Friday night deep thoughts...

Christmas came and went in the blink of an eye. And now here we are, December 29th - two more days and 2006 will be over. A new year is ahead and with it so many possibilities. But I am not a New Year's Resolution kind of gal. I think they are hokey. And I don't think they mean anything. Everyone is always so pumped to make a "change" for the new year - it is addictive. The thrill of the unknown... The hope that something better is waiting for you... Well, guess what? These things don't come about because of a "resolution" made at the stroke of midnight on December 31st. These things come about because you are committed to making them happen. And that can happen any day of the week or month or year!! I am not saying that I don't have goals for 2007. I do. These are a few:

1. We are going to Italy for the summer. That is something that can't happen overnight, nor can this happen by me just saying "we are going to Italy". I have been planning this since last August. I am very VERY excited to bring Marc and my children to my homeland. I am very VERY excited for the rest of my family to meet my amazing husband, some for the very first time, and my gorgeous children. And I am very VERY excited for Marc and my children to meet my other side. Marc already knows how totally in love I am with my three cousins I have here in South Surrey. They are the only 3 I have in Canada - my first cousins (I have a gagillion second and third cousins....). They are a part of me that I cannot live without. I held these three children the day they were born. I have been with them every step of the way. And yet, I feel the same way about my first cousins in Italy (all 9 of them), whom I have only met a few times in my life so far. That connection is there. I want to share it. This is a goal.

2. I want to be more literate in 2007. I need to start reading more. Books to fuel my mind and my soul. I feel I am lacking in both areas right now.

3. I want to pursue a new career. I am in a real rut at work. Corporate law is boring. There, I said it out loud!! Buying and selling cabs is taxing on my sanity and is sucking the life from me, bit by bit. Yet there is comfort in the box, so this one is going to need a lot of research and much soul searching. Again, not something that will happen overnight. Or even during the year of 2007. But it is in my mind. It has been for a long time now. Time to take it to the next step.

So whether or not you are a Resolution person, I wish for you all the joys and wonders and successes that life brings. I hope 2007 is very good to all of you!! Happy New Year!!

Another Pic

Here is another picture from Christmas.

This is my gorgeous sister Laura and my oh so very handsome cousin Anthony. You can soooo tell we are related!! We all have the same mouth area - smile/lips/chins. And we all have the same colour eyes and hair. Well, most of the time!! hee hee But aren't we totally HOT?!!! Oh ya!!

Ciao

Fun pics from Christmas Day

A few fun pics from Christmas day.

Isabella and Marc's niece Hannah with matching Barbie sunglasses, given to them by Marc's aunt and unlce in Winnipeg. Each year they send gifts for all our children. Soooo generous and so thoughtful!! We miss them so much. It really does suck to have family live so far away at Christmas time! But the girls loved the sunglasses (and the rest of the Barbie paraphenalia that arrived for them) and hammed it up.

Me and my sister and my three gorgeous cousins with my grandmother. She would not stop giving everyone the "Number 1" sign, so instead of fighting with her, we all joined in.

And finally my little family. Isabella is exhausted and it was time for her and papa to head home while Ethan and I stayed to party for a few (3 or so...) more hours. Good thing we only live 20 minutes away from my aunt and unlce's house!! But what is up with my jacket?? I swear, it looks like I weigh 500 lbs here... Sigh. I have lost so much weight that my new jacket is a size M from the Gap!! Y'all have NO idea what that means to me!! I have always worn size L or XL because of my chest. But not anymore!! And yet this picture does me no justice! You can't win....

Ciao all.

And just like that...

It is Christmas time!! Wow. Where has this week gone?? My friend Sue asked a question - are you REALLY ready for Christmas?? My answer - YES. I have been for weeks now. Literally. Gifts bought and wrapped and even the majority of them given out. Goodies baked. House decorated. Tree lit. Mantle done. Parties half done. Already feeling tired... But I am really looking forward to watching the children on Christmas morning. Isabella is at the perfect age to believe in the magic of it all. And Ethan, bless his heart, still wants to believe. Yesterday was his school concert and his class got an extra visit from Santa (Mrs. Chmilar - his teacher - sent Santa a note saying her class had been extra good and they all received chapter books from Santa!! How cool is that?!!), and Ethan was thrilled. It was very sweet. He is a good kid.

So, I wish everyone a very blessed Christmas and I leave you with this - more trees!! I *love* trees!! So very festive, don't you agree?!!

I am STRESSED

Wow, I never thought in a million years that my greatest worry would be Isabella potty training. Seriously. I am beyond stressed about this. She does NOT want to do it!! And I know she can. She even said to me that she can. But she does not WANT to!! And now I am at my wits end... She will not be bribed. She will not be forced. She will not be lead. She simply does not care. But I do. And my doctor has made things worse. In his opinion, there is something fundametally "wrong" with a child who is not potty trained by the time they are 4 yrs old. Isabella is 3 1/2 yrs old... Close enough to 4 if you ask me!! And now I am fixated on this stupid statement!! Ethan was trained at 2 yrs old. I woke up one day and decided it was time for him to use the toilet. I told him he was a big boy now and no longer needed diapers. He said okay, and by the end of the day he was trained. That was it. I set the timer for every 10 minutes and he went. And he never peed the bed at night or ever had a poo accident. NEVER!! I thought Isabella would just follow suite. No. Wrong. She has faught me every step of the way. And yesterday I had to go to work to escape her and leave her to Marc for the day. I could not take it anymore. Ya. So, that is my life right now. Wow, how glamourous. Have to say - I am REALLY very very glad that I don't have any more children. Don't want anymore after this.

My last project

My mom's birthday is next Wednesday. But tomorrow I am hosting her birthday dinner. This is her gift - a set of antique tags made from vintage family photos. There are 9 in all. I just posted a few. These are of my grandfather (my mom's father) when he was in WW2. This first pic is his enlistment pic the Italian army took. The second one is of him in uniform with two companions, taken in Poland I believe... Some others are of my grandmother and my uncle when he was just 4 or 5 years old; my mom and my uncle when they were tiny tots; and my dad with his brothers and sisters and his parents. Very cool. This was a fun project.

