Family

Yah, I know what your thinking....yah right busy with renos and work! Like when did she have time for this? Last Saturday night around 10pm actually - I was way too tired! A few of the gals from work got together for some scrapbooking at the store. I left David to finish up with the base boards and other miner stuff - until midnight. I don't do midnight very well.

Blacks had a special on 5X7's last week.....so there will be a few scrapbook pages coming up with that size on them. At least once the renos are done there will be some pages. I am also working on a little something for my sweetheart and that is all I can say because he reads my blog - don't you dear. Hello?

So you may have to just put up with photos and other stuff for a while. It is hard to mess up the den with scrapbook stuff right now since it is the only room in the house with some semblance of order to it. Ah, but by next week!!! well, maybe next weekend things will start coming together again and the dust, literally, will settle.


Blessings!

Julie
PS - have you got your Google Reader set up? I want to know - was that link helpful?

RSS this may be for YOU!

RSS stands for "Real Simple Syndication." See the word SIMPLE in there?

If you read even one blog regularly, RSS is for you. It will save you time, I promise. It allows you to stay connected with different websites and blogs especially those that are updated regularly. Once you are set up, all your favorite blogs are listed for you and those that have a new posting are highlighted with the new post. Yup - it is all there for you. No more going to 10 different sites and seeing if someone posted. It is like sitting down at your computer and saying - "Hey computer, make me a list of all my favorite blogs and show me every one who has a new post that I haven't read yet." And there you have it - a list of all the blogs you visit and any posts you haven't read yet - all on one screen.

It is easy and makes all your blog visits so much more efficient.
If you follow these instructions, you will be subscribed to your favorite sites and already saving time by the end of this article. Want to get started? Go here!

And when you are all set up come on back and click on that blogger icon and get me on your reader....or copy and past my address from my main page and add to new subscription.


Let me know how this is working for you! I know it is going to allow you to see all the blogs with new posts in very short time. But hey you actually have to open the blog to leave a comment....so may this not discourage you three or four who do leave comments vs the other 68 who read and move on commentless - I know you are out there. :)


Looking forward to finding out how its going. Let me know if you use an RSS feed now.

The reno continues

I painted from 6am until 10 pm last night. But it is all done...well except for a few flaws I noticed in the daylight today...sigh. I can touch those up. I soaked in the tub for half and hour last night - took that long to get all the paint off my hands and nails. :)

Yesterday was soo busy but a lot was accomplished. The electrician came this morning and is hopeful the new hall light can be installed this week before the floor goes in. YEAH!! I wish I were not sitting in an office for the rest of the week. I may have to make a few quick drives home on my lunch hours. Will I be able to concentrate?

The maple awaits the installers.

The front hall - all painted and awaiting the electrician and then the floor installers.

The laundry room - this took several hours to paint yesterday. Do you know how many little bits and pieces had to be moved or painted around? I love the new colour. It is not quite as yellow as the picture appears. Now we wait for the linoleum to be installed on Thursday.

What do you think of this colour? For our mantle over the fireplace? To cover the old oak mantle? ....Me too. But the gal at Benjamin Moore assured us that it didn't dry this colour.

It is a very rich deep dark yummy chocolate - almost black, but not quite. I love it!

Today I am thankful for:

1. The smell of summer in the morning. Oh how it lifts my spirits!
2. The electrician who is very busy is willing to get this done this week before the new maple floor is in.
3. The sweetest husband in the world, who phones me three times this morning before taking off on a business trip all week.
4. leftover Chinese food from last night, to take in my lunch today.
5. A very clean looking laundry room - makes me want to do laundry!
6. Beautiful yellow tulips next to red geraniums in the garden.

7. The constant squeak in my Mazda got fixed yesterday under warranty. Oh thank you!!
8. I got a parking spot RIGHT outside the Dr office at 8am this morning. (downtown too)
9. I found someone to take away all the garbage piled up in the garage - hopefully today.
10. Harold is home this week to be here when all these workers arrive.

I am off to work at JSI - if I seem a little distracted, it is because my brain is still trying to make sure all the little things get done before the workmen descend on us later this week and next.
Blessings!
Julie

Scrapbookers are so creative!

