Love Who You Are

Be CRAZY, ACT silly
Laugh OUT LOUD
Be Yourself Live your LIFE
Try something new

LOVE WHO YOU ARE

Basic Grey "granola" BG microchip letters (very cool), Thickers chipboard letters, BG element stickers "granola", MME Laundry Line rub ons. Almost all new stuff - yikes! That was fun!

Saskatoon rush hour

You know what they say...you can be anywhere in Saskatoon in 20 minutes. EXCEPT if there is a three car pile up on the Collage street bridge. I hung around work an extra hour when I heard about the mishap this past Friday afternoon and then took an alternate round-about route home. I took this photos on the way to my car. I guess CTV was monitoring all the traffic tie-ups in our little and growing city.

Just wait until our first blizzard of the season!

Anyone out there take a little longer to get anywhere on Friday rush hour? I heard there were several traffic mishaps and all in rather busy, congested parts of the city. I do hope they were all fender benders only and no one was hurt.

Love the brilliant colour in this balloon - I think I would love to go up in one of these and get some great aerial shots...but then, I thought I would love my helicopter ride in Hawaii and we all know what happened there.
A photographer with Meniers - how disheartening. :) sigh...

Get your MoJo On Challenge #1

THIS WAS A TOUGH CHALLENGE SHERYL! But thank you. I seldom journal from the heart and this sort of thing makes me do just that...and so that is good.

My word is a little different from most I think. My word is a name and it is Jesus. I chose it because He does permeate my day....or at least He should. And He has changed my life more than any other thing in this world ever could. He figures prominently in my life...even if He is not physically visible and touchable. And so part of my plan here was to make his name LARGE, but let it blend in with the page.

Journalling reads:

Get Your Mojo On first challenge: scrap a word that means something to you.
Hmmm .... words…are just words…

I am trying to think of a word I use often, a word that elicits some deep meaning to me personally …that is a hard one.
Love?
Family? How many times have I used this on a page?
My children’s names; they bring loving feelings.
My husband?
What word is on my lips more than any other?
What word brings me great joy and peace when it is on my lips and in my heart? Jesus!
I say His name every day.
I talk to Him
I read His precious words every day.
He permeates my life –
He makes me who I am.
He helps me mother my children.
He helps me be a wife that my husband adores.
He helps me love the unlovable – but I am still a work in progress.
He shows me my sin….and He humbles me.He died for me… .He takes on the wrath of God for me… .He removes my sin… ..He gives me eternal life… ..He gives me hope for today…for tomorrow…for eternity.
Jesus!
He means more to me than life. What a beautiful Word! What a beautiful name.

I used all Basic Grey from the new "granola " line - and I think I used a little bit of every paper in this line - well almost. hehe I also added some element stickers from this BG line and some heidi swapp clear gel blossoms and deco art paper effects to adhere the gel blossoms.

1979 - newlyweds

I am not sure how this photo made it into my pile of photos to be scrapped sometime when I am not working on 2001 - but it did and I happened to be organizing that pile of photos at JSI one day. I pulled the photo out and right away thought of this gorgeous paper - which I am so sorry I glued down before I figured out what company it is from - if you know leave a comment. Also new in to JSI this day were these very classy circle stickers "Narratives" from Creative Imaginations. sorry they are all gone but hopefully Ralna will get more in.

Well that was the start of my first page of our wedding in 1979 and along with some flowers, bling, hearts from the stash, the page fell together nicely.

Sigh - I love this guy more today than I did on our wedding day 29 years ago. It was a fairy tale beginning and Lord willing it will be a fairy tale 30 more years with the love of my life.

Fall -

I posted this a few weeks back on Makeminedecaf...but thought I would post it here for those of you that don't visit my other blog.

Pro 16:9 We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.

My plan - to get in some exercise, biking or walking...But things got in the way and before I headed out the rain and wind had started. I just had time to trim back the strawberries in preparation for next years crop. And the rain started. I have maybe 6 strawberry bushes - so no big feat. I was just so easily distracted by the tall lanky new growth waving to me at my den window. They are now gone and only the rain on my window reminds me that I didn't get in any exercise today.

