Cathy Zielske's Blog, page 238

Win a seat in Yesterday & Today, an online workshop with Ali Edwards from Big Picture Classes

 

I get to give away one spot to Ali Edwards' phenomenally awesome online workshop, Yesterday & Today.

Join popular blogger and scrapbooker (and a woman who I'm proud to call my friend) Ali Edwards,  along with a diverse group of memory keepers, as they learn to make meaningful connections to their past in order to live their life in a more thoughtful way. Projects are limited to one layout a week that address the questions listed below. 

Are you new to online education? Ali's robust, cutting-edge online classroom provides content in multiple learning platforms: video, audio and traditional written handouts.  The classroom also houses sharing galleries and multiple message boards. This is your last opportunity to participate in Yesterday & Today at Big Picture Classes. Don't miss out on this popular class!

Yesterday & Today asks questions such as:
•Where do you begin creating with photos from generations past?
•What do you wish you knew about your parents when they were growing up? What life lessons do you want to pass on to your children?
•How do you document the challenging times in your life?
• How do you create layouts that tell special stories when you don't have any photos?

Ali says: "The benefit of looking to the past is that we gain perspective. We see things differently after developing an awareness of what we know and what we wished we knew. Looking back, even if we're just viewing old photos of people we don't know, can change the way we approach the photos we take and the stories we tell today."

SPECIAL FOR MY READERS! My blog readers can enjoy 10% off the "Yesterday + Today" class price by using the following code at checkout: yesterdaytoday.

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TO ENTER: Leave me a comment today and answer this question: Have you ever taken an online workshop?

I will close comments tonight at 9 p.m. C.S.T. and draw a winner at random.

I took this workshop last year when it debuted and I can say it's one of the best, most well-planned and presented classes I've taken. A seriously amazing and immersed experience. Remember, if you don't win the seat, you can still save 10% on the class price using the code. Good luck!

Digging digital

I took this picture of Aidan last week and thought: man, that's a killer photo. I should do something with it.

I decided to create a simple layout using InDesign that would let me drop a good chunk of journaling onto the photo as part of the core design. The resutling layout looked like this:

Sometimes, when I'm concepting ideas for new templates, this is how I work. I start messing around using InDesign and later translate the design into a digital template in Photoshop.

I had fully planned to use the layered template to create a hybrid scrapbook page. I was going to print the photo and journaling onto photo paper and trim. Next I'd find some patterned papers to print the "dearest aidan" and "love, mom" onto. It would be simple enough. Just turn off key layers on the template, trim the patterned papers to 8.5 x 11. Feed them through the printer and cut and paste accordingly. A little extra work here and there to create a page that used traditional scrap fixins.

And then I just thought: but why go to the extra trouble when I can share the same exact story in a purely digital format and it still achieves my hoped for aesthetic end result, i.e. a really cool layout that tells a story that matters to me?

So that's what I did.

And here's how the digital page turned out:

JOURNALING READS: I wanted to sit down and write you a little note about you and me and how incredibly thankful I am for the relationship we have in the here and now. You're on the verge of well-oiled teenhood, yet we clash less with each passing year. Is it because you're maturing and gaining more confidence? Is it because I'm learning to chill out more and see you as your own person, wholly separate from me? I'm feeling a tremendous amount of gratitude to be able to share in your life. To see you grow, and learn, and express who you are through your words, fashion, art and world view. Yes, I'm beyond thrilled at your hipster leanings. Your taste in music, your political leanings, your social conscience. But I want you to know that YOU are the part that matters most in all of it. Your thoughts and opinions, your choices and moves, your heart and your soul—the very things that make you who you are the things I'm so grateful to learn about and know. I'm not taking any minute for granted with you, my girl. I love you so very, very much. I hope this is something you will always know and feel in everything you do.

