my little McQueen!

Today is the big Playschool Halloween Party, and I am so excited! Mainly because Lucas actually likes his costume and wanted to wear it! WOO HOO! And he looks so adorable as Lightning McQueen doesn't he? I even made him little whitewall tires and stuck them on his sleeves. There's a big "95" on the back of his shirt. All made with felt and embroidery floss! WOO HOO!

I'll get more pictures later, the light is just so crappy in the house and in playschool. Thankfully it's not snowing or too cold...I won't feel bad sticking him outside without a coat for a couple of minutes to get a good shot or two! We also carved a "McQueen pumpkin", so I'll be sure to get some shots of that as well!

This is a picture of him at school with his little buddy Damien...who is a very convincing Darth Vader...he kept giving me the death grip! Teacher thought he was trying to give her a high five, but I corrected her and demonstrated the proper throat grabbing and falling to the floor action that he was expecting from her! Lucas looks really giant next to him!
I feel very creative today, and it's a good thing too...I have lots to accomplish: TOTW, Riff Raff stuff, finishing the calendar class for TM, showering and brushing my teeth...

I bought some of the new Hambly - yummy doilies!!! - so I think my TOTW will involve them in some way or another. I really need to print some pictures, especially some more from Amy's wedding, because the ones I have just aren't inspiring me. These Halloween ones are totally going to get some rad treatment today! Hoorah!

I think I'm going to make some paper chains. Reading Elsie's latest blog post with the artist's studios pictured, and there are a couple with what look like paper chains hanging from everywhere. I remember making so many of those when I was a kid...that was the thing you did to decorate when you didn't have anything else! lovely! Also want to go buy some trading card plastic pouches and do up some interesting scrapbooking layouts, also ala Elsie (see RVA update, "10 Things..." Kit)

But first shower, teeth, then pick up Lucas.

I'll be back...

i'm a thousand miles away, but girl tonight you look so pretty, yes you do.

It's six o'clock on Friday night and both my guys are sleeping so I'm on the computer! Russ came home from work early today so he could have a nap and Lucas' buddy tired him out with all the playing today. I am such a happy camper because I had my second favourite little guy with me all afternoon! I think Trystan and Lucas pulled out every single toy we own...and played with each of them for about 30 seconds before moving on.



I got lots of dishes done today when the boys were entertaining themselves. Plus I spent way too much money at the grocery store this morning and got my TOTW done and posted plus I finished another layout that I think might just be sweet-arse enough to submit to Canadian Scrapbooker. Look at me go! I'm a super lady today! I've pretty much had a head ache all week and have been feeling sick, but today that all went away and I was productive and felt great! FINALLY!



Tomorrow I get to scrapbook with some of my favourite people...and I'm almost finished the gifts I'm making for the birthday girls among them. The gifts in question are super rad, and I will have to remember to take pictures of them before I wrap them up so I can post them after they are opened. SO excited! Am thinking of other special things to make, but we'll see what I have time for tonight. Am also bringing my hummus dip for snacking on, but I promise to omit some garlic!



My dining room table got cleaned this week only to have another mess get dumped on it today. I just can't keep it clean for the life of me...not even with all this extra storage I've given myself. Argh!


Does any one know a really great place to buy appliances? I definitely need a new fridge, and I'm thinking I should get a new dishwasher soon too. My fridge is permanently set to "uber icy" and I'm sick of throwing out frozen vegetables in the crisper drawers. I mean really. I'm thinking one of those new ones with the bottom freezer...ooh aah! You can tell you're an old married couple when...buying new kitchen appliances gets your blood moving!



For dinner tonight...left overs. Lucas and I eat left overs. I eat them because I feel guilty about having them in the first place. And Lucas eats them because I put them on his plate and sit him down in front of them. Russel does not eat leftovers. Not without a fight! So tonight, since he is sleeping through the supping hour, he gets what he gets. And if all else fails, there's leftover pizza which no one in the history of mankind should ever turn down. I'm just saying.


And since I know some people that only read my blog if there are pictures...

(Riff Raff DT project)

(TOTW Today)

For some really beautiful and inspiring eye candy, check out Freckled Nest.com...Leigh Ann never disappoints!

later skater alligator

These boots

i'm in love with this girl that's got my head electrified

Today I am thinking of...

Replacing all of my coffee mugs with vintage ones, in every colour.

Swanky Lady

Swanky Lady (again)

Good Vintage

Macysmine

Sweet Love Vintage

*****
And I want this above my fireplace.
from Surrender Dorothy

Or maybe this...from Splendor in the Trash

most popular paint by number stuff on Etsy, in no particular order:
1. Horses
2. Kitties & Puppies
3. Landscapes
4. Flowers and apples (still life stuff)
4. Jesus

I popped some fun mail in the box this morning...actually it's more like belated-birthday-mail, but this will just be our little secret. And I still have one more package to put together. I made up one of my new little things, and it actually works, and once I saw it completed I didn't want to give it away. And I've been making new notebooks too...ones with old lined paper and construction paper as well. They are mighty fine.

