Wow time is just flying ....

have to say not sure how to slow things down at the moment, but I am looking forward to at the end of this week once again getting together with the gals and scrapbooking and laughing the night away at the Urban. We have a few things to celebrate too, so we should all be a bit giddy ~ our miss Dawn will be celebrating her bday, and our lovely Tammy we can celebrate her upcoming ~ Birth day ~ her precious number 5 on the way. Very exciting, I think this especially because it's not me, hee hee sorry Tammy ~ honestly now that you have the "goof" troop more in your life, you need us ~ well just call ~ hugs to you.

Life for me has been a bit hectic, unfortunately I have a silly sinus head cold that I can't seem to get rid of, but not that it is slowing me down much ~ when you need to do well you just do hahahhaha, maybe this sinus thing is making me a bit addled haha. Well I was very busy being one of the organizers for my Community picnic last Sunday, that was a bit of a trial at times but in the end I think it went off rather well, we had a lovely day and those in attendance had a great time. We had our AGM that following Wednesday, and well a couple of you know the issues I have been going back and forth with being a part of the League haha well on Wednesday I stepped up as President. Lmao if I wasn't busy before, I will be now ~ but it is a good busy, because I trully have a strong will to make my community a safer and better place to live ~ I may not have small children anymore but I believe healthy and happy children are a base for a safe and fun community, so willing to work towards that.

Again so looking foward to Friday night and scrapbooking with the gals, who I happily call my friends as well, they now more than ever provide that safe and fun haven I need in my life to regroup and come out stronger and ready to deal with the rest of it.

Life is so full of ups and downs ~ but it is so much better when you have good people in your life to share the ride!

Cyber Hugs to all my friends today!

Urban Gals

Okay this is frustrating haha, can't add anymore of my summer pictures yet haha ~ so for now will just add some of a write up to this one ~ this is a group picture of the gals that were scrapbooking and visiting at the Urban on the 24th of August. Most of the group is our new Circle Journal group and a couple friends added in for spice! Another evening full of lots of laughter and ......... well laughter haha. We hope to get together again on the 21st and I can't wait !!!

The group ~ bottom row from left to right:

Me, Tammy, Kelsey and Dawn

Top row from left to right:

Trisha, Anam, Lea, Marguerite, Janine, and Ki

Missing in action: Sweet Andrea and Cori

:-)

A little more scrapping done :-)

Last weekend when I decided to go and join my mom and Ron at the lake, by myself ~ my ds had plans with his girlfriends family ~ I also decided to bring out my scrapping stuff. I had just gone to the Urban crop the night before so my stuff was still a packed, had started cutting flowers out for a layout I was thinking of, but had no plan ~ so anyway decided to take all the stuff out with me. It was so lovely and relaxing, the day was not really warm or overly sunny, so it was a great day to set up on the picnic table and dabble with my scrapbooking stuff and sit and chat with my mom.

And this is the result:

And also I decided to change up this layout I had done recently to make it more my own, I just felt it was a bit unfinished, I love it now :-)

Doesn't she have the sweetest smile? So fun to scrap my little niece is!

School soon to start ......

Yippeeeeee! that is what I say to that haha, I will be glad for September to roll in and life to take a bit of a slow down to more of a routine. There is some huge concerns in my life about people I care about right now but also I have some awesome things I am involved in, so it is a balancing act of late the emotion side but I am trying to be as positive about things as I can be, life will continue to tick on won't it?

I am pleased on a whole about how well the summer went, and on we go ....... I am now starting to countdown the days until my 40th Bday in November, yep yep the big 40 is upon me. Somedays I can not believe it, where did all those years go? slip by me? ~ Have I enjoyed them enough? ~ well don't know about that, but I do intend to spend more time enjoying life and learning about me and what I need to be happy in the next 4o!!!!

I have so enjoyed getting together with the girls and going cropping at the Urban a few times in the last months, those nights are full of laughter and just a total de~stress time for me. Laura, we are planning another meetup at the Urban on September 21st, not sure if this would fit your schedule at all, but I would love to meet you. I need to get my butt down there and register myself, it fills up fast and I should have done so at the last crop night ~ yikes. Some of us are also planning to be at the first Scrapalicious in Sherwood Park on October 6th, which is a Saturday ~ it runs from 12-10pm.

I can't stress enough how awesome it is that Tammy had the great idea of starting up a CJ between a bunch of us gals ~ stressing this is a new experience for me, I am enjoying the idea already. I got to meet some new friends at the crop at the Urban on Friday night ~ from our CJ group ~ Janine and Cori. Others Lea and Ki ~ and then the rest of the gals I know and have met before, or cropped with, or coffee~d with :-) Tammy, Kelsey, Dawn, Marguerite, Trisha and Andrea ~ it was great to chat with everyone a little and looking forward to doing some more cropping and visiting together. Love the idea of it being a hand off journal, because then it all becomes even more personal ~ and we get to visit with each other too! In fact it has me so hooked I think I am going to do another one, that is in the process of being organized ~ haha sites, blogs, facebook, circle journals I am hooked. :-)

It also has inspired me to think of doing a very special gift for my grandparents ~ I usually don't do the give away scrapbooking gifts ~ but scrapbooking an 8x8 album for this CJ has inspired me ..... so more to come on how that goes.

