Thursday, August 28, 2008

Summer 2008

Wow, how quickly this summer came and went! And we're back to rain on the west coast again here that really is making it feel like fall and that it's time for back to school!

Here's a quick glimpse at our summer:
*our anniversary
*preschool graduation
*Kindergarten drop-in
*dinner at mum and dad's with a very pregnant Tracy, Brian and Sophia
*a trip to Science World
*2 weeks off for George
*Kyle's 5th birthday
*Canada Day celebrations including a night out for a concert and the fireworks for just George and I
*a day trip for the 2 of us to Victoria to see Butchart Gardens
*a visit to my Grandma on the island
*lunch with a couple of friends (2 of my old bosses)
*appt with the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist for Kyle and finding out he needed to have his adenoids and tonsils out
*lunch with Tracy, Sophia, my cousin Renee, and her little guy Mitchel
*big family picnic at the local park planned by mum and dad to get a chance to be together before Tracy had the baby
*Matthew's birth - welcome to the world Matthew! We'd been waiting for you!
*Kyle's surgery - followed by a couple of very looooong weeks of recovery!
*a night out on the deck doing S'mores
*Kyle getting a back to school haircut and Nathan going to the barber for the first time
*our first real "back to school" shopping

It's funny because when I thought about it, our summer hadn't seemed that busy, but when I look at that list, we did pretty well! We were hoping to go camping though and that just didn't seem to happen I'm afraid. We did have lots of fun out in the sprinkler and hanging out outside on nice days too and we had a stretch of about 3 weeks of nice weather at one point and a couple of hot spells, so not a bad summer at all!

Cheers,

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Nathan's First Haircut at the Barber Shop!

OK, so this is a couple of days after the fact, but I still can't quite believe the difference! George took the boys for haircuts on Saturday. Nathan has been going to this kid's place, but he's old enough to sit on his own now, so he can go to the barber that George and Kyle go to - Terry! Off they all went on Saturday morning, so we took a picture of Nathan before with his mop...

And then this is the grown up kid that came home!! I wanna know where my baby went?? As you can see, the barber has quite a sense of humour. He and George actually went to school together!


Where does the time go? Before I know it, he'll be going to Kindergarten too!! Thank goodness I have Matthew to cuddle still and he's only a month old today! And the nice thing about having Matthew around is I get my cuddles and then give him back and can still sleep through the night and Tracy gets to deal with that part!! Nice sister I am, eh?!

Well, quiet afternoon here with the little ones napping and I got my chores done this morning, so I'm going to go relax with Kyle for a bit!

Have a great day everyone!
Cheers,

A Few Cards

OK, so I've been working on a few cards lately and using up some leftovers to do it! The first one is the leftovers of my Scenic Route Appleton papers and chipboard. Love Love Love this paper!

This next one was the only one of the 3 that wasn't done with leftovers! I used the new Basic Grey Ambrosia mini paper pack that I got. This was inspired by an ad for an ad challenge for the Inspiration crop at Scrapdango!

This was for a friend's little guy who had his 3rd birthday yesterday and I used some Basic Grey Cupcake paper leftover from a layout I did!

It's a bit of a funny day weather-wise around here, but we did manage to at least get out in the backyard and play for a while. Sophia is here and she and Nathan are both down for a nap now and Kyle's just hanging out - well, he wants to eat as usual actually! I sure know he's better now that he's back to eating us out of house and home. Think he's making up for not eating for a week or so after his surgery there!

I'm hoping to get a little scrapping done this evening since it looks like Kyle wants to help if I do anything this afternoon and that just never goes well! hee hee I also want to watch Big Brother tonight and see what actually happened after reading about the explosive POV competition!

Have a great day everyone!
Cheers,

Saturday, August 23, 2008

A Sketch from ME!

Hi all!

As part of the online Inspiration Crop going on over at Scrapdango, all the the design team members have come up with a sketch and then a layout sample to showcase it. I haven't done a lot of sketches of my own, but this was a lot of fun! I don't have PhotoShop, so I'm in the dark ages with paper and a pencil. Sorry it's a little hard to see, but here it is nonetheless!