I cleaned out the fridge. It is one of those cold windy fall like days when I feel the need to make a nutritious, hearty soup for my family. So I puttered in the kitchen, cleaning, cutting, stirring, tasting until it is close. Now it need only simmer all afternoon filling the house with the aroma of a fall meal.

And the rain came down. I wish I could capture the sweet smell. The smell of God cleaning the world. Ah if only all could be cleansed. Prayer. It feels good to breath in a deep breath of His creation.

I regret seeing summer come to a close, but I also smile at the thought of fall. Crisp evenings, cool mornings. They are definitely here. His colours brilliantly displayed - such a wonder. The air - what is it in the air that is so refreshing and so invigorating? Fall leaves under foot. It is the most beautiful time of year.

I feel an urge to get the books out and plan the lessons, make sure the programs are all sorted out and our days are full of learning and fun. (There is also this urge to write a million post dated cheques to the piano teacher!) But those days are over....now we write cheques to post secondary educational institutions and car payments.

Sigh... the big old long oak kitchen table is gone from the kitchen and the small round glass table reminds me that I have moved into an new era. They are off establishing themselves. Still requiring lots of prayer....and the Lord has granted me more time to pray for them.

Yes fall is here...

The flowers are starting to fade.

Today's hearty soup waits for the grown kids to come home for supper - some of them anyways. Enough to fit nicely around the small table. Maybe a friend as well? There's plenty!

It will be served up with hot corn bread fresh from the oven and with butter.

Today's Andy Rooney quote...

"Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it."

Enjoy climbing your mountain today and remember, the Lord determines our steps.

20,000 visits and another new Blog??

Hey I hit 20,000 visits today.... and yes I have removed my own IP address from my counter (for you computer techies) since that would push my numbers astronomically and erroneously high. Which makes one wonder why we use these counter since it is so easy to cheat with them....but I digress. My 20,000th visitor came from Toronto via a link from Just Scrap It. And he/she has visited my site 70 times. So yeah! to Toronto and scrapbookers (or not) out east who visit us out here in the west. Glad to know that you like to see what is going on in my little world.

Speaking of stuff going on in my little world, have you noticed my link just to the left there on a new Blog I started. (Eagle eyes Theresa did - thanks for your comment Theresa!)

Since I haven't been able to loose these nasty 10 pounds in my old age here and since I have NO time to exercise, I decided to embrace food rather than fight it.

Although we don't do this too often, David and I quite enjoy eating out at nice restaurants. Could it be that for 24 years we NEVER ate out? Yeah, I am justifying here and with good cause. I paid my dues with meal budgets for 24 years.

I also quite enjoy taking pictures of food. I know this sounds a little crazy, but if you had my very cool and very effective macro lens, you would want to use it on small stuff life food too. When I have grandchildren you will see all their tiny fingernails... but until then I know you will enjoy close up shots of sushi. Okay - french pastries?

Sooooo I decided to write a couple of reviews on recent restaurants we have been to ....and then I discovered that the name "Fine Dining Saskatoon" had not been taken by blogspot...so hey why not start a new Blog? Like I have time. But why does that matter?

THIS blog however is so much fun...I mean think of it. I HAVE to go out to a nice restaurant so I have something to blog about, right? David is agreeing all the way (He is the guy who has 20 pounds to loose and never did embrace dieting - ever!) Seriously, he thinks this is great and is waiting for the gift certificates to come rolling in from restaurants begging for a great review from me. In the meantime he feels it is very important to get this blog up and running with lots of reviews. I couldn't agree more.

Now it will not be worthwhile if it doesn't have readership, so head on over there and take a look - MOTIVATE me to go out for some fine dining in Saskatoon. If you have a restaurant you really want a review on - well leave a comment and I will HAVE to get out there and get all the goods on that restaurant. Fine Dining folks - remember that. Ponderosa is not fine dining. La Bamba isn't quite either...but it does fit the fun, interesting and new to Saskatoon category.

