Upcoming Picture Alert

Hooray, I have my first finish out of this year's JCS all ready to be, well finished... Between the weather and some busy walking buddies, oh and a lack of motivation to go through my stash when there was a piece of white cloth sitting right on top, Heartfelt Harvey made an appearance this week. He was on my like list, maybe not near the top of the 'gotta do it now' list but one colour of thread and well, no serious stash diving was quite appealing ;) I can't wait to back him with red felt and finally get to try out my rotary pinking edger. No more attempting to line up the shears (plus it'll keep them sharp for actual sewing projects). Now I just need to fire up the camera and take a pic!

Nothing of great magnitude to report this week besides Alex bringing home his proofs for his school pics and they aren't too bad ;) The mailman was also nice to me this week and brough my SB Into The Night that I picked up when Traditional Stitches had their birthday sale and my new Turbo Jam Elite set arrived :) Now I have plenty of stuff to re-energize my weightloss plan :)

This weekend is thankfully low key. I'll be at Michael's at openning as my shelf is on sale...and when I checked yesterday there was only one left, then I plan on dropping by the church bazarre and maybe taking Alex to Science East where admission is free tomorrow. He absolutelyl LOVES it there, cool hands on science experiments all set in an old prison, complete with a couple prison bar doors left....and the old exercise grounds were converted into an outdoor playground complete with more fun exhibits. Really, every little eight year old boy's dream! Sunday's looking rainy so here's hoping we'll be hitting our crafting reserves ;)

We Made It!

Last week I was pretty, well for lack of a better term, blah! We really truly enjoyed ourselves at Boo at the Zoo in 07 and that was completely thrown up in the air by some people we don't see alot 'dropping in' on the day we'd be going. This lead to some tension. I'm on the once a year event plans only get cancelled for emergencies plan. Friday, I vented a bit and sent what my tentative agenda would have been if we went to Moncton to DH. It made alot of sense, weatherstrip windows in the morning with draft stop, leave because it stinks and let the air exhanger deal with it, look at pillows at Pier 1 (I'm no style diva but cranberry, forrest green and navy weren't doing anything for my couch, in cotton anyway), drop off a Christmas present, have supper and go to Boo at the Zoo. It was an effective and relatively cheap use of the day, I mean if we caulked at home we'd probably have been at the movies (spending the price of Boo admission + concessions), had supper, probably gone to some other activity which would have cost money and I'd have had to pay into the 'evil' Canada Post to get a gift sent. Concessions + postage almost covered our gas in the Corolla ;)

So, I laid out my master plan and avoided DH when I got home ;) He came to see me while I was working downstairs and asked how I was going to pull this off with the 'company'. I suggested he call to see what time of the day they planned on 'dropping by' because if it was early enough we still would have time to at least go to Boo...Well turns out there was in fact a change of plans so we ended up having Saturday to ourselves (my head could have done with sooner notification, tension is no fun!).

After visiting Faith Ann and our favorite Beaver at the Esso for apple day we started caulking windows and were out of the house at noon. I didn't find my pillows at Pier 1 after all, but found them bundled (sweet) at HomeSense. Of course on the way walking from one store to another did my DH not run into one of his friends? I mean for a guy that rarely goes out but he can run into someone he knows just about anywhere, restaurant in my parents home town, drive in theater in the middle of nowhere (seriously)? Sometimes I have to wonder ;). We quickly left there and zoomed over to my matron of honor/Alex's godmother's house to visit with her family and couldn't get over how much her little guy had grown since July. He definitely looks like 'someone' and not random infant A ;) Alex adored playing with him. He'd make such a doting big brother.

We didn't want to overstay our welcome (had infant, I know I appreciated short visits) and headed to Vito's as I've never eaten there before, the chain restaurants are always too big a lure for me ;) Yum! Then it was off to be creaped out by ghoulies, zombies and creepy clowns at Boo at the Zoo. It was nice to be out in the crisp fall air, getting some walking in AND revving our heartrates just a wee bit ;) After one of the Haunted Manor shows (music driven lights display and fireworks) we headed back to the car and back on the highway :)

Until Next Year Zoo...

