Last Post of 2006

You Will Keep Your New Year's Resolution

You planning on making a resolution that's smart, attainable, and perfect for where your life is.

Will You Keep Your New Year's Resolution?

It's hard for me to believe that the final day of 2006 has come already!

What will you remember the most from 2006?

A lot happened for me this past year! In February Lydia celebrated her first Birthday! I had been looking forward to her first Birthday for a long time, and what a wonderful time it was!

In April, my grandmother passed away on Easter Sunday. It left me feeling that I wished that I had gotten the chance to get to know her better, but it was difficult, as she lived in Saskatchewan and I lived in Nova Scotia. My parents flew out for the funeral and I know it was a hard time for my Mom.

In June, I was asked to be a member of my very first CT! Alma Townsend, of Alma's ScrapHabit Designs @ SBE, saw my work and sent me an email asking me to be a part of her team! I was overjoyed when she asked me and walked in the clouds for about a week!

Also, in July I spent four weeks at Ste Anne's learning French with my wonderful friend Amy. We not only learned French together, we also strengthened our friendship during those four weeks.

August, Lydia went swimming for the first time! We spent many a fun afternoon at the pool together! They had swings outside, so of course, I took Lydia on the swing for the first time!

September, Joedee Matsler, who is the Administrator of one of my favorite scrapbooking websites, Elemental Scraps (which is where I started it all) asked me to be on the CT for Elemental Scraps! As excited as I was to be on Alma's team, I was even more excited for this one!

Lydia went trick-or-treating for the very first time, and my goodness, did she ever have fun! She dressed up as a white bunny, she was so cute! We had a wonderful time together!

And this Christmas was extra special this year, because everyone in my family was there to celebrate!


As for New Year's Resolutions, what I need to work on the most is getting my priorities in order. Looking at my life and deciding what is most important for me to focus my time and attention on.

I resolve to rededicate my life to Christ and to put Him first and to make time for Him each and every day. I need to realize that there is so much that I cannot do on my own, yet in Him I can do all things. I have been sadly lacking in the area of spirituality in my life and I know that I need to improve in this area. I hope that I can spend time each day in prayer and reading the Bible.

I resolve to put my family before myself.

I resolve to place importance on the relationships I have with my friends and to try to maintain those relationships by being there for them in whatever capacity I can serve. Friends are important and I need to remember all the times that they have been there for me.

Finally, I resolve to do my best in all that I do, whether it be work or my home life.

I can't wait to see what is in store for me and my life in 2007.

God Bless and Happy New Year!

New Christmas LO

You Are a Gingerbread House

A little spicy and a little sweet, anyone would like to be lost in the woods with you.

What Holiday Food Are You?

This was a cute quiz! And I do like Ginger Bread Houses!

This is my newest LO and I absolutely love it! The kit is Alma's Beary Christmas Page Set by Alma's ScrapHabit Designs @ SBE. I love the richness of the papers, this is one of my favorite Christmas kits.

Also, I love the fact that Lydia is wearing a dress that used to belong to me. My Mom made this dress for me when I was just a little girl, and has kept it all these years. Now, it is being passed on to the next generation. So, this dress is special for me. I felt very proud on Christmas Day when Lydia wore the same dress that I had so many years ago!

Rocking Horse

Your Holiday Stress Level is Moderate

The holidays sometimes stress you out, but mostly because they wear you down. Take it easy! You can have a fun holiday without running yourself ragged.

What's Your Holiday Stress Level?

This was a fun little quiz to do! Although I have to say, I don't normally get too stressed out by the holidays. I like to enjoy them rather then worrying about them!

I finally had a chance to sit down and do a Christmas LO. I love this Christmas Kit. It's called Always Christmas by Lauren Grier. I bought it last year from Elemental Scraps, but I bought it after Christmas, so I didn't get a chance to use it until now. It's retired now, but its still beautiful!

And the dress that Lydia is wearing used to belong to me when I was her age! I love the fact that Mom saved that dress for so many years, so that it can be passed down to the next generation.

Journaling reads:

This Christmas, Lydia received a Rocking Horse from her Grandparents. She named her horse Black Beauty and loves to ride on him. Christmas 2006.

Also today, we had a great turnout for a Coffee Party that my Mom hosted. We had 22 people in all, and that included Lydia and another little girl who was 7. I took the children downstairs for cookies, juice and a Winnie-the-Pooh movie while the adults ate and talked upstairs. I didn't mind, I love spending time with my daughter, and I had a few things to eat as well. My Mom made this delicious fruit salad with home-made raisin tea buns that are just so incredibly good! Also, some people brought over cakes and cookies and donuts . . . . . so it was quite a spread! We were all very tired by the end of it all, but it was a good tired, and everyone really enjoyed themselves!

