Get Active

I purchased Ea Sports Active for the Wii today. I was waiting to hear good reviews about it. This lady came into the store the other day looking for a new resistance band, and we got to talking about why she needed it. She had purchased Active a few days before. I asked her opinion and she told me she loved it!
After setting up my profile (age, weight, sex and all that) I decided to jump right into the 30 day challenge. I wimped out a bit and did the "medium intensity" workout. I like that you can combine it with the balance board from Wii fit. Great to have double use out of the board. The workout was hard, and I was impressed with the variety of exercises. It worked my arms, which is one thing Wii Fit doesn't do.
Later on, I was bored and sitting around alternating between watching tv and coming online. I had planned to go for a walk, but it's raining. I'm proud to report that I turned on my Wii again, and tried out the "high intensity" workout. I did the same activities as this afternoon, just more of them with a few new ones mixed in.
I've really struggled with my weight for a while. I used to be so small, and never understood weight struggles. I do fully now. I hope to lose 50 lbs. I know that I have tried things and abandoned them before, so I dont' want to be too optimistic just yet. I hope that by writing this out it makes it a bit more solid, and something I try to stick with.

Getting put back together

Here's a shot of our house from tonight. It looks so different! They took down the big dying tree out front and cleaned up the other one. We've lost privacy, but I think it looks so much nicer. I'm excited to put in a flower bed and make it more homey. Those trees were just so ratty and gross. I need some good landscaping ideas. I'm completely clueless when it comes to plants and how they will grow and spread and whatever. For this year, I may just map out where I want the garden to go and add a bush or two. The plants can come next year.
I need to you to vote. Please leave me a comment with what colour you think the trim on our house should be. I'm going with charcoal grey. Any other ideas?

Kittens on a Roomba

I just think this is hilarious. I think it's funny how they all slowly drop off. What cuties.

Just stuff.

I'm running out of photos to scrapbook. I have maybe 3 layouts worth here (not counting my baby book I'm saving for retreat in September). We need to go somewhere or do something, QUICK!

July 1st is Canada day and Crystal is planning a potluck bbq. I'm excited to bring a Canada-themed desert. I may make cupcakes as she has maple leaf muffin tins. Very cute.

My yard is slowly being pieced back together. The fences are up again, which turns out to be the best part of all. I was going crazy not being able to let the dogs run around out there! He just needs to finish off the front of my house and it will be complete. He is also taking down one of my big trees out front as a sorry for being such a slacker in the beginning. I'm planning this whole new flower bed idea in my head. It should look a lot nicer. And, being up front, it will be safe from Mack and his evil digging.

13 more days until Powell River! I am no where near prepared for such a long drive with these two dogs. Think I should get them some brand new toys or a really big bone for the trip? They need to be amused somehow....

Finally, the photo is of the back of my new t-shirt I had made! On the front there is a camera. I love it and can not wait to wear it!

Look Mom! I Found the Dirt!

Mack decided he'd help dig our drainage system today. He got pretty dirty to say the least. I was upset, until I remembered that I had a Cosmo journaling tag that reads "Look Mom! I found the dirt!". I had to sneak out of the bathroom and grab my camera.

Not Doing it Right

This layout is from Mack and Steve's first time swimming. I created it to go beside the "I Wish I Wish" layout posted here. It's not really a double pager, but they are made with the exact same products.
This layout was really easy to create. No special techniques here - I just used up all my Snorkel scraps! I had such a hard time with the left hand side of this, it just looked so plain. I then turned over my 2 scraps of red paper to find the cute dots just the perfect size to tuck behind the photos and the page was complete!

Cosmo Cricket Design Team Application

Cosmo Cricket is looking for some new design team members. They are one of my favorite scrapbook companies! They by far have the best sense of humour, that's for sure. Their products are so easy to use, and have tons of accessories. I'd love to be a part of such a great team. Here are my application layout entries. (Julie, Eric and Lindsay, please use my "labels" on the side to see other Cosmo layouts I have done.)

Family Always
Cosmo Products Used:
Paper ~ Everafter (Something Blue, Something True, Something True, Everafter Elements)
Chipboard~ Everafter Ready Set Chipboard
Non Cosmo Products Used:
Gems ~ Prima
Cardstock ~ Bazzill
Letters ~ American Crafts Thickers
Punch ~ Stamping Up

Tide Pool
Cosmo Products Used:
Paper ~ Snorkel (Current, Borders)
Non Cosmo Products Used:
Cardstock ~ Bazzill
Chipboard ~ Making Memories (for masks)
Spray ~ Glimmer Mist Sugar Cookie
Letters ~ American Crafts Thickers
Sticker ~ Making Memories
Ink ~ Ranger Distress Ink
Pen ~ Zig

I Wish, I Wish
Cosmo Products Used:
Paper ~ Snorkel (School's Out, Carbonation, Current, Boardwalk, Borders)
Non Cosmo Products Used:
Ink ~ Ranger Distress Ink
Pen ~ Zig

Q & A
Cosmo Products Used:
Paper ~ Early Bird (Ribbon Sandwich, Brunch), Chemistry (Wink)
Stickers ~ Earlybird Cardstock Stickers
Chipboard ~ Vintage Mix Blackboard, Buck Naked Alpha
Non Cosmo Products Used:
Cardstock ~ Bazzill
Gems ~ Basic Grey
Pen ~ Copic


Nothing But Trouble
Cosmo Products Used:
Paper ~ Lil' Man (Dapper Dan, Cheerful Charlie, Handsome Henry, Borders)
Rubons ~ Doodle
Stickers ~ Lil' Man Cardstock Stickers
Non Cosmo Products Used:
Cardstock ~ Bazzill
Letters ~ Making Memories

Nana

Gotta love the colours of Cosmo's new Early Bird line. The teal and red is so striking! This layout is a near perfect copy of one seen here. The layout was so beautiful and I had these pictures that fit so well. Sometimes it's nice to cheat a little and borrow some inspiration.

