The Life of a Traveling Princess

Who sucks at blogging?

2012-01-24T11:27:00.000-08:00

ME ME ME!!
Its weird, like you get so far behind and then you dont even want to do it.

LEAVE ME A COMMENT ABOUT HOW CRAZY I AM AND WHAT I CAN DO ABOUT IT.

I'LL GIVE AWAY A TICKET TO LIVE from CHA!

choosing winner end of today.

So here are some videos that I just did to describe what I am so busy doing!

She's Crafty for Charity Wings Flash Mob . Jan 29, 9:40 am Couple of spots left $10 donation comes with apron!

Club TLC 2012 all year long- $89 for 2 memberships... comes with LIVE from CHA for free!!

LIVE from CHA. Online fundraiser Sunday, Jn 29-30 $39 and you get this awesome kit shipped to you!

Oh yes. lots and lots going on. My house is complete full of boxes. I can't wait till this weekend so can have my house back :) but mostly all the fun we are going to have.

Join me please!! I know you have internet cause you are reading this!!

ALL GOOD DEEDS. ALL THE TIME :)

Let's get real for a minute

2011-12-29T16:53:00.000-08:00

If I go more than a couple of days, I have so much I want to blog about and then I don't do any of it because there is so much to say.. haha!

But really... what I want to say is HELP!!

Charity Wings needs your help. I need your help.

What is charity wings? We raise money for other charities through art and creativity.

What charities? Any registered non profit organization. PARTIAL LIST HERE

Why did I start Charity Wings? My goal was to tap into the crafting and predominately female community and design fundraisers based on things they love to do. My idea was that if you get a group of women together doing what they enjoy and then make it for a good cause that you can raise money.

This is the short version. We have grown so much and now, anyone can contact us to raise money for a charity they support. We work with them to put on a unique and fun event. Have we ever helped a charity you support? I BET WE HAVE

"What we do is real. We are real people putting forth real effort to make a difference. We are not scientists searching for a cure, we are not overpaid executives directing the little people, we are the little people and we create real opportunities for people to do good things."

~yep! I said that :)

I have volunteered for Charity Wings full time ++ for almost 6 years, without paying myself. Charity Wings has grown to the point where it needs employees. Unfortunately, I am not able to volunteer anymore. I have to take a salary. I've tried to make money selling handmade stuff, doing side jobs, teaching etc... it just doesn't work with a growing organization like Charity Wings. It saddens me to have to look for ways to pay administrative costs and to have to hire people to do charity work but I have no other choice. I have tried every way I can to not have this be the reality but it is, so now I am just putting it out there. I need your help.

I have never asked for donations without giving something in return

so when I knew I needed help, we came up with

For an $89 tax deductible donation you will get over $89 worth of stuff!

DanitaArt.com

LIVE from CHA details

beautiful Danita Art print, exclusive to Club TLC members, signed by Danita herself
a cool personalized membership card
a handmade charter member charm
LIVE from CHA for free!!

We will regularly offer ideas on good deeds you can do based on the different charities that are scheduled on our awareness calendar.

Did you know that Jan is:

Cervical Health Awareness Month
National Glaucoma Awareness Month
National Birth Defects Prevention Month
Thyroid Awareness Month
American Heart Month
Library Lovers Month

we will be giving you ideas on how you can help these great causes! Club TLC is about being part of a community of creative people that want to do good deeds. I truly believe everyone wants to do good deeds. They just need a little push. Is this you? Then please please join me.

Please sign up. Please tell your friends.

People think I'm an energy ball
but it's really the Rock Star!

If we can get the word out about this wonderful club, I can keep Charity Wings alive. All of you that have written me with praises telling me how much you admire what I do, asking how I have so much energy, expressing that I am doing amazing work. All of those words keep me going but what I really need is for this amazing group of supporters that love what I do, to show your support by signing up for Club TLC.

If just a fraction of the people I have touched in the last 6 years would sign up for Club TLC It would make all the difference in the world.

My mantra comes from Ghandi “Be the change you want to see in the world” This is how I live my life. The acts we do may be small but they are mighty and as a community, we are unstoppable.

40 and still searching...

2011-12-15T13:10:00.001-08:00

Well, I did it! I turned 40 last week and it was a blast! I have to say I got lots of advice about how the physical changes are hard but that the emotional and spiritual place is great. I loved that. The physical changes are hard.

I found a nice little grey hair yesterday. and pulled it thank you very much. That makes 6 this year! How many can I pull before I have to start dyeing it?

But besides all that, the parties were awesome. My Disney Birthday parade was great. Santa Clause said happy birthday to me as he does every year :) My family and friends were so generous. I can't believe how lucky I am.

And the best advice I got? was from my Yogi tea bag...

AND THAT IS JUST WHAT I AM GOING TO DO!

2012 HERE I COME!!!

The price of happiness- and my friend Jen Cushman in SD.

2011-11-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

I have found in the last year that everything has a price. Happiness and being a Happy People does not come free or cheap! What does it cost? Lots and lots of hard, painful, tear-filled life lessons!

Matt and I had to fight our way to each other. Even though we went to Jr. High and High School together and our parents still live in the town we grew up in, we didn't know each other till just this year. Some of you know what ups and downs my life has had, nothing significantly different than the next person, but some days were filled with so much pain and depression I really did wish I was dead. And I married the person that I thought I could make be my soul mate even though I knew in my heart that he wasn't and Matt did the same. And it took all of that, all of those sad moments and happy ones to get us to where we are now.

So...after paying some dues, I have finally found a person that is a perfect fit for me and it was all worth it. He says things that I need to hear. He looks at me with this look of pure adoration and I can tell that he just feels lucky to have found me. I know its gag barf gooey sappy gross but I just love him.

The past was an amazing gift to get me to now and the future looks blissful....

Now, on to what I got on my blog to write about... My awesome friend Jen Cushman is coming to town!! She is teaching at the Charity Wings Seaside Soiree and she is doing a little bonus class the day before at Gee Gee's Stamps and Stuff in Carlsbad.

Look at the amazing samples she made. You get to personalize them and make them your own.

I hope you can come! 11 am till 1 pm this Thursday. Class fee is $50 + a $10 material fee which includes everything!

Ready, Set, Resin!

Turn your eye for design into fabulous and unique jewelry. During class we will use handcrafted bezels, oodles of images, ICE Resin (a non-toxic jeweler's-grade resin) and the most important tool of all -- your imagination to make a trio of resin pendants. Learn how to properly mix and pour a two-part epoxy resin, add color if you so choose, embed small objects like rhinestones or beads, how to work with a backless bezel and blinging it up with glitter. The images are idea samples of what you can create, but students will personalize their pendants to fit individual art style and tastes.

Jen is super super awesome and she is such a sweet person. I am so lucky Sheila ran into her on the shuttle bus at CHA and we all became friends!

Call the store to sign up. 760-729-1779 Seats are limited to 10 peeps!

Guest Curator on Crescendoh.com

2011-11-22T15:07:00.000-08:00

Jenny Doh is an amazing influence in the art community and I am so lucky to know her. When I first met her she was not what thought. Her perfectly put together appearance and super super smart Asian brain may make her seem all business, or maybe she just seemed that way to me, but she is an incredibly soulful, generous, giving person.

Jenny and I at Brave Girls Camp showing how Asian girls know how to clean a plate!

I've had a few opportunities to hang out with Jenny and I have to say, each time I get to know her a little better and she completely destroys my preconceived ideas about who she is. Well, if you know anything about her, it is kind of like meeting "art royalty" :) she will die laughing when she reads this of course.

But in the end, she is someone that has really helped me with Charity Wings. Given me good advice, even made us one of the charities of choice for 2010 for her company Crescendoh.com

I encourage you all to check out this amazing site. Its full of stories, creativity and inspires me every time I visit.

This week I am one of the guest curators. You can read my Art Saves story here...

please leave a comment if you have time :)

Its kind of a pull your hair out moment ....

2011-11-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

Its like I know that I am supposed to be running this organization and making a difference through what I do best but I can't seem to get others to understand what that is. ha ha universe. funny joke... I'm not laughing really.

I just am not sure I am doing the right thing anymore.

I keep coming up with ideas and way to sustain this organization and I spend a ton of time and energy and other people's time and energy to put together these great plans that sound like they will work and be well received and we get all excited and a huge fire gets going but then....

(image: a tiny little wisp of smoke going up in the air)....

It makes me think that my ideas just aren't very good.

Please don't tell me it is the economy. I know that budgets are tight but I see people spending money, big sums of money on things that they want. And its relative. How many Starbucks are there in the world? Seriously, If you want it, you figure out how to get it. That is the bottom line. And because my events have the word "charity" tied to them, it is not at the top of too many lists. Even though my events are awesome! Or so people tell me, and they get tons and tons for the money they pay or donate.... but it just doesn't seem like enough.

And it makes me feel like I am not doing the right thing.

Im really confused. I wish I could live on good deeds alone. I wish I could win the lotto. Well, right now my wish is that enough people would support what I am doing and vote for Scrapbook Royalty click here:

http://bit.ly/rPywiw

so we can get $25k to keep this going till I come up with another big fiery plan!

I'm done hiding.

2011-11-11T00:36:00.000-08:00

I unpublished my other blog because I was afraid of being judged or having certain people use it against me but I am done with all of that.

I have hope. Hope does spring eternal. I will be a Happy People no matter what.

And there is nothing anyone can do about it.

Want to know just how crazy deep it gets inside this little brain of mine?

http://ellifeworthliving.blogspot.com/

I hope that you....

DON'T JUDGE!
LEARN COMPASSION
KNOW THAT IT IS NEVER AS IT SEEMS... JUST SCRATCH THE SURFACE.

But in the end, it is the one life I have and I love it so much.

and one of my favorite posts that still describes exactly how I feel...

http://ellifeworthliving.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-dont-want-to-be-alone.html

Its just me. Human girl, trying to make all I can of this gift.

Happiness turned upside down

2011-11-02T11:18:00.000-07:00

Its been 2 years since I left my marriage and started this journey. It feels like 2 years for sure. And for 6 years I found my happiness in my charity. And in doing charity work. I would work every day and till all hours of the night happily finding peace in giving.

Then for the last few months my happiness has gotten turned upside down.

You may think its a bad thing but its not! Instead of wanting to work all the time and get up and rush to my computer to start another day... I found that I wanted to be with my new boyfriend and spend time with him and be a part of his life. There is something so fulfilling about having someone love you and say nice things to you and not judge you and not try to change you and let you figure out on your own how to be in a safe happy relationship. How to be good to him while being good to yourself. It doesn't come naturally I don't think. I feel like for most of my life I tried to be one or the other- either good to the other person sacrificing myself. or sacrificing my relationship to stand strong and be who I am. This strange realization that I can choose to be whoever I want, to believe whatever I want and to be happy... that happiness is in fact a choice... well, it has changed my life.

I turned my happiness inside out. I like it. I'm a happy people. Are you?

Here is a picture of my happiness. and a photo of a tag i did for a tag swap for my other book club. I love that these clubs make me create! and they make me happy!

It's Coming!!!- What is it?

2011-10-26T11:24:00.000-07:00

It's been creeping up on me, I've been watching it through my finger tips and smiling at it and maybe inside my heart a little hoping it would go away. But I am ready for it. Really I am....

THE BIG 4-0!!

I am trying to plan something really fun. I am not sure what. I know we will have fun at the dinner on Saturday night at Seaside Soiree. and of course I will be at Disneyland on my actual birthday but the weekend after is when I want to get out of San Diego and do something different. Anyone have any ideas? hook ups :)? or tips? I need suggestions!!

It's Coming!!!

Here is a little tag I created for a swap with my OTB girls. We are open for new members if you want to join us! Here is a link to all the fun :)

I want this!!

2011-10-04T14:46:00.001-07:00

I love this!! I want to marry it!! I want it sooo bad!!!

(the clock, not the sleeping lazy dude)

Come on reality. Where are you?

