a challenge...

My friend Jackie was in the other day and I was asking her about any of her latest scrapbook purchases, she works at a scrapbook store part time so often has the in on things that I like. She mentioned that due to a challenge she was doing with some friends of our, that she hadn't bought anything in a while, I was intrigued . I guess he had heard of it from another client of the store and do to the extremeness of the rules changed it a bit to better suit her skill. Anyway, long story short, I have decided to throw my hat in the ring and give it a go too.

THe rules are easy, NO scrapbook shopping till you finish 20 pages, when ever you finish a page you put $5.00 in a jar, at the end of 20 pages you have $100.00 to spend on scrapbook supplies. Only exception is consumables, like glue, card stock... ect. It is a way to use up what you have, save your money, and really think about what that next purchase will be.

With all of that in mind, here are my first three pages, so nice to have something to motivating me to get scrapbooking again!!

Thanks for the great idea, hope I can handle it!

FOr those wondering, the other groups rules where they had to wait till they had 100 pages done, I agree that this could take a life time with the way we visit more than ever scrapbook, so for now we start at 20pages...

Wanna join the challenge with me?

if so send me a note, and you can be part of our challenge...

Here are my first three pages!

Call me crazy but....

I think I have the cutest Nephew....

a quick digi page I do, we went sledding with the Niece and Nephew on boxing day, this was one of the few pictures I got before my Battery froze and gave up on me, isn't he the cutest!!!

knock on wood!!!

Hey "ALL" to say all may not need much if I don't get my butt in gear and post more often. To say the least I have had a very stressful few months... BUT i ~think~ things may be looking up, other than the total snow storm we had here yesterday, it felt like christmas!! Been going to school learning to develop my own Black and white pictures, it is a slow process for someone like me, but still fun! Hard however to show off tho, as it isn't digital. I did have a family photo shoot recently which was a high light for sure. Second time I have worked with this family, they are great!! And to add to the perk of this family, they had a brand new puppy for me to snuggle and when I showed up, I had my usual Tim Horton's coffee, and instead they handed me a lovely glass of wine!! I love my jobs!! here are a few pics from that visit!!! thanks for reading

sad... But true!

amazing what a few days bring... lately things in world have been going very well, starting to get myself together.... A major set back rocked our world this week, we took our youngest Maggie(year old Maltese) in for pre-op blood work before getting fixed, and to our shock they found something. After further testing it was found that her liver isn't functioning the way it should. This could be a sign of a potentially terminal liver condition found in small dogs called a "liver shunt" a birth defect some dogs have, where the blood supply bypasses the liver, not cleaning the blood, and causing the liver to atrophy... not good!! we take her in for more testing to confirm this diagnosis on Monday, please send her your happy thoughts.... my sweet little girl.... I have no children so she truly is my baby!

inspiration Sandwich!

This is a title to an awesome book I once read by "sark", but today it describes how I am feeling. Not only am I loving my new job, and feel inspired by the ladies I work with every day, but started back to school today, and although I wasn't sure I was ready to go back I am glad I did, I am so excited about the next 12 weeks ahead. we are learning black and white dark room techniques using a film camera, something I haven't touched in a long time. Freaking I talked to my BF about where i was going to get one as I have been a digi girl for some time now, and he reminded me that he has a great film camera. Then I remembered about a gift my brother gave me about six months ago... a pentax film camera, from the 1960's that once belonged to my Grandpa Herald Soby, who passed away in the late eighties... My dad gave it to my Brother, thinking it may be of interest to him, however my brother knowing my love for photography, thought it better suited in my hands... Thanks Craig!! I feel this closeness to my Grandpa, holding his camera, reminds me of the importance of taking pictures...

Springing into Action..

Almost!

Despite the foot and a half snow that fell, my heart and soul are feeling the signs of spring in the air, with spring comes the one and only time of year cleaning makes me smile. It seems that during the early days of spring, once the days run longer and the mornings come earlier I feel the need to clean... "Spring Cleaning" lightens my mind, and makes me and my house less cluttered, however, it is a hell of alot of work....

SO far I have concurred the kitchen, and TV room and for the last, way to many hours I have been trying to get a grasp on our bed room, wow do I have alot of stuff!!!

Went through some jeans today, have sizes 1-11... crazy how things have changed including  me!

    Now that my energy is finally starting to return after a long few months of stress, change and over a week long cold, I am slowly going to get control of my house and life again...

My goals!

take more pictures...

