katelynjane's notebook

I've Moved!

2008-05-15T12:02:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to check out the new location of this blog! While you're there, enter the contest I have running! Just comment on the "Contest!" entry over at the new site!

Hope to see you there!

New Blog + Prizes = Amazing :D

2008-05-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

I've made a decision. It's a big one, I know. And I'm a bit nervous about it. What if I lose my readers? What if it's NOT better?

I'm moving my blog. Yep, over to Wordpress.com. I didn't know when I was starting a blog that I should look into different blog sites first. I just boldly went where it seemed everyone had gone before me. Blogspot. Now it seems as though this isn't the place for me, it was a good start, a good intro, but now it's time to move onwards. To bigger better things. (Don't kill me Blogspot workers!).

And to make it official, I'm having a contest! Check out the new blog! I can't wait to pick the winner next week, so leave your comment and cross your fingers!

I'll be checking into this blog still now and then, but please change your links ect to my new blog since that will be my base from now on! YAY!

And please don't leave me! I really have appreciated all my readers here, your comments, encouragement, advice and smiles. So please follow me over to Wordpress!

Starting Fresh

2008-05-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since I've taken the time to write a good entry here! Shame shame! But I really had a great relaxing time and I feel refreshed and ready to get back to "real life". I definitely don't regret taking those extra days off work or lazing around watching Grey's! I feel like my normal self again!

Lately I've been wanting to just live to grab the bull by the horns, to run in the wheat, to live life fully. I've always wanted to learn Karate, for some reason it's been a life goal for me...I'm not sure when it started or why even, but it's there.

Last week I visited a Karate class with my sister. Our friends were trying to set her up with one of the black belt dudes there...it didn't work, but at least I had an excuse to tag along and see what the class was like. It was intimidating. A lot of shouting "os" whenever the teacher said anything, running laps, push-ups, huffing and puffing, sparring, hissing through their teeth...I just watched. And I loved what I saw! It looks scary, tough and sweaty...but in a super good and challenging way.

I need an updated work out. I go to the gym, jog for half hour, do weights (holy crap did those lunges ever hurt the other day!!) and it's all fine and dandy, but I need something to spice it all up. So I'm going to join Karate. As soon as I cancel my gym membership. I can't afford them both. Maybe I'll post my first picture of myself on here in my Karate outfit. My husband says it's not an "outfit", that that's a girly word, but really...I'm not sure what the real word for it is.

I had made it a goal to become a black belt by the time I was 30...but since I haven't started yet and I'm 24...I'm not sure that it's going to happen.

Anyone else ever tried a martial art? What was your experience like?

Long Weekend

2008-05-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been a few days since I've posted, guys! I am still here, live and kicking, but since I'm in the middle of jobs I decided to take a few days off and relax! Yesterday I suntanned, did yard work, read my book and watched Greys Anatomy. Today I'm off for lunch with the girls, reading some more (hopefully I'll finish my book!) and of course more Greys. I'd also like to dig up more of the garden while I have this free time.

I seriously love staying home like this! I wish I didn't have to work, that I could stay at home and keep house and garden...but unfortunately, that's not possible yet. Maybe soon.

In the mean time, I'm posting this new Leona Lewis movie for you to enjoy...I get goosebumps everytime I watch it!

Gotta Have a Sheltie!

2008-05-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

My husbands going to hate me, but I was looking for a Sheltie again...We just got Cobie, our German Shepherd seven months ago and even though I love her to bits, I've always wanted a Sheltie. I'd especially like to adopt one from a shelter, I love the thought of giving an "unloved" pet a home and making them see they are loved and special. I'm such a sap, but it's totally true. When we had our other dog, we'd foster dogs from the SPCA in order for them to get out of their little pens. I loved taking them home and watching them play and giving them cuddles.

I found this site for adopting pets that I've become addicted to...and I came across a Sheltie in our general area that I'd love to take under my wing. I especially love her color and her cute little face. Some people don't like the sheltie's faces, their slim nose and beady little eyes. But I love it!

Guest Blog

2008-05-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

Damien was kind enough to offer several guest blog spots on his blog, I guess I made the cut 'cause he posted my entry (:

Today is my last day at this job! I gave them several days noticed, which I thought was quit nice considering how I've been treated. I can't wait to have a few days off and be able to regroup and relax. Hubby is trying to take the day off tomorrow too so that we can spend time together, go shopping, sleep in, and just enjoy a long weekend together.

I have several job offers, so I'm not worried about that at all. Which is nice. Really takes the stress off even more!

Speaking of inspiration (that's what my guest blog entry was about), I checked out some faves on another blog and here's what I found! I'm totally into color lately, I think it's because I need it...spring still isn't here although the grass is JUST starting to turn green...but I need color to make me feel alive lately!

Inspire Co. Blog
Inspired Ideas
Born to Fly

Just a few of the inspiring sites I've visited to give me my daily dose of color and drive!

Blog #2!

2008-04-30T14:06:00.001-07:00

Don't forget to check out my other blog, the "tester blog"! It's a little more personal, but that might change as the days and weeks roll on!

I'd love to hear your comments on the posts, the set up of the blog and what you think of that site compared to this! I'm just fiddling around with it right now, but in the future, I might end up perma-blogging over there...we'll have to see!

Let me know what you think!

~Memories~

2008-04-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Damien's post got me thinking about my childhood memories. It's funny how they stick with you so strongly, isn't it? There's the good and the bad, the funny and embarrassing.

The other day I was reminiscing with my parents, I can't remember what the memory was that I was talking to them about but my mom looked at me and said "Katie, you were three when that happened".

I remember peeing my pants (I was younnnng!) right before my mom had company, she told me she thought I had learned "by now", set me up on the dryer and made me wait there until her guests were comfortable. I remember calling out for her...I think she had forgotten about me, you know how that happens when you get distracted. We were living in our first house at that time, so I was probably around two.

My Dad can remember when he was nine months old. He was laying in his crib when his mom and her sister walked into his room. He can remember what they were wearing and what they said. He told his mom this later on and she couldn't believe him. Apparently, the only time her sister had visited was when he was nine months old.

And of course, as summer draws closer (I'm sticking my tongue out at all you lucky bums that already have warm weather and green trees!), the memories of childhood summers start to come back. Remember when we used to run through the sprinkler at 11 at night because it was so hot we couldn't sleep. Or when we went for the family reunion on the coast and picked arrow heads off of the beach. Or when I threw that pine cone under someones car as they drove past and they backed up and reamed me out. Or when our neighbor brought gigantic cookies over. Or when we got our first puppy....

I love memories. It's crazy how specific smells or songs bring them back...that can be good or bad.

What is one of your favorite memories?

I think my favorite memory is riding with my dad on his motorbike, an old candy apple red Norton. We'd ride for hours, until I was nodding off to sleep on the back. Dad would be asking me if I was tired, and I'd say no because I never wanted to get off the bike. When we'd pass people, I'd put my hands on my lap instead of holding his waist because I knew it looked tough and cool. I'd look at the kids in the vans and be like "yeah, they think I'm awesome". But it's being with my dad and riding that bike that are the best memories.

2008-04-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

This morning is a GOOD morning! The sun is bright and hot, the sky is clear, the job front is positive!

Yesterday I handed out some more resumes...well, it ended up only being one because I walked in and they wanted to interview me right away...and then they offered my the job! The position is a Events Coordinator Assistant for an Entrepreneur center. From the description of it, it's just my cup o' tea, creative, professional, enough contact with clients etc...it sounds fun but still "a job".

I phoned the company that I had an interview with before, told them that I had been offered a job but wanted to consider their position before I made a final decision...they'll be calling me back this afternoon.

Another thing that has me excited is Tara's comment on my post below. Her tips and encouragement were super awesome and she also made me aware of a consignment site, How To Consign. I checked the site out and for those creators out there who are looking for a way to get their products into the hands of sellers, not only in their own towns, this site is worth checking out!

By the way, I went to the green house on the weekend, like I said I was going to...but apparently the Foxgloves won't be ready for another month or so. Shows how much I know about flowers. But I did end up getting some great...flowers...I tried to be pro and remember the names, but I couldn't. Their pink and purple...does that help? :D

Creative Cravings!

2008-04-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get that feeling that something great is going to happen? It feels the same as when you have a word on the tip of your tongue but you can't quite remember what it is. I have this feeling today. I feel anxious and excited and really have no idea why! It could be about that job interview I had last Thursday, or maybe it's something more on the creative side. Maybe I'm about to make it big with KatelynJane...Maybe!

I've been reading through my blogroll, focusing more on the inspirational and creative blogs (which, now that I think about it, is actually most of them). I've been getting super excited to create something. I feel like there's something there, something at the edge of my mind that I can't quite reach, that will help improve my store, sell more, bring more business. I'm just not sure what it is yet! It's killin' me!

I want to go home, sew, create, brainstorm, promote...anything CREATIVE! I don't want to be stuck here in the office, trying to figure this paper work out.

Maybe I should just quit my job, go home, take a week to regroup and create and enjoy life and then pursue another job. Oh right, this probably sounds trite to you guys because I haven't been telling you what's been going on with my job lately. To put it in a nut shell: I've been on the edge of quitting for a week now, sick of being taken advantage of, and ready to move on to new adventures because of the "advantage taking".

Besides, my sister is in town this week! Wouldn't it be amazing to spend the week together, enjoying the beautiful weather, sipping Tim Hortons Coffee and venting about our mother? Sounds good to me! She has other friends too, so while she'd visit them, I'd be sewing! Perfect plan!

Now...to just to work up the guts to quit...

Consignment Attempts

2008-04-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend, like I said in my post on Saturday, I brought some of the Katelynjane bags to a local store. As soon as I had finished ironing them, attaching tags, and worked up the gutz to actually go, I drove down, took a deep breath and asked for the owner.

To make a long story short, she said that she normally doesn't take crafts that she tries to stick with vintage products and wholesale items from larger companies. Another point she made was that she has tried to sell bags before but they haven't moved fast at all. She said to let her think about it and to call her early this week...so we'll see what she says then, but I'm not too hopeful.