Happy Happy Dancing

Hooray! I've got two more projects out of the way so I'm free and clear to play with the ornament issue :) I apologize for the dark pics, 5 minutes before we have to be out the door to catch the bus didn't leave alot of time to play with a camera who's batteries are on life support ;)

Britty Halloween Kitty - Brittercup DesignsHalloween Fairy aka:Haley - Mirabilia

Friends Shouldn't Let Friends...

Stitch over one!

What was I thinking? Sure the Trick or Kitty Treat ornament out of the Halloween JCS is adorable, but it has taken longer than Haley (who btw should be finished after Alex and I make a quick trip to Walmart and Michaels after work). Thankfully though I'm on the last part, the darn tail, so it might be done by the weekend ;)

Last night was stitchy night at our end of the woods. It was quite a busy evening as Matt had to work out of town due to the holiday and that left me running to get Alex to basketball and then home, drop him off grab my stitching stuff (which is easier said than done when there is the slight chance you could be 'done' before the end of the night) and back downtown. Good thing I had a 4 day weekend to rest up for the evening's marathon. :)

Speaking of the holiday we had a really nice Thanksgiving. Mom and dad arrived Saturday and shortly there after mom, Alex and I ventured out apple picking which was a blast. Alex nominated him self the official rotten apple cannon and mom played with Newton's law a couple of times :P We had a fairly quiet evening, doing a little dinner prep here and there (big turkey dinners do not need to be stressful!), shopped and put on our first family viewing with the new Plasma tv/Blu Ray. I <3 Iron Man.

Sunday was also fairly laid back, started the day with some eggs benedict, went to church and then put Tom in the oven after his traditional butter massage and salt rub. The house smelled divine. Later in the afternoon we were joined by Mathieu's mother and his grandmother which made him very happy. Dinner was perfect and we didn't move too much afterwards. Dad and Alex braved public swim after the inlaws headed home but we were content channel surfing ;)

Monday mom and dad headed out after a yummy breakfast at the Blue Canoe and we well...vegged. I had a nice long nap and then mowed out front lawn for the last time this season. It was so nice to have a vacation day where I didn't need to cook. The kids also had Tuesday off of school so I took a flex day to stay at home with the monkey. We had fun painting ceramic ornaments, reading and then hitting up the halloween maze at one of the local greenhouses. If only being a SAHM paid what my IT job does, sigh...

Ornament Issue Review...

P10-11
Blackbird Designs - not that the pattern itself wows me but it's a stocking ornament that looks like a real stocking
The Sweetheart Tree - would have to be framed
Cherished Stitches - On the fence, looks nice on the cover but this angle does nothing for me, nor do the tassles

P12-13 (Favorite Pages)
Val's Stuff - Definitely on the highest priority list
Samsarah - Right up there too
Primrose - Grows on you but the long appendages are a bit freaky

P14-15
The Victoria Sampler - LOVE IT!
Prairie Schooler -very cute, love the blues and reds
Elizabeth's Designs - changing some of the colours could help this
SB - Nothing about this calls to me remotely, maybe I'm too attached to the old series

P16-17
Full Circle Designs - Love it!
Jeannette Douglas - Very cute, I'm thinking maybe changing the wording on the 4 of this style and mounting them in a single mat alternating between tree and ornament. That frame would bend my branches
Nordic Needle - change in colours required, burgundy, forrest green and gold perhaps?
Cindy Valentine - again a change in colours would be a huge improvement here, maybe a light blue fabric with a monochromatic blue stitching and silver beads, or a white opalescent with Blue Lavender or Tropic Seas (Caron) with silver beads
SS with S - please give us something with some real stitching or give this slot to someone who really designs. Harsh yes I know, but I've seen some of the 'rejects' and it's just NOT FAIR!

