makeover saturday

this is the difrans version of how to loose 10lbs in 1 day.. for real.

the little ones before.

and after

mom in desperate need of someone to fix her well coloured but blah hair.


and the after... resulting in what seems like at least a 5 lb weight loss in my face.

LOVE IT!

saturday

-wake to sounds of the boys chatting to each other mixed with singing
-stay in bed for while dave gets them up
-roll out of bed after being smothered in little hugs.
-make coffee
-check email
-dust
-go downstairs and play bus driver where of course i am the passenger. we're going to the bank.
-sort laundry
-finish dusting and pick up the bedrooms
-eat breakfast - oatmeal
-clean kitchen while the boys shower
-dry off boys and get them dressed
-start sweeping all floors and get dave to vaccum rug
-cuddle with a sad ari who banged his head.
-get the kids out the door with daddy who is taking them to the car wash.
-mop floors
-hand wash stairs
-spend some running time on the treadmill
-shower
-start lunch in time to greet some excited kids who did really well at the car wash and brought mommy coffee from tim's (and timbits for themselves)
-eat lunch while listening to play by play of the car wash - i definitely know soap was involved.
-make mexican lasagna for friends coming for dinner. take out frozen pie shells to make a yummy dessert.
-put kids to nap
-head to MCC and find the coolest shelf that i am going to paint yellow.
-stop by MSS and drop off Marcy's Harry Potter book that I have had forever.
-come home. and it's only 2:00 p.m.
Happy Saturday.

sixteen

16 random things you want to know about me.

1. I love sesame street. My kids do too but sometimes when they have lost interest and wander from the tv I still watch.

2. I have an obsession with pillows. I dream of making lots and lots of pillows and buy yummy fabric to make pillows but rarely get around to actually making them.

3. I loved Mama Mia and have added many songs from the movie to my ipod. (My boys love to bounce to them too). My fave is "Lay all your love on me"

4. It's been one year since we moved into our new house... it feels so homey to us. I love coming home.

5. I hate to empty the dishwasher

6. I also hate to floss my teeth. I know I know I should do it regularly but I just can't. Hate it.

7. I secretly wish I could have an underwear rotation like my friend Crystal. Actually there are many things about her I wish I could do. I heart.

8. I am fiercely loyal and get most hurt when people are not loyal back.

9. I love HGTV.

10. This isn't really about me but Noah & Ari talk alot.. all the time. And they have the best way of calling "HONEY" from downstairs when they need me (they repeat everything and this is how dave gets my attention.

11. I hate socks. Would much rather be barefooted all the time.

12. "I think we're alone now" by Tiffany is one of my fave songs and yes I know the dance too.

13. I have 5 books sitting beside my bed waiting to be read. Someday.

14. My head is swirling with crafty ideas all day and sometimes it's hard to concentrate on anything else.

15. Today I went through my old room at home so my dad can make it his study now that he's retired and I wrote ALOT of stories.. we're talking binder upon binders full of handwritten stories.

16. I have a cold and my mouth is so dry I have to go drink water.. NOW!

Ok now you are it.

the end result

so my blankets are done... don't look too close because they are nowhere near perfect but it doesn't really matter because they love them....


ALOT...

fridgid

i have a confession. i'm usually ok with winter. often i get annoyed at people complaining about how cold it is... i mean we choose to live here in the most frozen place on earth and yet we can't get over how cold it is. we know every summer that the warmth lasts a moment and the cold is coming and will hit hard yet we can't believe it. so i have always chosen to try not to complain and just suck it up and remember i choose to be here... so with that said I AM FREAKING COLD!!! seriously i have done really good and now I am sick and tired of -40 to -50 every day!!! the wind takes your breath away and sometimes i shiver so bad i think my teeth will shatter. thank goodness gas is cheap cause i use my command start like i use underwear and leave the van running as long as possible. although nothing beats my good friend who once went to the gym for a couple hours and just left her car running so it wouldn't be cold. love that.
so now that i have gotten that out of my system i will go back to being a good little prairie girl, get my boots and gloves on, pry open my frozen door and get on with my day.

