I've come to realize I really love September. The weather is still beautiful during the day, crisp at night, there are less bugs, kids go back to school and the parks are less busy, and I think when you know that summer is leaving soon you appreciate it just a little bit more. Next year I think a week off in September is called for, I really wish I was camping right now. Once this month is over you just know that snow is around the corner, my slight tan will start to fade, the days will start becoming more darkness than light, and right now all that is making me quite sad. Need to flip my mental state here and start thinking about the up side to it being September. The one good thing about the nice weather ending is that it makes more time for indoor activities. Blogging, for one thing, plus all my cast aside craft projects. Not to mention Christmas is closer, I can't wait to decorate this new place! I have already thought extensively about where to put the tree. I still haven't really come up with "the" spot yet. Only three months to figure it out!
I realized the other day that this month also marks the first date Derek and I had. It's been nine years since that date and it has passed so quickly. Nine years! We've crossed the country, bought our forever house, raised some pretty awesome fur kids, and shared so many great moments with very few dips along the way. He is definitely my soul mate, other half, lobster, you name it. I love our little life we've created. However, with my sister pregnant I find the thought of kids has reentered our conversations. I'm fairly confident in our decision to not take that path in life, but as someone who has a horrible time making ANY decision, I am always aware of when an option is being taken off the table for good. The window where children are still an option is continually getting smaller, and the thought that we won't have the option to change our minds, not that I really think we would, is kind of scary. I like the idea that at any time I can do or be whatever I want to. If choice is taken away you have to mourn that, come to grips with it, and accept it. If that makes any sense at all. Anyway, all those mixed feelings aside I am really excited to be an aunt, it's something I've been quietly waiting for. I absolutely love knowing I will have a real and meaningful part of a new person's life. I look at my aunts and uncles and how much I loved and looked up to them and it makes me very excited to have that role. I've claimed my new niece or nephew already for a week each summer (once diapers are no longer a necessity!) and can already picture the fishing trips, blanket forts, and spoiling that will take place. Also I will have one more reason to scope out the noisy toy aisle in Walmart. Coolest aunt ever.
Well blog, it's been nice to catch up. Will hopefully see you again fairly soon :)
Saturday, 7 September 2013
Saturday, 27 July 2013
A Heck of an Overdue Bit of Writing.
Oh my. It's been a while. I have plenty of excuses, life has been busy, so lets jump right into it.
1. My laptop died - Well it's still functional but it is critically low on memory, slow as molasses, and just plain outdated. I lucked into another lappy that just needed a new hard drive and some Derek magic but I am finding it's not the same. None of my old stuff is on here, it feels unfamiliar and strange, like I am borrowing someone's computer. The keyboard is different, the keys stick a bit, they make a different click noise I am not use to. It's not conducive to creativity, and you can't blog from a smart phone, don't even try to convince me it's a possibility.
2. We moved - I think my last blog is pre-new house. So obviously a lot of time was taken up with packing, moving, and setting up a new home. It's been 3 months now and we love the place. It's comfortable, everything is new and works right, and the area we moved to is so convenient for getting to work (will be better when construction season ends!), shopping, going out, you name it. We still haven't had a housewarming party, I think we sort of passed the period where it's expected, so I don't think we will have one per say, maybe just have a big BBQ some weekend when we have a deck. It feels like a house that you could entertain in, you know, if you weren't as big of shut ins as we are.
3. It's summer - meaning it's time to get outside and enjoy this brief period of above zero weather, not huddle inside over a laptop writing whatever is in my head. We sold our camper and bought a boat instead. We've gotten much more use out of the boat, taking trips about once a week to go fishing. The dog loves it, we love it. I just have to solve the "how does a girl pee off the side of a boat" dilemma. Right now my options are hanging my pale white butt off the side and threatening my husband with murder the entire time if he dares to sneak a peak, or just not drinking any fluids the entire trip and hoping for a conveniently located dock we can aim for on shore.
4. Hobbies - I've decided to learn to knit. I inherited my grandmother's collection of knitting needles and decided they should be put to good use. I attempted to learn when I was younger but the attention span wasn't really there, I am not sure I even made a scarf to completion, and the techniques were rusty if not completely lost. Thank you internet and utube, they have helped me to learn the basics once more. I can cast on, knit, purl, increase a stitch (I forget how to decrease and will look it up when needed), and bind off. I am attempting my first project so we will see how it all goes! Also, everyone is getting a scarf for Christmas.
