THINGS ARE LOOKING UP

One week later, and i can finally sit at my desk! That is like the biggest achievement of my week, and i am very much okay with that. I feel so much better than i did all Summer honestly, i am so glad i had surgery! The last days were pretty painful and i couldn't do much except stay in bed, but that mainly mean i got to watch a lot of movies and read a lot of books. Amazon is pretty much the winner here, because that "buy in one click" button got the better out of me this week. Lots of new books (including The Spectacular Now and The power of less. can't wait, but i have like a thousand other books to read first), an awesome scratch map which i can't wait to tell you about, and some sport stuff (the over optimistic in me thinks she's going to be able to go running again very soon. fingers crossed). Like my pal the pen would say: things are looking up :)

I'll be back next week with a more regular blog schedule: Project Life, Hello Story, layouts. I can't believe September, and Fall, are just around the corner! 

THIS TIME LAST YEAR

A year ago, on one very hot 23rd of August, 2012 i was getting my very first tattoo. imagine it said. my favorite word in the universe. it reads the same in both french and english, so i don't have to translate anything here, another reason i love it. i believe that our ability to dream, create and think of things that were, are or could one day be is our greatest tool. I have always been a dreamer. Maybe because i was never satisfied with the everyday routine. Maybe i read too much books, and thought at 11 that i could definitely get a letter from Hogwarts, or that leprechauns had something to do with these beautiful rainbows and that there was so much more we could not see. I dream when i am sleeping, i make stories in my head when i am bored, i imagine my future. One year ago, as this word was painted on my skin, i fled the pain and thought of what was to come: leaving for Canada 5 days later. Starting my final internship 6 months later. Graduating. Starting my life as a somehow responsible adult in the Summer '13. New dreams came in the middle of all that, new stories that i wanted to write. I am not sure at this point that i still care very much for the 4 years i spent studying Business and Marketing. I long for travels, discoveries, earth in my hands, experiences, love, fun, night skies. But what you dream of is not what matters most, it is that you keep fighting to make them come true.

Today is a very hot day too. 23rd of August, 2013. Had you asked me one year ago, i would have told you that i would probably be starting a job somewhere in the world. Paris, London, Toronto. I would finally have moved out of my parents' house and settled somewhere else. There would be new tattoos on my skin. Well, the next story is still about needles. One meant to bring a few hours of dreamless sleep while the doctors do their job. I love irony, and sarcasm (i am, after all, parisian), so this one is quite funny. I thought i would spend my last summer as a student going on some kind of adventure, maybe a road trip. Except for a much needed break in London, i spend it at home. Reading a very big amount of books, watching a lot of movies. Thinking of new dreams, new stories. Somehow, it ended up being both the worst and the best moment for me to get stuck at home, unable to do any kind of adventuring, or even lie on my back. i discovered a person, and her book, that got to me so deeply i started to think of a completely new life for me, and what better moment to make new plans and do research than when stuck at home huh?

As the doctor do their work to get me 100% back on my feet in hopefully only a few weeks, i am still so very grateful for this word on my wrist. IMAGINE.

LIVING ON A BOAT

Once upon a time there was a girl who dreamed of another life. By the water. And the flowers. With no cars and grey buildings. Then she went for a long summer walk on the Regent's Canal. And she fell in love. With all of this:

All photos edited with Radlab

HELLO LOVE

So, there's this place i really really loved in Ottawa. A little corner of peace with lots of green and blue, a river you could cross barefoot, squirrels by dozen, fresh air, the best view. And all that at only 15 minutes walking distance for the campus. Canada is awesome like that. Obviously, i took a LOT of photos there, and i love them all, but i'm not going to do ten layouts about it. So i thought i'd try and do a fun one, with a lot of photos on it. And that's basically the whole story behind that layout.

I don't have a silhouette or anything like that so i just did it all with a pen and a cutter. Then glued my photos behind. I think it looks awesome. I didn't feel like adding anything more, but then couldn't resist that little hello cork tab. That might have ended up being my favorite part of the layout. I got it in one of my Studio Calico Kit, and all i know is that i need a whole lot more <3

So, tell me: what's YOUR little corner of Paradise?

PROJECT LIFE WEEK 23

 Still playing catch up here, with a super simple spread. It was a pretty quiet week, filled with DIY projects, summer meals (yes, Mr Freeze are a meal. do you have Mr Freeze in the US?? i hope you do.). Also spent an afternoon with a dear friend of mine and somehow managed to only use two photos. i'm getting good at this lol. The rest of the week was work work work.

