Go me!!!!! ...are there Sea snails?

we always seems to have waves when it comes to efficiency around here, sometimes fabulously radiant "high tide" where we are managing to do everything and do it fairy fantastically, and then sometimes we go for the oh so low-on-the-organized-and-efficient-side-of-life wave...
OK.
dude, we are like burrowing down in the ocean bottom sand with the sea snails right now......are there sea snails??? I dunno, maybe I just made them up, but you get the idea.

Today I jumped back on the meal planning bandwagon once again...don't get all excited now, cuz I know I'll fall off in a month or two when life needs attention more in another direction, but for today we are STOCKED!!!!!
I couldn't even fit all of the bags in my superstore sized cart and the bag hangedy hooks were missing too, so it was a fabulous balancing act to get it all out to the van.
But, OH, SO worth it!!!
The menu for our coming suppers this week is...

Lasagna, Cesar salad and garlic bread
Garlic pork steaks, fresh Manitoba corn, and roasted baby potatoes
Perogies and koulbasa with a coleslaw salad
tortellini with 4 cheese sauce and fresh baked buns
Toasted tuna melts and pea soup
french toast, hashbrown patties and french toast ( because breakfast is ALWAYS yummier at supper time!)
I am deciding to chatter about this so that I can look back and remember how good it was to do it right, and do it all over again next time the efficiency is at low tide. Aaannnnd so that I can tell you that I picked up this book last week and it totally inspired me, great buy, worth the money, check it out!

wings of freedom

This canvas is a reminder for me, and for my girls, hung right in our upstairs hallway outside of all of our bedrooms where we begin our day.
I believe that it is so true;
We all have such beautiful potential within us if we can just stretch open our freedom wings and believe that we can each take off in all of the beautiful ways that we were made to fly.
Having said that though, in walks self doubt and a few good ol' bummer days to Rob us of our freedom...that positive mind set is easier said than done right?

So here we go;
a bright reminder hanging in our hallway right at eye level!
on this project I used a 16x24 canvas, brushed with cream and blue acrylic paint, then gel medium with old book pages, masking tape for texture, india ink and spray inks to build up my background. Then onto the yummy toppings; words are drawn in regular black uniball pen, painted with watercolor paint and highlighted with white charcoal, wings are painted with white watercolor, vintage bird card, prima flower stem, 7 gypsies keyhole and other goodie bits are all a part of the Kenner Road kits this month!May you spread your beautiful wings of freedom my friends, your potential is unlimited!
Take flight in faith.

His mighty plans

Some very cool and surprising developments are stirring for us around here... and so of course my thoughts and feelings about the whole thing spilled out into my Art journal as we drove out on our road trip and Cam and I talked for 4 hours straight. It was good , and fun, and super exciting to be all abuzz together and have that driving time just to talk and share and just BE together in excitement; I'm not quite ready to spill all of the beans in any great detail cuz I want to see how everything unfolds in the coming weeks, but this is truly one of those times where we know that God will provide for our needs and his plans for us are so often better than we can even begin to dream up on our own.

Good stuff.
Just super good.

My little precious

Look at my baby, turning 5 this summer and going into kindergarten, there really is not so much "baby" left in there, is there? she is slowly being replaced with lovely little girl...so lovely, I really enjoy hanging out with her, she is a truly sweet and sensitive little person. It is a gift and a privilege to be the one holding the hands of these three little girls of mine as they go through life, and getting the front row seat to watch them grow into the amazing people they were designed to be.
I am definitely the Lucky one.

This is my 3rd project for Kenner Road this month, about this kid of mine, my littlest baby who is growing FAR too fast! but somehow will always be MY baby no matter how big she gets :)
This page is made on the paper bag that Kerry-Lynn sent everything out in; I used the alpha stickers as a mask for all kind of spray ink, ripped and messied the edges of my pieces, and used torn bits to create my little "meadow" below...Gotta Love this little mama and baby bird, it's US!!! LOL
Wishing that you enjoy all of the little hands you have the privilege to hold!
Peace

Our life is beautiful

Here is project #2 for my "guesthood' at Kenner Road ( see previous post)

This is just a little book celebrating a life I am truly grateful to have.

Made from some green Prima flower packaging as the cover, with light bulb pack inner pages ( y'know the wrapper that keeps the bulbs safe until you get them up and lighting your house? well ya, that stuff) and lots of Kenner Road Kit bits to doll it all up!!!We are getting ready to pick up Emy from camp tomorrow and head out on a family road trip so I will have more inner pages to share sometime later when we are done "summering"...at least it is all ready for me to add to as I have a minute. It is in a big ziploc bag with pictures printed and bits thrown in for embellishing and I have my handy dandy pen and masking tape at the ready all good to go so that I can just cart it along with me in my purse!


