Everyday Moments

Happy 2012!

2012-01-08T14:49:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd start off the year with posting a few layouts I've created so far in 2012:

One of my scrappy goals this year is to scrap more layouts about Brendan. He certainly doesn't let me take as many photos as Olivia and I also struggle with masculine layouts But I'll take the challenge full on and hopefully have more layouts in his scrapbook this year. :)

Be sure to stop back soon. I've got a project going up on the LCOM blog tomorrow!

Happy Sunday.

2011-12-16T00:55:00.003-05:00

I've got two projects up on the blog so far this month for the LCOM MT. This month, I'm working with Echo Park's Holly Jolly collection! So much fun.

Here are my layouts:

I'll be back later this month with some more inspiration.

I'll also be back very soon with details on a Stocking Stuffer sale happenign over at LCOM!! Run...don't walk!

November LCOM MT projects

2011-12-03T00:47:00.004-05:00

November came and went so very fast! I can't believe it. I spent November working on some MT layouts for Let's Capture Our Memories! These layouts came together quickly for me - I love creating with the latest and greatest and LCOM has that and more. You can always expect to find the best selection of products there. Be sure to check it out.

Here are the rest of my layouts for November LCOM MT:

There is new inspiration and great projects posted almost every single day by myself or the other members of the LCOM MT. Be sure to stop by the blog daily - these ladies have mad talent!

Happy Weekend!

My First LCOM layout!

2011-11-08T19:08:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to be posting my first Marketing Team layout for Let's Capture Our Memories! My fellow MT designers have mad talent and it is so great to be inspired by them. And the store!! ALWAYS the latest and greatest and ALWAYS first to have it in Canada. For real! Before I was even part of this team, I often saw the latest and greatest in the LCOM store even before some much larger U.S. sites. Great prices and fast shipping too - you can't go wrong....and I'd say all of that even if I wasn't lucky enough to be part of the MT. :)

My first layout this month features Studio Calico's Autumn Press collection. Serious goodness! I did a lot of fussy cutting. You can see my entire blog post here. There are great layouts and blog posts every day so be sure to check back often.

Here's my layout:

Thanks for the visit!

Double Digits....

2011-11-02T22:53:00.003-04:00

Wow....double digits.... It's hard to believe that you are already ten. Happy Birthday, my sweet boy. It seems like just yesterday you were running around here with those sweet chubby cheeks and rolls of baby fat on your legs. Now here you are - 10 years old....amazing.

You've accomplished so much in the last year. I'm really seeing a change in your behaviour and how you interact with others. I can see that you're maturing and figuring things out. You are thoughtful and kind. You love being with friends. You and Nicholas have become especially close over the last few months. I'm so glad that you have a cousin close to your age to grow up with.

You are super, crazy smart. You do math faster than I can even say "2+2". It comes naturally to you. I'd like to say you get that from me, but well.....that credit goes to your Dad! You are also extremely interested in flags and countries around the world. You know more capitals than I will ever know. You know so much about different countries and their cultures. It's awesome. Makes me wonder if you'll grow up and travel the world to experience all of this in real life. It seems like a true passion for you right now - I hope it grows with you.

And finally...after 10 years.....you are reading books that you are actually interested in! You have been obsessed with Harry Potter and I catch you reading the books all the time. So wonderful to see.

You continue to be super athletic and competitive. You played Hornets soccer again this year and now have made the Atom A hockey team with the Stingers. It's safe to say that hockey is also a huge passion of yours. You LOVE being on the ice. Daddy tells me you are trying to make captain and are really stepping up to achieve this. I've seen it on the ice when you praise your teammates or pat the goalie's pads when he makes a great save.

Have I mentioned that you are getting so tall?! Your shoulders are broadening.......time is fleeting.

No matter what, you will always be my sweet, baby boy. Your gorgeous freckles and grin remind me that you're growing quickly but you're still my little boy.

You are super smart, funny, loud, sensitive, competitive and handsome. You are thoughtful and sweet (and still love to sing in the shower! must record that one day....).

I love you my sweet boy. I hope you have had a great birthday and I have no doubt you'll have tons of fun at your birthday party on Friday. Go 67's Go! (A hockey themed party - what else?)

These last 10 years have been amazing and I can't imagine my life without you in it. I am so proud of the boy you have become so far and I can't wait to see what the next ten years has in store for us.

I love you with all my heart, Bman......times infinity.
Mom
xoxo

Sharing a few recent layouts....

2011-10-10T12:48:00.003-04:00

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian friends. I hope you've all had time this weekend to celebrate with your loved ones!

Nine Years Ago Today......

2011-09-19T23:19:00.007-04:00

Dear Olivia,

Nine years ago today, the biggest surprise of my life and your Daddy's life was born. There is no doubt that at the time, we were worried and concerned about the unknown. Two young babies to raise..... And a girl no less. I knew what to do with a baby boy...would I know what to do with a girl?

The moment you entered the world crying, I knew you were perfect. Perfect for our family. A perfect fit.

You are growing into an amazing young lady. You are a good friend. You are kind and thoughtful, silly, helpful, smart and caring. You are beautiful on the inside and out. You love with your whole heart and you are dedicated to whatever you put your mind to. And perhaps best of all, you have the most infectious giggle that makes me smile whenever I hear it.

You still love to play soccer and you're in Guides again this year. You have been playing the guitar for almost a year now and I'm so amazed at how quickly you've grasped this instrument (so is Ron - your teacher).

You are outgoing and confident. You believe fully in yourself and these are amazing qualities for anyone to have, especially a girl of your age. Never stop believing in yourself - it is your ticket to accomplishing your dreams. You can do anything.

Stay true to you and know that you are perfect just the way you are. I thank God often for blessing me with a daughter like you.

Happy, happy 9th Birthday Baby Girl. I hope your day is as wonderful as you are.

Love Always,
Mama xoxo

2011-07-16T20:46:00.002-04:00

A few new layouts to share. They've been done for a while but I'm just getting around to posting them. Vacation time now for me - ahhh...the freedom of not having to get out of the house early or get things organized to go to work and school or daycamp. I love summer....I love vacation even more!

Going to spend my time enjoying my children, enjoying my husband, and filling my days with positive people and fun things. Sounds pretty simple....and pretty good to me.

Started vacation off today with some family time at Calypso Waterpark. Apparently it's been ranked as the number one waterpark in the world? This was something mentioned to me...not sure if it's true but if it is, that's pretty cool to live only 25 minutes from it. It's a great park and worth the money - great slides, great water activities, clean park..... :)

Off to put aloe vera on my burn (how could I not notice the tops of my legs getting burnt?! I only had spf 60 on afterall........sigh).

Happy Saturday!

A couple of new layouts...

2011-07-03T23:31:00.000-04:00

Summer is Here!

2011-06-25T00:23:00.002-04:00

The kids will be done school on Wednesday, the crazy period is currently over at work...and there's warm weather! I'm really looking forward to the lazy days of summer!

Just popping in to share some layouts I've done a while back but never posted:

Have a fabulous weekend and thanks for the visit.

Just sharing some layouts.........

2011-05-29T01:25:00.005-04:00

Thanks for the visit.

Swoon!Sigh!

2011-05-04T10:35:00.005-04:00

I think most who know me, know that I have a huge love for Bon Jovi! My first concert was in 1994....and there has been many since then! The pictures above were from the Ottawa show last night.

My best friend and I travelled to Montreal in February to see them in concert. After four years, they finally came back to Ottawa last night! Of course we were there!!

We had the best seats EVER! I'm on a serious Bon Jovi high today. Jon is such an excellent performer. You truly get your money's worth, watching this band perform. It doesn't hurt that he's not too hard on the eyes either. :)

Alright....back to work.........and my Bon Jovi music.............sure is hard to concentrate today....

layout share

2011-05-01T20:41:00.003-04:00

Just stopping in to share a couple of new layouts. My apologies for the craptastic pictures. They didn't turn out great but not sure when I'll get around scrapping and/or taking new photos of the layouts. Crazy season has started at work and I'm usually too tired to post or create much!

This first one was done with March's kit over at Studio Calico :

Thanks for the visit. I will post when I can! going to the Bon Jovi concert on Tuesday night so I may just be back sooner than I think to gush over the perfomance! :)

Have a wonderful week.

Happy Long Weekend! Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T17:17:00.004-04:00

When you're a working Mom, I think you cherish long weekends just a little bit more. Oh how wonderful it would be to have an extra day each week to do stuff with/for the kids. It would be heavenly!

Joe is currently upstairs making an apple crisp for my sister (yes....she seems to think she should have this dish that we usually make all Fall/Winter in the spring! lol). She's just home from finishing her first year of university so she's probably starved and all.....we'll be nice to her.

Olivia has a little surprise for her grandparents and her daddy for Easter tomorrow. I'm in on the surprise. If I can figure out how to do it, I will post it here for you all to view. It's AMAZING. I am so proud of that girl.

I've done a few layouts that I will take pictures of and post soon! Theya re on my camera and I will download after taking some Easter pictures tomorrow.

And a little surprise for me. A while back I was contacted by Caz at Aussie Scrap Source for permission to use one of my layouts on their blog for a Pink Paislee feature. How cool! It completely slipped my mind and I went back the other day to have a look at their blog and found this (scroll down a bit and you'll see Bman's handsome face) :

CHECK IT OUT HERE

I was very honoured to be asked! And I love it even more when it's a boy/masculine page that is chosen. Those are the layouts that don't come easy to me so having it pay off is SUH-WEET! Thanks again Caz! :)

Also, a "hello" to my new friend Anna who is halfway around the world! Glad to know you girl!

Happy Easter to all! REALLLYYYYY slow long weekend to all as well! Back soon with some layouts.

