Happy New Year!!!

We always find something super fun to do together to start the year out right, it is kind of a tradition. This year it was skating on the lake. There is nothing quite like it, SO cold, but so much fun! Looking forward to many things for 2009.
I don't really have words for them all yet but they are stirring.
What are you hoping for/looking forward to this year?
May you have a fabulous start to what I hope will be to be a fabulous year for you all.

I leave you with Dad and Daughter skating off into the glow of the setting sun.
xo

little singer

I loaded our little camera into the computer today after the house had gone to bed, and I sat and watched every single little video that we took over the holidays. Even though I am with them everyday, I just had to stop and marvel at my wonderful girls.These little people of mine are THE BEST! Adorable and sweet and thankful and kind....sigh.... I just couldn't have three better girls in my life.

Little Kaiella who is usually pretty shy in a group happens to have a real flair for entertaining it seems, and decided to put on a concert for us while we waited to have Christmas dinner. I just have to share, firstly because we miss all of our family who is far away this year like my Dad and his crew and my grandparents, and none of them have seen our littelest one in person since she was a year old... here you go guys!

And secondly because she is still so small and squishy-cute and I just love the way she says her little words "we're so glad that you're WISS us" in the first song (that she sang all over town this December after learning it at preschool LOL), and the way she says "put your hoooooff in..." when she sings the reindeer-pokie and ends it with her own little "Doo-Dee-boo!"
Go Bella!!!

Merry Christmas

A Christmas card to you all from all of us.

Wishing you many many Blessings, and lots of good eats and happy together times.

See you in a week or two

More goodies

It has been pretty crazy busy around here, lots on the go and I don't even want to re-hash it here. We are just running with it and enjoying the process of finding the perfect little somethings to express our Love for people this Christmas. Enjoying the visits and the outings, and the little girlies in little Christmas dresses. It has begun my friends, and this is one of my favorite favorite times of year to sit back and take in the Joy of my wonderful family and the beauty of the season. LOVE it!
I wish the same for you and your people in the next few weeks!

In other news, there is more creativity going on around here and more new goodies to share!

In my store at Little Dreamer in time for ChristmasThis Quick Design pack is good to go and ready to just drop your photo in behind a 5x5 card or use the back as a great starting place for a 12x12 layout. You get both the 5x5 and the 12x12 sizes in the pack. Here is a Christmas card that I did for Maureen and Shayne

A pack of handrawn/colored snowflakes for all things wintry.
this one has all sorts of layers to play with; whites ,multi colored blues, and the doodly outlines, as well as just the straight forward finished product that you can plop right down. A new alphabet...keep an eye out in the new year sometime and I will throw this one into a mega pack with matching lowercase letters and symbols.

and lastly, a few little clay bits for Christmas just because clay is squishy and Kewwwl!A few more guest goodies for the Lilypad too.
Just one pack for Christmas to go in the Dec BYOC kit over there.
I am so not good at doing seasonal/themed kits but these were such a blast to make. Me and the girls are working on pulling the glass out of some small dollar frames in our quiet times together and turning these Woody bits into some cute little framed seasonal art for the house. I will take a pic and share if we finish this year, may not happen. that's just life.
And these...sigh...the product of all of my art edges when I finish a piece that I have been painting. I love the unintentional quality of things that are made...well.. unintentionally! LOL. So I have strips of these hanging all around off the edges of my art island until they find homes on other projects that I am working on. I figured some of the digi/hybrid folks out there may get a kick out of them too!
Sharing a bit more painty goodness over there this month... No layout is complete for me without some splatz and splots of paint, sooooo yummy...so essential!
There you have it,
I will be scarce around these parts for the next while as I enjoy a house full of little girls home with me all day, and the fun of visits and adventures together with so many wonderful peeps over the next couple of weeks.
Life awaits, here I go!
Blessings to you all this Christmas

Colorado in pictures

I am finally getting through some of the photos from our trip to Colorado last month. We had such an amazing time on so many levels. These little girls became such good good buddies in no time at all, as if they had known each other all their lives. It was so nice for Kaiella to make her very own new friends without her big sisters overshadowing her. Don't get me wrong, she loves both of them tons and loves being with them, but both of my bigger girls have such Big personalities, each in their own way they have such a fabulous presence, and this little one is quieter by nature. She just goes with the flow and that can mean she blends into the background sometimes when we get together with friends. Seeing her having such a special time making her own friends and enjoying them so so so very much was really great!
All three of her new little pals have been the topic of MUCH conversation since we got back LOL

Look at these 2 brown eyed buddies! They are only about a month apart in age and personality wise they were a match made in heaven. Such sweet gentle little hearts these two girlies have.

