Itchin' & Scratchin'

Slap My Hand.....

2011-12-26T09:21:00.012-05:00

I am STILL a terrible blogger. You'd think that there's nothing going on in my life, but really there have been a few interesting things that have happened.

In October over the Thanksgiving weekend, my husband and I celebrated our 14th anniversary. To celebrate, he surprised me with an overnight trip to Toronto, where we stayed here. And we ate a FANTASTIC dinner here. This place has truly ruined steak for me. I didn't even order it, but the one bite that I had from my hubby's was the best single bite of steak I have ever had. Seriously. And then, after all that (which totally would have been enough) he sent me to the So You Think You Can Dance Live Tour. I know that that may sound silly, but I truly love that show. It really was the best anniversary present ever. But that's not even the best part. I got to enjoy all of these things with not just my hubby, but with 2 of our best friends as well, as they celebrate their anniversary on the same day that we do. And, the cherry on top? The weekend was so beautiful weather wise, that we took the motorbike down. Sigh. It was perfect. It made me feel really terrible that I just bought him a wallet. But in my own defense, we "decided" that we weren't going to get each other presents this year. He said that, but in truth he had been planning it since the summer, including my mother in law in the ruse. Well played, dear.

Also in October, I had another first - I went to ScrapFest in Oshawa! I took some classes, shopped until I couldn't take it anymore (although truthfully, I just ran out of money), did some make and takes, met some of my favorite scrappy "celebrities" and learned a whole bunch of new things! Here's the most exciting but also the most depressing thing - I went by myself! Now, I like that I went by myself, it's so rare that I do anything for just me. And it was so great to go away without my hubby(although I love him) and my children(yep, love them too). But I also missed having a scrappy friend along. There was no one to giggle and joke with, even though I met tons of friendly fellow scrappers. I would LOVE to go again, but I think that I will bring a friend - or perhaps a sister????? While I was there I got to spend some time with my forever bestie - I miss her and wish that she lived closer to me.

Now that I am on Christmas vacation, I am looking forward to creative time. I want to wear my pjs and drink endless amounts of coffee. I want to stay up late & sleep in like I haven't been able to do for a long time. I want to watch tons of movies and take time to really enjoy my children.

I think that in the next year coming. I will try to get a bit more serious about being published. This has been a scrappy goal for some time, but I have not tried all that hard really. I have been planning a few things in my head, but am unsure as how they will translate to paper. Any advice that my scrappy friends have to offer would be greatly appreciated. So cross your fingers for me would ya; that 2012 would be my year?

I'll leave you with a layout that I made for a Colour Suite challenge. Thanks goes to Stacy of Stacy's Creations Photography for this great photo of my family.

Remembering.....

2011-11-11T11:00:00.002-05:00

I am grateful.

Thank - you.

An update, dreaming & something scrappy.....

2011-10-06T21:14:00.007-04:00

Just quickly - my hubby and I are doing well. I think that this is the closest that we've ever been in the 20 years that we have been a couple. We've grown up a lot in the last month & I think we really needed to.

Now on to some dreaming.

So lately I’ve been dreaming about owning my own business. I know that it would be something scrappy, but I’m just not sure whether or not I should have a store, or a kit club.

Having a store means crazy hours and a very high chance of failing. That’s not something that I want to have happen – if I’m going to own a business, I want it to be a success.

Owning & running a kit club keeps me working out of my home, while still allowing me to work outside of it. But, the market is saturated with them, don’t you think? I’m not sure that a new club would be unique enough to work in the long term.

But I still dream of doing something with this passion (obsession) of mine; something for myself. Perhaps the place to start would be to try out for another design team or get serious about being published.

Any thoughts or advice to give, scrappy friends?

Onto the sharing.

I’m still being inspired by colour & the fabulous girls over at CCG.

These next few LOs showcase some of the pictures that Stacy took for my family on our Niagara Falls 40^th anniversary/ Family reunion weekend.

My DS being his silly, cheeky self. It took forever for him to cooperate with Stacy so we could get this sweet shot. However, that smile and those freckles will take him far, I think. =D

I loved this combo - the colours were just so striking together. My ODD turned 12 (that’s right, TWELVE) the day before this picture was taken, and I wanted to document how I felt about the years going by so quickly. When I really think about it, in FOUR short years she’s going to be starting to drive…..I’m not ready for that.

More from our trip to Niagara Falls. I went on the SkyWheel with the kids despite the fact that I’m terrified of heights. Yay, me! But I’m not doing it again. I can proudly say though that I took the picture of the Canadian side of the Falls while we were at the top.

And more from the Niagara Falls photo session - love these guys!!

Have a great weekend!

A challenge.....

2011-09-14T10:35:00.005-04:00

I read Stephanie's blog this morning and she challenged us to Blog Our Hearts.

So, here goes, as pain - filled as my heart is lately.

Right now my husband and I are walking through a dark place together. The worst part of it is that I have caused it all. I never planned on telling him about my feelings, but it came out and it really needed to. Selfishly, revealing my feelings to him means that there are no secrets between us now, and that feels good, even though this time right now is painful. I am blessed with a husband, who, although he has been crushed by this unburdening of my soul, loves me and wants to work it all out. I'm hoping and tentatively praying (because my faith is somewhat lacking at this point in my life) that in the end we will be stronger. We have spent the last 20 years of our lives loving each other and he and I are not willing to let that go.

Right now I'm thinking a lot about 2 friends who are dealing with two separate extremely hard things. I wish that I could do more to help them, but there really isn't anything to do other than offer a listening ear if that's what they need.

Right now I'm thinking about what I really want to do with my life. I feel like I'm supposed to be doing something more, but I'm not sure just what that is yet.

Right now I'm looking forward to a weekend away at Scrapfest Oshawa next month. It will be my first time going to an event like this; I'm so super excited!!!! I am taking 2 classes, one with Becky Fleck and one with Vicki Boutin - really looking forward to them!!

Right now I am helping my very best friend plan her spring wedding. I'm so super excited and happy for her!

Right now I'm trying to un-clutter my house. This is a long arduous task, and one that I really hate. I'm a bit of a pack rat and letting go of things is hard for me.

Right now, I don't feel like I am a good mother.

That's it. That's my right now. That's what's real in my life.

I hope you take up the challenge of Blogging your Heart.

A Big Change.....

2011-08-16T10:10:00.005-04:00

for the better. I have no idea if there are any guys out there who might read my blog. If you are a guy and you do, and you are a bit squemish reading about "womanly stuff", you might choose not to read this post.

There, fair warning has been given.

I just spent the last month being disposable free. And, I loved it!!!!!!

These 2 companies - LunaPads & DivaCup - have changed the way I personally deal with my period (there I said it) forever. I love that they are both Canadian companies & I love that LunaPads has this program for girls in developing countries.

Now, don't get me wrong, I still hate having my period - just like I always have. But, I feel better about my choices, and here's the reasons why I made the switch:

#1. My cost. I'm trying really hard to spend less and save more. Previously, I was spending about $20 - $25 a month on disposable products. With a minimal investment, I'm set for the next 5 - 10 years. That's a HUGE savings for my family.

#2. My environmental impact. With the amount of garbage I was throwing away every month, making this switch has reduced it to nothing. That's a BIG deal to me. I'm slowly trying to make more and more conscious decisions that help the earth in all ways.

#3. My body. In all the research I've been doing I've realized that using disposable products might not be good for my body. Too many chemicals are used in the making of them & I don't want or need them that close to my most delicate parts. I'm hoping that over the next few months there will be a difference in the period "yucky's" - cramps, bloating and headaches.

#4. They're so stinkin' cute!!! Really - just look at some of the pretty designs!!

It's nice to be able to pick what you want to wear isn't it??

So there you have it - my period "makeover". Not too personal right?? If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them to the best of my ability. If you've never considered making this kind of switch, I encourage you to ask yourself why not?

Have a beautiful day!

Heading Out.....

2011-07-18T21:07:00.006-04:00

on a road trip with my hubby. We're taking the bike and going wherever the roads take us! My parents are taking the kids for a couple of days so we're totally taking advantage of it. ;D

We leave tomorrow which also happens to be my hubby's birthday! So from now until the end of September, he will be OLDer than me!!!!! Hee Hee!

So here's what we're riding :

Lovely isn't it?

Not my style though.

I'd rather have a Harley.

Someday, when I finally have my motorcycle licence.

Have a great one!

Oh for heavens sake.....

2011-07-09T21:53:00.005-04:00

it's July. I'm a terrible blogger.

Well, it's summer vacation!! I look forward to this time of the year every year because I'm off for the whole summer - the #1 perk of being a bus driver!! No schedule, no rushing to get out the door on time in the morning. I love it!

We just got back from a 5 day get away in Niagara Falls. My Mom and Dad are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary (tomorrow, actually!) and they took us all to the Falls for a family reunion/celebration. While we were there, we had a photo shoot done by the SUPER talented Stacy of Stacy's Creations Photography. You can see a few of the pics on her blog post here. I'm so glad we did this - I couldn't think of another way to document this special time. This is not the first time I've worked with Stacy, in fact she did our 12.5 anniversary shoot in April of 2010. I'd love to another shoot with her sometime; maybe for our 15th anniversary next year!

I haven't been up to too much in the creativity department lately; I'm feeling rather uninspired. I've been trying submitting, but so far, it's a no go. I think I'll keep trying though. I'll leave you with this LO which I made for the summer SCT sketch call :

I wanted to document how much my youngest daughter looks like at did at age two - she's sweet isn't she?

