Layout 062 & 063

Love/Hate

It's been a while since I scrapbooked. (You may be surprised to see an actual layout on this blog, let alone two.) Well, I had to post two, because I HATE the first one. It's ugly right? But I firmly believe that I should not re-do pages, or nothing would ever get done. So, I going to put this hideousness into my album & just be happy that the story has been told. If anyone has any great suggestions for adding to this monstrosity, let me know, otherwise, here it is. Ugly. So ugly I had to wait until I finished another page that I was satisfied with before I posted it, so I wouldn't be so revolted. You think I am being too dramatic? Check out this piece of work (below). I actually like the second layout. Back on track.... thank goodness.

What I learned at the Zoo by Haley Ross

I was excited to do this layout...but somewhere, something went wrong. I loved this paper so much, but in hindsight I think it was the wrong paper. I did use some old supplies, that buckle is ancient.

Materials: Patterned Paper: Sandylion, Lil Davis, ki memories and Chatterbox; Stcikers: Chatterbox; Paper Strip: Doodlebug Designs; Buckle & Overlay: making memories; Brads: Doodlebug Designs; Pen: EK Success Zip Writer; Other: Transparency.

Discover by Haley Ross

Redeemed myself. (I'm happy with this one.) I was especially happy to use some very, very old stock on this layout. The pewter accents & brads were just dust collectors. They are about 5 years old. I was happy to see them used.

Materials: Patterned Paper: Reminisce & ki memories; Cardstock: DCVW & Bazzill Basics; Loopy Brads & Scrappers Floss: Karen Foster; Pewter Embellishments: making memories; Pencil Crayons: Heidi Swapp; Cricut Cartridge: George.

10 Randoms...a day late.

Or maybe because they are always a day late, I shoudl just move the 10 Randoms day to Monday. So lets start again...

10 Randoms...On Time.

10 Movies I Just Love

(in no particular order...)

1. Napoleon Dynamite. I remember watching this reality show one time and there was this uber dumb girl who's favourite movie was...you guessed it... Napoleon Dynamite. I don't care, I love it.

2. Love Actually. I don't usually like chick flicks. I love this movie.

3. Star Wars. The first three...which were actually the last three.

4. Dodgeball. Did I mention my favourite movies are usually movies that you don't need a brain to watch? I like my movies to be relaxing. Go ahead, judge.

5. Gone With The Wind. I could watch this movie on mute & still love it. I love the costumes and sets. So wonderful.

6. The Usual Suspects. I love everything about this movie. And I love love love Kevin Spacey.

7. Goodfellas. I actually like gangster movies. Like The Godfather & Donnie Brasco. Oh & Casino. They are violent but I like them. I really like Ray Liota in this movie. Why didn't he do anything else that was amazing?

8. Dazed & Confused. I wanted to live through this era so badly after I saw this movie.

9. Clueless. I might be dating myself here.... almost every girl my age loves this movie. As if! There's just something about this movie (set in Beverly Hills at a Private school) that all teenage girls can relate to. Whatever. (Did I mention 99% of what I said in high school cam directly from this movie?)

10. Empire Records. Loved Lucas. Love when he took the couch cushions with him. Loved Warren (my name isn't f&*king Warren!). Loved Mark. This movie made me want to drive a scooter. And I even Renee Zellweger couldn't ruin this movie for me (I dislike her and her stupid lips....).

Thanks JoAnn!

Not to brag or anything, but...

I got a Crave Cupcake and you don't.

(Yeah, that's how I roll...)

Sign Up Today

Straight from the brilliant mind of Heidi Swapp, the ever-so-talented Tracey MacFarland has "scraplifted" this project (from a class she attended in Arizona) and brought it to use at Sheep River Scrapbook Co.

When times are tough (and they are now...) it's nice to focus on the Good things. Use this little book (made from cute My Minds Eye Paper) to record the good things that happen in your life. It's not a big commitment, just a couple lines a day (or even use it weekly..) I fully intent to have this Good Book on my nightstand. So sweet.

