I almost forgot.....

about my LO featured at Scrapstreet Magazine. They did a feature story about All About Me Challenge Blog for the month of July. I was lucky enough to be a part of the DT so my LO is one of the featured LO's along with all the DT's. You can see the article here, my LO is the last LO on the page tittled " MY BIGGEST FEAR."

Supplies: Lily Bee rubons, PP and mini shape paper. Prima flowers, American Crafts black mini alphas and green thickers. Making Memories vintage finding and tattered angels green glimmer mist.

This is the first time I am featured in any kind of magazine....paper or online. And I am hoping it is not the last. Hehehehe one can keep hoping right. Anyway, I thought I would share about it. I wanna give a big shout out to All About Me Challenge Blog for being great to us DT and always looking for ways to show off our work. Thanks for the opportunity AAM, love ya'll!

I am back HOME!

Sorry for my sudden disappearance. I had to take the kids out of their last week of school and rush home to Cali. My birth mom was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer last year a couple of days before Thanksgiving. We knew it was bad since Pancreatic Cancer is terminal we just hoped that the chemo would give her a lil bit more of a fight. I have been communicating with her about this over the phone and she made me believe it was not as bad as it was. Not bad meaning she still looked and felt normal but going through chemo. But a week before school ended for the kids I got a phone call, that the chemo has pretty much not done anything. And that the cancer has now spread to her lungs. She was told during her chemo that it was working but I guess the cancer made a stronger comeback. She had to go to the ER a couple of times and that's when they told her they could no longer do anything for her besides making sure she is comfortable. She is now Hospice and have a nurse come to her house to check up on her. She is losing control of her body functions and all the medicine are causing her all kinds of difficulties. She never felt the need to tell me becuz she did not want to worry me but during the phone call I knew it was BAD. So Jorge and I hurried to make plans and got him an emergency leave as soon as we could.

So we were lucky enough to have gotten the leave for Jorge and made the drive to Cali with the kids. The kids were excited to go home since we were already planning on going home for the summer not just to visit my BM but also to see family that we don't see but once a year if we are lucky. Anyway, I guess I am ignorant or just didn't grasp the situation cuz I didn't realize how bad it has been for her physically. I was upset cuz I was led to believe everything was fine...she was doing good..well as good as anyone going through a terminal cancer. HOW STUPID WAS I? I was totally out of the loop and could not describe how I felt seeing her for the first time again. OMG! How could this be? It was such a shock to see her in her state. She was not the same woman I saw a year ago. She was vibrant, full of energy, feisty and a strong strong woman. Now she is a 100 something pounds, frail and really tired. This is not her! Rich told me that it has really only been 3 months until they started seeing the full effect and devastation of the cancer to her physical appearance. It is a fast and horrible disease. When she was first diagnosed the doctors gave her 6 months to 2 years. She is 7 months into that time calculations but just recently have shown the physical effects of it. It is craziness!

She has good days and bad days. The times we were there she was great and in good spirit. I know how tired she must have been but she was putting a good front. She didn't want to sleep or rest when we were there cuz she wanted to spend as much time as she could with us. But it was just not possible all the time. Jorge, myself and the kids went back and forth to Long Beach and Riverside the whole time we were there. We literally had to make an effort and make sure we took the kids out as much as we could and do something fun for them. Not just becuz it is their summer vacation but cuz we knew this situation will have an affect on them. The kids were great and very patient being around my BM as sick as she was. They didn't ask questions or made comments. I think as soon as they saw her they knew how bad the situation was and just knew that grandma was really sick. They both just seem like everything was normal and gave grandma as much loving as they could.