Do more scrapbooking

enjoy more friend time

hug my pets 

snuggle with mark

enjoy my new job

catch up on Desperate housewives, Y and R, days, House, and all the other many shows taking over my PVR

get my fracking taxes day

take the dogs for more walks

get my BUTT to the gym

ok ladies, keep me accountable!

That is all for now!

take care

Laura

Hey all...

wanted first to say sorry for not writing a photography tip post... I will....

Been happily busy working, and trying to get a hold on house work, I play so much on the computer that my house suffers!

Had a very busy day yesterday tho, did eight clients(I have a salon in my house) each client getting at least an hour of my time...

did 7 loads of laundry, Made a nice dinner for my DH unloaded and loaded the dishwasher, took down all Xmas decorations including the tree and got it all put away!!

what a difference a few months makes... the first picture is of the snow as seen out my back window, the second is my mom and grandma this summer!!

amazing the difference a few months makes!!

Oh, what a gift!!

My girlfriend Valena came to get her nails done today

(for those of you who don't know, that is what i do to pay the bills around here, I have a salon in my house)

When I walked into my salon I was shocked by a rather LARGE Xmas gift she had brought for me.

She had told me about the fact that "kirkland" aka Costco was now selling Vodka, she had found out that one of the top vodka producers had created it and it was significantly cheaper than its top brand brother, I tried to find it, but thinking for some reason she was talking about Superstore I was never able to find it... then today....

it arrived!

the biggest bottle of vodka I have seen in a long time, 1.75L of kirkland vodka...

I was thrilled, not because I intend on drinking it all

(no i am not a lush!!!) but because I am having an xmas party this weekend... and haven't bought the booze for it yet!! Valena always knows what a girl needs...

Thank you Beena, oh and thank you for posing with it for me as well... You are looking hot hot hot!! Hope to see you for a cocktail this weekend, do you like Vodka?? I seem to have an abundance!!!

for those keeping track...

I thought I would send a quick update for those keeping track of my weight loss highs and lows...

I have been doing my best to eat ask many fruits and veggies as possible, however, since learning about the great "timmy" disappontment I have had two tim Hortons coffees... I know, bad Laura!!

I seem to do great in the day, then at night after Mark goes to bed, it all goes downhill... Fast!!

I think I have now eaten all of the crap food out of my kitchen so I hope this week will go smoother!

I haven't weighted myself yet tho, why.... well I think if I weigh my self and I have lost weight I will think I can cheat and if I weigh myself and I haven't lost any, then I will be disappointed and binge... does this make sense???

ANYway, I may "weigh In" tomorrow as that will be my two week mark since starting this dreading idea of dieting!!!

Now on a positive note I did walk on the tredmill three times this week, and took the pups for a few mini walks as well... well to be honest Maggie takes me for a walk by escaping, and making me chase her around the block, cute puppy, good think or I could kill her sometimes!!! but how could you be mad at that face!!!

what a cookie!!!

Mystery revealed!!!

wow!!

On a personal note....

I did something very silly yesterday and stepped on the scale, to my extreme horror, I hit a new HIGH.... the top of all the tops!!!(for me) I won't get into the details of that but thought today would be a good day to start making sm

arter choices, shall I say....

Anyway, I had always had really good luck in the past with WW so I thought I would try and keep an eye on my points and see how it goes. Was doing well until one of my clients brought me my fav, a tim hortons coffee, extra large double double... and it was so good. So that got me thinking, I wonder how many ww points a coffee like this would be, to my complete horror, I just looked it up....

For those of you who don't know about WW, you are allow a certain number of points depending on your age, sex, height, activity level... ect. and each food has a point value, count your points loose the weight...

I am allowed 18points for my day (I am short, sit all day and am a girl with very little activity, the 

worst combination...)

Ok back to the coffee.... are you ready???

7 points for my coffee

Oh but wait it gets worse, when I am extra lucky I get one of those totally awesome breakfast sandwiches(cheese, egg, sausage, Oh and I put ketchup on it)

Those little bites of yumminess     

13 points....

~~~~~

~~~~~~

total 20points for my breakfast favorite!!

this is something I would say I have more than weekly and at times, more than daily, at least for the coffee....

Gee... wonder why I have put on 20+ pounds, could anyone help me solve this mystery!!

ARG!! I hang my head down in shame!! 

guess I need to really think weather that yummy hot, sweet, creamy coffee is werth... OH say 8hours on a tredmill...

a sad day for coffee drinkers everywhere!!!