not to be worried sick that the doctors would need her back at the hospital. I wanted to be well and mobile enough and RF and I to be rested to take better care of her. I wanted to know everything before she even had to cry so heart-breakingly for anything.

I think, it was my most helpless time. I didn't want to lose her.

Oona's Second Album: PAGES 9-11

2008-09-05T15:41:00.000+08:00

In our private room, we had some time to ourselves as the new family. I was tired, cranky and yes, in pain. I wanted to get over the pain already and start enjoying my new family!

We were all adjusting to the new state of things and I wanted to cry myself when Oona cried. I couldn't move as fast as I wanted, to feed her or check on her . . . my regard for single mothers and the mothers of the past went up profoundly when I think of the comforts, medicine and advice readily available to me during those few hours. Not to mention my tired but loving and attentive husband, for whom I'm sure, the world changed with his daughter's first cry.

RF couldn't stop taking pictures even when he was so tired and sleepy. Oona for the most part was either sleeping or crying. She still drives us nuts nowadays but not as badly as the first few days. I wanted to develop mind-reading powers just to spare her the heart-breaking cries!

I sincerely don't know how we managed.

We were also able to welcome our first few visitors then: the proud family!

Oona was a first grandchild and niece on my side of the immediate family so most pictures here are of my clan!

Oona's Second Album: PAGES 5-8

2008-09-03T11:43:00.001+08:00

Our first family picture! I was so stoned. I was near blacking out while the doctors were cleaning me and Oona up. RF hovered. I thought Oona was going to drown on my boob. I was aware of fractured sounds, images and thoughts...I don't know what they gave me but I was higher than high. I was fighting it for all I was worth but the drugs, the exhaustion and the physical exertion was too much for me.

Oona and I roomed together from the get go. I still don't know if that was a good idea or not, but all I know is, I couldn't have let her out of my sight for a second. Although St. Luke's is a good hospital, I've heard too many horror stories of babies getting switched or kidnapped. Or maybe it was the drugs working on a new mother's paranoia. Nevertheless, the nurses and our new pedia (we acquired one between the delivery room and the post-op) gave us all the attention and care we needed as a new family.

I was still racked up with pain and RF was desperate for sleep. I don't know where we got the strength we had that day, but seeing Oona, holding her frail little babyness was an incredible experience.

She was so sweet! So tiny! So incredibly ours!

She looked like a burrito, swaddled in her blankets. RF was afraid to hold her because she looked so fragile! He was afraid he'd drop her but the nurses insisted he learn ASAP. I wanted to laugh so hard but all I managed was a dry chuckle. Pain. I was also so very thirsty from not having taken any liquids or eaten anything for over twelve hours.

Looking at Oona's pictures now, I can tell you straight away that at first I was struck at the absence of the intense feeling you kept reading in books. I understand now that it's a romanticized version of parenthood, although it does happen.

For me, I had the certainty that no matter who this little person would turn out to be, she was mine. Not in a possessive, I-own-you kind of way. . . She is a part of me I gave to the world. A part of my body, my soul. She is her own person, but she is as my own.

You know what they say about having children.

It's making that decision to have your heart walk around outside your body.

She was it.

I'M GETTING "PUBLISHED"!

2008-09-02T01:00:00.004+08:00

Well, interviewed actually. Online. But it's basically the same banana.

Hehe. Watch and be mesmerised! Dance, banana, dance!

Anyhoo, back to earth, Kate Hughes of Databazaar came by Scraps Away and liked what she saw. So much so that she's asked me to participate in their site's blog feature articles called PrinTales.

*smugnessss* Let's take a moment to worship me . . . . . . . . . Alright, moment done.

Basically, Databazaar is a website for and about mostly printers. Desktop printers, large-scale printers, you name it, they know about it. They have information about faxes, paper, ink cartridges and different brands. Their articles in PrinTales are stories of people who do creative stuff with their printers.

And I'm being intervyoooowd! La-la-la-la-laaaa!

Of course, I have to come up with a project "with a special twist" to showcase on their site. The twist is to personalize it somehow for Databazaar and the project is whatever I can think of.

At first I thought it would be easy-peasy. But scrapbooking, per se's been done; cards and giveaways are out; framed stuff, someone's wrote in about that too. I wanted to be spectacular! Well, I could settle for original. Or at least, hasn't been featured yet.

