Thursday, June 28, 2007

Away on vacation...

Just in case you start to wonder - I thought I should let you all know that I will be away from my computer for the next week or so.

We're going back East for my Dad's 70th Birthday. And NO I haven't made his card yet!!!

You'll know I'm back when I start to post again!

Have a great week!

Friday, June 22, 2007

So sad..

Nature has taken it's course and the little bird is now dead.

Right after I posted about it a crow came along and took it.

I won't go into the details...

Letting Nature take it's course...

This morning when we were leaving for school, my son and I saw this young injured bird on our front lawn. I think it's a woodpecker? I say young because the woodpeckers here are very large and this one is not so big.

It was sqawking something fierce and looked like it had been injured somehow - maybe a cat? It couldn't fly.

My son was very distressed by it and kept asking what we could do. I told him that nature needed to take it's course.

When I arrived back home (honestly I'd already forgotten about the bird) I found him on the driveway. I was able to squeeze my car in and avoid running him over.

But now what? He's not sqawking anymore but he's not dead either. I can see that he is badly injured on his face and wing but I don't think he will die of his injuries. He's just a sitting duck out there for all the neighbourhood cats and crows.

Besides moving him off the driveway so I don't run him over - I'm not sure what to do...

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Just one more post before I go...

I found this post at Bloghore and thought it might be fun to try.

I'm not going to "tag" anybody with it but you can cut and paste it to your own blog. If you do leave me a comment with a link so we can all check it out and get to know each other better.

1. Are you taller than your mom?Yes - my mom was 5'3" and I'm 5'7" (just got measured for a school project tonight!).
2. What color is your car?Actually my car is Black but since the weather turned nice my husband has taken the convertible and I'm driving a White SUV.
3. What is the closest thing to you that is red?My daughter's Fortune Telling Birthday Book.
4. What is your ringtone?I just got a new phone (Palm Treo) and I have no idea. People are asking me why I don't answer my cell phone but it's because I don't recognize the ring.
5. Are you sick?I'm sick and tired of laundry - does that count?
6. What color is your favorite pillow?I don't have a favourite pillow. I'm yo-yo-ma and I sleep in everyone else's bed throughout the night.
7.What is your favorite video game?LOVE WordPop and now the kids are playing it. I think it's educational and you get points and bonus tiles!
8. Had a nap today?I've had too much coffee to even go to bed now - nevermind a nap.
9. Gold or Silver?I prefer Silver but I'll take what's given to me.
10.Is there an animal that creeps you out?I don't like rodents - squirrels, rats, mice, raccoons, small children with runny noses (oh that doesn't count?)
11.Who was the last person you rode an elevator with?I don't remember the last time I was in an elevator - oh wait I was in one a couple of weeks ago with a drug dealer - I mean a pharmaceutical rep. It was in a Medical Arts building.
12. Did you go iceskating as a kid?Yes. Grew up on Lake Ontario and we used to skate behind my dad's car while he towed us. Don't tell my kids!
13. Ever have stitches?Not from an accident but had them with both of my children's births.
14. Favorite non-alcoholic drink?Iced Venti Vanilla Latte from Starbucks
15. How long ago did you kiss someone?This morning.
16. What's something you want to do before you die?Realistically - Get my kitchen renovated.
17. Have you ever caught something on fire?Yes my oven caught on fire last year and I accidentally caught the garbage under the kitchen sink on fire when I tried to clean up the oven.
18. Have you ever seen a ghost?Never SEEN one, but the woman who lived here before us (died in a car accident right after she moved out) used to haunt the place for a bit. I think she's gone now.
19. Have you ever seen the northern lights?Yes.
20. Do you know how to use chop sticks?Yes but I have the cheater ones or I have them tie them up for me with elastics.
21. Name something good that happened today.Momma got new shoes.
22. What room are you in?In my den.
23. Are you worried about something you can't control?I'm always worried about something - my kids, my dog, my disappearing waistline...
24. Do you take daily medications?No - what are you suggesting?
25. Ever been in a fight?Yes with my sister over a card game.
26. Are you wearing nailpolish?No.
27. Favorite color?Chocolate Brown.
28. Innie or Outie?Innie
29. Ever used a Ouija board?No - I've seen too many movies.
30. Sweet or Sour?Sweet.
31. Sun or Moon?Moon.
32. What shoes did you wear today? I started out with my old Red Crocs and then switched to my new White Mary Jane Crocs.
33. Favorite eye color of the opposite sex?I like blue eyes.
34. Most important quality in any relationship?Trust.
35. Favorite zombie movie?Shawn of the Dead.
36. Time of day you were born?I think I was born in the morning - I don't remember - I was very young at the time.
37. Do you know your blood type?A Neg.
38. What would you spend 5000 dollars on right now if you were handed it?I'd buy something special for all of us - me, my hubby, and my 2 kids.
39. Name something annoying in public transit?I don't ride it enough to know what the fare is and so when I do ride it I'm always afraid I don't have the right change.
40. Did you grow up in the city or country?Small town - suburb.
41. Would you ever consider going on a reality tv show if offered a large sum of money?No - I've seen too many of them and I don't know what these people were thinking when they signed on.
42. Have you flown in your dreams?Yes.
43. Hugs or kisses?Hugs.
44. You have 10 dollars to spend in the dollar store..what do you get?Craft supplies.
45. Slurpee flavor?Orange