I did up a little watercolour yesterday of my dream tree...that's the giant tree that grows just outside my fence. I wanted to capture it in all it's summer-to-fall-transition glory before all the leaves fall off. And I added some pink, purple and red balloons just for fun! It's actually kind of pretty, and even Russel seemed to like it! Wonder of wonder, miracle of miracles.
I bought some watercolour pencils at Value Village awhile back, and while they are in rough shape, they still work and they were a fraction of the cost of new ones.

I started making a felt leaf banner last night, kind of like this one, c/o Elsie

So far all I have done is cut out some leaf-ish shapes and put them in order. I haven't quite figured out how I am going to sew them together (am thinking of using some of the el-cheapo white wool I have buckets of). I am also in the mood to start pulling out my Halloween decorations from last year. I needed a project for the new Riff Raff shapes, and since Lucas doesn't really "do" Halloween (that means he's really Russel's kid!), and I don't have any pictures handy of when I was a kid, I'm doing up a spooky canvas series. All greens and blacks, with some vintage paper if i can swing it. I'm getting excited about playing with paint and stuff on a canvas, because it has been months and months since I've done anything like that! We'll see if I still remember what to do.

Right now my computer at home is in a fitful sleep...I have my internet tabs all filled up with vintage eye glasses from etsy...I am trying to decide on a pair to buy and get some real lenses put in so I can wear them all the time and be laughed at even more than I already am!

Things I could never live without: kisses from Lucas. they are the best things ever in the world to make a happy day happier, and a sad day bearable. Giant mouth, grabs my head, tries to bite me, giggles and wiggles. loves.

Whatever happened to that little calendar I was going to make myself? Or all the other things that end of on my to-do list, only to disappear into the Narnia wardrobe of my life. I still haven't found my door sketch for the Etsy shop that I lost at the beginning of summer. I have no excuse, except that I am like the scarecrow with no brain. yeah.

Got a Girl Crush? Yes...yes i do.

***potty break***

I want to find a nice coloured cardigan...blue, grey, green...preferably short sleeved because long-sleeves make my arms look likfe sausages. Might stop by a thrifty-store on the way home today and just have a peek. Am very inspired by this outfit:

I would love to be the girl who wears skirts and looks "pretty". but mostly I'm just the girl who wears jeans with holes in them, scarves all the time (I need more scarves...would be a great investment!), and would wear a Star Trek t-shirt everyday if only it was work appropriate.
But I can try, and I can take baby steps, and I can read fashion-y type blogs every now and again and I can dream.
Love the Ellen Page quote from the new movie coming out (Whip It).
In response to some girl who says: "looks like you've become alternative now"
she says: "alternative to what?"
yes, sometimes that's how I feel. what makes me so special, so different...I see special everywhere.

some guy from one of our big suppliers/owner of our loans is coming up today to drop off some papers. he called about 5 minutes ago wondering if I wanted anything from the Tim's downstairs! how sweet. makes me wish i had put makeup on this morning...but not enough to make me actually put makeup on while I'm waiting. tee hee!

I'm so starving. still have one half hour left to go before I can sneak away. Russ & I are going to try to go to a matinee this afternoon. Don't ask me what we're going to see, we just need a movie date! Am thinking maybe Whip It or Couples Retreat...but first I need some lunch and some Value Village shopping to tide me over.

happy thanksgiving to everyone...which reminds me...I need to buy some buns for Grannie's dinner tomorrow night. That's my grocery item: buns. That's really about all I can be trusted with. Please don't make me cook anything, or assemble anything. Unless it comes ready to eat, Lisa should not be responsible. But I can buy a bag of buns like a pro!

k. m signing off now. am going to webber a little more, then head home to hubby and soup, then movie(?) then Riff Raff stuff, then post totw, then eat, then rent movie, then sleep.

later skater alligator

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!

I am terribly excited today! And I think I will remain that way for sometime...

And here's why...

At the Creative Stitches show yesterday, I brought in a couple of my layouts to enter in their page contest. $2 gets your layout in, all money going to the Stollery. They do a draw for a prize, so I figured I didn't have much chance in winning because some of the ladies at the Crop had submitted half a dozen layouts! But oh well...

So later in the afternoon, I heard a bunch of cheering over at the Crop space. I thought someone might be winning things, so I headed over there. As I was getting closer to the crowd I saw some of the Canadian Scrapbookers ladies, and I couldn't quite understand why they were holding my layout. Then they called my name, so I cheered. And they waved me right on up to them. And told me I had won. And I'm like, won what? And they start telling me about this new Stampin Up die cut machine and a bag and YOU'RE GOING TO BE PUBLISHED IN CANADIAN SCRAPBOOKER MAGAZINE. And so I screamed and jumped up and down...and then they took a picture of all of us, and I just kept on giggling and screaming and jumping up and down! So they took me over to the booth, and one lady asks me if I know what I won, and I'm like heck no! So they showed me...


