Blogging, Crafting & Adulting

Anyone else feel like they blinked and all of a sudden it was Friday?! Tuesday evening we had an 85th birthday party for my great-aunt, Wednesday I helped with set up for an event at church this weekend, yesterday I spent the day making cards for the craft table at said church event and today I need to finish those up and bake some cookies for the bake table. 

The Back to Blogging Challenge wrapped up this week and Alyssa compiled a list of some of her favourite responses. I was pretty excited that one of mine made the list and I loved getting to read some of her other favourites that I had missed over the course of the challenge. 

And in other blog related news I hit 100 followers on Bloglovin'!

I totally recognize that 100 is peanuts compared to a lot of bloggers but 100 was the number I wanted to reach this year based on my 52 in 52 list. So it's a milestone worth celebrating.

I had grand plans to take lots of cool photos of the Super Moon but it was so foggy that that my ambition was short lived. This week it's really started to feel like fall, it's been rainy and foggy and when it's not actively rainy it still feels damp. I've gotten to wear my rain boots on a daily basis though so I'm okay with the weather. 

Last night I made a quick trip to Michaels and determined that the only thing better than a good browsing session at Michaels is when the weather outside dictates you get to stroll the aisles in your rain boots. I was on a specific mission since the Project Life albums were on sale for buy one, get one free. I scooped up two of those to use for 2017, in 2016 I ended up using one album to document life monthly and then another that I did session by session during the summer. I (probably) won't do it exactly the same in 2017 but I think I am a two albums per year documenter which was a happy surprise. 

Another happy surprise is a follow up to something I mentioned on Monday regarding a job application I was working on this past weekend. I got everything finished and sent off and yesterday got a reply along with some potential interview dates. I'm still a little  a lot overwhelmed and panicked about the thoughts of moving across the country but it's not worth getting myself worked up over until it's an actual possibility. Keep the prayers & good vibes coming through because it is an awesome position and I'm uncharacteristically optimistic about the whole thing.  

I was supposed to be at a Guiding event all day Saturday followed by a lot of Guiding on Sunday but the event on Saturday was cancelled due to poor enrolment I might brave the mall and finish off my Christmas shopping. I ordered a few things online so I'm keeping my fingers crossed they get here on time but figuring that I should be safe since I ordered from within Canada and there's still over a month to go before things need to be under the tree. This is the first time I've done any sort of 'bulk' online shopping and it kind of makes me feel like I've unlocked another level of adulting! 

Linking up here & here. 

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Pizza & Puzzles

This weekend was originally supposed to be jammed packed with fun. I had a sleepover at a historic site with the Rangers on Friday night and then a fall camp with the Sparks/Brownies on Saturday night. Then it was discovered some paperwork wasn't completed for camp so that was cancelled and since the forecast was calling for another rain storm the sleepover was moved to Saturday...but then the forecast changed again and the sleepover was cancelled all together. And just like that my weekend was wide opened. 

It was fairly stormy out on Friday night and Saturday and it ended up being good motivation to start a new puzzle. It's been far too long since I finished a puzzle and a big part of it is the cats have a tendency to steal pieces. The one I'm working on now is small (only 300 pieces) so it's a quicker process and I can cover it up with a large placemat that sort of prevents cat interference. 

Saturday I did some pizza experimentation and was super happy with the results (even though it didn't photograph well). There were some left over wings in the fridge so I took them off the bone and used them as a pizza topping. I mixed BBQ sauce and hot sauce for the sauce, added the chicken, topped it with cheese and 15 minutes later I had delicious pizza. I've started thinking about my 52 in 52 List for 2017 and I think one of the things is going to be make 12 different kids of pizza.

Sunday I spent more time working on my puzzle until it was time to head to Sparks and whipped up a quick thank you card for our meeting. Since we had to cancel camp we wanted to do something a little extra special with the girls to negate the disappointment so we headed to the fire department for a tour. The girls got a chance to try on gear and sit in the trucks and it was super adorable. 

