Monday, December 29, 2008

a socially conscious purchase

I have been wanting a new wallet for some time now. Mine has been broken for months and not to mention kind of ugly. Not only did I want a new wallet but what I really wanted was a Matt & Nat wallet. Drawn to their not only ridiculously good looking accesories but also drawn to what they stand for.

(this is taken from their webpage)
It started with a challenge, almost 2 decades ago, to forego animal products for thirty days. Unbeknownst at the time, a chain of events was set off culminating in the founding of MATT & NAT: a collection of design-centric, fashion-forward accessories that is also vegan. Armed with this vision, creative director Inder Bedi created a brand that goes beyond fashion, invoking our own human experiences and the environments that surround us.

Now eight years later, from the Montreal headquarters, he works closely with the creative team to redefine the MATT & NAT aesthetic, hinging on a blend of underground and mainstream elements. Modern art and architecture particularly influence collections with color, structured silhouettes, and an emphasis on heavy hardware.

MATT & NAT is widely recognized internationally by press and buyers alike for its unique styling and innovative materials. Spring 08 saw the launch of a nylon collection made entirely of recycled plastic bottles. For Fall 08, the recycled plastic bottles have been converted into felt. These forays into never before seen materials have intrigued and challenged the creative team, who continue to comb the globe for what's next.

With new fabrications and concepts each season, MATT & NAT seeks to surprise, question, and provoke. The positivity message, found on every design, is the MATT & NAT ethos, it is meant to be personalized and to inspire you on your path.

The message found on the box of my wallet reads:

Choose Life. Choose Positivity. Choose the Golden Rule. Choose to be at peace with yourself. Choose Salvation. Choose to make a difference. Choose to be different. Choose to be a rebel. Choose to be funky. Choose to be yourself. Choose to create a fashion statement.

And not only that but she is so pretty...


Tuesday, December 23, 2008

what's under your tree

me nothing. dave and i decided to buy ourselves wii for christmas. we have been having tons of fun and most mornings i am sore. but.... just for your viewing pleasure this is some etsy love for you and what i will most likely dream of and wake up thinking of christmas morning..

TastySuites shop is full of great vinyl art. I particularly love these trees and this hello.

EverydayBeautiful's shop is full of gorgous hand made baby items. Little toques and Baby papoose.. it doesn't mean i am pregnant but i love it anyways.

Love THIS necklace from CT2Designs. Simply Stunning and would look so good around my neck.

Now by far my favorite etsy shop to wander around is fabricshoppe. so many delicious things i want here. like this and this and i would love this for all the little projects i am doing.

Want THIS.

and oh my these gocco hand printed moleskine journals are adorable.

Found this shop by accident and i have been drooling ever since. LittleOvercoat repurposed children's clothes. Oh my word amazing. Like as if A & N don't need THIS shirt that their dad would love and then this one. Come on someone buy it quick. ok and this one. seriously!!

and of course we can't leave out a good purse or two or three.

ok so that's enough over stimulation. must sleep. loves.


Monday, December 22, 2008

move over martha..

Sewing is the name of my game lately. I have really started to enjoy it again and have been busy making all sorts of thing. Most of which I can't post pics of cause some have not been given this Christmas yet. I have been really enjoying the process of making things come together and being able to put my own creative flair on to it.
If you come over this Christmas you will catch glimpses of my holiday craftiness all over. I think this has been the most fun I have had with Christmas yet....
I am looking forward to this week of just hanging out with my family. We have been a bit sickly these last few weeks and I feel we are all on our way to recovery. The boys are getting over a pnemonia infection which resulted in many sleepless nights. After finally getting some antibiotics they seem to be better. Just wanting to wish you and yours a fantastic Christmas! Just another reason to love the holidays.. as I sit here the boys are just waking up from their naps singing Jingle Bells mixed with Happy Birthday. Does it get any better than this??

Saturday, December 13, 2008

reserved number 6

I am not sure I have expressed how much I love my job. I work part time (half days) at a Middle years school as an Administrative Assistant. It's such a great place to work. It brings me life. The people I work with are amazing and I love what I get to do everyday... I have been filling a term and dreading Christmas Holidays as it would mark the end of my term. This week has been stressful to say the least. It started off with the fabulous news that the girl I was covering Mat leave for decided not to come back. I was happy and eagerly applied for my job when the posting went out on Monday. The rest of the week I was a bundle of nerves waiting for Friday at 4:00 when the posting would close. Being unionized has it's advantages and disadvantages... what if someone with more seniority applied... serious case of nerves. It was kind of awkward at work too you know people are rooting for you to get the job but there is little you can do but wait. I left Friday at lunch feeling nervous and knowing I would have to wait out the weekend for my interview.
4:30 the phone rings and it's my principal.. take deep breathe... He offers me the job.. ME. I got the job. I am assuming no one else applied cause I had no interview just the job. My job. So I will now be a permanent fixture in parking spot number 6.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

festive

Thats how to sum up how I feel lately. I am really into the holidays this year. I am not sure if it's because last year the boys were still small and so much work or maybe it's because I feel I have so much time now but I am really enjoying baking, creating, gifting and listening to music. It is all helping me feel festive. I finished my baking and ended up with 6 different goodies in my freezer. This also double duties as having a happy husband. I have been making a lot of my gifts this year. Lots of sewing going on over here. I am really enjoying the process of making things. I have had time to up my house holiday decor as well. I took the idea from Leigh at MSS and made this to hang my Christmas photo cards on this year. I love the way it turned out. I also made some paper stars to hang on their too.


