An Afternoon With The Kitchens.....

Tara called yesterday and asked if I wanted to take their family pictures for free..... and of course I said yes. And of course she said she would bring lunch, and of course she did. And so I took these pictures of their family.... and despite JD's cold head, we got some we can work with! I was pretty excited to be able to get these considering the wind storm we had last night. I am surprised we still had any leaves left, but we did, and this is what we got!

Thanks for the afternoon Kitchen Crew......

10 Random little things that make me happy

It really is the little things isn't it? The things that don't affect our day to day on a major basis, but when we see, or touch, or eat them.... things just get better. These are ten of those little things that I love.....

1. I really love uneven pages in novels. I have no idea why. I just love that the book is presented in a different way. They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but I think you can judge a book by the kind of pages it is printed on...... JK2. I love antibiotics. I am not a druggy or anything.... but when you wake up with a kidney infection, and are expected to sub, drugs are a good thing.
3. Google. Seriously.....remember when the world wasn't at our fingertips????? Google has settled several arguments and discussions around this place. Let me tell you.4. Clean sheets. Why oh why do they feel so good?5. Sunflowers. They aren't my favorite flower. But can you look at a bunch of sunflowers and NOT smile? I doubt it. (unless you have a cold dead heart... then maybe you can ;)6. Watching my kids hug each other. They do it every night before bed. It is so cute. I love it.7. Vacuum cleaner lines in my carpet. You would think if I loved these so much, I would do it more.... but not so much. I feel that you can get too much of a good thing......8. Texting. I am not good at it. I can't text at mach speed. But I love that I can send a quick message off, get one back, and then can leave it at that......
9. Double sided paper. I get a little high whenever I turn a piece of patterned paper over, and see that there is a surprise on the other side for me! It is like I am putting one over on the paper company. Stupid, considering they put the double sided paper out... but I still think I am getting a great deal!
10. Unexpected money. I won the photo contest! School picture orders were much better than I thought, I had five kits go up..... this all adds up to a new lens for Kimmy.... yay!!!!

I Won! Yay Me!

I got a call yesterday from the Nine in a Line Creative Arts Society in Vulcan..... I won the grand prize in the Visions of Vulcan photo contest! It is a photo contest where all of the participants get a disposable camera, and then have the day to take pictures in and around Vulcan. The best part...... it is a $500 cash prize! I have already spent it ten times over..... I want a new lens for my camera, I need a new computer, I could always do with some new scrapbooking stuff...... what to do, what to do....

MME Blog Challenge.... again.

The MME Challenge this month was to create a layout based on the U2 lyrics, "Every generation gets a chance to change the world."
I immediately thought it should be a layout about being better for our planet. I have become very vigilant about recycling. Two years ago, my New Year's Resolution was to do something green every month. We have become very diligent about making sure not to throw away anything we can take to the recycling center in Champion.
I also have been known to save stuff that they don't take and will take it with me to my sister's house in Calgary. Nothing like curbside recycling.
Anyhoo, this is my submission. I also used a variety of different MME lines.... everything on this page with the exception of the background page was from my scrap bin... saweet!

Sneak Peek.... Page Map Concept Class

I am teaching a class at Sheep River Scrapbook Co. in October. It is kind of a cool concept. Three 12x12 double layouts, one is copied from the Becky Fleck Page Maps Sketch book, one is a layout that has changes from the original sketch, and the third is inspired by a sketch. These peaks are from the changed layout. I took an 8 1/2 x 11 double layout, and turned it into a 12x12 layout.
This layout uses the Basic Grey June Bug line, tons of Kaiser bling, and some awesome felt stickers...... I mean.... Thickers. ;)

10 Random thoughts that are seriously on my mind at the moment....

My brain never stops. I wish it did. If it did, maybe I could sleep more, or better for that matter. Maybe I could focus on one task at a time. Case in point: it isn't abnormal for me to get up in the middle of supper so I can start cleaning up. I will tidy a few things, and then finish my meal. So, here are 10 of the million things on my mind at the moment...
1. My scrapbook room is freaking clean! (It should be... I just spent four hours cleaning and reorganizing it...)

2. I am so happy Grant finished harvest yesterday.... as the rain is now pouring from the skies.

3. I wonder how much longer Grant and the kids will be at his mom's. I want to get the living room and our bedroom cleaned before they get back.

4. So get your ass off the computer and go and clean those rooms.

5. I am not ready for Grant to go back to work, but our bank account is.

6. I have a really cool idea in mind for a harvest kit for Monday Night Class.... I just need to get to town.

7. Maybe now that I am not aching, freezing, and hacking constantly anymore, I actually can leave the house and go to town.

8. I always used to snicker at the people who would drop off film, and then say they didn't need it for a week, because they wouldn't be back to town until then..... now I am one of them.

