Monday, December 31, 2007

Cards










Tara and I got together on the weekend to make new card samples with our new Stampin' Up stuff. I had lofty ideas and said we could make 24 cards. We decided the only way to do that was if we each picked a card to make and made 2, one for me and one for her. It's a great idea, but our cardmaking average turns out to be pretty sad. We made 9 cards each. A far cry from 24. But what beautiful cards they are. I have to say that Groovy Guava is growing on me.


We have been invited to spend New Year's Eve at Tara's dinner party and are looking forward to it. Emily is pretty excited. I'm making sushi later to take with us and am going to try not to eat too much while I am making it.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Year's!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Pay dirt.


I may have mentioned that I don't have patience. Well, I have been looking for the perfect door shoe organizer for awhile. There were certain qualities my organizer had to have so it's been taking a long time to find one and today while at Home Sense with mom I found the perfect shoe organizer for my PUNCHES, so my small amount of patience paid off. The organizer has 24 pockets and is a neutral colour. I can kind of see through the mesh but I think I will make little tags out of the punched out shapes and hang them from each pocket so I know for sure what's in there. Each pocket fits one large punch or 2 larger SU ones or a handful of smaller ones. I have 40 punches in it right now.

Now I have an empty drawer and a huge area of counter top cleared off. Maybe I will use some of my Christmas gift certificates and Michaels coupons to fill that space.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Happy Boxing Day!

I hope everyone had a Christmas day filled with fun, friends, family and food. We have had exactly that...probably more food than anything and we aren't done yet. Like most major events in our family, Christmas is no exception and gets dragged out over many days!

We all received our fair share, and then some, of presents this year. I was very spoiled in the scrapbooking supply and gift certificate department, thanks to Tara, Sylvia, Emily and my Grandpa. And I will not have to wash socks for weeks at a time because I now have a huge surplus of socks.

The Christmas Morning Wife Saver was well received again this year, and the hashbrowns would have been if we had remembered to cook them. Mom brought over her spiral ham from Costco and it was delicious.

Emily is enjoying her Copic markers and is drawing up a larger storm than usual. Shaun has managed to look up twice from his iPod to eat more chocolate. He started his new job at Tim Horton's today, which should be interesting. Who starts a new guy on Boxing Day? He hasn't been trained yet so I'm sure he'll be a bit grumpy when he gets home, good thing we have an open house to go to! We've already laid down the law...no left-over doughnuts are to come home with him.

And if you want to have a good laugh at Christmas or any family function, buy a few nail buffers from Sally Beauty Supplies. All my aunts, cousins and one cousin's boyfriend now have beautifully buffed nails. Cheap entertainment...oh, and don't forget the Starfrit Silicone Oven Mitts, they make great puppets for the inebriated or easily amused.


My #1 cousin Amanda.

My cousin Kelsey.

My Aunt June.

My cousin Naomi.

June with her mitts we gave her.

June's husband, Uncle Roy and my Aunt Heather. I think he was saying "Give me your coffee and I won't hit you!"

Kerry and his one man puppet show. It was so boring, even he started to fall asleep. I'm getting him some brown contacts because every picture I take of him has major red-eye.

And last but not least...Emily.


Someone once made a comment about my family looking like a bunch of Asian tourists lined up with their cameras out snapping pictures of everything. And Kerry mentioned that it's in my blood. He had to explain it to me because it's a normal thing for me, but not for his family. Anyway, this really rang true at Grandpa's when Kelsey unveiled her most beautiful Jello 'cake'. Everyone was lined up in the kitchen, not for dessert but to take pictures of the dessert. Not only did it look good, it tasted good too.



Is a person supposed to get a release form from the people in the pictures? Or is it okay to post them because I took them, there for they are mine?

Monday, December 24, 2007

Good to know...

I went camera shopping today and it's good to know that the camera I bought when it first came out, Canon S2 1S, is still a good camera. The sales guy at London Drugs was knowledgeable and when asked which point and shoot was the best bang for the buck, he said the S5 IS, which is a much newer model but pretty much the same camera as mine. The only down sides, plural, are that the lens cap still pops off easily and the sheer size of the camera, it's one of the largest point and shoots out there, you can't pop it in your pocket. And it's grey and silver, I would like it in the new black.
I told my parents that even though they have a beautiful new camera they can't expect to take beautiful pictures. They need to read the manual, get to know the settings, etc. and that it's not the camera's fault if the pictures are crappy.
They offered to buy mine off of me so that I could get an SLR but I'm really happy with my camera and I don't think I'm ready for the bulkiness and cost of an SLR, I know I'm not. When offered a choice between diamonds and an SLR, I took the diamonds.
I'm very excited for my parents, now that my mom has started scrapbooking, she needs pictures that she can print off. Now if only she could figure out how to do that.