P18-19
Imaginating - Will stitch this, just not on Aida, and probably dress up the wire hanger with some funky glass beads
Sue Hillis - Change fabric to a pretty mottled cafe au lait colour and change the stitching to cranberry or pine, I've never found white on red gives good coverage

P20-21
Wildflower Stitchery & More - There's just something about the whimsical nature of this one, both stitching and finishing that draws me in...as normally I'd prefer if my angel had hair :P
Prairie Moon - wish there was a little more variation than last years ornament but a set of these on the tree would be nice (when I get around to stitching the first one)

P22-23
LK - Well...it'll be a good piece to start my son off on stitching, and I can quickly finish it for him with a novelty fram from Michael's. Again though step it up!
Brightneedle - this series is cute but I usually limit myself up to stitching over one once a year and that allotment has been used up

P24-25
Cross Eyed Cricket - Don't have a clue as to what this has to do with Christmas, but it's cute
Loopy Lou Designs - Needs a darker mottled fabric to really make it pop

P26-27
Raise the Roof - too cute
Dragon Dreams - When don't I absolutely LOVE Jen's designs? Definitely Alex's ornament for the year.
Charland - Quick cutie
Heartstrings - Always loved their Santa's, just never seem to find the time to stitch them :(

P28-29
Kitty & Me - Gorgeous
Brittercup - Love it, but it'll have to wait as I think it would lose it's whimsy over 2 and I don't feel like stitching over one any time soon.

Ornament Issue ~ Hooray!

Hooray, I finally got my copy of the ornament issue today!! The poor guy at the magazine shop across from my office will be happy that I'm no longer stalking him ;) Initial reaction? The traditional 50/50, however I think that's more indicative of my slump than anything. That's pretty much been my general reaction all year to any new releases. I mean once your stash exceeds your life expectancy there comes a point where you're alot more choosey on what you do ;) Plus it cheeses me off to no end when some of the designs just don't step up to bat when there are many new designers that create beautiful works...and can't get a foot in the door. I mean I know that everyone's tastes are different but there is one ornament that's been in the issues twice...with no changes (thankfully not this years). There are some snowmen definitely on my list and of course a dragon for Alex :)

To Sell or Not To Sell...

No not my house! No not my stash...well maybe no not my stitchy stash...



MY SIZZIX!!!



Sigh...I wish it were an easy decision. The more Alex grows and is active in other activities I've come to cherish what free time we have and that really means my all over the board crafting just doesn't happen anymore, and the situation won't change in the immediate future. I will probably still make cards and such but I just haven't been using my Sizzix as much for that purpose anymore and it's sad to see such a huge investment just sitting there. Now to figure out if I should bundle it as one package, bundle the dies and just how to go about selling it (kijiji/ebay/who knows...)

Haley ~ My Mirabilia Halloween 'Fairy'

Really...I did just find the camera and got some of my photo editing software reinstalled ;)

Now I just need to wait for the last pack of beads and spool of Kreinik to come in and she's gtg (oh yes and a little piece of her left boot). I have an exchange finish but that post will have to wait until November, sigh...

September

Ack...Do you ever have the feeling that someone pressed fast forward on your life? Welcome to my world!! After a severe sinus cold we were already into the exhibition and back to school. We are soo delighted with Alex's new teacher, definitely a nice switch from last year!! Alex's reaction? 'Mom, I've got my first permanent boy teacher!' Meet the teacher was also a big switch from last years disorganized chaos session. Agendas were ready, there was a structure for the meeting and I left confident Alex is in pretty good hands.

Then we were left to deal with extracurricular registration for the year. I definitely cannot pull off the four nights a week anymore, plus I don't think the reduction of family time is acceptable. So, we had to make the difficult decision on what to cut. In the end it came down to scouting at the moment which was due to the change in time more than anything. Alex goes to bed a half hour before it even ends, so if he was to go it would be more like an hour before he changed, and wound down enough to fall asleep, not something I was looking forward to dealing with in the morning. He's also up to full days 4 days a week at school (our school district has half days for elementary) and he is tired come bed time as it is. Where the program runs all year we may put him in later when things are a bit more quiet.