Supplies wise, everything is super basic. the two 4x6 cards are from the Midnight core kit. lots of black & white, i love it. The 3x4 cards are from a Studio Calico PL kit. love love that gold embossed card. The rest is just bits and pieces from my stash. the spread took less than an hour to make, so that's perfect! see you next week :)

HELLO STORY WEEK 2

Week 2 over on the Hello Story classroom had us worked on fill in the blanks. Which is super fun to do, whether you are 7, 25 or 50. And is AWESOME when journaling, or at least figuring out how to start to, is an issue for you. Which might explain why i was so productive this week! Using the class prompts and ideas, i so far did one layout and two Project Life inserts.

The layout is a first for me, on many aspects. First photo-free layout. First hey i actually managed to cut out that fancy title without making a total mess. And first heavily emotional, kind of creepy before i die list. Making that layout took me a month. Because as comfortable as i am with monthly to-do list, or birthday challenge list, this one felt way more serious. Like, you do not kid with a before i die wish list (or maybe we should? i still don't know). They were some things i din't need thinking of, they were on the list before i even knew i had a list. like #1: become a mom. Some others are super recent, crazy ideas of mine, and maybe i won't care for them in 20 years, but the 24 years old me do want to see them happen. So they made the list too, like #13 Hike the PCT. Some are very basic concepts: feel alive, enjoy it all, learn new things, but forgetting about them is so easy when you are so busy with the little tasks of the everyday. So they made the list too. I could have added more, and maybe less, but i think they are a good image of me right now, and where i want to go. About the right now: don't forget to add a date to this kind of layout! You'll thank your past self in ten years. Also, the L stands for my name (Léa).

 Well, lots of serious talking up there. Here are some fun details then: the layout was created on photoshop (because i don't like Word very much, but that's up to you.) The two fonts i used are Jellyka BeesAntique Handwriting and Traveling Typewriter. They're both free. I printed them on white paper and then hand cut everything the best i could (i do not have a silhouette, so it took quite a while. Because there are no photos,i picked two papers i LOVED (both crate paper)then glued everything down. A little bit of sewing (i do not have a sewing machine.)Basically, everything was handmade. I'll let you figure out how long this layout took me... ps: it was worth it.

I won't talk much of the two inserts i did, because you already saw the first one. I used it on my WEEK 22 project life spread, which you can see below or in its full version right here. Week 22 was my birthday so this specific fill in the blank file about me as a kid and me right now was kind of perfect.

The other insert i will show you in a little while, i am using it for my recent trip to London (which i will be documenting Project Life style).

So, congrats if you made it this far! Do you like fill in the blanks? Do you have a before i die kind of list? I'd love to hear about it! (so i don't feel so alone in telling my life around here ;))

WILD & FREE

I knew i wouldn't really "leave" Paris this Summer, at least not for long. Most of my friends did, dreams of sunshine and water and sand in their head. Me, i decided to go to London for a few days. Even though i could see their puzzled looks: "London? that's not very Summer-like... is it?" Well, the thing is, to me, London is so much more than this cool big city with musicals and Big Ben and stuff like that. It's always wild, green, mysterious and beautiful. First there are the big parks in the city, St James' and its wild flowers, Hyde Park with its music festival. A little farther, Hampstead Heath and its ponds, its forest, its hills. And there's also my very favorite, Regent's Canal. But that's another story. For now, a few pictures of the London i see, and love.

all photos edited with Radlab

And remember, "all good things are wild & free".

KEY WORD: OPTIONAL

Funny story. We had just gotten on the Toronto's island, ready for some walking/photo taking/ beach napping time. Then noticed the signs. Nudist beach, right. Not weird at all. Just 15 min walking from the zoo and playing areas for the kids. I guess this is just another awesome part of Canada. Anyway, because we ain't scared of nothing, we headed straight for it. Only to find it empty. Next time maybe ;) (we did ended up taking a litle nap there, fully clothed might i add). Toronto i love you.

About the layout. All i knew when i started it was that i wanted a central piece with my two photos, the title on top of it, and a frame around all that, made with various patterned papers. so i did just that. Then added the white background. Felt like something was missing. Added the cork washi (yes, it's awesome). Felt like something was missing. Cropped everything and added that pink background. Felt like some blue would be cool. Stitched a blue border. Done.

About that pink background. It's from Crate paper, and i adore it. So of course i saved most of it, leaving just the border. And you should soon see what i did with the other piece. ;)

Finale note: i am mixing up french and english journaling on some of my Canada layouts (like on the picture above). This is mainly because 1/ it's fun 2/ i spent four months in Ottawa hearing people mixing up the two languages on a daily basis which was both very confusing and very funny. So doing it on my layouts as well just seemed very normal. (i think i forgot what normal was at some point there).

