Passion Scrapper

A busy weekend

2012-01-31T07:36:00.000-08:00

It was a busy weekend - Friday night I helped Penn create a plan for her new home! We know exactly where things are going.... now it's time to purge the "Piggy Palace" before moving her. Her new home is lovely.

Saturday - along with the regular chores of the day - I had a fabulous visit with Jo and lunch! She got her new InstaMax camera - isn't so darn cute?

Sunday - Bodo and Erica flew in for the day from Kelowna - we went shopping, went to the Chinese New Year Celebrations and then to the Canada vs. USA women's final soccer game. It was a fun day! We had amazing seats - Section A - Row A...right on the pitch :) Erica got 5 autographs on her Canadian Flag.

And in other news.... our nephew Christopher has moved from being an "L" to an "N".... he passed his driving test yesterday! woo hoo WTG Chris!!

In Da Hood This Morning

2012-01-27T08:18:00.000-08:00

Chopper, Sirens, Coppers, and Yellow Tape. West 10th is closed this morning between Ash and Cambie. We had a shooting in our neighborhood this morning at 6:30am, so it's a beehive of activity. Here's the link "Shooting" with more info. The victim is in hospital and is okay.

And here's a photo from my window of the officer "standing guard" at the corner of W.10th and Ash St.

It's Monday Again?

2012-01-23T17:36:00.000-08:00

I had a fun weekend and am feeling stunned that it's already Monday again.

Friday night - **giggle** my GF Ann came over for a good ol' fashion sleep over PJ party. We had a yummy dinner, I made Butter Chicken in the slow cooker and then we got into our PJ's for an entire evening of red wine, popcorn, movies and hilarity (I laughed so hard I almost pee'd myself!)

Saturday - Ann and I had a nice morning visiting before she had to head out. I had some chores and shopping to do.... I also had to take a nap! I grabbed about 90 minutes before I had to get ready to go out to DH's company party. LHL don't have a Christmas work party, they have a New Year party. They booked out Il Nido restaurant and we had a really lovely evening wining and dining with DH's co-workers.

Sunday - I made a couple of cards and had a relaxing day. In the evening I went to the Dance House presentation of La La La Human Steps with Diane, Marnie and the whole Carter Clan. We had a nice evening, the performance was "controverstial" from the point of view of our group, we all had pluses and minuses as we were all chattering away about it afterwards. The dance and the music... amazing! the precision and the athletisism of these performers is beyond words....the lighting, could have been better and some of us just didn't "get" the point of the video imagery that was used. I do have to say - I really did enjoy the dance and am looking forward to next months Dance House presentation. This is a season of International Contemporary Dance and next month is Random Dance - Wayne McGregor - London, UK here's what's being said:
“A great sexy beast of a piece—it's like being licked by a panther's juicy, rasping tongue while you're revising maths”—The Sunday Times (London)

Maya Road sneek peeks and Prima Videos

2012-01-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

Maya Road started their CHA sneek peeks :)

and the Prima videos ;)

More Wants, Needs and Desires from CHA

2012-01-19T14:45:00.000-08:00

Here are my three CHA wants, needs and desires for today :)

Did you see the Prima Trinkets?

And have you seen the Graphic 45 Sneak Peeks.... Olde Curiosity Shoppe is at the top of the list!

Webster's Pages - Palm Beach is pretty freakin' awesome too!

This n' That

2012-01-18T07:08:00.000-08:00

Cool new bag - my friend Carol went to Singapore for the holidays - look at this cool new bag she brought back for me! I love the ribbon flowers on it!

Working downtown is dangerous to the wallet- whenever it is sunny out, I go for a walk on my lunch hour ( I take lunch to work usually and eat at my desk after my walk) The only down side is that I've been "window shopping" for weeks - seeing all sorts of wonderful things and everywhere I look there's a SALE sign. I've done well so far, I haven't broken down, until yesterday! I broke down and went into Chintz and Company - it's one of my favorite shops in Yaletown - and I wandered to my favorite section downstairs - I bought the most amazing ribbons! There should be a danger sign at the top of the stairs!

My Horoscope for the Week

2012-01-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

January 8 - 14
Your sign is having all the fun vibes right now. (Mom always liked you best.) Romance, love affairs, vacations, the Arts, sports and playful activities with children are just some of the ways you are enjoying yourself. And you are enjoying yourself! The only downside is, do remember that while Mars is in your sign, you are coming on pretty strong! (Be nice to the little people.) Something very gratifying connected to your job will materialize this week. It could be a warm friendship or romance with a co-worker; it could be a new job; it could be an opportunity to do volunteer work for those who need your help. Whatever happens will please you.

CHA Sneek Peeks

2012-01-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

I'm loving the CHA sneek peeks, but it's killing me too! I want some of the new products right now.

I love Prima's En Francais,

And then there's My Minds Eye I'm really liking the Follow Your Heart lines Be Happy and Be Amazing

The Sneek Peeks for Graphic45 start tomorrow, can't wait to see what they'll do this year!

Have you started your CHA wish list yet?

Practice Photos

2012-01-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share some practice photos I took over the holidays with the new macro lens. I've found that using it on manual works best for me, the photos taken on automatic just don't seem to have the right "feel" to me. I'm going to be playing some more with the camera over the next few weeks and can't wait for spring to arrive.... there will be a lot of macro shots outdoors when the weather improves.

Christmas Cracker

Ah Nuts!

My embroidery

Mom's embroidery

Paper weight

Pin Cushion

Sounds good to me :) Virgo 2012

2012-01-07T12:00:00.000-08:00

All Virgos will experience many more chances to travel this year. The year 2012 is all about broadening your experience of the world, and travel is one of the most logical ways to do this. However, some will explore more through study and education. Others will find themselves engaged with people from other cultures in different countries. Your views on the world will change. You will broaden your knowledge, including your awareness of philosophy, consciousness-raising movements and spiritual ideology. (Pretty heady stuff.) Many of you will drop old prejudices - and probably get new ones! (We're naked without our prejudices!)

Nurturing my wild side....

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

... bet you didn't think I had a wild side did you? Ha! I've had a little battle going with the good angel and the devilish angel on either shoulder, should I or shouldn't I?

My "A" for adventure motto usually lands me in some pretty fun situations and sometimes I just kick back and go with the flow.

So, I went with the flow and listened to the devilish angel this time and decided to knock one more thing of my list of things to do before I'm 50 - it's been a long time coming! I have wanted to do this for a number of years. Can you guess?

Here are the reveal photos (thanks Sue for taking and sending them!)

If you're wondering what it is.... it's a celtic angel tattoo :) on my upper right arm, not too big, it's just right! and I'm really happy with it.

Wait for it........(((ring))) that's my mom and dad calling now! LOL

Happy New Year!

2012-01-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

I hope you've all enjoyed the holiday season! I wish you all the very best for a healthy and happy 2012!

I think my New year celebration actually was kicked off on Friday Dec. 30th, I spent the evening with my girlfriends and we had a blast! We laughed so hard and actually managed to get some scrapbooking done, even with the martini's and wine flowing. Thanks Sue for hosting a girls night out! and thanks Diane, Jo and Kathy... I had an amazing time!

The Three Banditas!

Dinner! yummy Crab Mac n' Cheese!

Cheers!

It had to be funny!

No one can drink us under the table, we're already there!

The Infamous Lemon Meringue Martini OMG! it's to die for!

DH and I rung in the New Year at Ceilis's Irish Pub - good food, great friends, laughter and live music.

Penny, DH and I

Say Cheese!

Happy New Year!!