You have to visit Sheryls Blog and see what she did with a $3.00 gun rack - that's right a gun rack! Now really aren't scrapbookers just sooo creative? I just love the irony in this creation! And it is so beautiful - pink - it has to be the perfect colour for a former gun rack. Check it out!!

Reno update

The renos have begun. So scrapbooking is having to take a back seat right now. Along with blogging, photo editing, reading and a little sleep.

The floor people called to say the flooring was ahead of schedule, arriving Monday - that is in two days. We have been busy! Lots to do before all this Maple can sit in our family room and acclimatize. Kind of like buying fish - you know you have to leave them in the bag of water IN the aquarium for a few hours...never mind. So we have been ripping stuff out since we both arrived home from work Friday evening.

Next Thursday the lino goes in the back hall - also 24 yr old lino so it has to be replaced - or in this case covered up. So floor boards et el have to be removed and walls painted - Sunday afternoon?

Our garage at the moment - waiting for "James" to haul it away. Thank you Cheryl!!

The carpet gone - only 6, 472 staples to pull out of this disgustingly dirty floor! The painting started.

I am starting to picture the new room! We tried 4 - get that FOUR paints on the left wall before we settled on Brandon beige - very rich. That is sasparilla chocolate on the end wall. mmmm

What a cutie!

Whew! - busy day and it aint over yet! Stayed tuned!

Paul's Baptism

Hambly overlay and an assortment of rub-ons made for a very fast page. Gotta love overlays!

Music Recital

Two Page Layout of Allison and Paul. Both Paul and Allison earned their Royal Conservatory Grade 8 piano standing. They are both so talented. It was worth all those years of driving to lessons and getting at them to practice. Proud Mama? You bet!!

Used the Paper Loft "Now and Then" and used the new heidi swapp clear extras - very nice. The letters are Paper Loft and Tech Tue stamps with a little gel pen on them. See? I am using my stamps! And no flowers on Pauls page.

Just Stop and Think

Watch this and then, please, just stop and think.

Sunday early morning layout.

It wasn't a great nights sleep last night and after watching the clock from 4am to 6am I decided to get up, take more ibuprophen and see how I felt in a chair - not too bad and better when the meds kicked in. So here you have it - a page for the 2001 album (Sunday after church lunch at Boston Pizza on 8th with our friend Judy) I am using Dream Street and Crate Paper along with the new heidi swapp "clear extra's" and some prima flowers. I know I know, but what is a page without flowers and you will notice I never put flowers on my boys pages!

I got this done before church this morning. Now I have the afternoon to work on another - remember I am forbidden to go into the garden or lift anything, by the man around here. So I will listen obediently! I will post that page tomorrow.

15,000 visitors

Visitor number 15,000 arrived late last night from a link from Ralna's Blog. Check out her layout with the new heidi swapp line!

I must confess that as Ralna says, some of my fabulous stamps are way too clean. I have been making a concerted effort to get them out of their packages and onto a few pages. I have increased my Staz On ink supply to encourage me. :) The challenge is on!

The plan this May Long weekend was to get into the yard on Saturday, entertain on Sunday and get the garage totally cleaned out on Monday. I swore off all scrapbooking for the weekend. YIKES! No pages to blog as of Sunday.

But alas just as we were finishing the back yard with all that weeding, trimming, digging, moving, lifting and stuffing into bags that the yard requires a few times a year .....I put my back out, or did something back there that would not allow me to stand up except in excruciating pain. DANG!! I do NOT have time for this!

This has happened to me two times before but many years ago. The result is not much sleep, hot showers, a lot of ibuprofen, boredom and guess what? No entertaining today and the garage will have to wait. I can however sit for 30 min at a time with the help of drugs and then I have to get the back straightened out again by walking around in pain ...which means I am destined to blogging and scrapping this weekend - for short periods anyways. Well how do ya like that? Does that sound like a complaint?

The back yard looks fabulous though and I am resisting not going out to put the last of the new geraniums in the ground - not sure I can even get down there to do it and if I did, would I get back up? Of course I am the one who will try anyways. David says I will feel better in a few days if I don't abuse my back...i.e. keep trying to do stuff. So I have been given strict orders to STAY out of the garden and NOT lift anything - sweet guy! I think I will have to succumb and lay low.

