Wednesday and it's half way through the year! {UPDATED}

I'm pretty sure it was just April, and now it's June. How many more days till Christmas? It doesn't matter, it will go faster than you think, and you still won't be ready!

I'm making a new purse. With yummy Amy Butler fabric and one of her patterns too. It's a long drawn out process. Buy 2 kinds of fabric. Let them acclimatize for a few days. Then buy a 3rd for the lining, but not AB, that's too expensive for the inside of a purse where you will get pen marks and gum stuck to. Think some more about the purse. Put fabric downstairs. Bring it upstairs. Buy some interfacing. Let sit for another day. Hand wash all fabrics. Let dry on clothes line for 12 hours, worry someone might steal your fabric, realize you spent $60+ on fabric to make a purse you probably won't even like. Shake bugs out, bring it in. Leave downstairs till ripe. Find ironing board, and iron, make sure they are clean, not stained by crayons or other craftiness. Wonder why you are ironing since you are just going to fold the fabric up for 3 more days? Blog about it.

Update: I put off procrastinating and decided to start my purse, only to find I have misplaced my pattern. I can't believe I finally bought an Amy Butler pattern only to lose it!!!

Wrinkled Ladies

Didn't get much done this weekend (Picture Heavy!)

On Friday, we had my Grandpa's 93rd birthday, I thought it was his 94th and said that when I saw the cake. Grandpa said he thought so too.

I got an email after sending these pictures out, "Why are we all looking in different directions? Why aren't we more photogenic?" I don't know, and I refuse to swap heads so live with it. It's just who they are. My mom is second from the left. Her twin is 3rd from the left.

We did not take our dogs up to Grandpa's, we like to enjoy our visit. I think there were 4 dogs, this one being the smallest, the rest are labs, and goldens.

There was plenty of this for Kerry. I'm such a good wife, I went to the liquor store and picked up beer for him. I also set off the security alarm, just like I did at Walmart the day before. The lady at the liquor store did not do what the lady at Walmart did and ask me rather loudly if I just got a new bra.

I'm trying to come to terms wit the fact that even though I like to photograph anything and everything, and I get some pretty decent shots, I may never have 'perfect' photos of my family. I get ones like this....

And like this....

But then I take my super cute cousins outside and I get ones like this...soon-to-be Dr. S. So proud of her! She's studies more than she breaths.

And this...Silpada wearing, wine glass toting hotness.

I'm thinking of offering my family money to pose for pictures!

I was heading out to check the cherries, and maybe take a few pictures, and I saw this on my lavender. I took a bunch of shots and then it flew at me and I was done.

"We" washed the van, really, I sprayed it, not Kerry approved spraying and then I took pictures. But I did wax it. Which always brings a good dose of "Wax on, wax off".

While at the liquor store I also picked this stuff up, after seeing Terrell win it at Bunco (another story). It's not half bad. Shaun said he could drink it a lot. Kerry did drink it a lot, I drank it a little.

I went with these two down to the lake and then we walked around until one of them dried off. He made a friend, a woman from Ontario, whose dog was just put down. She thought he was the cat's ass. He was so tired he just leaned on her and let her pet him. Then we told Kerry that was enough, and took Linus to the bird sanctuary. He was so tired, he made the best dog ever. Sally was at home loving the solitude.

This is what tired that big boy out. He starts out like this. He's pretty slow moving. He's got all day.

And he ends like this, taking on water.

I did a little, very little gardening. My beans are getting big! Well, the plants are. I haven't seen any bean buds yet. I did find some teeny tiny zucchinis!

The poppies were nicer a few days ago.

We had my family over for dinner on Saturday and we felt sorry for the couple across the street as her parents went away and we were worried that Uncle Binny might starve so we invited them over too. We had a nice time, ate a bit too much and talked a lot.

Then last night I said to Kerry "I feel like we didn't really do much this weekend." It was about 9 pm. He said "What are you talking about?" and rattled off all the stuff I just blogged about. And then I said "Oh, you're right, I'm so tired now, let's go to bed."

Environment, eh, whatever.

Sooooo...It's 10:30 am and I'm not showered, I'm not dressed, I don't have a bra on. I see the spray guy is spraying the cherry tree. WTH? It was sprayed last week and by the last 12 yrs. experience, we have to pick in 3 weeks or risk infestation. No biggy, we mark the calendar.