Have a great Saturday everyone! I am going to relax today. I am going to make a batch of sugar cookies and watch a movie and just take it slow. Wow. What a concept!! Enjoy!!

And here they are...

My trees! Okay, these were totally addicting. I could not stop. Super fun project for anyone looking to do something in the evenings when they can't sit still. Or is that just me?? I always have to do something. I never just sit. Never.

Happy day all!! I am off to get ready for my firm Christams luncheon and Secret Santa exchange. Should be interesting... Maybe... Let's see how well these people really know me. This should be good for a laugh!

PS - My White Trees

For you gals that have inquired about my white trees - I made them. Sorry. They were my Christmas project from 3 years ago. I was at this glamorous Christmas fair in White Rock (hosted by Romancing the Home) and I saw these trees. They were something like $25 a piece, so I thought I could make them. I came home and sketched them out and then brought the pattern to my father in law. He cut the trees and bases for me and assembled them. I brought them home and painted them and sanded them and antiqued them. Voila!! My little forest! I made 11 that year, but now I only have 7. I am sure I gave some to my mom and my sister... Pretty sure. Anway, that is the story of my trees. Oh, and the rusty bells are just that - rusty sleigh bells. Found them at an anitque store years and years ago.

Thanks for asking!!!

Life is Crazy

I am really feeling the Christmas "rush" this year! We are over booked/over scheduled already, and Christmas is still two weeks away. I feel behind.... We have had power outages/computer viruses/non working internet for the past 3 days. Finally these things have been settled. Kind of... Ethan's school was closed today because they still had no power as of this morning. Yesterday I had to pick him up early because they lost power shortly after 1pm. I seriously thought the wind was going to pick up Isabella and blow her down the field!! It was nasty. I really have never been blown back by wind. It was a very bizarre sensation... Now I am just praying that this storm we are supposed to have passes us by. I have cab deals to close tomorrow and really need to get to work. Plus Isabella has her Christmas concert tomorrow night, and I spent the day making and decorating gingerbread men for this!! Plus her class is doing Secret Santa and I have that all prepared. And I have to get my Secret Santa gift to work tomorrow to add it in to the pile so that on Thursday when we are doing our firm luncheon my gift will be there. Then Ethan starts his Christmas festivities with his class... Marc is at his second Christmas dinner tonight. It is all too much at once. And for a control freak like me, this is no good.

On the upside, I have finished my forest of chubby linen trees and I am absolutely thrilled with the outcome!! 17 trees in all. Insane. 14 are sitting on my mantle along with the wooden trees I made years ago. It really looks good - very rustic/natural. I am pleased. I have taken pictures, but they are still on the camera. I will get around to posting some day....

I am off to bed. I have a busy day tomorrow. Night all.

Finally Finished

Well, I got it in my head this past week that I was going to make another project. It is finished!! I will post pics of my new "forest" very soon!!

PS: I am TOTALLY crazy!! I really need to seek some professional help!!

Deck the Halls...

It has begun. More to come....

Super Saturday it was

I taught my glass ball class yesterday - 94 ornaments made. It was quite a sight to behold. And at the end, all those ornaments lined up - they all looked gorgeous!! Congrats to all those gals who braved making 6 or 12 ornaments. I know they are a bit of a pain in the beginning, but the end result makes up for it!! My most successful class to date I think. I have taught for 4 yrs now for Langley, and this one was by far my most favourite. And I already have an idea for next year's class!! Me and my big mouth... It is a curse. Seriously. My mind is never at rest. And when I see an idea, I can take it even further. One idea for me can generate 10 more. And that is what happened. I came across these oh so adorable stuffed material christmas trees. And so that is the idea I am going to present for next year. Oh the possibilities... You can lengthen or shorten the trees. Make them skinny or fat. Material options galour... Sew on buttons. Or teeny ornaments... I had the idea to use dark green felt for the bottom and jute for the tree. Then sew on a few antique buttons. How totally cute would a "forest" of those trees be?!!! I think I will try next week to make up a few. Can't hurt!! And so it begins....

Today I am decorating the house. Marc put up the tree for me yesterday while I was out. So after church I am going to string it with the 1000 lights we have, and fluff it and primp it and then let the kids decorate it. Love the tree. And I have "officially" gotten rid of everything old that I had for decorations. Soooo, I guess this week I will be going out and looking around and seeing what I like to decorate the interior of my house in. I do have these funky white antiqued wooden trees that my FIL made for me two years ago. They look really cute all clustered on a shelf. Another mini forest. I seem to have an obssession with trees... There is this amazing store in old Cloverdale called "In the Company of Friends". This woman imports THE most gorgeous items! I was there a few weeks ago looking around to get some inspiration. She had these huge jingle bells that she had painted antique white and rusty red. Then she had placed them in a basket. I loved the idea! So I think I will be heading out to see her this week and buying up those balls so they can go on the gigantic platter I have that sits on my island in the kitchen. Plus she had these snowmen that were made from wood and had grapevine twigs for arms. Very rustic looking but a cluster of them would be super adorable!! Ideas are there. Just need to see what strikes my fancy.

Have a wonderful day all!!

Thursday, Thursday... Where to start??

Okay, it has been a long week. And it isn't done yet. This snow/ice/rain crap has to go. I am done with this weather. On Tuesday, I had to actually go out and buy myself winter boots. Seriously. I have not owned a pair since I was a kid. What do I need them for?? We don't get snow in Vancouver. And it never dips below -5 or so, and that is mid-January weather. I think the weather "high" these past two days was -11! Ridiculous. I live in Vancouver for the weather. Rain. That is what we get. That is why we are sooo green all year round!! But the weather people say that it will start to rain pretty soon and warm back up to 6 or 7 degrees and we should be done with all of this. Yeah. Bye bye.

