C'est l'Halloween!

I love Halloween. Love it. Sometimes I wish it were Bigger. Longer. And more celebrated. I love it. Cute kids (um, not to sound arrogant but check out mine above, pretty freakin' cute, non?). Candy. What's not to love?

Tomorrow we'll be busy as can be (we have 3 pumpkins to carve!) so I thought I should post my 10 Randoms today.

10 Silly Things I am Afraid of...

1. Fluorescent light bulbs. (This includes the CFL bulbs we use at home.) I once saw one get dropped and it exploded.
2. Winter driving.
3. Undeveloped basements. I never go in mine late at night. Who know what kind of murders, ghosts and bugs are down there ;) If I am forced to go down there (to do laundry) I always sprint back up the stairs.
4. The TV getting stuck on Treehouse & not being able to mute it or shut it off.
5. Balloons. This is totally irrational, but I knew I was really afraid when my New Years Eve was ruined in Mexico because our table was near a balloon arch. I was tense the whole time. I hate balloons.
6. The movie I am Legend. Of all the horror movies & thrillers I have seen, I must have been in a particular mood when I saw this movie, because it scared the Bejeebus out of me. I can think back on it & know it wasn’t really scary at all, but at the time, I was terrified.
7. Snakes in water. The way snakes move over the water when they swim creeps me out. Ew.
8. Random things Miles will put in his mouth. Most recently I was at Sobeys getting groceries and when I looked down Miles had his mouth on the handle of the cart. Freaked me out.
9. Having a gun held to my head & being forced to become an Oilers fan. Just pull the trigger.
10. Rip Tides. My mom was holding my sister while playing the ocean when we were little. An undercurrent just picked them both up & knocked them over. More recently, Brian & I were in Hawaii and I remember vividly getting dragged along the bottom of the ocean while we “played” in the waves. I still go in the ocean all the time, but while most people are scared of sharks or Jellyfish, it’s the power of the currents that get me…

Today...

Today my "To Do" list seemed longer than normal. There were swimming lessons, laundry, Facebook-ing (Haha!), Cleaning & the usual Thursday items on it. Miles didn't sleep much last night which means I knew I wouldn't get everything on my list done, I knew it and I had accepted it. So imagine my surprise when I did. And I managed to sneak in a few bonus errands.

I stopped by Monkey Mountain, the new toy store in town, to pick up two birthday presents for Saturday (scratch that off tomorrows list!). I love this store. It's adorable. And it's so nice to have an option other than Wal-Mart (we all know how I feel about Wal-Mart!) in town. I am addicted to the wooden toys & puzzles made by Melissa & Doug (check out melissanddoug.com). This store has an amazing selection of their stuff. So, Teegan is getting a "cookie" set & Devyn is getting a puzzle. Perfect.

My girlfriend Teresa had a baby boy on the weekend. I stopped in to meet him today. He's beautiful & smells delicious. Welcome to the world little Seth Goldstein! We love you so much already!

A lot of people have been asking me what I am "making" with the white paper lanterns that are in the store. Nothing. Not a thing. But I am crossing another task off my list as they get hung from the ceilings tonight in preparation for our Weekend To Unwind Cocktail Party (on Friday November 6th!). Thanks to my brother-in-law* Ryan, Brian and my dad for their help. The store is gonna look so lovely.

Want to come to our event? Tickets are $15 & available now! Once you're in the door, you'll be privy to in-store specials, Crave Cupcakes (mmmmm), our open bar & best of all: an exclusive mini class with Trisha Ladouceur from My Minds Eye. There are prizes to be won & socializing to be done, so don't miss this fabulous evening. Ph. (403) 938.2391 for tickets. Hope to see you there!

So what's next? There's still a lot to do. I am looking for rolls of white paper to cover the tables. If anyone knows where I can get these please leave a comment. I also need some good trays for our servers that night...

* Not officially my brother-in-law but I can hope, non?

OMG.

Here is a little sneak-peak of the Technique Treasures Wall Hanging Class that is happening on our Weekend To Unwind.
It's Friggin Lovely. I love it. Love it.
There are still a couple spaces left in this class (all other classes are full, sorry!). The class is $48 and includes all supplies (small tool list required). I am so exited to be hosting this weekend.

The prizes for our weekend event and NEW product from My Minds Eye all arrived today as well. I am swimming in it!
Check out 3 new lines below (including the much anticipated Life Stories, which is printed on Kraft paper. And it rocks.)

More daily dose cards (below) to fill your pages. There is a "love you" one that I plan on using a lot. And I am drooling over this paper (multi-packs shown above) it really is as good as it looks. No, better.

Sneak Peek..

If you signed up for the Holiday Countdown Trinkets & Treasures, in the Weekend To Unwind then here's a little sneak peak of the project you'll be working on... we don't want to give it away, but we want you excited! And you should be! I've seen the whole project & it's gorgeous.

Jenni Bowlin!