April AMM Kit Layouts

2011-04-17T20:35:00.002-04:00

Here are the layouts I created with April's A Million Memories kit. Lots of yummy Crate Paper and Lily Bee are featured in this kit:

Thanks for the visit!

Spring is Here!

2011-04-09T16:15:00.004-04:00

Took the kids out for new rollerblades today. They fell in love with the idea of rollerblading while visiting their cousin Matthew in Florida in November. Not sure why we never thought to get them blades..... but the beautiful weather sparked the memories and so off we went to buy some! Brendan's been out twice today. I'm sure Olivia would have joined him if it wasn't for the phone call from her bff to come play. My little social butterfly! Brendan's hockey season is over. He's made the competitive soccer team so that has already started. Olivia will be starting her soccer season in May and Brendan starts 4-on-4 hockey next week! Brendan was also in need of a new bike (lucky kid this week!) so Joe took him to buy a new one this week. Bman and I were out last weekend bikeriding. We were gone a good 1.5 hours and it was so nice to just be me and him. We had a lot of fun. Things got off to a rocky start however....as my lace got caught in my peddle and I fell right into a puddle. LOL - it's funny....now! ;) Thought I would stop by and add some new layouts!

This next one is a layout I created with AMM’s April kit. New Lillybee and Crate Paper! So fun to work with:

Thanks for the visit! I hope your weekend is wonderful and sunny.

AMM March Sketch & Layout

2011-03-30T09:54:00.002-04:00

Here's my final March layout for A Million Memories! It is based on the sketch I created for the March challenge:

Thanks for the visit! :)

AMM March DT Layouts!

2011-03-26T22:36:00.004-04:00

March marks my first month designing for A Million Memories. March's kit feature yummy goodness from My Mind's Eye "Gertie" collection. My layouts came together so easily - I was spoiled with this kit!

My absolute favourite item in this kit is the doily stamps. Even better is they are only $5.99. It's a steal!

Here are my layouts:

As you can see, this line is perfect for a multitude of different subjects - boy, girl, vacation....!

AMM is also having a huge sale right now. And I mean HUGE! Almost everything in the store is 55% off (excluding new items)! Hurry over - the sale ends today.

Happy Weekend everyone! I hope you're all doing what you love to do best. I'm looking forward to my Sunday morning with family....Hockey game and then breakfast out....it's the little things!

Echo Park Love!

2011-03-16T23:09:00.006-04:00

Good ol' Blogger. I had a nice, detailed post going and all of a sudden it freezes and it's gone. Frustrating. So for now...the abridged version!

I'm a big fan of Echo Park paper. I've loved pretty much every line they have put out in their short time in the industry. They came fierce with great lines that are so versatile! They recently posted a challenge on their blog, but it was anything but! I had a lot of fun creating these layouts with For the Record and Springtime collections:

And look......that brother and sister. Sitting in a picture together, actually touching each other without yelling or having a fight! Your eyes are not deceiving you! It's real. It's one of my fave photos ever. Speaking of those children, Brendan made the competitive soccer team again this summer. Go Hornets! Hockey playoffs start next week. Go Stingers! Olivia is seriously killing the guitar. I can't believe she's only been playing since October - she is so good! If I can figure out how to get a video up here, I'll post one of her playing. She rocks! She'll be playing soccer this summer too and is still going strong with Brownies.

Finally - life has thrown me a lot of curve balls lately. However, we are all healthy and safe. When I start to feel down about all that is going on, I've been thinking about Japan. "Disaster" does not even begin to explain the devastation. I pray that they all find peace.....and hopefully soonre than later.

I think I will go and start a layout with some new goodies! BG Hello Luscious or Studio Calico's March kit?!? Decisions, decisions.... :)

I made a sketch! Come play!

2011-03-12T20:35:00.004-05:00

March's challenge over at A Million Memories is a great one! It involves a sketch created by me, as well as an additional challenge thrown into the sketch by my fellow DT'er, Zoe.

Here's the sketch:

Use it to create a layout, along with Zoe's inspiration of all things "rainbow"! Use "rainbow" in any form for your inspiration. Be sure to post your layout on the message board.

The challenge ends on March 21st. One winner will be chosen to win a $10 gift certificate to the AMM store! CHA goodies are piling in right now at AMM so you don't want to miss out on a chance to win free stuff!

good luck!

Amazing Sale right now at AMM!

2011-03-09T21:15:00.002-05:00

A Million Memories is currently having a 50% off sale!! Be sure to check out the awesome deals before they are all gone!!!

March AMM kit!

2011-03-01T09:35:00.002-05:00

Be still my heart! The March kit at AMM is jam-packed with all new CHA releases! "My Granny's Place" is filled with prodcuts that have a vintage feel. However, I can totally think of MANY different types of layouts to do with this kit. It is chock-full of new My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose collection. And the Maya Road chipboard and woodgrain thickers? Drool! I'm looking forward to our reveal!

Grab yours now here before they are all gone.

Some scrappy news to share......

2011-02-28T22:57:00.002-05:00

http://amillionmemoriesblog.blogspot.com/2011/02/meet-wendy-sommers.html

I was quite surprised and honoured to be asked to join the AMM team a few weeks ago. Have you seen the kits??? I'm really looking forward to designing with the March kit!!

So, if you aren't a friend of AMM already on Facebook, look us up and come say hello! There's also the blog that is bursting almost every day with great inspiration and ideas!

Sharing a few 'new' layouts....

2011-02-25T23:41:00.001-05:00

Thanks for looking! TGIF! hope everyone enjoys their weekend.

Some layouts to share.....

2011-02-21T20:55:00.003-05:00

Thanks for taking a peek! Off to enjoy what's left of the long weekend.......:)

33......

2011-02-15T22:19:00.004-05:00

That's how many layouts I took photos of today to post. 33! Mostly from December and January. I like that a lot of those are of Brendan (I feel like I tend to scrap Livi more simply because 1-she lets me take her picture way more often and 2-masculine layouts are a challenge for me). But I'm getting them done!

I also am currently working on a layout that I am doing as a surprise for Joe. I hardly ever scrap "us". He surprised me yesterday for Valentine's Day (we're not big celebrators of V-day. I prefer the little things that he does for me all through the year that shows me he gets me and loves me). But nonetheless, it was nice to be surprised with flowers, my favourite chocolates and the BEST card ever. Very traditional - but traditional was nice for a change. :) So now I'd like to do this layout for him to let him know how much he means to me.

We're taking turns being sick here. I'm battling a nasty sinus infection that is just not going away. It won't stop me from going to Montreal this weekend with my best friend though! Time to see Bon Jovi in concert again! We had such a good time this time last year seeing him in Montreal....I'm looking forward to a girl's weekend.

I've got some fun, surprising (surprising to me at least - it came out of the blue!) news that I'm hoping to share soon. Kinda fun!

Have a good week everyone. I'll be back soon with some of those 33 layouts. Don't fear - I won't torture you with all those at one time. Can you imagine?? LOL

Some 2011 Goals...

2011-01-08T23:42:00.003-05:00

Figured it was best to get them down here on the blog so I can reflect next year and see how I've done.

I'm not a resolution maker - I prefer to call it goals. And here are a few for 2011:

1. Stress less...enjoy life more .
2. Scrapbook lots. It's how me, Joe and the kids will remember their childhoods. I created 105 layouts last year which is a lot for me. Her's hoping I can beat that in 2011.
3. More one on one time with each member of my family - Joe, Brendan and Olivia.
4. More family time that doesn't involve running to a lesson or a practice.
5. Become a happier me - one who is happy with my appearance, feels healthier and fulfilled not only at home but at work.
6. Use up scrapbook stash I have. Limit myself as much as possible to using what I have and purchasing only my Studio Calico kits each month. I'm sure I'll fail at this once in a while (come on people! CHA is in a few weeks!) but for the most part, I really want to stick to this.

Not too hard right? Game on. :)

Top 10 of 2010....

2010-12-31T16:12:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd get in on the annual posting of my favourite layouts for this year. I love them all for different reasons and I do see some trends. Teal and yellow were definately big for me this year. Thanks for taking a peek and Happy New Year to all!

Merry Christmas.....

2010-12-23T00:52:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure I'll make it here again before Christmas, so I wanted to take a minute to wish all of you a wonderful and blessed holiday season. Pause everything, even if for just a moment, to embrace all the love and happiness you have in your life and how very blessed you are to spend this day with the ones you love. Material gifts are always nice to give - but the priceless gift is health and happiness.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-19T13:32:00.003-05:00

Before the Christmas baking fun begins, I thought I would share a few more recent layouts:

Thanks for the visit.....:)

A Few More Layouts to Share....

2010-12-11T20:50:00.004-05:00

Photo on "My Everythings" layout taken by www.nrimages.ca

Thanks for the visit! :)

39.....

2010-12-04T13:40:00.003-05:00

.....no, not my age. Not yet anyway. :) 39 is the number of layouts I've done since the last time I bothered to take pictures of them and share online. What a slacker I am! With the boys out of town for a hockey tournament and my girl napping, I took the opportunity to take photos and upload a few. I'll share some today. More to come in the weeks ahead!

I really like how this first layout came together (thanks for your help with the title Zoe!). This is the latest of the 39:
This next layout of my handsome boy was done with the October Studio Calico kit. Not sure I have the month right - I'm horrible at keeping track. What I do know is this kit club is like no other. Amazing shipping (price and service) to Canada. Exclusive stamps and papers (December's kit has papers designed exclusively by Sassafrass Lass!) and many items that I can't find here locally. I also love the mixture of manufacturers in each kit. I'm a big fan of this kit club and a satisfied customer. I recommend it to anyone!