That about covers the excuses. I want to thank one friend who bugged me during this absence of writing asking where the blogs were, it encouraged me to get back at it, knowing someone was missing me :) I can't promise more frequency yet - it is still summer! But I will try not to be so neglectful, maybe get a few photos on here.
Now to leave you with a deep thought. I think Helen should win big brother. She's smart, doesn't rely on a showmance to get her through the game, she has a great social game, and I think she will go the distance.
1. My laptop died - Well it's still functional but it is critically low on memory, slow as molasses, and just plain outdated. I lucked into another lappy that just needed a new hard drive and some Derek magic but I am finding it's not the same. None of my old stuff is on here, it feels unfamiliar and strange, like I am borrowing someone's computer. The keyboard is different, the keys stick a bit, they make a different click noise I am not use to. It's not conducive to creativity, and you can't blog from a smart phone, don't even try to convince me it's a possibility.
2. We moved - I think my last blog is pre-new house. So obviously a lot of time was taken up with packing, moving, and setting up a new home. It's been 3 months now and we love the place. It's comfortable, everything is new and works right, and the area we moved to is so convenient for getting to work (will be better when construction season ends!), shopping, going out, you name it. We still haven't had a housewarming party, I think we sort of passed the period where it's expected, so I don't think we will have one per say, maybe just have a big BBQ some weekend when we have a deck. It feels like a house that you could entertain in, you know, if you weren't as big of shut ins as we are.
3. It's summer - meaning it's time to get outside and enjoy this brief period of above zero weather, not huddle inside over a laptop writing whatever is in my head. We sold our camper and bought a boat instead. We've gotten much more use out of the boat, taking trips about once a week to go fishing. The dog loves it, we love it. I just have to solve the "how does a girl pee off the side of a boat" dilemma. Right now my options are hanging my pale white butt off the side and threatening my husband with murder the entire time if he dares to sneak a peak, or just not drinking any fluids the entire trip and hoping for a conveniently located dock we can aim for on shore.
4. Hobbies - I've decided to learn to knit. I inherited my grandmother's collection of knitting needles and decided they should be put to good use. I attempted to learn when I was younger but the attention span wasn't really there, I am not sure I even made a scarf to completion, and the techniques were rusty if not completely lost. Thank you internet and utube, they have helped me to learn the basics once more. I can cast on, knit, purl, increase a stitch (I forget how to decrease and will look it up when needed), and bind off. I am attempting my first project so we will see how it all goes! Also, everyone is getting a scarf for Christmas.
That about covers the excuses. I want to thank one friend who bugged me during this absence of writing asking where the blogs were, it encouraged me to get back at it, knowing someone was missing me :) I can't promise more frequency yet - it is still summer! But I will try not to be so neglectful, maybe get a few photos on here.
Now to leave you with a deep thought. I think Helen should win big brother. She's smart, doesn't rely on a showmance to get her through the game, she has a great social game, and I think she will go the distance.
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
House Stalking
Two and a half weeks to go until we move into new house! We are trying to be patient but it's so close now that the house looks like it is basically done. We could definitely be living in it now, but we aren't. We are however visiting it on a regular basis, just so it knows we are thinking of it. Peering in its windows, walking around the yard, full fledged house stalking. It will be nice when we are living there, but right now it is really frustrating how hard it is to peek in the windows and see stuff. They finally took the plastic film off the windows and we brought a step
stool to take some photos of the interior which looks to be all done.
Outside just needs a front step, driveway, walkway and a strip of sod. I think we also might get a tree.
Looking in the front door. There is a closet to the left, and the hall to the main living area.
Looking through the Laundry window, you can see through to the stairs. The door is a closet, then the garage door is to the right of that.
Looking in through the livingroom window. The door leads to the basement.
Through the diningroom window, the kitchen island, a small desk, and through the hall opening is the door to the powder room.
Through one of the kitchen windows. Love the color of my cabinets, the backsplash and the shiny fixtures.
Dining room light fixture
Living room fireplace. Many a cat nap will be had here.
Inside the Garage
Outside the Garage.
So the waiting game continues. We have most of our stuff packed in boxes and ready to go. So excited! Soon... soon...
