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

Roll with it baby

When the muse strikes, you just gotta roll with it!!

Rhonna Ferrer rub ons; Heidi Swap bling; MM textured tape; and scrap paper that I had laying around.

Thanks for looking!!

Creativity Strikes Again

Ethan... First day of Grade 2. Where is the time going?? HOW can my baby be 7 already?? Sigh. Papers from the Scraptivity August kit. Really fun to work with.

Frustrating Day

No better way to get rid of frustrations than by being creative. Turn that energy into something useful! I LOVE what I came up with. This, by far, is my most favourite layout that I have ever done. And I have done many!! This is Izzy B on her first day of pre-school. Very happy to be going to school. NOT very happy to have her picture taken before hand. But this is her. Totally her. I used Wild Asparagus paper and Rhonna Ferrer rub-ons and some good ol' ink. Very simple. Just the way I like it.

Tuesday

I am in search of these little beauties....

But I would rather be looking at this beauty... This is Portugal. My cousin Marie just returned from a trip. I wanna be there, not here....

Allergies

Have taken over my life... Ick. I don't understand why the change in seasons does this to me every time?? What is out there that is making me sick?? I can't breathe... My throat is killing me... My eyes are either watering or burning... Stop. Just make it all stop....

My weekend was uneventful. I got the garden dug out. I am tired of the geraniums - that are STILL blooming/flowering afer 5 months - and all the other "summer" things I planted. So I dug out two huge terra cotta planters and now I am off to find some fall plants. I am heading to Potter's to see what I can find. I am always inspired when I go to these Nurseries, yet I can't seem to bring that inspiration home and translate it into my own garden. Something is missing there.

And this morning I am interviewing Isabella's new sitter. Her last day with our old sitter is on Friday. Nothing like cutting it close!! Part time care is very VERY hard to find. So I am hoping for good things from this interview. She comes recommended by a mom of one of Ethan's classmates = keeping it all in the same area. I like that. It is really handy when I work on Wed and Friday to drop off Isabella then Ethan at school and then head out to New West. I don't have to do any back tracking = wasted time. I hate wasting time, especially in traffic. So wish me luck.

I am off. Have a good day all!

Hmmmm......

Thought of the day, courtesay of Mary's blog:

Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

Tagged

I have been "Tagged" by Marina. So, here we go:

5 Wierd Things About Me:

1. When I eat a "garden salad", it can only be lettuce. I hate cucumbers and tomatoes, etc. in my "salad". And it has to be with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I don't like salad dressings.

2. After the beds are made in the morning, no one is allowed on or near them again until bed time.

3. I never use public washrooms. Ever. I will not eat or drink when I am out for fear of having to use the facilities... I cannot get over the "germ" factor or going to the bathroom with other people there... So I would rather my bladder explode.

4. I hate all animals. Of every type, shape or form... - deal with it.

5. I get angry when I ask someone to do something, and they don't do it "right" = my way. I will re-do the task. It is a control issue. Again - deal with it.

I tag Cate and JennD.

Have fun!!

Pretty...

Not everything in life has to be practical, or functional...


Some things are just meant to be pretty.

Fast and Furious

The birthday invitations, that is! They are coming on fast and furious! So within the first two weeks of school, there were 4 birthdays in Ethan's class. NOT counting his!! Today I went shopping for toys. I go out and about to look for toys to buy and stash in the linen closet for upcoming parties. Ethan's social calendar is busier than mine!! So today I went to Winners. GOOD place for toys!! I found a Star Wars Rock 'Em Sock 'Em game; and a mini RC motorcycle. Cool things to have for the "boy" parties. I also found a few dolls and a dress up kit. GOOD things for "girl" parties. I really try to not let Ethan go to every single party that he is invited to. It all gets to be too much. But even with the ones he does attend, I can't keep up!! And today he handed out his invitations to his kid party next Saturday night. You know, it is a good thing I only have 2 children. I really could not afford more!!

Fall is in the Air...

And it is time for a change!! I feel the need to start cozying up my home! I am in search of pillows and throws for the family room couch. I am also in search of something new for my formal living room. I have two shelves up that I hate. I didn't hate them before, but now they have gotten on my last nerve and it is time for them to go. I want a very ornate book case to replace them - something very tall (I have 12' ceilings) and a bit narrow. Urban Barn had this remarkable display case - it was a series of cubes - 9 of them. Very unique. But of course I hesitated and now the case is gone. They have a new glass enclosed apothecary case that is cool, but I am not sure it will fit... Time to break out the measuring tape and see. Also the cabinet will be over $1000 with taxes and delivery, etc. Sooooo, I REALLY have to love it. REALLY. This won't be something I will be replacing. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so advertursome with my decor. That once I picked out something and put it in my house, that would be the end of it. No. Most of the time, it is just the beginning. Sigh.

