It's been a long, long time...

The last few months have been so busy that I have neglected my blog, but I am back to share.

Here are a few things that have happened since my last post:
- Showed my competitive side and won the Easter Egg hunts at home and at work
- Went on an adventure to the Dominican Republic with a few of my favourite travel partners
- Celebrated Brian's birthday with dinner at Canoe and great seats at Rock of Ages
- Was recognized at work for my 3-year committment to the firm (I'm their longest standing employee and I work my butt off everyday)
- Shopped til I dropped in Buffalo and at CKC with Veronica
- Had a blast at my cousin's wedding
- Spent some down time at the cottage
- Scrapped with the gals at 2SF on more than one occasion :)
- Found out that two of my best friends are pregnant
- Relived my youth at the NKOTB concert at CasinoRama
- Tons of parties, from a housewarming to a bridal tea to RockBand and more!

Here are a few layouts to share...

(based on a sketch from Sketchabilities)

(Basic Grey kit plus a few extra embellishments)

(based on a sketch from Sketchabilities)

Last Reveal with Sketchabilities...

Sadly this will be my last reveal with Sketchabilities. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as part of the Design Team and I am truly thankful for the creativity the sketches have inspired! Be sure to continue to check out the blog for wonderful sketches and layouts! Best wishes to the new team.

For this layout I chose to feature some more casual photos of my family from this past Christmas. Every year we stand in front of the Christmas tree and take a photo, usually when we're dressed up and ready to head out for Christmas Eve mass, but not this time.

Funny how now that the "kids" are adults the Christmas tree is hardly even visible, especially when my brother stands right in front - lol!

Scrapping in Buffalo with Debby Schuh!

On the first weekend of March, Veronica and I headed out to Buffalo for a fun weekend! When we told border security that we were headed into the US to attend a scrapbooking class, the young officer said with a straight face, "I don't believe you." Somehow he came around, and we were on our merry way!

Our first stop was at Hobby Lobby, where I picked up some Thickers for 50% off. Our cashier was very friendly and Veronica was convinced that he would have given us anything in the store for 50% off and I think she was right!!! LOL!

Next we headed over to the Walden Galleria for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory. Funny enough we did not indulge in any cheesecake, but we opted for some very delicious salads!!! Refueled and ready to go, we hit the mall, stopping in all of our favourite stores and some that just caught our attention!

We then headed over to Joann's - how could we resist when all scrapping supplies were 40% off?! After picking up just a few things, we met up with Veronica's friend, Kelly, and checked into our hotel for the evening, printed out some coupons for the Coach Factory Store and headed over to see what was new! Some of us, who shall remain nameless, may have made a purchase there - lol!

Then it was over to the Olive Garden for dinner, where we definitely ate too much! Why did they ever take the Olive Garden away from us in Canada??? It is delicious!

After a long day's work - haha - it was back to the hotel for some rest. The next morning we headed to The Pancake House for breakfast as it was highly recommended by Kelly. The pancakes were delicious, but it was a lot of food! Good thing we didn't order the Apple Baked Pancake (that was the size of a cake, no word of a lie) or the omlettes (that looked like they were made with a dozen eggs each) that some of the tables around us had ordered! I don't think we would have had a chance of finishing the meal if we had.

We had some extra time before we needed to head over to our class, so we headed to another mall, Michael's and Walmart to see if we could find anything interesting. At the mall, we inadvertendly joined the walking club as none of the stores were opened yet - good way to burn some of those pancake calories.

We were very excited when we finally arrived at Buffalo Stamps & Stuff for our class with Debby Schuh! We arrived early so we could browse the store before the class started. In class, we created a beautiful travel album made from an Anthropolgie bag. Learning from Debby Schuh was a delightful treat! We learned some great new techniques that I'm sure we'll use again and again! Check out Debby's blog to see photos of the album we created. It was a great weekend!

Wishing for warmer weather...