Have a great night!

I'm Still Here.....

2011-04-25T09:16:00.005-04:00

just not too much to say lately.

I am working.

I am driving children from place to place.

I am trying to keep the house somewhat decent.

I am saying goodbye to long-time friends as they move 3 provinces away.

I am finished with the school's fund raising auction for another year. (YAY!!!)

I am sharing my love of all things scrappy with others.

I am trying to make it to the gym regularly.

I am going for a nap.

But first, I'll share something scrappy.

This is my oldest daughter. This LO was made for CCG #180. I wanted to let her know that she doesn't need to wear makeup or high heels to be beautiful, she's beautiful just the way she is. The lyrics (without the swear words) from Pink's song "Perfect" just fit perfectly. Then, today on Stephanie's blog, I followed THIS link, and realized that all the fighting that we are doing right now about what she wears (or doesn't wear) will all be worth it in the end.

Have a fantastic day!

I'm Wondering.....

2011-02-20T06:57:00.003-05:00

if any of my scrappy friends out there has any advice to offer about being published. I'm feeling a bit discouraged here. See, I love to scrapbook. And people tell me that I do alright with it. But, it seems to me that being alright is not enough. I look at what's being published in my favorite magazines, and, while many of the layouts are beautiful, (perhaps selfishly) I feel like mine are just as good.

So then, what am I doing wrong?

Sigh.

Here's my latest reject - loved this sketch and chose to use some pictures of my hubby and myself from our family photo shoot last summer :

Guess I'll just have to keep trying.

Happy Valentines Day.....

2011-02-14T10:11:00.005-05:00

to you! I wish that I could say that my hubby and I are doing something special today, but alas! Real life has gotten in the way (alas? what the heck?) and we are not.

Anyways, the combo over at CCG this week is (in my humble opinion) perfect for Valentines Day, plus they challenged us to scrap about our sweeties! So in honour of my love, here's my page :

I hope you have a beautiful day with your significant other!

Getting.....

2011-01-22T14:16:00.009-05:00

scrappy today. I've been really inspired by colour lately, and the challenge boards over at Color Combos Galore have really helped push me creatively.

Like this page made for Combo #176

I took these pictures on my Halifax trip 2 summers ago, but working on layouts related to it has stalled for the last year and a half. The challenge to use clouds on a layout combined with the colours swatch really helped this one come together.

This one made for Combo #174

I loved this pic of my youngest on the first day of school this year.

And this one made for Combo #175

I love every picture that Stacy took for us last April for our 12.5 anniversary. This colour combo was hard for me, but the challenge to use the word comfort in the journaling or title made it easier to put the page together.

I'm also determined to use up more my stash this year instead of buying more. This has come about for a few reasons :

The LSS in my city closed. I now have to drive to the closest one.
My kit club closed up shop too. I have so much left over to use up, I don't need to shop right now.
I don't have the funds to shop as much as I used to.

If you've never checked out Color Combos Galore, I encourage you to go & have a peek! With 176 different combos, I'm sure you'll find one that will inspire you!!

2010 Top Ten.....

2011-01-01T17:47:00.022-05:00

layouts. I did this last year thanks to Stephanie. I loved the idea last year and so I'm going to steal it again. So when I looked in my computer to make my favorite picks, I was shocked to see how little I actually created this year in comparison to 2009. It was really hard to pick ten!

There were big changes for me in 2010 it seems. Like working more outside the home and thereby having less creative time. Like being without a creative space for the entire summer - the time of year when I had more time to devote to crafty-ness. Like a change in my creative style & being even more fussy about the product I use. Like being even more choosy about WHAT I document - I noticed less celebratory pages and more everyday and historical pages. Like using this passion for paper to bless others with, rather than just myself and my family.

And so, in no particular order, here's my top ten projects of 2010 :

#1) Well Loved - I found myself using more sketches this year; both directly and being inspired by parts of a sketch. For this LO I used a sketch created by Aphra Boyler. Love how soft it turned out & documenting the love affair between my youngest daughter and her favorite friend was a fun page to make. Also, I noticed that this page happened to be on the background home page advertisement over at 2 Peas in a Bucket - that was exciting for me!

#2) Perfectly You - My husband bought me these figurines from Willow Tree for Christmas 2009 - they perfectly represent all three of my kids. This 24x12 was to document why each figurine suits them so well. For this LO I used my favorite pictures of my children as well, making it more special.

3) Adoration - 2010 also brought sadness to our family as my husband lost his maternal Grandmother this year. My mother-in-law brought back a ton of heritage photos when she came back from the funeral. When I saw this one of her sister Mary with her Dad, I just HAD to document it. It's so beautiful!

#4) A New Ride - I used another sketch for this LO; one from Scrapbook and Cards today. When each of our oldest kids turned ten, we went to Canadian Tire and "bought" them a new bike using our Canadian Tire money. This was our sons bike that he picked. His birthday is not until late summer, but we got the bike in the spring so he could enjoy it all year long. I used a lot of older product here, but I love the colours.

#5) Solitary - I snapped this picture of our youngest daughter at our annual family camping trip this past summer during one of her solo colouring sessions. I love the way the light is filtering through the trees. I made this LO for Combo #168 over at Colour Combos Galore. Love these colours together and the extra challenge of using a bird allowed me to use up some supplies that have been in my stash for awhile.

#6) Beppe (love you) - This one is my newest LO, also made for a Colour Combo (#172). I found this picture of my paternal Grandmother and just wanted to journal a few things that I remember about her. She passed away almost 12 years ago & I still miss her. To my surprise, this LO was chosen as Debbi's gallery fave on Dec 31, 2010 - that totally made my day!!

#7) Inner struggle - This LO documents my ongoing inner struggle with my faith, my purpose and my roles as wife and mother. I wanted to keep the journaling private so it's in a pocket on the back of the LO. This was also made for another colour combo - #164.

#8) Just Breathe - This past year my husband and I celebrated 12.5 years of marriage with a quick getaway to Niagara on the Lake and a photo shoot with the fabulous Stacy. Later on, he told me that whenever he hears the song Just Breathe by Pearl Jam, he thinks of me. So I made this LO using the lyrics of the song and a picture from the shoot. I used another colour combo (#145) and another sketch by Aphra Boyler for this LO. You can hear the song in the video link in my side bar.

#9) Adjust - this was my Word for the year 2010. I wish that I could say that I kept it in mind all year long, but there were many times that "adjusting" was the last thing on my list. I do, however, still having it hanging in my scrap space as I haven't chosen a new word yet. I still love to look at it though, I think my scrappin' style started to change with this LO.

#10) Remember Mini - this year I also found a new kit club to replace Sweet Pea Scraps. However, the owner of the club Aphra, decided to focus on her family and other commitments, and so Paper Poppy is now closed. During the time that it was running, Aphra asked me to be the guest blogger for the month of May. So, I used my May kit and pictures from our anniversary photo shoot to make this mini album for my husband. This project made me realize that I really miss being part of a DT, so maybe sometime in the future, I'll try out for another one.

So that's my top 10 for this year! If you've stayed with me this far, thanks for stopping by! I hope that 2011 is good to you! I myself am looking forward to whatever this new year is going to bring. Have a good one!

Today I'm Sharing.....

2010-12-29T21:34:00.006-05:00

what I've been up to in my crafty corner of the living room.

This one for Colour Combo #168 - my youngest daughter at camping this past summer. Can I say how much I love that flower by Maya Road? I bought the ribbon so I can make my own recently - love how they add just the right finishing touch!

This one for Colour Combo #171 - my great Uncle Uiltje. My family doesn't have very many pictures of him as he passed away when he was just three years old. My Dad tells me he was never a healthy child and had a multitude of things happening all at the same time.

And this one which I made as a gift for my husband. Recently he went to his first live NFL game in Buffalo & I wanted to make this to remember it. The logo is not quite right, but I did the best I could with it.

I'm loving having the extra time to sit and create without watching the clock. Next week Monday school starts again and my vacation will be over. Sigh. We have one more "Christmas" get - together to finish up yet, but that won't happen until the middle of January or so.

Looking forward to a new year starting & wondering what it will bring.

Have a good one!

Wishing you a.....

2010-12-24T20:46:00.003-05:00

very Merry Christmas from my family to yours.

The lilac tree.....

2010-12-16T13:09:00.006-05:00

can't take it anymore. Here's what it looks like at my house today.

Snow day #3 this week for everyone but me. I have an in-town route and so I drove this morning. Not terrible except for unplowed streets. They're working on it though, so hopefully it will be better this afternoon.

The kids annual Christmas musical is on tonight - can't wait to go see my kids sing their hearts out! Also looking forward to this weekend with a Christmas get-together with friends, and my hubby's staff Christmas. It's going to be kid free thanks to my in-laws...=D

Have a great one!

I got to.....

2010-12-14T12:27:00.005-05:00

sleep in today!

Yep, that's right - snow day #2. Still in my pj's as I type this - again. But I have NOT worn them for 48 hours straight, I did get dressed for a little while yesterday. =D

It's still miserable here. It has gotten better since I woke up, but they say more is coming. Today my husband was forced to stay home as well, since the highway he takes to work is currently closed.

Still loving the snow days!!

Snow Day #1.....

2010-12-13T13:54:00.003-05:00

today. I'm glad to be home with the kiddos - it's nasty out there. This picture was taken at 10:30 this morning & it hasn't quit yet.

I'm still in my pjs - love that. I'm gonna take some time and scrapbook a little.