Happy Christmas Eve!

Sunday, December 23, 2007

2 more sleeps... Updated

I think I enjoyed planning our Disney trip, going on it and coming home to a bad dog more than I enjoy the hustle before Christmas and the big let down afterwards.

If it weren't for the little people, I'm sure it would be different here. I'm not all scroogy, I just find the hectic shopping, list making, cleaning, baking and other stuff a bit tiring and then the major event is done by 11 am. December 25th.
So I haven't baked as much, I haven't bought potato chips, dip or other terribly snacky foods, I didn't go hog wild on the stocking stuffers, I went bigger on the main gifts instead. And I didn't fret over the perfect Christmas cards, nor have I put up all my Christmas decorations, no lights in the garland because the garland wasn't even unpacked, no decorated bathroom, no lights on the deck.
It's a little Grinch-like, but I know Christmas will come anyway and I'm okay with that!


I hope everyone is having a relaxed day before Christmas Eve. I'm pleased it snowed and now that I'm not going out again until after Christmas, it can snow all day!

AND if you are waiting for your Stampin' Up catalogue, I have them here if you pre-ordered one.



Updated...cabbage rolls, truffles, and a box of scrapbooking goodies help ease the pain of Christmas.
Thank you, Tara, for 2 out of 3.

Friday, December 21, 2007

A Virtue I Don't Have

That would be patience!

I received notice that my many boxes of SU catalogues would be here yesterday, then the date changed and said today. Well, let me tell you Canada Post! It's today and it's after 6 pm and I don't have these boxes!!! I really want to get them before Christmas. I can understand that the post office is bogged down, but hello, it's Christmas, it didn't come as a surprise and they should know from past experiences that it's the busiest time of year. And that I'm impatient. The good news is they are delivering on weekends until Christmas, and on Monday too. So cross your fingers and hope the catalogues will be here for Christmas. Not that anyone will have time to look at them.

I do believe the last present has been purchased, not wrapped but is in the house!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

We're half way through Kerry's week off and I have to say we haven't accomplished much. We've gone for lunch, we've gone for dinner, we had company for dinner, we've shopped a bit, we've(Kerry) become Street King, walked dogs, decorated the tree and 1/2 the house and looked at my new catalogue.

We are slightly panicky today. I am about to check the list ,twice, and make a 'still need to get' list and then run off to dog obedience, or what I like to think of as a total intrusion on Linus's busy day. And then we will try to finish our shopping.

The tree is still standing, it has been up for more than 12 hours, we did have a few close calls. Linus doesn't quite realize he is too big to fit under the tree and that the ornaments aren't for eating. We will probably not put presents under until Christmas eve.

And speaking of Linus, he is slowly graduating from crate to dog bed. He has not been allowed to have a blanket in his crate because he eats it, not just chews it, but actually eats it. So he gets to sleep on the hard, cold bottom of the crate. He's almost a year old and we figured Kerry's holidays would be a good time to introduce him to the dog bed. The first night he wouldn't come out of his crate, the second night he got on the bed, our bed. He tried hard to push Kerry off, we both thought it was Sally and in the morning realized that Linus was hogging the bed and had brought a sock to bed too. Last night, he started off in his dog bed and sometime during the night Sally wanted on our bed and while she was wandering around we think Linus scooped her bed and she had to sleep in his and when I turned on the light to see what all the fuss was about, both dogs were sound asleep in the other dog's bed. But nothing was chewed on, so I think we're good.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

It's Here!


I finalliy got my copy of the Spring-Summer collection! I'm in love with the cover. I think it's very pretty.
I have gone through the catalogue once and plan on scouring it again this evening with my trusty post-its in hand to mark what I think I need.
I'm expecting my boxes of catties to be here on Thursday, so if you pre-ordered one, cross your fingers that it gets here. It's coming by Canada Post so I have no idea what time to expect it. And I am going to offer you a chance to get your catalogue coil bound. It will be a Bind and Bond party! Thanks to Tara for the 'goofy' name. We will all bring our trimmers and maybe snacks and we will bind our catalogues while we drool on them.

