..this one is for you Katie!

So I completely went out of my box on this one and wanted to do a vintage shabby like layout. It definitely took me some time to do, but in my defence there was lots of prep to do. For starters the playing card had to be aged..not an easy task since it had a gloss to it. I still have to be careful or my finger will leave a print on it by taking off some of the distress ink. I used grunge board for my title and found it turned out like an embossed leather after playing with different inks. The hinge and key are also made of the grungeboard. I received a sheet of store ledger in a vintage swap I was in and knew I had to use it since the surname on one of the customers is Adams(and this is my grandparents Surname)so I knew it was just for this page.Of course all my papers were distressed, crumbled, inked and sanded. The larger flowers are hand cut out from a pattern paper and then I curled and inked the edges to give more dimension, I cut out some of the stamen so they stick up somewhat and then I inked some prima stamen and inserted in the middle. I inked the leaves and they had wire in them so that they could be shaped and lifted from the page. I used a rusted tag(one of my first sb purchases years ago) and added the key, tag and pin. The centre of the biggest flower is of a vintage earring. I love the colour of the beads. Of course I had to add a wee bit of bling swirls also. I really enjoyed playing withthis, but I do believe my next layout will be more simple...this one took me 2 afternoons to do:) I do hope the title makes sense...in the thesauras it did say that kindred was same as family...I know you can say Kin, but to me that sounded to backwoods..lol..so I went with the entire form of kindred. I do hope you can click on the photo to see it larger for the details. I find it is a hit and miss when I put phots up on here..sometimes I can see the larger version and then other times not..hmmm..perhaps it is my computer...hopefully that is the case:) Enjoy..ps Katie..how did I do...did I nail the BG style somewhat;)

a creation.....tagged...& what not.....

So today was a snow day...has any one seen my mind, I lost it about..oh...at least 6 hrs ago...and to make it all worst, tommorrow is a pd day...who the heck makes a Thursday a pd day, I mean really. Thankfully John brought home all his work to work from home tommorrow, so we can tag team the parenting..lol. I actually did manage to do a layout..which I must admit was inspired by a good ol' web search...I will not say scraplift because once you start it really becomes one own..kwim...you see a layout and take bits and pieces of how the layout is arranged(ie photo placement and such) and then you add your own style. I reallt love the clean lines of it, and really think I will do this type of layout again...here it is...I used a bunch of manufacturers on this one..love elsie, 7 gypsies, making memories, heidi swapp, scenic route and a few goodies I received from a vintage swap I participated in. Talk about an old photo too huh...I really need to load up my ps and some of my photos from the external drive back on my machine so that I can do some editing and print off some new photos..I have not done this since oh..September...

So my loveable friend Katie has tagged me on her blog. The purpose of the tag is to go into your pictures folder, go into the 6th folder and pick out the 6th picture there and then give the story about it. So here I go..here is my photo:

So this is a real oldie:) It is taken in August of 2005 at the civilization museum in Hull. It is of Abigail(look how tiny she is...wow) anf her cousin Ronnie as they play a giant game of snakes and ladders. You can see John in the background kneeling by a bench..he is trying to call a bunny to him(what an awesome memory huh) So now I must tag someone, to do the same..I am tagging whoever reads this post...and let me know in the comments that you intend to do this so that I can go check out your blog;)

As for what nots....I am trying to figure out what to make on a cold snowy day like today for dinner. I am leaning towards warming up the homemade turkey soup and perhaps making sandwiches..we will have to see what the census is on that one:) I am hoping to work on another layout also tonight..I want to do a vintage shabby look..not too sure if I will be pullling it off..but I just feel like doing something different. That or I may just grab a glass of wine and warm up with a good book and hot bubble bath..we will see what wins out later.

"because"

so this is the second word for the ABC a year in the life art journal. I finished up this journal entry a few days ago, but just got around to taking a photo of it. Not totally in love with this one, but I had a chance to play with different mediums. So here it is....