2011-09-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been living in some alternate reality since my divorce.

Not because I am not a happy people.

Not because I don't get up and work and play and go to bed just like everyone else.

It's because for so long i feel like i have been looking for what i really really want.

I have listed in previous posts some things that I really really want and they are all true. I just feel like something is missing. I keep looking for this "thing" or "answer" to why I feel so incomplete sometimes. I am not sure, but I think it has to do with the fact that I am constantly having to BE someone for someone else. That it is so rare that I get to just be me.

Does anyone else feel this way?

And I don't mind being someone else here and there. I think its the sales person in me that makes me a chameleon like that. I was told a long time ago when I was working for Welcome Wagon, yes, Welcome Wagon, that I had the ability to talk to anyone and that made me a good sales person. and I kind of like that.

And there are so many pressures around me all the time to

do something with my life,

to be a mother someday, to be a good friend, to make my mother proud,

to be happy.

I think I might not have realized that what I really really want is to be myself and be happy with that. So living in this alternate universe where I don't always get to just be me, well, it makes it hard to just be me.

And blogging about this may not be the right thing to do because there are people that will read you blog just to find ways to criticize you. But this is a good outlet for me, and I stopped blogging for a little while because I was worried about the criticism but now I just don't care. Or at least I am hoping the real me won't :)

Its the weekend, and life is great! I'm going to try to just be me today.

Pay it Forward...

2011-08-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

Are you creative? I didn't know I was till my god mother told me "I have always been". It was like the Glinda telling Dorothy "YOU had the power inside YOU all along". I really didn't realize.. But since that day I have learned so many techniques and fun things to do to be creative.

and anyone who has crafted with me knows I am a speed crafter! And a very fast learner. :)

So I have learned a lot. And in return I have taught a lot. At one point I was teaching at 7 stores in California and at all of the Charity Wings Events. I dont teach as much now, except to my friends and I have two art/scrapbooking/mixed media clubs that I host each month.. learn more here. always room for more :)

Anyway, the point of this post is to encourage you to share your talent! Pay it forward! and if someone takes what you have taught them and makes it their own you can feel so proud! If no one shared their talents, could you imagine? and if no one took what they learned and made it their own, could you imagine! It's because of this that we have such a colorful artistic community.

My dear friend Miss Vicky taught me how to make buttons stacks and I fell in love with the technique. Because of her teaching me a technique I got to design for Blumenthal Lansing!

here are a few more pieces I have made for them.

I had so much fun making these pieces and I love that is came from a technique that was passed on to me by a friend. I hope I made her proud!

Yay! The gag order is lifted!

2011-08-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

Just kidding! I have been dying to post pictures of some jewelry that I made for Blumenthal Lansing. I was so thrilled they asked me to design for them! I was nervous because this is my first time doing something like this where I got paid to design art. Well, I guess I have done invitations and scrapbooks but this felt different. My first assignment was to make 3 projects for Michael's!

A bracelet, a necklace and a scrapbook page.

I was nervous about the scrapbook page because over the years I have discovered I am really not a scrapbooker. but I made something that I liked and they liked it too! I had to wait till Michael's got to see the pieces before I could blog about them but I just got the ok. Helen from Blumenthal, the Craft Project Coordinator, loved them so much she commissioned 3 more necklaces from me! Ill post photos of those soon. She has a great blog with lots of good ideas!

Hope you like my creations. I think I am going try to get some on my etsy store... haha! try is the key word there! and here I am, I made it to Designer on their website!

I love Blumenthal because they have been incredibly supportive of Charity Wings aka Scrapbook Royalty AND Liane is someone that I have come to consider my friend. Here is Liane making Suzi Blu art when she came and volunteered at NJ Scrapbook Expo. She hates having her photo taken and wouldnt look at me but she is a beautiful charitable soul and I love her to pieces!

Sometimes I get inspired...

2011-08-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

I had a nice cozy dinner with two lovely friends of mine, Cheryl Waters and Laura Bray....

Cheryl is a lead Fiskateer and that is how we met. Laura and I met at a ZNE retreat a long time ago and then just kept running in to eachother and knew we had to become friends! These women are both extremely talented and wise. When I spend time with them, some of their wiseness rubs off on me. I am a lucky girl and a happy people.

Cheryl brought gifties for us. Here is what I call, her version of a "pig in a blanket".

I love it so much. I know I am supposed to take it apart and make stuff with it, but I am not going to. Its perfect just like this!

and Laura made dinner and had gifts of course! She gave us a sneak peek of some yummy goodness she is designing and made another attempt at teaching me how to embroider! She said I am a natural and I had nice stitches :) hee hee! All I got to do was part of the hair but it was very relaxing and fun because we could chat and stitch and every once in a while Cheryl or I would say out loud, "oh no!" or other versions of that phrase :) as we would get a knot, or break a thread or whatever. It was challenging and fun!

and then I came home and got cracking on my dress forms for my next Outside The Book Club Quarterly Swap!

I cant for the life of me get this photo to upload right side up!! darn blogger!! deep breath! I'm a happy people :)

I have room for a few more members if you want to join. Its so fun and this coming meeting, next weds Aug 17th. we have the awesome Tracy Weinzapfel from Helmar as my guest. She is a creating genius and...

she is bringing a fun make and take! Can't wait! Click here to read the blog with more info on my groups. I do 2 each month!

Can't seem to get a post up...

2011-08-02T01:06:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am going to sit here and write something. I am totally missing blogging but I just can't seem to get a post written that I like. My brain is all funny these days. There is so much going on in my life between having a new boyfriend which was so unexpected, and being over half way through this year that I gave myself to get my company in order... well, I think my brain might be shutting down a little. It was such a crazy first half with non stop travel and now not so much which is good. I like being home too. But I am a bit disoriented from trying to make a life for myself while trying to be with someone and having a little bit of a limbo going on with career, and other hopes and dreams. Maybe that is it. I am in limbo.

Yes, that is it... I am in limbo.

And its not an easy place for me to be. I hope I figure it out. I think I can. I am a happy people after all.

I remember this day. I am pretty sure I didnt have a worry in the world.

Sunshine

2011-07-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of Vitamin D this weekend. I spent time in the sun, taking walks, being with friends, meeting new friends. It was a blessing.

Here is a canvas I did in our booth at Scrapbook Expo. I love Suzi Blu. This is one of her stamps from Unity Stamp Co. I love Unity!

I will be leaving for Scrapbook Expo in Puyallup, WA (Seattle Area) next week and I can't wait to make new friends and teach people how to make this awesome canvas. Here is one that Suzi did. she is amazing!

We are also doing little luggage tags in our booth. Here is one Suzi made for me!

just felt like putting up some art on my blog. last couple of posts were a bit deep :)

working on some cool stuff for my clubs and for CHA!

Blog blockage

2011-07-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

I have started several posts in the last few days and just cant get them to say what I want them to. I dont know why.

My whole brain seems off to me. I know that part of it is just the new crossroads that I am at. (when do we stop reaching crossroads in our lives?) and part of it is wanting something so bad and not being sure that it will ever happen.

So today I just have to say it. I can't hold it in anymore. I have to say what I really really really want. More than anything in the whole world. More than my own life.

What I really really really want is for it not to be too late for me to have a child of my own.

There. I said it. It's out there. I just don't want it to be too late.

All of these kids are amazing and have added so much joy to my life.

Whenever someone says, "At least you didnt have kids" (re: getting divorced) or, "Hang out with my kids, you won't want them after that" or "You're so luck you dont have kids and get to travel all the time". or "Kids are expensive" or the best one was when I was going through fertility treatments and people would say "as soon as you stop wanting one, you will get pregnant" or the many other things that are supposed to make me feel better about not being a mother....

I just take a deep breath and hold it in because I want to scream when people say this to me. Not at them because how could they know how much it hurts me to hear this.

How could they know that it would have made my marriage worth it even if I had to have my ex husband be in my life forever.
That I would rather hear endless nights of crying and whining.
I would trade every trip and give up everything.
Poor people have kids all the time
How do you stop wanting to have a child?

They can't know.

So if you have kids, tell me, are they your greatest joy in life? Would you trade it for anything in the world? Imagine for a minute not having them.

And even with all this going on in my head. I am still a Happy People.

One of those days...be strong.

2011-06-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

It happens sometimes. A day that just keeps getting worse and worse. Until you are in such a state that all you want to do is lay your head down and cry. And then the doubt sets in. Why is it when you are in this state you start to doubt everything about everything. I hate second guessing myself.

I believe I was put on this earth to do things for others. There is nothing I feel more confident in than my ability to take care of people that need me. I take that skill and work every day knowing that if I stay true to who I am, I will be doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing.

So why does the doubt still come? Sometimes I am weak.

So what I really really really want it so be strong enough to know that I am doing the right thing.

Interrupting...Have you seen this girl?

2011-06-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

How does art disappear? I made my first Suzi Blu art and then I got to assist her at "Inspired" which was so fun and awesome. Suzi and I made a great team!

But somehow the piece didnt make it home with her...

Its not the first time that something I have made has not made it back to me but it bums me out a little. The piece is even cuter now because i added a little crown hat and some wings that my friends at Inspired gave me. And I added bling!

So someone has my treasured piece. It probably made it home with someone on accident so I thought I'd put a call out and see if anyone has seen it :)

It has my initials on the bottom "ele" so I don't think anyone can mistake it for their own. Or maybe some sticky fingers at the hotel got it. Suzi is missing some of her step outs too. Not sure why someone would take those though cause they are unfinished art... but Suzi is amazing so maybe they just wanted something she had touched hee hee!

Ahh well. Still a happy people.

Redesigning Elena...the traveling princess-artist-do-gooder (Part 5)

2011-06-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

Life does have its twists and turns and challenges. If we run away from them we miss the lesson. I am definitely here to learn so that I can grow and be a better person and more genuine to who I am everyday.

I am a Happy People.

and I am an Artist.

What I really really really want it to learn from life's challenges.

Elena creates...

My awesome friends Sarah and Jonas are getting married this weekend at my other awesome friend Maureen's winery in Paso Robles. I am going to coordinate their day and I made a banner for them. I can't wait to give it to them. Just gotta string it together and I am done :) She said Burlap and Lavender. and really simple. I hope I got it right!

And this week was my Cool Scrapbook Club Crop. We have merged both of my clubs into one crop and it was so much fun! There were 22 of us this time and I actually showed up! Everyone brought yummy food and I brought a make and take.

Redesigning Elena...the traveling princess-artist-do-gooder (Part 4)

2011-06-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

Looking forward and Blue Skies Ahead!

On my journey to figure out what I really really really want, I had to visit some not so great places in my head and my heart. I had to really dig deep and make sure that the things I thought I really want are things I really really really want!

So I have a friend G. She makes art and we chat and I've known her for a long time and she is one of my best friends. She gets happy when I am happy and she gets sad when I am sad. She has been there for me and I have been there for her and it's been really nice. She has 3 kids. They are awesome but not perfect and she loves them unconditionally no matter what. I want that. I want kids that I can love unconditionally.

I got unconditional love from my parents. My father, even though he is certifiable in many ways, always let me know that he loved me unconditionally. And as for my mother, I knew she loved me but sometimes I thought she wouldn't love me if I did certain things. And then I would do them and she would love me still. She would pick me up and brush me off. She would take care of me even if I was in another country, she would do anything she could to ease my sadness and she just couldnt bear to see my suffer. She loved me unconditionally imperfections and screw ups and all.. My friend G loves her kids unconditionally

that is what I really really really want. I want to be a mother that loves her kids unconditionally.

I had a guest come to my last Outside The Book Meeting last week. Fran is awesome. She taught us a form of resin art and it was very fun! Here is Fran in one of my traditional poses :)

And here are the pieces I made:

this is one of my most poignant moments in my life. Everything changed on this night. I added 3-D wings as the resin was drying.. one is broken. I love my broken wing art.

the piece above i made wings out of little plastic leaves. I used a heart shaped button and then i made the word "fly" out of wire. It's happy and sparkly and its my future.

