10 Randoms

We're a wasteful society. I don't use disposable cleaning products (like Mr.Clean wipes or Swiffer) but sometimes, when I am standing in the cleaning aisle in Sobeys, I think "My life would be so much easier if I had these.". Here's the thing: We have it pretty good. And I have lots of things that make my life easy. So I can pass on the disposable mosquito repellent wipes (for real!!!!) and be grateful to have these:

10 Things That Make My Life Easier

1. My Dyson. They are not over-rated. They are exactly what they claim to be. And when Brian and I got a tax refund last year, we splurged. At the time I thought "I can't believe I am spending this much on a vacuum cleaner." A year later, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. This thing rocks.

2. Vinegar. It's one product that seems to clean everything.

3. Fitted Sheets. Can you imagine having to tuck the sheets under your mattress every time you made the bed like in a hotel? We take them for granted. Love fitted sheets.

4. Convection Oven. Good for the earth. Easy to clean. Love it.

5. Internet. Clearly. It's no nice to be able to find recipes, stain removal tips and Facebook at the click of a button.

6. Dryer Balls. If you still use Dryer Sheets... Google them. You won't believe what's in them. Need an even better reason to switch? They last for a looong time & save you a ton of money.

7. Remote Controls. I never appreciate these until I am at the cabin and the movie ends. Everyone is comfy and NO ONE wants to get up to shut the TV off.

8. My Cricut Machine. Mmmmmm. No more unwanted X's and Q's. Now I only have to buy stickers if I really love them. And it's so easy to match stuff. Honestly, how did I scrapbook before this thing?

9. My KicthenAid Mixer. Cookies in 10 minutes. Oh yeah.

10. Electric Lawn Mower. I used all of the money I got from my Bridal Shower & Wedding to buy this. Best ever. Love not keep gasoline on-hand. Love not spilling it all over my hands. Love this lawn mower. Love it.

Alright ladies, think about it. We have been given so many things to make our lives easier. Can you imagine what our great-grandmothers would think? What can you give up that is convenient, bu very wasteful? I bet lots. Ziploc Bags, Cleaning Wipes, Dryers Sheets. If you have any more ideas I would love to hear them. My guilty conscience loves this stuff.

New!

k-bots from Kaiser Craft.

So freakin' cute.

Double-sided. Adorable. And that's good enough for me.

New!

2 New lines from Basic Grey are now in store.

Lime Rickey & Wisteria. Paper, Stickers, Chipboard & "Stuff". And of course, I love it all.

mmmmmmmmm. Basic Grey.

Still room...

We find ourselves with three

Empty Seats

for this Friday/Saturday's National Scrapbook Day

If you are finding yourself with a free weekend or have a girlfriend who is on the fence, sign up now, these seats won't last! Each seat is $35 and includes lunch on Saturday, a late-night snack on Saturday night, a Crave Cupcake, two Make&Take's, as well as a chance to win some great prizes (Cricut cartidges, a Zutter Bind-It-All & more!)

Call the store to reserve your spot 403.938.2391

National Scrapbook Day is fast approaching. If you are counting down the days, I thought I would share with you the Saturday lunch menu, which I just got from the caterer. If you have any concerns please advise us by Wednesday.

- The Menu -

Wraps

Roast beef w/ smoked Gouda, horseradish mayo,

lettuce, julienned red pepper & red onion

Ham w/ Gruyere, basil mayo, lettuce,

julienned red pepper & cucumber

Turkey w/ Havarti, roasted red pepper spread, lettuce,

julienned orange pepper & scallions

Avocado, brie, sprouts, cucumber,

tomato, red onion, cilantro mayo

Veggie, Crackers & Dip: Lemon Dill dip, Hummus, French onion dips. Carrots sticks, cherry tomatoes, celery, Raincoast Crisps (rosemary/ pecan/raisin) & rice crackers

Dessert

Chocolate mousse in crispy cups, with mint and a berry.

Hawaiian Colada Rooibos iced tea, Cream Earl Grey hot tea.

BCS#1

Boot Camp Session One - Sneak Peek

Layout #1

Color Scheme: Blue, Green, White, Orange (as above)

Products: Paper & Die-Cuts from Scenic Route, May Arts Ribbon, A WHOLE pack of rub-ons and more.

Photo Roll Call: One 4x6 (portrait), One 5x7 (portrait), Five 4x6's (that will be cut, some into circles, to approx. 3.5x3.5")

Room for a small amount of journaling on this layout.