Another Studio Calico kit layout featuring my sweet boy. I believe this kit is from November:

Before we left for Disney World a few weeks ago, Olivia asked me if we were going to visit "Apricot". Took me a few minutes but I laughed out loud when I realized she meant "Epcot". Too cute - of course I had to do a page about it! Love that kid.

And finally, a layout about Brendan and his obsession....I mean passion for sports. He's a total sports junkie!

That's all I got for now. Thanks for stopping in.

'Tis the Season......

2010-11-19T20:44:00.003-05:00

...and this year, my goal is to keep everything about the holiday season SIMPLE. I want to enjoy my family and friends instead of spending time scrapping a gadzillion cards. I want to give beautiful, simple gifts & cards that are more from the heart than anything else!

This year, I've decided to get some gifts and holiday cards from Shutterfly. Oh my goodness - have you been to the site? The possibilities are endless and there are SO many wonderful designs to choose (choosing will be the hardest part I'm sure). Going through all of the design options available for holiday cards is so fun!

Here are a few of my favourite. You can find a complete set of all holiday cards available here:

I love the non-traditional colours of "Colorful Joy":

Equally gorgeous is this card. We got some amazing family photos done this year and I could showcase so many with this design:

I love this one as well:

And how much fun would it be to have our monogram on this card?

Which one is your favourite? All I know is at the end, regardless of the design I choose, I'll have a beautiful card that looks as good as if I scrapped it myself....and with way less work and time involved for me. I think friends and family will love them!

While you're checking out the beautiful holiday cards, check out some of the GREAT gift ideas. My Mom would love one of the photo books. A friend of mine has done a few at Shuttefuly and they are such a wonderful keepsake. I also really love this photo ornament and the wall calendars!

Nothing better than sitting in my pj's, easily ordering Christmas gifts and cards that will come right to my door with no hassle. I am looking forward to this season. :)

(Not only does Shutterfly have great products, but they have a special offer for blog owners. Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly. Follow this link for details: http://bit.ly/sfly2010 . Post on Twitter and Facebook so your friends can get in on this amazing deal!)

I can't wait to come back and show you my final holiday card choice!

A few layouts to share.....

2010-11-07T20:24:00.001-05:00

Thanks for taking a peak! :)

A couple of photos to share...

2010-11-05T19:25:00.005-04:00

...at least it's something... and these kids are gorgeous (and growing way too quickly). And yes, it's my blog...I get to say they are gorgeous!!! :)

Pictures taken at Rockcliffe Park by http://www.nrimages.ca/ .

Dusting this thing off....

2010-11-05T19:20:00.002-04:00

......yes, I'm still alive! This blog has unfortunately made its way to the bottom of my priority list. Makes me a bit sad. Lots of happened since my last post - hockey season, guitar lessons starting, Brendan turning 9 (craziness!), Olivia turning 8 (more craziness!) and even Joe has had another birthday.

Work has brought on a lot of new things and challenges. I've never been so busy. Trying to balance a demanding job and the kids and their activities...and trying to be a decent wife and mom while still finding some 'me' time. Doesn't leave much time for other things.

My life is full and I am grateful. The above is definately not complaining. Life could be much worse and I surely appreciate that.

Just checking in to say 'hello'! I've been scrapping a bit and I will come back soon with some layouts. However, leaving before the sun rises and getting home when it's dark sure puts a damper on being able to properly photograph my layouts.

If you're reading this - take a second and say hello. I'd love to see who posts here and to see how everyone is doing!

FP Love!

2010-09-13T23:37:00.003-04:00

I am a definate Fancy Pants addict! I'd bet my life that I buy almost every one of their releases. Gorgeous product that easily inspires me!

Here are two layouts I completely recently:

Firstly - Road Show collection is used. LOVE this line! It worked perfectly with the pictures of Olivia's First Communion:

And secondly, "Life Father, Like Son" collection. I am a sucker for a good masculine line. They are hard to find but Fancy Pants hit it out of the park with this one!

The title comes from a funny thing I do to Brendan when he's playing soccer or hockey. It totally makes him roll his eyes and I'm sure in his head he's saying "My mom is LAME!" It's all good. :)

Thanks for the visit!

A few new layouts to share...

2010-09-11T15:29:00.001-04:00

...Happy Weekend my friends!

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2010-08-28T20:37:00.001-04:00

Happy Anniversary to the man who always (ok usually!) knows how to make me feel better, who dances with our girl in his arms just for fun, who gets up at 6:00 am to take our son to hockey without hesitation, who always says "yes" when I ask if he wants to marry me again, who has always loved me unconditionally .... I love you Joe! :)

2010-08-09T19:27:00.003-04:00

Some new layouts to share. I found a bunch that I don't think I've ever posted here! The 2nd one is my favourite....love that line by Fancy Pants and I love the picture of Olivia even more. She looks so big!

It's vacation time for me again and my goals are: 1) enjoy my family; 2) relax; 3) scrap as much as possible. Not too shabby. I'll let you know how it works out. :)

I leave you with my layouts...thanks for stopping by.

Some Scrappiness...

2010-07-26T16:12:00.002-04:00

Thanks for taking a peak.... :)

Feels Something Like Summertime....

2010-07-25T02:01:00.002-04:00

Did anyone catch the reference to a song by Bon Jovi. Love them! Used some of their song lyrics as my title here.

I'm GDT over at Start Me Up this week. Here is the layout I did for my challenge:

Lots of new Fancy Pants Rusted Sun - I am really loving everything from FP lately! I also used various Pink Paislee alphas for my title.

Vacation has been wonderful. I love relaxing and enjoying my favourite season with my family. I could get used to this!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

2010-07-22T19:12:00.002-04:00

I've noticed lately that I scrap the kids about 110% of the time, leaving poor Joe in the dust. I really need to scrap him more - scrap us more. I couldn't do any of this life without him and I'm so happy we're in this together forever. So in honour of him, I did a layout about us using lots of MME product:

I'm really happy with teh final result. Hope you like it to!

Off to get ready to watch Big Brother and gear up for tomorrow. I wish Murphy would have told me I'd have a nasty cold righ tnow...I would not be taking 4 kids to the beach. :) Oh well - I'm sure I"ll get some great pictures!

Vacation & Scrapping....

2010-07-20T16:18:00.003-04:00

Vacation is on now so it's fun to hang out with the kids and just enjoy each other. I've got four weeks off this summer and I'm hoping they are good ones. :)Here are some layouts I've been working on:

Thanks for taking a peak! Back with another project tomorrow that I'm loving. It came together just as I had hoped. :)

Lazy Saturday....

2010-06-26T12:42:00.004-04:00

It's been a while since we've had a "lazy" Saturday. The only thing happening today is that Joe has a baseball tournament. The three of us are just hanging out and being lazy. It's a nice change from the usual hectic pace of our weekends.

Down time means more scrapping for me!! I completed two layouts last night. I was thinking about them all day at work and I was so happy to get home after soccer and create! Both of these layouts feature two of the latest collections by Crate Paper - Brook (all elements) and Pink Plum. On the layout of Olivia, I used Pink Plum's embellishments to go with the Cottage Collection line of paper. They complimented each other so well! I am so inspired by dark pink, teal and yellow right now. These lines are right up my alley.

Thanks for stopping by for the visit. I'm off to change bed sheets and then edit some photos from my mini-photoshoot with the kids this morning.

Happy Saturday everyone! :)

Cheers,

Crate Paper goodness!

2010-06-21T23:44:00.004-04:00

Do you ever take a moment to go through your blog posts and admire the words, layouts and pictures? I find it so nostalgic and a reminder of how quickly tiem flies. In honour of this 'review', I've pulled a punch of Crate Paper layouts that I've done. Crate Paper's products are so versatile and inspirational. I literally stalk the LSS when I know a new collection of Crate Paper is on its way. :) My favourite product has to be the collection packs. It is so convenient to just grab one of these collections and have everything you need to get your scrap on and create!

Here they are:

"Bman Gone Wild" was a runner-up winning layout in Crate Paper's first ever blog contest. What an honour!

Can't get enough of the Brook line! From girl-themed layouts, boy layouts, hockey championships and religious events....this paper is awesome for so many projects!

Below is a layout I created with the Pink Plum collection - my prize for being a runner-up in the Crate contest. Thank you CP!!

Thanks for taking this trip down memory lane with me! Hope you enjoyed it.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-21T23:22:00.003-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful fathers/daddies out there! I may be a little biased but my children have been blessed with the most amazing father in the world. And I have been blessed with a husband who shows his children, most importantly unconditional love.

Happy Father's Day to the man who:
- never complains about getting up at 6:00 a.m. on a Saturday to take Brendan to hockey
- volunteers his time on parent council at school so that he can be a part of our children's
education.
- shows our children that hard work, family and love is what you truly need to be live a fulfilling
life.
- stepped up and coached Olivia's soccer team this year because without a volunteer, her team
would fold and she couldn't play soccer this summer. And he would not let that happen. It took
him about a minute to hit the "reply" button to offer his help.
- does housework, makes dinner, helps with showers and school lunches and so much more
without even thinking twice.
- affectionately calls Olivia his Princess Poohbear and in turn, gets a whopping grin every time
from his girl.
- who knows when we need a hug
- is my own personal human calculator
- works the hockey bench door when he notices the coaches are shorthanded.
- despite being a little tone deaf and somewhat uncoordinated, doesn't hesistate to play along
with Olivia and learn/practice her dance moves.
- brings home little surprises every once in a while which are so thoughtful and completely
unexpected.
- works from home a few times a week so the kids can sleep in if they want and go to school
much later than when I take them to daycare.
- loves him family.

