Cathy Zielske's Blog, page 216

The photo I didn't take

Last Sunday just before lunch, Coleman is sitting up at the kitchen counter, struggling with some math homework that to be honest with you, neither me nor Dan are really all that qualified to offer any help on.

I mean, come on—we were journalism majors.

Enter Aidan Zielske, a girl whose most excellent math skills did not come from my side of the family, and for some reason she seems to understand reasons why x equals y, or why two trains can leave the station and arrive at different times.

Cole was working on mean, median and mode problems, and Aidan stepped up to offer her help.

I sat there at the kitchen table, where both Dan and I were immersed in various online/computer tasks (me, watching the live feed of the New York City marathon on my iPad; he looking through email and planning his week ahead on his MacBook.)

As I watched Aidan leaning into Cole, helping him to understand the problems he was working, I gently kicked Dan's shin from underneath the table, and nodded for him to look at the two of them together, working. I mouthed the word, "Adorable." He smiled at them warmly, and nodded.

I thought, "I should go get my camera before this moment is gone," but then I decided to just let the moment live and be, and that I would commit it to my occasionally less-than-trustworthy memory.

It is the photo I didn't take that's now hopefully tucked into a small corner of my collective memory.

I hope it remains, so I can pull it out in the years to come, to recall the sibling kindness, the genuine concern of one helping the other, and the genuine appreciation of being on the receiving end of that help. I hope I can see them in my mind's eye, at 15 and 12, when the size difference was still pronounced, but the bond that sometimes gets a bit hazy in their present era seemed to offer a brief but distinct shine.

I don't always need to regret the ones that got away when I have words instead of pixels.

 

What about you? What are some of the photos you didn't take? How have you committed them to your collective memory?

Seeing how your charity works

In 2009, I hopped on board with charity: water, an organization that brings clean water to people all over the world in developing countries.

Their message just resonated with me. For me, walking a few feet to my kitchen sink for a glass of clean, safe water was something I completely took for granted.

The idea that women and children walked up to 8 hours round trip for a few gallons of water that was neither clean nor safe really did strike a chord of "I can't even imagine that." What an embarrassment of riches my life truly is.

I shared their mission and launched a campaign and you, my blog readers stepped up in insanely big numbers to give what you could. Together, we raised over $8,700 for clean water.

Then a few weeks ago, I received the photos of the wells that you helped to build. We funded two projects in Ethiopia, serving the needs of 565 people.

There were two communities where the wells were built. The first was the Mai Adi Village. You can read about the work by clicking here.

The second project is in the Mai Tsatse Village. You can see more about that project by clicking here.

I just wanted to share this with you and express my sincerest gratitude for the support you gave. There are countless charities and causes in our country and beyond that deserve our support. When you have the means to contribute either time or money to them, well, I think that demonstrates the best that the human spirit has to offer.

I love that there are a few communities halfway across the world may not know what a scrapbooker is, but they at least know it's a group of people with a heck of a lot of heart and generosity.

You guys rock.

One last glance back at All Hallow's Eve

I'm going to make a confession, but I'll only tell you: Halloween colors are my favorite to scrapbook with.

I think if I could find a way to do orange, black and white on everything, I would.

Because of last year's scrapbook photo mom debacle [read: I got zero shots of Cole in his Anakin Skywalker get up, breaking his lifetime tradition of full Halloween photo documentation], I was determined to not repeat history.

This year, Cole had planned to trick or treat with his buddy in another neighborhood, so I made sure to get at least a few solid shots of this year's look—Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants. His buddy was going as Brian Wilson, a.k.a. The Beard.

My lovely daughter Aidan decided to throw a party for her friends this year, and her choice of costume for the soiree? Cruella De Vil.

Of course, Dan and I brought up the rear, so to speak, as House and The Bee, respectively.

And in the end, it was all safely documented on this lovely scrapbook page.

(click on the image to see it larger in a new window.)