Rick and Norbert (Penn is hiding)

Wonderful time in Qualicum Beach

2011-12-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

DH and I got home last night from a wonderful 4 day trip to the island. We had a great Christmas with my parents, it was relaxing and fun!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your families.

Christmas Eve Raclette

Enjoying a relaxing Raclette dinner

Christmas Morning

Dad - it's a book light for his e-Reader - he really wanted one!

Embroidery books for mom

I can't believe you bought me an Xbox! DH was really surprised and happy

Pink Champagne

Lots of scratch n' win tickets in the stockings, but no big winners!

Baileys in my coffee :)

Prepping the Christmas Goose

DH and Dad set the dining table for Christmas dinner

this goose is cooked

Family & Friends

It must have been really funny!

DH bought me this fantastic book

DH spoiled me with a new Macro lens for my DSLR Camera

Happy Boxing Day!

2011-12-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2011-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and your families joy this holiday season!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Schwibbögen

2011-12-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

During the Christmas season, windows throughout the Saxony area of Germany are lit with the soft lights of Schwibbögen, or Christmas arches. These traditional displays reach back over 270 years to the silver mines of the Erzgebirge in Germany, and the first Schwibbögen, made out of wrought iron, are thought to have originated in the town of Johanngeorgenstadt.

After miners finished a long, hard day in the mines, they would hang their lanterns at the mine entrance. The twinkling lights formed a glittering arch, and these lantern arches are thought to have been the inspiration for Schwibbögen.

Schwibbögen were especially popular during the Christmas season. Christmas was the only time in the year when the hard and dangerous work in the mines came to a rest. Wives put the Schwibbögen in their cottage windows and lit the candles to welcome their husbands home after a hard day in the mines. The twinkling lights in the windows guided the miners as they trudged through darkness and snow, and welcomed them to the warmth and security of their homes and families.

During the Christmas season, large Schwibbögen are also set up in the public squares and churches in the Erzgebirge.

Home craftsmen soon began to work with wood because of its natural beauty and warmth. The making of Schwibbögen quickly became an important source
of income throughout the Erzgebirge.

Ann bought me this lovely German Schwibbögen for Christmas. It looks so lovely in front of the window on our dining table! I love it! thanks Ann!

Here are some photos of others I found on the internet. The oldest and the newest!

The oldest existing wrought iron Schwibbogen is in Johanngeorgenstadt (1778)

This is quite elaborate... most I've seen are very simple.

Where's the pickle?

2011-12-21T06:12:00.000-08:00

I placed a pickle in our tree! yes I did! here is some information about the tradition of the Christmas pickle. No one in DH's family back in Germany follows this tradition, but I bought a wonderful Christmas pickle at the Weihnachtsmarkt and I hung it in the tree!

"It is a quaint tradition that nobody wants to claim. It is the little-known tradition of the Christmas pickle.

The Christmas pickle is not really a pickle at all. It is a pickle-shaped ornament that is the last one hung on thetree on Christmas Eve. The first child to find the Christmas pickle gets an extra gift from Saint Nicholas. Or sothe so-called legend goes.

There are two other versions of the origins of the Christmas pickle. One is a family story of a Bavarian-born ancestor who fought in the American Civil War. A prisoner in poor health and starving, he begged a guard for just one pickle before he died. The guard took pity on him and found a pickle for him. The pickle by the grace of God gave him the mental and physical strength to live on.

The other, is a medieval tale of two Spanish boys traveling home from boarding school for the holidays. When they stopped at an inn for the night, the innkeeper, a mean and evil man, stuffed the boys into a pickle barrel. That evening, St. Nicholas stopped at the same inn, became aware of the boys' plight, tapped the pickle barrel with his staff, and the boys were magically freed.

Rumor and speculation place the origin of this tradition in Germany. However few in modern-day Germany recognize or have even heard of the Christmas pickle. Some in West Germany blame generations of East Germans who may have had nothing more than pickles to decorate their Christmas trees with after World War II. But even families and historians in East Germany shrug at the mention of the Christmas pickle tradition.

Regardless of where it came from, the Christmas tradition survives. Ornament manufacturers continue to make the specialty decoration and enjoy perpetuating the myth of its legendary origins -- false though they may be."

My little Christmas pickle hiding in the tree.... it's not easy to find!

Seasonal Festivities Continue....

2011-12-18T08:16:00.000-08:00

Friday evening Diane and I went to the Burnaby Village Museum, the weather could have been much better, it was kind of drizzly out, but we braved the elements and strolled around the village and made our final stop at the carousel. Afterwards we had a lovely dinner at Hart House and exchanged xmas pressies.

Welcome to Burnaby Village Museum

The Mercantile shop windows

Hansel and Gretal's Gingerbread House

Hang on Diane!!

Weeeeeh, let's ride the carousel!

Hmmmm, decisions, decisions.

New Monkey - at the time of the photo, he/she had not been named yet!

Merry Christmas!

Saturday afternoon - Ann and I made Peanut Brittle! the annual tradition continues :)

Saturday evening - Rick joined us for the evening, Norbert made a fabulous dinner and I managed to stay out the kitchen and not interfere with his cooking (LOL) it was a great night!

Hope you're having a good weekend!

It's that time of year! Busy Busy Busy....

2011-12-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was a wonderful weekend spending time with friends to celebrate the holiday season. The Mennies had their annual open house on Saturday, it was great fun and really nice to see some people that we hadn't seen since last year! Where does the time go?

On Sunday I spent the day with my girlfriends, scrapbooking, eating amazing food, exchanging baked goodies, a Secret Santa and exchanging cards and gifts. Thanks girls for the really great day!

Monday morning didn't start off too well.... I went to work and got stuck in the elevator for 35 minutes! Yes, I was trapped, all alone and sipping on my Starbucks coffee (I had an after thought - don't drink too much coffee if you're stuck in an elevator - you might need the bathroom sooner than they can come and rescue you!) I sent a text to the office, DH and Diane. DH called to make sure I was okay and Diane sent me a couple of texts to make sure I was okay too. All was fine, no cute fireman came to rescue me though...what a disappointment! LOL Monday evening, I had to run around a get some things organized for a work meeting Tuesday.

Tuesday after work, I went to Diane's for dinner with the family and then we were all off to Michael's Winter Concert at his middle school. Brought back alot of memories for me, only this time, I wasn't in the band playing, I was in the audience! After the concert we had a short game of Monopoly - I bought Michael the electronic version for Christmas, it comes with bank cards! so no funny paper money! It's really cool.

Wednesday, I went to the VWMS concert. The BC Girls Choir sang, their program was a very festive one and was really lovely. After the concert I had lunch with my friend Sue C. The evening was very relaxing....it was the annual "Spa night" with Ann and Helen. It was fantastic and afterwards we went to Heron's at the Waterfront Hotel for dinner and exchanged our xmas presents.

Tonight I dashed home from work to receive the delivery of my new curio cabinet! I'm so excited! and now I'm off to have dinner with Penny.

I also won a wonderful prize from my friend Shell on her blog. She was doing the 12 days of Christmas giveaway and I won a 7Gypsies Shadow Box! Okay so that's two prizes I've won this month :) I bought another Lotto Max ticket!

Speaking of prizes.... sorry I forgot to post the winner(s) of the RAK for your favorite holiday CD. Well only two people posted... Jo and Diane... so they both WIN! Congrats girls!

Stay tuned for more adventures.... it's a busy weekend ahead!

Catching up

2011-12-10T06:17:00.001-08:00

It's been a busy week! On Tuesday evening I had dinner Suzanne and Carol at the Creekside Restaurant.