Wednesday, 13 March 2013
How to Pack
Okay, so this blog will be a work in progress as I prepare and pack for our spring trip this year - to Vegas! It also won't be posted until after the trip because we are surprising the inlaws by showing up in town while they are there. How we've managed to keep it a secret is beyond me! We've even sneakily set up an excursion we will all be going on together. The worst thing is that now it's a month away, I am uber excited but can't post a darn thing online. So this post will be saved to drafts until it is safe to post, but it should help get out some of that excitement!
I love to pack. It builds the hype for the trip, you get to plan out that perfect wardrobe, and if well done you have absolutely everything you need for a perfect trip saving you from buying that $30 bottle of sunscreen at the hotel gift shop, or searching a foreign country for a bottle of ibuprofen you can read the label on and feel fairly certain won't cause more harm. I get made fun of because I will be packed weeks in advance and couldn't even fathom packing for any trip over a weekend long a few days before. I have this whole system down to a science.
1. The listing
By now I have a pretty good master list saved to my documents. While it's technically for a beach vacation, we usually travel in the summer and can be quickly modified for a trip home, etc. The Las Vegas trip is opening a whole new door as our days will not be centered around the beach and pool and will require more dressing up. Not to mention I have no idea what the weather will actually be like, it's March, but the desert, I have no idea what to expect. A lot of research needs to be done, which is great fun. I've found lots of great websites out there and have started a list of items that I might not have thought of. Stuff like nasal spray and eye drops to combat how dry it is, comfy shoes as you do a ton of walking, a watch because there are no clocks in vegas and you want to make your reservations for shows, dinners and trips, and powder because with all that heat and walking Tinea cruris can be an issue. Don't google image that. Seriously. DON'T. Suffice to say I feel at this point I am well researched, have added to the master list and am ready for the next step.
2. The pre pack clothing pile
Luckily my daily life revolves around a selection of stained and grubby work clothes. This way I can easily start the pre pack pile well in advance. This pile is of anything I might consider wearing on the trip pulled out of my wardrobe and piled into the spare room. Once laundry is done for the week I will pull even more items for the pile, and this way I know every possibility is there, clean, and ready to be packed. Of course this pile will be ridiculously large but it is a great way to get ready for the next step in the process.
This is my pile right now. It's pre-laundry so it will get bigger. It already includes 2 dresses, 5 nice tops, tshirts, shorts, jeans and skirts. It's probably enough clothes for a month in Vegas, not 5 days. It will also probably overfill my suitcase and this is before shoes and other important stuff is added. But it has all my favorite clothes, and anything I have decided will fit my Vegas persona.
3. Choosing the outfits
In this stage everything gets tried on. Right there some things will get removed from the pile if they don't fit or actually aren't vacation appropriate. Then items get paired with other items to make outfits. The things that go with the most other things are the ones you want to pack, giving you the greatest amount of wardrobe flexibility from a suitcase. Then it can be pared down to how many days and how many outfits are needed to clothe yourself for this particular vacation.
4. Shoes and accessories
For this trip I require the comfiest shoes possible, the Vegas strip is huge! Walking just from your room to the street can be quite a hike. I also bought a pair of Dr Scholl's fast flats, because lets face it, I will be packing one pair of strappy heels. For now I have it narrowed down to sneakers, black strappy heels, brown flats, and two pairs of sandals. Five pairs of shoes is pretty good for me! Also because it's Vegas accessories will be big! I can go as flashy as I want. I'm bringing the silver handbag, the bangley bracelets and the wow factor earrings. Luckily none of this stuff takes up much space in the suitcase.
5. Buying new stuff
By this point I realize when I consult the master list there are some items I just don't have. Mainly I will want to hit the travel size aisle to stock up on all those cute miniature bottles and packages in the health and beauty department. I might also get a black handbag that's vegas worthy, a nice long sleeve cover up style shirt in case it's cold at night, and a few gallons of sunscreen.
5. Personal products,entertainment, etc
The list this trip is getting cut down quite a bit because it's the states and there will undoubtedly be access to a 24 hour Walgreens in case of any emergency. My suitcase won't have to be a traveling pharmacy! So I can focus on the daily stuff, in miniature form. I also don't need beach books and our flight is super short so the stuff I need to bring for entertainment is minimal. Las Vegas is there to entertain me! eReader, cell chargers, iPod and maybe a magazine; job done.
6. How many bags?
Flying Westjet I get one checked bag, 2 carry ons and a purse. I want to leave a little room in case I do some shopping so I'll go with only one carry on. Also my purse will be huge. I have a great travel purse that is obnoxiously large and I could never use in real life, but they never weigh your purse so it is great for heavy stuff like books.
