Wednesday, December 30, 2009

2010 Layout Challenge

My goal for 2010 is to find more time to nurture my creative side and to help me stick to that goal, I have joined a Layout Challenge with other CTMH consultants.
I am challenging myself to complete 120 layouts (or 60 2-page spreads) in 2010! I am really hoping this will be the year I use up some of the paper and embellishments I have been collecting in my craft room.

I have listed the other participants on the sidebar, hop on over to their blogs and see what they are creating too!
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Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Mark the Date!







My craft room is clean today! I had to take pictures to prove that I do clean it from time to time!
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

A great read

Working in the library field for most of my adult life and being a reader for as long as I can remember, I have read alot of books. Many of them are old friends, some I have read over and over. Although I enjoy reading all genres and often "get lost" in a book, not many have really blown me away.

About a year ago, we started a "classic" book club, I loved Great Expectations, labored over Mansfield Park (I hate wimpy female characters) and couldn't finish Lorna Doone but I have been blown away by East of Eden! When was the last time I had to stop and reflect on a passage because I found the writing so powerful that I could not go on until I had completely digested what I had just read? I can't remember. The copy I am reading is a library book and is full of post-it notes marking my favorite passages, before I return it I have to buy my own copy.

Where was Steinbeck all my life?

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Monday, April 20, 2009

Rockin' Potluck

One thing I love about small towns that you just don't find in the city is the sense of community. Saturday was the annual library fundraiser where we have a potluck dinner & silent auction. This year's theme was a Rockin' Potluck. I have an amazing lady on both the Library Board and the Friends of the Library who did a fantastic job with the decorations.
I wish I had time to take more pictures, Traci you are so creative!

These were my contibution, centerpieces for the tables. They were a cheap and easy way to decorate the tables..... well, at least they should have been a cheap and easy way to decorate the tables. The actual procedure for making them went like this:

  • In an effort to spend as little money as possible I purchased these cute little takeout boxes from Michaels and some suckers from Costco for a grand total of $25 (good price for 10 centerpieces, right?
  • I knew my dear husband had a can of spray foam insulation kicking around in his domain that I could use to fill the boxes so I wouldn't have to but floral oasis, so he kindly agreed to let me use it and even filled them all for me.
  • I waited for the foam to expand and get hard and then I assembled all 10 of them, patted myself on the back at how good they turned out and went to bed.
  • In the morning, I learned something new about spray foam.... it keeps expanding for hours!!!! My cute little boxes had expanded as well and were beyond repair.
  • I swore briefly, laughed for a few minutes and then went back to Michaels for more cute little boxes and floral oasis. Back home again (did I mention it takes almost an hour to "run" to Michaels and back from my house?) my ever patient husband took the opportunity to point out to me that in my attempt to save money I had used up a can of spray foam that cost him $13 to replace floral oasis that cost me $3.50. He is lucky I think he is cute.
There is my dear husband who got roped into being the MC.


See all those tables in the basement? They are loaded with silent auction items. There was some fast and furious bidding at the end. I hope everyone had fun, I sure did.
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Friday, April 17, 2009

Easter treats


Since I had my sewing table all set up working on my part of the library quilt, I thought I would make easter bags for Jace & Kira. Of course, once I was let loose in the fabric store, I bought extra fabric and made bags and pillows. Oh, and enough left over to make a couple of matching lap quilts! The kids were more interested in the treats inside at first, but I'm sure they will get lots of use. It has been fun to hit the sewing machine again and I have been perusing the quilting magazines at work looking for another project, someting small I can quilt on the deck now that (I think) spring has finally hit.

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Thursday, April 16, 2009

Treasure Hunting

My dear husband is a grandpa in training! Easter weekend just passed and we spent a day with my brother's family. My babies are 21 & 23 and my niece and nephew are 1 & 3, so naturally we tend to spoil them a wee bit. I try to bring some kind of activity to do with my nephew Jace & this time it was a pirate ship! (I am bravely posting this photo even though I look terrible, it's the happy three year old that is the important part).
Not to be outdone, Uncle Man (long story) embarked on a treasure hunt that went something like this: One little boy with a treasure map (made by my daughter on a previous visit).

One Uncle who is still a little boy at heart.


The hunt is on! They disappeared down the street and we waited............. and waited......... and waited....... then we saw this:

Two tired out treasure hunters returning with pockets full of pinecones, cool rocks and a shiney penny. There was easter candy waiting next to an X in the yard (hmmm, how'd that get there).

Another successful visit!

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Saturday, April 4, 2009

Back in the saddle

Well...not really a saddle! But I am trying to get back into posting again. This weekend is the first in a long time that I am home alone! Yahoo! Glorious quiet and solitude! Except of course for the sound of the dog running to look out the window whenever she heard the slightest sound from outside. Apparently she cannot come to terms with the fact that her best friend in the whole world has left her. In between distracting the lonely dog and finishing my book club book, I did find time to stop by the open house at Sublime Aesthetics here in Bon Accord. Sue, the owner is an awesome lady, and I am a loyal customer so I had to stop by and show my support! She has done a great job in her first year and I hope her continued success. It is so important to support local businesses.

Now that I have finished this month's ladies book club book "When Alice Lay Down With Peter", a story of four generations of Manitoba women that was not as bad as some club members had lamented, I am sinking my teeth into "East of Eden" for the classic book club. But not tonight.... tonight, I am retiring to the family room to watch chick flicks since I have the TV to myself! Let the tears begin!

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