I really don't know how to describe how I am feeling. But I know that it is much harder for Rich and my stepbrother since they are the ones that are always there. They cant escape from what is happening. It is constant and in your face. I feel guilty for not being there, for having the luxury of being able to go home. I am also not as close to her as I could be I guess. I have only began talking to her and getting to know her about 6 or 7 years. And in those years I lived far away. I see her and visit her when we get a chance and most of our conversations are through the phone. So in reality we just bare scratch the surface and we are just getting to know each other. HOW SAD IS THAT? I love her and so so grateful for her. For everything that she has had to give up and do for my sake. I have never blamed her or be mad at her for giving me up. I understand and with all my heart thankful she did the right thing FOR ME. I could never begin to imagine what a hard choice it was for her but she did it for me. To give me a better life and opportunity than what she was able to do at the time. I am GRATEFUL!

I just wish we have more time. I just wish we get to know each other more and grow closer as a mother and a daughter. Instead of having to cram what little time we have getting to know each other. Walking out the door while she sat in the living room I felt sad, guilty and worried. Worried it will be the last time I will see her. Sad cuz anything could happen from here on out and I wont be there next to her. Guilty cuz I cant stay longer to take care of her. I hope I have done a good enough job letting her know how much I care and love her. I hope that I have done enough to comfort her and make her feel loved. I don't know, it is all an emotional roller coaster. I just want her to know and feel I was there for her. I wanted her to feel my love, I hope she felt it.

I know this is all emotional and a bit personal. I don't even know if I am making any kind of sense or explaining myself right. I don't normally share too much here on my blog but this time I did want to share. I needed to let it out. So thank you for putting up with this post and me. Thanks for letting me share something so personal to me. If I could say one last thing, is that PLEASE PLEASE tell the people that you love...YOU LOVE THEM. This crazy thing we call LIFE is short and can be taken away at any moment. Do not waste a moment of it. Live it to the fullest and let those around you know how much you care and love them. Because sometimes you just never know what is around the corner. LOVE YA'LL!

Pencil Line Sketch 190

I been wanting to post this LO for a while now, but was waiting for Pencil Line Sketch Blog to post it. And when they finally did I was running way behind on my post. Sigh! But alas here it is. I really did enjoy creating this page and used a mixture of all the MLS lines Away We Go, Flying High and Lil Critters. It was fun mixing and matching all the lines. The sketch was fab so it was not hard to do at all. Go check out all the other DT's take on the sketch at Pencil Lines Sketch Blog. You might just get inspired. TFL!

*MLS Farewell Blog Hop*

I cannot believe it has been exactly a year since I got to joined the MLS DT team. What a great experience and what a FAB team to be in. Seriously one of the best team to be in.

So today we are doing a BLOG HOP in honor of the outgoing team members (I AM ONE OF THEM) and celebrate the new team. BIG BIG Congratulations to the new girls that made the team you guys will totally get spoiled and I cannot wait to see all that you do with all the new lines coming out. So here we go!

If you are coming from Melanie's Blog then you are on the right track. If not, you will need to go back to My Little Shoebox Blog to get started so to not miss any of the DT's blog's. There is a big GIVEAWAY at the end and the DT's have individual giveaways as well so you want to make sure to get to all the of their blog's to no miss out. While you are hopping keep an eye for all the eye candy the team has made for this HOP.

Since I am stepping down I wanted to share some of my FAVE assignment I have made while on the team. Seriously, some of my best and most love LO came out from doing my assignment for MLS. Hope you enjoy my little memory lane of MLS work. ;)

No head on over to Erin Yamabe's Blog to continue! Have fun!

My Babies Birthday Today!

10 years ago today an angel named Isaac Jorge Magana came into our lives. Our SURPRISE baby! Today he is a celebrating his 10th birthday. How blessed are we to have you my son! We love you sooooo much.

Exactly six years later to the day, we were again blessed with another angel Isabella Rose Magana. She is our girly girl and today she is 6 years old ! Isaac begged and begged for a sister so we had to give in. :) She is definitely the cherry on top and the one that completes our family. Isaac, Daddy and I love you sooooo much my princesa!


Happy Birthday Babies!
Mommy and Daddy love you both so much!

AWAY WE GO!