It's the end of the month, which means it's time for a Sketchabilities reveal!

I had fun this month playing with Glimmer Mists to create my background and the colours I used left me hoping for spring weather soon :)

Be sure to check out the Sketchabilities blog to see what the rest of the team created.

More recently...

As promised, here is a look at the full two-page spread from my January layout with Sketchabilities... I even did some journalling on this page - not something I do very often!

This past weekend I was working on my next layout for Sketchabilities and I have some final touches to finish up before the February 28 reveal. Please sure to check back soon to see it!

In the meantime, I'd love to share a what else I've been up to lately. A nasty throat infection kept me from doing anything but sleep at the beginning of February, but the month definitely improved from there.

For Valentine's Day, Brian and I headed up into wine country and we spent the day in Jordan at a wine and cheese tasting seminar at Cave Spring Cellars. Following the seminar, we did some more wine tasting and enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the Inn on the Twenty restaurant, which SURPRISE included even more wine tasting. The wine and cheese pairings seminar was definitely a highlight of the trip and we had a great time tasting the different pairings with the great people at our table and being tricked by the instructor into thinking that a single wine was really three different wines, because of the effect different cheeses had on the flavour.

At dinner, I think our favourite course of the meal was an appetizer that Brian ordered that was referred to as a pulled pork and scallop bruschetta. It sounds like a strange pairing and I must admit that it did not have mush resemblance to traditional bruschetta, but it was defintiely delicious!!!

In celebration of Valentine's Day, my friend Sonia and I spend the day before creating some really cute mini books for our men. All the elements for the minibook were designed by House of 3 and Sonia and I had a great time being creative and putting these together! Next step is to add the photos from each of our Valentine's Days, respectively. I haven't seen her photos yet from her Valentine's Day trip to Ottawa but I'm sure they'll be great! I'll be sure to share some close up picture of our completed books once the photos have been added.

Sketchabilities Reveal

Have you been over to the Sketchabilities blog recently? The design team's recent reveal is definitely not one to be missed. Take a minute to visit and see what the talented designers have created this month - you won't be disappointed!

Here's a peek at what I created... the photograph is of my mom, my brother (beer in hand - lol) and I at my mom's 60th birthday surprise party this past November. I've actually completed a second page to create a 2-page spread - just need to take a photograph so that I can share it!

A New CAR!!!

Yes, that's right! I bought a car and its my first BRAND NEW car!

(Source: www.autorivals.net)

The RAV4 will soon be mine and then I can post a photo with me in the driver's seat.

Unfortunately I have to wait likely until the end of February for my car to be ready. Toyota has been selling a lot of these and when I made my purchase at the beginning of January there were only two left in Canada of the model I wanted. Sadly, I couldn't get my hands on one of those two as they were located up in northern Ontario.

So they're making me, and a lot of other people, a brand new one!

I can't wait!!!

Christmas, Christmas and more Christmas!

So much has been going on over the last little while that I've been neglecting my blog, but I've been enjoying life and taking pictures so I can share. The Christmas season is a wonderful time to celebrate and spend time with loved ones and I been doing just that.

So here is my "share" for today...

Veronica, Kelly and I started a new Christmas tradition last year of going to the spa to spend some quality time together and this year we thoroughly enjoyed a whole day at Ste. Anne's Spa in Grafton, ON. It was my third time visiting and every time I'm always sad to leave.

The three of us spent the morning enjoying the outdoor, yes I did say outdoor, and indoor hot tubs, the steam room and the sauna. After working up an appetite (ha, ha) we enjoyed a delicious lunch in the dining room - you can even wear your robe to lunch, but we opted for our lululemon pants (surprise, surprise - they are the best pants EVER!).

