Good Afternoon!?

It's already one o'clock and I am still in my jammies! Hooray! I love sleep in days...and I only usually get one a week (or two depending on if Russ gets up with Lucas on Sunday), and today was the special day. We missed playschool (Bad Momma), but I was so not in the mood for another screaming fit from the little guy today. Monday was the only quiet morning, and that was only because I told him that I had heard Grannie got some new toys and he asked to go to Grannie's house, so it was like it just happened to be his idea!


And I'm done the dishes and my Techneek of the Week, so I can go do other things...like shower and clean up the dining room. I so should be working on my Riff Raff project, but that means more time in the cold basement with Lucas harassing me every 30 to 40 seconds. I think I will wait until he is in bed tonight and then I must work like mad to get it done. I NEED to have this done so it's not hanging over my head anymore.


And didn't I promise you some layouts?

I really love this one...am a huge fan of Veronica/Lisa's genius idea to use 2x2 squares. And V I am using a punch at the store, one I can only assume we carry...you should ask Chantel if we can get more.



My cool technique totally fell flat on the maple leaf...what is wrong with me?

My techneek layout, one of them. Thanks to Jill for all her anti-help which was actually a big help.

I added a title to this one, but am not quite sure what else needs to happen here for me to be happy with it.

Love masking tape. Yes, it is there on purpose. I look so bad in my hat...why didn't anybody tell me!?!?!?

I have another one, the other techneek layout, but I forgot to take a photo (DUH!). So I have to find the layout, take a pic and post. I am so genius. It's a rad layout, by the way, in case you were wondering!

It is super fun working with Jill. Look at what we made (it was mostly her idea...I just follow directions well! Plus I can cut a mean square of paper!! Boo Yah!)

Lastly, does anyone want to buy some cookie dough? Lucas is selling English Bay for his latest fundraiser...and it's super yummy. Sorry, but I don't think it's low in fat...not at all!

time to shower...later gators

(7 weeks and counting until Dallas...)

Good Morning

While I might not be of the church-going variety, I do enjoy a good Biblical verse every now and then...

Proverbs 4: 23-27 Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.

Did you know: My minor in University was Religious Studies. And my focus was on Judaism. Learn something new everyday...

P.S. My keyboard is currently stuck with the French keyboard, so there will be no question marks or html coding for the remainder of the post. I`ll have to re-boot and see what happens. Stupid Vista.

For Your Consideration...

Hi Tami, Genny and Jo-Ann! Thanks for coming to my class on Saturday...I had lots of fun! And the calendars turned out great!

More to come tomorrow...until then...some eye candy to drool over c/o Miss Jenni (scroll down and check out the tag that has a cow on it and reads "moo." What Marge!)

CHA STUFF

Chantel has posted some pics from CHA on to her Flickr Account...and I happen to have the link right here!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34744091@N07/

Lots of teasers...

Ooh La La

On the list for this week:

1. Staying on top of my new year "resolution" (FOCUS)
2. Keeping up with my 52 Weeks project (i have journaled everyday, and even taken pictures!)
3. Post my Techneek of the Week (check it out here! )
4. Finish my Riff Raff layouts for CHA (7 layouts and 3 projects)
5. Kijiji sales (sold my old chairs on Monday!)
6. Check out some CHA Sneak Peeks (see links below)
7. Post photos to blog (see below)
8. Email pics to Lindsay (right after I'm done here!)


Here are some layouts I completed on the weekend. This isn't all of them...I had to send the rest with Kara to Anaheim. I think it is so cool that some of my work is going to be displayed at CHA!! I know their booth is going to be amazing!


James was clever enough to bring his camera on the rides at Disneyland. So we got a before and after shot of us on Splash Mountain.



I still think "Watch" needs something more...but the girls think it looks good "as is" and who am I to argue!?

Pics from the Lego exhibit at the World of Science. We went on Sunday and Lucas had a blast...playing with the Lego! Russ is worried that if we take him there again he's going to be upset when the Lego isn't there!! I think Russ had a blast too! Check out his rad car! I told him that it looked a bit like the Bat Mobile and he said that was exactly the look he was going for!

CHA Sneak Peeks.

Jenni Bowlin is awesome as per usual!