Any advice out there? heat, cold, movement, stay still, scrapbook? Is there a fast cure? I don't feel 41 right now - I actually feel more my age.

Hawaii

Kind of a busy page, but tropical. Here is the gang enjoying our very full day at the Polynesian Cultural Center. This is a very fun, informative and full day ending with a very professional show for the grand finale after a nice meal. We had a good time.

The paper I used is Creative Imaginations which I stamped with the new Bo Bunny Aloha stamps - hibiscus with aqua Staz on ink and other colours in cats eye ink 0 if gave it different depths in the colours. Then I added some Prima flowers - several that are sprayed with glimmer mist. Me and my Big Ideas rub-ons for the title and Cloud 9 Design stamps (travel) "What a Day" Some pebbles on the flowers and a piece of ribbon - and there you have it. I kind of like the tropical effect.

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Blessings!

Julie

Make Mine Decaf

- check out my new site.

Allison

I had fun making this layout. I just put the photos together and matted them. Then I pulled out some Prima flowers and some Deja View and heidi grace rub-obs and started having fun with them. Some bling to finish it off. I love the cleaness of it. I have added a black border in Photoshop so you can see where the edges of the layout are on the white background - but they aren't actually there.

Not sure where Allison was off to in this June 2001 picture - but we had done her hair all up. Probably her piano recital.

Twin Brothers

This is a photo of my husband with his twin brother taken in 1982. Yeah I know - some of you were barely born that long ago. Don't they look so young? And cute? And so skinny? One of them is a Chartered Accountant and the other is a Doctor and the Chartered Accountant is a father! They are 27 in this photo. A couple of smart guys - and really nice too! I think I got a catch! Actually I know I did. I've had him for 28 years! He's gained a little weight. Still very smart though...knows exactly what to do to keep me happy!!

I used the Basic Grey line here and a chipboard "brother" from Pressed Petals. The family tag is (I think) from Dream Street Papers. Metal letters and embellishments are from the 'stash' i.e. got them so long ago I can't remember.

Roses

Harold surprised me with a dozen of these beauties today. He came into the office/den/scrapbook room and said, with a big grin, "Happy Mother's Day!" I am going to take that to mean that every day is Mother's day. I feel blessed. The bouquet is sitting beside me here as I type. Yes indeed I am blessed.

This is the same son who was willing to go for a bike ride with me the other day. Check out my post "Today" on "Make Mine Decaf" for more on our bike ride. That is my new blog (see top left corner of this page for info). Am I crazy??

This is where I plan to take a less scrapbook slant and more of a "what is going on in my life" and a "Hey what do you think of this" and a "wow check out this link" approach to blogging. More chatting and less scrapbook layouts. More theology, more thoughts...still working on all my links and getting comfortable moving around in Wordpress - but hey check it out and leave me a comment - it is brand new!

I have imported some of my scrapbooking post from this blog so you will see some familiar stuff. Put me on your Google reader - I promise to blog regularly.

Don't forget to check out this mornings post of my most recent page of Allison - Sweet. see below.

I was supposed to work today - actually got over to Sask City Hosp for a course early this am and found out the instructor was ill - so I got to go home. No, I don't get paid. I was actually relieved. I have been sick since Sunday - on antibiotics and you know - trying to work and do a million things - like cook a big roast beef dinner Sat and entertain, clean, laundry and get a few pages done (okay that is not work) and then cook a big turkey dinner Monday night (Mark was home for five days and he appreciates my cooking :) ) But I am done wore out -so laying really low today in hopes that I will feel better tomorrow.

I can hear lawn mowers out side - hooray - summer is here. Maybe I can talk my sweetheart into a walk. Speaking of my sweetheart - I have a page I did last Sunday of David with his twin brother when they were 27 yrs old. It will post tomorrow - so check it out - good lookin' guy!

That's all folks!

Sweet

Using the We R memory Keepers 'White Out' collection again. Some amanda blu chipboard butterflies and flowers - very sweet, Prima flowers, a Lil Davis Designs rub-on (SWEET), Basic Grey buttons (don't they make the nicest buttons?) and my gel pen.