After lunch it was time for our spa services. Veronica and I both tried out a new offering at the spa called the Chakra Balancing massage. We weren't really sure what to expect, but afterwards we both agreed that it was FABULOUS!!! It was a combination of massage, reflexology and energy work - a great option if you are going to Ste. Anne's just for the day and want to try out a couple of the services they offer. I didn't want to get off the table at the end of the hour session - I was sooooo relaxed and very tempted to just drift off to sleep. To be honest, I think I may have for a few moments!!!

Naturally after working up an appetitie again (ha, ha) we returned to the dining room for afternoon tea. What a delicious afternoon! There was a selection various teas - I had pear something or other which was very good - and there were scones with cream and preserves, brownies, cheese with crackers and grapes, cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon rolls, cookies and more. I would go on, but I am making myself hungry!!!

Next we headed off for our group meditation class. So I knew this class would be relaxing, but with the pillows, blankets, dim lighting and music, how was I not supposed to fall asleep?!?!?!?!? At least my friends didn't have to wake me up at the end of the sesssion - cough, cough, Kelly!

Thanks Kelly and Veronica for an amazing day! I'm definitely looking forward to continuing the tradition!

To the rest of you reading this entry, I definitely recommend this spa if you have the chance to go. This place is amazing! Check it out http://www.steannes.com/

Christmas is coming....

Can you feel it? I sure can.

A Creative Weekend

There is a drive inside of me to create and this weekend I was lucky enough to do just that with some amazing women.

Saturday I spent the day scrapping while being distracted by laughing, shopping and eating muffins & fruit salsa - I blame the snacking on the chef - thanks Lori!!! Your treats were delicious.

During this time, I added a few more pages to the mini book I created at the TSF retreat. Here's a peek at my "award-winning" mini book. LOL.

Last week I also designed a Brizezilla and Bridesmaidzillas layout that definitely captures some of the fun we had getting ready for Sonia's wedding this past September.

On Sunday, a few of my friends from university and I continued with our yearly tradition of baking and decorating Christmas cookies together. I was a little disturbed that we were doing this in November!!!! but managed to have a wonderful Christmasy time anyway. They even made me listen to Christmas music, which I typically refrain from until December 1. Don't get me wrong, now that it is December I am fully happpy and prepared to start celebrating the Christmas season, but November was pushing it! LOL!

Brian and I nibbled on the cookies on Sunday and Monday evening and then my coworkers got to enjoy the rest on Tuesday morning - welcome to December!

Retreat in Grand Bend

140 crazy women, 6 delicious meals, 2 spa visits, too many prizes to count, endless scrapbooking ... one fabulous weekend!

Upon our arrival at the inn, Veronica and I rushed over to the spa to begin our weekend truly relaxed. We were lucky to arrive just in time for our appointments despite our slight "detour" on the way to Grand Bend... I didn't even know a town named Seafoam... I mean Seaforth existed and now I can say I've been there! LOL! Our luck continued with our accomodations as we were randomly selected to stay in one of the 2-bedroom cottages for the weekend... equipped with living/dining room, full kitchen and even a fireplace. As fun as sleepovers can be, I think we both really enjoyed having our own bedrooms... especially since I didn't go to bed on Saturday "night" until 5 a.m.

I must have been so pumped from my table's group challenge win that I had enough energy to scrapbook all night. If anyone can provide inspiration, it is the the fairest scrapbooker of them all... the third scrapbook friend that we created that night!

I was doubly lucky the next day to win the product challenge with "my scrap family" mini album. If you want to see a hiliarious picture of the runway walk I took with my prize, you've gotta check out the Two Scrapbook Friends blog - LOL!

Thank you to everyone who made the 2SF retreat in Grand Bend an amazing one!

Let's reveal!

Here is my layout for Sketchabilities this month. The photo was taken this summer in Huntsville and the lovely lady by my side is Sandra, a friend who also used to be a coworker of mine many moons ago. I am so glad that Sandra and I have kept in touch, she is a wonderful person and despite our age difference we are definitely "two peas in a pod."

Be sure to check out the Sketchabilities blog to see what the rest of the team created this month!

