Atc's and me

So happy together! I am having so much fun creating these and trying out new techniques. I have been dying to play with my crackle paint. So I thought it would be a perfect medium for a "Vintage Christmas" ATC swap. I must say I was impressed. The crackle paints and distress inks work so nicely together. Give it up for t!m. Good stuff. And the best part was watching it crackle right before my eyes as I blasted it with the heat gun. It created a nice surface to rub the distress ink on. I really enjoyed making these. I am looking forward to some crafting time this 4 day weekend!! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

My latest obsession...

While honeymooning in AZ, we came across Frenzy Stamper. Wow! What a store! This was not an average scrapbook store, but a place geared more towards altered art, i.e. books, ATC's. If I had only known then that upon my return to the east coast, ATC's would be my new obsession.
When I finally got back to "normal" life (for lack of a better word) I was craving creativity. It had been months since I had scrapbooked or made a card or anything. I had been so involved with creating everything for my wedding. (invites, place cards, menus, etc). And while that was fun, I was seriously needing some uninhibited no holds barred cre-a-tivity!!! Not knowing where to begin I went here and began snurfing (as I like to call it). While there something rather magical happened. It is all a bit of a blur to me but I will explain as best as I can. I was poking around and somehow stumbled across ATC's. I thought this small venue would be a great way to jump start my creative juices. Next thing I know I am signed up for a "Glimmery Glitzy Christmas ATC Swap". Low and behold I was hooked. I found myself sitting in front of the tv surrounded by paper, inks, stickles, and my husband. This eventually led to a Friday night crop at Laura's where I was consumed with making ATC's. And I now have an arsenal of websites for swapping and suplies. I am even thinking of starting an ATC blog. Although, I have enough trouble staying on top of this one! LOL!

Anyway, here is my first ATC...



And some of my favorite places to swap:
SCS
Swap Bot
Collage Stuff
No comments:

I now pronounce you...

...back to reality! Yes, I am married and ready to return to normal life. Ahhh normal life as in not a life that revolves around planning a wedding. No more drama, tension, arguments, gifts I didn't register for, people saying "Look here! Smile!", picking out food, cake flavors, jewelry and dress fittings! My God with the dress fittings!! That in itself was enough to drive us insane. "Us" as in me and my mom. My wedding planner, coach, mentor, therapist, basically the seamstress of my life during the process. Sound crazy? IT WAS! I feel bad for people who have long engagements because my God when does it end!!
Now don't misunderstand - there is pretty much nothing I would change, nothing more I could have asked for. It was wonderful, perfect, all I had dreamed about. But I am glad the madness is over. So glad. Although it was worth it. The wedding was very "me". Thanks to my mom she did so much that I was able to put all the "Gina" touches on the night.
Like the place cards...


And the caramel apple favors...pictured here with my flowers and the table centerpieces





And now we will return to our regularly scheduled programming...

IT'S HERE!!

My favorite month of the year!! I love everything about it. Fall! Halloween! Pumpkins! Anything orange and purple and black! And most of all it's.....my wedding month!!
Holy crap it's 30 days away and I will be Mrs. C.!!!! I am so excited!! Here's something fun to get you in the Halloween mood:

CARVE A PUMPKIN!.

I am going to do my best to post something new and Halloween fun every day until the big day!

HAPPY OCTOBER! HAPPY PUMPKINS! HAPPY FALL!

Coming Soon To A Mailbox Near You!

(Good one Laura! LOL!) Well it finally happened. The wedding invitations have been dropped off at the post office. 66 days to the wedding and 71 invitations later.



And now without further delay, it is my honor to introduce you to the "Wedding Invitation Design Team":

Carmela (Mom)



Hailing from Long Island, Carmela (also the wedding planner) exhibited much patience when helping with the invitations. She quickly learned how to emboss the right way, my way. She is now a wiz with the heat gun!

Fred (fiance)



A Philadelphia native and also an exhibitor of extreme patience, Fred has become master of the paper cutter. He also learned to perfectly place stamps in the corner of the envelope.

