Your appointment with Friday

Hello Friday!  With you we welcome another fun photo prompt!!!  Gloria is taking a couple weeks off, but before her break she helped me come up with this cool prompt.....

Natural Framing

My understanding of natural framing in a photo is when the subject of your picture is framed by other elements in your photograph.  Like a photo of a person framed from sitting at a windowsill, or something at the end of a tunnel.  The idea is to give your photo depth, draw your attention to that subject, and give your subject's surroundings context.  Here is what I came up with.....







Ever since I took these photos, I have been daydreaming about all the fun shots I could do.....and looking for them everywhere I go.  For me this photo prompt was very addictive and fun!!!  And I absolutely LOVE the first photo of my sweet boys together!  They look like they are in a really peaceful place.....standing at the exit to outside.  What adventure is out there waiting for them?  It's been a while since I took any photos of Ponyo and he has grown soooo much.  The three of us had a lovely stroll that afternoon looking for places to take our photos.  It was a good day : )

And we are lucky enough to have Nely from the Pink Ninja Addicts and her personal blog Sweet Escape, play along with us this week (I love that she used the instagram app on her phone for this photo).....

I've been looking for the perfect opportunity to take a photograph like this!!  When I think of natural framing, a million ideas run through my brain!!  I loved the idea of placing a heart in front of something you love.  That guy you see behind the heart is my husband.  He owns a pretty big chunk of my heart!!  He was perfect for this shot!!!,,,

We hope you decide to play along this week.....this prompt really helps you see photography in a different way.  Have the best weekend!

Love, Carrie & Nely

Sunlit Winter Office Photos

Project Monday

Happy Monday to you!  I know some of you have today off as a holiday :)  OK.  So, if you're looking for a fun project to do, Gloria and I decided to write love letters to that special *someone we love* from our last photo prompt.  Go HERE to see our last photo prompt and start your happy creative process.  And if you already have your photo taken, here is my love letter to Ryan.....I hope you find it inspiring.....





When I first started out thinking about writing a love letter and making it into a project, I thought of a couple different ways I could incorporate it into a layout, but ended up really liking the idea that a love letter to my sweetie was tucked away inside a decorated pouch (you can see the letter sticking out of the top in the photo above).  The letter is folded into a smallish square and wrapped in yellow and white baker's twine.  It fits nicely inside the 6x6 pocket.....And there was even room for Ryan's Valentine card too!

Of course, if you want to play along you don't have to make your love letter into a project.  It just so happens that I wanted my photo of Ryan connected to it in that way.....If that makes sense!?!?

And I used more yummy product from the Color Me Miki Shop in my project this week.  The yellow and white baker's twine, the Hambly overlay, and the Pink Paislee green artisan tape were the perfect additions!  I was also really excited to use these cool stickers of the hand-drawn looking animals.  They are from a little shop I came across in Port Townsend, WA and I have been dying to use them in a project!!!  I think they're pretty special pieces of art.

Have a lovely day.  And if you decide to play along, I know you will enjoy the whole process and create something heartfelt and rewarding <3

Love, Carrie

Your appointment with Friday

Hello lovely blog readers!  Gloria and I came up with a brand new photo prompt for you today.  In honor of hearts and love and little cupids and all things cute and fun for February, this week take a photo of.....

Someone you love.



Ryan is my love.  Of course there are lots of other people I love too, but I rarely get a chance to take photos of him in-particular (usually he's not too fond of it), so I thought this was the perfect opportunity.  And we just made it work.  Instax mini.  Check.  Sunset.  Check.  Green grass covered park.  Check.  And we had such a great time with this mini photoshoot.  Ryan kept making funny faces, and I was just snapping away, so I have some of the silliest photos of him ever.  I remember holding one in particular, waiting for the film to develop, and feeling that twinkle in my eye as I start to smile and see his cross eyed face appear.  I couldn't help it and giggled out loud.  He immediately smiled and looked over my shoulder.  His voice chuckled and cracked as he spoke and then we bantered back and forth in between laughing and taking more silly photos.  Eventually we got these two pictured above that he considered suitable for sharing.  Of course, if it were up to me, I'd share the silliest ones ; )  What a fun evening.  Something simple.  A special memory.  Perfect.

I hope you get a chance to take a photo of someone you love this week.  I bet it will end up being more fun than you realize <3

And here's Gloria's photos.....

