PL2018 - Week 37 & 38

Feeling pretty thankful, that we've been enjoying some lovely fall weather the past week.

Barry and I were away for our anniversary, and during that time, SNO-ctober [how I'm choosing to refer to it] hit Calgary with a vengeance. There was a snowfall warning of up to 25 cm some places got as much as 40 cm! What?  Holy cow.  Can you imagine having a snow day, on October 2nd?

On the west coast, where we happened to be, it was raining.  As one friend so eloquently put it, "You don't have to shovel rain..." And it's true. You don' have to shovel rain. Ever. 

Our drive out to BC was lovely, the colours were spectacular. All the reds from the maple trees and such, that we don't have here. It was a surprise to see, and we really loved doing the drive. On our way out, colours were gorgeous, on our way back... Well, remember the photo above? It had clearly snowed... 

These were both taken in the Rogers Pass area of the TransCanada highway. On the way out, the colours were stellar. On the way back, everything was covered in snow...

Once we got home, the weather didn't improve. Our first week back, it snowed more than it didn't. I was beginning to think perhaps winter was here to stay. Luckily, it did warm up. Which brings us to last week, temperatures were lovely. It was normal again. Seasonal. Thank goodness. Hoping that the snow stays away until December 1st. [Because, whether you agree with me or not,  December is just better when it's white]

Here is week 37 of my project life album. Yes, I did put week 38 on my calendar... But it wasn't. And I didn't realize the mistake before sending it off to be printed. Sometimes I make mistakes...

• It seems like the leaves are changing colours super early this year.
• A picture of me and my Mum, on a walk at Fish Creek Park.
• Ringette evals, which is a gross stressful time for all involved.
• Miss Mad and the dog. 

Actual week 38: 

• CC at Carrie's place, we're on our 18th year together as a group!
• Hate seeing all the leaves on the ground. Not ready for the cold. 
• Beautiful rudbeckia on our Edworthy walk this week. 
• We've already had a lot of foggy mornings this year too.
• Barry working on the lights in our family room. 

The following digital product was used: 

Week 37 - Paislee Press - Autumn Vibes 

Elements https://the-lilypad.com/store/Autumn-Vibes-Elements-by-paislee-press.html

Journal Cards https://the-lilypad.com/store/Autumn-Vibes-Journal-Cards-by-paislee-press.html

Templates https://the-lilypad.com/store/Autumn-Vibes-Templates-by-paislee-press.html

Week 38 - Sahlin Studio - Project Mouse Movies

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Movies-Journal-Cards.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Movies-Elements.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Movies-Papers.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Movies-Word-Art.html

http://the-lilypad.com/store/2018-Calendar-Cards-Stamps.html

PL2018 - Weeks 34, 35 & 36

Playing a bit of catch up.

I have 3 weeks worth of project life pages to share.

Like everything else in life, my craftiness kind of goes in ebbs and flows. Sometimes I'm super inspired to be crafty, sometimes I'm not.

I've been memory keeping for YEARS. What I've figured out is, that for me, this is normal. I no longer beat myself up about it.

I simply take some time away, and then when the mood strikes, I come back to it.

Here are my pages:

Week 34:

• 3-on-3 ringette tournament, playing 7 times in 3 days. 
• We got to Antman and the Wasp. It was good. And yes, I've learned to bring a blanket with me. The theatres are freezing.
• A walk cut short, because of the smoke.
• A boy needing new hockey gear. Again. He keeps getting taller and taller. 
• Madelyn and Alyssa finally made it to Caraway Park. 

Week 35:

• We officially have no more ceiling in the family room. Indeed it's worse before it gets better. Tired of the dust already, and there is a lot of it. 
• Wings and beer with my girls. 3 of 4 were able to make it.
• Mason begged me to make nuts and bolts. So, so good. Sadly they disappear way too fast. 
• Libby, enjoying some outside time in the sun. 

Week 36:

• First day of school for Madelyn.
• For the first time in forever, ringette evaluations didn't start on the first day of school. We weren't on the ice until Friday, such a treat! 
• Freshly groomed little dog.
• A glimpse of fall on this mornings walk. All of a sudden the colours are changing.
• This loving little dog lives for snuggle time. 
• First day of school for Mason.