I could go on and on but I think you get the idea. :) Happy Father's Day to all the real men who know what it takes to be an amazing father and who would do anything for their children.

I love you Joe.
xoxo

My poor neglected blog!

2010-06-01T23:31:00.003-04:00

...though something has to give. It's crazy busy time at work, Joe is playing baseball, Livi is playing soccer once a week and Bman has soccer 3 times a week plus hockey for a few more weeks. Busy = Yes! Some things have naturally been neglected. Like my blog!

Just popping on quick to post some layouts that I've done in the last little while. Hope you enjoy!

Yes - that's actually me in a layout! Don't be too shocked. I find it so difficult to scrap me and I'm my own worst critic!

Thanks for stopping by! :)

Some new layouts to share

2010-05-02T23:43:00.003-04:00

Thanks for the visit. Have a great week!

Some Thrift Shop & Brook

2010-04-21T20:14:00.003-04:00

Feeling a bit under the weather but wanted to post a couple of layouts I did lat weekend. Used the delicious Brook Collection from Crate Paper for this one:

This layout is about the amazing weekend we had a few weeks ago - Olivia did her First Communion and Brendan's hockey team won the championship. Definately a fun time!

This layout is about my girl on her special day. I used October Afternoon's Thrift Shop. Seriously amazing paper. I'm in love with that line!

I'm off to veg and watch American Idol. It's almost Friday............. :)

I Think I'm in Love....

2010-04-15T18:57:00.002-04:00

....with this piece of paper:

From October Afternoon's "Fly a Kite" Collection - called "Ice Cream". Well, I'm definately willing to scream for it. It might not be healthy but.....what can I say. This piece of gorgeous, colourful paper excites me. Coming to a scrappy layout near you very shortly. :)

Life is busy, hence my lack of posting lately. It's busy time at work, kids are in their activities, etc and I haven't been scrapping much. Going to take some time tonight and really get into a page. Perfect way to de-stress.

Besides the usual kid stuff, we had a pretty exciting weekend around here last weekend. Olivia did her First Communion. She looked beautiful, she was wonderful and we are so proud of her. Pictures to come soon. On the same morning, Brendan and his amazing hockey team won the championship final and took first place in their division. It was beyond amazing. These boys were middle of the pack all year - like in 10th or 12th place. They played their hearts out all playoff long and rewarded with being the champions! The score of the final game was 1-0. I think the parents were more stressed than the kids! The best part - Bman got a breakaway and hit the post but his defence partner picked up the rebound and popped it in! His first goal of the season. The defencemen don't score a lot of goals in this age bracket so it was super cool to see Brendan and Craig get that goal. I love how proud the whole team was of themselves and it was so well deserved. They'll get a banner to hang in their home arena and were awarded medals. Pictures of that to come soon too. :)

Off to find some photos to go with that delicious piece of paper goodness.......

Thanks for the visit.

What the heck.....

2010-03-24T23:38:00.003-04:00

I was really inspired by the sketch contest posted over at Jillibean Soup Blog so I thought I'd give it a try. I've always really enjoyed their paper lines. Definately need to get me some Egg Drop Soup from their new release. :)

So here's the sketch and my layout based on it:

Thanks for the great inspiration JBS! :)

I'll be back soon with an update and perhaps some layouts. (I spent last weekend in Montreal to go see Bon Jovi in concert. SOOO amazing! More on that to come)

Thanks for the visit.

Subtle Hints...

2010-03-15T18:46:00.005-04:00

You could say that I've been getting a few. Friends telling me that I should post this or that on my blog when I tell them about something. So here's the post my Peeps! Some pictures of Olivia yesterday during an impromptu photo shoot and 3 new layouts. (The Dear Lizzy one is looking a little icky. Will have to take another pic and repost soon.)

Thanks for stopping by. I'm going to post an update on us in point form. I just really want to get it down but not a ton of time to post (kids are outside! so nice to have daylight at 7 pm!!):

- Brendan was in a hockey tournament last weekend. They played hard but didn't advance. However, they did beat the first place team in their league. Bring on the playoffs.

- Hockey playoffs begin!

- Brendan made the U9 Competitive Soccer team!! Go Bman! Go Hornets!

- Olivia is doing her First Communion the weekend after Easter.

- I found a beautiful dress for said Communion at a killer deal that made her eyes almost pop out of her head. I did good. :)

- Olivia is playing U8 soccer this summer. Go Dragons!!

- Me and my best friend are headed to Montreal this weekend for a girl's weekend! This includes seeing Bon Jovi in concert baby!! woot woot!!!

- Work is busy. Note to self: win lottery.

- Joe is gearing up for baseball this summer (he gave up soccer so that he'd have more time to take Bman to his competitive soccer...amazing dad)

- we are good! and healthy! and busy!

- bring on summer and flip flops :)

Thanks for the visit.

Title-less

2010-02-27T22:37:00.003-05:00

Not much to say today but wanted to get this recent layout up that I did of my sweet baby girl:

She's out for her first official sleepover tonight with Sydney. "Official" because she's never slept anywhere but here, with my parents or with her godmother. I'm sure she'll have tons of fun. :)

Our weekend is full of hockey, soccer and more hockey......the reward of having a very athletic son. And I do mean "reward" in a positive way. I love going to his games and cheering him and his team on. So much fun!

We'll be cheering on the Olympic Canadian Men's hockey team tomorrow afternoon. Bring home the gold boys!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend......I hope it goes super slow....especially for my peeps who have to get up for icky work Monday morning!

Off to scrap - some new goodies are in the house - MME Lush and AC's Dear Lizzy!! Time to get busy!

thanks for stopping by and reading my rather dull post.................. :)

Winterlude Fun...

2010-02-21T18:14:00.003-05:00

I had a lot of fun at Winterlude with Olivia and her friends. The pictures in the above layout were taken there. They sure know how to giggle and have fun! They are fresh and rejuvenating. I really love hanging out with them. Although Livi is only seven, she's got a great little group of friends going. I hope they are friends for many, many years to come. I created the layout with some "old" stash (FP Arctic Chill) after my friend Melanie challenged me to just that. Thanks for the challenge my friend! Just what I needed. The layout is also based on a sketch posted over at Scrapbooking Fanatics for their Friday Night crop. If you haven't been there yet, GO. The ladies are great and so inspirational. And it doesn't hurt that the owner, Jayme, has a great selection of the latest and greatest with fabulous prices and customer service that is second to none.

Did a bunch of cleaning this weekend and Brendan had a hockey game yesterday. My boy played one of his best games yet and he even got an assist! He wants to score so badly and he tries to hard. Soon Bman!! It'll happen if you keep trying. :)

My brother, SIL and nephew Keeghan came for a visit yesterday. Can you say completely adorable? I took many photos of him that will be appearing on layouts very soon. Here is one of my favourite shots:

How adorable is he with those big baby blues and long dark lashes. I love that little boy.

My big boy wanted nothing to do with photos this weekend (and sometimes, you just have to let them be!!) but my girl was up for a little photo shoot. I got a few great shots of her, my fave being the one below. Mel- I believe this is what Dan would call a "money shot"! I'm really happy with it (and so amazed that this beautiful girl is mine....) :

Thanks for the visit! Back soon. :)

Speechless....

2010-02-17T14:35:00.002-05:00

...or maybe it's brainless? LOL Either way I've got nothing to share today but a few layouts. Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek.

Happy Family Day...in Ontario anyway :)

2010-02-15T11:20:00.002-05:00

In Ontario (and certain other provinces) today, we have Family Day. A day off of work to do whatever you like! I so love Mondays where I don't have to get up early and get out the door to work. Every Monday should be a holiday! :)

Because it's a long weekend, Joe and I decided to get Olivia's room painted. We tried to do it a couple of years ago but our very sentimental girl burst into tears the night before and didn't want to paint it all of a sudden. So we just left it. She was ready this time around and I'm happy to report that our sassy 7 year old has her room painted "Fuschia Kiss". It's a gorgeous pink - a bit bright but very much her. We're going to accessorize in a dark lime green and white. It will be fresh and fun. She loves it already and we haven't done anything but paint and put her bed and dresser back in. Olivia and I have some decorating ideas and we're searching for the perfect stuff to accessorize her room. I want it to be a really special place for her to go and be by herself. She often likes to sneak off to her room for alone time and she deserves a spot just for her that she loves. I'm having a lot of fun looking for stuff and sharing it with her. We won't rush to decorate - we'll take our time and find pieces that fit perfectly. It's a fun little mommy/daughter project.

And because of all that painting (I do the actual painting myself because I'm anal and bossy. Yes...I admit it. And my wonderful husband helps with the before and after and then leaves me be.) I have super sore muscles. So today is a do nothing day. The boys are gone to the ice slides at Winterlude and Livi and I are just hanging out. After this blog post, I think a layout is in order! I've got about 15 in my head that are screaming to get out on paper.

I hope you all had a wonderful V-day with your loved ones yesterday. Personally, V-day is a Hallmark holiday to me. I much prefer that my husband shows me daily that he loves me. It's the little things like running out to do groceries and discovering Easter creme eggs are out and grabbing me one as a little surprise because he knows I love them. It's about making lunches for the kids even if it's not his turn because I was out late or more appropriately, he knows I'm not a morning person and am always running late. It's taking Brendan to 7 a.m. practices without complaint.......I could go on forever. For me, it's the little things. Not February 14th. And I wouldn't have it any other way. :)

I leave you with a layout I don't believe I've shared yet. It didn't turn out as I planned but I love this AC paper line, the punched butterflies and of course, that little girl. :)

(I saw this title on a layout by Stephanie Howell and just had to use it. )

Woo Hoo!!!!!