April 6th, 6:3o pm

Class Fee $10.00 members $12.00 non-members

Class fee to be paid in advance.

Kit Fee Approx $14.00

Call 403.938.2391 to reserve you spot.

How fun!

We had a great time making this little mini album at a class the other night. My sister-in-law & I decided we had lots to be lucky for (or at least enough to fill 7 pages...) so we brought some wine, and made our little albums. So cute. Thanks Susan!

If you're interested in taking one of Susan's classes check out the Chandelier Chic on April 1st. A totally cute & trendy little mini album.

Miles...

"Oh. Oh. Oh."

Miles can crawl like a pro now. And pull himself up. I was in the kitchen (and he was off touring the house) when I heard a little "Oh.Oh.Oh." coming from somewhere. I looked into the bathroom to see that Miles had pulled himself up the side of the bathtub. He loves taking a bath & I guess he was letting me know that he was ready for another one. I love this kid.

10 Randoms....a contest!

In June I am going with my in-laws and family to Toronto to visit Brian's elusive side of the family. I say elusive, because I haven't met some of them & it seems like they are a bit of a secret. Here are 10 things I would love to see/do when I am in Toronto:

1. Lay on the glass at the CN Tower. (If I am feeling gutsy)

2. See Cityline or The Hour.

3. Buy Amy Butler Fabric

4. Go to Pottery Barn Kids

5. Visit the Hockey Hall of Fame (Ok, this is Brian's idea, but I imagine I will end up going and I bet I will enjoy it).

6. Go to Much Music. Just because.

7. Check out some wineries near Niagara.

8. Go to a jazz bar.

Ok ladies, tell me what else I should add to this list, and if I chose your idea (just post it in the comment section) you will win a $25 Gift Certificate. Good Luck.

Ps. I will not be hunting down any local scrapbook stores, sometimes I just need to get away from all this.

Update...

The Okotoks Scrapbook Convention was a complete success. Complete. Lisa Slocombe (& her volunteers) did a fabulous job & I think we all owe her a big round of applause (insert clapping here). We had a great time doing make & takes, eating Crave cupcakes and of course, bidding on silent auction items. (Other people may also have scrapbooked....) Brian went home with a round of Golf and this is an official public apology to anyone who was also bidding on that item. He is very competitive when he is bored. And I won a beautiful ring hand-made by a friend as well as a sweet little green afghan. Lucky me.

Yep. $12,534.50 big ones. All of that goes to the Rowan House Emergency Shelter. Every cent. And that my friends, is a warm fuzzy.

New.... and beautiful.

If you like s.e.i. then you'll love their new Mimosa line. I just love the name. Mimosa. It makes me think of breakfast on the beach in Jamaica or Mexico. Eating fresh pineapple and being slightly sun-kissed (I digress....). Anyway, the papers are beautiful (check out the colors above) and there are lots of things to go with; acrylic stamps, epoxy stickers, puffy stickers, ribbons, brads & more. Did I mention that all the paper is shimmery? So beautiful. Someone is going to be asking for a trip to Mexico when they get home tonight (and I think someone is going to be told no.)

Packing....

The Okotoks Scrapbook Convention is only

2 Days Away!

We're busy packing up all of our cardstock, lots of patterned papers & tons of embellishments. This is our biggest event of the year & we're so excited.

Over the last couple days Erin, Susan, Viola & I have been prepping 100's of Make&Takes. We are also wrapping up some great prizes (there may or may not be a Slice Machine from making memories....ok, there is!) that people who shop in our store will have a chance to win.

See you on Saturday at the FCC!

If you weren't able to get a ticket for this event, you can still stop by to visit us just by making a any donation to the Rowan House. There's lot's going on so it would be worth trip!

10 Randoms. Totally Random.

I am feeling a little gracious today. But in a totally materialistic way (does that make any sense?). Of course I am happy for my family, and my health & all that really matters. But some days, well, some days I am just happy for materialistic things. Today I am happy for all my "stuff". Go ahead, say what you want... But when my husband is working, my baby is teething & the things that really matter are getting on my nerves, I know, I KNOW FOR SURE, that my favourite treat/magazine will be there for me. So when I pray at night, I thank god for these things (and yeah, my husband, son, family & friends too....sheesh!)