Supplies: Cardstock is Bazzill. Patterned paper is Basic Grey and Scenic Route. Misc bulk brads. Title lettering is Making Memories stickers and American Crafts Chipboard Thickers. Ink is VersaColor Scarlet. Font is Moderne.

Are you doing anything scrappy today? I'm hoping to get something worked on today and I should actually be doing it now while George has taken the boys out for haircuts, but I seem to have a million other things I want to do right now as well since there's no one home - most of it isn't fun stuff, but is easier to do when no one else is around! Oh the joys of trying to keep up with 3 "boys" in my house!

Have a fabulous weekend!
Cheers,

Friday, August 22, 2008

I'm in LOVE with Scenic Route!

OK, so I got a stack of the new Scenic Route Appleton line to play with for work and WOW! I totally love it! I've always been a fan of Scenic Route, but this line can just be used for so many things and it's perfect for boy stuff! Here's some of what I've been working on...


Supplies: Cardstock is WorldWin Doublemates. Patterned paper is Scenic Route Appleton. Misc bulk brads. Title is done with a Dymo Label Maker and American Crafts Chipboard Thickers. Font is Moderne. Inspiration was a sketch by Allison Cope @ http://www.sosketchy.blogspot.com/!


Supplies: Misc. base cardstock. Patterned paper is Scenic Route Appleton. Chipboard sentiment is also Scenic Route Appleton.

Supplies: Cardstock is Bazzill. Patterned paper is Scenic Route Appleton. Chipboard pieces are also Scenic Route Appleton. Misc. bulk brads. Title is Making Memories sticker lettering. This was also part of a layout tag at Scrapdango!




Supplies: Cardstock is WorldWin DoubleMates. Patterned paper is Scenic Route Appleton. Chipboard pieces are also Scenic Route Appleton. Title is American Crafts Thickers in foam and Chipboard as well as some Pink Paislee Holly Doodle Alphabet Stickers. Ink for distressing the journaling is VersaColor Scarlet. Font for journaling is Moderne. This was inspired by one of the May Becky Fleck sketches @ http://www.pagemaps.com/.

And the best part is I have all kinds of scraps and extras to be able to play some more!!

Not too much going on here today really! The kids slept until about 7am though I got up early for some time to myself. had my coffee and relaxed a little. Sophia should be here in the next little while and I'll have the 3 kids for the day. If the sun comes out, we might manage to get to the park, but we'll see. I also have a ton of laundry I should be working on! And then it's into work tonight again too!

Don't forget to check out the online crop at Scrapdango this weekend that's already started!

Have a fabulous weekend!!
Cheers,

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Boys of Summer

Well, I know it's still summer here, but it's barely felt like it in the last couple of days! We had a pretty good storm roll in the night before last and it rained all day yesterday and a good part of the morning this morning too. It finally cleared up though and the boys and I went for a walk up to the mall (since the park was soaking wet!) and I did a few errands and then we had a nice lunch at Subway! It was a fun morning actually!

This layout is one that I just did using a sketch that Kerryn did and it was in the August Scrapdango newsletter! That thing is full of great ideas and inspiration, so you should check it out!

Supplies: Patterned paper is My Minds Eye and DCWV. Cardstock is WorldWin. Rub-ons are Kaiser Craft. Texture under title is Magic Mesh. Title lettering is American Crafts Thickers.

You should also know that there's an online Inspiration crop at Scrapdango this weekend (starting tomorrow), so head on over and sign in and play! You'll actually have a week to do challenges and get them posted too, so even better! Come on over and play!

Well, think that's about it for today! Going to take it easy this evening and fold laundry and watch Big Brother! Hope I get a chance to scrap a bit as well! Have a good one!

