Layout #189

E is for Elephant by Haley Ross

So I finally used this black grid stuff I bought years ago. It is so cool, but I could just never use it properly. I have a big pile of stuff like that, weird textured papers & pieces. I have some cool fabric sheets, cork, metal, even a couple ceiling tiles, but I never seem to use them. I guess they really just aren't my 'simple style'.

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Journaling spot & Paper Stars: Basic Grey; Alphabet Stickers: Basic Grey, American Crafts Thickers and Making Memories; Transparecny: Hambly Studios; Other: Wire Mesh Sheet.

Randoms

(My 'friend' Kim took this picture. We were camping & I thought everyone had gone down to the beach while I made lunch. Turns out not everyone was gone... some people were right there, with their camera's in hand... so I put on a little show & pretended I wasn't embarrassed.)

I am a terrible singer. Just awful. But in the summer I crank the music & cruise, dance or sing. I've put together a play list for our trip to the cabin, it's a bunch of 'feel-good' songs, most that have some great memories to go with them. Some of them are just new songs I love. 'Summer Tunes' have to be easy to sing along & super catchy.

My Summer Playlist Fav's

1. Learning To Fly - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

2. Old Friend - Rancid

3. El Scorcho - Weezer

4. Change - Wide Mouth Mason

5. Come Out & Play - The Offspring

6. Flavour of the Weak - American Hi-Fi

7. Bang Bang - K'naan

8. Everybody - Stabilo

9. Local God - Everclear

10. Elegantly Wasted - INXS

11. The Real Slim Shady - Eminem

12. I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones

13. Cooler Than Me - Mike Posner

14. History Repeating - Propellerheads

Layout #188

Summer by Haley Ross

I felt like I hit a jackpot when I discovered Echo Park Paper Co. I love their stuff. Love it. This layout is all them. I love it.

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Everything Else: Echo Park Paper Co; Other: Hemp

Layout #187

TROUBLE by Haley Ross

I still have to journal on this layout. I crack up when I look at Miles' pouty face, he just kills me. I was so grateful to have my camera handy.

Materials: Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Rub-Ons & Metal Plaque: My Minds Eye; Other: Ribbon & Overall Clips from sewing store.

Layout #186

Miss Molly by Haley Ross
This picture is blurry. Grrr. So was the last one. Something is soooo wrong with my camera. I think a new one is in my future, it was just never the same since it was sent out for repairs. I read an article that said an SLR camera body only lasts 3 years at maximum capacity. I wonder if that's right... Anyway, I can tell my camera isn't preforming as well as it once did.
Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned Paper & Stickers: Echo Park Paper Co.; Rhinestones: Kaiser Craft; Glitter Alphabet Stickers: Making Memories; Rub-On Alphabet: Elsie by KI Memories.

Laout #185

2 By Haley Ross

I have love/hate feelings about this layout.

LOVE the pictures, love the journaling.

HATE the stickles & how it ruined the ugly journaling block.

I think I was just struggling using paper that was go glittery. I don't do 'glitz' that well.

Materials: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics & BoBunny; Patterned Paper: Best Creation Inc.; Journaling Spot: Fancy Pants Designs; Glitter: Stickles by Ranger.

Layout #184

Fruck by Haley Ross

This layouts was adapted from a Becky Fleck sketch. I love her. And some of her new sketches are featured in the current issue of 'Scrapbook & Cards Today' which is my favourite magazine & it's Canadian! Of course the layout looks nothing like the sketch (which had 5 mini photos) in the end, but I don't care where inspiration comes from, as long as it comes.

I got this paper from the Scrapbook Pantry a while ago, I love it. LOVE it.

Materials: Patterned Paper: American Crafts; Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Sticker: EK Success Jolee's By You; Cricut Cartridge: San Serif.

Layout #183

Sticky Little Man by Haley Ross

I was so happy to remember that I had these great felt letters from Martha Stewart. They work perfectly with Miles' hat. I got them a couple years ago in my stocking & remember thinking "Cute, but how will I ever use these?" Ta-da!

