..Scrappy Happy Me!..

My first Fondant experience....

2012-01-20T13:11:00.000-08:00

Ever get the feeling that sometimes 'experience' is much more fun than the final result? Yeah, well, the result was more than edible and if there was any leftovers.... Anyhow, what am I rambling on about, I made a fondant cake!! Wohooo. My first. I liked it! And yes,I will make another again, soon. So I got a recipe for a peanut butter cake, yummo, yes, definitely yummo. I put chocolate ganache in the middle and covered it with a peanut butter cream cheese icing, then use marshmallow fondant for the final touch. It turned into a 2 day process, but so worth it. Well, maybe not for my waistline, but ya gotta live a little. Considering I already lost the 10 pounds I gained during the Christmas holidays, a little cake did not hurt me.

I kept it simple, being my first attempt.

I will try to be more patient next time and let the cream cheese icing set longer, before I put on the fondant, because as you can see from the bottom picture, it does have a great dent in it, but once we cut into it, nobody cared about the dent!!We used it to celebrate one of my friends Birthday's. She loved it and so did I! The cake recipe came from here, Epicurious.com, I did add 1 cup peanut butter, not 1/2.For the Fondant Recipe, I went to What's Cooking America. Though I decided to put my icing sugar in a big bowl and I dropped the melted marshmallow and folded it in carefully not to touch the marshmallow, just the icing sugar. I didn't end up greasing my hands or the bowl and it worked out just fine. The Fondant icing was easy to do once I watched a few videos, the best ones on you tube being: This one on how to place the fondant, and this other one, on how to smooth it out. Well, I hope to make many more pretty cakes, I'll keep you posted and will blog about it all when I get more adventurous with cake making.Cheers everyone,Viviana

Ricotta & Spinach Frittata

2012-01-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

Ricotta & Spinach Frittata

Ron Paul Highlights - South Carolina CNN Debate 01/19/12

2012-01-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

Americans Cheer When Obama Claims He Is A DICTATOR & More

2012-01-09T08:05:00.000-08:00

2012-01-07T14:36:00.001-08:00

We have a responsibility as human beings to stop this insanity. Why is Ron Paul the only one willing to try??

The Great Awakening - Humanity's Finest Hour is unfolding in front of ou...

2012-01-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

Phil Donahue On Piers Morgan Discussing Ron Paul

2012-01-06T08:04:00.001-08:00

For a minute, can we all entertain the idea of being at peace with the world....

Phil Donahue On Piers Morgan Discussing Ron Paul

2012-01-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

For a minute, can we all entertain the idea of being at peace with the world....

2012-01-05T09:29:00.001-08:00

http://www.organicconsumers.org/bytes/ob310.htmhttp://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_24568.cfm

Pt.1 PROOF Rigged Election - Watch the Vote 2012 - Iowa Caucus -FOR RON ...

2011-12-24T14:48:00.000-08:00

Ron Paul Amazing "What If?" Speech

2011-12-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

Never Fail RED VELVET fudge

2011-12-11T20:46:00.001-08:00

In recent years, red velvet has become one of the most popular cakes, cupcake and flavours to serve for parties and events. I searched for the perfect red velvet fudge recipe, one that did not require me to be an expert or have special tools in my cupboard to get it done right. Luck for me, I am quite adventurous and decided to adapt a popular marshmallow recipe to re-create the cake into a special gifting Christmas treat.

You can find the recipe with the link or by clicking on the image. I have added it to the new friendscookbook, where you too can add recipes and share them with you FB friends.

Cheers and enjoy the sweets!
Viviana
I'll be joining in these linky parties:

URGENT MESSAGE From the Troops

2011-12-08T20:09:00.000-08:00

Tree 2011, it's up!!

2011-12-07T12:14:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas tree is up. This year we decided on a masculine one again, with lots of metal ornaments and chocolate ribbon. If you want to see a video on how we did it come visit my YouTube Channel and learn.
Have an awesome day!!

Cheers,
Viviana

Ron Paul -- Statesman on Par with JFK and Martin Luther King. Truth is C...

2011-12-07T07:45:00.000-08:00

Armed Chinese Troops in Texas!

2011-12-05T19:17:00.000-08:00

Imagine, people need to open thier minds up to what has really been going on.

Burned Edge Blossoms and More

2011-12-05T11:06:00.001-08:00

Just showing off. I will have these on sale at the Santa Claus Breakfast this Saturday (at the Winston Heights Mountview Community craft sale) and then on Monday at the Calgary Dollars Market Bazaar (at the Bow Cliff Seniors Centre)....thanks for looking.

Reusable cup cozy/sleeve, real leather, recycled!

Pretty rings and brooches.

There are many more! If you want, take a look at my tutorial on how to make some of these gorgeous blossoms, easy and fun!

Cheers,
Viviana

Burned Edge Leather Flowers

2011-11-29T06:47:00.000-08:00

The Verdict- Home Made Liquid Laundry Soap

2011-11-27T11:20:00.001-08:00

After using it for 2 weeks, here is my results.

1. Laundry doesn't smell like chemical "spring meadows", it smells just clean and fresh.

2. The dark's were clean, the red and pinks were clean, the whites where brighter than usual.

3. The kitchen linens and towels came out specially fresh smelling.

4. 10 gallons of liquid soap=160 loads!!

It turns out there is a really great reason why this liquid soap works so well here; we have extremely hard water full of minerals, the washing soda and borax both help with softening it so it works better at removing dirt and grime. The kitchen towels generally have a slight musty smell, but after two washes, they no longer have it either, yay! The store bought liquid detergent is really not made for our type of water and even though it does make your clothes smell "clean", they sometimes have to be put through two cycles before they look clean.

I also love that I haven't had any itching issues, which I have regularly with clothes washed in commercial detergent.

Laundry soap, the bar says it's made in Dominica.

Pool softener, aka: washing soda. 4.99 at Canadian Tire.

Considering how I only spent money for the washing soda, the price for this is right up my alley. I has laundry soap bars I brought back from Guatemala, they are old but soap does not go bad (it just looses moisture slowly), I also had the borax since I bought 2 boxes back when David was in cloth diapers. I ended up buying pool water softener for 4.99 for a kilogram (Superstore was out of washing soda but it's back on the self today), it is soda ash and the same thing just cheaper if it's for your pool?!

The whole thing is super easy and I will never buy commercial detergent ever again! So the verdict is that it works and I love it using it.
I'm sharing the video I got the recipe from. Anyhow, try it out, specially if you have hard water in your area. You may just be happy to save some $$ and the bonus is really clean clothes.

Cheers,
Viviana

About Love

2011-11-26T11:48:00.001-08:00

This is about something that happened a few months back, but I need to share because it is significant to me, as it should be as a parent.

We all are in a rush, and in this world we live in, there never seems to be enough time to just stop and breathe, to slow down and look around and really see the little things that make life big. Unfortunately, my life sometimes is like that of many, and although I work at home, I still tend to run ragged, trying to stay on task to get the kid up out of bed, get him fed and watered and off to school, get the kids back, change diapers, take to the bathroom, more feeding, get them napped, pick up again etc.
I normally don't go up the stairs alone unless it is to go pee, I'm usually running up with a kid in my arms to make it to the bathroom before any accidents happen. When I go up though, I don't turn on the lights on the stairwell, I make a mad dash and sometimes even pee in the dark!
One one particular day, I happen to turn on the light and actually make my way up looking at my surroundings, paying attention to the details, when I found this written on my wall: I LOVE MOM.

A small gesture from my son, a tiny detail in the grand scheme of things, but such a touching tribute to the love he has for me.

When I asked him about it later that day, he said "Oh, I wrote that on there in the summer" (it was early October when I discovered it)....and yes it did bring me to tears (privately, so I did not make him think I was disappointed in him). I was not at all disappointed in him, he said he wrote it in pencil so it would wash off, I was more disappointed in myself for not noticing it sooner. Is this what my life has become? So I made myself promise to slow down, stop and pay attention, see the world with the eyes of a child, admire the wonder and enjoy those little things that make this life a good life.
Yes, the words are still there on the wall (I just took that picture this morning) and some days, I sit on that step and admire those 3 words, they mean the world to me and obviously, I mean the world to the amazing little author.

Cheers,

Viviana

Working on a new video!!

2011-11-21T16:14:00.001-08:00

So sorry I've been off the grid for weeks, but I have been very very productive in that time. I've been working on quite a few projects actually; Christmas comes too fast and this year I will be prepared, I may even get my cards mailed out by the first week in December. So, I've been making cards and tags, working on more hair accessories and brooches for my craft shows, making my own liquid laundry soap, rebinding my SMASH book for which I will make a video too, and working on a video of my Configurations Christmas box. I'm posting just a couple sneak-a-peeks before the video goes up. I still have some work to do and editing is a time consuming effort, but I'll work diligently while the kids nap and maybe I will have it up in the next few days.
In the mean time, for your viewing pleasure!

I dug into my trove of scrappy Christmas bits and bobs.

Everything is from last year or older, I like to make use of what I have rather than buy new stuff!

As you can see, I do not like to follow direct instructions, I did my own thing!

So tune in later on in the week, to see the finished product on my You tube channel. In the mean time, keep warm and stay scrappy happy!!
Cheers,
Viviana

Ron Paul Interview On DeFace The Nation 11/20/11

2011-11-20T13:36:00.000-08:00

Tis' The Season to be Spooky!

2011-10-31T20:12:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, I was looking for cupcake holders or wrappers....but of course, I am a crafter and thrifty to boot, and all the ones I saw required lots of $$$ to create. So I came up with my own thrifty version, super easy, no special tools required, but you do need a Dollar store or "Dollarama" like we have here. The toppers I made a couple years ago, again super easy, but for now I'll just post about the wrappers.
You will need black cardstock, 8.5 x 11 (standard), a ruler, pencil, glue, tape and the die cut shapes from the dollar store.

Got it at Michael's, you need 1 sheet for every 5 strips

I made the strips slightly curved and about 1.5" wide.

Dollar store foamy die cuts, perfect for this project.

As you can see, I just rigged the whole thing with tape.

I added a bit of scrap paper on the back of the eyes too, just because it looked better.

Can you guess?? BRAINSSSS! Thereis a story behind this too.

David is going as Dorothy's scarecrow and I am Dorothy....he needs a brain, that's where the brain cupcakes came in.

Frankie and his bones!

Anyhow, we had a great time and there is only 4 cupcakes left!

Happy Halloween!

BBQ Pulled pork in the crock pot

2011-10-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

There are days when cooking is really not in the cards, but I really love to try to make supper at home most days, even when on a very tight schedule. The Crock Pot is my life saver! BBQ pulled pork has got to be the easiest of the recipes out there, since you can pretty much throw in all the ingredients, run away for 8 hours and have a perfect meal ready when you come home. I've tried a few recipes, but finally came up with one I can throw together with what we almost always have in the fridge and pantry.

