Embrace Life

Daily Creativity

When I hear "creative" I always think of paint. What do you think about?

Friends often remark that they don't know how I can be creative every day. It seems, to them, to be such an effort. They often sell themselves short and claim that they couldn't be creative all the time. Over the past year or so I have been very much interested in process - how serious creative types go from start to finish in their field of expertise. This was a good year to have "focus" as my guiding word. I was going to encourage my friends to tap into their creative resources by listing out what I had learned and then, found in my reader, a brilliant article about tapping into your creativity.

With their indulgence, I'll share the article here and include my responses to each element they hilight. It is so well done! (My comments are in green.)

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Everybody gets caught up in their day-to-day lives, even creative people. And, it’s easy to forget that you need to nurture your creativity. Making simple changes to your daily routine can bring lots of creativity into your life. Here are 12 things you can do:

1. Write morning pages.

I can’t take credit for this idea. I got it from reading The Artist's Way (I removed the affiliate link - this goes to Chapter's in Canada to which I have no affiliation) and it’s something that the author, Julia Cameron, demands that you do. Julia insists that writing whatever thoughts are in your head first thing in the morning will help you deal with your inner critic and inspire creativity. And, she’s right.

Set aside 20 minutes in the morning when you first wake up to write down your stream of consciousness. Write down anything that comes to mind, and continue to write until you’ve filled up three pages. At first, you might feel silly. But, as you continue to do this morning after morning, you’ll see a huge difference in how it impacts your day.

My brain dump generally happens when the kids have left for school - hours after I've woken up. My day starts by reading through the 100+ entries in my Google Reader which are hugely inspiring. I've heard of The Artists Way for years, but have never read it. Maybe I should!

2. Take pictures.

Carry a small point-and-shoot camera with you, and take pictures of things that inspire you. When you’re on a walk, take a picture of the wildflowers. When you’re at a local café sipping hot chocolate with your children, take a picture of their smiling faces, the marshmallows, and the stack of coffee mugs.

Collect and edit the really good pictures. Discard the rest. Doing this on a regular basis will help you observe the loveliness of everyday things—which will inspire your work, no matter what creative medium you use.

Of course, I do this already. My camera is permanently attached, not a little point and shoot, but my huge Canon 40D. The rare occasion I do not have my camera with me is when I miss some great shots!

The key phrase in the point above is: Discard the rest. I rarely edit my photos but I always purge. Pick the best - you do NOT need fourteen photos of your child blowing out the candles or baby taking his/her first steps. You need ONE. I know photos of children are considered sacrosanct, but really, you just need the one: Discard the rest. Do NOT organize the rest.

3. Plan creative time.

Want to know the secret of successful artists, writers, photographers, and other creative entrepreneurs? They plan creative time. They don’t wait until they’re hit by a creative muse. Instead, they work on creative projects every day, even when they don’t feel inspired.

If you want to have a successful creative business, you need to work on your craft each day. Don’t make excuses.

If you're waiting to be hit by a creative muse, you are going to be waiting a long time. It is such a fallacy that creativity "comes". The reality is creativity is "earned" just like anything else - hard work and dedication.

Everyone has lacklustre days. That is the time I use to reorganize and purge my files, clean my studio, surf the internet at leisure, anything that keeps me engaged in creating even if I'm not physically making, writing or photo taking. When all else fails, or I'm running all day, I have a wonderful library of inspiration and will grab one of those many publications and toss it in my bag for the downtime while waiting in the car to collect kids, or sitting in a rink waiting for games to start, or at the end waiting for cool down to end, or choir rehearsals or any other time where I can't be productive. I make 100% of my non-creative time to be productive.

I don't like that my time is fluid. I'd love to be able to set aside x time to x time every day, but that is just not part of my life, right now. I have to be really organized in order to accomodate the flexibility of my life.

4. Go on an artist’s date.

All creative people need to constantly refill their creative tanks, and I love the idea of taking your artist on a date. Just you and your artist—which if you haven’t caught on, are the same person. Again, I got this idea from The Artist’s Way.

Each week you should set aside one to two hours to take your artist on a date. You could go to a movie, scour the magazine rack at your local bookstore, go antiquing, enjoy a gourmet meal by yourself, or go hunting through your local dollar store. You must go alone, because you’ll be more observant if you do.

When you’re on your artist date, take in your surroundings and allow yourself to play creatively.

Oh, I like this! I've never done this consciously, but I do often surround myself with creative inspiration no matter where I find myself. Inspiration can be found anywhere. Fortunately for me, I consider myself more of a writer than anything else and it's easy to sit quietly and observe, especially in a crowd. Even in the grocery store there is something that will draw my attention and I can often be found keying in ideas into my ever-present blackberry. The best spot? A restaurant or coffee shop - preferably one with mirrors. It's very spy-like when you can watch reflections through the mirror with your back to the room.

5. Learn a new skill.

If you’re a creative entrepreneur, you probably have at least one thing that you’re really good at whether it be painting, knitting, writing, or something else. But, if you want to push yourself creatively, get out of your comfort zone and learn a new skill.

If you’re a mixed media artist, take a beginner’s knitting class. If you’re a jewelry artist, learn a new cooking technique. When you push yourself, it’ll help your creative business. You might be surprised what you can take from a different niche and apply it to your own.

I'm a writer who likes a few photos with my words. BUT I'm fascinated with mixed media and really want to make something with words, images and canvas - especially with some paint and ink. I have a few lists of things I want to learn. So much good stuff is possible!

6. Live in the moment.

When you’re thinking about the past or the future, you’re not plugged into the present moment. When you’re fully engaged in the present, you’ll do your very best creative work.

Stop living for yesterday or tomorrow, and instead, live for today. When you find your mind drifting, focus your attention on your body and your current surroundings. Come back to the current moment.

This is very hard for me to do as I am the family planner and I'm always living by my calendar and lists which project plans for the future. I'm definitely moving forward and spend very little time consciously thinking about the past. (Though I will be soon, when I participate (again) in the Ali Edwards-lead Yesterday & Today course.)

Living today is a bit counterintuitive for a scrapbooker, but I do make every effort to do so. My albums are rarely about the celebration and often focus on the every day.

7. Make a to-do list.

I know that I don’t fully engage in my creative work when I’m thinking about the pile of dirty dishes in the sink, the blog post I need to write, or the emails I need to send. The way I get around this is that I keep a daily to-do list. This frees me up creatively, because I don’t have to keep this information stored in my brain or constantly remind myself of what I need to do.

This is something I do regularly. I have many lists, never ending lists for every part of my life! They are the glue that keeps me all together and on track. In addition, here on Typepad, I have everything in my draft folder - ideas to explore, inspiration to share, assignments to write. My final tool is my calendar on Google. We even have a family account which is sent out to each member of our household so everyone knows what is going on from one day to the next. Communication is one fo the keys to my creativity!

8. Engage your right brain.

Before you dive into your next creative project, engage your right brain with a right-brained activity. This will stimulate the part of your brain that needs to be actively engaged for you to be super creative.

I've done this exercise a few times and it really does work.

For me, a better exercise is one I learned when Cole was being tutored and through it I became a big believer of Brain Gym. For years now I have "hooked up" by (basically) turning myself into a pretzel and having my left side and right side of my brain connect. I can actually feel the difference after I've gone through a simple five minute contortion :)

9. Start a creativity swipe file.

I run across blog posts, pictures, creative tutorials, and quotes that inspire me on a daily basis. Whenever I do, I save it to the “creative pick-me-up” folder on my desktop. Just saving something inspiring gives me creative juice. But, I also use that folder to get inspiration when I’m running low.

Open up a new folder on your desktop, name it, and start adding things that spark your creative fire.

Mine is actually a bit more defined with a number of sub-categories within the folder:

• Blog Ideas
• Craft Projects
• Digital Projects
• Home Projects
• Life & Self Projects
• Online Project
• Photography Projects
• Scrapbook Projects
• Writing Projects

I also keep my browser bookmarks in the same folders and use the same categories in the notes function on my blackberry. Inspiration often comes when I'm not in my studio or by the computer. LOVE it :) A little bit of organization saves a TON of time that can be used to create.

10. Set up a creative workspace.

You want to be inspired by the place where you do your creative work, so spend one day at least twice a year enhancing and changing up your creative space.

In my art studio, I have a really big inspiration board where I hang magazine pages, pictures, and color combinations that light me up. I only have to glance at it to get my creative juices flowing.

I do have a space, but the idea of changing it up regularly is daunting. I do have a big magnetic board and on it I hang newly printed photos - those big 8x12 prints I love so much - and they hang there and I mull what to do with them. I do the same with products and articles. The board gets changed - not the whole room!

Mind you, looking around this place, now that my December Daily has been formulated, it looks like a paper bomb went off - would that be considered creative inspiration or just a colourful mess. Can they be the same thing?

11. Start asking, “What if?”

Instead of hoping someone else will come up with a solution for your problems, get creative. Ask yourself “what if” questions.

For instance, if you wish that you could afford eco-friendly paint, ask, “what if I could make my own eco-friendly paint?”

This kind of thinking will lead to lots of creative problem solving.

I like this idea. I can't imagine how many times a day that question could be asked. Perhaps I should just start writing them all down!

12. Do something you’ve always wanted to do.

What are you waiting for? We constantly put off pleasure and fun until we have more money, more time, more resources. Stop making excuses for why you can’t do what you’ve always wanted to do. Instead, figure out how to do it.

If you’ve always wanted to go to Greece, could you cut back on your monthly expenses over the next year to save enough to go to Greece? If you’ve always wanted to learn how to cook delicious Italian food, can you find an inexpensive, local cooking class to take?

Think about how doing something you’ve always wanted to do would make you feel. Happy? Stress-free? Excited? Invigorated? All of these feelings lead to creativity and will help you fill up your creative tank.

I am working on a plan. The kids at the ages they are (14, 13, 11 and 10) really demands that those plans be put off for a while. The beauty of age? Patience. In six years - a mere blink in the scheme of things - Claire will be in University as will Cole and Chloe and Caden will be in high school. Not that I would leave for a long time, but I will be able to leave for a few adventures here and there.