That's what I get for living in a small town (: There's one more store that I could try, but I'm not sure if I'd want to sell my bags there, so we'll see.

Drag drag drag. I was really hoping the first store was going to take some of my bags!

Oh well, next goal!

Thanks for all your best wishes for this attempt though! It was really encouraging!!

I'll write more later...after I have my coffee (: Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Saturday Sun and Feature!

2008-04-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

Goodmorning all!! It's a BEAUTIFUL morning where I'm at, I hope it's as sunny and springish whereever you are!

It's so hard for me not to find amazing stores on Etsy. Everytime I browse through the site, I find a couple more that I add to my list of faves. KMCdesigns is no exception. It's filled with these funky wallets and bags....all made from Duct Tape!!(Wouldn't Red Green be proud?). Their prices are super cometative and totally worth it for their unique products. Their style is totally in!

I'm headed out today to bring some of my bags to a local store. I'm hoping to meet with the owner and be able to sell my bags at her store. I'll let you know what happens. It's all part of my promotional plan! I'm not so concerned about the amount I earn from my bags being in this store, it's more about getting exposure.

Then I'm off to the greenhouse to see if they are selling Foxgloves yet...I'm hoping to plant my garden on May Long Weekend and I need to add to my Foxglove bed.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far! It'll only get better!

Spring Cleaning

2008-04-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

I went through my Blogroll this morning, cutting out all the blogs that either didn't post very often or I had lost interest in. You know what amazes me? Blogs that don't consistently post entries seem to still keep their readership. Their entries, that they do eventually post, aren't really that enthralling...but they still collect tons of comments. I don't get it.

So anyways, my blog roll is now a tad smaller and I'm sure, as the weeks roll on, I'll work up the courage to delete a few more. There are some that I've kept hoping that the authors will suddenly appear, respond to comments and post more entries.

Do you ever get perturbed if a blog author doesn't respond or even acknowledge your comment? It's understandable if they have a huge amount of comments, but if not, it's sure nice that they acknowledge their readers. It just shows appreciation for the readers loyalty, I think.

I've also decided to start taking small advertisements on my blog. See where I have Beaumont displayed? He's the orange Pocket Pall at the left, under "Creative Ads". I'll be running ad's there, for bloggers and other creative minds. At first I thought that $15.00 was a good price for a two week ad...but then I was told that it was too steep a price considering my lower viewer rates...so for now, I won't be charging.

If you're a blogger and are interested in trading ad's, let me know! I'd love to display your blog. Please feel free to email me with "Creative Ads" as your subject and we'll see what we can work out!

It's finally a gorgeous spring day outside! I get so excited when we have days like this, I can't wait to dig in my garden, plant more flowers, get my hands dirty...and of course work on my tan! (: But then I always get a dose of Canadian reality when it starts snowing the next day. It's supposed to be at least +14 this weekend though, so hopefully...HOPEFULLY!!!...Spring is officially here!

Team Trials

2008-04-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

You know, I have a huge soft spot for kids. It probably stems from being an oldest child and having a big part in raising some of the younger siblings. And of course this all stems into my love for my hockey team.

Every week something happens at ball hockey, either one of the kids acts out, they tell us something that's just out of the blue, or I get a chance to really level with them and have a good conversation. Last Monday was no exception.

Us coaches always meet after the games to chat, brainstorm on what to do for our teams, talk about the games and see where we can help each other out. This past Monday was a jaw-dropper.

One of my fave players, Joe, had been looking sad all evening and I asked his coaches about it. He was usually not like that, usually he was playing hard, a bit cheeky and had a smile. The coaches didn't know anything, but the manager told us this story:

Joe's birthday had been the week before and at the last minute his mom had invited a couple friends to come and play at the Youth Center. It turned out that only one friend showed up. The dad brought the friend in, gave Joe his gift, left him there to play and came back half an hour later. When he came back he saw that his son was the only friend there, he snatched Joe's gift from him (already unwrapped), grabbed his son and left. Joe sat in his chair, obviously stunned, and cried.

Joe comes from a pretty good family, considering the other families we deal with at the Youth Center, but it's obvious he doesn't get the attention he needs. We're not exactly sure what it is, but there's something lacking there. So to see something like this happen to him is super hard. It's got to be so traumatizing!

As soon as we heard this, we all turned to each other "You free next Monday night?", "Yep.", "Good, I'll bring the cake, you bring the balloons. Invite the team, we're having a party for Joe". We're going to surprise him, it's going to be so awesome! We're going to set up a game of blacklight ball hockey, watch a movie and enjoy some cake! I seriously can't wait to see his face, he's such a sweet kid with a really great heart.

Martin Verdict

2008-04-22T15:05:00.000-07:00

By fluke I stumped on this article about Brenda Martin's verdict this afternoon...poor girl got a guilty sentence but at least she might get the "double credit" in the Canadian jail she gets transfered to.

The thing that confuses me about Ms. Martin is that in each photo and video of her in prison she has makeup on, jewelery and pretty nice clothes...hmm...

Treasury Westness!

2008-04-21T12:00:00.000-07:00

Got another one (: I'm on a roooolllll!

If you want a dose of Spring, take a gander at the items I Treasured!

The Big Rant

2008-04-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

I was watching TV last night and finally figured out that if I unhook the useless cable cord (since we don't have cable anymore) I can get two more channels. Figure that one out. The channels were just starting the new hour of shows and since Opera's "The Big Give" was on, I decided to stick with it.

At first when I had seen the ads for this show, I was weary...the thought of the show seemed good enough, contestants competing to give the most to others. Nice right? Sure. It seemed a bit weird to be COMPETING to give stuff...but they were giving things, so who's going to complain?

My fears were confirmed when I watched this finale. Three contestants were left, a beauty queen, a young millionaire and a dad of three girls. On this last challenge they had to work as a team to come up with their "Biggest Give".

During the course of this episode, the three "teammates" fought, batted for "who planned what" and who was going to get the credit for what, stomped off on their own, and then didn't even show up for the reveal of their "Give". This, to me, is completely missing the point of the giving. Completely.

Giving is to give, not because you're in a competition to give the biggest, not because someone might beat you and give bigger, and not because you friggen have to to stay in a game. Giving is supposed to be from the heart. I understand that it's a show, that it can't be completely from the heart because they're competing...but then isn't that missing the point? I mean yeah, by the end, they are all enjoying giving to those kids, providing that money etc. but the intitial thought wasn't "Wow, those kids need us, we should give them _____." The initial thought was "Quick, these kids are in need, let's give them a ton of money and a good experience and hope that it's enough to impress the judges".

And then. THEN. At the end of the show Opera says "none of these people expected anything for themselves". Yeah. RIIIIGHT. It's Opera! As if those people thought "Opera is having this show, I'm not going to get anything out of it, but let's go on it to have some fun and give a lot of stuff anyways." I'll bet you my left foot that getting something, something BIG, crossed ALL of their minds because of the simple fact that OPERA, one of the most successful women in the world, was hosting this challenge. Duh.

Sorry, I'm ranting, but this kinda bugs my butt. I get it. I get why they had the show, to get people to see the joys of giving...but it also showed people that someone else will be giving too so you better give bigger than them! That's sad. That ruins it. The dad of three nipped it in the bud when he mentioned in the show that the conflict between the players was taking away from the joy of giving.

It all just seems completely backwards to me! The thought of it is good, giving is great, everyone should give, everyone should set themselves aside and give more to others...but that's not what these contestants were doing. They were giving so that they could get the glory.

I hope this isn't what our world is becoming. A world of greedy givers.

Brenda Martin: In Limbo

2008-04-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

Well, looking up the news this afternoon, I guess poor Ms. Martin will have to wait another week to hear if she is a free woman or not.

The poor lady! I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to wait for things. I'd rather people gave it to me straight and asap. I hate waiting for things! I can't imagine waiting to hear if you were to remain in prison for years longer or not! Crazy anticipation! I'd be bawling my eyes out.

Guest Blog!

2008-04-18T08:39:00.000-07:00

Damien just contacted me to say that he had posted my Guest Blog entry on his blog, Postcards From the Funny Farm!! Take a look and don't forget to leave a comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

How do you get inspired? What sort of things make you want to sit down and create something, or write?

For me, inspiration comes from family history, news stories, watching creation, and history in general.

Ok, speaking of news stories! There's one that I've been following that is finally coming to a peak today. Brenda Martin is a Canadian woman being held in a Mexican prison for apparently helping a crook with his dealings. She worked for Alyn Waage as his chef for 10 or 11 months and is being accused of helping to swindle investors out of millions of dollars. She claims to be innocent and has been imprisoned for two years unjustly.

Brenda's judgment has been promised to come today. There is no actual guarantee that it will, the judge has told Brenda personally that he hopes to deliver a verdict this afternoon. He isn't actually obligated to give one until the end of May though.

For some reason I'm excited to see the result of this trial. Brenda seems genuine to me and it's crazy how she's been held in prison for over two years now...with no proof that she even committed the crime.

I'll be posting the outcome of this afternoon's trial as soon as I find out.

2008-04-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

Within the next couple days my Guest Blog for Postcards From the Funny Farm will be posted (thanks Damien!). SO cool! I love doing guest blogs and it's even more of an honor when you're asked! Yay!

My GB is about inspiration, something which comes pretty easy to me...it's just a matter of using the right words. As I was writing the entry, it got me thinking about my family background and the huge amounts of inspiring drama that sits in that huge, knotted and ever growing family tree.

On top of the amazing story I shared in Damien's blog, there are many other family members that have left their mark in history. Both involving the family and influential people in history.

Uncle Burt, an engineer in India in the early 1900's, received a jewel encrusted sword for saving the Maharajah's life. During a tiger hunt, the Maharajah's elephant was confronted with a tiger. Seeing the elephant spook, Uncle Burt shot the tiger and thus saved the kings life. Unfortunately, all of Uncle Burt's possessions were sold or given away after his death as his wife knew she could receive a small fortune for them.