Marc is home from Korea! Yeah. He brought back some gifts. Yeah again. I am the proud owner of a new Burberry bag and a new Louis Vuitton clutch. Soooo pretty. And new perfume - Burberry Brit. Love it! So I guess there won't be any presents under the tree for me! Kidding. I don't need anything. I am really hard to shop for. I don't allow others to buy me clothing. That is personal. I don't like "gadgets" or tech things. I don't like knick knacks. I REALLY don't like knick knacks. My house is sacred. NO ONE is allowed to purchase something that would have to be displayed in MY house! So, what does that leave?? Perfume and bags! Taken care of. I don't wear jewlery either, unless it is 24K gold and comes from Italy. Sooo, as you can see, I pose a bit of a problem when it comes to gifts. I like money. I am a good Italian girl. Just give me money and I am as happy as a pig in slop!! No joke.

Switching topics, I am preparing to teach my ornament class for Saturday. So, last count - 94 ornaments being made by I have NO idea how many ladies. Crazy. I have supplies enough for 100 ornaments. I have a feeling each and every one will be gone. Sooo, I am looking at teaching from 9:30 am to about 4 pm straight. Sigh. Oh well. I guess I should keep my big mouth shut and then people won't ask for me to teach! Serves me right.

I have begun the Christmas decorations. I have my wreath hung outside - not on my door. I don't like that. But rather I have mounted it on the cedar panel that sits next to my front door. It looks great! My trim colours on my house are a deep olive green. My wreath is all made of dark red berries. The contrast is fabulous!! And then I have pine garlands running all along my front porch rails. These garlands are 9 feet long and I have 6 of them around the porch. I had no idea how large my porch was!! We are not doing lights on the house. Rather, I am switching out all my porch lights for coloured lights - green. But I am missing something. I need a bit more colour outside, but I don't want it to be garish or tacky. I like very natural things. I saw these grapevine balls at Michael's. I may go and pick them up and add them into the garland. I also saw red balls that would look cool nestled in the garland... We will see what I come up with. That leads me to the indoor decorations. Have not started yet. I have to pull out my stuff and see what I have and if I like it. I like simple things, but they need to pack a punch. It is hard to strike the right combination.

Have a good all. Stay safe.

Snow Day, Part Two

Snow Day

Okay, so we had a "storm" come in over the weekend. It started to snow late Saturday afternoon and kept on going until midnight last night. Admittedly, there is a lot of snow on the ground for Vancouver - we have about 3 feet. Now, the rest of you winter people around Canada (and even in the interior of BC) would laugh. But, we are NOT equipped for this. Seriously. The city has shut down. We all have a "snow day". The Surrey School Board (and a majority of the other school districts, including our major universities) closed ALL schools in the district. ALL. I was listening to the news this morning and there were many angry callers on the line, wondering why it is that the schools had to "close" just because we have some snow?? It got me thinking. I knew as of yesterday afternoon that I was not going to drive Ethan to school this morning - clear roads or not. Our lovely little school sits a top a hill. Gee, wouldn't that have been fun to try and manage. You see, we don't get lovely, light, fluffy, dry snow. We get hard, heavy, wet, compact snow. And it froze last night. So, now we have sheets of black ice everywhere. And when you drive up the hill, you enter the school and then go down a mini hill into the parking lot. Ya. Like that would have been cleared since Saturday?!! Right. Dream on. I don't care enough about one day of school to risk getting into an accident with Ethan and Bella in the car with me. People here drive as if there is nothing wrong with the weather or the roads. It is all quite scary. The point of the callers was that we should have the choice of going to school or not on a day like this. Why?? Why risk accident for one day of school?? Is it REALLY worth all the hassel just so your kid can get 6 hrs (maybe) of an education?? It becomes all quite a logistical nightmare. Again, you have to live in Vancouver to understand my rant. We only get snow once or twice a year. If that. Last year, we really didnt' get anything!! The majour routes are taken care of. The rest is up to you. I know my poor Marc is coming home today from a 13 hr flight from Korea to come and shovel the drive way and the back alley so that tomorrow we can get out!! Not to mention the front porch and steps and walkway. Enjoy your snow day!! It will probably be the only one we get this year!! Having said that, I am off to bundle up my kids and let them PLAY outside!! Ciao.

Snow, and parties, and stuff - oh my!!

So, it is almost 5pm, and this is what it looks like outside now. The snow is still coming down, hard. Ethan does not have school tomorrow. Good thing. Not that I would bring him anyway. Our subdivision is not very good right now. Our back alley, especially, is trecherous. Sooo, I had no plans of driving anywhere tomorrow. I hope Marc's plane will come in okay. That is another story. But nothing we can do about it right now. Marc's dad is going to the airport to bring him home. I really am not good with snow. I don't like to drive it in personally, and I don't like others driving in it. Especially the idiots who don't believe that it affects the performance of their ill equipped vehicles!! But this weather keeps my firm in business. Or, should I say the sheer stupidity of people in this weather keeps me in business!! Whatever. All the same.

But this weather could not stop us from having a birthday bash!! Happy Birthday to my sweet sweet Emelia!! The big ONE today!! It was such a fun party. And here is the cupcake cake. And a pic of the birthday girl chowing down. One of her most favourite things to do!! She is a girl after my own heart!!

And last, but not least, these are the fabulous goody bags we put together on Friday night. Everyone got a belgian chocolate daisy lollipop and daisy sugar cookies. It was just the right finishing touch. I have to give my mom credit - she taught us gals how to throw good parties!!

I looked out the window and what did I see....