Sketchabilities Reveal Day!!!!

Tomorrow is reveal day at Sketchabilities. Be sure to drop by to check out the team's layouts.... I can't wait to see what everyone created!!!!

It's reveal time!

It's reveal day at Two Scrapbook Friends and I am honoured to be featured as a guest designer this month!

Here's a look at my creations using this month's kit, which featured the Basic Grey Indian Summer line. Please visit the TSF online gallery to leave some love for all of the talented designers on their team! Once again, they have created some beautiful creations!

Happy Halloween!

Here's my latest Halloween layout that was my October layout for the Sketchabilities team!

The team has created some wonderful layout this past month based on the always fabulous sketches from Karan Gerber. Check out Sketchabilites to see all of this month's layouts!

Memories of the Manor...

What can I say? My weeked stay at Memories Manor was amazing thanks to the hardwork and kindness of our hosts - Deanna and Jan - and of course their sister Mariah! Thank you ladies!!!

As soon as I left, I knew what I'd miss the most.... our hosts coming in to ask me to join them in the dining room because my lunch or dinner or snack was ready! The food was amazing!!!! And they even emailed us the recipes so we could enjoy them again and again. The only thing they wouldn't share was the salad dressing recipe - it's a family secret. I tried to find a loophole, because this was some delicious salad dressing, but it's like trying to crack the Caramilk secret!

On Saturday, Karan, Terry and I took some great outdoor photos of us enjoying the fall weather! I'd love to share the photos with you, but you'll have to wait a couple more days as they'll be part of my November 1 reveal for my guest appearance on the Two Scrapbook Friends Design team. Until then, here are a few shots of the manor itself! The scrapbooking parlour is a dream! Enjoy!

P.S. A plan to head back to the manor will soon be in the works! So if you're interested in coming along, let me know!


My scrap area for the weekend - 6ft table, executive chair and bright desk lamp - my seat was the further one to the left in this photo.... with my own personal napping window bench (did I mention I stayed up to 5 a.m. the first night and 3 a.m. the second night scrapping?!?!?!?)


Sinclair - my angel room for the weekend!


My favourite bathroom - I totally want to recreate this bathroom in my own home someday.... but I'll add a jacuzzi tub of course!

Sonia and Shawn's Big Day!

One of my best friends got married a few weeks ago and what a beautiful day it was! The sky was blue, we had tons of fun and best of all it turned out just as the happy couple had dreamed! The ceremony and reception took place on a boat on the Toronto Harbour - a beautiful back drop for their beautiful day! Here are a few highlights from the day... can't wait to add some of these to my scrapbook!

The Bridezilla and her Bridesmaidzillas... lol!


The Ceremony...


The Happy Couple...


The Girls...

Brian and I...

Congratulations Sonia and Shawn!!!

Sassy Sonia!

I loved putting together this layout featuring my sassy friend Sonia. The photos were taken during our trip to Vegas in May. We took a day a trip out to the Grand Canyon and stopped at the Hoover Dam on the way there (and on the way back too actually). We had to climb a substantial amount of stairs to get back to a our rental car and Sonia was not too pleased - she whined, complained and called out to her then finance (now husband) to carry her. This all from the long time aerobics instructor - lol!!! I love her sassy attitude!!!


This is my first entry as as member of the newly formed Sketchabilities design team and I'd love to hear your feedback! Check out the Sketchabilities blog to view the rest of the team layouts.

Sketchabilities Design Team

I was so excited to receive an email a couple weeks ago from the very talented Karan Gerber to congratulate me on my acceptance to the first Sketchabilities Design Team!

Our first layouts will be revealed September 15!!!! Take a look at the Sketchabilities blog to find out more!

Found!

I found it! I found it! And the weirdest part is that it just appeared out of nowhere and was sitting in plain sight on my desk.... my mom tells me to thank St. Anthony, so thank you.