So, my deadline being on September 2 and having no other time to do it, I did it during the weekend. I went back to basics, to way back when I literally threw scraps together and came up with something (Recycling is good!) like gift wrappers, notebook covers, etc. It was easier this time because I can jam things together using digital materials and I don't have to worry about the mess.

After it's approved, I shall post it and sleep! It's simple enough but I hope it shall be liked.
Again, the dancing banana! Yay! Shake it, baby! Shaaaake eet!

For My Beloved

2008-09-01T23:34:00.001+08:00

{credits: wax seals; shabby princess harvest spice, fall holiday sampler and vintage florals}

I made this to commemorate our 7th Valentine's Day together. I know, corny as it may sound, but it's the perfect excuse to give him something to tell him how much I love him. I had it framed and gave it as a gift.

*blush*

Oona's Second Album: PAGES 1-4

2008-08-28T18:15:00.000+08:00

The First Page

My Uncle Edel G. made a poem for her. It was so sweet of him that I had to include it in the album for Oona to read when she grows older. He's supposed to be gruff and tuff but then he goes all intellectual gooey like this!

The Second Page

Here was the eve of and the day of the big event! I was already having contractions early during the week but it was only on Tuesday that I felt pain. It was still manageable but we already called our OB and was timing it to the minute.

I was already cranky and the taxi driver was no help. he was driving like a maniac, if I weren't about to give birth, I would have strangled him with the steering wheel.

The Third Page

By this time, RF and I were both groggy. I was given medicine because I had incredibly high blood pressure. The doctors were waiting for it to go down. Meanwhile, I was still a few cms closed and they were threatening to send me home to wait it out because they couldn't induce me and risk having a seizure.

RF on the other hand, came straight from night shift to a cranky wife having contractions. So, I had him sleep while I was busy doing deep breathing.

I told him I'd just wake him up when it was time to hold my hand while I screamed at him and he can emote in all Lamaze earnestness (Breathe! Hoo! Hoo! Huff! Huff!).

The Fourth Page

And there she is! Our little bundle!

It took me a few minutes and two pushes to get her out. RF was a bit put out because he wasn't able to emote. He said it happened so quickly, he had no time to feel the emotion of the moment when he heard Oona cry.

It went according to routine. By this time, I was as high as a kite with the lovely epidural. RF took longer to get dressed in scrubs andwe had to wait for him because I refused to push without him. Crazy Mama.

All I could say was "Oh my God! Oh my God!", over and over again. RF on the other hand was teary eyed, following the nurses around and trying to take pictures. I told him to make sure they put the tags on her and not lose our baby because I didn't spend nine months carrying her around just to lose her!

Suffice to say, we made it through. Our brand new, little family.

{Credits: Shabby Princess Piece-A-Cake In the Groove Album}

Oona's Second Album: TITLE PAGE

2008-08-27T20:27:00.000+08:00

This album should have taken me less time because all I had to do was basically put in pictures and titling. However, because it was so easy to do, I ended up taking longer: I put in more photos and text, doubling the number of pages in the album and tweaking the second set of layouts to make them a little different from the first set.

I *heart* Photoshop!

I'll be posting all twenty-two pages (Yes! TWENTY-TWO!) in batches, as it's a little overwhelming and long to post them in one go! :D

{Credits: Shabby Princess Piece-A-Cake In the Groove Album}

Evolution of a Wanderer

2008-08-26T02:39:00.000+08:00

I have always loved travelling.

There's that thing they say at home about people like me, that we probably have a mole on our feet that's why we can't stay in one place at any given time. Well, my feet are as mole-free as it can get, but I think my soul's feet are another matter.

For Weekend Wanderings, a blog to chronicle my wanderlust throughout the years, I made this graphic. I know it's a little simple than the other graphics I've been posting lately. But as of now, the blog's pretty new so my mind was more on writing for it than making a digiscrap layout.

I have yet to make a banner for the blog too, as I am still thinking about the whole look of the page. But to be sure, when I'm done, I'll post it here as well.

{credits: freedigitalscrapbooking.com andrea rascaglia frames; peppermintcreative.com miss mint tropical popsicle; designerdigitals.com katie pertiet quote challenge 32507, kellie mize ad challenge 100106}

Oona's First Nine Months! My First Album!

