Halloween has come and gone.... Thank God!

Avery has been vibrating about Halloween for the last week. Every day she would go into the kitchen and "check" the candy. "Yep - it still smells good!" Too funny.

Tonight Grant and I shared the passing-out-candy-taking-the-kids-around gig. This is the first year that I have taken the kids. I usually get to stay home and wait around for Trick or Treaters, but this year, Grant took the "north" section and I took the kids south. We hit up 12 houses, and they both have enough candy to last them well until Christmas. Country trick or treating rocks. It really does. I honestly think there is enough candy in our house for each of us to eat one treat a day, and make it until Christmas....... yummy.

Both kids are in bed, and I should be doing the same, but I think I need one last chocolate fix.....

why is it

that I can only finish a kit when my kids are up? I have quickly come to realize that my creative juices don't flow when I have two kids running wild in their playroom. I concentrate too much on what they are getting into and not on my creative process. I did manage to do this kit yesterday while Cohen slept, and Avery played with her new pop beads. But alas, it is a kit. A kit I love, don't get me wrong... and I have pictures from the weekend scrapbooked already, and the kit goes perfectly with the photos, but I kind of miss creating on my own. What a whiner. Wasn't I just scrapbooking last weekend? Wasn't I creative then???

Anyhoo, this is a leftover kit from a class that Christy taught at Paper Pastimes earlier this year. I love it.......

catch up...

I haven't blogged lately, and I think my crazy life has something to do with it. We went to Lethbridge on a rush trip on Thursday night. Yeah. I know. What was I thinking?? I missed all my Thursday TV. Then I went again on Saturday to pick up shingles for our shop. Grant is reshingling it, and we ran out. Surprise, surprise.
Today was a super fun day tho. We went to Mardi's princess birthday party and had a great time! It was a girls only party, and Tara went all out. The girls got their toenails done, they decorated tiaras and wands, played princess games, and ate the yummiest cake. I hate when she does this because then I feel obligated to try and do something equally nice for my kids..... I wish Avery would forget what a birthday at the Kitchen's is like so that the ones at our house aren't so lame!

Grant leaves for work in a week and I really don't know what the hell I am going to do. I have really come to rely on him these past months, and the two weeks he will be gone are going to kill me. I know it.

Finally, some weekend work...

So I have finally gotten around to posting some of the layouts that I managed to accomplish this weekend. I didn't get much done, that is for sure. I only finished 12 layouts. And 10 of them were single page, so, really not a productive weekend. I do like what I finished, so that is really all that matters, right?

Anyhoo, this layout uses the Lucky You accessories that I got from Haley's store. I love the moustache. Love it. It is so cute, and makes Cohen look like a real grown-up. And I used old stuff on this layout. (It wasn't mine... it was Christy's, but it was old stuff none the less!) The tag, photo anchors, brads, and slide mount were all old things.

This layout was inspired by Kacey. She was distressing one of her own layouts, and I loved the masking technique that she used, so of course, I copied her. This layout is the second last layout that needed to be done for the first half of Cohen's first year album. I am still waiting for my MIL to find a photo of Grant's dad so I can do the namesake page, so until then, the first half will be unfinished. I like how simple, but finished this layout looks.

I will hopefully get around to posting a few more later. It is Grant's birthday today, and I should really be cooking his birthday supper, and birthday pie!

I kept my promise....

So I went scrapbooking this weekend in Blairmore with a group of 40 women. The group was made up of a variety of scrapbookers, and we started to reflect on what our albums used to look like when we first started scrapbooking. We also challenged each other to post our early layouts... so here are a couple of mine. I like the use of the decorative edge scissors on my Go Stamps Go layout. So purposeful.... I used to scrapbook 8.5x11 so this layout actually started as that. I added the square punches to make it 12x2. I can't find my other first 8.5x11 layouts. I think I might have tried to redo them to be 12x12.

The second layout is even more boring. Where is the patterned paper? I looked through my old albums and had to laugh at the "masterpieces" that I had made. Cardstock, cardstock, cardstock and more cardstock. A little vellum... wow. And could they be any more 2 dimensional??? I don't even remember where I used to shop to get my stuff, but the stores must have been pretty bare... stickers and paper......

So there, I kept my end of the bargain.....

Not a Happy Camper

This is the layout for the October "Monday Night Class on Tuesday Night" at Sheep River Scrapbook Co. The class is Tuesday October 28th at 6:30. Call SRSCo at 403-938-2391 to sign up! There is also a coupon for a $5 discount for your first Monday Night Class class on the Monday Night Class website. Check out www.mondaynightclass.ca and look under the classes link!