October Afternoon Mmm...cherries

And I'd list more, but Lucas is trying to get at the computer while simultaneously doing the potty dance. I should go (did I mention he can go potty by himself now! Only #1 though, he's still scared of poo!)

Oh Oh...I feel a COMMITMENT coming on...

I think I am going to try this. I'm getting started a little late, as in it starts tomorrow! But I think if I have a whole week to get my shit together and then a whole month to finish scrapbooking that week, I should be okay. I really don't think I could have handled the "365 Challenge" I really think I would have gone crazy and fallen off the wagon at about Day 4 (forget about Week 4 or Month 4!!)

But this other thing - a week every month - I can handle that! Chantel, where did your cool art journal come from, because that is looking to be the perfect size for me! Oh wait...why ask her here...she doesn't actually READ my blog. She just comes here for the pictures. Maybe if I make her name really big and in the colour pink. Ready?

CHANTEL CHANTEL CHANTEL CHANTEL

Now that I have your attention, could you let me know where you got your art journal from? thanks. P.S. don't read the paragraph above your name...I was busy making fun of you!

I think that is all. Still don't know where my camera cord is, so no pictures tonight. I will be busy tomorrow with a new week of "to-dos" and I have to go to Totem and look at laminate flooring (I promised Russel I would check it out).


Items of note:

• Went to Lego exhibit at "World of Science" today...cool sculpture, but Lego Land is way cooler!!


• Anam took a super rad, awesome, fabulous photo of me on Friday night. Am very happy!


• Got to hang out with some scrapping buddies on Saturday too...very happy about that. Plus Russ wasn't mad at me for "ditching" him (which I wasn't doing! I love you!) and we got to go out for lunch together. WOOT!


• Organized a bunch of scrapbook paper last night and ACTUALLY THREW SOME OUT, which is a big deal for me! I still have a long way to go in organizing my whole scrapbooking space, but I'm on the right road!


• Might actually sell something on Kijiji this weekend. I have my former DR chairs on there, and I have received 6+ inquiries, but as soon as I tell them they are still available and to call me, nobody does! ARGH!! Someone is interested in my scrapbook album, but I put my big old foot in my mouth and said I could deliver it BEFORE I learned they live in Millet! I had to look at map to figure out where Millet is, and it's not too far away, but it is too far away to deliver an album I'm asking $10 for and didn't actually pay anything for in the first place!


• Does anyone want an old TV? My brother said he might take it...but that was almost two weeks ago, so who knows if he is actually going to take it! It's a Zenith (Zellers brand!) and still works okay. I have no clue what size...32" maybe. It is taking up valuable space in my living room. Space that could be used for a rad new chair that people could sit in when I invite them over, instead of having to sit on the floor...or the old TV!!

Okay...you can shut up now Lisa.

Okay...shutting up!

SOLD OUT!!

Sometimes those are the two worst words in the English language. I was reading this and linked to this and read SOLD OUT, and I wasn't too sad until I clicked on the "Special Guests" link and saw her. I LOVE her stuff. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. I first came across her in a Cloth Paper Scissors issue that Anam lent me. And then another. And then Naomi got her book for her b-day (can I borrow that? I promise to return it before I die!).

And now this. This Inspired workshop would have been AMAZING!! But it's Sold Out...of course. I'll have to put this knowledge in a safe place in my brain so I remember for later in the year to check it out and SIGN UP!! Even if she's not there, all the other people Donna Downey can round up are probably equally cool! And if I have to go on a cool artist vacation without kid and hubby in tow, well I guess I just will!

Hi Nadine...remember that book you brought to the store today and the quote from the first page (something about dissonance) and the one about neighbourhoods within you? Could you email me those quotes? That would be great. Love ya!

It was so nice to scrapbook with the girls this weekend. And by "scrapbooking" I mean me doing that and them watching me do that. I don't mind...makes me feel all warm and gooey inside. Which I probably already am, come to think of it!

I forgot (again) to take pics of my layouts. Most were for Riff Raff's CHA booth, so they will have to wait. But there were a couple that happened while I was taking a Riff Raff break...and they aren't too shabby.