SNOW!! What the freak?? This is Vancouver. We don't get snow!! Not in November!! If it snows here, it usually comes mid January. This is crazy. This entire weekend has been crazy. Murphy's Law - Marc is away = children sick. Isabella has the flu. It started before lunch yesterday when she said her tummy hurt. Then she started to cry. Then she started to vomit. Every hour, on the hour. It finally stopped around 7pm last night when she passed out and went to bed and slept 13 hrs straight. Now today she is back to normal. I kept poor Ethan basically confined to the basement the entire day/evening. I Lysoled every surface possible. I freakin' washed my hands about a million times in scalding water and antibacterial soap everytime I went near Isabella. I hope I contained the disease enough and now have killed it. I hope. Today is Emelia's fist birthday party, and Isabella will not be joining us. Marc's mom is coming to stay for the afternoon while Ethan and I go. Murphy's Law.

Enjoy the snow y'all. I will now spend the next few hours fretting about driving conditions.

Christmas Cards

Okay, so, after much playing around, this is ONE of the cards I came up with. I really like it. It is "icy" looking/feeling. The cardstock is this very cool icy blue, and the paper is shimmery with snowmen on it and the tag has a HS ghost snowflake on it with some bling. Super super simple. The "Peace" is a stamp I found. I am working on variations of this theme, but this is THE card for this year. Whew. I was beginning to worry for a second. I was so unispired up until last night. Now I have a dozen of these babies sitting on my table. Now to get some pics organized and my cards are ready to go out! Love being organized.

Ciao all. 

Lookin' for the mojo....

Well, I am dismayed. This is the FIRST year that I have no desire to make Christmas cards, or have any ideas in my head of what I want them to possibly look like... I am sad. I have some really great papers from Basic Grey and Ki and Sweetwater... I have some cool Heidi Swapp ghost snowflakes and I found this old "peace" stamp that is in a scroll writing. SOMETHING should come to my head with all this stuff. But alas, nothing. Can someone please send me some mojo??!!!

Timeline

Courtesay of Crystal - she is always keeping me on my toes!!

40 yrs ago - Not around yet.

35 yrs ago - Just a little baby living in Revelstoke, BC.

30 yrs ago - Beginning Kindergarten at Lean Shaw Elementary School.

25 yrs ago - In Grade 5 with Mr. Jones. My most favourite teacher to this day!

20 yrs ago - In Grade 10 at Guildford Park Secondary.

15 yrs ago - In 2nd year at Simon Fraser University, studying History and Humanities and dreaming about becoming a History Professor.

10 yrs ago - Graduated from law and working full time.

5 yrs ago - At home with my sweet Ethan who is 2 yrs old.

2 yrs ago - At home with my Ethan and new baby Isabella who is 1 yr old.

1 yr ago - Getting ready to go back to work part time with my firm that I used to work for 10 yrs ago.

1 month ago - Mourning the loss of my sweet sweet friend.

Yesterday - Listening to a prophet speak.

Tomorrow - Staying home with my sweet Isabella and doing whatever we want.

Thanks for taking the stroll with me!!

Weekend Stuff, etc.

Behold, Ethan's first trophy. He competed in the Western Divison Taekwondo Tournament on Saturday and won this. He competed in forms and sparring and he did really very well! I was amazed at how much he remembers from belt to belt. It isn't just short term memory stuff. Impressive. He was nervous before he started, but once he got into it, he relly had fun. And he was doing these funky jump spin kicks for his sparring moves. He is one cool kid!!

The rest of the weekend was quiet. Just the way I like it. I have a cold and it is pretty nasty. So we just stayed home and hung out. We had Stake Conference on Sunday and we were privileged to listen to President Hinckley speak to us. That was a great spiritual boost. Much needed. After this past month, I am more than spiritually drained... I still have nightmares, but they are not as often. I still miss Manj every day and cant' believe it has been a month already. I still have so many questions that need answers, but the police are working hard. I have to believe that they are on the verge of making an arrest. That is what I pray for daily now.

My week coming up is hectic. Marc leaves for Korea on Wednesday and is gone for one week. Not bad - could be worse... The kids miss him so much when he goes away on business. But we have my niece's first birthday party to get ready for, and that will help eat up the time. I think we are up to 40 adults and 20 children for the party on Sunday... I have 6 dozen daisy sugar cookies to bake this week. And then goody bags to make... I had better get my act in gear. But I did get my niece the most adorable outfit from Old Navy and this totally cute Winnie the Pooh Mega Blocks set that talks. She will love that.

I also finished my Christmas shopping today. Very happy about that. I always try to be done before December 1st. People start getting crazy and it scares me. So I finished with more than a week to spare! Yeah. That's the best thing about being so anal. You never are rushed or panicked because everything is done plenty of time ahead. It gives you room to tweak things here and there!! Now I have to turn my attention to decorations... Hmm. That is a dilema for me this year. I like minimal things and I like natural things. It is going to be tricky decking this house with boughs of holly.... hee hee But I will do my best!! And I will post when I am done.

Off to eat. Ciao y'all.

Oh, it's good to have power again!!

Okay, I am SOOOOO not ready for any kind of "natural disaster" to hit this house!! When the storm hit yesterday morning, our power went out around lunch time. It JUST came back on half an hour ago. Let's see... Hmmm - that was 27+ hours without power, and I was really starting to panic. My cell phone died this morning. I ran out of "useful" candles. I had to throw away all the perishable items in our fridge - milk, eggs and luncheon meats. Awful. So, time to get a plan ready for this house. We had plenty of flashlights and batteries. Yeehaw. But we need the following:

*Lots of candles and matches
*Spare cash
*A regular plug in the wall phone
*A cell phone charger for the car
*A battery powered radio

So, how about y'all?? How did you do?? Something to really think about.

My favourite movie line of all time

I watched "Nacho Libre" last night with Marc. Okay - maybe it had something to do with the fact that I was very tired and I have a cold and I was taking some pretty strong cold medications, BUT all that aside, I LOVED the movie!! I laughed so hard I was crying. And I nearly peed my pants. Seriously. Now, my most favourite movie line of all times is in this movie:

"Do you realize that I have had diahrea since the Easters??" (said in my best Mexican impersonation).