Now I also have one more photo to post. Now how cute is this....Last night the two of them cuddled up on the couch with me. Sorry the phot is not the greatest..I prefered no flash, because the ones with the flash just washed out their colours:)

Today I am hoping to maybe scrapbook a bit. It has been one heck of a morning in our house today and I think I need the "me" time. But first I must do a wee bit more housework..ick..I swear it is never ending...before I can go off an play.

Oh I forgot to add that I have started the process of lighteneing my hair. Presently it is more of a light brown/dark blonde with copper tones to it. I could not lighten too much due to how dark I was to start..I did not want to fry my hair completely. I will add more blonde highlights in a month and half or so.

a little home decor

So I was inspired with the first project posted on the project 52 blog and thought this was the perfect time to try and do my framed art piece I was wanting to do months ago. It is very whimsical and I was just not too sure if I liked it in family room above the fireplace. But as I have seen it throughout the day it is kind of growing on me:) So I started with putting my word art wall phrase onot the glass of the frame. I then use various pattern papers, chipboard, crackle paint and acrylic paints, rhinestone swirls for chimney smoke, fabric for the curtains in the windows, coffee filters dyed with alcohol inks for the tree and some buttons, brads and acrylic shape(the bird) to embellish. So without further ado....here is my work.....

truly signs that we are in the tech age

So I have heard this come out of Hadley's mouth before but forgot to document it in any way. We drove Ab to school today due to it being once again frigid, and on our way home I figured I should check the mail since no one has done it yet this week. Well as we are coming into the house Hadley states to me..mom did you get e-mail...lol... any mail is e-mail to her. I had to explain to her how e-mail only comes through the computer and all the paper stuff that we get down the street is just called e-mail. I am sure in the not too long of a future, e-mail will be the only mail she will deal with...I mean most of our bills and such come that way already. Most mail these days is junk mail with the cheques that come once a month(have not gotten around to doing direct deposit..lol) and the occassional parcel.

a year of Art

I have become aware that this just may be the year of art for me:) I have just finished surfing the blogs of Pam Garrison and Rebecca Sower, and I am in love. I love all the collage"y" stuff they do with all the fabric and notions and such. Everything looks so tactile with all the textures! It is really funny how I love the look of all the shabby chic stuff yet I do not incorporate that into my home..lol...Maybe I will try and change that...at least a wee bit. We will see.
I am procrascinating big time today. I had a nice little visit with one of my neighbours sister(she is house sitting her house this week, so I told her to come over whenever)and now I should really be getting some well needed house cleaning done. I will get to it eventually. Perhaps if I vaccum and do a little laundry then it will be okay to take a break and maybe create a little something fun:)

Hadley had her first dentist cleaning yesterday(we forgot her appointment, but they were able to get us in later in the afternoon). They were shocked how well she was during it. Another big milestone for her is that she can skate all on her own without any help from a chair or us. She is a real natural to it. Ab is all excited because she gets to do an announcement in the morning at school on the PA system in regards to some book making club she is in. I love to see the excitement come over her face and hear it as she talks about doing it.

preserving myself....

...no I am not going to do plastic surgery or anything of the likes(mind you if I had the cash I would seriously think about it..lol). What I mean by preserve myself is this....I am going to try my best to take a self-portrait every week of this year. I have just come to realize that I have plenty of photo's of the girls and John, yet very little of me since i am usually the one behind the lense..heck I think there are more pictures of the dog and cat, then me. I am not too sure I will be able to keep up weekly, but even if I come out with just one photo a month I would be happy. I think I would also like to try and do some more family portraits instead of just doing the once a year ones at christmas..now I just have to work on ABigail behaving. I took at well over 100 this year..with really no suitable ones due to Ab's posture or looks...ugh...she is definitley getting that pre-teen attitude...just check out our family pic

Now back to the subject of me..lol..no I am not high on myself I just need a few opinions. I am looking foro a change and what easier way to receive an immediate one is through that of haircolour:) I am considering going blonde..not the bleach blonde..but more of the dirtyégolden type with perhaps some caramel like highlights throughout. What does one think....I am tired of the darker colour...I believe John is for it because he says..what will it hurt...it will grow out eventually..so I definitely took it as a yes....spew the opinions out guys...I am going to make an appointment for the end of the month.