Stitching wise Haley (Mirabilia's Halloween Fairy) is just waiting for the last kreinik and pack of beads to come in :) I managed to locate my camera when I was packing up for stitchy night Wednesday so I should be able to take a picture soon. If that doesn't give any indication on how crazy the rest of the summer went I don't know what would ;)

Today we're off to the Miramichi to visit mom and dad for my birthday weekend and then on Monday it's the big 3-1! I'm really looking forward to some yummy mexican food with the girls at lunch :)

August

Summer seems to fly by no matter how you try to slow it down and savor every moment of sunshiney goodness. It was soo exciting to send Alex to camp for the first time (even if it was only a two nighter). I did pretty good until we got to the gates, got a little choked up but he was so excited it was hard not to get caught up in his enthusiasm. His generation seems to be better prepared for camp than mine ever was. Within moments of picking him up he wanted to know if he could go to the 5 day camp next year, lol. Although next year I think I'll send him with a garbage bag with holes and a pair of swim trunks for the entire week, he was pretty much cleaned out when we picked him up (bad combo of untidy consellors and parents that just don't give a crap, I mean his name AND phone number is on everything). But it's important to keep in perspective just how much fun he had ;)

Our vacation this year was a bit different in tempo, but that wasn't a bad thing. The timing of the long weekend (when I take my vacation to get a freebie day) didn't sync with when they have the Napan fair at home. It rained on and off alot of the time but I think that finally forced me to slow down. I got alot done on 'Haley' the new Mirabilia 'Fairy' out of Cross Stitch and Needlework. Why she's called Halloween Fairy, I have no idea. I mean there's already a Halloween Fairy kit out and well...don't Fairy's have wings? Also on vacation mom and I got away for a little shopping day in Moncton, and I must say I was quite well behaved :) We also had a wonderful trip the the Aquarium in Shippagan and I think the biggest news of all....Alex finally can ride his bike! Within about 45 minutes of taking the wheels off and some guiding by Pappy (he was pissed with me for making him wear his Caillou hoodie that I could care less if he ripped falling) he was off and biking on his own! Sweet! We wrapped up our trip with a visit from my aunt and uncle who my boys have never met so that was quite neat as well.

The last couple weeks have been busy. Alex has been in not one but two vacation bible schools and loving it! While I don't advocate willingly keeping young children out of church, our absentee-ism was more exhausted working mom related, I am in awe of his genuine enthusiasm.

Last night wrapped up skating lessons and soccer so I have a free week next week, sweet!
Skating solidified that he wants to try basketball this year and has given up on hockey (yippee), basketball has better hours, registration is hundreds of dollars cheaper and gear = sneakers which would be about the same price we'd pay for the skate portion of his hockey gear. Not to mention his parents were big time into basketball :) Hopefully my supplies will arrive next week to finish Haley, and I'll locate my camera post vacation and upload some pics :)

Summer Pics

Summer Eats

Summer Treats (homemade chocolate ice cream anf fresh strawberries :))

At our subdivisions Lake :)

Hayride at the Campground - Bear Island NB

Hiking at the appropriately named 'Alex' Creek - Mactaquac NB

Alex riding the Kamikaze

Me coming in on the Pro Racer

Meeting Hunter

Clan Côté

It's Been How Long?

Omigosh it's been over a month *eek*

"Time flies when you're having fun" well that about sums up my blogging absense. We went straight from Homework/Karate/Swimming/Beavers to one night of skating lessons & soccer (1.5 hours of stitchy time, yippee) and the rest of them family time bliss. We've been frequenting our subdivision's lake and hitting up the wading pool, weather proofing our wood structure, hiking, picnicing and just taking advantage of the beautiful weather AND not being soo scheduled.

The only activity I booked for Alex is a two night stay at Green Hill Lake later this month which I thought would give us plenty of time to do stuff. Ha! Most people have some sort of appreciation for all that we do and respect that these two months are really the only sort of reprieve that we get, of course it's not those people that are showing up this weekend or asking for my son to visit next week. Factor in my vacation and Matt's on call schedule and we ended up having to schedule both camping and our Moncton Magic Mountain trip this week (and prepare for campany, arghhhhh!) or else we'd be at the two weeks at the end of August, one of which will probably have Alex at vacation bible school in the evenings and being at the complete mercy of the weather which for the past several summers has been cold and wet. I mean if I wanted to send my son anywhere it would be up to my parents which have a very close relationship with him and there just doesn't seem to be any time.