Laura (awesomeness)



Laura did not lose her shit when things wouldn't work right. She kept it together for the both of us. Spending hours sitting at the counter she fed the envelopes through the printer one by one. Being full aware of my extreme anal retentiveness, she was sure to redo any that came out crooked. Laura is also honored to be invited to Batman's wedding.

I owe these 3 a lot. I cannot thank them enough for their help & patience in helping me make my wedding invitations a complete success! Love you guys!!

Olympic Superstars!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

The Lilli Zee Company

I finally got off my butt and did it! I am going to attempt to get my custom scrapbook business going again. I came up with a new name and look this time. I set up a myspace page for now until I see how well things take off. So far not much is posted, but hopefully I will get around to that this weekend. There is a baby book that I made for a co-worker.
Hopefully this will take off. Wish me luck!!

the lilli zee company

84 Days!!!!

So part of the reason for my lack of blogging is my pre-occupation with the fact that I AM GETTING MARRIED IN 84 DAYS!!! Yesterday I got the call that my wedding gown is in and it was like a smack in the face!! I was actually sitting in traffic on the Throgs Neck Bridge as a matter of fact. I was on my way to my mom's. We were going to do the flowers for the wedding.
So a few updates: I am about halfway there with the wedding invitations. That is one hell of a tedious job, but definitely worth it! The flowers were all ordered last night. They will look like this:



The flower girl's have their dresses.



A few peeks of the gown:





There is still an extremely long list of things left to do!!!

I love this!

It makes me happy. The end.

I can't, I really can't.

Needless to say, I am having a very Elmyra day. I left for work this morning and found some friends waiting outside for me...



And then I got to work and someone sent me this....



Needless to say, my mascara is running and I just want to go home and hug my cats. Give someone a hug today!

Have a great Friday!!

10 Minutes in Montague

7:50 p.m.

As I pass one of the farms on Clove Road, I notice a calf no bigger than a medium sized dog. It's such a sweet sign of life. Perky ears, little waggly tail. I swear it smiles at me as I slow down.

7:52 p.m.

I turn onto New Road to go into the back entrance of the country club. I slow down at the ranch on the right. In addition to their 2 full grown horses there are now 2 ponies. Their manes are still baby fuzz.

7:53 p.m.

I turn into the country club and notice a rainstorm about 20 feet ahead of me, although the sun is shining and my car is dry. As I continue to drive it rains on my car for about 30 seconds then stops. I look back in my mirror and see that is still raining behind me, but not on me. Sunshine, lots of sunshine.

7:55 p.m.

As I think to myself "Could this day get any more interesting?", I look to my left and see this.



I stop to take as many pictures as possible.

7:58 p.m.

I continue on down the road. When I get to the driving range I slow down as always not wanting this Elmyra dream to end. I look up and see a doe chasing after 2 fawns even smaller than the calf I saw minutes ago. I watch them run down the hill and disappear into the woods. I look up and see the rainbow again.

8:00 p.m.

I run into the house screaming "Fred, I am never leaving the country!!"

I heart Philly!!!

I do!! I do!! I do!! I love it so much!! And it is so cool that Fred's parents live so close. So when I told them that I wanted to go to Art Star Craft Bazaar in Philly, they were more than happy to have us come and stay for the weekend. It worked out perfectly!
Fred & I headed out there on Friday afternoon after work. Of course, not without a stop at Arby's! We made great time so Fred took me on a little tour before we got to his parents. These are always fun. He points out the numerous places where he...would go drinking! LOL!!
On Saturday we headed into Philly. It was so much fun! We went over to 4th Street in search of fabric. Fred's mom had graciously obliged to make the table runners for our wedding. Which of course, means they will be fabulous! She is an extremely talented woman! We found the perfect fabric at our very first stop! It was a place called Maxie's Daughter. The people there were wonderful! Everyone was so helpful and helped us find the perfect fabric! I was more than pleased!
Next we went to the Famous 4th Street Deli for lunch. All I can say is I have never seen a sandwich quite so large that tasted quite so delicious! The pastrami melted in my mouth. Much to the waiter's surprise, Fred was the only one who finished his enormous, gigantic sandwich. He ordered the "Nostrand Avenue", which before this weekend was just a stop on the LIRR! But in Philly, the Nostrand Avenue is a double decker sandwich with pastrami, liver & onions on rye. After filling our bellies with 4th Street goodness, we headed down to Penn's Landing for the Art Star Craft Bazaar.



