the little things

soakin' it up for all it's worth..

Do you ever wish that life had a pause button?  

Summer holidays can't really be almost over.. can they?  I feel myself starting to panic.. worrying that we didn't do enough, or didn't embrace the sunshine as much as we could have.. that fall and winter are right around the corner and did we really enjoy summer to the fullest?

I am thinking we did ok.  

I do the same thing every year.  I go crazy with all of the 'what if' and 'we should of..' ..feeling guilty over all of the 'big' things that we should have done, or could be doing.

When really.. who cares?  These two munchkins sure don't.. they love the little moments like these, going for little detours and pit stops around home.. they don't care about the things their mother wastes time fretting over (jeesh!)..

Take them down to the water and let them play with a dragonfly.. it completely made their day, and you know what.. it made mine as well.  Yep, as long as I remind myself of that.. I would say we definitely did summer right. :)

a little walk in the park..

Just pictures today.  We have been laying low and enjoying summer, as much of a summer as we have had anyway.. 

Doing little things like taking walks in the park, and picking crab apples..

..and collecting pretty flowers...

..and blowing wishes...

Hope everyone is enjoying the last little bits of summer.. oh how time flies hey?

home tour: the pantry

I know what you are thinking.. a tour of the pantry?  Seriously?  I know that seems a very silly thing to include in my little 'home tours' ..but it is pretty huge to me!  This was the longest little project to date.  It took me fooooorever to get over my procrastination and just go in and get it done.  

Remember this original post.. dated June 28th!  It took me exactly one month to finish this up.. even though things were looking up when I posted progress here... um yeah, didn't happen.. silly right?  It is just a pantry after all.

If you want to see some before shots.. click on over to this post: procrastination over (ha ha ha.. I jinxed myself right there with that title!) ha.  

Here are some after shots..

A little humor.. I hung the 'enjoy' up above the shelves.. enjoy the food? ..or maybe the booze along the top? ha ha  I find it funny anyway. ;P

Even funnier.. I went to my stash of things I had hung up in our last house to find something little to put on that little end wall.  I found this 'you make the grey skies okay' word art and without thinking, hung it up.  

James came home after work and was like "between the enjoy and the you make the grey skies okay picture.. people are going to think we have a drinking problem!" ..ha ha ha!  Um yeah, I realize that this looks bad. Seriously hadn't put the two together (and combined with the full shelf of liquor.. geesh!).. I was being a bit cheeky with the 'enjoy' ..but seriously, the frame.. didn't even think about it!

The clip on the left is take out menus (for when I walk in the pantry and feel completely uninspired lol), the middle is Harley's newsletters and stuff.. and the one on the right is Laine's.

I fixed up the overstuffed basket by completely emptying it.  No more limbo land of unorganized mess.  I do expect this basket to get filled up, but at least I won't be putting things back in there to get mixed up with the new.. before it was sort of a 'semi permanent' file spot.. now it is just the new un dealt with stuff... then things will be permanently filed elsewhere.

It was hard to take pictures in such a small space.. my lens isn't wide enough to get it all at once.. and I tried my best to shoot these with natural light, so they are a bit dark.

The baskets along the bottom are working wonderfully for the kids art stuff.  I also kept their play food and kid sized play pots and pans in one of them.. just makes sense to keep that near the kitchen right? lol  Oh.. and one basket holds all of our lunch kits/bags as well.

The bucket on the floor is for potatoes.. and the yellow garbage can holds the dog food.. and the stool, well.. that is because I am short. ;P

I thought the clock was a good idea, because I am constantly checking the time when I am getting breakfast and lunches ready in the morning.. and we already had it anyway, so I thought why not right!?  Well.. it fell down and broke about an hour after I hung it.  Good thing it was cheap.. and I just may have a second one kicking around here somewhere.. it is the somewhere that is the issue right now though. lol  

There you have it.. I won't put you through having to look at more pantry pictures, and if you made it this far.. WOW!  It isn't perfect.. and likely (as in definitely) won't stay this clean.. but it is definitely a lot more functional!  Which is a good good thing!

..and it is finally finished, which is the best part! xo

today.. I got moves like Jagger...

ha ha.. kidding.. but the song is stuck in my head. ha ha

OK, for real.. today is a good day!  Tunes are on.. Harley boy is at morning camp, Laine is playing her Sims.. and me.. well, just goood.  Drinking my Starbucks (gosh living in town can be dangerous ha ha).. looking out the window at our new sod every 3o seconds.. and doing laundry but would rather be reading hee!