PROJECT LIFE WEEK 22

Long time no see dear Project Life! I am crazy behind on my spreads, and by crazy i mean something like 10 weeks behind (i know...). It's ok though, because i have this awesome 4-steps technique to catch up saving my life right now:

1/ Get all of your photos printed. And hey because you have waited sooo long, you can probably get a good deal online (i myself use photoweb) rather than print them at home last minute like you do way too often

2/ Arrange all those photos in your pockets, inserts...

3/ Add cards in all empty pockets. If your are using a kit or PL Core Kit, then that should be super quick too.

4/ Find some time here & there to add your journaling, dates, stamps, embellishments... it can be as simple as you want (i am embracing simplicity right now, that's like my new favorite word)

Oh, and don't forget about 5/ share the finished spreads with us :)

So today i am finally sharing a new spread here, week 22. And as i write this, i have completed steps 1 to 3 for the 7 following spreads as well. Yay me!

Week 22 is a bit special because it was the week i turned 24. So i decided it deserved a little extra insert. I knew i wanted one of this 6x12 slot to be about my feelings towards birthdays as well as my 25 before 25 challenge. Both subjects i blogged about, so i just pasted the text, had some fun with photoshop and then printed it all on that cute pink paper. 

It was the other side i wasn't sure about. But in the meantime Ali's class Hello Story began and week 2 topic (of which i'll talk more on Friday!) ended up being perfect for it! That "Hello Me" piece was made with photoshop as well, using the class material + two photos of me aged 2 (i think) and 24. This was super fun to do, you can read the text on the photo below if you feel like it, should be clear enough (you can click on it ;))

 Because the inserts are quite text heavy, i didn't journal much on the actual spread, except to tell some bits and pieces about what else happened on that week, like my sister offering me a Kindle, which has already become my new best friend (my iphone isn't too happy about it). One of my 25 before 25 challenge is to read 10 new books, which thanks to the Kindle only took 2 months instead of 12 ;) I'll do a post about that soon(ish).

 Final word: that red card "take a picture" is GORGEOUS, i wish we could get a patterned paper with that print on it, and stickers, and flairs and... you get my point!

Have a great week, and don't forget, it's ok if you are behind on Project Life :)

HELLO STORY WEEK 1

 This Summer, i am taking Ali Edwards' class Hello Story. I love scrapbooking, Project Lifing, and basically just playing with photos. But actually telling the story is something i kind of struggle with some times. Also, i'm a huge Ali's fan. Only two reasons i needed. So far, so awesome. I love the class, though i am super behind. I only did projects for week 1 & 2, and today i am sharing the first one.

Without telling too much, Week 1 is about Timelines, which i think are awesome, even more once you realize that they don't necessarily need to be about time. The layout i chose to work on will go straight in my Canada album, probably among the first one because it works great as an introduction.

 Here are 5 facts about the layout:

- circle design are super cool. because they are very graphic and at the same time don't feel too "grid-like". if that makes sense.

- I first made the layout on photoshop so i could see which type of photos would look good at that format and so i could print them at the exact good size. an almost completely digital version would have looked awesome i think, but my printer doesn't print 12x12 so that was that.

- i do realize that winter isn't really a place like Toronto or Ottawa, but honestly it did felt like a pretty real place by minus 15° celsius on some days.

- i really wanted to use that "never forget" stamp (it's awesome right?), but then the whole layout felt unbalanced, so i added some more stamps from my Dear Lizzy phrase stamp

- i need a LOT more of these woodgrain mini letter stickers by Basic Grey

HAPPINESS RIGHT HERE

 This photo reminds me of a lot of things. Mostly lots of emotional things. Which is why i went with a very clean and simple design. not much words, just the ones that matter. Sometimes, i feel like words are simply not enough. So i rather let the photo do the talking.

Pretty much all the supllies are from my July Studio Calico Kits, except for the pink and green papers that are from my scrap basket. I love alphas, but i'm pretty sure i could survive with just these two. Cork and white. Simple, right? Also, i need a LOT more of this light kraft paper! That's the new white Bazzil people.

LONDON CALLING

All photos were taken with my Canon EOS 60D or my iphone 4S. Edited with Radlab

Back from London, sadly. I had the most magical time over there, as i do everytime. Lots of walking around without purpose, lots of shopping, lots of food and lots of fun. A few of my favorite adventures:

Swinsuit time at the pond of Hampstead Heath

Walking in St James' Park

Shopping breaks in Urban Outfitters

Billy Elliot

The Camden Market

The Regent's Canal

The Breakfast Club

The people

The sunshine

Boy i want to go back. Like right now!