Family Day at Winterlude

On Monday we were asked to join our neighbours and some friends to go over to Jacques Cartier Park to partake in the Winterlude festivities for Family Day. I must have been delerious from my sleep deprived weekend...because I went. Just me and the two girls(insert what was I thinking..lol) We got all packed up to go, I got out the 'ol GPS and put in my coordinates, feeling pretty confident that I could drive there no problem because of it. WRONG! After yelling the umpteenth time to the girls I finally got onto the highway...and then it started. The GPS tells me the battery is low...I think that is ok.. it should have enough juice to get me there, and once I got there, I should be able to get home no problem...right....WRONG! So I take the Nicholas exit like it says(let me insert I only somewhat familiar with going down Elgin...oh and I really stress out when I go downtown..lol) So I get off the exit, and then it tells me I have reached my destination....WHAT..OH NO...what to do. I see signs for Gatineau and I fallow them. Well that takes me over the King Edward bridge which turns right into Highway on the Quebec side. Whats the problem you may ask...I have no freaking clue as to what exit I have to take to get to the park from there. So I take the first one, and then I finally come across a road name I recognise. And now the cruising begins...trying to find a spot to park. I circled block after block, came across the neighbours walking by me(thank god I found them..but I still have to find a parking spot) circle one more time and then finally get into a very cramped parking lot (I am driving a van which really feels like a tank..lol)which is all ice(no snow tires on meaning no traction..lol) and quickly get out of the van and kiss the ground that lil ol me made it there..phew...SO we catch up with everyone in the park and we advance to the slides. There was a crowd, but thankfully the lines moved at an ok pace. We indulged in some beaver tails and maple taffy, and took in the snow sculptures. All in all it was a fun time with beautiful weather. Then it was time to go. I went to turn on the GPS and..UH OH..it is completely dead. I think to myself, that is ok...I can do this. I exit the parking lot and then it begins..the roads are blocked off and I am wanting to go where the roads are blocked off because that is the way I knew from going to the museum...try to find an alternate way to get there...damn one ways...I can't. So my only solution is to go towards the way I came in..starting to sweat a wee bit...FINALLY a sign pointing to Ottawa..HOORAY!!!! I make my way to it and after merging in with a bunch of crazy drivers I made it onto the highway and back towards the bridge...phew...Now I have the mind frame that I can drive anywhere...LOL...So here are a few snapshots of the day...I saw a bunch of people using this polaroid program lately and thought I would give it a go...what fun!!!

MMMMMmmmm...Beavertails

what a bunch of goofballs




US GIRLS!!

the drive home

passed out..just how I like them ;)

What a weekend!

I have finally had a chance to get away from all my every day stresses to just relax and have no one to worry about but myself. With that, this has been one of my most productive weekends away when it comes to creating. I was able to create 8 layouts and 2 "family" bracelets(it has each of our birthstone colours in swarvoski crystals) to bring home to my girls for valentines day. I probably could have done a bit more in the layouts department, but I pretty much goofed off on Friday night and did alot of surfing online and trying to take in the olympics opening ceremonies, and then also indulged in a relaxing swim on Saturday. I had a GREAT time, even though I now have a sore tummy..and feel like exploding all thanks to the gourmet food served(can you hear the sarcasm pooring out..lol) and am defintely a wee bit tired...10 hrs sleep in those 2 days..ugh...who needs sleep really..LOL...All that mattered that I was with great company...right.
SO here are my masterpieces ;) FOr some reason some of my layouts are loading sideways...and cannot for the life of me figure out how to fix them around...they are the right way on my computer...grrr....oh well...just move your head to the side and you will get the gist of them! I tell you, if I was not so darm tired, and the fact my scrapping bag is still in the car, I would still be scrapping..lol. Oh I forgot to add...I came home to a homemade chinnese food dinner, dozen red roses, and a baskin robbins ice cream cake....life is pretty good!