Oh, I am killing myself laughing right now as I type this!! Bathroom humour NEVER gets old!!

Ciao all.

A Re-do

I was not happy with the layout I did for Emelia, so I re-did it. I still think it is lacking, but it is better than it was before.

So last night Tammy and I went out. We went to Earl's for dinner and then went shopping. It was nice to go out and have time to talk. Life is always too busy. And now with Manj gone, I have come to realize that it is very VERY important to give time to friends! So I had a wonderful time last night and Tammy got me home before midnight - I turn into a pumpkin at 12:01 am!! Seriously. But today I seem to have a sore throat. It is killing me... I had to stay home from church because I can't talk more than a sentence before I errupt in a coughing fit. Gotta love that.

Have a good day all. I am off to have a rest and then watch "Nacho Libre" tonight with Marc. I adore Jack Black. I think he is absolutely hilarious.

Ciao.

It's late...

But I can't seem to get to sleep. I am really bad that way - my mind wanders too much when I am alone and then my imagination gets the best of me. Before I know it I have worked myself up so much that I cannot go to sleep. Crazy. I have been like this my whole life. I was totally afraid of the dark when I was little. I remember falling asleep, buried way under the covers and then springing out of bed at the first crack of light.

But right now I can't fall asleep for another reason. Marc is not home yet. He is doing a service project with his Ventures. They are downtown Vancouver handing out blankets and such to the homeless. We are having really ugly weather in Vancouver. It has been raining basically non stop for the past week and now the temperature is dropping. I think it is 4 degrees out right now. Sooo, this is a wonderful project for our guys to do. But I am worried. The downtown streets are not very safe - even for a group of men and 10 or so teens. And of course with my law background and my wonderful Italian "never trust anyone ever" upbringing, I am paranoid that they will get jumped or robbed or something along that line.... Gee, I sure wish I could use my imagination for good rather than bad!! Sigh.

I am sleepy now. Night all!!

One more for the road

Layout I created for Ethan. He was the Red Ninja for Halloween. He looked awesome!! Everything from my stash o' stuff: HS Ghost letters; Scraptivity stamps (OLD school - Oct 2005); scraps; and inking. Super simple. That's my motto. And now I am all caught up again. hee hee

Thursday musings

I am having a home day today. Not by choice really, but hey, that is okay. Marc needs the car and he has meetings downtown. My mom is picking up Ethan from school. So, I am home. I plan on tackling a few projects today - cleaning out the fridge and re-organizing my pantry. These have been bugging me for a while... And I am going to bake today. The kids love banana muffins, so those are on the list. Not a terribly thrilling day, but then again, I have had too many "thrilling" days (and not the good kind!) lately.

My hubby has started blogging (marcofficer.blogspot.com). Y'all should check him out once in a while. He is hilarious. Truly gifted with words. I am hoping he will let some of that craziness out on his blog, and then maybe we can save some big bucks around here - y'all can be his therapists!! hee hee KIDDING!! We don't actually PAY for therapy!! We have friends in the business.... hee hee heeee Kidding again (maybe.....)

I also want everyone to keep my friend Heather and her new sweet babe Helayna in their thoughts and prayers today. Little Helayna has been admitted to hospital with a distended tummy and pain and that is all toooooo scary for a 2 week old - and a brand new mommy!! Heather, I send you all my good thoughts and prayers. I know all too well that scared and helpless feeling that comes over you when your newborn child is sick, and you can do absolutely nothing to help... Be strong my friend!! All will be well!! HUGS

Finally, I did this layout of Isabella a few days ago. Lately, I have been totally fascinated with "freestyle" scrapping. The more bohemian it looks, the more I like it. Very strange. I think it is because I run such a tight household and I don't allow a lot of experimentation with my decor - so I am experimenting with my layouts. It is fun. And it is a whole lot cheaper to re-do a layout vs. my decor!! I am sure my hubby feels relief in that!! hee hee


Have a good day everyone!!

Ciao.

Back to life, back to reality....

Well, so much has been going on these past few weeks, it is time to get caught up.

First, Ethan tested for his new Pheonix belt (purple) and got it. I was so very proud. His form consisted of 37 moves that he had to memorize and perform. Plus his self defence and board breaking and sparring and weapons. He did awesome. And in two weeks he competes in tournament for his very first trophy. He is excited.

Second, my constant need for change is getting the better of me. I have picked out the paint colours for my house and I am ready to go. I am always inspired by designers from around the world. These gorgeous vases come from the UK. I love the muted colours and the bead like designs. I am sure they would look gorgeous in a nook with light shining on them. They look like they would sparkle. Very elegant. Gotta love that.


Marc was in Calgary this past week working. He is being head hunted, again. But it is something totally out of his "norm". We are excited about the opportunity. I think something really good is going to come out of this. Change, change.... Constant change.

And finally, I get to turn my attention to my niece Emelia. Her first birthday is in a few weeks, and now we are busy preparing for the big bash - Italian style!! My sister actually rented the church hall because that is how many of us there are going to be!! I LOVE it!! Italians know how to party!! So I got to create the invitations, with the much needed help of the fabulous TAMMY!! Thank you!! And they are super adorable. We took a Gerbera Daisy, hot pink, and put Emelia's face in the centre, and then did the party details on the side. Turned out absolutely adorable and Laura loved it!! I knew she would!! And now I get to make 6 dozen daisy shaped sugar cookies for the party favours. We are giving out the cookies and daisy lollipops. Martha Stewart I am not - BUT I can give her a run for her money!! And we are doing a daisy cupcakes in tiers for the birthday cake. Super cute. Super girlie. Totally my niece!!

I am off and running. Busy Monday ahead. Everyone stay safe! Ciao.

And now for something a little lighter

Halloween pics from my sweet boy Ethan - aka - the Red Ninja!! Don't panic - his dagger is plastic and retractable. What a ham!