7. Cram it all in
Self explanatory... sometimes requires creative zippering, you know, you work it from one end, give up, try the zipper on the other end until you successfully get the suitcase closed.
8. Weigh and purge
Thanks to my parents for the Christmas gift of a handy dandy luggage scale! No more balancing bags on the normal scale. Hmm, it's hard to lift. Maybe I need less shoes? At last success, I am 10 pounds underweight. Plenty of room for shopping while we are away.
9. Finding more things you forgot
Summery tank tops I forgot I owned, one jacket just in case. Maybe I should repack those strappy sandals I just took out...
10. Last minute and beyond
Realize I need something to wear on the trip down and on the flight... Which will have to come from the good clothes I've already packed. Derek needs decongestant for on the plane to keep his sinuses clear. I need gum for my ear popping. Somehow with all the prep I am always packing right up until the airport. But Unlike Derek I am completely covered. He needs to buy headphones on the plane. Silly boy throwing stuff in a bag the night before we leave.
I love to pack. It builds the hype for the trip, you get to plan out that perfect wardrobe, and if well done you have absolutely everything you need for a perfect trip saving you from buying that $30 bottle of sunscreen at the hotel gift shop, or searching a foreign country for a bottle of ibuprofen you can read the label on and feel fairly certain won't cause more harm. I get made fun of because I will be packed weeks in advance and couldn't even fathom packing for any trip over a weekend long a few days before. I have this whole system down to a science.
1. The listing
By now I have a pretty good master list saved to my documents. While it's technically for a beach vacation, we usually travel in the summer and can be quickly modified for a trip home, etc. The Las Vegas trip is opening a whole new door as our days will not be centered around the beach and pool and will require more dressing up. Not to mention I have no idea what the weather will actually be like, it's March, but the desert, I have no idea what to expect. A lot of research needs to be done, which is great fun. I've found lots of great websites out there and have started a list of items that I might not have thought of. Stuff like nasal spray and eye drops to combat how dry it is, comfy shoes as you do a ton of walking, a watch because there are no clocks in vegas and you want to make your reservations for shows, dinners and trips, and powder because with all that heat and walking Tinea cruris can be an issue. Don't google image that. Seriously. DON'T. Suffice to say I feel at this point I am well researched, have added to the master list and am ready for the next step.
2. The pre pack clothing pile
Luckily my daily life revolves around a selection of stained and grubby work clothes. This way I can easily start the pre pack pile well in advance. This pile is of anything I might consider wearing on the trip pulled out of my wardrobe and piled into the spare room. Once laundry is done for the week I will pull even more items for the pile, and this way I know every possibility is there, clean, and ready to be packed. Of course this pile will be ridiculously large but it is a great way to get ready for the next step in the process.
3. Choosing the outfits
In this stage everything gets tried on. Right there some things will get removed from the pile if they don't fit or actually aren't vacation appropriate. Then items get paired with other items to make outfits. The things that go with the most other things are the ones you want to pack, giving you the greatest amount of wardrobe flexibility from a suitcase. Then it can be pared down to how many days and how many outfits are needed to clothe yourself for this particular vacation.
4. Shoes and accessories
For this trip I require the comfiest shoes possible, the Vegas strip is huge! Walking just from your room to the street can be quite a hike. I also bought a pair of Dr Scholl's fast flats, because lets face it, I will be packing one pair of strappy heels. For now I have it narrowed down to sneakers, black strappy heels, brown flats, and two pairs of sandals. Five pairs of shoes is pretty good for me! Also because it's Vegas accessories will be big! I can go as flashy as I want. I'm bringing the silver handbag, the bangley bracelets and the wow factor earrings. Luckily none of this stuff takes up much space in the suitcase.
5. Buying new stuff
By this point I realize when I consult the master list there are some items I just don't have. Mainly I will want to hit the travel size aisle to stock up on all those cute miniature bottles and packages in the health and beauty department. I might also get a black handbag that's vegas worthy, a nice long sleeve cover up style shirt in case it's cold at night, and a few gallons of sunscreen.