Anyway, our first family camping trip was a success. We didn't get into our original planned campground but meh... This one was smaller but had a Christmas in July celebration going on so there was plenty to do. Alex loved having a bit of freedom to bike around our section and just go play with kids. We got stuck beside some 'rowdies' (there are lots of offensive words I'd love to sub that with) but what mattered most was Alex was happy and not letting some drunk ding dong parents take away from that. Magic Mountain was also a blast. We have a little wiggle room with our vacations so we decided if it was nice Wednesday we'd head to Moncton and all the stars aligned for us :) The crowds were a bit more than I was expecting for mid week but it was a really hot day. Alex did the Kamikaze for the first time (huge vertical drop slide) and I got a pic which I'll post when I get home. He's definitely a thrill seeker. We also got to visit with Lisa and her new baby Hunter. Alex was on overdrive as he's never really been around a baby that small before. We wrapped up the trip with dinner at St Hubert (sigh I couldn't convince the boys to go to The Lonestar) visited Roots for me and Matt hunted down his season 7 of Stargate and we were good to go. Needless to say we're all a little tired today.

Now...on to stitching. Surprise, surprise, I actually finished something! Scratch SB's Pumpkin Hill off of my to do list!! I have an 'ornament' almost done too that I started on the way to Bangor in June as well. Weird :) Anyway, hoping to post some pictures tonight :)

Picture Time

Woo hoo, two finishes in a week. It's a record for 2008 which has been soo insanely busy I couldn't tell you if I'm coming or going half the time. I shouldn't have bought the 'Mom's Taxi' shirt last summer, it had an odd way of coming true! I apologize for their slightly crooked nature, my camera has NOT been cooperating lately.

Willy of the Snowman Trio - Stitchy Kitty (buttons still in the craft room)
Mill Hill Kit (had to do something at all those karate sessions this weekend)

My favorite Birthday Boy and his Mario cake :)

Happy Birthday Alex :)

Omigosh, where have the last 8 years gone? We started the day with a balloon ambush on him in bed and I drove him to school so he could hear his birthday announcement on the radio. I did some wheeling and dealing at work to take off a couple hours and picked Alex up at school. We then headed to Kingswood for some play climber and arcade tokens followed by ice cream and a rousing game of badminton until the black flies drove us inside. Matt managed to get home early so we started presents and headed out for dinner at Jungle Jim's. Needless to say we had one happy kid. We also indulged on the yumm mario cake mom made and watched a video of Baby Alex (and that's a whole other story) while he received a couple of phone calls. He was pretty darn excited to hear from his uncle in Argentina. :) He said he didn't want the day to end, and I can't blame him. I didn't want the fun to end either!

As Promised

Some pictures :) We had a wonderful weekend on the Miramichi. We made the trip up to celebrate both dad's (Sunday) and Alex's (Monday) birthdays. The weather didn't cooperate with doing alot of the fun outdoor activities up there (our hike was cut a little short) but it was still a really nice visit. We all went out to see Indiana Jones 4 and loved it. Alex was in seventh heaven. Not only was he getting to see Indy on the big screen, he managed to sit himself inbetween both bags of popcorn and was double fisting it into his mouth ;) Afterwards he added some bling to dad's birthday cake with some jelly beans and kept eyeing the Super Mario cake mom made him. We had a lovely lunch before presents and cake today and then started the trek back home. Weekends go by soo fast up there.

Now on to those pictures...

Mill Hill Bunny Ornament

Paddington modelling the chenille scarf I sewed this month (yes me sew)

Ready for Alex's 8th birthday

She Stitches....

but can she pick up a digital camera and update her blog? Guess that'll have to wait until we return from our trip the the Miramichi this weekend. I finally managed to finish something during Karate class this week. Normally I go walking but Mother Nature was not permitting it. So, I finally finished the little Mill Hill beaded bunny ornament I started on stitchy night. The bug is biting again but I'm still trying to figure out what to stitch up next. I may do another ormnament but chances are I'll likely either be starting Lady of the Mist or restarting In The Arms of An Angel within the next couple of weeks :)