Here it is.... Fine Dining Saskatoon

Looking forward to hearing from you all. :)

Christmas 2007 Tis the Season for love and joy!

I love the new Fancy Pants Christmas paper and the new glitter stickers. All lovely products that will make your pages come together beautifully in no time at all. I also used some Christmas rub ons from daisyd.

This page is a lesson on how to get nine photos on one page. heheh Christmas morning at our house - kind of orderly chaos with a lot of laughs and hugs.

Christmas Eve we played Cranium - what a fun game for teams. We had a "Jolly Good Time"

I know an odd assortment of photos, but they all have special meaning for us - especially Dad's famous potatoes. As a matter of fact, they are soo famous that I ask him to make them ALL the time. I think he should come up with a few more specialties that he can make ALL the time.... don't ya think? Heck... if he gets really good he can....just make supper. Do you think he'll catch on? Good thing he doesn't read this blog.......

And speaking of well trained..those are my kids doing the dishes. Am I smart or what??!!
The cinnamon buns are mine, thank you! (okay I took them out of the freezer to rise the night before but I got them out of the oven in time!) The mini quiche's are courtesy of M&M's - my favorite place at Christmas when I work up until 4 pm on Christmas eve. And I hate to say it - but they are darn close to being as good as my home made quiches....close I said! Just a few minor complaints Christmas morning that I can certainly get over (very quickly)

Allison looked at these pages and said "Oh I love Christmas. I can't wait for it to be Christmas again" That from an eighteen year old. Could it be all those stockings stuffed with goodies lined up in a row? ...we must all be very, very good! ..or perhaps there are two Santa's aound here working three jobs?

Christmas - Tis the Season for love and joy! Creating memories of special family times. That is why we scrap book right? I love it!

around town...some more

Agriculture bldg at the University of Saskatchewan.
After work Tuesday David and I went for a bike ride around campus.
What a beautiful building - I love the glass.
....I wonder what their heating bill is in winter. hehehhe

Last Sunday evening we set out to for a walk
(of sorts...we stopped way too often for my photos to call it anything remotely close to exercise).
Our friend Ken joined us. We have walked with Ken a few times but this was the first time I had my camera in tow.... Ken may never walk with us again.

In the photo above, a boat was passing by - shutter speed was at 1.5 seconds.
That is the full moon you are seeing there.

A little more exposure in this shot. What a beautiful bridge.
Full moon is obscured by the clouds.

Collage St bridge with full moon.

..and another sunset taken this past Thursday evening while out on a little after supper ride.

Get out and ride, walk, run - because the snow will be here soon and then we can't ride or run anymore - just walk!...and blog of course.

Okay all you scrapbookers I bought one of each paper of the new line of Fancy Pants Happy Holidays Christmas Paper - I LOVE it! I had put all the Christmas stuff away, but ...well...who could resist. So I am doing Christmas 2007 photos - what a treat!!!
Hopeful to have four layouts up soon - my Mojo isn't quite back, but it's coming.

Blessings!

Do you follow this Blog?

Well if you do, add yourself to my list of followers to the left there. Then people can link to your blog and my new posts will appear in your Google Reader.

Recent adventures and places we visited.

I slept in today - so, sorry for not keeping my promise to blog first thing this morning. I love you guys , but hey I don't often get to sleep in and actually feel like sleeping in. No sooner was I out of bed and we were off on an hour and 30 minute walk - okay - we stopped after 45 min for coffee and muffins and then continued. Come on we're in our fifties! Too windy for the bikes - wind and up hills are not really appreciated by us.

I haven't slept in for ....years? Yup didn't get out of bed until 8:45am this morning. Probably because I did something I never do - stayed up until almost midnight last night watching "Matilda" with Allison and Sammy - very cute movie. The young and in love didn't seem to mind Mom hanging out with them in the family room. No popcorn though!




Last Saturday was David's birthday and , well the only picture I have of him is of him putting the bikes back on the bicycle rack.