It's this giant Sixxix Machine, that can use any die out there. And it cuts fabric and metal and chipboard and it's fricken heavy! And it's worth a whole lot of money! Oh my! Plus I get this fancy bag to keep it in. And one die (a flower I think). Unfortunately, the handle is missing so I hope I get that cleared up soon so I can play!

Oh, and I'M GETTING PUBLISHED! I didn't win a draw, I won a judged contest! A bunch of the Canadian Scrapbooker ladies that were there, plus the fun Christy Riopel from Monday Night Classes went through all the entries and picked their favourite. And that was mine!

(photo removed for publication purposes)

Christy said she loved everything about it: the mess, the way I wrote my journaling sideways, the fact that I used "F"s for "T"s...and then Jackie Ludlage, one of the Head Honchos told me she adored my stuff and wondered why they haven't seen anything from me. And I told her I had never ever submitted anything. So then her, Connie and Katharina got on my case and told me that this is my door and that they really want me to start submitting because they want my stuff. Um...by the way I am still in total shock at this point and am shaking and walking around with a stupid grin on my face and pretty much just nodding when anyone says anything to me!

K.C. and Chan were both very excited for me. When K.C. saw me with my big bag, she thought I had yoinked somebody's bag and was playing a trick on them! HA! And Leica Forrest was excited and she really like my layout as well and told me she had always liked my stuff!

So I'm flying sky-high today! Jackie took my layout so she can get some good pictures. I get a copy of the magazine as well. I know I said I never wanted to get published, but this was some kind of strange fate thing, and I am totally going to ride this one out and see what comes from it.

later skater alligator,

P.S. Happy Birthday Lisa & Nadine. If I get my act together, you'll get your Birthday Fun Mail sometime next week!

today

here are three layouts I completed today. Lucas was up last night with what looked like bug bites all over his torso. So that means I was up as well, and I am sure feeling it today. I need more coffee and a little nap wouldn't hurt...hmmm coffee and a nap don't really seem to go together! oh well. plus dinner-plans don't seem likely to happen. maybe Russ will have a genius idea.

(photo removed for publication purposes)
I am really in love with the new Sassafras, as you can plainly see. But I've also been using some old stuff from my stash thrown in for good measure. And since I've been trying to put things back where they belong, it's taking me less time to get stuff done and it's way less stressful when it comes to clean up time. I still have a giant mess following me everywhere I go, but that's just something I will always have to live with.


I am working at the Creative Stitches show this weekend at the Treasured Memories booth. Friday morning and Saturday, all day. Maybe I'll see you there! Plus, my aunt has invited me to some Close to My Heart party on Friday night...but she told me it was free and said there would be booze (hopefully also free), so I'm okay with that!


Drama continues with the Playschool Board. C'mon people, it's only Playschool. I mean, really.


I can't believe it's October already. I have Lucas' Halloween costume planned out, so now it's just a matter of me following through. But Halloween is on a Saturday this year, so I will have all day to make it! Ha!

I really think this year will be the one I finally get some nice fall pictures of the family. I always forget, or put it off, or something else comes up and then everything dies and the snow falls and I'm stuck. This year...

Thanksgiving is coming up...I can't stand Thanksgiving. I wish we had plans to go out of town. All the family get-togethers and the food and the sitting around waiting and doing nothing...it drives Russ & I crazy. My friend Ashley and her family have the right idea...they go to Banff and shop and wander for three days. We went one year, and it was so wonderful! But it seems to me that the trip was cheap because we had a "coupon" or something, so it's unlikely to happen again any time soon. Heck, I would take any trip anywhere if it meant I didn't have to be here.

Am hoping to get some other crafting done today. Am making a little something-something for Miss Chantel today...I promised her some fun mail and I haven't delivered! Next week I promise (revised promise). And maybe for others as well! Ooh Fun!!!

I should go. I really wasn't joking about needing more coffee. It's getting close to my sleepy time, which has been getting worse and worse lately (I think it's because of the changing seasons) and I really don't want to have to take a nap today. What am I? Old? Don't answer that if you know what's good for you!


so here are some pictures from the last little bit...enjoy!
some of my latest Value Village finds. I also got a cute little binder, and some clothes.
one of my latest photo shots. set up the Gorilla tripod on the fence and just started snapping.
Lucas was having fun too!
Am wearing some new and new-to-me clothes. this was my wardrobe remix for the week.

My new fabulous present from my fabulous hubby.

Lucas & I outside of Brewsters on my birthday. That's Tardis in the background.

at Mom's for my birthday last saturday. there was a smudge on the lens, so all my pictures from that night are kind of cloudy.
lucas in his red sweater, that used to be Russ' sweater. his grandma made it for him.
thanks for stopping by. feel free to say hi!

later skater alligator