Stuff to Share

who knew...

Mowing your lawn could be so traumatic? You all know my fear phobia of bees...in a rush to get the lawn mowed (a 4 hour job by the way), I was on the homestretch when a damn bee stung me IN THE EYE. Can you believe it? Some days I think we were just meant to STAY IN BED. THIS was one of them, just trust me on that ok? So.The Reno's are moving slowly, very slowly, which I AM expecting for the next months.Years? Regardless, I thought enough has happened that I should share a few photos with you. I did say we haven't done much since the MAJOR reno before we moved in, how many years ago? Hum-mm...hemlock isn't supposed to rot but guess what. Oh yeah Baby, a new veranda coming our way! Then there is removing all the vinyl siding. This house is going to look in rough shape for a LONG TIME. Bits & pieces done here, there, & every where! This will be the future great room & master bedroom... nice maze of in-floor heating, don't you think? And this will be the new entryway SOMEDAY. Future site of "the Curious Connection"? Lets just wait and see... This picture was taken from our current master bedroom... and the garage is coming right along (guys and their priorities!)  I do love the red roof :o) I'll post all the pics under Reno's soon... On to the fun stuff. Have a look at this!
Day 1 fishin'. in the new boat. 1 yummy mackerel caught by Fisherman Scott! Day 2 fishin'. Blake convinced me to go for the first time ever (usually there are so many that want to go it's always been easy to have them go without me... He really wanted me to check out this little boat & it was CALM in the bay (which is RARE), so off we went. A moment of surprise...We are getting lot of bites! and so the story goes "we had the best time ever"!!! The downside was the fish we caught were mostly herring (messy messy messy) & just so you know how messy... They.were.messy. The good news is, it was so fun I went out with Him again last night & we actually caught LOTS of mackerel. Now THAT makes for a HAPPY DAY :o)

renos as promised...

I can't believe this is happening but wow,it really is! Everyone keeps asking why are we adding on now that the kids are almost gone? (some days I say THAT won't be soon enough). I can't really explain it other than we've been talking about building a new house & this just seemed to make more sense for right now. I like the idea of not having to start over with all that landscaping... When we moved here, the only green around this 200 year old home was a lilac bush & some asparagus fern...not ONE tree. Nope. Not one... We planted  the maple trees after we moved in (19 years ago) & they are finally starting to recover from kids mowing (I am smiling, seriously I am). There are flowerbeds here & there and some beautiful ash trees (thanks Fred) and even some evergreens now...it just feels like home, this old house with it's low ceilings & rock foundation...(exposed like this) you can see where the mice have found a way in!!! I'm not ready to leave it yet. Nope. Not Yet. So, having a living room seems like a pretty good idea, you know, one separate from the TV room! (which will ge here)  And actually using the garage for the car instead of junk, is starting to appeal to us more & more. (here's the beginning of the red shingles!)   I already love my kitchen & this reno will mean a little more room in the studio.(don't you think I need to get this mess cleaned up?)  So you see, a reno just makes sense. Enjoy our adventure, I'm sure there will be lots of tales to tell!  Happy day.

I am missing my BFF...

Just tell me if you saw her hanging out with HIM again... I lost her for about 2weeks when she read the series... We took this picture while we were in NC, don't they make a cute couple?!? Seriously, shes in England & won't be home until Sunday...two weeks is a long time...I really miss him too... (Rhys, NOT those big boys,LOL)... They went to visit Sean's Dad & then off to Belgium to see the cousins , then back to London. They are both such a big part of my daily living, it always seems a little quiet when they are gone... Anyway. I had Ria's name last month for Bookclub, she had given me a kit so it was my job to do something with it. It didn't take long for a few fun things to come to mind with the great stuff she shared   You know, you can't have too many moleskins to journal in...and she so loves Owls this year :o) ( I made two !) I also made two of these little note books...she will be one stylin' teacher when she graduates next year. This was actually the book I made for me,( room for just one more hint hint!), I gave her hers before I took any pictures of it. And just for the record, (and totally off topic). If you don't already have your "Ya Ya sisters" to visit at least once a month, go make the effort to find them...life is just so much better when it's shared with friends! & on that note; I'm heading to the Hot Tub with my Honey... Tomorrow? I'll share some RENO pics...there is STUFF going on here! Happy Day Everyone

things to do on a sunny day...

