New pages

Thanks for all the congratulation comments from yesterday.

Anyway I finally got round to photographing a bunch of layouts so thought I'd share a couple here. I finished this one last week,it's for my friends album(I hope you like it mate and I miss you too ) it's a bunch of little images she sent me,since they were all un-enlargeable !! I decided I couldn't wait for the larger images and used them as is........

I've had those word rub-ons for ages and pull them out a lot but never manage to use them so it felt good to use a bunch here.

This one is one I did at the beginning of January.After tidying up my space and realising how much paper I have considering the amount I actually use on a page,I had a guilty moment and used a lot on 2 pages and then went back to my old ways !

Strictly it's not a lot of aper but it is for me ! I added the AC rub-ons to the snowflakes on the MME paper,this hasn't photographed well at all,Oh well !

I'll post some more next week.........

Yippee !!

I now have the right to end my sentences with,Eh !! because it's official we are Canadian as of 11.00am today. WOO HOO !!!!

There were 372 other people at the ceremony from 58 countries,58...... and I think there were only about 25 of us that said the oath in English,everyone else took it in French,Ad said it in both languages !! What could make it even more authentic.....a lovely snowstorm to travel in !

I am extremely proud of what happened today because I have considered Canada my home for a long time now.I didn't have to give up my British citizenship but you what if I did I would of,no second thoughts about that.

It wasn't easy packing up a life and moving to a new country and knowing nobody at all and those first few weeks,months and even year were hard,I won't deny that but as time went on I realised I didn't miss England,I missed my friends and family and proper Cadburys chocolate but not England.I love the attitude here I can't describe what it is but it definitely seems more positive.The people are friendly and I just have a better feeling here.

Last week someone said to me,Oh what a lovely accent and I must of given him a blanks stare for a few seconds before it clicked and I said Oh thanks because I forget I have it.

I came out here with the attitude of making it work and meeting new people and learning new things and I don't know if that helps or not? You have to adapt.There are things are different,some things worse (taxes !!)some things better (nearly everything else !!) I shall happily grow old here and know in my hearrt that I made the right choice for my boys future.

I think that calls for a glass of wine to celebrate.....

Finally........

Be warned it's long..........

I have taken photo's of my kitchen and I am going completely over board with photo's(they should enlarge slightly) since this project consumed my life for the best part of 2 months it tortured me and I shall torture you in return !!

This is also the part where I start justifying myself by saying I did lose all my 'before' shots so these are the taken in a rush 5 minutes before going to Home Depot and my kitchen looks a mess because I'd given up with it knowing it was about to be ripped out.
We had a really really small budget it had to include the unit's,worktop,sink,tap,new stove top,new dishwasher and flooring which is why we did everything (except fit the units)ourselves. Everything except the appliances was either from Home Depot or Ikea.

This is the view now as you walk in my front door,excuse the wet floor !

Originally we wanted to take out the hatch(we took the doors off which is why it's 2 colours because I haven't got around to painting it all one yet !)and turn it into an door opening to match the one the other side and enclose the other section to allow for wall units but it didn't fit in the budget and it's something we can still do at a later date if we want.

I posted these images in September describing the nightmare of getting glued tiles off the wall.I didn't glue my tiles on you'll be pleased to know and I love how the bevelled edge subway tiles look but they were a pain in the ass to grout because of that edge and I'm not sure I'd use them again !

I'm glad I decided to paint the window frames white,it was a lot of work but it looks so much fresher and cleaner.My only disappointment was that those wall units were too narrow to be glass fronted,as they hold all my glassware and I had wanted that on show.Code now is that there has to be 9 inches between a dishwasher and oven,ours were side by side before.I thought a 9inch cupboard was going to be a complete waste but it's actually a really good thing as it hold all my baking trays and my huge wooden chopping board.

There wasn't much we could change about the actual layout the only thing we did do was straighten the sink area.It was curved before and I'm sure the theory behind it was that you could look out of both the windows but in practise all you looked at was the big useless space behind the sink and the section of wall between the windows.By straightening it out you can actually see out both windows and I've gained counter space and my garbage container actually fits under the sink now.

