Easter silliness for ya......

Hope you had a giggle, have a great weekend!

Little Nick...

is doing wonderfully!!! He is a smiley happy sweetie pie, and he is sick too with a runny nose, we are fighting over the kleenex box but other than that, things are AWESOME!! thanks for all the get well wishes, that made me feel even better!!!

I got my Silhouette up and running and called Janice with excitement on how friggin awesome it is!!! and while we were talking my dh came in and asked if it needed special paper to use, and I told him yes it does, and Janice and I LOBO!!!! I would recommend this tool to anyone, I love that I can use the bazzillion and one fonts I already have on my computer!!! TTYS!

me today

SICK SICK SICK, I have a horrible cold, I feel yucky!!!

on the plus side, my Silhouette and my new foster son both will be arriving tommorrow, I hope I feel better than I do today, fingers crossed.

Portfolio building....

Another neice!!!!

my sister had her ultrasound the other day and it's another girl, that makes 2 girls for me, 2 for her and my brother has 2 boys, i wonder if it's coincedence? Anyway, I'm thrilled, it will be the last baby born between the 3 of us, we are all done, according to our spouses anyway, with 2 children.

I can't wait to share the layouts I have done with my first Scrapbook Star kit, it was my fav PP line too so that was a bonus, I can reveal them on the first so check out the site, and my DT bio and pic should be up on that day too, can't wait to see!!!


Have a Happy St. Paddy's day too!!!

My DH rocks!!!!

he totally surprised me the other day with letting me order this baby!!! I thought I would be saving my allowance forever!!! it should be here in about 12 days, and oh yeah i am counting them!!!

On the homefront we are expecting a baby, not in the traditional sense where I am pregnant, as much as I would love that.... an almost 2 year old boy is coming to us through FACS, we have been with just one foster son since our dear Zack left us to go back home in November. I am looking forward to meeting this new little man. As sad as it is when they move on or go home in their lives, it's so great knowing them while they are in your life.

What a FANTASTIC week!!!

first I made the Scrapbook Star design team, then today I open my email and Canadian Scrapbooker magazie wants one of my layouts for their summer issue!!! I am so excited, it's my first time in this magazine!!! thanks for letting me share!!

In my excitement I forgot...

to mention that the Close to my Heart Stampaganza starts today, when you buy 2 stamp sets your 3rd is FREE!!!! it's a great time to add to your stamp collection!! see the details here

WAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was asked this morning to be on the Scrapbook Star design team!!! They are a great store and chat board out of Montreal, Quebec, and no you don't have to speak French on their chat boards :) come by and check it out!!!

And as promised here are 2 of the 3 projects I did at Divine Design last weekend, the layout I am still waiting for the perfect pics for....

Canvas taught by Vicki Boutin, Bloom Bouquet taught by Judi Van Valkinburgh

I have some amazing

friends!!! I am so thankful to paper and glue for bringing me such wonderful ladies to share my time with. Yesterday the Scrapping Nook held it's Divine Design event that I have been waiting for, for months now. It was an all day class taught by Jen Backler, Vicki Boutin and Judi VanValkinburgh, what amazing classes, I will post my projects later when I get my camera battery charged. Anyway back to the friend part, I love my friends, I totally need to make an effort to spend more time with them, and another thank you for the lovely gifts you gave me for my birthday, Janice I totally love that candle!! you girls ( you should know who you are :) ) lift my spirits at the very thought of you, thanks so much!!

34 years ago............

this was me, okay it's not a newborn photo but you get the idea, today is my birthday!! Dan is taking me to the Mandarin for dinner tonight with a group of friends, i haven't been there in forever, it's my favorite restaurant!!
Can't wait to see what the day holds for me, have a great TGIF!!!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

to everyone and those you love. We are having a snow day here today, it's pretty deep hopefully the wind will stop and i can take the kids out for abit this afternoon. and to my valentine......

i love you

Attention all Scrapbookers, do you want to win a Cricut?

or $400 worth of CHA releases if you already have a Cricut. Then come on down the The Scrapping Nook and see what they have in store for their 3rd Anniversary!!! please see all the details for the contest here. And stick around to see what else the FairyGod Mother has in store for us!

I am offically broke :)

thanks to my friends at The Nook, they have had some great sales and today i picked up my orders, loved everything and bought even more when i got to the store.