SUPPLIES
digital template—Love Letter Template (Cathy Zielske)
digital patterned papers—Krafty Ledger Paper Pack (Katie Pertiet), Tonals Pink (Jesse Edwards, coming this weekend!)
digital brushes—Boxed Days (Cathy Zielske)

I recently placed an order at ScrapbookPictures.com for 15 digital pages from the past several months. Some are from Cole's Elementary School album, others are simply random pages I've done fully digitally. Each layout cost around $2.50 to print on a premium grade photo paper, and the results are fabulous.

I'm surprised at just how much I like the digital prints, especially once they're tucked into page protectors, mixed in with all of the traditional and hybrid pages.

And to be honest with you, sometimes going the digital route is a bit simpler for me while still yielding a page that makes me happy.

I guess I like being able to do both, but right now, I'm just really digging digi.

I swear I don't force this stuff on her

Last week, Aidan got her hair cut. She told me she wanted to go pixie short and I said, "I'll believe it when I see it."

Now why would I say something like that? Even she was like, "What? You don't care about hair."

And she is totally correct. It's not my head. It's hers. Do with it what you will, my child. Life is short and hair grows.

Contrary to the moody poses presented here, we are all completely in love with it.

No one moreso than she.

I've had comments from time to time that it's so nice that I let my daughter express her individuality, be it by dressing up as Harry Potter for her school pictures or using her room as her personal canvas or chopping off her long luscious locks..

I'm just trying to make sure I do what I'm supposed to do as a parent and not impose myself in areas that I simply should just step back and just let her be her glorious self.

Right Aidan?

I'll take that as a 'yes'.

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Posting will be light this week as I focus on hanging with the kids and enjoying our final week of Christmas vacation. I hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend.

Thank you, Linus

A Linus-Esque Monologue from Cathy Zielske on Vimeo.

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday weekend. See you back here next week.

Merry Christmas, Charlie Zielske

As we close out our third month of a home remodel project, our house is anything but in the holiday décor way. We've had to squish a lot of stuff into spaces not designed to hold said stuff, and the Christmas decorations have stayed squarely in their respective boxes.

There was even discussion of not getting a tree this year, much to my horror.

We bandied about the idea of a small table top tree. We considered buying a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree replica. But in the end, I just wanted something a bit more substantial. Nothing grand, mind you. Just a little Charlie Brown tree of our own.

And we definitely found it.

It's not big. It's not fancy. It doesn't even really have that many branches. It's shorter than almost everyone in the family, too.

The best part? We only had to walk out the back door to find it.

We've had a poorly planned and placed blue spruce growing in our yard since we bought our house in 1993. Dan has been trimming it back every year to keep it from colliding with the big pappa tree that towers above it. This year we decided why not just top it off, and bring it in? So that's what we did.

It has the sharpest needles I've ever seen or felt on a Christmas tree. It doesn't smell as good as a fresh cut tree from a tree farm might. It's thin and spindly and completely asymmetrical.

But it's just about the most perfect little tree you could hope for.

All it needed was a blanket and a little love.

 

Move More Eat Less 2011…an invitation to you

A year ago I was in a place where I wasn't very happy about how I looked and felt. I spent a lot of energy thinking about changing, but mostly I just whined about not being happy about how I looked and felt.

A blog reader offered some advice: "Enough with the whining already! Why don't you DO something?"

I'll be honest with you: at first I was all, "What the—?" and then it hit me like a giant 'DUH!' out of the blue. If I wanted to see change I had to do something about it. End of story.

So I started Moving More and Eating Less. Every day, every month, all year long. It wasn't without effort. It wasn't ever automatic. And it wasn't without sacrifice.

Today, I'm 30 pounds lighter and I don't whine nearly as much. This is me right now.

I don't have all of the answers. I'm still trying to figure out where I need to be on the scale and still live a life of joy that still includes food. I fully anticipate the probability of more weight struggles in the coming year, but I will tell you one thing I've finally learned: there is no magic pill to help you get into shape.