I can't believe that its almost the end of 2006! I wonder what 2007 will have in store for us?

Dieting Tips for the Holidays

Give us your best diet tips and ideas for healthy eating during the holidays.
The holidays make it entirely too easy to overindulge and eat more then you planned. However, here are some tips that will help you stay on track!

• Fruit trays are a wonderful addition to any holiday party! Plus, fat free yogurt make an excellent dip.
• Vegetable trays are also a great treat, and you can use light Ranch dressing for your dipping sauce.
• Salsa has no fat on it, and is great with crackers, or for dipping vegetables in as well.
• Antipasto is another great fat free food that is excellent with whole wheat crackers! Yummy!
• Air-popped popcorn, without salt or butter, makes a delicious, fat free snack for any occasion.
• If you are going out to a party, try eating an apple or a banana before you go. Both foods are packed full of energy and will help you to stave off the hunger so you don't overeat.
• Skim milk whips up just as easily as cream, and it is fat free.
• Remember to drink plenty of water during the day. Sometimes we think we are hungry, when actually we are just thirsty.
• Out of sight, out of mind. When food like cookies or candies are left out, it is very tempting to nibble on them in between meals. Try putting them away when you don't have any company.
• Try to eat balanced meals each day and don't eat too late at night.
• Finally, there is nothing wrong with Christmas cookies or candies, the key to anything is moderation. Just try to set yourself a limit and stick to it.

Happy Holidays!

Favorite Christmas Memory

Long after the tree is taken down, after the food is eaten, gifts are opened and put away, after the last Christmas Carol is sung and the last TV special is viewed, what I will remember the most from this Christmas is the togetherness of my family.

I will remember the twinkle in my father's eye, the smile on my mother's face, the laughter from my daughter's lips. Being together on Christmas Day is very rare for us. My mother works as a nurse, and she usually has to work on Christmas Day. In fact, she can't remember the last time when she didn't have to work this day. I can remember many a Christmas without Mom. But this year, her day off fell on Christmas Day, and she was able to be home with her family.

Also, my brothers no longer live at home, and we see them very rarely, so it was extra special to have them both at home and to have everyone all together on Christmas Day.

It was just such a wonderful day, full of love and warmth of family, what a wonderful way to celebrate the
Birthday of Jesus! As I grow older, I realize more now then ever the importance of family, of being there for each other and caring for one other. Of working together as a team. Of showing your love to those who love you.

I am truly blessed to be with them, and I am truly blessed to share my family with my daughter. My hope and prayer for her is to always know and feel love, not just on Christmas, but on every day.

I could not think of a better memory of Christmas then just that of sharing the day with those I love and keep close to my heart.

Christmas Day is HERE!!!!

Today is Christmas Day in our house, and Lydia was awake bright and early as usual at 6 am. We woke up, had some breakfast in the kitchen, then went downstairs to see what Santa left! I went down ahead of Lydia to put the lights on the tree and to make sure that Christmas music was playing!

The very first thing that she went for was her Care Bear! There was Share Bear, decorated with red, green and white ribbons! You should have seen the big smile on her face! And of course, the very next thing that she spotted was her Winnie-the-Pooh Mega Blocks that Santa
left! She loves Winnie-the-Pooh, so that caught her eye as well!

One present that she really loved was her rocking horse from her grandparents! You can see from the picture how much fun she is having rocking back and forth on it! We named the rocking horse Black Beauty. She also received some beautiful Winnie-the-Pooh story books from her grandparents. Lydia loves to pour over books, so they kept her interest for quite a while this morning.

Lydia also loved to pass out the gifts to the rest of us, I would give her a gift and then tell her who to give it to. I think that we all enjoyed our Christmas morning, especially since we had Lydia to share it with.

We all watched A Sesame Street Christmas Carol together, which is currently Lydia's favorite DVD. She loves watching Big Bird and Oscar and Elmo on TV. She actually asks for that movie by name, she says "Do you want to watch Sesame Street Christmas movie?" and of course, who can say no to a child on Christmas?

We then had a lovely brunch together. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family, full of love, that I can share this special day with. This truly was a very beautiful and Merry Christmas, and one that I will treasure in my heart for a long time.

Merry Christmas and God Bless!

Presents are Wrapped

It is very early in the morning on Christmas Day. I have just finished wrapping the presents while watching Miracle on 34th Street and Scrouge on television. The lights are glowing on the Christmas tree and there is a quiet stillness about, and all seems right with the world. Tomorrow when I wake up, the day will be a furry of frenzy and excitement, full of unwrapping presents, seeing joy in the faces of others and sharing happiness with those whom we love. It will be day of picture taking, carol singing, chocolate eating and Christmas Television Special watching.