In the meantime, I'm indulging in the time I've been given to make plans :)

Pick at least one thing from this list, and do it this week. Leave a comment below letting me know which one you’re going to try.

This was the challenge over on the Blacksburg Belle site but I'd love to know if you pick something from the dozen ideas above!

My choice? I'm going to start from the top with Number 1 - it's that need for order and control obsession I have. I'm going to write every morning BEFORE my house wakes up - whatever pops into my head.

In the end, along with communication, the key to my creativity is organization. I appear productive only because I know where to find things. I may not be able to locate my keys every morning, but I am able to find that elusive photo ... or my crop-o-dile ... or that element I had to have for that new project ... only because things have been filed where they need to be. It doesn't mean things don't get lost, just that I have a pretty good chance of spending 1 minute rather than 5 trying to retrieve information, ideas, inspiration and supplies.  Those minutes add up quickly and can be put to creative use rather than to the frustration of searching for things.

The only thing I would add to the whole Blacksburg Belle article is:

Not everything you create will be perfect or publish-worthy. That's okay. That's part of the process. Most of the fun is in the experimentation. Isn't it? We are often too hard on ourselves. The imperfections make what we do real. If you want perfect head on over to the dollar store and find some mass-produced bauble - but how fun is that?

Instead consider doing what I do - change your outlook to include the idea that it is the imperfections that make a piece perfect :)

Do you have paper issues?

I have paper issues!

And I was thrilled to find out I'm not alone.

During one of my blog journeys a couple of weeks ago, I went from one link to another to another (so I don't know to whom I owe credit) and discovered a new challenge blog:

I didn't find just a group of incredibly talented ladies, I found a site that completely appealed to me. The day I visited, they had posted a call to join their creative team. I took a look around and realized the fastest way for me to become invested would be to be a part of the group - so I took a chance and I sent in my application. That was a couple of weeks ago and I just heard from Cassie. I'm so flipping excited that I've been asked to join as a member of their layout team!

Yay!

If you're looking for a dynamic group of talented women with paper issues, this is the place for you. Paper Issues is a tremendous new resource filled with layout, card and altered inspiration. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Come join me on their blog or click on over and join the Facebook group. I can't wait to see what YOU add to the group!

December Daily: Getting it together 2

Since my initial entry (a month ago!) I am well on my way to organizing my Ali Edwards-inspired December Daily album project. All of the materials have been selected and many ideas have been considered. I have plenty of lists and ideas on the go!

I have to say that the prospect of so many options available in and out of my studio was intimidating and I did avoid the project for a while and let it sit on the work table. Then I made the decision to purchase Ali Edwards' brilliant December Daily 6x8 Overlays and then the December Daily 6x8 Layered Templates when they became available. Then the only question was: kraft or white orange peel - easily answered by my level of supplies! White OP it is.

The key for me was to address the portability factor. I spend a lot of time away from my studio - and two weekends of this month at hockey tournaments. Since I had already chosen my paper and the colour theme ran to red, green and brown, I shopped my stash to find as much as I could to coordinate.

My first step was to: select all of the transparencies I've been hoarding forever - for no reason in particular and print off whatever else I needed. I was amazed at what I found! Pretty much all of them are used twice to use up the 12x12 sheets. Perfect! And USED, no longer hoarded because they were pretty.

The next step had me stumped. I got stuck on how to do the numbers then I realized with all of the "busy" in the project, I wanted one element to remain completely consistent. I downloaded a number .pdf (I cannot find the link!) and it rescued me!

After that I went through and collected everything else I could find that would be appropriate for the project. The box was getting pretty full.

The project was starting to take shape:

The transparencies have been trimmed to 6" x 8" and all of the coordinating cardstock has been cut and adhered to their spot. Everything has been put in order and that could have been enough, but since this is my first attempt at this project, I figured I'd do it, 100% before I start cutting things out!

It was at this point I had to deal with the portability factor. In order to do that I had to get super organized.

I found 31 envelopes, cut them to 6.5" long, numbered them (American Crafts MOMA Black Stickers), stuck holes in the open end, added some binder rings, made a pretty cover and voila! The only things not included are lumpy-bumpy brads and bling. At least with the envelopes done, if I ever decide to do this again, part of my process is done. Who knows? I might even get really organized and add things through the year! I have to say, working with the transparencies is going to be a challenge :)

Now that the bones of the project are underway, I could turn my attention to some of the things that make this time of year something to celebrate. Who knows what shape these elements might take in my book, but I'd rather have it available as a resource and done ahead of time.

CHRISTMAS PHRASES:

(There are a ton of phrases. This is just a collection of those that appeal to me. There are so many applications for each -  to use in your December Daily album, cards, or whatever you have planned. Please notice, I have not included either "bah" or "humbug")

1. Fa la la la la
2. Ho! Ho! Ho!
3. Merry & Bright
4. Let it Snow
5. All is Calm; all is Bright
6. Visions of Sugar Plums
7. Peace On Earth
8. Good Will Toward Men (hey, I'm a traditionalist!)
9. Silver and Gold, Silver and Gold
10. Stockings were hung by the chimney with care
11. Walking in a Winter Wonderland
12. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
13. Blades of Steel (for those skaters and hockey players)
14. Believe
15. Deck the Halls
16. 'Tis the Season
17. Jingle all the Way
18. Joy to the World
19. Have yourself a merry little Christmas
20. Making Spirits Bright

WORDS:

(Not quite phrases, but they all evolk some holiday thought or memory.)

1. Peace
2. Snow
3. Jolly
4. Sledding
5. Snowflakes
6. Mittens
7. Hibernate
8. Icicle
9. Gingerbread
10. Candy Cane
11. Frozen Tundra
12. Candles
13. Sparkling lights
14. Shovel
15. Angels
16. Christmas Tree
17. Nutcrackers
18. Gathering
19. Windchill Factor
20. Snowdrifts
21. Zero Visibility
22. Black Ice
23. Magic
24. Jingle Bells
25. Greetings

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES:

(Remember, I live in the Great White North. All photo ideas are based on the hope that we have a nice snowy holiday - which, if kind, will promptly melt and not return until next December!) These are my photo ops, aka, the list of not to forget shots! Confession: I am a terrible photo taker during the holidays. I am so busy doing I forget to take the time to reflect. Take the time to slow down!

1. Advent calendar
2. Tree decorations
3. Christmas lights
4. Hockey Game
5. Mitts & Hats
6. Gingerbread House
7. Sugar Cookie
8. Christmas Concert
9. NORAD watching
10. Nutcrackers
11. Decorating the Tree
12. Family Christmas Party
13. Grandparents
14. Aunts, Uncles, Cousins
15. Stockings
16. Hot Chocolate
17. Shopping at the Mall
18. PARKING at the mall
19. Snow Angels
20. Tobogganing/Sledding
21. Wrapping Paper & Supplies
22. Cold cheeks
23. Gift Cards
24. Sheet Music
25. Piano Keys
26. CDs/Albums/iPods
27. Holiday movies (my favourite? Family Man)
28. Candy Canes/Peppermint Sticks
29. Receipts
30. Guest Towels
31. Guest Preparations
32. Church door/steeple/steps
33. Hymn Books
34. Advent Candles
35. Flowers/Pointsettias
36. Wreaths
37. Jingle Bells
38. Ribbon
39. Cocktails
40. Traditional foods and preparation

Not all of these things are applicable to my family, but I wanted a complete list. I have edited a bit - removed the hockey references!

Have I missed anything? I'm sure I have. Leave a comment!

Are you participating? Have you done a December Daily before? Any advice is more than welcome! Good luck to you if you are creating one. This may be my first and last, but I'm so glad to have started along this project. Fingers crossed I can show you a finished version some time in January! Or even updates to keep me accountable :)

ETA: I didn't think it was possible ...

but the contents of all 31 envelopes have been added to the transparent pages of my December Daily! It took most of my free time on Sunday, but whew, it's done (except for the cover, which will be the very last element completed) with two days to spare! I'm excited because I think that the preparation and follow through on the instructions will really set me up for success and I will complete this project.

Years ago, if you had told me I'd have a lumpy-bumpy miss-matched album to celebrate December, I'd have told you it was craziness. But things change. At least it is in keeping with my general attitude that I'll try just about anything once. And if I like it, I'll do it twice or more!

So, for all of you who think you won't ... think again!

:)

Canadian Scrapbooker 5th Anniversary Edition: WINNERS!

I'm still giddy with excitement over being featured in the Canadian Scrapbooker 5th Anniversary Edition. I have to say it was a thrill to "autograph" an advance copy for my parents when I saw them at the rink over the weekend :)

Thank you to everyone who left a comment and I'm pleased so many of you liked the published and other lonely unchosen layouts and I appreciate your input. Me? My favourite is:

though, my favourite changed with every comment that came in!