This layout uses the Cosmo Cricket Mr. Campy line, as well as SEI. It works well for those pictures you have around the campfire, but can also be used for the photos you have of your unhappy child, etc. A quick and easy layout that will look great in any album!

CRAZEEEE

So we went to Calgary yesterday because Grant needed to renew his AME license and Avery needed new ballet shoes (because she does not like tap) and we decided that Cohen needed to move into a big boy bed. He thrashes around way too much in his crib, so....
Anyhoo, we bought a bed for him, and got a smokin' deal on a new mattress and box spring for us (so not in the budget) but when we got home we took his crib out of his room, brought up his box spring and mattress, set that up in his room, moved his change table, then put Avery's bed on a frame, and cleaned out her room, then took our mattress and box spring downstairs, and brought the new one upstairs. That toook an hour. When I say it that way though, it doesn't sound like much.... but I sure hurt today.

At noon today I am heading west. I am going to Blairmore with a huge group of girls for a weekend of scrapbooking! I am so pumped. Two scrapbook weekends in one month?!?!? Who is spoiled? I am so looking forward to spending scrapbook time with Haley, and Rhea, and Tara, and Kacey, and Shannon, and ANNA!!! I am so excited to see Anna. She is the nicest person on the face of the earth. Seriously. She is.
So I hope to accomplish a crap load of stuff this weekend so I can post it on Monday!
Have a great weekend!

today is the day.....

so 37 or so days ago, the Conservative Party called an election. and today is the day I get to go and vote. I love that a Canadian campaign lasts 6 weeks. I am so sick of the American campaign trail. Why does it have to take so long, and why do they have to spend so much money on their bid for the White House? can't that money be put to good use in other ways???? I can think of several. What about healthcare? or saving the sub prime fiasco, or dealing with violent crime and school shootings. I am happy that I don't live there. But my SIL and BIL do. Mike just came home from Iraq, and now I get to hear about how great McCain and Palin are. They both love them. As does my MIL. I am not sure either will be that great for the US, but I can't bear another 4 years of repbulicans. I just can't.
That said, the Conservatives will likely win here today. I know they will kick ass in my riding, which is why I think there might be a lot of apathy among the youth vote. It is hard to get worked up for a party, when you know they have absolutely no hope of winning. I am not saying that I want the Liberals to win, but I am also not convinced that I want the Conservatives back in power. Don't get me wrong. They have done some really great things the last couple of years, but I find Stephen Harper so ridiculously boring and lacking and charisma that I can't bring myself to listen to him.
Anyhoo, I will do my civic duty, and I will drive into Vulcan and cast my vote. It won't make a difference one way or the other, but at least I will now have the right to bitch if I feel so inclined........... (not that I ever bitch.....) ;)

Happy Turkey Day!!

I love turkey. I love the taste, and I love that it makes me tired. I love the gravy that I drown my mashed potatoes it. But I don't love pumpkin pie. I would much rather have apple, but Thanksgiving is at my MIL's and she and Grant love pumpkin, so I have been outnumbered.

Needless to say, in less than three hours, I will be feasting on turkey and potatoes and veggies. I can't wait.

This turkey is not the one that we will be eating, but rather, the first craft that Avery has ever brought home from school. She did the cutting herself! I knew that letting her scrapbook with me would have great benefits! Anyways, Cohen was in the kitchen yesterday, and was way too quiet, so of course, something had to be up. Well, what he was doing was eating the Cheerios off of Avery's turkey. All hell broke loose and Avery was screaming that Cohen was eating her peacock!!!!!

Fortunately, I had some fruity Cheerios and the yellow ones pass for regular ones... so, a little glue, and our tukey centerpiece is back in business!

I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving, and take time to reflect on what you are truly grateful for. I know I will (in between bites that is....)

Flash of Genius

So Grant and I went on a date last night. A real, live date. Except that we had to drop off his mom's dryclesaning, and she was half an hour late to take care of the kids, so the dinner that we had planned at The Keg, turned into Pizza Hut Express at the theatre.
Anyhoo, we went and saw "Flash of Genius". It is about the guy who invented the intermittent windshield wiper, and how Ford took his idea, and stole his patent. He spend the next 12 years of his life dedicated to getting Ford to admit that the idea was his. He was offered lots of money to drop the lawsuit, but it was never about money for him. His wife left him, and his family was resentful towards him for a while.