Ingredients:
3-4 lb pork roast trimmed
2 medium sized onions thickly sliced
1 1/2 cups of apple juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon all spice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup BBQ sauce of 1 cup ketchup and 2 tablespoons of molasses

I basically put the sliced onions on the bottom of the crock pot, put the roast on top of the onions, then sprinkle and cover with the rest of the ingredients covering with the BBQ sauce last. Set on high for 8 hours or low for 12, depending how long you plan to be away I suppose, cover and walk away. It's done when the meat basically can be pulled apart with a fork. Drain some of the juice/fat from on top if there seems to be too much. You can pull apart right in the pot or transfer it into a serving dish and the add some of the sauce at the bottom. Serve on buns or totillas, coleslaw and pickles make good sides, but you can have any salad and veggies, whatever makes you smile.
Enjoy,

Viviana

Fall Morning in the City.

2011-09-30T12:49:00.000-07:00

Can you believe the view out my bedroom window? In the city no less! Using my Canon Rebel and having a very cooperative morning sunrise, the images turned out amazing. I think the key is to get as much back light as possible, the trees are so old and tall that no real roof line is visible, even though I am basically the heart of the city.

This one is my favourite shot.

The settings I used were simple, it was on Manual, I had the ISO set at 100, the F stop set at 5.6 , the White Balance set to Shade. I put it on the tripod and voila! Now the key was that it was looking like an intense sunrise judging from what we had yesterday, so I was prepared. The rise happens so fast and if you fool around trying to set up, you may miss the best part unless you wake up 30 minutes before it happens.

As the sun came up, the colours got more intense and the skies seemed to darken slightly before the sun broke over the horizon, amazing beauty!

I changed the setting slightly (WB back to Daylight) and it lost it's intensity.

I took these from the front door, just before the l ight got intense.

The Hollyhocks out front.

Using the Rebel is easy, it just takes some playing around....the beauty is in that not having to worry about how much film I use, I can concentrate on taking lots of pictures to get the perfect shot.

Cheers,

Viviana

JAM, JAM, JAM, YUM!

2011-09-28T19:59:00.000-07:00

As if I don't already have tons to do everyday, I've been making the jam for the year ahead (I stopped buying jams 5 years ago) during quiet and nap times, since it's usually a 2 hour process. At least, I've got it down to that from a 5 hours it used to take me when I first started! This time of year is abundant, plums and apples are our faves, and nectarines and peaches are awesome too. I used to cringe at the amount of sugar most recipes call for, until I discovered POMONA'S pectin, a life saver!! You can use very little sugar and still have your jam or jelly set, and you can double or triple and adjust your recipe to how you like it. The jam doesn't set crystally (is that even a word?), it's more opaque, but it tastes heavenly fruity! I personally don't like jam that you have to break up in the jar to be able to spread it on toast, I prefer more of a fruit preserve that you can spoon onto toast or cracker or spoon over a scoop of vanilla icecream.

You can really see it is set soft and full of fruit!

Today's jamming adventure was a strawberry plum mix that tasted better than I imagined, and set beautifully with 12 cups of fruit and mere 3 cups of sugar. The ingredients go as follows:8 cups of fresh hulled and split strawberries4 cups of chopped black plums1/2 cup lemon juice3 teaspoons calcium water3 cups of sugar (or equivalent sweetener)3 teaspoons of Pomona's pectinYou'll need to sterilize jars, depending on the size, I generally prefer to use 500ml jars, so you need about 8 to 10. Follow the general cooked jam directions in the Pomona's package or look them up on their website. Now this is the type of jamming and canning I like.

The recipe is workable and doesn't have to be 100% exact. The processing of the jam filled jars though is more technical and you do need to make sure you process them long enough to kill any bacteria and to hinder anything from growing in the jar in storage (check elevation and process times accordingly). After a few tries, you sort of get really good at it.

This is my Jam shelf in the pantry, full of delicious goodness!

I have now made Strawberry Rhubarb (not my favourite), Spicy Blueberry (AWESOME), Black Plum (Super Delish!), Strawberry Plum (Amazing)....getting ready to make Blackberry Nectarine next, and maybe some Caramel Apple Butter too.

If you all have any questions or would like the recipes (all big batch recipes I'm afraid) just message me or comment and I will do my best to answer them. Thanks so much for stopping by and have a great fall!

2011-09-22T12:40:00.000-07:00

I've been slacking, but not for lack of ideas....just lack of time!! This years schedule is slightly more grueling than last year, 4 little ones; 2 that come Monday to Friday, 1 that comes Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and 1 that is here Mondays and Fridays. Three school kids; my own David, one that is here on mornings from Monday to Thursdays and full day Fridays and on PD days, and one that is here afternoons and PD days. Thank goodness they all go to the same school or I might lose one or two along the way!!Anyhow, Fall is coming and I am decorating the house in fall colours, which are my favourite. Fall colours are so warm and inviting and remind me of all the bounty nature has to offer at this time of year! As I mentioned before, I have a front garden that booms from sprint to fall, so lucky for us, there are still plenty of colours out there and it makes me happy.I decided to bring out some of those colours inside and put them in the empty spot where that funky mirror is, what do you think? I might just leave them there all year, they sort of go well with the decor.

That's the mirror I painted with my $8 can of midnight blue.

It looks so pretty !!

Back to the topic of slacking, which I have not been doing, I will have more fall stuff for you in the next few days so you can see what I have been up to. For now I am off to do the dishes, get 3 bottles ready, pick up a truckload of toys off the floor and maybe tidy up the front entrance because it looks like a fire hazzard......toodles my friends.Cheers, Viviana

September is finally here!!

2011-09-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

Yay yay yay!! Doing my happy dance... yes it makes me happy it is September and the kids are back in school. I love having the older kids here don't get me wrong, but they don't nap......now you understand! When they are in school, I acutally get a 2 hour break while the 3 babies all nap. I can craft, sew, create or just sit around with my hand down my pants (never done it yet, but have thought about it) doing nothing! Regardless of what I do with my two hours, at least it is quiet for a bit, which is something that I really do miss when I am surrounded by them all for 10-11hours a day. I will have time to actually post what I want to post when I want to post it, not months later, when I can't even remember why or what it was I had wanted to post about. I will also have time to do another video of how my SMASH book is coming along, which is looking really sweet with the exception od the binding, which I will have to change eventually.For now allI have is some pictures to share.

Anyhow, thanks for sticking around and reading my wacky post. Cheers!Viviana

Renay's Blog: Adieu Monsieur Layton...Godspeed

2011-08-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

A Brilliant friend of mine wrote this post. Ask yourself the question, what will become of Canada without Jack Layton? We have the answer inside us, but we have to rise up together and unite against the ever increasing corrupt government we now have. Renay's Blog: Adieu Monsieur Layton...Godspeed: It is a blow to Canada and to democracy, losing Jack...I am NOT a member of the NDP, I am a Green Party member, but still this kind of thing...

Black Furniture Painting Tutorial

2011-08-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

I love this video, it gives you step by step instructions on re-finishing with that well worn look. Just thought I'd share it.

Fabulous thrifty find!

2011-08-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

Quite the cute little table!

This gorgeous little table was for sale at the local thrift store, imagine my surprise when I looked at the tag and it said $3!!!! Yes, three dollars!!!
I scooped it up and brought it home to get some loving. It's been in the hallway for months and I finally got the right paint (that $8 one I used for the nesting tables) to use on this cutie. It did have a broken joint, but since it's not like anyone will be sitting on it I just used run of the mill wood glue and tied it up so that the leg would set.

I've used it with a broken leg for months and since it never even wobbled, a little glue was all I used to fix it.

I then sanded it down just enough to remove any dirt and grease, though it was really quite clean since it was in a store and not the back alley.....then I got my little can of $8 paint and got to work. Three coats and a little sanding to get it looking slightly vintage and voila!

A little sanding in the right spots, and it looks nicely worn and stylish!

I put it back in the hall and does it ever look better than before. I loves it!!

There she is, looking perfect in the hall!

Thanks everyone for stopping by and leaving a comment!

Cheers,
Viviana

I will link up to

Another Unebelievable Back Alley Find!

2011-08-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes many roads lead to your destination, you have to always be on the lookout for interesting finds along the way.

Last week, Dayday had camp all week, not far from our house but still a 7-10 minute drive. There was roadwork being done, so they set up a detour through a couple back alleys to get to the center, and although I could have gone around on another road, I chose the detour because who doesn't like a few bumps along the road? Anyhow, I happen to glance at my side view mirror and saw 3 little tables just thrown down on a little patch behind one of the houses. I didn't go back that way until the next morning, and the tables were still there, but someone had stacked then since they seemed to be nesting tables. After I dropped the kids off, I returned through the back alley and decided they needed a home....My Home to be specific!Yes, they were covered in dirt and mud, scratched up and in dire need of lots of love, who knows how long they had been waiting for me??

I went to Canadian Tire, straight to the mistint department of course, and decided on a very dark navy (midnight) sort of colour, it said it was great for doors and trim which to me translates to good wear and tear and possible long lasting, so at $8 for the quart, perfection!

I took the tables apart with my handy dandy ratchet screwdriver, and took the frames outside where I had to soap them up and hose them down to get the muck and mud off.

The tops I washed and then sanded well with a 100 grit sand paper. I then got down to the painting which I did out on the deck (it was about 27c out!!) things dry fast in that heat!

By the next morning I was ready to give them the final sand down and de-stress, which makes them look vintage and slightly worn and perfect for the look of the living room/dining room in my little home.

I wasn't too sure as to where I would put them, but I wanted them to be handy enough for when we have guest, they can be pulled out for drinks or food or to play a game on etc.

I found the perfect spot, but I had to try to tie everything in nicely. I added another piece from my awesome collection of thrifty finds. Then I had to move the leaves around a bit, I like them but they didn't look right.

The end result is perfect in that small space. I sometimes look at my house and all I want is to run away from the clutter, but you know what...it is not because I don't want it, it is because I just have to organize it better. So slowly, it is coming together and I'm loving it!

Cheers and thanks for stopping by!!
Viviana

I'll link up to:

Pepian Negro (Beef in a dark sauce?)

2011-08-12T05:33:00.000-07:00

Yo nunca he probado este plato, pero mi hermana se quedo intrigada con saber la receta, entonces aqui esta.

INGREDIENTES:

1 Cebolla pequena entera y pelada
4 Onzas de miltomate
2 Tortillas (maiz)
4 tazas de agua
1/4 de taza de arroz
1 Chile 7 caldos (optional)
3 Zanahorias
1/2 Libra de ejotes
2 Dientes de ajo enteros
1 Tomate de cocina
1 Libra de bolovique en trocitos
1 Cucharada de sal
1 Chile guaque sin semilla
1/3 Manojo de culantro picado
1 Libra de papas en cuadritos

PROCEDIMIENTO

1. En un sarten sin grasa tueste la cebolla, el ajo, el tomate y el miltomate hasta que esten obscuros. Tueste las tortilla hasta que esten casi quemadas.
2. Mientras tanto cocine la carne en agua con sal hasta que este suave, agregue las tortilla el tiempo suficiente para suavisarlas, luego saquelas,
3. Tueste el arroz, hasta que este obscuro, muelalo, tueste los chiles y muelalos tambien.
4. Licue tosdos los ingredientes tostados con el culantro, los chiles, y una taza de caldo. Cuando la carne este suave anada los vegetales y la salsa asi como el arroz molido, continue cociendo por 10 minutos hasta o hasta que espese.