We did put up our tree a couple weekends ago. The boys thought it was fun and got in on decorating.

We got to spend some time with some dear ywam friends for an evening. It was so nice to catch up with them. Randy got the kids all riled up and they had a blast! Thanks so much for coming


Enjoyed having some of my little women over the other night. It felt like family. We sat around my island and ate and drank warm drinks. It was lovely. I am such fans of theirs!


I have been making a December daily album just documenting in words and pictures what we are doing this month. I will post some pics of that this weekend.

I am just enjoying the process... trying to not get all wrapped up in details but really taking the time to enjoy. I have more to share but this will have to do for now. I'll be back this weekend.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

curtain

All good things come to an end… we did it. Little Women was successfully preformed on stage 5 times in 4 days. It was amazing, each time got better and better. It was exhilarating to get up on stage. Each audience was different and gave off a different energy as did we. I can't say enough about the honor it was to play such a dignified, graceful woman. I have learned so much through my role as Marmee. She is just the kind of mother I want to be. She cares deeply for each of her daughters and the others she comes in contact with. She never speaks down to anyone but puts a positive spin on everything. She desires those she loves to be truly happy and to never compromise that happiness for anything.

It was an amazing experience and although it was hard work, I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. I worked alongside of some of the best people, was led by gracious leaders who poured themselves blood, sweat and tears into our every move. I am just so honored to be apart of such a great cast. I have some pictures although not the official professional ones which will come in January... I hope all of you who came enjoyed it.

I have also been held up by an incredible support team. I could not have done any of it without that. Dave and the boys have had the most to loose and they blew me away with their constant encouragement and the grace they had for me. My friends.. my family. I am never complete without any of you and you all never cease to amaze me with your graciousness.
That is enough for now. I will try to put up pictures this weekend...

Sunday, November 16, 2008

mixed bag

i am me. have encountered every emotion available this week.. sometimes more than one at a time. we are 4 days from opening night.. makes me excited, makes me sad that it will soon be over and also causes me to barf a little in my mouth. it's going to be an amazing show.. i hope. it will be right?
my poor family is suffering (that's a tad dramatic).. i can see it in my kids every day. i pleaded with dave last night to tell me that he thinks they won't remember this... he was not so convincing. they did come see rehearsal yesterday afternoon and i hope that helped. we had to leave church early today cause they were out of control whining for their soos... we have implemented that soothers are only for napping and bedtime. so far it sucks big time!
friday i managed to take some time for me and spend the evening being creative. i finished my december daily album... i'll post more later.
last night i watched grey's with my girls.. a tradition we have been doing since the season started. nothing like great tv and good snacks and not to mention the best of friends.
not sure what else to write... my neck is sore, my brain hurts, my eyes are burning and i am me.. full of life.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

early intermission

my life has been taken over by the production of Little Women and that sadly means little time for anything else, including blogging. i have only seen dave for a total of 17 minutes this week so far. so bear with me. and go buy tickets already!!! it's only a few weeks away. check back soon....

Sunday, November 02, 2008

she still creates

these were done a few weekends ago at Super Scrap Day. i had a blast scrapping all day with great friends. in a time where my life is chaotic and i don't normally find time for things i want to do i was so happy to be able to still create these.

Friday, October 31, 2008

roar


lions and tigers and .... oh man good thing we only have two! we were seen around town with these cuties tonight.. they thought getting candy at the door was wierd and every time we would go somewhere they felt they had to reach into their little buckets and surrender something they had. they were so cute!

Friday, October 24, 2008

don't sweat the small stuff...

Where to begin.. Life has been a constant changing balance beam for me these days. My mind is filled with lists of things to be done and forever remembering where I need to be at any given moment. Sitting down is rare and when I do it's hard to shut off my brain anyways so I may as well check something off my list.

In the midst of all of that I am enjoying Noah and Ari more than ever these days. They are so fun and they are growing up so fast. I feel like I want to write it all down each day as it all happens so I won't forget.. all the little things too you know?


Like the day before yesterday they had just gotten up and were playing and snacking on cheerios like they do every morning. They had pulled up their little plush chairs to the little table in the living room and were making various car noises: filling their dump trucks with cheerios, making tunnels with placemats and drinking milk. They have these monster trucks where the top comes off and you can snap it on only one way.. these have often been a source of frustration although still remaining a favorite toy. I was sitting on the couch just taking it all in when all of a sudden Noah asks Ari for "help" and hands him the truck. Ari takes it and tries the top one way and when it doesn't work he turns it around and tries the other way and it works. He then proclaims "did it!" which means "I did it" and he then hands it over to Noah and Noah says "Thanks".