But for now all is quiet and still. My brothers are both home, so the whole family will be with us, altogether for Christmas. And I am going to enjoy the day as much as possible.

May God bless you now and always, throughout Christmas and the whole year through.

Christmas is Almost Here!!!!!

The closer we are getting to Christmas, the more excited I am becoming!

This week, Lydia received a gift from her great Aunt Shelia. My Aunt Shelia always gives us ornaments every year as a gift, and on Lydia's present the tag said to open right now, so of course, that's what we did! Here are some pictures I took, and I also took a little video! My camera doesn't have sound, but its still very cute!

Looks like she's getting all practiced up for Christmas! There were two ornaments in the box. One that said Baby's First Christmas, that Lydia was supposed to get last year, but my Aunt Shelia had misplaced it after she bought it. And the second ornament is a sweet little porcelien doll ornament wearing a green dress! Very cute!

Also, today was a wonderful day because two of my old friends from high school came by for a nice long visit. It is so nice to meet up with old friends, especially around the holidays. Many friends that I have made in high school and in University live so far away. I am very thankful for the internet that has allowed me to remain in contact with so many people who are so far away.

Finally, I am very thankful for this wonderful Christmas season that has allowed me to take the time to reflect on the birth of Jesus and the coming of the Christ in our world and into our lives. It's so amazing that God loved us so much that He came down on earth to be with us. I plan to take some quiet time on Christmas Day to spend it in quiet contemplation and prayer.

I am a Lily . . . and some challenge LOs.

You Are A Lily

You are a nurturer and all around natural therapist. People see you as their rock. And they are able to depend on you. You are a soothing influence. You can make people feel better with a few words. Your caring has more of an impact than even you realize.

What Flower Are You?

I like to take these tests from time to time, just for fun! But I really like what this one said about me, because they are qualities I try to strive for.


It's hard to believe how close we are to Christmas now. My brother Roger is home and my brother Richard will be coming home tomorrow. Lydia isn't too sure what all the excitement is about, but she is sure getting into the spirit! Today at supper, she serenaded the family with rousing renditions of Rudolph and Frosty! She's such a cutie, and put so much energy into her singing, including the clapping for herself at the end!

I wanted to share some of the scrap pages I did for challenges on Elemental Scraps back in November. The kit that we received for completing the challenges was beautiful! Here is what the kit looks like:The kit is called Falling For You and I absolutely LOVE IT! It was designed by the talented ladies who make up the Elemental Scraps Creative Element Team! They did such a wonderful job, I love the colours, the papers, the elements, everything!

So, here are the scrap pages I did to get this wonderful kit!

This LO was for the Journalling Challenge, called Write On!!! This rounds challenge is to make a list. Some examples:
likes & dislikes
favorite attributes of a loved one
things you collect
activities in your day
your typical grocery list (hey how else will future generations know)

Really it is anything you can think of that you can "list"

Kit is Alma's Ginger Spice Page Set by Alma's ScrapHabit Designs @ SBE.
This page was done for the Add Inspiration Challenge. The add was titled Remember When, which is where I took my inspiration from, as this is the first line in my journalling about Lydia's first sleigh ride last year.

Kit is Alma and Misty's Winter Bliss Page Set by Alma's ScrapHabit Designs and Misty Cato @ SBE

This was done for the Lyric Challenge. The song choice was The Reason by Hoobastank. The line where I found my inspiration was :
I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you
I just adapted it a little to make it fit!
Kit is Alma's Darling Page Set by Alma's ScrapHabit Designs @ SBE

The template challenge was the calander page that I uploaded into my previous post!

This page counted for two different challenges. I did this page for the font challenge and for the scraplift challenge. The font that we had to use was calld Patterns & Dots which I used in my title. The scraplift was of Colin in der Kiste by Summer. The kit is a retired kit by Amanda Rockwell, called Emily.

This page was done for my quote challenge that I run! The quote reads:
I haven't seen you in a while
yet I often imagine
all your expressions.

I haven't spoken to you recently
but many times
I hear your thoughts.

Good friends must not always be together.
It is the feeling of oneness when distant
that proves a lasting friendship.

- Susan Polis Schutz

The LO is me and my best friend Janice in University. The kit is Alma's Friends Page Set by Alma's ScrapHabit Designs @ SBE

I did this LO for the Try This!! Freestyle Challenge. This LO is more of an artistic statement, my attempt was to convey that in order to really get to know a person, you have to look past their outward apperance, and really get to know them from the inside, which is why I placed a newspaper heart over the face in the photo.