At this point the rain was picking up and the humidity was quite awful. But our spirits were up!! I was really excited to see some of the amazing artists and crafter's that I had seen on Etsy. Being surrounded by so many talented people is very inspiring. Fred & I split up from his parents and shopped around and met some great people. We got to chat with the couple that runs Sycamore Street Press, Eva & Kirk. They were great! Eva explained how they make their products using an old school Vandercook letterpress set up in their dining room! I bought an awesome hand made purse from Holly Hue, another wonderfully talented & cool lady! A very cool booth was Spokes People. They take old bicycles and recycle them into jewelry. I got a really cool pair of earrings.
Although, I do have to say my top favorite was definitely My Ugly Kitty. This was the one booth I had to see. At first I was disappointed because a lot of vendors had closed up and left due to the weather. But just as we were getting ready to leave, Fred spotted the booth. I was so excited to meet Renee, the talented girl behind the cat.



She was very sweet and didn't run when I told her I was a stalker. I merely meant that I am a fan of her work. She is a very talented artist. She uses the Gocco, which I am very interested in purchasing. She was much obliged to speak to me and let me take some pictures. She had some great stuff. I bought a really cool notebook made out of vintage recycled paper. The cover was a map of Long Island! I stood their pointing out where I grew up, where I went to school and of course...where our wedding will be held.




It was such a pleasure to get to meet these people. This was certainly one of the many highlights of the weekend. The good times kept rolling. On Sunday Fred took me to the Baldwin Book Barn, another unique place. This is an old barn from the 1800's. It has been renovated into a store that sells very old & rare books. It was so cool just looking through shelves and shelves of books. Fred found some great cook books.
Before we said our goodbyes, we had dinner with Fred's parents at the Avalon. I got to try some wonderful new foods I never had before. On Fred's mom's recommendation, I had Grilled Romaine Hearts with Parmesan Cheese, Roasted Garlic & Lemon Vinaigrette and Polenta Croutons. I never would have though a cooked salad would be so delicious! And it was also the first time I tried Polenta. This is definitely one of my new favorite dishes!
After dinner we parted ways and headed home. We arrived just in time to feed the ravenous cats, unpack our bags and snuggle into bed. But not without a big smile for the great weekend we had with Fred's parents.

Gimme 5!

I'm not sure of the reason causing my lack of blogging lately. The only thing I can come up with is that things happen so fast that by the time I get a second to blog, something new is going. Plus I have been so busy at work that there are just not enough hours in my day.
So I started my morning off with a little surfing as usual. I somehow wandered onto this blog and figured I would copy her idea of 5 things. So here goes:

5 things

Five years ago I had just graduated with my Master's Degree from CW Post. I was working as an Art Director on Long Island.

5 snacks I love:
- Ranch flavored rice cakes
- Snyder's of Hanover Butter pretzel sticks
- microwave popcorn
- Smart Food popcorn
- cheese


5 things on my to do list today
- concept an idea for an upcoming project
- find out if ACM sells Copic markers
- go to ACM
- think of more things to do


5 things I would do if I were a billionaire
- pay off all of our debt
- help Fred open a restaurant
- buy a new house
- build am awesome craft room
- give money to my family


5 bad habits I have
- picking at my fingers
- biting my lips
- sitting on the toilet way too long reading magazines
- smoking
- i really cant think of anymore

5 places I've lived (I only have 4 for this)
- Floral Park, NY
- New Paltz, NY
- Franklin Square, NY
- Montague NJ