Even today where at my last weigh-in I'm up 7 pounds from my lowest weight of the year, I'm fully aware that the ball of motivation lies squarely in my own court. No one can do any of this for me. Yes, life conspires to make it hard for us to Move More and Eat Less, but guess what? We get only one to work with. Life, that is. What is it you want to do with yours?

I'm challenging anyone who wants to make a serious change in their overall health and fitness to join me in 2011 with two simple goals: Move More and Eat Less.

You guys know I'm not a professional health and fitness expert, but I'm qualified to tell you this: there is nothing mysterious about getting into shape. It requires commitment, effort and a willingness to both fail AND succeed. And it is an unending process. There is no finish line to be reached, much as I really, really want there to be one. You have to start and then do your best to simply keep it up and take care of the one and only you.

Sure, you can have number goals, but even when you reach them, you have to find new motivations to continue on this journey.

I'll tell you what some of mine are:

1. I feel better ALL the time. I've hardly has so much as a cold this past year. No headaches. No congestion. Nothing. Moving More and Eating Less makes me feel better.

2. I'm less crabby overall. I used to be SO much more moodier than I am today. And let me tell you, for a high strung perimenopausal woman, this is no small deal. Taking care of myself physically reflects on my mental state every single day.

3. I'm less tired. I used to crave a nap almost every single day. Now? I get sleepy at 10 p.m. When I SHOULD be sleepy. I don't hit that crash and burn part of the afternoon.

4. I am thinner than when I started. It goes without saying that this is a motivator for me. I like looking fit. I like that my jeans are smaller. And when that's not enough of a motivator, I look at numbers 1 through 3 again for a kick in the pants, so to speak.

5. I like who I am as a sportier person. Yep. That's right. Me, the girl who used to just sit outside and smoke now really likes the fact that I put on running shoes and head out to sweat, or that I put on some goggles and swim laps, or that I clean the house with a renewed gusto that I didn't used to possess. I like feeling a bit like a badass in the weight room, even if I'm only lifting 8-pound free weights.

6. I have learned to stop limiting myself. Getting in shape this year has helped me to stop using the old "But I can't…" crutch. And I believe it really is a crutch. Anyone can find something to let them Move More. Anyone can find ways to Eat Less. Stop selling yourself short and test this theory out. You, like me, may be pleasantly surprised.

7. Moving More and Eating Less is the only thing that seems to work. As challenging as it can be to get started, there is something very basic in this approach. It can be whatever YOU define it to be, but make no mistake, if executed with care and dedication you will see visible changes.

Welcome to Move More Eat Less for 2011.

I'm refocusing my efforts for 2011. I have realized that Moving More and Eating Less is a process—a continual process that requires my attention not just when my jeans feel a bit too snug, but every single day.

I get one life and one body to care for. Period. I'm not willing to throw that responsiblity out the window after feeling what I've felt—both highs and lows—from this past year. I hope to inspire you to make the changes you need to feel the same.

This year, my tools will be regular exercise both in the world at large (running) my gym membership at the YMCA (swimming, weight training, elliptical machine), Weight Watchers online, and of course, planning meals and making the best choices for me and my family.

I've also created a new digital journal tool called the Move More Eat Less Fitness Journal to help anyone who finds that tracking their progess also serves as a great way to preserve their motivation.

This 5.5 x 8.5 size journal set contains 22 pages in printable PDF format and fully layered PSD files and they are designed to help you track how much you move, eat and the progress you make a long the way. Pages include:

• title page
• starting photo page
• starting measurements page
• statement of intentions page
• tools and resources page
• daily tracking pages for food and exercise
• weekview tracking pages for food and excercise (includes your choice of Saturday, Sunday and Monday week start days)
• monthly photo and measurement tracking pages
• journaling pages to document your thoughts and feelings along the way
• before and after photo pages

Pages come two-up on an 8.5 x 11 page for easy printing and trimming and feature my favorite color palette.