Journalling reads:
Who is this person? What is their identity? What is their role?
The worth of a person cannot be judged by outward appearance, rather, it is a matter of the heart.

I used Fabulousy Funky Papers and Elements by Poppy Andrews.

Newspaper heart is from Newspaper Art by Faith True

Frame is from Old Photo Edges by Faith True.

Everything is available from Elemental Scraps.
I did this LO for the colour challenge.
I used the poem Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe in this LO.

Journalling reads:

t was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;--
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

She was a child and I was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea,
But we loved with a love that was more than love--
I and my Annabel Lee--
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud by night
Chilling my Annabel Lee;
So that her high-born kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

Kit is Franklin by Victoria Feemster

Finally, the last challenge! This was the No Smiley Faces challenge, and we had to scrap something that we were thankful for. I am thankful for church.
Kit is Be Still by Gretchen Tripp.

Well, those are a lot of challenges! But they are fun to participate in!

Christmas is Coming!

I am getting very excited about Christmas time coming! Last Saturday, I met up with my friend Amy in Halifax and was able to get all of my Christmas shopping done! The tree is up, my brothers are coming home, and Lydia is getting very excited!!!! She knows who Santa is when she sees his picture, and she loves singing Christmas songs. She can sing Jingle Bells, Rudolph, Frosty, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, but my favorite one that she sings has to be Santa Claus is Coming to Town. or, as she calls it, Santa Claus is Coming to . . . . LYDIA'S HOUSE!!!!! In a big loud voice! It's so cute!

Here are some Christmas LOs that I have been working on in anticipation of Christmas. They are mainly pictures from last Christmas.
This picture was taken of Lydia's first Christmas! I love this picture of her with my Mom, she looks so happy! Our entire household was a "Pile of Smiles" that day as we all celenrated my daughters first Christmas together!


I did this LO for a QuickFix Template Chat at SBE. I love these Christmas photos of my daughter!

This page was done for a template challenge at Elemental Scraps. The calander template is by Victoria Feemster.

Kit for all these LOs is Alma's Christmas Spirit Page Set by Alma's ScrapHabit Designs at SBE.

Journalling reads:
For Lydia's first Christmas one of her gifts was a ride-on toy from her Papa. It was so nice and pink and shiny it caught her eye right away. She couldn't wait to take it for a ride!

Christmas Word Art by Faith True

Kit is Rock-A-Doodle Christmas by Faith True

This one LO I have to say is one of my favorites! I love the way it turned out! Journalling reads:
Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.

-- Author:Laura Ingalls Wilder

Kit is Holiday Delight by Victoria Feemster.

Picture from last Christmas. I used A Christmas Story Paper Pack and Element Pack by Laura Corzine for this LO.

Journalling reads: In the eyes of children we find the joy of Christmas. In their hearts we find its meaning. Leland Thomas.
Kit is Americana Christmas found at Elemental Scraps.

This is a picture of Lydia last year at Christmas. Although she is too young to write letters to Santa, this is what I would think she would say:

Dear Santa
How are you? I have been a good girl all year. Please bring me a Pooh bear toy, some new books and clothes.
Love, Lydia

I used Alma's Beary Christmas Page Set and Alma's Quick Accents: Beary Christmas Add-Ons by Alma's ScrapHabit Designs @ SBE

This LO is actually from a picture that I took this year! Tuesday in fact. Lydia is working on her very first Christmas craft. She made Santa and Frosty the Snowman!

The kit I used is Alma's Jolly Christmas Page Set by Alma's ScrapHabit Designs @ SBE

Thanks for looking and I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Pajama's 4 Love

This is a beautiful charity kit! Joedee from Elemental Scraps headed this project up, and there are 75 amazing designers who worked on this kit! The proceeds from this kit go directly to help children with cancer.

One of the children this kit will benifit is a beautiful young girl named Corrine and you can view her blog here: Corrine Lent and you can read her story here: Story

To learn more about Pajama's 4 Love, come and view this thread:

Pajamas 4 Love Project!! 75 Designers 1 great cause

Here are a couple of LOs that I have done with this kit.

I scrapped this LO using the beautiful new Charity kit, Pajamas 4 Love: Courage, available here at ES. Proceeds from this kit will be used to help chldren with cancer.

Journalling reads:

Little girls always look so cute in their pink pajama's, all nice and cozy and ready for lullabys and swet dreams.









This photo was taken on Christmas morning last year, when Lydia received her very first gift!

I scrapped this LO using the beautiful new Charity kit, Pajamas 4 Love: Faith, available here at ES. Proceeds from this kit will be used to help chldren with cancer.

You can find the kit here:

Pajama's 4 Love