Happy life to you my friends!

Italy 08 with Kenner Road

I am the guest designer this month for Kenner Road...Kerry-Lynn creates fantastically gorgeous vintage inspired kits that are totally right up my alley! Check out their gallery and just drool over the work of the amazing team of artists over there!!!

The good news is that I should have a layout/project to share almost every day for the next week or so starting with this layout from the time that Cam and I spent in Italy last spring.

the water splash ( blue India ink) and the Euro coin are on there to help tell the story; in the photo we are at the fountain in Rome where you throw a coin over your shoulder to ensure you will visit Rome again someday :) I sure hope that we do!!! Our friend Helena and her family showed us all of the ins and outs of getting around Rome and having an incredible time doing it! We couldn't have dreamt up better hosts to spend our time in Italy with.
The title is written directly onto the photo using a regular black uniball, and a white out pen to fill it in.

vintage treasure hunting

I have this little {completely unstoppable} Love for cool old finds that can be turned into comfy pieces in our home or fun props for my photo sessions. This week was a total Jackpot in the cool treasures department and I happen to have some fairly cute little models to help me show them off!
These old shutters were a super fun find at the habitat for humanity store for just $5! They will get hung on a little girlie wall and I will most likely use the little slats to hang something from....haven't decided yet, but I have been looking for some for quite awhile so....BOOYA!!!
(This little brown eyed shutter model is a total keeper too ;)

Next in line, this chandelier above was a steal at only $20, and since brushed Gold is not the look I am going for as a pretty bedroom light we added the investment of two cans of glossy white enamel spray paint and "Voila!" a gorgeous addition to the bedroom!!!...ok well this photo isn't quite at the "voila" stage yet all stripped down and on the side of the driveway but you get the idea...just imagine the "Voila", my paint was still wet.

Then I found this antique toboggan on our church ladies road trip, just a total random find at a cute little tea house for $5 and I have some really fun photo shoot ideas for it....I mean cute fall/winter ideas that do not involve summer clothing in my driveway LOL, but again you get it...
and of course if the photo ideas are a flop there will def. be a sweet spot out in my garden for this one.


Here's to cool treasures from the past!!!

Lost little girl

" I have an idea mama, let's do some pictures where I am like a lost little girl out in the woods with my bunny...kind of old fashioned ones OK?" she says to me right before going into her little lost girl poses
and then she drops the bunny and goes for some wild flowers with the idea " now how about I am a girl in Love who picked some flowers and is dreaming of her wedding day, Ok mama ?!!!"
It is such a treat to do photos with kids who have their own ideas for the shoot, whether it's my own funny kids or someone else's, I always try and work with their ideas when I can, because these little folks work along with me with such passion when they are a part of the whole thing and not just along for the ride. As in most parts of life they have fantastic thoughts and ideas when we take the time to listen and give their ideas a shot!

Thanks to my Beautiful Tiara for a lovely time out in the trees...Luv ya kid!!!

the renos begin!!!

Cam is on holidays for two weeks and we have quite the tall order of things we are hoping to accomplish around the house...the kind of big projects that don't seem to have the time to unfold during regular work weeks. Starting with Little Bella's room (formerly Emy's room). Our littlest one is in the habit of keeping everyone awake and making a ruckus at bedtime so we decided to get her a big girl bed for her 5th birthday and change things up a bit putting the two big girls in a room together and getting this little one on her own for awhile.
Here are a few before shots of the room as it has been for the past couple of years

I painted her flowers when we moved to this house 5 years ago, it was a promise I made to a very little girl who was unsure about moving. The desk is an antique that was mine as a little girl, and it had been my great grandmother's before that so we have tried to tie it into the room design when we can, she Loves the history in the piece. The Rose stool was Cam's grandmother's, and Emy painted the little canvas for herself :) We will be finding the desk a new spot for her to keep on Lovin' it in her new room.and this little corner has held her "special shelf" with a starfish from Hawaii, some special hangings with diff. significant meanings, a faith candle from her auntie and a really pretty prayer book, all topped off with Nanny's candle chandelier. It will be fun to set these all up in a new spot once we have the girls all moved and re-settled in.Here is a quick little peek at some of the fun going on around here so far....
we have the little primer girl covering my flowers with 6 coats of primer ( so far they keep bleeding through!)

...and our very happy painter of pink walls

I will have to show some after shots once we have everything finished...the plans are really pretty, with white wainscoting, a pretty coral-y pink called "devoted" and a delicate white chandelier I don't think we can go wrong!!!
Lucky little one :)