Now onto proud mommy moment. Saturday marked the day of activites once again started including the dreaded gymnastics for Hadley. Now I say dreaded because past classes consisted of her not listening and me chasing after her. Well on Saturday she listened and did every activity to the tee...it was the most stress fee wonderful class yet. Crossing fingers that it stays that way. On Sunday we spent a family day together and part of that included skating. It was the 3rd time ever that Hadley was on her skates(once last year..which did not last very long, and again this year which was short due to the cold) Well we gave her a little chair to push along which she did effortlessly and quite fast I might add. Well the little neighbour next door was trying to give her instructions(he is 4) on how to do it on her own and then Ab went and took her hand to help her sans chair...well by the end of our skating adventure she was off skating with no help from anyone. Of course she had a few falls but she actually kept her balance quite well(hmm..wii balance board must be working:) ). Ab is all excited about being able to go to Carelton U with her basketball to watch another game and then later on again go to practice with them and be able to swim at the pool. SHe is most excited about the high diving towers.

Well I blabbed enough, I should really go do some housework..I made it a small task of putting all laundry away and cleaning the girls bathroom..then hopefully we will head out to the library. I found a new writer I want to try and read..she does the vamp books also and it says the library carries some of her work...yeaaaaaaaaaa...:)

twitter, patter..I do believe I am in love....

...with the entire process of doing a life journal. I finished my first entry of my journal by using the word prompt "action". I felt so free as I just did whatever came out of me. I felt no restrictions whatsoever during the entire process, and absolutely love my end result. I am not sure I could actually apply this concept into my scrapbooking layouts(still a pretty linear scrapper...but who knows this could change me). I had such a hard time when I painted my first art media canvases, but I think after a few of these journal entries, I may have a less stressful time at trying to create and just let whatever come to me. I am not really putting a purpose or big meaning into my journal right now, but perhaps as time goes by things may change. For now I am just trying get out of my restrictive ways and "just create". So here is my journal entry #1

life art journal....

So in the fall I mentioned on how I wanted to get my hands dirty and try out the whole art journal thing. Well I came across this blog(http://oneyearartjournal.blogspot.com/) where they will have a word(alphabetical) prompt twice a month for the entire year. Tonight I found a book(on the blog she is using playing cards, but I chose to do a larger journal book..more room to play with) and did up the outside of it. I had a blast just playing. The first word prompt for the year is ACTION. I hope to try and do that tommorrow. I really hope that I can follow through with this...I figure this will not be too time consuming. So here is my journal cover. I painted, inked, stamped, used oil pastels, rub -ons, book pages, stickers...etc.

drum roll please......

okay people....I have finally did..I created a layout...woohoo. It was about freaking time I tell you. Problem now is though I have created this one and now want to do another. Thing is I cannot do that because I actually have to do "mommy" duties and feed my kids dinner and then drive Ab to her guides...and I probably should put that laundry away that I did not get to yet...but hey I once again did the driveway, and that so makes up for the neglected duties inside:) I think that John will have to give me an evening to myself tommorrow to create which means he makes dinner..the least he could do right.

So with this layout I grabbed an old photo(since I have no ink to print out any photos) and opened up the new Scenic ROute I received just before christmas(the suprise line). Unfortunately you really cannot see it to well on the photo, but I dry embossed a frame around the photo area of the layout and then machine stitched around that. I did a bit of hancutting of the candles and birthday hat. Everything is Scenic Route on the layout except for the rub-ons(American Crafts) and the few jems.

holy snow batman!!!!

O.k. So it is not one of the biggest dumps of snow that we have seen. But it is a big enough one for me, especially when it is I that is cleaning out the driveway the old fashioned way. Nice time for John to pick to go away for work. I believe there should be a rule in the house that he is not allowed to leave on work trips during the winter months:) I spent an hour and a half out there last night shoveling and discovered this morning that the driveway is yet again beckoning me. I will need to clean it out so that I can take Ab and her friend to guides this evening. John told me to leave it, but then Ab would not be going to guides and what if there was an emergency and I had to get outside. I am really not complaining too much though, because I know it is giving me a work out.