Yes we bought a bicycle rack for the car because we were getting a tad bored of the sites that were within a 40 min bicycle ride of our home. So we decided this would make our bike riding so much more exciting.

Okay the Victoria St bridge is not all that exciting but it is pretty and old and I am sure it holds lots of stories...we just don't know them.












It was a perfect morning for a bike ride - although a short one - I had to get to work at noon at JSI. But the sun was shining and not too warm. We checked out a few bridges and Broadway before heading home.







I like the glimpse of the Bess under the bridge here.

























Two weeks ago we went for a walk with the camera. I have been working on preparing unique backgrounds for some PowerPoint slides for hymns at church.

You got to love a husband who will carry your camera bag AND stand there on a busy corner smiling at the curious onlookers while his wife lies on the lawn of the church on the corner in various weird positions to take photos from every angle possible.

The sky was perfect that evening and I got the shot I wanted.




Then on the way home I got this sun set. There have been several good sunsets of late. The skies have been rich with colour.













As well as the bike ride and work last Saturday David and got all gussied up to celebrate his birthday. We had a date at Truffle's Bistro and Pattisserie.

So pleased to find that Saskatoon has some incredible chefs! I do hope they stay! Cause we are a steak and potato kind of province.
If you live in the Saskatoon area Truffle's is a place to visit, often.

The portions by Saskatchewan standards (which I have issue with - steak and potato?) are certainly sufficient. Many might feel for the price they are too small. But it is not about a plate heaped with potatoes - it is about cuisine, quality, freshness and presentation. If you are looking to fill your belly for $20, this is not the place for you - try the all you can eat buffets. If however you want to taste true Saskatchewan fare, exquisitely prepared then check out Truffles.

I knew the meals were going to be a spectacular presentation.....so I brought the camera and had the macro lens ready to go.... but to not disturb anyone, I did not use a flash. And as much as we enjoyed the romantic lighting, it made for a very slow shutter speed and some color casts.

Smoked salmon appetizer. I don't think this is Saskatchewan fare...but everything else was. :)

I had the Northern Pike with wild Saskatchewan mushrooms
and wonderfully done fresh organic vegetables.
The fish was done perfectly - tender as can be but cooked through.


Saskatchewan wild rice.

What can I say - this disappeared in seconds. For dessert, we shared a piece of Japonaise torte-
Jorge our waiter recommended it - delectable.

A nice light white wine I would recommend - very smooth...amazing how a whole bottle can just disappear over wonderful food and your lover across the table from you....
Villa Teresa: (Organic) Pinot Grigio, Italy 2006



We will be back for our anniversary in October...if not sooner.

Let me know if you have eaten at Truffles....

Still here...

Very busy week and I am super tired - heading to bed early tonight. I see lots of visitors to the web site this week and no posts - so sorry. It has been a work, sleep, work, sleep kind of week....yawning as I type. Nothing a good nights sleep won't fix. I promise to be up really early to post before dear husband pushes me out the door on our Saturday am early bike ride. The coffee shop opens at 8am!

I have some super cool photos of the full moon over the College St bridge from a walk with my sweetheart and our good friend Ken last Sunday night. And last Saturday was David's birthday and we went to Truffles for supper - wow! I will do a review of that wonderful restaurant along with photos. Ya - I take my macro lens (and all the other lenses just in case) with me when we go out for supper. Truffles is not just for great food - each serving is a work of art! What a wonderful husband I have. He takes me out for supper and also offers to carry my big camera bag....cause it really does not match my shoes and evening get up!

I have some pics of the Victoria st bridge from a Sat am bike ride. Hmmm it seems bridges were the target this week.

So stay tuned! I will try to post early tomorrow morning before I head full tilt into the day.

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

Blessings to you all!

Once upon a time

..

Well this is it - page 67 and the last layout for the 2001 album. I will celebrate this weekend by sorting through all the 2002 photos and hope there are far fewer so I don't feel guilty only doing say .....40 pages for 2002?