Why? Lots of reasons! I like using a big photo, in this case, my favourite 12" x 8". The title is large and on the photo. The journaling is in paragraph form. The colours are simple and the elements not too lumpy bumpy. Some, not much, but some of my "old" product was used up - always a good thing! And, for once, the focus is on the "other" hockey player in the house. Caden needs some athletic representation in our albums :)

Congratulations to:

and to

I have two copies sitting here to be mailed out, one to each of you! Please send your postal address to linarstudio.lc at gmail dot com and I'll get your copy into the mail as soon as I can.

the simple things | 04

patience

i know it looks like a pile of leaves, and it is. it is also a lesson ... to me.

every year I'm frantic to get all of the leaves put out for pick up by the town. hours are spent every weekend doing the raking and blowing and bit-by-bit all of the autumn glory is brought out by tarp-load to the front of the house. my family is tired, cranky and generally miserable - and i, being the nag who makes them do the work, get the brunt of their ire. not this year. we waited until the very last week the leaves could be left out for collection and i hired our lawn service to remove the leaves - all of them, one effort.

works for me. works for my family. simple thing.

click above to join the challenge

Links for the Time Crunched | 8

As always, great stuff to share:

• I am a great believer that I am raising my children to be adults not to be children. I am protective, I support them 100% and love them to bits which is why I let them make mistakes, suffer consequences of bad decisions and do my best to keep out of their business and trust that I am raising them well. We're learning plenty from each other! I'm always looking for parenting input from "survivors" and found some, what I think is good advice, here and here.
• I'm big into housekeeping right now! Prepping for our visitors in December :) I love finding ways to make housework easier, especially things like folding fitted sheets and effectively cleaning the kitchen.
• I'm a bit of a font freak and love finding this kind of thing.
• Pears, hazelnuts, brown butter and vanilla. Divine.
• I love classic design. I'm looking for elements for my December Daily album. To the rescue? My wonderful and generous friend Brenda who shared this entry. I may get a hang of this digi stuff yet!
• Growing up our fridge was covered in notes. I miss having a central area for communication. For the last few years I have had an aluminum fridge so no notes. For a while we had a steel front door so that was used to post notes. Now we have a big thick wood door, gorgeous, but not great for notes. Then I found this little idea. Brilliant! Definitely on the "to make" list.
• I found this article fascinating, such a different perspective from my own. I come from the assumption that people do not remember me, it would never occur to me to be hurt that someone didn't remember my name or my kids or anything, after all, it is my assumed norm. I love perspectives that differ from my own. I can always learn something new.
• I am a huge, HUGE fan of Dr. Brené Brown (who would, no doubt, if given the chance, have plenty to say about the truth of my entry above). Check out the interview of her conducted by the lovely Susannah Conway.
• A writer - artist, photographer, creative type - always needs a good kick in the pants.
• Do you ever wonder if there are other bloggers who live by you?
• I must have been hungry when I put this post together. Another recipe: pears, chocolate, vanilla bean. Sounds perfect :)

What about you? Any recent can't-be-missed links? Share in the comments!

tgif :: starting over

 

I've missed participating in TGIF each week. It is a great way to take stock in what's going on in my life, my ordinary extraordinary moments. A few minutes of mindful never hurts, right?

I'm trusting that the plans I'm putting in place for the next few months take me on a positive journey of knowledge, understanding, compassion and reward.

I'm grateful that my "land of the unfinished project" is slowly becoming finished. By one. Gilles should have the the basement bathroom done by next week. So far it looks gorgeous! Small victories.

I'm inspired by the unconditional generosity of time, energy and spirit from a number of unexpected sources. I am blessed to have surrounded myself with such wonderful influences, both in person and virtually. (A repeat, but I feel now exactly the same way I did last January!)

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Why the twinkle lights? Back in mid-April 2009, the brilliant Brené Brown decided to start TGIF. According to her post:

"T.G.I.F is based on my theory on twinkle-lighting. I think twinkle lights are so universally loved because they are the perfect metaphor for joy. In our culture we're taught to believe that joy and happiness should be a constant. They're not. Joy is glorious precisely because it comes in moments - mostly ordinary moments. Most of us tend to miss out on those bursts of heart-light because we're so busy chasing down "the extraordinary light" or we're too afraid to enjoy them because we know they are fleeting. A joyful life is not a "flood light" of joy. That would eventually become unbearable. I believe a joyful life is made up of joyful moments gracefully strung together by trust, gratitude, and inspiration."

Wow. I had to join. I was compelled by such perfect words and purpose.

Do you want to participate in TGIF? If so, get the scoop over at Ordinary Courage. Even if you don't want to participate, do yourself a favour today and head over anyway. You won't regret it!

Ella E-Books on Sale!

The lovely ladies over at Ella are having a sale. For those who are indulging in Thanksgiving today, this will be a great reward for all that effort; for the rest of us, we can indulge in this e-book goodness rather than turkey. Less calories!

Head on over and buy your "bundle":

Design Bundle: $13
Enjoy Ella's NEWEST eBook, Double-Page Design, along with Design Workshop and Stretch Your Sketches for just $13.  (Regularly $17.97)

Photo Bundle: $12
Enjoy 40 Top Tips for Better Photos, Picture Perfect, and Special Effects for Digital Photos for just $12. (Regularly $17.97)

Word Bundle: $11
Buy Journaling That Matters, Quick & Creative Quizzes, and Text Tricks for Scrapbookers for just $11. (Regularly $16.97)

Holiday Bonus
Buy any single eBook and get Vintage Hip Christmas Crafts for just $3 more (reguarly $5.99)!

While you're there, make sure you leave a comment to WIN a bundle! Or buy all of the bundles and increase your chances. Oh, and join the parade and sign up for the Daily Trumpet so you never miss any Ella-excitement ever again :)

Be sure to consider purchasing the new:

Inspiration on the Double!

Are you a double-page diva or a single-layout scrapbooker, or perhaps both? No matter your preference, Double-Page Design is here to help you scrapbook lots and lots of photos with ease. It’s got the ideas, insights, and inspiration you need to double up your pages in style.  And it’s only $5.99!

Get inspired by 37 versatile two-page designs, all created by the talented crew at Write.Click.Scrapbook., as you scrapbook anywhere from 5 to 13 photos per project. In all, you could get 187 photos scrapbooked simply by following these designers’ leads.

The e-book Includes plenty of ideas for 12 x 12 and 8½ x 11 scrapbookers alike--and traditional or digital scrapbookers, too. A great solution for end-of-the year catch-up scrapbooking!

So go forth and TAKE PHOTOS because you now have the chance to purchase the perfect solution to what to do about them!

Toot! Toot! PUBLISHED + a Give Away!

I've long admired Canadian Scrapbooker Magazine and have been known to send copies off to my out-of-country friends to let them know what our national Canadian-content magazine looks like. To date, all reviews have been positive! It is published quarterly and I eagerly await the next issue. You can't begin to imagine how excited I was a few months back when I was contacted, totally out of the blue, to participate in the Canadian Scrapbooker "Passport to Creativity" portion of their Winter Edition. Not just any edition but their very special 5th Anniversary Edition!

Yesterday, this was what I discovered in the mailbox:

I quickly flipped through and on pages 78-79 I discovered:

ME! Well, more accurately, an article about me and three of my layouts are included! I'll let you in on a secret: I've never been published in Canadian Scrapbooker before. What an honour to have my very first layouts be accompanied with a whole article! Thank you so much Jackie, Katharina and Sue :)

The layouts in the article (click on to enlarge) feature my favourite topic! The four personalities that fill my life every day:

Now, that being said, err, shown, there were some more layouts, not chosen. I haven't shared them as I was stuck for a reason. I know, I'm far too literal sometimes.

Oh, and a photo of me. (I know I sent them in, I just didn't like the one chosen!)

I've read this issue front to back and back to front again - a couple of times - and I have to say this anniversary issue is FANTASTIC!! Jam-packed with inspiring layouts and some incredible ideas for winter crafting. My head was reeling with plans by the time I was finished ... the first time through!

* * * * *

Yes, there is a GIVE AWAY! I have TWO copies of the 5th Anniversary Collector's Edition for two of YOU!! It is such a great issue. Leave me a comment and let me know which of the layouts above you like best. I love them all, of course, but my favourite of the bunch wasn't chosen for publication ;) Was yours? The winners will be drawn on Sunday, November 28th at 10PM.

Autumn Goodness

We are just at the point where flowers and leaves are spent. Autumn is almost over and I see on the news that many communities are preparing for or have already received their first snowstorm of the season. Brr. Life in southern Ontario is often quite mild and I'm happy for it. Though, with hockey I do get to drive out of my warm bubble often enough to make sure I have a shovel and salt in the truck!

I will miss the colour of the season, but I'm happy to have captured a few bright images on wet and dull days:

Isn't that rose spectacular? I'm told it's an Iceberg Rose and it blooms from May through November. I hope to plant some here in the spring!

The result of taking a photo-a-day for the last two years is that my camera is never too far away. I'm able to get some great shots. Now if I could only figure out how to get some lovely foggy landscape shots while driving on the highway!

Grab your camera. Capture some autumn before it's gone!

Untrapping Christmas

For a multitude of reasons, I have never been much of a fan of Christmas - emotionally residing somewhere between bah and humbug. It's the trappings of the holiday that get to me, not the actual celebration. I have a hard time rationalizing the baby in the manger and his gifts to the world and the rampant commercialism which is celebrated in his name. Fortunately for me, I never had to acknowledge the holiday during my extended single years, but when I had children, I really made an effort to embrace the holiday.

Every year the season gets more overdone:

• "Christmas in July" all over the www, seriously? I have a hard enough time with it starting on November 1st - or earlier!
• The neighbour with the monstrously large blow up snow globe on the front lawn, really? (And, are you going to leave it up through March, again, this year?)
• Mall lights up and LIT on all of the trees in mid-October over at Dorval Landing and the whole of Chelster Hall decorated in early-October!
• Christmas and Hallowe'en being merchandised at the same time? Has retail really become that desperate?

I just don't get it.

For the longest time I did my best to embrace all of it. Decorating the house, inside and out. Big gifts, small gifts, plenty of gifts, overflowing stockings and a maze to reach the fully decorated-to-the-ceiling tree. Gingerbread houses, arts and crafts, paper snowflakes, school concerts, plays and parties. Food, tons and tons of traditional foods: a marriage of French Canadien and Scottish influences to reflect our family and the stereo playing the Trans-Siberian Orchestra in an endless loop. I recognized that even with the best of intentions, we always, ALWAYS over did it.

Mama was overcompensating.

Things changed last year. Since I can only affect what happens in our home we dialed it back. Way back. Gifts were limited to three (after all, the baby in the manger was happy with three, why wouldn't my kids be happy?).  We did not decorate the outside with a multitude of twinkly lights, I barely remembered to put a wreath on the front door! Instead, we enjoyed the best of the season: we visited with friends, watched hockey games, enjoyed family gatherings and choir performances. With four kids at two schools and many sport teams all jockeying to have parties and presentations it can be pretty chaotic.

WARNING: Cover eyes of small children who can read

This year things will change even more. Our "Days of Ho Ho" are close to being over. Caden will be let in on the whole secret and I'm not looking forward to that scene! Now I have reconcile my feelings that my youngest believer has been lied to his whole life. Like I've said before: my kids are like the four points on a compass. The first three had different reactions and I know this one will be the worst. I won't be able to argue with him. He's right. I don't know if I'll be able to handle the wet gray eyes!

But I digress.

Warning over.

