Sunday, March 22, 2009

Isn't it supposed to be spring??

Ah, woke up this morning to a dusting of snow over all of the dirty spring stuff. Looks like someone sprinkled a whole wad of icing sugar over us. As pretty as this looks (hey, I absolutely hate how dirty/gritty/garbage-y the city looks in springtime, it's actually my least favorite season), um, hello, it's spring, not winter!

Oh well, I know it will melt quickly and we'll be back to the grime and mud. Meanwhile though, the dog is happily sniffing her way throughout the icing-sprinkled backyard trying to rediscover all the treasures (a.k.a. small pieces of cedar hedge) that were so lovingly placed here and there on the grass only yesterday.

Lexi loves the snow. That's what I tried to capture in the following layout:


Supplies include Coredinations cardstock (now rivals Bazzill for my affections), patterned paper is Jenni Bowlin (lined) and Frances Meyer (striped), paper snowflakes are K&Co, foam snowflakes are old stash from $ store, felt snowflakes are Hero Arts, the foam letters are Thickers by American Crafts, the die-cut snowflakey-looking strip is Prima (Christmas gift from sister D), buttons and brads are unknown.

I haven't had much time to spend at the scrap desk so far this weekend, but I did steal 20 minutes here and there and managed to finish this one up, and finish another one too, which I will share with you later on!

Today is groceries and visit my mother-in-law (have to fetch my son who slept there last night!). I got ALL the laundry done yesterday, and as a result today will also have to be ironing day, I have at least 20 pieces of clothes that need ironing ... yikes. Thank goodness there's a Sens game on tonight, at least I can watch while I iron!

Happy Sunday everyone, thanks for coming by!

Friday, March 20, 2009

Random

I have neither pictures nor layouts to share with you today. But I won't let that stop me from updating my blog, since I'm sure y'all are tired of seeing the guy with loose pants appear every time you check in!!!! Some random thoughts on this beautiful Friday morning ...

1. I'm off today! Going to the spa for a pedi and a facial this morning, and will do something - not sure what - with the boy this afternoon, this being the last day of March break and all.

2. I was off Monday! The girl and I took a last minute, spontaneous trip to Kingston; we left Ottawa after church on Sunday (packed and on the road in less than an hour ... we're good). The bed & breakfast we like was booked, but we stayed in one of the harbourfront hotels, had thai for dinner, and shopped for a prom dress the next day. Not much shopping was required ... first store, 4th dress was a winner. An absolute, drop dead gorgeous, OMG my daughter is all grown up, totally unique look winner. Can't wait to show you pictures. She looks like a Greek goddess in this dress.

3. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I squeezed 5 days' worth of work into 3 days. I hate it when that happens ... taking days off is great, but not when you have to make up for it with back-to-back meetings and stressful days where everyone wants a piece of you.

4. I stopped at Marchant Rubber Stamps on my way out of Kingston and made a few small purchases ... some 8.5x11 Bazzill ... a few sheets of patterened paper including some Yellow Bicycle, some Junkitz (I think ... a really cute boy line) and one other which I already can't recall. And some Making Memories big letter stickers. I was really, really good. I spent about $20. Really.

5. Even if I had pictures to share with you, not sure if I could, as I think I've misplaced the cord that connects the camera to the computer. Hope the dog didn't eat it. Seriously.

6. I know none of you care, really, and I don't blame you, because not everyone can be a die hard hockey fan, but has anyone noticed my Sens are hot these days? They've won 7 of their last 8 ... they beat Montreal last night ... if only they could have played this way earlier in the season, I could be spending my hard earned cash on playoff tickets by now! Speaking of which, the husband was handed some free tickets to Tuesday's game against the Sabres so the boy and I had ourselves a lovely evening at the hockey game this week. I really do love hockey. Sigh.

7. I finally got registered at Scrapbook Centrale! It's great to have an online home again. I've been too busy this week to really be active over there, but I'm looking forward to chatting and getting to know everyone there.

8. I want to SCRAP! There's a half-finished layout on my desk but I haven't touched it in days. Maybe I'll be able to sneak some time in this weekend ... although, since I did no laundry and no housecleaning last weekend, I have some catching up to do in that area.

9. I have to go get ready to leave for the spa now! This may be a challenge (see comment re no clean laundry, above). Wish me luck ... :o)

Edit to add: 10. How could I forget to share this ... I am now at 17.5 pounds lost! That's 10% of my body weight! Woo-hoo! (as the witch in Wizard of Oz said ... I'm melting, I'm melting!!!!).

Hopefully I'll come back on the weekend and share a finished layout for you! Happy Friday!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Fifteen point five, and feeling unwanted...

First the good news - I am past the halfway mark in my weightloss endeavour! Woo-hoo, I have lost 15.5 pounds in about 8 weeks. Amazing what can come out of eating sensibly and exerting a bit of control over those eating impulses. Weight Watchers rocks, because it works, it's easy, it makes sense, and it is sustainable, even though I've never been all that good at the sustainable part (not WW's fault, food and I have an emotional bond that's hard to break).