My Papa, my mom's father, saved his crew mates when he took charge of their boat and navigated them safely though deathly rapids. Papa's captain wrote to his parents and thanked them for the life of their son and described his amazing efforts to go beyond his position and save the boats crew.

It's amazing how so much history lays in your family, sometimes without been told. I look back and wish I had taken more more quiet moments with my grandma before she passed away, to learn about her experiences and past. Every time I see an elderly person, I think about the history, the stories they have to tell and I wish I could sit down with them and see what they have to say.

I've been thinking about taking a trip to the retirement home here in town to get to know some of the people there. It'd be amazing to hear their stories. Maybe I need to take the time to do that...

2008-04-16T09:09:00.001-07:00

Monday night was a hard one for me. I coach ball hockey for 9 - 11 year olds at a Christian youth center. My husband usually comes with me, but for the past few weeks he's been tied up doing Income Tax work for his Grandpa's accounting business. I don't mind going to The Ark (the name of the youth center) by myself, but sometimes it's pretty overwhelming.

This particular Monday night was tough. The team was playing amazing, it was so obvious that they had improved on their skills and they were really giving it their all. For some reason though, they weren't winning. The opposing team has several star players that play defensive and offensive really well so that may have had something to do with it. The boys were getting frustrated, which I can understand, but one player was taking it the worst. Our goalie is always tough on himself even though he's the best goalie in the league. As soon as we start losing he blames himself and wants to give up. It's so sad to see! Especially when I see his dad encouraging this behavior and acting in the exact same way. It's hard for me to watch because there's no reason for it.

I don't understand why people can be so negative. Obviously, I have my bad days, I have days where I could just sit and bawl or I get super frustrated with people or situations. But for the most part, there's always a little voice in the back of my mind saying "It's going to work out, just keep smiling, you're doing good". I don't understand why or how people can just give up. How can some people just slump down and completely give up? "Oh well, it's the second period and we're behind, might as well give up and go home"...why?? There's still one and a half periods to go!

I try my hardest to encourage these boys, to let them know that I see their improvement and that they're doing good...but in some cases it's just not enough. They have too much negative input at home.

I feel so sorry for some of these kids, their parents don't even give them a chance. I'm hoping, as much as I can't see the results right now, our positive attitudes will help them as they grow up. I hope that they can look back one day and see that we meant what we said, that they were amazing kids with huge potential and that if they just try, they will be successful. Because they can, I honestly believe that.

Getting Out There

2008-04-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

I decided a few days ago that it was about time I marketed my blog a bit more. I'm not here for huge amounts of readers or a nice cash flow, but I would like to make more people aware of it. A reader base that is a tad bit bigger than what I have now would be nice. I love the loyal readers I have now and really appreciate their comments, but I'd like to expand a bit more.

I've joined two sites now and am impressed with the instant results they have shown me. Blog Catalog was the first site I joined with. I wasn't sure what to expect and really just signed on to look into it more. I entered my info and checked out a few of the blogs and forum posts. I was impressed with the easy navigation of the site, and as I uploaded the widget code, I was also impressed with the views I have already received. I was expecting to have to earn my way into the community more before seeing views.

I joined up with Entrecard today and have already seen some results. I have a few clicks on my blog as well as a couple "Card Drops" recorded. Again, more than I expected for such a short time being on the site. One thing I didn't like about this site was that you need an exact sized image to upload for your avatar. Not that this is a huge deal, but usually sites resize them for you. I'll get over it once I get home and resize my avatar.

Forum posts for both these sites will, like all sites, help you become more involved in the community. Blog Catalog has groups you can join, which are along the same lines as the forum posts, only they are based on certain topics.

I haven't had much time to explore these sites, but from what I've seen so far, it's worth signing up...if only to see if the sites suites your needs.

Don't Offend the Blogger Gods

2008-04-14T16:21:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to change the layout here in my blog for a few weeks now...with no luck. It all seems so complicated with Blogger! I left a note on Damien Riley's blog about this, since he's been changing his layout several times. He mentioned that I might try Wordpress.com or Wordpress.org...I've decided to give them a try.

Don't worry! My account with Wordpress won't replace this one, at least not yet. I'll be updating this account as usual, just as if nothing has changed. But at the same time, I'll be experimenting with Wordpress. Just to see what it's like. Come on by and see what you think, I'd love to know!

And Another Week Starts...

2008-04-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

This weekend was perfect. I haven't had a weekend that relaxing or fulfilling in a long time, it was exactly what I needed.

I was thinking after I posted last time, how amazing it is that I can say "we don't usually go to government camping spots". Most people don't have that option. When we visited the Shuswap last summer, we assumed we would be able to camp out along the way. In our area, you can find unofficial camping spots wherever you want. Really. And it's not private property, it's the middle of the bush. But we had forgotten it wasn't like that down south. There's private property everywhere, no room for a quick camping spot and hardly even room to pull off the road at all. I consider myself so blessed to be able to go camping, drive half an hour and be in the middle of nowhere.

The weather was beautiful this weekend, perfect with the exception of a wind. It was so relaxing to sit around, warm by the fire, chat and roast wieners. We forgot the marshmallows, but as long as I have my M&M's I'm fine (: I had brought my book (The Other Boleyn Girl) and it turned out I needed it. The boys decided to abandon us for several hours (according to them, it was "a good half hour". HA!). I sat beside the fire, warmed my toes, ate my M&M's and read. It was so amazing to be able to read for so long, something I don't get to do (or don't chose to do) at home very often.

I'll post a couple pictures as soon as I take them off the camera.

Also, I've joined another bloggers community, Blog Catalog. Hopefully I'll be able to make some new contacts and be able to promote my blog more. It's just another way to build my blog up and hopefully make it more successful...while having fun!

How was everyone's weekend?

Takin a Trip

2008-04-12T10:58:00.001-07:00

My new laptop sucks. Well, it doesn't, it's cool, but the lack of RAM sucks. Sorry about not posting another post last night! I really did mean to and tried to, but this new computer isn't uploading pictures for some reason. And when it decides to, it takes half an hour. Maybe not quite. But too long! So I'm using my husbands computer this morning.

I woke up late today, read for an hour, just finished my bowl of Cream of Wheat and have to start preparing for camping. I have a love hate relationship with camping. It's so much fun when we get out to our camping spot, relax, quad around or roast marshmallows. But the getting there and the coming home really aren't my favorite things in this world. The packing and unpacking...I hate.

We have a remote camping spot that we go to every year. We've been attempting to reach a glacier three years in a row now, but each time something stops us. Last year we hit a lake that seemed to block our way entirely. I'm not sure that any path we take now will bring us to the glacier, but we had a lot of adventures trying to get there!

Tonight we're going to head to one of my favorite camping spots. It's an actual government camping spot that no one goes to in the spring and fall (which is great, because we love to camp in these seasons!). Usually we don't camp in "actual camps" because they really limit your activities and there's way to many people around. This camping spot is at the very edge of a river, surrounded by trees and we always take the spot at the end of the road. It's completely secluded and so beautiful. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to post at the end of the weekend!

Have a great weekend guys! I'll be writing more when we come home!

Blogs and Puppies!

2008-04-11T13:24:00.000-07:00

I was just looking through my pictures and came across this one of my pup the day we brought her home. She was so cute. So little and sleepy and cuddly. I wish they stayed this size!!

I just blogged over at Fuel My Blog, so make sure you take a peek and leave your comments!

I'll write more later! Thank goodness it's Friday!

2008-04-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

Shelly Tucker is a crazy lady...but a crazy lady I'm lovin' even more! She blogs over at "This Eclectic Life" and always has challenging entries...she's a blogger to look up to.

I just clicked onto her blog to see what was new and was blown away by what I saw. Talk about CRAZY! Shelly has taken up a challenge and is in turn challenging all us readers and bloggers to help her out. She's making a goal to send 140 kids to camp this year. That's $21,000.00!!! These kids will be attending Camp Sanguinity, a camp for kids with cancer.

If you feel the urge, that small little voice, to help Shelly and these kids out, check out her blog entry for more details.

Good luck Shelly!! I'm really rootin' for ya!!

Etsy Fave

2008-04-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't featured an Etsy store in a while and I found this great store yesterday. Somavenus has these funky journals or sketch books, covered with colorful collages and abstract art. I love it!!

One of my favorite things about this store is that they use their original photography to decorate the covers of the journals, not all of them, but some. And great prices! $30 bucks for a freaking cool journal. I think it's a great idea for a present for a teen, they're always so hard to buy for I find.

Ahhh Cloooothes!

2008-04-09T13:49:00.001-07:00

I just found this great site...I've never heard of it before but I think it's going to be my new shopping stop! Such cool clothes and super great prices! (I should be their sales person!)

Madder Than Mad Hatter

2008-04-09T11:14:00.001-07:00

My last few days at work have been filled with an irate client calling several times. "Several times" is an understatement, actually, she's called...probably close to 10 times a day for the past two days and is working up her call-count already today.

This woman has made my day. She's so steamed up, so hopping mad it makes me laugh. She has no reason for being this mad other than the fact that she loves to scream. She's the kind of person that thinks she knows everything and how it, apparently, should be done.

She's screamed at four of our secretaries now, each for at least twenty minutes, and has just ripped a strip off our boss. We've tried to tell her that we know what we're doing and we're doing the best we can, that our boss will call her back etc. She just keeps screaming and refuses to hang up. One of our secretaries finally set the phone down and continued with her other work while the lady screamed at herself for ten minutes. I was laughing so hard! I know it seems unprofessional, but we've tried every other tactic in the book, and nothing is working! She just wants to scream. So we let her scream.

Fuuuuny!

So tonight Krystal is coming over to work on her wedding center pieces. She's bringing two of her bridesmaids so hopefully we'll get a ton more of them done!

Treasury West! Horrah!

2008-04-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

Woootwooot!

I got a Treasury West! It IS easier!! Actually, before I had assumed that a box would pop up on the screen...like right in your face, to enter your treasury codes. It doesn't. It comes up at the bottom of the page. So I could have gotten it a treasury way before this if I had been aware of that...oh well though! Now I know!