Materials: Patterned Paper & Die-Cuts: My Minds Eye: Alphabet Letters: Martha Stewart Crafts; Felt Buttons: Making Memories; Embroidery Floss: Bazzill Basics.

I've been scrapbooking a lot lately. I spend my days out in the sun & usually try to slip in an hour or two for scrapbooking at least one evening a week. Brian is amazing at making sure I have time for this.. it's good to have him on-board. I am always asked how I find the time to scrapbook, but I think you'll never FIND time, you have to MAKE time. I love this, so I MAKE time for it.

Layout #182

Lazy Days by Haley Ross

oops. This picture is so crooked. Ah well, whatever, it's summertime. That seems to be my excuse for everything these days... "I'll do it later, it's summertime."

We've spent a couple of days at the Spray Park in High River. These are pictures from our first time out. I just love the spray park, as much or more than Miles.

Materials: Patterned Paper & Stickers: Fancy Pants Designs; Rub-On: We R Memory Keepers; Pen: EK Success Zig Writer.

Finally,

I'm been whining & complaining about losing my scrapbook room since the moment it happened. I felt a little displaced. But I think I finally have things all set up in my new "space". It's not a room, just a corner of our living room. But I think I'll be happy there.

What I Love About My New Space

1. The cupboard doors are deceiving. I've always had all my 'gear' exposed on shelves. The doors hide my disorganization, keep little fingers out & the amount of stuff I really do have.

2. My computer is right there, for easy journaling access.

3. The window faces out onto a tree. My last window faced our neighbors busted siding. Much better.

4. It's easy to scrapbook with friends. Michelle was here today & it was easy to just move to the dinning room table. My scrapbook room was really only accommodating for one person.... so, come on over!

10 Randoms

10 Things I've done in July.

1. Sometimes I forget that people read my blog. Sometimes it just feels like a diary to me. And then my friend Tasha will drop a subtle hint that I need to update it. I'm trying to beat her to that hint this time! So the #1 thing on this list is update my blog.

2. Celebrated being Canadian on July 1st. We went to the fireworks at Seaman stadium. Miles had a blast running around like a maniac.

2. I finally got around to listing some stuff on Kijiji. I sold the second Cricut that I've had sitting around, never once used... I sold the old stroller & some shelves from the store. It feels good to cleanse.

3. With my "Kijiji Money" I'm headed to Ikea to buy the cupboard doors for my Billy Bookcases. That way, you wont be able to see all of the scrapbooking junk that I have piled in them. I really miss having my own scrapbook room... Our house just looks so messy with all of my "gear" in the corner of the living room. *Sigh.

4. Teaching Miles new words, trying to get him to brush his teeth (he was so good once, but now just likes to suck the toothpaste off), playing with Trains & hitting up the spray park at least once a week. That kid keeps me running...

5. Scrapbooking.

6. Sorting through clothes. It's unbelievable how fast these kids go through them. I have to keep on top of it or Brian will come out of Molly's room & say something like "These shorts are really tight on her..." and lo & behold, they are pants that are too small...

7. Reading. I've polished off 3 books so far this month. I just finished A Year Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs & now I am reading Freakamonics (which so far, I LOVE).

8. Our friend Sarah's mom passed away. She was the same age as my mom. And it got me thinking... It sounds cliche but life is short. So short. For Deb it was too short & my heart is breaking for Sarah. I hope she can be strong. I will be praying for her.

9. I am busy enjoying Molly who is growing at a break-neck pace. She is a chubby, smiley little girl & I just love her more everyday. I will admit I have been mostly dressing her in Miles' hand-me-downs so I am committed to going shopping for all things "girly" come fall. It should be fun to play dress-up with her. (Look at this adorable jumper my friend Teresa got her. So cute.)

10. A friend of mine just eloped. I am green with envy. I wanted to do that, but I also wanted to have the party everyone was expecting. I had a great time at my wedding, but eloping is just so romantic when it's planned & kept as a secret between few. Color me green. Oh, and congrats Lori & Taygen!