On Thursday Ann and I went to the CBC Radio 2 studio for a Rush Hour concert, which was amazing! and afterwards we went up to St. Paul's Hospital to see the light display.

On Friday night Norbert and I met Sue and Richard at the Christmas Market! (yes I was there again!)

This weekend is filled with scrapbooking, holiday celebrations with friends and baking!
Sleep - optional!

Favorite Christmas CD

2011-12-08T16:30:00.000-08:00

Michael Buble Christmas is supposed to be the hottest holiday CD this year. I have a pretty good collection of holiday CD's and have a hard time trying to decide which one is my favorite... but if I had to choose... I'd have to say that it's the good old classics for me, a collection of the oldies. I have Bing Crosby's White Christmas as my phone ring tone right now, so that will tell you I still love the classics!

So.... tell me about your favorite Christmas CD.... it's worth a RAK! Post or email me with your response by Sunday night and I'll announce the winner on Monday.

Happy St. Nicholas Day

2011-12-06T06:28:00.001-08:00

Saint Nicholas Day

Saint Nicholas was renowned for his great kindness and his generous aid to those in distress. Among the kind and miraculous acts attributed to him are saving three young girls from prostitution by secretly providing them with dowries, raising three murdered boys from the dead, and saving sailors caught in stormy seas. For these reasons, he is considered the patron saint of children, unmarried girls, and sailors, among others.

Traditional celebrations of Saint Nicholas Day in Northern Europe included gifts left in children's shoes (the origin of our Christmas stockings). Good children receive treats - candies, cookies, apples and nuts, while naughty children receive switches or lumps of coal. Sometimes coins were left in the shoes, reminiscent of the the life-saving dowries the saint provided. Today - especially in families of German extraction - children still put a shoe outside their bedroom doors on the eve of Saint Nicholas Day, and expect to find candy and coins or small gifts in their shoe on December 6th.

Celebrating Kathy's Birthday

2011-12-05T12:00:00.000-08:00

Diane and I spent the afternoon with Kathy celebrating her birthday (it was on Friday Dec.2). The weather was stunning and we had a really fabulous afternoon together.

And the RAK winner is.....

2011-12-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

True Random Number Generator Min:1 Max:3 Result: 3 Powered by RANDOM.ORG
In order of posting.... the winner is Sue C!

#1 - ScrappeeDiane said... This sounds like fun.
Sight = Gotta be lights
Sound = Bells, like from an elf in the back of my truck.
Scent = Turkey Dinner
Taste = Mincemeat tarts
Touch = My Santa Hat

#2 - Sue in Canada said...
Sight = That first time you turn on the Christmas tree lights!
Sound = Bing singing White Christmas!
Scent = Christmas Dinner
Taste = Eggnog
Touch = Christmas hugs from friends and family.

#3 - Sue C said...
Sight - Christmas lights - I remember going for drives with my family to see all the pretty lights.
Sound - Christmas carols
Scent - mandarin oranges, always the first sign that Christmas is coming.
Taste - eggnog with rum!
Touch - tree ornaments, every one brings back a special memory.

Decked the Halls

2011-12-04T06:47:00.001-08:00

Saturday was decorating day!

December 2nd photos

2011-12-03T05:59:00.001-08:00

Here I am wearing my new pj's from Diane!

Here's my little USB driven tree in my office - thanks Ann!

And this is our new pride and joy! an antique bar that Sue and Richard gave to me last weekend....

Have a great weekend!

December Festivities Kick Off!

2011-12-02T05:32:00.001-08:00

December 1st was a fabulous day! Diane and I met on our lunch break and exchanged our "fun gifts" for the season. I gave her a jingle bell elf basket with some xmas themed bath things.... that elf jingled all the way home in her truck! LOL And Diane gave me some festive PJ's and penguin socks.... love them! Thanks Diane

Then at 12/1/2011 3:51 PM I received an email from Yolanda at Tiny Seed:

I won a prize!!! here's what Yolanda wrote :)

Hi Izzy,

Please be advised that you are one of two winners who have won our "Shop with Us to win a Fabulous Prize" contest. The prize includes a Lush 8x8 Red Flocked Album by MME and a collection of Hot Chocolate by Fancy Pants. Congratulations!! Since the "Square Stickers" is sold out, we will give you a sample of assorted Maya Road's mini chipboards. Hope you like it.

Like it? I will love it!!! Thanks Yolanda! woo hoo :)

After work, Ann and I got together for our annual December 1st kick of and went to the Christmas Market.... we had a blast! drinking Feuerzangenbowle, basically it's mulled wine with rum! we rode the carousel, shopped and afterwards we had dinner and exchanged our fun gift. I gave Ann a glass xmas tree wine bottle stopper and she gave me a mini LED USB xmas tree that you plug into the computer! LOL Love it.

Let the December festivities begin!

Senses of the Season

2011-11-30T23:59:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year, it's just an amazing experience for the senses. Here is an opportunity to win a RAK.... the first one of many this month! Post your answers in the comments or email me directly. The random generator will select a winner on December 5th!

For each sense - list your favorite holiday item associated with than sense.

Sight

Sound

Scent

Taste

Touch

The past few days....

2011-11-28T13:05:00.001-08:00

I've been a busy worker bee :)

I spent a large portion of my Friday doing chores and errands. I went out to this great little shop to buy the Rum Babas for Christmas Day... OMG these are to die for! I can remember having these when I was a child, then for some reason years went past and the babas had been forgotten, but.....somehow, somewhere a couple of years ago I saw them! fate stepped in and I decided that it was time to have the babas again at Christmas time. Don't mess with my rum babas and don't mess with fate...."Nuff said".

DH and I went out on Friday night for a nice Japanese dinner and then went shopping at HomeSense. I found these fantastic Christmas crackers! Love it :)

we also bought a few gifts and got a smokin' hot deal on some king sized bed sheets (which we desparately needed!)

We received our first parcel and Christmas card from Germany on Saturday morning... thanks Andrea, Kilian and Kester! we'll wait until Christmas to open our pressies but I opened the card ;)

Saturday afternoon I went out to Sue's place. Two fold mission - or maybe it was three fold - hmmmmm
Part 1 - I created a lovely Christmas Box
Part 2 - Created the action plan for sorting/organizing the studio and office at Sue's place.
Part 3 - We busted our butts Saturday night and all day Sunday!! we managed to load up Sue's truck with recycling - and mine with donations. We've made a good start and have booked another two sessions to "Git er' Done!" Sue and Richard - thanks again for the amazing hospitality!

Sunday night I put out the Advent Kranz for Advent.

Our second parcel from Germany arrived Monday.... yummy! Now the holiday season can really begin, we've got Lebkuchen in the house.

How are things going with you?

And so it begins....

2011-11-25T17:56:00.001-08:00

Last week I received my first Christmas card from my great aunt Leila in Sheffield England, I always get her card first! Today I received my second card from Sheffield.... from Stan and Syliva (my parents friends).

Isn't this kitty adorable!! Leila knows me well :)

Loved the simplicity of this card!

I also ensured that Santa sent some "special deliveries" today to some special friends....I hope you enjoyed Santa's visit :)! LOL

My little santa and I were wrapping stocking stuffers this afternoon.... I'm really getting in the groove!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

One month away!

2011-11-24T16:00:00.000-08:00

How are your holiday season preparations coming along?

Holidays, Hot Tubs and Friends

2011-11-21T12:30:00.000-08:00

I had a very fun and productive weekend. Firstly (and yes Shell I'm still ahead of the game plan!) I wrote out, addressed and sealed our Christmas cards ready to hit the post office in the next few days...then it was on to wrapping the stocking stuffers. And of course the usual weekend chores.