2010-02-05T22:38:00.003-05:00

It appears the "winning gods" are in the Sommers household today! First up, Brendan won FIRST PLACE for all of Grade 3 in a special Olympic project he worked on at school. I'm not 100% sure of what the project involved as it was completely done at school but I am completely sure that we had one proud boy here tonight! I got home from work late and he told me he had a surprise. He ran and got his first place ribbon and told me all about it. He also pinned it to his shirt and told me that I could take a picture of the ribbon and also a picture of him smiling. I think that's the go-ahead for a scrappy layout..... :)

And next - I am so fortunate to be one of the winners in Crate Paper's first ever blog contest! How cool is that?!? I'm quite honoured and so happy. It's nice to see a"no-name" in the scrapbook world take a prize. Thank you SO much Crate! I've always been a big fan and now to be one of the winners in your contest is extremely cool!!!

So here is the layout that I won with. Features my very sweet, very silly Brendan:

I also created a couple of other layouts featuring Crate Paper that I submitted with "Bman Gone Wild":

Crate Paper products just flow so easily! Love working with their products.
So a good day all around! Enjoy your weekend!

Some new layouts....

2010-01-15T19:55:00.002-05:00

I thought I had shared these layouts already but it appears that I haven't. So here goes. The first one is of my sweet nephew Keeghan. I thinkk you'll recognize the subjects in the other layouts.... ;)

TGIF....that's all I have to say. It's been a brutal work week and I'm fried.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, relaxing weekend.

Off to a Good Start.......

2010-01-02T23:55:00.003-05:00

2010 that is. We spent New Year's Day (afternoon) at the outdoor rink. Brendan is a total rink rat and Joe loves to take him. This time, Livi wanted to go skating too so I tagged along. Can't miss a photo op now, can we?! I had my camera out a bit but spent most of the time just enjoying my family. Watching Brendan play goalie with his new pads/blocker/trapper that he got for Christmas, watching Joe's face beam with pride and happiness as he watched Brendan enjoying himself, watching Livi giggle as she skated circles around me..... it was just plain fun. I hope this is the start of a lot of fun, everyday happy moments together for the four of us. Here are some pictures I took:

I am so very lucky to have these 3 in my life! I hope 2010 brings us lots of fun and good memories. I hope it brings the same to you and your loved ones as well.

Enjoy your Sunday - here's hoping that is goes by super SLOOWWWW. I have no desire to go back to work after Christmas vacation. I could go for another week or two (or 5) off with my kiddos.

take care!

Retrospection....and Happy 2010

2009-12-31T00:40:00.004-05:00

So I was sitting here, surfing through blogs and admiring people's remiscing of 2009. Layouts they loved, moments they've loved...heartaches and sadness they have suffered. I thought to myself - what are my best memories of 2009?? And each answer involved my amazing children. We are so blessed to have such great children and it's been such a blessing to be off with them these last two weeks. Being a working Mom sometimes brings with it feelings of guilt for not always being their for your children. I also think it makes you treasure and soak up every moment that you do get to spend with them.

So, I went through my photos of 2009 (phew! I take more photos that I thought - what a process!) and compiled my favourite photos of each child for every month in 2009.

Brendan -

Olivia -

Coming to a scrappy layout near you shortly!

Happy New Year my dear friends. To those of you who have experienced tremendous sadness in 2009.......I especially hope 2010 is filled with lots of peace and amazing, happy moments.

Cheers to 2010!

Finally......

2009-12-19T23:58:00.002-05:00

Finally got around to taking photos of my layouts that I've done this December. I'm currently on vacation from work and relatively ready for Christmas so here's hoping for more!

Kids are on break now too and it is so nice to be home with them! we've got gingerbread house decorating, a Christmas photo shoot and a trip to the movie theatre planned.

Olivia sang with her choir yesterday at school and Brendan played a wicked hockey game today!! Did I remember my camera for either? Nope........ :)

Happy rest of the weekend..........

A Final Farewell to So Sketchy...

2009-12-12T18:47:00.004-05:00

I had the pleasure of working for Allison Cope's So Sketchy! DT for a whole year. Allison was super amazing to work for - her sketches are always inspiring and she's organized and grateful and just....wonderful. Allison has decided to close So Sketchy and move on to other projects which I have no doubt will be wonderful.

As a 'good bye', many past and present DT members had the opportunity to work with another So Sketchy! sketch. Here is the layout I created that was posted on the So Sketchy! site today:

Be sure to check out So Sketchy! all month for wonderful sketches and prizes. Allison sure knows how to go out with a bang! :) Thank you, Allison, for giving me a final chance to work with your wonderful sketches! Wishing you all the best girl! :)

New Blog Header....

2009-12-04T13:04:00.003-05:00

and new colours! Fun! I needed a blog makeover. :)

I did my blog header with Shabby Princess' Happy Go Lucky Kit. Click on the name to download it - it's amazing!

Busy weekend ahead but hoping to squeeze in some scrapping tonight after I get home from dinner out with some friends. Joe and the kids are at home right now (p.d. day) and they just called to say they are putting up the tree. I guess that means Christmas will be here before I know it................. :)

A whole month...

2009-12-01T14:48:00.003-05:00

..since I posted last. Life gets in the way like that. Just stopping in quick to add the layouts that I've created this month to my blog. A whole measly, 3 layouts. Actually - I've done 4 but can't share one of them just yet. Soon. :) Three isn't much but instead of scrapping I've been doing things like working, keeping up with my kids and their homework/assigments (can you tell it's report card time??), activities for both of them..... and I'm enjoying it all (well, minus work) more than scrapping. I love watching Brendan's games and volunteering with Livi's Brownies group. Tres fun. And this is what I want them to remember - me there with them and not sitting at my scrappy desk. There will be more time to scrap one day. :) I can scrap when they are in bed but most nights I just want to veg. So I leave you with three layouts above. I'm hoping to sit down tonight and at least start another! Here's hoping! :)

(Hey CoCo! You're in a layout!! You look BEE-YOU-TEE-FULLL!!!!!!!!!)

Happy 8th Birthday Bman!!

2009-11-02T23:16:00.003-05:00

Dear Brendan,

Happy 8th Birthday! '8' is surreal to me. I know I say it all the time but truly, I can't believe how quickly time flies.

You had a great day today - we celebrated with cupcakes that had fun NHL jersies on them (official cake to come this Sunday at your party!). Robin also gave you a container of her infamous banana bread to take home with you because you love it! We had your dinner of choice - poutine and opened your presents from me, Daddy and Olivia. Olivia got you a new dragon Webkinz and we took you to TRU to pick out a special treat (which turned out to be a Ben 10 alien creature chamber....fun!). Last but not least, we surprised you with a Magic Bullet. Yes, the blender. Yes, the appliance I have received pictures and phone numbers from to entice me to buy it. The same appliance that will make me create meals in "just 10 seconds Mommy!" I still find it hilarious that an 8-year-old was so serious about such a thing. Your face was priceless when you saw it. Too funny. :)

Some things about you at 8:

- you are still our super jock - loving hockey and soccer
- you are still extremely competitive (though you've relaxed a lot in the last year)
- you are always right.....well, not really but you'll argue until you're blue in the face even if you know the answer is wrong! lol
- you have a big heart and surprise me with unexpected kisses or notes or help when I least expect it (you've even been known to show your sister a little love! gasp!)
- you are rocking school - A's and B's
- you've suddenly become afraid of the dark again and I can't figure out why
- your interests right now include anything that gets your mind thinking or relates to sports or 'fighting". You love to play street hockey and things about building (like Bionicles) are a big hit. So are Bakugan ,Pokeman and Ben 10. You are also still enjoying the Wii.
- you're super cute! (yes I can see your eyes rolling back and hear your little sigh)
- you're at that age now where I can easily embarass you (not that I'm trying!) in front of your friends
- you are a non-stop talker still....any where, any time! and I mean NON STOP
- i still can't get you interested in reading, even though you're super good at it and reading at a level beyond your age
- you started asking me once in a while to lay with you after I tuck you into bed (I totally love that. We have some cool conversations in the dark.)
- you love to play Club Penguin, Poptropica and Webkinz on the computer

Eight years ago today you made me a Mommy. And I couldn't be any more prouder of the little guy you are becoming You're the best boy in the entre world and I love you SO much!

I hope today was awesome and I hope your Olympic-themed birthday party is everything you hope it will be.

love you buddy,
Mommy xoxo

Alive and kicking...

2009-10-16T16:04:00.002-04:00

Life is tres busy but I'm popping in for a minute to post some new layouts.

Brendan has his first game of the season tomorrow. My brother is supposed to come up and see them. Fun! We're also getting ready to send out the invites for his 8th birthday birthday!! My big boy!

We celebrated my nephew's first birthday and my Dad's 60th birthday on Thanksgiving Day. It was too much fun. I don't think I got any good pictures but the memory is definately in my head for a long time to come. Keeghan was too cute as we sang happy birthday and he helped Grampa blow out the candles. I can't believe he is one already.

Olivia is 'star of the week' this week and gave a presentation today. I'm sure she did great. She was totally psyched about it. When I was her age, I would have been crazy with worry about having to stand in front of the class. She loves it! :)

Here are some recent layouts. Not much has been happening in the scrappy department. I'm averaging about 3 layouts per month and that is NOT cool.

So here they are:

Here comes Fall.....

2009-09-26T19:43:00.004-04:00

I can feel it in the air and in my bones. I can see the leaves changing colour. I must admit that although I find the colours of Fall to be spectacular, I am somewhat of a pessimist when it comes to Fall. It ALWAYS makes me dread winter and the inevitable.

