Pink is in!

This is what the Sweet 16 birthday girl wanted for her birthday! So...today we splurged and $80.00 later...this is what we get! Cool ain't it?? Wish I wasn't too old to do this myself. HA! I think we're going to add 10 really blonde pieces next time we go! Beautiful Baby Girl. :)

Downtown

We never go downtown. It's busy. It's crowded with tourists. There are too many one way streets. I am from here, and I don't know my way around it. HA!! there I was asking people where this and that was and I was totally embarassed, because i have lived here for 26 years and apart from going downtown on Canada Day a few times when i was younger, i really have no use for it. BUT, we had to go there to renew Kayla's health card, so we made a day out of it. We took the bus - that started off as an adventure. The quick bus that used to pick us up close to home...doesn't go there anymore, so we had to walk about a half hour to catch that. I'm so glad I didn't take my car down there...I would have had a mini-stroke just trying to find where i was.

I love the buildings downtown. They are full of architectural design and history. Here are a few of my favorite buildings...which struck my fancy.






We stopped at the War Memorial (tomb of the unknown soldier)...what a gorgeous monument. AND of course, we saw lots of these tour buses. Kinda cool lookin' eh? If i had more time and money I would have went on one!!




Kayla's really into those Twilight books by Stephanie Meyer, and it's got her reading -- which I simply cant' get enough of seeing her do...so I splurged and bought her three more books for her birthday yesterday.



We had lunch at the Elephant and Castle pub on Rideau St. It was a bit pricey but well worth it! Kayla and I had french onion soup and caesar salad, and Jory had the soup of the day with caesar salad. Absolute Yumminess!!






And then...we ordered a strawberry cheescake for desert. We devoured it like scavengers. ha!!






Then we wandered around trying to find our bus stop back home. We ended up taking the most crowded bus ever. We were plastered in there like sardines and had to stand the entire ride. Ugh...i hate that.





Then we took our shoes off cuz we had blisters and could barely feel our feet and walked the remaining half an hour home. Jory took this pic of the sunflower....ahhhhhhhh...back in the country!!

Camping's going to be so fun!

I never know what to write as my title - but surely I could not leave it blank. Some days, I just type the first thing that comes to mind. TODAY...all I think about is camping! We (Me, Kayla, Jory, Sarah, Rob, Cam. and Liam) are taking off for four glorious days at our favorite Provincial Park to soak up the remaining rays of summer and witness the yearly WOLF HOWL at Algonquin Park. I am really looking forward to it. You guessed it, I have my scrap booking magazines all packed, my trashy smutt Cosmopolitan magazines AND my MP3 Player all loaded. (love that new song by Rihanna...DISTURBIA!) WOOHOOO!

I'll be on holidays the following week also...going back to school shopping and organizing my very unorganized and messy home. I have so much scrap stuff lying around, I forget what I have!

Last night, I hurriedly did my design layouts for LP. I must admit that I am not totally happy with them, because I hate pressure. I received the kit in the mail yesterday and wanted to get them done before I left for my holidays so I wouldn't miss the upload deadline. I hope to scrap more next week, when I'm off!





All layouts were made using the August Featured Kit by Cosmo Cricket (Hello Sunshine).

I'll be back folks...in a few days with some camping photos! Take care and have a wonderful weekend! Don't forget to listen to Dennis' Hockey Night in Canada Theme Song (post below). Thanks!

My Garden

I took these beautiful photos of the Zinnia's we grew from seed in the garden at D's house. I am in love with the colour and shape of these and I think i'll grow an entire garden of these next year. Absolutely gorgeous.




AND this is a picture of the other garden on the other side of the front entrance. Everything kinda got overgrown because i didn't realize the cosmos would get that huge. I'll plan it better next year! Click the first picture to make it larger and you'll see the fly and other bug hiding in the flower!

Me

i am...
me. I like me (most days)

i can't live without...
my kids, my boyfriend, my scrapbooking

i can't stand...
deadbeat dads

i secretly...
wish i could move to a new country and start a new life

nobody knows...
how much I want to get married (how pathetic is that?)

i'm in love with...
my man

when i am not scrapbooking, i am...
probably watching Grey's Anatomy (ha!)

i could eat...
chicken schwarma every day

10 years ago...
i was married to a loser

10 years from now...
I will wake up besides Dennis every morning

my worst job...
waitress

i learned a life lesson when...
when i was living with rose coloured glasses on

i like to start my mornings with...
coffee

i could never...
cheat on someone

i was mortified when...
I saw the other woman for the first time

i would consider myself an advocate for...
individualism

i have always wanted to be...
a nurse

i crave...
his touch

i feel nerdy...
never

i admire...
strong women

my motto is...
Life is short, make the best of everyday.