I'm using a 5.5 x 8.5 mini binder from Russel+Hazel and page protectors from C-Line to store my pages.

You can also just use a regular 5.5 x 8.5 3-ring binder and three-hole punch your pages.

The point of this journal project is tracking. It's not meant to replace a system you're already using, such as Weight Watchers, or The Daily Plate, or Jenny Craig, but it IS meant to help you continue to track where you are and where you're going.

The set includes Weekview Trackers (featuring week starts on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, depending on when you start an official week) and Daily Trackers.

I've realized this year that being aware of what you eat is key to the process. These pages are designed to help you do just that.

Then once a month, you'll take a photo and your measurements. The project only requires you log your weight monthly. I did this to take some of the focus off of weight as the sole factor to determine your success. It is really only one part of the equation.

The set includes places to journal about your intentions as well as your feelings as you go through this process of literally changing your life.

During this past year, I also documented my journey using templates, and for 2011 I've updated the templates for those of you who also want to record your monthly progress on a scrapbook page.

Again, I'm a firm believer in documenting all aspects of life, and taking steps towards better health and fitness is definitely one of them.

Of course, ANYONE can join in this journey. You don't need a fitness journal to do it. And if you are in, here's a blog banner for you to download and share on your own blog (PC users, right click to download the file, Mac users, Control Click and Save Image As):

I will be posting monthly, just as I have all year long, sharing with you my own successes and struggles with this process.

My goal is to live a healthy and full life in 2011. I don't intend to starve myself and deny myself sex muffins and Stephen's Hot Cocoa. But, I DO intend to make sure my treats are in moderation and that most of what I put into my body is nourishing and healthful.

I also intend to keep my butt Moving More in every possible way I can find to make that happen.

I would love to have you join me.

What do you say? Is this your year?

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If you have any questions about this new journal project, be sure to post them in the comments. Also, in the name of fitness and better health, please check back here during the 1st week in January for a pretty cool fitness related giveaway.

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

 

The winners of the giveaway are…

The winner of the December 2010 kit from ScrapScription is:

The winner of the spot in the Holiday Essentials Online Studio workshop from Emily Falconbridge and Morgan Moore is:

Ladies, email me at czdesign@comcast.net and I'll hook you up!

Part of getting my weekend craft on is making gift tags for packages, trimming our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree (oh  yes, there will be a post coming next week on that story) and working on my new 2011 Move More Eat Less Fitness Journal project, which I'll be sharing early this coming week!

Have a great weekend.

Win a kit from ScrapScription or a spot in a crafty holiday workshop

One blog reader will win the December 2010 kit from ScrapScription.

ScrapScribers is ScrapScription's monthly mini-album kit club. As a ScrapScriber member you are guaranteed ScrapScription's 15th of the month kit each and every month! No need to worry about missing out on a fabulous kit; you will automatically be billed and sent your ScrapScriber kit each month.

As a member of ScrapScribers, you will receive your kit at a guaranteed discounted price of $32 each month. In addition, every 6th kit will be shipped free of charge! Finally, with your 12th kit you will receive an additional FREE ScrapScribers member's only kit that will not be offered to non-ScrapScribers members.

As a special offer to all Cathy Zielske blog readers, if you join ScrapScribers before the end of December, your first kit—the December ScrapScriber kit, "A Look Back @ 2010"—will be shipped free of charge. When checking out, enter BLOGCZ as a coupon code to receive this discount.  For more information, visit the ScrapScriber page at www.scrapscription.com/scrapscribers.htm. 

ABOUT THE DECEMBER KIT: Tick tock of the clock – Where has the time gone?  Within a flash of the camera, the year is ending and you've once again gotten behind on scrapping your favorite photos.  This month's ScrapScriber kit will make sure that that is no longer an issue. We've created an adorable mini album that streamlines the entire process!

