Saturday, November 19, 2011

Winter... It's finally upon us!

It's been a while since my last post.
Between busy summer days, .. kids, picking, family, friends, chores, household and family duties.. PLUS the help of a computer not cooperating with the Blogspot website.. it's been hard to get back on here and actually post something!

This summer I was busy picking blueberries and some raspberries.. Made some Blueberry and Raspberry Jam.  First time for both of those so that was really exciting for me.  I spent a couple weeks picking blueberries too to help my family out, as they were short pickers.. Good to get a couple extra dollars in my purse. 

But here I am.  November 19th.  The day before my birthday.   I can't believe I'm actually turning 26 tomorrow.   An age that my younger sister considers old... my how I've changed in the last few years.  Now I don't even consider 50 to be old!  It's amazing how a mind can change over the years.

Went to a Womens Swap today.  Hosted a table with my Mary Kay, and some clothing items for women.  It was too bad.  The event venue was very nice, there were a few other vendors, plus a ton of women with tables of clothing and accessories.  But unfortunatley for us, people were too busy to attend.  I think the weather was partly to blame for that.  One of our coldest days here so far.  It was -1 in the morning and 0 during the day.  And I think with December just around the corner people just didn't have the time to come on by.  But it was still a nice event just the same and I was glad to be apart of it.

On the scrapbooking end of this blog I am going to post one of my newest cards that I made for my sister-in-law. She loves horses. And with my Create A Critter cricut cartridge I created this adorable little birthday card. I was quite pleased with how it turned out.


Sunday, August 21, 2011

It's been a while...

I realize I have not posted in quite a while.. not because I did not want to, but because my computer was not allowing me see my blog.  It was very frustrating.. but now with the help of Google Chrome, here I am!  There has been so much going on this summer.  Trying to catch up on scrapbooking, picking blueberries at my parent's farm, caring for the kids, cooking, baking, etc. etc. etc.  The list seems endless.. did I mention the LAUNDRY?  I don't think there is ever a moment that the laundry is fully caught up on!  Always more and more and more.

Here's just a few pictures to enjoy as I catch up on sharing!



Blueberry Jam!
This was a first for me and it was delicious!  I made about 14  or 15 jars I think..?
SO so so so YUMMY!

Fresh Blueberry Pie
(close up)

Fresh Blueberry Pie
Homemade crust and just all around delicious!
The perfect summer dessert.  I picked the berries myself.


Delicious Raspberry Jam.
I don't think I'm going to buy jam ever again.
It's easy to do yourself and it tastes so much better.
AND you don't have to worry about any little friends either.
(made about 5 jars)

Welcome card for my cousin and her newest addition to her family, a baby boy!
I enjoyed using different paper laers and embossing the white.  Tying with a ribbon
and using the snail from the Create 'a' Critter cartridge.

This card does not have a home yet, but I loved making it!
Some of the blossoms are raised with tiny pop-dots and the yellow is embossed
with my cuttlebug.  Tied with a sweet ribbon and bow it was complete.
And to finish off this post for today I wanted to share a verse that I have had on my mind as we prepare to get our daughter dedicated to the Lord at church in the next month.  She is a year already and I realized between switching churches we never felt at home enough to do this.  But now that I think we've found a new home church we're ready to pledge in front of our church family that we will raise Her in God's word.  And they can hold us accountable as well as her accountable as she grows.  She is not ours but God's and we are so blessed to have her as our daughter.


Isaiah 54:13  All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.


Numbers 6:24-26 The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.


Monday, May 16, 2011

Having Children

I want to have a big family. 
I myself was from a large family.  Not as large as some, but with 4 sisters and 1 brother, people always found our numbers to be quite alarming at times.  But it was fun.  No, we weren't always happy with each other and we didn't always like "sharing".  But I truly believe it taught me to not be so selfish.  Things were never about just me.  And I had to share everything.  I didn't have my own room until highschool, once my 2 older sisters were married and moved out.  And we always stayed connected.  Family dinners, family trips, family devotions.  It's amazing what a big family life can do for you.  We never had to be alone in times of sadness.  When my sister was in the hospital with a rare sickness I don't know how we could have done it without the help of every member in my immediate family.  Yes, we had close relatives who helped us out a lot as well, but they couldn't always be there, and it was a stressful time for all of us.  But we pulled through together and remembering back I can't imagine what it would have been like if my parents had not had 6 kids.    Now starting my own family I see the value in having a big family as well.  And recently my sister has been telling me how having children really keeps a person more grounded.  And it keeps us from spending money and time on "our wants".  Because we can no longer care just for ourselves, but instead for our children and our family.  And we must give up all superficial acts.  There is no room for this when raising children, especially in a Christian home.   There are definitely sacrifices to be made when you commit to having and raising children.  And I am more than willing to do this, no matter how hard it gets and how discouraged I may feel at times, this is something I Know is important.