A glance..

Our new sod in the back yard.  We are going for a dimensional look apparently. ha ha  The stuff along the top got put in a few weeks ago (at least) before what seemed like the never ending rainfall began.  It has taken forever to dry enough for them to get back in there to finish.. just when we thought it was gonna be close, it would rain again.  Now that we have fresh sod to deal with.. it will probably be drought season ha.  

The orange along the right is just for fun.. although, I realize now that it kinda looks like dead grass. ;P

I started on this saga..

Very slowly mind you.  If I could keep my eyes open for more than 20 minutes after I crawl into bed for the night.. it might help lol ..I am getting old. ha!  I can not believe I have never read them though.  I finally caved to James (he has been saying for years and years that I should read them) ..and started on them.. I am so glad I did.

Laundry..

Who bought the white shorts for the nine year old who loves to play in the dirt anyway? How they are even still wearable is beyond me.  Oh.. and that blue is just for fun too.. but again realizing that it could very well be spilled laundry detergent. ha ha

How 'bout you.. anyone else having one of those days where it just feels like nothing can go wrong?  I sure hope so..

inspired..

Some things that are making me go hmmmmm lately.. or maybe mmmmmm mmmmmmm!  Each one of these has me inspired to create and make pretty things.

This first one has me crazy inspired to make a rustic dreamcatcher.. like NOW.. or yesterday even if I had the supplies... I think this would be a fun summer craft!  I wish I could make a party out of it like they did.. anyone wanna come over and make dreamcatchers with me? hee!

pinterest via odette new york

This makes me want to go buy some brushes (since mine have all gone into the land of no return.. that would be 'kid' land if you are wondering).. and paint a giant sized tree on a wall.  We have a wall that spans two floors, and is open to both.. the staircase runs up it.  A giant tree would be amazing, don't you agree?

I think I actually gasped outloud when I saw this next image.  Stunning.. so simple, and beautiful.. the texture, mmmmmmmm!  This will happen somewhere in the house, I just need to find the right spot!

pinterest via jenn ski via curbly

OK, this next one might have me more inspired to track down some of this artist's work to purchase.. since I can't really draw.  BUT, if I could.. I would love to be sitting on my porch with a cup of coffee, drawing sweet little woodland creatures to hang up all over the house.

pinterest via decor8 via rosemary milner

Oh paper how I love thee.. and ohhhhhh how this picture makes me want to cut and paste.. just cut and paste... anything I can get my hands on.  Oh yes, this image might be the most inspiring one of all, so gorgeous!

pinterest via xenia via electric raspberry

All of these are so beautiful.. in an understated sort of way, a bit rough around the edges, natural.. wonderful.  Carefree.  

So, how does one attempt to paint a giant tree on a 2 story wall.. freehand with pencil? ..a projector? ..hire it out (ha ha)?  ..seriously, feeling the need to do this, but not sure how to approach it!  Lovely nonetheless, will file it away and save it for the perfect moment.. cause I am sure it is bound to come along sooner or later. ;)

xo 

new hair..

Last week, I finally finally got in for a cut and colour.. finally.  Some how, last month.. I completely missed my appointment, my stylist phoned and was like "uh Jen.. you are supposed to be here getting your hair done right now.." Good grief.  Needless to say, I didn't make it.  So I missed an entire month.. and if you have short hair, you understand how catastrophic this is! 

So, since my hair was a little longer all over than it normally is (I usually keep the back pretty short and the top a bit longer) ..but it was a downright shaggy mess.. I decided to play with the extra length a bit!  I took in pictures of Evan Rachel Wood's faux hawk (True Blood).. ripped some pictures out of a People magazine, but found these ones on Pinterest so you can get an idea what the inspiration was. :)

Mine is shorter on the sides, and not quite as long in the back.. but yes, I am now sportin' a hawk! ha ha!  I even have the little tiny 'tail' in the back.  It is ridiculously fun.  I wear it a bit spikier that Evan's though.  The top is pretty similar to what I usually do.. but the hawk down the back is new... seriously, FUN.  Must must must take new pictures, cause you can't really get an idea of the colour either.. it is red now with very very very fine blonde highlights at the front.