I was blown away by such a big boy moment. I was happy I had sat long enough to witness it. It's a good reminder to me to remember moments like these.


Dave starts school again on Monday and will go for 9 weeks. It's always a different transition for us when he starts and what seemed daunting at the beginning of this week has turned into a blessing. He found some people to ride with which requires no driving on his part and the burden of him having to drive alone all week has been lifted and we both feel lighter.

I am full blown all in to rehearsals and it's only 4 weeks away!!!! How can that be. Hopefully you have all bought tickets… It's going to be an amazing show. I love Marmee and am really learning so much from her. It's been fun to venture out into this area and do something different.

Norwex is still going good. I actually have two parties next week.. It's a great time for them too with Christmas coming up. Hopefully they both go well.

Not much else I can fill you in on. My cleaning lady (remember the present from dave) has been blowing me away. Yesterday I came home to not only a sparkly clean house but she organized my chaotic pantry into a beautiful masterpiece. It was breathtaking. I feel full and blessed beyond what I can say. It's the small stuff lately that is the big stuff for me and it helps me remember how much I have to be grateful for!

Friday, October 17, 2008

friday funny

yes i know i have been MIA lately. just so much going on and my brain has a hard time putting things together. so to give you a little something for the weekend i decided a friday funny was in order.
i LOVE my job.. my space, my co-workers.. everything about it. we get alot done each day but we also spend a lot of time laughing and just generally having fun. i sit beside the most fabulous mentor or all things SAA related (School Administrative Assistant) she basically excels in all aspects of her job and I love being able to glean from her. Anyways.. a couple weeks back another co-worker of ours hmm lets call her M went away for a girls getaway with her sisters to grand forks. naturally on her first day back she was over at our desk and we asked her how her time was, what did the do.. shopping, talking, eating you know all the best things to do on a getaway. we asked where they ate and of course i chimed in.. "you must have had q-doba's right?" (cause of course that is my fave). she looked up from thumbing through files and said "Cute Oma's?"
oh my word.. luckily we were able to remain on our chairs and see through the tears in our eyes as we laughed so hard. seriously cute oma's? i LOVE that!
for those of you who do not have any sort of german background. Oma means grandma here.. and yea although Cute Oma's would surely have some amazing perogies or borscht she certainly would not be serving the best queso or burritos this side of mexico.
now as i have wrote this out i realize you probably had to be there.. but i don't care cause it's a wonder i have been able to type as i still chuckle to myself and it just reiterates the fact that work is a great place to be.
i actually had another funny from today but maybe i will leave you with this one and it will make you come back for more ECS friday funnies. we are full of them!

Thursday, October 09, 2008

pinching...

some days i just have to pinch myself to remind myself that this is my life. all mine. this messy, beautiful, chaotic, overwhelming stuff is all mine. especially thankful for these guys. they too are all mine and i pinch myself daily to make sure none of it is a dream.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Free Shipping.

So after that response on my Norwex post.. I am offering free shipping to anyone who wants to place an order by tomorrow. Please let me know how I can contact you and I will get you some goodies!! Ready, Set.. Go!!

Sunday, October 05, 2008

how cleaning changed my life....