My formula to becoming untrapped? AKA, my back to the meaning of Christmas basics include:

• The season did not start at Hallowe'en and will not last through January. The season will start in early to mid-December with the putting up of the tree and will last through Ephiphany (January 6th) though my preference would be Boxing Day (December 26th)
• Well, except that the music starts today. Why? Because it's one of my favourite aspects of the season, and since the Santa Claus parade was held on the weekend, I suppose it heralds the official, or at least acceptable, start :)
• One of my most favourite not-to-be-abandoned traditions: when the kids were little, we went to Toys R Us and each child chose a favourite toy. We bought it and then promptly gave it to the Toy Drive. Sometimes my kids got it for Christmas, sometimes they changed their minds. But they always knew, by experience, it was good to give back - and sometimes do without.
• Incorporated into all of this will be the studying for and writing of exams. Good thing hot chocolate and sugar cookies are the perfect stress reliever!
• Each child will receive three gifts and maybe one stocking. Though, the jury is still out about the stocking. That can in itself can get a little crazy.
• Those gifts will be wrapped in Kraft or newspaper and twine.
• If the kids choose to purchase gifts for each other, that's great, but they have to have some meaningful value; and, if you buy for one sib you must buy for all.
• No gifts for mama and dad. We have enough. Write us a poem. Sing us a song. Clean the dishes.
• Volunteer opportunities abound. Louis and I are often busy at the rink or through the choir in a church or auditorium. It's time for the olders to find their own opportunities. The youngers can tag around at the rinks.
• Each of us will contribute to each celebratory meal: Christmas Eve (traditionally French Canadien), Christmas Day (traditionally Scots Canadian) and New Year's Day. (Thank goodness New Year's Eve is Asian take-out!) I want each of the kids to make a special dish and bake a special treat and understand the significance of each. I also want them to suggest foods that they would like to have included in our family traditions.

Adding to the fun of the season, we will be hosting some young hockey players from Norway from Boxing Day through the end of the month as they will be here to play in the Richard Bell Hockey Tournament. My house will be filled with boys and hockey equipment. Perfect!

Our holiday will be meaningful, mindful and authentic. With that we won't be giving up the best part of the holidays: people and food, and music and laughter. The trappings? I won't feel trapped by them any more. I'm looking forward to the changes my kids bring. It's now their turn to see what they want to make of the holiday and include the parents rather than the other way around. We're all exited about it!

Hound Dog Happiness

Caden plays hockey too.

I know it's hard to believe with all of the focus on Cole and his activities. It is representative, proportionately, on the time spent with each boy persuing his interest in the sport. Caden's team routine is a bit less intense but no less meaningful. They practice on Wednesday evenings, they play on Saturday mornings and there is the occasional extra ice on Monday and Off Ice training in a local gym on the occasional Tuesday.

The Atom Hound Dogs are also signed up for three tournaments this season. They just participated in their first and they won!

THAT is a happy group of 10 year old boys! And a happy foursome of older boys, too :)

It was such a fun weekend we almost didn't want to come home.

The best part of the weekend away:

Lee getting to know the parents, what a lovely group
Chloe the water slide and taking care of the little kids
Caden playing hockey, winning the tournament and the morning breakfast buffet

Caden continues to wear his championship medal and will likely sleep with it. As for the rest of us? A few days rest and then we're off to Cole's tournament in another direction!

the simple things | 03

the re-wrap

for years i've been watching cole wrap his stick. a few times each week. it is an art and he has mastered it. he takes this quiet routine time to reflect on his game and focus on what he needs to work on to be the best player he can be. a lot of good talks have happened while sitting there in the kitchen watching him methodically remove the old tape, check for damage, re-wrap and wax his stick.

like when this photo was taken.

Links for the Time Crunched | 7

I have been really trying to keep away from any holiday focused links. Not because there is anything wrong with them, but they are so easy to find - and abundant! One or two might sneak through, but I'd like to keep the links more broad in focus :)

• Yes. Well, maybe not dull - but certainly someone without messy kids and in posession of a full time cleaning lady!
• For the amount of time I spend in my laundry room, I think I have to make one of these signs. And a chandelier might be nice, too! A girl has to dream ;)
• Love me some TED. Love me more some Sir Ken. One thing I would LOVE to do? Attend a TED conference. Why? To make me better. Wonder if I could find a sponsor? Do you think a middle aged mama can get herself to TED? Working on it!
• I used to be a complete magazine junkie. I got away from it, not so much because of deteriorating content (which it was) but the clutter and waste of it all. Yes, I'm an anti-hoarder. But this is interesting. It might just justify my iPad ... if I can get it back from Caden!
• Pericles. I miss school. Some days.
• The time has come to actually get this done. I like my handwriting, on those days that it's "on". You know what I mean? The rest of the time it's just scribble. This way I can have it "on" all the time!
• I thought I was the only one. Definitely on my list, I'm hoping Louis orders a few of these to stuff my stocking.
• Fear is a terrible thing; but when you face your fear and ask the right questions you get great answers. Are you a writer? Do you need a few practical answers? Or some reminders?
• Reduce, reduce, reduce. It really is not a bad thing.
• Are your children mindful? Want to know what I mean ... the gentle and observant Karen Maezen Miller will walk us through the steps.
• If you know me you know I love Mehmet Oz. Have you seen his new site? Sharecare has a bunch of expert answers. Check it out.
• Fun hostess gift for any time of year!

What goodness have you found lately? Share in the comments!  

*8 Things: To Do NOW

There are times I look at my calendar in stunned amazement. There is so much to do with the kids that the hours between 6AM and 9AM are jam-packed only to be outdone by the hours of 4PM and 9PM.

This leaves me with plenty of time to get things done, right? I've always prided myself on my time management skills and can't believe how much I have left undone - or worse, partially done! I seem to be going from project to project at breakneck speed and not taking the time to either fully appreciate or tidy up/organize. Lately I've been saying I live in the land of the unfinished project. This condition can be avoided no longer!

Why post this here? I can't be the only one - and need some company in my current state of chaos. I've also learned, by writing things down it gives you a start and by putting it "out there" gives a sense of accountability.

Oh, and the definition of "now" in the title? By December 1st. Of this year. Eek! I work well with a deadline, better under pressure.

ELLA E-BOOKS: print out and put in binders. Have you seen these fantastic books? I'm pretty sure I have a copy of each and use them regularly as an inspiration resource. I highly recommend them. If I can manage it, make at least one project from each book.

SPECIMEN ART: continue to create, photograph and upload. This has been such a fun project, but I've not given it the full focus it deserves. If I can manage it, start up a small ETSY shop to organize and track orders already received.

BASEMENT BATHROOM RENO: has started! I hear a choir singing somewhere :) I have to go out and purchase the new toilet, sink, and select the tiles for the shower and paint colour - thinking slate gray to go with the gorgeous slate floors. If I can manage it, frame my favourite "outhouse" photos for the walls.

NA.NO.WRI.MO: get it all down. I decided to go with an outline rather than writing the 1500+ words every day in November. One idea has lead to a number of ideas. I'm both excited and overwhelmed. If I can manage it, start the actual book!

MONTHLY ALBUM: find a place to print them off since Fortino's will not print 8.5 x 11. Thinking I'll send a zip file off to Green Pixel Printing. If I can manage it, update the album through October and November.

12OF12 ALBUM: photo grids are done for 2010 and 2009 and the words are recorded for all entries from the start - February 2008. If I can manage it, complete from start to finish and put in album!

LAYOUTS, LAYOUTS, EVERYWHERE THERE ARE LAYOUTS: much like my paper piles, I have piles of layouts. I'm still struggling with the "best" way to organize. I think I've got it worked out. If I can manage it, photograph the process and share here on the old blog.

DRESS SHOPPING: yes, you read that right my friends. Shopping. Dress Shopping. We have a formal event to attend in mid-December and all of the ladies, including my daughters, are expected to wear long dresses. No small feat! If I can manage it, not pass out from the frustration of it all.

There are a ton of other things to do, but I think this is a good start. I hope to fit it in between choir rehearsals and concerts, hockey practices, games and tournaments, errands, cooking and the never ending laundry!

Rachelle, aka Magpie Girl, started *8 Things to quiet her "monkey mind" and I embrace it for much the same reason: therapy! If you're looking for a place to keep your lists, you might want to consider *8 Things.

Wellness Wednesday: 9.5" of Blonde Donated

Years ago my husband, Louis, at 36, discovered he had cancer.

It was a terrifying time. Long story very short, he (we) survived a grapefruit sized malignant tumour and life carried on. A life in which we are mindful and thankful. A life which included the birth of two more kids!

I have often considered Chloé to be Louis' "confirmation of life" baby. She arrived within a year after he was treated and we got the final all-clear.

To me it is a very fitting story that over the past year Chloé has been growing out her hair. All of our kids have grown up with the knowledge of Louis' illness and the Moe, in particular, was taken with the idea of growing out her hair and donating it to those who lose theirs as a reaction to chemotherapy.

We went to Euphoria to have her hair cut last week. Nathalie, the owner, has been cutting the girls hair, and mine, for the last four years. We were trying to remember when Chloé decided to focus on her project and figure she hasn't had her hair cut in about a year.

Once Natalie trimmed the ends 9.5" came off!

The whole process started with a thorough wash and condition. Isn't that the nicest feeling in the world, having your hair washed by someone else?

Time to trim the ends and tidy things up a bit. WOW. That is a lot of hair. Not just long, but thick, thick, THICK!

Before the official cut all the hair was dried.

A rubber band was tied to the top and the bottom and the cutting ... and cutting ... and cutting began! Very thick stuff.

And there it is, one fat pony tail. Look at that smile!

And there she is, with her new hairdo! Doesn't she look adorable? Natalie warned her not to whip her head around too much - all that weight off she might get whiplash!

Many thanks to Natalie who was very careful and precise with the cut. Even more thanks for the unexpected gift of the haircut itself. Once we were done, we went to pay and Natalie turned us down announcing that it was her donation to the cause. So sweet. And generous.

If you're local, be sure to treat yourself to a cut:

Euphoria Hair Salon
2307 Lakeshore Rd W., Bronte  
(905) 827-0650

The next morning the ponytail, first in a zippy then a thick mailing envelope, was delivered to the post office and sent off to Pantene Beautiful Lengths program for processing. Unfortunately that is the last we'll see of the hair. We don't know where or with whom it ends up. Chloé is content to know she did her part in helping out someone going through a difficult process. (I really hope that someday one of those shows on the Discovery Channel, the one my kids are so addicted to, will show what happens with the donated hair.)