Why's he spraying today then? So I go outside. Not dressed, not washed, boobs all over.

Him: When are you picking these? Next week?"

Me: What? We have 2 more weeks.

Him: Ah, no, we are using environmentally safe spray now, it's different. Pick them next week.

Me:What?

It's a good thing I blog, I went back and looked and we picked on or around the 5th of July. NOT the end of June. At least it has stopped raining. If I remember right the perfect cherry recipe is... stop watering, heat them up, no splits, pick them, eat them.

I better start eating ice cream, we need the buckets. I guess it makes sense, I ate one yesterday, it was almost ripe, 2 more weeks and it would be over ripe. Darn. This messes with my master plan to do nothing for 2 more weeks.

Some Days Titles Come So Easy, Some Days They Don't

1. ate a 2 weeks from being ripe cherry of the tree.

2. got my boxes of Stampin' Up catalogues today.

3. sorted my retiring colours and stamps from my not retiring stuff.

4. found a buyer for the above stuff.

5. got tax refunds in the mail. whooo hooooo. See you later Kerry!

6. watched 2 frogs get married on the news in India.

7. gave my neighbour not so handy info on how to get a prescription refilled.

8. the a/c guy is here. Dog hair may have killed the a/c.

Facebook Dad

My dad is never on Facebook, but today I post "Butter Tarts" in my status, because I made some for my hairdresser and my dad fb's me with...

Subject: goodies

ur fav parent neeeeeeeeds butttttttter tarts

I replied with "I guess I better call mom to see when she wants her tarts."

She's crafty, she gets around

Can you name who sang the song that the title comes from?

Last night, Karl and Uncle Binny* came over to work on their Christmas gifts. Yes, Christmas gifts. Karl says once school starts there won't be any time. I can't even pretend to imagine that. So I worked on a mini album that will be a class. I figured I don't have any decent pictures of my own people, why not use Amy and David's**?

I used one of my Grandma's 'antique' buttons on the cover. So if you sign up for the class, you won't get a button like that. I took the pictures with my new lens, SOOC, and I love the first one! I love it so much. Is it weird to make a mini album of people we've never met? Yes. Is it weird that I want to keep it? Yes. I told Amy I'd send it to her after the class. But now I'm thinking I want to keep it. Just kidding, Amy, I'll send it, later.
*names have been changed to protect the innocent.

**names have not been changed because I couldn't think of anything to rhyme with Amy and David.

In family related news...

-Emily got her appliance today. I wish I could say she got a candy apple red gas stove. She didn't, she got a metal torture chamber for her jaw. I am keeper of the key. Everyday for 2 weeks+ I get to crank that key to widen her jaw. The most exciting part is that in the end, her jaw will be wider and she will have a gap between her front teeth. All I could think about when the dr. told me this was Madonna and her gap.

-I had to pay for the above. Ouch.

-Grandpa turns 94 this week. He won't be bowling in the fall. The bowling alley is worried that he's too unstable and may hurt himself.

-My hairdresser's brother passed away unexpectedly this week. The obituary said in lieu of flowers and donations, do a 'pay it forward' action that would make him happy. I'm going to find something to do. I think everyone should, just because.