A Final Goodbye

Today was Manj's funeral. It was hard. Really really hard. I cried so much today that I actually vomitted. I have NEVER cried that hard in my entire life. There is a difference between someone passing from old age or a terrible disease vs. someone being taken from you - right out of the blue. There is an emptiness. There are questions - soooo many questions... No one seems to have the answers, or, more to the point, no one wants to answer anything right now. There were easily 1500 people at the funeral today. She touched so many lives. So many. We loved her so much. But amid all those people, there were television crews and reporters and police everywhere - watching; questioning; observing; taking notes. The entire funeral was taped - there were surveillance cameras everywhere. It is all so unsettling. And then in Sikh custom, Manj was cremated right there - while we were all watching. THAT was the worst part. THAT made it all so final. THAT forced us to say goodbye. And yet today, there were also moments of happiness. Laura was reunited with her childhood buddies. People we have not seen in ages. Shannon and Adam... How I miss these two so!! Seeing their beautiful faces today brought back so many wonderful memories. Laura and Manj and Shannon and Adam were inseperable when they were kids and teens. They literally had adventures together. Nothing was ever boring for them. And mischief seemed to follow these four where ever they went!! They laughed together; they cried together; they worked together... True friends. And in such a sad time, they had come together to support each other again. True friends.

Manj, we love you. You will always be in our hearts.

My Little Princess

This is Isabella last night, all dressed up for Halloween - a princess, of course!! Not much different from everyday life here in the Officer household... But too cute nonetheless!!

 

I am taking comfort and strength from you all

Thank you everyone!!! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you - for being supportive; and compassionate; and understanding; and patient. Thank you for letting me vent. Thank you for letting me mourn. I was at my sister's house last night - just dropped by to make sure she was okay and to take cookies to my sweet niece and nephew. I did the Italian thing - I brought food. What else do you do?? I spent the entire day yesterday making Halloween sugar cookies. I made them and Isabella decorated them. It was great therapy!! And then I went to my sister's with a huge container of cookies for the kids and we stayed for dinner and just talked and had a nice time together as a family - just the two of us and our kiddies. My BIL Chris was "smart" enough to leave us alone to our nattering and laughing and crying.

All the funeral details are done. All the details for prayers at the temple are done. Lunch is being provided. Now it is just a waiting game. Saturday seems so far away....

So I leave you today with this:

This is my sweet sweet niece Emelia in her pumpkin costume!! Really, I could honestly eat this kid right up!!

Happy Halloween everyone. Please be safe!!

Shame on you!

I am disgusted with the media's methods - specifically the Vancouver Province. Shame on you for calling my sister and coercing her into giving an interview which you used to sell your papers! You had NO intention of letting a life long friend tell a story about a wonderul woman and her life. NOOOO. You just wanted dirt. You just wanted gossip. You just wanted to make money. And now my sister is suffering, again. And the Panghali family is suffering, again. Thank you, Province newspaper, for reaffirming the belief I have that people honestly are heartless and all that matters is the almighty dollar.

Funeral Services

Hello all. Details of the funeral services:

Saturday, November 4, 2006 at 12:30 pm
Five Rivers Funeral Home
7410 Hopcott RoadDelta, BC

Temple 1:30pm
128th St & 85th Ave
Surrey,BC

We are literally expecting thousands to participate. This is a beautiful and touching way to celebrate the life of Manjit.

Also, there is a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the capture and prosecution of her murderer. If you have information, you can contact Delta Police or the Surrey RCMP. If you want to leave your name anonymously, then you can call Crime Stoppers.

Thank you.

Memorial

Thursday, Oct 26, 2006

Charred remains identified as missing pregnant B.C. woman Police said Thursday that charred remains found earlier in the week were those of missing Delta, B.C. teacher Manjit Panghali. (CP/HO) DELTA, B.C. (CP) - Charred remains found near the seaside have been identified as those of a pregnant woman who went missing from her family on her way to a prenatal yoga class. Police said Thursday the probe into the disappearance of Manjit Panghali is now a homicide investigation.

Panghali, a 30-year-old Grade 1 teacher, was reported missing earlier this week and her family held a tearful news conference begging for information about her.

Also earlier this week, police in Delta, B.C., just south of Vancouver, found a burned body near a container terminal. Police confirmed the body is Panghali at a news conference.

"This type of crime defies comprehension and the value of human life," said Const. Sharlene Brooks of the Delta RCMP. "We acknowledge that this is the most devastating to those who loved and knew her."

At the school where Panghali taught, teachers were gathered in a room to hear the sad news after the children had left for the day. Teachers from North Ridge Elementary filed out of the school weeping after hearing that their colleague's body had been identified.

Panghali and her husband have a three-year-old daughter. Her husband, Mukhtiar Panghali, told the news conference this week that he waited 26 hours to call the police after she went missing because he wanted to ensure she wasn't with family or friends.

Friends say the pair fell madly in love while both were studying to be teachers at the University of British Columbia.

Media reports have noted that Mukhtiar's brother, Sukhvinder, also lived with the couple and their daughter, but he moved out recently.

Sukhvinder Panghali appeared in court Thursday accused of stalking a former girlfriend over three months last summer.

Brooks said police have no suspects in Panghali's death.

"This investigation is still very much in its preliminary stages and police are not making any assumptions or drawing any conclusions with respect to suspects or motive," she said.
"This will be, without a doubt, a very complex and multifaceted investigation that will require all resources available to us."

Delta police are leading the investigation, with help from Surrey RCMP.

She is gone...

This MUST just be a nightmare. I am sure I will wake up any moment and shake it all off, because something this absolutely horrific CANNOT be happening in our lives. How can someone devalue and desecrate a life like that?? Two lives!! She was not alone... I weep for the life of my lovely lovely friend that was taken far too quickly. I weep for the life of a teacher; a mother; a wife; a daughter; a sister; an aunt; a best friend that has come to an end. I weep for the future of a daughter left behind who will never get to be raised by her loving and caring and oh so beautiful mother. But most of all, I weep because there are no answers at this time and we are left to our imaginations which are running wild with the most ugly and frightening thoughts.