It was far from the weekend I had originally planned and I was/am pretty disappointed all of those fun plans got cancelled, but it was probably for the best anyway since we did get a lot of rain. Next weekend my plans are still up in the air, originally I was supposed to go celebrate 'Friendsgiving' with H. & R. but the long term forecast isn't great and it's a long drive plus I need to be back pretty early on Sunday so that I can get ready for our Spark/Brownie Halloween party. Which reminds me that at some point this week I need to make a tutu. 

Linking up with B Loved Boston.

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Voting, Cooking & Crafting

Monday I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off. It was election day here in Canada so my first stop of the day was to vote. I have never been so happy to see commercials on T.V. that aren't political! I also ended up staying up way past my bedtime (I still ended up falling asleep before midnight) to watch the results. 

After I voted I ran to the post office to pick up a package that N. had sent me. She sent me the cutest panda puzzle and a happy little notecard. I should have taken a photo of her squirrel drawing because it was truly a work of art. In every other aspect of life N. is a total perfectionist, when it comes to drawing animals though her perfection stops. I've got a whole collection of animals she's attempted to draw including a cat and multiple dolphins. Once the voting and post office-ing was taken care of I headed into to town. I started at the Bulk Barn where I got the supplies to make the cutest little pumpkin treat bags for Sparks. I haven't assembled yet though, so if everyone could keep their fingers crossed that this is a Pinterest project that goes as planned that would be great.

I had to meet someone at a different polling station so I could get them to sign a cheque for Sparks. I enjoy Sparks but I'm really hoping another leader shows up soon because it's a little too much for one person and it's kind of controlling my life right now. Once my Spark errand was done I continued on to the gas station and then the grocery store. I got everything I needed there, including ingredients to make pizza for supper and headed home. While the pizzas were cooking I experimented with taking photos of things inside the oven. I don't think the Pioneer Woman will be calling on my food photography services anytime soon. I would have taken the top rack out of the way, but it was hot and I didn't really feel the need to risk burning myself or any of my surroundings. 

With all the hecticness and excitement of Monday I had planned on spending yesterday catching up on laundry and putting away my camping gear and checking a few more projects off my list. I did successfully make some Halloween inspired to send to the girls and got packages all put together and addressed. Next up, going back to the post office to get them in the mail. 

I had planned on spending the night in my pyjamas putting together the pumpkin treat bags and watching This Hour Has 22 Minutes' Election Special. I was mid day dream about my early bedtime when J. called to ask if I wanted to go to the hockey game. His parents decided at the last minute they weren't using their tickets so I made myself as presentable as possible and off we went. I got home around 10:30 and went immediately to bed. I was feeling sort of sluggish all day and must have sneezed a dozen times while I was out, I was optimistic that a good nights sleep would put a stop to whatever cold germs were taking over my body. The optimism was wasted though since I woke up this morning completely stuffed up.

So today I am for reals spending the day in my comfy pants, drinking lots of hot beverages and checking things off my to do list from the comfort of my living room.

Second Session Favourites

Our second session of camp wrapped up yesterday and I headed home for our longest session break of the summer. Making my first favourite of this week the fact that I'm writing this post from my living room couch. With a hot cup of coffee, reliable internet connection and no chance of being interrupted from the writing process but someone needing to know where the keys are to the shed or asking what's for breakfast. 

The start of my week was hidden with some unexpected favourite things. There was a mix up with the food order so myself and one of the head counsellors went on a grocery shopping adventure. Both those overflowing carts belong to us...our shopping list included 90 lbs of potatoes, 20 dozen eggs, 20 litres of apple juice, 20 litres of orange juice, 30 heads of lettuce, 10 lbs of tomatoes and 15 cucumbers. We got some looks as we looked at the grocery list the cooks had given us and tried to calculate how many packages of mushrooms we need to buy to be close to the one case of mushrooms they had ordered from our grocery supplier. Even if it's a little more stressful and confusion than usual grocery shopping is always my favourite. 