2008-08-25T14:26:00.000+08:00

My name is Laya and I am a Scrapaholic. (Hellooo, Laya!)

This happened beacuse we just had way too much footage of Oona being the triggerhappy proud parents of this little girl. We hardly knew what to do with the batches of pictures we accumulated.

I was surfing through arts and crafts websites to see what I could see, when I came across digital scrapbooking.

When it came to photographs, I was a glue-and-scissors kind of girl and it never crossed my mind that I could do this digitally. I was calling myself all kinds of stoofid because I used to jazz up static pictures with graphics in my video editing days! Duh! Why didn't I think of that in the first place?! My creative mojo really IS on an all time low!

But where to start, where to start? I couldn't possibly be making ribbons, buttons and stuff from scratch! It would take me too long and I was stumped for design. (Really no mojo to speak of).

It was after beating myself up for running out of creative juice that the universe pointed me in the direction of ScrapFlai r. Maybe the universe got sick of my self-pity because not only was it a free downloadable program, ScrapFlair had ready-made templates and elements that were included in the package!

Oh joy and happy days!

Additional freebies are downloadable on the site too. So as soon as I started figuring out the program, I was downloading as much stuff as I liked.

It helps that you join the online community as well even if as a non-member, you can still read through the posts under a lot of helpful topics. The forum posts are very helpful and informative. As a member though, you can post your own questions, ask help for your specific concerns regarding tips and tricks and post in your own gallery to get feedback. You also get an email newsletter with what's new at the site and new kits that the designers launched.

At this time however, I'm still building up my own collection of pages inspired by the Scrapflai r designs to post in my gallery. So far, I managed to finish Oona's First 9 Months, an album of my pregnancy.

I'm glad everything (except layout templates) are in a format that's editable. I wanted greater elbow-room so I ended up using Adobe Photoshop to make my own layouts, to resize and add effects to the elements themselves.

Since I wanted to add a lot more stuff to the scrapbook I was making, I had to make some of my own "stickers", labels and other graphics.

I also mixed in other elements I downloaded from other design templates.

Using ScrapFlair is a great way to get started on digital scrapbooking. This was all I needed to get me out of the creative funk I was having. From then on, I was able to move on to other projects using other resources that the scrapbooking community selflessly share!

{Credits: Scrapbookflair Sweetie Pie Collection, Aqua Glass Collection,
Princess Collection; Digitalscrapbooking-free.com Heart Sentiments by Lisa W;
Freedigitalscrapbooking.com Child of Mine Set}

THE EVENT REMINDER

2008-08-24T02:32:00.000+08:00

{Credits: Shabby Princess Sweet Serenity, Festival, Promise Collection,
CottageArtsHopeSentimentPak,
Free Digital Scrapbooking Delight In Life
and DigiKeepsakes Vivaldi Alpha}

As usual, I had to send reminders to everybody.

I was nervous because less than half of the people we'd invited had RSVP'd and most of those were regrets. What in the world were we to do with 100 pax worth of food?! So using the photo from the first draft, I flipped the layout to come up with this. I was sure the others had forgotten that the event was nearly upon us.

Thinking up witticisms like in the godparent invite was a challenge though. So I ended up with something a little ordinary compared to the first salvo.

Sigh.

Anyhoo, the good news is that most of whom I sent this to responded. I even posted this as an event on Facebook just to cover all the bases.

Father's Day

2008-08-20T16:22:00.000+08:00

{Credits: Designer Digitals Quote Challenge 1/06/08 Anna Aspnes;
Web Challenge 1/07/07 Mindy Terasawa and
CottageArtsHopeSentimentPak}

For the devoted Daddy. Coming straight from a perpetual night shift, RF would bring our newborn to the rooftop of our building for sunning duties. Oona had a bad case of jaundice and we were trying to beat it with sun. (Unfortunately, it was the stormy season so Oona still ended up in the hospital.)

RF would also be always be singing to Oona (more than I would be) and I often found them asleep together, surrounded by pillows. I think he almost always sings himself to sleep sooner than Oona and the baby would fall asleep to his snoring. Hehe!

Will You Be My Fairy Oddparent?