When we talked about love letters, two people came to mind.....Isabella because she is having her first surgery Wed. and that has lead me to many thoughts that are scary, I hope everything goes OK.  I hope she does not experience any pain.  I thought about how much completion she has brought into my life and how much I love her.....And then I thought about my best friend Carrie.  Do I have to choose?  Nope.  I am doing two love letters to two people adore, who are patient with me and whom I have a lot to say too.  Do you have a lot to say to someone.....

Love, Gloria and Carrie

Sunlit Winter Office Photos

Project Monday

Happy Valentine's Day beautiful!  Here are some hearts for you today.....



For my Project Monday today I used more product from the fun Color Me Miki shop.....the black and white houndstooth tape, and the purple and white bakers twine.  And honestly, all the product I used today I just love!  I have really been trying to do this more.....only use my favorite product in my projects.  I think it makes them feel more special : )





And I really enjoyed stitching the embroidery with the baker's twine!  Not to mention all the hearts!!!  I am a year round heart kinda girl, so since it's Valentine's I went all out and used lots!

I hope you had the best day <3

Love, Carrie

Your appointment with Friday

Happy weekend before Valentine's Day!  The prompt for this week is to find something in the shape of a heart to photograph : )

I (Carrie) was outside taking a walk when the shadow of some pretty ivy caught my eye (pictured above).  There it was, the shape of a heart.  How cool.....I love how the texture of the wall beneath the shadow shows through.  Can you see it?  I snapped my photo with a smile.  For some reason taking photographs of shadows feels special to me.  Well, anyways, I continued to walk along the tall wall of green until I saw this.....

 A lovely bright greenish yellow leaf.  The sun was shining so bright it gave the heart a bit of a glow.  I love how I can just take a walk by my house and find little things like a heart shaped leaf, and feel like it's just for me because right now only I can see it.....a heart aglow.  I get to capture the moment with a photograph, and then later use it to make something artistic to symbolize it's beauty.  Another reason I love the idea of capturing this year with photos, ticket stubs, notes, letters, cards and finding how it all fits together inside a scrapbook album.  I love art <3

Have fun this weekend, and keep a look out for your heart.....sometimes you find them in the oddest of places ; )

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And here's Gloria's photo.....

This week Carrie and I chose a heart picture because its Valentines Day on Monday.....Yeah the month of love.  So on that note I can honestly tell you I have been on the look out for hearts.  Last week I posted a heart on my blog that I saw while running.  It is a treetrunk that was cut in half and is now often used as a sitting place by surfers.  I loved the whole idea of what it stood for to me and what it represented.  That's how I chose this picture.  What it means me to.  This is a broken heart that has mended itself.  It represents stenth and tenacity.  I look at this tree trunk and see hope.  It's beautiful to me.  Its never going to die because it these strong roots and they hold it in place.  A perfect broken but stronger than ever heart.....That's what I see.  I hope you have fun dong this prompt as there should be many many hearts roaming around you this month.  Happy heart hunting.....

Love, Gloria and Carrie

Sunlit Winter Office Photos

Love, Gloria and Carrie

Project Monday

Hi beauties, and welcome to another Project Monday!!!  Today we're going to start off with our lovely February guest, Kristine.  Here is her awesome project and some sweet thoughts.....

Hello there Bubblegum Life readers and happy Monday!  I am so excited to see everyone's projects.  For my "Time to Love Yourself" project I created a scrapbook layout.  I love scrapbooking, I think it is a wonderfully personal way to preserve cherished memories.  I'm a big fan of scrapping the little things too.  The things you won't typically remember about yourself and your loved ones in five years when your crack open the photo album.....

 I decided I wanted my layout to have an instructional approach.  So I created numbered steps to go along with each of my photos.  I printed my photos really tiny so I could fit them all on the page with out being too cluttered.  I am a mis-matched eclectic kind of girl, and I think my pages reflect that.  Can't wait to see your projects!

-XO. K.

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And here's Gloria's project.....

This layout ended up feeling a little bit like a love letter.....I know there is not a lot of words but if you ever felt completely passionate about something, and if you felt your love for it in your inner being and then it turned out to be good for you too.....that's what my loving myself passion ended up being.  My way of loving myself has to do with my love for running.  You don't need much, just a pair of tennis shoes and socks and go.

I did a Valentine to running layout.  A picture of a heart drawn in the sand and my running shoes next to it.  Then I added clouds because I can honestly say my head is in the clouds when I run.  Polka-dot ribbon because its happy, and then glimmer mist because it has sparkles.  Sounds perfect.  Do you have something you tried this week to love and honor yourself?  Please share....and if you didn't, try a quick walk or run.  I am telling you its a mood lifter.....

