This Little Bird

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T19:29:00.001-04:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

NessaGurl

Wordless Wednesday!

2011-06-01T14:48:00.001-04:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

NessaGurl

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T14:45:00.001-04:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

NessaGurl

i heart faces - Best Face in February

2011-03-08T19:54:00.000-05:00

Head on over and check out the other fabulous faces from February.
iheartfaces.com

i heart faces - Hearts

2011-02-07T20:04:00.000-05:00

This weeks theme over at i heart faces is hearts. Come in and join along.

i heart faces - Best Face Photo 2011

2011-01-31T21:36:00.001-05:00

Can't wait to see your best January 2011 photo. Come join in at i heart faces.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-12T12:04:00.000-05:00

Smile - I Heart Faces Photo Challenge

2011-01-11T11:53:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite picture of my Charlotte Juniper smiling so I thought I would share it with you for this weeks submission. If you would like to see it bigger, please click the picture.

If you have a favorite smile picture you'd like to enter for the challenge visit i heart faces and submit your link.

A Birthday Hat For Charlotte!

2010-12-29T16:52:00.000-05:00

My youngest daughter is turning 2 next week... so in my attempt to make it extra special because its so close to Christmas (and she was 9 days late) I have decided to make her a special fabric birthday hat. I searched lots of different tutorials online...but the one I finally settled on is this one from i make stuff It seems like an easy enough tutorial and its sewn which I like.

Here are the results of the hats. First... the almost birthday girl Charlotte wearing her new hat and showing me her "cheese" face.

And of course her sister needed a hat as well... here are the two of them with their hats.

Overall the hats were really fun to make. Each hat took about 30min to make from start to finish. I will definitely be making some more of these. So fun.

NessaGurl

i heart faces - Silhouette

2010-11-16T09:29:00.004-05:00

This is my week's entry for the i heart faces photo challenge. This picture was taken at the Ontario Science Centre this summer. If you would like to participate in this weeks challenge check it out here

NOT a bellydancing queen.

2010-08-06T09:48:00.006-04:00

(click on the picture to make it larger)

This picture takes us back to 2003... when I was able to take classes for fun that didn't include a diaper bag full of diapers, wipes and bum creams. Back in 2003 a group of girls and I decided to take bellydancing classes. They were fun, but I was no bellydancing queen. I'm probably one of the only people that can make the dance look awkward and NOT sexy at all. These pictures were taking at out recital...you can see me in the left picture at the far right. I don't look happy do I... must be because I HATE performing in front of people! I still enjoy watching bellydancing and sometimes I'll break out some of the moves for the girls... and some of the moves have even showed up in my Zumba class...but I don't think I'll be going back. Sometimes its best to leave a good thing alone. I'll leave the sexy bellydancing to others who are good at it, and I'll stick to my own dance recitals in my kitchen for the girls.

If you have a flashback friday come and join along. Post your link at Christopher and Tia by clicking on the link below.

Flashback Friday - Happy 28th Birthday Martin!

2010-07-30T08:48:00.008-04:00

On August 3rd, 1982 something unexpected happened; my baby brother was born at just 24 weeks gestation. I'm not sure how it happened or where I was as I was only 6 years old and barely remember... but I do remember the next year and a half pretty well. Martin Franz Phillip Frei was born into this world too early, but we were so blessed to have had his company for a year and a half.

I could show you pictures of how my brothers skin was translucent or how he spent a lot of his life in an incubator, but out of respect for my mother and her disliking of airing personal stuff on the internet... I won't. Come over to my house for some coffee and cookies and I'll bring out the photos! What I will show you are a few pictures of us enjoying our time with my brother. The top picture is of my brother in hospital, I think he was around 8 or 10 months old. The middle picture is my sister and I with Martin at Christmas when he was 16 months old and the bottom picture was with us on his first birthday in Hospital with him (I'm on the left with the pig tails).

My brother spent most of his life in hospital, and when I think back to it I am amazed at how amazing my mother was. Since Martin was born so premature he had to be in a special hospital that was a hour away from us. My mother used to drive twice a day to pump (can you imagine how hard it is to get milk at only 24 weeks gestation? Its hard... very very hard) and visit Martin... could you imagine spending 4 hours a day driving... taking care of a sick child and still taking care of two girls at home that needed your attention; I couldn't imagine it. I have a hard enough time being at home with my two girls and giving them all the love they need. My mother truly is a hero in my eyes. There were times that my brother was at home. During this time, my mother had to have Martin hooked up to oxygen, she had nurses coming in to help with therapies. It was a difficult time, but my mom never seemed to mind (or she hid it well) and she always had time for us. She is amazing. I can remember my mother even coming on field trips with us and bringing my brother and his portable oxygen tank... she did so much while there were other parents with way less responsibility that did WAY less. People came in to clean our house, cut my mums hair and some friends brought groceries. And while I tell you about how hard it was... there were also a lot of great times. Times that I shared smiles and babbles with Martin.

I remember this day so clearly... on March 3rd 1984 I was playing at my friends house...my parents were visiting Martin and were late coming home... we had sensed something was wrong. Upon my parents picking us up, they took us home and gave us the news of the passing of Martin. They sat us down in the kitchen and told us that Martin had died. That it was his time, and he was now with God and the angels...somehow knowing that had made it better. My husband and I are not religious anymore, but having experienced a death while being a child, I am thankful that I believed God to be at our sides. It brought me peace and comfort. I remember the days that passed after that...seeing my mother in agony and pain... I hope I never have to experience that. The death of a child is possibly the hardest thing ever, no matter how long they have been with you. Mothers are strong and beautiful people...and I'm thankful I can still see mine any day I'd like.

As I sit here 28 years later... its still makes me teary eyed...I miss Martin so much. I day dream of how he might have turned out...how he would look...would we be close (I'd like to think so)... would my family still be together?...the possibilities are endless. I am a firm believer of everything happening for a reason, this is what keeps me going when bad things happen...I believe we learn from everything. I like to think I learned a lot from my brother and his life and the events that happened following his death.

So... Happy 28th Birthday Martin! We miss you and love you forever!

Love your sister,
Vanessa xo

i heart faces - Photo Challenge - Bundled up

2010-03-16T06:15:00.004-04:00

This is my submission for this weeks photo challenge at i heart faces. Come and check out the other entries and submit one too if you have a photo.