Here's the link! YAY!!!

Etsy Attempts

2008-04-08T09:06:00.000-07:00

It's been three days since my last entry...what have I become?!

Have you ever tried to get an Etsy Treasury? I have. I've never actually been successful, but I've tried! I just lately found out that it's easier to get a Treasury West treasury, so I'm attempting to grab one of those today.

I've been working on more gift tags this weekend. I'm going to try renewing four items a day in my Etsy store, I hope it will bring more sales and views into my store.

This past week and weekend I've been focusing on getting more hearts and views into my store. One of the ways I have been pursuing this is by participating in the Etsy Forums more often. I used to comment all the time in there, but have been slacking in that department lately. I'm pretty sure that this is what brought several more hearts into my collection within the last couple days.

Last night I had a dream that I had sold a bag. I checked my Etsy store this morning and it hadn't sold...drag! I was hoping it wasn't just a dream...

7 Things.

2008-04-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by TwiddleStix with Seven Random Facts! I've done this before, a few months ago, but it was fun so I'll do it again (:

Here are the rules:
1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog. (Check!)
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

The Randoms:

1) I hate liver. I hate it. SO MUCH. Ewwww grosss SICK! Just the smell of it makes me gag. Gross but true.

2) I'm secretly getting discouraged with my Etsy store. I love the site, I love the sellers...but I hate the fact that I haven't sold anything in the past...who knows how long. I think I have interesting products, I always get compliments on them from other sellers and buyers, but hardly any sales! I'm not sure what's up with that. But yeah, secret frustration happening over here. I'm trying not to be discouraged, but the Glad Game is getting worn out.

3) I've always wanted to be a model. I'm not conceited, I don't think I'm amazing looking or that I'd make it big, but I love posing for pictures and getting "done up". I'd just love it if I could be a model. It's not a huge secret, everyone is always giving me a hard time about being so eager to have pictures taken. I'm not thinking "I look amazing today, someone should take a picture of me", I just think it's fun.

4) I'm so jealous of my sister. I know I have a lot in my life that is amazing, but she makes me so jealous. She's traveled, lived in Australia for a year, can move whenever she wants just because she feels like it, shops her butt off when she wants...I'm just jealous.

5) I was completely humiliated when I lost a tooth when I was 15. Who looses teeth that late?! It was so embarrassing!

6) I love family traditions. My family used to rent cabins at a lake during the summer and it made the best memories. I just love doing things similar every year. It's fun and it builds great memories. I hope I can continue that when we have kids.

7) I'm a very honest person. Something that really bugs me is when someone can't be honest back. It used to really get to me when boyfriends would break up with me for stupid reasons or lie about things. Hello! Just tell me! Yeah, it might make me mad for a little while, but I'd rather know the truth than wonder for months what I did wrong or what really happened. But it's not all about boys. Just in general, I would rather someone be completely honest with me, in a nice way, but still honest.

Ok, now to tag seven people (Seven?!):

I Heart Peonies
Snippet & Ink
Enjoy: {the blog}
a new one: Lucky Me!
Christy DeKoning
Paper Chick
Style Me Pretty

....now just to let all these bloggers know that I've tagged them!

Ever Changed Your Blog Layout?

2008-04-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking lately that I need to change my blog format. I tried this once and when I had a new code in the proper place, it told me that I would lose all my links if I didn't save them. Is this a hard process? Do I need to write down all my links and then re-enter them?

The reason I'm doing this is because I'm trying to find a blog banner that will STUN my audience :D Have you seen All Sort's banner?? SO AMAZING! I'd love to have something like that, something that wow's you as soon as you click onto the page.

I have a place for a banner on this set-up, but it's only at the top of my entries...and it just isn't bold enough or big enough for me. I don't want something huge, but I'd love something more noticeable.

I'm all about the flahsy-flashy.

Once I figure out how this goes, I'll write an entry on what I found out (:

Too Weird!

2008-04-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

OK. So like every other human on the planet (almost!) I have a facebook account. I'm on it constantly, checking pictures, uploading photos, commenting on friends walls, checking in on my groups etc.

Yesterday I received a short message from a girl I've never met saying "Hi, I saw your pictures on so-and-so's page and...I like you...that's all". I laughed out loud! This was kinda odd, but whatever (: We started writing and it turns out, she loves "my style", which I find a huge compliment. She lives like 13 hours from me. BUT then things start to get WEIRD! Like "Cool" weird. So, she found me through my cousin. I look at this girls page and it turns out, one of her friends from high-school plays Risk with my husband at least once a month. Weird coincidence because this was in a totally different town. To make things even WEIRDER she goes to church with my husbands aunt and uncle...way down where ever she lives...TO MAKE THINGS EVEN WEIRDER, she knows a girl that goes to my old church. Talk about a small world hey?? This girl and I live in two completely different towns but yet we have four connections. SMALL WORLD!

Etsy Banner

2008-04-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

I was working with an Etsy seller, Well Feathered Nest, for a custom banner for my Etsy store. She ended up giving it to me! How nice, hey?? Take a peek into my store to see the new banner!

Tryin' out the Gocco

2008-04-02T17:00:00.000-07:00

This first one is my number 1 attempt at printing on the Gocco. It's not bad, but there's dots of carbon around the actual image from the photocopy I used. Oh well, you live and learn.

I learned from the Gocco-How-To link I posted a couple days ago, that you can save your screens and ink by putting them in plastic and in then in the fridge (just like you can with paint rollers!). So I did that with both of these screens and I'll be using them again tonight.

These are my second attempts at Gocco printing. I had printed an image of these leaves but they came out super small so I printed several more, cut them out and placed them individually on a piece of white paper. I then imprinted them into the screen. I'm not sure if others do it this way, but it worked. The only thing I would suggest is that you somehow stick the separate images onto the plain paper. Some of the leaves burned to the screen and I was afraid of taking them off. I did, and it was fine, but I'm sure there was a chance of me making a hole in it. Don't want that!

I made three 4 x 6" cards, three 4 x 5" cards as well as a 30 page note book. All on one screen with one round of ink on it. And there's still more to use! I'm not sure how much further the ink will go, but it seems like there's a lot left on there!

I don't know if I'll keep these for myself yet, or sell them on Etsy...we'll have to see!

Once I build up my "stock" on these types of items, I'll be listing them on Etsy.

Blogs and Crafts

2008-04-01T17:51:00.001-07:00

I've entered another blog on Fuel My Blog! Take a peek and remember to leave your comments! I really do love hearing from you!

I was doing more crafts last night and came up with these tags that I'll be adding to my Etsy store. What do ya think?

I also went shopping and bought a new stamp and a template for envelopes which I was experimenting with! Oh and I bought a new stamp pad, yay for paycheques!

Crafting Again!

2008-04-01T08:19:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was filled with crafting for me! Brett went out quadding so I filled my time with paper and ribbon. So much fun!

Gocco Printer

2008-03-31T21:35:00.000-07:00

I just realized that the link to the How-To-Gocco blog I had posted earlier is the wrong link! In case you were curious about it, here is the REAL link to the Gocco Tutorial (: Sorry 'bout that!

I love getting mail!

2008-03-31T17:38:00.001-07:00

I came home at lunch on Friday to find two packages waiting for me! One full of this great fabric I found on Ebay and the other MY GOCCO!!!!!! All the way from Japan, little Japanese candies, paper bags and clothes-pins included! I have yet to use my Gocco since I didn't have the PERFECT picture to start with, but I'll be experimenting tonight, so hopefully it goes well and I can post pictures soon.

Also, the Ebay seller that I bought the fabric from has an Etsy shop! Check it out!

I'll be making a Kiki bag out of the fabric and I can't wait to get started...now if only I had some free time....

2008-03-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

Murray just posted a comment on my Kiddies post (below) and got me thinking about being an aunt. I love it. Ki loves me so much, it's super adorable.

The other day her mom and her came over in the morning and I was showering. Ki ran around the house calling me "Keke! Keke!" (that's her name for me because she can't say Katie yet. But I hope it's always Aunty Keke). That was the same day she got mad because "uncle" wasn't home.

That afternoon I kissed her on the cheek, she tilted her head and sighed "I love you Kee". Talk about melting my heart!

Kiddies

2008-03-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

My sister in law is pregnant. Again. This will be their second child and unfortunately, it leads everyone to believe that her brother and I will be getting in the baby mood too. We won't. They can stop asking now. Her stomach churns, they tilt their head and say "Oh, mmm, because you're pregnant" and then turn to me "Katie, when will you guys start having kids?" Yeah. Because seeing a sick pregnant woman really makes me want to pop a kid out.

I love kids. I'm almost forced into loving them, really. I'm the oldest of eight kids, the youngest are 20 years younger than me and just turned 4. My parents have the cutest babies! I can't help but love them to pieces. And my first niece, she's soooo cute! Kids are all around me and I love them! But that certainly doesn't mean I'm ready to have children myself.

Like I said, I'm the oldest of eight, so I think that has a large part in why I'm not ready to have my own. Not only because I had to half-raise the younger ones, but also because I've seen the reality of having kids. I have a "too-realistic view" of child raising. At least that's what I call it. All my friends oooo and aaaaah over having babies. For me, instead of seeing cute perfect babies (although I do see that too, that's just not ALL I see) I see the crying all night (all my mom's kids woke up every two hours until they were at least two, no matter what she tried), the constant attention, the thrush, the emotions etc.

I know I'm going to have moments where my kids are perfect and googoo'ing and smiling and so adorable I just want to bite their chubby little hands, but I also know it's hard work.

So no, we're not going to start having kids anytime soon...maybe in a few years...but not now. Like my mom in law said in the family Christmas card "Katie and Brett are busy having puppies" (: And I'm happy with that for now!

Ooo, more later! I received some items in the mail on Friday so I have pictures to post!! YAY!

Art

2008-03-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this picture in my last post but couldn't find it. This piece is my favorite so far, it's awesome. There are no words to describe it other than awesome! (:

Confusion!

