Vacation 2014: Hawaii

What a vacation! ... We have been enjoying our stay here in Hawaii at Aulani, even with the threat of a dooming hurricane - what an experience for us Cailifornias! .. What we have observed, is that hurricanes are way more predictable than an earthquake! With all of the warnings and instructions, Iselle passed us by as a tropical storm and we were prepared enough to barely noticed, but that was not the case for the big island, Hilo. She took a direct hit and everything is a mess but even so, Ohana is strong here and they are working to clean up and get back to normal. Still keep her in your prayers! .. Here on Oahu, we got rain and wind.

We made it a point to talk to the locals and see how they were feeling about the storm and they were not to worried about it, so we didn't worry - okay, we were not panicked but we understood that things could change at any given moment. The Aulani staff were amazing at keeping us safe and posted on the latest developments of the storm. Yes, even that was fun! .. Now, we're getting ready to pack up and head home - aww man! - and get back to "the schedule", but we're relaxed and recharged, so bring on the school year! .. Until next time.

Case Closed: Completed ICAD 2014!

Yeah! I finished the awesome, fantastic, so fun #ICAD (index card a day) 2014 challenge. What a cool way to try new techniques and get your creative mojo a flow. The challenge starts June 1 and continues to July 31. Please visit Tammy over at daisyyellowart.com for more information. ... Once the challenge is done, you end up with 61 cards! Here are some of my ICADs.

I used 4 by 6 index cards. They are the perfect sized blank space to artsy-up and you can use them in your Project Life! ... Yes! Yes! Case closed. Until next time!

Project Strategy: Washi, Washi

It's a hot summer day! I'm so not going outside - I would melt! So instead, I've decided to stay in and organize my washi tape and I must say, someone needs rehab!

I took two 8 1/2 by 11 inch cardstock papers and about an inch of washi tape to create swatch sheets. These sheets will make it nice and easy for me to know what I have. It's going to be a breeze pulling them out while working on a project! ... and they can also double as example sheets for washi tape swaps. Yeah, that's pretty cool! ... Well, this has got to be the fastest case I've closed all year! Until next time!

14th Birthday

Yesterday, Michael Jr. turned 14 years old. We celebrated with our annual trip to the Orange County fair. We laughed, had big food, shopped, and stayed late. On the ride home, Mike and I talked about how time has flown by. He'll be joining the high school crowd this fall and I must admit that I'm a bit nervous. ... Good thing I'm a praying mama!

Awesome, intelligent, kind, loving, super silly, smart, talented, and a gentleman. Absolutely adorable! ... and I thank God everyday for this precious gift we call son. .. Until next time!

Blog Name Settled!

Hey! I have finally settled on a blog name that fits me! It’s my MC name plus what I love to do … storytelling. Yep! You read that right. Back in the day when Hip Hop was new and freestyle battles were fun, I use to take down the boys with my lyrics and style. I can still rock a mic ‘til the break’a dawn (one of the things my kids think is super cool) but I have transferred that skill to my wonderful world of mixed media scrapbooking and daily planning. Now that I am settled on my blog name, I can get to da’blogging. Until next time, I’m OUT … 5,000 G!

Happy 4th of July!

It's the the 4^th of July! I would like to take this time and thank all of the men and women who serve our county in the military. We are aware of all of your sacrifices for our freedom and liberty! .. and words are just not enough! Thank you!

Twelve

My Great Great Grandmother use to say, "chile, you growing up so fast, in a blink of an eye!", and I thought, she is making no sense at all, blinking is fast! Does she not know, that it took forever to turn 12! ... Fast forward to 30 years later, and here it is, I have blinked too!

Happy 12th Birthday to the most amazing, talented, smart, kind, animal lover, justice for all, better not mess with my brother, fashionista, artist I know. You are the joy of our family and I can't imagine our lives without you. Blessed we are to have a daughter like you. We love you baby girl!