In a JAM? card

The very first time I saw this line I knew I was gonna make this card. I had pictured it in my head and just could not wait to make it. Being that I am from California I know too well what a traffic jam is and so I wanted it to look a freeway traffic jam. What ya think? Well I think it turned out great. I really like that the cars look like they are trying to weeve in and out and just driving with a purpose. Hehehehehe just no ROAD RAGE! I borrowed a couple of clouds from another line to complete the look.

Summer '09 Knott's Berry Farm Vacation Pic Mini Album

I am so so proud of how this mini turned out. I used tons of Tattered Angels Mist and mask and hand cutting and layering. There's tons of pics so be ready. I have not had the chance to scrap our vacation pics from last summer and when I saw this Away We Go line I knew it was perfect.

I wanted the front page to be very simple but you knew right away what it was gonna be about. Layered the sign Route 66 and journaling spot for my tittle of the mini book and nothing else. The mask of the tree and the road cut out strip just completed..nothing else needed. ;)

The inside pages are a different story though! I wanted it to be full of details and cut outs and just fun. Usually when people make mini album they keep the pics black and white to match them perfectly with their papers. But this line was so perfect that I opted to keep my picture as is. I love that it was colorful and I tend to not change my pictures anyway. I love seeing all the details and remember all the colors. Besides two pics that I turned to sepia that is all that was change as far as my pics go.

I know I am weird like that, but I know a lot of people that have tons of pictures already printed in color from way before we had our fancy smancy cameras and editing soft wares. So PLEASE do not be afraid to use them, I do....so can you! With the economy being what it is, not all of us have the funds to constantly print amazing pictures in different shades of colors. Use what you have, you will be grateful you get to scrap old pics that are needing some of your time and luvin. I made the commitment of doing that and so happy to get a dent in my hoard of old pics.

Here are some detailed pics of these pages!

OMGosh I am so happy when I thought about this last line for my mini. It says OUT OF GAS! Hehehehe parents...you know exactly what I am talkin about if you have taken your kids to an amusement part. This line was so PERFECT! TFL ya'll!

PS. I have another page that goes with this line but cannot share yet, cuz the MLS DT had another chance to work with Pencil Line and one of their amazing sketches. So I will post my take on the sketch when they post it on their blog. So keep a look out on their blog cuz another one of page will be featured there and another LO I have yet to share will also be featured at Scrapstreet online magazine in July for AAM DT! They are going to do a feature about our Challenge blog and DT's work. Wooo hooo I am excited about both of these opportunity! Ok anyway I should stop. Just wanted to share, dont get to do a toot too often! :)

*Just Add Butter * MLS Projects!

Forever Always Lifelong BUDDIES!

Everything in this LO is using My Little Shoebox Just Add Butter Line. I thought I was going to have a hard time with this line due to all the colors...but as always I end up having sooo much fun. I mean C'mon I did a 2 page LO! You don't even know how proud I am of myself. I have so many pics of Chabella in the park with her stuff animal toy and really trying to scrap them all. I know you guys will be sick of them but I don't care cuz I love them. hehehehe

I cut out different layers of the paper and cut them with my scalloped scissors and layered them back up. It came out sooo cute and will use this method more. There are also tons of butterfly punch and I LOVE it! To make the house images more interesting I pop dotted them to give them some life. It was really easy.

Cupcake

I LOVE how this page turned out. It is so colorful and just bright. I was never able to create pages that so colorful before but becuz of MLS I have really learned to embrace it. Isn't it just FUN! The papers totally match the pic of Chabella's 3rd birthday party pics. PERFECTLY! I used some tattered angels mist and calling card in the bottom (Savor the Journey) to add a little something and of course heart bling (Making Memories) on top of each cupcake layered and pop dotted them. And there you have it!

Happy Birthday Card

Smile

I really enjoyed playing with Tattered Angels mist and some doilies for this one. I just wanted to create some layers with my Martha Steward border punch and spritzing the whole page with Graphite mist. A few Martha Steward butterfly punches here and there and added my journaling inside the doily images and that's it. Simple but with lots of texture and dimension.