Flashback Friday - Friends

2010-03-05T08:35:00.002-05:00

I realize that I should be posting an older picture then this...but truth is... I'm a Libra and I don't like to hurt anyones feelings... and I don't want to pick a best friend. I've had a lot of my girlfriends as friends for a very long time. My two oldest friends are Rebecca and Krista... and they are both in this picture, so I'm happy :)

This picture was taken last year for my what is now a tradition... birthday walk. This will be the third year that I ask my friends for no gifts... just to join me in a birthday hike and then a pot luck dinner and drinks at my house. Having my birthday in October is wonderful for birthday hikes. The fall in Canada is beautiful... so many different colours and picture perfect moments.

So there we go... my flashback friday for this week... To all my best friends... I love you all and couldn't choose just one... so you all get a spot on my blog for this week.

If you have a Flashback Friday you would like to share. Please stop by Christopher and Tia's blog and submit your link.

Week 8 - “Hands-On Fun” Photo Challenge

2010-02-23T11:41:00.002-05:00

This is my submission for this weeks photo challenge over at i heart faces. It is a picture of my youngest Charlotte Juniper when she was 5 months old. This weeks challenge is a hands theme. Head over to i heart faces and add your own photo, or check out all of the other lovely submissions.

Flashback Friday - Schmutzli ... I miss you.

2010-02-19T09:41:00.003-05:00

This weeks Flashback Friday is pet themed... so I decided to go with my last pet we had. A black & white cat named Schmutzli. I loved Schmutzli a lot, but things with her didn't end well, and it still brings me to tears when I think about it. The relationship I had with Schmutzli was always a little off right from the beginning. I got her the same day I had to put my cat of 15 years down... that was the first thing I did wrong. I should have waited, I wasn't ready to get another cat, but my mom sort of talked me into it. I know she was just trying to help me because I was heartbroken...but I really wasn't ready and I should have listened to my heart. Schmutzli was born a wild cat (another mistake, I should have gotten a domestic cat) ... we found her outside of a restaurant my mom was working at. Schmutzli was skidderish from the beginning. The problems with her didn't start for about 4 or 5 months after we had her... what did she do? She Peed... she peed everywhere. To make a long long story short.. I put up with it for 4 years! I tried everything, different litter box techniques, homeopathic remedies... and YES I even tried a pet Psychic... and still get teased for that from this day. Finally right before our wedding I had had enough of being stressed ALL the time. It was literally effecting my health, and I decided to put her down. I tried to find her a good home... and decided not to take her to the shelter because I know they would have put her down anyways because of the peeing :( So one day I asked my husband to take her to the vet to put her down. I couldn't bring myself to bring her and still get tears thinking about it. I think it really scarred my husband too... I wonder if he will ever forgive me? We decided to not have any pets after Schmutzli... It really really hurt us to have to put her down. I think we are afraid we'll have to do it again... and quite frankly, we aren't ready to do that any time soon. Schmutzli is now resting in a plot out on my dad's farm... at least I can visit her whenever I want.

Rest well my Sweet Schmutzli!

If you have an old pet themed Flashback Friday... visit Christopher and Tia and add your link... or read some other blog posts.

Flashback Friday - The Love Of My Life

2010-02-12T07:45:00.006-05:00

This Flashback Friday is a little different for me this week. I know we are supposed to do pictures of ourselves, but in a sense it is because my husband is the love of my life, and takes up a HUGE part of my heart.

It was Valentines Day 2002 when Kevin asked me to marry him. I was sick as a dog, but he knelt down in front of me and asked me anyways... I was thrilled. I know it must have been a hard thing for him to do (as it is for lots of men) and I appreciated it a lot. We ended up getting married in September of 2004...and we haven't looked back since. I can honestly say that after 5 years of marriage I love Kevin just as much today (if not more) then I did 8 years ago when we first got engaged.

Kevin is my friend, husband, father and the most special adult person to me in my life.

I love you Kevin... may we have many many more years together again!

If you have a Flashback Friday or would like to see more, visit Christopher and Tia

We heart Reading.

2010-02-09T19:30:00.003-05:00

We love reading in our house. A couple weeks back I decided that we needed a few new books for the girls so I went out and purchased some on my night out. I headed down to our local Chapters, got a Starbucks and started to look through the kids section. I ended up with the 3 books seen in the above picture.

1. I love you Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt
2. The Smartest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson
3. Lost & Found by Oliver Jeffers

I actually went with the thought of purchasing Julia Donaldson's The Gruffalo's Child, but the book store was out of it, so I ended up ordering it along with Room on the Broom. Julia Donaldson's books are great. We got The Gruffalo from the mom of one of my best friends when Charlotte was born and it instantly became a favorite in our house. Any of you that have read it know that it is a fun book that flows well while reading it. It starts off...

"A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood.
A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.
Where are you going to little brown mouse?
Come and have lunch in my underground house.
It's terribly kind of you, Fox, but no--
I'm going to have lunch with a gruffalo."

The story continues on like that. It is a fun book to read and all children love it. If you haven't read the book then I suggest getting it from your local library or purchasing it. We have many many favorites in our house but here is a list of our top 10 kids books.

1. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
2. Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munch
3. The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers
4. Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo
5. Smartest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson
6. The Apple Pie That Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson
7. All Strawberry Shortcake Books
8. Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee
9. The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown
10.Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi

I am patiently awaiting the warmer weather again so we can make regular trips to the library (sometimes it sucks only having one car). I would love to hear what your favorite children's books are so that we can add them to our list of books to borrow from the library.

Happy Reading.

“The habit of reading is the only enjoyment in which there is no alloy; it lasts when all other pleasures fade.”

- Anthony Trollope

Week 6 - We ♥ Kisses

2010-02-08T08:22:00.004-05:00

Here is Sophia Lilly... she loves to kiss the Buddha! My dad has this Buddha in his garden at his home, while visiting I found Sophia having a right good old chat with him, and then she planted this kiss on him. Makes me giggle everytime I see this shot. Come and see more kisses over at i heart faces.

Small Token of Thanks!