And I LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture below of the three pals on our adventure to the garden of the gods Such a breathtaking spot. WOW, I have never seen anything like it, WOW WOW WOW!!! Kaiella's dusty little bum makes me smile, she had such fun climbing and sliding and running around the red rocks and in and out of the nooks and caves.

We managed to get all kinds of great photos taken; posed, candid, everyday life, you name it I shot it! It was a real honor to be able to capture some really precious moments for such good good people. To be honest, it is always something that I find a real privilege. You see so much about people and who they are that you may normally miss when you are able to observe and quietly capture little moments through a camera, I feel like I get to see a bit deeper and I have the opportunity literally within my hands, to give people gifts that are truly 100% priceless.


This one is my fave shot of my good friend; the ultra talented Miss Amy Martin.
She is a gal of many gifts and talents, creatively and otherwise, but most importantly she is one of those rare people in the world who is genuinely good and beautiful inside and out. A true-blue kind of gal.And I got SOOOO many great moments of her sweet sweet littles; the light was good, weather was perfect and of course they are all gorgeous happy little people! Here's just a few quick faves...

I love the way this one quietly captures their Big sis/little bro relationship. mmmm and those sweet chubby little hands clasped together.

And what can I say about this one? It was her idea, her pose, and she is breathtaking.
I picked an outfit and dressed her up and sweet "E" and I went walking on our own adventure taking photos. We had such a great time, I just adore her fun and happy little spirit.
XO to you my little pal, miss you already!Oh to be 4 years old again!
It just makes me grin ear-to-ear the way A's carefree little spirit comes through in these couple of pics below.
This one...well it just reminds me of the great adventure of life that we are all on. It can seem so Huge, and we can feel so very small sometimes, but we've just got to keep on climbing and keep on believing and we are sure to find ourselves in some truly beautiful places. I Love photos like this that speak to me.
Some just do.

Last but not least a few of my little Bella too of course!!!
I LOVED this location, and she was so super cute in her funky little layers that she pulled out of her suitcase
Another one from her big adventure, a rare moment that she was sitting still LOL! I parked her here while I took family pictures, and when I turned around there she was all cute and patiently waiting, just watching me climb around.
Oh, and this one of Bella and her doll "Alice" was a total fluke...just a quick snap while we were outside playing. It is not "technically" fabulous, but one of those pleasant surprises you sometimes find waiting for you when you download a whole whack of pictures.
mwwahhh...sweet little angel girl.

So there you have it, a bit of our time in Colorado in photos; took me awhile to get to them but I am so so happy I got some time to go through a few before we get too super busy with Christmas stuff.
A big thanks to our friends for all of the great hospitality and good good times :)

Some new goodies

Time to share some new goodies again... Here is what I have been making lately.
In my store at Little Dreamer
A new pack of painted canvas accents; I know, I know, it is winter and all...Christmas is around the corner, yes, but flowers in my art make me happy happy happy all year round. And in fact, I think that I need them more when the world is covered in ice and snow. These print out really nicely for use as accents on paper pages or cards. The texture of the canvas is just really yummy the way it gets jiggy with the watercolor paint.
mmmmm.

some teeny alpha stamps because I may possibly be obsessed with little alphabets and red ink/paint.....OK not possibly, I AM obsessed LOL.
This pack has two sets in it; both inked and painted.
And one more set to satisfy my happy creative places, puffy paint and colorful arrows; can't get enuf of either right now so these were born...and I have also added a few more guest goodies over at The Lilypad
These stamps are a fun set of continuous line drawings; I love that they are just carefree and imperfect, made by drawing while your pen doesn't leave the paper. You see this style of art popping up all over in ads and cool places these days and I find it so so inspiring.

And some neutral naturals because I Love to use them.
Totally essential for me and my scraps :)

And that is the way the cookie crumbles.

Rawk on peeps!

-43 degrees: this is how we do it

It's C-C-C-C-cooooooold here lately. Tons of snow and so so bitterly freezing that it hurts to breathe in deeply. I am not complaining, just trying to describe it for all of you warm weather peoples who may never see winter the way we do. Actually the truth is that it just wouldn't be Winnipeg without some crazy super winter at some point between November and March. It's just the way we do it here and we don't mind so much ( well, us Muckoskys anyways, I can't speak for the rest of Winnipeg).
The super cold is not usually quite this early though, this snap kind of took us by surprise, most years it is more like February when we get hit so hard.