I did my first Close to my heart party the other day at my sisters and I did pretty good, I was hoping things would move alittle faster but I'm happy I joined.

I have decided on a name for my FUTURE(I'm so not ready yet) photography business, I even have the watermark for my proofs done

so hopefully by the end of summer or early fall, I'll be ready to start taking some clients, and Cutie Patootie Pictures will offically be born, we'll see.

Tagged by Elia

A=Available - for scrapbooking:)
B=Best Friend - (all my scrapbooking girlies)
C=Cake or pie - both
D=Drink of choice - non alcoholic=tea, alcoholic- Pina
E=Essential item you use everyday - computer, how else will i chat with my friends
F=Favourite color -pink, it's strange i used to hate pink
G=Gummy bears or worms - bears
H=Hometown - Niagara Falls, ON
I= ndulgences - scrapping supplies, scrapping supplies, scrapping supplie, what else is there?
J= January or February - February cuz its my birthday
K=Kids and names - 2 daughters Marissa and Victoria
L=Life is incomplete without - my family
M=Marriage date - August 18th 2001
N=Number of siblings - one younger sister, one younger brother
O=Oranges or apples - apples
=Phobias or Fears - normal parental fears
Q=Favourite Quote - Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.
R=Reason to smile - my life, my family, my scrapbooking addiction
S=Season - Summer
T=Tag 3 or 4 people - any lurkers I don't know about and post in the comments so i know you took the challenge
U=Unknown fact about me - i can't think of anything you don't know
V=Vegetable you don't like - cauliflower
W= Worst habit - putting myself down
X=X-rays - knees and 2 ultrasounds during pregnancy
Y=Your favorite food - VEAL(that's right I said it Tina and Jen) parm, Chinese and pasta and sauce
Z= Zodiac Sign -Aquarius

talk about a heart melter

no wonder i can't say no to this little girl :)

The store is open

my friends at the Nook have officially opened their online store and each day will have the S.O.U.P de jour, (saving of unbelievably proportions) an item that will be 40-50% off, i like that option and already bought my first bowl of S.O.U.P and it was GOOOOOOOOOD!!!

I can't wait to see what they bring in from the CHA releases that will be happening this month, as long as some of the new Queen & co felt is at the top of the list!!!

Nothing much new on the home front, I got us put on the emergency/after hours foster care list, I'm ready for another addition to the family, I'm hoping for a newborn this time, i have a baby craving :)

and just 10 days left in the Close to my Heart sale campaign, it's an amazing offer

I'm losing!!!

and I'm happy aboput it, I'm down 4 lbs total since the first of the year, which is awesome!! thanks to my support group at the Nook!!



There are only 16 more days left in the CLose to my Heart Heart of Winter campaign, see details here.



I had a great time at the crop on Sat, can't wait for the next one!! and the cold that has plagues our house since early Dec. seems to have gone away, YEAH!!!



and finally a very happy bday to my SIL Tonia

A birthday wish...

I have fallen in like with Donna Downey, I love her style, her art, and her CAMERA BAGS!!! I am totally wishing on every star that I get one for my birthday I love this style, it's called My Favorite outfit, what a cute name even :)

tomorrow I'm off to the Nook for a crop, I'm so looking forward to meeting the ladies that I haven't had the pleasure of yet and seeing the girls I know and love so much(you know who you are) have a great weekend everyone!

oh yeah Close to my heart has marked discontinued items down up to 40%, these offers are only available on a consultant website and while supplies last be sure to shop early!

Officially starting the new year

with a purge and the kids returning to school and some after Xmas shopping. I always shop the boxing week and after sales for gifts for next Xmas. I went to the Disney Store with my mom, sister and the kids this past weekend and scored this sweater in sizes to fit me, Marissa and Victoria next Xmas, we don't need em now or so we can wait. I already can't wait for next year ;)

I also lost 2.5 lbs the first week of my diet, totally jazzin about that!!!

Looking forward to a crop at The Nook this Saturday and getting my DT kit for this month and then a surprise bday party later.

I am also having alot of fun learning the in's and outs of my Nikon, playing with different settings and such, here are some pics I've taken with it.......unedited.