Plus I came up with this cool technique that involves 6 colours of Glimmer Mist and a brayer (Hello Rainbow). And I started work on a little gesso board, which is already looking pretty cool. I just need some black spray paint and some letter stencils. Easy-peasy.

Maybe I'll run out to the car right now and bring my layouts in, take pictures, and post them. Hmmm...

----

Okay so I didn't go out to the car but I did spend some money on Etsy. Kelly Rae is on Etsy...oooh, that's good but also bad.

okay, now for real I'm going out to the car. Foh-shore!

---

So I took pictures, but no camera cord so I won't be sharing them tonight. But I will be checking out some cool pics of Scotland and Aberdeen...my step-dad was just there for work. Excitement.

Cool new word: "Possibilitarian" (c/o Kelly Rae!)

"Things will be great when you're downtown..."

So Amy's dress is beautiful. And it totally suits her (and fits her!) perfectly! Am very excited!!



There are some rad buildings downtown. There's one really tall condo, that's kind of skinny too and all by itself, standing alone. Made me a little nauseous just looking up at it!



And this store. http://www.29armstrong.com/ I was drooling both times we walked past. Crazy awesome home decor. CRAZY! Giant chandeliers, funky chairs and tables...just plain LISA! It's only three blocks from my office, so I might check it out tomorrow. Swoon indeed! Expensive and I might need to get another job, but still beautiful and inspiring!



Tried my first Dinner Revolution dish tonight...and it was uber yummy! Casablanca chicken with tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, onions, raisin, curry cinnamon...amazing! I was very impressed, and can't wait to try the other five dishes in my freezer.

Finished my first Riff Raff project...a little frame. One down 11 to go...or was it 12???

I still have to finish the Techneek of the Week tonight. Argh! I hate leaving it this late. I have no brain power for this tonight.

Later.

Out Of Focus

Today I am not focused. I have a bunch of stuff left on my list for this week (and a couple of things from last week's) and I just can't get anything done! I did clean the toilets and empty the dishwasher, but the big tasks are not getting done. I think I need to get through this weekend, and I'll be back on task...I have a scrapbooking Christmas party to go to (I know...it's January...we're running a little behind schedule!!). I am more focused on that and the new Riff Raff stuff, so it's hard for me to tackle the more boring at-home projects.

I am going to see Amy's wedding dress tonight. Very awesome.


I have made a little more progress on my Focus Canvas. Still needs some work.

I even devised a cool new technique (gel medium, glossy accents, bubble wrap, white paint...)

I have planned out a bunch of layouts for Riff Raff...12 in total! We'll see if I can finish them all!

Lucas played out in the yard today. AND HE MADE A CRAFT AT PLAYSCHOOL. Only his second ever, so it's a big deal. It's a cute little penguin made out of construction paper. I love it!

Back to work tomorrow, hopefully not a full day, then home to finish getting ready for the party. Hazaa.

Check it out

My lovely little star.


Oh how happy I am with how this turned out. Very happy. And it's this week's (late) Project on the TM blog. Find it here. The key is: lots of layers. Ink, paint, paper, stamps, more paint, more paper, more paint, etc. etc. Just keep adding stuff until you are done (and you'll know when you're done!). And if you hit an "ugly phase" just press on and everything will turn out fine.

Got some pre-CHA Riff Raff yesterday, and I am in love. Swoon. Can't wait. The pressure is on, and I like this kind of pressure. I was already planning layouts and projects on the way home from the store last night!

Hello World

So with Lucas busy watching Mighty Machines and playing with PlayDoh, I thought I would get some posting done. Only problem is I have nothing to say. Not that it's stopped me before...!!!

I am doing very well with my new year's "resolution": to be better organized and actually finish my to-do lists. I am on top of the dishes, I have cleaned off a number of counters and desks so now you can actually see the material they are made out of, and I have even tackled some of the things on my long-term list (like posting stuff on Kijiji, and watching Kijiji for sideboards). This just might work out after all! And I have officially started my "Focus Canvas", to be posted here once completed. So far it's just a bunch of scrap pieces of paper, some gel medium and Glimmer Mist...a work in progress!