I know some of you have been interested to hear about my new business venture. I am a consultant with a great company called Norwex Enviro Products. Norwex sells cleaning products and personal care products. The cleaning products are chemical free. I was easily sold on Norwex for the main reasons it fits my life. I save time - tons of time. For the tons of different products I used to have to clean I now have one cloth. I can clean as I go and don't have to worry about my kids breathing in all kinds of nasty chemicals. The products really work so I don't have to spend time just smearing the dirt and dust around. I also am saving money. Norwex is an investment but now I don't need to go out and buy paper towel each week and a bottle of this or that every so often. I have what I need and as long as I take care of it.. I can expect to get years out of my cloths. I am also helping to do my part to save the environment. I am putting less toxic chemicals into the air, garbage and into the water. And the best reason I am now providing a safe and healthy environement for my family. Store bought cleaners can range from irratant to fatal.. why would I want to do that to my family. Do you know what is in some of the stuff we use to clean our tubs? The same place my kids sit and play in the bath. Or what is in those nasty Mr. Clean magic erasers? Or in windex? There is a distinct connection between the increase in chemical use in our homes and schools with the increase of asthma, cancer and allergies.
There is so many products I love and it would take me too long to tell you all of them.. (so you must get to a Norwex party!) Here are my faves:
1.) Norwex is known for it's microfibre.. yes i know microfibre is everywhere but if you compare a cheap cloth to one of our cloths you can easily tell the difference. To be cosidered microfibre the cloth has to be 1/6th of a human hair. Our cloths are 1/100th and when combined with the right knitting process it creates an extremely effective cleaning material. As if that were not enough Norwex has developed a unique techlogy that combines an atinbacterial silver based agent with our microfibre. This then destroys the bacteria picked up by the cloth. It is proven effective on strains of bacteria, yeast and viruses. So that brings me to the Antibac Enviro cloth.. used wet or dry to clean all surfaces. All you need is water. It prevents the cross contaminatio of germs from one surface to the other. It removes dust, dirt, grime and grease from all washable surfaces. I use mine for everything from dusting my furniture, to cleaning my counter tops, my stove, my windows, bathtubs, tile... The best part is that I can use it for days and just clean as I go.
2.) The Antibac Window Cloth - this allows to me to polish and clean windows, mirrors and shiney surfaces with water alone. It leaves a streak free shine and best of all I don't have to breathe in nasty things like windex. You need to see what it does to my faucets.. never been so shiney.
3.) my must have number one the one thing that changed my life was the mop! i have never found a mop that worked.. I hate using a broom (it's disgusting how much you are just smearing around) I mean really have you looked at your mop or broom and wondered how something so dirty can make things clean.. yea it doesn't. I know have the telescopic handle (which is great for cleaning up high and hard to reach places), the Antibacterial dry mop and the Antibacterial wet mop. All made from the highest grade of microfibre, with the silver agent right in. All I do now is use my dry mop which picks up everthing and then use only water on my wet mop and in 10 minutes my whole main floor is spic and span!
I could go on and on.. the antibac face cloths, the kitchen cloth, the micropad (like the magic eraser without the fatal chemicals), the spirisponge, the fresh wash, the bath mat, the antibac hair turban, the dusting mitt, the shea butter and all the organic personal care products, the magnet ball, and odour eliminator, the dishwasher detergent makes everything so sparkley and clean. The cleaning paste makes cleaning my ceramic stove a dream.
Did you know your mattress currently has about 2 million dust mites living there. Did you know that one dust mite produces about 50 fecal pellets daily and that your pillow is made up of 10% of dust mite feaces. Did you know Norwex carries a product called the Mattress Cleaner which is designed to elimiate dust mites and all organic material on your matrress, sofa, bedding, your kid stuffed animals. I know many people who have lived with severe allergies for years and have had their lives changed once they used this to kill that matter that lives in our stuff.
The Laundry Detergent is filler free and best of all you use basically nothing and a bag lasts you a long time. Our Dryer balls replace fabric softener (which I hope you know is so bad for you!) They drastically cut down on dryer time which is also helping to save on money.
So there you go a quick run down on chemical free cleaning. I know it sounds too good to be true and thats what I thought too. You owe it to your family to try it out. Let me know if you want to host a party or just order some product. Or if you are interested in selling Norwex yourself. Its a great way to give back.
And now for the moment you all were waiting for

.. the winner of the Norwex draw who will receive one of my favorite producs the Anitbac Microfibre Dusting Mitt is... Holly! Congrats to you.. I will get you your prize on Tuesday at rehersal. And maybe this will inspire you to have a party :)

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

feeling the love

Wow.. what a day. If I knew this day would have felt like this I would have wished to turn 29 ages ago. Yesterday when I went for my run in the morning.. I was overcome when a certain song came on my ipod.. it's called.. How He loves you and it always shakes me to my core.. well yesterday I was just praying it would sink in.. I mean I'm already 29.. I just want it to sink in. Today I felt the love over and over and over again. So thanks to all of you who wished me well (who knew facebook could be such an encouragement) and those who went out of their way to make me feel loved all through out the day. I am in awe. So here are some highlights....
It all started Sunday when I was taken to dinner with some friends.. these are not just any friends. We enjoyed a fantastic meal followed by our own "Martha" making one of my fave's kit kat cheesecake with a special Crystal spin.. and it was good.. I mean it was so good. I got some special gifts and a cuddle with the most handsome little guy. Crystal ventured all the way to North Carolina for my gift and was thoughtful enough to visit Anthropologie for me.. I mean really this store was meant for me.. I LOVED the owl tea towel.. not sure if I will ever bring myself to use it.. but it looks really good in my kitchen. Thanks C!
Monday we celebrated with my family.. Steak dinner courtesy of the grill master himself. So good. Ice cream cake. A kicking Loewen family dance party. And a Magic Bullet.. oh my! Been waiting for this one for awhile now. Amoung lots of other good things.


Today has been amazing. My thoughtful husband got me the best gift this year. I will be getting a cleaning lady once a week for October and November.

Just what I need in these crazy couple months with tons of rehersals and other stuff. I can't wait for her to start next week! The above picture is the card he made me. He is just so good!!
I was surprised at work with a couple flower deliveries, pizza, chocolate, bath & body works. Amanda kept me on my toes all day with surprises every hour or so. Although at first I was a bit afraid of how much she appeared to not know me when her first gift arrived. I won't explain it all but go to her blog and read this Hey an owl is an owl right? It felt so nice to have her think of me that way. Among a couple of other things was this Recipe Box I had seen on Etsy.. loved it! It is even better in person. I almost cried when I opened it and found it FULL of hand written recipes. Old recipes.. Like some Grandma's treasured recipes. I couldn't belive it. So amazing. And then as if she isn't already the greatest my partner in crime Audrey at the office surprised me by getting Amanda to make what can only be called the most amazing cake you have ever seen. I mean the picture does not do this gorgous, delicious cake justice... my favorite Starbucks drink a carmal macciato.. and seriously guys it even tasted like it.
Thank you for all the phone calls and your generosity.. I feel like I won the jackpot and Hey Marcy my friends put a dent in your gift cards thats for sure. :)
I also received a magazine subscription to my fave magazine Domino from Audrey. Just fits me perfectly.
I had rehersal tonight and my favorite new friend Holly made sure to solidify in my mind why I seriously heart her already. She made me homemade salsa and gave me a super cute card.
I wish it could be my birthday every day.
I do have a great post on Norwex in the works with a draw for that free gift.. if you want in on it make sure to leave your comment on my last post.
I feel full. Finally full feels good!