JOURNALING READS: Cruella De Vil, Tim Lincecum (aka The Freak), Dr. House and the Bee. The Zielskes delivered holiday cheer yet again in 2012. I adore Halloween. Everything about it. Dressing up. Decorating. No gifts to exchange. No impending stressful travel. Just make believe you're something else for nothing more than simply fun. This year, Aidan hosted a party for her friends (always such a great group) and Cole went over to Jack's neighborhood (where he dressed up as Brian Wilson (aka The Beard.) It comes and goes too dang fast, Halloween. Until next year…

Ahhh. Another day, another Halloween scrapbooked.

Only 359 days to wait until the next one.

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HYBRID PAGE SUPPLIES

Patterned Paper: Haunted Forest (Echo Park)

Word Art: Spooky Sentiments Brushes and Stamps (Cathy Zielske)

White Cardstock: Orange Peel Texture (Bazzill Basics)

Fonts: Adobe Woodtype Ornaments (corner dingbats), Archer

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The Designer Digitals 4th Quarter Sale begins this coming Thursday at 7 a.m. EST and runs through next Wednesday. Everything in the store is 30% off. I have a handful of new products coming to the store next week, including the template that today's layout was based on.

And the giveaway winners are…

The winner of a spot in Holiday Templates 2011: It's in the Details with Tiffany Tillman is:

 

The winner of a spot in DIY Family Portraits by Molly Newman, A Make It Now tutorial for card-worthy group shots is:

 

The winner of a spot in Holly Shop by Laura Coyle, A Make It Now Project Tutorial for Adobe Illustrator is:

Ladies, email me at czdesign@comcast.net to claim your spots in class!

Sponsor Giveaway: holiday classes from ReneePearson.com

One blog reader will win a spot in Holiday Templates 2011: It's in the Details with Tiffany Tillman

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: Tiffany's back with the 4th edition of the popular 25 Days of Templates workshop. This time we're focusing on the details, with hours of lessons covering template adaptation, album preparation, photo-editing, filter effects, masking, layer styles and embellishing. Joining us for the first time are Kelly Willette, Gennifer Bursett, and Chari Pack of Persnickety Prints, special guests offering their unique spin on holiday related solutions for photography, digital shadowing, and album printing.

Using Tiffany's templates plus a mega digital kit created by Paislee Press and Creashens, you'll have all you need to complete a holiday memories album.

One blog reader will win a spot in DIY Family Portraits by Molly Newman, A Make It Now tutorial for card-worthy group shots.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: For many families, it's an annual ritual: Dress up, line up, and hold still for the annual Christmas card photo shoot. This year, go beyond stiffly posed shots and create a portrait that captures your family's unique spirit. With step-by-step guidance, you'll learn the secrets of setting up a pro-level photo session. You'll see what makes a great family portrait and understand the pitfalls to avoid.

One blog reader will win a spot in Holly Shop by Laura Coyle, A Make It Now Project Tutorial for Adobe Illustrator.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: In this workshop, Laura guides you through the process of creating three holiday greeting card designs in Illustrator from start to finish. You'll customize the designs with your own photos and messages, and send them to print to share with friends and family.

After the holidays, you'll have a collection of festive stock art, ornaments, snowflakes and more that you can use in your scrapbooking layouts and other personal projects. Best of all, you'll unwrap valuable Illustrator skills in the process that you can use year-round.

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TO ENTER: Leave me a comment and tell me if you're ready for the holiday season to begin, somewhat ready or if you can't believe how much Christmas stuff is already on the Target aisles. I'll choose the winners on Sunday evening.

Announcing Move More, Eat Well 2012 at Big Picture Classes

I'm really excited to announce one of my new workshops for next year: Move More, Eat Well 2012 at Big Picture Classes.

I've been working on a way to create a more interactive experience to share this process with blog readers and other like-minded people who want to put a focus on better health and activity for their lives, and I'm happy to say it's all systems go for 2012.