I love a snow day!

Well, so much.....

2010-11-27T09:20:00.005-05:00

for random babbling eh? I can't believe that it's been so long since I posted! I've changed up the look of the blog again - what do you think?

My daughter and I entered our guinea pig Toby into a Furbaby contest over at Eclectique Butterfly's Facebook Fan Page a few weeks ago, and this week we found out that we won!! You can see his super cute pic here over at Julie's blog. She makes the cutest bags out of the "booty's" of recycled jeans - LOVE them!

Otherwise not too much has been happening - working every day, trying to keep up with the house, finishing up the finicky finishing details of the living room and contemplating what the next project MIGHT be.....I know I said I was finished with renovating, but this summer, the tiles starting falling off the walls in the main bathroom, so this next summer might be filled with yet another renovation. Sigh.

I'm trying to find a few moments everyday to be creative - I've been making more cards than layouts as they take a little less time. When I have made a LO they've mostly been for other people, and so I haven't got too much to share right now. Hopefully over the next month that will change, as in three weeks, we start Christmas vacation!! =D Recently, my SIL asked me to come share card making with her women's group. I have never really "taught" anyone in that way before, but it was fun. It helped that it was a small group, & that the ladies were really friendly. We had a great time, and maybe we'll do it again sometime.

We finally got our first taste of winter this week with some snow and colder temperatures. We have had it fairly easy so far, but I hear rumors of a miserable winter ahead. The word "Yuck" sums up how I feel about winter. As I type this, my two youngest kiddos are outside shovelling up a storm. THEY love the snow. More power to them, I say.

We recently attended our fourth (yep, 4th) wedding of the year. While I enjoyed every one, I was glad for the getaways with my hubby, and I am very happy for each couple, I am sick of weddings now and are glad that they are done.

So that about sums up the last month or so here in our household. Have a great day & stay warm!!

Remembering that.....

2010-11-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher

Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter,

Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet,

Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer,

Who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer,

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician,

Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN, who salutes the flag,

It is the VETERAN, who serves under the flag.

I wanted.....

2010-10-05T16:39:00.002-04:00

to link this post and this video today.

They will make you think. I encourage you to re-post & spread the word.

Have a beautiful day.

Celebrating

2010-09-30T11:04:00.003-04:00

thirty - five today. How is it possible that yet another year has gone by? I don't feel 35, heck, I don't think I even LOOK 35!!! Wasn't high school just yesterday??

At any rate, I'm ok with it. Really.

ETA - I read THIS beautiful post today. I want to encourage you to take a few minutes to read it too.

Have a beautiful day!

Still Alive.....

2010-09-25T21:14:00.004-04:00

So, while I know I should be blogging, quite honestly, I don't even know where to start!

The days fly by so quickly & this September I'm having trouble "getting it together". Does anyone else out there feel like they're at a standstill while life just passes them by? I'm seriously thinking that I might, underneath it all, be slightly depressed. I KNOW I'm sleep deprived, so that's not helping & I KNOW I'm feeling stressed. I think that these last few weeks of rainy days are also not helping.

In the midst of it all, I've managed a little creativity, but way less than usual. I've been asked to help a group of fellow scrappers from my church put together a memory album for a widow in our congregation, so that's mostly where my efforts have been lately. I wish I could let you see them, but I just can't share those pages with you all. Here's a few pages that I've created more for myself :

For Color Combo #159

For the September Paper Poppy Sketch & Challenge

Have a happy day!

When it rains.....

2010-09-02T08:46:00.005-04:00

it pours!

The reno is moving along - this week we put in carpet and are slowly refurnishing the room as time and energy permits. Next week the trim is going up & then the room will officially be done!!!!!!!!!!! Thank goodness it's almost over!

I have made sure that the one piece that is in the living room is my desk - and a new (to me) one at that! I found it in my Dad's barn and have painted the top to match the darkest colour in my dining room wallpaper. Here's the before and after (well, after one coat anyways, but you get the idea).

Since we're not totally finished yet, I'll save the after pic of the living room for later.

So, since my creativity can now be released, I've made another page. I have had LOTS of time to think about the pages I'm going to do over the summer and this is just one.

Literally, we heard those dreaded words over and over again on the way to camping this year. Since it was a perfect fit for the theme of the page, I used the July Paper Poppy Main kit and Liz Qualmans August Paper Poppy Sketch for this one.

Off to keep on going with the living room, have a great day!

I couldn't wait.....

2010-08-30T10:27:00.003-04:00

anymore. The living room isn't completley together yet, but i just HAD to make something. So, this is my first LO since June.

These are all my Grandparents. They have all passed away now, but I regret, among other things, that they never met any of my children before they went. I also made it for Colour Combo #157 and Pencil Lines Sketch #200.

Now, I've got to get back to getting the house together! Have a good one!

IT'S DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-08-26T17:17:00.004-04:00

The living room is FINALLY finished!!!!!!!! The last coat of paint went on this afternoon, so the rest of the weekend will be spent cleaning up the room, hanging lights and putting the living room together. SO excited to sit in there again - it's been 8 -- yep that's right -- EIGHT weeks since we've been able to use that room properly.

Pictures to come soon - have a great night!

FINALLY.....

2010-08-14T20:34:00.006-04:00

bought myself one of these :

I have been coveting it for about three years now; and I get to bring it home on Wednesday. Happy, happy, joy, joy!! Happy Birthday to me!!

But, it comes with sad news as well. My LSS is closing its doors at the end of the month. But out of every good thing at the store, I'm going to miss the staff most of all. April, the owner, has become a friend and she also gave me my first "DT" shot by asking me to design some layouts for her when she first opened her store. But, I'll be looking forward to continuing to be a part of her Crop for Cancer events that she's still planning on hosting.

We're getting the drywall mudded!!! Can't wait for this part to be over though, it's messy! After mudding, it's paint and then I can put my room back together again.

This week we're heading over to Toronto for a couple of days. My hubby has a work conference, so the kids and I are going along. We have plans to go to the Science Centre and Centreville - can't wait for those!!

Just a few weeks of summer vacation left & then it's back to work. Fingers crossed for a better year!!

Have a great night!

Talking to my hubby again.....

2010-08-03T20:23:00.004-04:00

and he's working on speeding up the reno. Hopefully we'll have the house back before September and I can get the cleaning up at least started before we go back to school. At the very least, I NEED my scrappy space set up; I'm chomping at the bit to get creating again!! =D

I got my bus route today & thankfully, it's changed enough that the students that caused me so much stress last year are no longer on! Yippee!! Now, we'll see how the new kids work out, but hopefully, it'll be a better year.

Spending tomorrow getting ready for a weekend of camping - just the 5 of us! Looking forward to some family time away from everyone and everything.

Have a great weekend!!

Disappointed and Annoyed.....

2010-07-29T10:42:00.006-04:00

as it looks like this renovation will be not finished until the end of September. I had hoped for this to be done before the school year started but we are waiting, waiting, waiting for stuff on the exterior of the house to be done before the interior environmental assessment can be done. We are also away for the next two weekends in a row, so that doesn't help.

I'm not expressing it very well, but right now I'm not really talking to my husband. THAT's how annoyed I am. I don't think he really understands how frustrating it really is to live in chaos 24/7, how depressing it is to be unable to be creative and how helpless I feel because there's NOTHING I can do about it. Sigh. On to losing my mind now.....

Try to have a good day.

Managing.....

2010-07-23T12:18:00.004-04:00

a little creativity in the midst of all the chaos. But, I will say it's not been easy with no real table surface to work on. A cardboard box doesn't really cut it, you know?? At any rate, this month the challenge over at Paper Poppy was to use circles and 2 items from any PP Kit on your layout. But, since I have limited space and resources, I decided to make a card instead. Maybe it won't count for the contest, but that doesn't really matter. I was just glad to do SOMETHING crafty, and since I just received my new kit yesterday, here's my card :

I used the July kit for most of it, plus a rub on from the June kit and pearls from the May kit.

Also in this picture are two of the books that I've read this summer. They are both, however, the last books in a large series, so if you've never read any of them, you might have to start at the beginning. I will warn you ahead of time that the Naamah series is NOT tame. By any stretch of the imagination. But I still enjoyed the series very much.

Otherwise, the reno is moving along. In fact, as I'm typing this, my hubby, his Dad and his brother are all hanging drywall in the living room. We're that much closer to getting our 400 sq feet back. THANK GOODNESS. I'm going just a little bit mad here.

Have a good one!

Getting Ready.....

2010-07-16T05:29:00.004-04:00

for another fun filled camping trip. My sister and I and our families meet every year at a Provincial Park that is about halfway between our homes and we camp. This year we're going here. It's always fun and this year my youngest brother, his wife and their little guy are coming too! The more the merrier I say.

The reno has once again stalled because I'm not an electrician. So, it's not going to be done in four weeks like I planned. But it better be done before school starts again because I. AM. NOT. GOING. TO. DO. THIS. ALL. SUMMER. LONG!!! Do you sense the frustration at all? It will all be better in the end is becoming my mantra. But I gotta say 5 people living in 400 square feet less than normal is starting to wear a little thin. I realized that I have not posted any kind of picture in awhile, so here's some of my faves from this reno we've got goin' on :

My DS giving a hand tossing out the ceiling.

The living room walls filling up the bin.

Cleaning up the mess. Normally, I look better than this.

My living room last week. This explains the lovely look above.

The reason for my angst, as this is how we're living right now.

Have a good one.

Back on track.....