These lovely pillows come courtesay of "Print and Pattern" again. Love them!! I want the chair pillow for my leather armchair!

Now for something not so cool - my private sitter is quitting. Yes. She cannot compete with a big childcare centre that has opened up in Cloverdale. So yesterday she gave me one month's notice. I am sad. Isabella really really loved Miss Preet. And she has given us such good care these past 7 months... But what to do. She was even sweet enough to give me the centre's phone number and told me to call and see what they could offer Isabella. I only need it for 2 days a week - we are talking 12 hrs! That is it. I only work 10 hrs a week. The rest is travel time. So I will give them a call and see what they have. I am not worried. Such is life. Changes happen. Sometimes for the better. Sometimes not. I also noticed a child care posting at Isabella's pre-school last week. So on Tuesday I will give that a look also. There are options. I just want to make sure Isabella is well cared for and loved.

Have a good day!!

Being Creative

I have Tammy's cj in my house. It arrived today. I have not worked on a journal in months. Literally. I think the last journal I had was back in June. That is a long time to go without being "creative". Which is the theme for the pages I made for Tammy. But the word "create" has so many meanings. What it means to me, I guarantee, is not what it means to you. But I did not fully realize what "create" meant to me until I finished the journal layout. I started with the whole creative process - what have I created? A marriage. Life. A career. Friends. Even enemies. But that was not what I wanted. Then I turned to what I like to create - interiors. So my layout is about creating a home - not a house, a real HOME. I have a passion for making four walls so much more. I see the possibilities where others see the impossibilities. I am not afraid to use something in a different way. I have "created" four homes for us so far. And I know I am not finished yet. That excites me. So be creative everyone. Whatever that means to you.

Alone Time

Well, Isabella is in pre-school (big 2nd day for her!) and Ethan is at school, and I am all alone. WOW! Do I ever LOVE alone time!! I did not think I would react this way, but I love it. I love the fact that I can run around and do errands without having a small person with me. I love the fact that I don't have to pull her in and out of her car seat, and do up and undo the buckles, etc. I love that I can do housework AND get it all done without hearing, "I do it for you mama. Oops. I made a mess...." I love that I can sit here and type and not hear "Mama, I'm hungry" or "Mama, I want a movie", or "Mama I need some milk now"..... Alone time. Very good.

In other news, I was surfing blogs and came across one called "Print and Pattern" - from the UK. The author always has these inspiring prints she captures and posts. This one totally caught my eye. I would *love* these pillows for my family room. The pattern reminds me of the Scraptivity stamps from last month's kit! Too funny. Maybe that is why I was so drawn to this pillow...

Have a happy day!

Sugo

So Tammy brought me some of her home grown tomatoes from her garden yesterday. They are lovely!! I can't wait to use them. But Tammy said she already has many many bags of tomatoes frozen, so I thought I would post my sugo (sauce) recipe for y'all. This is my grandmother's recipe and very traditional for the region we come from - Molise (where all the pasta is made!!).

2 jars of passata (crushed tomatoes - buys the cans if you cannot find passata)
1/2 can of tomatoe paste
olive oil
onions
celery
carrots
ground beef
dried oregano
salt and pepper

Begin by dicing very finely the onions, carrots and celery.
Put a heavy stock pot on the stove and add olive oil to coat the bottom. Add your veggies and saute until they are translucent. Then add your meat. 1 lb of ground beef will do. Saute until the meat is no longer pink. Add the cans of crushed tomatoes and begin to season. Add salt and pepper and oregano. I measure using the palm of my hand. That is how nonna taught me. I guess it is about a tbsp of each... Turn the heat down to simmer and let this go for about an hour. Come back and taste again and adjust the seasoning. Add 2 tbsp of tomatoe paste and some heavy cream - about 1/4 cup. This cuts the acid of the tomatoes. Let it go again for another hour. By now it should be nice and thick and a very dark/deep colour. Adjust seasoning as you need it. Now you have sugo!!

Enjoy!!

Happy 7th Birthday Boy!!

Today is Ethan's 7th Birthday!! Happy Birthday baby!! Wow, where has the time gone?? I remember the night I went into labour with him - like it was yesterday... All those nights worrying about his health - listening to him breathe.... Watching him like a hawk.... And look at him now!! He is an absolutely amazing kid. One of a kind. Really. We are so very proud of him, and he had a great birthday with all our family members and our best friends. It was a great party.


Oh, and look at this amazing cake!! Oh ya - made by the spectacularly talented Marina Crego!! She did this all by hand!! No stencils. No patterns. All Marina!! Talk about talent!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! And it tasted even better!!