9. I should really get that baby gift for Sloane wrapped.... by tomorrow. Seriously. Wrap it.

10. I am going to go put my Viva La Vida back on and dust and vacuum and clean this damn house.......

peace.

Layout #109 Farmer John MNC Kit

I have had this MNC Kit for almost a year. It has been sitting around waiting for some kick ass farming pictures. Unfortunately, Grant is usually taking the pictures, and they aren't kick ass. That said, these aren't either, but I wasn't sure how much time I would have to get harvest pictures takes because it has been such a funny year. So, whatever. Grant likes the layout, and I have something in my album that isn't just my kids! Yay me!

Layout #108 - Jillibean Soup

Haley just got a bunch of Jillibean Soup stuff in, and I loved it all! So cute. I really like their journaling sprouts. They are the perfect size... and they are just cute as embellishments. So this was Avery's school picture, and I love how everything went so well together. And even though it is new stuff, I also used an old Maya Road chipboard tree, and the cardstock was also in my stash....
TFL!

A MNC Kit i just finished

My kit roll stalled recently, and I don't know why. It could just be the chaos of the end of summer, start of school, continuation of harvest..... who knows really, but I finished this kit the other day, and finished all of the paper work for it last night! The paper is Bo Bunny and is intended for dirt and bugs and outdoorsy stuff, but, I loved all of the stars.... so I changed it up a bit.
TFL!

10 Randoms.... to do list for the next three days.

Grant finished combining at our place today..... Thank God! All that he has left is a quarter section of custom stuff left to do, and it still needs to sit for a couple of days. The timing couldn't be better because the next three days are going to be INSANE around here. Crazy insane

So, in an attempt to keep me organized, I thought I would make a list of what I have to do starting tomorrow morning.

1. Take morning preschool pictures
2. Make sure my Powerpoint presentation will work at the school - come home (and hopefully not have to do any major correcting on the presentation..... fingers crossed)
3. Pick up Gilbert and take him and Avery to preschool
4. Take afternoon preschool pictures - come home (I have to include this... just in case I forget!)
5. Make supper - something that isn't messy so we aren't a disaster for dance class
6. Go to first dance class of the year - drop Avery off at home, and take off again
7. Go to SU! club - all of this is Monday btw
8. Take Avery to the school Tuesday morning to do Nut Aware presentations for the students
9. Return to the school on Tuesday evening to present Nut Aware presentation for Parent Council
10. Get preschool pictures proofed so I can return them to the school on Wednesday - this will be the killer
11. Take Avery and Gilbert to preschool on Wednesday
12. Sub Wednesday afternoon - remember to pick up Avery and Gil after preschool (again, I need to include this so I don't forget... I am very likely too)
13. TAKE A BREAK!

I really can't believe that I have all of this to do in the next few days. I also need to get the MNC newsletter out, as well as write up the instructions for a new kit I finished the other day......
I think there is a chance I might have bit off a little more than I can chew. And of course I left out all of the other daily grind shit that I will also feel stressed out about if it doesn't get done.
Argh

I Got In!!!!!!!!!!

Yahoo! I have secured a spot in the SRSCo Weekend to Unwind!!!!! Yay! I can't wait to spend the weekend with Trisha Ladouceur.......I am sure she will be just as excited.
If you want a spot, check out Haley's blog here for information on how to sign up!!!! Yay!

Layout #107

I think this might be my favorite picture of Avery. I love that she is puckering up to the dressing room mirror..... Sooooo cute. I was working on this layout the other day when Catherine was here, and I was complaining about a spot on the page that I thought needed to be filled, and she suggested that I load up Avery's lips and have her kiss the page on that spot..... what a cool idea! So, I did! If you look to the right of the metal tag, you will see the kiss mark. That Catherine.... she is so smart.

I am so sad that summer is over

And how do I know this??? Well, for one, the spray park is closed. We had so much fun there this summer. It really wasn't hard to call up a friend and convince them to spend the day there. I love that both of my kids can run around there, and I really don't have to worry too much about them... until Cohen remembers about the gate that is. But, it is nice to know there is still a place in this world where my kids can run, and play, and splash, and the scariest thing there is possibly falling and scraping a knee. When was the last time you could say that about the world and letting your kids run free in it.
I also know summer is really over because Avery has her first official day of preschool today. Yep... twice a week she will be gone. Part of me is excited, most of me is sad. This means that next year it is kindergarten.... and then.... omg... four days a week she will be up and at 'em, on the bus, and gone for hours.... I don't know if I am ready for that or not.....

