Just popping in to say...

Hello from me!!!

Cam turned the camera on me out in the backyard yesterday, nothing fancy just me being me in my house clothes and pigtails, but I'm glad when he does sometimes because all to often I am missing from the story, you know, I take all the pictures and then am not in them.

Was out tonight at my craft night with the Lisas. I always enjoy this crafty , munchy, creative, girl time. It is totally good. Even though I have a ton on the go I just wouldn't miss it! and I went to Dalcrafts on my way (one of our scrapbook stores here) just for a couple of things . Was the first time in a long time, do I ever just love walking around and being surrounded by all that good stuff!!! I just want to get my hands on all of it and play with everything! I almost bought Elsie's new book but I was good and resisted..it will happen...But not today :) I am so tired tonight , been having busy days with the girls, good busy though. Playing school, Emilea writing numbers and words and Tiara is learning to write her name, and trying to tech them to clean up what they pull out, so lots of stopping everything to clean up together. They really play nicely all three of them, which is pretty good considering that 7, 4, and 2 is a pretty big age range for play buddies!

Today I am thankful for answers, and helpful friends, God's love, and good family time, oh and let's not forget craft night!...I am thankful for craft night too

Outside the box with patterned paper

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ok, this week really is my Outside the box challenge over at Scrap Artist! Sorry for the false alarm last week :) I like this challenge I think it is fun, and I wish I did this more often! what it is is cutting shapes from your patterned paper and using them to embelish your layout. you can do this by selecting and removing the background so that only the shapes remain, or by removing the background from only one part by hand ( digitally) and if you're working with good ol' paper then pick up those scissors and get cutting!!! remember to come over and show us your pages in the OTB gallery, and come say Hi in the forum ok?!

I made this anniversary card and cut the flowers out from Lisa cohen's Tropical hideaway paper, all of the embelishments are from Michelle Coleman's Savoir Faire.

An example of cutting away the background and using the whole paper is down below if you scroll to my post called "Thinking Face" where I used the spots to embelish the page.

Hope you join in the fun!!! Happy Sunday

so happy to be swimming at long last!!!

a little visual aid to tell the story

Eyes of observation

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This is a super simple layout I did of Tiara ( I know, I know, gotta get some on here of the other 2!) It has hidden pull-out journaling that says: "your eyes are always watching, observing and taking in your surroundings.You watch from a distance for some time before deciding if you will join in . And sometimes you just decide to participate by observing and that is Okay. Watch as long as you need to, take it all in sweet girl."

I have learnt so much from her how to slow down and be more sensitive, she really has always needed that in her little world. But for me it has been an area of growth in our four years together to learn to stay back and watch with her, and I have taught her to just tell others " I am not ready" when she needs to. I wanted to make her a page to let her know that I love her just for who she is and that it is just fine to be an observer as much as she needs to. I had fun making the flowers and swirls and I am totally loving Katie's new floss stitches! Coming soon over at the Designer Digitals store For a full list of supplies you can check it out here.

yesterday was a dirty grumpy day! The very short version is that we have a pool, didn't ever really want a pool, but it came with this house 3 years ago and needed a new liner so it has been waiting to be fixed. It finally got re-done this year ( a whole big kaffufel that I won't go into ). So yesterday Cam was replacing a few of the lines while the concrete is all broken off still, and I guess something didn't get plugged up right so the very short version is that when he cut the old line there was a Huge amount of water rushing out like crazy! It holds 60,000 litres of water...So there is the two of us, filled with wet mud ( I mean clothes, hair, skin, COVERED!) arm deep in it all trying to stop the water, water is gushing way to fast to stop or bail, adrenaline is pumping, both shaking, praying Hard!! For sure a bonding moment in retrospect LOL. We really had to work together. It is all good now and after a few years of having a hole with a swamp in the backyard we are finally up and running! whoohoo!

with all of our work in the back these last few weeks we have totally neglected our house, today was cleaning day...wow felt great! Cam tackled the kitchen, so nice to see the counter again LOL and the kids had trashed their room, so I worked together with the 2 older girls to get everything back in it's place and it looks so nice now, they are so proud. I keep opening the door and peeking in just because it looks great! Today I am thankful for my home and the way we can work together as a family.

my 3 Blessings

How Blessed am I???