2010-07-11T08:37:00.002-04:00

again! We called in the re-inforcements and the reno has moved along. So, in the last 2 days my father in law and I have finished taking the boards off the walls, strapped the studs out for 2 more inches of depth & therefore 2 more inches of insulation, moved some plumbing out of the way, put in the header and removed the south interior wall, and started insulating. It's nice to have it starting up again. Plus, I used a compound mitre saw for the first time!! And, it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be! It's all coming together and I can't wait to see it FINALLY finished. The lack of living space is starting to wear thin, as it's been super hot this week and we've spent most of our time inside the house. I'll keep you updated on our progress.

Have a great day!

We've hit.....

2010-07-07T09:51:00.005-04:00

a snag in the demo department. My Dad, who has been helping us out with this renovation, is sick. Nothing too serious, but enough to completely stop work, as I'm not physically strong enough to make any more progress on the walls. There are some BIG boards that need to come down and I know my limitations!! I also know nothing about working with plumbing, so we're at a standstill until he's better, or hubby calls in reinforcements.

Sigh. So much for my 4 week timeline.

Have a good day.

A quick update.....

2010-07-02T07:44:00.003-04:00

on the mess in the living room. Thankfully, the worst of it is almost over in that the lath and plaster is almost all off the walls. The dropped ceiling is down and the walls are opened up. I can see in my head how it will look when it's done and I'm excited about it!

Today I'm celebrating the 11th anniversary of the day I gave birth to my oldest daughter. I have a surprise girly day planned for just the two of us. Can't wait to get started!

Have a great day!

So glad that.....

2010-06-29T16:52:00.002-04:00

this school year is over now. I wish that the kids on my bus had of behaved better to really make it a good last run, but alas, not so much. Maybe next year will be better.

Otherwise, I did some demo - ing today - the rest of the trim, most of the panelling and the dropped ceiling are all down now. And, now that school is out, I will be able to spend more time getting it done! I plan on a 4 week transformation. Hmmm, maybe I should take bets on whether or not that works.....

Have a good night!

I'm Baaaaack.....

2010-06-27T18:40:00.005-04:00

after a week away. And, I only cheated a little bit in that I decided that I would keep up with emails while I was "gone", but only so that I wouldn't have to go through 150 of them upon "returning".

As an update, we are not very far along in the demo because neither my husband nor I remembered to call to get a bin to dump the garbage in during said demo, so we have to wait until tomorrow for that. However, we've totally cleared out the room now, and we've taken out the wall unit in the living room. As a plus, hidden under my stairs there is some VERY vintage wallpaper that just happens to match the colours of the rest of the downstairs of my house! I think I'll be saving some pieces of each pattern and framing them - they really are very pretty!

There's only 2 more days of school to go and then I'm done for the summer!! I can't wait to sleep in and enjoy my coffee in my pj's on Wednesday morning.

Have a great night!

Leaving my internet life.....

2010-06-18T16:37:00.005-04:00

for my real one. This is just a temporary break, which will be starting this Monday. We are now getting really close to starting the demo of the living room. Our lives are about to be turned upside down for about 4 weeks. But, in the end, our living room will be much warmer and a little prettier, too.

I, however, think that my internet break will only last about 1 week or so. That'll be about all that I could stand! =D I'll leave you with a page that I made for Colour Combo #145 over at Color Combos Galore & the June sketch challenge over at Paper Poppy. A few posts ago, I mentioned that my hubby thinks of me whenever he hears Just Breathe by Pearl Jam. So, I made a LO that celebrated that! I used a photo from our 12.5 anniversary shoot, which was taken by the fabulous Stacy.

Have a great week!!!

My {real} Reality.....

2010-06-11T11:58:00.010-04:00

Recently, Stephanie blogged about this on her blog. At the end of her post, she challenged us to do the same. So I am, and in turn, I am challenging you to try it as well. I really believe it will be freeing to admit that everything might not be perfect in your life. I have done something like this before via a challenge on Facebook, so I think I'll just repost that note, with some additions here :

25 Random Things About Me

I am terrified of the dark so there's always a light on somewhere at night.
I sleep with earplugs because I'm a really light sleeper, and any little noise will wake me up. This does not help with item #19.
I love cooking, but hate cleaning up.
I love to wear heels, but only do so once a week.
I quit smoking almost 11 years ago & I am very glad that I did. I have three children who need me more than I need to smoke. That was my good reason and remains so today. I never want to start that bad habit again.
I hate it when people chew with their mouths open. This includes gum. That's rude and gross to watch and/or listen to.
I hate it when people sniff their snot instead of using a Kleenex. That's rude and gross to listen to.
I am slightly obsessed with scrapbooking. I think about it a lot, but less now that I'm on a bit of a hiatus. I hope one day to be on another design team or published in a magazine. Or, maybe someday both will happen. That would be nice.
Sometimes I still miss high school, even though it was a weird and confusing time of my life.
Sometimes I wish I was single and childless. This sounds extremely selfish, but this is how I feel somedays.
I went to college to be a computer programmer, but I could care less about it now.
I hate that I have to work to provide the kind of education I want for my children. I wish that our government supported every school, regardless of which worldview they teach from.
I love to sing, but in church, the van and at home only.
I want to visit Scotland someday. Currently my sister and I have plans to visit when I turn 40. That's 5 years from now - I'm really looking forward to this!
Until very recently, I had 10 warts on my hands and 5 on my feet. The ones on my hands are gone now, but not the feet ones. They don't bother me much.
I really wanted to have another baby, and am secretly (although not anymore I guess) very angry that my husband said no. This is getting easier to deal with as time goes on.
I cannot stand to have doors open. I am always closing my closet and cupboard doors. I will get out of bed to close a door or drawer in my room. This also does not help with item #19.
I wear my jeans at least 3 times each before throwing them in the laundry. I think this habit is leftover from when I was growing up.
It takes me anywhere from 20 - 45 minutes to fall asleep. I hardly ever sleep well. I average about 6 hours of sleep a night and therefore I am tired all the time.
I love fresh flowers in my kitchen, but I only buy them when they are on sale.
I have 2 huge mugs of coffee every morning, but not when I'm traveling. I have the world's smallest bladder.
I brush my teeth EVERY time I leave the house. If I don't or forget, I feel dirty for the rest of the day. I think this is leftover from when I was smoking.
Most days I am bored out of my skull.
I love history. In particular, I love antiques (even more particularly, chairs)and always wonder what the story is behind the furniture.
Someday, I'd love to be a professional decorator. It's a bit of a pipe dream, but a dream nonetheless.

Does any of this list surprise you? It surprised me a bit too! But it's real and that's me. Hope you have a great day!

Booked a room.....

2010-06-07T13:22:00.003-04:00

in this little inn. Our cousin is getting married later this month, and we're going to the wedding kid-free!! I'm really looking foward to another quick getaway with my hubby.

Have a great day!

A Hard Lesson.....

2010-06-06T23:12:00.012-04:00

for my little one to learn. We watched a nature show on Discovery during supper last night and she learned that not all zebras are nice to babies that are not their own. She cried so hard, ran from the TV, and felt so sad for the little baby zebra. I had to try very hard not to laugh at her. Being five is hard! I think that she thought every real animal would be like they are in every Disney movie.....

But the truth, my little one, is that I didn't like watching it either.

Have a good one!

My husband.....

2010-05-24T21:29:00.010-04:00

tells me that he thinks about me every time he hears this song on the radio :

Isn't that romantic? I think I might have to make a LO using these lyrics.

Have a great day!

"Reveal Day".....

2010-05-19T10:32:00.010-04:00

is today! A few posts ago I mentioned that I was working on a project for Paper Poppy. And here it is! You can go here for more details and photos. I LOVED this kit & enjoyed making a project with the purpose of sharing with others. I didn't realize how much I missed being on a DT until I was asked by Aphra to be the guest blogger, and I really enjoyed making this little mini.

Thanks again, Stacy, for such beautiful, inspirational photos, and Ahpra for asking me to blog!

Have a great day!

Packin' it up.....

2010-05-18T10:00:00.003-04:00

for a few months. We're insulating the room where my scrap space is, so no scrapping for me. I think I'm already starting going through withdrawals. On the up side, I'll have the time to take lots of pictures for scrapping when everything gets back to normal again. And, I'm thinking about painting the cupboard that I store my supplies in, so this gives me the time for that too! In the end it will all be worth it when I'm warmer this winter while cutting and gluing away. =D

My youngest started soccer yesterday. So cute to see all those little ones running around in a big purple clump. Her soccer socks are huge. I swear, they could go all the way up to her armpits. Wouldn't THAT make a funny shot! I think she's really going to like it.

Have a good day.

I'm still here.....

2010-05-13T10:58:00.003-04:00

I've just been busy working hard on a project for Paper Poppy. Aphra emailed and asked me to be the guest blogger this month - I was SO excited about that!! Here's a quick sneak of what's to come :

Have a great day!

Happy NSD.....

2010-05-01T10:39:00.010-04:00

to you all! Boy I wish that I could spend the day doing nothing but scrapbooking, but alas, it is not to be. Sigh. I will however, leave you with some scrappy goodness as I get ready to fly along to the next thing on the list of things to do.

This is a kit that I bought a couple of years ago from Ninabrook Designs. The CD with the pictures from Stacy came this week, so I've FINALLY been able to finish it!