Standing There

It's been five weeks since I have sat at my table and created. What could I have possibly been doing to stay incognito for so long?! ... Oh yeah, Life! ... there is work, kids, laundry, and two school promotions to plan for ... and in the mist, a trip with 32, plus a special guest, 8th graders to DC/NY. ... Last time in DC, I was not able to see the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, so what a treat to see it, and at night!

Standing there, I remembered my Great Great Grandmother and every story told to benefit my outcome in life. God was first, then family, and of utmost importance, education. "You don't understand it now", she would say, and she was right. I heard and felt it then, but I did not get it, until standing there. I am thankful and truly blessed that I was able to share that moment with my son. His dreams are big ... attainable. Yes, I finally got it ... standing there. ... Until next case.

Project Strategy: Low Mojo

I am low on mojo! Ugh! .. Can't even warp my brain around a good idea. So, in times like this, I clear my desk too see how many projects survive the purge. ... All clear! .. Now there is an awesome plan in place. I'm going to challenge myself to sit and scrap something everyday. Yes! Yes! When my mojo is low, I go back to what I know, and scrapbooking is and will always be, my first creative outlet love! ... Until next case!

Case log: Time gone!

It's Saturday?! ... I just realized that I didn't post my weekly case log. I usually try for Tuesday or Thursday, since I teach on the other days. ... But it's midterm time, and just like my students, this time keeps me pretty busy also. Hopefully I'll be able to share some fun artwork soon! I did finally complete my page "Bottom Line". I'm feeling a little justified, take a look ... Until next case!

Case Log: Background Layers

I am not an artist! ... That's my story and I'm sticking to it ... but I like to try new things. So here's a look at how I did the backgrounds (previous post) for the #postcardswap2014 that I'm doing on Instagram.

I picked some paint and paper to cover my 4 by 6 postcards.

Next, I cut the paper in random shapes and glued them down with no plan in mind.

Well, now it's time for paint! ... I used three dots of different colors. The gift card is used in place of a paint brush. I love the swirls and shapes you can make with the card.

Here is the end result, but every card is different, even if they are the same color and that's why I like this technique. ... Whew, good case! So glad it's not a cold one. Until next time.

On the Scene: #ojswap

Well ... On the case today! Working on a journal page for my art pen pal Kim B. for our #ojswap. There are eight of us in this journal circle swap, and Kim's journal is my first round. Here's a look at the creative scene in the studio.

Yep! .. had to lay down some cover to protect her journal. I have a good idea how it's going to go but as you know, art always go with the feeling. Here's a sneak peek at the possibility.

Oh! I feel good about solving this one! Until next case!

Wow! ... Time Flies

... Especially when you have a deadline to meet. It's been hunker down for two whole weeks! Haven't had a chance to look up ... Well, not until I lost my personal planner. So, I'm back on the creative grind. Trying to get some projects done, but first a lament to my lost planner ... Oh planner how I miss you so/you were great in every way/goodbye.

Until the next case!

Project Strategy : Fire!

No joke! ... Our dryer caught fire because of lint build up under the dryer. The repairman said we got lucky! .. Nope, we're blessed! So blessed because it was a small fire that only burnt the lint that was under the dryer. In my eyes, only God could have managed to do that! .. So here I am, sitting at the laundry mat, drying my clothes and working Project Strategy!

Yea! ... Postcard Jam

I have some really cool Instagram artist friends! ... Got invited to swap in a postcard jam. This is where you swap postcards between artist, each adding their own layer to a background you started. ... Here is how mine started.

Three really different backgrounds! I am excited to see what the other artist are going to add! ... Until next time. Case cold and open!

Craft Hoarder! Ahhh!

So ... I was shopping my stash the other day (I have vowed not to spend any money this year on "supplies") when I had my Oprah aha moment! ... I have way to much stuff not to finishing at least one project! ... I mean really, take a look!

Every drawer is full of crafty goodness! ... Oh yes, full. So, here I am, looking, feeling, and yes I am, a craft supply hoarder! LOL! ... I have to find time to finish at least one project. So ... A new case, Project Strategy. Until the next neighborhood canvas!

On the Case: Time!

