OBSERVATIONS: Week Thirty-Five marked the last week of summer before school began. We start the day after Labor Day here in Minnesota. That’s what I grew up with in Seattle as well. I always find it strange when friends in other states tell me, “Oh, our kids started the last week of July!” Of course, I jest…
I managed to eek out enough photos to return to a two-page spread for this week. Although, I really like the option of just doing a single page and I’ll very likely do that again.
I snagged a bunch of shots of Chester the golden retriever (not be confused with Chippie, RIP). Chester is such a good old dog. He was with us for the whole week. I took a bunch of Instagrams of him last week, partly because he’s adorable but mostly because I’m slightly homebound and he was an easy and willing subject.
Being stuck at home, I really do try to find interesting things to take photos of, but I’m not going to lie to you: interior decorating isn’t really my thing. I love my home, but there are only so many photos I can take of my favorite plant, you know?
Onto this week’s pages:
The highlight of the week? Aidan got her nose pierced. It was something that came up and out of the blue. She said, “I really want a nose ring and some day I’ll be in medical school and won’t be able to have facial piercings, I really want to do this now.”
I was not trying to be a cool parent by agreeing to the piercing. Granted, having a degree in New Wave Culture from the 1980s perhaps makes me more tolerant of such requests, but as I’ve learned in therapy, there are things I need to offer my kids that are so much more important than telling them how I think they should look. That said, it’s all about letting her explore life and experiment. I would much rather have my daughter do this than do things I may or may not have done back in my teen years.
Plus, it’s not my body. It’s hers. And it looks adorable on her. So there’s that.
In foot news, my pins come out on Wednesday and I am really looking forward to taking a shower. Yes, I could have purchased a foot wrap shower thingie, but I figured I’m in the home stretch. Who knows, I may even be able to go grocery shopping later in the week.
It’s the little things, people.
VIDEO TUTORIAL: I recorded a short video tutorial that walks you through the steps of working with digital stamps. This video shows you how to use a digital stamp on a photo.
Working With Digital Stamps from Cathy Zielske on Vimeo.
SUPPLIES:
Elizabeth says
I don’t know…. She could very easily keep that nose ring in medicine. One of my sisters is a minister (has a nose ring) and the other a teacher by trade (ditto). They’ve never had any trouble : )
Cristina Iniesta says
Hi Cathy! I’ve been reading your blog since january, although I never comment on your posts, because my English is not very good 😉 Thank you for sharing your project life, it’s really inspiring. And thanks for the video tutorials! I’ve learned to use photoshop watching them.
I completely agree with you when you say that “there are things I need to offer my kids that are so much more important than telling them how I think they should look”. It’s only a piercing 😉 and she looks great!
♥ I wish you a speedy recovery ♥
Regards from Spain!
dawn says
Hello Cathy,
Great week of pictures and stories again, never a dull moment in your house. Loved seeing the IG of Chester all week, so CUTE!! Good news on your foot, hang in there!
Great attitude about Aidan’s new piercing, she is awesome just like her parents.
Thanks for sharing and inspiring as always!
Karen says
Looks like a big Wednesday for the both of us…..you loose your pins and I my PICC line from open heart surgery I had on my ‘vacation’ in Hawaii in July. Life is looking up for the both of us!
Ruth says
The photo of Cole with Chester is priceless! Hope the pins coming out goes very smoothly for you.
Debra E says
I like the nose ring. I got one for my 21st birthday – half my life ago – and I’ve never regretted it for a minute. You might not have been trying, but allowing it DOES make you a cool mom. 🙂
Margy Eastman says
You are a cool mom…and effective, too. And thanks for the tutorial! I had completely forgotten about “fill layer” to change the color of a PNG. I was using the bucket, then saving it, then moving it. What a pain! I just read your newsletter, too. Well done!
Heidig says
I like the nose ring and thanks for the tutorial. I’ve learned more about using PSE here than anywhere else. Appreciate it!
Beth says
By the way, the foot wrap shower thingies really don’t work very well. At least, the one I tried didn’t!
It must have been a piercing kind of week…my daughter got a new ear ring (top of her ear). She’d never mentioned wanting one, but appeared at our tailgate on Saturday sporting a new hoop. It’s cute!
Abby P. says
Aiden looks adorable with her nose ring…and Cole wears his nose decor well, too! 😀
Laura says
I work at a hospital and other than earrings, other piercings don’t follow the “personal appearance” policy.
Abby P. says
Love your Project Life! Would you mind sharing how you knocked out the words “is over” on your “Summer Is” card! I have the stamp set, but would love to do the same application!
cathy says
Hey Abby, sure! I just selected the stamp and did an Edit Fill Layer… and chose White as the fill color. : )
Cori Peck says
She can keep the nose ring in med school and beyond. No worries about that. My med school lab partner was actually a piercing fanatic and spent many hours in gross anatomy teaching us the how’s, why’s, and histories of various piercings (google the Prince Albert, if you don’t already know it. It’s ‘interesting.’)
cathy says
Well she is going to love hearing that!
Abby P. says
Oops! What I meant was this: the scallop stamp has a transparent background. On your PL you added the words “is gone” after “Summer”, and the transparent background showed thru (the original stamp says Summer Lovin’, I think). I’d love how you replaced “Lovin” with “is gone”, but can’t figure out how to make the photo/patterned paper show through the words when it’s on top of a photo/patterned paper. Does that make sense!??
cathy says
I linked the wrong set:http://www.designerdigitals.com/digital-scrapbooking/supplies/product_info.php/products_id/16620. But, I know what you are asking. You have to Command or Control Click the type layer you want to delete from the circle, then click onto the stamp layer, and hit delete. Then delete the type layer.
: )
Abby P. says
Thanks so much for taking the time to explain it to me!