10 Little Luxuries.

1. Shoes. I love them because they almost always fit.

2. Kholer rainfall shower head, Clairins Tonic Bath & Shower Concentrate, Philosophy Margarita Scrub, Rocky Mountain Soap Shop Granola Face Scrub, Aveda Herbal Clay Masque, Body Shop Hemp Body Butter & Egyptian Cotton Towels. Ok, that's technically 7 items, but add them all together and you get ONE fabulous shower.

3. Spanx. They suck in all the right places. Without these I would never wear dresses.

4. Kate Spade stationery & wallets.

5. The Office on DVD. Funny. Anytime. Anyplace.

6. Skiing. I love to ski. For me it's like riding a bike. I took last year off because I was pregnant. I was so happy this year to know I could still just get up & go. A little ski retreat is a must every winter.

7. Banana Republic. A girl at Brian's work gave me a 30% off coupon to use this weekend. T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

8. Coffee table books from Urban Outfitters. Church Signs Across America, Stuff White People Like, Listography.....

9. Pearls. When Brian & I had been dating a year he wanted to buy me a piece of jewelry. So, naturally, he went to one of my friends for advice. She said "No matter what, don't buy pearls. They are so ugly & they are for old ladies.". Needless to say, she & I weren't that close. I love pearls. I love thinking that something I am wearing came from the ocean. They are so pretty. Brian never did buy me pearls so finally I bought some for myself.

10. Wine. I love wine. I love building my wine collection. I love beautiful wine glasses & cute wine charms. I love our Wino Club. And I love sharing wine with good friends.

10 Fabulously Cheap Thrills

1. Real Simple Magazine & Post-It Notes. These two together = heaven.

2. Mini Crave Cupcakes. You know they're good because they never make it home.

3. Patterned Paper. At about $1 a piece I can honestly say this one of my favourite cheap thrills.

4. Lemons. They make any plate look good, most dishes a little tastier & I can't imagine chugging tap water without them. They are great for decorating. (And, when I was young, I use to squeeze the juice into my hair in the summer for cheap blonde highlights. It worked!)

5. Photo booth photos. Admit it, there isn't much better than a funny picture from a photo booth.

6. Sheep River. It's such a beautiful place to go for a walk or a dip on a hot day. I feel so lucky to have such a beautiful place so close to home.

7. Yahtzee.

8. Mail. I love sending people mail. Maybe because I know how much I love to receive it. Even just a letter makes my day.

9. Rocket Popsicles. You know, the kind that are Red, White & Blue. My goodness those things are good.

10. Flowers. Peonies. Hydrangeas & Lilacs. If I can grow them, even better.

Oh My Word!

Some of the stuff that we ordered for the Okotoks Scrapbook Convention (this Saturday) is finally arriving. Oh My Word! There is some great stuff. And for those of you who are lucky enough to attend you'll get first dibs on these great goodies. If you aren't able to attend (four more spots were added! Check out www.okscrapbookconvention.com if you didn't grab a seat before they sold out the first time!) then we hope to see you there anyway. You can come visit us for the day at the Foothills Centenial Center.

So for all you Scrapaholics out there, here's a little list we've started:

Twitterpated by Imaginisce (paper, stamps, bling &more)(pictured at top)

Lil Man & Snorkle from Cosmo Cricut (paper, ribbon & rub-ons)

Lots of great new chipboard from Maya Road

New flowers from Prima & Bazzill Basics

Patterned Paper from My Little Yellow Bicycle & Lil Davis

I didn't realize that the comment posted by "onthewaydown" was actually my husband. I drew his name out of the bowl first. And then I said "I don't know who this is...." and he just smiled. Anyway, the real winner is Andrea MacDonald. Come into the store anytime (except Saturday) and pick up your prize. Thanks to everyone who played! There will be another contest soon, keep your eyes peeled.

Spring (?) Contest...