DH and I went out to Ann & Rob's place for dinner on Saturday evening and had a wonderful time! The four of us planned and booked our holiday get away to Las Vegas Feb.28-Mar.2, 2012 (a former co-worker and friend of Ann's is getting married on Feb. 29th in Vegas!) We found such an amazing deal, our package, 4 days and 3 nights at the Bellagio, airfare included.... only $477 Cdn each. Now that's a smokin' hot deal! Vegas ... here we come!

A & R just got a new 2 person hot tub for the deck, so DH & I checked it out, then Ann and I soaked some more with a glass of vino.... the hot tub was about 102 degrees and outside was about -2 degrees....let's just say we quickly went back into the house when we were done in the hot tub before the water froze to our skin! LOL

I spent all of Sunday with friends working on some scrapbooking projects, I'm still working on my photos from Germany.

I'm getting ready for all the fun and festivities that December will be bringing, watch for my December Daily! I'll have some RAK's during December from Santa, so get ready to play some reindeer games! :)

The traditional German style Christmas market officially opens on Thursday this week, I think I'll go down after work for a sneek peek and to buy my pass.... did you really think I'd only go once during an entire month!? Anyone that wants to join me for a cup of Glühwein on Thursday night.... feel free to join me! Just in case you can't join me.... here's the recipe for Glühwein so you can make it at home :)

Glühwein, "glow wine"

Ingredients (serves 2-3 persons)

1 bottle of dry red wine (750 ml)
one lemon
2 sticks of cinnamon
3 cloves
3 tablespoons of sugar
some cardamom (or ginger)

Directions
Heat the red wine in a pot (don't boil). Cut the lemon into slices and add to the wine. Then add the cinnamon, cloves, sugar and a little cardamom (to taste). Heat everything for about 5 minutes - do not boil - and let stand for about an hour. Before serving, reheat and strain. Serve in prewarmed glasses or mugs.

Have a great week!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

2011-11-18T09:29:00.001-08:00

Ann and I had such an amazing time at Hycroft last night.... the house was fully decorated and it looked gorgeous! there were Christmas carols in the background, live performances in the Salon, Santa was there, real and otherwise ;) and it was snowing!! yes, we've have our first dusting of snow here in Vancouver :) it was so magical last night.... highly recommend Hycroft - three floors of amazing crafts and artistans.... if you can make it out this weekend it is definitely worth it!

Christmas at Hycroft Nov.17-20

2011-11-14T17:00:00.000-08:00

Another great place to get those stocking stuffers and get into the holiday spirit.

Here the link for more information if you'd like to go :) Hycroft Christmas

39th Christmas at Hycroft 2011 ~

100 YEARS OF CHRISTMAS

Thursday November 17th and Friday November 18th - 10am to 9pm

Saturday November 19th and Sunday November 20th - 10am to 6pm

TICKETS

Adults: $13Children: (5 to 11) $5Under 5: FreeFamily Pack ( 2 adults & 3 children) $30

Special this year $10 adult admission on Thursday 17th November

Tickets may be purchased at the door, online, or through the office.

Happy Happy Joy Joy

2011-11-11T12:02:00.001-08:00

The Vancouver Christmas market is on again this year! November 24-December 24, 11am-9pm daily... I'll be there getting my share of Gluhwein :)
Interested to learn more? Visit the Vancouver Christmas market website

Fun times

2011-11-10T07:35:00.001-08:00

I had a great weekend at Timberline Ranch with my girlfriends. I managed to get a whole lot of stuff done! and it was a lucky weekend for Penn and I... we won the 50/50 draw three times! once a day for three days.... woo hoo! I bought a lotto max ticket when I got home, you never know I might win 50 millions dollars!

The girls worked feverishly on their projects/cards and we had some great laughs too, despite the fact that both Kathy and Diane were in pain, they both had root canals just before the retreat, I think the drugs helped!

I'm off to Circle Craft today with Diane.... getting a jump on the holiday spirit and hopefully will find some stocking stuffers too ;)

Have a great day!

Today's the Day!

2011-11-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

It's the Timberline Ranch Retreat! I can't tell you how excited I am.... okay yes I can! OMG!! it's here!

it's always a wonderful weekend with my friends... I'm packed and ready to roll. I was up at 4:45 this morning, just couldn't sleep! and now I've got to wait a few more hours until it's time to leave....it's killing me. I'm a get up a go person, any wait time is excruciatingly painful for me. LOL

Have a great weekend everyone! I'll have photos to share on Monday :)

8 Saturdays until Christmas!

2011-11-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

Yes, you read that right! there are only 8 Saturdays left until Christmas, here we are in November already!
I am well ahead of the game this year....seriously, if you think I was organized in past years, this years' organizational skills will make your head spin!

The parcel to Germany was shipped on October 24th :)

I have the shopping all done for the parcels to be shipped to Halifax and Kelowna. Those will go in the mail on Monday.
I have made 60.... yes 60! Christmas cards, the mailing labels are done and I just have to write in the cards, stamp them and send them off. They'll be in the mail box on December 1st!
Stocking stuffers for my parents.... well on the way to being almost finished.
The gifts for DH...done! yes sweetie, I'm finished shopping for you....how are you making out with your shopping? LOL
The ferry reservations to Vancouver Island have been made.
The holiday menu is prepared (mom and I are splitting the grocery list).
The holiday decorating will take place on December 2nd.
Holiday baking....that will happen on a continuous basis during December...I have to spread this out, otherwise all the goodies will be baked and eaten before the holidays even start!

This weekend I'm off to Timberline Ranch Retreat and will work on a couple of gifts for friends, xmas tags (I need a few more, the stash is running low) and some VIP xmas cards.

The social calendar for December is filling up nicely, my annual traditions will carry on (watch my blog for updates and photos of the seasonal fun). Hey Ann! check the calendar so we can book our peanut brittle night!!

I'm on a roll baby! How are your holiday preparations going?

Here's a vintage tag for you all :)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T07:26:00.000-07:00

Our nephew is trying really really hard to move that pumpkin! LOL have a Happy Halloween :)

RAK Winner's

2011-10-25T08:48:00.001-07:00

Jo and Iris!!! you both win a RAK ;)
The things I changed were - the background photo, PassionScrapper header font, added a Timberline ticker, added a Christmas countdown ticker.... nothing else changed! so you both win a prize to participating!
Have a great week.

More Info....Crafter's Delight Garage Sale Tomorrow!

2011-10-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here's some more information for you :) Hope to see you there!

WHEN:
Saturday 22nd October, 2011

PLACE:
Salvation Army, Southmere Corps
3404 East 49th Avenue, Vancouver. (Enter off East 48th Ave)

TIME:
10:00am - 2:30pm

A dozen vendors are de-stashing their extensive craft cupboards to offer their stock to fellow crafty ladies!
If you need or want any fresh supplies for your favorite craft everything will be at rock-bottom prices!
Also a great source of affordable & fun items for kids' arts & crafts time!

Hundreds of Rubber Stamps & Supplies Buttons,
Brads & Embellishments
Cardstock & Specialty Papers
Beads & Ribbon
Scissors, Punches,
& Other Tools Fabric & Patterns,
Yarn & Knitting Needles Storage Containers & Tubs
All Sorts of Other Crafty Supplies!

Also lots of brand new/overstock items to help you get started - or even finish! - your Christmas shopping!
Baby Quilts, Bibs, Onesies, & Hand-Knit Hats Handmade Greeting Cards Halloween & Christmas Holiday Jewelry Beaded Bookmarks & Keyholders Knitting Stitch Markers & Scissor Fobs

RAK Time!!