Enjoy!

Cak-Ik (Kak-Ik), Caldo De Chunto (Guatemalan Turkey Soup)

2011-08-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

My Aunt gave me this recipe when she came to visit us in Canada a few years ago. I will write it out in Spanish and later will translate it for all those English speaking readers too.

INGREDIENTES
1 Pavo mediano cortado en piezas
50 Tomates maduros pero firmes (pequenos)
1 chile pasa
2 manojos de cilantro
1 manojo de tallos de cebolla
1 cabeza de ajo
1/4 taza de chile cobanero molido
2 sobres de consome de pollo
3 cebollas grandes picadas
2 chiles guaque
2 manojos de hierbabuena
Achiote o bijol, el necesario para dar color.

PROCEDIMIENTO
1. Se pone a cocer el pavo en una olla grande con 6 litros de agua y un sobre de consome, cuando este a medio cocer se le agrega el manojo de talloes de cebolla y los ajos aparte dos dientes.
2. Por aparte se asan los tomates, las cebollas, los chiles y dos dientes de ajo, luego se licuan y se cuelan.
NOTA-Si queda mucho sedimento en el colador, vuelva a licuarlo con otro poco de agua para evitar desperdicios.
3. Una vez que el pavo este bien cocido retire los tallos de cebolla y la cabeza de ajo, agregese el recado asi como suficiente bijol o achiote para darle color. Cuando el cocido este a punto de hervir agregue un manojo de cilantro y uno de hierbabuena, dejelo cocinar 20-30 mintos. Si cheque sazon y es necesario agregue el otro sobre de consome.
4. Se pica el otro manojo de cilantro y de hierbabuena y se agregan al caldo junto con el chile cobanero antes de servir, acompanelo con arroz blanco y pochitos (tamalitos blancos).
NOTA- Si tiene la fortuna de encontrar samat o cilantro de tripa (como se conoce en el Nor-Oriente) debera usarlo, sustituyendo el cilantro y la hierbabuena.
Rinde 10 a 12 porciones.

Es ta receta me la dio mi tia cuado vino a visitarnos en Canada, la saco de un librito que se llama Cocina Guatemaltec. Dejen mensaje si quieren otras recetas de este librito.

Gracias,
Viviana

Lemonade Stand

2011-08-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

David and I were blog hopping a few months back and he saw a lemonade stand made out of a microwave cart at Pleased As Punch's blog. He's been asking to have one since winter so we finally decided the old microwave cart (didn't even have to go to Sally Anne to get one!) we had in the dining room was perfect and if we made it into a lemonade stand, at least it would not end up in the dump, like most particle board furniture does!
We picked up some yellow paint at Canadian Tire, Krylon of course, since it's dry in 10 minutes!!! (I have this bad luck of easily forgetting paint is wet....) so Krylon is a dream to use.

The cart was white so all I did was wash it down with a little soap and water to get the dust off, then I set it outside on the lawn on top of a cheap plastic drop sheet. I had for some silly reason, already pasted up the dollar store chalkboard on the back side. So I had to tape it up a bit to mask it and keep it from turning yellow! I do happen to LIKE doing things the hard way sometimes, how else would I learn what was easy then??
So I got it mostly covered in yellow paint, I may have not done the best job, but considering I did it in 20 minutes...it turned out great.

Once it was dry enough, I took a pencil and sort of mapped out what we had decided it should be called (David's Awesome Lemonade) and I brought out my box of paints for the rest of the project. I wish I had a cricut, then I would have used the vinyl I have to cut out the sign, but this should be ok, since I am a graphic designer, lettering comes easy.

That part was somewhat PAINTstaking, hehehe. It takes a steady hand not to mess up the words, and I did well right up until I did the little lemon graphic and grazed my hand on it....anyhow, I managed to fix it with q-tips and a little water.

This is what it turned out like, not bad for a hand painted sign. We had a sleep over 2 days later, and the kids decided to try their hand at sales. They picked mint from the garden and made mint lemonade in one pitcher and sliced strawberries for the other. They all quickly realized it is not as easy as it looks and it helps for it to be a super hot day (which are few and far between here in Calgary!) and to have people that actually walk, also helps to not drink the product....They made $6 and split it 3 ways.

I think we will give this another try next week, hopefully we can entice more people to buy by lowering the price (I let them chose this time, and they thought $1 a cup was fair because they were big cups) to 50c a up and maybe using the smaller cups too, and maybe doing it on a hot day this August.
Anyway Cheers and thanks for stopping by,
Viviana

I am linking up to:

Sliders?? The perfect size burger for me!

2011-07-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, it seems to me everywhere you turn everyone is BBQ'ing right now....and slider burgers (those mini ones, for the history click here) seem to be all the rage. So when they were on special at M&M meats, I got 2 boxes (12 in each for 4.99!!), I figured even if I don't like them, my son will. He is not obsessed with food like me, he eats it for living, he doesn't live to eat. He also doesn't ever finish a regular sized burger, so these are the perfect size.
I decided to try them out for me to, I chose to also alter a recipe I saw in the "O" magazine, which has an fried egg on top of the beef, and it is an open faced burger. For the recipe, click here.
This is my version.

If you look closely, I did not use a bun...in my journey to try and stay away from as much gluten as possible, I have started using grilled eggplant as my "bun" ...if you slice it about 3/4" thick and grill it (I salt the slices and let the bitter drip out for a couple hours ahead of time) it dries out slightly (don't let it get charred or the bitter will be right back, not speaking from experience or anything!!!) and makes a great bun!


It looks pretty and tasted prettier!!

I did not fry the egg, but used my handy poacher (I was thinking there was enough saturated fat in the beef and egg, why add butter to the mix?) and although you cannot see it, there is a dab of grainy mustard in there to add some punch....the whole things tasted soooo good and I did not miss the bun at all. So you do one slice of grilled eggpant with a dab of mustard, one slice of tomato, then the patty, then the egg, then fresh lettuce from the garden (we have a really nice community garden here) and a sprig of parsley also fresh from the garden. I served it with a side of caesar salad (which my son approves of greatly) and put it on a fairly small plate so it looked like a huge meal....that trick does work because I seem to eat less and still feel full! My son had his on a slider burger bun, and to my surprise, he ate 2 burgers and his side of salad, so it made me very happy!!
Next, I will try a Mahi Mahi burger on eggplant, that should really be good.

Cheers,
Viviana

PS, sorry my blogging is sparse to say the least, but summers are so short here in Calgary, so most of my tine is spent outside while there is no snow or rain....hopefully I'll post something new by Sundy, but don't hold your breath!

Blessings of Living in Canada

2011-07-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

I know there are many wonderful places to travel to all over the world, and maybe one day I will get to see them in more than just pictures, but for now I am loving travelling through parts of Canada.

"Canada (play /ˈkænədə/) is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area." That is a little excerpt from Wiki-Pedia. What they don't say in there is that Canada is also the best country to live in, by far, no other place can match it in it's beauty and it's kind people. I was not born here, but I am so proud to be Canadian, it is a beautiful feeling!

The Burmis Tree.

David at Lake Koocanusa.

The lake at Salmo/Creston Pass.

Christina Lake, the warmest lake in Canada.

Poulson Bridge.

Columbia Valley Region, breathtaking!

The Hoo Doo's a few kilometers before Fairmont Hot Springs.

It was not a Disneyland holiday, no amusement parks to go to, no wax museums or island gettaways....just a road trip through the amazing Rockies, Kootenays and Columbia Valley. The most beautiful thing about it was that my 7 year old son said "This was the best Vacation ever!!" to me as we drove the last few kilometres through the rockies and into the foothills. We sometimes don't need a whole lot of commercialism to make the kid smile, LOVE IT!!!
I also wanted to mention, that there are not many places I would feel safe driving over 1500 kilometres alone with my child, but in Canada, anything is possible!

Cheers,
Viviana

My SMASH book the DIY way- Part 2

2011-06-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

My SMASH book adventure....

2011-06-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Yup, I am following the masses and trying out Smashing...however, I happen to have too many supplies and I need another book/album/journal like I need another hole in my head.
So, I decided to make one.

My ingredients list for the "base" go as follows,

Cardstock for the pages, pads are great for this.
Chipboard (I used very lightweight stuff, next time I'll use heavier stuff!!)
Coverstock for printing
Paper bags (I used super long sine bags)
Envelopes
Page protectors
Random papers and tags

I used my Fiskars rotary trimmer (so I could trim 6-8 cardstock pages at one time) to trim my pages down to 8x10 from 8.5 by 11. I also trimmer the covers to 8.5 by 10 1/2 so they fit properly after I punched and bound them with my Zutter.

I learned that I need to use bigger wires if I am to make a bigger book (the pages turn fine but the cover is just a tiny bit too tight. I also think I will use heavier chipboard for the covers next time, so it feels more solid.

I printed up lots of ephemera pages from The Graphics Fairy and from JSIM, both websites have lots of freebie images to add to the pages.I used the coverstock for these, since it's heavy enough to handle stuff attached to the paper and I had it in a cream colour, to go with the vintage feel of the book.

If you click on the image, it will take you straight to the blog it came from, The Graphics Fairy.

Another one of the images I used.

The inside front cover, I love roses so this had to be at the forefront of my Smash.

Again, another great ephemera image from the Graphics Fairy.

I think this page looks perfect!

I printed this with one right side up and the other upside down, adds to the charm.

I have to tell you that my printer ran out of yellow at some point, but I was not worried, I like the tones the pages took without it.
I have made a youtube video for my SMASH book, this is my first real video...so bear with me, I am not an expert yet! Once I figure this whole "editing" thing out, I am sure they will get much better.I am just working on part 2. You'll see the progress in that video.

Anyhow, time to run and make dinner. The kid is getting hungry.....

Cheers,
Viviana

Just linking up to a few blogs,

SMASH Book from K&Company

2011-06-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

I didn't buy one, because I have been working on my own journal/smash book for a long time. I think it's about time I show it off...... soon I'll share!

Cheers,
V.

Too much rain....

2011-06-24T06:07:00.000-07:00

It has rained almost non stop for a few week, and last night I finally had a few minutes to trim the lawn in the back yard (it's a very small yard)...... this is what it looked like behind the deck.

I got halfway with the weed wacker and the mosquitoes tried to eat me alive.....

That's all I got, for right now. Later today I will blog something more fun.

Cheers,
V.

WHY?? Yes, this is a rant post.

2011-06-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

I will start this one by letting you all know this may not turn out to be a pretty post.