what's in a name

My 9 Names:

1. Your Real Name: Heather

2. Your Gangsta Name (first 3 letters of real name plus izzle): Heaizzle

3. Your Detective Name (favorite color and favorite animal): Grey Owl

4. Your Soap Opera Name (your middle name and street you live on/or your apartment #): Marie Duster

5. Your Star Wars Name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first): DifHe

6. Your Superhero/Criminal Name (your 2nd favorite color, and favorite candy):
Green LaffyTaffy

7. Your Iraqi Name (2nd letter of your first name, 3rd letter of your last name, 1st letter of your last name, 2nd letter of your mom's maiden name, 3rd letter of your dad's name, 1st letter of a sibling's first name, and last letter of your mom's first name): Efdertt

8. Your Witness Protection Name (parents middle name): Elizabeth David

9. Your Goth Name (black, and the name of one of your pets):
Black No chance of ever having a Pet.

work in progress...

to my most faithful blog commenter eva i give you a sneak peak of the quilts i am working on for the boys. don't look too close. just need to give them a nice border (will be done in the same dark grey). the boys love the vespa's. and so do i.


and yes i took the pics upside down.

our christmas in lists

I got
~gift cert for the spa
~green starbucks mug
~domino's decorating book
~scarf
~wii (our present to each other this year)
~earings and necklace from sil


I gave
~cars, trucks, cement mixers and fork lifts
~camera strap for friend overseas from this lovely shop
~homemade journals/photo albums and ipod covers
~dave a wallet cause I washed his a few weeks back
~time


I listened to (my top songs right now)
~Free Fallin' new John Mayer live version
~Human by the Killers
~Last Train Home by Ryan Star
~You found me by the Fray
~Keep Breathing by Ingrid Michaelson
~Lay all you love on me - oh my word from the Mama Mia soundtrack
~Winter Song by Sarah Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson
~Lost by Coldplay


I ate
~ALOT


I went
~to an ugly christmas sweater party
~to holly's house with my little women
~to amanda's to celebrate with her and Jenelle
~to a costume gala dressed up as a maid.
~to mom and dad's more times than i can count.

I thought about
~chocolate
~good red wine (that also could have gone under the I ate (drank) catagory alot.
~what 09 could hold for me
~what 08 didn't
~good friends
~old friends that i don't see anymore
~love
~what i thought i always wanted and know maybe don't
~guilt (see above)
~family far away and wishing they were here
~how sad i was that my favorite pair of jeans have officially worn out and cannot be mended again.

I love
~my husband
~my two goofy goofballs that keep me busy but full of love
~my family and that most of them are here and my boys get to experience a close family.
~my friends who get me even when i don't
~red wine
~drinking coffee out of pretty mugs
~my house
~having people in my house

one little word

well 2009 is officially here. I have been thinking all week about how I want to live life this year. Last year I wrote about my one little word HERE. after much thought I have chosen the word Choose for my word for 2009.
Life is all about choosing. In my day there are a million moments that collide. I can shape each one - all based on a choice. What kind of day will I have? How will it affect those around me, especially my family. Looking back over this last year I have made a ton of choices; some good, some bad. But each one shaped me. My attitude on any given day was just a product of how I chose to live.
This year I want to be constantly aware and always choosing life for myself and those around me.
I choose to live positively
I choose the golden rule.
I choose to be AT PEACE WITH MYSELF
I choose salvation and to walk out of the prison I have made for myself and into the palace
I choose to make a difference and live outward
I choose to be happy in my body
I choose to be myself and I choose to wake up each day with the intention of living each moment with the best choice I can make.

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...

merry christmas from the difrancesco's

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.

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??

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.

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.

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...

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.

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....

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.

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!