Now onto another issue..kids can be so darn cruel. Unfortunately Ab is finding that out. There were 2 sisters that moved in down the street(9 and 10) and before their house was built they would play with Ab while their parents were doing whatever at the house. Now that they moved in they played with Ab a "wee" bit, but now totally blowing her off. They are with their neighbour all the time, an older girl(12/13). When Ab has called they tend to blow her off or say they cannot play and then you see them with the neighbour. We were outside last night shovelling and of course the 3 were outside and did not acknowledge Ab at all or ask if she would like to play. Hadley kept on yelling "Hi girls" and they just looked away. Man I wanted to ring their necks...LOL...It is so hard to explain to Ab that not everyone is going to like you and want to be friends, but she is just so sociable and always seemed to never have problems playing with new kids that this is really hard on her. I think it is hard too because with moving in a neighbourhood with other kids she thought she would always have someone to do something with. As a parent you just hate to see your child hurt, but you also know that this happens in life..but still I want to protect my baby.

On a creative note..I swear I am going to go scrap very shortly. I have been browsing some of my fave galleries and they are inspiring me. I know that my room still needs organizing/cleaning, but that can wait:) I nedd to scrap, it has been way to long! Probably 2 months(ouch!!!!) So today my day will go like this: scrap, shovel, lunch, shower, putting away laundry, scrap a wee bit more, dinner and off to guides. Let's just hope once I sit at my desk I still feel the creativity:)

First day of 2009....

...snow day that is. I awoke this morning to find out that buses are cancelled. I would really have loved to take Ab to school today, but then it would mean I would have to go out later in the afternoon, and if we get the snow predicted I would have to have the driveway shoveled to try and get out. Plus knowing how well they plow our street, it would be an absolute mess getting out of here. Why is it we have to have a snowstorm when John is away. At least I do not have to go out anywhere till tommorrow night(guides) so I have agood day to work at the snow in the driveway(once it stops of course). So I am crossing fingers that there are little fights in the house today.

I started cleaning up my studio yesterday and finished recovering my little bulletin board. I started to rearrange and organize some of my supplies also. With just being in my room and going through things, my heart is yearning to get into some scrapping. I really need to go and get some photos printed out. Perhaps I will just grab some really old ones and play with them.

I hope to share some holiday photos soon, but first I need to get my photoshop installed so that I can make a little mosaic of photos. Have a great day my lovelies!!

...crazy day

well I did not get too much accomplished that I planned on doing today. I got a phone call from my grandmother telling me she had chest pain radiating to her jaw and arm which started last night. I told her to call 911 to get to the hospital right away. I had to explain to her that I did not want to be driving her and then god forbid something happen while en route. I told her the EMS could start protocol with her asap and start monitoring her. Then off I go grabbing Hadley and putting a sweatshirt over my p.j.'s and driving like a mad woman to get over to her place. I get there and she was worried about getting her bills paid, so I got all necessary documents in hopes of doing her banking. The EMS took vitals, asked questions and off they went to the hospital and I quickly locked up and headed home to get dressed. Thankfully my mom and dad headed out to the ER since me towing a 3 yr old along was not an ideal situation. Well thankfully it turned out just to be her angina which I am sure is being brought on with the stress of my grandfather being in the hospital and awaiting placement, and she was home in the late afternoon. This was not the only emergency of the day though. After doing some reading with Hadley I go to get up and see blood everywhere on the wood floors. I immediately run to the cat since he just strolled into the room. Quick inspection shows nothing. I ask Had if she is bleeding with her quickly responding no...so who else could it be then the dog. I run to Celia and start assessing. Sure enough she has blood all over her legs and on closer evaluation, her hind paw was completely satuated with blood. Some how she split her nail several times way down and past the quick..thus all the blood. So once again the adrenaline is pumping hard and I am off to stop the bleeding and clean up the area to get a close look. At a loss as to what I should do, I call the vet and ask if putting a dressing over her paw will surfice(since I did not want the nail to catch and tear anymore) She agreeded with the dressing and told me to watch out for infection and keep the wound dry(which means I will be trying to bag her foot everytime she goes out) SO far things are okay. She tried to tear at the tape at first, but now has seemed to let it be. Which is a good thing because if she did not leave it alone we would have had to get one of those cones for her head. So hopefully things should heal up within the next few days. Now amongst all this chaos I did sart to be creative and started to cover a bullentin board with houndstooth fabric for my studio, and also planned out what I want to do for a scrap like home decor project. Maybe by the end of this week I will get these done.