Grant was really mad that he didn't take the money and try to rebuild his family. He argued that it isn't about the idea, and that family is what matters. However, I can totally see this guy's point. I kind of know how he feels. I certainly haven't invented anything that is as relevant as a windshield wiper, but I know why he was angry that someone took his idea and passed it off as their own.

A layout that I posted on here and on facebook that was born from the creativity of Haley, Tara and myself didn't get published. But one that looks eerily familiar, and not as creative did. It seems a little suspect that all the things we included on the layout; and not normal embellishmenty type things, ended up on this other one too.

I know that everyone scraplifts. I do. But I don't scraplift an idea, and then pass it off as my own.

Okay. I am really done with that now.

why do I care?

So Grant and I stopped in at a friend's place yesterday afternoon. They had another friend there as well. All of our kids go to preschool together, and the kids have a great time together... but do you have that person who thinks that raising a child is a competition??? We do. So while we were there yesterday, one of the kids had an accident. Happens right? Especially when you are having fun with your friends and don't want to go inside to pee right? (I am talking about three year olds here....) So what did her dad do??? He yelled at her, told her she was a bad girl, ripped off her pants, and chucked her in their truck. He left her in there. Wet legs... and it was cold out. I was in the house when this happened, and Grant came in to get me, and to see if our friends' had a pair of pants for the little girl. The worst part. This family lives across the road from our friends. It would have been so easy to take her home, and clean her up. But no, instead we need to humiliate her in front of her friends, and then leave her shivering in the truck.
I went to the truck and told her that she wasn't a bad girl, that accidents happen, and that she would be okay. Then I told her dad to take her home...
On our way home, Avery said that if she sees this girl have an accident again that she will tell her, "That's okay... accidents happen." I like that she is listening...

I am trying to go on a "hot" date with Grant tonight. We'll see. It seems that whenever we make plans to go out, something else comes up. So tonight, he has booked his mom to come stay with the kids, and we are going to try to do dinner and a movie. (and get groceries.... see what I mean about a "hot" date???!!!) ;)

And I need to get some scrapbooking done. I have a lot of Monday Night Class stuff to accomplish. When will I find the time?
Wish me luck.

what a difference a day makes

when I got home from my parents' yesterday, I was relieved to see that we still had the majority of our leaves on our trees. I love fall, but only the beginning of fall. I don't like it when the leaves find their way to the ground and all that is left are naked branches. Well, the wind blew last night. It blew and blew and blew. Is this a sign that winter isn't too far off?

October Layouts from the weekend.

"Still Crazy After All These Beers" by Kimberly Collis

So Cohen likes beer. Not just any beer, Kokanee. Hmmm, I wonder where he gets that from? He will scrounge through our empty cans and play with just the Kokanee cans. He can distinguish these blue cans from the blue Pepsi cans that fill the bags... Anyhoo, this night he was pretending to pour beer into a glass, and then drink it. Well, as you can see, the result when the beer can and glass were taken away wasn't pretty. The tantrum lasted longer than most. I have such a little diva on my hands.... and who would have ever thought it would be my son?!

"Cousins First, Friends Forever" by Kimberly Collis

After I started the second half of Cohen's first year album, the first album kind of got neglected. There are still a few empty spots waiting for layouts. This is going to fill one of those spots. This is Cohen and his cousin Annika at my cousin's 21st birthday last August, Cohen was six weeks old, and Annika was nine weeks... almost ten. I love that I have a child with a cousin so close in age to him. I envied Nicole and Janelle that when we were growing up. I didn't have cousins exactly my age, and both of them did. I am looking forward to watching them grow up together.

"Rear View" by Kimberly Collis

This layout was one I was looking forward to doing. I love that the paper matches the colors in Cohen's hat perfectly. I also LUHVE the laser cut chipboard arrow. It is so cool.

I'll try another way...

Life in the Fast Lane......

This is a kit that I designed this weekend for Monday Night Class. I was a little leary of the foam signs when Christy gave them to me, but when Amy arrived with the road sign paper by Glitz, I was so inspired. I think it is perfect for a little kid learning to walk, or someone learning to drive...

Needless to say, i am just happy I was able to load a photo!

This weekend

was a blast! I went on a scrapbooking retreat with other Monday Night Class gals. I had a great time. I have known Cindy for just over five years now, but I have never scrapbooked with her. It was nice to just sit at a table and chat and create, and not have to solve too many of the world's problems. And I think Christy feels sorry for me that Tara doesn't want to be my BFF, so Christy stepped in. What a relief that was. Then I had someone to talk to, and no longer had to talk to myself, about myself..... (ha ha ha ha ha)

As for showing off all that I accomplished layout wise, I am struggling with my super duper dial up. It rarely allows me to connect to any or all of the pages I want to so...... you might have to wait, as it will not allow me to add any photos. I HATE DIAL UP.....

