AlohaMa's Blog

So much to blog about...

I don't blog as much as I would like; I do spend a lot of time thinking about it.  I want you, my community friends of artists, mothers and single women I connect with online are as important to me as the ones I have been here in my real life.  Why am I blogging right now if I didn't do it in the first place after my last post? 

Other day, I had no expectations or surprises at where I work and then all of sudden, there was nice lady who recognized me right away.  "Are you Yvette..AlohaMamma?", she asked me and I didn't even knew who she was until she gave me her email address.  I remembered her name and then I became exciting! She and I used to be online friends for about a year when she was in Japan and we both used to post our pages at Designer Digitals . We also blogged to each other and she was really cool online friend to have. Then she moved to San Diego, Cali and somehow, we lost ourselves somewhere in time. I think she was the last person to leave me the comment in my old blog and that was ..what.... 3 or less than 4 years ago!  Of course, we hugged! And we chatted like true friends!  For the first time, I met her in ''real life" person and I found her very delightful person! Oh... my gosh!  Her smile kind of delighted me and she is truly lovely! And short like myself....(smirking myself).

"Why are you not blogging?", she asked me. I paused for about 10 seconds and I didn't knew why but she was right that I should because she gave me a reason.  God put her in my way and I'm glad that this happened.  I told her that I had to go back to work and I promised that I will email her as soon as I can.  She left and I found this difficult to believe that she have good memorization of how I look!

The reason is.... that must be why I decided to give myself, a true creative soul, to give a blogging a try.  It is so easy to get this start but I would not know what to post about or I worry about my English grammars. "Nonsense", I told myself and I started to think of the list things what I want to post about. Food. Parenting. Marriage relationship. Dreams. Digital Art. Life. See.. there is so much to blog about.... There is so much!

Thank you my dear friend Claudette and I am so happy to meet you in person.  I like who you are and now, you know where I am so come anytime!

 

Tagged by Vibeke, dear friend from England!

I went to her blog and there is no single word I can understand! All of her friends who are being tagged also speak same language as she ... Oh boy..... How I wish that I could read her list of uninteresting things so I can get the idea!  Here is her Madam Mim's Blog and if you don't mind translate her list to me, I'll be happy!

1.  I am mom with no time look.

2.  I like to take naps.

3.  I was the rebel daughter in my teen years.

4.  I enjoy searching the internet for cheap travel deals

5.  I can't type without looking at the keys (sometimes) yet but had an A in high school typing class.

6.  I like mixed white and brown rice.

Now, I am tagging:

Jasmin from Germany 

AmyPunky from South France

Brenda from USA

Nicky from Germany 

Angela from USA

Catherine from France 

Last week, I had bronchitis then three days later, I had violently coughing. And then today, I kept sneezing all this morning....Grrrrrr..What is wrong with me?!  I need to get better before I will have job interview at Old Navy in Waikele on this coming Sunday at 8:30 !!! Please pray that I get better soon!  But ahhh...

Warm Afternoon!

What?!

Nah...Nothing happens! So that I'm still here and I want you all know that you each are in my thoughts. The new year is approaching near and I start to think about something really seriously!  There are so much things I want to do but oh, time is too short! And even fast before I blink my eyes!  *Sigh*, I will make a time and I need to find a place where I can sit down with my journal book.  Write the list of blah, blah and blah as what you people do each year before the year is over. It is good for me and I need to stay true to my words if I decide to follow my specific plans.  For now, I'm doing good and I'm taking my diabetic pills religiously.  My children are well-mannered and they do their best at whatever they do and they know their rules/ limits.  My husband is spoiling me too much but not money and it is mostly his heart.  Ah, Christmas is about few days to go and I'm still broke at buying the presents but the best I can do is to do things to make the others happy with my heart and smiles! That is the best I can do! My children understand that.  My parents understand that. Even, some strangers understand that.

So....So... I made few layouts tonight and I love each of them... Let me know what you think and share something little bit with me about your day or troubles. Come on... it is all good you know! Okay, my dear friends..... Time for me to sign off and you all have my Aloha hugs.... Till next time!