The following Sahlin Studio products were used: 

Week 34

Calendar Card Stamps - http://the-lilypad.com/store/2018-Calendar-Cards-Stamps.html

Documentary elements: http://the-lilypad.com/store/documentary-elements.html

Documentary journal cards: http://the-lilypad.com/store/documentary-journal-cards.html

Week 35

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Snapshots-Photo-Templates.html

Calendar Card Stamps - http://the-lilypad.com/store/2018-Calendar-Cards-Stamps.html

Worth a thousand words - elements: http://the-lilypad.com/store/Worth-A-Thousand-Words-Elements.html

Worth a thousand words - paper: http://the-lilypad.com/store/Worth-A-Thousand-Words-Paper.html

Journal cards: http://the-lilypad.com/store/Worth-A-Thousand-Words-Journal-Cards.html

Week 36 

4x6 photo templates vol. 1- https://the-lilypad.com/store/4x6-Photo-Templates-Vol-1.html

2x3 photo templates vol. 1 - https://the-lilypad.com/store/3x4-Photo-Templates-Vol-1.html

Calendar Card Stamps - http://the-lilypad.com/store/2018-Calendar-Cards-Stamps.html

October Template Freebie

I love working with templates. 

I especially am drawn to this blocky type of template. 

There's nothing left to do, but pick out photos, paper and embellishments. 

This is the template from Sahlin Studio, available to download for free, through October. To check it out or download, click here on this link. 

This summer, we were able to get way camping with another family we've become close to. As with most camping trips, this trip was booked months in advance, to ensure we got spots. All we could do was cross our fingers and hope for the best weather-wise. 

Calgary was so smoky this summer. It was pretty awful actually. Several days, the visibility was so pour, we couldn't see things we can usually see, from our house. It also made going outside, gross. No one wants to purposely stand outside in campfire smoke...

The forecast weather-wise was good. The forecast smoke-wise was bad... But we made the decision to go anyway. Here are a few photos of our drive out to K-Country. 

First off, we had to drive all the way to Canmore, to pick up Mason from a camp he'd attended. After him spending a week outside at an outdoor adventure camp, he was less than thrilled to know he'd be spending yet another few days outside. 

A glimpse of the 3 Sisters in Canmore.

Once we turned down highway 40, it became pretty clear that things weren't going to get much better visibility-wise. It was super smoky. The air was just thick. Now having said that, on the bright side, once we got to the campground, though the air was still thick, you couldn't smell the smoke. And believe it or not, we were still allowed to have campfires. That one seemed kind of crazy to me, but I was pretty thankful at the same time. What's camping if you can't sit around a campfire? 

The campground was quiet, we figured a lot of people cancelled their plans. The lake was quiet, it was pleasant outside, though not warm enough to hang out in shorts and tanks. The light was incredible, the way it can be when the sky/air is filled with smoke. 

Here's my layout:

Thankful we got to spend time with friends, even though things didn't look super promising at first. 

The following Sahlin Studio product was used: 

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Wilderness-Elements.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Wilderness-Journal-Cards.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Wilderness-Papers.html

PL2018 - Week 33

Another super smoky week. I have to say from the 7th of August on, it wasn't great. 

One day, the smoke was so thick, visibility was terrible. Of course, that was the day, Madelyn was supposed to go to Calaway Park with a friend.  We were disappointed on more than one occasion this summer, because of forest fire smoke.  I hope this isn't going to be our new 'normal' during the summer. It's kind of gruesome. 

Week 33:

• Dropping Mason off in Canmore for a week long camp. He fulfilled a grade 11 course, by taking it in summer camp form. He got to go horseback riding, river rafting, rock climbing. He also got to meet a whole group of new people, which was awesome for him. 
• Miss Madelyn learned how to felt. She made the cutest little teddy bears within a couple of days. 
• Just an idea how smoky it was one day, mid morning was so dark. That was the day you couldn't see Nose Hill from our house, it was bad.  
• That was also the same day Madelyn and her friend, were supposed to go to Calaway Park. They ended up spending the afternoon at the wave pool instead.  
• On our way to K-Country to camp for the weekend. It was super smoky in the mountains as well, but we were planning on meeting up with friends, so we went anyway. 
• Photos of this crazy bunch. Despite the heavy smoke, we had a good weekend.

The following Sahlin Studio product was used: 

For Real Elements - http://the-lilypad.com/store/For-Real-Elements.html

For Real Journal Cards - http://the-lilypad.com/store/For-Real-Journal-Cards.html

Calendar Card Stamps - http://the-lilypad.com/store/2018-Calendar-Cards-Stamps.html

Disney Memories

One of the things about being a creative team member for Sahlin Studio, is the awesome product she comes up with. All the time.

Some of my favourites are anything that has to do with Project Mouse. Project Mouse is Disney themed, and there are many different elements to this. All the Project Mouse products are listed in one convenient place, click this link to jump right there.