Call me naive, I really thought it had arrived.

I was cleaning the house with the windows open & pulling out all of the Spring things that I keep in the basement all winter long. I cleaned my sink, vacuumed the blinds... I was on a Spring Cleaning roll. And then it got cold. And to be honest, I just feel like curling up in front of the fire.

Win this Ripe Berry paper pack & matching embellishments (a $28 value!) by telling me one of your best Spring Cleaning tips. Just post your tip in the comment section & a random draw will be held & posted on this blog on Sunday (March 8th). Don't forget to add your name if you are not a registered user!

Layout 061

Cozy by Haley Ross

I didn't use any old products on this layout. Unless you count the old buttons. I feel a bit guilty about that. I love the new paper in this layout from Fancy Pants Designs. I actually went onto their website to get some ideas for a page & was pretty impressed. So if you end up picking up some of this paper, check out their idea gallery. Scraplifters heaven!

Materials: Patterned Papers: Fancy Pants Designs; Buttons: My Minds Eye; Pop Dots: 3L; Stickers: s.e.i.; Pen: Ek Success Zig Writer; Other: Thread

For Dinner Tonight...

Brian had to go to work at 4 tonight so I found myself needing to make dinner pretty early. Well, I had totally intended on going grocery shopping this evening. So, I looked in the fridge and pulled out what I had... not a lot. I hit up the index of one of my favourite cookbooks Good Cooking the new essentials by Jill Dupleix, looked under butternut squash and voila! Tonights dinner (which may I say, kicked ass.)

tagliatelle with pumpkin & sage

600g pumpkin or butternut squash (even sweet potatoes will do!)

1 onion

3 tbsp. butter (I used margarine)

300ml vegtable stock

1 tsp sugar

pinch of ground nutmeg

sea salt & pepper

300g tagliatelle or fettuchini

1 tbsp olive oil

6 roughly chopped sage leaves

4 tbsp fresh parmasean (couldn't believe I had that!)

________________________________________

Roughly chop pumpkin, get rid of seed & peel. Cut into 1cm cubes.

Halve & finely slice onion

Melt 2tsp. butter in frying pan, add onions & cook gently (what does that even mean?) for 5 minutes. Add pumpkin & toss well, then add sugar, stock, nutmeg & sea salt. Cook gently (again!) for 20 minutes or until tender. It will still be slightly soupy.

Add pasta & boil until al dente.

Using olive oil, in a smaller pan, fry sage until crisp.

Drain pasta. Toss into pumpkin. Add remaining butter, sage, parmasean & lots of pepper.

Enjoy!

I gave some of this to Miles (before I added butter & cheese) and I think he liked it (well, that's what I gathered from the funny face he kept making (below)). Next time I'll also skip pepper for him... poor guy had a little sneeze attack.

Finished!

I use to read a book a week (I use to do a lot of things...) Then I had the store & that became a book a month. Then I had Miles and it seemed like reading was something that would only be accomplished on vacations.

I have just finished Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. So funny. Picka Pocketoni was my favourite chapter. So very funny. Laugh out Loud funny. He is almost as funny as Chelsea Handler. If you haven't read Are You There Vodka It's Me Chelsea? then you are missing out. I think that puts my book count up to about 3 this year. Yay me! That's a book and a half a month!

Now I am going to start reading Twilight. I am told it is very addicting. I can see some late nights headed my way...

Just because...

Whenever I feel a little sad, I always listen to music. It just helps me to release.

I decided to add an extra 10 randoms.

Here are

10 Song Lyrics I just love:

1. "I'll stir-fry you in my wok!" - Beastie Boys

Just because it is do darn witty.

2. " Then you'll call me a bitch, and everyone we're with will be embarrassed and I won't give a shit." - Kate Nash

She's cute. And this song reminds me of my college boyfriend with whom I just played one big old mind game. Thank God that it didn't last & I found Brian.

3. "And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming or the moment of truth in your lies. When everything feels like the movies and you bleed just to know you're alive" - Goo Goo Dolls.