The kids have been keeping us super busy with their activities. Brendan has hockey several nights a week and soccer on Mondays. Joe just offered to be a co-manager with another Dad for B's team. You know, because he doesn't already do so much for the kids and their activities (he's Treasurer on the parent council, coaches soccer and helps out with a multitude of events in between all that). We're all so fortunate to have him in our lives - he's always there for us and he even goes beyond that. We're lucky. :)

Speaking of Joe, his birthday is Tuesday! Unfortunately, no one will be home that day until about 9:00 pm at night. So, the kids and I are going to surprise him with his bday celebration tomorrow. Daddy isn't allowed to do anything tomorrow except sit on the sofa and watch all the football he wants. We're cooking his favourite dinner and we've got his presents ready to go. And of course!! CAKE!!!!! My fave part! LOL

Olivia starts Brownies on Tuesday night. Which means, I start as one of the Leaders of her unit. I think it's going to be pretty cool. It's a lot of work but very gratifying. And the women I am leading the group with are really great - so it's nice to have a bond with some new ladies! I can't forget that her swimming lessons start this Friday as well!

I haven't scrapped much in two weeks (okay, nothing at all) but as soon as I post this, I'm going to scrap. I must scrap! I MUST! I've got the urge.

I leave you with 3 summery/bright/fun layouts that help me remember that hopefully summer will be back before I know it!

The first is with some American Crafts Moda Bella collection that I've been hoarding forever. I really love the colour scheme in these papers. Finally cut into it:

Next up are two layouts I created with MM's vacation line they put out this summer (drawing a blank on the name). Thanks Mel for the surfboard pp! It worked out great on one of my layouts!

That photo of Olivia and Joe is one of my faves of all time. :)

Forgot to mention that Olivia had a FABULOUS time with her friends last Sunday for her pj-themed birthday party (she even went so far as to tell me it was the best day of her life....so I guess we did good). We had thirteen 7 and 8-year-old girls here and we had lots of fun painting nails, making crafty signs for their bedroom doors, plaing games, dancing (I was shocked at the top 40 pop songs these girls could sing and do special dances to!) and eating CAKE! Ha! I was going to post pictures but I don't think I will (I will maybe blur faces when I do the layouts)....too many parents to ask if it's ok! Olivia's favourite gifts were the 3 webkinz she received (phew! I was worried there'd be more than that), her MP3 player and her new kitten. :)

Enjoy your Sunday everyone. Monday mornings come way too quick for the working moms!

Last day as 6....

2009-09-19T22:24:00.003-04:00

...for this sweet baby girl!

Dear Olivia,
I find it so hard to believe that yet another year has flown by us. It's hard to beleive that you are turning 7 tomorrow. Tonight we were snuggling and I was giving you a bunch of kisses. You got up to go to bed and ran back and said "I don't want to stop hugging you." How I wish sometimes that I could freeze a moment in time for just a little longer. :)

This year has been wonderful for you. You are a straight A student for Grade 1. Heading into Grade 2, things are looking great again and I'm so very proud of you. Soccer, Brownies and swimming are on the top of your list for things to do. You are confident, persistent, intelligent, beautiful and surrounded by many, many friends. I hope you always have great friends in your life.

Tomorrow is your big day and your birthday party (12 girls plus yourself.....think of this time when your Dad and I are old and grey....!). I hope you have a wonderful day and it's a day you remember for a very long while to come.

And don't forget...Friday we go and get Buzz to bring home. You're going to be the best Mommy to your new kitty. :)

I love you my sweet baby girl! And any time you want to hang around for a few more hugs, no matter how big you get, I'm always here.

Love,
Mommy
xoxo

Yes! I'm alive!

2009-09-17T23:45:00.006-04:00

Though I don't know for sure if anyone is wondering...perhaps I'm only talking to myself on my blog! LOL :)

Let's start things off with some layouts I created

recently :

And now a wee update on us:

Life's been busy - back to the routine of school, soccer/hockey/swimming/Brownies, volunteering for Joe and I, work......I'm tired just reading it. Our lives are very full and I'm grateful for that.

We're gearing up this weekend for Olivia's 7th birthday party. Incredible...7.....I'm speechless. She invited 12 girls and guess what? All can make it. Last year we invited 10 and only 5 made it so I thought maybe we were safe with the 12.....lesson learned. :) We'll have a great time though. Olivia wanted a pyjama party theme and I think Joe and I have come up with some cool stuff. Pictures to come after her big day!

School is off to a great start - Olivia is in Mrs. Hamelin's class (2/3 split) and Brendan is in a 3/4 split with Ms. Butler. So far so good. I've never met a teacher at their school that wasn't amazing or didn't come with glowing recommendations so here's hoping to a fun year. I've got some pictures to share of their first day in Grades 2 and 3:

That's it for me! Happy Friday!

"Pencil" Shout Out!

2009-08-30T13:48:00.002-04:00

If you're here for the TPP blog hop, it's just below this post.

I'm feeling a tad bit guilty about the pencils that everyone is commenting on in my layout below. I wish I could say I thought of it myself but I was inspired by my good friend Melanie when we were scrapping together last weekend. She did a layout with pencils and I just had to try it.

So thanks Mel. :)

TPP 'Back to School' Blog Hop!

2009-08-27T17:42:00.002-04:00

It's time for The Paper Passion's “Back to School” Blog Hop!

I still can't believe that it's time for the kids to head back to school! I am so enjoying the lazy days of summer. Don't make me pack lunches and help with homework already!! :) The kids are excited however so I guess that's a good thing!

There's lots of inspiration and creativity to be seen as you hope through all of the fabulous blogs!
The blog hop should have brought you here from Deanne's blog .

And after your stop here, you should be moving on to Dorrie's blog .

If you'd like to start at the very beginning of the blog hop and make your way through, please go to Nicole's blog .The blog hop ends once you've reached The Paper Passion's blog: http://thepaperpassion.typepad.com/my_weblog

Be sure to leave a comment on EACH blog participating in the blog hop and of course, leave a comment on The Paper Passion blog to be eligible to win one of two awesome prices from TPP!

Here's my layout:

Happy Blog Hopping! :)

Just under the wire....

2009-08-02T22:47:00.002-04:00

I promised I'd be back with some layouts this weekend and it looks like I've made it in just under the wire! Vacation often lends itself to having more free time so I have scrapped a bit. Though being out with the kids and enjoy the weather (albeit crappy weather) is where I really wanted to be. Which in turn makes for some great shots to use on my layouts. :)
This first layout is with the yummy new BG Lemonade line and a huge Prima flower that I've been dying to use. I adore this picture of Livi:

This next layout showcases some of my fave pictures from this summer. I took these pictures of Joe and Olivia without them realizing it. They were enjoying each other so much while they build their moat! I also used tons of 'old' Scenic Route. It is still one of my favourite lines ever:
And finally, some more pictures of our day at the beach. Brendan and Livi have this ritual of searching for shells wherever we go. It's fun to watch. Used all of Sassafrass Lass' new line "Me Likey", except for the Jenni Bowlin alpha stickers:

Well, that's it for me for now. Back soon with some more layouts to share. :)

Happy holiday Monday to all of you who are off tomorrow!

Hey YOU, Mother Nature!!!!

2009-08-01T01:13:00.003-04:00

Yeah, you heard me. Mother Nature. Enough with your cruel jokes. ENOUGH! Take your rain and go the heck away!!

This is my first time on vacation ever in my life for four weeks straight, with another week coming up at the end of August. AND I'M TIRED OF THE RAIN! I want to go on picnics with my kids, I want to go to the pool more and I don't want to carry my freakin' umbrella!

Okay I'm done. Just tired of the all-time record breaking, most ever rainfall in Ottawa for July 2009 - 234 mm......that's 234 FREAKIN' mm!! I'm just sayin'......

Enough ranting. I'm off to bed but I'll be back this weekend with some new layouts to share.

Enjoy your weekend and if you happen to live in the Ottawa area and you're reading....stay dry my soggy friends!

VACAY Baby!

2009-07-19T19:11:00.006-04:00

That's what I'm talking about! FOUR glorious weeks of not having to get up at 6:00 a.m. (okay, 6:30 by the time I drag my butt out of bed). Four weeks of not having to get my kids awake and out of the house by 7:10... Four weeks to just enjoy each other. :)

We spent last week at my SIL's trailer near Peterborough. It was fantastic and we had so much fun together. We went to the beach, went go-karting, headed into Peterborough to see the circus as they happened to be in town. We also went to the zoo in Peterboroough. If you ever get the chance to go, GO. The zoo is free and quite impressive considering. There is even a water splash pad for the kids to cool down in and this really big slide that our kids loved. Lots of fun.

I did get some great shots of the family while we were there. I'll add those in another post. For now, I"ll share some layouts I've created over the last little bit.

All of the following were for my GDT over at The Paper Passion. The TPP July Kit was filled to the brim with Fancy Pants Soiree papers and so much more that co-ordinated perfectly. Hurry - run and get yours! I've created 4 layouts so far with my kit and I've got plenty of stuff to do at least 2-3 more. There's also an add-on available for cardstock so if you're a cardstock gal, be sure to pick it up. Rosa (TPP Owner) has done a fab job of co-ordinating the cardstock perfectly. She didn't settle for "it sort of goes". I'm telling ya - they are perfect matches. Love that. :)

Off to get ready to watch Big Brother 11!! Love that show - perfect summer watching. Requires no thought.

Oh and the best part....it's Monday tomorrow and guess what? I don't have to drag my sorry butt out of bed.....I'm just sayin'.

Thanks for stopping by! Back soon with some more layouts and pictures of the kids & Joe.

TPP Crop

2009-07-03T21:19:00.002-04:00

Head on over to The Paper Passion for the "Funtastic" online crop next weekend! Some great challenges are being planned and let's not forget....PRIZES!