2008-03-28T13:03:00.000-07:00

Last night when I checked my views on this blog, they had mysteriously jumped 200-and-some since the afternoon! I'm thinking that I was blogged about or featured on a site and am not aware of it...either that or Blogger is messing up. But I like the first option better.

I've been checking my favorite blog and haven't seen anything...if anyone knows something, fill me in!

Graffiti

2008-03-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

I have a weird interest in graffiti. Well, I think it's completely normal, but my husband thinks it's strange (: I don't know what it is, but something about it just catches my attention. I love it! It's true art work...too bad someone had to vandalize a piece of property to make it (most of the time), but it's still art.

Every summer I go out to the train depot and walk up and down the tracks, finding pieces that I like. If we go on a trip, I'm constantly scanning the trains and making my hubby stop so I can take some pictures. I love building to my photo collection.

Last summer I was taking my dog for a walk along the tracks. I didn't feel like walking down to the end of the train but Piper needed a better walk so I dragged myself down there. I was so glad I did! The second picture here is of the graffiti I found. Amazing!!

Ps: You can see more pictures on my Flickr page!

Invitations and Snow

2008-03-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

I decided to use Tricia's engagement (the new sister-in-law-to-be) as an excuse to buy some new colorful paper, a stamp and ribbon, to design some wedding invitations. They're simple enough, nothing too fancy, and so much fun to make! I made some while I watched A Midsummer Night's Dream last night. Maybe we'll make one of these options for Tricia's wedding, maybe not, either way it doesn't matter, I just love working with paper!

It's snowing again. When will this winter end?!

Guest Blogger

2008-03-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

I just blogged another guest blog on TransCanada Etsy Team blog. Take a look and leave your comments!

Books

2008-03-27T13:09:00.001-07:00

We're sitting in the office listening to to Lonestar, No News (us country hicks!), and watching the sun shine outside. Hopefully it means the snow is leaving us and beautiful Spring is joining us.

Last time the Hubby and I were in Edmonton, we made our usual trip to Chapters. I could spend all day in that store but Hubby isn't so eager. He loves books and reading, but he gets antsy in any store (I tried bringing him to IKEA and we walked in the store, rode the escalator to the second floor and he slumped into chair "I'm exhausted!"). I, on the other hand, could spend all day looking at books, checking out new authors and drinking Starbucks.

I finished my latest book yesterday. Ruth Richards, writing as Barbara Vine (and it says this on the cover. I don't understand why they do that! if you're going to have a pen name, why announce it?), writes about a family where the husband, a famous author, dies. The daughter is asked by his publisher if she will write a memoir of her life with the famous author. In doing so, she discovers he isn't who he said he was.

At first, the book was super slow. It seemed to go at the pace of real life. It could have been that I set it aside too often. I was tempted to put it aside and read another of my books but I'm stubborn and couldn't abandon it. It got better and more interesting the more I read. By the end, I was dying to see what would happen but surprised at the ending. It was "interesting" but not in the way I expected...at all.

I'm not sure if I'm going to read another of this authors books. It was thought provoking, which is always good, but it was really different and I'm still not sure if that was a good thing.

At the same time, I don't count the purchase of this book as negative.

I'm so indecisive aren't I? (:

2008-03-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

There was a blog post on one of my favorite blogs, This Eclectic Life, about Blog Rolls and who really reads them.

I am one of those bloggers who reads my Roll frequently, always updating myself on who's posted and what's new with my blogger friends. I love commenting on their blogs since I find it such a joy (simple things make me happy!) to receive comments. I'm always surprised at how fast my Blog Roll is growing. Just a few weeks ago, Make It was at the top of my list and now it's closer to the bottom.

I don't put blogs on the Roll lightly. They are always blogs that I love and read constantly and comment on. I will need to clean it out every now and then as there are always bloggers that quit or I will (maybe!) lose interest in. But for now, they are all, honestly, blogs I read daily.

Lately I've been on a wedding blog kick. Since I've been asked to do a couple weddings for the summer and fall, I've been trying to find inspiration and unique ideas. Take a look at Snippet & Ink, Enjoy, An Excited Bride and i heart peonies.

Another Wedding!

2008-03-26T13:52:00.000-07:00

My new sister-in-law-to-be has asked me to be in charge of her wedding decorations (Yay! Another one!) and I've been brainstorming for ideas. Her colors are Chocolate Brown and Voilet. I have yet to find out if this is a deep color or light so mostly I've been concentrating on the brown and coming up with original favor ideas. Here's what I've come up with for the favors:

Personalized Jones Bottles
Personalized M&M's

I know, I know, it's not that original. But I'm just getting started (:

Then for table centerpieces I'd like to go with the picture below as well as walnuts and t-lights. The table itself would be mostly browns and then I'd like the chair covers to be white or ivory with a violet bow.

We'll have ivory tooling from the ceiling to make a tent-like atmosphere, perhaps some violet colored Chinese lanterns here and there to bring in the color more.

More ideas to come!

Taking It a Step Further

2008-03-26T11:56:00.001-07:00

Just a short one for now. I'm pooped. But I'll try to write again this afternoon.

I was just reading through the J Caroline blog which lead me to How About Orange which lead me to decor8. I officially have no life. But beyond that bleak and miserable fact (not really, I just felt like being melodramatic), decor8 has inspired me...like every single blog I look at daily (which just happens to be the majority of my Blog roll). Take a look at the entry I linked to and the comments below it to learn more on how to take your items a step further and begin to hit the big-times. Have you ever wanted to turn your art work into fabric?? Take a look at the link!

How was everyones Easter? Mine was great, filled with family and two feasts (the joys of living in the same town as both our families): one of chicken, one of ham. Y.U.M! Do you have any Easter traditions? I'd love to hear them!

2008-03-22T12:24:00.000-07:00

We worked for six hours yesterday and finished another 23 boxes for Krystal's wedding! Here's what the finished product looks like! I can't wait to see them on all the tables with t-lights all around and rose petals. It's going to look so good! (Proud mama!)

Only 60 or so to make!

2008-03-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

I just saw this movie in Etsy, in the Storque's Wedding Series and thought it was hilarious!!! So true though!

2008-03-20T14:54:00.000-07:00

I was looking through Style Me Pretty, an amazing blog with great wedding ideas (my husband has to keep reminding me that I'm already married) and found this link to a really cool stationary store.

I'm addicted to stationary. It's my dream to open up my own brick and mortar shop one day, filled with creative and unique paper, writing utensils, journals, etc. At one point I had even designed my own business card, drawn the floor plan and decided on a name. I just don't think that my little home town of cowboys would be able to support a fancy store like I have in mind. It might be worth looking into one day though.

In the meantime I'll stick to buying multiple journals and paper, just because I love the color.

Easter!

2008-03-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Did you know the statues on Easter Island was discovered on Easter Sunday in 1722?

My mom has always been "anti-traditional". She loves anything that helps set her aside from the cookie-cutter image of being a wife and homemaker. Thus, she has never been great with keeping up the traditional holidays and celebrations. I'm sure we had more Easter memories than this, but the one Easter that stands out is the one we spent living in logging camp.

I was 13 (I remember this clearly because I was horrified when my Grandma sent me a birthday card saying "Happy 12th Birthday!") and we had made the move to logging camp so my Dad could finish his time at this job before we moved to our farm. Why, I don't know, he has nothing good to say about the boss, but yet he still worked there for another 8 months.

The camp was located off the north end of Vancouver Island and only accessed by float planes. We had named every plane that landed there and were able to recognize them, even before they landed, by the sound of their engine. Root Beer, Bumble Bee, and Goose. The six of us lived in a small two bedroom cabin, surrounded by old Atco trailers, broken down trucks and heavy machinery, several float houses, a dock and miles and miles of forest. One other couple lived in a bigger house beside us, but they had no kids and were our only company. The camp itself was up the gravel road a bit. Us kids were also able to tell who was driving towards our house because all the loggers had their own trucks, some with lights out, some running more rough. For the most part, all the trucks had their own sound which we came to distinguish between.

Knowing that Easter was coming mom sent some money into town with Marci, the lady that lived beside us, for candy. Marci would take the float plane into town, stay a few days and bring us treats back for our hunt.

Easter day finally came and Marci's plane landed, ferrying in from the inlet into our bay.

I can't remember if we were told to stay in the house or not, but somehow they hid the candy outside for us and we were set free to find it. At first we found the usual candy, Eggies, marshmallow chicks...then we started to find more! Soon several large chocolate bunnies were found (four each!), huge rainbow lolly-pops and jawbreakers, licorice and Nerds. Marci had had pity on us kids and had spent another $80.00 on candy without my mom knowing. Thinking about that now, I don't know how mom reacted, but we were blown away.

I'll have to write more about the logging camp later...

The biggest reason mom doesn't stick to the traditional celebrations and ways, is that she wants us to remember the real reason those celebrations happen. It's hard to keep that in mind while you're chowing down on chocolate or opening a ton of gifts. I don't blame her, but I think I'm going to do it a bit differently when I'm a parent.

2008-03-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

Cruising through the net, as usual, I found this great link for a How-To on reupholstering. Did I mention before that I'm trying to wrangle some vintage chairs off of my boss? They're 30 years old. He's a lawyer. He should be able to afford new ones. So this link was super helpful because I really want to reupholster these old chairs and I don't know where to start! I'll be studying this site for hints.

2008-03-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today my sister is coming home from Australia. It's been a whole year since I've seen her and being that we're best friends, that's been hard. At first phone calls seem to be enough, but then you realize if it's not a chat over Tim Hortons coffee, it's not a chat.

I used to hate her when we were little. She'd ignore me when I wanted to play with her and her friends. It'd get so bad that I'd finally scream "I must be adopted because I real sister wouldn't treat me this way!". I hated her. She always tried to be like me, she stole my friends, she flirted (and I rolled my eyes), and she was "Miss Perfect" to my parents.

Dad used to work in logging camp and when he came home he would bring us packages of baseball gum (made to look like chewing tobacco). I knew S (we'll call her S) would hide hers under her mattress so I would sneak in there to steal bits of hers when mine was done. One of my ways in getting back at her. (Don't judge me! We were, like, seven!)