Saturday, September 27, 2008

jumbles of my brain

so now since you have gone so long without a real post by me.. i decided in my saturday afternoon laziness to bring you all into my inner circle. here is what i am thinking in no particular order (that's how circulation works... at least in my head)
-i need a new hair color.. badly
-if i were not buried under bills i would go out and get said hair color, the thought of coloring my hair from the contents in a box scares me, i have not had the guts to do that in like 15 years.. do i start now?
-my house is clean today. it always feels good to have a clean house
-i love the way ari & noah are talking these days.. they just yammer all day long. they have the cutest little voices and sometimes i just stare at their mouths because of the way they move them. it's fasinating.
-dave is gone to work for the second time today - i hate on call weekends.
-i want a cheeseburger almost everyday. i have a love affair with red meat. it makes me feel good.
-i still am trying to find the perfect fabric to make new bedding for the boys room. i think i have narrowed it down.. well who am i kidding. these are the ones i love. Etsuko Furuya's fabrics are lovely.. love this combo HERE still loving Amy Butlers dots line though and thinking that the lime & slate full moon polka dots would be adorable.
-my brain is filled with so many home ideas and i have NO time.. seriously no time.
-loving fall so i can wear my cute grey jacket and my new pewter shoes and of course loving fantastic scarves.. which i need more of. seriously.
-rehersals are going so good. i am really enjoying it and we have a fantastic cast. it's long evenings with general blocking but i love it. it's going to be an amazing show and you should all have tickets.
-selling Norwex now too for those of you who don't know... i am loving this. it's easy to get behind products that pretty much sell themselves.. i will blog more about this later.. but if anyone wants to have a party and get tons of free stuff (espcially in time for christmas) let me know!
-embarking on my 29th birthday.. feeling ok about it until i go to rehersals and this tiny blonde girl who is probably all of 17 keeps telling me how old i look. ugg...
-trying to stay afloat with this whole parenting thing.. someday s i could just throw in the towel. it's hard and it feel awful alot of the time... I love my kids but feel most days they would be better off without me and all my selfishness... i am working on it. luckily i have a partner who rocks at the parenting thing.
-still dealing with my ever growing addiction to all things ETSY it is a seriously horrible place to go.. i keep buying things and things keep getting cuter.
sorry there are no photots here.. i have not been good with snapping. next time i promise for photos.
Ok if you are still reading this then you deserve a rew ard so here it is:
Leave me a comment and you will be eligible for a free Norwex product... it'll be good i promise.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

excuse me

i am living in a land of chaos.. you will have to excuse me in my absence.. just way to much going on to be able to manage it all.. yet. please have patience.. i will be back.

Friday, September 19, 2008

etsy loving..

this seriously is killing me. with wanting to redo the boys room.. make them new quilts. i am so all over this.. now if only i wasn't buried in bills and light enough to just buy buy buy!! happy friday!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5206901

Monday, September 15, 2008

trudging through

like with everything there is a transition period.. our last few weeks have been just that. life is alot busier for me then it was this summer. i know i mentioned that we were having difficulties with adjusting to our new "routine" well happy to say i think for the most part transition is over (or at least at the tail end) dropping the boys off in the morning has become easy and today i even had to scold myself for feeling badly that they don't seem to want me anymore when i drop them off.. it was a short moment. they have been waking up a bit earlier which makes our morning routine much easier and dropping them off involves a few hugs for me and a wave goodbye. so happy to have found somewhere for my kids to go that they love. it's evident that they are having fun.. they talk about their little friends from time to time. this morning when i said it was time to get dressed they both made mention of Shirly and Ty (he is a boy that goes there as well).
picking them up has been harder only because they don't want to leave :)
our afternoons have their ups and downs but we make the most of it. this afternoon we went to the park.. i concentrated on really enjoying our time together. we did lots of fun stuff. the problems only came when it was time to leave... noah makes life difficult when it comes time to leave anywhere he is having fun. i'll take the bad for the time i had with them their this afternoon.
i am happy i made the choice to go back to work part time. i love my job and the time away.. i know its been so good for all of us.
off to rehersals tonight which is going well.. getting nervous about all the memorizing.. but i am excited about the process.
as per emily's (one and only request from my last blog) you will get an earful on Norwex in a few days... oh and big congrats to Steph over at Adventures in Babywearing. She gave birth to Ivy LaRue in the early morning.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

the real truth

well it appears i am completely at a loss... i have no ideas to put down here. maybe its the million things screaming around in my head.. i just can't silence them long enough to blog anything. so unless you have things you want me to blog about..questions, things you are dying to know about me? i am going to have to just take some time to sort my thoughts. coming up with ideas at this stage in the game is killing me. so leave your comments and i will answer your questions... and if not well then i'll be back when it flows more naturally...