Scenes from Father's Day Weekend

I'm always up for the chance to take pictures and I don't always mind a bit of a challenge. So for me going to watch Yolanda's team host the Armstrong team at Prospera was a bit of a no brainer. But Kerry didn't really want to go. It was also fight night, a toss up between watching guys or girls beat on each other. I played the "I'm afraid to walk downtown after dark" card and he went with me. Afterwards, he said he was glad he went, he 'actually' enjoyed it. What's not to enjoy? The Peach Tarts won their first game on home turf! I got a few good pictures, but I'm still trying to learn my flash. The lighting was odd in the arena and bouncing my flash was not really working. But it's a learning experience.Sunday we went to the Father's Day Show and Shine. We have different tastes in cars. I had read an article in the paper about the Nissan Evo. I think there was one there last year. It wasn't there this year, but I made sure Kerry knew that I knew that it wasn't there. Seriously, I don't know what one even looks like but he thought I did. I like the older cars. He likes the Porshes, Shelbies and other Mustangs. I want to touch them, the smooth paint, the leather, but most cars have signs asking you not to touch them.
I like the details too.
I told Kerry I'm taking pictures of the cars I like, if you see something you like, tell me. So this is his 'like'.
And this one too.
But this was both of ours. A woman was walking around the bike to go somewhere else and her daughter says "Mom, people are trying to take pictures of the bike!" The woman stopped and posed with the biggest smile ever beside the bike and her daughter had to tell her that no one wanted a picture of HER!
Baracuda! Nash Bridges drove one. I have wanted one since then. I miss that show. And even though the Baracuda is named after a shark and kind of looks like one, I'm still okay with that. It's got a super big hood, and I once saw Nash Bridges slide along the top of it. I think Cheech was already in the car waiting. Side note: My uncle has a charger or a challenger, I can never remember, it's burgundy but really dark burgundy, and I always remember from when I was about 5 yrs. old that it smells like Pina Coladas. He's had it since it was new, I think.
We see this Suburban driving around and it makes us nostalgic for the one we had. That thing was huge!This truck was so shiny and sparkly. I try not to talk to much when we are looking at the cars so that I don't embarrass Kerry. "Ohhhh...shiny and sparkly. Stand there so I can get our reflection. It's like chocolate cherry truck. I wanna lick it." I just say it in my head.
And then we came home and smoked a brisket and had our parents over for dinner. Go BEEF!

Friday Freedom!

Kerry surprised me by taking Friday off. Actually the conversation on Thursday night was something like this...

Me: You should take tomorrow off to fix the last bits on the computer. I'm 2 days away from becoming a fat, smelly, living the basement computer tech.

Kerry: giggle giggle...It just so happens I am taking Friday off but I was going to surprise you.

Me: Surprise me? I'd hear you moving around upstairs, notice the dogs weren't in bed and have a fit that someone broke in.
He sorted bills while I put all the backed up info back on the computer and tried to figure out how to get the mac mouse and keyboard to talk nicely to the pc. I wanted to kick things. I was 2 seconds from having a melt down, I could feel it brewing. But thankfully, I figured out it with the help of Mr. Google. Gosh I love him.

After I had a bit of stomping around and a bit of "OMG I fixed the computer, (with a little Applecare help)" dance, we went out to run some errands. Kerry said that since I had a hard 5 days of computer crap, I deserved lunch out and I got to pick. But I didn't know what I felt like and I know he loves hamburgers. I could careless about hamburgers. We had tried Fatburger and decided it wasn't that great, but my dad said Gorgeous Georges was good so we sat outside and ate our burgers. I must get over my fear of pulling out my camera in public places. This was the best burger either one of us had eaten. I could eat there again, and Kerry said that was saying something since I don't care for burgers like he does. We were so full, we didn't get to enjoy our fries and for me not to eat the potatoes means that was one good burger!
Emily had camp again this weekend, just over night but way out on the other side of the lake. So we stopped at Tim's for sustenance and off we went.
The box was so cute and little, I had to take a picture.
I guess I should be happy she's not making a face, sort of. Poor kid has her spacers in for her braces and is in pain when she eats.
We saw this rv and she said I had to take a picture to show Shaun. They have both discovered Professor Layton's games for the DS and love playing. I like that it makes them think.
This is our Father's Day picture. How sweet. That's Kerry hugging a bush in the background. Emily wouldn't move so the trees mottled her. Typical Williams' family photo!
I have a series of these photos with the key getting closer and closer to her nose. What's really funny is that Kerry gets happier and happier as the key gets closer.
Maybe the windy road travel was worth the view, jury is still out on that one. Kerry said he realized I could never be his co-driver, the one that says "Left over crest" as we race in our imaginary Subaru. I said I knew that all along. I'd be yelling "Sob Sob, gag, Left, slow down, over crest, pull over I have to puke!" He laughed and laughed. And that took us back in time to the first time I want off roading with him in the suburban. I seriously thought we were going to fall off the earth when we went up the steep road. I cried 97% of the time. I couldn't help it. Shaun slept most of the trip. Kerry was sad. He sold the suburban because he realized no one shared his off roading love.