Today, when I walked across the football field to pick up my son from school, I saw something that almost made me scream out in horror; A teacher was bent down tying a child's shoelace. Now I am not saying teachers shouldn't help, however when a child is in grade 3/4?? Should he not have a minimal skill such as tying his own shoe mastered already? WTF is this world coming to when parents are such lazy a$$es that they cannot take the 30 minutes out of their lives it takes to teach a child of 8 or 9 to TIE HIS FREAKIN' SHOE?????

I am horrified at how few skills (considered basic learning) kids don't have at that age, I am not talking about your special needs child, or a child with a learning disability, I'm strictly speaking of your average intelligence child, who can achieve many great things when given the skills, that's all. We as are bringing up a nation of useless, skilless, underachieving children and we are not ashamed yet?? No wonder kids nowadays can do a perfect pirouette for ballet, wear the latest Roxy shoes and designer jeans, have parents that drive BMW's and Cadillacs, yet they cannot even tie their own shoelaces????
This type of parenting does not do your child any service. How hard is it to take the time to teach them a basic skill? It took us a couple of weeks to teach my son, he was 4 at the time. I taught another child in 30 minutes, because she was almost 7, she caught on much faster.
People need to stop treating kids like they are too dumb to learn, or hire someone to take the time to do the job. No wonder north America is failing as a whole. A society increasing in under educated individuals, because nobody takes the time to feed the beautiful minds of children. Children are like sponges, it is a saying everybody knows, they are not dumb, they are extremely capable. Take away the DS/Wii/Computer for 30 minutes each day, teach them skills such as taking turns, patience, simple math, conversation skills, manners, tying a bow on your shoe, and by doing all these things you are not only giving your kids basic life skills, you are giving them a foundation and even greater, you are showing them how much you love and care about them and their future.

I am not the best parent out there, and sometimes I fall back on parenting skills I picked up from my own parents, however, I refuse to think that my son is any less a intelligent human than I was. He has learned many skills that may seem ridiculous to teach a child of 7... he can sew a button, not greatly, but he'll never have to ask anyone else to do it for him. He can tie a good couple of knots and tie his shoes, he can swim (a work in progress), he can ride a bike and a scooter, he can read (he's on the 8th book of "The 39 Clues"), he can add and subtract, we play Yahtzee, the Game of Life, Stratego, and I'm learning to play Chess alongside him. I try to learn if I don't know, and if he asks I am honest and look stuff up for him or with him.
He is reading this post as I type, and he just announced that him and one other boy are the only ones in his grade one class that know how to tie their shoes. Dismal!!

He tied his own shoes last spring for NSD Basketball!!

So there you have it, My rant of the week. Yes, it may sound opinionated, but someone has to speak up for capable children.... I guess my next project will be a tutorial on shoe tying, I want to make it my mission to show parents how easy it actually is, and yes, practice does make perfect, just ask my son David!


I will never underestimate my son's ability to learn!

Cheers and have a great Father's day,
Viviana

My Scrappy Dress Form, psst....it's my SIZE!!!

2011-06-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

Last fall, I sort of went crazy looking for a dress form...I looked on the net, I called stores, I tried wedding dress boutiques for a broken mannequin.... I tried everything, but no one seemed to have one to sell, throw out, give away, etc. I was about to give up, when I was driving past a plus size ladies store, I stopped in to ask, what could it hurt. The manager was rude and said no, they do not give them away or sell dress forms, they destroy them! OK, well that was useless. A young sales clerk handed me her number and said call me.
I did and she offered me her dress forms, her boyfriend had salvaged them from the dumpster out back and they no longer needed them....AWESOME!!
Now, I'm not allowed to show you the before pictures because I promised her I wouldn't (logo on them), so here is the finished pictures.

It's a size 14 (now I'm really a 16 right now, but working my way down!!).

I used vintage (25yrs) dictionary pages and Gold Glimmer Modpodge to cover it with.

I watered down the Modpodge to make it easier to work with, it makes the form glow. I had fun with the pages, putting the definition of "First Base" on her upper right breast, hahah!

This is the other form she gave me, it's a size 14 bust! I did the same with this one and it's perfect for showing off jewelery or scarves. Notice my newest creation, apparently they are all the rage, those ribbon pearl necklaces.

That necklace cost $2 to make!! and about 45 minutes of my time. Love it so much I am going to make another in red.

I usually stand it on a stool when I want to work on altering something, I'm quite happy with the results.

So I kinds liked that I was saved from dumpster diving myself for one, thanks for generous and kind strangers.

I'll be linking to these great blogs,

Cheers,
Viviana

Organizing Stamps: A Repurposing Adventure

2011-05-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'm big on the three R's: re-using, re-purposing and recycling. When I can, I do the first 2, and if not I move to the third, which is almost as good and great for most of the post consumer waste we produce in my home.

Getting to the point of this post.... I have a fairly big collection of stamps, wood mounted, unmounted rubber and acrylic. Their home has been an old shoe boxe, a plastic container and a plastic bag and and sometimes just a pile somewhere on my shelf. It is not a very user friendly way of storing, but for a time I had resigned myself to spending 10 minutes looking just so I could use it...or not using them at all because it was easier to write in a sentiment than look for the pretty stamp.

So, we all have had or have CD's or leftover jewel cases from moving the CD's to better storage. I have transferred 98% of our music to the iPod and external hard drive so the CD's cases were pretty much useless. I gave a bunch to Goodwill a few years back, but I would rather get to re-use them when I can. Those cases now provide my stamps with better storage, storage that works because:

A. It is see through.
B. It is flat.
C. Because it can be stacked!

You have to remove the middle insert that holds the CD, it's a matter of wedging your finger in there....

Then it just pops right out. Recycle the insert and the paper.


I then put the stamps in, I obviously removed the underside acetate but kept the acetate that has the image printed (though some don't come with printed acetate), you can always stamp it with Stazon onto leftover acetate to have it be visible.

Then you can pop them into a clear plastic shoe box, or favourite CD case storage, had I kept those DUH, I would have put them in those racks for easy access, but this works just as well.

This works with these red rubber stamps too, the lid closes without a snap because they tend to be slightly thicker than clear acrylics.

That's it, onto the shelf they go. Now I need approximately 10-20 more cases for the other sets that don't yet have a home.

So there it is, my stamp shelf, notice the binders....those will eventually also end up in jewel cases but that's work for another day yet. I won't show you the rest of my craft room...it is not yet been subjected to the organizational treatment!

So, weather to save space or save your sanity, or both...this is a great way to keep your stamps organized and make use of something old and almost obsolete!

I am linking this post to,

Thanks for stopping by, cheers,
Viviana

Dollar Store Blackboard Labels

2011-05-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

There's something pleasing about finding a bargain at the dollar store that you were wanting at a much higher price somewhere else. That is the case with this awesome roll of Adhesive Blackboard, which I purchased for $1, as opposed to paying $16+ for 2 sheets from a well known stamp company!! The sheet measure 17 3/4" by 31 1/2" inches, so fairly large for the price. I bought one and brought it home to try it out, not convinced yet, but curious.

I got the jars for $1 each at a Calgary Dollars table, I think they may be Ikea jars, but I'm not certain.

That die has been pretty handy for a lot of things!

I have these jars that I wanted to put some labels on and then maybe use seasonally for chocolates, gum and candies, maybe tea and sugar. I figured if it sucked, I only spent a dollar, then I could splurge on the expensive stuff.

I used my Stampin' Up Label die which I adore, I've used it for all kinds of projects, but this would be a definite awesome way of using it for sure.

To my delight and amazement, this stuff is brilliant, the labels were perfect and repositionable enough to set them the same on the jars. The real test came when I wrote with chalk, perfect, and I wiped it clean to be able to re-label neatly.

Anyhow, I ended up using the jars for Eggie and Jelly Beans at Easter, and now I might just change it up for summer. In the fall I will fill them with Halloween Candy, pretty awesome hey?

I recently went back and bought 5 sheets of this stuff to make my re-usable signs for craft sales/yard sale signs. I recycled a few election signs which I know end up being recycled or thrown out... I will post some pictures after this weekend's yard sale.

I'm linking up,

Cheers,
Viviana

My quest to be Gluten Free!

2011-05-26T18:10:00.000-07:00

So for 6 weeks now, I've been working at keeping my diet relatively gluten free, grain free really and mostly refines sugar free too. I have figured out that my body doesn't not function well on grains, sugar and gluten, so my carbs come from other veggies and fruits, just not from grains. I have lost 20 lbs in the process and feel great.
I did want to share a couple things with you all because I happen to find them helpful in this quest.

The first thing is that gluten free doesn't mean you can't enjoy certain things you normally would have eaten, you just have to figure out ways to make them so they don't interfere with what you are trying to accomplish.

For example, I love pancakes...so I found a recipe I could easily make without out of this world ingredients, and voila, here they are.

The first pancake, looks good to me.

I got the recipe from Mr Breakfast.Com, but I adapted a couple of ingredients to what I have on hand.

2 eggs
1/4 cup soy protein powder (I used the Vegan Protein in the picture)
1/3 cup sour cream (I used fat free Greek yogurt because it has no fat/no starches/stabilizers)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoon olive oil (I used grape seed oil because it doesn't alter taste)

This was in the health food isle at the Superstore, and for what you get, the price is reasonable, it's great in my strawberry smoothie every morning too!

Notice my ceramic pan, it is well loved around here!!

Otherwise the recipe would be pretty much the same. They turned out fantastic, so much so, that I used them in a layer dessert with strawberry and banana slices for our Easter dinner, delish!

Another things I've been eating lots of and love are the Konjack noodles, Hungry Girl talks about them all the time and uses them in her recipes. I found a few different brands in the Asian Supermarket, some are more like the noodles for stir fry, some are the ones she endorses called Shirataki Noodles, all of which are good for you foods that have been eaten in Asia for hundreds of years.

I bought these,

These were $1.29 and look like little rolled up bundles, my son loves them with teriyaki chicken!

and these too, both at the same supermarket,

These noodles are very versatile, you have to try them!!! I got them at the Asian market for $1.99 a package, small price to pay for better health.

I made some Mexican style chicken soup with carrots, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, garlic, peppers, and grilled chicken breast and cut up the Fettucine style noodles into the soup, it was delicious, filling and very low in carbs!!

You can make this soup the day before, the noodles do not absorb the liquid and become all goopy like regular pasta, so they are great for bringing for lunch at work!

If you are struggling with your weight and want to adapt some of your mother's recipes that have noodles, you can easily cut more than half the calories by using these noodles rather than the conventional grain (wheat, rice, buckwheat, corn) noodles, which although good for you if you can tolerate carbs, help maintain or lose weight without totally giving up the dishes you love.

So contact me if you want more information or are in need of some good recipes. I've been using the noodles for a year now and have a few awesome ways making any noodle dish low carb to carb free.

I'm linking up to ,

Cheers,
Viviana

Streching myself thin....

