Banister

I love this!

I found this photo on the net (sorry, don't know the source) and I love it. I want to do this decoration for Christmas. It will be a lot of work but it's so great to share memories with family and friends and I think this is the perfect way. Now to set some time aside to make it happen....hmmm.

JoAnna

adidas be-dazzled

Miss P. spends a week in the summer with her Great Aunt Sharon at the cottage. Aunt Sharon is the best at everything, cake decorating, sewing, crafts, and be-dazzling! Miss P. went to the cottage with a new pair of adidas super stars this summer and came home with a be - dazzled pair of super stars! She loves them and so do all the kids at school. I finally got around to taking a photo of them and here it is. 

They really sparkle in the sun but this is the best we could capture. The little jewels are actually Swarovski Crystals, Uncle George is a wholesale jeweler - Yup, you know it, I send my Christmas Want list right Aunt Sharon and Uncle George!

JoAnna

Last of the flowers - for awhile anway.

While I'm looking at end of September photos on my camera ( still have not down loaded) - Christmas is creeping up on us. Santa Claus Parade is next weekend......a great excuse to make chili and ask my neighbor Anita to make her most excellent corn bread, hint hint. Yum.

JoAnna

Working. Really....!

The time has come.  

Dramatic eh? 

Well, for the moment anyway. 

I have taken on a part-time job with the city for next 2 months. 

The hours are great, Mon- Fri, 9am - 2pm. I am still able to run all children to and from school and even walk the dog before work. It's with the Sales and Development department. I like it. 

This little venture will make me appreciate what I had. Staying at home, my own schedule doing what I wanted when I wanted and visiting friends anytime of the day, in fact all day if I liked, 

wink* wink* ~ Miss Tina. 

I'll keep you posted on how I/we manage.

 Both photos are from the neighborhood - (Dianne - I know you're going to take a walk around the block. hee, hee.) I have juiced both photos as Karen likes to say. I'm still waiting for both Karen and Dianne to set-up their blogs  - let me know when your up and running ladies.

JoAnna

enough already - right?

 I love it - I can't get enough of the textures! 

I know they look very messy but I love them because I'm actually learning more about photoshop than ever before. Once I become comfortable with the process behind creating a textured photo (wow, lots of background work), I really think some might turn out nice!

This will come in handy when I take photos around the house and need to blur the mess in the background - genius!

Til next time, 

 

JoAnna

texture 2

Just messing with my photos.

JoAnna

texture mini lesson

Here we are. I have soo many photos that get downloaded to the computer and that's it, there they sit. Yes, I print some and make family photo books of others, very nice, but I want to do more with them.


That's when it happened - I came across another blog on the net and the owner had a few tips on how to make your photos pop with texture! She gives great direction and then homework! These 2 photos show a very WEE tiny bit of what I've learned so far. There is sooo much to learn! I know some people might see them as horrible and ugly but the amount of effort to get them to this state is mind blowing........sounds funny to have them look horrible with a lot of effort but I know it will get better. I wanted to post them to hopefully be able to come back to them as a measurement of my progress. Wish me luck.

These photo's are from the neighborhood - Mr. thinks I should do a collection of photos from the hood? Any thoughts?

JoAnna

mini project

I set myself out yesterday to take pictures. white pictures. I mean anything white, I just needed something to focus on. So out Charlie and I went for a walk around town. This is what I came home with.

My first lesson -  it's not easy to take white photos in the middle of the fall when everything is so beautiful with colour.

I took the next picture which was very grey and thought it's close enought  to white - right? Maybe it doesn't count as white....

 I think this one does count because the background (white siding) is white - am I stretching it here?

So the project was a lot harder than I thought - I must have taken 50 photo's in an hour an honestly came back with 2 white photos. It wasn't a complete loss I do have some great fall pictures (I'll post later this week) I like the challenge of shooting a certain colour  - I'll try white photos again in the dead of winter!

This photo below is what I recieved from Mr. for our anniversary - he choose all the flowers himself.....beautiful .........every time I walk by those flowers I feel a mixed message - what do the thistles mean?

Oh by the way I gave Mr, a special hockey addition bottle of Crown Royal for an anniversary present, on the card I wrote,  "Drink Up you may need this to stay with me another 18 yrs". He laughed.

