{No} Regrets

/ LivE / Leave a comment

When you think of regrets–that is, if you have any–what is the first thing that comes to mind? Love (unrequited, lost, or still unknown)? Words (spoken or left unspoken)? Decisions (made hastily or not made early enough or not made at all)?

In case you’re wondering why I’m suddenly wondering about this, you can put the blame on WordPress’s Photo Challenge for the Week (I say this tongue in cheek, of course :)).

The theme, no surprises here, is Regret… and I have to admit it was kind of difficult to think of a way to interpret regret visually (especially since I don’t really make a habit of whipping out my camera and capturing someone caught in a moment of remorse… it somehow feels too invasive, if you know what I mean).

Also, I must confess to a certain discomfort with clicking the shutter and freezing a moment loaded with sorrow (for doesn’t regret always bring sorrow along in its wake?). While I do think that most, if not all, of us have had at least one regret, huge or miniscule, in this life, I also personally believe that these pangs of grief must be long in wisdom and short in memory. In other words (yes, the very ones which I often use to counsel my sons), learn the lesson that pain brings in its wake then move on. Perhaps that’s a natural offshoot of my firm belief that negativity and wallowing in gloom are a waste of energy. 🙂

Which, I hope, explains my interpretation of this week’s challenge:

And here’s a song (from the new, proudly Filipino-made musical: The Ateneo-La Salle Rivalry) that demonstrates how it is possible to go through regret and pain and still come out of it full of hope and optimism.

PS. I just saw Mamma Mia with the hubs and our two older boys yesterday, and we enjoyed it a lot (was especially thrilled when the stage actress performing the role of Donna said “Mabuhay, Manila!” during the encore <heehee> ). Next on the “Want to Watch” list is this musical for which the song above was written and composed.

For my friends who are not from this side of the world, Ateneo (de Manila) and La Salle are two of the all-boys schools that are institutions almost as old as the mountains and seas of this country. I don’t know too many people who cannot claim a connection to either one of the schools, often even both, either from generations past or present. To wit: my dad studied at the Ateneo for grade school and high school then went to De La Salle for university. My brothers went to La Salle for grade school and high school. Two of my sisters went to Ateneo for university. My husband (and his brothers) went to the Ateneo. My two older sons are Ateneans. I have a niece at the Ateneo university and another niece at De La Salle.  And that’s just family… the list goes on and on. See what I mean? Haha!

So the Ateneo-La Salle connection is truly something that many in my country can relate to. I certainly can and am thinking that seeing this musical is very much a “must.” After watching “The Making of Rivalry” my interest in seeing the musical grew even greater! Here it is:

Have a happy week ahead filled with loads of happiness, wonderful music, and absolutely no regrets!

Oops, I did it again.

/ LivE / 6 Comments

It’s that kind of day. The kind that makes you want to slap your palm on your forehead. The kind that makes you think, “How could I have fallen for that… again?”  The kind that magnifies the volume of that incessant chant in your ear that goes, “Silly, silly you. Silly, silly you. Silly, silly you.”

I keep saying Yes when I should say No. I keep giving in when I shouldn’t. I keep giving my all when I’ve had that gift handed back in my face without a backward glance.

It’s that kind of moment. When you know you shouldn’t have. When you tell yourself, “We’ve been down this alley before; what were you thinking?” When you know that you’ve been taken for a ride yet again, but have no one to blame but yourself for getting into that rocking boat with your own two feet.

I wonder why I bother. I wonder why, even with a history of the absence of gratitude, I set aside perfectly legitimate reasons for not helping out and yet again expend time, effort and sacrifice to do “just this one last favor, please?” I wonder where I can buy the courage to just put two letters together to form one word: N. O.

It’s that kind of sudden realization. The dawn of insight tearing its way through the hazy gloom. The emergence of sunlight pushing its rays through thinning grey clouds. The  relief of that first gulp of breath after having flailed under water for a minute more than you thought you would.

I realize it’s okay. That it’s never a mistake to keep giving, even when it seems your gift isn’t valued. That you may feel like a real schmuck and a total dodo for doing a perfect imitation of a doormat, but at the end of the day, you are better for having given than for not having given at all. And that what has been often said before is really true: what doesn’t break you will only make you stronger.

It’s that kind of freedom. The kind that makes you lift your chin up and break out the biggest smile you can muster. The kind that brings back the bounce in your step. The kind that brings you quiet comfort in the knowledge that you aren’t less for having given more.

Oh yes. No. You aren’t less for having given more.

NOTE:

I must confess to vacillating quite a bit before hitting the Publish button on this post, because this is a far cry from usual posts that I make. I am (and take pride in being) a voraciously cheerful person, always ready to spread sunshine and hugs and feel-good vibes wherever I go. This post isn’t that kind of sunshine-y usual post. But it’s where I am right now, right where the Just Write challenge HERE has found me. And I figured, hey, real life doesn’t get more real than this: there are a kajillion ups in my life and I am grateful for all of them, but yes, I do have some downs too (thank heavens, not too many of those) – and I am just as grateful for them. Because, really, without the black, where can one get perspective for seeing the white? Right?