5. Personal products,entertainment, etc
The list this trip is getting cut down quite a bit because it's the states and there will undoubtedly be access to a 24 hour Walgreens in case of any emergency. My suitcase won't have to be a traveling pharmacy! So I can focus on the daily stuff, in miniature form. I also don't need beach books and our flight is super short so the stuff I need to bring for entertainment is minimal. Las Vegas is there to entertain me! eReader, cell chargers, iPod and maybe a magazine; job done.
6. How many bags?
Flying Westjet I get one checked bag, 2 carry ons and a purse. I want to leave a little room in case I do some shopping so I'll go with only one carry on. Also my purse will be huge. I have a great travel purse that is obnoxiously large and I could never use in real life, but they never weigh your purse so it is great for heavy stuff like books.
7. Cram it all in
Self explanatory... sometimes requires creative zippering, you know, you work it from one end, give up, try the zipper on the other end until you successfully get the suitcase closed.
8. Weigh and purge
Thanks to my parents for the Christmas gift of a handy dandy luggage scale! No more balancing bags on the normal scale. Hmm, it's hard to lift. Maybe I need less shoes? At last success, I am 10 pounds underweight. Plenty of room for shopping while we are away.
9. Finding more things you forgot
Summery tank tops I forgot I owned, one jacket just in case. Maybe I should repack those strappy sandals I just took out...
10. Last minute and beyond
Realize I need something to wear on the trip down and on the flight... Which will have to come from the good clothes I've already packed. Derek needs decongestant for on the plane to keep his sinuses clear. I need gum for my ear popping. Somehow with all the prep I am always packing right up until the airport. But Unlike Derek I am completely covered. He needs to buy headphones on the plane. Silly boy throwing stuff in a bag the night before we leave.
Sunday, 10 February 2013
Love it or List it!
What a whirlwind of a couple of days we have had. We have been looking to sell our house for almost 5 years now. When we bought it we bought at the height of a boom, the availability of houses we could afford was slim, and we were looking to get something we could have renters in to help with the mortgage. Things have changed and now this house just doesn't suit us, however the market conditions haven't been that great and to sell we were always in a position where we would lose money on this house. Last year at this time our list price would have been around $250,000, well this year we listed it at $270,000. We did this Thursday night. Friday we had three showings, Saturday three more. By Saturday night we were staring down three offers and basically the house was selling for what we wanted to get for it. Score! But then we realized the other side of the coin, sure it's easy to sell in a market with so few homes available, but to buy is another whole story! Our choices were of course limited, and every property we looked at meant a compromise, even if we spent our entire budget. I don't think we slept all night weighing the options.
Here is our list of must haves:
-Open concept main floor
-Large master bedroom with ensuite
-2 spare bedrooms
-at least one more bathroom
-New build or less than 5 years old
-RV Parking
-Three car garage, or at the very least a 2 car with 2 separate doors
-South west side of town
-Under $450,000
Well, there is absolutely nothing that fits all those criteria. Specifically the garage requirement, a three car garage is as rare as a unicorn, at least in our price range. There was exactly one available, and the house that went with it just wasn't right. There was no RV parking, the master bath was disappointing, the living room was tiny. It just wasn't THE house. All the other options had the two car garage with one bay, we actually tried to get two vehicles in one, we failed. We had a restless night debating what we were willing to sacrifice on, and what we wanted to pay if we weren't getting all the things we wanted in a new house. It was disappointing.
There were however two more options, houses with three car garages in a part of town I had previously put my foot down and said were off the table because of their location. Behind Walmart and Home Depot, and a bunch of apartments and condos and in a virtual construction zone for the foreseeable future. They were only still on the market because the listings pictured a drawing of a two car garage and only way down the listing did it mention they added on a garage bay. The prices were great, the floorplans were great, could we get over where they were? So we went and gave them a chance, and of course loved the houses! They back on a park so there is no one right behind you, the garages are amazing, and after seeing other places and what was available it made the compromise on location more bearable. The master bedroom is on the back of the house, so maybe the construction won't wake me up on weekends?
So we put in an offer. Now to play the waiting game to let all the paperwork go through, conditions to be met on the sale of this place and the new one, a bunch of paperwork to sign and then we will move from cautiously optimistic to full on excited happy dance. We went back to take some photos of the place after we put in the offer.