Monday, September 08, 2008

is it just this mom?

what the heck??!! it's like i am a monster or something... my kids literally cried for their dad for 30 minutes last night when he wasn't here to say good night to them and then this afternoon we started a repeat of last week... every time something would go wrong they were crying for their dad.. or when they didn't have my total attention they would cry for dad.. and seriously what is that?? it makes me so mad.. it's not like i wouldn't love to give them 100% of my attention all the time but then who would do massive amounts of laundry, sweep and mop, clean bathrooms, fold and put away piles of laundry.. and sure i would love to go through the drive through every day if it meant i could spend more time with my kids instead of cutting up healthy vegetables so they have good wholesome time consuming food to eat.. then i would love to play play play instead of putting all the dishes in the dishwasher so we have clean plates to eat on. i thought i was doing good at balancing but according to my kids i just suck at it all......

Sunday, September 07, 2008

you can't live on coffee alone...

maybe life is getting to busy and to full of stuff.. making it harder to blog because there is just too much. this last week was challenging... ok it was hard and it beat me up. i love my job it's perfect.. i have way to much fun there and love the people i work with. being at work is excellent. it's the before work and the after work that have been really hard. as most of you know this year i am taking the boys somewhere (this might change yet) but for now we have been going to a home day care. it's amazing.. they boys love it (when they are there), they talk about their new little friends and i know that they have the best time. but the morning consists of me fighting them to get out the door. poor little guys just want to hang in their pj's. they did really good at first with me leaving them there and each day it got worse.. till friday they were screaming for me to stay.. chasing after me as i ran out the door. uggg worse feeling in the world. of course when i would pick them up they would rather stay there. at home things were not so good either.. after they woke up from their nap it was never much fun.. i am sure they are just paying me back. it hurts though.. i don't want them to hate me or be unhappy with the situation.. i know it all takes time. so by the end of the day i have been so exhausted.. emotionally.
praying for a better week.
i had my first read through at the concert hall for the play... rewind to my announcement that i got a part in our community theatre's production of Little Women... a reminder that you can buy tickets at the City Office or online. Whew this is going to be intense.. the read through was so fun and I remember why I love this story so much. I do realize that it's going to require lots of work.. but I am ready.. or at least hopefully by November I will be...
to make the abandonment of my children even worse i left Friday for the city to stay for night to take in the Multiple Sale on saturday morning. We were selling stuff this year so it had to be dropped off Friday afternoon. i had the best time with M & K friday night.. she made yummy food and we drank Grandpa's killer wine and chatted the night away. felt so good. no one makes you feel more at home then when you stay at Chez Penner. the sale I must say was a major disappointment.. in the 4 or 5 that we have been too this one was the worst. i don't know if it was a lack in stuff or what but i came away with only 6 things!!! I ran some errands in the city and came home to my family. the rest of the day was great.. we played in the sand box with our new neighbours and had good friends for dinner... seriously if the rumor of Superstore not carrying Korean BBQ meat anymore is true.. at the Difran house some tears may be shed.
so now you are all caught up. i have not been taking a ton of pics lately. i will try to post more next time.
oh wait... i wanted to fill you in on my Norwex news. i have done two parties so far and have two possibly three booked for September.. it's going really well. i love it. i am happy to have taken the plunge and can't wait to keep making people happier one chemical free product at a time.

Monday, September 01, 2008

let's play catch up

What a weekend! What a crazy last couple of weeks. I know there has not been much "meaty" conversation coming from Our Life Voyage.. I hope to change all that soon. Now that life is going to get back to "normal" at least with some sort of consistency.
We celebrated our anniversary on Friday with a trip to the city (just the two of us). I had a successful shopping day and found some great pieces that fit nice. I needed a few more work wear clothes.. It was great to feel good about myself. We just had a great time being together.. we even held hands a lot. Something we don't do anymore. We laughed lots and just enjoyed time together. We ate at an All you can eat Japanese restaurant downtown which was AMAZING. not sure if it was just cause we have missed Sushi so much or what but man did we eat. I was so full when we left. Just like old times. Of course no ride home is complete without a stop at Starbucks. I feel content with my accomplishment of 4 years with such an amazing man. Marriage is not without it's difficulties but just like in anything the good usually surpasses the bad and whats bad only makes you grow more and adds strength to life.
I had been preparing for camping all week... not only in getting stuff ready but also my mind. See, I am not a camper. I am adventurous to some degree and not a princess but really who are we kidding.. living in a tent when I have a nice bed at home? Why? But I thought hey lets give it a try. We left Saturday afternoon for Spruce Woods with some friends of ours. We had fun moments... I did enjoy myself but when it came time for bed and all that involved yeesh... the boys did finally settle just in time for the wind/thunder/rain storm of my life... we all cuddled together and just waited for it to be over. I don't think I ever slept... with it being so hot in that tent (my kids were dripping wet) to the fact that by 3am the air in our mattress was gone and I was sleeping on rocks. It was challenging and made me grumpy. I sucked it up and we had a good day. It was on the cooler side and the threat of rain all day. So we decided to stay the day and head home after supper. I am so glad we stayed as long as we did and even happier to have come home a day early. This last night in my bed was one of the best of my life. We even all managed to sleep in till 9 this morning.
So all that to say I am happy I went and glad the kids had fun but so happy to be home. I have officially joined Crystal in saying that I am not sure I ever want to live beneath my means like that again. Although having a camper would make me try it again ;)