 Romance is over rated. wink* wink*

Have a fun week,

JoAnna

Another anniversary - 18yrs

Its our 18 year anniversary this weekend!

I took this photo last weekend - we spend Thanksgiving at the beach.

Have a great weekend.

JoAnna

Happy 50th Anniversary Mom and Dad

Last weekend we celebrated Mom and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary with a open house in our home town, a drop in from 2-4.

Wow did the people come. 

It was great for my parents and for all of us. We saw old friends and neighbors from our child hood, it was great to catch-up with everyone. 

This photo is of my Mom the day before the party helping with the decorations.

 Its not easy to decorate a community centre but with help of my sister, Mom and myself I think we did a fine job. My girls painted the "happy 50th anniversary" banner - very colorful, just what we needed.

This is Dad pretending to pin a corsage on my Mom's shirt - it didn't work so well. In fact 3 more people tried to pin it as well and finally we decided it would make a great cake decoration.

I intended to take many more photos but once people started to show up, I started talking and stop taking photos.

After the drop in we headed over to the Flying Club for dinner. Between dinner and dessert we had speeches and my Uncle and his son-in-law put on a skit about my parents life. There is nothing funnier than a man dressed as a women holding his/her breast!

We had some great speeches and on behalf of my brothers and sister I put together a slide show presentation - one of my brothers lives in Sweden so in order for him to see the slide show I have now put it on You Tube - check out Audrey & Jack memories

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtFroNNJQCo

We had a small wedding cake for Mom and Dad, the bride and groom on the top of the cake is the original one used on their cake 50 years earlier. (My Grandmother bought it for .89 cents at the "five and Dime").

My Mom and Dad were married on October 14th 1960

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

JoAnna.

Tom Brady

Our cat Tom Brady used to drink out of the dog's water bowl on the floor, until we got a fish! 

I'm sure this is common among Cat and Fish owners but WoW it's new for us. Of course at first we were nervous he would try catching the fish and even end up in the fish bowl, but no, he just drinks the water and watches the fish, named "splash" swim around.

I love this photo below - Tom Brady looks like he wants to say "what? I'm not doing anything wrong".

I have had these photo's on file for awhile and just simply wanted to post them so we can look back and laugh.

Tom Brady and Splash - Friends

I should be back early next week - lots going on this weekend, can't wait to share. Have a nice week.

JoAnna

Thank You Scotty and Cheryl

Do you remember a post call "Ice Time" back in Janurary?

It tells about our wonderful friends with an outdoor ice rink that doubles as a curling rink with boards and lights and everything.
And remember the fire pit that I absolutly love......well at the fire pit they have chairs and rocks and barn beams to sit on. Of course I fell in love with the old barn beams and mentioned this to the owners. As sweet as they are, that spring Mr. Scotty showed up on my door step with a beam from his very own fire pit and insisted I take it.

Spring quickly turned into the end of summer and there sat the barn beam up against the house. Oh I knew exactly what I wanted it to look like, I just didn't make the time to do anything with it, and then it happened........ My Mr. took vacation.

When Mr.J takes vacation his favorite place to be is at home, Working, yes a capital "W" he works hard and is very efficient.  He likes to "get things done" as he puts it. Mr.J takes on many projects at once, major projects, and finishes everyone of them in a timely manner - my Mom always tells me how lucky I am and I know it.
With Mr.J's input we found a wonderful person that works with metal. After a meeting, drawings and a few emails we got exactly what we wanted. I love it, our new barn beam bench with metal strapping. It proudly sits in the kitchen against a mellow yellow wall and has instintly given the kitchen an edgy modern feel.

So thank you to Scotty and Cheryl for sharing and you have first seating rights on the barn beam bench.

JoAnna

P.S. - Vacation week Mr. J also repainted the master and re-decorated - photos to come.

where have we been?

So now that school is out, here are just a few things we've been up to.

Miss.S has been involved in training for triathlons and one of the places to train for swimming is the local gravel pit "James Dick Gravel Pit"  - water is crystal blue with a sand bottom, kids loved it!

We took a trip to the big city and headed to the top of the CN Tower - and of course sat on the glass bottom floor.

We spend the weekend in Chatham for a ball tournament - between the girls we have 12 ball tournaments in 8 weeks - 4 more to go. nothing better than watching ball on sunny day.