Again sorry for the pics being so dark. It's really hard getting good pics here in Washington due to the weather we have been having. It has rain nonstop and feels more like winter rather than Spring on the way to Summer. I mean it really sucks! OK, anyway thanks for checking out my blog and hope you all are having a better weather than we are and have a great weekend.

My Girl!

Just wanted to share a photo of my Big Girl! This was taken a couple of days ago while she was eating lunch, before heading out to school. I LOVE LOVE her smile and the one she gives me when I look at it!

All About Me LO's!

AAM Why I'm WORTH Knowing Challenge

I am so not good at saying something good about myself cuz sometimes it feels like I'm bragging or I'm such a big headed person. But that's why I love being a part of the AAM team. Because it pushes me to do things that I wont normally do for myself. I think it will be so much fun for my kids to read these LO's when they are grown and will understand and would want to get to know me in a different view besides being their MOMMY!

I knew I didn't want to add a picture just journaling. So I focus on the words and my embellishments. I love how it turned out and proud to add another page in my album that is just about me.

Here are some detail pics.

Supplies are: OA Cherry Hill Recipe Box, AC blue glitter thickers, Tattered angels chipboard, Heidi Swapp flower mask and blue & pink felt butterflies, Shimmerz Mudpie spritz, dress pattern for handmade flowers, gold staple, K&Co tag and journaling spot (M) unknown.

AAM My Impossible Future Challenge

Sketch from Zara @ My Scrapbook Nook Sketch Challenge

This is one of a few picture of myself as a baby. My hubby kinda gave me a hard time about using it on a LO but I told him I did not glue it all the way so I can always make a scan copy when needed. Anyway...this challenge is about what you thought your future would be. But you are always welcome to take the tittle anyway you see fit for you. I really wanted to do this cuz as I look back, I can appreciate how my life has turned out and how I could have never dreamed for something better than how it had played out.

My journaling is inside the Maya Road envelope which I LOVE! I wont share my journaling but I will give you a bit of what its about. Basically it's describing my story as an adopted baby from a young unmarried girl, surviving a not so pleasant divorce of my adopted parents and a hard childhood in the Philippines to where I am now! Too much drama and too personal for me to share. I want my kids to look back and be able to read this story and realize that LIFE is not all about fairy tales, rainbows and unicorn. That there are many sides to me that made me who I am today. I am so grateful for what I have today because what I had before. I never take anything for granted. Ya! So that's that!

Here are some detailed pics.

Supplies: My Scrapbook Nook Kit (Pink Paislee Cupid Collection, PP mini alpha and cupid rubons, Maya Road envelope, Making Memories heart button), Martha Stewart butterfly punch, uchida tiny butterfly punch, Ribbon unknown and Color Box Chestnut Roan chalk ink.

Will be posting my My LitteShoebox Assignments soon just waiting for them to get posted on the blog. Hope you all have a great day!

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!

Ok BIG..BIG..GIANT..GINORMOUS...APOCOLYPTIC...HUGE APOLOGIES!

You see how sorry I really am! I am making up my own words! ;)

I thought I posted the winners from the Blog Hop from All About Me challenge but I guess I didn't. What a freakin GOOBER I am! I hope you accept my apology. And becuz of my own fault and mess up I picked 2 names to give away new My Little Shoebox goodies instead of 1. I will also add other goodies in there just to make it up to you guys. I printed the names out and pulled 2 names out of a hat since I don't know how to do the Random Integer thingy on my blog. Note: Need to figure out how to do that!

So the winners are:

Dora and Terry

Also the Kit winner from the blog is:

Stella

Hope you emailed Melisa to claim your prize. I'm sure you have since I am sooo behind. DUH! Ok so girls, please email me (chenguna00 at hotmail dot com) your name and addy with subject title Challenge winner so I can send you your goodies! Again I am sooo sorry for taking sooo long posting this. Thank you so much for being so patient with me and not hating me....right right?