Layout #105

I think my kids are pretty cute... seriously who doesn't think theirs are? But I have to admit that this is one of the uglier pictures of Cohen. For a while he would crunch up his face and make a funny snorting sound. However, on this particular day, I was encouraging this because I really wanted him to show off his fang tooth that he recently got by crashing his face onto Grant's knee....
Old stuff? The MME line was here for a couple of months, the journaling tickets, the journaling page was from a PDQ booklet I won, and the title are old Thickers. Gotta love Thickers.
TFL!

10 Randoms.... stuff I will be watching (pvr-ing) this fall

Carol just posted the shows that she is excited about for this fall, and I thought that would be a great random list for me.... so these are some of the shows that I am excited about for the fall season. (I will likely drop a bunch after a couple of weeks, but I want to give them all a chance).

1. The Amazing Race - I love this show. I want to be on this show. I would never survive this show.

2. The Office - I was worried when Haley said the show wasn't returning. Praise the Lord! It will be back!
3. Brother and Sisters - This is one of my favorite all time shows. Love it.
4. Grey's Anatomy - Yet another show that I love love love.... I can't wait. Except that I will really miss George.......
5. Desperate Housewives - I love Sundays! I love the whole night. Such a good TV night.
6. Parks and Recreation - This was such a good show. I loved it. I laughed and laughed. And almost peed a little.
And the new shows that I am looking forward to are:
7. Modern Family - This looks hilarious.
8. Glee - loved the pilot. I think I know some of those kids from my high school! ;)
9. Community - I think I want to watch this just because I went to LCC for a semester. I think it will bring back horrible memories. And I have heard that Chevy Chase is funny.......

10. Cougar Town - mostly because I am getting to the cougar age, and I also love Courtney Cox. A no brainer.

Surprise!

Mom recently retired from 37 years of nursing, and the day came and went with little fanfare. Janelle was getting married, and we were all caught up in the gong show that is planning a wedding. So, when we were unable to get a family picture at Jani's wedding (because Grant wasn't there... and i didn't really want a family picture with wedding dresses in it, and our outfits didn't match) I was happy that we were able to throw together a day in September where we could all make it to Rimbey, and finally get a professional family portrait taken. (In the last one, Nicole had a mullet, Jani had a bowl cut, and I was wearing a belt as a scarf...)
While we were braving the elements including rain, and gale force winds, people were gathering at our house to surprise mom. However, because of the weather, the pictures (that I thought would take at least an hour) were wrapped up in 30 minutes (the perks of having two photographers), and then we needed to stall for 45 minutes.
I was sure that mom knew something was up. There were three different types of dips in the fridge, a cooler of beer in the garage, and a lot of sneaking around her all day. I really thought the kicker was when Dad insisted that we go and check his crops before going back home for pie and ice cream. Seriously??? Who, besides Grant would care about Dad's crops? Anyhoo, she had NO clue.... none. She walked into the house, everyone yelled surprise, and she said, "What is this for?" Your retirement silly.

she can't wait

Avery has recently found some maternal instinct. She still thinks she is a race car, but she is also often playing dolls, and tucking them in. So, when my sister Nicole had a baby, Avery couldn't wait to hold her, and "babysit" her (which involves watching Nadia to make sure she doesn't roll over so Nicole can go to the bathroom.....). Nadia is the first baby that Avery has shown this kind of interest in, and I know that when she gets a little older, she will make a great babysitter.

Avery's Second First Day of Preschool

This is Avery's second year of preschool. Last year she was a part of the three year old group, went once afternoon a week, and loved every minute of it. This year, she is part of the four year old group, there are three new kids in the class, and they are all boys! (This is good for John an Gilbert, as they were overrun last year!) She will go two afternoons a week this year, and I am not sure how excited I am about all of that. That is a lot of driving...... so hopefully Arren and I will be able to work something out where we take turns driving or something. yuck.

As for the picture, I didn't realize that my ISO was set on 1600 (WTH???) and this picture is grainy, grainy, grainy. I also didn't realize that digital ISO is so accurate to film ISO. Seriously?? Grainy? Whatever. I am likely going to take a better picture next week. What else do I have to scrapbook???

Layout #104

This is my first 12x18. Haley always does them, and does them well, so I thought I would give it a go. I struggled with the leftover six inches. If it isn't square.... I don't know what to do.
Anyhoo, I used up some old Fancy Pants paper, embellishments, and ribbon! I love doing this album for Jani, I will get rid of so much stuff! Yay me!
tfl!

Layout #103

A while back my friends Amy, Arren, Catherine and I went to Lethbridge for dinner and a movie. Movie turned into tattoos..... and I took a ton of pictures. I was happy to fit them all on one layout, and I was also thrilled that the new MME paper had a bit of an Asian twist to their line. It worked really well with the asian inspired meal we had.

anyhoo, the picture isn't the best, i took it kind of crooked, and it didn't line up..... but you get the idea!
TFL!!!
K