{wings of pastrami}

no, really, your eyes are not deceiving you

I'm back online...

MAN alot has changed since my last post (gasp! in 2007!) I didn't have the heart to delete the old blog since I do love so many of my old posts- and I always knew I'd be back- just didn't imagine it would be such a long break!

My plan is to get a big bunch of pictures chosen to really show everyone what's been shakin' and a whole new look for my home base... stay tuned, I promise it won't be 2 years until I'm back again...

Until then, why not jam out to my favorite new music, get yourself some Lykke Li- here's a little teaser: Lykke Li Black Cab Sessions

tagged!

The lovely Madamoiselle Sabine was kind enough to tag me- which I am sure will make Lacintha REALLY hahpy 'cause she'll at least have something new to read about here- tee hee!
The rules:

Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to blog about their seven things and post the rules as well. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. Regardless of what time of day or night, I can't have a shower without immediately brushing my teeth afterwards. Suddenly, with my body all clean, my teeth just feel like they're wearing sweaters.

2. I randomly translate things I'm thinking/reading into French for no reason at all, other than I can.

3. When I'm finished a scrapbook layout, I take a few steps back and look at it cross-eyed to see if there are any composition issues. For some reason, this helps me see if there are any distracting elements. Go figure.

4. I turned down an apprenticeship to become a tattoo artist, and I think about it often... "I wonder what would have happened if..." I know one thing's for sure, I'd be a painted lady- so I'm glad I'm not, I really have little self control.

5. I fell into a construction fire when I was 5 years old (we lived on acreage and it was on a neighbouring lot- oh, and we played all day like little savages, with no adults to shoo us away) and got a bad burn on my leg stopped only by my rubber boots. I took them (the boots) and my burned cords to school for show and tell.

6. I have listened to my Lily Allen CD so many times inthe car now that my 4 year old knows the words better than I do. I make a concerted effort not to sing the f-bombs and hope that my Lily doesn't figure out what she's saying- 'cause I do really like the music... bad parenting? I suppose, yes, once she drops an f-bomb in song...

7. I dream of a road trip to the Oregon coast with my good friends who can all miraculously fit into my mini comfortably. We'll wear glamorous scarves and big sunglasses and most everyone who passes us will be jealous of what a fantastic time we're having. There will be good music and arms raised to the sky. Oh- and I'll look good in my bathing suit too...

And so, without further ado, I tag:
Kelli, Lianne, Cheryl, Heather, Lacintha, Joy, Jenny

where do you belong???

I'm pretty sure I have found where I belong- even though there isn't a specific location, my community is here:

handmade nation

Can't wait to see the entire movie!!!

sucker for punishment?

I am beginning to wonder what I have done to deserve ANYONE checking back in on this little old blog. You must be a sucker for punishment. Let me update you...

since my last post I did not:

write the most life changing manuscript to have crossed a publisher's desk since the Secret (the genie bit really freaks me out, and don't get me started about the wise, wealthy Babylonians!!! hahahaha)

keep off the weight I had lost (my humps, my humps, my...)

learn a thing about giving my kids too much sugar

curb my spending half as much as I wanted to (seriously, I wouldn't have slept a wink if I didn't get the necklace...hahaha)

complete my scrapbooking assignments that sadly, are for the majority, the same ones I had due back then- and that was A LONG TIME ago

design Jamie's love tattoo like I promised

stick to my pledge to stop falling asleep on the couch watching the vile poison I like to call TV (I FINALLY broke down and agreed to satellite TV- see my old post about TV being the devil- and I am the worst offender now)

however, I did:

chop off all my hair and bleach it blonde. I really can't explain this one.

paint my first painting in "like, a million years" and gave it to my sweet friend

make rice krispie squares with my girls (ahem- sugar???)

make some new friends who are friggin' awesome, but probably won't approve of me saying friggin, but will forgive me anyway...

join the gym and even took my first pilates class

resist my almost daily urge to get another tattoo. Another thing I can't explain- and since I still don't know how I feel about the hair (I see my reflection in the mirror and feel like yeeling WHAT WERE YOU THINKING???!!!! and sometimes I say Hi cutie!!!. no rhyme or reason here) I really doubt now is the time to make a permanent decision. Hair grows back tattoos on the other hand... I gotta stop watching Miami Ink...

I also made a list of stuff I have neglected to take care of recently (and stuff from not so recent times) and decided to get the monkeys off my back, so to speak.

Which has a lot to do with all the changes you see here today- new banner, new additions to the YO list, new layouts in the gallery, music and books added... Who loves ya baby??? Back on the topic of neglect, tho'...