So here’s today’s version of Real Life, my friends. I hope it sits well with you, even if it isn’t the “usual serving” on my blog plate. 🙂

To find out more about Just Write, which is a fabulous way to get your thoughts written out in the right here and right now, go visit The Extraordinary Ordinary here. 

Love on a Wonderful Wednesday

/ LivE / Leave a comment

Whoa, time flies! It’s the middle of the week already (how did we get here so quickly?)… but it’s wonderful because on Wednesdays, certain stuff goes on sale for half the price! 😉

And what’s on sale in my shop today is perfect for this month’s layouts (and throughout the year too!):

My EZ-PZ Template collection is a fully-layered template in .psd format with various pieces that you can use when you create your other projects and layouts too. Because they’re so easy to use, they’re perfect for preserving those precious moments even when you have just a few minutes left at the end of a hugely-hectic day.

You can use the plain template as it is: it comes complete with clipping masks and adjustable shadows. Just add your photos, your own embellishments, your own background paper, and voila! OR if you want to take it further (we’re all about versatility here 😉 ), use the easy-pieces that come with this template pack!

This one is packed with more than the usual goodies that come with the other templates in the collection! (Yup, this is love indeed! 😉 ). It comes with one large grungy photo mask, one painted grungy photo mat, one torn-paper photo mask, one brown-bag paper, labeled and plain grosgrain ribbons, horizontal and vertical stitches in plain and pre-shadowed versions, one highly-textured 12×12 background paper, optional text paths for journaling and title, and a really cool grungy love sticker in plain, pre-shadowed and lifted (Curled) versions. Phew! That’s a whole load of product there! 🙂

And it’s at half-price this Wednesday till midnight Pacific time! (Click on the image above to grab it from my shop if you want to include it in your stash).

Oh, let’s not forget the delicious eye-candy created by these awesome creative ladies! (They do a terrific job of showing the many different ways you can use the template!)

Here’s a layout by Miki:

Miki’s layout also uses my I Heart Doodles Rub-Ons & Brush Set and my Needs+Wants: Eyelets Galore Vol.1.

Here’s another layout by Jenn M (who changed the orientation of the photo mask to fit her portrait-photo):

Here’s a layout that uses the template in a pretty straightforward way (I’m sneaking this one in, it’s by me, heehee):

Here’s a layout by Meg:

And this one was created by Jana, who did some recoloring to bring out the soft peachy skin of her adorable grandson:

And yes, it totally works for hybrid projects too! Here’s proof, a wonderful hybrid layout done by Camille:

And that’s it for this Wonderful Wednesday, my dear friends! May yours be filled with love!

Bring It On!

/ LivE / Leave a comment

I love the word ready because it denotes a willingness, an openness, to jump into adventure, into learning, into life.

It also happens to be the theme of this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge, and here’s my take on it (a triathlete standing on the shore of the beach at dawn, stretching before jumping into the cold waters for the swimming event):

And here’s U2’s singing People Get Ready!

May you be ready for all the adventures this week has to offer! 🙂

A Hearty Monday!

/ LivE / Leave a comment

It’s Monday, my dear friends, and you know what that means, right? (And no, it’s not another manic monday… are you singing yet? heehee)

Mondays are when new products come up in our shop at JessicaSprague.com, and because it’s the first Monday of February (yeah, that month when little cherubs with arrows start hanging around), here’s what’s up in my store:

This is a set of 40 hand-drawn and doodled heart rub-ons in basic black and white plus a complete brush set of 20 (individual-design) hearts so you can stamp away in any color of the rainbow! They come in various sizes, which you can resize easily (so make them as huge or as tiny as you wish).

Although they’re perfect for your February layouts, they’ll do an awesome job all year round as well – and they do a great job on art journaling pages too! 🙂

Best of all, they’re 25% off today only (till 12 midnight of Monday Pacific time). Just click on the image above to grab them from my shop. 😉

And now, for a hearty serving of eye-candy!

This sweet layout is by Lauren:

Lauren also used these products of mine to create her layout of her darling princesses: Brownbagger Paper Pack, Daybrushes Reloaded – Journaling Brushes, Loopies Vol. 1 – Flutterby, and Paint Plays – Swishes Paper Pack.

This adore-able layout is by Lisa B:

Jen P created this LOVE-ly layout:

Jenn also used my Sketched Framers on her layout.

And Miki made this layout that’s sure to grab your heart:

Have a lovely, hearty hug-filled week, my dear friends!

Hope Blooms

/ LivE / 2 Comments

In 1991, much of the world was not aware of the existence of Mt. Pinatubo. I’m guessing that, and much of my guess is based on the fact that even I didn’t know of its existence before then… and I’m probably closer to it than much of the world.