In Peace

WILSON, MARIANNE AUDRÉE The passing of Marianne Audrée Wilson, of Fredericton, occurred on May 25, 2008 at her home. Born on June 1, 2004, she was the daughter of Kevin Wilson and Isabelle Roy. Besides her parents, Marianne is survived by her brother, Henri Wilson; maternal grandparents, Carol Ann Bernard and Christian Roy; paternal grandparents, Diane Grant and Gilles Wilson. A Graveside Service was held at Hermitage Cemetery for the immediate family under the direction of York Funeral Home. Marianne fought a brave battle against leukemia for more than half of her life. She came to rest at home peacefully with her family by her side. In lieu of flowers, donations to the IWK Foundation (www.iwkfoundation.org) or to the Children's Wish Foundation (www.childrenswish.ca) are suggested.

Dear Marianne,

I had the wonderful opportunity to meet you in 2006, your infectious smile engraved a special place in my heart that day. You were definitely the best 'secretary' Caris ever had. We've watched your journey ever since you were told you'd have to be brave beyond your years once more but like a glorious sunset you were gone far too soon. Your parents have refined the word strength in my mind. You and your parents had so many adventures that most of us of sound body put off until tomorrow for far less that what you are going through. Please watch over them. You've made me cherish my health son far more than I ever thought possible and put into perspective many things I used to be far to impatient with. Thank you for making me want to be a better person. I am very sad to hear that your brief time on earth has come to end but find comfort that you are finally at peace.

Rest well little one,

Katie

Welcome to the World

Dear Little Gabriel,

As pleased as we are to hear of your safe arrival you've given your parents an aweful scare showing up months before they were expecting you. Alex cannot fathom that you are only slightly bigger than mommy's 1 lb weight and hopes your wires don't hurt too much. He loves your 'sunglasses' but thinks you must be awefully cold with no clothes but we reassure him that your incubator is quite toasty.

Please grow strong little one in the weeks to come and we're hoping to visit you at the IWK this summer. Give your mommy and daddy a squeeze for us the next time they're at your little cocoon.

Love,

Katie, Matt and Alex :)

Life's a Dance

Yes, I've been a very negligent blogger. I've come to realize I was suffering from some burnout. Alex being super busy with some afterschool activities (4 nights a week) combined with a husband being highly in demand at work and some new health weirdness just made my free nights a wipe fest. What down time I'd usually use for stitching was replaced with some catching up on Facebook and even that was cut down somewhat keeping up with the crappy hand life has been treating our friends. we're praying that two of our close friends have happy endings to two very rough pregnancies. We're praying that two of our university pals find peace and balance as they part from their 11 year relationship. And finally we pray for strength, painfree days and peace for a former coworker who's soon to be 4 year old daughter will sadly lose her battle with the monster that is cancer (http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mariannewilson).

All of that being said, I've just been too drained to stitch at night, especially the last one. Part of me feels like whipping off a princess piece or attempting to organize a quilt but I fear it would be too late and when I think about a memory quilt...would it have the same theme or is there something else I can do? I thought I would be stitching some baby pieces but with everything up in the air with one I just can't motivate myself to do anything. So what to work on? I'm too tired to decide.

Things are turning around though at the homestead, we knock off one of Alex's activities this week, and the other (that consumes 2 nights a week) in two weeks time. There's stitchy night tonight which will be good. I've also gotten to see my family twice over the last two weeks after a winter induced hiatus that was far too long. Mathieu and I also celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary yesterday. Oh, and during my time at home during the flood I finally managed to SEW something! I tried my hand at my first chenille scarf, I'll definitely have to upload the picture of it after I get some batteries for the camera :)

Until then...

Water Water Everywhere

I had planned on writing a nice post about our wonderful girls getaway to Maine when I got back Sunday but I figured we'd be coming back to a drier area instead of an increasing flood. I have been soo distracted at work, thankfully our home is far away from the flood zone but my office is downtown and well, when it starts to cover the streets you begin to wonder... So I thought I'd share a couple pics, eventhough I think you really have to know the area to realize just how much water is truly covering it. It's been surreal having local schools closed and well...even the office. Thank goodness I can work from home.

Behind my office, three streets up from the river

The cosway to where the walking trail is that I usually jog on

Road and On ramp to the bridge covered
The Green where we had a number of our wedding photos