Do I owe you:
a phone call or email? (Is it bad that everytime I check my messages it's only because I have let the mailbox fill up and it will hold 45 messages??? I admit, sometimes I have to guess what MONTH they were left! Okay, that's bad.)
A Birthday wish?
Have I neglected to tell you I dig you even when I'm flaky?
Are you my neighbor and secretly wishing I would clean up my dog poop so you didn't have to smell it anymore?
Are you my neighbor and secretly wishing I would move? hahahhaha
Do you need to be included on my list someplace? Elizabeth- you are on there sister!!!!! ( I think Elizabeth has given up on my flakiness, but I still learned from her nonetheless, and I do still dig her, wink wink.)

This I know for sure:
There isn't a single item on my list of things I have neglected recently that involves my children or husband (he may suggest a little more lovin' but he is after all, a dude.) I can sleep knowing my most important goal has been met- quitting my job to be a stay at home Mom has turned me into a person who can be unreliable-flaky-spontaneous-forgetful-crazy in a happy, let's fling our pancakes to the sky kind of way...

and I like it.

stay at home mom, lesson 483

Don't feed your kids sugar, then put on their tap shoes.

Fast Forward:

I have come to a few conclusions about having a black eye, and they are, in no particular order:

1: It is not the badge of honour that it may seem to be for men as it is for women.
2: No amount of makeup can possibly hide it.
3: Lots of people don't even look you in the eye.
4: Even more people are afraid to ask how it happened.
5: It really freaks out your kids.

Lily was kind enough to head butt me in the excitement of having her tap shoes put on- my glasses hit me right on the brow bone and I immediately got a goose-egg to rival rocky balboa's.
Lily cried.
I really didn't realize it was as bad as it was until I went to brush my teeth and...voila!
Large extra head growing from my eye with its own heart beat.
Aaah. Mondays.

running out of volunteers

Well, it's official- Lily has refused my picture taking for the first time...
My normally super eager, posing princess has put her foot down and called for an end of the photo shoots. She mainly has issues with me picking out the outfits (I promise I DO take pictures all the time that aren't staged at all) but I really wanted a valentine themed set of pictures of both girls for a little mini book I'm putting together.
It was only after she saw the pictures of Abigail later on- sucking on a heart shaped lollipop that she had second thoughts... but she was sticking with the rainbow tights, pink tiered skirt and orange halloween long sleeve shirt- candy or no candy...
And so, the "I just want to be me" trend continues... and who can argue with that?
(here's a couple projects I've made with them so far, click on the picture to see a larger version)

On another note- there have been soooo many changes around our house lately- we've really been busy renovating and beautifying. I'm going to be taking pictures and showin' them off here this weekend. (Or later, depending on when the magical house cleaning elves arrive I've been asking for!)
I'm hoping my far away frinds who don't get to visit will keep some oxygen nearby- our kitchen floor was over thirty years old- and it's GONE!!!!!!!
I'm also super excited to share to progress of my own little space with everyone as it comes together. WE got a call form the cabinet makers yesterday that they were all ready for delivery, so now I have to get cracking and clean out the office in preparation for their arrival! I am so over the moon in anticipation of the gatherings and creative stuff that is going to happen in there!!!
I promise to share pictures- even though it does mean outing myself publicly about the state of affairs of my ever-growing stash of "art supplies". But hey- it's the terrible before picture that makes the after picture that much more impressive, right?

lucky duckie

after reviewing my back log of emails this weekend, I had such a happy thought about what a lucky gal I am when it comes to the opportunities that have come my way over the past year with my hobby- you may not have heard about it- it's a little movement in the craft world called "scrap booking"...hahaha
Kah-Mei has sent out her monthly newsletter with the latest and greatest for FONTWERKS and magically my name happens to be there too. I'm super proud of the new rub-ons and stamps of my swirly girly handwriting and little happy doodles...
You can see them HERE
keep clicking for a peek at all the great new goodies. I love me some fontwerks!!! Kate's new paper looks like a must-have for me.
I've been busy with the fantastic new papers and lovelies from Melissa Frances- I just love their new spring colours they've introduced into their line debuting at CHA. Here's a little peek:

I'm working on some projects for the Pick of the Patch and I must say, february's kit is my favourite so far, I'm SO Inspired!!!
We've been busier than I could have imagined this winter at our house- with Duncan off for the winter I had R&R in mind... but at the last minute, days before many guests were to arrive for the holidays and a family wedding, we tore our entire house apart, refinishing the hardwood floor, painting everything that didn't have a heartbeat, even building some custom millwork (did I mention how great it is having a carpenter as a husband???)
Just last week the "new" floor went down in the kitchen, and we had a good chuckle about the fact that when we peeled back all the old layers, the original floor was in fact exactly the same thing (I do mean EXACT! vert green marmoleum) we were about to put down. So back in 1948 when the house was built, how could they have predicted that in 2007 we'd have cell phones that were cameras and stereos and computers, and of course, the internet... Funny how we have changed to much yet here we are putting the same floor down! Really makes you think.
And so, I'm feeling pretty lucky- for my rejuvenated house, great friends, and a fresh start that the new year brings... what? It's almost February??? That's right- we just spent $45 on stickers for the girls to start making valentines and I think they plastered them all over the first 6... live and learn!

you tube stole my brain

...and perhaps, made it better... but it's theirs now regardless of the state it's in.
You Tube is like a powerful elixir that makes time vanish and important tasks fall to the wayside. I am a You Tube addict and I suppose admitting it is the first step.
And because I have now become a vacuous shell of a human, I will attmept to suck you into my special place. Warning: do not leave the tap running to fill the sink as you navigate to You Tube. Do not put cookies in the oven, and good heavens do not leave your young children unattended in the washroom with a new can of shaving cream (don't ask).
jazzy artsy fun
I really dig this guy...
I cried
I laughed (psst... If Chris Rock isn't for you... skip this one...
been there, done that
cool

statistics say...

people will keep visiting your blog if you include images in your daily posts.

Let's Tarantino this one

www.wingsofpas --- (slight pause, followed by perhaps eerily similar internal dialogue...) "seriously. when is she going to update this thing? Oh- wait a minute... this is new. I haven't seen this yet... It's about freakin' time..."

And brace yourself- I've got this fantastic tale that will mesmerize you for hours as to why I haven't been a good girl and making the time to post here... Okay, I lie- nothing that great is going on- I've been filling my days with mommy duties and the pursuit of happiness... but let me tell you this one anyway... If you know it already, don't let the others know...

I've been preparing my home for an invasion. Somewhat body-snatcher-like, but more dog food snatcher. It is equally repulsive though, but I digress.

As Dane Cook says: Let's Tarantino this one. I'm going to start at the end and work my way back to where it all makes sense...

And so, Lily said:
"It was right here Mama, but his tail was dragging over here"

Let's back track. I'm making a stew in the slow cooker (This in itself is a miracle) and a strange noise can be heard behind the fridge area. A chewing kind of noise, but louder than a person- more like a beaver. Honestly.
I call Duncan and let him know if he doesn't come home to investigate we may have to set another place at the table for dinner...
He arrives moments later, with help in tow, they move the fridge, and...
Nothing.
They leave.
The sound is over, I think they are talking about me losing it behind my back.

I clean around the fridge and find (gasp!) mouse poop. We bleach counters, gut the laundry room, and kitchen, buy traps. No noise, no sign.

Days later, more poop is discovered on the counters. Bleach. Toss out any food left out.
Still nothing in the trap.

A few nights later, while preparing dinner, I pop over to the office and while I'm out, Lily sees "it" and lets her Daddy know. "Tell Mama when she gets back" Duncan says.
So at the dinner table, Lily lets me know she say the mouse. I try to comfort her and let her know it's alright, it's that time of year where it's getting cold and looking for food, but we'll catch him and reunite him with his family... Then, I dearly wish I hadn't, but I asked: "How big was he?"
She made a hand gesture to show something roughly the size of a pineapple.
I choke.
"Why are you laughing Mama?"
Duncan distracts Lily long enough to get an assortment of toys and a slipper to clarify the matter. "Show me which toy is the same size as the mouse you saw." She skips over the mouse sized toys and goes for the slipper.
I'm still choking.
Duncan then asks her to show him where it was, so she lays the slipper accross the threshold to our laundry room, and this is when she says:
"It was right here Mama, but his tail was dragging over here"
She was gracious enough to then grab a pen and lay it behind the slipper to illustrate the scale.
That's my girl. A four year old with an eye for detail.

Apparently the mouse traps were NEVER going to catch a mouse, because we never had a mouse...

I suppose the worst part of this story is that apart from Lily's sighting, we have not had any further contact with our beastie. No noise, no poop, and certainly no capture. Is it wishful thinking to suppose he has moved on to greener pastures since we have removed any source of food and been rather rude hosts? I am admittedly grossed out by it all and still prefer to call it a mouse... I choose to believe that Elvis HAS left the building.