Wake up to watch this little guy from your kitchen window!Think about planting the rest of your flowers, or get a few things done around the house! Life is pretty busy but I did want to share this little photo experiecne I had a few weeks ago. It all started in the rhubarb patch. You can imagine the excitement with this discovery...I decided I would keep vigil over this nest for the next little while & leave the rhubarb alone (we did squeek out one rhubrab crisp that was delicious!). The next day I discovered this! How crazy is that...I couldn't believe my luck! So naturally I had to go back again... Look at all those little "peeps"! I had to keep going back( just a bit OCD you know!)  and finally... I went back a few days later & everything was gone... We did a little investigating & the birds ended up being grackles ( no ones favourite in theses parts, probably no ones favourite in any parts!) but , I can't help but wonder what happened? So, life goes on... Today? I'm going to plug away at my studio...it is a disaster...I have kits to make up, bookclub homework to do,class album to finsh, garden to weed, groceries to by, and maybe a load of laundry or 10...what's up for you?

Happy Day.

8 +2...really

Just when you think life needs a little pick me up, something wonderful happens, I continue to be surprised by joy... I had to make a project for Melissa this month (in our book club without a book: aka Pages of 8+2) & I made this little book that I think just might come in handy for her documenting the next few months! Any guesses what the special delivery might be??? Lets just say pages of 8+2 was down one and soon we won't be!!! Gotta love it :o)
Happy day.

3 for 3...and Kathryn rocks....

Ok. It's late. I haven't finished my homework for Bookclub YET. I did get my project ALL READY for Tuesdays' class. No time for sneak peaks tonight. I must get to bed early to make that morning walk. I did want to share a bit of the fun we are having with Bookclub lately. We draw names each month to give that person a kit the following month. That person then must make something for themselves & something for the person who drew their name...It's like Christmas every month so much anticipation for the unveiling of gifts galore!
Kathryn had my name awhile ago & she gave me a kit that seemed way out of my box... It was two antique metal ceiling tins & a whole bunch of vintage yumminess to play with. This is what I came up with. (she actually took these pictures for me  because I haven't finished mine yet!) The tiles were prepped with gesso & painted. I used gaffer tape all around the rought edges. Then I used some stuff to give them a little dimension (tissue paper, more paint & patterened paper, etc.) Then I used tattered angles & maya mist to add a few stencils...then painted some more! The buttons are all sewn on & I sewed the  beads, flags & pom poms to this piece of trim I happen to know came from Random Arts! This stuff is so fun to play with! I had the very best time creating with these old zippers...(I love zippers) Can you imagine my delight when she gave me more for my own tile!!!  This little project swept me away to a wonderful place.I could have played for a very long long time here. Have you ever felt that way? I tried to use some of everything in  her marvelous kit & I think I did OK in that department. Thanks so much Kathrine for giving me "permission" to colour outside my lines! Happy day everyone & see you tomorrow!

INSPIRED 09... not so short & sweet...