Anyways, I was just thinking today how It always cracks me up when I travel around the world and people find out where I am from, most often they want to know all about the winters here in Winnipeg.
The most asked question after "How cold does it get?" is
" How do you even go outside?!!!"
So here is this year's visual for you....snow pants and big boots buried in front yard snow that is well up over our knees, and the rest of us bundled so that just our eyes are peeking out.
Got to get out, got to have fun...so THIS my friends is how we do it!
We had a blast playing outside today a little bit. Not too long but the girls just needed to get out and tumble around a bit and I guess I needed it too. there is something about playing in a yard full of snow that can bring out the little kid in anyone :)

Happy day to you wherever you may be, and a big fat WHOOOOT for Hot Chocolate with whipped cream and a wee sprinkle of cinnamon.

toothpaste monster

Apparently my bathroom sink has been attacked by some crazy toothpaste monster sometime this afternoon. It appears to have snuck into my house and coated the sink with aprox. 2 ENTIRE tubes of toothpaste, some nice bright white and some pretty sparkly blue. hmmmmm....perhaps an attempt at a nice re-decorating surprise??? Kind of like a "while you were out" type of idea? or more accurately a "while you were not looking".
I LOVE HAVING KIDS IN MY HOUSE
LOVE IT to bits!!!
they keep my life interesting and filled with much redecorating
TLC has nothing on us

birthday lovin'

I had an amazing Birthday yesterday, so full of Love from all the amazing friends and family in my life. I am truly Blessed, that's for sure! I was woken up to a great chorus of Happy birthday from my little family and everyone ( including our big ol doggie dog) jumped in bed to start my day with lots of good hugs and cuddles, I did get this pretty bracelet from my sweet girls and lots of adorable handmade crafts. Having Kids who think that your birthday is a national holiday just makes it so much more fun!

Cams parents put on a great little party for me and we had good eats with great peeps...I really couldn't have it any better ( thanks guys!)

little travel princess

My Bella the amazing traveller!

She was so proud of her rolley bag and her new passport. She donned her tutu and polka-dot legwarmers at 4 AM with a smile on her face and was the first one in line to hand over her "ticket" to the gate agents. They got a real kick out of her. there was absolutely NO fear or even a tad of worry about flying, as the airplane began hurtling down the runway faster and faster she would quote lightening McQueen every time shouting out "Speeeeed, I am speeed.....KACHOWWW!!!!!" and a few hearty additions of "WHEEEEEE!!!!!"
She spent all of her time during the flights doing stickers and drawing and singing her happy little songs. Such a happy little sunshine girl, honestly.
The littlest of three girls sometimes just is in the mix of what her big sisters are doing, which is all fun and good...but it really is so so nice to be on a trip just the two of us.

Got2B Grateful sale

Happy US Thanksgiving to all. I for one have so much to be thankful for in my life that I really don't mind celebrating twice! ...one for Canada and now again for the US Holiday. Fun , Fun , Fun; y'know a holiday all about being truly grateful for what you've got is right up my alley so that is exactly what I am doing...my second Thanksgiving of 2008. It is great to be a part of this weekend with our friends here in Colorado. I haven't loaded any photos yet but I'll share a few when I go home later next week. Kaiella is having an amazing time with her new little friends and I am having a great time too, taking photos and spending time with my pals both new ones I have just met and the old ones I already thought were FAB! 

In honor of all things good in life I am throwing a quick little 3 day sale on my guest goodies over at TLP. 40% off on everything until  midnight on Sunday. 

God Bless, and wishes of health and happiness to you wherever in the world you may be this weekend

note to folks in Colorado Spring area

Kaiella and I jumping on a plane in the morning and we are going to be in the area for the next week. I have time to fit in one more 3 hour photo session while I am out that way. if you are interested please email me for more details.

And to everyone else out there, hope your week is filled with Blessings, too many to count.

soulographer and a few random thoughts

I haven't had a lot of time since I got back home to go through the photos that I took in Austin at the Soulographer workshop but I wanted to share these few from my first look through them.

the kids were amazing, and it was a beautiful location. Definitely a different experience than my usual photo shoots with kids, shooting at a workshop with 28 other women doing the same thing. It was fun. I didn't get to connect with the kids quite like I usually would of course, but that wasn't the point of the day.

In other news, gas prices have come WAY down WHOOOT. $45 filled 3/4 of our tank today and that, my friends, is gooood news. It is icy and cold here now which finally has me in the mood to create some Christmas cards and gift tags, the snow was late this year we were treated to a pretty warm start of November which is FAB but so strange for Winnipeg :)
Last but not least, the laundry has piled up once again...no one has 2 pairs of matching socks, and the fridge is nearly empty....ok so wanna know my thoughts on this? I JUST did a massive amount of laundry, and totally JUST went and bought the best ever groceries of a lifetime. Now really, aren't these things supposed to just stay done for awhile?! How the heck do they undo themselves in such a hurry LOL.
There you have it
Happy Monday