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And here's what I ended up making for my project.....

This week I printed out my photos, sat back and thought about what scrapbook products I love right now.  Here is what I came up with.....



I knew I wanted to use an ATC page protector as the basis for my project.  I think it's because right now I like the idea of having an entire album from 2011 that documents my year.  With layouts, ATCs, movie tickets, plane tickets, etc.....I ended up leaving the last row empty and either plan on cutting it off or adding my actual plane ticket or whatever from my flight.  Next, I looked trough my stash of Color Me Miki product and picked out the green and white bakers twine, this super cute fabric, the Hambly white graph overlay and bright red alphas.  Last I just picked out more papers to layer, and then used my favorite butterflies and hearts to make my "Time to Love Yourself" project one that I currently adore : )



Love, Kristine, Gloria and Carrie

Your appointment with Friday

Thanks for joining us this lovely first weekend of February!  Today we have a fun new photo prompt courtesy of our sweet guest, Kristine.....

Time to Love Yourself.

Hello Bubblegum Life readers, my name is Kristine Toward and I am the author of my personal blog called Mooninmygarden well as my Etsy shop of the same name.  I absolutely love Carrie and Gloria's Project Monday so I am especially thrilled to be here today as a guest blogger.  I love blogging, I think it is fantastic for the creative soul.

The prompt I chose this week is "Time to Love Yourself".  Stepping out of the holiday season straight into  New Year's goals often leaves us lacking a little pamper time for ourselves.  I know I spent most of the holiday season planning, making things, and shopping for my loved ones, but spent little time on myself.  And my New Year's goals are barely getting off the ground, yet I find myself about to head into another holiday for loved ones.

I don't know about you, but it makes me feel like taking a little break for me.  So this weeks prompt brings our focus to ourselves.  What do you do to make yourself feel good?  What are the little things that help relax your body and mind?  Do you treat yourself to a little shopping trip?  Or perhaps enjoy a nice glass of wine?  Maybe just curling up with a good book for a bit…

For me, it was a much needed pedicure.  I am running around on my feet most of the day, so nothing shows myself a little love like pampering my own feet.  Even though its winter and my toes are all covered up, It still makes me feel pretty to have them polished.  Here is a step by step to an easy at home pedicure:

1. Gather supplies.  Polish, Polish Remover, Pumice Stone, Foot Scrub, Moisturizer, File, Sea Salt, Essential Oil, Milk, Hot Water, Bowl.

2. Fill bowl with hot water.  Add a couple drops of essential oil.  Add sea salt and a bit of milk (to help loosen dead skin cells) soak for 10-20 minutes and your feet will come out so soft.

 3. Scrub with foot scrub, use pumice stone on any particularly rough spots.  Rinse.

4. Buff, trim, file.  Moisturize.

5. Polish.

6. Show them off!

So take a little time for yourself this weekend, you deserve it.  Then come back on Monday and share your project with us on Flickr. I look forward to everyone's amazing ideas, I'm sure we will all discover new ways to pamper ourselves. -XO K.

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And here's Gloria's take.....

Ever since I decided (16 years ago) to have children, making time for myself is a gift I take.  I really liked this prompt because it reminds me of how important it is for me to take time to love myself.  Every girl I think, has her little pampering tradition.  I have a couple but the one that i would not trade for anything in the world is running.  I have to a make time for this because I can't do it at home.  I need to vacate the premises to run.  It has become the way I love myself.  I dont do it to lose weight, I dont do it to be the best or the fastest.  I do it simply because It makes me feel so good to run.  That time that I spend running is only mine.  It's time feeling the cold air, singing my favorite song, dancing and feeling free.  It's how I love myself.  I make time to do something I know is good for my body and in return it makes me happy happy!

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And my photos.....



I love this photo prompt because it really got me thinking.  There are little things I do for myself everyday.  Like start off my morning with a yummy cup of tea, or occasionally take time to create a piece of art just for me......but what is that something special?  That something special that I have done just because I wanted to be good to myself?  Well, I bought a plane ticket to visit Sequim in the springtime, and I am ecstatic!  Three whole weeks of family, fun, rain, cool weather, and nature!!!  And I am counting the days!  I've already planned a Seattle day trip with my Mom, and some fun dates with my Dad.  I wish Ryan could go too, but he was insistent on me taking this time because he believes I need it just as much as I do.  I love him so much for that.  So the photos above are me being happy, taking time to love myself.  Time for me to be with my family that loves me so much, and time to be a part of a small town with the biggest charm : )

Love, Kristine, Gloria and Carrie