Chicken Cesar Salad is quite possibly my favourite meal, especially when it has real bacon and parmesan cheese and just the right amount of dressing. Chicken Cesar was my last non camp meal of the week before last session started and every bite was my favourite. Making the counsellors feel appreciated, loved and supported is not only one of the most important things I do but it's also one of my favourite things. This week I used Wunderbars and pieces of scrapbook paper to wish everyone a "wonderful week". 

After our marathon grocery shopping adventure N. and I made a pitstop for frozen yogurt before heading back to camp. Frozen yogurt is 100% a favourite.  Mine is on the left and on that particular evening I went for caramel frozen yogurt topped with graham cracker crumbs, gummy bears and hot fudge. Just looking at that photo makes me want more!

Sunlight reflecting off the water is my favourite.  The perfection of those moments when the sun is setting and hitting everything just right makes me feel all warm inside and filled with awe over how many amazing things happen in nature on a daily basis. I love spending time outdoors because it's where I feel really connected to God and 'see' Him at work. 

 

More spectacular sunlight reflection and the obligatory sunset photo for the week.

I've got a lot of weekend favourites over the next few days. Starting with an afternoon of Food Network shows and supper with J.. It's finally starting to feel like summer around here with temperatures in the low 20s and I'm excited to switch to shorts and t-shirts instead of pants and hoodies!

Linking up with Oh Hey, Friday & Friday Favourites!

You're Going to Rock It

While the vast majority of people are beginning their weeks today, mine is ending. Our first camp session ended today and I'm making time to blog about the week. We had some major and minor hiccups this week and some of our most popular programs didn't run. I am totally blown away by how amazing it was all handled by the counsellors though. What was a sucky situation to begin with could have been made so much worse had it not been for their positivity and upbeat attitudes. If the first week is any indication it's going to be a wonderful summer.

The week started off a little bitter sweet. I was so excited about this year's staff. It really is an awesome group of people. One of my goals this summer is to actually make some of those Pinterest things I've pinned and make an effort to show staff appreciation. For week one I went super simple but I think it was still a cute gesture and it went over well. I stuck the little note and candy in everyone's warm and fuzzy envelope. It was also my first Day 1 without H. & R. so to combat a little bit of that sadness the three of us wore matching socks as we went about our respective days. 

Since this session break is only two days long I'm sticking around camp rather than drive 6 hours home. My first night off was fully of tidying my room, reading, a long and leisurely phone call with J. and then sleeping for a solid 9 hours. Today I went into town to run a few errands, stroll through a few stores and pick up some groceries.

This evening I have a Skype date planned with H. & R. (as long as the internet cooperates). If the rain holds off I will take my camera and go for a stroll around camp and take in the sunset.

Tomorrow will be spent doing a lot of quiet reading and napping. I have a ton of blogs to catch up with and a few posts I want to write. Turns out I'm getting pretty good at this whole self-care and making myself a priority thing.

Weekly Friday Favourites

{one}

I started watching Call the Midwife this week and I'm in love. It's been so very long since I stared watching a new show that I loved because I genuinely adored the characters and was interested in the subject. I heard about Call the Midwife a while back but since I've never been able to get into Downton Abbey I didn't think I'd be able to get into Call the Midwife. I was totally wrong and now I have a new show and it makes me so happy. I'm hoping to get my hands on the books as well at some point in the upcoming months. 

{two}

These Paper Mate Felt Tip Pens. These are my favourite pins for journalling because they come in the standard black & blue colours but they're also in some other fun colours for those days when I want to doodle or add some spunk. I've rekindled my love affair with these pens this week since I've treated myself to a new notebook and am going to become much more intentional about journaling. 

(I assure you Paper Mate does not care what I think about their pens, I bought them myself without influence. And I'm definitely not getting a cut of Amazon's profit.)