5 jobs I've had:
- ceramics painter
- at a bakery
- Manager of a Quick Lube
- Production Manager
- Art Director

5 Favorite Books:
- Harry Potter
- Eat, Pray, Love
- Mary Magdalene
- Angels & Demons
- House of Medici

5 Favorite TV Shows:
- Criminal Minds
- CSI Miami
- Big Bang Theory
- Two and a Half Men
- How I Met Your Mother

and since I am a scrapper, I had to do this one:

5 Favorite Scrapbook Supplies:
- MM paint
- foam stamps
- embossing powder
- ink
- stamps


Jeez that was a lot harder than I thought it was gonna be!! I added a few of my own categories just to keep me busy a little while longer.

Happy Birthday Stinky

It was a quiet afternoon at work. A little overcast. All I really heard was the humming of the servers in the room next to me. I was working on a typical project, nothing out of the ordinary or overly creative. There wasn't much too look forward to that evening television wise. Although I was looking forward to getting out of work and going home to relax, as I was getting a bit bored.
Then the call came. It was the receptionist. "Gina, you have a package" she claimed over the intercom in her very breathy voice. Since Michael had been asking me all week if I recieved anything in the mail, I knew this must be it. I jumped up and ran like hell across the hall. As soon as I pushed the door open, I spotted it....



I walked quickly back to my desk, pulling the tape as I went. I paused only to get out my camera (as I knew I was going to want to blog about it) and to IM MIchael that I had recieved something. I was worse than a kid on Christmas. I slowly opened it as the smell circled around me. Gradually it was sending me into a euphoria of lucious creamy wonderful scents. I knew this was going to be great. I was so excited when i got the box opened and found...



As far as I am concerned, nothing beats a late birthday present! It had been over a week since I turned 31 and yet I felt like my dad just brought me home my first 10 speed. I could not wait to see what was inside. I tore open the paper and was greeted by aromatic foam peanuts. I shoveled handfuls of them into the garbage deeply inhaling as I went. What I found next was a site to behold.





It was the most gorgeous arangement of LUSH goodies I have ever seen. I nearly lost my breathe. People kept stopping by asking what the smell was. Each time I got more and more excited as I explained what wonders this box held. I knew that Michael had sent this. I was IM'in as I opened it pretending not to know. Then I finally found the card...



It pretty much left me with permagrin for the entire day...

The most wonderful time of the year...

...is not necessarily Christmas! Although I do love the fall & winter and hate the heat. But this time of year something comes out that I love!!




For some reason the cows always stay at the back of the field during the winter. The warmer the weather, the closer they come to the road and the closer they come to the road, the better the pictures I can get!! If I am a passenger in the car on a nice warm day, oh you better watch out! If the cows are near the road you can rest assure I will be hanging out the window yelling hello to them!!! I love me some mookies!!

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity 
to accept the things I cannot change; 
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time; 
Enjoying one moment at a time; 
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; 
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it; 
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life 
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.


-Reinhold Niebuh

If you were to ask me what I need right now I would tell you focus, strength, security and inner peace. If you asked me right now if I had these things I would say yes. So perhaps I just don’t have a hold on my emotions or perhaps I am not fully understanding my means. It’s all there; it just seems that every time I get close to it, it moves farther away. Kind of like when I try to kiss Pinto on the head. But at least with her I am confident that if I keep trying, one day I will get it. I try to have the same confidence with acquiring my other needs, but is frustrating.

A few years ago when I was going through a rough time, an old friend gave me the serenity prayer. I found it to be extremely comforting during those times of wanting to stab myself in the eye with a pencil as well as the times I was surrounded by cotton candy and puppies. No matter what the circumstances, it always seemed to work. So I have decided to resurrect it and share it. And hopefully it will keep me blogging on a more regular basis. ; )

Peace be with you (and hopefully me too!)

My 9-5 life

Well really it's my 9-6, 6:30, 7 so on and so forth life. But here are a few glimpses of it....









Things in my cubicle that make me happy...