I know, you want details...
new glitter, chunky and fine
5 kinds of rub-ons
a few new punches, arrows, flowers, and a star
lots of new Designer series patterned paper and SS kits
new alphabet sets
quite a few new greeting sets, some elegant, some more casual
background stamps
a stamp set to stamp scalloped egdes
humming birds and other cute birds
lots of flowers
beach and seashell sets
wedding sets
felt flowers

It's all very fresh!

It's Here!

Sunday, December 16, 2007

A girl's best friend

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Yup, diamonds really are a girl's best friend, and so are the husbands that buy them for their wives.

I had decided I wasn't getting this sparkly bauble, but then Kerry proclaimed he was getting it for me for Christmas, no more discussion.
And there it is, on my neck. All sparkly and shiny. We'll be getting a rider on our insurance, yet again.

I love it. And like that cheesy jewellery commercial with the man and woman and she's hugging him and whispering "I love this man, I love this man", that's what I'm saying about my Kerry.

Tara's on her way, we are making Maki sushi, lots of kinds, my favourite traditional roll with seasoned shitake mushrooms, gourd, egg, fish(smoked), and veggies, and California roll, pickled radish roll, and smoked salmon roll. I haven't made sushi in ages. I find when you can make it, you don't seem to crave it as much and it's not a 'special'.

Had dinner at the Yellow House downtown. Highly recommend the beef tenderloin, very pricey, but so worth it. But don't recommend the cheese cake, also pricey, unless you like sugarless cheesecake. Hey, if I'm wasting my points on cake, it darn well better have sugar in it, and so should the whipped cream! Had a great time with Kerry's co-worker Rob and his wife Robin. Kerry laughed so much he was crying!

Updated...
After stopping at the new and improved Oriental Market for supplies, Kerry, my diamond giving hubby and I took the dogs to the dog park. Linus loves it, Sally is much improved from BL (before Linus), she was a bitch at the park before. The picture was taken on my 'snow' setting and sure the snow is white but the dogs look photoshopped in.
Tara came for Sushi 101 and we made all different kinds like previously mentioned and ate so much while making the sushi that when it was time to sit and eat, we really didn't want to look at it, let alone eat it. Then we went shopping, which I think we have done a few times at night the last couple of days. It's great. I'm getting lots done, she says she is done. I never did see her buy anything for Harley.
Our tree is up with lights, but not decorations, and so far Linus has been very good about it. We have our fingers crossed, Sally's first Christmas resulted in the tree falling over 3 times, and me crying hysterically once when my racoon ornament lost her head.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Checking things off

I have gotten most of my cards done, addressed and not yet with postage, but I do have stamps in my bottomless purse, I think. I'm still working on a few special ones.

I got together with Yolanda last night, love that she lives so much closer, and we covered Mini York Peppermint patties. I think she had a reason, like for stockings or something to do with the kids, I just did it because. They make me laugh. I tried to give one away today and Danielle wouldn't take it, too cute to eat? I don't think my mom got it either, they are definitely one of those things that will get a "Someone has too much time on their hands" response.


My mom came by to finish her Christmas presents for 'the girls' at work. And she loved my decorated bags so much that she had to make her own. She's so funny!

I'm feeling almost like my good old healthy self. It's about time.

I got my PotP Secret Santa parcel today. I would put it under the tree, if we had one. I think this weekend we will put it up and then Linus will be on a short leash, literally and figuratively. Poor guy.
And speaking of Linus...Our trainer mentioned yet again that he is the most stubborn Golden she's ever met. He decided that maybe the dirt was too cold to sit on in class yesterday and refused to sit. It was terrible. He was behaving like he had somewhere else to be. Still he's not the worst, close, there's only 6 of us, and he's not the best.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Cover it

I have covered cd tins, dvd tins, dole fruit cups, my eyes, and the odd other weird thing. But lately on Splitcoast, some interesting things have been covered. Some I can manage, but some are just plain weird. And one of them tickles Yolanda's fancy, so Thursday she's planning on coming over to cover York Peppermint patties.
All the following pictures are from Splitcoast. do like the Snowman Tic Tac cover.
Have you covered anything 'weird' lately?