Above is the view looking down towards my laundry/scrap space and the door to the garage.There used to be shelves on that wall and all our utensils hung there too but we decided to not but them back up there as really they were in the way !!
Below is the view looking up from the laundry/scrap space.That larder cupboard was the most expensive thing apart from the flooring I wasn't sure if I'd made the right choice with those 2 big drawers but I love them and man can they hold a lot of stuff !

This area didn't change much since we opted not to change the hatch/put up units.We just bought new shelves and these now hold the stuff from the shelves we took down and the basket on top of the fridge holds all the cookery magazines that I can't fit in the cupboard ! We replaced the handles on the Ikea unit to match the new handles in the rest of the kitchen.Of course even though it's from Ikea the style of handle I choose didn't come in that size,so I had to custom order some very similar from Home Depot and those 3 handles were nearly as expensive as the 20 in the rest of the kitchen !

This side we changed to a more unfitted look one because it was cheaper ! and two because I like that look and I love being able to just grab plates and bowls without having to open doors.The wooden worktop is fantastic.I gave it an extra coat of the protective coating.It takes hot pans/plates straight out the oven and wipes up a dream.After we put this together I so wanted it as my scrap table,it would be perfect since I stand to scrap but no way that's fitting in my space !
I'm pleased with everything but my absolute favourite thing is my floor........

I am so happy with the way it turned out,I will have a bad back and bad knees for the rest of my life but it was worth all the hard work.
The only thing we wished we'd done was put in pot lights,I think we'll end up doing it this spring even though it will make a mess,it will help as the current lights,which we kept since we'd only put them up a couple of years ago don't really light the kitchen where you need it.

OK that's a long enough post for me,I scrapped 2 pages this weekend,good stuff and I'll be back Wednesday with some happy news........

Slow

This week has gone slow,normally Thursday rolls around and I'm like what, where did the week go but not this week.

I finished another page and started one for my friends album that might be full by the time her kids are 18 because she doesn't send me enough pictures !! and I realised I never posted anymore of my mini album so here's the pages for June to Sept....

and bad me still has the finishing touches to put to Decembers pages and send them out,whoops.

I added a few of my favourite images from our trip to Omega park here so that that blog doesn't fall by the way side until April when I hope to do another photo a day.

That's all I have to say it's been one of those weeks! I was going to take a much needed trip to the hairdressers but my hairdresser is off until Tuesday,arghhhhhhh that's the down side of walk in appointments.........OK I love my roots I love my roots,no, it's not working !!

I love ...

....I love lots of things ! but I'm beginning to love Mondays,it seems to be a day I get so much done in a small amount of time.

Scrapbooking,I'm on a roll finished another page this weekend.I had a few weeks where I created nothing but it wasn't down to lack of inspiration or anything like that.My problem was quite the opposite,sometimes I have such a huge pile of photo's and so many idea's I just don't know where to start! Not wow,lightening bolt idea's just boring simple ideas but it's do I do that with these photo's or that batch there !!Anyway I'm working my way through photo's from the summer but I'm also trying to make some pages from my eldest's younger days because his albums are seriously lacking in content,I'm embarrassed to say,so I'd better do something about it.
I did this one at the end of December but it's only recently been photographed so it's classed as 2009 in my eyes.Had these photo's printed since September,and had a layout sketched out from then too but ended up changing it all completely,super simple one.

I'm going to mention my talented hardworking friend Susan who's work is featured on the cover of a new magazine called Stuffed by Stampinton . Reading about that this week was a nice relief after hearing about about 2 Scrapbooking magazines closing.One of which was Simple Scrapbooks,I can't say I bought every issue but I can say it was the first magazine I bought when I'd been toying with the idea of scrapbooking.It was a special inspiration issue and I remember a section in their showing contributors idea/sketch books and thinking,hey I have one of those I'm not complete anal after all,there are others too! I'm glad I had the opportunity to have a few layouts published with them and I really hope that a little of their philosophy can continue within the pages of CK.

Baby,it's cold outside....

Cold..............it's frigging frigid !!
When people back in England ask how cold it is,it's really hard to describe it,I've explained the nostril freezing experience but you cannot imagine it unless you've actually experienced it,that I'm sure of.I'm often asked well I'm sure you get used to it........erm NO,I will never get used to it !! I had to go out yesterday and it wasn't pleasant,I think they were saying 9 minutes for frostbite on exposed skin.Today's -25C,no wind chill but it's back tomorrow making it seem like -35C.....lovely.