Just  thought I should share a few INSPIRED photos before the my memory fades! It was such a fantastic experience,  Donna & Bill really know how to  entertain a large group of people & have everyone feel so darn special. I do so love that about them :o) We arrived a day early so we could do a little sight seeing & shopping in the Charlotte area...Ria is the QUEEN of driving (and taking photos...all of these are hers!) so we saw a lot!  First we had to collect our friend Emily (Kathryn & I hung out with her last year) this Sweetie  is from England and she is officially our adopted Canadian! Some of our highlights included an art museum in downtown Charlotte...
   We stayed a little longer than planned due to intermittent thunder showers!!!  We  also ventured off to Cheap Joe's to check out  the art supplies we needed for class, but the HIGHLIGHT SHOPPING of the day was the best darn fabric store I have EVER been in! It was called Mary Joe's  & it was as big as our Superstore! Of course you can't leave a fabric store without a "little somethin" to add to your stash..how 'bout that? I can't even describe the massive  WALL of rick rac in every size & shape imaginable...OH such Eye Candy! My friend Tena had also mentioned we should go to one of her favourite stores & this was one of the displays... the theme was honey! It's called Anthropology & it was amazing... we spent a fair amount of time there! This was a really high end mall, all designer clothes & the busiest store? The MAC store..How about that! That was enough shopping (no, it's never quite enough when you're on holiday) for the moment (I forgot to mention we hit a Target the evening we arrived, you know we can't drive by one without dropping in!)
    Ria quickly made friends with everyone's favourite photographer Paolo . He is such a nice guy with amazing talent & a great sense of humor...Just another special part of the Inspired experience :o)   As luck would have it this year (& Donna's ability to pick great teachers), we had the chance to connect with Tena again & the lovely Carol ... We've had several opportunities to take classes from these very talented ladies, right in our "back yard" but they are more than that, they really are friends. We are working on an Arizona trip just to hang out with them!  Finally I am sure I've mentioned our favourite bellhop in the WHOLE Wide world from last year...That would be WADE & he happens to have the Southern Hospitality down to a "T", no question. Unfortunately Kal wasn't with us this year to share our Wade experience:o( You know, he even delivered Starbucks right to our classroom one day! How fantastic is that?!? He is a Teacher by trade but does this job on the side...wow... He saw me in that hall when we arrived & said "Hi Canada", what a great way to be remembered :o)  I wonder if we'll be so lucky next year?  I also didn't have enough quality time with "she warms my heart" Cameron or the "wonderfully genuine" Katie, so now I'm going to have to organize something fun with these lovely gals so they'll come visit! Does that interest any of you? I haven't finished ANY of my projects YET but when I do, you'll be the first to see them!

Happy day.

Clean Eating report & enough eye candy for 2 weeks....

It all started when Blake gave me his mac book & we meet at the kitchen table everyday for a "clean eating" breakfast (more on that later). I have two macs now & not all the info is shared on both computers... My photos are on the computer in my office & I've been checking most of my e mails at the breakfast table...it's also been a little more accessible for face book. My blog has suffered because of this (and the fact that we are just busy).
    So back in Jan I told you we gave the gift a trainer to each other for Christmas...all was going well then we went to Jamaica & fell off the wagon for a bit, then back in the swing & then fell off the wagon & now back in the swing...it's hard taking the time to make it work, but it has to...I know how crappy my body feels when I'm not putting in a little "sweat equity!"  I read a lot of blogs in the run of my morning coffee & it's universal...no one, except maybe Bob Green finds it easy! So you just do it.
   It goes like this. When we came back from Jamaica, we had both maintained our weight loss (for me 7 lbs, Blake 10) even with the fruity drinks! We were pretty good...I still wanted more & if any of you know me at all, you know I could easily fill a library with diet books!( self help books too but thats another story!!!) I have tried them all. MANY times over. Guess what. I have found one that seems to be working for BOTH OF US!

To date Blake has lost almost 35 lbs & I've lost 25...it has  been easy. No joke. NO JOKE.
    We are "volume eaters" (always have been!) So now we eat volumes of the right stuff. I should know this. We have always eaten fairly healthy,(Come on, I have a dietetics degree for heavens sake) just too much...So what's so different? I had a soul searching moment when I was listening to my self complaining about my weight for the millionth time...I was plan sick of listening to it me, action speaks louder than words & I just made up my mind to cut out the crap. There was also a major highlight of Inspiration from a very dear friend of mine. Watching her journey has been so motivating! Yeah it's like everyone says: for us ..no white stuff...no processed foods or processed meat...no trans fat... no HFCS... So after the first week of NO SUGAR (and if you know me , you know I always go for the gooiest, stickiest, sweetest anything around!) I felt so different. Just so different. I love it. I also had to make this a life plan so we incorporated the things that were important to us to make it work.
    WE ARE NOT PURISTS...that isn't our reality! We drink our beer, and our Gin & fresca...we have the odd dessert: birthdays, special( very special) occasions... We eat meat & lots of seafood! I have my own little rules (for example, there has to be a fruit in my dessert to make it legal!) Oh yes & we have been known to enjoy the occasional ice cream as long as it doen't come from the pereau general...Jim just makes them SO BIG(LOL!). All I can say is we feel SO MUCH BETTER. No more popping extra strength Advil. No more not sleeping because we ate too much...It's just all good! We also incorporate some of the SFL principles as well...we eat lots of egg whites & we're both ok with that! And we haven't seen the butter dish since we started...We use olive oil for everything. It's like Ria says it's not the butter we like, it's the salt in it... we go easy on that too. My favorite snack? Old fashioned popcorn popped on the stove... with a handful of walnuts... just a few walnuts everyday. YUMMY! I We don't count calories. EVER. We eat mountains of veggies & I'm ok with that too! We eat lots of fruit & no fat yogurt (we are down to almost plain!). It's WORK in the kitchen. I used to bake all the time & I've just switched to cutting veggies & making salad dressings & once in awhile homemade red river cereal bread (Thanks Lynn!). Does anybody know just how much I love beet greens? I think more than strawberry shortcake, seriously...every time I eat them I feel like I "died & went to heaven"!
    So after all of this blabbering...I made a little book with our May kit (which looks like so much fun don't you think?) and I plan to fill it with my little reminders to keep eating clean...
I'll post this little album on my side bar but wow, those glossy accents are just so fun to play with... This kit was full of fun stuff:o). Just so you know,the votes are in & we'll be doing JULY & AUGUST KITS as Mini Book Project kits WITH INSTRUCTIONS !!! That way you can sit down & do it without having to think about what you are going to do! There are limited kits so if you want in, email  psarsfied@xcountry.tv soon because I always sell out!!!
So, since I mentioned I have all kinds of eye candy to share, I plan to post EVERY DAY for a week! Wish me luck, I have a lot of catching up to do...I haven't talked about this
or our fantastic experience here