My butt hurts,

and other fun things going along with weight loss. I took a brisk, not fast not my usual paced, walk today, and tonight my buns are SORE! I hope the saying "no pain, no gain" is applying tonight :)

on the bright side of this journey I'm taking, I am not alone, and that in itself is a HUGE comfort!!

Happy New Year!!!!

I hope you did something fun to celebrate the ringing in of the New YEar, we stayed in with the kids and watched movies and ate all kinds of bad food :) today I am starting a diet, my first REAL attempt to loose the 50 or so unwanted pounds I've been carrying around with me so I binged last night. I have a great bunch of girls at the Nook to support me and each other as we all do this, food is addictive I tell ya!! It's so gorgeous here today that I'm going to go for a walk after I take down Xmas, gotta use it to loose it right, LOL

What a wonderful Xmas!!!!

Well Dan surprised me to bits with the gift of a Nikon D50 camera, that by far was my favorite part of this Xmas, (as materealistic as that may sound), I was truly shocked!!

The kids were spoiled as they always are, and loved every minute of our 2 family gatherings.

I seldom take pictures of Xmas, I am usually taking a toy out of the million twisties they put on them or running the video camera, I prefer to have these holidays captured live, but this year I made more of an effort being the scrapbooker I am ;)

I hope you had a great holiday and got to spend some quality time with your loved ones.

here are some pics I took with my new baby....

Close to my Heart, Heart of Winter campaign starts today!!!!!

if your in the market for some amazing stamping and scrapbooking supplies today is the start of an amazing sale, you can get all the details here!!! Happy shopping!

Oh Christmas Tree.........

just a little picture to get you in the holiday mood. After all there are only 12 more days until Christmas!! The kids are getting so excited and keep wondering what Santa will bring.

Tonight is the night I have been looking forward to for a month or so now, I'm meeting up with Vicki Boutin, Jen Backler , Patti Thompson, Patti Miller and Elia for dinner tonight. These girls are the best, and I wish we all lived closer so I could see them more often!! I am so glad the weather is going to be nice and safe for driving, this time of year you can never be sure!!!

A cleaning house sale

well since I have been cleaning up to clear out for Xmas I had another pile to list on EBAY so if you would like take a peak and see if anything tickles your fancy. and I can't believe there is only 14 days til Christmas, thanks goodness I'm ready!

Happy 11th Birthday!!!

my how time flies!!!

Happy 4th Birthday!!

to my baby girl~~~

My heart is

healing. I miss my boy, but he's called everyday since he left so that makes me feel better. I so want him to be happy and live the life he deserves. Thank you so much to everyone for their thoughts and hugs. It;s nice to know that people think i did him some good, I really needed it.!

For Zack...

always know how much we loved you, always know we'll forever be there, we shall miss you dear boy and hope and pray that the happiness you deserve finds you and stays with you, now and always!

It's official

Zack is going home on Friday, I don't know how the system can fail so miserably, don't get me wrong I am totally for reuniting the family, but in this case, as noted by psychiatrist's and doctors that have told this agency he SHOULD NOT return home ever, it saddens me to know that he is, I feel a great loss for the potential he had if he would have been placed for adoption, I really feel that this little boy feel through the cracks :(

Just listed a tonne of rubber stamps and scrapping goodies

in my new venture to sell Close to my Heart i figured i better clean out the scrap closet. so I have listed a bunch of my unloved scrap goodies and some old stamps, some are unused on EBAY thanks for peeking!

Open for business!!!!!!! and some sad news

I got my consultant kit from CLose to my Heart today, I am so excited!!! and overwhelmed, so much to read and learn and make so I have some artwork up on my Consultant site. So much to do.

Now my sad news, as many of you know I am a foster parent, we have had Zack with us since March 31, 2004, and I learned today that there is an extremely good chance he will be returning home to his mom on the 24th of this month, I'm happy a family will be reuinted but for those of you that know us IRL, it is honestly not the best thing for my dear son. I ask those of you that do to say a prayer for Zack that he will be safe and happy should this happen, I will never erase from my mind the reasons and condition he was in when he came to my home almost 3 years ago, keep him in your thoughts

A new Business venture

I signed up to become a Close to my Heart consultant. I am addicted to their Bonding Memories Glue as well as their unique acylic stamps and thought why not try to sell them. You can check out the link to my online shopping and website, although I don't have any artwork up yet, I haven't received my starter kit yet. But feel free to purchase some goodies for the scrapbooker/stamper in your life!! Thanks for peeking, the link is on the right---->

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!