Friday, June 15, 2007

How to Decoupage on Tiles

I've had a few requests on how to make the Decoupaged Tiles so I'll attempt to explain it - sorry I don't have time to put together a tutorial right now!

The first step is to prepare your glazed tile to accept various mediums for antiquing and staining.

1. Take a plain white glazed tile and apply a thin coat of white glue to the surface.

2. Adhere a piece of solid coloured tissue paper (cut to size close to the tile size) in a light neutral colour - I like to use vanilla.

3. Gently press out the bumps and air pockets of glue being careful not to tear or "smoosh" the tissue too much.

4. Allow to dry completely.

5. Trim off excess tissue using an exacto and/or a fine sanding block.

Now it's time to decorate your tile. I like to use designer paper napkins that are 3 ply or printed tissue paper to add images to the tiles.

1. Prepare your design by trimming out images from printed tissue paper or designer paper napkins (if using 3 ply separate plys after you have trimmed the images).

2. Apply glue to area of PREPARED TILE (one that already has a layer of tissue paper on it!) and then apply the trimmed images from step 1.

3. Press out air bubbles being careful not to tear or "smoosh" the images.

4. Continue with step 2 until your design is complete.

5. For borders I like to piece together greetings and/or smaller images from other napkins or tissue paper. However you could add stamped greetings when the tile is DRY. Do not stamp into wet/gluey tissue.

6. Allow glued images and entire tile to dry completely.

7. Complete your tile by adding metallic accents or borders using KRYLON markers or acrylic paint and adding colour washes using ink refills or acrylic paint (thinned out with water).

8. Allow to dry again and then coat with spray on Krylon sealon or applying coats of Modge Podge or Anita's Polyurethane Water Based Sealer.

9. Allow to dry from sealer step 8 and then add cork feet or a hanger clip (using E6000 glue).

There you have it! It's very easy once you get used to the process of working with tissue and glue and the results are amazing!

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Remembering to take more photos

In April, supposedly for my husband's birthday, I bought a new Canon Power Shot SD600 Digital Elph camera. I know it was a bit much on top of everything else I got him, but really it was a "sharing" gift for both of us. I told him it was for me too - for Mother's Day- from the kids.

I have an old bulky digital camera that cost the earth and doesn't take great photos (that's when they first came out) and he has a fairly new SLR digital with all kinds of lens and attachments.

I love this little Canon because it fits in my front jeans pocket or other places without taking up too much room.

Right after I gave it to him, my husband used it for a weekend in Orgeon when he went golfing with his buddies. It's the perfect size for fitting in his golf bag and it takes GREAT photos. I really like how portable it is and the battery is rechargeable.