This one is of my YDD and her beloved Bear, who recently needed surgery to correct an obvious problem :

And this one is for my brothers wedding album (which is still not done and they have been married for almost 2 years now. Sorry guys, I'll try to get it done soon...) I made it with my April kit from Paper Poppy - loved this kit! Go here and scroll down to find a great deal on past kits!

That's it for now - Have a great NSD!!!!!!

Just a quick post today.....

2010-04-16T11:14:00.003-04:00

to share with you some of the shots that our FAB photographer, Stacy took this past week while we were in Niagara - on - the - Lake.

We love them all!! Thanks again Stacy for such a fun morning!

Have a great weekend!

Back.....

2010-04-14T10:09:00.003-04:00

from the most beautiful vacation ever.

The most amazing food, beautiful accommodations, fantastic staff, and time to reconnect with my hubby.

Plus, an absolutely fabulous session with the most amazing photographer.

Well worth the money and time. I'm still there in my heart. Have a good one.

Home for the day.....

2010-04-06T10:10:00.009-04:00

with a sick little man.

I'm ok with that. No watching the clock, no running out the door for co-op drving or a bus run later. A chance to be creative today. A blessing in disguise.

5 more days and then we're off on our vacation and photo shoot. I can't wait - we're REALLY ready for a trip away together.

I found a new kit club & so far I'm quite pleased with it! You can check it out here. So I made this LO with the March Main Kit - LOVED this picture of my ODD when I saw it.

And this one of my son with his new bike - I used the SCT July sketch for it :

Have a great day!

Back at it again.....

2010-03-28T15:00:00.006-04:00

and still not slowing down. In fact, I think I'm even busier than normal!!

Next Sunday hubby and I are celebrating our actual 12.5 anniversary, but we're not going away until the week after. Why 12.5 you ask? Well,it's half of 25 of course!! (It's a Dutch thing). With the way things are going around here lately, I think I'll be really ready for a vacation then.

I'm hoping that the month of May will be better.

I'll leave you with a couple of projects that I made for the silent auction at my LSS's Crop for Cancer today :

Have a great week!

Officially on.....

2010-03-12T23:01:00.002-05:00

vacation for the next 9 days!!!! Yep it's now March Break - no school, no work & sleeping in past 6am. Ahhhh, heavenly!! So glad since I've been coughing up a storm for the last 3 days. This is just what I need - a little R&R.

Have a good week all!

Spring Fever.....

2010-03-06T15:42:00.002-05:00

has arrived in our household. I'm slowly (because my new work schedule is kinda wierd) but surely trying to get through the kids rooms and give them a good cleaning. The hardest part?? Getting them over thier packrat tendancies. With the little one it's easy. Toss it when she's not looking, and it's overwith. But the oldest two? It's like I've asked them to chop off thier foot.

This is when I wish that I had a maid. Sigh.
Have a great weekend!

So, I broke down.....

2010-03-01T21:57:00.007-05:00

and borrowed my LSS's Cricut to do the title for this page.

LOVE how it came out & it totally solved the problem of the too few "e"s. But, I still won't be buying one, sorry. What I really want is a Cuttlebug or some such similar embossing machine; especially since I'm starting to get more into making cards lately.

March Break is coming up in less than 2 weeks and I'm grateful. I'm sick of the bus right now. This winter has been mild and there hasn't been as many snow days as there normally are, so the long stretch from Christmas til now seems even longer.

Less than 2 weeks to go....have a good one.

Everything.....

2010-02-22T21:52:00.006-05:00

here is still the same. Still crazy busy & not likely to change soon.

I have realized that manufacturers of scrapbooking letters could probably make a killing if they just made packages of nothing but vowels. Can you imagine how fast they would fly off the shelves?? So, you may be thinking to yourself, "Whoa. Totally random thought there. Where'd that come from?" It comes from the frustration of being 95% done one beautiful double - page LO. One that has been sitting on my table for about 5 days. Why so long you ask? Because I don't have the right letters. And the ones I like? Not enough stupid "E"s.

Yep. Separate vowel sheets. My new necessity.

Have a good one.

Today is a quiet.....

2010-02-12T11:44:00.008-05:00

day at home. Two days a week all of my kiddos are gone to school. I can have some quiet cups of coffee and watch HGTV all morning long with no complaining from the peanut gallery. I can read a book without being interrupted every 5 minutes. I should be cleaning a bathroom; but I'm not.

Sigh. I love Friday mornings.

Here's a quick peek at what I've been up to creatively lately.

My response to a challenge to scrap this picture from my sister :

And this one for BOS challenge #204 over at 2peas :

Have a great weekend!

Another snow day.....

2010-01-28T13:20:00.004-05:00

today.

So grateful for this, as I am so very tired and slightly under the weather.

Not much new to report, we're still busy here.

Hubby and I have booked our weekend away & to get ready for it, I have started a new fitness regimen at the Y. I am going to be sore & tired for weeks. I am going to hate Ian (the person that helped me put my program together) by the end of it. But if all goes to plan, I'll look GOOD in the photos in April, and that's my main goal. I guess I should say that I want to get fit too.....but that would be a lie. =D

Have a great day.

This morning....

2010-01-22T12:39:00.002-05:00

was a terrible morning. I'll admit, I knew what I was getting into when I became a parent. I just didn't realize that there would be days that I hated it. Why is it that your kids can push all 27 of your buttons at the same time??? So I had a meltdown before 7:30 am. I'm sure my husband thinks I'm nuts as he quietly watched me honk at my kids. So glad today is Friday.

Next week will be better. I think.

My OLW.....

2010-01-15T16:43:00.006-05:00

for 2010. Love how this LO came out.

Have a great weekend!

Chicken Thursday.....

2010-01-07T19:30:00.007-05:00

hee hee!!

Ever since that commercial came out I've been wanting to do that. =D

Anyways....

Ch{all}enge Masters (a really fab challenge community) is having a contest!! It's based on Ali Edwards tradition of One Little Word. My word this year is "adjust". Today I managed to get my hands on some Basic Grey Origins - I bought the card kit, and am re-purposing it - my newest favorite BG line, so look for the LO using my One Little Word to come soon!

That's it for today, have a great night!

2009 Top Ten.....

2010-01-04T17:11:00.005-05:00

projects. I got this idea from Stephanie's blog - I thought I'd start the new year with a recap of my favorite projects from 2009.

For the better part of 2009, I was a part of the Design Team over at Sweet Pea Scraps. However, in August we got the sad news that Kristin and Julie had decided to focus on other things; and the kit club is no more. I truly enjoyed my time on the team, even though it was shorter than expected. It was my first one and I miss it! I got to "meet" some really creative, inspiring people, that thankfully, I'm still in touch with. And so, in no particular order, here's my top 10 Sweet Pea Scraps DT projects!

This one is from my very first kit, which I guess was really the Dec '08 one, but I love it anyways, and it was posted in 2009 ;). My kiddos decorating the tree in 2007 :

These next two pages are made from pictures that were taken at Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia, Canada. I made the trip in June for my youngest brother's wedding, and I did it alone; no hubby, no kiddos. A very significant milestone in my life, for so many reasons that I won't get into here. I loved this place & it's quiet serenity.

This one is me and my kiddos on Mother's Day; we've never done pictures together like this before. I think we'll do it every year from now on.

A favorite card in honour of Stellar Jenn ;)

My mother in 1970. She was supposed to only visit an aunt and uncle for a year and then go back to Holland to stay, and then she met my father. Due to Visa rules, they were separated for about 4 months while she went back. She sent this picture to my Dad while they were apart & I think it's gorgeous!!

My sister and I in 1977 wearing dresses my mother made us.

My favorite picture of my son when he was a baby. My sister took this one & sent it to me. It was just begging to be scrapped.

A project I did for the fundraising auction at my kiddos school. Luckily, I know both the couples that bought the windows, so I can see them again almost anytime! I loved doing this, I might do one for myself this year!

The last one & I think my very favorite of the whole year. This is a layout about my kiddos names (they each have 2 middle names), and I also made it to honour the people they are named after. Three of the people on the page we lost before my kids were born, but in 2009 we lost Grandma Bep, whom my youngest daughter is named after. It was also a very sad year for us. I am so glad she saw this page before she went.

It was fun looking back and remembering - I encourage you to do the same! Have a great night!

It's coming through today.....

2009-12-28T16:12:00.005-05:00

the Olympic Torch, that is. My family and I are heading down to City Hall tonight to watch it come in. It will probably be the only time that this will ever happen here in our small city; so we better make sure we get some good pictures of this event!

Have a good night!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours.....

2009-12-25T18:09:00.003-05:00

Luke 2 : 1 - 20 (NIV)

1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ[a] the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Looking for the horseshoes.....

2009-12-24T19:01:00.004-05:00

that are up there somewhere.....

Sorry for that visual, but I'm having a really fantastic, lucky week!! I don't really believe in luck, but I think I'm really having the socks blessed off me!!

First, my LSS runs a monthly Sketch contest. This LO won me a $15 gift certificate to the store. I'm really low on card stock, so this just made my day!

Then, on Tuesday, I found out that this LO won me the weekly prize over at 52 Weeks..52 Sketches; which was a great kit from Scrapbook Studio!

AND then, tonight, after playing along in her 12 days of Christmas contest for all 12 days, my FAVORITE photographer, Stacy announced that I was her Grand Prize winner!!!!!!!!!! SO extremely excited, as Richard and I were hoping to be able to book her to do our 12.5 anniversary photo shoot in April!!!!!!!! I can't wait!

Have a great night!

On vacation.....