Hope to see you there.

Some good news & Happy Canada Day!

2009-07-01T21:28:00.003-04:00

I was selected for one the guest DT spot over at The Paper Passion for the next 2 months! How cool is that. :)

It's my favourite store to shop at - the prices are great, Rosa (owner) and the store are local and the service she offers is second to none. I'm excited. :)

Spent a lot of time in the sun today celebrating Canada Day. I'm pooped but in the mood to scrap. The kids are enjoying their break from school - both received almost all A's on their report cards. I'm so happy they are doing so well.

That's it for me...looking forward to the weekend already!

......

2009-06-27T14:37:00.003-04:00

Just posting a couple of layouts that I've done recently. I haven't really been scrapping and need to change that. I miss it! Going to have to fight off the urge to surf or sleep and get to it.

Just Call Us Sugar Spice:

Props & a Kiss:

Off to enjoy the weather....or maybe just the central air.... :)

TPP Blog Hop!!!

2009-06-18T11:56:00.003-04:00

The Paper Passion is having their first ever blog hop to celebrate Father's Day this coming weekend Hop through all of the great blogs and you’ll be isnspired by wonderful tributes to amazing Dads with layouts and cards!

And there’s a PRIZE!

Well, there is actually a few prizes/RAKs along the way as you hop through the blogs. So be sure to visit everyone. J

Here’s what you need to do. Once you’re done here at my blog, hop on over to Dorrie’s Blog who has some wonderful inspiration for Fathe’rs Day. Then keep hopping until you reach The Paper Passion Blog. Leave a comment on all the blogs along the way and then a final comment on The Paper Passion Blog and you’ll be entered into a draw for a great gift from the store! Did I mention you might find a few RAK's along the way?

You have until Midnight Saturday (your local time) to complete the blog hop! Three whole days!

So have fun... and go get your hop ON!

My contribution to this blog hop is a tribute layout to the most amazing man, husband and Dad anyone could ever ask for. Joe is a dedicated, hands-on, extremely loving Dad who drops anything in a heartbeat to do something with Brendan or Olivia. He also volunteers at their school, coaches Olivia’s soccer team and gets up in the wee hours of the morning (without complaint!) to take Brendan to hockey practice. The three of us would be lost without him……and we’re so blessed to have him in our lives.

Love you Joe. xoxo

Remember Me?

2009-06-04T20:31:00.007-04:00

Yes, things are that busy. Work is draining, the rest of my energy is spent on my kids and everything else in between. So, scrapping has taken a back burner. I do have a few layouts to show from a few weeks ago that I'll share.

Kid Update:

Brendan scored another goal last week! He's 2 for 2. He also took a huge hit to the face. You know it's bad when you can hear the 'smack' sound and everyone going "ohhhhh!" Poor kiddo. He went down hard. I thought for sure we were going to the hospital for a broken nose. Thankfully it was just swollen and he had a little mark for about a day or so over his eyebrow. He's fearless on that field and already geared up for tomorrow's night game! School is going well - he's got a test and 2 projects due in the next week. This is only Grade 2 right? He's bringing home A's and some B's and I couldn't be more proud. He tries hard (well, except for math which comes way too easily to him! he gets that from his Dad! Definately not me).

Olivia is.......lucky she is cute and I love her? We're going through what I hope is a phase. Lots of talking back, disrespect and picking fights with her brother on purpose. Not cool. Any constructive advice welcome! She's gone to bed VERY early twice this week. I might have to "up" the punishment to get my point across. She's loving soccer (and loving that her Daddy is the coach) and rocking at school. She's doing so well.

I'm a lucky Mom.

A couple of layouts:

This last one was inspired by a layout I saw on Christine Middlecamp's blog. I loved how she used the Prima transparency and replicated it. You can check her out on my blog roll on the side. She's a very talented, inspiring (and courageous!) woman. :)

I'm off to relax. One more day until the weekend. It's almost time to start vacation countdown. Not quite yet...but soon. :)

I'll leave you with a picture:

Can you believe this sweet face is full of defiance and attitude? Neither can I........(I'm afraid of the teen years already)

Some new layouts....

2009-05-24T10:27:00.002-04:00

....to share:

And this sweet boy is my nephew, Keeghan. He's already 7 months old. He's so incredibly CUTE! I could take photos of him all day. :)

That's it for me today. I'm off to tackle the mountain of laundry and spend time with my kids before the treachery of work returns tomorrow. Have a happy Sunday.

So Sketchy! Reveal..

2009-05-19T13:38:00.002-04:00

I've got another layout I created for So Sketchy! with one of Allison Cope's wonderful sketches! Be sure to check them out - lots of great mojo-flowing goodness!Supplies: Doodlebug flocked pp;Prima pp/epoxy stickers; Jenni Bowlin pp; American Crafts thickers; AC slick writer; Doodlebug brads; MM mini alpha stickers.

2009-05-16T12:08:00.003-04:00

It's a dreary, wet day today. Perfect for hanging out at home with the kids. I plan to get a little scrapping in today but that's about it. Oh and I promised the kids I would take them shopping for new a Webkinz each. A good rainy day activity.

I've got this great picture of me and Livi. Okay - she looks great but I love the look on both of our faces and I'm dying to scrap it. Hoping I do it justice.

Life is busy with work and kids and all that they are involved in. I can't believe school is almost done for the year and Bman will be in Grade 3 next year. Time is flying.

I've realized that I have at least 10 layouts I haven't posted yet on my blog. I'll just share a few today and come back over the week to post the others.

The first I created for DT work over at So Sketchy! It's a little simple for me but I like how it turned out:

Supplies: Crate pp/alpha; Prima bling; SR rubs; BG rubs; MM mini letters; KI photo orners; Sharpie pen; Colorbox ink; Rangers stickles.

And the following 2 I created about Brendan's surgery - pre and post. He's doing so remarkably well with that. His thumbs are great and he's pretty much back to normal. Even the scars are almost healed. It's amazing how quickly kids jump back from stuff like that. Very cool. He really only had 2 moments during the whole operation and recovery where he was upset. For the surgery, he walked confidently with the "sleep doctors" to the operating room and jumped up on the bed. He even handed me Paul Bek (his new Webkinz he got specifically for his surgery) and said he didn't need him to stay with him. I took his hand, the anesthesiologist put the mask on his face and he went to sleep easily. After surgery he was great as well (who wouldn't be when you were offered an unlimited supply of popsicles?!). The only time he complained of pain was Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m. He screamed in pain and it took a bit for me to calm him down and convince him the medicine would help him to feel better. Once he agreed and I got some in him and scratched his head, he was calm within 10 minutes. And that is the ONLY time he needed pain meds. The other time he got upset was when his bandages were removed by the nurse/doctor the following Friday. I forgot how stiff and sore he'd be and I didn't think to warn him about that. He was quite upset for a while but calmed down (it helps that he was headed back to school after for a fun-filled open house day). He's a trooper!

Pre-surgery: (I took this photo of Bman in Aug 2008 and never noticed his thumbs at that time...)

Post-surgery:

That's all I've got for now. I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend!

Just Perfect....

2009-04-30T10:45:00.003-04:00

That's what my boy is - perfect. Yes, he can be loud, he can be on the Wii too much and fights incessantly with his sister. But deep inside he's the most perfect boy - caring and smart and handsome. :)

This layout is about his First Communion/Confirmation. I just love how this page turned out. I love the Prima stars and the FP jounralling sheets. It makes me happy. What scrapping is truly about. :)

Brendan is going for his surgery tomorrow - so if you pray, please say a few words for him. Or just keep him in your thoughts. We're all a little antsy but I know he's going to be okay. :)

Enjoy the rest of your Thursday....xoxo

Hot new Ottawa store!

2009-04-29T09:07:00.003-04:00

I was soooo excited when my friend Carole emailed to let us know about a new store that has opened up in Orleans. I was even more excited when I learned that they not only have a store with amazing prices and hot new products, but there's a message board and gallery to chat and share with too!

Hop on over to The Paper Passion and say hello. I've seen some 'old' friends and met up with some new ones too.

And the best part - Rosa the owner was super quick and helpful in replying to my email about the store. I'm looking forward to picking up my first order. Yes ladies! Free local pick-up!

Ottawa so needs a store with great prices and hot products! (Yes..I'm excited).

For all the details about the new place come on over and say hi. Or send Rosa an email - she is very helpful and accomodating!

Some layouts to share...

2009-04-26T13:43:00.003-04:00

..and not much to say unfortunately. The weekend has been very busy and I was hoping for the opposite. I'm going to pretend I don't have to go to work tomorrow..... :)

Two new layouts to share. One of each of my kiddos:

That's it for now. Off to clean up the kitchen and make banana bread. Don't be jealous of my glamorous life! :)

So Sketchy Reveal

2009-04-21T23:42:00.005-04:00

Today, Alison Cope posted a very inspirational sketch that I had the pleasure of working with. You can see all of Alison's great sketches at http://www.sosketchy.blogspot.com/. Be sure to check it out - lots of great prizes to boot!

Here is my layout using today's sketch:

Supplies: Bazzill cardstock; Daisy Bucket pp/rubs; American Crafts thickers/chipboard/slick writer; SU punch; Making Memories brads; white signo pen; Creative Chaos journaling spot.

We had a lot of fun celebrating Earth Hour and everything to do with making our earth a 'greener' place to live is something that marks my childrens' generation. They are so focused on it (it's great!).

I'm out. Back soon....hopefully with layouts! :)

A Beautiful Day....

2009-04-19T22:38:00.006-04:00

.....for a beautiful boy.