I can't even begin to share how wonderful this happy couple treated us... Just so inspiring:o) And there is also this little piece of art work I created you'll need to devour... (Thanks for the photo Kathryn!) and finally...

LET THE RENOS BEGIN!!!!!
Happy Day everybody!

short & simple...longer post to come!

I have been a dreadful blogger...I have much catching up to do... I will...soon...
    For now I just wanted all you Kit Club girls to see what Ria has created with her April KIT! I Hope this gives you a little inspiration prior to your next kit... which will be ready VERY SOON...
Happy Day !
great use of the acrylic Ria!
a little paint works miracles:
Now get your kit out & create one for yourself!

gotta find me some time...

Hello? Can you believe it's April? Gosh the older you get the faster it goes...TIME that is! Just stopping in for a few minutes to add some class pics to the side bar & remind you all how much fun Ria, Kathryn, Ardith & I are going to have at Inspired in just a couple of more weeks:o) Me.oh.my... We had fun last night trying to get all of our supplies purchased in the city... We're still not finished & I think the rest will have to wait for NC...  It's hard out there for an ametuer because you're scared to substitute anything... Who cares, we KNOW the event will be a blast & there is so much to learn (I think I need a degree in Arts & Crafts...it's my version of Continuing Ed Jill!)
    Serena Reider was Awesome, finaly nabbed Ria's camera to show you all just how much fun 4 girls can have! She was so good, & I loved that the concert was in the Casino, the room was so warm & comfy... lots of fun... My only complaint is that we just don't do it enough...
    Before we leave for Inspired, we'll be packin' up for the third annual PAAT. If you have never been, that's just sad. Really. This group of Girls go way beyond the FUN meter to raise money for great causes, they really do. Well, not this group of girls, we're just there for the fun LOL!!! This year the event is to raise funds for Prostate cancer & I want to tell you, there's no such thing as being diaspointed when you attend this paper mania event!(the food is a pretty great bonus too!) I'm not sure if they are full, you might just want to contact Myleta for that info. I'm donatating a canvas class for 7 people that will be auctioned off & you might be "wishing your cake dough" if you don't have a chance to bid on it... There will be so many fun things  in the silent aucton...I know for a fact that I've snuck in  a few very special goodies by Sweet Kal I wish I coud sneak her in, wouldn't that be the best thing ever? ( Sorry Amy, it's just a wish)...
    There's not much to report on the reno front except we did spend some time with a wonderful Interior Decorator to MAKE SURE our windows are large enough & what to do about lighting... This looks like one of those never ending projects... i.can.feel.it! I am extremely excited about it, and maybe, just maybe, it's because I'll have a bigger studio to mess up! What do you think?  It's moving forward...going out for quotes tomorrow!!!!
   More art work to come but here's a sneak peak of what I'm doing with our march kit!
Happy day!