Allison loved her dolls. She had plenty of baby dolls in her room growing up and of course a few favorites, all carefully named. There were lots of fairytale stories attached to each one and make believe was a part of every day.

For Christmas this year Santa brought her an American Doll - a very special ordered doll - with eyes and hair to specification along with specially chosen period clothing. She came with her boots, reading glasses, hair accessories and a little book with her history and family information - everything needed to make seem so very real. Also exciting for this Christmas was her two new porcelain dolls with their very shiny hair and fancy clothes.

Remembering Allison's loving care of her dolls is one of my favorite memories of her.

Christmas - the most wonderful time of the year.

She is now 19 and planning a wedding. Somewhere packed away are all these dolls and in her journals are some of the stories.

God is good...all the time ~ when we lean on Him and trust in Him.

I used the new Bo Bunny Christmas line - "Noel" and Wonderful" and some rub-one from the new Creative Imaginations swatch book "Narratives" Also used some Beary Patch and daisyd rub ons. You just can't have enough rub-ons!

Believe

This photos was part of the batch for the Christmas morning two page layout...but it was such a cute picture of Allison trying on her new hat and mittens from Santa...well it just deserved it's own page. This Best Creations Inc paper was perfect and so was the Pressed Petals scrap metal word. Added some Prima flowers and those fabulous Craft n Craftin' glitter snowflake stickers again(so beautiful and delicate), some bling on the flowers and voila - she is done. Her fiance came to the door just as I was finishing up - he thought it was very cute. Allison thought I should just put is away somewhere.
..... oh brother.

Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming

This is one of my favorite Christmas hymns and I love to sing it. I have sung it at church and in an adult choir with beautiful harmony. These photos are from our churches Christmas Gospel outreach. David played his guitar, Paul and Allison both performed pieces on the piano and our whole family (plus a friend of mine who was an alto) did four part harmony of my favorite hymn - Lo How a Rose E're Blooming. It is an old 16th century German hymn.

The layout is rather unique. Every picture had the back of a fellows white head on it and a rather large one - it seemed to pick up most of the flash. I am not sure who took the photos. So I have them overlapping in such a way that I was able to cover the head in all but the bottom one. I actually like the layout.

The paper is the new Moxie Winter Wishes. I used some music rub-ons from Maya Road, some heidi grace rub-ons, beautiful Craft n Craftin' glitter snow flake stickers, my white gel pen and I put the words to the song on a transparency. Somehow the transparency picked up some green on the scan and I could not photoshop it out - but there is no green in this layout. Christmas 2001 celebrations.

I forget just how busy life was back then. Good thing I was a whole lot younger. Loved doing this layout and remembering this time of singing with my whole gang. I love em!

Christmas Morning

What a wonderful time of joy, laughter and utter chaos - Christmas morning. We do open one gift at a time and savor this special time together - but there is an element of chaos and I am glad to be past the small toys with batteries and little parts era of our lives. I enjoyed such good memories putting this page together. We have so many Christmas traditions and we so enjoy this time together. How do I leave any pictures out? They are each part of the whole Christmas morning experience - and what make us family!

This page was a challenge - 12 4X6 photos! Some cropping and trimming and I fit them all. I know it is busy - but the point was to capture the morning.

I have noticed that when my family look at my layouts, they focus immediately on the pictures and the memories - the journalling. They seem impervious to the product or technique. When fellow scrapbookers look at a layout they comment on the impression, the products, the technique. Sometimes it is fun to use a new product in a special way. For other pages, it is the memory that needs recording.

The paper is Reminisce "Snowglobe", Pressed petals 'Monday Metals' (from my stash), Basic Grey 'wilma' chipboard letters inked and glazed and some of the new Beary Patch Christmas rub-ons which are very, very nice!!

Christmas is coming to JSI - a big box of beautiful Glitter stickers came yesterday and they are very nicely priced! Check em out!

Some really cool Hallowe'en paper also arrived along with matching embellishments.