Somehow during the years we started to get along. We would stay up all night chatting about boys or our parents. Now, our friends all stare at us strangely because S and I have this weird connection and can make each other laugh just by a look. We know exactly what the other is thinking, we finish each others sentences and we can imitate our mom to a T. S and I are tight. We know each other well. It's a bond that doesn't come by you every day and I feel so blessed to have a sister, a part of my family, that I can share it with.

I can't wait to see her! I've put on waterproof mascara for this special occasion...we're all going to be a mess when we see her at the airport. I get all teary eyed just thinking about it!

Sorry, I'll quit being such a sap (:

2008-03-18T17:58:00.000-07:00

I've posted another blog (it's weekly!) on FMB. Remember to leave a comment when you visit! I'd love to have your input!

2008-03-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

I have a job interview today. I'm nervous. I usually don't get nervous, I'm usually more confidant than this but this job sounds perfect and I want to make a good impression.

Mostly, I think I'm afraid that this interview will be 'official'. I hate official interviews. I'd rather a more casual one without the "what are your weeknesses?" questions. I would open up much more if I was asked normal "let's have a chat" questions. If it gets to official or stoic, I close up, draw blanks and look stupid.

Two slow hours go to.

I finally ordered my Gocco Printer yesterday. I was trying to find a good deal on ebay but in the end, they all turned out to be the same price, give or take a few pennies. So instead of buying off of ebay, I (of course!) opted for Etsy where the same seller was offering a new Gocco and cheaper ink.

I've been nervous about the printing process and have been researching how to do it exactly. I discovered this great, super detailed, how-to article. Check it out for a great explanation of how the Gocco actually works (:

Thinking about starting yet another job and the stress of the interview is really making me appreciate those people who are self-employed. You never have to worry about being fired or switching bosses or stressful interviews. Yes, it's harder work because you're always promoting your business, but at least you know it's going to benefit you, not just the boss man.

I come from a self-employment-loving family. My dad and mom have always encouraged us to pursue this employment aspect and have worked towards it themselves.

I'm hoping that one day my Etsy store will suddenly take off and local stores will be selling my bags. I'm crossing all my fingers for self-employment to grab me by the hand one of these days.

2008-03-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

Living in Victoria gave me a huge appreciation for the sea. There's something about it that is so overwhelming and incredibly beautiful. This is one of the pictures I took by the breakwater in Victoria, near my Papa's tug. A great memory that was captured exactly in this photo.

2008-03-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

If you've been visiting this blog, this creative vent, you'll have noticed that it's been evolving. It's grown from an ever changing ad for my favorite Etsy stores, to one of quick blips on life and tiny things I found interesting, to this, a (hopefully) deeper place filled with longer posts with deeper meaning (with some humor mixed in).

My Note Book will always be changing, hopefully for the better, but I like the place it's becoming now. I like writing longer posts, challenging my writing skills and sharing a bit more about me. I'll still be posting the odd link to my favorite Etsy store or YouTube clip, but I'm going to try to make this space something meaningful.

By the way, check out my Scared Silly story down below! It's an entry in the writing contest by Shelly at This Eclectic Life. Post your own entry to this contest and let Shelly know!

Also, remember to check out the DYI Wedding Series in the Storque on Etsy. This is just one of the articles they've posted, but it's great! Oh, and then come to my Etsy store, purchase of one of my Wedding Planning Packages and I'll help you make your wedding a unique and affordable event. What, I have a slick sales-man smile on my face? Nooooo...

2008-03-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Krystal and Brandi came over and we worked on more wedding plans (!!). We finished 10 of the 90 boxes we need to do for the center pieces. The hard work is going to be worth it though, we were all so impressed with how they turned out. Krystal is buying purple ribbon (with wired edges) to tie around the three boxes, so the picture here isn't of the fully finished product, but it's as close as it's going to get until the wedding day.

Krystal was able to get the roll of paper free from the newspaper printers and the boxes cost $1 - $3 each, depending on the size. Her guest list just jumped from 200 - 320 so we'll be making way more boxes than we thought. With everything included though, we can keep the cost of the center pieces within $200.

Each table is going to have three of these boxes, ribbon around them with a bow at the top, t-lights and sprigs of artificial sage scattered around them. I wish we could get enough dishes, like the one in the last picture, to put several on the tables as well, but I think it would get to expensive. We'll have those t-light holders (modge-podged with cream tissue paper) on the main table and guest book table.

I have blisters from stamping so many times (: Blood sweat and tears baby!

It's different doing this wedding. The bride I helped right before this one didn't have much money to spend. Krystal has a bit more money set aside for these things so we're able to spend more money on things she wants. It's a different frame of mind.

I Think He Loves Me

2008-03-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

Aren't I the luckiest girl in the world? Seriously! More flowers for "no reason". And to make it even better the note said "To the best wife. Go ahead and order the Gocco Printer." So guess what I'm doing now (:

Fuel My Blog!

2008-03-14T13:13:00.001-07:00

Fuel My Blog has now posted my first blog entry for them! Check it out and leave your comments!!

Scared Silly

2008-03-14T09:20:00.000-07:00

* This blog entry is in response to the "Scared Silly" blogging contests that Shelly Tucker, from This Eclectic Life, is hosting. Kudos to Damien from Postcards From the Funny Farm for blogging about it!

When I was seven years old my parents moved our family from a small British Columbia logging town to the big city of Victoria, BC.

I loved our new house, our new friends and our new school. My sister and I used to walk to school from our house with our matching backpacks and braided brunette pigtails. (At one point I decided my five year old sister needed to grow up so I ran home while she walked by herself. I wasn't trying to be mean, I just thought she was old enough to do it on her own!).

Our walk to and from school consisted of several blocks, one hill, passing my crushes house...and then the corner. This particular corner was only a block from my house, I could see it across the two lane highway. This is what made the corner seem even worse. My house was so close, but yet so.....faaaaaar.....away!

My friend Christina had told me about the witch that lived on this corner. "That corner?" I asked, pointing. The house had old brown ivy crawling up the outside walls, chipping green paint and a deep front porch where the old witch sat and watched me as I walked home from school. I couldn't see her, but I knew she was watching. "She's got a wart," Christina said. "It's on her nose."

Every time I walked by that old house...well, I wouldn't walk. I'd run. I'd run as fast as i could until I reached the highway and then I'd take the first space in traffic and run the rest of the way home.

One terrible day I was walking home and I decided to be brave. I would walk past the ol' witches house. I would taunt her. So I walked slowly past, trying to stop shaking, and trying to look tough. Suddenly I heard a vehicle behind me. Right behind me. It pulled up beside me and drove slowly at the same pace I was walking. I didn't look over. I knew it was the witch. I walked faster. The vehicle sped up to the same pace. I broke into a run, whimpering, I knew she was going to get me. It honked. I didn't look back and ran as fast as I could across the empty highway and into my yard. I finally let go of the breathe I was holding as I slammed the gate behind me. That stupid witch.

A vehicle rolled into the driveway on the other side of the gate. "Katie," my moms friend Barb called, "why were you running away from me?"

Another Blog Another Day

2008-03-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

More news!!

I've also volunteered to be a blogger for the Trans-Canada Etsy Team blog (: I posted my first entry tonight, so make sure you check it out and leave your comments!

-katelyn

2008-03-13T17:26:00.000-07:00

(before the mess)

Today I was reading through Murray Adams blog (she's one of my new faves) and saw that she had posted pictures of her work space. I decided that was a cool idea and in response to her call for pictures of other's work spaces, here's mine!

(after the mess)

I just have to keep telling myself that mess happens to everyone, especially crafters! It's just naaaatural!

So last night Hubby and I went to the gym. We go several times a week. If it's a "good week", I go about four or five times, if it's a "bad week" it's more like two or three.

I went for my usual run, about half hour and then on the bike until Hubby was done (10 minutesish?). He decided to go and look at this quad he's wanting to buy and I drove home.

Cobie needed a walk so I let her on the road and we started to go our normal route. I still had energy from the gym (you know, that adrenalin rush) and so I started jogging. Before I knew it, we had passed our normal route, gone a couple blocks further and then looped back home. I ran the whole way!! WOOOOOO!!

I've always loved running. I tried to run outside last year and it was so different than running on a treadmill that it really discouraged me. This time I paced myself and ran the entire way and I'm SO pumped! I'm definitely starting to run outside this spring and summer (:

Sorry, there were multiple subjects in this post (:

~Big News~

2008-03-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

So, like promised yesterday, I have BIG NEWS!

I contacted Fuel My Blog the other day to see if they would be interested in me doing a weekly article for their blog. I had submitted one before and they had published it, so I thought "why not?". They liked the idea and my first blog entry will be posted today! I'll have one blog a week so make sure you check it out! Who knows, I might be featuring your blog or Etsy store (:

* Change of plans! The FMB site is having some technical difficulties so my post will be blogged tomorrow! Keep and eye out! YAY!

Big News Tomorrow!

2008-03-12T18:29:00.000-07:00

That's all I'm going to say (: Stay tuned...

Corney?

2008-03-12T10:10:00.000-07:00

Every time my husband and I go out to the movies or to rent a movie, we always end up picking an action flick, something about war, or something dramatic (but not sappy). The movies always lean more towards his taste rather than mine. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind those types of movies otherwise I wouldn't allow this to happen so frequently. I love The Gladiator, I am Legend...I can't think of any more guy'ish ones, but I do like them. But a girlie movie with my hubby right there to hold me when it gets sad or sappy, would be nice!

Last night we decided it was about time we saw a chick flick. "We" as in "the girls". 27 Dresses was finally showing at our one screen theater (yep, gotta love small towns!) and three of us had the night off.

I don't know if it's me just getting used to the guy type movies, if I'm just getting too old for girlie movies or if it just wasn't that great...but it just wasn't great! It had it's moments, it's laughs, it's awww's, but over all, it was just a corney movie where the two couples end up together in the end and life's just perfect.

Am I getting cynical in my old age?