Another Update

October 26, 2006 - 7:55 am By: News1130 Staff

DELTA (NEWS1130) - The emotional ride for relatives of Manjit Panghali will take another twist today. At Delta Police headquarters, the autopsy results of a burned body found near Roberts Bank on Monday, will be released.This morning, there are two different opinions on how connected it may be to the Panghali case. Police in Delta have so far refused to rule out the possibility it belongs to the missing mother. On the other hand, the Globe and Mail is reporting that the Mounties don't believe it's her.
Either way, her family is refusing to give up hope. Friends say they've been gathering volunteers to search the local green spaces, including Green Timbers Park in Surrey, where Manjit's car was found. They're also defending her husband who is facing growing criticism because he waited 26 hours to report his wife missing.
Friends say that is no surprise because the South Asian community doesn't always have good experiences with police. They also suggest the delay was simply an attempt to save face.

Still, nothing...

There is no new news, and no more leads at this time. Manjit has been missing for 6 days now. Tomorrow it will be a full week. I am beside myself with worry and now I find myself completely fixated on this - where is she? is she okay? did she do this on her own? was she kidnapped? did a stranger do this to her or did someone she know do this to her? is she eating? is she drinking? is she safe? is she tied up somewhere? is she being assaulted? she is pregnant - is the pregnancy still viable? is she still alive? sooo many questions, and they won't go away.... No answers. And sweet, sweet Maya... My heart aches for this child. She wants to know where her mommy is. What do you tell a 3 1/2 yr old?? How do you ensure her life is as "normal" as possible when the entire world around you is collapsing??!! Again, no answers. Nothing. Just prayers. Constant pleadings with the Lord to help those involved resolve this - quickly.

Update...

Surrey RCMP confirm they have found Manjit Panghali's car somewhere "in the lower mainland". They will not release where they have found the vehicle, or any other details at this time. Please continue to pray for her safe return. This is day #5 that she has been missing....


SURREY (NEWS1130) -
Surrey RCMP have confirmed 30 year old Manjit Panghali's car has been found.
Police will only say it has been found somewhere in the Lower Mainland
Manjit's husband was accompanied by half a dozen family members at a news conference to announce the finding.He made a tearful plea for any information into the disappearance of his wife of 9 years. They have a 3 and a half year old daughter, who they say has been asking a thousand questions about her mom as she watches the family deal with the pain.They're trying to shelter the little girl for now.
Meanwhile, RCMP will only say the grey 2001 Honda Accord has been found, somewhere in the Lower Mainland, but they wont release any more details to protect the investigation.
The family says there were no conflicts before she left, and they've called all her friends, with no luck.Police also say there's no connection with a body found in Delta today.

PLEASE HELP!!

My sister's best friend, Manjit Panghali, is missing. She was last seen last Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm dressed in a black fleece pull over and black stretch pants, going to a pre-natal yoga class. She has not been heard from since. Manjit is 30 yrs old; Indo Canadian; 5'10"; 120 lbs; long dark hair and dark eyes. She is 4 months preganant. She has a 3 1/2 yr old daughter at home with her husband, MP. This is NOT normal behaviour for her. We are worried sick about her. We absolutely love this girl as a member of our own family. She and Laura have been best friends since they were 4 yrs old. They went to elementary school; high school; university; and got their teaching degrees together. This is an absolute nightmare!! Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers, and if you are local, and if you think you have spotted her, please phone Surrey RCMP.

Thank you.

Nothing Cures the Rainy Day Blues

Like a big ol' pot of home made sugo bubbling away on the stove!! Just look at that crimson goodness!! And the smell... Heavenly. I grew up with my grandmother making sauce 2 or 3 times per week. I could not understand, at that time, why she had to do this. But let me tell you, the satisfaction that comes from eating something totally homemade and good for you - unbeatable!! And my nieces are coming tomorrow afternoon/evening to stay and they have never had MY homemade sauce (Marc's brother's children). They are in for a big treat! My kids adore this stuff. They know what is good for them!!

Over doing it a bit...

Okay, so y'all know that when I get something into my head, I go all out! I know I have a bit of a compulsion about things.... Okay - a BIG compulsion about things!! So I have made another 2 dozen of these ornaments. I think I have about had it now, though. I have enough "samples" for my two upcoming classes. I can' t use this excuse anymore! I think in total I have made close to 3 1/2 dozen new ornaments in just the last few weeks... Wow. That is a new record for me!! hee hee

Onto bigger and better things. My house! These are the paint colours I have chosen to do feature walls and art niches in my house. I adore these colours! Very rustic. Very old colonnial, farmhouse kind of colours. Just the perfect contrast to the very modern decor I have. Marc has fixed all the little nicks in my walls and has primed them all. So this weekend I will be buying the paint and then letting Marc go to it! He is the MOST awesome painter!! Soooo meticulous. It makes me proud!! It is all part of the compulsion. Can't stop until it is done. And, this makes me the most excited of all - Marc has agreed to the gorgeous apothecary unit for our formal living room!! Yeehaw!!!!!!!!! We are going to buy it as a Christmas gift for the house! So now to hint to the parents and in-laws that $$ would be appreciated this year!! It costs a pretty penny, or two... Just like everything else in my life!! Nothing new. At least I am predictable!


Ciao all!!

[Product] RED

I am ever amazed by people who do good in the world. By people who truly reach past their immediate sphere of influence and try to affect the bigger picture. I absolutely *adore* U2. They are my most favourite band of all times. I have every album they have made to date. I know every song. I have had the privelege of seeing them in concert 5 or 6 times in my life so far. And now Bono has introduced [Product] RED. Major manufacturers have agreed to produce products and sell them with certain percentages of the profits going to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. Amazing. Finally an idea that will actually work. We consume these products anyways. WHY NOT help out!?!! Some of the sponsors include Gap, Converse, Emporio Armani, Motorola, America Express and Apple. I urge you to learn more about this. Get Inspi[RED] yourself and help your global brothers and sisters. I am off to the Gap to pick up a couple t-shirts for Marc and myself and support the cause!!