We have been to Gravenhurst and had the pleasure of visiting 2 cottages. Miss L. caught our lunch......and Miss Tina and myself cleaned and prepared it for the grill - a bonding experience *wink*wink. A great story to be told.

And finally my handsome beau once again on the slalom ski. 

 

Thanks to Miss Tina and Handsome Warren for having us up to your beautiful cottage we thoroughly enjoyed you and your family and I look forward to a MUD throwing re match....you know who you are!

Here's to more summer fun.

JoAnna

Turning 9

She did it again, Miss P.  turned another older on us! 

The last of the single digits - 9! 

We had 3 friends plus her sisters over for a pool party and some crafts.  Instead of decorating t-shirts like her big sister did at her party, we decided to decorate socks. It was great for little hands and didn't take too long. We also made candy sticks and played the dress -up game once again. 

In the dress-up bag was a coconut bra and everyone was afraid they'd pick it out - but alas Miss P. picked it out and happily wore it.

When someone would ask Miss P. what she'd like for her Birthday she would name of every electronic gadget going, cell phone, ipod, wii, ds, dsi computer and television but in the end we gave her a Fish. A beta fish and she named him "Splash" and said "I'm the luckiest girl in the world". 

Priceless.

Happy 9th Birthday big girl.

Love Mom.

input please

We are in the middle of deciding on a new front door - we love the old one but it lets in a lot of cold air. We are replacing with a solid wood door and have many design options.The top photo is what exists now and the bottom photo is one of the new option. Our front entrance is dark inside and we would like to keep light coming in so a large window is a must. The stain colour will be the same as before - we will have a mail slot (no knocker) and simple handle.

We will change the light fixture on both sides of the door with  larger ones in the future.

Here's were you come in please leave a comment - do you like it dislike it or have any suggestions.

keegan a BIG brother

Keegan became a big brother on Saturday June 05 2010 - to baby Braydon.

 

Braydon missed Sloan's Birthday by 3 hours - but still a very special cousin.

 

Congrats to Uncle Steve and Auntie Sara and of course to Keegan.

HappY 11th

Beautiful Day for a Beautiful girl. Miss S. turned 11.

We have discovered a very fun game  - Musical dress-up. Pass the bag until the music stops, the child holding the bag reached in and pulls an item of clothing to put on. We chose 3 items per child.

the girls had a pose down and then a parade.
 

next we make Fruit loop necklaces, bracelets or anklets.

and then it's on to the Birthday cake. In this case it cupcakes, yes, money cupcakes! we had the kids decorate their own once we sang Happy Birthday.

in the photo above the birthday girl is a little frantic....she is telling us that the frogs are melting and their eyes are stating to fall off.

One of the Birthday guests made a stuffed toy for Sloan ~ I think it's the cutest ever.

Also Miss P. made this sign for her Big sister - it took her two days and then she realized she tore the paper and forgot to paint the "Y" at the end of DAY. Too cute.

Happy Birthday Miss S.

Love you,

Mom.

The people in my neighborhood!

Hey Peeps ~

I have a funny funny picture. 

Last weekend our family actually had a night free and enough food in the fridge to have the neighbors over for a spontaneous mini dinner party. I made lasagna, salad, garlic bread and Miss Tina brought the dessert. My favorite dessert, angel food cake with whip cream and strawberries. 

Between us we have 6 children ranging in age from 3 - 12, and thankfully a large enough table to accommodate everyone which makes for a fun evening.

Near the end of dinner I grabbed my camera to snap a picture and this is what the cool kids gave me.

There is a wee kid between the 2 girls, and Charlie's behind (the dog) under the table can you spot them?

JoAnna

These are the people in my neighborhood, in my neighborhood, in my neigh-bor-hoooood......

sewing day

I'm sewing today. These are some of the fabrics I will be using in the one of the girls bedrooms for window seat cushions. I thought I had better get started, I'm expecting the base seat cushion back sometime next week. I have hired that part out - not sure I could do a proper job of it.

The center fabric is my favorite, it's showing a little darker here than it actual is, none the less I really love it. Off I go, wish me luck.

JoAnna

garden flowers

I picked these flowers from my garden ~ set them outside on the table along with some birch tree pieces Mr. cut for me and walked around them taking photos.

 

I love the forget-me-nots I'm glad they look just as good in a jar as they do in the garden.

 

JoAnna