75%

That's what we are running at right now. The imac is up and running again, don't know what happened. The partitioned PC side is dead for now, tomorrow we'll tackle that. Not much is more exhausting than sitting at the computer and clicking buttons as the tech tells you to, and then finding out he must be new because he didn't have a clue as to what was going on.

On the plus side, I've helped Karla with her Christmas gifts. I'm not even ready for Father's Day.

Today, I got a complement on the house from a realtor, he probably just wanted to make a good impression so I'd remember him and no we aren't moving. And I'm trying to find the good in the little things, with the computer trouble and all, and so when the manager of the fabric store I supply the notions for pulled me aside today when I was shopping, I thought it was for something worked related. She asked if I had a membership and I said I didn't and she said I should seeing as how I was a rep and all. I was completely shocked, I have worked there for probably more than 7 yrs. I was so excited I ran over to my mom, she works at the fabric store, and had to show her. She didn't seem as excited, I may have had teary eyes. And then on the way out the store I found my foam Mickey Mouse head that fell off my key chain and I hadn't even noticed.

All of this has helped ease the pain of not being able to watch Y&R for 2-3 days, and if added to the computer problems and the fact no woman deserves her period 2x in one month, I think I'm doing pretty good.

Monday UGH.

This smiling guy is racing, but how great is it to see him smile at me while he is about 21 minutes into his race. He only had about 3 minutes left and he's smiling. Me, I'm burning, sweating, dusty, and I have to hike back down the hill. But it's all good, Kerry and Dad had a great time and I got awesome pictures. Dad, he's not smiling, but he had a great time too. He's got a camera on his chest. I won't watch it, that's a motion sickness trigger for sure.

We had had some Yves Veggie Ground Round Chili and it was surprisingly good, so I bought some from Costco. I made Veggie Shepherd's Pie, it was delicious. I'm surprised that Kerry loved it.

Today, we are having Mac issues. {GASP} It could be something that originated on the PC side of our partitioned hard drive. Ask me if I love that we went that route and I will say I don't. We did it because I use PS7, it's ancient but it's what I know, she uses PSE6 and if we put it on the Mac side, it would be version 5. So we thought we'd have the best of both worlds and we wouldn't have to teach old dogs new tricks. We have the best of the Mac and the viruses and other problems of a PC. Oh, joy of joys.

I'm in the process of converting my external hard drive to a fat32. I don't even know what that means but I'm doing it. Then I will back everything up and go from there. I dislike this stuff.

Oh. My. Goodness.

You have to watch this, it's funny. Poor thing. Although I'm not sure who I feel worse for, him or her?

I've just been asked to do a Crazy Booth at Yo's anniversary. I'm so freakin' excited about it, got the official instructions too!

Thursday Thoughts

After reading on Facebook that Lacintha had bought some fabric, it motivated me to get my machine out and make a new purse. My Tommy purse is now too small to carry my new camera with my new lens on it. I didn't have much Amy Butler fabric left so I got the idea to sew it into strips and then measure out the pattern. Check out the diagonal stripes, I cut fabric on the bias! It's not perfect, the strap was too short, and so I added a piece, but didn't the look. So now it has a new piece, a shoulder pad, complete with buttons. The purse is lightly padded for protection. And now I have used up all that fabric!

And I got my new 2010 Stampin' Up catalogue today, haven't even cracked it open yet, that's next on my list, get my cold coffee, some late lunch, and start drooling.

2010 Stampin' Up Sneak Peek

It's here, my box of brand new 2010 goodies. Stamps, cardstock, ribbon, patterned paper...wanna see it?

Do you still love me?

Welcome to the family

These are all SOOC.
Hey, Sally, meet my new lens. What's that? You need a close up? How's that? What's that, it's still the same distance away? Well, Sally that's the magic of a zoom lens. I'd go into details with big words, but all I really know is that above this you are seen at 28mm and below this you are seen at 75mm and that I turn a ring to do that. And that this magical miracle maker came in the mail.


I used the newest family member inside. That's Emily with her newest appendage. She's getting older, she needs that XL version just so she can see.
Linus was a bit aloof when introduced to my new baby. He's used to being the baby.


I think the wonky eyes mean he's afraid the new guy will take his stick. No worries, the girl holding the camera is laying in dog pee and no one could be bothered to take that stick.

validation at it's best.

