spirit wanted

Since moving into this house 3 months ago, we have only now started to really think about redecorating/restyling our style. KWIM? We have some nice things, don't get me wrong but do I have a style.

Usually this time of year I am full into my xmas mood and the christmas items are all out. I have not looked at one tote yet in my basement of anything christmas related. With the 2 year old so busy this year, I think this is my way of keeping my special christmas things from getting broken. Last year I bought a huge old father christmas, and I love it! DH was so mad when I bought it because it was so big and how do we store it, we move a lot, blah blah blah.

I had always wanted one, saw it on sale at Costco, end of story. I scrapped this photo tonight for a challenge on CompuPro Scrapping Forum and it has raised my xmas spirits a bit.

This photo was taken last year at my house just shortly after we moved in. We were all suppose to make a funny face but only some of us did. I am happy I did this LO tonight, I think tomorrow I will play with some decorations while the 2 yr old is at the sitters.

UFO Siting

This morning the sunrise had some beautiful colours so I grab the camera, turned the ISO down to 200, put on the polarizer and underexposed to get this GREAT photo. Doesn't it ever look like a UFO siting!

I took the picture out of my back deck window and it is the reflection of our pot lights in the window making it look like there's a light in the sky.

I think this shot is so neat. I in no way edited it at all. soooo cool!

Box Stores=Grumpy workers= Huge savings

The other day I was in Michael's with my neighbor. She's making her first old fashion style scrapbook using the black photo corners. I am so proud of her, she make fun of all my supplies. I told I was like a vampire and some day I would bite her and she would get the scrapping bug as well!! I will continue to work on her to get her on our side!!!!

Anywho, I am in Michael's using our 50% off coupons for her purchases and in the $1.50 bins (that I have grown to know well) I see a beautiful mini-set of 3 super cute snowflakes and for a $1.50, what is there to really think about. I grab them and head to the cash. Can a scrapper really ever have enough snowflake stamps? I get to the cash with my friend's adhesives (using coupon) and my 2 $1.50 purchase and the cashier says $16.something, please.

WTH - How much are the stamps I ask? I am shocked to learn the itty bitty stamps (cute, but not that cute now) are almost $14.....WOW, even at 50% off I would never buy those!!! so I just tell her off the cuff, "No wonder I liked them, I thought they were $1.50, I don't want them please. They were in the 1.50 bins but someone obviously just put them there."

Cashier, "so do you want them for $1.50?"
me, "no, that's ok, it is obviously a mistake, really it's ok"
There are about 3 people behind me and they are all listening to our convo very intently.
cashier, "if they were in the bin you can have them for $1.50"
me (who's now embarassed) "no, really it was a mistake, that's ok!!!"
cashier. "too late, I am giving them to you for $1.50"

this whole time the cashier has the look of death, I just kinda say ok and look behind me to find 3 customers just as shocked as me.

So I did what any scrapper would do. I shrugged my shoulders in wonder to everyone and said ok, your the boss with the register, but you probably shouldn't. She just said oh well, who cares!

I think cashiers having a bad day means savings!!! I will be looking for her again when I go to Michael's!!!

Knitting gone bad, what not to do at home

It seems more and more people are knitting. Me included. A little while ago a friend lend me her needles and gave me some wool to knit my first scarf. She said it was a great beginner project. I can knit a mean dishcloth but that is straight knitting. My scarf has two knitting techniques, the knit and purl.

The purl confuses me. I can't seem to remember it.
This weekend we went to the camp and after leaving my knitting for months and months I brought it to re-teach myself how to purl.

LESSON no. 1 - You can't teach yourself how to knit/purl without help!!!

I not only messed up my scarf complete with holes and all, I somehow gained 7 stitches!!

I was talking to my mom on the phone last night and she said since you have been scrapbooking for 7 years and never really quit that (I have taken breaks) maybe that is your calling, not knitting.

I am not going to give up!! I want to finish my scarf, well that is once I learn the purl and how to go back a few rows without restarting the whole scarf!

Lest we Remember

In my travels today taking pictures, I got these two great shots.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

- John McCrae

Never ending story

Life is not without laundry. With 3 kids and a DH I definately pay my dues at the washer/dryer! I like using the washer/dryer but I hate folding and putting away the clothes, but who really enjoys that part.

I would love get DD to fold the laundry for me, but I am really fussy on how it is folded. I like it just so. I usually put the clothes in the dryer for a quick reheat to get out the wrinkles, fold then pile up on the counter until I need them. They rarely make it to my closet. DH clothes usually get put away because in the morning when he can't find clothes and I say look on the dryer, he turns in to a bear. So I just avoid that by putting his clothes away.

PLUS, he never opens the laundry closet so he rarely knows how far behind I really am on the laundry!!!! MMAAUUWWW

My mom is the exact same way, I grew up looking for my clean clothes in the laundry room! Thanks mom for this wonderful habit!

Another reason I am so behind is I have been using the boys' naptime as my personal scrap time!!! so much in fact that I need some new binder albums. I have a renewed love for my scrapbooking (I get obsessive about things) because of my new kickbutt scrapping area.

I inherited a 9 foot beautiful solid wood table from friends when they moved. DH was happy for me and the day he told me about it you could tell he was counting the extra points I was awarding him for allowing me to extend my scrapbooking area in our house. My SB area/table is really messy right now but I will show everyone next post.

Early bird need Coffee!!

So this morning my friend and I decided to race downtown bright and early (6:30am) and get some sunrise photos. It was a ton of fun. We are both on the same technical level so there's no intimidation factore with our shots.

I love how these ones turned out. There are a lot of bad ones to get these great ones. That is KEY, just keep shooting and adjusting your settings and odds are you will get a few that you will love.