And this one with the little girl is going in my purse. putting it back out into the universe... stranger things have happened :)

I made more pieces but im tired of posting now so maybe later.

Redesigning Elena...the traveling princess-artist-do-gooder (Part 3)

2011-06-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

Im back at my desk after another fun weekend. I dont know how I get to have such an awesome life but I do! On Wednesday last week I spent part of the evening doing art with some lovely ladies at Scripps Encinitas. These women are battling different types of Cancer and I got invited to teach them how to make jewelry. Nothing feels better to me than this. Making someone else happy with my art. These photos are from a different day a couple of months ago. These women were so sweet and some let me take their picture. (I had to get some photos, I am asian after all!)

and I printed these photos for them and mailed them to them. Two of them sent me thank you notes that I will cherish.

These women and their caregivers are going through something so much bigger than anything I have ever gone through and it was an honor to get to spend a little time with them teaching them something that might make their journey even the slightest bit better.

This taught me something else I really really really want....I want to make people happy with my art. Whether I am selling my art, giving it away, teaching it, using it to raise money for worthy causes, no matter what it is, I want this....

Redesigning Elena...the traveling princess-artist-do-gooder (Part 2)

2011-06-03T00:39:00.000-07:00

What do I really really really want...

Part 1 was having this question asked of me and letting it sit for about a year... till Suzi Blu reminded me that I really really really want to make art.

And there are others who have helped me find my way....

My young friend Jesse. She is one of my best friends. I have known her for like 8 years, since she was in highschool. When I lived in Taiwan, she came to visit me and it was such a different time. When I left my husband, she was the first one to take me out and get me back to being me.

I knew when I left my husband that it was time. I knew that if I did not leave I would end up cheating on him and I couldn't do that to him. He deserved so much more than that. He deserved my respect and he always had it. Even though we were not right for each other, it was one of the saddest things I have ever lived through.

Jesse helped me realize that another thing I really really really want is to always come from a place of LOVE AND COMPASSION.

I want to see the positive in people and treat them according to what I know is good about them and not according to how they might hurt me. To always know that "hurt people, hurt people" but that even the most miserable unhappy people have goodness in them.

So I made some art and it made me feel good...

I have two "book clubs" that I run each month. They are both based on creative idea books in the art and crafting industry. Each month we meet and and socialize and do crafty things. And every 3 months we do a swap. This cycle we each made an ATC card with one letter. My letter was "F". I was inspired by my new friend Fran Valera from Little Windows. An awesome resin company. I am super into resin right now and as I type this I have 4 pieces curing on my table! Fran is a super star so I had to have a nice shiny star on this piece!

and I made jewelry. This one has more beads than the one a couple posts back. so its lays different but I like it still. I made a bracelet to match with the leftover charms. This piece has a "hidden mickey"! Come on Disney fans! Tell me you think that is cool!

And then there is Sheila my personal Angel. She has been a huge part of why Charity Wings was able to stay afloat while I had my own personal midlife crisis. She keeps me on track and makes me realize that I am not just Charity Wings. That I deserve to have a life outside of this organization and that if for some reason, I have to walk away from it, It will be ok.

She freed me up to find another thing I really really really want...I want to be more than Charity Wings. I want to get back to being known as a creative mind, teacher and a fierce friend.

I am so lucky...I am a super happy people.

Redesigning Elena...the traveling princess-artist-do-gooder (Part 1)

2011-06-01T23:37:00.000-07:00

(This is going to take several blog posts but I promise it will be worth it. Wait till you see!)

Which do I want to be associated with?

ALL OF THEM! I am finally at a point in my life, a year and half after leaving my husband and starting on this new journey where I am coming out of my fog and ready to find the answers to the question..."What do I really really really want?"

This is me and Melody Ross at Brave Girls Camp. I went 4 times last year and it was a life changing experience. She asked us this question at camp about a year ago and I just about lost it trying to figure it out. So I just let it go... and didn't answer it. And maybe since then it has been in the back of my mind and now, I am finally getting to it... "What do I really really really want?"

So, there are some people that have helped me figure this out.... Its going to take a few posts but I am going to document this journey... It started with Melody and then a year later, it resurfaced with Suzi Blu.

Suzi is always trying to get me to do art. To share my art and teach my art. She pushes me to promote me...not just Charity Wings. She tells me I am an artist.

On the left is Suzi and I at the first event she helped me at. On the right is me and Suzi on our way to an event where I got to help her! I got to be Elena an artist 1st and charity do-gooder 2nd. It was strange and nice and different.

Suzi helped me remember that I need to be me first. And I will do my best work when I am feeding my creativity. And when I keep my creative glass full, I can do amazing things for others.

Thank you Melody for asking the question.

Thank you Suzi for getting me started in answering it.

The first thing I really really really want is to have time to create art.

LOVE... lots of it!

2011-05-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

I really love that I get to do what I love!

Running Charity Wings is a dream job for me. I am not sure how long I will be able to do it for, but I am going to make sure I do my best every day.

and I love my little brother. He is definitely the best I could ever have hope for. It was his bday this weekend. He is a dork by the way. and he loves to wear my tiara.

and I love my mom. She took us our for Eric's bday and let us drink champagne! I love Champagne!

and this is how much Eric and I love eachother! we were sitting across from each other. (we try not to touch each other if we can help it.) :) he was laughing at my upside down writing. I thought it was pretty good. he is a show off and made his better.

and I love my new boyfriend. yep I said it. He is really awesome :)

and I went for a run today! Yep! A Run! it was only like 40 minutes but it was a RUN! and I never do that :)

See LOVE... Lots of it!

Im making decisions... hope I can stick to them!

2011-05-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

Two things:

1) I was having a late night conversation with Jenny Doh at Inspired and through talking to her I came to the conclusion that I really really need to get some physical exercise going. I feel like my body is just going to freeze up and stop moving. I know that movement is life and if we stop stretching and using our muscles we get stiff and old and blubbery! So that is where I am at... In my 39th year of life, I am going to try to get my movement back!

So yesterday I went for an hour and 1/2 speed walk on the beach in Encinitas. My home town and my favorite place on earth!

2) I decided that I want to get back into ART!! I used to spend all day every day just scrapbooking and making things. I have not had this life in a long long time. I miss it. So here is a necklace I made for a new friend Celeste Black. I met her at Scrapbook Expo Orlando and she was wearing an awesome fabric necklace. I was wearing one of my own creations and we oohed an ahhed over each others stuff! It was fun and we decided to trade art. So I made her this necklace and I hope she likes it!

art art art! I have to make more!

2011-05-24T00:34:00.000-07:00

BUT FOR NOW...
My darling friend Christa Krais designed an awesome badge for Charity Wings! Do you love it?? I do!!

Charity Wings

And we are doing a giveaway on the Charity Wings blog...just for adding the badge to your blog or website...

Will you help me spread the word?

Where do I go from here?

2011-05-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

How do I separate myself from Charity Wings/Scrapbook Royalty. I need to somehow but don't know how. Its like the charity is my child that I literally birthed and I have no way to separate myself from it nor do I really want to. It has taken over my life and my identity and I don't want to be lost in it. But I also love what I do.

Money, I hate having to earn a living. and in the end I have to.

I think, after getting advice from two good friends, Suzi and G, that I have to go back to my art. I miss it. I miss making pretty things and crazy things. I get to once in a while but not much and I miss it!! I remember when my whole life was about making art. And then it turned into a business and now... did I say I miss it? I DO!

So how to get back to it? I think the first step is coming. I am scared that I am at another cross roads in my life but heck, I've been here before so here goes nothing!

I made this banner for Serendipity Studios. She made a kit to support Charity Wings...Im so excited about it! Its not totally done yet but here is peek. Iwill figure out where you can buy it. I added my own stuff and used wood as the base but the kits is super super cute!

It was crafty fun and I am so glad I took the time to do it!

I can't take it anymore...

2011-03-26T00:57:00.000-07:00

The Japan 9.0 Earthquake and subsequent tsunami have me really sad these days.

There are more than 18,000 people dead. I can't believe that. What a horrible way to die and such a horrible way to lose your family and friends.

There are almost 1/2 a million people living in shelters! I just can't believe it!!

But I have the power to do something so here is what I am doing...

CHARITY WINGS FOR JAPAN (Im making a picture to go here) wait and see!

Would love your support. I've created an opportunity for your to give... and you can win awesome stuff in the process.

Let's make a difference!

rain and rainbows.

2011-03-10T23:44:00.000-08:00

So I have to tell you, I am really really lucky to have GK, JT, AB and SR as friends. I thought I was going to die from anxiety yesterday. I actually talked to these people almost all day. It was nuts. I alternated between crying, working and talking/crying on the phone. I really thought I was losing it. In the end everything came together and it was like I had 4 angels on my shoulders talking me down.

The conclusion is...

Somehow I have to make myself believe that I deserve to be happy. I know that happiness is a choice. Even though I have made some mistakes I should still allow myself to have dreams. I gave up for a while. They were hiding. Well, they seemed impossible really. and I put myself in the place where they were not even a consideration anymore.

but today I feel like I can hope.
just a little.
and maybe tomorrow I will feel like I can hope a little more....

Baby steps.

it still gives me anxiety to think about it now. It brings tears to my eyes just to feel the unknown take me over again. I have to let go, let happiness happen if it is going to.

but I'm terrified.

happiness comes with pain and I just don't know how to go there again. im trying.

With decisions comes a little rain

2011-03-09T16:29:00.000-08:00

One decision down.
Now I just have to deal with the consequences.
My heart is so sad and I feel such a huge loss but I am doing the right thing for myself and I have to trust that.

If it is meant to be, it will.

2011-03-07T02:17:00.000-08:00

There are so many things I need to decide on right now. I have this vast open field in front of me and I just want to run in it and twirl and do cartwheels and play but instead I have to focus on the pile of wood that needs to be chopped and stacked, the bales of hay that need to be put out to feed the cute little piggies and the crazy dog that is barking and needing my attention.

Do I play? or take care of business.

Ok, so this is not my life, this is not even close to an analogy but yet, I can relate. I feel like I have these never ending "chores" when it comes to making my life great. And then I look around and I see that it is already great. That what is happening is exactly what is supposed to happen right now.

That even though I feel lost and overwhelmed by the decisions I have to make,

whatever the decision is, it is what is meant to be.

This is how I make it through the day and face that field.

As happy as I am.... and I am a Happy People.

2011-02-23T00:54:00.000-08:00

As happy as I am, I still feel like a wounded bird.
My broken wing flaps but I can't fly.

The fear that grips me when I think of ever going to that "place" again, is debilitating.

The anxiety,
     the emptiness,
          the darkness,
               the sadness,
                     I just don't think I would survive this time.

And scared as I am, I have hope that someday I will let it go and be free.

Why I am doing it...

2011-01-13T17:22:00.000-08:00

People wonder why I host charity events and what is in it for me. I have to say -it is just what I was put on this planet to do. I found my calling and as weird as it is, my calling is to do charity work. I have volunteered for my non profit, Charity Wings aka Scrapbook Royalty for the past 4 1/2 years. Its been an amazing journey and right now I am just hoping I can keep it going. I must admit, it has grown beyond my wildest dreams as well as beyond my capabilities. There is so much more to running a non profit organization then just doing good deeds.

So I am asking you, my friends to please support what I do.

I do not get paid
I do not do this to promote myself
I do not do this for pats on the back
I do it because this is what I was put on this planet to do.

Our next big effort is coming up very very quickly. Sadly, the support on this event from the community has not been as strong as I had hoped. We put so much into these events. We have amazing manufacturers and designers on board but for some reason, I just couldn't convey the message about this event.

So I am going to try one more time here on my blog...