2011-05-19T05:39:00.000-07:00

Wish that was literally, then I might feel like I've accomplished one of my goals!!! Wow, where does time go? It's been almost 3 weeks since my last post, why? Because I really wish I had an extra 3-4 hours a day just to get the fun stuff in along with the daily chores of running a busy household that consist of 5 children, and me (mind you, only one is mine and here with me 24 hours a day) and a business or 3. I haven't taken on more than I can chew, I just really need to learn to be organized and maybe say no to certain things even if I want to do them. Right now I run my dayhome, I work for an Real Estate Agent part time, I have a birthday party business and when I have the time, I create and sell my things at craft markets. I also have laundry, cooking, cleaning, and sometime this month I really, really do have to get my taxes done!! I take David to soccer, to birthdays, to the movies, to do spring cleaning in our complex. He is my shadow and I am his, and so much of our time is spent together doing what parents and children should do, enjoying each other.

I want to be stretched thin physically, not mentally....working on that too. I've lost the 10lbs I gained this winter, plus the 10 more I had gained last summer....I tried a few things like the gym (that took 2 hours out of my day so no....) I tried Weight Watchers it took an hour a a week and lost 7 lbs in 6 months so no...guess what? Walking to school twice a day (or more if he forgets something), doing yoga at 5 am, and cutting out all grains, starches and dairy, voila! I am on a roll, it's been 6 weeks and 20lbs down. My best guess is that grains are not good for my specific body/blood type, steady walks and pushing a stroller with more than 50lbs in it gets me some weight bearing exercise and cardio at the same time, and making time for relaxation/stretching techniques works for me.
I've stopped obsessing about the dishes, sometimes it's a whole 24hrs before they get done, laundry might get folded but not ironed (I really don't care that my pant legs look like elephant skin!), and it is ok to not vacuum every day! As for time, I still need more, but I am coping.
On a fun and lighter note, I will have a couple of DIY projects I will post sometime before the week is out, you'll see I've am still getting in some creativity, even if it's in spurts and blips!

Cheers,
Viviana

Pretty and very easy birthday cards with tag.

2011-05-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

I happen to love the simple things in life, specially when making cards. I notice that it is a bit of a trend to embellish and really layer a card, or use Copics to colour a in a stamp. Being an artists, I have done my fair share of colouring, I was given my first set of Prismacolours when I was 12 so I've been colouring/painting/inking for a very long time and I don't find it thrilling to sit down and colour for hours, so I keep it simple (plus my son may not get to go to University if I start buying Copic Markers$$$) inked minimally, easy on the eyes.
Anyhow, this card I am about to share with you is not new, it's not my own creation, however I love it so much and have used it so many times, that I thought I better share it.
You can use a spellbinders die or a scallop punch (to make a smaller version) of the dress.

I made that one using a pre-embossed base, a large scallop circle and 3 small flower punches layered together. The stamp is from SU and it's perfectly elegant and simple. The patterned paper is also from SU, and it's old!

I basically used a piece of white cardstock cut it down to fit inside my 5.5x5.5 card base. I added a green mat to match the layered flower I made to go on the waist of the dress. You can use a smaller scallop circle to give you more white space too. I slightly inked the bottom of the dress and the neckline to give it a bit more depth, and attached some white ribbon on the waist before applying the flower. I stamped the sentiment in green to match everything.

This other one, I made again with old papers, I'm not even sure where it's from, but it was from a stash of papers I've had for years. With the paper left over from the cutting of the scallop circle (it was a 6x6 piece) I made a front for a small tag (also made from the trimming of the white cardstock) to match the dress card.

The tag went with the gift, which I wrapped in kraft paper, tied with a white ribbon...it looked perfect together!

Notice my stamp, I pressed too hard and it got the edge of the stamp on the card, it still looks fine to me!!! That is the beauty of making cards , they are perfect by not being perfect!

The flower again is 3 different punches layered together, but SU has a single one that has a similar flower you can layer. The flower is made from paint chip cards from the hardware store....I love using them and the cardstock they are printed on is very sturdy too!

The matching tag.

Anyhow, it is simple and fun and easy to make, not too many embellishments and you can take old papers and make us of the left overs.

Cheers and happy Sunday!
Viviana

Linking up with,

Easter Dinner Menu

2011-04-24T15:58:00.001-07:00

Since I've started a on a path to not just lose weight but change my lifestyle, I have reduced my carb intake (mainly all the grains are gone) to get a hold of my insulin before it becomes type 2 diabetes! Anyhow, my Dr. Did say something about the way my body makes insulin and stores energy as fat and not usable energy...so I decided I'd have to stomp it out before it became trouble.
Anyhow, Easter Dinner.... usually it's laden with carbs such as sweet potatoes, rice, stuffings, pies, buns, and all sorts of goodies from the oven.
So this year, nuhuh, we are not having it!
The menu will be boiled ham (secret recipe that makes it taste incredible, I'll share it in a minute....) with apple sauce and Russian mustard, garlic carrots, cucumber tomato salad, cauliflower mash and for dessert low carb Crepe and Strawberry Layer Cake.
I will have pictures for you tomorrow, since that is when I plan to make dinner.
In the mean time, I want to know what everyone else is having!!!

Cheers and happy happy Easter,

Viviana

Wise beyond his years...

2011-04-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Today my son had a bit of a meltdown, it's not as unusual as you might think, even if he does look mostly angelic. He just wants to do things his way or no way at all, and doesn't understand that sometimes he is limited by his age and size or by his choices.
So it went like this; he decided to set his Wii character to play bowling left handed, even though he was holding his controller with the right and happens to be mostly right handed except when golfing. The Wii responded accordingly and he was not playing very well...close to the end of the game, he was sulking and I told him he was going to end up grounded if he continued to be rude to his friends and me, and he decided to quit instead. I lost it at this point because he chose to play left handed and now he was hating being last and being told why he was loosing.I told him before the start of the game, you need to change it back to play right handed and he didn't listen.
Anyhow, I know him well enough to know, he does this stuff to get on our nerves (and to make sure if he looses he can blame it on something else), it's done on purpose, he thrives on the negative attention (as a lot of children do) and it's like he wants to make sure that even if he knows he is wrong, he will not listen.
We go off into the kitchen to have a little "talk", I sit on little step stool and look up at him asking what is going on? After a bit of back and forth questions and answers to see if I can get to how he is feeling...he says "Well basically I have 2 choices, I can keep acting like this and get grounded, or you can send me to the classes that teach you to be a better listener [the school send flyers twice a year about courses on teaching kids to get along, about how to deal with bullies, babysitting, first aid etc.], that's my two choices"
I sat there and just stared at him, didn't say anything else yet.
Then he pipes up again with "Actually, I have 3 choices, get grounded, go to a class, or just be a better listener"
"So what do you choose David?" I asked patiently.

"To be a better listener and take advice, and not be selfish" Then as he gave me a hug and he said "The wise choice, is the good choice"

Enough said.

Cheers,
Viviana

I'm Still Here! More Shimmer Mists!

2011-04-07T06:13:00.000-07:00

Yikes friends, it's been a while since ?I took the time to write a post, so sorry. You can tell that spring is here (or somewhere nearby considering the foot of snow we got on the weekend!), because I tend to be out and a bout and not sitting on the computer surfing and posting. I have tons of projects all going at once and more stuff to do outside too, but I did have a quick little fun thing I got done a few weeks ago, just never got around to showing you.

Isn't that pretty?? It's on kraft chipboard. Read on to find out what colour that is!

More Glimmer misting by me! I really wanted a few other colours, and I thought I'd experiment with a couple of combinations.


I picked Metallic bright red, plum, and Inca gold.

The metallic red I just mixed with water 1 part paint to 3 parts water, and it turned out amazing!

For the plum, I wanted a chalk like shimmer, so I added a bit of wisteria acrylic to the mix.

This is the plum against the green I made a few weeks ago, on white cardstock, very pretty.

I went to the dollar store and found these awesome masks, they were not the type that adheres to your work for a more defined image, so I just sprayed a little bit of Elmers Spray glue on it and it worked perfect on the cardstock I then sprayed with my glimmer mists. That's how I got the plum/green image on my cardstock.

I mixed some inca gold with antique gold paint to get a more yellow shimmer. This one is my least favourite, but I still love it!

The gold against the plum on white cardstock, it turns out gorgeous!

All the colours on the naked chipboard, love them!

So having fun, cause all those odd shaped chipboard albums that I was thinking I'd have to paint or try to cover somewhat, will now get a good dose of lovely shimmer, yay!

Anyhow, have a great day everyone....more post will follow, I promise!

I'll be linking up to all of these, so go ahead and check them out too, great blogs!!!

Cheers,
Viviana

Just a couple more Lay Outs

2011-03-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

I love that David can be so goofy, I tried to convey that in this double lay out.

I'm trying to carry the similar elements throughout all LO's for this particular set of pictures.

I have so many pictures to tell the story, sometimes a random bunch makes a cute page.

I like to use the same line of papers, and elements for particular events and pictures. These are all from our summer vacation 2 years ago. The papers are from a line by Chatterbox, as are the journaling cards and chipboards and brads. The alphas are from Doodlebug, I bought two sets and was able to make 7 titles so far....with a few random letters left over, I'll post a picture of what's left, it is great when you can use up a lot of one set.
Anyhow, gotta run for today, thanks for looking.
Cheers,
Viviana

David's "Hollywood" Birthday Bash

2011-03-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

When I asked David what kind of party he wanted, he said a Movie Star party would be nice...never been to one, so I had to do some research on the net to come up with just the right stuff!
There are of course tons of online stores that sell everything from mini Oscar statuettes, to red carpets and pre-made invites. I am however, a DIY kind of girl, so even thought I did cave and bought a few items at Canuck Amusements (the local party and trophy store), I made do with our great Dollarama and Dollar Giant stores, my trusty printer (not so trusty with the colour black though) and handmade/homemade items for the party.

David chose the TV dinner cupcakes, (from the book, Hello Cupcake) which turned out perfect, everyone was kinda not sure what to make of them at first, they looked that real! They also had popcorn in cute paper popcorn boxes (from Dollar Giant), Corn Dogs and curly fries, and I put out goblets full of candies such as skittles, licorice and fruit chews. They love it that I let them eat candy first , before thy even had supper, but what are parties for? to do things you don't normally do and eat things how you want!!!


The peas and carrots are Skittles and Startburst, the mashed is plain frosting, melted caramel and fruit chew butter.

Fried chicken drumsticks! That's a Timbit and frosting covered with cornflakes, topped with a white chocolate bone.

It looks lovely and ready to be eaten.

I also made some white chocolate covered pretzels, David's fave.

The decor wasn't too hard to do, my house has a lot of clutter, shelves full of books and board games and lots of toys, so I moved as much as I could out of the way, and a lot of the decor was kept up high.

The disco ball was a must, and that's birthday tinsel/garland.

The kids got VIP passes at the door, sunglasses and a boa if they wanted.

For their award they got a Golden Letter and had to make a speech if they wanted.


That's my David as Michael Jackson, walking the "Red" carpet I laid down.