Sometimes, I feel so guilty that I don't blog often as I did before.  I remembered that I first started posting, it was really only for my own amusement, but as interest grew I made real connections with people.  In a way, that I do have amazing friendships but with time, it's different story.  I got an email from one of my blogging friends and she was coming to my island.... I was exciting and I counted the days until my blogging friend arrived in Honolulu.  Sure, I met her and we shopped, explored the city, and chatted the nights away like old friend, She is really wonderful person and this is reason why I am glad that I started my blog here.

Even if my time is really tight, I still treasure my blog because it is my world.  When I type something personal or ridiculously, I can say anything whatever is on my mind.  Am I making sense if I said that this is perfect excuse to write something, to refine my personal style? Therefore, blog is a reason why I'm still here and I know who I am. "Pondering...'

Before I go, I did one page tonight and it came out beautifully! See its credits at Digishoptalk and here is...

 
I love designing!  Designing the pages and photography definitely are windows into my imagination and the way I see my world... it is a reason that I keep my overpaid blog!

Yes, I'm back! And I know that I really am bad blogger! I kept saying this every time I paid to have it 'on'! Yeah, I blamed on poor economic system right here in Hawaii but this does't mean that I was struggling with my financial life.

Well, I am happy to know that election '08 is over! And my aloha hugs go to Obama and his beautiful family.  I remembered one day before the election and I was more interested in the current state of the U.S economy or financial crisis. Not the presidential debates but I did try hard to 'listen' to both sides carefully and it was really difficult to listen or read... too much debates!  Just one or two days before the election, I knew people who made up their minds already about who they voted for.

The only thing that bores me quickly is if I watched the debates.  I was tired of all the bullshit that people in politics say and they said anything to get the people to vote.  Most of us knew about how we heard what they said that we wanted to hear. (Am I making this sense?)  Once one became U.S president' we must pray and hope that his promises to his devoted American citizens stay true!  Yes, I know that most of you don't give care as long as his promises MUST be accomplished!

Ummm... Maybe you feel same way as I do right now; the November is approaching and it is kind of pacing fast month.  It seems like my life is moving as fast as the fall season is leaving.  I don't know if the autumn season is beautiful because I live in Hawaii and there are none of autumn trees or leaves to scattering around.  I remembered when I was visiting a friend in Japan and I saw all the mojo scattered leaves on the sidewalks or on rivers The trees were moving as if they were dancing with the winds...What a beautiful sight!  But nothing more as beautiful as my grand daughter Sage! 

Till next time, 'ciao'!

 

 

Interesting Eye Lenses!

The disproportionately moon eyes are hallmark of Anime Art and Comics.  They kind of look cool or cute and you can get these oversized contact lenses yourself but they are sold in Japan.  This is perfect for cosplayers, even better to freak out potential dates. What is cosplayers? Here is link on "Cosplay" 

I sort of like them and they are perfect accessory for cosplay geeks like vampire, cat or other lenses for costumes. Perfect for Halloween! But if people wear them as their daily lenses, especially if they have perfect vision and that would be some weird.  However, 'Otake' are often more than a little weird.

Anyway....here is new layout I did tonight and I love how this turned out....You can get this amazing kit "Once upon a Story by reading the creditsin my gallery and it sells at Catscrap Store.

Click on the image and you can see the details better! Oh...I need to get myself some beauty rest so...next time!

I Love you, Twilight family!

These books by Stephenie Meyer are awesome! I read each book twice and I know that I was crazy to do that but you will understand why the books are awesome! I think that the last parts of 'Breaking Dawn' is my favorite but I will not provide you the details... All I can say is, 'dang ....it's OMG!' These twilight series are tweeners and they are like series of Harry Potter but with vampires and 'nice' shape-shifters' clan. At first, I like Jacob character ( werewolf) but the more I read about Edward's character and his love for Bella.... Everything I read, enchanted me to feel something weird towards to Edward but..I am not going to get into details! I will keep that to myself.... please share little bit with me about what best part you like about which book and why. Twilight rocks!