2009-12-21T18:59:00.007-05:00

and getting some scrapping done. Participating in various challenges that I've found at several different sites helps. Like these two pages created for the Bookmarks Challenge over at Two Peas in a Bucket :

And these ones created for challenges over at 52 Sketches..52 Weeks. I was so sad to hear that Julie will not be running the site next year - her sketches rock!

Today I got to sleep in until almost 9am! Thanks goes to my kids for staying quiet for that long. I really needed it. It's been a good vacation so far; I'm just relaxing and doing NOTHING for at least another day.

I'm just about ready for Christmas - can't wait to see my kids reactions to their gifts. I promised myself that I wouldn't stress about it, but I still hope they like my choices.

That's it for today; Have a good one!

Yet Another.....

2009-12-11T12:46:00.002-05:00

snow day today. The third one in a row. It's not the amount of snow we're getting, I think, but the wind blowing it all around. In town where we are, it's better than on the highways and back roads. It's colder today, too.

It better clear up before tomorrow, hubby and I have plans to go away.

I'm 3/4 of the way through Christmas shopping. Next week, I'll be done - and yay for that!!

Have a good one!

Another.....

2009-12-10T13:54:00.002-05:00

snow day today.

Another day home with the kids. But, at least hubby is snowed in today too.

I'm going to attempt to finish Christmas shopping today. Wish me luck.

Have a good day.

First.....

2009-12-09T11:22:00.004-05:00

snow day of this school year! Can I say Whew!!!?? I'm so glad I don't have to drive a school bus in all of this!!!

Today is the first day of an apparent 3 days of miserable weather coming our way. It's a good day to stay home and scrap, I think.

Have a good one & stay warm!!

Inspired by.....

2009-12-08T12:08:00.004-05:00

the most beautiful little girl :

This is my new neice; isn't she sweet?

Also, I found out that snails hibernate. Because of this site; I now know just about everything I need to know about snails. Ours is still alive, we saw him yesterday briefly.

I have started Christmas shopping. Note for next year - I should have started earlier. Gak, I hate Christmas crowds!!!

Have a great day!

I have a new.....

2009-11-29T13:59:00.004-05:00

niece!!! She was born yesterday afternoon to my brother and sister in law. She is SOOOO (but I'm not biased at all!!! ;D) beautiful & I'm so excited to meet her next weekend.

My youngest daughter brought home a snail from the bus yard this week. He is still alive, but seems to sleep an awful lot. Does anyone out there know if that's normal?? He also likes to eat apple. Who knew that about a snail? I don't think that he has a name yet.

It's been dull and grey here the last couple of days. Blech. But, we have no snow and I'm grateful for that. I hate winter. Who knew that it could be 10 degrees Celsius at the end of November in Ontario??

I have NOT started Christmas shopping yet. I think I might try to do it all in one day. I'll let you know how it goes. I have NOT started decorating yet. It's not December. I am NOT listening to Christmas music yet. I'm still Bah Humbugging until Tuesday. No sense in getting over excited too far ahead. When school gets out for the break and I don't have to get up early to go to work, THEN I'll get excited!

I'll leave you with a (ironically) Christmas page created for 52 Sketches...52 Weeks. My oldest daughter and I sang together last year at church for the annual Candlelight service.

Have a great day!

Taking a Break.....

2009-11-19T12:31:00.005-05:00

from applesauce making to post a couple of pictures. This is what my kitchen currently looks like :

And the HUGE pan of applesauce that is awaiting freezer bags:

Yum, my house smells so good today - good even though it's blah, dreary and raining today & there's going to be a LARGE mess to clean up later!

Gotta get back at it - Have a great day!

One Minute.....

2009-11-11T11:00:00.007-05:00

to remember that freedom isn't free.

My prayers and thoughts are with those families whose loved ones will not be coming home and those who are missing family members who are posted overseas.

Thank you to all those who stand in the line of duty for me.

I am grateful.

Ok seriously.....

2009-11-02T12:42:00.011-05:00

I need to get my act together!! Bad blogger, bad blogger!! I can't believe it's been almost a month since I posted last!! But honestly, there really hasn't been too much to blog about.

My family has all been through the first colds (or was it a flu??) of the season. We're all on the mend, thanks to Vitamin C, echinacea and lots of extra rest.

It's done nothing but rain off and on here for weeks. I'm sick of it.

My husband and I have lost another grandparent - this time it was his Grandma. We knew her better than my Beppe. We are sad. I am realizing that life is short and time with family should be precious, so I am trying to make the best of every minute of every day.

This past weekend the kids and I drove up to visit my sister and her family in Timmins. By myself. That's right, just me - the only driver - and three kids. It's about 8 hours and 700 km north of where I am. This also includes driving on Highway 400 - something that I've never been comfortable with. I hate merging onto a high speed highway. But, I did it!!!!! So super proud of myself for sure, plus now that I know I can do it, I can do it more. While we were there I did a bit of scrappy shopping - bought some cute stamps and a new boarder punch....... hmmmm perhaps a card making day should be in the order??

Speaking of scrappy stuff, not too much of that has been going on in this house lately. And I'm ok with that. It's good to have a break once in awhile. But, I'll leave you with a couple of LO's recently done for 52 Sketches..52 Weeks.

Have a great day!

A little bit of.....

2009-10-07T11:24:00.005-04:00

scrappy goodness today.

Since Sweet Pea Scraps stopped making new kits, I haven't been creating as much lately. It's a good thing really, as I'm now working again since school started, and I have less time to be creative anyways. But, as promised a few posts ago, I'll share what I have been doing!

I bought this stamp at my LSS a few weeks ago, but since we don't really make a big deal out of Hallowe'en in our house, I thought I'd experiment and try to make a fall tree! So, I pulled out my eyeshadow foam brushes (yep the cheap ones from the dollar store. I use them for getting into small spaces that my inks won't reach) and tried my hand at blending 4 different colours. I liked the first one I tried on a scrap piece of paper, so I created these three :

a little "plaque" with a really great quote for fall :

a fall "Joy" card

and a little thank - you card.

Also, I made this page for a new mom in my congregation. It's meant to be a shower gift, so I framed it, and she can add her favorite picture of her little guy. I used sketch #14 from 52 Weeks...52 Sketches for it.

Otherwise, things here never slow down; really it's starting to become normal! I'm more than halfway through Echo in the Bone, and I'm hoping there will be a #8 in the series!!! It's very good.

That's it for now - have a great day!

So, this guy and I.....

2009-10-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

are celebrating 12 years of marriage today.

This is us exactly 1 year ago.

My fave photographer, Stacy, snapped this at Ricky & Alissa's wedding for us.

And we haven't changed much.

And our marriage gets better and better every year that goes by.

And yes, we still argue. But we're better at making up now.

Still so very happy to be married to each other.

Celebrating.....

2009-09-30T16:57:00.003-04:00

today!! My wonderful sister sent me a handmade card earlier this week & my hubby surprised me with a card (*gasp* that he picked out himself!!) left for me in the bathroom this morning at 6:30am. Then Renee gave me one of her prized fairy cards as a gift! Another surprise followed with a card & candle from 3 of the kids on my bus (whose mom knew it was my Bday) and a then gift of zucchini relish (yum, yum - my favorite kind), honey and a book from another girlfriend. I'm so very blessed with so many good friends. It's been a great day. I hope you have a good one too!

Happy Birthday.....

2009-09-29T12:04:00.004-04:00

to me!!! But not really until tomorrow. Then I'll be 34 - but I don't feel like it, really. I still feel 18 in my mind!!! So, because I was over at the mall this morning, I bought myself this nice little gift today :

Newly released as of last week, I've been waiting 3 years for it to come out! And, so, today I'm going to spend the whole day reading it instead of cleaning the bathroom like I should.

Have a great day!

More Inspiration.....

2009-09-22T10:30:00.006-04:00

from the 52 Sketches....52 Weeks blog :

Love the sketches over there!

I'm feeling better this week - but still sad for my Mom.

Otherwise, we're slowly getting into school days routines again - but sometimes 6:30 am stinks. My bus route has changed again too, and with the addition of 13 more kids, I think I'm going to implement a seating plan this afternoon, just to save my sanity.

So, today I'm going to spend a quiet day at home and try my hand at card making and stamping. If it goes well, I might share it here!

Have a good day!

Yesterday.....

2009-09-17T10:55:00.004-04:00

was a sad day for my family.

My Beppe passed away rather suddenly.
She lived in Holland & I didn't know her very well. I regret that now. She was my Mom's mother, so my Mom and Dad are flying there this afternoon to be with her brothers. I am very sad for my Mom.

My next post will be happier, I promise.

Heading.....

2009-09-03T19:48:00.005-04:00

here tomorrow with the kids. They've been so good these last couple of weeks while I've been working to get the school ready for the first day. This will be our last summer Hurrah! together before they go back.

Today I picked up all the info for my bus route - right now I'm looking forward to getting back to work. In a couple of weeks, it'll be a different tune!! =D

I found a new place to go play this week - this site has great sketches & an online community as well. My LSS runs a sketch contest every month and last month the sketch was from there. Here's a couple of pages I've made using inspiration gathered from there:

Have a great night!

It's the most.....

2009-08-28T09:26:00.005-04:00

wonderful time of the year!!!

It's back to school shopping today - and yes, I actually am looking forward to it!! It's Ericas first time going. Although she really doesn't need much - just indoor shoes and a lunch pail - I think she'll have fun. All three ladies are getting haircuts today too, as we are in desperate need of them! Ethan just needs a little trim around his ears, but I can do that at home.