Layout #181

Love You by Haley Ross

Ok. This is the first single-page layout I have done in a really long time. And I am sooo happy with it. I think I might even start including some singles in my albums. Kim took this picture of Molly when she was one week old. I love it. I used up some super old alphabet stickers so that makes me happy, and I robbed some stuff from Kim which makes me even happier....

Materials: Patterned Paper: Girls Paperie; Cardstock with an Edge: Bazzill Basics; Twill: Autumn Leaves; Felt Flowers & Punch: Stampin' Up; Journaling Spot: My Minds Eye; Sticker: Making Memories; Alphabet Stickers: Lil' Davis; Other: Corrugated Cardboard & Brads.

Layout #180

B is For Baby by Haley Ross

If anything, I am just so happy to have used that little red metal heart frame. It was from Lil' Davis & it's like, 7 years old. Kim hated it. She said it was ugly & that I shouldn't use it. Well, I like it.

Materials: Patterned Paper: Basic Grey & October Afternoon; Metal Clips & Stickers: 7 Gypsies; Ticket: Tim Holtz; Metal Plate: Lil' Davis; Tag: My Minds Eye; Cardstock: Coredinations; Other: Brads & Journaling Spot.

10 Randoms

Because wine is on my mind (we spent last week in BC) here are my 10 Randoms for the week

10 Canadian Wineries I Just Love (Right Now).

1. Megalomaniac's. I am addicted to their Bravado. It's a big ol' wine with lots to offer. My sister-in-law was lovely enough to share her bottle of Vainglorious Merlot with me & my father-in-law got me a couple bottles this Christmas. I've also tried the Son-of-a-bitch Pinot Noir & Narcissistic Riesling. You can order their wine online, find it at select retailers (reallly select) & Vintage Steakhouse (on 11th) has the Bravado on their list for a cool $96.

I love the marketing concept behind this label. The bottles are eye-catching (above) and what's even better is that the wine inside, is good enough to be in THAT cool of a bottle.

2. Organized Crime. I almost died when I saw a bottle of their Pinot Noir in a liquor store at Cross-Iron Mills. I had bought just one bottle when we were in Ontario & wanted more (they don't ship). Again, cool concept, but a concept is nothing if the wine isn't up to par. This wine is. If you like white, try their Riesling. And if you're in the Niagara area, stop by the small, but kitschy winery. The red Velvet curtains draped everywhere really create an atmosphere.

3. Dirty Laundry. My favourite winery on the moment. It's available at J.Webb by the farmers market in Calgary, but if you are in the Okanagan, stop in. They have a beautiful patio & the tasting are free (yea!). The marketing (can you tell I am obsessed with Marketing??) was brought to you by the same people who did Megalomaniacs. Well done. The story of scandal behind their name is fabulous. And the naked women hidden in the label is borderline trashy... but somehow, not. I like their WooWoo (a Gewurztraminer) and I am pumped to try the Bordello I bought... in 7 years of course.

4. Therapy. It was the labels that drew my attention to this wine, but the quality kept me coming back to it. At one time I took their Pinot Gris to any party where I knew there would be white wine drinkers. Brian & I had a romantic weekend at their Guesthouse last summer. We sat in their hot tub overlooking the lake & the sky was perfect. Also perfect? Their Super Ego. It was fabulous, a little pricey, but fabulous. I bought a bottle to crack open in a couple years & also a magnum that I intend to keep for a bit longer.

5. Laughing Stock. I first fell in love with a girl who worked in the winery. You could say I had a bit of a 'girl crush'. She was awesome, she lead us through all the wines, it was casual & I learned a lot. I bought a couple bottles & went home. Then I received an email that resulted in me buying a case of 2004 Portfolio. And lucky me, it turned out to be an award winner. It's amazing. And I've been pleased with the Portfolio's since. I also love their bottle. The ticker from the stock market on the day the grapes were picked encircles the bottle. Clever, non?

