Trick or Treat

Well we almost didn't make it out tonite...mr. man had quite the little melt down and I was about to call the whole night off when that sweet little face come out of his room and told me he was sorry...what started the whole thing you ask...well I was working away and he wanted me to find him his suckie so I told him I was busy and he would have to locate the blessed thing himself...you see R will not find anything for himself, he will not do anything for himself it is always..."YOU find it" as he goes and sits or throws himself into a whirl...I have even tried taking him by the hand and letting him help me look for things but to no avail he will not help...M on the other hand will just go and find what she needs, put away what you ask her to and even go get the Man what he needs...I feel as though I am going to loose my mind with him soon...anyhow enough whinning....

We did make it out this evening and the kids were wonderful and very well mannered...they both said Thank You when they got treats and except for trying to let themselves into a few homes...LOL! They had a great night Trick or Treating...what was the best thing they got...you would think it was all the great chocolate bars or chips...nope not my two...all they wanted was a SUCKER! LOL! Oh to be 2 and 3 again!

Digital Playing

So I have gotten PS3 and let me say it is amazing...so I thought I would dabble in some digital scrap booking - i am a blog reader and I have my faves that I ready daily and let me tell u I see some amazing layouts and than I find out they are digital and I am blown away.

Now don't get me wrong I am a paper and paint on the hand kinda girl but I thought I would play abit and it's not to bad...now if only I can find a place to print 12x12 I might start to dabble in some highbird scrapbooking where I can get the best of both worlds...

So this is what I have come up with and of course I had to play with everything free I could find to download...and let me tell you there are lots of great sites out there that offer some great digital freebies...

This first one is of 'baby girl', I first played with some action's in photoshop til I was happy and than I followed a tutorial on this site and this is what I come up with...not the best for my first one but believe me it really needs some work!

This next one is of my nephew...he was playing hockey while I was home visiting and when I got home and uploaded the pics to my PC I couldn't help but put a vintage kinda feel to it...This one was rather easy I used a template from this site that came with direction's in the download so it made the process rather simple...I really like this one, I love how clean and simple it is...

My sister-in-law had put up these great shots she took of my nephew's on vacation and even though I had already old school scrapped this I couldn't help but do it again...I think this one really needs to be printed out and framed to hang on my wall...I just love it! I used a pre-set template and for some extra UMFF...i added a texture under it and set it as an overlay...I just love what it did to the sand!

And last but not least my family far, far away...i just love these kids they are so much fun and just love to pose for pics... "A" took these and I just had to have them a play around...I think I am going to print the pic out and for sure do a page for my family album...so there you have it...my first attempt at digital...it has it pros and con's but it was fun to just give it a whirl and with all the free goodies out there I am sure I will be dabbling some more....

Fall

Can you believe it's fall already...this has to be my favorite time of year...I just love the crisp air, the colours, just look at the colours on the photo to the left. This was taken on our drive home from the farm...I live I think in the most beautiful place for Fall at it's best....

We took a little trip to the pumpkin patch a few weeks back...the kids had a blast and were really tired out...we did the corn maze and grabbed a few pumpkins for Halloween....

My First Tutorial - Selective Color

Here is my first photoshop tutorial...it you are new to photoshop as I am it will be a learning experience for us all...I am in LOVE with this program and it never ceases to amaze me just what PS will do to your photos...I have learned allot I mean allot about PS and Elements for this wonderful blog that I visit almost daily....BOBBI just never stops giving me inspiration she is a beautiful scrapper booker and her photography is just amazing....So here is one of the first and easiet things you can do in PS...

1. Open your photo in PS. Make sure your little black and white boxes towards the bottom of your screen are set to black on top...yeah I forgot to do that before I took the screen shot, so mine are currently set wrong and you can change them by clicking on the arrow and it will shift the black to the top....
   

2. To ensure I never overwrite the current pic I want to work on I always make a duplicate copy. To do this click on "Image" than "Duplicate". Close your original and we are good to go on to the next step.3. Now we are going to create a new layer...you achieve this by clicking on "Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Gradient Map". Now all you have to do is click on your Paintbrush and holding your mouse button down, carefully draw in the color you want back on your black and white photo...For Larger areas I use a larger brush and for areas that are small choose a small brush, it takes some practice to move your mouse without going into areas you don't want to but thank the Lord for the UNDO button!!

Now flatten your image by selecting Layer - Flatten Image ...save it and your done...

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial...I will get better with Time I swear....