Jack the dog and the Wii should be going home sometime this weekend as well. Thank goodness about Jack - I'm not sure I like having a larger dog here when we live in the city. Maybe it's just because of the shedding. I'm not so happy about the Wii going back to my MIL's though, I've rather enjoyed doing yoga on the Wii Fit. Maybe we will have to save up to get our own system.

I've been working at the school everyday this week so far. I'm sore and tired, but the good news is that 4 more classrooms are done! Whew, just one more to go!! Then it's on to bathrooms and the gym. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! It's very faint, but it's there.....

I'll leave you with a LO. This is my brother and my mother dancing at his wedding last May :

Have a great day!

We're Done.....

2009-08-23T00:23:00.002-04:00

with all the kids sporting activities for the summer!!!!! Renee's last soccer game was this morning. She played net & was VERY good if I do say so myself. The field was soaked, but she had a great time & her whole team did really well.

Also tonight we saw this concert at one of our local high schools. My kids though it was FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC!!! And so did I! They were funny and they had high energy songs with a little bit of dancing and a good solid message about God & Jesus. I'm so glad we went!!!

It's been an interesting week here in our neck of the woods, with several tornadoes rolling thorough - pretty unusual for us in Southern Ontario. One came pretty close to my hometown - way too close for comfort really. They say they were F2's but after seeing the damage caused and several videos online, I cannot imagine what it would be like to have a stronger one!!

Have a great weekend!

Changing up.....

2009-08-17T14:27:00.002-04:00

the blog for a different look - what do you think?

Well, we have a dog again. Not really our own, but we sent Jack to live at the in-laws several years ago - he's a country dog at heart - and now we have him back for about 10 days while they are out West. The kids think it's great. I'm not looking forward to cleaning up the hair. He sheds. Alot. Good times. Really. I'm smiling on the inside.

Not much else is new - we're enjoying the last few days of summer. It's finally been a bit hot - the kids and my niece and nephew were in the pool ALL DAY yesterday; literally. I think they only got out to eat and pee. This time we even remembered the sun screen. Last time this happened, everyone was as red as a lobster by the end of the day.

Maybe I'll go and scrap.
Have a great day!

Enjoying.....

2009-08-10T17:29:00.004-04:00

a few minutes of peace and quiet. This week is VBS week, but at a different church (not our own) and in the evening! They are feeding my kids supper (at 5pm) and doing the program (until 7:30 pm) after that. Unique eh? I'm loving it! This is usually what I like to call the "witching hour" where everyone is starting to get hungry, cranky and tired, but it's not supper or bedtime yet....you know what I mean.

I say thank goodness for VBS - it's saving my sanity!!!

Also, it's Happy Birthday to my buddy boy Ethan today - he's now big number 9!! Only one year to go until he's in double digits too!! Time just keeps flying along, sigh.

We went to the (outdoor) wedding on Saturday and had a blast in spite of the constant rain!! But here's my guilty secret : I (the scrapbooker) did NOT take my camera (forgot it, really) and I did NOT take one picture. And I LIKED it!!!!! It was fun to go to a wedding and just go! I flirted with my hubby, danced a few dances and slept in with no little feet thumping to wake me up!! We need to do that again sometime soon!!

Have a great night!

August SPS Projects.....

2009-08-06T12:38:00.006-04:00

Ok, so I'm late posting these. I'm going to claim busyness, but that's not the real reason, I'm just feeling lazy about blogging lately.

Anyways, here's a pic of the August Sweet Pea Scraps kit :

Isn't it lovely? And here's my projects:

Otherwise, things around here are good, but still pretty busy. Hubby and I have a wedding to go to this weekend, and next weekend is my family reunion - really looking forward to both events!! Swimming lessons finish up this week too - I'm SO glad that summer activities are starting to wrap up! I'm ready for school to start again.

If you get a minute, pop by the August gallery - lots of great projects to help inspire again this month - have I ever said how much the Sweet Pea Girls rock?

Have a great weekend, all!

Ok, so this is getting......

2009-07-27T12:56:00.002-04:00

ridiculous. I just can't seem to keep up with it all.

Yesterday we had a TON of people over for coffee and lunch after church, the three days before that were spent cleaning up after 4 days of camping and cleaning my house to get ready for said get together, and we went to the Science Centre in Toronto during that time too. It's been raining for 5 days and I can't get good pictures of my August SPS kit projects because the light is low. Swimming lessons start this week and in 2 weeks it's a week of VBS mornings, PLUS today I'm going to rewrite my driver's test to renew my licence - essential if I'm going to drive school bus in the fall again. Sigh. This sucks. I thought it was supposed to be summer vacation!!! I think I need to go back to work to go on vacation from vacation.

I'll be back soon with a happier post, I promise! ;)
Have a great day!

3 days to go.....

2009-07-15T10:52:00.002-04:00

until our annual camping trip with the Cloutiers! I guess I should start getting ready for that eh? But, I'm not. As per usual, I'm leaving it to the last minute, although I have most of it planned in my head & one very quick list jotted down that even I can't make sense of anymore; although at the time, it seemed pretty good. I'm trying to get the house cleaned up before we go, so that I don't come home to a mess. There's nothing worse than coming home from a vacation to find even more work waiting for you there. Man, I hope the weather is good this year!

The sneak peek is up for August. I love this kit & already have a few layouts planned in my head. Last month I didn't do any heritage LOs, so keep your eyes open for at least one next month! Also, Renee took some great pictures for me in June, so I'm using them as well.

Today my parents are leaving for their semi-annual trip to The Netherlands. I say semi annual, because they try to get back every other year, as my Mom's whole family lives there still. They have an evening flight, so by the time they get there it will be early morning! With the time change, they'll spend about 12 hours in the plane, although in reality, it's only a six hour flight.

It's library day here again, thank goodness! The kids have been arguing and pesting each other this week something awful & I've had my fill of the nonsense. Once a week the library has an hour long free program for my older two, and then Erica and I hang out in the kids wing picking books, playing on the computers and in the toy yard while we wait. You HAVE to be quiet in the library - HOORAY!

Have a great day all!

I'm Baaaa-ck..... (picture heavy post)

2009-07-08T15:42:00.020-04:00

so sorry that I've been gone! I can't believe that it's been so long since I've posted - AGAIN!!! The kids and I have been enjoying summer stuff together and they've been visiting with grandparents while I've been summer cleaning at the school.

As promised, here's some of my Peggy's Cove pictures - my sister and I both really loved this place.

And, here's my July SPS projects - I loved the bright, summery colours in this kit!! But first, here's a picture of the kit :

And, here's my projects. I was so inspired by my Peggy's Cove pictures and the colours of the kit fit them so well, that I made these right away as soon as I got home. The journaling on the picture is a quote from Max Lucado and is actually a Daisy D's rubon that I found in Halifax at one of the LSS's there. I felt it fit the mood of the page, even though the sea isn't mentioned :

And, because my brother's wedding colours just happened to be blue, I made this one. The little file folder at the bottom opens up to reveal more pictures. I like it so much that I think I'm going to keep it for myself!! I'll make another one for them later ;), sorry guys :

It was super windy and Erica had so much fun being her silly self at the beach while camping last summer :

And another page for my Family Reunion album - snowball fights in August. Huh. Who'da thought it??

And, because I had so much of the kit left over, I thought I'd make up a few more cards for my ever growing card stash!

I spent a lovely afternoon with my best friend from high school last weekend. It was my high school's 40th reunion, and while I didn't end up going to many reunion things, it was really nice to see her again. I hope we'll get together again soon.

I guess that's it for now, have a great night!

I'm here.....

2009-06-27T13:20:00.002-04:00

but I've been really busy finishing up my July SPS projects and cleaning up after my family. I just KNEW there was going to be a downside to my going on vacation alone!!!

But, I digress. =D

Next time I post I'll share some of my Peggy's Cove pictures.

Have a great day!

One More Day.....

2009-06-22T06:39:00.005-04:00

here in Halifax. My sister and I are planning a day of sightseeing if the weather is good and shopping at one of the LSSs.

Yesterday it poured, but we were at Pier 21 which is all indoor. What an amazing place!! They have photocopies of all the passenger lists from all the boats that brought immigrants to Pier 21 over from Europe over a 40 year period. My Dad stopped in at the research centre and found our family's names on one of the lists, so he signed his name next to it. I've really been into learning more about my family and our history, so yesterday was one of the highlights of the trip for me.

I'm starting to look forward to going home. I miss my hubby and kids and am sad that they're not here to share all of this with me. On the other hand, it's been fun to be by myself and not have to worry about the kids. It's been an experience that I'll never forget! Stay tuned for many, many pages about these last 5 days. =D

Have a great day!

In Halifax.....

2009-06-20T05:57:00.006-04:00

Well, I'm here and it's beautiful!!

I've already taken 130 pictures and eaten a lobster. My sister and I both think it tastes like buttered corn on the cob. Weird, I know, but it's sweet and salty and yummy!

Today is the wedding day so I'm sure by the end of the day I'll have 130 more pictures.

Sunday we're heading to Pier 21; that's where my Dad landed when he immigrated to Canada. Can't wait for that!

I'll leave you with a picture.
Have a great day!

I'm Not Ready Yet.....