I didn't do real goodie bags full of junk, they got a paper popcorn bag where they put their sun glasses, stickers from playing bingo (we used Spiderman and Tinkerbell stickers to mark our numbers, and I have a real bingo set with the spinner ball!!), their letter (Dollar Giant letters, painted in gold and trimmed with glitter), their boa and they got to take home their VIP passes (printed at home and used Dollar store name badges to put them in). I figured they ate a lot of candies and sweets at my house, they didn't need any more. They burned off some energy outside and came in had popcorn and watched a movie. I imagined it being chaos (9 seven year old's sitting down for a movie, am I crazy???) but it was great, everyone sat, with their box of popcorn and watched "Marmaduke", perfect movie for that age too.


Before sitting down to a movie, the kids all went outside and burned a large sparkler each, and ran around playing tag for a bit.

I think the party was a success, and everyone had a great time!

Not sure how we will top it for next year....but I may just have to start the planning now!
Cheers,
Viviana

Upcycled T Shirt, Done pretty!

2011-03-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

I made a black cardi/shrug from an old black t-shirt. Not a new idea, but this was my take on it. I went back to the same post on CraftStylish for the basic instructions and ran with it on my own from there. Looks very cute and perfect for my summer dresses.

I think the sleeves make it really feminine, considering it was a plain black t-shirt before.

Instead of ruffles on the front, I put pleated ruffles on the collar.

Anyhow, it's fun to make a new wardrobe out of old stuff, cluttering my closet. Our weather here in Calgary is somewhat warm, but not always warm enough for strappy summer dresses, so this will help. I can wear them and throw this over top, so the chill doesn't get me!! Hope you like!

Cheers and happy St. Patrick's Day!!
Viviana

The KISS principle at work.

2011-03-12T05:56:00.000-08:00

I am not sure about you, but lately, I've been enjoying using the KISS principle when it comes to card making and scrapbooking. Since my design school days, my style has always been fairly linear, with clean lines and a firm direct approach at my subject. Although I sometimes enjoy looking at over embellished, decor heavy styles, I still like my stuff to be to the point and concise, I like to not have you search all over my pages or cards to find the meaning, to me it looses it's appeal.
Anyhow, enough preaching, what do you think. Keeping It Simple Sweetie (and Straightforward too) seems to be working for me. Not much clutter and still pretty right?

Just another simple card, a couple of layers, and plenty of meaning.

Ok, I must run for the day, Cheers everyone!
Viviana

That is so awesome hey??

The Elves Have Finally Moved In! | craftgawker

2011-03-08T18:29:00.000-08:00

The Elves Have Finally Moved In! | craftgawker

A couple more pretty tags, Enjoy.

2011-03-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

I really love that Tim Holtz masking tape!

Dollar store pins, there are so many to chose from!

I also love the stamp that makes it look like platters, it's from M's.

Flower pin, Dollar Store!

You can really see how they are all similar and unique at the same time.

Yes, these are definitely fun to make!

Cheers,
Viviana

Weekend Creations

2011-03-07T06:12:00.000-08:00

So after making a few different "glimmer" sprays, this is what I did with the test tags.

I love how the glimmer plays with the pearl and it works so well with the inked edges.

There is no right or wrong way of making these tags. I used the lightest chipboard available, my Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers Die, My Tim Holtz Tag Die, a Spellbinders labels die, pearls and hat pins, Tim Holtz masking tape, various stamps and inks and my homemade "shimmer" mists. You can chose to use whatever adhesives you like, I tend to stick with (punny!) using glue dots and foam squares for immediate gratification! The best things about these is that you do what you want and no matter what, it still looks great!

Enjoy and have a happy Monday,
Viviana

Home Made Glimmer Mist and Even Glimmer Glam

2011-03-06T08:06:00.000-08:00

As you all may have already figured out, I am a frugal crafter....I try to get it on sale, on clearance, with a coupon or even trade it. Sometimes I spend $$ when it is to save somewhere else. In this case, I bought some paints, full price (between 2.50 and 3.50 each!) but they did not break the bank.
When I saw this post, HomeMade Glimmer Mist by Shoegirl's Creations....I, of course had to try it. I have a huge issue with paying so much ($8-10) for something I can make for myself for ($1 or 2). I gathered up my supplies (she has a list of what you will need in there) and got making the stuff.

I chose 4 colours I did not have at all in my small and frugal collection of glimmer mists.

You can see the shimmer at the bottom of my mini mister.

This is the blue once it was dry.

The bottle I re-used was a nearly empty body spray mini, perfect for this project!

I sprayed them all on kraft chipboard, the shimmer of the green is a gorgeous golden green.

That was the pearly one, which is my fave, as it looks like the one called Marshmallow from Tattered Angels.

I made this one with paint and modpodge.

Once I had made 3, I decided to venture out and try to make a matte mist, like the chalk ones Tattered Angels makes, I wanted something in pinky and pretty, so I used about 2 tablespoons of pink and one of Modpodge and I got the results I wanted.

I have a layer of green shimmer, then I masked it and added the pink matte spray, the results are stunning!

This is the Extreme Glitter diluted in the water.

I did the Extreme Glitter the same as all the others, I diluted it in water in a small jar, but I noticed the particles were much larger... *light bulb* ... just like Glimmer Glam!

It has the sparkle of Glimmer Glam, at a much smaller price.

So all of them are just diluted, nothing else in the mix. I did notice that they are of course not as pigmented as some of the real Glimmer Mists, but then again, I find that sometimes less is more. I am going to add some re-inker to the glimmer glam, to make it brighter...I'll see how it goes. Thus far, I am loving the results and the fact that I can make more when I run out. In the mean time, I have been creating all sorts, so come back and look later on, I'll show you what I've done!

I'm linking up to,

Also, I'm going to have to figure out how to make the Glimmer Glaze, how hard can that be??
Cheers,
Viviana

My "Happy" Kit from Scrapshotz gets put to use!

2011-03-04T05:59:00.000-08:00

I love Scraphsotz scrapbook kits, the work is easy when they give you a kit that is well thought out and put together. I think out of most kids I manage to use almost every single page. I am not a kit member right now because I am trying to catch up (I had a ETSY store for 2 years and it never gave me time for much else!) but as soon as I see one that I absolutely must have, I will join a again.
Anyhow, this kit was from a couple years ago and the papers were from "Chatter Box", a line called "Happy"...bright and cute. I am working on Vacation 2007, I had a cheap little digital so some of the pictures are not as nice or in focus, but I am scrapbooking a life store, so they still work just fine.

I love double page layouts, easier to tell a story, specially when I have lots of pics that covey the story.

Out of focus, but he's a boy and doesn't sit still!

I used butterflies because they flutter about just like my son kept doing!

Notice that I try repetition and to carry the elements through the pages, in 3's is normally my style.

I try not to go Embellishment heavy on my layouts, though sometimes I tend to group a few for effect.

Trying out a portrait with a Sears type pose, he does it naturally!

Notice embellies, I used quite a bit here but they work well to balance out the 2 pages.

The papers were double sided too, so it added a lot more colours to work with, thus yielding a whole lot more pages for the album. As you'll see this is my first post of probably what will be 3-4.


I always but two sets of alphas, and I try to use up as many as possible for the titles. I also use up any bits to further add texture and depth without too much bulk. I try not to make pages I cannot get into my albums later.

The whole kit had a bit of sparkle, and it worked well because they were summer pictures, I normally don't use much sparkle on boy pages though.

Notice the dots, they were the dots for the J's and ?'s.

The kit actually works well for either a boy or girl, I worked some of the pink (there really wasn't much) into some pictures that included my Mom or me... you'll see those later on.

I wanted these in there, so they worked well like this.

I'm going to try to get a few more pages done this afternoon, I am trying hard to get through some of the kits....there are so many new scrappy things on the market but I promised myself that if I did not get creating with what I have...I will turn into a hoarder and end up on some really TV show trying to explain my "Illness"...it's called Scrappy Happy don't you know!

Cheers,
Viviana

TO BE CONTINUED...

Some quick cards with 25c paper!!

2011-03-01T13:09:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous papers for 25c a sheet!

The blue card was prefab and I finished it off with a Thank You stamped on cardstock.

I don't like to over embellish cards because it causes the postage to become outrageous!

Just some cards I made with some sheets of scrapbook paper I got for 25c, gotta love it. I got 6 card fronts from each sheet, everything else I already had....the bases I made from cardstock I got from a friend (they renewed their logo and were gonna recycle 2 huge stacks, she volunteered me to grab them), paper doilies from Valentines and various bits and bobs I have in my "tickle trunk".

Cheers,
V.

Frugal and Eco Friedly Cleaning in My home.

2011-02-27T09:43:00.000-08:00

This is a bit of a boring post, but I wanted to share it for those who are looking for a way to reduce the use of detergents and chemicals to clean their homes.

That's Tara, my niece Alex and my son David, kids I adore!

When I decided to stay home and work at home, I knew already that I would have to make my home "any" child friendly. I decided first, on no pets, then on cleaning the home without chemicals and making it eco friendly too.
Cleaning without chemicals is a choice great choice, after all the information available about how we absorb, ingest and breathe cancer/skin condition/asthma causing ingredients in most household cleaners, I am not sure why people still insist on using them in a home with small children. It was enough to make me completely change the way I did things in my home.

Some more of the kids, we spend a lot of time playing on the floor!

I was introduced to Norwex by a friend, they sell eco friendly products that are incredible for cleaning the house from top to bottom, great for when you have young children. I bought a small amount of things from her, as the products are very costly. What I realized though was that I loved the micro-fibre cloths and was very impressed with a lot of the products, but could not afford them all. I decided on the baby cloths for washing my son up, on the kitchen cloths, and scrubbers, and cleaning paste.
Micro-fibre cloths and mop heads started popping up everywhere (even the dollar store), so I bought a mop with 3 pads from Canadian Tire, lots of cloths (special ones for glass too) and a few other minor items, like dish cloths and microfibre tea towels from the dollar store. Micro-fibre pics up the dust, leaves glass spotless and really makes clean without much more than hot water, vinegar and baking soda for the tough spots. "Microfiber textiles designed for cleaning clean on a microscopic scale. According to tests using microfiber materials to clean a surface leads to reducing the number of bacteria by 99%, whereas a conventional cleaning material reduces this number only by 33%"
I love how you can clean the carpet spots with microfibre towels, they seem to pic up dirt and not re-release it like regular towels. I use regular rags for really dirty jobs, start with those and finish with microfibre.
Table salt is another favourite, I use it to scrub pots, scrub around the sink and even in the tub (mix it with a little liquid dish soap and it brilliantly removes any grime build up, I haven't had a ring in a few years!!) for an extra scrubby yet eco-friendly cleaning boost.
For my floors, I mix a little dish soap in with super hot water, it cuts through the grease in the kitchen and leaves the floor sparkling. Then I boil lemon rinds (yes I save them for a day or two, or you can just use vinegar) and use the liquid for rinsing the floor. Then I give it a quick once over with a dry pad to pick up anything left behind. Hence the three mop pads. The mop pad is great for picking up dust off the walls, static makes it cling and you can see it in the stair case, yuck!
About the only place I still use store bought cleaner (eco-friendly) is the toilet, but if you run the toilet brush in it every day or two just after you use it, it keeps it from having any yucky build-up. Then you can disinfect it with the toilet liquid and voila!
My house isn't always spic and span, but it is very child friendly, they can play on the floor because there is no chemicals on it, they even help with cleaning their little finger prints off the wall, because microfibre is child friendly unlike a certain Mr's magic eraser!
When you are done with a cloth, you can just throw them in the wash like regular laundry (without using fabric softener, another environmental killer) and hang to dry. I wash them along with my sheets and pillow cases, they come out like new!