Here is our list of must haves:
-Open concept main floor
-Large master bedroom with ensuite
-2 spare bedrooms
-at least one more bathroom
-New build or less than 5 years old
-RV Parking
-Three car garage, or at the very least a 2 car with 2 separate doors
-South west side of town
-Under $450,000
Well, there is absolutely nothing that fits all those criteria. Specifically the garage requirement, a three car garage is as rare as a unicorn, at least in our price range. There was exactly one available, and the house that went with it just wasn't right. There was no RV parking, the master bath was disappointing, the living room was tiny. It just wasn't THE house. All the other options had the two car garage with one bay, we actually tried to get two vehicles in one, we failed. We had a restless night debating what we were willing to sacrifice on, and what we wanted to pay if we weren't getting all the things we wanted in a new house. It was disappointing.
There were however two more options, houses with three car garages in a part of town I had previously put my foot down and said were off the table because of their location. Behind Walmart and Home Depot, and a bunch of apartments and condos and in a virtual construction zone for the foreseeable future. They were only still on the market because the listings pictured a drawing of a two car garage and only way down the listing did it mention they added on a garage bay. The prices were great, the floorplans were great, could we get over where they were? So we went and gave them a chance, and of course loved the houses! They back on a park so there is no one right behind you, the garages are amazing, and after seeing other places and what was available it made the compromise on location more bearable. The master bedroom is on the back of the house, so maybe the construction won't wake me up on weekends?
So we put in an offer. Now to play the waiting game to let all the paperwork go through, conditions to be met on the sale of this place and the new one, a bunch of paperwork to sign and then we will move from cautiously optimistic to full on excited happy dance. We went back to take some photos of the place after we put in the offer.
Front of the house
Back from across the park
Back Corner, Kitchen windows on the corner with bedroom above, Dining room is in the bump out
Back door onto the future deck, livingroom window and fireplace, master bedroom window upstairs.
Back bay door from the garage, perfect for parking a boat in the back yard.
Our Floorplan
So there you have it... big changes ahead. After all the conditions are lifted! oh the waiting game!
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Project Time
I was going through my closet today, trying things on and discarding stuff into a donate pile when I got to the back of the closet... Well I think by this point in life most women have the same thing in the back of their closet as I do, the collection of dresses that were worn once and then never worn again. It has my prom dress and some brides maid's dresses, thankfully I got married in a sundress that I have since worn, otherwise that would be back there too. You know the dresses I am talking about, those once that when bought were surely accompanied by the phrase "after the (insert event) you can just shorten it and wear it again!". Which never happens. For me it's less laziness and more sentimental. It's hard to take scissors and revise that dress that was so perfect for that one special occasion! Also, maybe, just maybe, one day I will get that invite to something which requests the dress to be black tie formal, and that full length dress will once again have purpose.
This all brings me to my prom dress, buried deep in the closet. I tried it on and realized I will never wear it as it is now. I remember shortening the straps when I bought it because it was too low cut and cleavage was something that I didn't even have by age 17. Thankfully now at almost twice that age (how the heck?) I have both cleavage and hips that fit into that dress where they originally were intended to fit. I still love the color and the fabric and with some tweaking I actually would wear it on a night out, maybe on vacation, who knows. So I am going to do it, I am going to shorten the dress, use the extra material for new longer straps, and see what results! Some photos will help you get an idea:
This all brings me to my prom dress, buried deep in the closet. I tried it on and realized I will never wear it as it is now. I remember shortening the straps when I bought it because it was too low cut and cleavage was something that I didn't even have by age 17. Thankfully now at almost twice that age (how the heck?) I have both cleavage and hips that fit into that dress where they originally were intended to fit. I still love the color and the fabric and with some tweaking I actually would wear it on a night out, maybe on vacation, who knows. So I am going to do it, I am going to shorten the dress, use the extra material for new longer straps, and see what results! Some photos will help you get an idea:
This is the dress at it's current length and riding slightly high because of the straps
This is about where I will shorten it to, maybe a bit longer.
I am excited to once again flex my sewing muscles. I realize I forgot to take a photo of the blanket I gave my friend when she had her baby. Next time I am there I will have to steal a shot of it! Also, while I am reminiscing about prom dresses I thought I would share some old photo with you:
Dress back on it's big day
Best Buds
Prom Dates
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Here and Now
Today was a really great day. Actually it's been a really great weekend. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, just normal day off stuff. I really think it says a lot when your normal everyday life makes you pretty happy though. That really should be the whole point of living it. Lets see, slept in, made grilled cheese and tomato soup, took down the very last of Christmas (the village gets an extended stay), exchanged my exercise ball for a larger one, did some balancing exercises, jogged my 30 mins, went shooting with Derek, and now am in the process of making some pizza. Nothing really extraordinary, but nothing bad either :) I absolutely love just hanging out with hubby and the pets. We have a good little life.