I'll try not to ruin it for you but: Wouldn't it be funny if movies showed how it would REALLY end up? I mean, if the girl said "I think I'm falling in love with you" and the guy, instead of swooning, says "good grief, it's been a week and we only slept together once...you're already falling in love with me??"

Like I'm one to talk, my husband and I fell in love with each other the first week we knew each other, were engaged within nine months and married three months after that. But I sure had my fair share of dud guys before that and I realize that the situation I had with my now-husband is very rare.

Am I being a hypocrite by rolling my eyes at this movie? Huh. Maybe I am. Crap.

Promotion and Store Exposure

2008-03-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Do you ever get into that mood where you want to write something profound? I get like that every now and then. Now is one of those times. But there's nothing amazing to write, not yet anyways. Maybe something will come to me in a bit.

Ok, while there's nothing profound to write about there IS something exciting!!

After I posted about the Poppytalk Market the other day, I mentioned it to my husband. The cost of it was a bit of an issue. In the long run, it's a great deal, but at the moment, it's a bit too much for us. I decided to wait for a few months to sign up for the market, to help our bank account out a bit.

We didn't have to coach ball hockey last night (spring break for the kids) so I was cruising on the net and noticed I had received a convo on Etsy. Christy, this amazing artist, had written me asking if I had booked my table for Popptalk yet. She went on to say that we could split the costs and book one together. Brilliant!!

So that's what we're doing. Half the money, double the exposure. I'm so excited!!

Organize!

2008-03-10T11:27:00.001-07:00

I knew I'd find it!! Remember other other day, when I mentioned I had stumbled across this great site for classy office organization thingys? I found the site! Finally. I must have been blind. Anyways, here it is!! Be prepared to want to organize (and spend lots of money!).

2008-03-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

I was reading in one of my daily blogs (Make It) that the author was being featured in the Poppy Talk Handmade Market. I was looking at it this morning (at work...shhhh! Don't tell!) and there's a lot of great artists from Etsy. Check it out. Here's a link with more information on how to get your own items on there, what the costs are and what it all entails. Looks like a good investment!

2008-03-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

Some days it's good to just sit and relax. I love my reading nook. I bought this old chair from a friend who hated it. I just fell in love with the crushed green velvet and the chubby engraved wooden legs are so worn, they must have a story.

In the winter I used to wake up early with the puppy. I'd take my book, pull the big chair in front of the fire place and read for a few hours or until the hubby woke up.

We actually brought this chair to our wedding shoot as well...it was pretty 'vogue'.

2008-03-09T11:34:00.001-07:00

I found out yesterday that one of my friends had passed away. He had been suffering with a brain tumor for some time and had been in the Edmonton hospital for the past couple of months. I'm so sad that he passed on but at the same time I realize that he's in a better place now, not suffering and experiencing a life beyond my comprehension.

Kevin was an amazing guy, always laughing and joking. He had just gotten married six months ago to an amazingly strong woman. Even though she has a huge burden, she is an amazing encouragement and support to his family.

Kevin and I went to College and Career group together several years back. He had a cabin a ways out of town that we would visit and had built a huge Tarzan swing over the gully. The cable of the swing was attached to the tops of two huge fir trees so the swing would carry you way out before you came back to land on the platform. Kevin would laugh so hard when us girls would swing out, screaming. I'm pretty sure that's the only reason he actually built the swing.

We had a great group of friends back then and it was always great to get together with them on Thursday nights for dinner. One time Kevin walked in and we all looked at him, knowing there was something wrong. His nephew (who was his age) was laughing behind him. I suddenly noticed what was different. "Kevin, did you shave off your eye brows??" He started laughing and said that Davey had dared him too. We asked what he got out of the deal and he said "nothing" (:

His funeral is on Friday, his body is donated to science so it's going to take a bit longer for the funeral to happen. It's going to be so sad to see all our friends again. So hard.

But he's happy. And that's what we have to focus on.

2008-03-07T16:40:00.000-08:00

I was listening to Lucie Silvas on the way home from work today, the windows open as I was driving...the spring air is so amazing!!

This is one of Lucie's songs that I hadn't heard before until I looked her up on YouTube, but it's now one of my favorites. She's got an amazing voice and mixed with Reamonn, it's even better. The video is a bit weird, but the song is great. Enjoy!

Spring!!

2008-03-07T16:24:00.000-08:00

I went out into the yard today to play with Cobes, our pup. She's dying for attention and was so excited to have someone to attack back there.

A bug bit me while I was back there. The gardening bug (: I can't wait to get started on my garden!! My hubby's Grandma gave me a $60 gift certificate for a flower catalog and I'm going to spend every single penny of it one of these days!

I'm not great at gardening, really. I love it and am out there every minute of the day at first, and then it becomes too much work later on and the garden starts failing. Usually it's because of all the weeding. I need to get over that though and I'm making it a goal for this year (maybe it's the second one I forgot before...).

This year I'm going to put a fence up against the green wall. I had a perfect garden last year and then the dogs decided it was the perfect run for them and ruined all of my plants. That was a bit discouraging. But it's not going to happen again this year!

2008-03-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

This is my third first day at this job. Confusing? Yes. It is. When I started it was for a family lawyer, then she left and I worked under a litigation lawyer. Then he decided that his other two secretaries (both been there for 30 years) could handle the work load and he's transfered me to do corporate work for another lawyer. I thought this was supposed to be a part-time thing but apparently not. The other assistant that had been in this position previously is now bringing me tons of work that had been her responsibility but was corporate work....does this mean I'll be working FULL time at this corporate stuff?? I really don't know.

You're probably wondering why I'm even staying here after being pulled around so much, but I like this job. I like the girls, I like the desk work (even though the type changes every few months) and I like the fact that it will mean I'll be here for more than 8 months. Switching jobs sucks. And it looks bad on my resume. And I start to question my ability. So hopefully this will mean a long term change for me.

On to lighter things

I have two goals:

1) Organize my sewing room
2) I can't remember what the next one was.

Ok, there's only one.

I was reading another blog this morning and found this great site for classy organizing items. Mag holders, cd boxes, boxes with label fronts...they were pricey, but looked so amazing. It was fun to look through them and see what I would need. Not that I could afford them...I can't remember what blog it was...I'm trying to find it and when I do, I'll post the link here (:

2008-03-07T07:09:00.000-08:00

This is Vincent and he's been adopted! Barbara is his new owner, she entered to win him in a contest and I'll be sending him to her today! Lucky Vincent, hopefully he'll have some kidlets to play with.

2008-03-06T18:36:00.000-08:00

Has anyone else ever heard of Indie Parade? I hadn't until today. It's a super cool blog featuring...you guessed it!...indie artists. Some of the sellers are from Etsy, some not, and they're all worth checking out!

Remember to check out this link to submit your own items!

A Quick Dinner

2008-03-06T18:07:00.001-08:00

Every second night or so I make a good hearty meal. I like inventing dishes, adding herbs and making it look cool.

This dish is one of the easiest dishes I make. It's pork chops (I look 6 for my hubby and I so we can have left overs for lunch the next day) about 1/2 cup of milk and enough salsa to lightly cover the top of the chops. This time I added some fresh tomatoes and sliced up some mushrooms. It cooked for about 45 minutes, but as long as the pork is cooked, it doesn't have to cook for that long.

The acorn squash I cooked first in the microwave (10 minutes. I discovered this is SO much faster than cooking it for 45 minutes in the stove!). I put it in the oven for a little while after it had finished cooking, to crisp it up a bit. I put a table spoon of butter in the center of the squash as well as a dash of oregano.

Then there's rice, and that's pretty straightforward (:

SO delish!

2008-03-06T15:02:00.000-08:00

I ordered a new stamp! I love this store, it's filled with great cute little things. I'll have to look at her stamp pads too...

Summer Dresses

2008-03-06T12:50:00.000-08:00

We have a wedding to go to this summer and I've been looking for clothes to splurge on for it.

Fifth Avenue South is a super cute Etsy store that I've stumbled across and I'm totally in love with this skirt!!

I do really like this one too by Maisy Brown. I have a cute little grey top that would look great under it...now to find some heels! And to chose between them!

Blogs and Mags

2008-03-05T15:17:00.001-08:00

It seems like every day I'm finding new blogs to become addicted to! Check out a few of my new additions on the left:

Oh Happy Day
Elizabeth Dye
{A}
and
Pixie Blossoms

I just noticed that I've added Modish twice...I must love that blog or something (:

Guess what I got in the mail today! My Wish magazine. I can't wait to go home tonight, steep some tea and read it. Maybe have a bath. With the cup of tea and magazine...

I've been loving magazines lately. Decorating on a Budget, Wish, Domino and anything else crafty, gives me puppy dog eyes when I walk past them in the store and I can't help but pick a copy up.

The Bluelines blog is a net-mag (is there even such thing?) of the Blueprint magazine that's another fave of mine.

2008-03-04T18:59:00.000-08:00

Remember that vintage stuff I got from my Great Aunt? I finally finished my project with one of the items, an awesome table cloth. Sucky thing is, even though the outside edges of the red stripe matched up, the inside edges didn't...AND there were these stupid puckers...I tried to fix them but it didn't work! Does it add to the quaintness? (:

2008-03-03T21:05:00.000-08:00

I was just talking to my brother, a tough 19 year old that works on a road building crew. He asked for prayer for his co-worker, Travis, who's girlfriend is 5 months pregnant and has to go in for surgery. Several of her organs are infected and there is a high risk she may lose the baby or her own life during this operation. My brother was crying, completely torn up, which isn't like him.

I believe in prayer and I believe that it's powerful. I've seen prayer answered in unexplainable ways and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there's a big and loving God listening to my every word, no matter how mumbo-jumbo it may be (:

If you're the praying kind, please send up a quick word for Travis and his beautiful girlfriend.

God can do miracles, all we need to do is ask.