This is a charity event to raise money and awareness for Crops of Luv. This wonderful organization makes memory books for children with critical illnesses. Some of these children win the battle and some of them die. Either way, the families have this amazing gift of love and rememberance for this time in their child's life. Its is an amazing testament of love and compassion to take someone's photos and document their life. These women do this as a free service and I want to help them.

You can be a part of this. Here is how...

Sign up for LIVE at CHA. Its a online event. all you need is the internet and you can participate.
Make a donation through our website
Participate in the online auction. I will be posting auctions on my fb, and blog and more...Jan 29,30, and 31st. so keep and eye out
Help spread the word about the event. You can download one of the two flyers below here add them to your blog, newsletter, email it out, facebook, twitter... anywhere you can and link back to our website so they can sign up.
We also have a little blinkie that you can pull from the blog on the right.

Flip-Pal winner!!

2010-12-22T00:32:00.000-08:00

and the winner is...

Allyson Evers!

CONGRATULATIONS!! I HAVE YOUR FLIP PAL FOR YOU!

this raffle raised a whopping $460 for Charity Wings! we try to do raffles every month and all of the money goes to supporting us so we can support you!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

We are raffling off a Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner! for just $5 a ticket!

2010-12-16T00:05:00.000-08:00

Want one of these babies! they are amazing and everyone needs one!! Just go to the Charity Wings Website and get your tickets today!

Drawing to be held on December 21st, 2010, just in time for Christmas!!

Leave a comment here about my first video :) and get a bonus ticket!!

Seaside Soiree...

2010-12-07T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Seaside Soiree was amazing! It put me behind on opening my matchboxes tho!

and tomorrow is my bday so I am hoping i will be able to get caught up on the goodness of the 23 days of Christmas swap tomorrow!

I will be posting photos. my stuff is scattered i 5 different cars right now! so crazy!

25 Days of Christmas

2010-12-01T23:40:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of the 25 days of Christmas Countdown!

I joined an awesome swap (A Swap for all Seasons) and what I had to do was alter 25 little matchboxes and put a gift inside each one and number them. Then I got 25 boxes back in the mail and today was the first day to open!

So my box today was from Hope Griffin and she lives in the UK somewhere.

The box is just too cute and has a really cute little embellishment inside.

I just went to Hope's Blog and she started from #25 and she opened 2 today. One of them is mine! Can you guess which one? :)

I can't wait to open the rest of them!

I read this over and over...

2010-10-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

Well, not over and over and over but I definitely go back and read my "other blog" from time to time.

It reminds me where I was and how far I have come and the struggle to get here. It reminds me that because I am human I feel pain and that is natural.

And that because I am human, I can bend and adapt to the life that I have instead of the life that I thought I was going to have.

And that because I am human, I will cry, I will feel sad, I will feel defeated but I don't have to be any of those things.

So I have been to 4 Brave Girl Camps and spent a month of my life in the last 8 months in Idaho with amazing groups of women. And because I am human, I will love them, I will miss them, and I will cherish them, and I will never never forget them.

This year was the way it was because of my experiences past present and future I loved them all!

my first camp was with these ladies right here and I learned just how much women could lift eachother up.

in the end when we had to say goodbye it was bittersweet. we had made so much progress but were all excited to go home and put what we had learned into effect

these amazing women were at the last camp I went to. I hate that I can't post every picture on here of every girl I met at camp. I HATE. that it is because of time and lack of it that I am not able to tell you about each and every one of them... they are all worth a story...

but I LOVE that the reason I have no time is because my life is so full and that it is full of getting to do charity work every single day.

The women on this pier were at the 3rd camp I went to.... It was a truly special experience... because....

I got to spend it with one of the most amazing women I have ever known. Someone that I am lucky to call my friend and my partner in Charity Wings. Someone that I have the utmost respect for and someone who I strive to be like every day.

these women were at the last camp I was at and I am soooooo in love with all of them! Participants, staff, it was just a freaking love fest! These women are going to be the light when I am in the dark. I know it.

saying good bye is never easy. But we know we will see eachother again.

I met such amazing women at this camp. young, old, all shapes, sizes, colors.. I can't imagine another place on earth where you can do this...

I can fly now.....

I can find Peace... and give it.....

I can smile....
Its been a year.
I can move forward.
I dont know where I am going
I dont know who I am
I dont know how, when, or why...
Im scared, Im scarred, and Im lonely, but at least I can fly.

This post dedicated to the amazing people I have met in the last year, some at camp, some on line, and some that just find me somehow. and mostly to Melody, Kathy and Grandma who made one month of my life this past year soooo good.

Published for the first time!

2010-10-16T02:43:00.000-07:00

If you were following my Lucky 13 journey then you know it was an incredible one! I have one last bit of the journey to share...

We got published!! My dear friend Cheryl wrote the article and this little group of artists I assembled got a little shout out in Somerset Memories from it!

Unfortunately the credit for the page I created got switched with Michelle Van Etten's but still good!

Here are a few photos of my finished book.

This is the Cover that I made. The pages are all canvas so I used Clear Acrylic to create pages

All of the pages people created for me are amazing! My favorite page is this one (bottom) that Nan did for me. It was from my trip to Bainbridge Island, Washington. It was a turning point for me in 2009. I sent her this really dark photo that just perfectly described how I felt at that time and she used her crafty mind to make this. She turned the photo into an iron on and ironed it onto the canvas. It was genius! and yes, I took that photo of the little mushrooms :)

Some of us did an ATC swap. I used them to create a page. I used my ATC on my cover.

It was an amazing journey. I want to start another group... just need to figure out the deets!

I could just cry!

2010-10-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

Its not a secret that I am not a detail oriented person. Accounting is one of the most anxiety inducing parts of Scrapbook Royalty/CharityWings for me. I have had this black cloud hanging over my head because we were behind on our tax filings. Even though we are a non-profit and don't owe taxes, we have to file and it has been a nightmare.

Volunteers have the best intentions when it comes to helping and the books kept being passed from one volunteer to the next. and then back to me partially done. It was horrible.

UNTIL I FINALLY REALIZED, THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU JUST HAVE TO PAY FOR!!

people told me that but i didn't listen.... I get it now. and my taxes are officially done!!

I would highly recommend Robert Borish if you need a great CPA. http://www.1040guys.com/

He did not tell me to write this but I am just so grateful and this is what I felt like doing!

So- off to the post office!

I have so much more awesome stuff to blog about... maybe tomorrow :)

wow! so weird that 10 days passed!

2010-09-15T00:26:00.001-07:00

HAHA! NOW ITS BEEN WAY MORE THAN 10 DAYS! I FORGOT TO POST THIS! it says at the top of this post 10 days but today is actually September 29th and in 38 minutes will be September 30th!

I don't know how the time flies like that? What tha? Its been 10 days since my last post (HAHAHA SO MUCH MORE THAN 10 DAYS!! )? Weird...feels like 2!

I did have a creative night tho! (WEEKS AGO!) I spent some time making jewelry.
One was for my friend Wendy who is super crafty. She won a bet and I never welch on a bet! So here is the bracelet I made her...

SHE LIVES IN CANADA, I SHIPPED IT SLOW MAIL AND LAGGED GETTING TO THE POST OFFICE! SHE GOT IT TODAY! THAT IS HOW LONG ITS BEEN SINCE I WROTE THIS! IM JUST STILL LAUGHING..

I also made these pieces.

I am making stuff to post on the Scr apbook Royalty Etsy Site. I am so excited about this! want to donate?!? I am so glad Miss Vicky has taken this on. She is just one truly truly amazing gal.

We are taking donations for stuff to sell! email MissVicky@charitywings.org for info

Jennifer made this Etsy Store Banner and I just love it!This month we are raising money for A Place to Bark. An amazing no kill animal shelter run by Bernie Berlin.

This is my piece I am putting in the Etsy Store and when I get my butt in gear I am going to open an etsy store of my own!

Ha ha ha! Every day, every other day... every week.. who am i kidding?

2010-09-05T16:43:00.000-07:00

I was trying to do more posts. and I have but dang, the days get away from me!!
Anyway, it was a holiday, yeah, that's a good enough excuse right?

So.....Have you been to Glen Ivy?There are a few locations but the one in Corona has the hot springs and Club Mud. A Red Clay mud that makes your skin baby butt soft!

So, I went with some friends and it was awesome. While we were covered in mud. (Some of us more than others....) we were really wishing we had a camera. So I, being the resourceful one, offered to take a photo of some girls taking pics of eachother on a camera phone. And then I said, "Hey! would you take one for us and send it to me?" that being the plan all along of course :) She said no problem and so here is the picture...

We look like we just stepped out of the amazon jungle ... some more than others... Let's just say Albert has some really shiny hair now...(the mud is almost dry so you can't see it that well)

Anyways, it was fun. I recommend it! go during the week. its cheaper and less crowded for sure! Eat lunch there! the salads are amazing.

Scrappin for Ta Tas is fun!

2010-08-30T01:49:00.000-07:00

I have had an awesome weekend!

I had some great revelations about myself and what I really need and want as far as my life moving forward goes. I found that I am in a much better place than I thoughtI was and it has helped me with my relationships with some very important people in my life. It takes me a while but sometimes I get it :)

Sheila and I had an affiliate event this weekend at the La Jolla Mariott that was small but really really great!

How cute is Gi Gi? Suzi Blu knows how tasty her little doggy looks to me now!! Suzi was so fabulous to grace us with her presence and teach an adorable petite fairy doll. It was awesome!! I actually got to play and make one. Ill post it tomorrow. (or the day after :))

Here is the awesome group of ladies that supported this event. Together we raised $1200 for Susan G. Komen. Yep! thats what we do!

Jennifer came down from Hesparia to fulfill her role as Scrapbook Royalty's Creative Director and she did not disappoint with her adorable mini book class!

Krystie and Teri from Pink Pineapple Scrapbooks were there to teach a layout class that was yummy and perfect for summer!

Krystie's class was complete with a glitter sundae which I wanted so bad to eat!

and my dear friend Miss Vicky was on hand to teach a stacked button bracelet class! She is always make a room sunnier and more fun! and I just love love love her haircut! She donated to Locks of Love!

Sometimes you gotta go for it!

2010-08-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

I was at Laura's Desert Scrappers Retreat event a couple of months ago and it was really fun! They played "musical chairs scavenger hunt" and it was hilarious! Albert caught this photo of me running for the next item and.....

then diving for the chair so I wouldn't be out!! It was so close...hahaha!

But as you can see, I was on the floor in the end...
I had so much fun tho! And you can too!...

There are 2 Scrapbook Royalty options for the next Desert Scrappers Retreat which still has room! Sept 17-19th. Palm Desert!

The Scrap Yourself Pink one day crop hosted by Jennifer Priest and Sheila the amazing awesome angel to raise money for Susan G. Komen
The Royal Add On that goes with Laura's retreat. Super awesome feedback from last time so we are doing it again!

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

A Stache party and a huge Nessie Burger

2010-08-23T13:50:00.001-07:00

How about those young'uns? They are amazing!

Me and Jesse at CHA Scrapbook Royalty Staging Room with our Meat Sticks and Nut Clusters Sheila bought us for snacks! We couldn't stop laughing!!

So there are some amazing girls that volunteer for Scrapbook Royalty/Charity Wings and they are young and so dedicated and I have to tell you about them!

There are more then just these two but here are two of them...
One is my friend Jesse. She has been with me since the very very very beginning for Scrapbook Royalty and has been at almost every event. She goes by King Jesse and she is definitely a King of somethin'!
Our friendship has grown and stretched and been tested and grown some more of the last 7 or so years since we met and I just love love love this girl!She just moved into a new place a few weeks ago and this weekend she has a mustache housewarming party. Jesse is obsessed with mustaches... I took this picture of her friend Chris and I love it! It was so much fun! I swear it is so weird to be the oldest person at a party but hey! I somehow fit right in!!!