(love this pic of the girls)

(the girls bracelets...picture does not justice..they are so sparkly IRL)

(this lo still needs some jounal strips which I will add over the "T")

(this was a challenge Mell and I did using the same products in a kit)

(this is one of my fave lo's I did this weekend)

Ramblings.....

Well nothing creattive to note in this blog post. It has been pretty busy. I am getting away this weekend and hope to have many creative pages to post early next week! This past week has been very exhausting in the motherhood department. As they get older, they definitely give you a run for your money. Yesterday made me feeling like a very inadequate mother. Ab ended up doing some really stupid things, and I had no idea it was even going on. I always thought that I had a hand on things and knew what she was up to...well she hid it well..ugh...Let's just say she has lost a mnay priviledges for quite a few weeks. I said if things do not change, she will not be heading to Florida with the rest of the family. I will have someone stay with her! I think I gained a good 50 more grey hairs just from her. I hate the attitude that they get once they hit the preteens. Of course Hadley has also been testing our patience as of late. I must say I am looking forward to this weekend, and then next weekend John and I are heading up to Mt. Tremblant with friends...cannot wait!!!! Ok so now onto some other ramblings. This is all to do about home decor and furnishings and such.
I have been on the search for a dining table and chairs for at least 6 months now. Just not finding anything that catches my eye... since it is a very expensive investment, I just did not want to settle for jus anything. I have always loved the look of harvest tables, and then came across one looking like this which is made from old barn threshing boards. I love that old world charm. I am pretty sure this is what I want in my dining room. I have my great great grandfathers buffet which I stained in a darker stain and looks just like the table. And to make it more modern, and to mesh with the rest of the house, I thought I would add some brown leather parson chairs. I would love to have John make me a table like this so we can save some $$, but he is not too sure if he is up to the task.. Well there is no real rush on this...I really want it, but I have a table that works when need be. Eventually I will get it..plus I wil look for the chairs when they are on sale, and pick them up then.

(this is my dream table)

Now onto another project I have been mulling over this past week or so. One of my garage entrances opens into the kitchen. We have a closet right at the door which more or less just houses the pet foods and brooms, mops and whatever else needs to be hidden. Not a jacket gets hung up there..and the boots just lay strewn all over my kitchen floor. We tend to be using this entrance alot lately.

(the back entrance door area)

We were going to take off the bifold doors and replace with swinging doors..but instead of buying new doors I think I want to convert this closet with mudroom lockers. I will split the are into two lockers for each girl, with a bench and then open area underneath to house all the boots and shoes. They will have hooks which will make it easy for them to hang up their school bags and coats. They just cannot do it with hangers since the rods are so high. I will have shelves above that can hold some baskets where hats and such can be placed into it. Here are a few photos of ideas as to what I was wanting.

(I like how the bench goes out further than the cubby)

(in this photo I love how the seat is dark, I want to do this to match the kitchen cabinets, and love the beadboard in behind..still deciding if I want to do it 2 tone like this or just do it all in the stained oak to match the kitchen.)

Now as you can see in the phot below I have been using my door as somewhat as a message centre. Which is nice since it is hidden behind the wall so you do not see the clutter until you walk in front of the door. My thoughts with this is I want to paint that wall to the right of the door in black chalk board paint. I found a really cute dry erase vinyl calender which I would buy to put up on that wall and any other cute vinyl pieces..like seen in the photo below with chalkboard wall. Then I could use the door just to hang the girls art work...thus tiding things up a bit and adding some colour/pizzaz.

So whatcha think...should I take the plunge and do the lockers and message area? I think if I do that, perhaps my front entrance will stay cleaner and clutter free. So when someone comes to the door, it is not an obstacle course for them to get through.

Some more layouts

Well..I was able to do up a few more layouts...I actually did these based on sketches. I was never one to truly use, but wow..it made things go quick...that and I barely used anything on the pages..lol.

Had fun doing this..I only wish I could be a more tidier scrapper. My god, the mess. I am horrible! I just cannot be tidy. I mean really..how hard would it be to put things away as I was done a page. Apparantly for me...REALLY HARD..lol.

Enjoy!