In the past, I have created quite a few Disney pages. I've also created quite a few pages that have nothing to do with Disney. So the product is very versatile.

For the latest Sahlin Studio release, I dug deep into some Disney memories. This was our one and only trip to Disneyland, back in [gasp] 2011.

The kids were so little! It was one of our best trips as a foursome. We had so much fun, to say I wasn't a bit melancholy while creating this pocket page, would be a lie... I mean come on... Mason now towers over me! And I expect by the time she's in grade nine, Madelyn and I will be looking eye to eye. Currently, she's only a couple inches shorter than I am.

I'm so glad that I have digital photos and can go back and create a page like this, that everyone in our family gets so much joy from.

And we definitely need to get busy and make plans for another trip as a foursome, to the Happiest Place on Earth...

Project Mouse - Main Street

PM Main Street - Enamel Pins: https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Main-Street-Enamel-Pins.html

PM Main Street - Artsy - https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Main-Street-Artsy.html

Project Mouse product, doesn't always have to coincide with a trip to Disneyland, here are a couple of pages I created, using Project Mouse elements, but had nothing to do with a trip to Disney.

Project Mouse - Adventure

Artsy -https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Adventure-Artsy.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Adventure-Enamel-Pins.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Adventure-Journal-Cards.html

Project Mouse - Wilderness
https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Wilderness-Elements.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Wilderness-Journal-Cards.html

https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Wilderness-Word-Art.html

Here are some other layouts I've created using Project Mouse. Some from Disney, and others not. [This layout, from Thunder Mountain, remains one of my most favourites of all time]

Project Mouse - Frontier
https://the-lilypad.com/store/Project-Mouse-Frontier-BUNDLE.html

Project Mouse - Tomorrow
http://sahlinstudio.com/project-mouse-tomorrow/

Project Mouse - Halloween
http://sahlinstudio.com/project-mouse-halloween-edition/

Project Mouse - Christmas 
http://sahlinstudio.com/project-mouse-christmas-edition-freebie/

PL2018 - Week 32

This summer, we had some hot days. 

Really hot. Above 30 degrees Celsius. 

So not the norm for Calgary. If we get up to 30 degrees, that's usually something worth talking about. But to well surpass 30 degrees, for a number of days in a row, that is highly unusual. 

For another summer, I lay in bed many a night, unable to sleep, wishing we had air conditioning. 

Then, without notice, the weather changed.  I once again find myself bundled up from head to toe in polar fleece... 

8 degrees Celsius seems much warmer, almost tropical, after you've had a winter of negative double digits. 

However, when you're summer has consisted of temperatures in the high 30's, and seemingly overnight you plummet to single digits numbers, it's like you've been thrust into the arctic circle. 

At least I have my photos to go back and look at, to remember exactly how warm it got this summer. 

Week 32: 

• I made pickles. I love that this photo captures the actual 'pickling process' in action. The pickles on the far right in the photo, are already changing colour. They go from being vibrant green little cucs, to well, pickles.
• Today was a hot one. Captured the temp and the mileage in the car. 
• Dill growing on the patio.
• Madelyn and Barry, spent a super hot, not too smoky afternoon at the outdoor pool. 
• The layouts I created for my guest member spot at Paislee Press. 
• Cooling down with our feet in cold water. 
• Capturing an unbelievable day at Bowness Park. The smoke haze makes for some pretty awesome photos. The light is often perfect. 

The following Sahlin Studio products were used: 

Calendar Card Stamps - http://the-lilypad.com/store/2018-Calendar-Cards-Stamps.html

All About This - Digital stamp -https://the-lilypad.com/store/All-About-This-Digital-Stamps.html

PL2018 - Week 31

Here is the most recent page to my project life album. It's so, so simple, just basically photos and words. 

Sometimes that's all you need.

This week saw another big portion of our plumbing renovation done. After this weekend, we were definitely more than half-way done. 

Week 31: 

• Always where I find her. Love, love, LOVE her passion for reading. 
• Driving to pick Mason up from work, I glanced up and saw this dragon-looking cloud. I knew Madelyn would think it was awesome. 
• Kitchen sink plumbing.
• Pluming gadgets. All over the house. Literally.
• First tomato of the season, and it was as yummy as it looked.
• More holes in ceilings... Now, onto the basement.
• Celebrating Baba's bday with burgers and cake, all enjoyed outside. 

The following Sahlin Studio product was used: 

Calendar Card Stamps - http://the-lilypad.com/store/2018-Calendar-Cards-Stamps.html

Photo Rounds -  Routines: https://the-lilypad.com/store/Photo-Rounds-Routines.html