2010-01-31T15:07:00.010-05:00

Two Sunday's ago we finally had our Christmas gift exchange with our friends...yes, I know its a month too late, but with all of us having children and families and obligations; it just didn't happen until now. We have decided that since we all have children, and we are all in our thirties and pretty much have everything we need we would only do gift exchanges for the children. We all pick a child and then buy one present for them for $20. Seems like a good idea...and the kids love it. This year as a small thank you for our friends I also made some mini loafs of Banana and Cranberry/Mandarin bread. They turned out great, even though I was frazzled in the kitchen and forgot to put the butter in the Banana bread... D'oh! After I was finished I packaged them all up in brown paper bags with a touch of ribbon. They looked very simple but pretty. I think my friends enjoyed them (only one got back to me to say they enjoyed the bread) and I enjoyed making them which I guess is the best part. It seems these days baking is the one thing that Sophia and I can agree on doing together... we'll see what we come up with next.

Here are the recipes in case any of you would like to try them.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
Canadian Living Magazine 2002
2 cups (500 mL) all purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 mL) sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
Pinch salt
1 cup (250 mL) chocolate chips
2 cups (500 mL) mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter , melted
1/4 cup (50 mL) milk
2 eggs In large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt ; add chocolate chips. In separate bowl, whisk together bananas, butter, milk and eggs; pour over flour mixture and stir just until blended. Spread in greased 9- x 5-inch (2 L) loaf pan. Bake in centre of 350°F (180°C) oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes. Turn out onto rack; let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or overwrap with heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 2 weeks.)

Cranberry Mandarin Bread
Lennie's Cranberry Mandarin Bread

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (if using frozen, no need to thaw)
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
1 (10 ounce) can mandarin segments , 1/4 cup juice reserved

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt); add cranberries to flour mixture and stir so berries are somewhat coated in flour-- this helps prevent the cranberries from sinking to the bottom of the loaves when baking.
Set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs and milk (I used lowfat milk) with a mixer on low, then beat in 1/4 cup juice reserved from tinned oranges, the oil, the extract and the orange zest.
Stir wet mixture into dry mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened; do not overmix.
Make sure tinned oranges are well drained, then stir into batter.
Divide batter between 4 mini loaf pans (you'll find they'll be about 3/4 full)
Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes; a tester will come out clean.
Cool on rack in tins for about 15 minutes, then remove from tins and let sit on rack until completely cool.

Week 4 - “Texture” Photo Challenge!

2010-01-25T08:41:00.002-05:00

This is my entry for week 4 of iheartfaces photo challenge. I liked the way the texture of the sidewalk came through. Please take a look at some of the other entries or submit your own photo at iheartfaces.com

Flashback Friday - My BFF

2010-01-15T11:34:00.004-05:00

This flashback Friday takes us all the way back to 1995... when I spent most of my waking hours with my now husband Kevin. We met back in Grade 10 computer class, but didn't start hanging out until the next year during Grade 11 art class. From then on, it seemed as though we just clicked and understood all of each others weird qwerks... best friends forever! This picture was taken in our local park when myself, Kevin and another friend went out one Saturday and took funny photo's... this was the most tasteful one. Kevin and I didn't actually get together as a couple until 1998.

Everyday I wake up and I am thankful that I am one of those lucky people that was fortunate enough to marry their best friend. Corny... yes I know - but it really is true. Kevin and I have always had an understanding of how to love and respect each other. We pretty much know everything about each other, the good and the bad (although I'm sure there are some things we don't know about... everyone needs some secrets). We have traveled together, spent weeks alone with each other... and somehow we hardly ever get on each others nerves (although sometimes we do..that's just normal). We have spent the last 17 years (wow it's been that long) as friends, husband and wife, parents and the journey is still continuing.... I hope to have another 40+ years ahead of us.

Thank you Kevin for being my best friend!

If you have a Flashback Friday to share or if you'd like to read others... stop over at Christopher and Tia's blog and add your name.

Week 2: Photo Challenge - “Best Face Photo”

2010-01-12T08:33:00.003-05:00

Our Pamplemousse.

Here is my entry for best face photo challenge for the I heart Faces weekly photo challenge. Come and submit your best face photo.

Flashback Friday- 2002 Last visit with Granny

2010-01-08T08:33:00.004-05:00

This picture was taken in August 2002... it was my last time in Switzerland (I won't be back till the girls are much older, and can at least hike one mountain with me) and also my last visit with my Granny. This was one hectic trip, and a sad one. I went over with my family to celebrate my Granny's 90th birthday and it was filled with so many day trips and time with Granny that I barely got to see some of my friends and visit with the family that I was an AuPair for. For some background info... from August 1996-1998 I lived in Switzerland and was an AuPair (nanny)... the first 3 months of my stay in Switzerland was spent living with my Granny and trying to learn German (which I was never very good at)

My Granny was born Beryl Betty Warburg on August 10th, 1912 in England. She spent much of her privileged life being taken care of by nannies and servants. She never went to conventional school but was extremely well read (still reading French books to keep her mind sharp well into her late 80s). Growing up, I never knew my Granny that well because she lived so far away. I was always jealous of my friends who got to visit their grandparents every weekend. I never realized until I was much older that this was a plus for me because I got to travel lots when I was young. She lived in Switzerland (she married my Grandfather who was Swiss and moved there before she was married to teach gymnastics) Anyhoo... living with my granny was difficult at times because I was young and she was old... our lives and goals were different, but she tried her best and in the end I learned a lot from her. The picture above was taken on one of the last mornings I was in Switzerland. I had painted and given her the plate she was holding for her 90th birthday (what do you give an old lady that has everything?) I still remember when I left Switzerland... I remember standing in the train station in Basel with my granny, dad and Kevin... I hugged my granny, kissed her and said goodbye for the last time. I remember getting on the train with Kevin to start the rest of our vacation off to Germany and Amsterdam... I cried like a little baby knowing that it was the last time I would see her. To this day, it breaks my heart... its really hard to say goodbye to someone when you know its literally the last time you would see them. A little over one year later my granny passed away on December 12th 2003 from heart failure after she had an operation on an intestinal blockage.