Thursday, August 28, 2008

the best thing...

4 years ago I married this man. He is funny, compassionate, honest, caring, genuine, loving and so good for me. Best thing I ever did... Happy Anniversary!

Friday, August 22, 2008

Do you REALLY know me?

Thanks to Crystal for giving us all another opportunity to get to know me better. Now I tag Amanda and Everyone else who reads this.

1. The Name you would have chose for yourself if you had any say at all: I would have said Kate but Crystal already said that.. sheesh.

2. Favourite Jelly Belly flavour: Pear


3. If you could trade your citizenship with any other country, what would it be? Ireland

4. Have you ever been skinny-dipping? Oh yea

5. Favourite cocktail: The drink the bartender made me at Morgan & Martha's wedding.

6. Last place on earth you'd ever want to be: Altona

7. Most recent kiss - when and from whom? Today from Noah

8. Three earthly friends you can't live without: Dave, Lisa, Amanda, Jenelle, Audrey (Sheesh and so many more)

9. A meal memory that surpassed all others: Breaking that pinata last weekend was too fun.

10. How many times in your life have you moved? many, many times.

11. We can't all have our own Italian Stallion. But what kind of 'Stallion' would you have? HA I've got him the real life Italian Stallion is all mine.

12. Quick! Right this second, if you could be translated anywhere, where would you go? I'd like to be in Italy with my sil's. They look like they are having too much fun!

13. A toy from your childhood that you would still play with: I loved my barbies.

14. How many boyfriends/girlfriends have you had? Lets not go there.

15. Flip-flops, knee-high boots, or Reebok Pumps? flip flops

16. Ever waxed anything before? Yes

17. Favourite dance move? i do a pretty mean toe to toe spin. yea you really have to see it to get it.

18. Best sunrise you've ever witnessed: Cambodia many moons ago.

19. The one food that you make that nobody else can come close to (in your opinion, of course): hmm this one has got me???

20. Chrissy, Janet or Terry? Terry all the way

21. The band or song you secretly love but would never tell until now: All Abba all the time

22. Article of clothing you wouldn't be caught dead in: bikini

23. Sprawling one-story or multi-storied mansion? multi-storied mansion.

24. Do you dance in front of the mirror? Not really.

25. Weirdest food you've ever loved: Raw Hot Dogs - well not really raw cause they are cooked but I like them cold.

26. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being very strange, how strange do you REALLY think you are? 4

Thursday, August 21, 2008

take a little time

to be thankful...

thankful for summer days
thankful for scrapbooking friends and that time for me
thankful for a husband who somehow puts up with me
thankful for a friendship with my parents that means the world to me
thankful for fabric and pretty paper
thankful for a backyard that we can play in
thankful for a mind full of creative ideas
thankful for this friend that i can talk to many times a daythankful for this friend who is there for me always (in a million different ways)thankful for a great job that i love
thankful for far away friends who take time to keep up with me
thankful for a successful start to my new business
thankful for rain which washes away the dust
thankful for my kids loving there first half day at Shirley's - especially thankful here

Monday, August 18, 2008

eye candy

because I know you all love links... I thought I would compile a list of my new favorite things.. eye candy i like to call it. thats the beauty of online browsing.. i crave these things

for my love of owls...
fruitflypie - Ceramic Desk Owl Vintage Design
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14387289

The Sensible Owl
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_18&listing_id=14384709

What should be my new mantra... and would look great in my dining room...
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_5&listing_id=14386477

For over my bed
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=sr_gallery_6&listing_id=14384965

and why don't i have a girl?
http://www.potterybarnkids.com/room/rom/romgir/romgirwod/index.cfm

amy butler and i were destined to be friends:
http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/fabrics_top.php?fabric=august-fields&flid=13


inspired child's play
http://www.ohdeedoh.com/ohdeedoh/toys-kids/phil-and-sophie-from-plug-and-play-design-ohdeedoh-in-europe-ha


and for the love of all things just check this out and bookmark it.. so lovely.
http://www.ohdeedoh.com/