Poppy Cock Recipe from Edmonton Jenn

12 c. popcorn
1 c. butter
1 1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c. corn syrup
1 c. nuts
1 tsp vanilla
Heat butter, sugar, syrup in microwave safe bowl on High for 5 min.
Stir. Heat on High 4 min. Stir, add nuts, cook 1 1/2 minutes longer. Stir in vanilla, pour over popcorn. Mix, spead out on greased cookies sheets to cool.

The Big Question

Don't you hate it when the biggest dilemma in your life is whether or not you would actually wear a diamond necklace? Maybe it's not whether I would wear it or not, because if I had one, I would wear it everyday, everywhere, no matter what outfit I had on. Maybe it's more a question of how much it will cost...and I don't mean monetary, well, maybe it would be nice to know how much it cost, but I mean is it going to cost double because we live in a 'what's good for the gander' relationship. And by that I mean ...let's rewind to last year...

Me: Kerry, I need a new printer and I want a wide format one.
Kerry: That's good, I need new bike parts.

This past summer...
Me: Kerry, I need a Bind-it-All.
Kerry: That's good, I need new bike parts.
(but here's the catch, the BIA was cheap, and he actually thought I wanted a Quickutz Silhouette.)

Present day...
Me: It's such a pretty necklace and I don't own anything so frivolous.
Kerry: You deserve it and I need new brakes.

So right now, yes, I deserve it, I deserve lots of things, some are good, some are bad, but the real question is 'Does Kerry deserve new brakes?'
I have told him not to ride so fast, then he wouldn't have to use his brakes to stop, and he is getting new shoes so technically he could use them to stop, he says NO. Maybe I don't deserve diamonds. Crap.


The following pictures are funny...Linus and Harley went for a run around a park, it was a little scary. Linus would have run across the road to see a barking dog and a homeless/woodchopping man was there and then he disappeared.
If you look closely, you can see H doing his business in the first picture. That's funny to me, kind of gross, but makes me smile right now.





This is Emily's self-portrait. She's got the whole drawing by hand, scanning it in to the computer and then manipulating it in Photoshop 7 down to a science. I can barely change a colour photo to black and white.

Friday, December 07, 2007

Been thinking...Updated

I know, it's a major thing, I am getting enough oxygen to my brain to actually use it today. Not much but more than I have in the past two week.

I'm still sick, but here's what I'm thinking about...One of the Simple Girls, I think it was Stacy Julian, made an album from pictures she had taken on the 12th day of every month, 12 pictures on that day. I am still sick so maybe that's what it was, maybe it wasn't. Anyway, why not do something like this? Everyone knows I like to take pictures. Everyone is sick of me taking their pictures, so why not find other things to take pictures of on a regular basis and then make a point of scrapping them. Anyone else up for a challenge like this?

I'm thinking it doesn't have to be 12 items on the 12th, it could be 6 or 21 pictures of blue things, or baked things, or things found in your van or purse, whatever turns you on, and then scrap them. And then tell us about it.



I did make a few cards today, I was supposed to be making my layouts for classes next week. I was sorting 2 SU orders and got sidetracked. It's easy to do. I used the Melissa Frances stickers that Yolanda gave me, a long time ago and I have been hoarding ever since, and Fancy Pants stamps. I love my SU stamps but I could seriously get hooked on acrylic stamps.




After having lunch with Della and Dorian a few weeks ago, Emily has been on this "I need a little brother" kick. We keep telling her she has one, Linus, and she says it's not the same. Well, tonight she was teaching Linus how to use the cash register ( a trait every little brother needs) and she says "All little brothers should be like this...canine." I couldn't agree more.


I found this on someone else's blog and found it amusing...
Rock star name {first pets name & current car}
Sally Windstar

Gangsta name {fave ice cream & cookies}
Green Tea Fudge Puddle

Fly girl name {first initial of first name & first 3 of last}
K-Wil

Detective name {fave colour & animal}
Brown Dog

Soap opera name {middle name & city where born}
Elaine Kelowna

Star wars name {first 3 letters of last name & first 2 of first name} Wilki

Superhero name {2nd fave colour & fave drink}
Green Water

Nascar name {first names of grandfathers}
Colin Harry

Stripper name {name of your favorite perfume, favorite candy}
Light Blue Mini Eggs ( I doubt I'd make much money with that name)

Witness protection name {mother & fathers middle names}
Susan Colin

Consider yourself tagged if you are reading this.