A verse that I just read today really spoke to me.

Psalm 127:3-5
Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one's youth.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.
Children are blessings from above.
They give us stress, fear, love and joy.  And the Love and Joy really do outweigh the Stress and Fear. 

And the following I read on "Raising Arrows" blog today... I must share it with you. 

It is vain for you to rise up early,

To sit up late,

To eat the bread of sorrows;

For so He gives His beloved sleep.

~Psalm 127:2

I’ve never been a good sleeper.  Perhaps I don’t require as much shut eye as others or perhaps my mind is so keyed up it is hard to shut it down, or maybe it is simply a matter of one too many cups of coffee at night.  Whatever the reason, I tend to

sit up late.

And then there are those resolutions to do better.  And doing better in my world means I will

rise up early.

But an equation that looks like this:
sit up late + rise up early
always =

One Sleepy Mommy

So many, many things to be done.  So many, many thoughts to be thunk.  So many, many hours of being the ever-vigilant mommy, the one who does it all by staying up late and rising up early and
eating the bread of
snappiness
irritibility
grouchiness

sorrow.

Again, UNLESS the LORD is building this house, all my many hours of labor are

in vain.

All my sleepless nights and sleepy days are

in vain.

God never intended that I sleepwalk through my life.  He never asked me for overtime.  He gave me 24 hours, and in those 24 hours, He gives me

rest.

I am His beloved.
You are His beloved.
We must stop cramming our lives so full we can no longer see that in His divine providence and mercy, he has given us time enough to

labor

and time enough to

rest.
 

Friday, April 15, 2011

ABC Country Restaurant!!! :D



My Caramel Macchiato!

Mmmm, the foam
was soooo good!
Went out with the girls last night for my cousin's birthday party, so much fun!
One stop was all we needed, ABC Country Restaurant.  . . .  You're probably thinking... "Really? ABC?"  And I will respond with "YES".   But don't get me wrong, not all ABC Restaurants have the amazing dessert and coffee menu that this one does.  This one has a multiple specialty drink selection.. ranging from smoothies to iced fraps and macchiatos.  Multiple delicious flavours too!   And the dessert menu NEVER disappoints either.  There are assorted berry pies, Cream Pies, Bread Puddings, Chocolate and Peanut Butter pie Desserts and Ice Cream pies too!  The options are almost overwhelming as they have pictures of everything and EVERYTHING looks so good!   So after some hemming and ahhhing.. My choice came down to the Caramel Macchiato and the Mile High Lemon Meringue Pie!  And I was seriously NOT disappointed in the least.  The pie really was a mile high! And my drink was huge, for such a good price too!

Plus, as an added bonus, since we had a celebration happening, this particular restaurant offers a picture card for the birthday person!  They bring out their camera and take a picture of us at the table.  And then later they mail the picture card to the special guest of honor.  So in this case, my cousin!  Such a fun and memorable evening out with the girls.
Mile High Lemon Meringue Pie
It really couldn't get much better!
And I have yet to know how they get that
Meringue to be so high!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Happy 6th Year Wedding Anniversary

Mmmm, next time I will make some
raisin ones too... so good!
Today is my Anniversary.
I met the love of my life May 2004 and we married April 9, 2005.
We met over the phone while I was doing phone surveys and we instantly clicked.  So we arranged to meet.  Being on the more cautious side I agreed to only meet him if he came to my church on Sunday.  I gave him the address and the time and went from there.  Little did I know that he would actually show up and we would become inseparable.   6 days of seeing each other we became official and started dating as a couple. 

Today to celebrate we were going to leave the children with my parents and go out for dinner.

But unfortunately my hubby is extremely sick and our youngest child has a fever. So today has become the caring mother and caring wife day ..

For a special treat this morning for breakfast I made us all crepes, with Nutella, blueberry sauce and whipped cream... and a side of Eggs.

Following our delicious breakfast the hubby and kids went into our sitting room to watch tv and chill.  And I stayed in the kitchen to clean and then I proceeded to make Blueberry Bran Muffins and Hamburger soup. 

Later in the afternoon I even managed to make a belated birthday card for my brother-in-law.  So at least I can say my day has been quite productive. 

Now here's to hoping we can celebrate next weekend instead!  :D

My newest card.. Made the tree from the
Hoot'n'Holler cartridge, and I made the presents
which I raised with pop-dots from the Stamping cartridge.
Embossed the blue background and used a grassy pattern
for the bottom... While tying it all together with a ribbon as an accent.
And I finished it off by applying clear sparkle glitter glue to the dots
on the gifts.


Friday, April 1, 2011

More of my Creations...

Pure Elegance... Embossed background, bordered in a dark  brown, cut out tulips that are raised with pop-dots.
Tree branches and a material flower with brushed silver brad in the centre.