And then there is Lauren, She just started volunteering and I can't even believe how awesome she is. She also just got engaged and I am so happy for her! She has taken Club Royalty by storm and made a huge impact on what I do. I can definitely count on her and that is just such a gift. Today we met for me to give her some stuffs and we had Nessie Burgers... We couldn't event slightly put a dent in them but dang they were good!!

ok. every other day then!!

2010-08-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

looks like I will change my plan to an every other day post! haha!

This is where I was yesterday ...

went to Camp Pendleton. One of my besties, Brooke promised Albert a tour and he was amazed that they would let him on base since he is from Spain! or as he says, Barcelona.

and I played with her kids... I had actually been avoiding them for a few months after the divorce started. I think because I have such mixed feelings about kids now. I never doubted that I would be a mother, and now I do, and it makes it harder to be around other people's kids in a way. Especially my good friends who know me so well. But I had fun and they were fun and it was actually all very good.

and we had fun on the tour and Albert did lots of jumping. First off the tank which you can climb but at your own risk (big signs all over telling you so)

Then he played in Brooke's backyard on the trampoline. He kicked Brooke's kids out first :) Yep. He is a big kid! Fun fun fun!

oops! already missed a day!~

2010-08-19T11:40:00.000-07:00

Geez I can't believe I already missed a day on my 30 days of blogging! Haha! oh so typical!

I've met some amazing people and made some incredible connections at Brave Girls Camp. This is Veronica and Lorraine. They came to CHA and I barely got to see them but I am so glad I did at least get to give hugs. They are two of the Bravest Girls I know.
Lorraine called me after I got back and we discussed a project she is working on. I am so excited because she is including me in the project. Keep an eye out! I will be posting about it as soon as she says I can!!

And even though they are not brave girls Alumni, Wendy and Marisa are two more amazing brave girls I spent time with at CHA Chicago. Wendy is from Canada and is a Crafty TV spokesperson. She had a show that just ended and she is so fun! and so sweet! Marisa is a firecracker and she was my co-host for the Westcott Under the Sea benefit for the Wyland Foundation. She is a true blue friend and someone I really admire for her unwavering commitment to giving only her best!

I have met some amazing women in my life and I probably couldn't write about them all but I am definitely going to try!

Im doing it anyway!

2010-08-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

I LOVE CUTE LITTLE PIGGIES!!! They're soooo tasty!

I keep just putting off doing my blog post because life is getting in the way. Then I realized that my blog needs to get in the way of life!! I miss so much blogging and I have to pick up the habit again. So I am going to do the 30-day challenge... here goes day 1...
day 1...
I hear my friend G in my head every day saying "Elena, I keep going to your blog and it's the same post! You need to blog!" And I guess, I get so behind that I dont even know where to begin.... so I am beginning with something I love...

I love handmade gifties! This one is from my friend Maria and she stamped in the metal and it says..."This little piggy loves bacon!" and you know i do! She sells these very popular bracelets in her etsy shop!

And I love little piggies! In fact, I was out with my good buddy Jessekins and we ran across the cutes piggie I ever saw!!
I got to hold it! Turns out it costs $850 to buy one :( a little out of my league!
and lastly for today's love of piggies theme, I love love love my friend Jennifer (who is not a piggie) but an awesome friend who left me a cooler full of piggie parts!! Yum yum yum! Do you see the sliced bacon!! I can't wait to fry it up in a pan!! and that piggie roast is going in my crockpot!! Yep! I am learning to cook. Albert says I am on a cooking spree but I keep telling him I am not. I refuse to admit that I can probably feed myself if I have to!

Im A Petite Doll!

2010-07-20T00:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the amazing Suzi Blu who made this Petite Elena Doll for us to create stamps to sell!

Suzi is so fabulous!!
She is an amazing artist
She is a Beeeeeautiful heart
She makes people happy and confident
She is giving
She is my friend.

Thank you Suzi, my Brave Girl Sister!

Things bring me to tears

2010-07-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

I can't do it all...
that is not what brings me to tears though. Knowing that I can't do it all means that I have to rely on wonderful friends and a support system to help me with what I can't do. So here is the point.

I met an amazing girl at Brave Girls Camp. Her name is Jeri Lynn.

Two words, one name. :)
and she is seriously like a soul sister to me. I told her at the first BGC that she is my white twin. And so now that is our running joke but seriously, she is a beautiful amazing girl who just doesn't have a clue how special she is. She shines kindness and compassion and I just love her.

So, what she did...

Another amazing friend Melody Ross created new logos for Scrapbook Royalty (to be elaborated on and gushed over at a later date... big news coming...) And we used scanned images and clip art to do the logos, so that meant that they needed to be vectorized. Yeah yeah, whatever that is... Well, anyway, It needed to be done and I don't know how to do it and Melody doesn't know how to do it but Jeri Lynn DOES

AND SHE DID!!

And when she sent me the files, i cried. I get by with a little help from my friends (and my white twin)

I can't wait to announce what my little non-profit is doing. We are growing. Some of you know about it. but just wait and see!!

And December 3rd-5th we are doing a taste of Brave Girls in San Diego!!!

Can't wait to announce the deets. So many amazing things and people in my life. I am truly a happy people!

Unity Stamps Supports!!

2010-06-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

OMG... My lovely friend Angela is just amazing. She is the owner of Unity Stamp Company and she and Melody Ross, another lovely friend have created a set for Scrapbook Royalty.... (insert tear rolling down face)

There are two you can buy...

This beauty:

or this beauty:

Each set is $24 and we will be selling them on the Scrapbook Royalty website! If you want to buy one now, you can just email me elena@scrapbookroyalty.org and I will send you an invoice...
Im so excited! This is a such an amazing gesture on Melody and Angela's parts and I am so grateful to have these wonderful women as friends!

I find the most awesome stuff...

2010-06-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

I find the most awesome stuff on Facebook... Just reading people's posts, I only get to about 5 a day but I try to read what is at the top of my que... Today I found this on Gina K.'s status:

Every experience God gives us, every person He puts into our lives, is the perfect preparation for a future only He can see. ♥

This is soooo amazingly true! And i am not a particularly religious person. Well, I dont talk about God, but I do have faith and I just love that this was on her status. I just love it...

Now the best part about it, is that I am not even sure how I know Gina. Or if we have met or if she just friended me because we have lots of mutual friends? or if i met her at an event or what!??!? But I know I like her because she is a crafter and a stamper and we have 176 mutual friends. And how can she not be awesome if we have all that in common?!?

Amazing how people are brought into your life for some reason, and make a difference somehow. Sometimes without even trying or without ever knowing they did. Although she will know because I am going to post a message to her :)

OK, for some creativity...

I was part of a "steampunk hairclip swap" and Here are the goodies I got!

From Miss Vicky little clocks with words and glass pebbles

Jennifer Tsang just bought a ton of stuff and went to town! very fun!

From Erin Bassett. I just love that she used all that Tim Holtz goodness!

These are mine... I used tulle, 3 different black silk flowers, a treble clef paper clip, old buttons and a little gold heart cause I just love these girls!

Carly Breslin, Vicky's Daughter used rust colored flowers and some brass locks and keys. yum. she has made me beautiful clothes, check out her stuff.

Julie Haymaker Thompson is the first person I ever heard of Steampunk from and she inspired me for this swap. I loved her hair clips when they arrived and I love her! Even though we have never met in person, she has become and online friend and has left me many kind comments on my blog. Especially when i was going through such a hard time. I am so glad to be able to call her a friend!

This was such a fun swap and at the girls suggestion, We decided to make an extra one each for a little fundraiser for SBR. So please go to the Scrapbook Royalty Website and make a donation

1 ticket for $2
3 tickets for $5
20 tickets for $20

you can win one of each of these handmade beauties!

Thanks so much for your support!

What day is it?

2010-06-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

oh boy. i thought it was the 16th or 17th and its the 21st!! what tha?!?!?

My lovely friend Angela posted this on her fb....

"....happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true." - Leon J. Suenes -

So the price I am paying is not knowing what day it is... among other things :)

i did it anyway

2010-06-16T16:28:00.001-07:00

I needed to think and am just tired of unpacking! So after a grueling day on the phone with stupid tech support and customer service with Cox and then tech support with Host Gator, I just needed some thinking time. And I think best when I am crafting.

So even though I don't have any room on my table which is buried behind those boxes you see,

I turned over and empty bin and just "DID IT ANYWAY!!"

Melody and Kathy will be so proud :)

And that makes me a Happy People!

moving is so much work! and I love Idaho peeps!

2010-06-08T23:10:00.000-07:00

there are a few empty boxes!!

Thank goodness for amazing friends and family! My place is coming together. Despite the fact that there are still sooooo many boxes to unpack. I can't thank Sandy and her husband Bob enough for helping me install the cabinets in my office and my brother, Uncle Mike, Albert, Jimmy, Brooke, Manny, Raul, Ignacio, Barbie, Jesse, my aunts and uncles and grandma and grandpa, Bonnie, Jessekins they all helped me move in either by hauling stuff or helping me buy furniture etc!

I can't believe how lucky I am!

And of course, the most amazing person is my mom who made this all happen. I can't believe how much she loves me.

In Idaho today with Melody Ross and got surprised by a bunch of Brave Girls for lunch. It was so cool! And then the amazing little Jocelyn made Bearette a new Brave Girls Dress! seriously needed it! Bearettes dress was rags!

it was so cool to see jocelyn and all the wonderful brave girls!

MELODY MADE ME A BACON AND TOMATO GRILLED CHEESE SANDWHICH FOR DINNER! IT WAS SOOOOO YUMMY ! AND THEN SHE FED ME BACON FLAVORED ALMONDS!! YUM YUM!

how cute is bearettes new dress! i want one to match!

they all had little girls! it was sooo darn cute... well there was one little boy, sheryl brought her grands on and he played DS the whole time :) this little princess made me laugh. she was just scooping up noodles with her hands putting them on the spoon then shoving the whole thing in her mouth! now that is what I call good eats!

my brave sista Maria. she has turned into quite the jewelry goddess!

here is jocelyn putting the final touches on bearette's dress. cute buttons and an adorable crocheted flower!

i loved visiting with these amazing women. it was such an awesome surprise and all because of a few little facebook posts! still think you're too good for facebook? you are missing out! You know who you are!

will post photos of my new place very soon!

Come and get it!!!

2010-05-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

Im a new homeowner!! It's my first time and I feel great!

Wow, I really didn't know when this day would ever come. It has been a month since we started the escrow process and I am finally moving in. I am about 70% moved. that means 100% unpacked but it is official. I have waaaay too much stuff. So I am going to diligently go through boxes this week, and hopefully next week will start taking visitors to pick through and take away whatever they can.

I know so many of you want my stuff. I have already had a few calls saying "I get first crack at it!" Trust me, its gooooood stuff! And some crap too :)

And believe it or not, I need stuff! Crazy huh? I need things like a cool paper towel holder

trash cans for the 3 pottys

barstools

patio furniture

a bacon grease screen

a cheese grater

A garden hoseAn iron and ironing boardSooooo.... Want some of my stuff? Come and get it and leave me a donation to help me get the stuff I actually need!

OMG!! I know what my story is!!

2010-05-25T10:14:00.001-07:00

I have a story! I didnt think I did. but I know what it is now!!

pretend it my picture and my name :)

People always ask me why I started Scrapbook Royalty and I say "because it is what I know how to do and I can do it well" But the real reason I stared Scrapbook Royalty, and I mean what it is today, not just a group of women having fun Scrapbooking and raising money for charity, the real reason I started SBR is because I needed to fill the gaping hole left in my life and in my heart from not being able to be a mother. I can't believe it took me so long to get this out of my mouth. Dang Brave Girls Camp!! Making me Grow!!