Move More, Eat Well is a year-long workshop, where each month I'll bring you a new classroom complete with a video presentation, prompts and assignments to encourage you in your own efforts to Move More and Eat Well.

I've recorded a short video answering a few questions about the class.

A word about Move More, Eat Well 2012 from Cathy Zielske on Vimeo.

Click here for more information on the workshop.

If  you have any questions, please leave me a comment and I'll be sure to answer. The cost of the class is $36. I'm so looking forward to another year of Moving More and Eating Well and creating this new community together.

And don't worry. Perfect adherence is not one of the class requirements! Just as I've done on my blog, this workshop will celebrate the highs, the fun-sized lows, and everything in between.

The plan is to keep it real and sustainable as we strive to Move More and Eat Well.

It ain't just another New Year's Resolution, people. This is something you and I can do.

I hope you'll join me in 2012.

 

Move More Eat Well November 2011

The photo above was inspired which one of the following things:

a) the overwhelming sense that I looked like a high school wrestler.

b) the overwhelming desire I had to prove that that lid was down.

c) the realization that everyone's legs look awesome when they squat.

d) all of the above.

If you guessed D, you would be correct.

Welcome to Move More, Eat Well for November 2011. I am coming to you today from a place of recovery and that place is my own home and the recovery is from an veritable food orgy involving numerous brands of fun-sized candy bars.

Sigh. Halloween, you know not what you do to me.

Here's the deal: when Halloween comes, I heed the call. Not only do I adore this holiday (no gifts, no big meals to prepare, no stress, and a chance to wear the bee costume), I fully participate in the guilt-free eating of candy on Halloween. I may have once been very black and white in my approach to Moving More and Eating Well, just as I have been with most things in my life, but part of being in therapy has helped me to see that life can also happen in the grey areas. If I'm solely black and white, there's a lot of life—and candy—to be missed.

So I gave myself a total free day on Halloween. I started eating candy at 10 a.m. and essentially didn't stop until bedtime, more or less. Aidan hosted a party for her friends, so I knew that being hopped up on sugar wouldn't necessarily harm me in any way. Afterall, I needed my strength! The weird thing was, while completely high on miniature Reese's Peanut Butter cups, I made the cutest scrapbook page ever. I felt like I was running with an extra battery pack. It actually reminded me of the few times I've quit smoking only to resume, and the absolute manic energy that comes from reconnecting with your addiction.

Interestingly enough, the 5 days leading up to Halloween saw me each day ingesting zero added sugar. I decided to remove all added sugar (minus what is found in fruit, of course) from my diet for one week. I didn't quite make the full week, mind you, but it was interesting that I found myself with more energy after the first two days.

Most days, I'll have a yummy Trader Joe's granola bar as a sweet treat after dinner. Inevitably, I feel like I could fall asleep at 8 p.m. I started making the connection that although Trader Joe's stuff can be moderately more wholesome than some brands, it's still packed with sugar and that sugar can knock you out.

There's definitely a part of me that wishes I could become someone who completely eschews sugar and comes back here to report: PEOPLE, I HAVE FOUND THE TRUTH!

But there is still a part of me that is normal and human and likes to know I'm going to get to indulge in fun-sized candy every so often.

You know, it's that addictive part.

Let's take a look at my page for this month.

JOURNALING READS: What is it about this before and after that feels less dramatic to me? Maybe I'm just not in the right frame of mind as I sit here and type, but the overall but shape ain't that different. Oh well. But I think the thing that is different? My overall attitude about taking care of myself is improving all the time. My goals are multi-fold. It's not just about getting below 150 pounds anymore (although there is a tiny bit of that one lingering.) As always, I'm a work in progress.

