Fill in the Blank Friday

Yeah! Woot!! Woot! They are back!! Thank you Lauren for bringing the Blanks back to me.  I missed them.  XX

The pants that became a bag.

1. I am old and less than thin. I am a wife (a darn good one), a Mum (the best most fun one ever!), a daughter, a sister, a friend, a blogger, a girly girl, a creator of fun and interesting (maybe even beautiful things), a Pisces, a prankster, and a dreamer.

2. I have always loved horses and the colour pink. I am, as previously mentioned, a girly girl!

3. I hope to one day make a living doing something (sewing or blogging or a combination there of would be my number one choice!) I love.

4. I can make almost anything taste yummy and sew an old ugly pair of pants into a lovely bag.

The bag.  I like to name them.  I posted this one
on FB and someone suggested that I name it SOLD. :o)

5. I dream of financial stability and a long, happy healthy life with CH and my short people (and the short people that they will have).

6. The way to my heart is through thoughtful surprises and compliments. I spend my life focused on others - when others focus on me it is spectacular!.

7. I am passionate about my shorties and my sewing. I sold a bag I made a the Market a few weeks ago and I chased after the lady who bought it to make sure she loved it - or I was planning on taking it back. Passionate and a little bonkers!

The bag in question.  See why I had to make sure she loved it ?

K.  Night.  :o)

Tina

Wordless Wednesday

:o)  Tina

Thinking

I totally blog for me.  I love it.  I love the idea of someone wanting to read what I wrote and I love to write (it goes well with loving to talk).  I would love to Blog even more if I had lots of comments to respond to....

A Day Away Part 3, The Final Post

Today we:

1. Got in an argument about nothing.

2. Had a nice Sunday drive.

The view from some random road in Salmo, BC. It was beautiful.
You could see really really far down the valley toward Nelson.

3. Spent some quality time as a family.

4. Swam in a nice warm, clean, crystal clear lake.

Rosebud Lake.  Near the Nelway boarder crossing at the
bottom of the Salmo-Creston (aka Kootenay) Pass. This picture makes it
seem big - it is barely not a pond.

5. Talked to some nice people that we seem to run into in the most random places at the most random times.

6. Caught some painted turtles.  (Well, the Little Man and a whole lot of patience caught some turtles.  The first one escaped. The second one, I helped get out of the net before it could swim off.  They are fast and strong and their claws are really sharp!)

The white thing in the water is the reflection of a cloud,
the small yellow dot in front of him is a turtle. The water in this lake is
beautiful.  This is The Little Man waiting with more patience than I can muster
up in a year for the turtle to come to him.  Funny thing is, they did!
Who knew turtles were curious?  I never would have thought it.

This is CH's hand.  I couldn't reach to hold him like this and the only other way
to hold him was upside down like a drink tray or he could reach you with
his super sharp claws.  He was mad and hissing.
We let him go after about two minutes - just long enough for a photo op.

7. Talked about missing The Mouth (I still need to fill you in on that

8. Visited the flood sites in Castlegar, BC. &Amazing, the river is totally taking over. The beach at our local Gyro Park is nonexistant. My Dad said the last time it was this high was 1968!

9. Had a super yummy dinner at Boston Pizza.

Now I am home, blogging, weary, and a little sun burned.  But happy and looking forward to our next family adventure.

:o)  Tina

A Day Away Part 2

Perhaps I should not blog emotionally. I got several text messages from Nag worried about me, I am thinking as a direct result of my earlier post. (She gets email updates to my blog.)

Sorry about that lady. I was totally venting so that I was able to move on and have a good day. Which I am still currently having. On top of the Bombi Pass on my way to Castlegar. After spending some nice time at Rosebud Lake and exploring old mining roads in Salmo. More later....

:o) Tina

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A Day Away Part 1

I am not sure what it is about my relationship with CH that keeps us from getting along but it seems like we just can't. Every little thing sets him - us? - off into an argument. We cannot even seem to have a nice day away at the beach without some squabble over some real or imagined thing.

Today started nicely. We are all in the truck heading toward out destination. Taking the long way. Looking at the overflowing river. There is a motorhome in front of us going slow. I say "Steve" while holding onto the sissy bar and he goes off because he finds it 'very offensive' when I criticize his driving. Really? Some of the times when I call something to his attention he hasn't actually seen whatever it was - both times he has gotten me into an accident I was looking at my phone and then all of a sudden I am wondering WTH and sitting in a smashed up car. I guess I should be looking at the road now and working on not being mad at him for being an a#%£*le and try to enjoy the rest of my day.

:/ Tina

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Where to Begin....

I have been so busy lately.  Not just regular busy but super extra busy.  I got a job.  You know, in addition to the shorties, the shop, CH, and the menagerie of creatures that lives with us, I got a job.  A real, pay cheque every two weeks job.  So  far, meh.  I like it enough and my boss is very flexible - so that means the job is, which is an absolute must for me.  It is doing bookkeeping, which is, sort of, what I do.  It's what I did before I did everything that I do now.  But it does not feel like me.  I guess that is how everyone who has an actual job feels.

In addition to the new job, school is of course out and I am a little obsessed with spending time with the shortest of the shorties before they get too tall.  The shop is closed Monday and Saturday for this very reason. I am also participating in a farmer's market type event every second Friday here in Trail.  I am pretty sure I have mentioned it.  I have been trying to sew something new for that each time.