My whole life what I have dreamed of is having a husband and family with cute mixed babies... everyone knew I was going to end up with a non-asian husband. Heck I wanted to get surgury on my eyes to make them big and round all my teen years!

i pulled this picture off my other blog...

ok, so back to my story...Mine is not a fairy tale... not a traditional one anyway...

i have not read this book but it has peaked my curiosity

But that is what i had dreamed of... that was all i wanted and i spent my life falling in"love" over and over again, looking for the boy that wanted to marry me and make my dreams come true. Then I found one that looked really good. My mom had even checked his credit since she did his home loan ;) but the truth is, he was a good man who wanted to take care of me and would never cheat on me or leave me. So he got me and for a couple of years I figured we wouldn't try for a baby yet so I started Scrapbook Royalty and did a couple of events that first year. I loved that I had this awesome company to sink my heart and passion into. That I was good at it was a bonus and that I got to meet so many amazing people changed my life.

When we started the baby journey I thought, "easy, go off the pill and you get pregnant" But really, i had gone off the pill long before and didnt even think about the fact that I didnt get pregnant. I just thought we were careful with the dates and that i knew my body so well. What a surprise when we didnt get pregnant and then when we COULDN'T get pregnant. And then not knowing why. Why was this happening? My body and soul were rejecting him. the fates were not going to give in, I was not going to have a family with this man. Every month i would get my period and it would send me into a deep depression, It would be another knife stabbing me in my heart. the only thing that would keep me going is my non-profit and the sense of worthiness that i felt there. The community that needed me and that I needed right back.

And so I threw myself into Scrapbook Royalty and it saved me. It gave me purpose, it became my child that I nurtured and watched grow. It made me happy and I knew that if I left the planet that day, that moment, I would be leaving something beautiful on this planet. Scrapbook Royalty saved me.

Really needing to re-think this...

2010-05-18T15:59:00.000-07:00

Life changing experiences...

What am I doing? I have spread myself so thin... nothing is getting enough of my attention and my commitment to the things I really want to do is wavering... I am not sure what it is but I know that I need to get my head straight. As of right now, I am still really struggling to get my life in order. I find myself spinning my wheels and I feel very off balance...

even my shadow is unbalanced

I know that moving to my new place, hopefully this week, getting my things out of storage, and getting rid of tons of stuff is really going to help. It is a blur the stuff in storage. I dont even know what I packed, what I took, didnt take, what i need. Its all a blur. That first 3 months of the divorce process really really really are lost to me.

So, being at Brave Girls Camp was really helpful in so many ways.

laughing with beautiful brave girl Brittany

I discovered some things about myself I didn't realize before. I have always thought of myself as an open book, as someone that does not have a problem saying almost anything in front of people and who does not hide myself from the world. Well, that is turning out to not be 100% true. I am totally able to write on this blog and on my "live worth living blog" but when it comes to talking out loud- believe it or not, I am not that good at it. I can talk in front of a crowd of women at an event. I can tell people what to do all day long but talking about myself to a group... well, that is a challenge to me. and I learned this about my self at Brave Girls Camp. Every time it came to me to speak, I immediately reverted to my comfortable Founder of Scrapbook Royalty persona and just talked about my non-profit. And basically "promoted it" but what I really wanted to share, what I would have loved to let out into the universe was my story, my pain, my grief, and my experience.

this is what it looks like when brave girls share

It was not until the last day of the camp, and literally, the last minute of the whole thing that I was finally able to say something real. I took out my computer and read my blog post from September of last year about "it". Oh boy was that hard!!!

Art I created at Brave Girls Camp

I thought it would be easy, i could share with these wonderful women whom I had come to love and adore, and i would be reading it so i would not have to worry about tripping over my words or sounding stupid. But holy crow! it was so hard. Reading the words and speaking the words out loud are profoundly different! It was hard to speak because I was crying so much. I have not cried like that in months. I turned to Melody who was sitting next to me and said," I have yet to bawl at Brave Girls Camp" and here I was, heart and soul exposed, but feeling better that I finally got to share my story. Like I said, it was the last minute of the camp, literally, so I didn'tt get much feedback but one of the people who talked to me about it was Grandma Myrna Jean.

Grandma Myrna Jean

She and I have bonded in such a loving way through these two camps. I just love her. She is the
epitome of a loving person whom you could just curl up with and feel so safe and loved. She thanked me for sharing my story, she said she didn't know what I had been through and was happy to have that information and that she loved me. It just made me happy to know that people who care about me got a chance to see the real me. Not hiding behind Scrapbook Royalty and "doing good" but the real me with tears on my face and all exposed.

Brave Girls Bus

On the bus ride down the mountain back to the airport, I spoke with Maureen, Rhonda, and Angela about SBR and where to go from here. Rachel and Sally were there giving feedback as well. it was so great. and they really opened my eyes to some things. The main thing is that I don't have a story... Sad isn't it. But so true! Scrapbook Royalty is not as successful as it can be because i don't have a story to tell that moves people. it is not enough to want to help creative people give. it needs to be for a reason. So i am going to come up with my story. I am going to share how Scrapbook Royalty saved me and how it has helped so many people. I am going to walk towards the "heart" and get to the soul of what is driving me and find a way to convey that to people in a way that motivates them to move and help...

Group photo fun on the dock

I will never forget the amazing women I met at this brave girls camp. They opened their hearts and they made me feel like I could fly. thank you ladies for all your love and support. I love you all!

I'm in Escrow!!!

2010-04-25T16:57:00.000-07:00

I am seriously the luckiest girl in the world. I was blessed to be born to a mother whose love knows no bounds. She can't help but constantly be my hero and always make my life everything she hoped it would be. I fall down, she picks me up. I fall down again, and again and she is always there. She is not my friend, she is my mom and that is exactly how I like it. I have so many friends. I have so many shoulders to cry on. What I need is a mother and she is the best one I could ever have dreamed of having.

So...she bought a condo for me to live in!! We are in Escrow and I am hoping to be moving in in a couple of weeks. It is in San Marcos across the freeway from the college I graduated from. I can't believe how lucky I am. I absolutely love it!

So life is progressing exactly as it should, each day gets better and better and the blessings just don't stop coming.

I have to catch up on some work then I have a wonderful cousin to write about so stay tuned!

A New Scrapbook Club!

2010-04-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

I am starting another Cool Scrapbook Club in Poway at Cool Scrapbook Stuff! Its going to be so fun. They just opened a "Crop Spot" a few stores down and it has plenty of room for a fun monthly gathering! Cool Scrapbook Stuff has an amazingly huge selection of products and I am very excited to be working with Gena on this fun project!

Pink Pineapple Scrapbook Club has been such a success and it is time to open another branch! I will still be hosting the Pink Pineapple Scrapbook Club on the 1st Thursday of the month and although we are using the same book, the kits and make and takes will be different!

The fun begins May 19th and we will meet the 3rd Weds of each month after that!

We will be using the book Delight in the Details by Lisa M. Pace for Inspiration.

Here is how it works:

* It's based on a 3 month cycle
* We will meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month 6:30-8:30pm
* The book is optional and you can purchase it that night with your discount. Its our inspiration for crafting for that cycle
* Each meeting you will get a kit based on something from the book and you can take it home and create something with it. The following month you will bring your project for everyone to ooh! and ahh! over.
* We will also do a fun make and take
* We will chat about all the fun things going on in the crafting world
* There will be special guest speakers every cycle
* A special free crop just for Cool Scrapbook Club members!
* Discount on purchases made that night

The fee is $65 for a 3 month cycle or you can pay monthly $24 a month, (this will automatically charged to your credit card and you must have a card on file to use this option.) If you have to miss a meeting, no worries, your kit will be waiting for you at the store so you can join in the fun the next month!

Its social, fun, and inspiring! Meet other crafters that are as addicted as you are!

I hope you can join me!

Happy Birthday "King" Jesse

2010-04-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

Life goes on and on... and isn't it fun to have good friends to have it go on and on with!

It was the lovely "King" Jesse's Birthday last week and we went to a neat bar called "Vin De Syrah" in downtown San Diego. Jesse got a booth and invited a bunch of her friends. The place is really neat. Alice in Wonderland Themed. When you get there you walk downstairs "down the rabbit hole" and then have to find your way in while the people inside are watching you are camera try the wrong door and standing there bewildered. The door is hidden and you have to figure it out. "drink me, eat me" ha ha. Well, we finally got in and people cheered and laughed. Although it didn't take us more than 1 minute but im sure it was funny to watch...

Here is a picture of Jesse and I. I just love this girl. She has been an awesome friend and I have known her since she was just a little high schooler and what an amazing woman she has become. She helps at all the Scrapbook Royalty events. Even the ones that bring her to tears. She visited me when I was living in Taiwan, and she was there for me in one of my darkest times. I will always cherish my friendship with her. We had so much fun celebrating. We never did find a sharpie to draw on her fake mustache. She is addicted to them, not sure exactly why but then again, she is "King" Jesse!

Jesse invited Albert as well. Who doesn't love this guy? (YES, he is probably holding me up. We had a $300 bar tab to spend to get the booth!) He has been such a great friend and so dedicated to helping me with the website. I am so grateful for the amazing support of my family and friends these past few months. There were so many days I couldn't imagine getting through and I can't believe I did.

GRATEFUL....

Today is significant

2010-04-12T22:52:00.000-07:00

or is it? It would have been my 7 year wedding anniversary and yes, I guess that is significant. I posted on my other blog about it. If you've never found that other blog, it is at the bottom of this blog on the right column.

So... today is significant. I don't know what I feel about it but I know that I am still doing the right thing and on the right path...

LA pics

2010-04-11T23:48:00.000-07:00

I had a really fun day with my friend Albert in LA. if you scroll down you can hear more about it.

Here are a few pics from the fun...

Albert surprised me and took me to an awesome Spanish Restaurant for Tapas. Called Bazaar. it was in the SLS Hotel near the Beverly Center and it was super yummy! Did I mention Albert is from Spain. It was really yummy and so beautiful. I didn't get any pics of the restaurant but totally recommend it!

gotta love the night time /timer setting on a little point and shoot! This was at my friend Grace's rooftop flat in downtown LA. The view was so amazing! and it was so good to see Grace! Ive known her for most of her life because our mom's went to school together!

We went to the Edison Club for a drink after touring Grace's apartment. It is such an amazing club. totally recommend if you are in LA

and some cool art on the side of a building. i think this was the at&t building but can't remember...

Wen is amazing!

2010-04-09T15:41:00.001-07:00

Wen is an amazing artists and my little brother Eric's girlfriend. I think of her as a sister and I just love her! She did this sketch of Me, Eric, and her and it is so awesome!
Then today she posted this on facebook! I love that I am about to kick Eric's A**!!

I feel strong now!

work-play-work-play-work

2010-04-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

I promised Albert that when the website launched i would go with him to see Craig Ferguson. I did chain him to the computer for 2 weeks working like a volunteer slave most nights till 4 or 5 am...to finish it all. There were so many problems with the website. We had to move hosts 3 days before the launch and seriously it was just one problem and one bug after another! but its done and for the most part works amazing! I am so grateful that Albert really dedicated himself to this and took ownership of it. So many people have good intentions when it comes to volunteering but it is WORK and it is unpaid and it does get pushed to the bottom of the priority list and i get that... But! thank gof for Albert. He is a truly wonderful amazing person and i am so lucky to have him as a friend.

So, yesterday was the day so off to LA we went. It was fun but there was just one problem. We did not get in!! albert was so disappointed. We had tickets but we still didnt get in. Lame. Albert said they lost a fan but i bet he still watches the show :)

albert took some photos of us walking around LA. I swear he must be part Asian. he took pictures like and Asian tourist!

i will post them when he sends them so you can put a face to the name. and thank him when you see him at an event :) hee hee!

now back to work! Im so techie! i have my laptop plugged in and wireless card and yes Albert is driving and I am working!

Dove Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate!

2010-04-02T22:03:00.000-07:00

Yum! The general concensus was totally yum!

I was sent some Dove Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate to review and I thought I'd share it with my Scrapbook Club Ladies. All self proclaimed Chocoholics :)

Everyone loved it!