Yesterday I got some retail therapy. Had some running around to do, needed new work shoes, a prescription filled, and had a few gift cards burning a hole in my pocket. At winners I bought a light winter transitioning into spring jacket. It's black and poofy and I love it. It's been a mild weekend and my hopes are up that the end to winter is within sight... OK. It's still January, but I can hope. I got some snazzy steel toed sneakers at Mark's for work. Then hit my favorite store, Canadian Tire, for a plant pot and some soil. I have successfully not killed one plant for a while now, I just upped the ante to two plants! It was a great day for shopping. Sunny out, roads were melted and great for driving, got to have a little more fun in the car than you can on snowy icy roads!
Realtor comes Tuesday to give us an evaluation on the house... It's pretty darn clean right now. I absolutely love a clean house but hate cleaning in order to get here... I think we can maintain it until Tuesday. Heaven help us if it goes on the market!
Pizza Dough is ready! Time to make a masterpiece!
Yesterday I got some retail therapy. Had some running around to do, needed new work shoes, a prescription filled, and had a few gift cards burning a hole in my pocket. At winners I bought a light winter transitioning into spring jacket. It's black and poofy and I love it. It's been a mild weekend and my hopes are up that the end to winter is within sight... OK. It's still January, but I can hope. I got some snazzy steel toed sneakers at Mark's for work. Then hit my favorite store, Canadian Tire, for a plant pot and some soil. I have successfully not killed one plant for a while now, I just upped the ante to two plants! It was a great day for shopping. Sunny out, roads were melted and great for driving, got to have a little more fun in the car than you can on snowy icy roads!
Realtor comes Tuesday to give us an evaluation on the house... It's pretty darn clean right now. I absolutely love a clean house but hate cleaning in order to get here... I think we can maintain it until Tuesday. Heaven help us if it goes on the market!
Pizza Dough is ready! Time to make a masterpiece!
Sunday, 20 January 2013
First Blog of the Year
I've been called out on slacking on writing my blog! It's already well into the second half of January without a post. Bad blogger, bad. So without further dilly dallying let's get caught up.
First on the list, resolutions! I have a nice list on my phone of things I want to do this year. The usual, get more exercise and eat better are on the list. So far I've been on the couch to 5K program and am on week two. Doing OK I think, it definitely makes me sweat, but I am still able to handle it. Eating better consists of a few easy to follow rules. Only one fast food meal a week, making meals at home most nights with good real food ingredients. We did eat out twice last week. I fell victim to the delicious smell of KFC on the drive home. There might not be a cheat day this coming week. Also no pop, unless we are using it as mix. This might backfire and turn us into alcoholics, but it's intended that on a normal evening we'll drink water with meals or at night, not pop. Also there are no chips in the house right now. If I crave them I get the little snack size bag which nicely forces you to control how many you mindlessly eat in a sitting. That's the plan. I don't think we were eating really all that horribly (although I found out there was a lot of fast food lunches at Derek's shop!) but there were little changes we could make to improve things a little.
Other resolutions on the list:
Volunteer: I have so much spare time I really should get out there and do something in the community.
Shop before November for Christmas: I really felt stressed about shopping this year so that's what that stems from
Visit the Multiplex: our huge sports complex the city built. It has an amazing pool that I really should check out, maybe get back into swimming.
Get Massages: OK, hardly seems like a sacrifice, but we have coverage that includes them and I know my back and shoulders could really benefit from regular massages, it just never happens.
Right now we are cleaning up the house to once again invite a realtor over for a home evaluation. It's been a year since the last one and hopefully the market has picked up enough that we can get out of this current house and at least break even after all the fees... We've been looking at listings for houses and think we can get what we want for less than it would cost to renovate our current house. Not to mention no matter what we do here there will never be a garage. So fingers are crossed. I cleaned all weekend (between facebook and TV movies) and we'll probably have someone in this week.
Car has snow tires! They have come in handy as the roads are completely ice covered and slippery. Car also has a faulty coolant gauge that at -30ish decided to not show a reading and turn on the check engine light. They really need to test cars in California and Northern Alberta during the winter... but service at the local dealership has been relatively hassle free and she gets a new sensor tomorrow. I am enjoying having a warranty! So much better if that light comes on and you know it's not going to cost you anything to fix it.