Cheers,

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Card Making Tuesday

OK, well my day started early this morning since I decided to get up when George left so I could have a quiet coffee and some time to myself! And it was well worth it since I haven't done that in a little while. The boys got up between 7 and 7:30 sometime with Kyle actually sleeping later!!

About 8:30am the doorbell rang and I assumed it was Sophia, but when I checked, it was actually the mail carrier and I was totally excited to see that my Scrapperie Summer Camp kit had already arrived! I wasn't expecting it until at least the end of the week, so I was sure happy! Sandi packed her kit crazy full as usual and it's hard to know where to start with it!

This (plus the jelly beans not pictured!!) was what I opened this morning!
I had watched Kristina Werner's Make a Card Monday video this morning and totally thought of that when I opened the box and thought even if I don't have time for a layout during naptime, I do have time for a card, so this one was totally inspired by hers!
Supplies: Background stamp is Cornish Heritage Farms. Ink was VersaMark with white embossing powder. Patterned paper is Cosmo Cricket. Yellow is Bo Bunny polka dot cardstock (though I used the solid reverse side). Blue fringe is a Doodlebug Frill strip. Flower is Prima. Cardstock button in the flower center is Prima. The letter "g" is also Prima chipbooard. The "thanks" stamp is 3 Bugs in a Rug.

I also had someone else crafting with me this afternoon! Kyle decided he wanted to get out his stuff as well as some of mine, of course, and make a card for Daddy! We set up a little table beside mine and we had lots of fun. We even used the "salt" (aka embossing powder) on his stamped stars. This was a first for him and he was quite excited!

Of course, when he saw me taking a picture of my card, he wanted me to take a picture of his as well, so here it is! We had to take a picture of the inside as well since he did such a great job!



Well, I'm guessing the little ones will be up soon, so I'd better wrap this up for now. Will do a Kyle update soon too, but needless to say, he's finally feeling much better after his tonsilectomy/adenoidectomy!

Cheers,

Monday, August 18, 2008

October Guest Designer Contest at Scrapdango!!

We are looking for our October Guest Designer at Scrapdango and your challenge is to create a layout about how your family celebrates the good times of summer.

Your layout needs to have ALL of the following:
*At least 1 photo
*4 different colors on your layout
*At least three different pattern papers
*Journaling....everywhere! (Mmmmhhhh, be creative with this!)

The winner will be using our October featured Sugar or Spice kit!

Oh yes, there are always RULES:
Must be a new layout created for this contest.
Please upload your entries to the October Guest Designer section in the Gallery (look for it soon).
1 entry per personDeadline for entries is 08/31/08
Winner will be announced shortly after that.

If you have been a Guest Design Team member on Scrapdango in the last 3 months you can't try out again this time.

• To be considered, your participation on the Scrapdango forum is required. We want to get to know you, so come on in and say hi if you are new to Scrapdango and just make sure you have at least 90 posts and your layout uploaded by the deadline to be considered. Please note: only legitimate posts will be considered in reaching the minimum 90 posts.

• We will select one winner from the entries who will serve as Guest Designer for October.

Guest Designers responsibilities:
• prepare and submit designs using an upcoming featured Scrapdango kit. GDT members will do 3 layouts (1 must be a 2 page layout) and a 4th project that can be either a layout, an altered item, or a couple of cards.
• featured on the Scrapdango Blog and Forum• participate in planned activities on the Forum during your featured month (such as run a weekly DT challenge/crop/contest/game. )
• Daily posting on the boards (QOTD/SQOTD/LOTW) GDT members would be responsible for 1 week of these.
• Leaving praise in the gallery

****anyone living outside the United States may apply as well; however, they must pay the difference in the shipping costs if selected.

Come and check it out and your work could be showcased on the Scrapdango board!
Cheers,

Monday, August 11, 2008

A Scrappy Afternoon

Well, things were quiet for a bit around here this afternoon because I decided to see if Kyle wanted a rest while Nathan had his nap. Kyle didn't have a great sleep last night, so I thought he might be tired and sure enough, he fell asleep almost right away. Since it was quiet, I thought I'd try one of the Scrapperie weekly challenges that also currently count for the Scrap-A-Lympics Contest that they're doing!