I have a bunch of layouts to post, but as per usual I left them at the store and forgot to take pics of them on the weekend. I did complete two vomit-rocious layouts for future classes at the store. Well, that's how I see them...they are so not my style and I had a hard time even displaying them in the store because I am not satisfied with how they turned out. But, as my style is not for everyone, I am trying to reach more people with my classes and the pages I completed look more like the "classic" scrapbooking that most people like. This just means I have to complete more wacky mixed media pieces and crazy layouts to counteract the "plain jane" ones I am doing for the store. And if nobody signs up for even these classes, I will know that it's just me and I will stop before anybody gets hurt!!

I got my new-to-me clock in the mail today, and aside from the fact that it ticks REALLY LOUD, I love it!! It is sitting proudly on my mantle. I can't wait for the other stuff to come, which should be in a couple of days. My only complaint is that I was charged US DOLLARS for something that came from Manitoba...duh...what's that all about!


I also had a lot of fun with Amy and Mom at the Bridal Fair yesterday. We saw a lot of stuff (mostly stuff we didn't care about), but we got some good ideas for decor, which is what we were looking for. Then we made a stop at Michael's for some supplies and I was busy for the rest of the afternoon making mock up flower arrangements and boutonnieres! And even though they were all made with silk flowers, so not near as cool as the real thing, I think they all turned out really sweet! I love the whole "flowers in a tea cup" thing...it's the only good idea I got from the Wedding Bells Magazine they were charging for at the show.

My boutonniere mock-up: Peacock feathers, gems on wire, silk hydrangea, ribbon.



And this one is just for me!

Am looking forward to all the scrapbooking and creating I am going to get done this weekend!!!

later,

P.S. a friend is hosting a Pampered Chef party, so if there's anything you want let me know and I'll order it for you.

FOCUS

So as I wrote in an earlier post, my word for 2009 is FOCUS. I chose this word after thinking long and hard what things I want to accomplish this year, and what "bad habits" of mine I want to nip in the butt!

Last year my word was trust. I wanted to trust myself more - my decisions, my art, my abilities. There were times I know I faltered and I doubted, but I feel that the year was a good one overall. I started to do mixed media pieces and they make me really happy and satisfied, and have helped my creative self grow more than it has in awhile. Plus I am totally having fun with it!

This year I wanted to focus on getting more done. I have so many to-do lists started and I never finish them. I get distracted by another project that inevitably comes along, or I just plain forget what I was doing in the first place. And I hate this, because everything I put on my lists need to be looked after. I want to take more responsibility for this, and make time for my to-do lists everyday or every week. I need to commit to the big things and prioritize and focus on getting the important stuff done so I can still have time for the less important stuff (blogging is on the important list by-the-way!). This does mean I'll have to sacrifice some other things (like tv and just sitting around), but I can handle that. Hopefully I can budget my time better and get more fun stuff done as well!

I have such a hard time budgeting my time, and sticking to the task at hand that I think this is the best goal for me. If I can get even just a little bit better at this, I will consider it a triumph! Hopefully this will help me...still deciding if I want to enroll, but I'm really leaning heavily towards it. $50 ain't so bad if it can get my life under control!


And last but not least, here were the word finalists (and why I didn't choose them!):

• complete..."you complete me"?? too Tom-Cruise


• follow-through...I didn't think I could handle a hyphenated word, and it's so long and hard to type


• budget...like the evil truck rental company?


• time...no, but I have discovered a new love for clocks!


• prioritize...reminds me too much of my Bio30 teacher who kept pronouncing it "priorize" which drove my friend and I nutso


• to-do...again with the hyphenated words, what is wrong with me?


• finish...when I say it I think of the people, you know, the Finns from Finland...are they good organizers???


• accomplish...not bad, but not great (reminds me of the movie Becoming Jane where "accomplished" was almost like an insult to her writing!)


• productive...I didn't choose this one because it sounds too utilitarian, too bourgeois. like I'm going to be tilling some land, or working in a coal mine this year. no thanks!


• focus...the winner! don't you think this will look good on a crazy art piece? I do!!

So that's my boring word story. But it's a good word. I am going to do it up on a canvas in the next couple of days and then I'll post that for you to see. I do this because I am not a goal-setter...it never made sense to me. But I can be a "word-maker". And even if you're not a "word-maker" it's nice to be able to sit down and look at your life where it is today and where you would like to see it be tomorrow.