As for other things I accomplished this weekend... I walked in the CIBC Run for the Cure for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. I was dreading the day because I didn't think that I would be able to do the 5km in the allotted time... however, I was one of the first on my team to finish, and we were also near the front of the pack (of walkers, that is...) Anyhoo, the great thing about this day was the team I was on raised to most money at our run site! We raised just over $12,000.00 ourselves! What a great day, and what a necessary cause. Thanks to all of you who opened your checkbooks, and wallets, and made a donation to this cause.

It turned out not too badly

So, I was actually dreading taking pictures of the kids today. It was so much easier when Cohen couldn't move. And Avery... well, she is in a class all her own. It takes a lot of coaxing to get her to just look at the camera, let alone produce a nice face for it. So when Grant came home just before lunch, I took advantage of the extra hands. I still wasn't expecting miracles because Cohen was super tired, and we delayed lunch for pictures... priorities right?? ;) but we got pictures and that is all that matters to me!

Needless to say, Grant really did all the work. He was running around behind me, making faces and crazy noises and throwing leaves in the air... and it worked! I got some pictures that are more than good enough for me. I especially love the one of Avery peeking around the tree. She was actually very good today.

I already have paper picked out for these pictures. I actually dressed them according to the paper... is that wrong?? I just got the "All Fall" line from Fancy Pants. I love Fancy Pants. Really love them. And it will be perfect for what I am doing with these. I like it when things work out well.


Wish me luck... i have the 5km run on Sunday. I will walk of course, (but only because my whole team is planning on walking - otherwise I would totally run...) (that was so dripping with sarcasm wasn't it?)


"

I am taking a break....

In one sleep, I will be heading north to leave the kids at my parents' house. I am going to a MNC staff retreaty thing in Delburne. The crappy thing is I won't get there until around supper time on Friday night, and I have to leave early on Sunday morning for the CIBC Run for the Cure. So, in other words, I have a lot to do in a little time. I have packed 28 layouts... is that a little ambitious??? Likely, considering that the most pages I have ever accomplished in a weekend was 18. And that was a long weekend, not an abbreviated one. Oh well, I am going scrapbooking in Blairmore in two weeks, so I will have some fuller (is that a word?) albums by the end of this month.

And, because I think I don't have enough pictures to scrapbook, I am taking the kids out for a fall photo shoot today. They both have orange shirts, and brown pants, so..... autumn leaves, here we come. The ideal photo shoot would include my darling husband, our dog, and myself. But let's face it, that isn't going to happen. So... if the pictures turn out well, I will post them, and I will also post what I accomplish this weekend at the beginning of next week.

Today was the day...

It was Avery's first official day of preschool. She was there alone... without me. And she didn't care. I cried. Seriously... I shed tears. I don't know why. We have an amazing, amazing, amazing teacher, and hopefully the world's best assistant, so it has nothing to do with that. I think I am a little sad that I don't get to know everything that she does all day long.

But she had an awesome day. She found the marble in the sand table, which meant that she got to be the line leader. What a big deal! She has done nothing but talk about how she found the marble, and that it was blue, and that Teacher Carol and Teacher Denise were so proud of her, and that she lead the kids to the "water sink" (water fountain) for drinks, and they followed her outside. The bad thing is that she thinks she gets to be line leader all year. I'm glad I won't be there when she learns the truth..... ;) Anyhoo, I sent her to school looking all cute and matchy matchy, and when I went to pick her up, she looked like she had been in battle. I guess that is a sign of a good time......

I am so glad that she enjoyed her day, and that she can't wait until next week. Neither can I. I kind of like being able to get back to having only one kid, even if it is for only a few hours a week.

So this is the before picture. Before we left the yard, before I started to cry, before she became a mess......

This is her in front of the school. She is making such a goofy face, but in her defense, there were a ton of junior high kids calling out her name and telling her how cute she looked, so I guess she did her best. I think I will take a picture of her in front of this sign every year.....

This is her marching down the hall. (Take note of the Thomas the Tank Engine backpack, and inside that is her Lightning McQueen lunch kit... such a girl ;)... )

So this is the after..... notice the straggled hair, and crazy barrettes. Also notice the "new" pants. Not what she went in. (She told the assistant that she needed to go to the bathroom, but they didn't get there in time.....)

all in all, I think she had a great day........