Scrapbooking and the friends I have made through this art have become a very important part of what I consider to be the "good" in life and what keeps me trucking. So on we go ....... story to be continued haha.

Have an awesome Wednesday everyone!
hugs :-)

P.S. ~ oh and if you haven't yet ~ if you get a chance to browse the new Canadian Scrapbooker magazine that just came out ~ there is an awesome article on pages 126-127 about my friend Kelly's business ~ Memories in Motion, awesome article. She's such a super STAR!!!!!

whirlwind life .....

Well of late life has been just a whirlwind ..... so many things happening and I am just trying to keep up with the flow. Tonight is the crop at Urban Scrapbooking and I am so looking forward to it, I need some down chill time with the gals ~ though I think I may cut out a bit early (as I am so tired not alot of cropping will get done tonight) and join my friend Kelly-Ann for a bit tonight as well, as this is her last night in our fine City boo hoo. She is now officially a Cow-town gal haha.

The visit with my grandparents was so great ........ still brings tears to my eyes, for though the circumstances were not as happy, we so enjoyed each others company. I love them very much, and miss them so ~ need to figure out how to make a few more trips to the coast than I have ~ so calling out for road buddies haha, have one so far need a couple more and we could go on some more fun spontaneous trips. :-) Anyone have family at the coast they would like to pop in on? haha. On the last night they were here I forced haha, yes forced my family outside and took some pictures, so as I have a stone-age camera not sure how they turned out yet but crossing my fingers. I had my son take some really nice ones of me and my grandparents, being the scrapbooker I am, already planning the special page to showcase them on haha. :-)

I finished my assignment for my friend Kelly and her company Memories in Motion ~ I was her Guest Designer for the month of September Kit - The Oodles of Doodles paper line from Upsy Daisy ~the kit was a fun challenge and I managed to do it some justice, she was pleased and that's what I do it for. :-) Go to http://www.memoriesinmotionscrapbooking.com/memshop/
to see more about her awesome company.

One of my layouts from my work done for Memories in Motion: Go to my layouts to see the rest :-)

She also wrote a touching note about me in her blog ~ she is a sweetheart and a good friend, I am so glad we met and are bound to be good friends for many years to come. :-) http://mimscrapbooking.blogspot.com/

My friends are both leaving for Calgary, my grandparents are once again home, my Guest Designer assignment done, stayed up till 12:30 last night finishing up my Circle Journal ~ and crop and visiting tonight to do and really I am about done in haha. Saturday we are going to join my mom at the lake for a bit and just relax, chill time and do nothing, so so looking forward to it, time to regroup, relax, and rejuvenate.

And then jump into another week. Starting it off with a bit of fun though, a friend of a friend has started up our LNO (Ladies Night Out) night again ~ that is Monday. It is really a fun time ~ get to meet new ladies everytime and just sit and visit for a few hours, I love it and looking forward to seeing some old friends and meeting some new.

Well I am sitting here typing and typing in order to try and stay awake today hee hee, so tired ~ at the crop tonight I will be the little scrapper sleeping in the corner hee hee.

Hope everyone has a lovely and safe weekend !!!!
Hugs :-)

Flying by .....

this summer seems to be ~ just whizzing by, but I do have to say that on the whole I have tried to enjoy this summer more ~ and really take stock of what makes me happy. I have been in such a thoughtful mood lately ~ almost a funk, so much happening in life ~ ups and downs that somedays it seems almost overwhelming to put things into perspective. It's been such a long time since I have updated my blog that I don't know where to begin ~ so maybe a few of the sad out of the way first. Cancer ~ such a sad word that really has been tearing families apart around me lately, including my own. My dear Uncle is now at the end of his fight with his cancer, it will be a matter of weeks now, my grandparents arrived yesterday to spend some time with him, and while it will be wonderful to see them (it has been a few years) it is also sad that this is the reason for their visit. I really find it harder to watch how it is affecting my mom and my aunt ~ I don't see my uncle as he is just too sick now to want visitors at all (outside of my grandparents and his siblings) and I feel for them. Of course I know many people who are affected with the very same thing happening in their families, and I say a silent prayer for all ~ the saddest thing I think to say is that it is the way of life ~ cruel but so true that you can not find many families not touched in some way by this illness.

My son did not get to go on his trip to Germany, as it had to be cancelled at the deadline date in June ~ it left alot of disappointed kids, coaches, and parents ~ but we have all gone on with our summer plans, slightly changed haha, and there will be other opportunities in the future. My Alex has filled his summer, he has a new girlfriend ~ and she has been welcomed into the family and he has been in hers, it is good to see him with someone who they realize the value in treating each other well. He just got a new job as well, and will be joining the working force soon ~ though he won't be working alot of hours with school and sports once again starting, it will help him save towards goals and give him a little spending money.