We are all so very proud of her.

I'm also very happy to have her hair at a far more manageable length!

I think Chloé is happy with the cut too :)

 

Official Welcome

In August we welcomed the newest member of our clan: Baby Ava who joined my step sister and her husband after a (thankfully) drama-free nine months. Over the weekend the girls - I'm the eldest of five daughters - got together with aunts and daughters and a few close friends and family to officially welcome Ava to the family.

My daughters and I chose one gift each: Claire's most favourite book; Chloe found the sweetest bear and I made the butterfly art.

Little Ava will be well dressed for all of the gorgeous outfits she received!

I was unprepared for my reaction to this sight! Ava, ever alert, never fussed when she was with Claire, the baby whisperer.

It was a lovely afternoon of finger sandwiches, bite sized cupcakes and champagne.

Truth is stranger than fiction

I have been looking forward to this day since this past May when I read that Part 1 of the Mark Twain authored biography was getting ready for release - today.

I have always enjoyed straight-talking, slightly egocentric eccentrics. Mark Twain is high up on that list of prolific writers who fit that bill. What a fascinating character. Not only that, but I'm delighted that his wishes were honoured and, as he requested, 100 years after his death his notes are being published.

It was one of his many off-beat but accurate quotes that inspired My Frogs. I am a huge fan.

I plan to head out to my local Chapter's (the Canadian version of Barnes & Noble) store to pick up my copy today!

Then I will be busy, absorbing all 743 pages!

Nothing beats a biography for drama and intensity. Truth really is stranger than fiction - I expect the truths revealed in this biography to be no different than those of anyone, famous or not: fascinating.

What was the best biography you ever read?

the simple things | 02

the break of dawn

 

 

Especially appreciated on a busy Sunday:

06:00 time to start the day = coffee, oatmeal, wake oldest girl

07:00 oldest girl to timekeeping

09:30 oldest boy to on ice practice

10:15 go train into toronto with both girls, sister (another one) and niece (another one)

12:00 baby shower for another sister and new niece

14:00 oldest boy to see doctor

15:30 urban outfitters (in toronto) for shoes oldest girl "needs"

16:00 go train back to oakville with girls

17:00 make carb filled dinner

18:00 youngest boy on ice training

19:00 oldest boy to rink

20:30 oldest boy plays in hockey game

23:00 all oldests and youngests home

23:01 tucked in and tuckered out!

love my life, but sometimes it feels a tad out of control. i wouldn't trade it for anything. except maybe some sleep.

12 of 12: November

01. The day started bright and early with a load in the washer while waiting for the coffee to drip.

02. My girl is finally getting some sleep. The eczema is painful and keeping her up at night.

03. We had student-led parent/teacher interviews at the school today. Both kids are doing GREAT :)

04. Finally the laundry room tidy is complete and there's a big bag of clothes for my niece Taylor and a big bag of clothes for donation.

05. Louis and Cole cleaned up the back yard and set up the "shooter pad".

06. A test in cooperation, Chloé and Caden are assigned sheet folding. And they thought a PA Day meant a day off!

07. Chloé (and everyone else) excited to see her cousin!

08. The kids got to eat pizza and the adults got to eat Moroccan food. Delish!

09. I couldn't resist taking a picture of my sister Beth's dinner. Couscous, lamb and spicy beef. I could live on North African food - but no spice for me, please.

10. The fog just got thicker and thicker as the evening wore on. Good thing we headed home with plans to stay in.

11. The fist pump is the new boy teenager dance style. Drives me crazy. Which is why, I'm sure, he continues.

12. While the kids were dancing and singing, Beth was suggesting to Claire to "clean up" her music selections. Even mainstream music is getting racy!

Do you participate in 12 of 12? To learn what it's all about head on over to Facebook and join the group. I really enjoy this slice-of-everyday-life project, as have my kids. There is no best time to start ... so join me next month!

the current | one

listening to the coffee dripping
eating toast with lemon curd, yum
drinking lots of water
wearing my long black sweater, of course
feeling happy to have my sister and niece here for a visit
weather getting colder, frosty and frigid in the mornings
wanting to have a clean house: 100% clean 100% of the time. sigh.
needing to get more sleep
thinking about how much needs to get done in the next few weeks
enjoying my family
wondering what the future holds

idea discovered on this blog. where is your current taking you?

Celebrate Friendship with Ella Friends

At the end of September I received the most delightful and unexpected news that I was chosen, with eleven others, to be an Ella Friend. I am still quite giddy over it. What an incredible honour! Since then I've had the privilege to get to know these ladies and I greatly enjoy visiting them via their blogs whenever they have an opportunity to take some time from their full and busy lives to share what's going on with them.

The Ella Friends group is super with an appealing collection of diverse talent and personalities. I have learned so much from each one of my new friends. In addition to being visually inspired they each have life lessons to teach, my heart is full. 

Who doesn't want to be included in a group like that? The best part? YOU can be inspired them, too! Not only will each of us be contributing our ideas and projects on the Ella Publishing Co. blog, the monthly eZine and in the incredible eBooks; but, if you haven't had a chance to click on my sidebar to visit each of them, be sure to click on the links below:

Brenda Johnston

Diana Chen

Donna Jannuzzi

Francine Clouden

Jenni Hufford

Jennifer Larson

Keshet Starr

Mary Jo Johnston

May Flaum

Monika Wright

Valerie Mangan

Today, as a group, we are celebrating friendship. Not only am I grateful for the opportunity to get to know and be a part of the Ella Friends group, I have a wonderful group of women in my life who I am honoured to call friend:

The journaling reads:

You know the phrase "birds of a feather"? Well, I would flock with these chicks anywhere.

For a self-professed loner, I am so very fortunate to have close girlfriends who are so totally different from each other; but similar in all the ways that count:

They tell me like it is with strong, kind opinions; they laugh a lot and make me laugh with the m; they face life head-on, the good and the bad, and there's been plenty of both; they provide perspective and the occasional shoulder to cry on.

On top of all that great stuff, each is super smart, open-minded, kind-hearted, loyal, generous of spirit, fierce, strong-willed, funny, happy, self-aware, decent, respectful, independent, resilient, creative, optimistic, adventuresome, patient and upbeat.

I am very lucky to have them in my life and thank them as often as I can!

What about you? Have you honoured your friends in a layout, photo frame, mini book? The layout above was created last year and when I was re-typing the words, I am happy to admit, I wouldn't have changed one word if I were writing it today. Though life has gotten in the way of my keeping in touch with a couple of the ladies, I know that if we had a chance to have lunch or go out for a glass of wine, we'd do so on a heartbeat and pick up right where we left off - with a couple of more stories and lots of laughter!

Hey! That's exactly what I'm going to do. Call them all and do just that. Time for lunch :)

Blog Friendships & A Hop Winner!

Do you remember my Celebrating Blog Friendships hop of last Saturday? I participated with a number of ladies I've met through the Shimelle Blogging for Scrapbookers course I took about a year ago. The blog hop was expertly orchestrated by Jo and Lizzie, kudos to those brilliant ladies for dealing with the logistics and prizes. Thank YOU for visiting.

As for the results, I have to say WOW your kind words are so appreciated and linking up to your favourite blog friends has expanded my Google Reader - again!

In order to win this:

I asked for each of you to leave a comment on the blog and include a link to your favourite blog friend in order for BOTH of you to win the framed art above. I have to say, you ladies not only write, but also read some EXCELLENT blogs. I don't want all that goodness to get lost so here are all of your lovely words and links:

1. Jo Sowerby :: only one? now that's hard but i will chose abi cos she's my youngest and nearest geographical blogfriend ........... http://creatingpaperdreams.blogspot.com/
2. Melissa :: My favorite blog friend is Sue who blogs at http://suealthouse.blogspot.com/ because I always get inspiration from her blog and she encouraged me to continue blogging.
3. NancyD :: Your blog is so beautiful!! It's a pleasure to look at. My favorite bloggy friend (it's hard to pick one!) is Rachel. She showed up on my blog and was so honest and personable that I couldn't resist her. Her blog is: http://stop-drop-roll-rachel.blogspot.com/
4. Sian :: I'm so pleased to have discovered you :) and I'm enjoying your posts so very much. It's a pleasure to visit - and for that reason I'd like to cheat slightly and nominate your good self as my newest favourite discovery! Here's to many more years of blogging x
5. Amy :: Lee, I am so glad you left a comment on my blog way back when, otherwise I would have been too chicken to comment on yours - yes, it is sad, but I'm too shy sometimes. It has been a pleasure to visit your blog with all of the wonderful and inspiring stories and scrap pages you continually share. I can't say I have favourites - that is like asking a mother who her favourite child is ... however, I know Jacky was signed up for this hop and had to withdraw due to ill health ... she deserves some sunshine I think - here's her link http://scrappyjackylive.blogspot.com/
6. Lizzie :: But, but, but... I can't only choose ONE! That wouldn't be Fair! I have several favourite blog friends... If I only choose one, I'll be leaving the others out! Ok then, how about The Linar Studio? I love coming here! (now that's a cop-out, but what can I do? The others all know who they are... and you can find them listed on my blog, so that's where you need to go now!) Love your blog, Lee and so glad to have met you! Thanks for joining our Blog Party - it wouldn't have been the same without you. :-)
7. Furrypig :: Thanks so much for your great post I have too many great blog friends to pick one, there is K, Mel, Oona, Jo, Kate, Amy, Jacky, Sian, etc etc I love them all!!! AND others too! xxx
8. Gayle (The Scrappy Tree) :: I really can't just choose one! Oh dear! :D Loving the citrus pics here btw :) Gayle xx
9. Monika Wright :: So thrilled to see The Scrappy Jedi on the blog hop list, Lee. She has the coolest roundups on Friday, has an Etsy shop with good stuff (!), just shared a detailed tour of her scrap space to include her thoughts behind her organizing madness and is a talented scrapper! Just a fun place to be! You, my new friend, are a joy to read and so inspirational in your art!
10. Crystal :: I visit you often but have never posted before. One of my very special blog friends is Linds (http://lindslangdon.blogspot.com), who live in the UK. I found her via a link long ago and we have become the kind of friends that phone each other and can hardly wait for the day when we can meet in person. She is funny, thoughtful, creative, a frequent writer and always makes me think. She really is a sunny spot in my days. Thanks for asking - and for sharing :)
11. Jennifer Grace :: Ooh, it's hard to choose a favourite. There's a few I could pick, but I'm gonna go for Sian, because not only does she blog fantastic stories and crafts, she also finds the time to comment on almost all my posts, and the posts of many other blogs too. I think she might be super woman. She is, at least, a super-lovely woman! http://www.fromhighinthesky.blogspot.com/ Great thought-provoking question. Love how you created the letter too. xx
12. Mel :: What a lovely post, so interesting to read about your 'blogging journey' :-) And what a super prize! Like everyone else it is difficult to choose just one blogfriend, but I think I'd have to say Amy (www.overatourplace.blogspot.com) for the reasons given in my own post. An email from her always makes me smile and brings me sunshine :-)
13. Lesley :: I'd like to nominate Mel of I speak Melsh - and one of your blog hop contributors. She was one of the first people to comment on my blog and her blog is so fun
14. Karen :: I love your blog, Lee, and spend way too much time following your links around the internet! Thanks for the inspiration.
15. Kai :: Super cute frame! Some of my favorite bloggy friends were listed on my post for today's hop. So glad to have hopped by... :)
16. melissa :: your posts always inspire me so much, thank you for that!
17. Amanda Rhodes :: I love the shadow box frame! My favorite bloggy friend is http://noteablescraps.blogspot.com/ because I actually know her personally and she comments the most on my blog here lately! We attend the same church and I teach her youngest every Sunday in Sunday School! She loves to digiscrap and I paper scrap.
18. cate :: I love the bloggy world Shimelle introduced us all to! I think my favourite bloggy friend would be Deb of http://paperturtle.blogspot.com - she has the sort of crafty relationship with her daughter that I want with my kids!
19. amy :: Such a lovely post! I am a new subscriber here....looking forward to reading more! This hop has provided many new blogs for me to visit! I joined Shimelle's class late so it's great to meet so many of you! My favorite bloggy friend is Sally at www.dareyousayit.blogspot.com. I see her in person and on the web and she is such a wonderful support to my life!
20. Xnomads :: You have a way with words, Lee! I love your blog and will continue to visit. Thanks for coming by to mine today and leaving your kind words. I will do my best to post more as I'd really like to, but to plan my days better so that I have the time... it will happen! : )
21. Sharyn Carlson :: Oh you are too sweet, Lee! Thank you for your kind words. My best blog friend is also my best friend: http://bobnlindseyschmidt.blogspot.com/.
22. jillconyers :: What a great idea for a blog hop. Off to visit a few links while I have time.
23. S :: What a spectacular unique way to give away your goodies, but I'd never be able to pick just one blog friend; I believe in circles of friends (wink)!
24. Lou :: Mine is a kiwi friend in london: http://scrapadventure.wordpress.com/ love this blog hop and hope to continue visiting!
25. Lisa :: Great to see your blog on this blog hop. I've been popping in from time to time since we were in LOAD together - love your style, love the blog, love your scrapping. So many blog friends it's difficult to chose just one but if I had to, then it would need to be my sister - alifetimeofchances.blogspot.com - we started scrapping on the same day back in Jan 06 and have supported each other through this wonderful creative journey ever since. We don't live in the same country any more and therefore, blogging is a wonderful way to keep up the connection and sharing.

I have to say I've gone to visit every one of your favourites and I am more thrilled than ever to be a part of this blogging community. What a lovely group we have :) I am always appreciative of your words and your visits! I'm now very happy to get this entry posted so I can respond individually to all of your warmth and kindness.

No more delay, as promised, the prize goes to:

  JENNIFER
Congratulations to both you and Sian.

When you get a chance, send along your mailing addresses to me at linarstudio.lc at gmail dot com and I'll get your prizes right out to you :)

Be sure to come back tomorrow for some more "friendship" goodness!

For Today: Remembrance

I write this with the knowledge and gratitude that today wouldn't be today without those who fought on behalf of all of us to make our lives as free and as comfortable as they are, every day. So, with respect and remembrance:

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ... there is a stunning band of bright orange settled along the horizon where sky meets lake. Looking up, the sky turns from a deep orange to yellow to green to blue and a bright star - or the space station - is twinkling. I love the break of dawn.

I AM THINKING ... I'm happy I live in a country where the Rememberance Day ceremonies will be covered on television - on every channel - from 10AM through 12 noon.

WE ARE LEARNING … that sometimes the best workout is rest. Simple rest.

I AM THANKFUL FOR ... always having something to do. Always having something to look forward to.

FROM THE KITCHEN ... the cupboards are bare! A grocery shop will have to be done today for us an company on the weekend.

I AM WEARING ... Khaki top, black tank, black pants and black flip flops. And my big black duster sweater. Love winter!

I AM GOING ... to spend the day preparing the guest room and cleaning the house. A big job. I think I underestimated!

I AM READING ... blogs, blogs and more blogs. So much goodness in my Google Reader.

I AM CREATING ... the bones of my December Daily project. I have to say it is coming along nicely.

I AM HOPING ... to get everything on my list done, today. No excuses.

I AM HEARING ... Footsteps. At least I know one is up!

AROUND THE HOUSE ... There is always something to do. I think we've finally figured out plans for Claire's room re-decorating project. Happy Birthday, baby. Hardwood floors - before I get mine!

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS ... a morning conversation with Chloe. The footsteps heard earlier belong to her and she continues to fill the silence by describing her DARE for the last couple of weeks. She's keen :)

A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK ... An anniversary, parent/teacher meetings, visits with family, a baby shower, a few hockey games, project COMPLETION, hugging hello, waving goodby and lots of laundry.

A PICTURE TO SHARE ...

Image found here.

Enjoy your today, and the rest of your week, and don't forget to give thanks to the memory of those who fought for it, and the reality of those who still do.

ETA: My apologies, I forgot to leave credit for the meme! I hate it when I do that, very rude. Go visit The Simple Woman's Daybook to join in.

Wishcasting Wednesday: Growing Older

Image found here.

How do you wish to grow older?

Great timing for this question as I have been thinking a lot lately about age. How much the process of aging and (ostensibly) growing up has taught me about me and about those around me. I am always a work in progress: there are a few things I'd like to change and things that I'm happy to leave alone.

I am fortunate in that I've been surrounded by a number of women in my life who have aged gracefully. Certainly, there have been plenty trying to be the eternal teenager, but most were happy to step into their role with poise and grace. I want to be one of them.

Then I realized, at 46, time was getting away from me and I'd better get a move on!

In a physical sense, I'm learning to embrace the gray and am no longer employing my hairdresser as a weapon against the aging process! I'm eating better and definitely getting more active during the day. I can improve in both of those areas, but I'm happy to have started.

In a spiritual sense, I'm really getting comfortable in my beliefs. I'm no longer apologetic for what I think and feel and this newfound confidence is translating into a real sense of quiet, confident well being. I feel much lighter and calm.

In an intellectual sense, I hope I never stop learning. I have an insatiable curiosity about those things that interest me. I'm always reading and researching. I like challenging myself and hope to never find myself in a position where I have to stop.

In a creative sense, today I am in a place where I know I'm about to become overwhelmed. A strange sense of giddy anticipation and dread. Once, during my five years of pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and post pregnancy (a blur - four kids in five years!) I lost all ability to create. I couldn't do anything. At. All. It was terrifying. My identity disappeared and in it's place were four gorgeous, needy beings taking up all of me. I wouldn't trade them for anything and I love that after losing it, I know I'll never lose it again!

I want to be a source of inspiration and guidance to my children, support to my friends, kindness to strangers (and friends and children, of course). I want to be respectful and realize that not everyone looks at the world in the same way I do but at the same time I want to not feel the need to apologise for needing order, direction and purpose. I want to use my time wisely on projects that have meaning and longevity. I want to dwell in the land of positive and surround myself with others who live life to it's fullest with kindness and respect.

I want to grow old with grace, dignity and a sense of humour. I want to be surrounded with love and blessed with good health.

And good wine!

What is your wish? Each Wednesday morning, I eagerly anticipate the assignment from Jamie at Jamie Ridler Studios. If you're looking for a bright spot in your day, head on over to check her out.

A little off track ...

My plan this morning was to deal with this:

I left to take Claire and Cole to school with instruction for Chloe and Caden to clear every surface in the house and move it onto the kitchen island. I live in a land of PILES. Drives me crazy but it's a thing I've been doing forever and have no plans to change. I suppose we all need some part of our character to accept - or crab about :)

Instead, I got distracted, by the lovely Ali Edwards who has a habit of distracting me.

Thank goodness!

Today she typed out a list of those things that are inspiring her currently. The timing is perfect, as I have been mulling a few of her categories. Why? I have no clue, but I like the idea of recording it.

 

COLOR : I'm told it's called French Blue. Kind of blue, kind of green, kind of gray. I've never been a fan of blue, but I do like this.

FONT : I've seen this Bead Chain font in a few places lately, and downloaded it. Plans to use it soon!

(I'm also totally distracted trying to find this font:

from over at The Inspired Room, any ideas?)

PATTERN : I'm currently obsessed with Houndstooth. I even bought a new golf umbrella because of the pattern. (Yes, a golf umbrella - too cold to golf, and by buying it I've stopped the rains from coming. I have powah!)

SHAPE : Circle. Always circles. Soon to help me make sugar cookies :)

LETTER : O. I live with my little Ouellette family in Oakville which is in Ontario.

NUMBER : 4 – it's not really a "lucky" number, but one that pops up in my life most often! Enough that I notice it :) 

WORD : Do. I've been focusing on my "word" for 2011 I keep coming back to "do". It might stick!

What's inspiring you today? Even if you don't blog about it, take some time to feel all of the inspiration around you!

Hey, look at that! I got this post done and this is still waiting for me:

There is always something, isn't there? Love it!