{three}

Pinterest

I came across this quote during the week and I think it's a wise and valuable piece of wisdom.

{four}

This sneak peak at the 'Welcome to Camp' cups I'm making for the counsellors are one of my favourite things. I put J. to work and got him to help me fill the plastic cups with a couple camp essentials and a few goods. This afternoon I need to assemble the tags I cut using my Cricut and attach them. 

{five}

Via

I need to devote an entire post to this book. I had high expectations because I've seen so many bloggers rave about it but I was still a little worried I would be disappointed. Obviously I wasn't. I don't think I've ever read a book before this and immediately started putting what I read into practice. Not only is the book my favourite but the Fringe Hours that I am slowly discovering are equally my favourite!

Welcome, Weekend!

I am very excited the weekend is (almost) here. It's been a long week. Here's what's on my mind.

Via

{1}If you live in Canada/have access to Canadian TV you need to be watching Book of Negroes. It's a six part mini series made for TV based on the book, the first two episodes have already aired and I've been totally blown away by them both. I've read a lot of books that fit into the 'slave narrative' genre and find that period in history incredibly interesting. The show does an amazing job of making the story come alive, in a way that kind of makes you feel uncomfortable but also inspired. I think that it is airing in the states at some point (possibly even now?) but you should definitely check your local listings and watch. 

Via

{2}Yesterday, Target announced they are closing all their Canada stores. I might have cried. I am so sad, sad for all of the people about to lose their job and on a purely selfish level sad for me. I don't want to go back to shopping at Wal-Mart. The two near by Wal-Marts are both so disorganized and messy, none of the employees ever have any idea how to help you when you're looking for something or asking a question. Plus, Target just has nicer stuff. Nobody really seems sure when it's going to close but most estimates are saying 16-20 weeks. I am planning on spending as much time there as possible, soaking up the cleanliness and friendless and stocking up on all the things that are only carried at Target. Sigh. 

Via

{3}I started listening to 'Orange is the New Black' as an audiobook. I've never watched the show and was pretty unsure about the actual plot line. I'm about half way through and while I find it interesting on a lot of levels I am totally guilty of cringing every time there is a lot of unnecessary swearing. I understand that it's set in a prison, but sometimes it's still a little much for my tastes. I am curious how it all ends and what the overall take away is from the book. So far the point I'm getting is always make good choices. Which I already knew. I am interested to watch an episode or two of the show once I finish the book, just to see how they portray the characters. 

{4} I totally failed at mailing out Christmas cards this year, so I'm changing my goal and aiming to send some valentines in the mail. I figure it's a little extra fun because lots of people send Christmas cards but getting a valentine in the mail is much less expected. Crafting some of these valentines is a top priority this weekend, it's a little early but if I don't start now it won't happen. And I really want to make it happen. Plus, I got a new cartridge for my Cricut a few weeks ago and haven't had a chance to use it yet. Valentine crafting will be the perfect occasion to put it to use. 

{5} I am on the hunt for a cute and practical laptop sleeve. That doesn't cost $500. I looked at Future Shop & Target but they didn't have what I wanted. I've seen a few on Etsy but I'm a little cautious ordering one from there simply because I want to make sure it's sturdy and something that will provide some protection if I have it in a tote bag or backpack. I'd love some suggestions on where to look (or specific Etsy/Ebay sellers) where I can find one!

40 Days of Life

I was going to post about my weekend at home but then I realized I need to recap and reflect on Lent! I loved the idea of doing a Lenten Journal but I missed the boat on ordering one online and I couldn't find exactly what I wanted in stores. So I got out my markers and felt tip pens and got crafting! 

First I found a weekly template that was meant to be used for to-do lists on Pinterest. I used this one and you can find the free PDF download here. I did some quick math and printed out enough sheets for the entire season of Lent plus extra to keep going. Then I hole punched the whole works and put them into a duo-tang. 