Here are 10 things I remember about my Granny

Her favorite colour was purple (she said it was a spiritual colour)
She loved chocolate as much as I do!
She was fluent in french, German, English
She hated when I wore jeans (ladies don't wear jeans)
She loved Switzerland, Basel was her true home
She met with her British friends on the first Monday of every month at a restaurant (she had lots of friends young and old)
She was proud of climbing the Matterhorn
She had 4 siblings
She always sent us money for new shoes when we were growing up
She had meditation meetings every week at her home up until shortly before she passed away

I miss you and love you Granny... you will always hold a special place in my heart! May I grow up to be as loving and kind as you were.

If you would like to see more Flashback Friday's or would like to add one of your own. Visit Christopher and Tia to see more or add your link.

My baby turns 1 today!

2010-01-05T08:45:00.006-05:00

On January 5th, 2009 the Kennedy family welcomed a new addition to our family... making us a family of four. At 2:14am in the morning baby Charlotte Juniper was born at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener. And to think...it all started with a meal at Taco Bell..yes, being pregnant makes you crave gross things :) In short... this is how it went.

5pm... eating Taco Bell with Kevin and Sophia... first contractions started.
7pm... sent Sophia off to Grandma & Grandpa's house for the night cause we new baby K was coming. (contractions 7min apart)
10pm... called midwife because contractions were 3min apart
11:30... midwife arrived at home... contractions were 1-2min apart
12am...arrived at hospital
12:30am...had a jacuzzi bath to help contractions and waiting for second midwife to come.
1:45am...water broke
2:14am... after what seemed like an eternity of pushes and labor pains... Charlotte Juniper came relatively quickly into this world... and we were thrilled. The midwife was impressed, because within 30min we were already talking about having another baby :)

At 12pm the next day... Kevin, Charlotte and myself went home to rest and wait for Sophia to come home. When Sophia met Charlotte for the first time... she looked at us all perplexed and said " Mommy... she doesn't talk!" we giggled and told her that she would help teach Charlotte how to talk and walk... Sophia has been a great help over the last year. Other then snitching her toys and sometimes being a little rough, she's been an A+ sister.

Here are a few pictures taken one for each month showing the growth of my little girls adventure to becoming One!

We Love You Charlotte!
Happy First Birthday!

Goodmorning 2010

2010-01-01T08:57:00.004-05:00

Goodbye 2009... Hello 2010!
Wishing everyone a wonderful happy and healthy 2010. 2010 brings new and exciting things for the Kennedy family this year. Little Charlotte will be one years old in a few days... Sophia will be starting school this year and I am on an adventure to find a new job or to re-invent myself so that I may be lucky enough to stay home with my children. We aren't sure of where our lives will bring us in the next year...but I'm hoping it will be great and that I can share it all with you.

I welcome 2010 in with open arms.... Happy January 1st!

Flashback Friday - Party like its 1999!

2009-12-19T10:11:00.006-05:00

I was dreamin'when I wrote this
Forgive me if it goes astray
But when I woke up this mornin'
Coulda sworn it was judgment day
The sky was all purple, there were people runnin' everywhere
Tryin' to run from the destruction,
U know I didn't even care

say say two thousand zero zero party over,
oops out of time
So tonight I'm gonna party like it's 1999

With next week being New Years... I decided a flashback of New Years 1999 would be appropriate. The top picture was taken in Montreal on December 30th 1999... the night before the big party. We decided to go to Montreal for New Years 1999... it was a blast. I can't remember the details of the bar this was taken at or the one we spent New Years at... in fact, I can't remember much of those 4 days... it was pretty much a blur. There was 7 of us that decided to go down to Montreal with a school trip from the College I was going to. We headed down on a bus early in the morning on December 29th and came back on the evening of the first. I remember all the hype about Y2K... were all the computers in the world going to fail? Would we still be here in the morning? Was there going to be Armageddon? All the excitement and unknowing was a little "over done" but did make the night truly fun and exciting.

This last photo was taken at midnight 1999 while Princes 1999 was playing... a total night of partying and fun... a night to let go and enjoy... for who knows... it might be our last :) You can see a little arrow pointing to me in the picture.

If you have a Flashback Friday that you would like to share or you'd like to see others... visit Christopher And Tia's blog and post your link.

Flashback Friday - Christmas 1980

2009-12-18T08:35:00.003-05:00

Christmas in 1980 was a magical one for me... mostly because Santa came and visited me at home... he really did come to my home as you can see in the picture. I am the one sitting on my dad's lap with my weird orange apron on... not sure why I was wearing it, but Oh well. It is one of the most vivid memories for me as a child. It was tradition in our family to open our gifts on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas mornings like most North American children. Usually on Christmas Eve my sister and I would have an evening nap (that's when Santa would come and deliver our Christmas presents) and then after our nap we would sit down for an evening supper (usually around 9pm) and we would open our gifts from Santa after wards. Not only was it fun for us...but later on I found out it was also fun for our parents because on Christmas morning when all the other parents were up at the crack of dawn because their children wanted to open gifts...my parents got to sleep in while my sister and I went downstairs to play with our new toys. Christmas time at our place was fun...but it wasn't as special as our birthdays. We always got more presents for our birthdays...it is after all Our Special Day!

On this particular Christmas I remember Santa knocking on our door (he did so because we didn't have a fire place) ... I remember sitting on his lap and I remember exactly what I got. I got this dog toy that to this day I'm not sure how it worked. It was a special plastic mat and when you set the dog on the mat it would follow a special path... never falling off.

It was a magical moment in my life... I wish all Christmas's were just like it...and I wish I still believed in Santa. Those were the days!

If you would like to see more Flashback Fridays visit Christopher and Tia's blog for more links. If you have one to share... link it up!

Happy Holidays!

Week 49 - “Pets Only!” Photo Challenge

2009-12-15T10:11:00.004-05:00

This is my entry for this weeks I ♥ Faces photo challenge. For more entries or to add your own visit I ♥ Faces

Flashback Friday - The Makings Of A Christmas Elf!

2009-12-11T07:49:00.005-05:00

This weeks flashback Friday is only taking us back one whole year. Back to December 2008... when I only had to worry about one child, when hubby and I would have a night to ourselves every week when Sophia slept over at Grandma an Grandpas house. I was due with Charlotte (we didn't know she was a Charlotte then...I love surprises) on December 28th and I had a couple weeks of vacation saved up so I stopped working on December 6th, which meant I had a lot of free time :) For all my American friends... here in Canada you get a full year of maternity leave when you have a child so often women won't work right up until the birth of their child. Anyhoo since I had a lot of free time and Sophia stopped going to daycare we needed to come up with some crafts to pass the time.