Celebrate

Celebrating Allison's 12th Birthday. Sigh...birthday pages...so many pictures and how do you get them all on the page. This is page #61 of the 2001 album - I have been working on 2001 for over 6 months...hmmm that means....that means I will NEVER catch up! But I will press on. By my calculations, I have four - get that? 4...more pages to finish up the year ~ Allison's birthday party with friends, our church Christmas concert and then Christmas - which has to be a two page layout - cause there are too many of us and too many pictures. Have you noticed that I am in very few pictures? There is one of me in the Christmas batch though.

Anyways, this is my sweet daughters 12th birthday and what a lovely sweet and pure young woman she was becoming - and still is - getting married! YIKES! Of course a fine young man spotted her and immediately claimed her. LOL smart guy! ...but does he know how much she loves to shop for clothes???? And this 12 year old started University this week and is on her way to getting her education degree.

They do grow up so fast - so hug them, kiss them, tell them how much you love them and try to ignor the mess in the bathroom! Before you know it they will be married and you will have your bathroom back. :)

Birthday Party

Allison and her friends had a fun time watching movies, playing games and combing all the knots out of her Barbie doll's hair. Girlfriends are a lot of fun! Birthday celebrations and a lot of fun too!

I used the new Dream Street Paper. It is fun paper! The photos are dark - 2001 (page 62 and counting) but the event is recorded. A bit of mesh because the colour was rights and some Creative Imaginations rub-ons. A few flowers from the stash too.

Andy Rooney quote of the day...

Everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile. :)

I am going to try and remember this one!

We have a winner!

Cheryl guessed it right - That macro shot picture two posts ago - it is a lime in a Corona. What else do you have with pizza? It certainly wasn't coke - although April got the lime right off the get go and Stephanie guessed well with the lime in a 7-up.
Way to go Cheryl!

Here are some more obvious photos of the same bottle.

So Cheryl you can pick one of these prizes I happened to have unopened in the house just waiting for the right person.

The Zig two way glue...

or this short book from one of my favorite authors, John Piper.

Send me an e-mail Cheryl and let me know which one you would like and if you want me to mail it out or leave it at JSI.
Thanks everyone! That was fun - if I had a corporation sponsoring me, I would do this all the time.

Well "Seasoned" Chef

Ralna did it again. Sometimes I just get bogged down with a page because it lacks a theme or idea or message. I just can't find the right words for the title. I guess that is why I was a Science major and not an English major. Here I had a picture of Mark in November 2001 out on the back deck in the SNOW in his SHORTS and his winter BOOTS - cooking our burgers on the BBQ.

Mark loves to BBQ no matter what the season....but I was stuck on a title. Winter BBQ er, Hot burgers in the cold, yes, well these were not going to work. I pop the pictures out at work and ask Ralna....two seconds - that is all she had to think and came up with "Well Seasoned BBQ/chef" and pulled out the paper with all the seasoning stuff on it. A great play on the word "season"
How does she do it?

Paper Loft, Flair Designs and Basic Grey along with some of that super cool mesh, thickers, MM sticker letters, Creative Cafe rub-on letters (oh I need MORE of these), scenic route star - for my star bbq'er, heidi swapp clock cause he times the meat perfectly and my signo uniball white gel pen that I would never be without. I added some journalling on the right side after I scanned it - reads.

Mark, I love how you love to BBQ. No matter what the "season" you are willing to get out there and cook.

Doing nothing number 3

The sunset Saturday night was kinda pretty - although it was still cold and windy.
That is the two of us enjoying the view....and each other.

You cannot visit Waskesiu without stopping in at Pete's Pizza.
We think it is the best pizza in the province.
Busy and fun place and Pete is always good for a laugh or two.

..and sometimes dear husband uses the camera too.

Okay - a macro shot - does anyone know what it is a picture of?
Not too hard really. If I offer a prize for the first right answer will I get a flood of guesses?
The things that motivate the lurkers.... okay let me think what I have to give away around here that is brand new and won't cost an arm and a leg to ship.

Andy Rooney quote of the day....

Sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.

I hope you all have a hand to hold and heart to understand.