2011-10-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

I've got some scrapbooking goodness to give away !! :)
It's really easy, all you have to do is tell me (via comment) what 3 things are new with/on my blog. If you're right you'll be entered to win a scrapbooking goodie.
You've got until Saturday night to post a comment - I'll use the random generator to determine a winner on Sunday. Easy Peasy!!

Timberline Ranch Retreat

2011-10-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

The weekend scrapbooking retreat at Timberline is fast approaching... time to get my stuff in order and start kitting! This twice yearly retreat is always such fun, I'm looking forward to getting a fair bit accomplished.

Crossing my fingers that a few things I've ordered online will "arrive on time" so that I can create with them. New goodies are such fun!!

You can count down to the weekend with me....I've added a ticker to the blog ;)

"Crafter's Delight" Garage Sale - Reminder

2011-10-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to come out this Saturday to see some great bargains at the "Crafters Delight" garage sale!

Saturday, October 22 from 10 am to 2:30 pm held at the Salvation Army, Southmount corps.

located at 3403 East 49th avenue (entrance is off 48 avenue though).

Thanksgiving Weekend Fun!

2011-10-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

Before I start the stories and pictures I am posting a warning..... there is one photo (it will be the last one, marked *warning*), which some people may find a tad rude. I just have to say, that my niece took the photo and it was completely unintentional and innocent, it wasn't until we downloaded the photos to see how they turned out that we realized how it really looked! LOL So on with this past weekend's news.

Our drive up to Kelowna on Friday was uneventful - the roads were fine and it wasn't too busy early in the day. We had a lovely Friday afternoon/evening catching up and visiting with everyone.

Saturday - we started off by hitting the Farmer's Market to get a selection of fresh veggies for Sunday's feast. Then it was off to a few other shops to do some errands and shopping.
After all the chores were done we went out on the boat and got seriously wind blown!

Later that afternoon we all went to a winery and stomped grapes! It was so much fun, a tad cool on the toes at first, but the feeling of squishing grapes with your feet was amazing! Everyone except Chris and the dog took a turn in the grape tub. We tasted a couple of wines at the winery and I bought a very nice wine (it's kind of spicey and chocolately) called "Hot Flash" :) LOL it's really nice.

Erica made an amazing dinner - she made fresh pasta from scratch and an amazing cheesy alfredo sauce... she's quite the cook!

Sunday - up very early! Rosalie, Bodo and Christopher were both running in the Kelowna Marathon. Bodo and Chris ran the 10k portion and Rosalie did the 1/2 marathon. Erica and I were the official cheer leaders and photographers that morning. Chris ran his 10K in 45 minutes, Bodo finished in 58 minutes and Rosalie completed the 1/2 marathon in 1 hour 49 minutes!

Once the marathoners were done, we went home and Bodo and I started prepping the 22 pound turkey and making the stuffing. It was then time to enjoy a beer in the hot tub! :) The rest of the afternoon was spent, sipping beer and chopping veggies! We were feeding an army of 15 for dinner and everyone was due to arrive around 4pm. Chop Chop!

Thanksgiving dinner turned into a couple of other celebrations.... Lydia is turning 12 this week, so we had a mini celebration with gifts and cake for her. Also since the Kelowna Clan are all going to South Africa for Christmas, we had Christmas crackers and funny paper hats for Thanksgiving too!

The medely for dinner was as follows:
Turkey with Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Tri-colored Carrots (yellow, orange and purple!)
Spinach
Leeks
Broccoli
Zucchini and Tomato Casserole
Dessert was a wonderful Pear and Peach Crumble with whip cream made by Erica, cookies by Joy, and a chocolate birthday cake for Lydia.
Can you say.... STUFFED!?

Needless to say - we had more than our fair share of food and didn't eat much on Monday morning.

I was awake at an ungodly hour on Monday morning, no one else was moving, not even the dog or the cat! so I took my coffee and a scrapbook magazine with me and soaked in the hot tub :) aaah bliss, sipping coffee, listening to the birds, watching the squirrels steal walnuts off the tree and flipping through a magazine while soaking in the hot tub - couldn't get much better than that on a Thanksgiving Monday morning. Why can't all Monday mornings start that way?

Brunch was definately not traditional, no one was really hungry for a big breakfast, so we fried up some bacon, sliced tomato, cheese, lettuce, onion, turkey and made sandwiches on the leftover sour dough bread!

Norbert and I got ourselves packed up and hit the road for our journey home to Vancouver, other than hitting a couple of major downpours along the way we had a good trip home.

****WARNING****

so here it is... Erica's famous family photo! We decided to have a group shot in the garden with all our veggies whilst wearing our aprons. BIL has a funny apron....needless to say - he shouldn't have been wearing cream colored clothes!

Something fun and festive to try :)

2011-10-13T09:20:00.000-07:00

Handmade Poinsettia Ribbon Flower Tutorial

I saw this on Inspirational Tips, Techniques & Tutorials blog and I'm going to give this a try! it's so lovely :) I hope you enjoy and if you have something fun and festive to share... please pass it on. Christmas is coming soon and I'm looking for some new ideas to try out this year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-10-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

We drove to Kelowna on Friday to spend the Thanksgiving long weekend with the family. It's been an action packed weekend and lots of fun, we're heading back to Vancouver later this afternoon....so this post is just to wish all my friends a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a wonderful day. ((hugs))

Crafter's Delight Garage Sale!

2011-10-05T06:40:00.001-07:00

Mark your calendars! and come out to see some great bargains at the "Crafters Delight" garage sale on Saturday, October 22 from 10 am to 2:30 pm. It will be held at the Salvation Army, Southmount corps. located at 3403 East 49th avenue (entrance is off 48 avenue though).

Friends and Fun!

2011-10-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg, even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." -- Bernard Meltzer.

I had a great weekend at the Crop 4 Kids - it's a wonderful group of friends that I scrapbook with! Thanks everyone for a great time!

One more sleep!

2011-09-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's here again! The BC Scrapbooking Crop 4 Kids in Abbotsford starts tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to the weekend! I have two classes on Saturday which I'm excited about and the rest of the time - I'll be socializing with my scrappin' buddies and working on creating a mini album (an xmas gift for someone special) and get a start on my Christmas cards.... because OMG this weekend is the 1st of October already! and you all know....
I have a schedule to keep - especially since I have to get most of my stuff sent off to Europe by October 28th.

Have a great weekend!

Photos of photos

2011-09-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

There are quite a few old photos in frames around and about the ol' homestead in Grossenaspe. Unfortunately, no one has a scanner and I looked into have copies made...that's just not happening! it's so expensive and there are way too many photos, not to mention the time it would take to remove and replace all of them in the frames. So I tried to take photos of the photos - just so that I could have a record of them for Norbert and I. Here's a sample :)

I'm not sure how these will look when I get them developed - hopefully they'll be okay - if not - it's back to the drawing board!

The next project.... Ingrid has several boxes of old family photos from Oma Lisa that need organizing... that's going to be a HUGE task...when I say boxes, I don't mean small photo storage boxes, I'm talking large packing boxes full of photos! I'm saving this for my next trip - it will be the Family History Holiday! LOL I can just see myself now, happier that a pig in poop, surrounded by photos, organizing my little heart out and solving the mysteries of who's who in the photos. Just to add some more "fun" to the project, I can see myself going around taking photos of the places they were born, the houses they lived in etc.
Oh god....someone stop me now before I create a monster! LOL

Photos for U :)

2011-09-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

Sue F. - Gosch - in List

Diane - I found your beer!

Sue C. - isn't she cute? waiting to be sheared!