Updates....

I spent 2 hours at the scrapbook store today and scanned 38 pages..... I'm updating a bunch of them here on my blog to scans instead of the not-so-great photos previously posted so you can get a better look!

Getting into trouble.

Okay, the honest truth? I made him do this for a scrapbook page. I know, I've gone over the edge. How cute though! He'd better not get any ideas and do it unsupervised. Layout in a couple days!!!

3 Random Things

Random Thing #1: These guys are crazy.



Random Thing #2: I hope that my yard gets put back together soon. The dogs have snuck out on me 3 times already. It's really nerve wracking. I'm petrified they are going to become road pancakes.

Random Thing #3: TWENTY days until we go to POWELL RIVER!

Tim!

I got to see Tim this weekend! I haven't seen him for probably four years. It was a good time hanging out. I had forgotten how tall he was. I stood on a chair to hug him just so I could be the tall one. I met up with him at his sister's wedding reception. We had fun drinking (well him, not me), dancing and hanging out.

Work has begun...

These photos for Ryan so he can see the "progress" at our house.

Two layouts!

Two more to share! This one was done last night. Crystal invited me over at 9 and I obliged. A random impulse scrap, I just threw some stuff together. But it worked. I used a sheet of Kraft paper here. I have so much of it from my Studio Calico kits, but it just doesn't seem to be my thing. I like how it softened this layout, I may start using more. Only one family page to go!

This is the layout that I showed the sneak of the other day. The photo has been printed. I LOVE this layout. Very retro. Super cool. Thanks Crystal (and Jane!) for the use of Jane's cricut cartridge to cut this flowers. They look just like the Sass flowers you can buy!

Baby Ichabod Crane

Ichabod was dropped by a hawk today near Ryan's camp. A trucker brought him there because they were the closest place. The baby crane was placed in a box and fed watered down tuna as a snack. I am going to ask the vet about him tomorrow. If there is no where around here that can take him I will try to nurse him to health myself. Poor little baby. Look at those legs!

Another from the photo shoot

I'm running out of photos to do from the photo shoot. I think I only have one double and one single pager left to do.... I used Basic Grey Marakesh for this. It just worked really well with the colours in the photos. I designed this page a little different from usual. I said "I'm just going to make the background look pretty and figure out where the photos belong after that." It was a strategy that worked well actually.

All supplies are Basic Grey except for a few. The "LOVE" is Thickers (of course). The die cut Family pieces are old Daisy D. I actually bought them off Jen D at the LSS garage sale for $1. They coordinate perfectly! I bet she's sorry she sold them now!

On a roll....

I was looking at my latest Studio Calico kit. It's been neatly kept safe in its little paper baggie. I have another on its way any day now so I figured I'd better create something with this one first! I'm not willing to show you the rest of the layout until I print the picture to the correct size and put it on. I think it will be a lot better when fully complete.

Sometimes it's good to be a hoarder

Yet another puppy layout. I got inspiration for this one from this layout at 2peas. I had originally seen it in Scrapbooks Etc. Very cute idea. The following is a list of reasons why I like this layout:

1) It has my beloved Mackie in it.
2) I used really old paper. I mean really old. The baby blue lined stuff is Sassafrass from like 4 years ago. I've thought about purging it a few times, but hung on.
3) I didn't use pop dots. (Did that just for you Crystal).
4) Another old product - the little doggie in the flowers. That's from BG's Mellow line. About 2 years old.
5) I used another transparency.
6) I used my Cricut.

Thanks for looking!

You're the Coolest

I love it when you find paper that goes just perfectly with your photos. The green in Basic Grey's new Lime Rickey goes great with the walls in my bedroom! This layout was done in like half an hour. I did barely anything to it. The birdie paper was just so cute and I wanted to use a lot of it. I didn't really feel I could cover it up without making it look super busy. What do you think? Not too bad for half an hour. I never am that speedy!

Three Princesses

I had struggled with this layout so much. I attempted doing 3 different things before settling on this. I had problems with the colour in my photos so I decided to go black and white. Crystal and I had cut out the princess shapes a long time ago and I really wanted to use them. I do admit that I cheated by just smushing them all in the corner, but it had to be a one-pager to fit in the album at the right spot. It turned out okay. I used Basic Grey Euphoria, which is slowly getting on the old side. I also used a Jenni Bowlin halloween journaling card which indicates the holiday a bit more.

Steve goes swimming

Yesterday we drove out to the Beaton river (thanks Crystal for the idea). There's actually a sign that says "NO DOGS ALLOWED" but we were the only people there so we went anyway. Steve is nearly 4 years old and he's never been swimming. Mack immediately ran in while Steve was a little timid. However, we think Mack scared himself and Steve ended up loving it! He cried and cried when we went to leave.