A catch up .....

It's only been a week and yet seems as life is picking up some speed and becoming a mash of one thing after another. Before my update ~ I want to send out a sincere heartfelt thought to my friend Christine, who recently lost her dear sister ~ there is alot of pain and sadness in her life and my heart is thinking of her. A few of my friends have lost dear family members of late ~ and others are fighting battles, life is so so precious ~ and everything can change at a moment's notice, so I trully hope that all my dear friends are pulling what they can out of life, and really living. Hugs to you all.

I had a chance to enjoy some living myself lately ~ last weekend my dear friend Kelly ~ from Memories in Motion ~ asked me last moment if I would be willing to travel to Hinton with her to help her teach some classes, I literally jumped at the chance to get out of the city and do something a bit different. And the benefits of the weekend are still with me. :-) First we traveled out to Thorsby to the Strawberry Community Hall (such a sweet name for a hall don't you think?) and then to the Heartland Inn for a short stop as well, Kelly did her thing by offering the ladies there a chance to shop in the mobile store ~ her big Lime Green Van is a welcome addition to any crop day or retreat ~ and we were greeted and welcomed in both places warmly. Then on to Hinton! ~ we again were greeted with much warmth and excitement, and we soon got into the two classes that were planned for the evening ~ a canvas class and a Christmas chipboard mini album ~ I had a great time with the classes, for my first time teaching this type of event ~ it was a definite positive and came away with avenues how to improve the experience in the future. We didn't finish teaching till after 10 pm and then Kelly and I proceeded to stay up and chat till after one haha ~ believe me 8 am came early the next morning ~ Kelly spent a couple more hours with some of the gals shopping in the store, and then we were on the road again ~ exhausted but feeling great!!!

Then this Wednesday evening I went to the James Blunt concert with my friend Mel ~ oh my we had the best time, it was worth every penny of the ticket for sure. I love the sound of James Blunt's music ~ and he gave a great performance, and was quite engaging to boot! Mel started off my evening as well by giving me her bday present - she was in Mexico the week of my bday lucky gal haha ~ she gave me a delightful Memory Makers shoulder bag ~ perfect for evening crops ~ I love love love it!!! Such a thoughtful and timely gift for a scrapbooker on the go haha.

So it has been quite the week, haven't really gotten anything in my home accomplished ~ but that is what weekends are for!!!! I am hoping to maybe be able to join some friends at a crop put on by my friend Andrea of Scrapgetti ~ so going to have that as a goal in mind while getting things done. I also may have a chance to see an ex boyfriend of mine this weekend ~ so kinda a twitter about that haha ~ and my son has handball I believe this weekend as well ~ so it's looking to be a full and crazy weekend ~ just how I like them. And then to cap it off the 2 hour premiere movie for one of my fave shows ~ 24 ~ shows Sunday night, can't wait to get some more of Keifer Sutherland ~ yippeeeeee!!!!!

So I am wishing you all a fabulous Friday and lovely weekends - stay safe and try to do some good "living" this weekend ~ Hugs.

Been awhile .....

Wow so much has happened in life lately ~ that I would not even know where to begin. The most recent event is my son's trip to Cuba, almost :( ~ there trip ended up being cancelled on the account of the Hurricane that hit Cuba last weekend, so they spent 3 days in Toronto, sitting in a hotel room, and then came home Tuesday morning. I so feel for them all, it was crappy to have their trip ruined ~ but I am thankful that they were not already on the island when the hurricane hit. So the week has been a weird one, I had all sorts of plans made ~ ones that didn't include my son being around haha, and those have kinda gone by the wayside, but Go with the Flow is my new motto ~ so I am trying best to live by that. I have had so many friends/aquaintences go on trips in the last few months, has really made me double think just getting away somewhere ~ at this point a weekend in Hinton would be a get away. I don't necessarily have to cross the border.

My bosses are going on a short trip here soon to Vegas, and I am so happy that they are going to get away for a little bit of a trip. It's been a hard month around here, with the results of his latest scans coming back, and they not being good results, and actually news to shake us all to the core. A friend of mine recently lost her mother to cancer as well, my heart and prayers go out to her and her entire family. As well in our family we just passed the 1 year anniversary of my Uncle's passing of cancer last year. So it's been a very reflectful and sobering time in my life.

Recently went to the Scrapilicious crop in Sherwood Park ~ it was so great to be able to attend once again on a Saturday. Though I have missed the people I worked with at my weekend job, I don't at all regret the decision to stick to the one, and have my weekends back ~ it's amazing how it has changed my entire week, I think I took the time for granted ~ a new perspective on things is always good.

I so enjoyed seeing the product of my friend Andrea, she has started a company called Scrapfetti and the stuff is awesome! She introduced me to glimmer mist, and though this product may have been out for awhile ~ it was the demo to show exactly how easy it is to use, and the fabulous results. Of course I had to pick a favorite and then proceed to buy papers to match ~ will have to post up the results soon. I recently received a newer computer and while it is making life easier in some ways, I can't find my scanner driver and haven't figured out how to take a decent picture with my digital of my layouts, I don't have any kind of photo editing software ~ so I am hooped for the moment. So really I am busy creating ~ just can't figure out how to post any of it. :(

I will have to post pictures soon ~ have some recent ones to update with, and some nice ones of the crop at Scrapilicious.