Here's a list of the common household items to use, they do double duty at half the price of chemical cleaners, and are fine for the environment.

Assorted Micro-fibre cloths
White vinegar
Liquid dish soap or soft soap
Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda or Soda Crystals)
Salt
Assorted Rags – Anything of cloth origin (old towels, sheets, t-shirts) past its best cut up and stored for those really dirty jobs
Stainless Steel Scourer/Pot Scrubber
Citrus – any old lemons/limes even halves which have been juiced

Although microfibre is not made from renewable resource and is not bio-degradable, they last a very, very long time (contray to Norwex's rule to replace every six months, which is just a marketing ploy) and can be washed thousands of times without much wear compared to cotton fibre cloths. What I love the most is that you don't need detergents or cleaning solutions, just a little elbow grease to get the job done!

Cheers,
Viviana

Spring Blossom for a Winter Day

2011-02-24T12:51:00.000-08:00

It is -24 today with a windchill that makes it -33...so in order to get through this with no mental damages, I have decided to keep busy with my sewing and creating for my spring clothes, if spring ever comes that is!!
I must tell you, that I have been checking out tons of sewing blogs, trolling for new ideas. And of course, it helped that this weekend I got a great deal on a few t-shirts (bargain prices!!) that I can play with without feeling guilty. I also got a new shipment from Stampin' Up, which included a new blossom die which is (no pun intended) to DIE FOR!!

So here is a sneak at my new die, yummers, no??

Sneak a peek!!

The new die has these beautiful flowers, oh my they definitely look wonderful and are a good size, none of these puny baby size blossoms here! Well, maybe a couple....

So the shirts I used for this particular project were 40% off the lowest price.


Notice I got 2 shirts in 3XL (I am a XL, but wanted the extra fabric for what you'll see.

I took the pink one, cut off the sleeves and removed about 5 inches off the bottom. I also took it in quite a bit under the arms, and left it fuller at the hips. I have a wider bottom so I don't like my tops to fit tight along there, usually they are too big for me at the shoulders, so I normally take them it at the arm pits anyhow.

I then took the sleeves and cut as many flowers as I could out of them, both in the small and large.

I layered them (3 large petaled and one small for the big ones) and hand sewed them together, then pinned them onto the top using my wonderful dummy body.

Lucky for me, I have this really great plus size body form (size 14, just my size!!) So I can try things on it and make sure they will fit me properly. Though I am a little shorter, this form works well because it allows me to pin and tuck where I need it most. I got it from a store for plus sized ladies (it was not easy finding one though, took a couple weeks), and covered it with vintage dictionary pages to hide the logo!

This is how they looked once I sewed them onto the blouse.

I think it was so easy to just use my die cutter, the whole thing took me about 1 hour to make!

So there you have it, my own blossom blouse....very much like the one seen here for a lot more...

I quite like mine, for $3 plus time, worth it for sure!

Cheers and enjoy crafting,
Viviana

Family Day Adventures

2011-02-22T05:08:00.000-08:00

It's been months since we had a chance to go tobogganing, but yesterday was the perfect day...though it did takes us a while to find a hill that actually had some snow rather than just dirt and grass. It really hasn't been cold enough to melt, just think it's evaporated because it's been cold and dry!

Snow on my knees, proof I did go down on the crazy carpet!!

It really was fun and the afternoon ended with us going to Tim Horton's for a mug and dinner at Boston Pizza, it was a perfect day!

Cheers and happy Tuesday,
Viviana

I LOVE my dies and die cutter, I may have said it before!

2011-02-15T06:12:00.000-08:00

Just showing off my flower power using 2 dies with my Big Kick. It's just like a Big Shot or a Cuttle Bug, so you can use many dies in it and it's super easy to use.

So this was a sweater dress, rather unflattering on my figure now, but I didn't want to throw it in the give-away-bin, so I had to re purpose it. I cute about 10 inches off it (it was quite long so it was looking like a wool mumu) and used my dies to make some blossoms out of the part I cut off....it turned out well for what became a vest. I left it slightly longer because I like things to sit on my hips rather than father up my waist, it looks better on my body.

The die you can't see is the Tattered Florals, look for it here.

I layered the Tim Holtz tattered floral flowers onto my Big Flower die from Stampin' Up and use d a silvery button for the middle. I had to of these buttons, one bigger than the other, I used them to give the blossoms some dimension.

I sewed the buttons on and hot glued the bar pins so I can also use the flowers on something else like a headband or on a jacket.

Next time I will use my tripod to take a better picture!
Cheers and thanks for looking!
Vivana.

Valentines not just for lovers!

2011-02-13T11:37:00.000-08:00

Even the goat needs some lovin'!!

I used to think I was special, born on Valentine's day and all, it made me feel unique....actually, it just mean I was conceived sometime in the late spring and was born a full term baby. If you're conceived on Valentines day, now that is special, but you are born in mid November then....but the date just doesn't seem special. It's really not all that romantic, and to try to celebrate means trying to get your friends together while they are trying to get together with their partner/lover etc.
Since I was in college many many moons ago, I have yet to spend Valentine's with a boyfriend, husband or a better half...it seems I'm forever single...and now I have a "love" that is 4 foot nothing, in grade 1 and I've already had to explain to him why he can't marry his Mommy!
What surprises me most about Valentine's Day, is how giddy and excited I get for it, not for my Birthday, but for the celebration of love!! Weather or not I'm single for it has long ago stopped being a factor, it is about loving everybody, sharing the feeling and continuing in the celebration of love all year round.
This year is no different, I've made gifts and cards and special treats and I'm looking forward to another wonderful year full of love and hugs and whatever else it brings!

"Freedom only exists when love is present.That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it." Paolo Coelho.

Happy Sunday and Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow too!!
Cheers,
Viviana

My $2 lamp Redo

2011-02-10T05:26:00.000-08:00

I love it when a project works out better than expected!I chose Burgundy and as it turned out, it completely changed the feel of the room and added a depth to the room for, it looks cozier and there is more light even if it's subdued, it is perfect!!

It's perfect for my free table (got it from a back alley, it was being thrown out I guess), which will get refinished at a later date.

This little wall shelf got the treatment too.

I love Krylon paints, they not only dry in 10 minutes, they are inexpensive and you can paint almost anything!

I covered the lampshade with the cheap burlap, I wanted it to have lots of contrast with the shiny paint job.

This hangs on the wall on the other side of the entrance of the living room, it looks great with my Russian Matryoshka Dolls.

I got the lamp for $2, the shelf for $1, the paint for $4, I already had the burlap, the hot glue gun and the spray glue. All together, the project cost $7 and about 1 hour of work. Loves it!!!!
Check out all the other projects and thrifty finds at,

Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving some comments.
Cheers,
Viviana

Mini Tutorial for DIY gals, on a Snowy Day

2011-02-07T05:57:00.000-08:00

This is a great way to make the sanitizer and lotion dispensers match, we have ours in the hallway where everyone can use them when they need to, I thought it would be a clever way to add a little colour and make them look more classy.

Some 12x12 scrapbook paper, ribbon double sided sticky tape and some ugly bottles of hand sanitizer and hand lotion.

Cut the paper to height needed and adhere using sticky tape, use left over strip to fit over the bottles.


Once you adhere the strips, tie the ribbon around each bottle and TADA! You've got some pretty in your life.

I think they look quite lovely right there.... gotta get better at tying ribbon though!

It's yet another snowy day, but before I take off to go shovel our walkway... here is my contribution for the week (I may have more if I get the chance), but I thought this would be great for Blue Monday.

Thanks for looking,
Viviana

Volkswagen Commercial: Black Beetle

2011-02-06T07:15:00.000-08:00

Another super awesome commercial, love the caterpillar!!

Volkswagen Commercial: The Force

2011-02-05T06:13:00.000-08:00

This just made my day!!

Another Thrifty Find....it will need a redo for sure!

2011-02-03T13:11:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it and neither could the store clerk, but his awesome lamp that is wonderfully heavy was marked $2 at the local little Thrift Store!! Imagine my surprise, since I've been looking for weeks for a cool lamp to put beside the big chair, when I came across this one. It will for sure need a redo, and I'm working on colours and ideas, so if any one out there has something cool I could do, let me know.

My colour scheme in the living room is pretty much Sojourn (got it from the Krylon Colour Trends page) but instead of the blonde shimmer mine is more of a wheat colour on the walls. I'll get looking on the weekend, see what I can come up with. It's a steal at $2 thought!!!

Cheers and happy frugal weekend,
Viviana

I will link up to

Ready for a Valentine, with awesome homemade pencil holders!

2011-02-01T06:13:00.000-08:00

I had to make 20 of these babies!

From David, the girls will love them , not so sure about the boys though....

I still can't believe that for the first time in 3 years (that's how long David has been going to school), I actually have his Valentines all ready to go....the usual is, the night before Valentine's Day we are standing at the pharmacy looking at the little bits that are left on the shelf and wondering wether we have time to fill them out or what. I am an artists, I make my own cards already...so what the heck was my problem? I suppose it's because my Birthday is the same day, I spend the weeks preceding my birthday pondering my existence and forget then that the world keeps spinning.... thus getting caught by surprise the night before!
This time, I prepared for the event!!

So for a mini Tutorial,
1. Cut an 8.5 x 11 sheet of cardstock into 2 inch strips. (you'll have a small strip left over, recycle.
2. score at 4 inches and 41/4 inches, punch a half moon (small circle punch) on the 4 inch scored end.
3. Cut patterned paper into 4 x 3 3/4 inches, glue onto longer area of base.
4. Stamp image on opposite side (back) of where you glued paper, near the half moon punch out, so that when you fold it up, you have a definite front to the pencil holder.
5. Add pencil.

Super Simple, and because I didn't think of actually photographing the step by step process, I might have to do this again with picture.

Cheers and thanks for following!

Viviana

This is my first Blue Monday

2011-01-31T11:25:00.000-08:00

This is the frost on my window's today. Sky is blue and looks terribly sunny out...but it's -27!!!

Happy Blue Day Everyone,
Viviana

Large Paper Rose Tutorial

2011-01-30T07:22:00.000-08:00

This is the finished flower before the chalk and the sparkles.

Super Sunday, it's early in the am and I'm not moving very fast....maybe it's the snow, slowing me down a bit! I am once again sharing my version of Tim Holtz's paper rose, but this time I am using my Big Flower die from Stampin' Up.

I cut out as many flowers out of a 12x12 sheet of paper, I used some old stuff I already had.