After June 1991, the world couldn’t help but get acquainted with this heretofore-unknown volcano, who made its existence known in quite a nasty in-your-face kind of way. The effects of its eruption were felt worldwide, with ashfall that not only darkened our skies and covered the windshields of our cars like thick muddy snow but also reached as far as the neighboring countries of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Malaysia.

Because Typhoon Yunya decided to wreak havoc at the same time, lahar flows were copious. Lahar, an Indonesian word that  describes volcanic mudflows or debris flows, has the consistency, viscosity and approximately the same density of concrete: fluid when moving, then solid when stopped. (Thank you, Wikipedia). Successive rains that are so common in these islands did nothing to alleviate the massive lahar problems (think mudflow-floods, houses buried to the rooftops, destruction of agriculture and once-green lands suddenly grey and dismal as far as the eye could see).

But the Filipino takes pride in being hopeful, in standing straight, undaunted by whatever trials and misfortunes are thrown our way (and that, often accomplished with jokes and smiles, however incongruous they may seem to be). Little wonder then that my people eventually found a way to create stuff made of lahar – bathing “stones,” decorative figurines, export-quality photo frames, even a PC-casing according to a google search.

Now isn’t that just a beautiful demonstration of how hope can bring good out of disaster?

While driving through lahar-ravaged lands, I happened to spot a tiny patch of grass sprouting from what used to be just sprawling acres of grey sandy land. Ah, yes, hope springs eternal… literally.

Which brings us to my contribution to the WordPress Photo of the Week Challenge, with the theme HOPE :

And because children are always symbols of the beauty of hope, here’s a little child-inspired music to fill your day with happy hope!

No Strings Attached

/ LivE / Leave a comment

It’s a Wonderful Wednesday, and there are absolutely no strings attached to its being wonderful!

Speaking of strings… here’s what I have at 50%-off today in my shop:

Have I told you about my Needs+Wants collection? In this collection, you’ll find all the essential digital schtuff you need and want to create your lovely masterpieces. Think of how delightful it would be to have all your basic needs, all the essential supplies that you find yourself reaching for again and again, all in a single collection! No more searching through different kits for that perfect item you know you want to use. Awesome, right?

That’s the inspiration behind my Needs + Wants collection, and  Strings Galore Vol. 1 belongs right in there!  In this pack, you’ll get 54 extra-large strings (super-easy to resize if you need smaller versions), in basic colors and in simple, pre-shadowed, and lifted versions. So versatile, you’ll use them again and again for stringing stuff, for your clusters, for leading the eye to your focal point… really, for just about anything! They’re super-fun to play with, so if you don’t have these yet in your stash of goodies, today’s the best day to get them, while they’re at half-price!

Just click on the image above to grab them from my shop. 😉

Oh, and let’s not forget the eye candy, so magnificently provided by my dear friends (and members of the awesome JessicaSprague.com Creative Team), Jana and Miki!

Yummy layouts, right?

And those stringy babies are yours for the taking at 50% off this Wednesday only, till midnight Pacific time!

Have a wonderful, amazing Wednesday, my dear friends!

I need toothpicks

/ LivE / 4 Comments

because they flutter and
they fall
halfway before they jerk back open again
these lids
that not even two cups of caffeine
black, no sugar, no creamer
can keep up

it would be a terrible waste
of daylight
an embarrassing insult
to the tick and tock of the clock
and a delicious but costly indulgence
one i can hardly afford
if i should rest my head a while

and allow these droopy lids some respite

when the boy is watching cartoon network
and might need me to check out how cool
that exploding banana is
when his brothers are about to arrive home
with the day’s load of homework
and oh there’s the appointment for the three of them
in a little bit
with the eye doctor

the eye doctor!

maybe i should ask him
for some magic tricks
or at the very least, a couple of toothpicks
to do the job
of keeping these eyelids

wide

o      p     e    n.

NOTE:

While gallivanting about the net’s highways and byways, I happened to stumble on this post on Muted Palette, which then led me to this post on The Extraordinary Ordinary (hello, i love that someone else puts those two words together!), both of  which called out to the sleepy writing-muse in me. I figured it was time she woke up. So here’s my first Just Write post. (Seriously. Like I needed more things on my plate, right? haha.)

Thanks for suffering through this indulgence of mine. Care to join me and Just Write? 😉 HERE is how it works. 

Simple is always good.

/ LivE / 2 Comments

Forgive me for being MIA … life has been pretty much a blur this past week (Can you spell hectic?).

But it’s all good. Because at the end of the day, the simple fact remains: a busy life and an exponentially-growing To-Do list might be overwhelming sometimes, but no one can deny it’s great proof of how wonderful it is to be alive and kicking. 😉

So fitting, then, that the  Wordpress Photo of the Week Challenge was: SIMPLE.

Here’s my take on it:

And just to add to the fun: here’s an old and awesome song from more than a decade ago:

Have a simply awesome day, my fabulous friends!