Bye Bye Baby

Well it's official we have decided that two are enough for us and it is time to get rid of all the BABY stuff. Good thing cause we have allot and many a friend expecting right now so thank god I will get my baby fix in the coming months! So the storage closet is cleaned out, and boxes upon boxes of clothing is packed and ready to be shipped! I got alittle teary a few times remembering how little they once were and much they have grown....

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada this weekend....can you say yummy...the family and I are heading to our hometown this weekend...me with the kiddies and hubby is off to hunt with a good friend for a few days....I will be visiting family and friends for the next few days and getting in all I can with them as I more than likely won't be back until Spring as the winters here I can never trust that I won't get stuck on the side of the highway...

A few new links to check out....Have you checked out Scrap Scene lately lots going on there...and a new site I have been visiting lots lately is The Beary Box...who happens to have a sale going on...

I am working on my first photoshop tutorial so I hope to have it posted soon....

Well Happy Gobble Gobble Day! EH!

Bad Bad Blogger!

I have been a bad blogger, I was really into this blogging thing than I kind of got busy...you know how it goes between work, the kids, preparing to teach and just gearing up for the fall I kind of let it get away from me.

I have done a few layouts...

Don't you just love Pink Paisley Paper (left)...oh I just can't get enough of it...I love the texture the feel and all the great lines in comes in...check out thier BLOG it is filled with all kinds of inspiration...I had to scrap our Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine, although Riley didn't have the day I had planned I did need to make sure that I jourled everything - and as the story was long I ended up having to write it completely on the back of the layout...as I didn't want to leave anything out...the layout on the right is one of my fun...we were challenged to print a picture that made us smile and it was printed on cream CS...of course this only made me REALLY, REALLY want a 12x12 printer...hint hint Hubby! :-)

A New Home for Jack

Well I have had to find a new home for Jack...packing the kids up and taking them outside every hour has proved to be to much for me...It's not that I don't love my puppy it is just at this time in my life I just don't have the time to give him the attention he needs. As we live in an apartment I just can't open the door and let him out. He is sooo sweet and loving and just as smart as a whip so I hope he brings his new family lots of love and fun.

As a word of caution, when trying to find Jack a new family I posted an ad on Kijiji and to my shock I was informed by someone inquiring about him that pics I had sent of him where being posted in a new ad and selling him for triple what I was asking...can u believe it...

I have a very nice family coming to meet him this morning and if all goes well they will take one look at him and know he will make a wonderful addition to their family...

WHY?

Why? That is all I can ask myself right now...I truly believe that things always happen for a reason, that we meet people we should, they come into our lives for a reason, some good some bad...but what I don't understand is why some are taken from us so young. An old friend just lost her daughter today to cancer and I wonder why? Why wasn't she allowed to have babies? Get married? Grow old? And if she was put on this earth to live, why was she chosen to leave us so soon?

I cannot imagine what my friend must be going thru to have to deal with her illness and now her death, but I am sure she left something behind to all who's life she touched and it is now up to those left behind to wonder what that is and how we can learn from the gift she left us...

Home Sweet Home

Hubby the kids and I travelled home for the weekend. The treck started on Friday evening with a quick stop in Campellford where we picked up the newest addition to our family...Meet Jack...

Jack is a Golden Retrevier cross they think with a part Hound. He is very sweet and laid back but I cannot get this friggin dog to not poop in the house. I spend forever outside with him and still he comes in and within 5 minutes it is crapolia on my floor. Research is what I am doing my vacation and training him! Lucky me! I am not overly joyed that my husband has whined long enough to me about the dog, I feel like I do enough in the day with my full-time job and than my other full-time job of being a Mom....the kids love him but they are soo little and now I have to get them ready, myself ready and pray that Jack doesn't pee or poop in the hallway before I can get them all outside! Time will tell if we keep him!

On the bright side I got to spend time with my family and a few close friends this weekend! I have not seen my family since last Thanksgiving and I have been really homesick for them! The kids visited Grandma and Grandpa, than we were off to Uncle Dave's and Aunt Jeanette's. Sunday was spent at Auntie Nicole's than off to Aunt Mar and Uncle Pauls, than back on the road for 4 hours home...whew....tiring but well worth it!

Back in Time

I have been cleaning and re-arranging the house and with that comes finding old things. The kids were sharing a room and we decided that it was time that we moved the boy into his own room as the girl wakes him up pretty early and when they are together it is just complete and utter mayhem....so Derek and I spent the weekend cleaning and re-arranging the entire house.