Jo - Oma's antique doll and baby buggy

Ann - Leaping kitty

Kathy - sunshine, happiness and light

Mom - antique ladies linen box

Iris - life is a beach on the Isle of Sylt!

A trip to the Luneburger-Heide

2011-09-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

The Luneburger-Heide is about a 90 minute drive south of Grossenaspe - that's the fast route, which we took to get there and then we slowly ambled our way along on the quieter back roads on the way home.
Heide, in English, is Heath, it's a short shrub and when it's in bloom across the fields and hillsides it smells amazing and looks really cool.

Pflaumenkuchen (plum cake)

2011-09-10T08:38:00.000-07:00

For those of you who emailed and commented that you wanted a recipe for plum cake - here you go! This is an old Germanrecipe. Ideal for freezing. Bake a large batch, cool, cut into portions andfreeze.

about 2 -3 kg plums, washed and cut in halve with stones removed
sugar and cinnamon to cover the plums before baking
1 lb ( 450g ) plain flour,sifted
2 oz ( 55g ) sugar
1 1/2 oz ( 40g ) fresh yeast
or 2 and 1/2 teaspoons ofactive dry yeast
8 fl oz ( 250 ml ) milk
25 g unsalted butter
grated rind of 1 lemon
pinch of salt
Oven temperature: 180c ( 350F )
Baking time: 20 - 30 minutes

1. heat the milk up to just warm

2. put the crumbled yeast with some sugar into half of the warmmilk and stir, put aside in a warm place and let it rise

3. sift flour into a large mixing bowl adding the rest of thesugar, pinch of salt and the grated lemon rind

4. let the butter melt in the rest of the warm milk

5. when yeast is ready add it with the other milk and butter tothe flour and work in well

6. knead it for a few minutes on a board

7. put back into bowl, cover, place in a warm place and let itrise, for 40- 50 minutes, until double in size

8. roll out thinly, place onto a large rectangular bakingtray and let it rise again

9. cover generously with the plum halves, cut side up,onto the base, dust with sugar and cinnamon and bake at medium oven for 20 - 30minutes.
Serve with whipped cream.

A few photos

2011-09-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

August 24th - Ingrid and I, she made the flower crown for me

Louis

Lars - working hard

Isle of Sylt

Andrea & I - Isle of Sylt - the Morsum Kliff - it was so windy we could fly!

The best way to see the Isle of Sylt - by bicycle

New arrival!

2011-09-09T08:34:00.000-07:00

I was invited over to Marianna's dairy farm for breakfast on Wednesday morning.... look who arrived on Tuesday night! I was given the full tour of the dairy farm after breakfast and all I can say is -

holy hard work batman!! but totally cool :)

The fruits of labour

2011-09-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

It is harvest time here at the homestead in Grossenaspe....apples, more apples, plums, more plums. I was up on the ladder at 6:30am on Saturday picking plums before breakfast. After breakfast I had to clean and depit the plums.... we ´put loads into the freezer and I kept out some fresh and baked a pflaumenn kuchen (plum cake). I also made an apple crumble, the rest of the apples are made into fresh apple juice! There's nothing like fresh juice and fresh fruit right off the tree.

This morning Lars and I were up at 6am and went to the forest mushroom picking. Fresh forest mushrooms smell so good....just like hazel nuts! We had breakfast when we got home at 9am and then I got things underway to prepare our Sunday Dinner... I cooked for the entire family this afternoon. 90% of the it....farm fresh! including the eggs from a neighbour. Fresh pasta with homemade vegetable sauce, fresh caesar salad, including the dressing and handmade bread rolls. Followed by...plum cake! We're stuffed!!

The weather has been nice, sort of muggy tonight, we're in for a thunder storm. It's been on average 25 to 26 C during the day and cools right down at night to 10C.

Well that's it for now... I'm off to digest and rest :)

Back from the Isle of Sylt

2011-09-02T02:06:00.000-07:00

Ingrid, Andrea and I just spent a wonderful week on the Isle of Sylt. We rode bikes all over and walked for miles. It is such an amazing place, no car needed once you get there. We had every type of weather imaginable....amazing sunshine, wind that was strong enough to let you fly away and some freakish thunder and lighting storms at night.
We are now back in Grossenaspe, getting back to normal and doing skads of laundry and household chores. I'm picking plums and apples like crazy from the back 40.....I will be baking later today and the rest we will have to make preserves with. There's just too much out in the fields to keep up.
All the family are well. Lars and I were in the office last night cleaning and organízing a bit, the electrician is coming today to finish the work on the phones and computers so things will be back to normal and the office will be running as usual again. Lars has been without a fax and internet for almost two weeks, a real royal pain in the butt!
Baby Louis, who isn't a baby anymore has grown so much since I saw him last. He will be three on the 17th of September and has started kindergarden, he's so talkative and curious and a lot of fun to play with.
Kester is now 14 and doing well at school and playing soccer alot, his english is amazing! they've been learning english at school and he's happy to practice with me.
Everyone is doing wonderful!
I will sign off for now, just a quick update to say hello from Germany and let you know that I'm having a good time with the family. Everyone is looking forward to my Sunday dinner....I'm cooking for 8 on Sunday afternoon.
Tschüss

Guten Tag vom Grossenaspe

2011-08-24T03:51:00.000-07:00

Ich bin hier im Grossenaspe Germany und alles gut. Heute ist miene Geburtstag und wir haben kaffee und kuchen am 3pm mit die familie und frienden.

so.... in english hello from Grossenaspe! The WiLan has been fixed and we have computers again....yippee. I am having a nice time visiting family and friends and today we are celebrating my birthday. Ingrid made me a special breakfast and also a "blumen krantz" that is a special crown made from fresh flowers. We are celebrating some more this afternoon with coffee and homemade cakes.
The weather is nice and 26 degrees. Tomorrow Ingrid, Andrea and I are going to the Isle of Sylt for a few days of relaxing on the beaches and some bike riding.

Katharina, Lars und Louis bought me a lovely charm for my pandora bracelet. Katharina alos baked me a special cupcake.... it is decorated as a scrapbook!!! OMG it is so cute. I will post photos when I get back from Sylt so you can all see.

Sue C. danke fur die gebutstag card! sehr sehr schön.

so that it is for now, just a quick post to say hello to everyone and let you know that everything is going great!

Tschuss

Happy 5 Year Scrap-a-versary!

2011-08-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Scrapaholics Meetup group was founded on August 24th, 2006! It's amazing how time flys.... this is a fun group, I've met some truly talented and amazing ladies. Happy Scrap-a-versary ladies!

Happy Anniversary!

2011-08-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

I married the most wonderful man in the world! Happy Anniversary sweetie :)

Thanks Helen and Ann!

2011-08-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

I had another birthday celebration last night with Ann and Helen downtown at the Cascades lounge in the Pan Pacific. It was a fun evening and they spoiled me rotten! Thanks for the great night girls!

5 year Blogoversary

2011-08-16T06:34:00.000-07:00

Has it really been that long!? I started blogging on August 16, 2006 - my first post was made at 6:34am
Happy Blogoversary to me :)

How long have you been blogging?

Family & Friends

2011-08-12T10:02:00.000-07:00

I've been busy with friends and family these past couple of weeks. As you've seen in my previous posts, we had the kids for 5 days, then I celebrated Sue C.'s birthday....I continued with the celebrations and visits.

On August 1st I had a wonderful lunch with Jo , after lunch we wandered into a couple of cool consignment shops on Main Street :) I wish we had more time! I could have spent hours in those shops searching for treasures.

On August 4th my parents arrived....it also happened to be my mom's birthday that day! We took my parents out to dinner in Yaletown that evening.