My goal was to take 10-15 minutes each day and fill in the circle for the day. I didn't give myself any rules about what could and could not fill a circle. Some days it was full of random doodles, others a verse, sometimes a single word and sometimes a combination of everything. I used the "Notes" section of the page to add in any extra prayer requests for that week or praises as the week went on. 

I'll be honest and admit there were nights I missed, but I made a point to catch up the next day. I never let myself get more than two days behind and for the most part I stayed on top of things. Overall it was a positive and productive experience. So much so that I am going to continue with it, it really doesn't take that much time and I really like having that quick snapshot of each day. 

Honestly it's hard for me to believe that 40 days are over. It's one of those things that seemed so long at the beginning but in retrospect went by fast. It has become part of my routine though and I am so happy that I was able to fully establish a meaningful and positive new habit during Lent!

Stress Free Scrapbooking

I mentioned SMASH* books a few days ago in this post and since then I've gotten quite a few comments and questions about them. Since they are one of my favourite things I decided to make a post to share some pages from the books I've completed. 

I used the Pink "Pretty Style" book to keep things from my last year of university. To be honest I wouldn't even say it's 100% full. I keep meaning to take some time to stick in a few more things I have kicking around my room but I never seem to actually get around to doing it. There aren't very many photos in this book. It's full of ticket stubs, random things I cut out of magazines, quotes, notes and cards from friends. 

This page is full of movie stubs, a favourite quote, a random dinosaur that I liked and an "autograph" from a friend. (Just in case he ever gets famous.)

On these pages I taped in a friendship bracelet after it had fallen off, a list of the songs that we listened to on our drive to school each day, a post it note from my roommate and a letter from a friend that she wrote me to read while on the plane for a visit home at the end of the summer.

The second book I did was "Eco Style" it was perfect for camp! I had planned on using it during the 2012 summer but in the end I just put all those photos in a photo album. I knew I had to use it for the summer of 2013. I was much more intentional about taking photos and saving things. I brought the book and a rubbermaid container full of scrapbooking supplies with me to camp with the idea to do complete the book as I went, working on it during breaks and pasting notes at the end of each day. I should have known better than to attempt that though, I didn't do a single page over the summer. Instead once I got home from camp I printed all my pictures and spent almost a month working on the book.

In the end I'm really happy I waited until the summer was over to build the SMASH book. It was a wonderful way to reflect on the summer, remember the good times, move on from the not-so great times and I had time to really make the book what I wanted! I'm really happy with the way it turned out!

These pages are extremely simple, but I love them. I glued in my favourite pictures of sunsets and the moon over the river and added in a pocket where I put a particularly special note. On the side is a clue that was part of a scavenger hunt my secret friend made me one day. The clue is about a romantic spot to stargaze so it fit in with these pictures perfectly.

Back in my scrapbooking days these pictures would have all been cropped into straight lines, backed with coordinating card stock and arranged in parallel lines on a 12x12 piece of paper. Now they just got cropped into whatever shape made the most sense and allowed them to fit on the page. I threw in some dinosaur stickers as part of an inside joke and a particularly hilarious quote from the summer and that was it! 

I had originally planned on including more pages but I had a really hard time taking good photos. And some of the pages I took photos of lost a lot of their splendour once I very unsophisticatedly edited out people's faces. 

I've always been into scrapbooking but stressed about making everything "perfect" with the SMASH* books the point is literally just to smash it all in. Sometimes I organize my thoughts and create pages that do have layouts like you would see in a traditional scrapbook. Most of the time I just create a pile of things I want to include and stick it in where ever it fits! I have two more blank books that I'm not quite sure how to use. I really like the red one and have been saving it for "something special". (Saving nice things for special occasions is a habit I really need to lose.) And the purple one I bought during a really good sale and I was looking through the pages the other night and decided it would be perfect to use if my whole Texas plan happens. 