6. Lailey. I almost dont want to include this because they were such jerks. It was a stuck-up winery & I was uncomfortable the whole time. I don't claim to know everything about wine, but I know what I like. And I didn't like being treated like a 'peon'. That being said their Gamay- Zweigelt is fabulous.

7. Blasted Church. I could have put this one first. Or last. Because it is my favourite for the moment. Great concept, great wine, great people. I love everything about it. I am enjoying a bottle (glass) of Big Bang tonight & it goes down so easily.

8. Sumac Ridge. I love Champagne. But if it's a little out of your price range (you're looking at minimum $45 for a bottle FROM Champange) then Sumac Ridge is a nice option. I had their 'bubbly flight' this past week (and dark chocolate pate. mmmmmmmm.) and it was awesome. No wonder it was the bubbly that was chosen for the Gold Medalists to drink at the Olympics.

9. Township 7. I love them for so many reasons. The year I got married I headed out to the Okanagan to spend a week with my bestie (in lieu of a bachelorette party). Township 7 had just opened up a tasting room on the Naramata Bench. It was the first winery we stopped at & for some reason I bought THREE bottles of their Shiraz. I guess I must have loved it, but at the end of the day I couldn't figure out why they made the cut. Then the awards came piling in for this Shiraz, so I opened a bottle. Pure bliss. And I still ahve one bottle left.

PS. As far as service, these people are as nice as they come. While we were tasting the wine this week a couple walked in behind us. The lady pouring our wine said hello to them & they didn't hear. So she said 'Hello' again.... they looked surprised. "We say hello here." She said, and smiled. LOVE IT. It instantly makes you feel comfortable enough to ask questions, request tastings & spend a little money.

10. Marley Farms. A little fruit winery on Victoria Island. We went there on our Honeymoon & because of that, they make this list. The wine was good & the chickens (that wander the property) were even better. And I like the Rastafarian theme. It's a feel good place.

Layout #179

Kimberely By Haley Ross

My mom looked at this layout and said "Hmmm, I didn't go to Kimberely did I?". I feel her pain. Mom & I rarely end up in any vacation pictures... there is not a single picture of either of us from this ski trip. I included a fortune cookie paper in this layout, it promised me a great trip to teh mountains, and it delivered!

Materials: Patterend Paper: Collage Press; Charms: Pebbles Inc.; Ribbon: May Arts; Pen: EK Success Zig Writer.

Layout #178

Look at me go!

Let it Snow by Haley Ross

Ummm.... I have been a scrapbooking MACHINE since Molly was born. I even seem to be making a lot of progress in Miles' album. Here are pictures from his first snow... I remember dropping him off at Michelles (our Dayhome Mom) and being so sad that I was going to miss it. She took these beautiful pictures for me. I love them.

Materials: Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Brads & Alphabet Stickers: Making Memories.

Layout #177

Play by Haley Ross
Yes. Yes this is scrapbooking! Stacey Julian says so. And she seems to have more authority than most of us, so I will call this a scrapbook page. (I'm reaching huh?). I was so happy to use those Pebbles Inc. Sugar dots. I bought them about 7 years ago. Is it unreal that I have 7 year-old items in my stash? Do most long-time scrapbookers hang onto their old stuff? I do go through my stash & scale down, but I'd be lying if I said I don't have anything more than 5 years old... is that wrong?

Layout #176

2 Years by Haley Ross

Isn't my husband adorable? Well I think so. He really goes the extra miles on our anniversary, I usually just get him a card... He even typed out this menu of our dinner so of course I had to keep it & add it to this page. What a geek.

Materials: Patterned Paper & Die-Cuts: My Minds Eye; Stickers: Making Memories; Pen: EK Success Zig Writer.

Layout #175

Bunny Hutch by Haley Ross

I am so sad about this layout because I think I would LOVE it if I had used a different background paper. I was trying to match the gingerbread & it was a complete miss.