At least I am home today,I lit the fire at 7 this morning and keep looking at the blue sky and pretending it's summer!

So apart from it being freezing yesterday it was also someones birthday.........

I don't normally have much luck with photo's that involve cake and candles,so I've tended to give up and enjoy the moment instead but last night I gave it another try and I like these,especially the last one with just one candle left.The candles were the only light in the room.

I added a few more pages to my Flickr gallery,older ones from 2007 that I found in a file !( I've been clearing up my photo files and backing up.)

This is one I never posted it's from September 07,I could have taken those shots every time he played what a difference to this year !

Off to chuck another log on the fire........

Monday Monday !

Organization is my plan for the month.I am quite organised because that's part of my AR nature !!(Cd's in alphabetical order and cookbooks by colour are just 2) but some area's have been neglected because they are behind closed doors,out of sight out of mind !

I need to start with the closets in the boys room and the spare/computer/play room which still houses toys and Ol's clothes.They need sorting because the boys are going to be having their own rooms,we decided the time was right with Ad going to high school this September.It's happening sooner rather than later because I mentioned it to Ol,who I thought would be sad he was no longer going to share with his big brother and instead I got a when is is moving out reply !!

Anyway instead of doing any of that I cleared out and changed a few things on the side of my blog and organised my pages on Flickr ! I added about 25 pages to my 2007/8 set,some I don't think I posted online before like this one...

Those photo's are from before we moved to Canada,we used to go every spring and just walk through the woods with bluebells everywhere it was a wonderful sight.Although you can't tell from my image but I can assure you it really was a sea of blue ! That WRMK Christmas paper just went so well !! I'm trying to do more older pages before I start to forget things.

Then I set up a new one for 2009 where there is only this one for now.......

Strictly I created this at the very end of 2008 but since I haven't photographed any of the 3 pages I've managed so far this year it will have to do.Photo's are from last summer,the boys had a blast when we went to Toronto to catch a Blue Jays game.We were lucky it was a Junior jays day so lots of fun stuff for the kids to do before the game although it was a scorching hot day.Those sprayed on tattoo's were pretty cool and lasted for ages.Flickr will be the only place I'll be posting my pages I think,so I've started to add page details but no way I was going back to do them for all the other pages !

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone has their favourite chocolate chip cookie recipe and this is mine.I got it from a friend who got it from a recipe book her kids school put together.It's quick and easy.I have this written on a piece of paper that is covered in ingredients,so time to print one out and put in my folder.........

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 22 to 25 cookies.

1/3 cup Margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar

1 egg beaten
1 tsp vanilla Extract

1 cup flour (For double chocolate cookies 3/4 cup flour 1/4 cup cocoa powder)
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt (I actually use just a good pinch)

3/4 cup chocolate chips (I like to use a mixture of white and milk but if I'm feeling generous I smash up a chocolate bar into chunks!)

1.Pre heat the oven to 375f.
2.Cream margarine and sugars together.
3.Add the egg and vanilla,beat until mixed.
4.Sift together flour,salt,bicarb of soda and add to the mixture.
5.Stir to combine and then add chocolate chips,stir again.
6.Place generous teaspoon size dollops on baking sheet,leaving room for spreading.
7.Bake for 7 to 9 minutes depending on your oven,they should be lightly browned but still soft.
8.Remove promptly to wire rack to cool.I leave them no more than a minute on the baking tray.

Sometimes I find that if I make the double chocolate the mixture it is slightly wetter and results in very flat cookies so I've learn to sift in a little more cocoa until it's more dough like,not too much though or they won't spread out at all ! My oven 8 minutes is good for my first batch and normally 7 is good for the second but that's just the way my oven works ! I'd check at 7 minutes to be on the safe side.I reduced the amount of salt as I could taste the salt with the amount suggested,I find a lot of North American recipes are heavy on the salt.

Thursday ?

Already,this week has flown by.
I've changed my header,always hated the tiny sized one and now I'm not as afraid of photoshop as I was I worked it out !I do have to point out that that is a photo from last year around mid March.I don't have any landscape winter shots so far this year although after that dumping we received yesterday I'm sure the opportunity is out there today.I realized a while ago I take most of my photographs in portrait,I just prefer vertical shots I suppose!

