My baby is 2!!

Yes he is! I can't believe it has been 2 years since my youngest son came into this world. It seems like only yesterday that I was caressing a newborn and up 8 times a night to feed. Camden is still a cuddler (thankfully), but now he talks in full sentences and says he'll pee on the potty "soon."


All product by Imaginisce.

Starting a New Tradition

I picked up these empty old-fashioned latch-lid jars at a yard sale in the summer. They have been collecting dust in my basement since then. I knew I wanted to use them at Chrostmas - but for what? Then it hit me - jars of candy of course!! And not just for eating - decorating too!

So one day after supper we loaded the kids into the car and took them to the "Bulk Barn" to choose some of their favourite candies to fill each jar.
After what seemed like 3 hours worth of deliberation, we came home with $35 worth of this:



Then we set to filling the jars. I am sure more candy was eaten then landed in the jars!!








Once the kids went to bed, I took those jars and I made them into decoration. I promised the kids they would be able to EAT after December 25th, until then, the candy had another job to do!!

This is the shelving unit in our kitchen dining area. It was built by my hubby's grandfather many, many years ago. I'll admit to changing its colour, and I love how it has become a display area for all of my pretty things.



After an hour of transformation, this is what I came up with:



See the candy jars? I like the retro country look that I have going on here. I think it is rather like the "Farm Girls" Christmas!

CPS #194

What a simple sketch, eh??

There is SO much one can do in the empty space at the top. I had all of these glittery chipboard shapes from a few years back and decided to use a few up doing this:



Now, to whom will I send this card??

Card Patterns #91

Here is the sketch for the challenge at Card Patterns this week :



And my take on it (using October Afternoon- a personal fave!):



Thanks for looking!!

Our New Little Friend

Have you ever seen this??



It's an "Elf on the Shelf." She arrived in the mail from Santa Claus. Our little lady elf spends each day with us, keeping watch over the kids. Then every night, she flies back to the North Pole to visit Santa to give him an update.



Each morning the kids search the house to find her because she finds a new perch everyday after returning from the North Pole.



They aren't to touch her though. That diminishes her magic.
She came with a story book reminding the kids of all the "Elf Rules."


We've named our elf "Cricket" and she is playing a key role in our home in the weeks leading up ot Christmas!! And yes......it does change the kid's behaviour!!

2 Sketches for You Challenge: Let it Snow!

Another quickie post. So little time, so much to do!

This is "2 Sketches for You's" sketch of the week:



And my card using product by October Afternoon:



Thanks for looking!

CPS # 193 - Happy Holidays

I figured out a few nights ago that I need to make 6 more holiday cards in order to have enough for everyone on my Chritmas card list.

What better reason to join in on some card sketch challenges!
Here is Card Position Systems' sketch of the week:




And here is what I came up with :



I really like how this printed journaling card from BoBunny made it easy for me to create a "wreath" on my card.

Thanks for looking!!

One Last Touch of Fall

Hi all!



As we do every year we took the 3 kids to Springridge Farm to pick out our pumpkin for Hallowe'en. We explored the rows and rows of pumkpins and had a quick snack from the bakery- chocolate lollipops and chocolate-covered rice krispie squares! Yum!


Do you see those warty pumpkins in the picture above? They are called "Peanut Pumpkins" because their "warts" look like peanuts close-up. I just think they are gross! Everytime I see that pic, my skin crawls. Ewwww...



Thanks for visiting. Next time I'll be back with a Christmas post!

Getting Cozy....

There is nothing I like to do more this time of year than to sit down with a cup of tea, a dramatic TV program (Flashpoint is my fave!) and get my 2 knitting needles clicking.

I learned to knit when I was 5 because my mother is a knitting fiend. When I say fiend I mean there is only one place she does not knit - and that's church!

I have knit for myself, but lately I have stuck to smaller projects like baby sweaters and hats and mitts for my 3 kids.

Recently I took this:



Clicked these a few hundred times:



And made these:





Afton loves the crocheted flower I put on hers.

Not bad for a couple evening's work, eh??

Finally Fall!

I have been taking Autumn pictures for weeks and I finally got around to scrapping some of them! I ADORE the colours and patterns in Autumn scrapbook paper and embellishments and I had built up quite a collection. So without further ado.....