We ended up making cute button wreath ornaments for the Christmas tree and for present toppers. they turned out well and friends and family loved them. I was a little leary of letting a two year old play with wire and small buttons...but she proved up to the task. All you do to make these cute wreaths are to string buttons on some wire... connect to make a circle and tie some ribbon on. Sophia did a great job and I was very proud of her dexterous skills. We were going to make some more this year but I missplaced all my buttons and the nice buttons at the craft stores are way too expensive... so we painted wooden ornaments instead.

If you have a Flashback Friday that you would like to share...please do and link it up over at Christopher and Tia's

Week 48 - “Sweet Dreams” Photo Challenge

2009-12-08T08:50:00.003-05:00

This is my entry for this weeks photo challenge at I ♥ Faces. This is a picture of my oldest Sophia Lilly when she was 4 months old. If you would like to enter or see any of the other great entries... check it out here.

Flashback Friday - You scare me drunk Santa.

2009-12-04T08:37:00.005-05:00

Today's Flashback Friday is only from last year. From a distance it may look like the ideal Christmas photo...but if you were there you'd know different. This photo was taken just after Sophia was done crying, and probably between Santa barfing. Last year we decided to take Sophia to the mall to see Santa...and in hindsight we should have known better. Just before Sophia sat on Santa's lap the mall security had to have a talk with Santa. The rent a cop was letting Santa know that his "current state" was unacceptable. We took Sophia up to Santa and she proceeded to cry on Santa's lap. You'd think that Santa would be good with children... well.. not this one. He literally did not move from the position he was sitting. Probably for fear of throwing up all over the children. His eyes were all glazed over, he did not speak... no wonder she was afraid, I think I was too. Anyhoo... in the last moment we got Sophia to smile... she did a great job too... too bad about drunk Santa.

All in all I think Kevin and I were more scarred by drunk Santa then Sophia as she had no problem hopping up on his lap again this year.

Come back next week to see a picture of me when I was a child sitting on Santa's lap... its pretty cute.

If you'd like to see more Santa pictures or more Flashback Friday's check out Christopher&Tia's blog and add your link too.

Happy Holiday Season :)

Week 47 - “We ♥ Tooshies” Photo Challenge

2009-12-01T16:34:00.007-05:00

This is my submission for the We ♥ Tooshies weekly contest on I ♥ Faces. This is my daughter Sophia Lilly and her friend Jonah walking home from seeing the Backyardigans LIVE. To see more tooshies check them out here.

Flashback Friday - 1994

2009-11-20T08:54:00.006-05:00

I recently stumbled upon a box of old photos...among these photos were a bunch of photo's that I had taken out at my dads farm with my best friends Krista and Kevin (now my hubby). The photo above is me... this was during my DocMartin wearin', NIN listening, my parents just don't understand me phase.

These photos were taken with my very first SLR... a Pentax KM It was my best friend for many many years. It went everywhere with me... to school, to parties , hiking, traveling..you name it, it was with me. I worked at a photolab from 1994-1996 so I basically got all my photo's developed for free or discounted. The pictures below were taken the same day as the above picture. They were also not altered digitally. The sepia was done in the photolab when I was printing the pictures. Oh.. the fun times. Working at the photolab was my most fun job, if the pay was better I'd probably get another job at one.

This last photo is especially embarrassing to look at... Oh god ... it hurts and makes me laugh hysterically all at the same time. What was I thinking? Is she supposed to be a girl that is hurting? I have no clue... but I obviously thought it was cool at the time.

And there you have it... a small gimpse into my teen years.

You can see more Flashback friday's and participate yourself at Christopher and Tia

I ♥ Faces - "Autumn Beauty" Photo Challenge

2009-11-17T15:07:00.007-05:00

This is my submission for the Autumn Beauty weekly contest on I ♥ Faces. This is my friend Rebecca... she is both beautiful on the outside as well as the inside. Check out more beauties here or submit your own.

Flashback Friday - Our last big holiday!

2009-11-13T09:33:00.007-05:00

Traveling... I lOVE it! This weeks Flashback Friday is from our honeymoon in 2005, and our last big holiday. In May of 2005, 8 months after Kevin and I got married (that will be another post) we decided to go on our honeymoon. We went to England, Ireland & Greece. It was awesome. We did go traveling with my uncle and aunt when we met up with them at their home in England. We started our vacation in England and spent a week there. After that we went off to the Greek island of Kefalonia to spend a week there and then we went to Ireland for a week. It was 3 weeks of relaxing, sight seeing and visiting with family. Having grown up with family in England and Ireland my whole life, I have visited there many many times, but my husband had never. So it was fun to introduce him to my family and for him to explore his Irish heritage while in Ireland (not to mention the pints and pints of Guinness). I think my husband and I enjoyed Ireland the best... the landscape is so beautiful and the people are great. Kefalonia was really pretty but Kevin and I aren't really sun people. In fact we usually try and stay out of the sun as much as possible in the summer. Kevin is a ginger... so the sun is his enemy. We really enjoyed the heat and the scenery in Kefalonia, but a week was enough for us.

This was a wonderful holiday and we made the most out of it because we were planning on trying for children after this holiday and we knew it would be the last one for a while. Not only is it too expensive to travel with children for us right now (having been off work for 2 out of 3 years) but we don't want to go through the hassle of traveling with children until they are a bit older and will remember some of it. I have a bunch of places that I would like to visit on my bucket list . These are some of the places I'd like to get to...A lot of the places are warm places, so we'll have to visit on their "winter" season.

Oh...sometimes I wish I was kid free again so that I could spend all my money on travels.. of course this wish only lasts about 5 minutes and then my 3yo gives me a running hug and Lottie smiles at me... my heart melts and I would trade all the stamps in my passport to be with them.

Want to read more Flashback Friday's... check out more here.

Flashback Friday - S is for snake.