If you're someone who is a "saver" like me and hangs on to little notes and ticket stubs but has no idea what to do with them I really recommend this method. You can stick pictures along side your "stuff" and at the end of the day you create something totally unique that gives you just as much satisfaction as a scrapbook without the stress. 

**I was in no way, shape or form compensated for sharing this product on my blog. It's just something I happened to learn about, buy and totally love!

Lately...

...both my laptop and wi-fi have been making it impossible for me to blog. And I miss reading blogs as I drink my morning coffee.

...I have been super excited for all the season premiers!

...I've been busy planning an "Autumn Extravaganza Weekend" with one of my best friends.

...I cannot find great fall boots to fit my size 5 feet anywhere.

...I have spent too much time watching engagement videos on YouTube.

...my Pinterest boards are overflowing with recipes and crafts I want to try.


 

Missing

Today's writing prompt is "What do you miss?" I wasn't sure where to go with this...I feel like I'm in a constant state of missing people, places & things, then being reunited with those people, places and things only to miss different things. Missing is a vicious cycle. Usually I would write about missing camp, because I spend a lot of time missing camp. However, this time next week I will be at camp!! So I'm going to write about something different.

I love details. The little things make me the happiest. Proof that I love the smallest/silliest things? This is my favourite stain on the carpet in the youth group room.

The youth group I helped lead when I was in university had a youth group room in the attic of the church. We often joked it was just the dumping ground for all the things nobody else wanted. Highlights include a couch with a broken leg, a TV stand that had to be broken to fit up the stairs and then reassembled once it reached it's destination, another couch that has delightful red velvet upholstery and my personal favourite, the carpet. 

I'm not really sure how old the carpet is, or what it's original colour was but it's currently a dark mustard yellow, with a twinge of green and brown and maybe some beige. It's seen a lot of things. It's absorbed a lot of spilled pop and juice and crushed popcorn kernels and paint and general dirt. And even though it's usually vacuumed once a week or after ever major youth group event there are just some stains that won't go away. And I love it. It feels (felt) like home and peace and comfort. I obviously miss the youth a lot and the other leaders. But I also miss going up the stairs after a long day and being greeted by familiar couches and carpet and bright green walls.

Weekend Update

I had a pretty low key weekend, but in an attempt to update more often I'm going to blog about it anyway. 

Saturday I baby sat the Tiny Human from 9-5, being in a rush to leave her Mom forgot the bag of toys she usually brings with her, so we had to improvise. We spent a lot of time playing with fridge magnets followed by some good ol' fashion wooden spoons and plastic bowl time. Between make-shift toys, naps and lunch we manged to pass away the day.

Camp is less than a month away and now that 99% of the staff is hired I spent some time this crafting fun door signs for everybody. I used the Create-A-Critter Cartridge and kept with the animal theme for everyone. At first I tried to stick with campy animals...but with a staff of 22 and usually have a couple of volunteers each week too that plan ended quickly.

Tomorrow night at Brownies I'm attempting to make homemade lip gloss with the girls. It's one of those situations where I have high hopes and low expectations.

Crafting Up A Storm

The last two days it has snowed non-stop, resulting in 41 cm of snow and making me a little shack wacky. I took advantage of all the downtime to get Valentine's Day treat bags made for my Brownies. This was my first real project with my Cricut since I got it at Christmas, I've played around with it lots but this is the first time my creations have been distributed to others. I'm pretty happy with the way they turned out, I cut the frogs & saying from the Create-A-Critter 2 cartridge and the only difficulty I had was the glue stick I was using was too big. I definitely need to invest in a smaller one for assembling smaller cuts.

I spent the afternoon painting puzzle pieces for our Valentine's Day craft but they're still drying. It's one of those Pinterest projects that I saw, thought was cute and then forgot to pin. So I don't have any actual instructions to go by, fingers crossed it will all work out. It's still storming outside which means it's also possible there won't be a Brownie meeting tomorrow if school is cancelled. In which case we'll just have to celebrate a little later on in the month!