I made mom an altered cigar box with some all occasion cards to match..... she really liked it!

Mom made some "just because" gifts for me. Two lovely lavender sachets and a jewellery bag.... I love them! The perfect compliment to the lovely travel kit mom made me awhile back.

Graham and Trish arrived from England on August 5th ... they brought me some treats too :) My absolute favorite, Minstrels! and a really unique set of measuring cups. Norbert got some great CD's.

My birthday celebrations started early. Mom and I went shopping for a new rain coat - I desperately needed a new waterproof coat. So mom, dad and Norbert all pitched in and I've got a new coat! (sorry no picture yet) Graham and Trish brought me a lovely piece of jewellery, it's a scarf ring. It's made with Blue John Stone, it's a the rarest natural formation in the British Isles and was discovered nearly 2000 years ago by the Romans - anyways.... they brought me this lovely gift from Derbyshire. The stone is set in a ring of silver and is a lovely deep maroon/black with flecks of white. (picture coming).

We did the usual touring around Vancouver, Granville Island, downtown, Olympic Village, rides on the Aqua Bus etc. it's been all go around here. Graham and Trish have been pounding the pavement...literally...Trish came home one afternoon and let's just say it pained me to see the soles of her feet! Foot bath and a glass of wine was in order!

I had a wonderful birthday celebration with Diane this week... we went for a drink at the Lennox and dinner at Zefferelli's. Diane made me a wonderful mini album of our trip to Portland OR and found this amazing handmade paper journal too! Thanks Diane!

That's what I've been up too. Hope you're enjoying your summer! We're off to the China Town night market tonight :)

Celebrating a Friend

2011-08-01T10:44:00.000-07:00

Sue C. and I went to the Hotel Vancouver yesterday afternoon for tea to celebrate her birthday. It was wonderful to see her and we spent a lovely afternoon sipping champagne and tea and enjoying the "nibbles".

Happy Birthday Sue!

2011-07-30T03:00:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all the wonderful things in life for today and always!
((hugs))

Adventures with Teenagers

2011-07-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful visit with Erica and Chris - 5 days of adventures with teenagers.
What I learned....
#1 - teenage boys are always hungry
#2 - teenagers like to sleep in late
#3 - teenage girls will get up early to go shopping!

#4 - teenagers like to watch movies

The kids arrived at 7pm on the 22nd and we took them to dinner (teenage boys are always hungry!). Afterwards we went down to the grocery store to stock up on "kid friendly snacks". After we got them unpacked and sorted, we decided to relax and watch Sherlock Holmes (teenagers like to watch movies). It was 1am before we all crashed!

On Saturday we went down to the Khatsalano Festival - West 4th Ave was closed from Burrard Street to MacDonald with loads of music stages set up at the major intersections and lots of shops with outdoor street sales.(teenage girls like to shop). After a few hours of wandering around we walked down to Kits Beach and had lunch. Some more wandering and then we decided to head back home to "rest" before our evening out in China Town. We took the kids to Hon's Noodle house for dinner and then hit the China Town night market. There was a youth talent show on that night, it was really good! Even after having a "pre dinner" snack of Nutella Wheels and a full dinner at Hon's, Chris had to go back to the stall and buy more Nutella Wheels - 6 wheels for $5 - (teenage boys are always hungry). After a full day and evening of walking around you'd think the kids would have been tired... nope, back home and we watched "The Quest for Camelot" and ate "kid friendly snacks" (teenage boys are always hungry/teenagers like to watch movies!) It was another late night to bed.

Sunday - not surprising the kids didn't wake up very early (teenagers like to sleep in late) Norbert made us Crepes for brunch and then we headed out to Steveston for the afternoon. We had a lot of fun wandering around the fishing boats and strolling along the dyke and Garry Point park. We stopped for frozen yogurt and shortly afterwards.... yes not more than 45 minutes later it was time for lunch (teenage boys are always hungry!). Can you guess how we spent the evening? yes we watched a movie! "Limitless" - ate pizza and "kid friendly snacks" during the movie (teenage boys are always hungry!/teenagers like to watch movies!)

Monday - (teenage girls will get up early to go shopping!) Erica and I had a girls day out, we were out the door by 9am - first we had a pedicure and then we hit the shops at Metrotown for the entire day! The boys had a nice day too - Norbert took Chris out to UBC for a tour, he's graduating next June and is applying to universities - we'd like him to come here - but he's also looking at universities back east. The boys apparently had a late Sushi lunch (2pm) and then were home playing on the computers.
When Erica and I got home, we all headed up to Nat Bailey Stadium for a C's baseball game and the fireworks afterwards. More food at the game (teenage boys like to eat!)

Tuesday - Another late rising for the kids, and after a hearty breakfast of Scrambled Eggs and Bacon we decided to go downtown for a wander (shopping for girls/JapaDogs for boys/Chapters for all of us) and then we took the kids to see "Transformers - The Dark Side" in 3D at the theatre (teenagers like to watch movies/teenage boys like to eat!). You'd think they wouldn't be hungry after JapaDogs, movie snacks etc. - oh no..... I made a late pasta dinner with garlic bread (teenage boys like to eat!) and then ..... you guessed it! we watched "Gulliver's Travels" (teenagers like to watch movies!/teenage boys like to eat!) yes they had "kid friendly snacks" during the movie too.

Wednesday - The kids were up at 10am - that's early for them! and got their gear organized. We wandered down to Granville Island after breakfast and enjoyed all the great things to see and do down there. Chris had lunch (teenage boys like to eat) the rest of us had a drink and small snack. We headed back to our place and got the kids ready to head out to the airport for their flight home.

What I want to know.... where do teenage boys put all this food? and why aren't teenage boys the size of blimps?! LOL

A side note - the "good auntie" that I am makes promises to parents - I solemnly swear not to permanently tattoo or pierce any body parts on your daughter. The key word is "permanently" - so I decided to have some fun with Erica - Auntie Izzy got Erica a "Henna Tattoo" of a turtle and then purchased a magnetic nose stud! Apparently mom was freaked for a minute at the airport over the nose stud.....dad wasn't fooled! but we had fun doing it!

Here are few photos of our visit with the kids! And for all you parents out there....kudos to you! We had fun for 5 days..... but you do this 24/7, 365 days a year for 20+ years!!!

Erica and Chris - We love you! thanks for visiting us ;) we'll see you in October! ((hugs))

Busy Days of Summer

2011-07-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy summer so far and it will continue to be filled with summer fun, friends and family!

My brother and his family arrived safely in Halifax and are staying in a lovely condo (apparently right on the harbour with a fantastic view, boardwalk, swimming pool, AC and all the amenities) Their furniture is on route so it's a waiting game for them before they can really settle down. It sounds as though my brother's new job is going well, it's only the 1st week, but so far his boss held a welcome reception and they've been out golfing! Hmmmm, is this the gently ease in? LOL

We're enjoying dinner parties with friends, catching up and celebrating birthdays. Today our niece and nephew from Kelowna arrive for a 5 day visit. The weather is improving and I hope it stays nice! Looking forward to some fun in the sun with the kids.

Mom and dad will be arriving on August 4th for a visit, the following day, Graham and Trish arrive from England for their month long holiday in Canada. Another house full for a few days!

Love these "paper" strawberries! saw them on a german friends' blog :)

Hope you're enjoying your summer... I'll have some updates and photos after the kids leave :)

Midnight in Paris

2011-07-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

Ann & I went to see it last night....all I can say (without giving it away) is it's wonderful! Makes me want to go back to Paris right now!