AND in other news...I am going all Matchy Matchy for Christmas this year. That's right, Martha Stewart be damned. I have the stash and never use it (I'm a hoarder) but lately have been thinking, again, what's the point if I never use the stash? And so the matching Christmas presents, tags and gift bags were born. Should have done this as a class...I used the absolutely beautiful and thick SU gift wrap and all kinds of stickers from my never-ending supply. What you don't see is the small pile of presents I have wrapped and hidden, all matchy matchy too. Yay ME!
If and when we get our tree up these presents will steal the show and the first person to rip them open will get their hand smacked.

Just a note...

If you are a member of my family ~ Don't mess with the Christmas Dinner.
For almost 35 years it's been on the same night, Christmas Eve and I've probably only ever missed it once when I lived in Coquitlam. But for some reason, while we were in the Happiest Place on Earth, my mom's side decided to change it up a bit and completely changed the day and I just found out yesterday. Well, it doesn't work. Kerry's mom does Christmas dinner every other year, not because of us, but for another reason, and we told her, probably 12 years ago that we always have Christmas Dinner at Grandpa's on Christmas Eve so Christmas Day was hers. Plain and simple.
I've lodged a complaint and 1 of the 5 on the Dinner Committee will take it to the others and get back to me. But of course not without requesting someone else change their plans, but I am standing firm and not even mentioning it because it's not anyone else's fault but those 5 stinkers!!! Change is good, but don't mess with my Christmas Dinner!!!
Now who's going to make Death By Chocolate, or take a million pictures? ARG...FAMILY!

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Just Wrong...

I like the Peanuts gang and I like Scrubs but they don't go together, even if they did do a good job.


A Charlie Brown Christmas Performed by the Cast of Scrubs

Posted Dec 11, 2006

The cast of Scrubs remakes the classic Christmas cartoon.

Positive thinking at it's best.

I'm pretty sure, positive, that I am still sick. I can't even remember what being well feels like. Or for that matter, what it feels like to hear out of both ears, or breath out of my nose or sleep in my own bed (I've been sleeping on the couch because I cough too much at night).
I'm positive I will never get better.
And that slowly but surely I will get my Christmas stuff done if it kills me!

1. Load ipod with Christmas music - done
2. Buy gift bags to decorate for presents yet to be bought - done, only because I can't remember where I put the bags from last year.
3. Buy stuff to back with - done
4. Buy stuff at M&M's - done
5. Find room in the freezer for stuff from M&M's - done
6. Eat freezies, veggies, chicken, jam, crab, and icecream for dinner so that other stuff will fit in freezer.
7. Wrap presents
8. Do Christmas cards
9. Nap
10. Read new magazines again, think (but don't do anything) about being motivated.
11. Wonder why Yo said she was stopping by...maybe I have forgotten why, maybe she never told me? Wonder where Marg went? Did she come by and Shaun didn't answer the door? Wonder if my SU order will come today? Wonder if my Amazon order will ship anytime soon? Wonder if a kid will lock his keys in his car again today? Wonder if there is anything on this planet that Linus won't eat? Wonder if the 'good' tv shows tonight will be new? Wonder where the rest of the day went?

As you can see #11 will take the better part of the day. I was hoping #9 would be a major part, but I'm sure #11 will prevent #9 from happening.

Why does Christmas take so long to prepare for and then it happens so fast?

Monday, December 03, 2007

Ooops...I missed one

There's one more baby on the way that I totally forgot about until today!!!
Patti's baby girl is added to the growing list of babies I'll be able to hold.

Still sick.
It's cramping my style.

Sunday, December 02, 2007

a realization

It has been determined that I have been sick a lot this year. I am sick yet again. I think I have been home from Disneyland for 53 days and sick for about 19 of those days. Hmmmm....somehow that makes me think I should go back to the happiest place on earth.

But really, I was very sick this summer, missed the family reunion and I know I always gets sick after the craft sale, stress, handling money and more stress will do that. Bur really, I think it's about time someone else got sick.

I've tried sharing it, in hopes that if I give it away, I won't have it any more. It doesn't work. Sorry to all those I made sick.

What really stinks is that I have major stuff to do, stuff I want to do in the next few weeks and can't do if I am full of germs and feeling crappy. So I also realized I need to prioritize some stuff, the stuff that really doesn't matter can fall by the wayside, the stuff that does matter will get done, maybe just a bit slower, but it will be done.




And here is Linus after his first romp in the snow. He loves it. Such a pretty boy.