2009-11-05T20:24:00.006-05:00

S is for snake... that my father killed. First off, if you know my dad.. you know that he is like me and tends to panic a little under emergency situations. This picture was taken sometime around the 7 or 8 year old mark. We lived in a old stone house on the edge of the city that my parents purchased when my brother was born (he was born at 24 wks gestation... and blessed us for 1.5yrs...but that is another post). They didn't want to be in the suburbs where there were tons of kids and loads of germs that would be killer for his tiny sensitive immune system. Anyhoo.. we lived in a old house with a dirt basement. While my dad was in the basement one day he spotted a milk snake. We didn't know at the time that milk snakes were harmless, so when my dad spotted it in the basement he freaked out. Grabbed the ice pick and strategically placed himself so that he could cut the head off. It wasn't a clean cut, but it did do the trick. I remember the adrenalin pumping through my body when I found out a SNAKE was in our house.. WOW. My dad and I thought that it would be hilarious if we took a picture of me holding the snake to show my mum and to send to my grandmother (a proper old British lady)...I guess it was pretty exciting and funny to an 7/8 year old... my mum just thought it was gross with a touch of cuteness. Anyhoo, this is the most dangerous reptile I have ever encountered here in the Great White North... and that's ok with me!

Head over to Christoper & Tia for more flashback Fridays.

2009-10-30T14:15:00.002-04:00

Flashback Friday.... Halloween 1984 (I think?)
Since tomorrow is Halloween, I thought it was appropriate that I dig up an old Halloween picture. Here I am somewhere in the mid eighties... I think it was '84. This year I was a My Little Pony... the only thing I remember about this Halloween was that my mom thought I was too old to be a My Little Pony, but I didn't care...she bought me the costume anyways. It was one of those scratchy plastic suits and cheap masks that were everywhere back in the day. The other girls were Ragedy Ann, Princess and I'm not sure what Becca was in the front but I think she might have been a cheerleader. I'll have to ask her when I see her next.

These were the good times... the times of running around the streets with your friends filling your bag with candies, and if you lived at my house and never got chips or pop you prayed for the houses that gave you those items at Halloween time. With my dad being Swiss we always had a sufficient amount of great quality Swiss chocolate floating around, so those were still great but not as exciting.

And... I was one of those kids that LOVED getting raisins!!!

Friends are the best gifts.

2009-10-19T06:31:00.005-04:00

On October 8th this year I turned 33 years old. With each and every passing year I find myself not wanting or needing presents and find myself cherishing my moments with my friends and family more. Last year was the first year in what I hope to be a new birthday tradition. I have decided that in lieu of gifts I asked my friends to spend the day with me for a birthday hike. I also stated that I wanted it to be without children and without husbands so that we could all have a break and relax without having to deal with feedings, diapers or filling sippy cups. Fall has always been my favorite time of year, and the colours that the Canadian forests produce is some of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

This year we had a pretty good turnout. At 1pm 13 ladies met at my place and all 14 of us car pooled off to a near by trail where we walked and talked for just over an hour (next year will be longer)...we then headed back to my place and all crammed in my tiny little house for a cozy pot luck dinner and drinks all around. There are few things that money can't buy...one of those things are good friends and family...I have been blessed to have both of those.

I love traditions, and hope to pass these on to my children. What kind of traditions do you have?

2009-10-09T11:12:00.004-04:00

Flashback Friday... 1982

Traditions are big in our family....and the biggest of all is the Smartie birthday breakfasts. Mmmm what more can you ask for then waking up to a breakfast of presents and smarties. As a child it was almost better then Christmas. Each and every year on my birthday (October 8th) I would wake up with the anticipation of eating smarties for breakfast... no other day could I eat chocolate for breakfast, so I usually ate them all up in a hurry :) This tradition was passed down by my dad who grew up with the same tradition. The picture above was a picture of my "special" birthday... it was special because I was turning 8.. the number of my birthday day October 8th. Because this was my special day we invited my family from overseas. Grandma and Grandpa from Switzerland and my Aunt/Uncle and cousin from Japan. Having grown up with two immigrant parents I wasn't fortunate like most of my friends to visit grandparents every weekend. Although it did mean I visited Switzerland and Ireland quite a bit...so I was very fortunate in that way.

Yesterday was my 33rd birthday and I woke up to smarties on the table just as usual... I still love it as much today as I did back in 1982. I have passed this tradition down to my girls now...I hope they continue it with their children.

25 Random Things About Me

2009-08-07T11:47:00.006-04:00

Just for fun. Here are 25 Random Facts About Me

1.My favorite colour is pink, and I love sparkly stuff

2.Most people think I'm bitchy when they first meet me cause I'm quiet and shy, but soon warm up!

3.I lived in Switzerland for two years as an au pair... had loads of fun.

4.The two people I would most like to meet in my lifetime would be Ani diFranco and Joss Whedon.

5.I secretly love my husbands beard <3

6.I love to watch my children sleep at night.

7.My favorite ice cream flavor is Hevenly Hash.

8.I hate skinny jeans and feel they went out of style a long time ago for a reason... come on... they aren't flattering on anyone!

9.I love love love teeny romance movies and musicals... its almost an obsession!

10.I love my two girls and husband so much it actually makes my heart ache sometimes... don't know what I would do without them.

11.I really really really miss the mountains and beautiful scenery.. K-hole is just so ugly... I'd move in a heartbeat if I wouldn't miss the rest of my family so much.

12.My ideal job would be a hausfrau... I just wanna stay at home with my kids. I dread having to go out and find a new job in a year.

13.I love love love to sew... if I could make a living sewing from home I would.

14.I have an addiction to fabric... I really do, I have tons and tons of fabric and I just can't stop buying it. It wouldn't be too bad... but I love the japanese fabrics which are really expensive... I bet it would take me a year of daily sewing to finish up all my fabric I have.

15.I'm also addicted to etsy and shopping on etsy... if you haven't checked it out... do so NOW! www.etsy.com

16.I dream daily about living in a small community or in the mountains and having a little house like this one for my studio http://prettylittlethings.typepad.com/tiny_house/ I'd like a house for me like this, and one for Kevin and each of the children... wouldn't that be so fun!

17.I listen to the buffy and Dr Horrible soundtracks WAY too much... its almost unhealthy.

18.I secretly think I'm a slayer... the next chosen one maybe... and yes.. I believe in vampires.. but in my world they don't sparkle like diamonds... that's just lame!!!

19.One of the most fun jobs I ever had was in a photolab...its fun to look at random peoples photos... man are there some twisted people out there.