Bought myself a Kobo for Christmas, using money from my Grandmother and a gift card from my sister. My first downloaded book was "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn. It was a great book. I recommend it. You don't really know what's happening, side with one main character, then find out stuff, side with the other main character, and basically bounce back and forth the entire book. I ended up not really liking either character, lol, but not really hating them either. I can't really say more without giving away plot. Need to get to the library to get a card so I can use the online ebook borrowing. I absolutely love having books in digital format. Less clutter on the bookshelf, you can preview things before you buy, and you can carry it around so much easier than say, a 1000 page book, if you like Ken Follett or George RR Martin.
Other things...
Mike and Candace had their second daughter, Alaia Joy on Jan 1st. She's a carbon copy of Adara.
Went to the dentist, 32 years and no cavities! How I don't know.
Just finished another glazed set of kitchen doors at work. Ugh. Now I am onto a distressed one which I love. Taking a sander to stuff and making it look old, it's very satisfying.
That I think is about all. I had a deep thought last week I think? Now I forget it :) gone forever into the universe...
First on the list, resolutions! I have a nice list on my phone of things I want to do this year. The usual, get more exercise and eat better are on the list. So far I've been on the couch to 5K program and am on week two. Doing OK I think, it definitely makes me sweat, but I am still able to handle it. Eating better consists of a few easy to follow rules. Only one fast food meal a week, making meals at home most nights with good real food ingredients. We did eat out twice last week. I fell victim to the delicious smell of KFC on the drive home. There might not be a cheat day this coming week. Also no pop, unless we are using it as mix. This might backfire and turn us into alcoholics, but it's intended that on a normal evening we'll drink water with meals or at night, not pop. Also there are no chips in the house right now. If I crave them I get the little snack size bag which nicely forces you to control how many you mindlessly eat in a sitting. That's the plan. I don't think we were eating really all that horribly (although I found out there was a lot of fast food lunches at Derek's shop!) but there were little changes we could make to improve things a little.
Other resolutions on the list:
Volunteer: I have so much spare time I really should get out there and do something in the community.
Shop before November for Christmas: I really felt stressed about shopping this year so that's what that stems from
Visit the Multiplex: our huge sports complex the city built. It has an amazing pool that I really should check out, maybe get back into swimming.
Get Massages: OK, hardly seems like a sacrifice, but we have coverage that includes them and I know my back and shoulders could really benefit from regular massages, it just never happens.
Right now we are cleaning up the house to once again invite a realtor over for a home evaluation. It's been a year since the last one and hopefully the market has picked up enough that we can get out of this current house and at least break even after all the fees... We've been looking at listings for houses and think we can get what we want for less than it would cost to renovate our current house. Not to mention no matter what we do here there will never be a garage. So fingers are crossed. I cleaned all weekend (between facebook and TV movies) and we'll probably have someone in this week.
Car has snow tires! They have come in handy as the roads are completely ice covered and slippery. Car also has a faulty coolant gauge that at -30ish decided to not show a reading and turn on the check engine light. They really need to test cars in California and Northern Alberta during the winter... but service at the local dealership has been relatively hassle free and she gets a new sensor tomorrow. I am enjoying having a warranty! So much better if that light comes on and you know it's not going to cost you anything to fix it.
Bought myself a Kobo for Christmas, using money from my Grandmother and a gift card from my sister. My first downloaded book was "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn. It was a great book. I recommend it. You don't really know what's happening, side with one main character, then find out stuff, side with the other main character, and basically bounce back and forth the entire book. I ended up not really liking either character, lol, but not really hating them either. I can't really say more without giving away plot. Need to get to the library to get a card so I can use the online ebook borrowing. I absolutely love having books in digital format. Less clutter on the bookshelf, you can preview things before you buy, and you can carry it around so much easier than say, a 1000 page book, if you like Ken Follett or George RR Martin.
Other things...
Mike and Candace had their second daughter, Alaia Joy on Jan 1st. She's a carbon copy of Adara.
Went to the dentist, 32 years and no cavities! How I don't know.
Just finished another glazed set of kitchen doors at work. Ugh. Now I am onto a distressed one which I love. Taking a sander to stuff and making it look old, it's very satisfying.
That I think is about all. I had a deep thought last week I think? Now I forget it :) gone forever into the universe...
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