Those are my deep thoughts for the day...what are yours...???

P.S. Thanks to Juli for getting me the lowdown on 3-column action. Word to your mom. Of course, now my hits tally isn't work, but it's a minor issue...I hope! I really loved watching the numbers rise on that little guy. 'Cause nobody posts comments when they stop by (except V, so thanks girlie!).

New Techneek...

is officially posted tomorrow...so you didn't see this here Homeskillet.

oh yeah...Dallas

So Russ, Lucas & I (and my dad and step-mom, sister, future brother-in-law and both my brothers) are going to Dallas in March. Dad and Heather are paying for our airfare and my aunts in Texas are providing the accommodations, i.e. their homes!! Should be totally awesome! I have super cool aunts! And uncles. They have never met Lucas, so I think they are as excited as we are!

Russ & I are already planning on going to a Stars game...they play Vancouver while we're down there so Russ is going to try and find a Canucks jersey to wear to the game. Should be a laugh riot!

I'm going to try and get some scrapbooking done tonight for the Techneek post tomorrow (and for the Scrapjacked challenge. Two birds, one stone, you get it.), check Etsy, hang out. I've been cooking up a storm tonight! I made dinner, plus soup for lunches, plus an extra baked veggies dish for lunch tomorrow (Chan & KC I hope you like root vegetables...hint hint). i was going to make muffins as well, but I have to get this other stuff done. Maybe tomorrow while the little one is at playschool.

Speaking of playschool, we're thinking of "firing" our duty-days lady. She has so dropped the ball on so many occasions, and we have giving her plenty of free passes. Granted it is a volunteer position, but you still have to do it right! Trystan's Mom, my pal Vanessa is the mom tomorrow...Lucas knows her so I think he does okay when she's there. Teacher Shannon says he was a lot more talkative on Tuesday than he usually is, which is awesome to hear. He was really excited to go back...we woke up early and got dressed and he told me right away that it was a playschool day and he was going to play with the farm!

I'm working on a layout of Lucas' first pictures with his first camera! My aunt bought him one of those indestructible, waterproof cameras made for kids, and he loves it! He hasn't quite figured out how to look at the screen before taking the pic, so there are lots of walls and floors, but it's still fun!

later...

P.S. I just searched for vintage clocks on Etsy and found 25 pages of results...I am so in trubble!! I'm never going to anything else done. Stupid Beautiful Wonderful I'm-In-Love-With-You Etsy!!

Catch Up

I need to catch up on my real posting. No more of this creative thinking weird-o posts like the previous (maybe a couple more of those!!). I need to post some pics and what not. My public has been waiting so patiently!


My latest mixed media piece. It's weird, I know. But also very cool. I have a whole write up about what each element means and why I selected it. Maybe too personal?? I'll think about posting it. I'm actually very proud of this piece. Very.

My Christmas mantel. Like I said in an earlier post, this was pretty much all the decorating I could bring myself to do. And it's already been put away. Blink. Am sad that I didn't have a tree to get cool tree pics in front of. Oh well...the basement pics never turn out so good anyways.

My latest and greatest idea on displaying mini-albums. Hook + binder ring = good idea! Did I already post this?? Deja-vue.

Check out the Techneeks blog on Thursday for a really boring, I mean "challenging" post. And I've also updated the classes page...so we'll see where that takes me!

This pic is from a little calendar/mini album I did up at the store a couple of weeks ago. I am going to do a page a month, with a pic of me and some words of advice/wisdom or just a cool quote. This is also a class...I know...stealing my own ideas...have I no shame? (No. I don't)

i recommend: I have been on an Etsy binge as of late. Nothing purchased (yet). I love the idea of buying something that was made by someone that isn't operating a machine in a factory in China. I love even more buying something that was handmade by someone in my own backyard. So I did a search on Etsy for sellers in Alberta...and there are lots to choose from. It made me very happy. So I recommend you do the same thing for your own backyard. Not only might you save money on shipping, you are supporting a local artist. Makes my heart feel super happy! P.S. I am never going to buy jewelry from a store again...ever.