My Best Shot Monday: Turning Leaves

There is a long row of tall sugar maples that divide our property from Tom & Heather's place. These maples turn a brilliant, blinding yellow at the hight of their change. This may be the last sign of green in our yard until next Spring. The temperatures are consistently low, plenty of wind and rain. Now with the time change, we have officially entered the dark days of ... well, dark days. I'll await the bright leaves, they should arrive this week, a final showy farewell to colour!

What is your best shot this Monday? Do you have a photo to showcase? Be sure to join in My Best Shot Monday, go here for details :) Looking for another fabulous challenge? Be sure to check out Celebrate Monday over on Flickr.

the simple things | 01

On my blog journey this morning, the lovely Valerie over at Paper & Cookies posted about a photo challenge she is participating in. The oh so inspiring Rebecca Cooper is hosting:

The idea is to take a photo each week of something simple that makes you happy; a little thing that brings you joy, something that makes you smile. Simple, right?

I participate in a number of photographic challenges. I am trying to train my eyes to see what I'm looking at and focus on that which is right in front of me. I have noticed that though almost all of the challenges are in celebration of "every day" I am not focusing enough on the PEOPLE in my life. I tend to take photos of places and things. Mostly because they don't move or give me the stink eye when I'm trying to catch them in action!

This challenge appeals to me, because it's not really a challenge at all, it is a reminder to appreciate the small, the ordinary, the simple of my life. I'm going to use it to focus on the simple things people around me do that brings a smile.

Like this morning, I had taken Claire to her timekeeping job and came home to see that Caden had managed to occupy himself with a bowl of Honeycomb cereal and my iPad where he has discovered We Rule Quest:

Gotta love a guy who is happy to be happy. And can feed himself!

What about you? Do you take the time to record the things that bring you simple joy? This is something I'm definitely going to enjoy. Join me?

Hello darkness my old friend ...

Not.

I want to know why it can't be the other way around. Not that I want to lose an hour of sleep, but I'd prefer to wake to light than to darkness.

But that's just me.

Other than that, not much has changed. Claire was awakened at 6AM for time keeping, cranky. Caden wandered into the kitchen in search of food. Chloe is still asleep and I imagine will spend most of the day in slumber.

Over the years there is often the question of what we'll do with the extra hour. In our case, the answer is always overwhelmingly SLEEP! What about you? Any special plans for your extra 60 minutes?

Celebrating Blog Friendships

Hello and welcome to our first reunion blog party! I hope you've enjoyed your journey, so far. It is a lucky day for you! I can assure you, from experience, you are meeting some of the most lovely ladies here on the www.

My story?

About a year ago I hit a blogging crisis. I loved blogging: the writing process, sharing photos, all of the memory-keeping potential; but, after a time, I found my blog (personal and creative) was getting more than a little stale. After all, how many memes and tags could you participate in and keep things fresh? I needed to reinvent, grow and expand upon my self-imposed blogging limits. I knew I needed to gather my courage, let down my guard, stop embracing fear and just go for it. 

Around this time, to my rescue came a course offered by Shimelle. One entitled: Blogging for Scrapbookers. What could be more perfect?

Indeed, I didn't know then just how perfect it was. Who knew when I signed up that I had entered into a community of dynamic, interesing, varied and creative women? Many of whom, a year later, I maintain more than a passing friendship. Though we may be "only" online friends, often I know more about them and their families and their lives than I do the lives of those I see every day. The ladies on-line inspire me every day. All of them are unique in their geography and circumstance but their appeal is universal in their spirit and creativity. I can travel all over the world every day and visit my friends. As immense as the world may be, here in blogland it gets smaller every day.

Your next stop on the hop is the incredibly talented Sharyn Carlson. I can't let you click over without telling you that, among many things, Sharyn is both patient and kind. When I decided to combine both of my blogs back into one, she helped me with Typepad and codes. I was unsure and intimidated by the whole process and she walked me, a virtual stranger, through. I would never have had the confidence without the support of Sharyn!

For those collecting for the grand prize, my letter for the phrase is: Be sure to check out each blog in the hop in order to collect your letters. You will be able to enter for the 'grand prize' at Jo's blog :) Good luck!

Now, for those interested in celebrating your own bloggy friendships, please leave a comment and a link to your favourite bloggy friend saying why they are your favourite bloggy friend. I will draw names on Monday, November 8th at 8PM (Eastern) and you and your friend will win one of these:

In case you get lost on your travel through the blog celebration, these are (in order) the participants:

Lizzie Made

Jennifer's Jumbles

I Speak Melsh

Over at Our Place

Creating Paper Dreams

Gallo Organico

Liberty Cottage

Scrapbooking + Other Adventures

Chatty Crafty Arty Pig

Paperview

Life Behind the Purple Door

Clearing the Brambles

Sian

Rachel B's World

Sunlight & Simplicity

Curiouser and Curiouser

Enjoy the Ride Today!

The LINAR Studio: Embrace Life <<<<< YOU ARE HERE            

Living Artfully

Paper Turtle

Abstracts Mixed With The Extracts

Snaps and Snippets

Scrappy Jedi

Basement Chronicles

Random Reflections

Daily Life: Bits & Pieces

XNomads

Deb's World

Curly Scrapbooker

Enjoy your journey :)

Links for the Time Crunched | 6

I'm still wading through a huge number of bookmarks! So much great stuff and inspiring ideas. I'm in the middle of working on a few recent projects totally inspired by ideas found her on the www. What about you, anything interesting lately?

• Have you seen this seriously gorgeous on-line magazine yet? Wow. What a wonderful concept. Not too much to take in. Plenty to savour. Perfect balance.
• Louis loves his Guinness. I'm thinking he'll enjoy this cake.
• IRL. This post had me thinking for a good while. Interesting point of view. I like discovering a new way of looking at things.
• Does anyone deserve a ribbon in your life? Here's a quick tutorial. Good stuff.
• I'm all about grabbing a box to make my life tidier!
• It's all about the comfort food. One of the top items on my list, especially with the weather getting colder and soups and stews becoming more of a staple, is this skillet cornbread. YUM!
• As much as I enjoy taking my own photos, I love learning from the talent of other photographers. Flickr gives me the perfect opportunity to do just that. Here are all of the reasons why you should use Flickr.
• It really is the lack of understanding that keeps me from doing creative things. I am so happy for people who post the benefit of their knowledge so I don't have to waste supplies, time and energy on trial-and-error methods to beautifying my life!
• None are perfect, but what a great resource if you are looking to visit a city with which you are unfamiliar. Where to eat? Where to shop? The answers are here (though you should confirm all plans - given the economy who knows what is still open and ready for business).
• I've always wanted to open a nice little boutique in a nice little town with a nice little main street. I always thought it would be a stationery store. But this is really something to consider! * Swoon *
• Definition of irony? I love maps but have no sense of direction. As in none. But these were comical.
• Rolled fabric flowers seem to be all the rage lately. Here's a great little tutorial if you want to try making a few. Me? I'm not a fabric person, but there is a ton of stuff in my "to be donated" bin, maybe I'll tear apart a t-shirt or two?

Such good stuff! Hope you enjoy the journey :)

That's All Folks!

For the last six weeks, Claire and a group of fellow students at school have been working hard on the Upper School Play. This is not a high-profile event and I was impressed that these kids chose this activity as it is not as popular - or prestigeous - as the whole school performance at the end of the year. As it was explained to me, there is not much turnout for this play because it is not a musical. This theory may also answer why most of the actors were boys :)

This term, Claire and her best friend, Marley, joined a bunch of their guy buddies, and not deterred by their small number, they put on a FANTASTIC performance.

(I have to admit, I was dreading the idea of sitting through yet another school production. The lesson learned: If nothing else, kids growing up means the school productions improve. A lot.)

Combining their efforts, over the past while, they all colaborated to write and perform what was, in essence, three sketches. Three sketches at 15-minutes each. Forty-five minutes of adolescent brilliance. I was so impressed by each and every one of them. Talking with the parents after, we were all taken with the fact that none of them, not one, broke character once. Not even a little. Very impressive for a group of 14 and 15 year old kids. None of whom do this performing thing for anything but fun.

Full story: When we realized the date of the performances conflicted with the "big tournament", Claire told me to go to Chicago, to Cole's hockey tournament, and not watch her perform. She was quite insistent. So much so, I had organized care for her and for the youngers. I am so glad I honoured my instinct and ignored her. I think she's glad too.

Earlier in the day, over dinner, I was sitting with the youngers waiting for the game tweets. One of the first ones through:

Though it was a losing effort, the Rangers lost to the Russians by a score of 4-2, it turns out both of my kids had good days.

I often marvel at the audacity of all of them. All four of my kids are completely unphased by doing what they want to do. I'm so very proud of them. I'm especially inspired when they do things that I would never consider even attempting.

After all, I'm lazy. I don't want to have to look too far for my inspiration :)

Printed and Framed

You will find in my studio a work in progress, in addition to many works in progress.

A while back I blogged that the talented Francine Clouden had posted a saying on her blog that truly resonated with me. I was thrilled to discover, when I was going through my Google Reader on Friday, that she had provided a download to a gray or yellow poster! (I posted a link on my Facebook page, but if you aren't over there I didn't want you to miss out). I got mine printed and framed in less than a minute!

Thank you Francine:

I figured the yellow would be just the burst of sunshine I need in my basement studio. Doesn't it look happy? I love me some positive messages :)

What do you think?

Delicious Sandwich Discovery

I grew up in the food industry. I worked in the food industry. I know A LOT about food. The irony? I'm an "eat to live" type. Food is there for sustenance. Nutrients. A necessary evil.

On the other hand, my husband, Louis, is all about the food. The marriage of flavours and ingredients. He has a very adventuresome palate.

Thank goodness!

A while back he was at a tasting at our local grocery store. After falling in love with the small morsel he was given, he grabbed up a few ingredients, changed things up a bit, then I tweeked things a bit more (I may eat to live, but I do know my way around) and I am now ADDICTED to this wonderful sandwich:

All good sandwiches start with great bread. In this case, you start with a fresh Olive Boule:

Make your slices not to thick, not too thin (and try to make yours more even than mine!):

Spread some good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil on your slices:

Spread a thin layer of Fig Preserves on each slice (I'm sure this can be found anywhere, after all, my local grocery store is not fancy by any means.) Or better, replace with fresh sliced figs. Ooh ... next time!