Can't get enough of this snake. Raised with popdots, decorated with glitter glue and mini white brads for eyes.
Vertical card, Green print background, blue embossed strip at the bottom and white textured paper on the side with ribbon and 3 square blue brads as accent.

Isn't it the cutest?

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Yesterday was the first sunny day in a while. It was beautiful, so off we went to the Zoo for some good outdoor fun.  And feeling a little creative I decided to create a cute little card using my Create A Critter cricut cartridge for a friend's little boy's 3rd birthday party.  With the help of my son in picking out which critter to use, I came up with this! 

 The balloon had 3 layers.  The black shadow, green balloon string and the orange head.  Finished off with mini black brads for eyes.  Isn't it fun?

The card I chose a simple pattern, textured white paper to trim the bottom and used the green pattern ribbon with blue square brads.

Both balloon and snake were raised up with pop-dots to add some extra dimension.
The snake was really fun.  4 layers of fun.  Finished off with the glitter and white mini brads for eyes.  Isn't he the cutest?  Ssssssss!!!

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Remember When It Rained...

... Josh Groban ...
Need I say more?  I just recently found out that he was coming to town!
So I rushed to the ticket website and found out he was only coming for "one" performance!
Last time he came to town I had just had a baby so I was not able to attend his concert, but this time I will be home free!  Unable to contain my excitement I quickly contacted a close friend of mine to see if I had a date.

Sure enough, she was all game too! So we quickly purchased tickets.  I am so excited!
But I have to wait a couple months before he arrives to serenade us with his music ... But at least I have some time to start listening to his newest cd and become familiar with all his songs.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Serenade

Good Evening to you Night-Birds!
Well, today has been a long day.  Or a long week.  But either way we received some sad news about my cousin's daughter this evening and it has made me sad and worrisome.  But as a God fearing woman I know it's wrong to worry, so with small prayers throughout the day and the support of other family and friends I am able to stay positive.  And I know that whatever happens God will bring us through, happy or sad.  And blogging... well this has become a place where I somewhat get away from the stresses of life and post things that I enjoy. 

Tonight I am going to post about these cards that I made recently. 
My newest creations that make me smile.  Left blank on the inside for any occassion.
~Joy~

Using the "Serenade" Cricut Cartridge, I cut out and put together this beautiful little bird.  The blue background on this card is embossed with the cuttlebug; and the brown ribbon and a white ribbon bow.. which I think really tie this card together.  The bird is raised with pop-dots on white textured paper framing the green print that is cut with a side punch to scallop all sides.


~Pure~

This card I embossed the leafy background on a green shimmer paper and framed it in brown textured paper.  The brown ribbon and tie hold it together nicely.  The bird again is made from the "Serenade" cartridge and I added paper flowers to add extra dimension and peacefullness.  Finished off with a mini white brad in the center.  :D


~Serene~




Monday, March 7, 2011

Stampin' Baby Girl!

Hello! 
My sister just had a baby girl... she is beautiful, a precious gift from above.
We just had a baby shower for her this past weekend to celebrate her arrival and cuddle the little darling.  My sister's 3rd child.  We love parties.  That is why we have baby showers for every baby in the family.  To celebrate the little life that has arrived and since in our excitement we all buy gifts we figure why not have a party too!  Just another fun excuse to get together with family.  *heart*  :) 
baby shower card!


Here's a card that I made for the shower.
I just received these awesome stamps from Stampin-Up!
So I stamped the heart vines at the top twice, then I stamped the heart grass at the bottom 4 times at 2 different levels.  I used the Stamping Cricut Cartridge to make the baby carriage and used textured pink paper and purple glitter paper for the shadow behind.  Raised with pop-dots and decorated with brown and pink ribbon and bow at the bottom it was complete!

Welcome Baby Girl!!!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Everything Cards..

Hoot Hoot Hooray!  Hoot'n'Holler Cartridge.
Brown Ribbon/Bow from Wal-Mart.
I used my Cuttlebug Embosser for the top Green.
And i used me EKSPunch to scallop the bottom.
Glitter on the writing and the owls eyes and chest.
Hello!
I realized this morning that I have been too crazy busy and that I haven't posted anything in a while... well, I have a few things to share, so today I am posting 3 cards that I recently made using an Owl from the Hoot'n'Holler Cricut Cartridge.

A birthday card I made my brother.  Using Hoot'n'Holler.
Glitter on the cute owls eyes and chest.  I raised with pop-dots.
Also, I embossed the small green background behind the owl for more dimension.  And finished by sewing on buttons for more style. 

You're A Hoot... Also a Hoot'n'Holler card..
Featuring my new Red Ribbon from Wal-Mart!!
And once again, the owl has glitter eyes and chest.