Layout #2

Color Scheme: Blue, Lime Green, Black & Ivory (as above)

Products: making memories patterned paper & WHOLE alphabet, tag rims, brads and more.

Photo Roll Call: Two 4x6 (portrait), One 5x7 (portrait), Two small croppable pictures (approx. 2.5x2.5")

Room for a small amount of journaling on this layout.

Layout #3

Color Scheme: Pink, Green, White & Brown (as above)

Products: American Craft's Amplified line. Scalloped edge paper, Ribbon, Buttons and a WHOLE pack of Thickers (allows you freedom for your title & theme), monogram.

Photo Roll Call: One 5x7 (landscape), Two 4x6 (portrait), One 4x6 Landscape (must be able to take off a small portion of right side). SEPIA pictures look FABULOUS on this layout, but are not required.

There is room on this layout for a small amount of journaling.

Please bring the following items to this class (in addition to regular supplies): Corner Rounder, Pen, Adhesive (glue dots are essential).

Enlist!

Scrapbook Bootcamp!

May 13th, 20th & 27th

Sign up for one session or brave all 3.

In this fast-paced class only the fit survive (Well, not really. A good soldier never leaves a scrapbooker behind...). We will finish 3 double-page layouts in each session, filling your album faster than you can say "Sir! Yes Sir!"

Eash Session is $48. Sign up for all 3 and save $20.

Limited spaces are available. Enlist today.

Sign Up!

Check out our new May Class List

(Click on the link at the left of your screen)

Another One! Layout #070

I miss this by Haley Ross

I like to think I have the cutest cat ever. I thought I'd stop taking his picture so much once I had a baby, and I was right. This is pre-baby. Poor guy.

Materials: Patterned Paper: Stampin' Up; Cardstock Strips: Doodlebug; Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Stickers: Thickers by American Crafts; Brads: Doodlebug.

Layout 069

First Halloween by Haley Ross

I guess I shouldn't be posting this layout because I still have journaling to do. Sorry about the picture (you can see my shadow). I have been wanting to use this spider transparency for a while now, it looks so cool.

Old Stock? All of it. Yay me!

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper: K&Co.; Transparency: Hambly; Alphabet Stickers: Making Memories; Brads: Karen Foster; Tab Punch: Stampin' Up; Pen: Vellum Writer by EK Success.

Layout 068

My Small Paul by Haley Ross

I saved the tags from the items I bought Miles while shopping that day. They are too cute!

Question: When you are journaling do you write in the third person? My journaling on this page is weird. I usually write on my pages as if they were a letter to Miles (or to the reader) instead of a narration. For some reason, I changed that on this page (last sentence). I hate it. What does everyone else do?

Materials: Patterned Paper: Cosmo Cricut & My Minds Eye; Cardstock with an Edge: Bazzill Basics; Accent Stickers: Making Memories & ki memories; Alphabet Stickers: Scenic Route & making memories; Brads: Doodlebug; Grommets: We R Memory Keepers; Ribbon: May Arts; Pen: EK Success Zig Writer.

Happy Earth Day!

Bring your own re-usable bag into the store today & tomorrow (April 22nd & 23rd) & save 15% off of your entire purchase.

10 Randoms

I spent the weekend in Penticton, BC with my girlfriend Juliana. I love hanging out with her. Actually I love all of my girlfriends. So this late (as usual) edition of my 10 Randoms is dedicated to them...

10 Reasons I Love My Friends

1. You can "go for coffee" all day long. Sometimes a cup of chai can last for hours. One time Jules and I went to 4 (FOUR!) different coffee shops in one day. Theresa & I sat at Good Earth for so long we felt bad and ended up buying a second round.

2. Golf. I golf better and I have more fun than the pressure I feel when golfing with the guys.

3. Sharing. Juliana has the best hoodies in the world. Dana has great golf tips. Kim's got a great stash of patterned paper. The "What's mine is yours" feeling is an attitude I love in my friends.

4. Honesty. I can dish it out, but I can't always take it in. If I have to hear that a pair of jeans don't really fit me anymore, or that my hair is just plain horrid, I want to hear it from a girlfriend.

5. Teasing. Does anyone else always feel like most boys take it too far. I love that I can give Jesse a hard time about her "Crazy Little Elves" and she knows it's all in good fun. I even don't mind when the girls make fun of my hybrid or recycling.

6. Social Scrapbooking. There are a handful of people I love to scrapbook with. You know who you are, I love you. I love that scrapbooking is the only thing in the world when we are deep into it. I love that we share. I love what we talk about (pretty much everything!).