On Lac du Bonnet beach

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here is my sweet Tiara on the beach, in Lac du Bonnet this past weekend. It was so peaceful for her and she really enjoyed it! I did this layout using mostly goodies from Scrap Artist and a few others, my supply list can be found here. I love these photos of her, they make me happy :) This is the beach where I spent so much time when I was growing up. My Gramie's house was just off of the beach and I would spend a good part of my summer's there, it was so nice to take my children there and make some new memories with them.

A rainy day here today, but still lots to get done. We have been working on our backyard while Cam is on holidays lots to take care of back there, but it is really coming along. Yesterday we got landscape fabric down in the gardens and rocks in one and cedar chips in the other, looks so nice and neat! The day before Cam built a swing set for the kids and we built them a sandbox before that, just things we have been wanting to do for a long time. Lots of work but even more fun!!!

good time away

We definetly had a really nice time out at the lake, and although it was jam-packed with fun, we were able to find those peaceful moments I was craving as well. Sitting together as a family at sunset eating ice creams with the beach to ourselves , meeting up with long-lost family and cousins from other provonces, some I haven't seen in 15 years and some even longer so it was a real treat to be all together. I will have to load in my other photos and get a few up on here. But when I saw this one that I took of the sap dripping out of uncle Martin's tree I thought, yes in the peaceful moments we have eyes to see things like this. So much beauty in God's great world! When life gets busy I think all to often we rush by without really seeing the beauty around us, just too busy getting where we are going and doing what needs to be done. I even got a shot of some baby birds in their nest. Just enjoyed taking it all in and breathing the fresh country air. Stop today to take a deep breathe and tell me what you see, what is beautiful in your world?

Finding peaceful moments

ok well, I still have a bunch more photos from Chicago that I wanted to share, but I'll have to settle for just getting this one on here today because we have to get going. Just sitting down for a second.

I loved this peaceful spot. In the middle of busy downtown Chicago, a super pretty courtyard with benches and gardens and this fountain, it was the perfect spot to just breathe and for a few minutes forget all of the busyness going on so close by. As you can see on the street behind me everything was still going on but from right here it was peaceful. I love this photo to remind me of that, to remind me to find those peaceful moments amid all of the hustle and bustle we create in our life. I need that so much, I just sometimes forget to take it! Excited for this weekend to enjoy peaceful moments with my children and Cam, I'm not bringing his laptop or even my magazines, just a journal and of course my camera. aahh sounds good!

Thinking Face

This is a layout I did a little while ago with some of the fantasic product I got being Holly McCaig 's guest fairy chick for June. My Tiara is such a character, on this day she was sitting on the lawn practicing faces, and when I went to see what was happening, she makes this face and says "look mama this is my new thinking face" hahahahaha!!!! this girl just makes me laugh! Holly's product is available at Plain Digital Wrapper, lots of good good stuff there.

I am working on the out of the box challenge for Scrap Artist this week and I thought of this layout. To make the circle cut-outs I used a piece of spotted pp and selected and cut out the background leaving only the circles, totally fun and way easier then cutting many seperately. So I think my challence will be to use pp and cut it up to create some kind of fun elements on your page, stitch it down attach it with brads, tear it up, doodle on it... you name it. Get creative! Come over to the scrap artist outside the box forum after Sunday and show me what you've got! or come and leave me a link here! I love to see everyone let go and play!!!!

It's a long weekend for us here in Canada this weekend so we are just getting ready to head out to the lake at Lac du Bonnet, where I grew up spending so many of my summers, I'm so excited to take the kids and to see all of my cousins and family at the Tetrault reunion!!! whatever you are doing this weekend remember to chereish the time together it is just so precious!!!

Edited to say:

sorry, false alarm! the scrap artist schedule was bumped back by a week after the big anniversary bash, so come and check it out next week and my challenge will be posted then!

small things, great JOY

Today remember to find Joy in the little things.

Tiara is afraid of so much, she had the courage for the first time to touch a ladybug and pick it up! As it crawled on her arm she was shouting out " she likes me mama!!! she is tickling me!" I am so proud of tiara for finding the courage to try, and I am reminded to find the great Joy in the little things!