I remember hearing this song & thinking "He's taking words out of my mouth." I think (hope) everyone feels like this some days.

4. " Be my Romeo. My go-go Romeo. I see you twist & turn you look so *%$#ing stupid." - Everclear.

I love the singers voice and maybe that's why I get this line stuck in my head for days. It almost sounds like he spits a little and for some reason I love that.

5. " I picked the morning paper off the floor, it was full of other people's little wars. Wouldn't they like their peace? Don't we get bored? And we call for the three great stimulants. Of the exhausted ones, Artifice brutality and innocence. Artifice and innocence." - Joni Mitchell.

6. "It's a sad sad story when a mother will teach her daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger" - The Dixie Chicks.

I love the Dixie Chicks. I am an opinionated person (ya think?) but I realise in this lyric that you need to walk a fine line between having an opinion and forcing your opinions on others. It's amazing that they can see & relay that message that after being persecuted for expressing their own opinion.

7. "Doesn't anybody wish they had just one more friend?" - Stabilo

When I moved to Canada I couldn't believe how people were so satisfied in their cliques. I always think the more, the merrier. This song is a great representation of what will happen if we all keep acting like we're "too busy".

8. "Forget your American Dream & wake up to Canadian Men." - Paul Brandt.

9. "So make the best of this test and don't ask why" - Green Day

I don't believe everything in life happens for a reason. Like my friend Pam who died in January. There's no reason. It's just a test. I can't wait to find out for what.... and I am going to give the "Tester" a piece of my mind.

10. "Next door, there's an old man who lived to his nineties & one day, passed away in his sleep. And his wife, she stayed for a couple more days and passed away. I'm sorry I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know, we belong." - Ben Folds.

This is "our song". We danced to it at our wedding and anyone who heard the lyrics was crying. Again, I felt like he read my mind and said what I couldn't put in words for Brian. This song is as happy as it is sad.

More new stuff....

A couple new Cosmo Cricut lines in the store today.... my favourite is snorkel, it's a line of beachy paper. I love this one, it's called School's Out. Cute, non? Anyway, I love it. So, what do you think the chances are that Brian will take me to somewhere hot, just so I can use this paper? I'll give it a try...

New

I may be Fancy Pants Designs biggest fan! I love their paper. And I love the little cards & strips that always accompany the lines. There are 2 new lines in the store today. Delight (one of the papers is pictured above) and Summer Soiree. Ok, I love love love Summer Soiree. It is fabulous. I can't wait to use it on some, or all of my lake pictures. I seriously LOVE this line! It's gorgeous.

So Proud!

COACH by Lindsay Ross

This fabulous layout (right?) was done by my sister-in-law on Saturday night. Lindsay has been "scrapbooking" for years. If by scrapbooking I mean buying stuff, but never really using it. She is a die-hard perfectionist and in the past when she actually commits to gluing something down, I have done a little celebratory dance.

Linds is so talented. And yeah, she's realated to me.

My 10 Randoms

I am sick & tired of winter. I am ready for summer. Here's why:

10 Reasons I am looking forward to summer:

1. So that the "Hopaluk" boys can sports their matching flannel jackets again.

2. BBQing. Mmmmmm. After waterskiing, even better.

3. Staring into the campfire. For hours. And feeling the heat on my face.

4. Baileys Shivers.

5. Watching Miles play at the beach & wade in the water.

6. Bike rides on the Granny Bike & long walks to the marina.

7. Yelling at Brian for chopping wood with his flip-flops on.

8. Spitz. Sore tongues. And more Spitz to help ease the pain.

9. Hot Dogs. It's the only time of year I eat them.

10. Laying in the sun on the dock. Waiting for our turn on the Sea-doo, putting on a little more tanning oil, drinking ice cold Canadians (or grape pop), reading a good book (or a copy of the ever-so-trashy STAR magazine).

11. The Hammock. I had to add it. My brother-in-law Ryan reminded me that this is a crucial part of summer. Mmmmm.

12. Moonshine. Not a reason I am looking forward to summer, but the guys told me to add it. Whatever.