7. Singing. Girlfriends sing together. There's nothing better than a bunch of drunks singing Journey at the top of their lungs (ePIC!) and being told that my rendition of "Oh Hot Damn, This is My Jam" is the best one out there.

8. Advice. Now that I have a baby its great to have friends like Tasha that I can turn to, to find out what she's doing with her baby. Also love that I can call Kim ANYTIME for solid baby advice.

9. Venting. Gossiping. Bitching. We all do it, just admit it. If you're smart you just do it with your closest friends. There's something relieving about finding out that Teresa feels the same way I do about Tori Spelling; that Lindsay is also stressed about tax season and that Kim thought ______'s comment was totally unreasonable too!

10. They accept a messy house. Real friends do! They do. If a real friend is coming by, I don't clean. So if you come by (announced...) and its a pig sty, it means I love you.

More New Stuff!

In 3 (Circle, Square & Bracket) shapes, these Mixed Media books from Fancy Pants are a totally cool idea. The pages are made of chipboard, transparency & felt. The book is about 8x8 (big enough to be useful) and I am dying, DYING to have a go at one.

Happy Birthday...

...to us? You'll wish it was your birthday so you had a reason to use this cute-as-can-be scrapbook line from BoBunny. Brads, Buttons, Stickers & adorable* double-sided patterned paper. You can bet I will be snapping away on Miles' first birthday!
* By adorable I mean, really really stinkin' adorable.

Sign Up Now!

Double-click to enlarge

Holiday Hours

We will be closed Friday April 11th for Good Friday.

We will also be closed Monday April 13th, Easter Sunday.

We will be open regular hours Saturday April 12th.

Our staff is taking an extra long weekend to spend time with their families.

Happy Easter!

Ooooh.

Sew Pretty.

I went to Lethbridge on the weekend to visit my sister who goes to University there. I stopped at a fabric store that I had learned carries Amy Butler fabrics. I bought some patterns & lots of fabric. I'd better start warming up my sewing machine.

What on earth have I gotten myself into? Something fabulous I hope.

10 Randoms

10 Things It Would Seem I Collect

There are some things, that without having put forth any effort, have become so numerous one could call them a "collection". These are mine...

1. Buttons. Some are rude, some are funny & some are totally cute. I seem to be amassing buttons at a rather alarming rate. They are on my bags, my bulletin boards & this little picture frame became their victim.

2. Water Bottles. No idea where they all come from but I have at least 8. Who needs 8 water bottles? In my defense, one of them is from my 7th grade Outward Bound program. I keep stuff.

3. SNL DVD's. I didn't set out to collect them all. In fact, I don't even know if I do. But I would be willing to bet I am pretty close. My favs? Gilda Radner, Jimmy Fallon, Molly Shannon & The 25th Year Anniversary DVD.

4. Tickets. I guess I keep tickets. Upon investigation I found tickets for the following events: Scrapfest (2006), Dixie Chicks (2006), Deborah Digiovanni (2 weeks ago), Cirque's du Soleil's Mystere (2006), CKU (2006), Just For Laughs (2004), A boarding pass for a trip to Cuba (2003), George Strait (2004), AFL Carlton v. Geelong (2003)... there are lots more. With an exception of a few, I never made any effort to keep them, they just stuck around. I also have an old $2 bill in my wallet. I'll keep that.

5. Re-usable Bags. I am mad at myself for this one... this is just ignorant. I have cloth bags from Lulu Lemon, Sobey's, Roots, M&M's, RW&Co., and so many more. I think I got most of them for free. No excuses, I don't need anymore.

6. Skate/Surf Stickers. I sort of did collect these. I had every intention of covering my snowboard with them. Glad I didn't. What should I do with them now?

7. Cookbooks. I love Cookbooks. Love them. I have at least 40. That might sound excessive, but believe me, it isn't. I have combed through each & every one. I have used post-its to mark what recipes I'd like to try. Then, after I try them, I rate them and assign them a new post-it note colour. Oh yeah, I'm THAT geeky. One's I think you should buy: Williams Sonoma Bride & Groom Cookbook (It was a wedding gift. The book will say... While the groom chops onions, the bride should be grating Parmesan. Cooking for 2. I love it.) Good Cooking by Jill Dupliex, Express Lane Meals by Rachael Ray, The Home Baker, and Squeezed by Jane Lawson ( 250 juices + smoothies...yum.)