A while ago I ordered some Jenni Bowlin direct from their website (It's an American company, so I paid a ridiculous amount of exchange & shipping.). I really wanted to see what the products were like, sometimes online it is hard to tell... When I got them I was delighted! They are adorable. So I tried to order them for the store. Back ordered. My least favourite words.

It's finally here! Finally. And there's lots of great embellishments to choose from. You're gonna love it! Come in & check out:

12x12 patterned papers

Die Cut Paper

Large Individual Bingo Cards

Small themed Bingo Cards (below)

Memo Pads (above)

Fabulous (I mean it!) Alphabet Stickers

Small Calendar Cards

Large Calendar Cards

Themed Tickets (above)

Just Arrived!

As our Weekend to Unwind is nearing, the store is slowly filling up with great products that will be used in the classes taught be guest instructor Trisha Ladouceur. Tattered Angels goodies arrived today & there are so many great things I am excited to learn about. I am loving the chipboard (above). There are almost a dozen to choose from.
Glimmer Screens & Glimmer Mist (again, over a dozen to choose from!).

And I think I've saved the best for last. These are Bingo Boards. I am in love! They are vintage-y & cute. And I love the Halloween ones (look for other themes too!)

Today...

....was a really good day.
I woke up at 9am this morning & Miles was still sleeping. I was able to get dressed and eat before he woke up which is a miracle. We had swimming lessons this morning, for the second time. The first swimming lesson did not go well (understatement of the year?). There was screaming, there was kicking & there was swearing (me, not Miles). But I decided to try one more time, just to see if he had warmed up to the idea. He had not. And there was screaming. And there was kicking. But at least, at least 15% less than last time. I'll take what I can get.

Then, off to Miles' first hair cut. Above is his before picture. His little baby curls were getting out of control. Someone called him a girl the other day. So, I decided it was time. And for some reason it broke my heart.

He sat pretty good. I mean, Kacey was fast (nice work!), but I was surprised there was no major freak out, just a little restlessness at the end. Overall? Good kid. (Now where was that attitude at swimming lessons???)

Here is the 'after' photo. No baby curls. And suddenly, my baby is a little boy. And it made me so sad. He is growing up so fast.

I'm at the store right now, I re-arranged a million things (I like to keep Sheila on her toes). And now I'm just waiting for Kim & the ladies to finish up their layouts. I was thinking I would go home & scrapbook but these swimming lessons just suck up all my energy (wait a minute! It's Miles that should be tired, non?).

Reason Enough

96.

That's how many Crave Cupcakes I just ordered.
I plan on eating 12 of them, so there will still be 84 left for anyone who attends the Friday Night Cocktail Party to enjoy. Of course, being pregnant I am fully entitled to ONE DOZEN cupcakes for myself. Someone else is more than welcome to my share of Cosmopolitans... (this time).

Oops!

I have the entire sign-up sheet for the Weekend to Unwind on my computer on a spread sheet. I accidentally erased the mailing address for someone before I copied to it down onto the envelope! (Smooth Move!)

If Colleen Kinley or any of the gals who are coming with her see this post, please give the store a call & leave your address so I can drop your tickets in the mail.

Sorry Ladies!

ahhhh.

I just got off the phone with My Minds Eye. I was talking to them about the final details for the Weekend to Unwind. And now, I'm all alone in my store, and totally excited.

They are sending us some FABULOUS prizes (can't wait to get my grubby little hands on them!), all the new products (the new Life Stories line is shown above) and some other goodies for our weekend.

Now I am going to call Crave Cupcakes to place an order for the Friday Night Cocktail Party... Go to the Post Office & mail out the tickets... and then there's nothing left to do but count down the days...

Come & Get 'em!

If you haven't picked up your tickets for the Weekend to Unwind then this is your official reminder. (Some of you were told told they would be sent to you, they will hit the mail tomorrow!). If you are unable to pick up your ticket before the event, please let us know & we will hold them for you! The required class supplies are printed onto the tickets, so you'll want to take a look at these before the class!

In case you're finding yourself with NO plans on November 6,7 & 8th, there are still tickets available for the Friday Night Cocktail Party ($15), Technique "Treasures" Wall Hanging ($48) & Family Canvas ($54). For more details just call (403)938.2391 or check out the flyer posted on this blog.

Happy Thanksgiving.

10 Things I am Thankful for.

1. My Health. Don't laugh. I am. I saw a lot of people who had it worse than me over the past couple of weeks. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, I've spent the past 2 weeks in & out (mostly in) the hospital. I have hyperemesis gravidarum, which is basically just really pathetic & relentless morning sickness. But the baby is healthy & really, so am I. So I am grateful for my health.