Fun facts

Over on our Creative team board this week at Designer digitals we answered a few fun questions. I know plenty of people have done this but I have not. I thought it was great to read fun facts about some of the other ladies and decided I'd copy my answers here just for kicks.

Four jobs I have had in my life: was a foster parent, ran a daycare, was a nursing assistant, taught scrapping workshops

Four movies I can watch over and over: Save the Last Dance, Mary Poppins ( my favorite!!!) Anne of Green Gables, and Annie...What can I say I am just a BiG kid!

Four places I have lived: an apartment in the city, a 5 bedroom trailer in the country, a sunny little hundred year old house with beautiful stained glass windows, and a nice sized 4 level split in a good family neighborhood...But all here in Winnipeg where we were both born and grew up! Not too exciting but we are happy

Four TV shows I love to watch: Grey's Anatomy, Alias ( so sad it is over!), CSI, Crossing Jordan

Four places I have been on vacation: Florida & Bahamas ( a Disney cruise Awesome Fun!!!), Jamaica ( our honeymoon), Mexico ( Cam's work sent us ), Chicago (CHA!)

Four of my favorite dishes: ice cream and fresh blueberries ( does this count as a dish?), Tortellini and 4 cheese sauce baked with cheese on top ( LOVE pasta and reeeally LOVE cheese!), breakfast for supper...Love it! Pancakes or homemade Belgian waffles with warm fresh made pudding on top and fresh fruit mmmmmmmm!!!! All that goodness!, and I love a BIG bowl of cereal a MUST have everyday

Four websites I visit daily: Designer digitalis, Scrap Artist, my Yahoo mail, and CK

Four places I would rather be right now: AAAhh! Well...Hawaii would be nice ( just have to get there someday!), the beach any beach, sleeping in my bed , and to be honest I am thankful and happy to be here right here right now I love my life I am truly Blessed there is nowhere else I would rather be!

and I just have to add here because I have been asked so often...

My first name: Christie-Dawn ( I have been called C.D. by everyone except my mom for ever!)

Fun!!! Thank-you all so very much for all of the wonderful thoughts and kind Congrats re: SOY!, I feel really special and totally Blessed! You all make me smile so so big

BE FREE!!!

Quick Layout post. This was one I did awhile ago for the Ultimate digi scrapper contest but never posted it anywhere else. supplies can be found HERE.

I love scrapping totally free!!! Just really letting go and letting all my creativity come out, especially with photos like these of my silly crazy Tiara! I just love adding things like the rosy cheeks and buttons on her shirt without caring if it is "OK" For the scrapartist pool party I posted this as my example of freestyle. Now when I say freestyle I am not saying trying to imitate the look from the Autumn Leaves book, or any popular trend, though the book is super Awesome! And so is the blog. What I am meaning is just letting go and pouring out all the fun ideas and creativity you've got into your page or your art whatever it may be. Different for everyone because we are all different but no matter who you are I guarantee you it will feel great! So for those of you who didn't make it over to the scrap artist challenges. I challenge you to just sit down and be free, throw out the rules and just make something, even if you think it is crazy, I bet it is not! Whether you do Digi , paper, projects , you-name it!!! Just let go and go-for-it! And if you post it and want to share please come back and leave a link here I would love to see what you do!!!

Good good news!

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Checkout the lovely greeting sent to me by our awesome friends Krista and Braden from out of province!! Why the congrats? Well I did a crazy thing a little while ago...I didn't really tell anyone, just worked my butt off to prepare my portfolio of twenty and sent it in for CKs Scrapbooker of the Year contest! I never imagined I could have a chance at something so Big ( if you are not sure what it is all about click the link and check it out!!!) but there are a few pretty great ladies out there who believe in me and gave me the confidence to give it a shot. Well, I am sure thankful, because yesterday I got a phone call from Tracy White telling me that I am one of the ten finalists they are sending to Las Vegas!!!!! I am so incredibly honored and amazed.

It is only starting to sink in today after seeing my name on that list and getting so many very kind congrats that this is real and it is totally HUGE!!! I am someone who seems to have a delayed reaction to things whatever it may be I just do what needs to be done and sometime later I actually feel all of my emotions! So I don't think I sounded nearly as excited as I really am when Tracy called. I have been asked a few times to share about getting the call so...