Materials: Patterned Paper, Die-Cuts & Stickers by Scenic Route; Pen: EK Success Zig Writer.

Layout #174

Sweet & Sleepy by Haley Ross

What the heck happened to my camera? I can't take a good picture to save my life. These layout pics are blurry & I cant seem to fix that.... I am so frustrated. Anyway, this paper pack was given to my by Erin Aumack who is my go-to gal for all things Close To My Heart. I love it! What a nice baby gift (something for me!).

Materials: Patterned Paper, Cardstock & Stickers: Close To My Heart; Chipboard Flowers: Heidi Swapp; Letters: Lil' Davis; Cricut Cartridge: Calligraphy Collection; Pen: Ek Success Zig Writer.

10 Things I love About Canada

(Well, this will be easy...)

1. Niagara Falls. Have you been? If not, you should go. It's breathtaking. Travel Tip: Don't wear a white shirt like I did (above), the mist is so thick that I had a wet shirt after about 10 minutes of standing at the edge. Oops.

2. Freedom. And the kind of freedom that doesn't cause pain. When Anne Coulter (*shudder) came to Canada enough students showed up to protest at the University of Ottawa that they cancelled her 'talk'. While we accept, promote & protect free speech, we also are smart enough to know that freedom can quickly become negative when it promotes hate. I was saddened that Fox news (albeit not surprised) made it sound like Canadians have no real Freedom. We do. And when the majority of us show up & ask someone we see as 'hateful' to leave, THAT is us exercising that freedom. If complete freedom allows someone to say hurtful & painful things in a PLACE/forum where they are not wanted, it's not working. I like that although we have a freedom of speech, we can't abuse that freedom at the cost of others. If people want to be hateful & hurtful, they can do so in their own hateful communities and forums... and not in my school, front yard or community. I am proud of our 'Happy Medium' so stuff it Fox News.
3. Winter. As paralyzing as it can be, I love winter. I believe winter has given us a large part of our culture. I rarely feel more Canadian than when I am on the slopes, shoveling the driveway or checking the weather channel.
4. Land. I can't say it's all 'exciting'. I drive 8 hours to our cabin in Saskatchewan & let me tell you, parts of that drive are Borrrrr-ing. But you can't argue that the amount of land we have is impressive. Even in Saskatchewan, looking up & seeing no end to it all, I am impressed. I makes me feel like part of something BIG.


5. Diversity. I have friends who are Canadian but also call themselves Lebanese, Chinese & Indian. I like that you can be both.
6. Acceptance. I lived with a lesbian couple for a year when I was in Australia, as much as they loved each other, they could not be married. I wondered how their country felt they had the right to decide that. Whether you support gay marriage (I do), abortion, or other controversial human rights issues is up to you, I am proud of Canada for putting the decisions in the hands of the people. Our politicians are busy running our country not our lives. I am proud of that.

7. Our place. I don't mean our home... I mean our 'global standing'. I am proud of Canada. We don't claim internationally to be the best, we can accept that 'the best' comes in all shapes & forms. We don't boast that we are 'The most powerful country on Earth'. And, with the exception of Fox News (haha!) I think the world views us just about how we would like them to. We are independent, we don't require a lot of assistance and we are happy to assist, but we won't compromise our values.

8. We take care of each other. To the best of our ability we will take care of our own. We know how important health care is and understand that it is a basic RIGHT. Can you imagine not having that? I know it's hard for Americans who have gone to long without it to suddenly try to imagine a different way, but I think it can work for them too. I hope it can. I'd like to see our neighbors taking care of each other as well.

9. Funny words. One thing I love about traveling is learning the uniqie slang each country has. Stop and think about ours for a moment. We call a one dollar coin and Loonie. Bizzare. And then there's a toonie. Here's a couple more; Homo Milk, Ginch, Pencil Crayon, Pop, BunnyHug & Tuque.

10. Canadian wine. I am so exciting that some of the most talented wine makers are setting up shop right next door. I can't wait to hit up the Okanagan this year & see what the years best brings.