There's my pile, I wasn't sure yet how many layers I needed. I bought that paper for 10c a 12x12 sheet at Scrapbookers Paradise, It's good to have on hand for projects like this, so if you mess up, it's not $1.50 paper!

I then used my chalks (I'm all for using what you have on hand) or you can use distress inks, I just haven't bought any because I already have so many other media I can use to tint and colour with.

So this is where the tutorials meet, I cut out the pieces the same as I did for the smaller roses, so that I had 1, 2, 3, 4 and three with 5 petals. Those ended up being all the layers I needed for a full rose

I used a pencil to curl my petals, since this flower is much bigger a skewer was too small. The 1 and 2 petals I curled in wards, the rest out.

I used hot glue to add each layer, I am not patient enough for liquid glues and I like the instant bond too!

This is the back so far, I snip off bit so the rose will be slightly flatter.

I then chalked some more, you can also ink if you like. It gives it more depth and definition and adds dimension.


Then instead of Stickles, I use spray adhesive (instant bond again!!) and some sparkles to give it a beautiful glow.

I love these chunky iridescent sparkles.

So that's it, pretty straight forward. You can always use the other Rose Tutorial for a step by step guide, it's pretty much the same but as you can see this is the size of my hand. I am using it for a "welcome to out home" sign and I will post the finished project when I get it done....

Have a happy sunday,
Viviana

Working on being more domestic....ahahah!

2011-01-26T11:55:00.000-08:00

A little slow in uploading the picture, but these are our waffles just before the freezer, I use just a little double waffle maker, perfect!

My son asked me why he's had to eat cereal for weeks (it's been a month and it's healthy stuff with fruit and omega3-6 soy milk!) and no waffles or pancakes, or eggs and sausages.
I guess in my plight to eat healthy I stopped using any mixes that weren't homemade, and cutting back on the amount of meats we eat, I forgot that not everyone wants to eat muesli with ground flax everyday!
So I searched the web for a great recipe for waffles, overnight waffles to be exact...the yeasty kind, the kind that makes my mouth water when I think of how yummy they are topped with fruit and whipped cream.
I settled on The Pioneer Woman's Overnight Waffle Recipe, which looked easy and tasty too.
I didn't change much on it, except that I used half almond half soy milk at 1 cup of each (my son can't handle milk, but butter is ok) rather than regular cow's milk.
Here is the ingredients,

2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Yeast
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
½ teaspoons Salt
2 cups Milk
½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 whole Large Egg
6 Tablespoons Unsalted Melted Butter
Nonstick Spray For Waffle Iron

I loved that you can mix and go to bed, and I got up at 6:30 rather than 6 to make them!

These are their instructions, super easy!
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, yeast, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Whisk in milk and vanilla until blended. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let stand overnight at room temperature.
2. In the morning, heat the waffle iron. Beat the egg and melted butter into the batter, which will be quite thin. Spray hot waffle iron with nonstick spray. Add just enough batter to cover the cooking surface.
3. Cook waffles until crisp and brown, but not too dark, about 2-3 minutes each.
Makes 6-8 standard waffles, or 3-4 Belgian waffles.

Since there is only two of us (and he is 6) we only ate 3 waffles and froze the rest so we can pop them into the toaster later on in the week. Today I served them with banana slices and breakfast sausages, next time maybe we'll do a poached egg and berries. The texture is crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle, my son loved the cinnamon and asked if they were chocolate ; a true complement on the taste!

This is what we ate at Grandmas every morning, she has a huge raspberry patch!!

Tomorrow I shall make eggs, with tortillas (the homemade corn ones)...egg tacos perhaps, yum!
Onwards and forward with my domestic endeavours!

Cheers,
Viviana

Pretty Paper Slippers

2011-01-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

You know when you're dying to try something, but really have no reason to? Yeah, well that's where these came from. I loved them when I saw them Artful Affirmation, where she has a template you can use and a video tutorial too, which is awesome for you visual types. I hear a lot of people do exchanges of these pretty shoe slippers, and giving them in gifts would be absolutely fabulous....so I had give them a try. I love how they turned out.

Cheers,
Viviana

I trimmed mine with feathers and velvet ribbons.

I used a handmade paper rose, and the accordion folded paper is from the rosette die.

This one has a rosette with a button middle.


I put a back on both of them, it definitely makes them look more elegant.

Thrifty Finds

2011-01-19T12:41:00.000-08:00

I am cheap, ok well not really really cheap, but very very thrifty....just one of my many good traits!! Anyhow, just to show off a little, I've been wanting a pair of pinking shears forever, but I didn't want to pay $16-28 for a brand new pair. It's not like I was dying for a pair, so I took my time deciding weather they would be worth it. Lucky for me, I happened to be in a thrift store looking for something else completely, when I came across these!! I didn't even test them out, for a buck fifty, I didn't care how well they worked! I got 'em home and I am still thrilled (it's been a couple weeks) with them, they are as sharp as brand new and cut like a hot knife through butter, they look like they were never used!


Another curious thing, they were made in Canada! Not much is made here nowadays.

Can you guess what could be inside?

Another little gem I haven't blogged about....this little case I came across at a garage sale this summer. Now, the only reason I have it is because of something I read on Lark and Lola's blog a while back, always look to see what's inside.

Well I did! Check it out, I got it for $20 and it has an extra roll of inked ribbon and it still works perfectly too. Not sure where and when I will display it in my house, since it's always full of kids who want to touch everything, but I am sure I will one day have the perfect place to show it off.

Another curious thing, it's also made in Canada.....wowie!

So happy with both thrifty finds!

Cheers,
Viviana

Frosty Windows

2011-01-17T20:04:00.000-08:00

The new camera captures amazing images.

I love the contrast of David's soft organic fingers to the rigid icy fingers growing on the glass.

I used my new Canon Rebel to take these gorgeous pictures, it's been about 2 weeks of -20c or colder, and this is about the only thing that still looks pretty no matter how cold it gets. I'm hoping that before they disappear I can get a few with blue sky or sun behind them, wishful thinking....
Ok, that's enough posts for one day!
Cheers,
V.

Bond's Boobies Crop

2011-01-17T05:57:00.000-08:00

Hand made roses, check out my tutorial.

Used paper from Webster's Pages and flowers I learned to make at the crop.

These were from a make and take at the crop.

The flowers are made with Tim Holtz' Tattered flowers die.

I was lucky enough to get invited to a crop (by donation) for a very special event. My friends Team is called "Bond's Boobies" and they are raising money for The Weekend to End Women's Cancers. They managed to raise over $600 for a very good cause and I manged to get quite a few pages done or nearly done for my son's scrapbooks. I am years behind in his pictures, and most of these were ones still waiting to be done. I still have some journaling to do, though some are pretty self explanatory.
It was a fun crop and I'm surprised how much I actually got done.
There is one more layout that I finished, but didn't take a picture of it yet. It's a framed picture for David's Dad, I'll snap one and post it soon.
Cheers,
V.

Birds and Birdhouses.

2011-01-16T10:41:00.000-08:00

I bought some tiny Dollar Store birdhouses, but before I could take pictures of all of them, I sold some. The two that were left were are the only ones I could share with you. You'll notice one has a large paper rose on the back, that's one of my hand made paper roses, you'll find the tutorial here. Now you can imagine the other birdhouses were just as pretty, sparkly and sweet. Thanks for looking.

The birdies were also sold long before I managed to take a picture of them, this is the only one left. I will make a few more because I love them. Notice the rosette? Tim Holtz is a genius, and I hear he is coming up with a mini one, how lovely! So this is it for my Shabby Sunday Share, enjoy!

Cheers and happy Sunday,
Viviana

I Missed Sharing These

2011-01-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

I know Christmas is over and all, but I missed sharing these with you all.... they were in my old camera. I was so taken by my new Canon Rebel, that I neglected the memory card in my old Cybershot for a few weeks!!

Anyhow, I really enjoyed making them and using the rosette die from Tim Holtz, delicious! I will eventually post a few other items I made with that rosette die, I LOVE it! I'm thinking of buying the big tag die too, it looks great and who doesn't love those amazing tags, I'm thinking of making a few Valentines ones, they would be awesome to give with a bouquet of roses!
Cheers,
V.

If I can say "Yes", then I will

2011-01-04T08:38:00.000-08:00

That is how I parent. I love being a mom that doesn't sweat the small stuff, and in turn my son loves being a child that is free to develop in an environment where he is loved and cared for and can have a boundless imagination. There has been many times where I am about to say "NO, you cannot wear that costume out to dinner". Then the little voice in my head asks me "Why can't he? who is he hurting? why are you squashing his fun?" Whenever that little voice pops up, I tend to stop, listen and then act. A few months ago, we were invited to a dress-up dinner with some friends, he dressed up as Iron Man and I wore my best black cocktail dress..... he got the high fives and "ohhhs" and "ahhhs", such a smart lad! Why am I sharing this? Because my son is the proud wearer of "dreadies" or better know as dreadlocked hair and it was me who made it possible.

Life is Good!

He has been growing his hair out since before the summer because he told me he wanted dreads like his friend Zion (who is mulato, has beautiful long dreadies, and is in grade 3) who is 2 years older than him. So we stopped going for haircuts every 8 weeks, and I trimmed his bangs just enough to keep his eyes from being poked. At first I thought he might change his mind, but he kept checking how long his hair was and weather it was long enough yet. A few weeks before Christmas break, I started researching the cost etc, and decided to buy a kit for us to do it ourselves, the cost was too much at a hairstylist. The kit arrived the day before the break started so we decided that he would have his picture with Santa before the dreadies, as per his Dad's request.

This is a few hours before....

The process took close to 12 hours, with a few breaks in between...it hurts just a little bit, all the teasing, rolling, pinching, elastics, etc!! Anyhow, once we were done, he was beaming with pride.

Later that day!

I know that a lot of parents would be dead set against such a drastic hairstyle for their child (specially one with fine, straight hair) because of the look, the stigma that comes with dreadheads. I however, have seen it as a lesson, not for him though, for myself. As a parent, I would rather have him go through the experience of having "dreadies" now, than when he's 16 and let's say, trying to land a job.
Right now, I can still help him keep the hair neat and free of lint, we wash it every 2-3 days, so it's always clean (contrary to popular belief, hair has to be clean to stay locked, dirty greasy hair unlocks on straight hair) and keep it crocheted well so they will always look great! It is a lot of work for me, but it has taught me to be patient with him. There are days when I feel like a probst monkey, picking bugs...but it's worth it. He looks and feels great, he loves his dreadies!


Two weeks so far, looking good!

So I did sweat it physically, and my elbows hurt the next day, but why say no to such a interesting request? Even his Dad didn't see why not. In the end, his self esteem is intact and we have expanded our view on the world (through all my research on dreadlocks) just a little bit more.
There will be worse things I will have to deny him, but this is just not one of them.

Well, Happy New Year

Viviana

One more freebie!

2010-12-17T12:21:00.000-08:00

This one is a little pinch box, great for goodies and other bits and bobs. I used mine for Caramel corn, it hold the perfect serving. Hopefully you'll find it useful.
Cheers,

Viviana