Allison up at the lake - 12 years old, sigh. Today she is working two jobs to pay for university. They grow up so fast. sigh...again.

Journalling reads...Allison Catherine, my sweet girl. What a lovely 12 year old you are. Coney Island, Aug 2001.

You are Amazing

I love this page. Not complicated, straight forward, so Paul. Deja Vu rub-ons work so well. I love the Dream Street line - All dolled up. A bit of ribbon.

Journalling reads... Paul at sixteen ~ determined to grow up way too fast. Writing your LSAT and acing them, finishing high school, picking up university credits and acing them too. Planning your future with precision, reading copious books from the library on financial investment, serious about life and about God. Not stopping to smell the roses – no time, too much to accomplish. Into the Beatles, guitar, computer languages and programming, reading the King James Version. Not your typical 16 year old. I love it! I love you! You are amazing!

Happy Birthday Mark

Not too happy with this page - certainly no scrapbooking feat, but hey the family night out at Red Lobster has been archived. Mark did actually turn 18 and we have the party pictures here to prove it.

I used the cordination paper and found an assortment of chipboard letters I painted and sprayed with yellow (daffodil) glimmer mist then glossy effects -love that stuff . I put the page away, then pulled it out the next day - still didn't like it, away it went. Pulled it out again - nope something has to change - it is too dark, too drab, there is no life in it and this is a birthday party!!

So off came the cordination paper and on went the new We R MK "White Out" paper. Okay this I can live with.

Oh the trials of scrapbooking!! LOL Can you think of any downside to it? Really - is there one?

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day everyone.

We had a wonderful time of prayer in church today - a time where many reflected on their own mothers and what their years of labour and love meant to them. I was so encouraged to hear so many give thanks for their mothers and was reminded of my own mothers years of raising seven of us. I am reminded of the years she spent in the kitchen feeding us or in the basement with that old wringer washer and then hanging up the clothes to dry. Never had a problem with humidity in our old house. I remember how she would sit up with us at night if we were sick - she was always there - always - and there was seven of us. I never heard a complaint from her or any sign of worry or weariness - even when my sister was so sick and dieing of cancer. What a woman - what an example of strength and fortitude for me.

Motherhood - a wonderful time of selfless work to make our lives so wonderful. May there be no complaints and no regrets - just joy in the work before us.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there who have invested so much of yourselves, your time, your sleep, your energy, and especially your love to raise and nurture the next generation and the next generation after that. I know I am what I am a lot because of who my mother was. And I also know my children are who they are in many ways because of who I am. We invest in our children and we invest in our grandchildren and our great grandchildren.

So here's to all you tireless Mom's out there. Enjoy your day! Cause you have to get back at it shortly! LOL But that's okay - we love investing our everything in those we love.

Christmas 1961 - can you pick me out? Can you believe that in 30 years I would have four children of my own and be mothering 24/7? See the post below - there we are raising our own family. Thirty years passes by so quickly!

So Happy Together!

I found this photo of the family from 1992. Oh those were such busy days but such wonderful days. We had so much fun together. I would love to go back and do them all over again, with the wisdom I now have. Ahhh hindsight. I would be such a better Mom... sigh... I would be sooo much more patient with these little ones. They are all so precious...but they have turned out so well...God's grace.

This page is inspired by a page Sharon did in the store with the same line. Sharon often inspires me and amazes me. She can whip a fabulous page together in no time

I used the very fun new line that just came in from We R Memory Keepers - Hoopla. It comes with all sorts of great embellishments, rub-ons and chip board. I also used a few family rub-ons from heidi grace jumbo rub-ons, A Bazzill flower with a brad from Stemma.

This was a fun change from tropical 8X10's. I see Black's has another 8x10 special on this weekend...I am resisting!

Soothing

Got to love a Hawaii sunset.

I am Amazed by YOU!

This is a PRIMA page - yup all Prima - paper (Angelique Collection - Angel Kisses) - how appropriate along with the Artful Leaves, Belle Flowers and Painterly Petals. And then the icing - the new "Say it in studs". Prima - you make it so easy and fun.

