Oh, This Is The Beautiful Melody At The End Of The Green Trail

Originally uploaded by Peter from Wellington

Angela of the SSD blog asked about our dream vacation spot for the “From Our Blog to Yours” feature.

I’ve always wanted to go to New Zealand. I even told my husband that I’d want to live there someday. It looks all green and serene (did that just rhyme LOL). It’s my kind of place. I’ve always loved solitude and peace and I think New Zealand is the perfect place to be. I could imagine myself sitting like this just staring at the beautiful scenery. I wish someone could take my picture when I’m sitting on a hill, with this beautiful scenery. Just looking at the picture makes me sigh and want to go there more. (Photo below from gowild from flickr)

I’d like to go to Kaikoura to swim with the dolphins. I love dolphins by the way (just a little tidbit about me there). I know you can swim with the dolphins too instead of just looking at them perform acrobatic stunts. Well, of course, before that I have to learn to snorkel :)

I’d also like to go to a Tamaki Maori Village in Rotorua to experience the Powhiri, a welcome ceremony, as well as, hear the Rangiatea culture group sing. To end the day, a closing ceremony called the Poroporoaki will be performed.

And since I’ve also dreamed of riding a helicopter, wouldn’t it be nice to tour an island on one? My father has been telling me stories about his helicopter rides. I even wanted to be a pilot but my father didn’t want to.

I can only sigh and dream (and dream some more) now. Maybe I can go there someday, if I just work hard for it. As Will Smith said, he who says he can and he who says he can not, are usually right. So I guess I have to do whatever it takes to get there :) I know it will be all worth it. (Picture from dan halen at flickr)

I hadn’t realized it until I logged on to my account that this is my 100th post. I just want to give myself a pat on the back for being able to maintain this blog and update it. Knowing myself, I never stick to any hobby, except for photography and this time, digiscrapping. Yay! :)

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I couldn’t think of a more perfect time to learn and share my layouts, making use of new techniques I have just learnt from scrapbooking tutorials on the web.

There’s a challenge at the Team Bren CT blog about comfort. The challenge is to step outside your comfort zone, that is, your scrapbooking comfort zone.

Ever since I started digital scrapbooking, I’ve always loved bright, bold and eye catching colors. I rarely use ‘neutral’ papers. For this layout, I made use of a neutral colored paper. I also just learnt a new technique from a great designer, Misty Cato, about blending. Mostly, I extract photos and use match color in Photoshop to ‘blend’ my photo in the background paper I’m using. Plus, I’ve started ‘customizing’ my drop shadows instead of ‘accepting’ what my photo editing software does. Thanks to a tutorial from Tracy of Lemon and Mint.

So here’s my layout, “Radiant Possibility”. I took this photo from a garden wedding held last April. Shooting a wedding is really hard. It may look and sound easy but it really isn’t. You have to know where and what to shoot at the right time, you have to anticipate what’s next, etc., etc.

Credits : Everything from the June Grab Bag from Bren Boone Designs Shop except for the hemp wrap, leaves and vines which are from Gina Marie Huff’s The Happy Garden kit and Patricia Christensen’s Paper Flowers from Weeds and Wildflowers. I made a wordart too, and the quote is from Kate Douglas Wiggin.

Watch out for the freebie that will be given at the Bren Boone Designs shop this June. Plus, head on over to the Team Bren CT Blog to grab the free June desktop.

Thanks for looking :)

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Don’t you just love the Happy Garden kit by Gina Marie Huff from Weeds and Wildflowers? I fell in love with it when I first saw it at the Weeds and Wildflowers shop. You can either buy the whole collection or the elements and papers separately.

Here are some pages from the gallery using this fantastic kit (please click on the images for a larger view)

Here’s my layout, “Sunshine After the Rain”, using elements from the Happy Garden kit. The paper is from the Take Flight kit at Songbird Avenue. You can read more about the kit here and here. Songbird Avenue is having a scraplift challenge too, so head on over to their blog and check it out.

The weekend’s here… You guys have fun then :) Toodles :)

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