Too excited to wait for other pictures though ('real' ones to come soon I hope!).. looooove it.  Eeek!

is it bad..

That I would consider a 4 hour road trip.. with the sole purpose being to snag myself a copy of the new 2012 IKEA catalogue?  

Yes, ridiculous right?  Or that this cover (which I would say is the best IKEA cover ever).. has me itchin' to paint something that lovely shade of aqua again?  Kind of like our last kitchen.. didn't realize how much I miss it until now. 

Hmmm.. drive to Edmonton, and grab some paint on the way home!?  Not likely going to happen.. but it sure would be super fun!

Since this is totally hypothetical.. road trip anyone? hee heee! ;)

another summer evening..

This time on bikes.  We loaded up the kids, picked up our new bikes (for James and I) and headed down to Muskoseepi Park to hit the trails.

I can not emphasize enough just how much fun this was.  I had not rode a bike since I was a teenager.. so yeah, I was a wee bit nervous! ha!  But, the saying is true.. just like riding a bike.. and ride we did!

Here are a few 'smile for the camera' shots ha ha!

Or 'smile for the camera, but I am really going to give you my cool dude look' shot..

Caught these two mid conversation..

I think they were discussing if they should go down these stairs or not, there were bear and moose warning signs on the trail shortly before we reached this point.. they were convinced the bears lived down there around the corner..

That was as far as they made it. 

We also picked up a trail-a-bike for Harley.  We talked about getting a bike trailer, but since he is already 4 (and really, can you see him just sitting by and enjoy just sitting?).. we figured it would have a short lived life (..rolling my eyes at that idea already). This was suggested as an alternative.. soooooo awesome.  This way, we can go for longer rides, without his wee little legs getting tuckered out. 

"Look I am standing!" ..always the dare devil.

I was like a giddy little kid when we were done.. I couldn't kept saying over and over how much fun it was, cause it was really a ridiculous amount of fun!

So happy summer is finally attempting to make an appearance! ;)

is summer really finally here?

After what seems like a never ending few weeks of rain.. we finally have some sunshine! This is fabulous news, especially when one has been listening to the kids talk about playing outside for what feels like forever.  

It would be different if our back yard was finished and they could get out for some fresh air here and there between down pours! ..sooooon.  Now that the rain has let up, maybe our sod can be finished up.. and the play area built, and and and.  Let's see how much work we can cram into a few days of no rain right? ha ha.

But really, who wants to do that!?  Much more fun to get out and play.. and play we did! Yesterday afternoon, we headed out on a little dare devil filled adventure!

Laine tested out her new roller blades..

This girl amazes me.  She is in the middle of her summer figure skating session (three hours a day, 5 days a week for three weeks.. not all of that is on the ice, some is off ice training as well).. and she spent a total of two hours on her roller blades yesterday!  

I want some of her energy please.

Harley is pretty non stop too.. I couldn't find roller blades small enough for him (probably a good thing lol).. so his activity of choice was his trusty old run bike..

He saw some older boys riding their BMX bikes down a big dirt/rocky slope at the edge of the parking lot behind our house.. so of course he had to try it (while I said a little prayer and closed my eyes lol) ..he lifted his feet and balanced that bike all the way to the bottom.. over and over and over again.  

I sat and watched my fearless children.. and took a billion blurry photos of course.  

Later on in the evening the four of us headed out again... this time though, I was talked into finally trying out my roller skates (oh gosh).. no pictures though (shucks darn it ha ha) ..holy smokes, are they fast.  I stood up after putting them on, and without a single push.. I pretty much glided the length of the parking lot.  I got the hang of it after a bit, but I still have to master the whole stopping thing.. not a clue how. ha ha!

At this moment in time, I am dying of excitement to try them out again.. while at the same time completely 100% terrified of them.  I am having a tough time being as fearless as my munchkins! hee!

YAY for summer!!

oh my gosh.. I used to scrapbook didn't I? ..yeah, about that...

I have had these layouts that I made for Hambly sitting on my table for ages.. and today, I finally photographed them!  Don't ask me why it took so long, I guess maybe I forgot my method.. scrapbook, take pics and post on blog.. hmmm?  I dunno.

So yeah.. about this scrapbook thing, I think I might like to play with paper again.  More often then twice in 6 months that is. heeeeee!  YAY!