My foster son Zack as Dracula, I blacked out his eyes for privacy reasons and Nicks face is covered by his mask for privacy reasons

My foster son Nick as Batman

My nephew Carson as Elmo

My nephew, Brayden as Darth Vader

My neice, Abbygale, as Cookie Monster

Victoria as Sleeping Beauty

Marissa the cheerleader

Trick or treating was fun as always, the kids got a tonned of goodies, I could not get one clear picture of Victoria, she was constantly moving :)

Well it's

still the same around here damage wise, the tree is still laying across the yard and the town is still recovering, there are Disaster Service vehicles at homes all over, lots of people lost their basements. I am so thankful that the tree was our biggest loss and that it missed the house when it fell!

On a happy note, I went for a girls weekend away with Patti and Elia last weekend to Ohio. I got al little scrappin stuff that I hadn't seen anywhere around me and a lot of Christmas gifts for the kids. It's hard to believe it's just 8 weeks away!!! We went to the Cracker Barrel for breakfast out last day there and WOW!!! if you've never been to a Cracker Barrel you really should go what a totally neat place!!! We had a million laughs and a Forest Gump waiter at dinner one night, I got a Starbucks Chai latte which is a big deal cause the closest one to me is a 30 min drive, alittle to far to go for coffee :)

I'm still deciding whether or not i want to enter HOF for Creating Keepsakes magazine, just not confident enough yet, but i do have some ideas floating around in my head!! We'll see what happens!!!

84 hours without power!!! and snow in October!

My poor tree

Friday morning

Well after 84 hours without power, things are getting back to normal, I got up at 5 when the power came on this morning to tackle the mountain of laundry that built up over the past 4 days. The kids and I spent 2 nights at my mom's staying warm and entertained while Dan held down the house and his parents house 5 min away, They picked the perfect time to go on vacation!!!
We had to go to Burlington to get a generator as there wasn't one anywhere to be found in this area!
I am tired and do not know how people lived without power so many years ago, it is something we sure take for granted! and this morning I couldn't love anyone more than the hydro guys who have been working round the clock to restore power to our home and city!!!

Christmas Card photos shoot

I took the girls for a shoot yesterday, the weather was so nice here!! After all the rain this past week, I was so glad. I took about 50 shots, these were my favorite 3, CC welcome, I'm really trying to improve my photography!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

How can it

already be October? This year has truly flown by. I started my Christmas shopping yesterday, Walmart has some gret deals on stuff for their anniversary sale!!! I'm trying to get my neice a TMX Elmo for Xmas, good luck with that Auntie Kim, LOL. I can't believe the price of them on EBAY, WOW it's crazy what people will pay for one toy and in a year or 2 they will be all over Value Villiage and garage sales just like the ones ten years ago.

I'm very excited about the scrapbooking forum that my dear friend Patti set up it has a great forum and a storefront, which i had the pleasure of choosing some merchandise for if your a scrapbooker be sure to check it out here!!!

Started

a new scrap resume/portfoilio. the link is on the sidebar, please let me know what you think!

could the weekend

get any better??!!! After my post from yesterday I sent some layouts to Scrapbook and Cards Today magazine and within a few hours I got an email back requesting one of them. Talk about a turn around weekend, I wonder if getting a lottery ticket would be pushing it?!!LOL

and so to my dear friend Tina who advised me to submit I send you.....

What an awesome weekend!!!!!

On Saturday I went to a crop with my gal pals from Scraptivity, as usual I laughed lots, ate tons of junk and this time, I know some of you won't even believe it, but I actually cropped!!!!! I did 4 pages, if you don't believe it you can see it on my girl Tina's Blog.

And to top off the day, which was already awesome!!! I get home and my dh had a huge surprise for me:

Rewind a few days, DH comes home with a 32" TV/monitor for his computer, I suggest that we go to buy a dishwasher on Sunday and get a nasty" do we have money for a dishwasher?" "uh yeah maybe if you hadn't spent $1000 on that monitor" anyway, I was complaining about it at the crop, I get home and lo and behold a new dishwasher, installed ready to go, I almost cried, he totally blew me away!!! maybe people really can change!!!