2. My husband. He ran a 1/2 marathon this morning. I am so proud of him.

3. My family & friends. Who have been so supportive over the past few weeks.

4. Canada. I love this country. I love it. And I am such a proud Canadian. Watch the news, you should be too.

5. Parks. What would I do to fill the days I spend with Miles? He loves a good park and the chance to tear around.

6. Orange & Cinnamon hand soap from Fruits & Passions. It makes me feel good.

7. Holidays. I am looking forward to Halloween. And then before I know it, Christmas will be here. Can you imagine how sad the year would be with no holidays to look forward to?

8. TV on DVD. I love watching seasons of my favourite/new shows at my own pace. I was up until 2 last night watching Gossip Girl.
9. Miles & Bean. "Bean" is what we are calling baby #2. Bean is half-way here. I love being a mom. It's not the only thing I am about, but it's a huge part of my life. I love this little guy I have & I am always amazed watching the things he is learning. The other day when we went into Crate & Barrel, as we were approaching the display with all the Christmas ornaments Miles let out a big "Woah!". Everyone around us laughed. It was like he knew "Christmas is coming, and it's going to be great..."

10. The Lake. It use to be a tradition to spend Thanksgiving at the cabin. Next year, I'm going to start going again, I miss it.

Layout #081, 082 & 083

(double-click on any layout to enlarge)

First Dip by Haley Ross

My layouts all look the same. Which I am actually okay with, I've found my "groove". But when you are just using the same layout over & over you can't expect to be thrilled with the results. Except that this time I was... I really like this page. I was so sad that the pictures weren't great (the quality is bad) and that because of the weather, everything was so gray. Ugh. Except that I found this gorgeous gray paper, and then everything turned out. There was a little distressing emergency when I tried to distress the chipboard that was already attached (doesn't look very good). Lesson learned: Un-Du was invented for a reason. Don't be lazy.

The rub-ons that I used are ancient. Like, 6 years old. There was other old stuff on the layout too.

Materials: Patterned Paper & Die-cuts: My Minds Eye; Rub-Ons: making memories; Chipboard letters: Pressed Petals; Metal embellishment: making memories; Ghost heart: Heidi Swapp; Other: Staples, Medical Gauze & Transparency.

Happy by Haley Ross

L.o.v.e Miles' big grin in this picture. So I had to blow it up... big. There are some fabric patches sewn onto this page that are pretty old. And for once I used the cricut instead of relying on Thickers (love!).

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper: My Minds Eye; Fabric Patches: EK Success

Shine by Haley Ross
I love this paper line. It's not new, but I love it. And I am starting to run out (uh-oh). It's called Wild Saffron & it seems to be perfect for everything I every sit down to scrapbook. Love it.
Materials: Patterned Paper & Chipboard Stickers: K&Co.; Calendar Die-cut; Jenni Bowlin; Chipboard Alphabet: Thickers by American Crafts; Paint: making memories; Fuzzy Brads: Doodlebug Designs; Pen: Zig Writer by EK Success

Only 67 more to go before 2010 to reach my goal!

Project!

I wasn't planning on being in town this weekend, so I wasn't going to get to go to my girlfriend Teresa's baby shower. Anyway, here I am. Stuck in Okotoks, sick as a dog, so I thought I'd make the best of it. I decided at 8 tonight to make a diaper cake to take to the shower. I had one at mine & I thought it was too cute. This is how ours turned out (couldn't have done it without my super creative sister Carmelle who lets sick pregnant women boss her around!). I think it turned out so well. They sell these cakes at MacArthurs Baby Boutique for over $100 & we made ours for half that (and we used brand-name diapers!). And it was fun! We are thinking it might be a good little business to get into!

Thankful.

So, I knew Kim Collis was an amazing friend. I knew it. But she's really outdone herself. And one amazing friend apparently leads to another... Catherine Pooley, a friend of Kim's helped her to make me 15 (fifteen!) meals (these are the ones that wouldn't fit into the upstairs freezer!!!). I can't even begin to tell you how GRATEFUL I am for this. A couple reasons:

1. I was in & out (mostly in) the hospital for 9 days. During those 9 days, Brian ate at McDonalds at least 12 times. Gross, but true. And he can cook, he just didn't have the time. These pre-cooked meals are going to be a savior for him.

2. Brian was signed up to run a 1/2 marathon in Kelowna this weekend. It took some convincing, but he finally went (I really wanted him to, he trained so hard). My sister Carmelle is out taking care of Miles & I this weekend, so we'll be eating like queens! And Carmelle deserves that for all the help she is giving me.

3. Because my family is running in Kelowna this weekend, there is no Thanksgiving dinner planned (My parents, other sister & B.I.L are in Kelowna as well.) One of these meals (Chili or Canelloni?) will be my "turkey" on Sunday.

Thanks Kim & Catherine. Clearly you friggin' rock.

Weekend Closures

In order for everyone to spend Thanksgiving with their families we will be closed on

Friday October 9th

Sunday October 11th

& Monday October 12th.

We will be open from 10am until noon on Saturday. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving & the lovely "scrapbooking weather" we've been having.