Starting with the unique Pinecone Press Pocket and Tag Book, you'll actually put this album together following their super simple instructions.  Inside are 12 individual pockets that each contains a matching tag.  Once the album is together, we'll come back and add all the special touches with a timeless new paper line from 7Gypsies called Paddington.  We've taken advantage of the 8x8 sized paper sheets that reduce the graphics, making them the perfect size to add to the Pocket and Tag Book.  Finally, the heart of the album – the vintage monthly journaling circles from Elle's Studio—are added to the front of each pocket making for an easy, simple place to write a little bit about the photos from that month. 

You are going to love the elegant simplicity of this album not to mention the sense of accomplishment you'll feel after getting all your favorite photos from 2010 in one mini album!

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One blog reader will win a spot in the Holiday Essentials Online Studio workshop from Emily Falconbridge and Morgan Moore.

ABOUT THE WORKSHOP: Holiday Essentials Online Studio is like having a Christmas craft party come to you! Packed with fun crafts to make and give, yummy recipes for treats, decorations you can easily make, and fun things for the kids to do as well. All the projects are ready to follow along and make from simple items you probably have lying around at home already. Get your Christmas crafty on!

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TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY: Leave me a comment today and tell me if you are planning to be crafty this weekend, and if so, how? I'll draw winners some time after noon C.S.T. on Saturday

Design Your Life is now an instant download, self-paced workshop

I'm really excited to announce that Design Your Life, a 12-week intensive study of graphic design as it applies to the wonderful scrapbooking hobby, is now available as a self-paced, instant download class from Big Picture Classes.

Even though I retired from teaching the class, Big Picture wanted to offer it for those who missed it the first few times I taught it. You can work through all 12 lessons on your own. The lessons include weekly video lectures on design principles, plus downloadable PDFs (handouts, printables) and layered PSD files of each week's layout assignments. To read more about the class content, click here.

This class is a really good basic workshop on fundamental principles of design. You will work in multiple page sizes in order to see how principles translate across any given space. The goal of the workshop is to arm you with more design confidence and understanding which translates into you making great design decisions in your own scrapbooking.

The workshop is $59 and includes all original class content. And I'm telling you, it's a lot of content but don't let that scare you! BPC is even including my weekly personal video messages from the 2009 workshop, but keep in mind, those videos are from a specific time period and reflected what was going on in our message boards at the time. Also, I'm very goofy and you should know that up front.

I'm working to develop more workshops for 2011, but this is a solid design workshop for anyone who wants to understand the hows and whys of good page layout. Plus, you can work through it at your own pace. Once you sign up, you'll have forever access to the materials. If you have any questions about this version of the class, feel free to leave me a question today and I'll do my best to answer.

WANT TO GIVE THIS CLASS AS A GIFT? I have downloadable PDF gift certificates to put under the tree as well. You can download one here:

Download Dylgiftprintablepage

 

Not helping with this little sugar monkey on my back issue I seem to be having

I discovered something last week that apparently, people in Utah have known about and reveled in for years. No, it's not the secret to making Ned Flander's Hot Cocoa, but it's completely related:

Stephen's Gourmet Hot Cocoa.

Is it hypocritcal to lament the holidays and my battle with the sugar demons and yet come on here and shamelessly promote a heavily sugared product?

So be it.

I picked this up on a whim at my local Rainbow Foods while seeking out something other than Swiss Miss or Nestle cocoa mix. I thought, "We'll give this one a go."

I'm not exaggerating when I tell you it tastes like the cocoa that you would be served by angels.…in Heaven…while having hot chocolate with Jesus. It's THAT good.

I'm still very focused on Moving More these days and if I come in from a 2 degree day of shoveling 20 inches of freshly fallen snow, I'm thinking 8 ounces of cocoa ain't killin' no one.

This one agrees.

Mmmm. Come on in from the cold, Cole. Mama's got some cocoa for you. And probably for me too.