I don't know about you, but I just can't get enough of these Owls.  I will be trying more styles as the cartridge just has so many options!  I find this great for kids especially... and some adults too!  With the right textured paper and your own personal style and flair, you're sure to make fabulous creations with this Cart!  

Monday, February 21, 2011

Big Lovable Pooch!


Meet our puppy Sinbad.
Isn't he the cutest?  We have had him for almost 1 year now and we couldn't be happier with him.
He will be 2 years old this June... but to us he will always be a big over-grown puppy.

He's fun, playful, adorable and a BIG cuddle-bug!
He would be just as happy just to sit on your lap and get belly rubs and hugs... but as you can see.. he's not exactly the size of a normal lap-dog.   A wee bit too big...

But we love him!   It was my husband's dream dog growing up, a Bull Mastiff.
Don't those eyes just melt you up??
And to see him sprawl on the grass just always makes me smile.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Happy Valentines Day!

The children were napping so peacefully this afternoon I actually got a spare moment to make some cards for Valentines Day!   Valentines Day being tomorrow I figured it might be nice to actually do something special.  My husband isn't really one for the Hallmark holiday, but I love it.  There's just something sweet about doing something special for that special person on this one particular day.  Not that we shouldn't do something special for the people we love every day, but I love it just the same.  I still remember the Valentines Day together with my husband just before we were married. I wanted it to be so special, so I wrote and cut out 100 reasons why I liked and loved him.  I made him Lasagna and blueberry pie and had heart candies scattered across the table.  Candle-lit dinner and all.  It was so romantic... Yes, I have a bit of a romantic side... Anyway, here are two special cards that I made this afternoon as I remembered those special memories from 2005...

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Mmmmm... Cheesecake!

YUM!

Turtle Cheesecake

Thursday I was making special preparations for some company the next day.


Triple Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookies
Yes, Friday I was having my parents and my younger brother and sister over for dinner.  So, to make our evening a yummy and memorable one I decided to make Rouladen for dinner.  A German dish.  This is something new to me.  I have only made it once before, but it was surprisingly delicious!  Thinly sliced pieces of beef, so very tender.  Wrapped up with Mustard, Onions, Paprika, Garlic, a Carrot and a Pickle!  Sounds a bit odd?  But tastes wonderful!  

For dessert I made 2 options... Triple Chocolate Chocolate Chip Marshmallow cookies and the main dessert... Turtle Cheesecake!   (the cookies were mainly so my husband would be happy as he does not like cheesecake at all.)  Yes, Cheesecake... Yum.  Caramel, Yum... Chocolate, double YUM! 

Friday finally arrived and everything tasted fabulous.  I was just so very happy that everything turned out.  And just before dessert I quickly whipped up some homemade Whipped Cream to enjoy with the cheesecake.    Everyone especially enjoyed the Cheesecake, (except my hubby).  And I have to say I don't think I'll be going back to AfterThoughts or any other dessert coffee shop for that matter!  I just don't know if there's ever going back to buying it again! 

But alas, from my busy last few days I'm exhausted... Maybe next time some relaxing card making will be in order. 


I hope my pictures don't make you drool too much! 


a slice of the yumminess
Rouladen
yes... pink, blue and white marshmallows... why not, eh?



Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Music can change your mood!

What's one way you release stress?

For myself..  it's scrapbooking, dancing, playing piano, and nature walks. 


It's amazing what those four things can do for me. 

For instance, the Piano. . . As I start playing music and as I listen to the flowy melody everything just starts to melt away.   All the tension in my body seems to flow right out my finger tips.  Now, I don't play professionally, so don't get thinking that I'm some amazing piano pianist.  But it just often surprises me what happens to my mood when I have a good 15 minutes un-interrupted alone time with my piano.  

Monday, February 7, 2011

Sleepy Days...


Do you ever get that feeling like you just haven't slept? 
Or maybe it's because you really didn't sleep.  I often wonder this.  Especially when I wake up without feeling rested. But that seems to be the norm for me lately as I have a 3 year old boy and a 6 month old daughter.  During the day I often look outside, hoping for some sunshine, but who am I kidding?  We live in a high-chance of rain climate.  Not saying we don't get sunshine, but today was the average winter rainy day.  My son had been sick since Friday, so all weekend.  But my first glimmer of hope was his fever was finally gone this morning! YEA.  Finally.  Sometimes it feels like the light at the end of the tunnel is just a little bit too far away, and then out of nowhere it suddenly appears!   SO, as soon as my daughter went down for her afternoon nap I thought I would spend some time organizing the stack of over 400 pictures into piles... One.. My Photo Album,  Two.. My Son's Album,  Three.. My daughters Album, Four.. Scrapbook pile, and finally Five.. Picture Frame.  Yes, this is taking a LONG time to sort through.  But the end is in near sight and I'm feeling better about my day.  I also made a card to share.  What do you think?