This was a lift challenge of Beth Price and I used my Estate Sale Scrapperie kit.



Supplies: Cardstock is Bazzill. Patterned paper is MME 29th Street. Clock die cut is MME. Lettering for title is Making Memories (small lettering) and American Crafts foam Thickers. The acrylic pieces are Maya Road. Misc. buttons. Ribbon is American Crafts. Ink for distressing is Palette Burnt Umber. Pen used was American Crafts Slick Writer.

Maybe I'll get a chance to do something scrappy again tonight with any luck!

Kyle is doing OK though still has his ups and downs. Every time I think we've turned a corner, we seem to take a step back, but I think that's normal. He doesn't want to eat a lot yet, but we're working on it slowly with some soft foods and hope that little by little it keeps improving. We have an appt with the doctor that did the surgery on Thursday for a check-up too to make sure all's well.

Hope everyone has a great evening!
Cheers,

Friday, August 08, 2008

Blogger Friends Award

Thanks Sarah for the BFF Gold Card!

The rules for the "Blogging Friends Forever" award are:
* Only five people allowed
* Four have to be dedicated followers of your blog
* One has to be someone new or recently new to your blog or lives in another part of the world.

You must link back to whoever gave you the award.
The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.

So, for my list...
Suzanne - O Scrappy Day
Sandi - Sandi's Musings
Lynn -Scrappin Fun
Ellen - A Little Bit of That
Ginni - My Scrappy World

And I just have to say that this list could have been a mile long!
Cheers,

New Challenge Up at Get Your Scrap On!

OK, there's a new "recipe" challenge up at the Get Your Scrap On! blog. Head on over and check it out! Submit your cards by August 18, 2008 to be entered into a drawing for a prize!!


Supplies:Cardstock is Bazzill and Worldwin. Patterned paper is Crate Paper. Flowers are Prima. Brads are Making Memories. Ink is Palette Burnt Umber. Stamp is Hero Arts. Circle and Scalloped circle cut and embossed with Nestibilities dies.

Have a fantastic Friday!
Cheers,

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Some Amazing Scrappy News!

OK, Scrapdango has been running an amazing Design Team competition over at their site. They've had some amazing challenges and these are some of the layouts I did as a result of those challenges...





There was an amazing amount of talent over there and I think there were about 23 women who completed all 4 weeks of the challenge. I got a phone call from Carrie on Monday to let me know that... I'd MADE THE TEAM! I'm sooo excited! They have 2 kits a month - Sugar (girls) and Spice (boys) and I'll be designing with the Spice kit.

Thanks for the opportunity and I'm looking forward to getting started and having some fun! You'll want to check out their site too because they're planning a crop right now!

Cheers,

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Today was the day!

**Warning - long post! Sorry!**

Well, some of you maybe already know, but we've had a some what sick little boy for a while. Kyle has had problems with his nose and breathing for a while now and we first though it was allergies and went for the testing and found nothing though they said we should come back and try again in 6 months. After the problem getting worse over the last year, I decided that I wanted to take him in again and see if we could get some more follow-up.

The local doctor that we take Kyle to has been absolutely fantastic and so on top of things. He sent us to an Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Specialist after ordering an x-ray of Kyle's head that showed enlarged adenoids and tonsils. The local dr put Kyle on a nose spray that he said the ENT would want us to try and sure enough, when we went, we were good to go in terms of a plan of action because of all the preliminary work that was done.

The ENT doctor pretty much said that at this point, Kyle needed to have his adenoids and tonsils taken out. His breathing was about 90% blocked by his adenoids and his tonsils were large and causing problems from the other side for his breathing. We made plans and actually got in earlier than we thought for the surgery.

Today was the day! He ate last night at about 10pm because we knew he wouldn't be able to eat today. He had cereal and went to bed. I couldn't sleep with all of this going on (as well as for some fun and exciting scrappy news I'll save for another post!) and finally got to sleep about 3am. George got up with the boys and Kyle could have juice and water until about 10am, but was pretty upset about not being able to eat (and this was true off and on all day!).