8. Single Socks. Where the heck did the other one go? I'm keeping them in case it shows up.

9. Mugs. I worked at Starbucks long enough to have a Mug Museum. Oops. Funny thing is, my favourite mug (we all have one) was 25 cents at a garage sale.
10. Running T's. I went to put away the T-shirt that I got at the race this morning. The drawer wouldn't close... and my running career isn't very well established! But I want to keep them because they all represent an accomplishment. You know what would be an even bigger accomplishment? Cleaning out my drawers...

Layout 067

Grumpy Pants by Haley Ross

Miles was sick with the flu for 11 days. 11 days! Aycaramaba! He has also been crawling a lot better lately (he's a real pro) and so I wanted to capture that. Well, he wasn't having it. At all. And he let me know it. I like this layout. I was able to use some really old stuff. The paper, the rub-ons, the floss & template, but also the white metal letters which are at least 3 years old. SO happy to see them used. I was also so happy with the harlequin pattern that I created on the left side of the layout. I was trying so hard to work that embroidery floss into my layout. I did, and I totally love it.

Materials: Patterned Paper: WeR Memory Keepers: Cardstock & Border Strip: Bazzill Basics; Rub-On: WeR Memory Keepers; Floss & Stitching Templates: Bazzill Basics; White Metal Letters: making memories; Cricut Cartridges: George & Plantin Schoolbook; Other: Sewing.

Layouts 065 & 066 (Only 84 more to go!)

Splish Splash by Haley Ross

What an original title! Pulled out the big guns on that one. I actually did use some old stuff on here. Some of the brads (some I borrowed from Martha. Thanks!) & the labels. Not too bad. I have another double-layout to do with more bath pictures (I just couldn't help myslef). The best thing on this page? The self adhesive (yay!) ghost letters from Flair. So handy. Love them. Much easier that Heidi Swapp ones when it comes to trying to somehow attatch them to your page... Love them.

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper: Fancy Pants; Brads: Bazzill Basics; Clear Arrows: Bo Bunny; Labels: Scenic Route; Pen: Zig Writer by EK Success.

He Believes by Haley Ross

I love Scenic Route because they are so matchy-matchy. They also make a lot of good, inexpensive embellishments (arrows, die-cut letters) There's not many times when I can use product from just one company on a page... I did that here.

Materials: All materials from Scenic Route.

Layout 064

I Feel Huge by Haley Ross

I am pretty happy with this page. Last night at about 10pm I was thinking it was going to be a lost cause. But Michelle helped me pull it all together by giving me these daisy's and much to my delight, all of my doodling turned out (the black is stickers, the white is mine). I used up some old flowers of Michelle's, but I will admit the rub-ons were new (cute huh?).

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; DieCuts & stickers: Colorbok; Rub ons: October Afternoon; Pen: Sakura & EK Success Zig Writer; Daisies: Martha Stewart Crafts

10 Randoms. Late, as per usual.

I do.

Tonight I rekindled my love affair with scrapbooking. Every once in a while (after a hiatus or a few bad layouts) I begin to think our relationship has turned sour. Tonight I spent the night scrapbooking with Michelle & Ryane and it was fabulous. I got lots done & had a very relaxing time. Ahhhhh.

10 Reasons I love Scrapbooking

1. The finished product. You can only have so many quilts or beeswax candles... Scrapbooking produces lovely albums that are cherished forever. The more pictures... the more scrapbooks. Ain't nothing wrong with that.

2. The company. I have so many friends I've made because of scrapbooking. Honestly, at least 30% of my Facebook Friends are fellow paper lovers.

3. The paper.

4. The snacks. Tonight I had nibs, M&M's & a couple of girl guide cookies. I like to think that for every layout I get done I burn at least 100 calories in creativity.

5. The self expression. Jimmy Kimmel the other night defended scrapbooking when one of his guests said it was vain. ( Mr.Kimmel suggested that perhaps men wearing makeup to work was a little more self-involved). I love breaking down myself into peices and recording them.

6. The legacy. I hope Miles (or at least his wife) will appreciate these albums as much as I appreciate all of the photos my mother took & compiled.

7. The shopping. Duh.

8. The escape. Tonight was relaxing. Especially when I put all of my decision making into Michelles capable hands. Well done Michelle, tonight scrapbooking was a breeze.

9. The photos. Love photos, love scrapbooking.

10. The feeling that I've accomplished something. 5 finished layouts tonight. Now that feels good.