Now for the not-that-good news ... I registered to participate on the Scrapbook Centrale discussion forum on the weekend, and still haven't received my confirmation email and password from the site administrator. I'm starting to think they don't want me over there, lol ... maybe Barb and Nat warned them about me or something (just kidding). Not sure what to do ... should I re-register?

PS - Just to make sure there's no confusion whatsoever ... NO, that is NOT me in the picture ... lol :o)

Monday, March 9, 2009

These are a few of my favorite things ...

(Insert Julie Andrews singing here).

Hockey. Scrapbooking. Definitely right up there on my list of most favorite things. I love it when the two collide and I manage to scrap about hockey!

I'm all over the place these days, scrapping pictures anywhere from 2006 to 2009. These particular pictures are from 2006, and I've been by-passing them constantly when sitting down to scrap as I had no inspiration for them whatsoever. And then boom, I knew just what to do. Hey, another of my favorite things - when the scrapbook muse is good to me!



Journaling is mostly about the motel-from-hell that the boy and I stayed in when we went to this tournament. As yucky as that experience was, I know we will both remember it fondly; it's one of those things you just don't forget.

Happy Monday everyone!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Finally, the Weekend!!!

Whew! What a busy week. On Monday night I went to see the movie Shopaholic with my sister M, my nephew's girlfriend, M's friend, and the girl. One of those movies that is (a) not true to the book and (b) a real chick flick, but it was fun! On Tuesday night I had Weight Watchers. I did take a break from going out on Wednesday night, but on Thursday night the boy and I went to the Senators-Oilers game. Last night the husband and I spent the evening at Costco and Walmart buying stuff for his aunt's memorial service luncheon planned for next week. I know, I know, the stuff romantic dates are made of ... :oP

So here's a picture of the boy and I in our cheap-o 3rd level seats (there's a great promotion on right now - minor hockey players and their parents can get really good 3rd level seats for $20 and $29 respectively, and that includes a hot dog and drink!! We should be going EVERY night!!):


And this is a picture of the boy showing his Sens pride. He wasn't too happy with the result (too much gold and not enough red and black, he said), and it was itchy all night and he ended up with hands covered in paint!).

So in other news ... I've been searching for a new internet home where I can share my scrapbook creations and chat with like-minded scrap addicts. Ever since my beloved Scrapping Buddies site closed down (it was a standalone site, not associated with any store, and was being maintained by the husband of one of our Ottawa scrapbookers; and for some reason became the target of hackers on a constant basis, and way too much work to keep up), this blog has been my only internet outlet for scrapbook talk. And it doesn't really talk back, lol. Anyhow, I saw on someone's blog ... Barb's? Nathalie's? that those two have been hanging out at Scrapbook Centrale. Thought I'd register and join in the fun ... just waiting for my confirmation! Watch out girls, here I come :o) And hopefully, my sister D is going to come and play too ... she's been looking for somewhere to post her beautiful scrapbook creations since SB closed down ... this time, I hope she posts AND chats!

Well, I'd better go get dressed and walk the dog ... I'm going to give the husband a break this morning ... not much of a sacrifice on my part when (a) it's really mild out and (b) I could use the activity points!

Happy weekend, everyone! Oh and by the way - Lexi says Hi. Little devil.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

My Deforestation Project

Hi folks! Lexi here. I've snuck onto Mommy's blog to tell you all about my newest project - backyard deforestation. I'm just so proud, I had to tell the world about it.

You see, Mommy and Daddy spent lots of time with me in the backyard last summer and fall and they taught me what I could chew on and not chew on. Ok, mostly what I could NOT chew on. But when the white stuff came and the temperature became just right for a gal who wears a fur coat 24/7, for some reason, they stopped hanging outside with me much. A puppy like me can get pretty bored hanging out by herself without people teaching her right from wrong. So I came up with a plan. See, Labs are working dogs, right? So I needed a job. And that's how my backyard deforestation project was born.

For some reason, Mommy and Daddy planted their cedars real close to each other. Something about liking their privacy. But that really gets in the way of curious dogs like me who like to watch the outside world go by. So, I decided to build a few doorways through the hedge, so I could get to the other side. At the same time (bonus!) I decorated the yard which was all boring and white. And as a side benefit, I created lots of interesting things for me to carry around and chew on.


These days, even though the weather is still pretty cold for humans, Mommy and Daddy have started coming outside and commenting on my project. For some reason, they don't seem very happy with the job I'm doing. I even overheard them saying something about building a fence (a fence!) in front of the cedars to teach me to stop. They keep yelling "No!" - mostly from the doorway - whenever I get to work. Humans. I just can't figure them out.

Mommy says that on top of my deforestation project, I've also got a de-fur-istation project going on inside the house. That's just silly of course. I don't lose my hair on purpose, for crying out loud. But crying out loud is what Mommy does every time she sweeps the floor. She says she doesn't know what she hates more, the dog hair or the dirt ... but that at least, there's no food crumbs on the floor anymore. And then she says that despite the backyard devastation (that's what she calls it - seems she can't pronounce de-forest-ation properly) and the dog hair, she still wouldn't trade me in for any other dog in the world.

And that makes my tail wag.

Have a good Wednesday, internets! Oh, and please don't tell my Mommy I commandeered her blog. I think she's got enough to deal with as it is.

Luv,

Lexi