They said it was smooth and rich and it definitely beats other chocolate peanut butter candies. Well, I came home with an empty bag if that tells you anything! I have to say, I am more of a dark chocolate girl but this was yum yum! just the right mix of sweet and salty!

So there you have it! A recommendation from 14 ladies who love chocolate!

And they have fan pages :)

DOVE Chocolate Fan Page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dovechocolate
DOVE Chocolate Twitter: http://twitter.com/dove_chocolate

Fan pages for chocolate! What could be better!

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of DOVE and received samples DOVE Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter products and a gift certificate to facilitate my review.

It would mean alot to me.

2010-03-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

Elena update

This past 6 months has gone by so quickly. The decision to leave my husband, the move to my brother's house, trying to make Scrapbook Royalty able to continue.... Well, its been a struggle. There are so many things that need to happen and it seems they all need to happen at once. I know that everything will be ok, because it always is. But getting to "ok" is such a long way off still. Good moments, bad moments, crazy moments, they all seem to exist at one point in my day and sometimes, all at the same time.

So, the divorce is not final. There is still paperwork to sign and agreements to come to. I know it will be soon and that I am grateful for.
And Scrapbook Royalty although growing is still not at a point where it can support itself. And as hard as I try, I can't get it to happen fast enough.

The sadness sometimes settles in and it overwhelms me like a thick cloud that I can't find my way out of. Right now is one of those times. When everything is weighing so heavy on me and all I can do remember to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.

And that is what I am doing. I am working towards a company that is viable and successful with a plan to be a happy person doing what I love. It would mean so much to me if you would sign up for Club Royalty. It is not something that requires you to do anything other than make a $20 donation to Scrapbook Royalty. The club comes with other benefits, but the initial sign up would just be to support my non-profit and help me keep this dream of mine alive and growing.
There are so many things happening that will propel me forward but without the foundation that Club Royalty can provide, I will not be able to do it....

Your support means the world to me.

What a Wonderful World...

2010-03-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun this weekend I was on the floor laughing in my tutu!

This past weekend was the Royalty over the Rainbow Retreat and I have to say that it was just amazing! We had artists that gave above and beyond. We had generous charity flowing throughout the room and we all got to laugh and play under a beautiful tulle rainbow!

Alisa Burke posted some beautyness on her blog...If you posted let me know so I can add your link!

Here are some photos from the day...

New Attitude New Jewelry!

2010-03-13T14:00:00.000-08:00

I am giving myself an attitude adjustment! It's really important that when the "funk" takes over that I am able to pull myself out. It helps so much that I have amazing friends and a loving family to help me. I can't believe the support I get. It fills me up with warm sunlight and I know I am make it another day!

My lovely friend Miss Vicky is coming to help me with the next weekend's Royalty over the Rainbow event and she is going to teach a fun jewelry making class at my house! thursday March 18th 6pm -?? Can you come? Its $40 and you get to make an awesome bracelet or necklace... You choose. here is one that I made...

and a few samples of Miss Vicky's Amazing work! $10 of your class fee is going to Scrapbook Royalty!!

Come support and have some fun! You know I will hav a fairy fly by goodie for everyone!

You think its over but then... Slam! Stab. Bleeding...

2010-02-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

I am bleeding again. Its amazing how your mind protects you and then when it gets do ne processing the information it can completely betray you and all the hurt and pain j us t comes rushing in. I just picked up final d-i-v-o-r-c-e papers a couple of days ago. I d idn't look at them because I was not ready. Then today I was meeting with Jo Ann my friend and the attny for SBR and I showed them to her. When she explained it to me I was shocked. I mean how can it be that I am out of the house, he is out of my life, and I can still feel controlled by him? I just don't get it.

He will not see it that way at all. And in fact, he probably doesn't even mean it like that. I know he is hurting but he is just not that cruel. Or at least that is how I want to reme mber him.

Its just so hard to love someone and have them hurt and have you be the cause of that hurt and then in turn you hurt too.

And really, it is just legalities but Oh my gosh. I just feel like a wall came SLAM MING down in my reality and I just got STABBED and now I am BLEEDING all over again.

I am pulling out my book of Truths that I m ade at Brave Girls Camp. I am going to read it and try to get centered. I am going to try to let those truths speak to me and try to believe them...

In fact, here are some photos of my book.

I

Brave Girls Unite

2010-02-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

I had an AMAZING TIME at Brave Girls Camp! Melody and Kathy and their Brave Crew took amazing care of me and the rest of the attendees.

It was a time to share, laugh, cry, bond, trust, love, sing, create, and explore.

It was truly a life changing experience. One I will treasure forever and never forget.

Oh Canada!!

2010-02-08T10:05:00.000-08:00

family in canada is soooo great!!

this is outside the Oval where they will be doing speedskating and curling...

Ok, Im here with my friend Jimmy in this place that has total Olympic fever. Its been very fun visiting the sites that will be filled with tons and tons of peeps on Friday. I have been visiting family while Jimmy does interviews for his documentary.

So here are a few pics from my adventure :)My wonderful cousins Ed and Sandra who opened their homes and hearts and have been amazing hosts!

I love Quachi!! He is soooo cute!

Cousin Ed and his new slippers. Olympic crap to buy all over the place and soooo expensive!this was an amazing lantern made from plastic bottles for the Lantern Festival that was part of the pre-olympics festivities.

The Traveling Princess travels!

2010-02-05T11:10:00.001-08:00

My friend Debby sent me this. Its a card she got from a friend and she said she thought of me when she read it. Hmm... I wonder why?

from my friend Steenie: (OMG this can't be right! but super sweet!)

Urban Dictionary: elena

www.urbandictionary.com

Elena is another word for perfect.The root of the word comes from ancient fairy world, where perfect beings were called ELENA not many of them survived throughout time but some are still among us.

Im off to Seattle (where faeries live) and Vancouver to see my friend Jimmy and visit my family. I am so looking forward to it! Its been a whirlwind time in my life and I am so glad I have been able to get back to traveling which is what I love more than anything!

Last week I was at CHA Anaheim hosting the World's Largest Crop attempt and I networked my tail off! It was 15 hours a day of non-stop talking and when I wasnt talking to real people, apparently I was on my Blackberry. Im so addicted to my phone!
these photos were taken by my lovely friend Pam. she is one of the sweetest most amazing people i know and i am so glad she got to come with us!

yes, Im having a photo taken and talking on my Blackberry :)

Here i am captured on my perch by Photo Basics by Westcott. They were doing greenscreen fun at CHA.

I really do wish I was a fairy living in a mushroom house somewhere in a beautiful forest. Of course that forest would probably get cut down and i would be homeless anyway... oh gosh back to work and back to reality!

can't stop laughing.... Sally Says-isms

2010-01-20T21:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, I just have to write these down somewhere!

Sally Says-isms #1

Sally told me someone left a comment on her blog in Chinese. So I go there to translate for her and seriously, it was this super long comment that was too much for me to decipher so I sent it to my mom and asked her what it says. Here is her response:

You should delete this. It's refer to get XXX rated DVD. very BAD.

I laughed so hard then sent it to Sally and my lil bro for a gratuitous laugh.

Sally Says-isms #2

Last night as we were getting a drink at Carl's Jr Sally fills up a cup with some soda and then askes me why her lid wont stay on her cup. I say because that is a coffee lid.

Sally Says-isms #3

Sally comes over today to pick up some stuff at my brother's house where I am staying. My friend Albert who is from Spain is there helping with some website stuff etc.. so Sally is leaving and she says, "It was nice to finally meet Elena's brother. I love your house by the way." I say, Sally Albert is not my brother!" and she says, " I was wondering about the accent and not Chinese looking!"

Oh boy! I just love this girl! Going to spend a week with her starting Friday and I know for a fact I will be able to post more!

More Inspired

2010-01-20T01:17:00.000-08:00

I want to be more inspiring. I am constantly inspired by people, places, art, etc... I can honestly say I am inspired by almost everything I experience everyday. I truly strive to be a better person, to make the right decisions, to leave a positive energy behind when I exit this life. I am learning. Slowly but surely.

I get to hear nice words because of what I do with Scrapbook Royalty but really, it is a selfish life I lead. I can't believe I get to do this every day and that I actually found my niche in the world. I have floated around so much and just never thought I'd settle into something that I am really good at. But I have and I feel selfish that it has turned out to be so amazingly perfect for me.

Here is a new logo that Rhonna Ferrar did for us. I just love it. and I just love her. See how lucky I am?!?

So, new years resolutions....

I want to learn to give people the benefit of the doubt. I want to find a way to turn a negative conversation into a positive one and I want to learn how to not jump on the gossip band wagon when it inevitably come rolling by. I don't know how to do this and I know I might not be able to do it overnight but writing it down makes me accountable so I am going to do my best to make it happen!

My Miss Vicky and 5 non-blondes!

2010-01-17T14:30:00.000-08:00

Had a wonderful visit with Miss Vicky this weekend. Got to spend a little time creating this fun cross. Not sure if it is finished yet but I really loved going thru Miss Vicky's goodies and picking pieces to add.

We also went dancing in Downtown LA which is always fun. I love getting my groove on with Vicky. She is always game for anything. And how cute is she with her bump it? I told her she should wear it everyday!

And here we are with Anita, Hisaho, Hiroko, and Yuko. Hisaho came down for a visit and we all had dinner. It is always so nice to hang out with my crafty friends! All of us are Fiskateers by the way and we got to share some Fiska-love :)

One of these kids is doing their own thing! Can you tell which one it is?

Diva Craft Lounge Radio Show...

2010-01-13T00:32:00.000-08:00

I just love the outpouring of support I get from my friends. Diva Danielle and Rayme Royale have invited me onto their show today at 12 noon to talk about all the amazing events we have coming up! Especially the Guinness Record attempt on January 23rd. If you have been under a rock and don't know about it.. (just kidding!!) visit the SBR website to get more info and join me for a fun fun fun day! We are trying to set a world record for the largest crop and we will be raising money for Kids In Need Foundation

The Diva Craft Lounge Radio Show reaches over 100 countries and is just the best best bestest! http://www.craftdiva.com/

you can even listen to it after the show is over so just go there and see how funny I sound!! :) I think I sound funny :)

The Lucky 13 pages and snowboarding

2010-01-11T11:01:00.001-08:00

I finally got to create in my "crap" room. That is totally not what it is but that is what Eric calls it and since it's his house that is what we are calling it for now.

But it is my studio and I love it.

So I got to create last night and it was awesome! I came home from Snowboarding in Big Bear and made some layouts...

For the lucky 13 we are only posting sneak peeks right now but would love you to become a follower, we will be revealing full pages soon!

This page is for Candice. She is an amazing artist and a wonderful friend. She is holding up a can of my fav drink while we were at CHA last summer. I painted and glimmer misted to my heart's content!

And this one is for Angela Daniels. One of the Lead Fiskateers. She is more into clean lines so I tried my best to do a simple but elegant layout for her.And here I am in all my snowbunny glory at the end of a fun afternoon of solo snowboarding bliss! I am finding a way to be at peace even when I am alone. Its very interesting. Not used to it yet but working on it! Post a few more pics on my facebook page.

New and Fun with Jennifer and Elena!!

2010-01-04T19:38:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Jennifer and I are at Starbucks and we are Happy People!

Using my new Disney Princess Netbook from my little Brother... SO CUTE!

check out the cool webcam!! CUSTOM BABY!

i used my new STARBUCKS GOLD CARD to buy us tea and get us on the interweb... this was not easy by the way... :( boo Starbucks interweb!!

And using my new crocheted PIGGY COZY cup warmer that Jennifer expertly copied off the interweb! Sooooo cute!!!! Are you jealous? I would be! its soooo cute!!

and the photos of my laptop and the webcam were taken with my new Blackberry Curve 2. So love it! it is lavender and has an optical mouse instead of the rolly ball thingy that always gets dirty. that is why they call it a "black" berry! yuck!

WHOO HOO NEW!!!