I actually scrapped yesterday,shock horror and I actually enjoyed it,I nearly finished a page too ! Finally I can feel myself getting back into it,at last.
Below are the first few pages of the mini albums talked about a while back. They are straight in real life,it's just when I took these photo's they were just for me to copy as I sent my mum's out first and I didn't actually think about showing them.Anyway you get the idea ! I'm pleased with how it turned out and the recipients loved them but this year I am going to do the pages monthly so it's not a huge rush at the end of the year.I think I'll also do myself a page too but using more photo's.
It should click bigger, I'll post the rest of it next week I just got the photo's back for December,so have those pages to finish and send out.

Happy New Year...be warned it's a long post !!

Yes,it may be 5 days into 2009 but who cares ! I've had a busy 2 weeks of doing nothing and it's been great.Sleeping in and getting up late,well late for us anyway.

Christmas was quiet,just us which was nice,I got this in red and very happy I am with it too.Boxing day I think we've found ourselves a new tradition.We went for breakfast in the village and then headed out to Omega Park.We hadn't been in the winter for a while and it was great,hardly anyone there so we drove around twice and that meant I got to use the big lens first and then the wide angle. I haven't really waded through the 350 odd photo's I took but when I do I'll post them on the other blog.The boys had a few play dates,Ad went skiing with friends on Friday,his first time this year so he's all geared up and wanting to go again.

New years eve we had friends over and all the kids managed to stay up till Midnight and watch the ball drop,we then hurried them off to bed so the girls could finish whooping the boys at Trivial Pursuit !!

So it's back to just me here on my own and I'm not one for resolutions but I am going to spend my time more wisely this year.Towards the end of last year it seemed a whole morning or more would be taken up with doing nothing much and it was driving me crazy.So I am definitely spending less time on the computer,I've already deleted a whole host of sites from my favourites.And as much as it was hard getting back up at 6.30 this morning I was at from the get go,lunches made, washing on,so by 9 this morning I had already cleaned both bathrooms,hoovered the whole house,stripped and changed my bed and had my 3rd load of laundry going,so now I am having a deserved cup of tea and updating my blogs,the last of my photo a day for December I added here.

I am also going to hopefully add a recipe here once a week,something I tried to do last year but it didn't work out but I am slowing putting together a folder with all my favourites in and so as I'm doing that I may as well put them here.

My scrap area/laundry room got a tidy up this weekend,I got something new for my papers so I went through them and got rid of ones I just know I won't use,so I had a general sort out tidy up although I keep it neat most of the time anyway so it wasn't too big of a deal.As I like to post an image I'll leave you with my tiny space........

I actually had before pictures but somehow I have lost all my before scrap space and kitchen photo's.(Luckily I had some kitchen shots still on my camera that I had used for home depot so I have some but not the ones I actually planned,these are taken 2 minutes before I rushed out the door !!)Anyway,excuse the crappy flash photo's,this part of my house has no natural light and that is the worst thing about it,I can cope with tiny and I actually like that it's open to the kitchen,I don't feel shut off but I hate the lighting.

I only used to have 1 shelf but these used to be in the kitchen and since we got new ones I grabbed them for here and they hold pretty much everything.Top shelf the basket holds my stamps,the tin holds cards I've made and the containers are full of ribbon and buttons.Middle shelf holds my chipboard letters and the chipboard shapes in the basket on top and the rest of the shelf is taken up with my colour sorted brads etc.Bottom shelf holds two trays I got from Ikea that have sections and are handy for storing labels,tags,small stickers and rub-ons and things like that.Under the desk is the majority of my paper and my cropper hopper letter sticker box,the tumble dryer door just fits over it !!

My desk just takes two cutting mats and in the back I have chipboard shapes and flowers,pens and stuff !! The two cupboard I painted when we first moved in and decided to leave them as they still look better than the plain grey melamine they were !! One side holds my fabric and sewing stuff the other holds my scrapbook albums and photo boxes.I put a shelf underneath and I now have my CD player there as it was moved from the kitchen.The wire basket holds chipboard stuff still in packets and the long wicker baskets hold my Thickers and sticker/rub-on sheets. I keep my cardstock,new papers and planned pages in the cropper hoppers on top of my tumble dryer !

It's not ideal but it works for me and it's the only spot in the house that was available !