making christmas memories

We took the kids to the Santa clause parade here in Winnipeg yesterday. They LOVED it! We went in good time to get our spot right on the curb and sat breathing in the fresh chilly air and all of the excitement of the crowd gathering to line the streets. I can't believe how many people come out to celebrate and join in the fun!
I haven't gone since I was a kid but I still remember the thrill when the day finally arrived, getting ready, packing blankets and waiting in our spot along Portage ave to see the parade go by. I remember bundling head to toe and the smell of the hot chocolate steam rising from our thermos, I remember the excitement as the parade began and not caring that my toes had gone numb in my boots. Some memories are so clear as if they were just yesterday. We had such a great night watching all of the pretty floats, the kids rushed excitedly to a new spot at the end of the evening to get a good look at the man in red, and Bella who is still kind of scared of him settled for daddy's shoulders a safe distance away.
Then we went out for pancakes and hot chocolate together to warm up before the fireworks show. The kids even got to roast marshmallows at the campfires that were going. I love things like this that become traditions and memories we hold onto for a lifetime. I was listening to my father-in-law tell the kids about his memories of the parade from his younger years and it made me smile that such a cool memory has been made over generations of Winnipeg kids and is now being made for our little ones too.

for all of you letter lovers...

Thank-you SO much for sharing the things that you love with me.
It makes me happy. I LOVE the things that you all wrote, life really can be filled with simple joys when we look for them:) If you haven't yet You should totally go and read these comments and get a dose of happy yourself.
My little Kaiella ( who can't read) closed her eyes and picked the winner of my two alphabet packs.....
and the winner is

" janice said...

I LOVE the changing of the seasons! The colors of SPRING when everything is turning green, fresh and NEW! And then again in the FALL when God takes his paintbrush and gives us the wonderful colors of red, gold, green, and brown! What could be better?!!"

congrats Janice!
email me and I will send over your goodies

guesting!

I am super honored and totally excited to be doing a little guest appearance for the month of November over at the Lilypad!
here is the results of my happy hand crafting the other day :)

the designers and CT over at TLP are a super great bunch, and I have started my month by joining in on their big build your own collab kit. Here are my 3 packs and as I can I will add some more to my little section of the store!
Whoo hoo for creative fun!!!

On the fly

Hello from Toronto airport *waving*

I am on the go again today, Heading to Austin Texas for a few jobs, and also heading to the the Soulographer workshop this weekend. I am really looking forward to learning about being a rawkin' RAD photographer. The workshop is put on by Skye Hardwick; check out her photos she's pretty darn awesome!

For now; I left home at 4 AM this morning and I have 6 hours to wait here so I am taking a deep breath and settling in for a book and a tea.

hand crafting

I hand stitch because it makes me feel domestic, I love the softness and the homespun feel that it gives to whatever I am working on.
I paint because I love it, experimenting, layering colour, adding and washing away... sometimes the outcome is great and sometimes I have to wait for it to tell me where to go next in hopes of becoming good. But I love it.
I color because my hands were made to layer strokes of colour on paper ( or anything else that may jump under my pencils) to see what the outcome will be as it takes shape, because I think I may have been born with dreams of art in my tiny heart.
I create because i just have to, I crave it like I crave cold water; it makes me feel alive. Always evolving, growing and changing, I love that something which has always been there within me can take so many different paths.
Today I am making things, and both my hands and my heart are blissfully happy.
I wish the same to you.
Peace

Party Day

the girls and I spent today at kaiella's preschool Halloween party. it was a blast! the two big sisters were thrilled to help the little ones with their crafts and games and we even got to hand out candy as the 3 and 4 year olds went around to different doors with their little treat bags and buckets. here's our little preschool princess getting ready for a game of musical chairs and feeling like a million bucks. she was all grins in her head to toe pink.
Then came the family fun at night. SO super cool to be on a Friday night this year and totally avoid the day after Halloween-late-night-and-sugar effects as we try and herd tired kids off to school . That just might have been the best part....in my opinion anyways.
Every year without fail Cam and I turn back into a couple of kids for a night it seems. Each Halloween he lets the girls pick what he should be, it is a tradition. They are always full of giggles as they dig through the costume box and conspire to turn Daddy into something, anything, that he probably won't want to be. That is half the fun right? Last year they dressed him in a curly wig, pink tutu, wings, and a wand as "the tooth fairy" and being the wonderful fun loving Dad of 3 girls that he is, he went along with the fun all night and played the part quite well! This year I put my foot down and told them that they had to at least let their poor dad be a guy thing. So he still got a nice long blond wig but this year it had a headband around his forehead a peace sign on his cheek and a guitar hanging around his neck. My big "hippie" was strumming all kinds of interesting chords as we walked the streets LOL. I still attempted stubbornly to take pictures with no flash because the darn thing totally obliterates the real glow of the pumpkins and the mood of waiting on a dimly lit step. I can't say that my results were fantastic but I did get a few that captured the mood and will be so much fun to look back on when the threesome are not quite so little.It is good to take time to skip and giggle and embrace the carefree fun of childhood right along with our children.
Oh so good.