Twilight

Interesting to know more about Twilight series and here are some links I know of: The Site of Stephanie Meyer The Twilight Saga Twilighters Enjoy

Sweet.... I am back

Yes, I am admitting that I am too lazy to blog but also, there are important things to do than blog every day and I knew better to use my time well.
Yes, there are million things that I should share with you about the snippets of my life since I stopped blog.

Okay.... Every other day, I make myself to think about my life goals and I need to set new goals. Okay, here is my brief list:
- Visit ones that helped me big time in past.
- Find the job that provide good benefits and never mind the big money but enough to pay the bills, put the food on the table and have us
  under the comfy roof.
- Seeing how I do in different areas in my life because I'm both mom, wife and grandma.
- If I want to accomplish something then I need to find a way to pinpoint my plans and nothing can plague me in any way!
- Continues to tell myself that I am an excellent woman. Continues to tell myself that I am an amazing woman and who am I?
   Just plain ol' me with a simple life but I envy others who do well than I do.

Yes, there are so much things to say but for now, I can just sit back and think how good my life is.  I can envy others but at least,
I can make a difference in other individual's life. If there are any problems, I just find a way to signify in my own unique way. I look
around and find the amazing women I can look up to and feel that I can do that, too.  I am not too picky or strict about how I live
because this is the way I choose to live and I am happy.  And I am well.

So, that is why I use my time well and I don't have luxury time to blog but here I am.  I am mom.  I am grandma. I live good.
And to me, every day is a new beginning.

By the way, here is my grand baby Sage...how adorable she is!

The Magic Book

It is something I am enjoying to create the magical pages for my son Malachi and we both love to watch Fantasty movies like Lords of the Ring, Narnia, Enchanted and Spirited Away and so many to name!  Have you seen this movie

Spirited Away? It is Hayao Miyazaki one of the most popular animated movie, filled with astonishing animation and adventure. This is one of the most dazzling masterpiece I ever seen and it is wonderful work of art that is funny and entertaining but it also is brilliant, beautiful and deep. It is about a young girl, Chihiro who is trapped in a strange world of spirits. She finds out that her parents undergo a mysterious transformation then she have to call upon the courage she never knew she had to free herself and return her family to the outside world. Your children will love this because every children in my family is! Anyway, this movie made me to think how the movie is spectacularly inventive and that is what started me to do these magical pages! Here are three which I designed so far and continue to do more...perhaps up to 12 pages!

Well... if you want to know where I got these magical details, just go to my DST gallery =-)

The officially Spring

Awwww.... I really wanted to be in Japan at this moment so I can enjoy the Sakura season! I really wanted to be flown into Kyoto, Japan and feel its chilly where I can spend for about a week or until the last sakura flower falls to its ground.  I really wanted to be there because I can take a thousand photos of Sakura, fallen petals, green tea candies or ice cream sandwiches, harajuku teens in their cute anime outfits then I can upload the photos on my FLICKR but sadly, not this year. I sorely miss Japan and it is my second home. *sigh*  Good news... I have some photos to show that are never seen before; not to my friends or FLICKR friends.

Alas, I hope that you all are enjoying your spring vacation and some of you in your areas where you can feel the warmer air and looking forward to say hello to early summer season (not for me)...Happy Spring!

And I want to show you some of my new pages "Sakura Story" and "The Magic Book: The Valley of Dreams" that I posted at my DST galllery.....Sweet Eye Candies! AlohaMa's Art Album

Spring vacation is here!

Yes, Spring vacation is here! Great news for my children but not good news for me! I still have to study or read  before my exams, just three days after the spring vacation! So, it is not really a vacation but at least, I can sleep in and get up as long as I want to!

Update for the "Spiderwick Chronicles" movie and you want some details, should I? Well, you can read this movie review and let you decide if you want to see this with your family. As for me, I like this movie and it is about how the family discover the secrets of the faerie world. And how they can save faerie world on their own. Especially the flower fairies, I would love to have them in my own garden!!!  In my opinion, the books written by both Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black; the details are very good. You can google up on these two intelligently and respectfully authors.

By the way, these digi-scrapbook pages are here and they are just new so I should share them right here on my blog. There are plenty more but I don't want to take too much space here so either you can visit my DigiShopTalk gallery or they are in my photo albums. It really doesn't matter how you want to look around here!