Just another Thursday

***I woke up this morning really feeling like it was yet ANOTHER GROUND HOG DAY. Ever watch that movie? You wake up and it seems like it's the same day over and over again. UGH...I hate that!

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Grey's Anatomy? hehehe...I am watching the third season on DVD right now and just about every second episode makes me bawl like a baby.

Every night after our nap, we'd go on a quiet boat ride and tour the lake. I'd mention to him how it felt as time were standing still. As if...the world were standing still. When you are on the boat and looking down at the water, while you are moving...it really doesn't feel like you're moving at all. I absolutely loved how FREE I felt in that boat.

This next layout is of Kayla and Jory enjoying their roasted marshmallows. Enuff said...I'm sure y'all appreciate a good roasted yummy yum marshmallow too!


Now i'm off to get some work done. Ciao!

Finally, a scrap night!!

I feel like I haven't scrapped in ages!! I was so anxious to get a couple of layouts done tonight that I cleaned like a madwoman when I got home from work, so I'd have no excuse not to! This first layout is for the LP July Sketch Contest. Every month we have a sketch challenge based on a sketch from Page Maps. It's a photo of my baby sister Diane and little brother David. (hehehe...i realize they ain't so little anymore but they'll always be my little bro and sis.) I took this pic of them at my Oldest Sister's 40th birthday party. :)


This next layout is of the kids on Bear Hug Day. In order to raise money for Cancer Research they participated in the "WORLD's Biggest Bear Hug attempt for Guiness World Book Records." One of Kayla's classmates was dying from Cancer, and Jory had a couple of friends in remission, so it hit home and was a very important day for them. **July alternate Kit.


We have been watching Grey's Anatomy again...currently on Season three, disc one. The Season Finale of Season One made me bawl like a baby!! I was up till nearly 2AM last night watching! ha!

The Gang is gone

That's right...i was inspired to scrap tonight because Kayla and Jory are at Sarah's house for the night - my first night off in months. Feels good!!

This layout was for Elizabeth's Easy Peasy Challenge to do a 'conversation peace'. It's a bit morbid but quite frequently what goes on in my head. I want to be strong yet, I find myself feeling weak. Is 'needing/wanting' a man in your life a sign of weakness?? I can't seem to stop the 'past hurt voices' in my head going off telling me that I should not depend on a man (aka, my divorce and cheating husband) but I have come to the conclusion that whatever makes you happy is what was meant to be. AND screw it...if leaning on on Dennis means i'm less of a woman...than so be it. He makes me all the woman I am and more. He has truly helped me grow into a strong woman. So...thank you darling! We celebrate 4 glorious years together this September. The Best 4 years of my life because I lived it BEING ME!
**patterned paper is GCD Studios from the July Featured Kit


This next layout is of my gang going on a boat ride while we were vacationing at the cottage in July. Here is a perfect example of how Dennis not only thinks of me but tries really hard to provide my needs. I often think he knows what I want/need more than I do sometimes!! He took the kids away for the day so i could have some time to myself. AND boy did i enjoy it!!
** patterned paper from GCD Studios, from the July Featured Kit.


I'm just sitting here with SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE starting...and i'm gonna watch all two hours of it, because i'm going to miss Joshua, Katie and Twitch. I wonder who'll win? I'll be happy with any of those three winning, but secretly rooting for Joshua?! Dunno just yet. Ciao!

Update

I was really surprised to find out I was the winner of the Dream Girlz challenge #8. I won an awesome kit. I'm stoked!!

I was really surprised too that my layout was mentioned on the Scrap Scene blog. You know that cute one of Rusty...lusting over peanut butter? Wow...thanks!!

Just wanted to let all my scrap friends know that the new Life Preservers' shop is now open. You can purchase previous kits or kit additions...sale items etc., from here. You have to check it out!

Also...big props to my girlfriend Zoa!! She just opened up her Etsy shop and has alot of really cute handmade scrappy goodness for sale. Check it out also! I can't wait until my order arrives. ha!!

So...Saturday we had 'Christmas in August' at D's sister's cottage. It was fun!! The kids played for a long time in the hammock and played badminton until we feasted on deep fried turkey, french fries, stuffing and corn on the cob!! Mmmmmmm. The boys were all wild on the water, playing on the sea-doo and me wishing i was much younger and would have wanted to join in the fun. All i could think of was how much pain i'd be in afterwards. LOL! I got a few pics - sharing my favorite one of Kayla below! Off to rest now...we went for an hour brisk walk this evening and i'm pooped!