Hope everyone is having an awesome week!

And another week starts ....

So much happening around me lately ~ and not all so great so I haven't felt like posting much lately ~ want to try and keep the stressing to a minimum ha ~ so for now I will just post up two Halloween layouts I did last weekend, first ones I have ever done. I have for some reason felt like scrapbooking Halloween of late, whether it's the cool weather starting ~ or the awesome Halloween colors out there that are drawing me I don't know but for now I will just post these two layouts ~

Time to be Thankful .....

I trully think that one of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving ~ The weather is beautiful (usually no snow quite yet), lots of sunshine ~ fall colors still to be seen, schedules usually even out from the bluster of summer ~ activities get going ~ sports and social related, life seems to settle a bit. It's easy to sit and be thoughtful about what in life makes you so thankful everyday ~ decided time my blog needed a bit of a list of what I am trully thankful for in life:

I am thankful for:
~ for my son ~ he trully is my inspiration in life. We have been a family of two for a long time, people come and go in our lives but I always know where he stands in mine ~ and it is a rock that I have held on to a few times.
~ for Sarah ~ I am thankful that Alex has found someone in his life that is good to his soul and that it is visa versa. I know many will say that they are young and have a whole life to live ahead of him, but I say it is great that he can have this amazing growing experience ~ and build the foundations of a strong and lasting relationship.
~ for my family ~ I am trully thankful for my relationships with my sisters, though we have all had our periods where one or more of us wasn't seeing eye to eye or were estranged, I trully have unique and special relationships with them all. Love them much. And the support my mom and hubby show for my son especially has meant the world to me, my family loves him and lets him know this, very important to me. My cousin Bonny, we finally saw each other again this summer after years of only communicating by letter and email ~ she has become one of my closest friends, and I am thankful that she is part of my life and that we are able to share openly with each other, she is good for my heart. My work family ~ especially my employers ~ Dave and Dale, have been a part of our lives for over 10 years now, and we all have lived through together ~ trials in our lives, triumphs in our days, and just simple day to day living, I am so thankful that I have been blessed by being drawn far away from my then home ~ to come and work for this husband and wife duo, I have grown so much.
~ for my friends ~ friends come and go, some stay ~ some get stronger, some change and become more of aquaintances ~ but it is an amazing experience to have them all in my life. From cyber to close tell all my secrets to friends ~ these men and women have all touched my heart in different ways, and continue to add to my ever weaving tapestry of life.
~ for the art of scrapbooking ~ it is one hobby/craft/art that next to photography has added so much to my life. Through expression and lovingly creating art out of special memories ~ I have been able to get through dark periods, celebrate more the good times, reflect on things I might have just brushed by, and meet amazing and talented souls ~ who if anything we connect by our love of pictures, memories, family, friends, pets, special moments, and love of art. It has kept the creative side of me alive, which has been instrumental in my growth and curiousity of life ~ and keeps me grounded and moving forward.

These are a few things I am very thankful for yesterday, today and tomorrow ~

What are you thankful for?

Hugs from me to you ~ I wish you all a Lovely Thanksgiving ~ however you spend it!

It's a thoughtful time .......

As we near the Thanksgiving holidays ~ it magnifies the thoughtful aspect of the day ~ usually this time of year is a time of reflection for me ~ summer coming to a close, fall is my favorite time ~ where I find myself being more aware of the outdoors and my surroundings more than any other time of the year ~ kids back in school, events, activities ~ starting up or ending ~ etc etc etc. At this time my thoughts are constantly pulled back to my amazing bossman Dave and his family ~ for those that are close to me they know how close I am with my employers and their family ~ basically we have grown together. When I came to work for them my son was just a young boy and now he is a young man, I have been here for over 10 years and really my employers and their family is my work family. I have openly discussed how 2 years ago when Dave was first diagnosed with cancer and started his fight, how it affects everything ~ from the inspiration that he gives me for all that he has gone through, his amazing mind set for what he is still going through, and his facing reality of what is to come ~ he is an amazing man. Since his cancer has come back earlier this year ~ and he had to go back into chemo treatments ~ it's been a long go, the treatments this go around have taken alot more from him, strength, health, his hair ~ we have come to dread his chemo weeks knowing the days to follow take such a toll on him, completely drag out everything he has and beats him up ~ it's a hard time. This week is his last chemo treatment for this go around, which in itself brings all sorts of stress ~ next week scans to see if the last go around has done enough damage to the lesions so they can operate ~ or if his care from this point forward will only be pallative ~ I feel like my heart is twice it's size lately, with the ache I feel for them all. Last year I lost my dear Uncle Harry to cancer, he also had a long and difficult battle ~ and I struggle to understand how to come to terms with this very cruel disease that robs people of their lives and affects everyone around them.