I'm starting the Dallas countdown...seventy four days till lift off. Hazaa!

deep thoughts...not for the faint-hearted

i wish i was this amazing when i was 16. all i can do now is make up for lost time.

i am so not emo...not that it means what i think it means or think it should mean.

i need to take more better pictures. you read that right. i need to drive me out to the middle of nowhere and take inspired interesting evoking adjective shots. yeah.

my word for this year is focus. it has to be. it is and it always will be. focus. on my to-do lists (all eight hundred million of them). on getting it done. on being me and doing the best job i can at it.

it amazes me to think of all the thoughts out there. all the time new thoughts are being born and so many are never spoken or written down so they just sort of disappear into the ether. are thoughts recycled? do they have an expiration date? what happens to a thought after it is thought? can it ever become more than what it is?

hmmm.

1 000 000

My boyfriend George does it again!

Check it out: One Million Acts of Green

Bird is the Word

So my car is okay. It thawed out enough for Russ to start it on Sunday, so we were able to take it home, plug it in and let it sit for the whole afternoon while we played Wii in our cozy living room. And it's fine now. Yay! Russ thinks it might have been the Husky gas he filled up with the day before. So, note to everyone...stock up on gas-line antifreeze just in case!!

I'm really enjoying sitting on the couch with Russ, him watching tv, and me on his laptop! I'm being very productive!

That's one of the finalists for my Word of 2009: "PRODUCTIVE". It's in a tie with "FOCUS" for first, with a whole bunch of synonyms right on its tail. I haven't quite decided yet, but I know I want to get more done, and accomplish more things on my Master To-Do list. I did very well today, got lots of things done that really needed to get done. I even cleaned the toilets, which I totally have to put on a to-do list or else they just don't get cleaned...at all...ever! I live in a sty, I know it!

Back to playschool tomorrow...still don't have the January duty days list....ARGH! SO I am coming prepared tomorrow with a snack in tow JUST IN CASE! And if I don't have to stay, I have lots of stuff on my to-do list that can get done without Lucas around! Oh my.

I'm enjoying having Russ back at work...and don't get me wrong, I LOVED LOVED LOVED having him home for an entire week, but there's only so much I can take of being around people all the time. I am so used to being at home by myself, that it can be hard to get used to having somebody else around (aside from Lucas who keeps to himself for the most part...except when he's hungry or has to pee!!). And I'm back to work as well this week...I guess all hell is breaking loose at the dentist's so my services are required to take some of the strain off (so I get to answer the phones and file stuff while the other ladies take care of the important stuff! which I am totally okay with...I'd rather not have the extra responsibility!)

So I'm going to head off to bed right away, but hopefully I'll get some pictures posted tomorrow and some more insightful blogging done...once I pick my word I'm going to post it here as well as a constant reminder to myself of my personal goals for the year ahead.

Thanks for stopping by!!

blood shot eyes...why'd you have to go and let it die

So I'm at TM...yes I know it's Sunday. Last night after work my car wouldn't start. At all. Even after Russ came by and boosted it. He thinks it's the fuel line (frozen). So we're here today. We pushed the car up to the door, and plugged it in!! And we've been waiting for it to *hopefully* warm up enough to be able to start. I got some mopping done, and Russ brought his laptop so he and Lucas have been playing the Cars video game.

It doesn't look good...Russ just went out to check and I don't think it started. SUCK! Now it might not be the gas line. Dang it. I should have run it once yesterday during the day...but I didn't. Gunna shunna wunna.

Oh well. We'll probably head soon. I have some pages to take pics of that I finished yesterday, and a cool art project!! I'm very excited about it! I bought a bunch of Tim Holtz's metal stuff (keys, sprockets, tags, etc) and they are super cool hanging from a canvas.

I have to pic a "word" for 2009. This lady got me started on it thanks to this lady, and it really worked for me last year (I think!). Nadine picked "commit" for her word, and I actually might have to steal it! But I'll have to put some more thought into it!

I'll leave you with a quote by a super-cool sci-fi author. I actually found this on Ali's site! Go figure!

"I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind." -Neil Gaiman

Happy New Year.

P.S. I am in the process of changing the format for my blog...but I forgot how to make it a three column, so bear with me!!