I am sad to say one of my close friends, Kelly-Ann, is moving away this weekend to Calgary. I feel a little lost letting her go, haha like I had a choice ~ but we are going to try and keep in close touch and with both of us determined I am hoping it will be a success. I was so happy to be able in the last week spend some really quality time with her, and I am going to miss my "kick up my heels" and go dancing partner in crime, but she promises she will be back for regular visits and we will go from there!

Let's see on to some happy happy things:
I have been getting out and spending some quality time with friends, and scrapbooking divas that make me laugh. Last night had coffee again with Dawn, loved it ~ we have a good ol' catty time hee hee, actually I just feel very at ease with her and we spend the time just relaxing and chatting (complaining hee hee maybe) about our kids haha, or just sharing stories of their wild (and sometimes crazy) ways, and dreaming up some fun stuff ourselves. Our little coffee diversion evenings have become a real treat, and I love being able to sneek away for a couple hours and just chill ~ and then last night she sent me back to work haha. I was able to visit with my good school friend Tammy the other day, she is down visiting from Calgary ~ so we went out for supper and a good long catch up, I have managed to get the woman on facebook ~ but as she isn't totally comfortable with her computer yet she is still a learner :-) Which is alright ~ she is getting more and more into keeping in touch this way, and it is certainly nice to do that.

I have recently taken on a Circle Journal with a circle of friends, my very very first one ~ so while a bit nervous, I am also totally pumped and getting into the idea. A few of the gals in this circle journal I have attended a few crops this summer with, and they have been a hoot! Much needed down time and lots of laughter ~ I am looking forward to getting to know the other gals that are joining us in the journal, and also to the crop next Friday night to do our first PASS OFF !!!!!!

I also have been invited by my friend Kelly and her DT Co-ordinator Patty to be a guest designer for Kelly's site Memories in Motion and her new kit of the month she has started up. Check out her new and awesome site !!!!
http://www.memoriesinmotionscrapbooking.com/memshop/

So I am very nervous about this as well, but it is nice at this time in my life to have some fun and interesting things to be involved in. Scrapbooking really for the most part calms me and makes me happy ~ and we can all use a bit of happy in our days I say!!!!

My mom and her honey Ron bought themselves a nice 5th wheeler this summer, and my son and I have been able to join them at the lake a couple times this summer ~ that has been heaven. I really have enjoyed those weekends, they have also been instrumental in keeping us all sane and happy ~ as they are so relaxing and just away from everything. I love it, and it makes me wish I had a little trailer of my own so I could go out even more, hhhhhhhmmmmmmmm maybe something for me to plan for in the future!

Well the summer has been full ~ and school is approaching and then I hope that life settles into a calmer routine ~ but again we take it all as it comes.

I hope that you are all enjoying your summers,
hugs
Sherri :-)

Another couple completed

my little bit of fun this weekend -

Here is a bit of my fun this weekend, I had a good time actually doing up this little layout of my niece Carys, though as usual it took me a while. You know I have to place things here, place things there, until it is just right haha.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Canada weekend, mine was full of activity and fun stuff. On Friday night I went out with some friends of mine to Oil City Roadhouse, a new country bar here in the city, thought why not maybe kick up my heels for a bit. Well it was a great place and I kicked up my heels for almost the full four hours we were there haha, blisters the next day to prove it haha. It was actually alot of fun to just dance the night away, I really can't remember the last time I did that. We will go back. Also we found this awesome find, a "cocktail" (as in Cruise) bartender in a country bar!! I think he was so happy when I asked him if he could mix me up a martini, he put on quite the show, and tossed, turned and flipped me a great drink - it was fun to watch him. I would love to go to a Flair competition - I love that kinda stuff, such talent.

On Saturday night my friend and her husband in Ardrossan invited us out in the evening for a bon fire, so my son, his girlfriend and I went out for the evening - again a great time. Played a little volleyball (well I tried haha) and then sat back and enjoyed good company and a roaring bon fire at the back of their acreage. It is very cool to - is that they are (well yesterday in fact) getting 3 Alpacas for their back lot, haha I was bugging them about starting their own petting zoo.

On Sunday Canada day - my son and I headed over to where my sister lives just off Whyte Ave here in the City, and spent the afternoon and evening with her. We did a lot of walking, went over to the Legislative grounds (well where we ended up) then walked all the way back, had a late supper, and then walked down the hill to go and watch the fireworks, I sure enjoyed them - up close and personal. So many people for sure, funny how we will put ourselves out for a 20-25 min show of sparkling lights isn't it haha.

On Monday I was beat, had blisters (from Friday and Sunday) back sore and aching all over, so took it pretty easy. Finished up the layout above, and then went in the late afternoon and met Dawn for a coffee, that was awesome. I was happy she accepted my invitation and hopefully we will be able to slip out in the future more and do that kind of thing.

I am so looking forward the the 13th - going to go a cropping again with a couple of the gals to Urban Scrapbooking, I had so much fun last time - and even if we do end up being a bit calmer haha, it is so much fun just spending some good quality time with friends.

Well that is my little speel for today, I had a great weekend and I am hoping all yours went well - take care!!