Psalm 65 says "by his strength He established the mountains, being girded with might;
He stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it..."

I look at these pictures and I am amazed by Him who is my Creator and perfecter. And in the same way I look at the pictures of my children and my loved ones and see into the eyes of their souls and again I am amazed by Him, my Saviour.

Hawaii

Another simplistic layout. Love these new Paper Loft paper flowers. The journalling reads "I love 'bumming' around Hawaii with you". Take a zoom look at the photo. Get it?

Prima Shopping Spree

Yes well, can you blame me? I have been putting fabulous stuff out on the shelves all last week and hanging around these beauties all weekend and so I am supposed to walk away from it all once the staff ban is lifted? No way - I am ready to shop. Yes well and which colour don't I buy? Okay so I bought several of them but hey I have some tropical pictures remember? I also have some not so tropical they are going to look fabulous on. Ralna has another order in.

Then yesterday - another shipment arrives. WHEN is product NOT coming into this store - really we are getting to know our UPS guy pretty well here! Bo Bunny, "stamp and store" - someone is thinking here! Aloha Acrylic Stamps in their own CD case - I LOVE it! I think Ralna ordered this just for me... okay and a few of you too. There were two left when I went home last night. Get on the phone now.

Turtle Bay

Here is a two page layout of the Turtle Bay resort on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii taken to the South and then to the West. I took these pictures before I realized I do not do well in helicopters.

I love the colours - the rich greens and browns of the land, the brilliant turquoise water and the beige sand that separates the two. It sort of acts like a border to the land. God sure knew what He was doing when He created the heavens and the earth and separated the waters from the dry land. I see pictures like this and I am in awe of His incredible creation. I also become so very aware of my insignificance and my need of His all saving power!

Prima Classes with Trisha

Hee Haw, I got to take one of Trisha's classes this past weekend and it was fun! We sure learned a lot; enjoyed flocking; working with embossed chipboard; lots of fun stuff. I thought this page might be too busy for my liking, but I love how this turned out. Love the new Prima products and especially the flowers.

Cool tags and very cool flocking; can't wait until this arrives at JSI.

Blessings!

Julie

ps...I know I am trying to get more simplistic in my scrapbooking and then I take a class with Trish. LOL

Waikiki Beach

An aerial view of Waikiki that David took (and is very proud of). He took it while I was deep breathing and clinging to a paper bag, remember? I guess I can laugh about it now and I am quite happy to have the pictures, so in a way I can now say I am glad we did the helicopter tour; I just won't do it again. Or maybe it is like having children.....

I added some little pictures of our day on Waikiki beach - so I have our afternoon at Waikiki all on one page which I am fine with. The postcard in the top left corner I picked up a while ago and it fit perfectly on this page because it is a drawing of Waikiki back in the 1920's or so when only a couple of smaller hotels were there, one being the pink one you see in the large photo on the far left and also in the postcard. I love the contrast from the simple, peaceful days of the postcard to the massive 18 story hotels crowding the beaches. Perhaps the page next to this one should be of all the hundreds of people lining the beaches for a piece of sun and surf. Waikiki is not what it used to be; it is, however, still worth seeing.

Stay tuned for some real streamlined pages; I really am trying to stay simplistic and clean; uncluttered so to speak.

Blessings!

Julie

ps...don't you just LOVE that blogger now allows you to post date a posting? No more saving in draft on the weekend so I can post during my crazy week. haha! Love it!

Happy National Scrapbook Day!

Happy National Scrapbook Day to everyone.

We celebrated all this weekend with incredible classes from Prima Educator Trisha Ladouceur, of Edmonton. Wow - was there ever a lot of creativity going on at JSI! Everyone was really working hard and producing some beautiful projects. One more class tomorrow morning. Thank you Trisha. Do you think you will have a voice by tomorrow?

Is anybody listening to ME?????

No...No..Barb, those are for your acrylic album...no really you are going to need those...all 10 of them...no extra's....seriously they are for your album. Pay attention girl!!

Did she say we had to cut out another window....?

I don't think my brain can do another window this late in the day!