Another tag.....

this one comes from my fellow tea lover Tara.


5 Wierd things about me....

1. I have a double jointed thumb, that I like to make do a hula dance

2.I do not like to be alone in the dark

3.I actually like the Tom Cruise version of War of the Worlds

4.My sister and I both went through the same cancer scare, within 2 years

5.I used to LOVE shrimp, but since I was pregnant with my first dd 10.5 years ago I havne't touched it!


I tagging Patticakes and Sue S!

Fall..........

is here!!! The air is crisp, the leaves are changing and Victoria starts going to school every day today. There have been some changes made, the class was so big that they had to hire another teacher and now she will go in the afternoon instead. She will have a supply teacher for the next 2 days until the real teacher is hired and she will start on Friday, thurs, there is no school in the afternoon, talk about a confusing start to school!!!

This Saturday is a Scraptivity crop and I'm so excited about that, I love getting together with those ladies, such an awesome bunch, the day never lasts long enough with them!!!

And with Christmas and the girls birthdays approaching faster than I would like I need to start planning out some shopping!!!

I've been tagged

by Jewels. Thanks Jewels, I'm gonna tag, Patti, JenS! and HeatherS!


1. If you could build a house anywhere, where would it be? Right next door to Disney World and one in the outskirts of Niagara Falls, close to everyone I love
2. What's your favourite article of clothing? My PJ's ;)
3. Favourite physical feature of the opposite sex?HMMM I don't think it would be appropriate to post by first choice so I will say his butt
.4. What's the last CD that you bought? The Dixie CHicks
.5. Where's your favourite place to be? At home with my family
.6. Where is your least favourite place to be? Outside in the winter !!
7. What's your favourite place to be massaged? My feet and neck.
8. Strong in mind or strong in body? Mind!
9. What time do you wake up in the morning? 7:30am
10. What is your favourite kitchen appliance? The fridge keeps my Dr. Pepper cold!!
11. What makes you really angry? People who abuse their kids, I don't mean the odd spanking here and there, I'm talking making them black and blue
12. If you could play any instrument, what would it be? Electric guitar.
13. Favourite colour? Pink
14. Which do you prefer...sports car or SUV? SUV
15. Do you believe in an afterlife? Yes.
16. Favourite children's book?Anything Dr.Suess
17. What is your favourite season? Summer.
18. What is your least favourite household chore? Dishes
19. If you could have one super power, what would it be? to create world peace
.20. If you have a tattoo, what is it? don't have one but if i did it would be a fairy.
21. Can you juggle? No.
22. The one person from your past that you wish you could go back and talk to? My grandmother. and Brian
23. What's your favourite day? Saturday.
24. What's in the trunk of your car? some lawn chairs
25. Which do you prefer, sushi or hamburger? hamburger

Well that's it

I no longer have any babies at home, today was V's first full day of school, they stagger them in here for JK, she had a 20min meet the teacher last week, a full day today with 10 other kids then the whole class starts on Monday.
And I will admit it, I cried, bawled like a baby, not in front of her, when she lined up they came, hard and fast, I'm not good with letting go of my children, I try to be, but I'm not, I love them more than my life itself and wish we could hang on forever. Here they come again as I type this, and remember how scared her little face looked in that line. I know she'll love it in a few days and will look forward to each morning of school the way all little kids do, but for me it means the end of babyhood, no more little ones at home with me and that makes me just a little bit sad.

Happy birthday!!!!!!

to my honey who is the big 33 today and to my sweetie pie niece, Abbygale who is one today

A new look...

I thought the black was too dark and hard on the eyes, so I changed to a more me colour, i love pink.
Hope you like it!!!

2 down and 2 to go

Well the first to back to schoolers are home and totally excited about the new year. My other 2 don't start until Thursday(they have a staggered entry for Juniour Kindergarten) They go on the 13th again and start full time on the 18th so I'll have more back to school pics to share so here are the kids today, so dreary here, i really wanted to get some cool shots!! I have to block out my foster sons face for privacy reasons

Summer ends

on a dreary note, lots and lots of rain here!!!! the kids are sad that is has ended like this, they wanted to play and swim before the grandparents close the pool, here are 2 of my fav pics from this summer