20.If I could own any car it would be a powder pink Golf with brown racing stripes

21.I was raised catholic, but have chosen to not raise my children with any specific religion.

22.The three places I would like to visit before I die are, Egypt, India and Japan

23.I love thai food and Indian food, although I hate seafood.

24.I don't read as many books as I would like to, reading makes me tired. So I stick to reading blogs and news online and also craft or DIY books. Short things that require no commitment.

25.I wish I could spend more time with my friends... and I really want to go on a "girls only" cruise with my girlfriends in a couple of years when we can spend time away from our kids.

Making A List... Gonna Get Stuff Done

2009-07-31T19:42:00.005-04:00

I have forgotten how much I get done when I make lists. I love lists. They somehow magically make me get stuff done. While in college, I was the queen of lists... when I worked I used lists weekly to get my tasks done. Since I have been home on maternity leave, I have forgotten the art of list making. Since I have been home (took leave in December) I feel that other then having a baby.. I really haven't gotten much done around the house. I have decided that August is going to be my month to get stuff done. I figure I can make a list of 10 things I would like to get done, and strike them off my list as I go. OK .. here it goes.

10 Things To Do In August
1. Start Sophia's scrapbook (its only taken 3 years!)
2. Put door in back room out to Patio (I'll need help with this)
3. Cut out sugar for the month (this will be hard)
4. Finally clean the shelves in Sophia's room (they are a mess)
5. Clean up the garden
6. Paint the front porch
7. Finish my tutorials I started
8. Start Charlotte's scrapbook before 3 years passes
9. Sort through my boxes of bags in attic
10. Try to exercise everyday

Wow... I think that list is quite a lot now that I look at it. Well... I'll start off slow and tackle the easy things first and we'll see how it goes.

wish me good luck.

Do you have any tips on how you get your stuff done?

Irreverent Squirrel To Do List $4.50 notebooksetc

Orangsicle List Taker $15.00 daffodilsanddaisies

I like to make lists MAGNETIC FRIDGE NOTEPAD $4.95 UrbanObservations

Shred Day 1

2009-07-14T21:22:00.006-04:00

I was actually supposed to start day 1 of the shred yesterday...but... me being me, I found excuses of why I couldn't start. Isn't that always the way. Tonight after I put the girls to bed... hubby was gone out and I was doing my usual Internet stuff and after reading all of the dedicated twitters by moms and non moms just like me who got off their asses and did some exercise, I figured I didn't really have an excuse and even though it was 8:30pm I needed to shred. I then proceeded to shred and sweat and grunt like never before... but now I feel great... ok... a lie.. I feel tired and gross. But proud that I made it through the first one.

See... I have a dream. Well a goal actually. I need to loose 50lbs (preferably 60lbs) to get back to my pre-Sophia and wedding weight. Here's the story...

... you see. My husband also had a dream. He dreamt of having a beard one day. I always told him no.. that I hated beards and that I would "with hold" certain "wifely duties" (wink wink nudge nudge) if he grew one. Well, I got pregnant with our first daughter and with being pregnant and feeling gross and such I hardly felt sexy at all.. so my husband said what the heck and grew his beard. In short... he fullfilled his dream of once growing a beard. After the birth of Sophia my husband made a deal with me, in order to help me lose weight he said that he would shave his beard off when I get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. That never happend. And so I got pregnant with my second daughter Charlotte... and much to my dismay, I have also grown quite fond of the beard. But every girl needs something to work towards, right! My husband still says that he will shave the beard off when I lose the weight... so I am on a quest!

So here I am 50lbs away from my dream...a dream of a skinny me and a hairless hubby! Can I do it! YES I CAN.

The above picture is from our stag n' doe. This is what we will look like again... sometime in the future! Wish me luck.

How does your garden grow?

2009-07-06T07:47:00.012-04:00

The Beginnings - May 19, 2009

I never knew having a garden could be so rewarding... and I don't mean the veggies or fruits that you get. I always thought gardening was for old people... mothers, fathers, grandparents! Well, I think I finally get it. People always said its kind of a zen thing... and perhaps they are right. Growing up I hated having dirty hands and still do.. but the power of pretty gardening gloves as helped me. My husband and I have lived in our house for 5 years now (mental note... don't forget 5 year wedding anniversary this year) and I haven't done a thing in our gardens. Anything that was done was done by our parents that were embarrassed by our lack of interest or gardening skills. Well I'm not sure if its because I have children now but I suddenly feel the need to garden. So I finally got off my duff this year and made my very first vegetable garden. I decided to start small to see if I liked it and to see if anything even grew! WOW.. to my surprise... I have vegetables. And I love it. Here is a pic of the radishes in the beginning of June.

See my tiny radishes! Aren't they cute.

Now they are huge. I have harvested only 12 radishes so far. Mmm

I am very excited to see what else grows. Unfortunately we have been having quite a lot of rain here in Canada and so the veggies that love sun are taking longer to grow then usual... Hopefully Mr. Sun will come out and play soon... Mamma's got veggies that need to grow.

What's in my garden you ask?

radishes
tomatoes
carrots
spring onions
cauliflower
beans
peas
corn
watermelon
brussel sprouts
and many many herbs in barrel pots.

Don't mind the clover and weeds growing my garden... when things were first starting to come up I didn't know the difference between the plants so I left everything... I'm slowly sifting through it and pulling the weeds and grass.

I'm not sure what else will grow.. I'm sure the tomatoes will... but I'm just excited that something grew at all. This fall I will definitely be making the beds bigger and I will build a fence to keep those pesky rabbits out :)

Get your sh*t together!

2009-05-28T10:48:00.003-04:00

4 Prints to Motivate by OrangeBeautiful Sale $36.00

I need these posters RIGHT NOW... I'm finding it very difficult to get things done these days. I can't be the only one... Can I? I'm sure if I had these hanging in different spots in the house it would remind me that I can't spend all my days lazing around on the couch with my sweet little baby and my toddler. Things need to get done... laundry won't do its self, the garden won't seed its self, my kids can't feed and take care of themselves... and my sewing projects won't sew themselves... You get the picture. Anyone have any tips on how to get motivated... and better yet. Stay motivated!