Last week I sewed six Buttercup Bags.  All a little different but they look as if they belong to a collection - I like to name everything I make so I called these A Trip to the Orient and gave them each a day, from 1 to 6.  Haven't taken pictures of all of them yet but there are the first two.  I had this big piece of Asian fabric that seemed perfect for this pattern.  I made one with pink lining (shown), one with turquoise, one with Buddha (the only one that has a new home) and one with a green band and matching green lining; one with Buddha on the outside and purple satin inside (shown) and then one in a totally different, but still Asian print (I called it day 6).

I have also been working on keeping the owl populated which is always fun. The little ones seem to be a hit - I haven't even had the opportunity to name some of them before they found homes. A few of them are available for sale in my Etsy shop, once the Market is over in the fall, I will list everyone who is still waiting for their forever home but for now they are living in my vintage craft fair suitcase.

I made another owl bag, that I did not love.  I left CH alone at the market for an hour and took The Little Man to the doctor and he sold it along with a baby owl and a few other odds and ends.  He is a way better sales person than me.  I am good at making but not to keen on selling.  I want everything I have created with my hands to have a home where it is loved so I do not encourage anyone. Ever.


I joined a block swap. This post is about me. :o) I was a little worried that the lady I sent the block too would think it was too much... I have a tendency to over do it whenever possible. She seemed to like it and posted lots of pictures on the Block Swap Blog. Check it out - and if you are a quilter, join in!! I received my block in the mail yesterday and it was thrilling (and well sewn with quality cotton fabrics).

I am using my own computer for my new job and had to 'restore to factory default' on the advice of the Mouth (who is in Calgary right now - I will post about that too in a minute).  It is kind of nice.  I found lots of photos  that I had not seen in ages.  Like this pre-Penelope Santa picture from the first Christmas we were a family - 2002.  So strange, seems like not much has changed but all three of these guys are almost taller than me, the Little Man at 10 bringing up the rear and being above my shoulders.  Crazy.

Okay, now you see. I am a busy lady and even more so in the summer. I am going to leave this post and pre-write about The Mouth being in Calgary for you to read another day. I might also post a few more things that I have made past and present. What I really should be doing it working on my still enormous UFO list....

:o) Tina

Thinking

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE Christian Bale?  And yes, CH knows.

What led me to tell you this?  Why the new Batman movie - The Dark Knight Rises - of course.

:o)  Tina

Wordless (sort of) Wednesday

I laughed out loud at this.

:o)  Tina

Thinking

So apparently the dogs have learned to eat sunflower seeds like humans.  Well at least that is the impression that CH left me with when I gave him heck for eating them IN THE HOUSE after I found the shells all over the floor in the family room and the living room.  Our dogs are amazing.  They also leave Pepsi cans and Reese's Peanut Butter cup wrappers in the most random places.

:P

Tina

The Known World

by Edward P. Jones

This book won a Pulitzer so I felt like I had to like it and kept reading.  I got about 2 thirds of the way through and just couldn't waste my time for one more page. The idea behind the story seemed like it would be very interesting but the writing went here and there and everywhere without ever leaving me to feel like I really got the point.  This far into a book I am supposed attached to the characters - I love them and am starting to pace myself with the book so that my time with them lasts longer....  not the case.  My time is too valuable to have continued.  Having said that, if you have read it and feel differently, please tell me.  Give me a reason to finish this book!

:o)  Tina

Thinking

Why is it that iPods, iPads, iPhones, and I am assuming iMacs are so awesome and iTunes sucks?!

Hate iTunes.

:p Tina

This One is for Fran :o)

It is SUMMER!  My kids are home.  I am still feeling like I got run over (rather than just hit).  I am busy with work.  I am even busier with trying to keep my table full at the Trail Market.  So much to do - you would think with such long days I would have more time but I have less - indoors and blogging or sewing, that is.  The shorties go to bed significantly later, as a family we are up and about and doing stuff more. I feel like I am doing what I should be doing.  My kids will be kids but once and lets face it, I am not getting any younger.  (Boo)

Did I mention my house is a pig sty?  Like worse than usual.  I normally manage to keep at least one of the three floors clean for the most part.  I think part of the problem is storage - or lack thereof - but for the most part it is TIME.  Sadly, internet and housework activities require indoor time and that just isn't happening.

I'll try for at least one more post this week and I will try to make it a little more interesting....

Enjoy the days while the sun shines!  :o)

Tina

Camping in the Rainy Woods

During the day - and sometimes when I go to bed at night - I think of a thousand interesting blog posts.  In the evening when I sit down to write them - they are gone.  So, you are left with some nice shots of my rainy weekend in the woods.  :o)

My shorties fishin' in the crik.  :o)
The Little Man caught actual fish in his butterfly net!  I was pretty amazed.

if you can call this little guy an actual fish....
This is the photo we took so CH could see, he was the last one to be released back into the lake.  There was one that was a bit  bigger, but there were all just babies.

Grass growing out of a log that was floating in the creek near where the little fish was caught.  Champion Lakes is such a beautiful and peaceful place.

The weather was kind of the pits (but we still had fun!).  This was taken at about 2 in the afternoon but it looks like the evening!  About 2 minutes after this the rain was coming down in buckets and the three of us got soaked.

A couple of the frogs my shorties caught (and released).  They caught at least 4 a day in varying sizes.  It seems like there are more of them this year.  Maybe it is all the rain we have been getting or maybe they are just not hiding out yet.

CH - determined to have a fire even in a rain storm.
(Not necessarily a good picture - but a funny one!)

We found ways to amuse ourselves even in the rain...
This one is a keeper for sure!

I had a wonderful Canada Day weekend - despite the weather.  How was your weekend?

:o) Tina