Brendan did his First Communion and Confirmation today. Because there were so many children and our church couldn't hold everyone, we went to the Notre Dame Cathedral downtown. I have lived in Ottawa for almost 15 years and have been by the cathedral many times but have never went in. Today, I gasped when I walked in. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything more beautiful. I spent the time before mass started taking photos. Just incredible. I'd like to go back and photograph some of the things I couldn't get to today - like the stain glass windows. I'll share some photos below.

Brendan had a great day. He was excited to see his friends and they have fun together. Cynthia, our neice, was Brendan's sponsor. His godparents couldn't make it because they were at their own son's (our nephew & godson) First Communion. We were pretty bummed out about not being able to be there for the boys but we got together afterwards for some food and cake.

It was a beautiful day....I hope it's one Brendan will remember. I leave you with some photos. Scrappy-wise...not much happening but hopefully soon. :)

This is Brendan with his cousin (and sponsor) Cynthia:

My sweet boy on his special day:

And let's not forget his little sister:

A SR toot for me! :)

2009-04-11T10:09:00.003-04:00

I was very excited to open my emails earlier this week and see Sarah Milne's name. I was one of the winners of the March layout contest over at Scenic Route.

It is very cool to see your layout featured with other great scrappers on their website.

And here it is in case you don't feel like clicking around:

Enjoy your Saturday. I'm off to dye some Easter eggs with the kids. :)

So Sketchy! Reveal

2009-04-07T09:37:00.004-04:00

Another layout of mine went up today on the So Sketchy! blog using one of Allison Cope's very cool sketches. Here is my take on it:

Supplies: Prima Marketing paper/journal block/bling swirl/flowers(rose); Rose Moka green alpha; Basic Grey chipboard alpha; Maya Road chipboard heart; AC slick writer; Colorbox ink.

That's all I got for now. Happy Tuesday.

I've been tagged!

2009-04-01T11:12:00.004-04:00

I don't usually do tags, but my friend Patti tagged me with the following tag:

Go to the photos folder on your computer.
Go to the seventh folder of photos.
Go to the seventh photo.
Put the seventh photo on your blog along with a description.

Ironically, this is the picture that fits the bill:

This is a picture of Brendan from a while back. The irony comes from the fact that his surgery date has been scheduled....May 1st. Now I appreciate that it is day surgery and I wholeheartedly appreciate that there are parents who deal with far worse circumstances than Bman's trigger thumbs. But he's my boy....and I'm nervous and sad and wish I could fix his thumbs with the wave of my magical wand! (Not that I have one but you get the point...:) ). So keep this sweet boy in your thoughts and prayers on that day ok? I'm sure I'll ask again as the date gets closer.

I also wanted to mention that I'm currently designing for Allison Cope and So Sketchy! only. I have let go of my other committments and as we enter our busy season at work, this is refreshing. I'm looking forward to new possibilities in the future though. :)

Happy Wednesday...

My girls...

2009-03-29T20:02:00.002-04:00

These are the two girls in my life. One you will recognize....the other pretty girl on the left is my baby sister, Leigh (okay sorry sis! YOUNGER sister!)....

Leigh is closer in age to Olivia than she is to me. I was 16 years old when she was born. And althugh our personalities are quite different, I love her to bits and I am very proud of her. She just turned 18 and she's got a good head on her shoulders. She is confident, smart and independent. She knows what she wants and she's not afraid to go for it or voice her opinion about something important to her. And although I likely don't tell her enough - she's a great kid (okay! sorry again sis! young adult!). She's got a better head on her shoulders and a better grasp on her life and her goals than I ever did at her tender age.

And the best part? She's the cool auntie because she's young. That and she's super with Olivia and Brendan.

The uncanny part? Her and Olivia have always looked SO much alike. I know people have asked Leigh if Olivia was her daughter (I'm happy to report that Leigh did not kill them but I'm sure she was super sarcastic with them! lol).

So little sis - we may live far away from each other and I pretty much left home when you were old enough to remember anything but I hope you know that you mean the world to me. And I love you....I'd be lost without you in my life and I'd do pretty much anything for you (notice I say pretty much - I know you too well remmber?).

And also remember...if you're reading this...don't let it go to your head! lol

I'll leave you all with a recent layout I created based on a sketch by Karan Gerber. Here's hoping Monday FLIES by....

New Stuff....

2009-03-23T13:17:00.003-04:00

I don't have much new to say....

It's a busy week ahead with the kids and lots of activities. I think we have something every night but tonight (though Joe has to work late). I'm already looking forward to the weekend!

I have some new layouts to share. I'll also be back with some pictures I took of the kids yesterday. Some seriously GOOD photos of them together. Unheard of. :)

This last one was inspired by a layout I saw of Shawna Webster's on her blog. You can check her out from my blog roll on the side.

That's all got for now. Enjoy the rest of your day.

So Sketchy! reveal

2009-03-21T23:33:00.005-04:00

How is your weekend so far?

We spent the day today at my parents' house. Mom made some delicious lasagna but my fave part had to be the dessert. I'm seriously craving more! Very yummy. :)

Took a few fun pictures of my sister and Olivia today.....already sent to develop. :)

And finally, a new layout to share. I did this one for So Sketchy!. A little year in review for B-Man:

Supplies: Scenic Route pp/alpha stickers/diecuts; Creative Imaginations shaped paper; AL buttons;October Afternoon ledger alpha/photo corners; Heidi Swapp sticker;Maya Road chipboard arrow/journal acrylic tag; Carolee's mini alpha; SU ink; AC slick writer.

Enjoy your Sunday everyone....weekends go by way too fast. Back soon with some more layouts to share. :)

I love him!

2009-03-15T16:39:00.002-04:00

This is what me and my boy did today:

We literally took tons and I can't choose a favourite so here's a few to look at! :)

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday....

It's my 100th blog post!

2009-03-14T09:31:00.003-04:00

Kinda neat...... :)

I'm not feeling all that great today so all I will post is a layout I've created for So Sketchy!

Supplies: Fancy Pants pp/diecuts/buttons/chipboard alphas and numbers, words; Maya Road chipboard frame; American Crafts stickers; Cutting Cafe embellishments; Colorbox ink; AC slick writer.

Brendan had a blast at the hockey game. I still need to take the pictures off the camera...not sure how great they are but I did get some video. I'll see what I can do.

Have a great weekend!

So Sketchy Guest DT call!

2009-03-12T23:09:00.002-04:00

For the month of March, anyone who submits a card or page using any of the sketches posted for the month have a chance to win a guest designer position on So Sketchy for April.

Contest details:
For the monthly contest, please email your submissions to:sosketchy@live.comCreate a page or card using any of the sketches showcased this month.Please reduce the size of your image to below 150kB.

With your image:
Please include your name, location and title of your creation.

Please identify what sketch number(s) you used for your creations.The So Sketchy Sistas will vote for the best submission and the submission that has the most votes will win the Guest Designer position for April.

NOTE: If would like to be considered for the Guest Designer position, I would love to see you comment on the March creations by the So Sketchy Sistas this month.MARCH CONTEST DUE DATE: All creations are due by the 4th of the following month. (ie: March sketches due April 4.) You will win a copy of the printable images from The Cutting Cafe the Sistas used for their March creations, PLUS two of your choosing and a guest designer spot for the month of April.

If you have won in the last 3 months, you are ineligible for this month's prize. Good luck!!

Girl Friday Meets Craft Fair.....

2009-03-08T13:36:00.003-04:00

Ohhh! Sounds so intriguing doesn't it? Those of you who don't scrap but read here likely think I'm off my rocker! Those of you who scrap know just what I'm talking about. Layout goodness in a minute. :)

Life has been pretty crazy lately - it just seems like we're always on the go or I have a project or deadline to meet. Honestly, it's not cool at all. I need to reorganize and prioritize my life! Lots to think about.

The kids are doing wonderful. Brendan's hockey team was chosen to play at the first intermission of the Senators game coming up this Wednesday night. He's pretty excited about it. Olivia just finished up her indoor soccer season and both kids can't wait to get on the field again come May. I love watching them play soccer. We're also STILL waiting to hear when B's surgery will be booked. I called this week and of course, they're on holidays. I hope to hear this week.

That's it for me. Some layouts to share:

This first one is of Olivia. She's always writing in little journals or filling out 'info' of herself. So one of the questions in her journals asked how old she is. She wrote "6 in a corrter". Not bad for a little girl who's only 6 1/4 eh? ;) I used the yummy Bella Blvd. paper and accents for this one:

The one above is a layout of Brendan's hockey team. They got to play in the Tim Hortons' Timbit Hockey Jamboree at Scotiabank Place. They had lots of fun.

Below is my Girl Friday from Cosmo Cricket meeting American Crafts' Craft Fair collection! I totally adore the colours (and that crazy girl):

And finally, JILLIBEAN SOUP! Oh how I've waited (un)patiently to get my hands on some of that paper goodness to scrap with. Here is the result below - loving the kraft and vibrant colours:

That's all I got for now. I'll be back later in the week with some more projects I can share and an update on Brendan's experience at Scotiabank Place.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and if you have to go to work tomorrow, I hope today goes SLOWLY for you!!! :)

I love her.....

2009-02-22T19:34:00.003-05:00

...and that's why I did this layout of us:

Not much to talk about tonight....weekends are too short and it's back to work tomorrow. A positive out of that is my friend is back from her Florida vacation and I can't wait to see how her pregnant belly looks after not seeing her for a week....(yay!)...

That's all I got......

Some new layouts....

2009-02-19T19:44:00.003-05:00

Blogger is not being my friend today. I keep losing posts I write. So I'll let my layout do the talking tonight and I'm off to watch some good Thursday night tv! :)