Weekends are for treasure hunts

2009-05-25T08:02:00.012-04:00

I had a busy busy weekend... but it was lots of fun. Saturday was spent at home with the girls, doing gardening while Pappi worked during the day. I also spent time going to bulk barn and making tons of tiny baggies with candies in them for the treasure hunt I was planning on Sunday. On Saturday evening I invited my mom and niece over to have dinner and to watch the Eurovision contest that we had recorded from the week before. We had a lovely time and Ella had fun putting maple keys on the kids noses. Lottie decided she didn't want to go to bed, so she stayed up and watched the Eurovision with us till about 9:30 and fell asleep in my arms... she's so cute.
The whole family was up early on Sunday... excited and ready for the treasure hunt at Opa's. We were supposed to leave the house by 9am so that we could be at Opa's for 9:30am... but that never happened. I always forget to factor in at least 1.5 - 2 hours to get ready to leave the house. With two children now, its becoming increasingly difficult to leave the house in a timely manner. Anyhoo.. we made it to Opa's (my dad) house for shortly after 10am. I unpacked all the kids and then set to work setting up all the pathways for the children. Each child was to hunt or follow the pathway of bags of treats with their own assigned ribbon colour. Sophia had to hunt for bags with pink polkadot ribbons on them that ultimately matched the bags they recieved at the end of the hunt. I made library book bags for each of the children and then put some sticker books and other summer toys in them. The kids had a good time looking for the bags... but I think they had more fun just being able to run wild on the farm. Sophia always enjoys going to Opa's for that very reason. My dad and Wende made a really nice lunch of salad and quiche... hot dogs for the kids and homemade pie from Edna Staeblers cook book for dessert. It was perfect.

By 2pm we were all tired and ready to head home back to the city to have naps with our kids. I had a really good time ( I think my friends did too) . I find with all of us having families and children now it is becoming more and more difficult to get together. I think it would be perfect if we could do something once a month with all the children...maybe I'll make that a goal for this summer. I think it is important. Life is too short... you should spend it with those you love... and I love my friends and family. Next month I think we will go to the donkey sanctuary that is just 20 minutes from home. I'll post on that later.

The birds are singing...and I feel like sewing!

2009-05-22T21:56:00.001-04:00

I love spring and summer... waking up to the sounds of the birds chirping away at 5:30am is wonderful. Yes... I am awake that early many days and not because of my four month old Charlotte... Nope. It's cause of my almost 3 year old Sophia. She's a very early riser, no matter what time we get her into bed. I feel sorry for my parents because apparently I was the same way. The only thing worse is that I actually used to leave the house to see if the neighbour kids could play. My parents put that to a stop after a couple of times with a very high lock on the door :) Anyhoo.. back to topic.. the birds are singing bright and early its getting warmer and the neighbourhood is coming out of its winter shell. It's now easier to go outside and keep Sophia entertained. With new seasons brings new fashions for my little ones. I love summer because I get to make cute shorts and pants for my girls and I am thrilled that Sophia likes to wear skirts because I have been wanting to make her one for ages. A couple weeks ago I finally got to make her a skirt. This was the outcome.
This is a prototype skirt for Sophia to see if it fit, so I ended up using scrap fabrics. I think it ended up looking really cute and I'm excited for it to be warm enough for her to wear it to the market. She should be able to wear it in a couple of weeks. I also need to make some shorts and samurai pants for Sophia and Lottie. Lottie is already wearing Sophia's samurai pants from her first birthday. They are big on Lottie but will keep her cool in the summer. I'm not a big fan of naked babies out in the sun. I would rather have my pale vampire kids with a light layer on if its possible. Sometimes it isn't when its too hot... then its time to break out the pool. I got out Sophia's summer pants from last year that I made her and they are actually perfect little capri length pants now... and I actually think they will fit her as longish shorts next year ( If they survive the summer!) How wonderful are pants that fit your child for three years! My samurai pants are very wide legged which makes them super comfy for children to wear and play in.
Now that its mid spring and summer is approaching fast and the curtains are open more.. I've been noticing more of my clutter in my house and its starting to get on my nerves. I started to sew these little fabric boxes. I have only made a pattern for teeny tiny ones right now, but I want to make some larger ones for the toys and laundry that accumulates on the main level. This is the very first one I made... isn't it cute.
My goal for next week is to get a couple more of these made for around the house and to make pants for the girls.. we'll see what happens.

This Little Bird

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday

i heart faces - Best Face in February

i heart faces - Hearts

i heart faces - Best Face Photo 2011

Wordless Wednesday

Smile - I Heart Faces Photo Challenge

A Birthday Hat For Charlotte!

i heart faces - Silhouette

NOT a bellydancing queen.

Flashback Friday - Happy 28th Birthday Martin!

i heart faces - Photo Challenge - Bundled up

Flashback Friday - Friends

Week 8 - “Hands-On Fun” Photo Challenge

Flashback Friday - Schmutzli ... I miss you.

Flashback Friday - The Love Of My Life

We heart Reading.

Week 6 - We ♥ Kisses

Small Token of Thanks!

Write a Review! (optional)

Week 4 - “Texture” Photo Challenge!

Flashback Friday - My BFF

Week 2: Photo Challenge - “Best Face Photo”

Flashback Friday- 2002 Last visit with Granny

My baby turns 1 today!

Goodmorning 2010

Flashback Friday - Party like its 1999!

Flashback Friday - Christmas 1980

Week 49 - “Pets Only!” Photo Challenge

Flashback Friday - The Makings Of A Christmas Elf!

Week 48 - “Sweet Dreams” Photo Challenge

Flashback Friday - You scare me drunk Santa.

Week 47 - “We ♥ Tooshies” Photo Challenge

Flashback Friday - 1994

I ♥ Faces - "Autumn Beauty" Photo Challenge

Flashback Friday - Our last big holiday!

Flashback Friday - S is for snake.

Friends are the best gifts.

25 Random Things About Me

Making A List... Gonna Get Stuff Done

Irreverent Squirrel To Do List $4.50 notebooksetc

Orangsicle List Taker $15.00 daffodilsanddaisies

I like to make lists MAGNETIC FRIDGE NOTEPAD $4.95 UrbanObservations

Shred Day 1

How does your garden grow?

Get your sh*t together!

Weekends are for treasure hunts

The birds are singing...and I feel like sewing!