Here's my story:

I had planned to be home all day and it's nice that Cam is on holidays right now so he was home too...Just in case somehow there would be a call! They announced on the message board that they needed more time and would probably not be making calls until Tuesday, bummer because I had to be out ALL day Tuesday. Oh well, I carried on with my day got lots done and then around quarter to four or so the phone rang and I thought nothing of it but checked the call display anyway....801 area code!!!!!!!!!!! I knew!!! But I answered all calm and cool in my nice voice, and on the other end there is Tracy telling me how nice it was to meet me and my "cute husband" ( he loves that!) last week, I calmly talk with her a bit and then she says "so I did wanted to call and say how much I enjoyed meeting you at CHA, but also to tell you that you have been selected as a finalist in our scrapbooker of the year contest!" at this point I am still all calm sounding but I am totally totally shaking, I am sure I said something like " no way! wow thank-you!" way too quietly...She's telling me that they will be sending me to Las Vegas but it is a bit of a blur because my mind is spinning and I'm trying to walk my shaky legs up to the kitchen where Cam and my mom are. Then ( this is totally too funny!) I ask her to hold on for a second and just say "CAM..." And point at the phone and nod because I can't form any words to tell him, he shouts out a big "WHOoHOo!!!" and my sweet mom who is in the kitchen lovingly making us rice pudding is trying to give me a hug, but is feeling all proud and emotional and can't see where she is going through her tears so she ends up spilling the raisins all over the floor and shouting out something like "congratulations there are raisins going all over the place!!!" and here I am in that moment remembering listening to the HOF calls and thinking "oh goodness please don't be taping this!" Everyone will think us Muckoskys celebrate by muttering half sentences, shouting out sounds and scattering small dried fruit!!! So
I quickly left the room and tried to listen as Tracy was telling me she was making calls from home, that I had to keep it a secret for now, and to pack my bags. At the time I had a nice talk with her and I think sounded fairly calm and normal but now it is just a big blur because by that point I was shaking so badly and I was just so completely thankful!!! I'm pretty sure I thanked Tracy a whole bunch of times and said something about getting to hang out with her again in October.

I can't even express in words how truly thankful I feel for this opportunity. My art is my passion, and that is good enough for me! Being on such amazing creative teams, and having the chance to go to Chicago is so dreamy, But then being recognized in this way and in such awesome company is just really unbelievable!!! The icing on the cake for sure! congrats to April Peterson, Beth Opel, Holly VanDyne, Jody Ferlaak, Leah LaMontagne, Liana Suwandi, Mou Saha, Samantha Walker, and Tiffany Tillman. Can you really believe that we all have a one -in-ten chance at $10,000 and a 2 year contract with CK??!!!! WHOA! Thank-you so much to CK for this chance, and my wonderful friends and family who totally stand by me and believe in what it is that I love to do even when you don't all totally understand what that is! This is where my treasure lies! Right here spilling raisins with the ones I love!!! :)

a little dip

And one more Layout! One of my favorite things about summer is kids in the water! so fun and refreshing. Emy and Bella squeezed themselves into this tiny pool and were having so much fun together!

this one was in the last Muse ( the Scrap Artist newsletter) So except for the cardboard everything used here is from Scrap Artist. Oh and by the way they are having a wonderful anniversary pool party over there until tonight! Good sales and lots of fun challenges! come and check out me and Lisa's freestyle challenge. We are having lots of fun and there is a wonderful kit being given to all who participate. ( in any of the great events!)

Ava's card

I will have to come back to my regularly scheduled sharing of CHA pics and stories ( I know everyone else is long done, but I'm slow and was having trouble getting photos to load!) but I realized recently how long it has been since I shared any work on here. So here is a card I did for our friends who came to visit from out of province. Sweet little Ava just turned one so this is a 4x6 that they can share with some family and friends. She is just a total doll!

we're Back!