Ciao all!

Saturday is a special day...

Not really!! hee hee But it was a home day for me today, and I did enjoy that. I was going to go to the States with my cousin and go shopping, but since I spent big $$ on my table, it kind of cut into my spending money. Such is life. Can't have my cake and eat it too. Although, I really do try!!

So I got it in my head today that I wanted to make home made canelloni. And I wanted home made pasta too. That is basically what I spent my day doing. I made my own pasta sheets, and then I made a spinach and ricotta and ham filling and my own sauce (which I had made a few weeks ago and frozen). Baked it all at 350 degrees for an hour. Man was it tasty!! But I made two pans... So I froze a portion and walked next door and gave a portion to my neighbour. Need to spread the love (and the calories!! ). Good day.

I am off to watch a movie. Have a good night all!

Oh, and Tammy - I am beyond relieved that you are doing better!! Hugs my friend!!

Happy Tuesday

I am all "turkeyed" out!! Three full turkey dinners over the weekend was enough to do me in. But don't get me wrong - I honestly enjoyed every minute of it!! Especially my Aunt Fran's homemade pumpkin and apple pies!! YUMO!! To die for. Seriously. I don't eat carbs or sugar anymore, but I sure did indulge in this pie. It was sooo worth every calorie and gut pain that it gave me!!

But now it is back to reality. My week ahead is busy. Ethan has a Taekwondo competition on November 18th where he is competing in his forms and sparring. So we have "extra" lessons these next few weeks. Today being one of them. I have to work tomorrow and Friday - that puts a kink into my schedule! The nerve of the firm demanding 10 hrs a week from me!! hee hee Can't complain about that either.... I finally found a console table for my formal living room, and we are picking it up this weekend. I am beyond excited about that!! I will take a pic of it once it is in my home and all dressed up. I also found this gorgeous old apothecary bookcase with glass, etc. to put in my formal living room. I have been searching for about 5 months now for something to take the place of the shelves I have in the living room. They don't belong there. I hate things that are out of place. That is all I can see.... But this little "find" will cost me a very very pretty penny... Marc was not impressed. The console table is a go. The new unit, not so much. I am going to have to "persuade" him otherwise!! ;) I am asking for it as a "family" Christmas present for our house. Right now, that is not flying either. Sigh. I really need to be in the furniture import business. I just have this true love of good furniture. I am drawn like a moth to a flame... I am hoping next summer when I am in Italy I will be able to find a few things to ship back home. My second cousin just got married this past weekend and his new wife owns an Antique shop in Agnone - outside of Rome. I have great plans to visit her and hang with her and see what she can dig up for me!!

But for now, I am off to WM to buy bleach and laundry detergent and Ziploc bags. Ah, the glamorous things in life!! Keeps me grounded!

Have a happy Tuesday y'all!!

More pretty things

Just can't get enough.

Upcoming Weekend

Well, what I thought was going to be a fairly quiet Thanksgiving weekend has turned into anything but. We have 3 dinners to attend - starting Saturday night and continuing to Monday. Whoa. That's a whole lotta turkey and stuffing!! But hey, I can't complain. Quite the contrary. I am beyond grateful that we have so much family who live so close to us; and we have an abundance of friends who think of us and want to share time with us.

Of course, then I started to think of what I am thankful for. I mean TRULY thankful for. The list was long. Here are some highlights:

1. My eternal, ever loving husband Marc. I cannot describe how utterly amazing he is. You have never met someone so honest and upright in your life. He is compassionate and caring; he is intelligent (we are talking acing physics and chemistry smart!!); he is funny; he is kind; he is hard working; and he is oh so lovely to look at!! hee hee He is my love and my very best friend.

2. My children. Not for the obvious reasons. But for the subtle ones. My kids love to hugs and kiss. It is amazing. I never tire of hearing "mom, I just want a hug"... Or "mom, just a little kiss"... Melts my heart each and every time.

3. My parents and my sister who live only 5 minutes away from me. I cannot imagine life without them here.

4. My brain. I am thankful that I am a smart cookie. I am grateful to God for the skills He gave me. How I can organize and be on top of things all the time.

5. My freedom to choose - my religion; my music; what I watch on TV; movies; life in general. It is a gift.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!! Happy Thanksgiving!!

More Ornaments

I tell you, when I get something into my head, I go all out. So, I have been busy creating more ornaments. The combinations are endless = I am compelled to try as many as I can!! It is an obsession. It must end... But these are the ones I just finished. I used the flattened ornaments this time around. Adds a different dimension. Also a smaller size. Lots of fun.

I had some questions about where I will be teaching my classes in November and December. Unfortunately, they are private classes, and are already full - which came as a shock to me. I am just a lowly, little crafter - never thought someone would want to learn from me!! hee hee I am flattered. But more importantly, I am excited to make others obsessed with making these ornaments! Hey - I have to spread the love around!!

Hey Marc....

You are the BEST!!!

I'm at it again

Well, I can't leave well enough alone. I am all caught up with my scrapping = I need another project. Christmas is not that far off... So here I am, making ornaments - already. This is the 3rd year that I have made these. And this year, I am teaching two classes on how to make these ornaments - one on November 2nd and one on December 4th. So, I guess by the time the classes roll around, I will have MANY ornaments to use as examples and even to give away as gifts/incentives! I really can't leave well enough alone....

 

Heaven

My idea of heaven... Well, one form of it anyway!!

Happy happy happy

I don't know what it is with me and textiles, but they make me soooo happy!! Seriously happy!! Is that normal?? Ah, who cares!! hee hee