These pictures were taken a on trip into Toronto to visit High Park. The kids loved the zoo and the awesome play structure. It was designed by the children of TO and is the coolest medieval shaped playground I had ever seen!







I met my friend Julie ( Hi Julie!!) at the conservation area in my hometown. We took the opportunity to catch-up while our children frolic-ed in the leaves. I love the photos I was able to capture this particular day. Check out those pics of the trees!!


I'll be back tomorrow with so more Autum layouts. Please come back and see!!

November Design Team Projects

Another month, another group of projects created for my design team job at The Scrapping Bug.

This month our kit was based on Imaginisce's "B-day Bash" paper line. I didn't have a lot of birthday pics to work with so I used the paper in other ways too.




My mother knit this red sweater for Bryn when he was just over a year old. Apparently, my sisters and I had the exact same one back in the 1970's. I guess all styles come back, decades later!! In this layout, there are pictures of all three of my kids wearing the sweater - Bryn in Fall of '05, Afton in Fall of '07 and Camden this fall. Now that my kids are grown out of this favourite sweater, I am going to hold onto it for my nieces and nephews ( whenever I get some!!)



The whole family was together at Thanksgiving. As has been the norm over the last year, we cherish these family get-togethers in which my father is still present. We "Celebrate" every moment with him!!



I did have THESE b-day pics from Kevin's 35th in August. I never got around to scrapping them back then. I guess I knew deep-down that I may need them THIS month!


My 2 sons have birthdays in the next month. We are having a combined 6th and 2nd b-day party for them in early December. In preparation I made their party invite and some cake decorations. Check those items off of the party planning list already!!

Get Sketchy - # 61

I really liked the curve shape in this week's "Get Sketchy" sketch. I modified it a bit by using this pre-cut journaling card and overlay by Making Memories. I threw in some red ribbon and machine stitching to add to the Christmas feel.

Thanks for looking! Please leave a comment!

Little Red Wagon - "Hearts"

This week's challenge at "Little Red Wagon" was to use hearts in your creation. I rarely use hearts (except at Valentine's Day) so this was a bit of a "thinker" for me.

My photo was taken on the 3rd day of school this year. By then , Camden had decided that his big brother and sister's backpacks were pretty cool. He insisted on a "ba-pack" too. In went his blankie and a HOt Wheels car and he was off to daycare!!


All products by DCWV.

Inspirational Card Sketches #88

I turned the sketch on its side and worked with circles instead of squares. I love this paper, already printed with circles. I just punched them out and used them as the sentiment and the embellishments.

Looing forward to seeing REAL cardinal, soon, in our neck of the woods!





Happy Holidays! : )

Sketchy Thursdays - "Happy!"

Just a quick post for "Sketchy Thursdays'" weekly sketch contest. I took this sketch, rotated it a bit and threw in some darling pics of my little lady blowing bubbles.

Here is the result:



All products by BoBunny.

For Kari and Avery

My dear friend Kari sent me a picture of her daughter Avery wearing a striped hat I recently made for her. Isn't she the sweetest thing??



In her attached note, Kari called me her "Domestic Heroine." You are too cute Kari!

So in honour of this new nickname, I will post the latest cookies my kids and I prepared for Thanksgiving weekend:



Scarecrow Cookies!

My hubby said they looked like snowmen until I pointed out the straw peaking out from under their hats! Oh well. Whatever they are, they are pretty darn cute!

What do you think, Kari? I am living up to my new name??

Mwah!!

September Project 12

This month's sketch for Project 12 didn't have enough places for pictures so I chose an alternate sketch by Becky Fleck in order to present my photos. I used the "Pasta Fagioli" line by Jillibean soup.





Thanks for looking!!

Little Red Wagon and a Cute Little Owl

The inspiration at Little Red Wagon this week was this cute little Owl that Regan found on Etsy:



When I saw this crocheted owl I immediately thought of the crocheted hat my mother made for my youngest son.



I used several items from The Scrapping Bug's October kit and I completed the whole layout in 25 minutes!! When I am low on time, I can scrap like a speed demon!