With that I found some more old photo's. Grade school photo's. These bring back bittersweet memories some good, some bad. It's fun to look back at the 80's and think wow did we really have our hair like that or dress like that or see that we all really haven't aged all that much in the 30+ years it has been (LOL who am i kidding ;-) ...and than it makes me wonder where some of these people are...coming from a town like I did - most are still there - and easily know where they are or what they have been doing, where they work or how many kids they have now - but what about the lucky one's who have escaped and I find myself wondering what the heck they have been up to all these years??
I have even tried looking for some of them on Facebook and have found a few...but there is one I can't find...David where the heck are u? Manny? Renee?

God Bless the Fourth of July!

God bless the 4th of July...thanks to my American clients I was pretty much free of the million emails I usually get and able to play catch-up not only at work but at home as well...and thru all the fighting and whinning I managed to get 3...that's right count em' 3 layouts done! YEAHAW! As I am still learning this wonderful hobbie I am amazed at how my work has progressed...still no designer but I am becoming more and more pleased at what I can do....

Recipe: Cardstock: Brazzil; Patterened Paper : Basic Grey; Chipboard: Basic Grey, Heidi Swapp; Paint: Heidi Swapp

Recipe: Cardstock: Core Creation's; Patterened Paper : Pink Paisley, Making Memories; Chipboard: Basic Grey, Maya Road; Cosmo Cricket; Paint: Making Memories

Recipe: Patterened Paper : Close to my Heart, Chipboard: Basic Grey; Paint: Making Memories

Fort Henry

We geared up for a night at Kingston's own Fort Henry...I made sure Riley had a good nap this afternoon so there would be no meltdowns tonight and we were off to the Sunset ceremony at Fort Henry. For those that don't know the area this is the place to visit in Kingston. The kids that re-enact these shows are truly amazing. You can just tell the hours they spend perfecting each routine. I loved it...the music was amazing, the guns firing, the HUGE canon's going off and it was all topped off with a fabulous fireworks display at the end of the evening.
Riley was amazed by the drums. And he loved watching the soldiers march. He wasn't afraid of the guns going off or the canons. However by the end of the evening the Fireworks were scary to him...go figure...but he was amazing tonight...I kept letting him know how proud I was of him (praying for some positive reenforcement..wink..wink!). He was up til well after 10pm and come home to tell Daddy all about it, had some juice and crashed...not even a fight to get him into bed!

Canada Day

What a day...who ever said the babes will be fine without a nap...should be shot...oh wait that was me...I should never have told Riley we would be going to see horse's cause for 4 straight hours that is all I heard...two year old's have no sense of time...than the temper tantrum's started cause time was not going fast enough...but after a few hours of waiting he finally got to go and ride on the horse, Mia didn't really like the horse she stayed on but heaven forbid she touch anything....than once we were done at the park it was time to go and he screamed all the way to the car for Kyle (my nephew)...once in the car he finally fell asleep for a whole 15 minutes...than the fun began at the in-laws...Why do two year old's hit? Why will this child not listen to anyone??? He is soo head strong and stubborn and will do what he wants when he wants...I am sure he will grow out of it in time but I swear I may need a mental break from him soon...Mia had her moments to but she is sooo easy going and laid back that she hardly ever has her moments...not saying she doesn't but they are very few and far in between...Thank god for daddy tonite...took them both home and put them to bed so I could have some time with everyone alone...was going to hit the fireworks tonite but I was beat and it just wouldn't have been the same without my family there with me. On a positive note we did have a great BBQ at Aaron and Cara's and I got to spend the day convesing with adults and allot of great laughs...I do have great friends and family here in Kingston but it sometimes makes me really miss the people I have left back in Brantford...holiday countdown is on until I can have some good times with those I miss so much!

Gearing up for Canada Day...

Canada is celebrating her 141th Birthday tomorrow...time to gear up for fun, family and friends...almost time to sleep as it will be a long day of festivities in the afternoon, swimming at Uncle Aaron's and a BBQ with family and friends. And all this on a Tuesday with back to work on Wednesday...oh well I guess the work week won't be so mundane and with the great American clients I have I can pretty much do nothing but clean and spend time with the kiddies on Friday...

The Day

Where do I begin....working from home is not all it is cracked up to be....especially with two toddlers running around. Riley has been hell on wheels today. Not to mention he has not been sleeping at night again, this makes for one tired Mommy. No time to scrap today, I did however have a chance to upload some pictures to Walmart - had a few ideas for some layouts and I hope to get to them sometime over the weekend - but with it being Easter I doubt that will happen...Oh well I guess I will just have to keep counting down the days to Jenn's all day crop where I can scrap my brains out and have some much needed "ME" time!

On a lighter note Mia has tried to teach herself to jump - it is soooo funny - just stands up on her tip toes and says "JUMP" gave Daddy and I a good laugh.

Nite....