2008-08-13T20:05:00.001+08:00

{Credits: Shabby Princess Sweet Serenity, Festival, Promise Collection,
CottageArtsHopeSentimentPak, Free Digital Scrapbooking Delight In Life
and DigiKeepsakes Vivaldi Alpha}

The invitation for Oona's Godparents. Since they're all beloved oddballs, we christened them Oona's Fairy Oddparents (yes, a few are fairy gay and most are gayer than the rest!). I know, I went scrap-crazy over this.

{Credits: Designer Digitals AVictoria-webchallenge-mar23,
and Free Digital Scrapbooking Delight In Life}

This was the first draft, using a different set. I know it's also cute and so HAPPY, what with Oona's laugh and the summery feel of the colors...but the whimsical theme kinda won out. It was more in keeping with being a kid. This one is a little bit too grown-up, I guess.

I still want to use this layout for something though. It's too happy to pass up.

Sweet Sixteen

2008-07-17T21:50:00.000+08:00

{Credits: Designer Digitals KPertiet_Web111807, mterasawa-web10608}

I made this for my sister, Diday. I was rummaging through old files and came across these pictures, thought forever lost. She's now turning 18 in December, so as this was two years ago, it was a trip down memory lane.

My First DigiScrap Print

2008-07-12T01:07:00.000+08:00

{Credits: Designer Digitals Katie Pertiet Scrap Pink, Cottage Arts Hope Sentiment Pack, Shabby Princess Sweet Serenity; Done in Adobe Photoshop CS}

For Our Firstborn

I hope for you a life
of much joy and blessings,
to have all the love you need,
to be able to nurture your gifts,
to be blessed with good health
in order to be all you are meant to be.

For Urduja Isabella G. Florendo
Born on Aug. 15, 2007
Wednesday, 4:56AM

Triggerhappy

2008-07-09T16:33:00.001+08:00

What to do with a bazillion photos of your first-born?

We're new parents, so like the tourists in a new country, Mr. F and I can't get enough of clicking away at Oona's every moment.

With today's technology, taking pictures are easy, hence the tendency to having an avalanche of captured moments. You can only look at so much later on and the rest are stuffed in a computer file folder marked: DO NOT DELETE ON PAIN OF DEATH.

You can't possibly print everything. (So very expensive, as I found out) and unfortunately, you can't bear to throw the excess away, no matter how identical six or sixty pictures would look to the next sixty.

Because you would know THE DIFFERENCE.

It would feel almost like a betrayal, casting aside the frozen memory of your little one like it was nothing.

I'm a parent now, so sue me for the drama!

So, what to do, what to do?

In the old days, there were the usual Kodak or Agfa prints and those free cardboard albums. Then Mom would religiously transfer them to nicer plastic bound albums with plastic sleeves. Or if it were a special occasion on celluloid, the big fancy albums with self-adhesive acetate and cardboard pages would be the trophy of the day.

In even older days, the photo albums were bound pages with white-edged photographs neatly arranged by the lady of the house. Handmade albums, usually with ribbons and other whimsy, were elegant in heavy paper and memories were a lot more formal in presentation. Photographs of course were a lot more expensive in our grandparents' age hence the special care in the preservation and presentation of what amounts to a family heirloom. Maybe a lock of hair or a leaf pinned to a photo, a scrap of cloth imbued with memories stirred by a touch. Albums in those days were more scrapbooks, bits and pieces of lives put together to tell a story to the next generation. They had more personality than the plastic, ready-made albums in vogue nowadays.

You can tell where I'm going with this, can you?

So the next best thing if you can't keep your trigger-finger away from the shutter button would be to scrap them all together!

*applause!*applause!*

This blog started that way. Bazillion photos. Little Cash. Lots of Photoshop and Scrapping time. Today's technology in the time-honored tradition of creating your own albums and giving them a little bit of digital personality and pizzaz.

More bang for my buck too since I can scrap together as much photos as I can, arrange it on a nice page with the elements of my choosing and have the whole shebang printed. Ten photos on a page with all the trimmings? So very nice.

And I don't have to feel like such a traitor for trashing anything!

Parental guilt GONE...totally scrapped to oblivion!

{Credits: Shabby Princess Piece-A-Cake In The Groove Album}