I have friends that are also dealing with a loved one being ill with cancer ~ and my heart goes out to all ~ and my thoughts and prayers are with them.

Only Tuesday ......

and wish it was Sunday haha ~ so I could sleep in a bit and stay in my jammies if I wanted to. Not feeling so hot right at the moment, have this sinus / head thing I can't shake, and so hoping it does not progress any further. Headaches, earaches, neck aches ~ and feel like my eyes are going to pop out of my head from the pressure ~ ha lovely picture eh?!

So haven't been doing alot of scrapping ~ I did go out to a crop with my friend Kelly on Friday night - it's so nice to be able to just sit and chat and scrapbook together ~ she usually has her mobile store with her that she needs to watch, but at these crops ~ no truck so she is able to really join in and we get some great catch up time. I did do a layout and will have to get it scanned up ~ one of my sister's kitty ~ Zoe. It was nice to get out to a crop again, it seems like it had been a very long time.

Wish I could join the gals this weekend at the Scrapilicious crop ~ but this Saturday is my last day at my second job ~ so I will be working, I am glad the crops and activites to get together have started up again this fall season, and I will look forward to hopefully joining some of them again for the November one :-). I have joined in a small hostess group for Close to My Heart for the next 6 or so months, with some ladies I have never met ~ just the organizer ~ Micheline, briefly at a crop weekend, so I am looking forward to that starting up as well. Having little intervals of scrappy together time with other talented and fun ladies keeps my motivation and scrap mojo on a roll ~ one of the reasons I so love the site Creative Scrappers ~ Kristine has built a fun and always challenging group ~ lots to do and see, and always something you can comment on or plan to join in on. It's great, especially for those times where you can't get out of the house but would like to connect with the scrappy world and some great people. :-)

Now I just need to get rid of this little set back of me wanting to lop off my head haha, get feeling better ~ and I will be on my way to some good times. I hope this little update reaches you all in good health ~ hugs.

Last Night's Challenge .....

Creative Scrappers had the montly 1 Hour Sketch Contest last night ~ and above is the layout I did of my niece Carys ~ little sweetie.

I totally love the challenge of getting a sketch and then completing it in an hour! It has really challenged my scrapping skills and how I think about getting layouts done, now have completed a few of these challenges I realize it does not have to be so over-thought, scrapbooking I mean, and that I can create something I love without having to pour many of my precious hours into it, so I have lots more time then freed up for even more scrapbooking and doing other things I love to do ~ watch my tv shows, read a book, or just chill with family and friends!!

:-)

Okay Okay I give .....

I have been tagged a few times here, and I will try and get to them ~ going to start with the most recent tagging from my friend Kristine haha, and get it done ;-)


I love Sundays ~ they are my favorite day of the week, at the moment the only day of the week I do things on my terms, at my pace, on my time ~ I am looking forward to a full weekend of this soon ~ but for now I will cherish my Sunday. Okay on with this tag ~


The Five TAG:


10 years ago I:
1. Starting a new job ~ one that I had just finished some post secondary education to do ~ went from retail to business.
2. Decided to make a big move into the big city, to be alot closer to the new job.
3. Was in the middle of issues with a relationship.
4. Had a eight year old son ~ and was dealing with the issue of finding him after school care.
5. Felt unsure of who I wanted to be, and where I was going.


5 Things on "today's to-do list":
1. Tidy my space - scrapbooking and household
2. Get at least one tag done haha
3. Go and watch my son's first Handball games of the season
4. Hopefully touch base with one of my sisters and maybe a friend
5. Look at my week ahead and do a little planning for it


5 Snacks I enjoy:
1. Hawkins Cheezies
2. Crispeas
3. Lungberg Rice Chips
4. Popcorn
5. Lara Bar - dates and nuts


5 Things I would do if I was a Millionnaire:
1. Buy my son and I nice reliable vehicles
2. Decide where I wanted to live and buy a house
3. Open up my own business
4. Help my family out
5. Go and do some traveling


5 Place I have lived:
1. Edmonton - Born and raised for the first 7 years
2. Fort Saskatchewan - mom's home
3. Fort Saskatchewan - apartment, condo, townhouse ~ with husband
4. Fort Saskatchewan - townhouse - on my own with son
5. Edmonton - condo, house and now again condo ~ my son and I


5 Jobs I have had:
1. Work Experience - Flower shop and then hired on
2. Different Flower shop
3. Fabricland - Asst. Mgr.
4. IGA - Cashier, Customer service, then Office
5. Business Centre - office work


Tag 5 Friends:
1. Laura
2. Mona
3. Tracey
4. Renee
5. Kelly F.

Rules: Each player answers the question themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment letting them know that they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person that tagged you know when you've answered the questions on your blog.

Okay now off to tackle some of the to-do list after I go and let those gals know I have tagged them. :-) (which I will have to do tomorrow as my computer at home won't let me, it's getting worse can't wait to get a newer one!)

Cheers