Mum came to watch Nathan here and Sophia was here as well so Tracy could have a little time alone with Matthew since Brian went back to work today for the first time since Matthew was born (see previous post!). We headed off for the hospital just before noon and as I was getting into the car, found out the batteries in my camera were dead. Came back in for the other camera only to get to the car and find those one dead too! Not my day!

We got there about 2 hours before the surgery like they had asked and got Kyle checked in. They asked me some questions while George and Kyle played in a little outdoor area for the kids. They did all his vitals and then got him to change in to hospital garb. We went down to the waiting room and had a social worker come and talk to Kyle mostly about exactly what was going to happen and what he'd see and feel. She had lots of pictures to help him try and understand what would be happening. We had been reading books and talking about all this at home too, so it was good follow-up.

We thought we had about a 40 minute wait still, so I popped out to get a drink and for an ulterior motive - batteries! I managed to find some at the gift shop in the hospital and bought the last 4 she had, so we do have some pictures though they're on the camera that's at the hospital still.

We thought Kyle would go for surgery about 2:20 and we got called about 2:35. He wanted George to go in with him, so that's what happened. After they went, the nurse came and got me and took me to the room Kyle would be staying in. George was back within no more than about5 minutes. Said Kyle was lifting up his arm and moving around a bit as they were trying to put him under, but that it happened fast. About 30 minutes after George came back, we were taken over to the recovery area to wait until Kyle came out.

Honestly, this next 30-45 minutes was the worst. Kyle was so upset and inconsolable. It was so hard to watch because you wanted to help him, but it was just all the drugs wearing off and him sorting out where he was. He had his teddy and blankie and I think it helped a little along with us being there. We could only be in there one at a time, so we were switching on and off for that time until he was ready to go back to his room. When we got to his room, he asked me to lay down with him, so I did. He'd already had a popsicle in recovery and was into them again once he was in his room along with some juice and water. I was happy to see that and surprised it happened so quickly.

We just hung out and watched Shrek for a while. I popped out and Daddy laid down with him for a bit while I called Kyle's Nana and Grandma to let them know how he was doing. I went back in and was there until dinnertime when I thought I'd better come home and see Nathan for a bit and pick up a few things.

By the time I got home, mum had made dinner, cleaned the kitchen and even cleaned out my fridge! I told her she shouldn't have, but she said every time she went to sit down that she couldn't - nervous energy! I sure understand that! Thanks mum again for everything!

I had dinner here at home with her and then we picked up something for George for dinner and got Kyle and Nathan a Slurpee. Mum, Nathan and I headed up to the hospital for a little visit and were there another hour or so. Nathan got to play with Daddy and Nana and I got a Kyle visit. I was happy to see him in reasonably good spirits though still hungry since he couldn't eat anything still tonight! I know he'll be eating whatever they ordered for him on his breakfast tray!

We popped over to drop Nana off at Tracy and Brian's and Nathan and I came home since Kyle has to be in the hospital overnight and wanted Daddy to stay with him. I'm looking forward to seeing them both in the morning! And we're just hoping that after a week or so that Kyle will be feeling better and that this'll make a big difference for him and his general health in many ways!

Cheers,

Monday, August 04, 2008

Welcome to the World Little Man!

This is my darling new little nephew, Matthew, who was born a week ago Sunday (July 27th)! I was lucky enough to be there for his birth along with his Daddy and his Nana! You can see from the picture below that he's a pretty good size and he's as cute as ever! And I'm a very proud new Auntie.



His sister, Sophia, seems to be adjusting to her new role as big sister very well though she's had a few "moments", shall we say, in the last week or so too! A big change for everyone, but they're all figuring it out and doing well. I love nothing more that a cuddle from one of these two! Well, unless you count a cuddle from one of my boys maybe!

Love you Matthew...
Cheers,