This month has seen very steady running, walking and swimming. I backed off my runs to add a swim day and I'm feeling really good in the pool these days. I've even been spending a bit of time watching stroke improvement videos, to see if I can't find a way to pick up the pace a bit. As always, I remains slow but steady with my workouts. I know there is something to be said about mixing in some speedwork, both for the running and the swimming, but for some reason, I'm still adverse to the idea of going faster. I think there is definitely a part of me that fears failure. It's as if I've finally made fitness a part of my life, but if I mess with it too much, I might find myself right back on that couch again.

This month also saw me test out no added sugar for a week (not surprisingly, the energy I had improved) followed by two solid days of absolute Halloween candy coma. But I will tell you this: I'm not giving up some of that culinary guilty pleasure. I really don't want to be a robot in this process. I am moving more and eating well a large majority of the time. Everything doesn't have to be black and white.

This notion of black and white is really on my mind these days in all areas of my life. I won't lie: I have made it work to my advantage more often than not. But sometimes, life isn't always about gaining an advantage, now is it?

How has your month gone? With Halloween under the belt, it's just one food holiday after another for a while. Do you have a plan of attack in mind? Are you going with the flow and embracing the grey that comes with the change of seasons?

By all means, do tell.

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A few months back, I offered a free download of the new logo for Move More Eat Well. Click here to find that post and download the new logo for your templates.

Want to learn more about Move More Eat Less 2011? Click here to learn more about the concept.

I've also started a flickr group for Move More Eat Less. Feel free to start sharing your pages. You will find the group by clicking here.

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Check back here tomorrow afternoon for a cool announcement about a new workshop I'm offering at Big Picture Classes. This one? It might be right up your alley. It's definitely up mind.

 

A post-Halloween free download for you

Sigh. My favorite holiday of the year is now but a distant, insulin-spiked memory. But yesterday, while fueled on Halloween cheer and fun sized Reese's Peanut Butter cups, I had an idea for a page: A Carving Retrospective.

Most years, I shoot the kids carving their pumpkins. I thought it would be cool to gather photos from several years of them performing this time-honored tradition.

I designed a simple grid and then went into my digital photo library to pull out shots from all the October carvings I could find. My digital library only goes back to 2004, so I decided that would be the cutoff.

Come on. You know you want to say it with me: oh, for cute!

Oh. My. Goth. I adore this page.

And I'd like you to make one too!

If you click on the PDF link below, you'll get a two page file. On one page, there's  a printable grid with dotted lines, and on the second page, mini dates and two different trimmable squares that say "A Carving Retrospective". Everything comes with trim marks, to make cutting them out simple. All you have to do to finish the page is find and trim photos to 2 inches square.

If you're a 12 x 12 scrapbooker, design this page as is, and mount it onto a 12 x 12 piece of black cardstock, or halloween themed patterned paper. Oh, for totally cute!

Add in a few squares of Halloween themed paper and you are golden.

Here's the download:

Download CZ_FreeHalloweenies

Just a little post-Halloween hangover love from me, to you.

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PAGE SUPPLIES:

Patterned Paper: Apothecary Emporium Collection (Echo Park) (Skull & Bones, Striped Toad, Haunted Forest)

Word Art: Spooky Sentiments Brushes and Stamps (Cathy Zielske)

White Cardstock: Orange Peel Texture (Bazzill Basics)

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Check back tomorrow for November's installment of Move More, Eat Well.

 

A special Halloween trick and treat, for you.

BEE DANCE from Cathy Zielske on Vimeo.

Happy Halloween everyone!

(Special thank you to the genius behind the Pumpkin Sexy Dance for your inspiration.)

She assures me, I was a natural

In our pool in Fort Meyers, Fla. 1969

Last week, I emailed my Mom, asking her for any pictures of me from either my 9- to 11-year-old swimming era, or my brief but illustrious high school era. I was planning another blog post about swimming you see.

She said she'd be damned if she couldn't find any.

But she sent this, assuring me: you were always a natural.

Thanks, Mom.