Add a layer (or two) of fresh cured Prosciutto. I have a new found love for Prosciutto, but it really is a case of less is more. The good stuff has great flavour:

Doesn't this look good? Oh, oh, oh. Now, this is where I stop (since my recently discovered intolerance for cheese) and enjoy the sweet and savoury goodness.

But if you can, add some fresh shaved asiago cheese. Aaaah:

This is such a treat. The mixture of textures and flavours are to be savoured. A sandwich to enjoy.

Make sure you have a napkin handy! Sometimes the olive oil has a way of escaping.

It really is the little things through the day that bring great joy :)

We have been enjoying this treat at least once, if not twice a week. I was sure to pack a couple of sandwiches for Louis and Cole to take to snack on during the bus trip (10+ hours) to Chicago yesterday. I wish Cole had a chance to go on a gastronomic tour of that wonderful town, but alas, it's all about the hockey this weekend.

So, if you like a little salty, a little sweet, a little savoury THIS is the perfect little piece of satisfaction. Try it and let me know what you think!

Team Spirit (+ a colourful no-sew tutorial)

I am a cheerleader. I've always been one. I enjoy going to my kids activities and encouraging them, along with their teammates, in all the games they persue. From football, to baseball, to hockey, to rugby, to basketball and everything in between, I've always been there making plenty of noise and finding the good even when things mess up.

Cole and his hockey team are doing very well this season, coming out victorious with tight, low-scoring, nailbiter games! This season our regular games are very quiet. As this is a new team, I'm not sure if this is normal or not, but Cole has mentioned that things are too quiet on the ice. He and his teammates would like some noise. After being at a few Maple Leafs games lately, I know for sure that even a (traditionally) losing team has plenty of positive noise coming from the stands so why not our boys? After all, they're effort is incredible, that's something to cheer, right?

Cole and his team are off to the Bauer Tournament in Chicago a bit later today. I have to miss it, but I'll be there in spirit. How? The next best thing - I've sent along some cheer. If I can't be there, I can send along the means to make a lot of noise! At least my boy will know the team is being encouraged from the stands.

I placed an order and a box arrived:

In it were a bunch of tambourines, pompoms and cowbells (yes, cowbells):

In team colours: red, white and blue, of course. Cole's teammates were happy to receive their cheer packages and anxious to give to their fans! I had grand plans to send along some more gear, but I ran out of time. I did manage to make colourful no-sew scarf:

Start by choosing the colours:

Then gather all of your (minimal) materials:

9 pieces of felt (3 of each colour) mine measure 12" x 9" each
1 pair of very sharp scissors
1 ruler
1 marker

Measure out your cuts. In my case they are 2" cuts spaced 1/4" apart:

Cut all of your felt:

Tie your first knot:

Top over bottom, bottom over top - top to bottom, bottom to top, doesn't matter.

They all have to be the same:

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. And, after nine pieces are tied together, you get a spirit scarf:

This was done using cheap $0.49 felt pieces from Michael's. I'm sure a far more plush product would be created by going to a fabric store and getting a few pieces of polar fleece. I may do that next time around, after I'm finished with our spirit scarves for Caden's Hound Dog team and Claire and/or Cole's school teams:

This was a GREAT project. My kids enjoyed piecing together the fabric and loved the idea of showing team spirit by sporting the colours of the teams their sibs represent.

Lessons learned: my fingers are not as nimble as they once were, my eyes are not as sharp either, but I love the colourful result.

In the end, the scarf measures about 72" x 9". Even better? It cost a grand total of $4.98 in material plus taxes. Perfect for sporting at any (winter season) event!

I've given the scarf to Louis to wear - I will cheer our boys vicariously through him :)

Go RANGERS Go!

Time is a great photo editor + winner announced!

I often wait to edit photos.

I find time makes for a great editor. Often better than my eye. Time provides context where my eye dwells on composition.

So often, especially with my Project 365, I find I choose a photo to represent the day and by the time I'm ready to put my collection together - often MONTHS later - I realize I chose the wrong photo, or more accurately, the not-quite-right photo. I'm happy that I am not alone!

All this being said to assure anyone out there who is not "caught up". Sometimes that is a good thing!

Below are a selection of photos taken to represent our Hallowe'en day. I wonder which will make the actual album? We'll see, in a couple of months, when I'm putting the album together. They all have a great story, but the one I choose will be the one that evolks the freshest, most vivid memory of the day:

The best part is knowing that no matter which photo is chosen, it will be the perfect one to represent our day of change. My pick today? The photo of Chloé with the pumpkin rind smile. We'll have to wait see what actually makes it into the album.

What about you? Do you find time is a great photo editor - by mistake or by design? Or are you able to choose the perfect photo right away?

* * * * *

Thank you to everyone who participated in my first Ella Giveaway! You do have stories to tell and I'm glad to have an opportunity to help you do so. The winner is:

CATE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations Cate! Send me an e-mail to linarstudio.lc at gmail dot com and I'll send you the code. Thanks to everyone for participating. You have important stories to write, I can't wait to read them!

October in Review

Typical of this month: someone is always doing homework at the kitchen table.

Every month I start my review post marvelling at how busy we have been - and then the next month we are even busier. I don't think I even took a breath until mid-month - since the beginning of September. October was more than a little nuts with the full flow of school and hockey underway.

• Chloe is so happy to be in the Oakville Children's Choir and enjoyed her time at the retreat. A full day of singing and getting to know each other. A great start to the season.
• Hockey logistics! Crazy. The first Saturday of the month, Caden played with his team, Louis convened, Cole was in Guelph with his team when they met with a nutritionist for a couple of hours before the game. He left with a friend from that game and met up with Louis, Caden and a buddy for the Maple Leafs game at the ACC in Toronto. I'd like to say this was not a typical day - but it was.
• Claire is enjoying her timekeeping of the Minor Atom group. She is up and at the rink for 7AM on Sunday mornings. Keeps her in early on Saturday nights. Yay!
• Our annual furnace-is-on-the-fritz happened, again. Thank goodness for our friend Bruce who got the heat going before the end of the month. Fortunately Mother Nature was kind and the weather stayed warm - for the most part.
• Claire was joined by Marley and "The Davids" at the Optimates Dinner. It was her first time being honoured for good marks. I was, of course, proud mama and thrilled for her.
• Our beautiful maple continues to hold her leaves. Such specacular orange and yellow leaves against the bleak gray skies. Glorious.
• Claire is still hanging out with Oskar, who appears lovely and treats her well. Can't ask for much more than that. Oh, and he has "good flow" so that's a bonus ;)
• While we were attending a presentation by a renowned Sports Psychologist, Cole announced his goal was to be drafted. Drafted? Since when? What? Clearly this hockey thing is not a passing phase.
• For the first time in two seasons Cole did not win a cross country race. He came in 2nd. Huge blow! But he realized he was unprepared and far too cocky. Next race, the finals, the plan is to be better prepared and more humble. Sometimes humility is a good thing, and he was. Not only congratulated the boy who beat him (by 40 metres) but started talking with him about the upcoming rugby season. Boys are funny.
• Much of the beginning of this month I was sick. So sick I would have rather had all four of my kids simultaneously with no anesthesia, sick. I'm happy to say I have completely recovered and will (sadly) never eat cheese again.
• A couple of the mums of the 2013 graduating class (gasp, too soon!) held a lunch at a lovely little restaurant downtown - as in our town, not the town. It was nice to get to know the ladies and hear some of the stories. This particular group of kids, it has been determined, is a bit wilder than past groups. Knock wood, Claire has not joined in with the wild crowd. In actual fact she is considered a dork. I'm thankful for small mercies.
• Claire has started to join Cole's teammates at Yoga on Friday nights. She loves it and has quickly evolved into the "teacher's pet". Girls are definitely more flexible than boys. I'm glad they are both enjoying the class and hope they continue the discipline.
• I headed out to Scrapfest in Oshawa. What a gorgeous drive - along the 407 to the end. The colours were spectacular and it was such a nice day. I met up with Sue Sykes (finally) and Lori Mancini (finally) and hope I don't have to wait long to see them again! I wish I could have stayed longer but had to get back for ... a hockey game!
• My friend and fellow hockey mum, Carey, had a Stella and Dot trunk show at her gorgeous home. So nice to meet such lovely ladies, she really knows how to throw a party and the merchandise was gorgeous!
• We had a rare Saturday afternoon hockey game at home which was quickly filled up with a team dinner at Philthy McNasty's during which Cole managed to "bond" with his team with more bonehead decisions: this time it was to eat a 24oz hamburger in 7 minutes. Thanks to (nurse) Shelley for holding the bucket. His first bonehead decision, to endear himself to his team, was to shimmy up to the roof of Chesswood Arena to retrieve a football this past summer - then shimmy back down. I spend much time rolling my eyes :)
• Caden and I had a grand adventure attending a Maple Leafs game in Toronto. Taking the GO train is very civilized! There is a special train that leaves just in time to make it to the game. I miss living in the hustle and bustle of downtown, but this works pretty well.
• I built a blog for one cyber-friend, which inspired me start building another for a local friend. It is a lot of fun. I might just do a few more.
• Cole is turning into a young man to be depended upon at school: he's had siblings "shadow" him for the day for potential entry into the school next year and late in the month he was chosen to be a Chapel Beacon. I often think he raises his hand too much (wonder where he gets that?) but he seems to thrive on the activity.
• We got news that the last of the confirmed bachelors is getting married! Pete stood up with Louis at our wedding - almost 16 years ago. So happy for him and his bride to be :)
• Life is changing and we're going with the ebb and flow of our kids - their needs and wants are changing - and Louis and I are enjoying how our little family evolves.

So now our attention is re-directed and I'll be focusing on digging out winter gear, upcoming teacher conferences, studying for exams, and many Ella assignments. It's always better to be busy :) What about you? How was your October?

* * * * *

Do you have a story to tell? If so, and you need a bit of inspiration, be sure to go to this post and enter to win the new "Journaling That Matters" e-book from Ella Publishing Co. I will be drawing for the winner TONIGHT at 10PM EST.