And one more, RAK (Randomly Action of Kindness) page created by me and it is for my dear friend Nicky {FullofLife} from Germany Isn't this fabulous!

Interesting Article...

I went to library in Kapolei and I saw Seattle News newspaper on the stand so I grabbed it. And because I used to stay in Seattle for a summer; I wanted to see if there is anything good on the author's article but it was old news like last month February!

I read a fascinating article about people getting older but they are feeling like they are still young.  I discussed something similar with my friends other day so it was interesting to see how somebody else take on this matter. You can read this article: Forever Young

And I'm off to watch The Movie: The Spiderwick Chronicles with my husband and Malachi, my baby son. He is so exciting to see this movie and he keeps asking me if we are ready to leave. "Just let me finish my blog then we go". I keeps saying that for 15 minutes *sigh*

Be back with details!

Thank you my dear friends!

How lucky I am to have wonderful friends from all over the world! I wanted to show you the layouts that we exchanged the photos and created one for each other.  It is action of Aloha or you could say that it is action of kindness.

Debbie {Debsterchen} from California, USA

Monika {she} from Poland

Dawn {CreateWings} from Washington, USA

Pam {Pam1} from Germany

Kitty {KittyChen} from Indonesia

Ranie {Juliet} from Missouri, USA

MineMaus {Jasmin} from Germany

Claudi {ScrapClaudi} from West Germany

Sweet but small TOOT!

Here is my featured page:

Digital Gllery StandOuts: March

And it is posted at DigiShopTalk Gallery: AlohaMamma Gallery.

Hello, I am back! And I am updating my blog!

I know that it has been such a long time.....way overdue! And I finally had this payment taken care of by my dear husband!   I did not beg him for this but he knew that I love to blog and I love to read the blogs; however, I only select the blogs that I read fascinatingly. Things to enhance my knowledge and things to read that gives me spectacularly imaginations of being in exotic places that I may never will have opportunities to get there but I could be wrong, right? Spring is coming on the way and I am little sad because Japan is my second home {in my heart} and spring is my favorite season of all the seasons. I remembered a trip to Kyoto when Sakura or cherry blossoms were about to bloom in full and I stayed there in Osaka for three weeks but two days in Kyoto.  Any days of spring, it was such a spectacularly experience that I walked through the sightseeing tour of half-bloomed Sakura trees. There were so much food that the old city of Kyoto offered. I ate wonderful Melabranche goodies and these I totally love to eat! I still do!!! They are Green Tea Chocolate and Sweet Black bean-Sandwich cookies. Here is the photo I got from the shop's: They are Green Tea Chocolate & Sweet Black Bean Sandwich Cookies and they are so lightly delicious!

Sakura blossoms are one of the most popular visiting areas because Sakura flowers have the deciduous life of a week or less on the trees and for this reason, why people go insanely and they try to seize their moments of their views on Sakura blossoms while they allow their limited times to enjoy! Here are few photos of full Sakura blossoms I took last year:

More next time!

The Layout of the Week: Mine!

I really enjoy the packs that my two wonderful friends designed and you should see their beautiful kits: HollieWood Studio and Paint the Moon

YES, I love Snoopy! Thanks for stop by and see what's up!

Hello I'm back

And no one stop by and say HEY to me! That is okay  and I'm cool with it but I am going to say something..just some bit! My friend brought me one and that is something delightful that made me smile from ear to ear but I don't have my own cellular! Here is one I am talking about and see how cute they are!!!

See how cute they are! And I want to purchase all of them for my collection....me crazy eh? Oh, and here is one place where you can buy which it might be hard to find in your place so here is Strapya-World .

Summer has became the busy season for me because everyone knew that there were the days of no SCHOOLs and I can sense or feel children's thoughts which echoed loudly in the back of their minds: YAHHHHH NO SCHOOL! Yucks, more work for me and less scrapping but I made my time and guess what? I counted the layouts that I made since the summer began! Errr..... I counted; there was 68 layouts I did for three months! Can you imagine that? I could make two or three pages in less than 3 hours! So anyway, I am going to show you mine but I picked the best and summery  ones, okay?