Friday, August 15, 2008

falling apart

i feel like i am falling apart... this week brings me back to when the babies were little and i was at my wits end with them. it was so hard to manage... even though physically this is easier.. mentally and emotionally i am back at the beginning where i started.
where did my well behaved little mellow sweethearts go.. i find all day long my most spoken words are "what is wrong with you?" ok ok the white lines on the back of their gums must surely be the culprit i know that but it doesn't make it any easier... with another transition on the horizon (going back to work) we need to figure out a way to make this work. the summer was so good... i was loving the ease my boys gave me..
anyways just feeling uberly emotional and on the brink of falling apart at a moments notice. thankful for good friends who bring me a meal on a really bad day and offer to babysit when they must have something better to do.. for people who ask me if my day got better when we meet in a random place. it's those things that help me realize that for better or worse i won't drown.. i'm just riding the waves.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

art journal class

so very inspired by Rachel's art journal class. got the first two done. it's so nice to meld together my love of creating and my love affair with journaling... for so long i have been stuck with journaling and this is a great way to compress my thoughts on a page. tutorial #1 was called "List it" and the second tutorial was "Make it known"....

Monday, August 11, 2008

monday

so clever a title for someone who has not posted in so long... last week was crazy as i was getting ready for my Grand Opening.. it went so well thank you to everyone who came and those who supported me. i was happy with the turn out and had some good feedback.. now to book some shows. anyone interested in hosting a party and getting LOADS of free stuff let me know.
my mil popped by for a short visit which was great.
we took in some parade action at the Harvest Festival this weekend. always tons of fun.
so far i have been loving my online Art Journal class led by the fabulous Rachel over at Blingonmysewingmachine so far we have had two tutorials. its' been fun to use different mediums and also be inspired to really think about journaling again. have not decided whether or not to post my pages on here yet.. so stay tuned.

Monday, August 04, 2008

potty

so after much prompting from my husband and my kids (they beg to go on the potty) i picked up the book "Toilet Training in less than A Day"... still reading it but so far really impressed and willing to give it a shot this summer yet. Only because a.) I am off work this summer so I have time and b.) seriously my kids beg me for potty action.
I admit I have not been reading it much lately only because I have a million other things going on and daily my husband reminds me that I need to get going with it.. ok ok.. after this weekend you have my convinced only because of two things....

Who knew Ari would be so interested in reading about it.. practically carrying this book around all the time; inspecting it, looking at the pictures, looking up at me longingly.



and the clincher... today he asked to go poop on the potty and proudly produced one of the biggest i've ever seen. it was a very proud moment as our house erupted in cheers and clapping. I think I get it now Ari.. so could you please pass me the book?

bloggy business

First off sorry to those of you who were lost without my links.. they have been upgraded.. for those of you who may be confused as to why you are not on there.. I had to draw a line. If you have not posted in a super long time I didn't link you. That does not mean I don't check. I subscribe to blogs via RSS so I still will catch you. If you are a private blog you also get no linky action from me. That being said if I have missed anyone please let me know.. it was not intentional. ok thats all. Back to regularly scheduled programming...

Thursday, July 31, 2008

some summer things

I think I have mentioned before but we are loving summer. Ari & Noah especially. We keep ourselves busy...

we got to the beach and say "cheese" alot

we got grass in our backyard.. oh yea that is nice and it was fun to watch all the action from the comfort of my chair with snacks to boot.
scary picture i know but its the look of awe and wonder as I now run.. yep run. personal best so far 4.36km whoa!and we go to the beach again... we are so good at the beach and love to play by the water!

and if only i had some photos the place where we spend most of our time is at C's park... she has the best toys, the coolest pool with slide and it's where we enjoy passing our days...

Sunday, July 27, 2008

life

summer is flying by.. hard to believe its almost august. things to do this month:
-having my grand opening of my Norwex business. i would love to send you an invitation.. let me know if you would like to come. it's going to be a good way to just start this venture and you'll get to hear about these amazing products. so yea let me know.
-want to go camping.. am i crazy?? yes.
-doing some sewing projects. will share later.
-doing an online art journal class in august hosted by Rachel. so excited about that.
-reading my script and learning to master the song i have to play on the piano.. tickets are already on sale.. you can check it out HERE
-enjoying two of the sweetest little goof balls who are absolutely madly in love with summer.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

faves

I'm stealing a page from Crystal's blog and now bringing you a few of my favorite things in no particular order:

-Polka Dots - especially on fabric and paper
-Ikea
-The color White
-"Hoot" my green owl
-My vintage green chair in my dining room
-Boursin Cheese
-The opening of Pony Party. I have been waiting since I have become a fan of Rachel's blog. It's all handpicked vintage items. Yum! Go check it out and oh my did you see the Owl S&P shakers or the vintage recipe box.. major drooling here.
-Pita Chips
-Fresh Flowers
-Red Wine
-Fresh Salsa
-Coffee
-Love THIS IDEA
-German Salami
-Harry Potter - sad that i am on the final book.. i don't want it to end
-The New Coldplay especially the song "Lost?"
-Diet Coke
-Salt & Vinegar Chips
-Vintage Anything
-LOVE these sites: Here and Here
-I love THIS and would like it even better if it was around my neck.

Not to forgot how much i love my friends.. you have all been so much to me over the last little while. Thanks for sticking it out with me as I remembered who I am..