Wow! It's already Tuesday?! .. When I started to blog, I told myself that I wanted to post at least once a week .. like a column in the newspaper .. but here, I have missed the deadline. Oh bummer! At least I got this amazing project done.

My ode to Pinterest! My family's movie night tickets all shadow boxed up and ready for a spot on the wall. I found the Hollywood background at Party City, which I had to trim a bit to fit the 8 x 10 frame that I picked up at Michaels .. total cost, $10. This is a project the whole family enjoys .. it's very fun to look back on our time together at the movies. This case is closed! .. until next time.

Solved! ... ATC follow up, yeah!

It's official! ... I am not an ATC artist! It takes me way to long to come up with ideas, and way to long to mail them out ... And I'm okay with that, because it's really not fair to the person your trading with that your late or that your idea sucks! Here is just how far I got with my ATCs.

I follow some wonderful Instagram friends who are amazing at ATCs. They inspire me all the time! If your on Instagram, give them a visit and check them out. Let'em know Moe sent ya! Here they are! Part of my ATC Rockstar Cru: cfalbro, jonathanbrant, k_concannon, retromodbee, and yeah_its_mom.

New Case! ... #myrpb meets the #documentedlifeproject

So ... I'm waiting to hear if any of my fabulous ATC artist will let me mention them in my post about my look at ATCs. Yeah, just waiting ... In the meantime, I figured out how to incorporate my Right Brain Planner and The Documented Life Project into my Franklin Covey.

Franklin has been my planner since 1994. My husband gave me my first binder our first Christmas as a married couple. So, putting the three together was a breeze, especially since I stuck with what I know about my scrapbooking skills. ... I K.I.S.S. it every chance I get! LOL!

Checking out ATCs : Darn Instagram

So ... I'm on Instagram (heymoemiller), checking out all the artist who post their amazing work and decided to take another shot at making some Artist Trading Cards (ATCs). Just to see if I can hang. Well, here I go.

I'll check back in later and let you know how this goes.

A New Year! A Big Chance

Look at me! Taking a chance for the New Year and putting myself out there. I’ve been wanting to blog for years now. I started this one in the shadows years ago. I posted a few teasers in my notes section of my Facebook page to see if anyone would bite. No one was interested in what I had to say (forgot those privacy settings). Well, what a bummer, I had no time anyway. I deleted all of the teasers (“Girlfriends” was a one good too!) on my Facebook page and deactivated my account … Busy with life.

I have since reactivated my Facebook account (oh the drama!), signed up for Pinterest (oh la la!), Instagram (what’sup IG Cru!), and bought an iPhone 4s, yes, I went backwards, it was free … and now, I love keeping up with my network of family and friends. It was not until recently, when a friend added me to their circle on Google+, that I was reminded of the blog that I had long ago started and forgotten about … then a thought.

I have tossed and turned at the thought of blogging over and over in my mind. I want to do something meaningful. I want to be thought provoking, true to myself and my beliefs. I want it to be good … yeah right, that’s not going to happen! ... I was moving on, again … Then a message on Facebook about my Pinterest board that said, "I love the way you play with words!", I said, "You do?", she said, "Yes, I went to your Envy board thinking I was going to see everything you wanted, and when I got there, everything was green! LOL!". Yes! That’s it, I love words but most of all, I like the way they can mean something else or be used creatively...like metaphors, clichés, and acronyms...then a spark!
 
Well, I’m a die-hard scrapbooker, no really … Bruce Willis, Die Hard 3 Scrapbooker. So, recently when I attended a faculty development course at work, where they taught us how to get students more engaged in class, I never thought my die-hard scrapbooker title would change. Actually, I had no inkling that I was about to embark on great change. A change that would to my surprise set me on a journey of letting go. See, in that class, we were all handed a wonderful book about student engagement and introduced to another awesome book called Journal Spilling by Diana Trout. Well that faculty development and a chance connection on Instagram with a lady, (whose name I would mention, but I didn't get permission) with a rightbrianplanner.com ... I'm now blogging … about all the fun misadventures I am having learning how to create. ... So, here I go!