I often carry it in my purse and actually remember to pull it out on occasion. I'm trying to take more photos.

So if you don't mind I'll share with you some photos I took with "my" new little Elph camera and my new Palm Treo camera.

Yesterday I ran some errands and popped into the Michaels in the village at the shopping mall.

They have the coolest window displays in this little add-on to the mall called Park Royal Village. The windows are done up in all one colour (pink, light blue, green and yellow) and everything - I mean EVERYTHING - is spray painted that colour.












Last night we went out to my husband's golf club and had dinner with some friends. The main room was set up for a wedding reception that was happening today.




Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Computers!!! Woe is me...

I wish I knew more about what I can do on my computer.

I get around alright but I know there is so much more I could be doing to make my life "prettier" and "easier".

On the "prettier" note - I see these beautiful blog banners and the way some of the other bloggers post their photos and text and I wish I could do that.

Here's few of my favourite banners:

http://tayloredexpressions.blogspot.com/

http://imagine-dream-create.blogspot.com/

http://prairiepaperandink.typepad.com/amyr/

and I especially like this one that Anna Wight painted herself!

http://sweetmissdaisy.typepad.com/sassy_sweet_notes/

I guess I'm doing ok with my standard blogspot banner and layout. The black background helps to make the photos stand out more.

BUT to have my own design as a banner would be precious....

On to the "easier" part - I finally figured out that I can add a faux "watermark" to my photos with the Redcastle Resizing software - using the text feature. Not only does it do the watermark for me but it also resizes my photos so that I can upload more than 1 at a time!

I'm sure if I applied myself I could figure out the banner thing but right now I've got too many other things to do. Maybe I'll play around with it over the summer...

My kids are super smart on the computer - especially my 14 year old girl. I'd ask her but she's grounded from the computer until school's over!

What did she do? Nothing really and that's the problem. She's supposed to be studying for her final exams but she's always on MSN and FACEBOOK.

How do I block MSN and FACEBOOK? I'm sure there's a way to do that without taking down the modem.

I'm going to pop into the local computer store later today and see if they have any suggestions or pointers...

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

I just can't do it all...

I have so much on my to do list and I've come to realize that I just can't do it all in one day anymore!!

Yesterday morning I sat down and wrote out my "Monday, June 4th To Do List". I had 20 items on it ranging from "drop off Carlotte's SU! glue sticks" to "call Molly Maid".

It's now Tuesday night and I've only been able to cross off 10 items.

There's still some hefty items on this list but I have gone through the list again and written in more realistic deadlines for them. I've spread them out over the week and added a couple of new ones.

It is now my "Week of June 5 To Do List".

Who was I kidding? I wouldn't be able to do all of these things much less:

"finalize guest list for July 20th BBQ",

"hold mail for upcoming June vacation",

and sadly I did NOT "call Molly Maid"....

But on a brighter note - Carlotte got her glue sticks!

After Photos...

My sister (who lives in another province) asked me why I hadn't posted "after" photos of my house since the painters have been gone over a week now.

They weren't here for very long - 7/8 painters working for 2 days straight. It was a big job getting ready for them and it took me longer to do that than to actually have the house painted. I had to empty the house of all the chachkies (sp?) that I've accumulated over the years.

There was a time that I had no furniture or knick knacks and yearned for a finished and fully decorated/accessorized home.

But the truth is...

when I took all that "stuff" out I kind of liked it! Mind you it did echo for a while but I've put the drapes up and now it's better.

Still I'm not in a hurry to put the paintings & artwork up (that would mean I'd have to hammer holes in my freshly repaired and painted walls) nor am I eager to put up the 3 bookcases and all the "crap" that went in them.

All the open space feels nice - now I know why people purge their homes. It's very enlightening...

The garage on the other hand is full of "crap" and I'll have to do something about that!

Monday, June 4, 2007

Mantra Monday

And the mantra for today's Monday Mantra is:
Some days you are the bug,
some days you are
the windshield.