    See all the credits at my DST Gallery And now, the summer is over! I can't predict into the days of near future but one thing I know the fact is that I will continue to do my favorite hobby and something therapeutic: Scrapping happily! More for next time!!!

Am I such a bad blogger?

Yes, It is true and there is way too much things to do but I ain't givin' up on my blog...just letting this hiatus for a while! Then I'm back here to say something simple:

Today I did something I have ...ALWAYS!

I took the kids to a starbucks – BY MYSELF.

It was a pure moment of crazy! As I was driving past one of my favorite places where I can sit and think for a bit and it have a nice porch outside but without garden-styled outdoor setting with vines, flowery trees and bird singing in the canopy above. That would be gorgeous! How I wish for such a place and I know I wouldn't resist.

Anyway, I wouldn't worry about my kids for they are big and they can handle things on their own so off they went somewhere. And then it was so nice of me being alone... sitting in the cafe is such a spectacular therapy for me! And I'm an adult alone with no kids and HUSBAND...this is WHERE I wants to be! I look around at the birds and lip-reading the movements of the people's mouths. I stared at the crystal sky and I think I saw the bunny energizer chasing the little clouds over the windy mountain. Ah, I also took time to take some pictures. And the moment, The glazed & melted caramel along with mac nuts on the warmth bed of brownie was DONE and I left gracefully. Kids? They left me the note on my jeep's window and said: "WE know you like to be alone so take some time off for yourself. We have enough money to take the bus and see ya at home!"...   What sweet kids I got and so mature of them, too! As I took off right into the forwarded road of Mahaka, I was eager to see the roaring waves if time was right.

Such a wonderful snippet of my moment and one of the colorful muffins at the cafe I wanted to grab and eat like this one! But no more till next day in the morning:

 

My week is good! Why?

1.  I received generous Gift Certificate and the amount is $50.00!  Kristine, whom we call her "Princess Shabby"  is one of the most kind, caring, loving and thoughtful persons. I am so grateful to have a friend in Digi-land! Please visit her shop and everything is so cute! The Shabby Shoppe With her products, here are the layouts I did Tara and Sweet

2.  Another Gift Certificate from Christina Renee and she is one of an amazing digital designers! I love her stuff! She is so sweet and she is well loved by many friends at Digishoptalk. Please visit her grand-opening shoppe Christina Renee Designs.  See my layout with her gorgeous kit Life of Wonder

3.  And...again, another Gift Certificate from Natalie Braxton! She makes the wonderful element packs and they are never ceased to be amazing! The amount is $25!!! You see, I e-mailed her and let her know that her kits are gorgeous! Then her responded email came back with GC; she didn't even had to but she have a big heart and she also is an amazing person. Thank you, Natalie!  I will work on the layout with her products soon. Please see her store The Lilypad

4.  Guest Creative team for Lauren Reid! She is an amazing designer and friend, also! She is so nice person and easy to work with her and her team! I also dig her stuff so see her shop ScrapArtist! With my layout with her beautiful kit Create Wings Create, Fly and Friends Forever

5.  Few days ago, I got an e-mail from Lill-B, friend at www.wedoscrap.com and she also is great designer. Guess what? She sent me a gift: her new kit! They are beautiful and I enjoyed to work with it! See the layout with her kit: Beautiful Angel Her store Holiday Dream Page Set  Thank you, Lill!

6.  Just a while ago, I got small gift from Sausan at Sausan Designs....Thank you, Sausan! And there is more but for now, it is enough! Time for me to show off and we all need eye candies sometimes, right? Then here is my recently work Dreamer                       

Wow....thank you , thank you!

I don't know where do I start? Let's see.....And I am trying to organize things and I'm in such a wonderful mood! A lot of things happened in the whole and row week and here are the things that happened:

AlohaMamma's Amazing Gallery
AlohaMamma, Thank You
6/7 Daily Fashion Fix: AlohaMamma
6/4 Daily Fashion Fix: AlohaMamma
Moni's (Lizzy) Blog

A*N*D then here is Moni's beautiful layout

Okay, that is all for now and thanks for stop by! More next time!