We're back!!! Chicago was great, hangin with my Cam was wonderful and we met sooooo many great people! I'm gonna have to post in bits cuz there is so much I wanna share.We are still totally exhausted, The driving was pretty much through the night there and back ( with a few nappy rest stops) and our time there was just packed with goodness! Check out this cute make and take album the Lisa Cohen and I both got to make at A2Z essentials , such super friendly chicks over there and great papers to play with! I am going to attempt to load some photos of some of the people I met but I'm having a bit of trouble with blogger so I'd say just check back and I'll keep adding as I can.
We had a really great time at the CK reception on Sat evening! Here's a pic of Jessica Sprague and I enjoying the yummy snacks ( my favorite! ice cream and tons of toppings!!!) It was great to meet her in person and chat for awhile. We all got the cutest name tags and Ali's new font CD and designing with patterned paper book! Definitely really good stuff!!! I'll have to grab some more photos of meeting people from that evening, because there was definitely a whole lot of meeting going on :) It was great to meet some more digi gals over at the Autumn Leaves booth. Here is (LtoR) Terra, Tia Bennett, Me and Heather Ann Meltzer. All such fun and friendly chicks! It was great to get some big hugs and good chats. It amazes me how we can meet all of these people working together online and then when you get to meet in person really feel like you kinda know eachother. Had a good talk with Rhonna too while I was there, she was also super nice.

The product was overwhelming and amazing, so much that I have never seen IRL, and all of the people I met were so great.I can't seem to add any more photos , so I'll come back and try again later.

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the PINK suitcase is heading to CHA!

I can't even tell you how exited I am getting to be leaving for summer CHA in Chicago in two days!!! Meeting so many people, seeing all those yummy new scrap supplies, and 4 days of time with Cam.....I just may pass out from excitement here!

We only have one decent suitcase, Cam uses it, and I was in need of one for awhile...It's not like we travel often but I want to use it to haul all of my photography stuff to shoots. So when I saw this amazing ,happy, Huge, PINK one on clearance at Winners I knew I had found the one for me! It was Luggage Love at first sight. I will be spending the day today packing my beautiful pink suitcase, and getting the girl's stuff ready for our parents who will be sharing the kids . You would not believe the amount of preparation it takes for 5 people...Even thought he kids are not coming they still need clean outfits ready, food bought, activities and all of that. I had gotten a bit behind with laundry while my arm was really hurt, just because I couldn't fold, so it was piling up, clean, but a whole loveseat full! So I have been wading through that some, and yesterday we got all of the groceries for my mom and the girls while we are gone. I do have a bit of a to do list to tackle to be ready but it is different traveling without kids that's for sure!

Friday night we will be meeting up with some of the FAB folks from Designer Digitals, and
I received my invitation last Friday to the CK reception. I can't wait to meet some of the other gals who won HM in the HOF that I have been getting to know. We get to spend an evening of good food and prizes ( ooooohh!) with quite a few of the editors that we all love. OK you've got to check out this line from the invite: "Who's going? Brenda Arnall, Erin Lincoln, Denise Pauley and Ali Edwards, as well as Leslie Miller, Jennifer Purdie, Tracy White and most importantly . .YOU!" How goofy do you think I got when I read that??!!!! I have never met any of the scrapping chickee s that I have gotten to know online, in real life, so that is what I'm most looking forward to ( other than just getting away with Cam) but seriously I'm a little girl from Manitoba Canada who doesn't get to go to these things and meet super cool people ( we do have plenty of coolness here I must say! heehee), so getting an evening with all of these CK ladies is something I totally don't take lightly.... Just such a dream! The whole thing is. We are driving to Minneapolis and flying from there, even simply the drive alone with Cam is something I look forward to. Now my only delema is to figure out what kind of footwear would look acceptable with my decent looking clothes and still be comfy enough to walk in all day. See I go around in my comfy foamy crocs and they just look a little goofy with nicer clothes, housewife chic is normally the only style I need. :) any suggestions?

I love this! My sweet baby girl holding her daddy's hand strolling along to the park on a warm summer evening, with happily skipping big sister feet up ahead lol! My life makes me happy, it just does. Sometimes I just hang back a bit and watch it all, and these simple times are the ones that make me so thankful to just be in it! Have a great weekend

I'M sooooo RAD??!

look at this!!! a collection made just for me?? lol! This cracks me up. Kim and I have had somewhat of an ongoing RAD joke for quite sometime ( I won't even try and explain that one) so when she decided to call this new collection of hers "RAD CD". I thought it was too funny, but actually seeing it on her label just makes me giggle :) Had to share