Lending a helping hand & visiting

2011-07-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

I arrived home last night from Victoria. I went over to visit my brother and family to lend a helping hand....mainly look after the kids while my brother & SIL got some tasks done before the move. All hands on deck as they say! Mom and dad arrived yesterday to take over looking after the kids and to help out.

I learned a few things about what can't be packed for a cross Canada move....the rep from the moving company came by with a list. So there were a few "new chores" added to the already long list that they have! I didn't realize that the movers won't pack alcohol...so my brother passed along some bottles to us and is hoping to pack his precious wine in one of their suitcases. No nail polish remover, aerosols, garden fertilizer, propane tanks etc... So Kerry had to go through all the cupboards and has passed along things to mom, me friends and neighbors. The kids outside toys had to be dismantled, BBQ had to be burned off and my brother had to dispose of the propane tank. The car had to be emptied, roof rack taken off etc. and they're only allowed to have 1/4 of a tank of gas in it before the car gets put on the transport train. They had put a few items on Craigs list, so people popped by on Saturday morning to load up their trucks, and a slatted bed frame had to be dismantled and delivered to a friend.

There's still a few things for them to do before the packers arrive this week but I think they've got it under control. Imagine this scene next week at the airport.....two adults, two children, one stroller, two car seats, suitcases, dog, cat, giant dog crate, cat crate and play back packs for entertaining the kids on the plane.... man alive! My brother has had to rent a van to get everything into a vehicle just to get to the airport.

Here are a few photos ....

Private ballet recital

It's fun to play during breakfast!

Impressionist art by a 4 year old!!

Making banana muffins

No training wheels!

Dismantling the play castle

Kate took my picture!

Happy Birthday Jo!

2011-07-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

Diddly Doots and Doodles

2011-07-07T12:15:00.000-07:00

Let me state a well know fact about me... I can NOT draw! I just don't have that type of "artistic flair" within in me, I wish I could draw, really I do! but I'm one of those "creative" types that when I draw something, it is unrecognizable, a mystery, a big guess on the part of anyone looking at anything I draw, in other words..... my 5 year old niece can draw better than me! at least you know what she's drawn on the page.

I've been trying to get that side of my brain working more creativly, so I started doodling in my Smash Journal. The first attempt - well let's just say it's pre-schoolish at best! but I'm doodling!! I'm creating what I've termed "Diddly Doots and Doodles" in my journal. It's practice and I can do whatever strikes my fancy at the time and who knows, maybe over time I'll start drawing something recognizable. Yeah right!

Remember Doodle Art? those amazing black and white poster creations you bought in a tube that came with colored pens for you to color in.... I personally liked them just as they were, in good ol' black and white! I used to love spending time, just looking at the details in the drawings. I saw some Doodle Art in town this week and they're apparently "back in fashion". They're at Chapters.... check it out!

*DH - note... fun Bday idea* LOL

This is creative....

2011-07-06T19:07:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd seen it all when it came to "creative cooking" but this is so funny and I had visions of my nieces and nephews gobbling these up! Go check this out at Ready, Set Create
For all of my "mommy" friends.... if you make these for your kids you'd better invite me to taste test!

Photos - Mini Update

2011-07-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

I've been kicking around and finally enjoying some summer like weather. What have I been up to lately?

I went to Qualicum Beach to visit my parents we had a great visit. Mom & I went to Coombs Market one day - love the goats on the roof and the shops are so much fun to poke around in. All kinds of treasures to be had! On another day, Mom & I also hit the antique shops in QB (all two of them!) but I just love rummaging around these places, stirring up the dust, digging deep to find something unique.
The Show n' Shine antique car show was taking place as well...QB had an evening of music and dancing in the streets - mom, dad, and I went up to participate! Fun!!
It was a great visit, some strolls around QB - shopping - dancing - cooking - eating - visiting etc.
Mom's latest creation... an adorable bear made with Irish linen needs a name! any suggestions?

Sue F. invited me to a book reading at her home! Her friend Mariam Kobras from Germany is having her first book published. Mariam read two chapters from her book "The Distant Shore" and we had a great evening!

DH, Ann, Rob and I went to Valdes last Thursday and we got home last night.... pure bliss! amazing weather and lots of fun!.... and that's it in a nutshell for now.

I'll be heading to Victoria later this week....keep you posted!

This and that....

2011-06-15T07:39:00.000-07:00

Win or lose the hockey season officially ends tonight for the Canucks! Go Canucks Go! Let's hope they win the Stanley Cup! I've been on the edge of my seat for most games, it's nerve racking I tell ya!

I've been busy with many social activities as well as watching the hockey playoffs.

I went to see Wicked with Ann, Helen, Louise and Diane R. ....and it was "Wicked"! loved it !

I saw/heard the Universal Gospel Choir with my friend Sue C. and her family! it was a lovely evening!

Scrapbooking with the Scrapaholics club in Burnaby. Fun! and I actually got a fair bit of my own stuff done.

It's a year ago today that my dear friend Charles passed away, I miss him!

Erica is growing up so fast! tomorrow is her birthday! Happy Birthday Erica!

Update on my brother...they sold their house in Victoria, bought a house in Halifax and are getting all their duckies in a row ready to move back east. He officially starts July 18th, that's only a month away!!

I'm heading over to Vancouver Island this weekend to visit mom and dad for Father's Day, haven't been over there since Dad's birthday in February!! OMG!

So that's it for now in a nut shell....

Not ignoring my blog....

2011-06-01T08:11:00.000-07:00

I had full intentions of posting something but then got distracted... yeah that happens - kind of like when you get up and go to a room to do or get something and when you get there, you completely forgot what you went to the room for....you know this has happened to you!

Ian was in Vancouver (very briefly!)...Ian lives in Sidney Australia and was working in New York for a couple of weeks and decided to "pop up" to Vancouver for a visit. His last visit was April 2003 for a friend's surprise 40th bday party.....where in the world did 8 years go?!

Went to Usher on the 25th.... Erica got tickets for her birthday so off we went to see the concert. Akon opened the show. It was a really fun concert! Here's Erica ready to roll.....

I have a few (not so good) photos on my phone....still have to download those :)

I've been busy wrapping up the end of the 2010-2011 season of the Vancouver Women's Music Society. We're busy getting the program ready for 2011-2012 season which starts in September and making the gently transfers of jobs within the Executive Board. Our final concert and luncheon for the season is on June 8th, so I'm off later this morning for a meeting of the executive members, it's my last meeting as Vice President and Membership Chair....I'm moving up to President starting July 1st.

We have hockey fever in the house and all around town....if you live in Vancouver you know what I'm talking about! It's crazy and game 1 of the Stanley Cup final starts at 5pm tonight. Can you guess what I'm doing tonight? LOL

Doing some (but not alot) of scrappin'. Here's a card I did for a swap. I have to take some more photos of some other things I've done...just haven't got around to that yet either!

It's June and I'm still waiting for some sort of decent weather....I'm tired of the cool, rainy weather and those teaser days....well, that's just not going to cut it for me. I want more sunshine, some warmth and for a really long stretch of time! It's been the worst spring in 50 years! and I've had enough!!! Let's get into summer already.

Most of my friends know this already but the big breaking family news is that my brother, SIL and the kids are moving to Halifax NS in mid July. The official announcement was made this week in NS and my brother broke the news to his staff in Victoria. He's accepted a position as Deputy Minster for Social Services in Nova Scotia. Their house went on the market on Tuesday, had an open house on the weekend and got an offer on Sunday afternoon. So they're off to Halifax again later this week on a house hunting trip. I'll be planning a trip over to Victoria when they return so that I can spoil the kids and take 100's of photos of the family!

So that's about all folks....for now.