Happy Christmas~

2009-12-25T16:48:00.001-08:00

Happy Happy Christmas Friends and Family!!

My first Christmas in a long time without a tree and Christmas morning presents. We ended up opening them last night instead which was still fun! and STILL A WONDERFUL TIME WITH MY FAMILY.

Yesterday we spent with a lot of family at my Aunt Nancy's house. Where there was a Christmas Tree. In fact she used a bunch of my ornaments!

Here is the fam. Eric and Wen runied this photo by standing on their tippy toes!! WHATEVER! My one satisfaction is that my super skinny brother looks chubby in this photo! :)
(he said it!)
We do a White Elephant Gift Exchange which is always fun. I tell them every year, unisex gifts! So funny, they just don't listen. There was a giant Hello Kitty stuffed animal in the mix this year! Cute but not unisex!!!Uncle Mike got the gift that was $80 in lotto scratchers!! We helped him scratch for about 1/2 hour! So funny! But only won $18!!

Here is my brother and my nephew Alexander. What hams!

And here I am with Grandma. One of the most rewarding things that came from moving to Taiwan to learn mandarin was coming home and her saying how happy she was that she could talk to me now!

Leaving Taiwan. Hard decisions....

2009-12-22T05:58:00.000-08:00

Well, its been a heck of a visit. I am leaving tomorrow afternoon. I have had a lot of time to think about things on this trip and have a lot more to think about now that I have been here. Before I met Jean-Claude my plan was to move to Taiwan and live here for a while. If I did not have Scrapbook Royalty, this is what I would do now. There is a lot of opportunity for me here. I can open a studio and teach scrapbooking, or open a store, or ... well, let's just say skies the limit. and I have resources here and it is where I really would love to be. It's hard. Before I met Jean-Claude I was free, had no commitments and could leave the US without any regrets. Not the same freedom now... For those of you that dont know, I moved to taiwan shortly after i met Jean-Claude and because we became serious I moved back after only 7 months. So, I went home and planted roots and now I have Scrapbook Royalty and it is like my baby. I have worked so hard to grow it and commit my life to it and it has given me purpose. But can it support me? I am just not sure... So right now, I am trying to find a way for me to keep SBR and live. Never in my life have i had to support myself. This is a truly new path for me. But it is one that I insist on walking and I know I will be a better person for it. What does the future hold for the Traveling Princess... who knows. but I know I will be a Happy People no matter what!

Now go read this post by my new wonderful friend Suzi Blu. She is an amazing artist and if you scroll down you will see what amazing thing she painted for me for my bday!!

http://suziblu.typepad.com/a_lovely_dream/2009/12/mermaids-hair-goin-on-the-road.html

Sally B-day, Castle in Taiwan and funny girls!

2009-12-20T02:56:00.000-08:00

I found this photo on my camera so decided that this blog needs something handmade on it!! This is a bracelet I made for Sally for her bday. Its one of my new favorite things to do! Make Jewelry! Miss Vicky taught me how! Sally is a "pink" girl and I just love her to pieces!

Today Belle, brought me to Yi Lan yesterday. Her friend Therina came with us and I am so happy to meet her. Definitely a new friend!

this is where we are right now. Yep! a castle in Taiwan! its actually a bed and breakfast and as cool as it is, we have agreed its a one time experience and not one we really need to do again. Unlike some of the other amazing places we have stayed!

And this is our window and view. Yep, we are in the left turett! love it!

And this was day before yesterday in Taiwan at Belle's house.

Even while she has company (me) Shino still has to do homework!

this is Belle's house. Left to right...

yen yen, me, belle, doris, fong mei, shino, jen the wen.

Belle made Beef Noodle soup for dinner and it was so yummy! Then Doris and Jen took me shopping for gifties to take home.

My dad.

2009-12-18T04:24:00.000-08:00

Belle took me to an art school to learn how to make fried noodles. Ha! everyone knows I can't cook. What a good friend for trying tho!

Its a lunch time yuppy thing. after the chef shows you how to make the dish you eat it!
Was yum!

got to see my dad again. was a nice afternoon of dragging him through a whole street full of DIY stores!

Santa in Taiwan!

2009-12-17T02:42:00.000-08:00

a ha! funny skinny Taiwanese Santa. Seriously he was so skinny! and dragging around a bag with toys. i had a good giggle!
It was Shino's school's 10 year anniversary. and they have a birthday party. complete with carnival games. This game was to blog the ball across the cups full of water. She loved it and insisted on staying till she got it all the way across. even though she was pretty much soaked when she was done. amazing how little it takes to entertain kids! i guess it was entertaining for me too!
this is their dog "littel" she is sooooo cute!!! and tiny!! and soooo cute! Suzi I know you are in love with this little doggie aren't you!

2009-12-16T18:50:00.000-08:00

this is our hotel last night. so amazing. all wood and just beautiful! Shino made herself a little bed on the tatami mats and had a party of her own!

this is where we had dinner. super super fancy cute!

Yesterday's lunch was at this beautiful place called the Green Ark. but first... another funny picture. can you tell which is the boy reindeer?

there was a christmas tree looking thing and they asked us to write out wish on an ornament and hang it. super cute!
this was dessert. yummy!

4 days of travel around the east side of the island

2009-12-15T05:02:00.000-08:00

This is our room at Bali Bali, a beautiful Bed and Breakfast in Nantou. We drove a long way through some very windy roads to get here!

and this is a theme park we went to . Yes, a theme park. Complete with a "Star Tours" knock off ride, and a fast pass window! I dont know how the fast pass worked. it was monday and practially empty!

Yes, that is a huge stone ______!!! yes, it is what you think it is! dont ask, i have no idea. The theme park is based on the 9 original aboriginal tribes that lived on the island before the Chinese settled here, Kind of like our American Indians except instead of casinos, they have a theme park...

the rest are pictures from an awesome reastaurant that we went to called JPing. It was very hard to find and there is no sign outside. I just looks like a wooden building. the door didnt even look like a door! the food was amazing tho!

and another restaurant (can you see the pattern?) that we went to with my dad which is all about art and sculptures. it was very cool. had afternoon tea there. Belle has basically made reservations at amazing hotels and restaurants all over the island and we are eating our way through Taiwan!! Yummy but fattening for sure!!

OK Blogger is pissing me off because it wont let me put words where I want to!! so that is all for now.

Another Birthday party!

2009-12-12T02:05:00.000-08:00

Last night they had another birthday dinner for me with yummy cake, lots of aunts, grandma and kids. at a really really beautiful restaurant. There are alot of restaurants here that pay attention to the dining environment. feng shui etc... just different than the states.

Today...

Look how cute my little nieces are! Yao sheng and Shino are having some camera fun with me after some crazy B*^%$! chopped my hair off. Im ok. cried and yelled at the manager then he at least got it even but holy crap its not at all what I wanted!! but still a happy people :)

i tried to explain to her that that is winnie the pooh's butt. but she thought it was hilarious and wanted a picture anyway!

Yao Sheng is an artist. I will take some photos of her beautiful paintings and post them.

Disney Bday and now in Taiwan

2009-12-11T01:30:00.001-08:00

I'm here in Taiwan. This is my beautiful friend Belle's home. She is so generous and bought me a plane ticket to visit for my birthday. My mom couldn't be outdone so she matched the plane ticket in spending money :) Im such a lucky Happy People!!

So I am here, buying Christmas presents, Pink Pineapple Scrapbook Club kit goodies, and of course anything that I can justify buying! I thought it was going to rain every day and be a bit cold. Boy was I wrong! warm and sunny! So my first purchase was a bathing suit since I totally didnt think to bring one! Belle has fun stuff planned for almost every day. We are going to travel around the island and stay at amazing hotels and eat yummy food. today we had afternoon tea at a Wedgewood Tea house. Loved it!

What a fun Disney Bday I had! As always, a parade in my honor :) And then dinner at House of Blues with family and friends. Whenever Eric and I get a chance, we take a "traditional pose" photo. It annoys the heck out of our mom and reminds us that we are loving brother and sister!

Get it together girl!! Life is sooo good!

2009-12-08T08:01:00.001-08:00

Spark the Event in a photo booth making crazy faces! it was so fun!

What the heck! I think I am going to get my blog posts going again and then WHAM! THE PRINCESS GETS TOOO BUSY! So here I am, weeks later wishing I had more time. But I have to say, I am such a Happy People again! I had an awesome time in Hansville, WA with my friend from grade school, Jimmy. We hiked and I got to just be in the middle of really cold really beautiful nature and I got to see 3 bald eagles and and and! It was just fantastic. Really the best part of Washington was having really good talks with someone that has known me since I was a little kid and realizing that happiness is a choice. It exists all the time, it is always there, Pain is there too, but it's a choice. I used to always make the choice to be happy and then with the divorce, there were moments I thought I might never be happy again, but I was wrong.

I AM TOTALLY MAKING THE CHOICE TO BE A HAPPY PEOPLE!

So now tomorrow is my 38th- YEP! 38th bday. I am feeling great. I see a bright future and I can't believe what an adventure my life is and has always been. 38 years and I wouldn't change a thing!

I have been a busy traveling princess so here are some pics from recent moments in my life...

Spark! the event in Utah. went with Sally, made tons of new friends and got to spend time with some I already knew. Raised $4500 for Susan G. Komen and loved every minute of it!

20 year San Dieguito High School Reunion- I can't believe I was totally not going to go!

I got my craft on this weekend!

2009-11-23T23:08:00.000-08:00

I have not had many opportunities to craft in the past couple of months and it was so great this weekend to have that opportunity! A few months ago I joined a swap with some amazing artists and I am very late getting mine done. But I did!

The swap is with Christine Penaflor, Jenny Doh, Kim Caldwell, Katie Watson and Cheryl Waters. The task was to create a heart with one letter from the word CREATE. So Christine die cut hearts and letters for all of us and we each chose our color palette and then let the creating begin! The theme was Vintage Shabby Chic.

I am very happy with the way mine came out. I might still add a few more vintage pieces to them but here are some sneak peeks of what I came up with. Will post the finished projects when we get them all swapped.

this one is for Kim
this one is for Cheryl

Here is my heart for Christine

and for Katie
this one is mine. I reworked a tag I made with inspiration from Cheryl!
this one is for Jenny

More press opps!

2009-11-19T11:30:00.001-08:00

Im so honored to be one of the people featured in this month's issue of CHA Portfolio!

they interviewed me a few months ago so I had forgotten about it. What a nice surprise! the first three pages feature other charitable crafters but i have a couple of quotes on the 3rd and 4th page and i am featured on the 4th page of the article. I love that SBR just keeps growing. This helps us so much with our second Guiness World Record attempt for the World's Largest Crop which wil be on January 23rd, 2010. For deets: http://www.scrapbookroyalty.org/events.html

and to sign up: http://www.craftsupershow.com/eweb/dynamicPage.aspx?WebCode=WKSHPEvents

Hoping for 1000 croppers! going to be so cool!

Lost my blog groove

2009-11-10T17:18:00.000-08:00

So I'm ready to start back on my blog. I miss it so much!!

So how is "it"?

"it" is a divorce in the works. The filing is done, my whole life is packed in boxes in storage or scattered all over my little brother's house. (he has 3 bedrooms, I get 2) :)

"it" is for all the right reasons. I know now that I am going to be ok and that Jean-Claude and I will be better people for having been married to each other and I will always wish him happiness and peace.

"it" is still a long road ahead. I have to figure out where to live (can't take 2 of my lil' brother's rooms forever) I have to figure out how to pay myself, and I have to come to terms with the fact that in order to keep Scrapbook Royalty alive, I have to earn a living through it. This is the yuckiest "it" of all!

So, "it" is moving forward at it's own pace and I am at peace to live in the moment and I try to remember to live each day to it's fullest.

I am a happy people especially drinking my sugar free rockstar!

my new motto:

This is not about then, this is just about now.

for more "it" references visit this post... but it's a sad "it"...