On a really great note, I am getting some goodies from Scenic route sent to me because of the mix up with the broker charges. And another Sherrilyn Kenyon book came in today for me at the library...which is perfect timing since John will be away. I cannot wait to break into it:)

I went through all my photo's from over christmas(which are very little) and most are either blurry, I must of had no flash on or the wrong setting and then all the pics from the gingerbread house just were black..not to sure what happened there. On our way home from Windsor last week we had slow traffic due to the soldiers coming into Toronto from Trenton. I must say it was quite a sight to see at every overpass, so of course my camera came out and suprisingly the photos came out not too bad. I also got some photos of the procession with the many vehicles that make the trip down the highway of heroes. I really think I would like to do some sort of tribute page. Some day perhaps.

Oh...and may I just say...oowww..my body is so feeling the aftermath of the Wii Fit. My muscles definitely got a work out. Crossing my fingers that I keep up with the training.

.....just some ramblings:)

So here are just a few more photo's from our New Year's eve celebration at Moxie's in Kanata(I think this is my fave one yet. We were also lucky to occupy the entire corner of the bar which was kind of up on a little platform..it was really nice near midnight where we had lots of room to move and dance and when you looked below the entire bar was cramped) So here is a pick of some of us girls Dawn, myself Michelle and Lisa

and then our significant others Rob, John, Kevin and Jamie
and this is a group shot of us all..you can see our area where we were all standing(it was L shapped) and then the bar down below behind all the balloons.

So now the holidays are officially over. We went to our last dinner last night, and today I took down the tree and all the decorations. The house now looks so bare:( School starts tommorrow. I am not really looking forward to this week. Tommorrow should not be too bad, but come Tuesday I am sure I will have a heck of a time getting Ab out to school. The worst thing is John goes away to Edmonton this week for work so I will be all on my own for a few days. My plans for tommorrow will be to get my studio cleaned and then a scrapping I will go!!! I got a whole wack of stuff just before the holidays and I am itching to break into it all.

Well off I go for now..I am going to try and get a few minutes on the wii fit. The girls have been hogging it all day. I have a feeling the only time I will be able to get on it without someone wanting to play also is to either do it in the early morning or late evening....and right now I have big problems getting up when the sun is not even up yet..I cannot wait till the days start getting a wee bit longer.

hello 2009!

Well another year has come to a close. The holidays are slowly coming to an end with much relief. I have found them to be very tiring this year and was thankful to have a day to just veg out. Christmas day was tiring but suprisingly relaxing. Santa was good to all and now we are the proud owners of a Wii. This afternoon we got to try out the Wii Fit(wow...it is interesting..mind you I am not to keen on how I rank with the fit test....looks like I will definitely be trying to shed some pounds in the new year) and compete a bit in some bowling:) On boxing day we headed on down to Cottam to suprise John's parents and spent a few days there. They actually had snow when we got there but by Sat it was all melted from the rain and can you believe they had a humidex that day. It was in the low teens. It was a definite shocker to come back home on Tuesday to the frigid temps. John and I headed out to Moxies with our neighbours and a bunch of their friends. It was a very nice time, but I was extremely tired and a little uncomfy fiting in my dress(seems I may have indulged a wee to much over the holidays). So without further ado Katie..here is a shot of me in my dress...I may have a full length shot later on(just waiting for everyone to load up their pics so I can grab them...I took not a one photo..bad me).

Well wishing all a happy new year....now I must go rest a wee bit more;0