After having a trying morning getting my new lens into my sticky little fingers, and then wondering if I even ordered the wrong lens, the word "Macro" threw me off.

I sometimes wonder if I have what it takes to be a paid photographer. The dogs didn't want to pose for me and my new baby and I had to work, blah.

Having 'the bride' from my first wedding call and tell me she loved the pictures was a turning point.

And then I got a reply back from Karen, as in Karen Russell, and the sun came out, figuratively and literarily.

"And congrats on the paid shoots - you are definitely one of my students who has the talent to move into paid shooting!

Karen"

I'd like that on a t-shirt, even if I'm the only one that gets it. I don't think she says that to everyone, but if she does, that's okay too.

Lazy Saturday

When the kids were in preschool, they made these plates as a fundraiser every year. They draw on the paper 'plate' and teacher Bev sends it to Texas. They come back as these awesome keepsakes. Both kids did them for years, and then they grew up. But this year with my friend's daughter being in the same preschool my kids were in, we were given another chance at plates.Emily did 2, one for her and one for Ilianna.
This is what is behind me. Although, by the time I started uploading, all 3 had fallen asleep.

Kerry's wearing is Subaru shirt that he got from Amy and David. He loves it, but he's scared to wear it out, for fear of looking like a Subie Nerd or something. At Chapters he said "Oh, I forgot what I was wearing!" and I said for the 2nd time since he got the shirt, "Do you like that shirt?" He says "Ya, I love it!"

I said "Well then wear it and don't give a crap about what others think!" and then I went back to pulling my sappy pants away from my sappy underwear!

An outdoor lesson or two learned{SOOC}

On the Outhouse Trail...1. Don't stand too close to the trail, unless you have a smaller lens or you will end up with this kind of photo. I could embrace the blur, call it action and be happy. But I won't and I'm not. 2. A little flash goes a long way. And this is where I got sticky buns. I grew up with a logger for a dad, I should know better. But when I saw a nice flat stump, I sat on it. When I got up, I thought "Hmmm...my bum feels funny" and I put my hand on it, into a big patch of sap. Sappy hands can't touch my camera, sappy bums can't sit in trucks, probably can't even be washed (this is also where I learn not to wear my favourite capri/cargo pants hiking, not only do my ankles have open for lunch signs on them for mosquitoes, but I am known to wreck cloths climbing fences, think back to the rally in Oct. where I yelled out something to the effect of "my crotch is stuck on the barb wire" and then I ripped my jeans) and I like to sit on things and lay on the ground. I'm not a quick learner. 3. See the way the arrow is pointing, that's the way to the water, I could hear it. (When I was a kid, I watched the Swamp Thing at a drive-in, I ate too much popcorn, if that's even possible, and when I woke up and saw the actual swamp thing bad guy at the end, I puked popcorn everywhere, true story, won't watch that movie again.) I talk a lot in the forest. I figure that will scare off bears, it gets weird looks from other hikers and bikers, they should be thankful that I'm not singing.

This was found in the direction that Swamp Thing signed pointed to. Coincidence? I think not.

4. Walk fast. Mosquitoes and Swamp Things can't catch you, but they can smell fear. Shortly after seeing this, Kerry yells "Look a chipmunk!" to which I screamed at. He said "it was right there, how could you not see it?" My reply, I was looking for bigger things, like swamp things and other things big enough to pull an arm off. He said look up then, they aren't on the ground. Details, geez.

This is what I see while looking at the ground in search of ....

Bear poop. Saw it and almost used a stick to see if it contained berries, trial mix and a bear bell. Stopped just before that.

Vapour Trail, Outhouse Trail, Swamp Thing, bones, poop, horror movie in the making. But we had fun anyways. It was the first time going with Kerry in the evening. The light was amazing. But I did warn him that if we were still there when the sun went down, I would be running like a maniac back to the truck, or the direction I thought the truck was in, flashing my camera all the way.

5. When Kerry wants to go riding in the evening, just say yes, put on long, old pants, spray yourself with mosquito repellent and take a noise maker. He's singing for me. This is at the end of the ride, I've used up my daily allotment of words trying rationalize that bone, and scaring off bears.