And I must say that Tammy is looking AMAZING!! Her new diet/lifestyle agrees with her!! Way to go sister!! And my sister Laura. Watch out world!! She too is changing her diet for the better and is doing awesome!! Really very inspiring to me to have these gals in my life. I dont' know where I would be without them!!

I am off to bed. I am exhausted. Partying takes it right out of me.

'Night all!!

FAMILY

Three generations...
Five granchildren...
Four great-granchildren....
This is us!

We *love* Wind and Tide

Today was the first day of pre-school for Isabella. It was a hit!! She is sooo ready for school. She is ready for the stimulation and the socialization and the big time learning of "stuff"! She was actually quite upset that she did not have a full day. The school does gradual entry, which is what most 3 yr olds needs. Not mine. She could go to school for 6 hrs a day and still want more! She is amazing. And I am super proud of her today!!

Some Updates

Since the summer is over, I thought I would update y'all on some things going on around the Officer household.

Since I have started with the no carbs/no sugar way of life, I have lost over 10 lbs! That is in under one month! I am amazed. I really am a doubting Thomas. You can tell me whatever you want, but I won't believe it until I see it/do it for myself. So, this works for me! The cravings/crankiness are gone in general. There are still a few times where I need to have some sugar which is strange - I never thought myself a "sweet" person. But I find keeping Jello no sugar added cups in the fridge or Skinny Cow Fudge Bars in the freezer really helps! And even diet pop does in a pinch. Not bad. I will definitely continue! Hey, that is 10 lbs less that I have to lose! Now I think I have another 20 lbs to go... One day at a time.

Marc had a very interesting interview with the Coquitlam School District. They offered him the position of International Student Liason Worker - Korean based. Very cool. He has been doing a contract for the District where he teaches 3 nights per week. They have been very impressed with his work and his teaching style. So on Friday Marc will know one way or the other whether or not they want to hire him for this position. It would mean a bit of juggling for us - Marc of course is part owner of our private ESL school in Surrey, and so the other managing partner would really have to step up and take over the day to day productions. And our head teacher would have to step up and take over a lot of the day to day curriculum preparing and teaching and staff problems... Marc would continue to support the school evenings/weekends. It would be a lot of work. But it seems that we are blessed with many opportunities, and we are not people who shy away from them!

That leaves me with my work situation. The problem I had last week really really left me with a bad taste in my mouth. It also made me realize that I cannot do this - I cannot be a full time mom and a full time legal gal. They two are not compatible. So the career will give way. My children and my family come first. Now, I can't do this overnight. But by Christmas I believe I will have everything cleaned up and ready for me to walk away.

I will leave you with this:

Apparently, the excitement in my house today is just too much for Isabella to handle!! BTW, look at her loooonnnnggg legs!! Holy crap!! She is going to be 6 feet tall!! Well, I guess she can model. Oxford isn't going to pay for itself now, is it?!!

Have a good day!

Happy First Day of Grade Two!

Doesn't Ethan look thrilled to be going back to school?!! Actually, he was beyond thrilled to go back to school and be with his buddies again. We go to school out of catchment = all his friends live far away from us. But they were all excited to see each other again yesterday. And today is the first full day back. Ethan's back pack weighed a ton! He packed all his books and duotangs and pencils, etc. last night. I am not even sure he needs all these things right now, but he wanted to pack them all. So be it. Now, I am very curious to see who he has as his new Grade Two teacher, and who his classmates are. His teacher last year was amazing!! I loved and appreciated her so much. So far, we are batting two for two. Ethan's K teacher was incredible also. So, let's pray for the winning streak to continue!!

I am off to do housework (yeah!!!) and laundry and bake some muffins. Then Isabella and I are going antique shopping.

Have a great day everyone!

Friends everywhere you turn

Last night we attened Sally and Keith's 25th Wedding Anniversary - vow renewal/party!! It was fabulous!! Sally looked stunning. She made all the dresses for her "bridesmaids" and all her grand-daughters. They looked fabulous. And of course I was touched and awe struck by this wonderful couple's 25 yrs of marriage - through good and bad; through hard times and fun times - they still love each other and are still able to push on. Truly inspiring. As the room was filled with all the people that have touched Sally and Keith's lives, I noticed that the room also contained many many people who have touched my life. My short, quite insignificant life. I am really very grateful to know that I have many friends where ever I seem to go!! It was a nice feeling. So happy happy 25th to Sally and Keith! Thank you for making us part of your celebration, and thank you for helping me to realize that I have friends everywhere I turn!! HUGS!!

So tired...

Worst two days EVER of my working/legal career. I made a mistake - a big one - but luckily I was able to fix it almost immediately, but now I am sick over it - that it even ever occurred in the first place. My boss did not seem as upset as I was/am. But that is the great part of being me - I internalize everything and go over and over and over... I don't forget. I do it so much so that I make myself literally sick. I dont' want to do this anymore....