2009-06-16T22:25:00.003-04:00

for this trip to Halifax. I leave on Thursday morning - yep that's right, Thursday. That's less than 2 days away. The suitcase is open on my bedroom floor, but nothing's in it yet. I guess I should decide what I'm taking eh? In spite of what you may be thinking, I really am looking forward to the trip, this is just how I roll. Leave it to the last minute as much as I can!! =D

I got my July kit in the mail on Tuesday, and it's fab!!! I have one single page LO and one double page LO almost done. But. I have run out of the one essential thing for scrapbooking - adhesive!!!! Duh. I really don't know how I managed that one! Anyways, it'll have to wait until I get back now.

I'll "see" you all on Wednesday!

Just a quick check in.....

2009-06-08T19:36:00.008-04:00

to share my newest LO :

This is my best friends SO and their new little one - such an awesome pic of the two of them, eh? It totally inspired this whole LO which is also for Colour Combo #124. I'm planning on giving them this one too. The photo jotter is from Jenn's Etsy shop and will be for them to fill out later.

It's going to be a busy week this week, with extra bus driving almost every day. My mother nicely took my YDD home with her yesterday after church because today was my sons class trip. She'll come home tomorrow sometime. It's been different not having her here. Not bad, just different. On Thursday I'm driving my ODD and her class to here. I'm really looking forward to having the day to spend together, just her and I.

Only 10 days to go until my Halifax trip - I'm really getting excited now!

Have a great night!

So This.....

2009-06-06T18:47:00.005-04:00

is sitting in the backyard.

It's a 13 person, 222sq foot, 4 room tent. It's HUGE!! It took us less than 1/2 an hour to set up.

It stands OVER 6 feet tall in the centre. Perfect for my tall hubby. And I love it! They were on sale at Canadian Tire this week for $150. It's the deal of the decade I swear!

Now I can't wait for camping this summer! There's so many beautiful places to camp in Ontario. Every year we pick a spot that's about halfway between were we live and were my sister lives (she's 8 hours north of me) and we get together and camp for about 4 days. Here's were we're going this year.

Otherwise nothing much is happening this weekend. About 2 more weeks of school and then I'm off for the summer - Woo Hoo!!

I'm off to work on my LO for Color Combos Galore. Have a great night all!

Bad.....

2009-06-02T11:50:00.007-04:00

blogger, bad blogger!!!!!! I've been so lazy not posting lately, my apologies to you all.

OK, so first, I gotta ask, have you SEEN the New Moon Trailer???? Oh. My. Goodness. November cannot get here fast enough. From the little sneak peek they show, I think this movie will be even better than Twilight. Sigh. If you haven't seen it yet, you can see it here.

And, here's my last few projects with the June kit :
This is my best friends little guy & I plan on framing it for her :

And, more cards! Who knew that cardmaking could be so much fun? I'm loving having different types on hand ready to go.

Otherwise, it's the same busy-ness as usual around here. The kids church groups are finished for the summer, but now we have soccer and baseball(both hubbys games and Ethans games) instead. And they are on the same night. At opposite ends of the city. At the same time. Yeah. Fun times. So, because I still cannot split myself into 4 different people (a talent that God has chosen not to give to me) I changed the days that I work again, so that we can get the kids where they need to go. The last two Tuesdays I have frozen my butt of at the side of a soccer field. But, in a few weeks, I'll be sweating buckets, so that'll be fun. Who decided that summer sports was a good thing again? ;)

Just 3 weeks left and then summer vacation starts.......

Also, in about 2 weeks, my brother is getting married, so I'm really looking forward to that trip. I've never been out to the Maritimes, so I'm so excited to go! Monica and I have cancelled the trip to PEI though, too far and too expensive to go for half of a day. So, we'll do that province together another time!

Take a minute and have a peek at the June gallery over at SPS! Have a great day all!

Woah.....

2009-05-21T10:21:00.008-04:00

I can't believe that it's been over a week since I posted last!! There really hasn't been too much new news to report actually, it's still just as busy as ever. I thought that things would slow down by now, but nope, not so much. I'm now looking forward to the end of school, when my two jobs will be done for the summer and I can relax and not rush, rush, rush all the time.

In the meantime, I've been working some more with the fab June kit :

& here's my projects :

I love the versatility of this kit - I've been able to scrap spring, summer and heritage pictures!

This weekend Richard and I have plans to go golfing. Now, those who know me will know that we had the first argument of our married life on the golf course during our honeymoon. I'm not a very good golfer, in fact, I really don't see the point behind that particular sport. But, it's a work thing and I'll go if we can find someone to look after the kids for the afternoon. I'll just deal with making a fool out of myself in front of Richard's boss later.

If the weather is good, we might take the bike - it'll be my first ride of the summer! THAT I'm looking forward to! You just can't fit 5 people on a motorbike and Richard refuses to get a sidecar, so I don't ride as much as I used to anymore. I guess I'll just have to get my bike licence and my own bike, then. ;)

Have a great day!

Another.....

2009-05-13T13:30:00.006-04:00

quick update on the dining room reno - the paint and wallpaper are done!! Here's a couple of pics (which aren't great, sorry) :

the wallpaper wall.

the textured ceiling.

I'm so blessed to have Dads that are handy and are willing to work for lunch and coffee. Now we just have to finish the trim and baseboards and then we're done!!

Also, I'm going to share my mothers day layout, which will give you a little sneak peek at the awesome June kit :

Believe it or not, I've never done pictures with my kids on Mother's Day before, but I think I'll try to do some every year from now on! It's a good chance to finally be in front of the camera.

Have a great day!

A Stinky Visitor.....

2009-05-10T19:28:00.004-04:00

so yesterday Richard was cleaning up (I know, imagine that!!!) in the mud room, he looked outside, and he saw this :

Yep right on the porch. At 7:30 at night. In the city. Yuck. I felt bad for him though, as he was missing his right front paw. He had a funny limpy kind of gait when sniffing around the garbage pail. Thank goodness he moved on without spraying. Please excuse the construction garbage; it comes with the territory when you're renovating.

And here I am with my beautiful kids - perfect time to get some pics - a rare event as I'm usually behind the camera.

Happy Mothers Day, everyone!

Finally.....

2009-05-08T11:56:00.005-04:00

the rest of my May projects!! This one is my favorite :

That's my hubby and my youngest daughter on a hike a few weeks ago.

Another page for my brother's wedding album - don't they look so happy? :

My oldest daughter's new bike :

I loved the card that Cathy Blackstone made on pg 69 of the newest SBE, so I lifted it to make this one :

Last night my new textured ceiling went up, thanks to my hubby and my Dad - I'll post more pictures next week when the work is all done!! Thank goodness that little project is almost finished!

Have a great day all!!

Just a little toot.....

2009-05-05T16:45:00.006-04:00

for me....Basic Grey added my "Vision" page to their gallery last week! It's just a little thing, but they are very selective!

Also, the dining room is well on it's way - only one more sand and then we can prime, paint and wallpaper. Here's a little photo of what's going on my wall opposite the window :

What do you think? Too bold? Maybe a bit, since the ceilings are now ten feet high. But, it goes really well with the red colour in the kitchen, and it's only one wall. Plus, I really love it!! I'll take some pictures when it's up.

My Dad is mixing a paint to match the background colour of the wallpaper and we're going to repaint the "fugly" (thanks, Stephanie for my new favorite word) panelling in the living room to freshen it up until we have the funds to reno that room too. I can't wait to just get the house CLEAN again. Sigh. Reno-ing sucks.

Have a great night!

I think it's about time.....

2009-05-01T19:30:00.006-04:00

I had a scrappy post, don't you?? With all that's been going on in the house, and that I've been driving a few extra charter runs this week, I haven't had a chance to post any of my May pages!!

First, here's the kit :

Isn't it fab?? Such bright funky colours - I loved it!
And here's my LO's so far :

I have three more to finish up, but I'll save those for another post.

No progress was made on the dining room today and I'm totally ok with that. Yesterday I reached my breaking point, and really just needed to get away from the constant cleaning up of drywall dust. Work will resume on Monday again, but I think I'll be better by then.

This weekend is the symphony date with my hubby & I'm totally looking forward to that!! We've been living in the same house but it seems we hardly ever see each other lately - so we're due for some quality time. I bought a new jewelry set to go with his favorite dress today. Isn't it funny how changing just one small thing can make an outfit seem new again? (Plus it's easier on the wallet, too.)

Also this weekend, my brother and his fiance and their little guy are up, & my other brother and his wife are coming from Barrie for my Dad's 65th birthday! We're all getting together on Sunday to celebrate, and I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone again.

Have a great night!!

I'm over it.....

2009-04-29T17:18:00.003-04:00

and I think renovations stink. I'm ready to get my house back now. The 2nd coat of mud is on the walls (Thanks, Dad) and I just have to live through one more sanding. You'll notice that the room is tarped off - it helped some, but the the dust from the first sanding still got in the other rooms downstairs. I can't even really clean up until this is all done, and it's so frustrating!! Our shop vac sucks - or should I say doesn't suck - so now I'm coated in a fine layer of dust too. So here's some more pics from today. I just gotta keep thinking that "This too shall pass.....".

Have a great night.

Another Update.....

2009-04-26T12:20:00.006-04:00

on the progress in the dining room :

looks pretty good eh? Sorry for the bad pictures, it's been rainy and dull for the last couple of days here (as long as it's not snow, I really don't care =D). I am SO thankful that we have such great friends who are willing to help us out. Now we just have to tape and mud the walls, but I think that we could do that on our own at night in the next little bit. I'm not looking forward to the sanding part, though. I'd love to have the whole thing done and painted by the middle of May, but we'll see. It's still a total mess and we don't have a table to eat on, but it looks like a room again.

Have a great day!