PS: Whenever I talk about God to people I don't know, I'm always afraid they think I'm preaching at them. I'm not like that, I don't like thumping people on the head with my faith. Please don't think I'm here to pump you with religion :)

2008-03-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

I think that Blogger must be having some issues...all of a sudden my pictures on my entry about my favorite store wouldn't show up! Hopefully it will resolve soon and I can re-post that entry (:

Does anyone know where I can get funky blogger banners? I think I'll need something with code, not just an image. Do you know of someone who does work like this? Please let me know! I really want something to add some spark to my page!

I've decided I need to take a class, something creative; painting or sketching or design...something to work my creative side a bit more and to build up my strengths. It's hard to find classes like this in a small town, but hopefully the art gallery will have some good ones available.

As usual I've been brainstorming on thinks to create...things that I could sell and make a living with. Not all my ideas are going to help me make a living, but they will hopefully bring in more pocket change invest in my bigger ideas.

Big Things To Buy:

- Gocco Printer
- Heat Transfer thingy
- Items for silk-screening

Small Things To Buy:

- Wedding Decorating Books
- Floral Edging Punch
- Bone Folder
- Carpet pieces for bulletin board (sounds weird, but check out this link!)

I have so many ideas, so many things to do and try, it's hard to know where to start!

Etsy Wedding Planning!

2008-03-02T12:24:00.000-08:00

I've plunged. I've jumped and it's nerve racking but at the same time, it's exciting! As most of you know, my job has been teetering on the brink for a little while. Last week I finally had the conclusive decision from my boss (not that it was a good one, but at least I know what's happening now!) that I would be put on a three month term and a job could not be promised at the end of those three months. As disappointing as it was, this news was also refreshing and made me look at the future of my career.

This brought me to the option of pursuing Wedding Planning. I have always been interested in this but the current job situation allowed me to seriously consider it. Which was cool. Very cool!

I decided to take the first steps of this adventure by listing Wedding Packages on Etsy. These packages are in three stages.

Stage 1 is made up of the more basic options: creative ideas, cost cutting options, room filling, center piece and decor ideas.

Stage 2 is a little deeper. I'll send the buyer helpful links to sites, come up with table decoration ideas suited to their style, ideas for favors and how to spice them up, original guest book ideas, easy to make room decorations and I'll provide lists of options including costs for flowers and center pieces.

Stage 3 is the biggest and most fun (for me!) option (so far! I have bigger dreams and goals coming!). I'll include all of the above info from Stage 1 and 2...but on top of that, I'll make examples of invitations and center pieces. I'll require pictures from the bride of the reception hall (and the church if she's wanting ideas for that as well) so I can give advice as to how to set it up. This option will require the shipment of the invitation and possibly the center pieces examples.

With all of these options I'll evaluate the brides style, budget and colors to come up with the best options for her. I'll provide lists and pictures of ideas. I'll answer any questions she has and give her advice on her different options.

I can't wait to get started on these!! I'm so excited for someone to purchase a package so I can start (: Anyone? Anyone?

The Farm

2008-03-01T16:36:00.000-08:00

I was out at my parents this afternoon, enjoying the farm and it's distance from civilization. I would say that life is calm out there, but with five kids still at home, it's not calm but it is enjoyable.

I watched Elizabeth: The Golden Age the other night and LOVED it! I love historical movies, the costumes, stories, way of life, everything about them really interest me. Have you watched it? What did you think? Did you know that this is the sequel to Elizabeth? I totally had no idea until last night. No clue.

Another Funny

2008-02-29T19:54:00.000-08:00

Martha Loves Etsy!

2008-02-29T11:51:00.000-08:00

Remember to check out the Martha Stewart show this afternoon! Etsy will be featured on it, all the details are in this Storque article (: I hope I get off work on time!

Speaking of Martha, one of my friends is going to an inspirational conference in Vancouver this next week and guess who's going to be there! Martha S. herself! Awesome hey? I want her to get an autograph for me (: Maybe I'll send her down with a patch of fabric or something (:

TGIF!

2008-02-29T08:20:00.000-08:00

It's finally Friday! The tough week is almost over (ok, there's still like seven hours until the day is over, but still!). Actually, these past couple of days have been ok, I've been getting my good attitude back and looking forward to the new job-adventures ahead.

I've had a good response from one of my resumes so hopefully that means I'll have an interview early next week. HOPEFULLY Tuesday...I don't think I can wait much longer than that! I'm dying to start a new job and leave this drama behind. I'm not into drama unless it's a movie. Then at least it's over within a couple hours.

One of the girls brought me Mini-Eggs today (: She's such a sweetie. Chocolate makes me happy(ier).

I can't wait for tomorrow, the hubby is going sledding (fyi: not tobogganing, the motorized 'sledding') so I have plans to brainstorm more with Krystal. We have a couple flower shops to visit and some more ideas to go over. She was trying to think of what to do with her favors, she has a few little things she wants to give the guests and didn't know how to bundle them up. I thought that we could put them in little brown bags with ribbon handles and stamp the front with this great calligraphy stamp I have. We'll have to see what she thinks. Hopefully we'll be starting to make the center pieces soon and I'll post pictures! I would tell you what they're going to be like, but I think pictures will be better (:

I've decided I need to make curtains for my sewing room. I already have some, but the pull down ones are so old and ugly, I need something funky! Check out Martha Stewart's instructions! I love her!

Risky Survivors

2008-02-28T14:48:00.000-08:00

It's Risk night baby! All the guys and their wives are coming to our house this time. We play games a lot don't we? It's a good way to visit and to get to know each other. Us girls are going to watch Survivor too. I'm not really into that show, mainly because we don't have cable so the channel we have to watch it on is a bit fuzzy. But the girls that are coming are in a Survivor Pool at work, so I guess it's important for them to keep caught up! I do like the show, so it's not like I'm not going to enjoy my self.

The hubby's running to the store to get some chips and munchies so there's going to be lots of food and drinks. I'm all about food!

Oh, and just because the guys are playing a game of "world domination" doesn't mean we're into that politically :b Just thought I'd clarify!

2008-02-28T07:18:00.000-08:00

I love this shirt! This is my kinda shirt (:

Bribes and Baking

2008-02-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

Walking the dog (ha! I just typed 'god'...yeah, we walk our god :) every night is hard for me. I guess the walk is nice when we actually get going, but the fact that it interrupts my craft or writing time evvvery siiingle tiiime really gets old. Tonight I told the hubby that if he takes her by himself, I'll make him banana bread. Is that a bribe? Maybe, but it's a safe and innocent one I think. We'll see if it works.

Banana Bread

2 Bananas
3/4 c. of milk
Lemon juice from a whole lemon (if your adventurous, I just used the fake stuff)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar (why do we say SHugar when there's no 'h'?)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
A pinch of salt
butter for oiling the pan

*optional: Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp.

Heat the oven to 375. Mix oil, sugars and eggs and lemon juice in separate bowl. In another bowl add flour, salt, bananas, cinnamon and baking powder. Mix the two bowls together. Grease your pans. Bake for 1 hour if you're baking in a bread tin, if you're making muffins, bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

This recipe is different than the one my mom always used, and it's slightly confusing. But they're so yummy!! Great with a cup of tea.

Reading

2008-02-27T14:27:00.000-08:00

So I was reading a decorating magazine last night, one of the few I bought lately...I think it was Decorating on a Budget (which is published by Country Living)...and I came across an article on women entrepreneurs. That's inspiring enough! There were quick blips on how they got started and their experiences etc, which were super interesting (I wish they were longer, but their web site actually has more information). As I'm browsing through the different success stories (seriously, I hope I'm one of them someday!) I stop on a name that's familiar. "Alicia Paulson", where do I know that name from? I knew I knew her from somewhere! Then I read that she blogs and it all falls into place. Alicia Paulson is the author of one of my favorite blogs, Posie Gets Cozy, and daily reads (:

Not only is she an inspiration to me because of her success as a business woman, but also because of her success as a blogger. An example: She posted a blog yesterday, as in February 26, 2008, and it already has 79 comments on it. Not that comments are everything, but they sure are an encouragement to the author AND they show the amount of readers the blog has. Amazing.

So last night the meeting with Krystal went really well. I felt so professional sitting there for coffee and going over my list of questions and ideas. She said she's so relieved that I'm helping her, she's not near as stressed...which makes me feel so good! That's all that I need (:

Most of our ideas are now written down and the biggest decisions have been made so all we need to do now is start to get the crafting items together so we can start to make the center pieces and other decorations. I'll be posting pictures as we start creating! I can't wait!

One of the many ideas we have decided on is to get these chair covers, ivory with green ties, for the reception. Should look stunning!

Plans and Flowers

2008-02-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

Ok so I'm now officially obsessed with decorating for this wedding. It can be good or bad I guess. I know when it gets closer I think about it 24/7 and dream about planning and preparation. But it does keep me busy and I love love love the planning!

I found this great site for flowers, I'm not sure if Krystal is going to want real ones or silk flowers for the tables but look at these great deals!

I'm really loving the thought of cream roses with hydrangeas. And the prices really aren't bad at all!! I've never really worked with real flowers, but I'm sure I could handle it. The only thing I would be worried about would be when the flowers would arrive. I wouldn't want them to arrive too early and then be wilted, but I have people I can talk to about this issue. It's good to have friends that know stuff! (:

Yay! Tonight Krystal is coming over to discuss all the wedding plans, her expectations, budget, colors...I'm so excited! I told her to come around 7, but I think I need to call her to come earlier, I'm just to excited!

Lucky Skinny!

2008-02-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

Quite a while ago I featured an Etsy seller in my other blog (EtsyAlberta), Skinny LaMinx, a brilliant store that I just LOVE! I bought a couple of magazines last night and guess who I see in one?! Skinny! What a huge honor to be in such a great magazine! Lucky lucky.

Also, I just ordered this book. Hopefully it will help me with this next wedding reception I'm helping with. I already have so many ideas and I'm having coffee with Krystal tomorrow night, but I'd love to see what this book can offer (:

Need A Laugh

2008-02-25T19:13:00.000-08:00

After a hard days work (today sucked!) I needed a laugh. Here's Flight of the Concord, a New Zealand comedy group (: I hope you laugh as much as I did!