Meagan's Tattoo

Wanted to post a picture of my daughter's tattoo!  It is so beautiful!  She did a great job designing her tattoo.

Time With Friends

This weekend was like a step back in time.  It all started on Friday night when my friend Brenda arrived for a sleepover.  That is right a sleepover, Brenda's husband when to the lake with is brother and her son went to the lake with his girlfriend...leaving her home alone for the weekend.  So we decided that she come out on Friday night as well as Saturday we planned a BBQ with our group of 5 friends from high school. 

Saturday morning after enjoying coffee on our deck and taking in the sunshine Brenda and I headed into town to pick up the items on our list for Saturday evening BBQ with the girls, my hubby and children.  We started our afternoon off with pedicures and manicures.  OMG the pedicure was wonderful...thanks to the massaging chairs you have to sit in...not only did my feet feel good but my back felt awesome....maybe all I needed was a good massage to cure my back pain. 

At 3:30 we met my daughter at PA Ink, as she was getting her first tattoo.  She designed a beautiful tattoo of a Hibiscus and the Chinese symbol for strength.  She got the tattoo on her upper back in the centre...the outlining hurt a lot....I was glad that I was there for her...so she could hold my hand, well actually squeeze my hand.  Brenda and I stayed until the outlining was finished and the fill started. 

Brenda, Chris, Lois and I (all friends from high school) along with my son Mike and daughter Brittany enjoyed an evening of friendship, good food and drinks (both with and without alcohol).  Roxanne was unable to be with us this weekend.  Not only was this a gathering of friends we also celebrated my 45th Birthday! We sat outside until it was too cold to stay on the deck...the wind was really cold last night.  It was a wonderful way to spend my birthday weekend.  My hubby didn't get home until after we had supper as he golfed 36 holes...but a he did give me a beautiful pair of gold earrings with diamonds....very beautiful...the first pair of earrings he has ever bought for me.....yep he did good!  It was one of the best birthday's I have had.

Brenda and Chris spent the night....this morning we spent about 4 hours visiting over coffee and left over finger food.  It was a blast talking about our families and our time in high school and the fun time we had.  Shortly after Chris left Brenda and I were finishing up the dishes and we decided that our little group of 5 - Brenda, Chris, Roxanne, Lois and myself are the "Real Housewives of Prince Albert".

A Pain In The..........

.........Back. 

The last few nights I haven't been sleeping very well and I think I have finally figured out why!  It is my back.  Yesterday and Wednesday at work I had to keep my wheat bag on my back to give me some comfort.  This morning my back was really painful so much that it hurt to get out of bed so I decided to stay home and rest.  Anyways the pain isn't much better but I can't lay down for long, can't sit for long and can't stand for long...so I am like a jumping jack up and down, up and down.  Hoping the muscle relaxants I am on will help with my back.  Will go back to the doctor next week for a follow up.  I have been having trouble with my back since April.  If only I could recite some magic words and the pain would go away!  I am hoping that I will get a better sleep tonight than I have had over the last few nights. 

Not Much to Say Today

Don't have to much news to tell you today.....  Good news is yesterday my hubby ran into a professional drywaller yesterday, he came took a look at the house (told my hubby he did an amazing job on the walls in the house) gave my hubby a quote and he is hired.  He is coming over on Friday after he is done work to get the walls taped and maybe even the first coat of mud on them.  What a relief for my hubby....he is really glad that someone else is doing the taping and mudding. 

My son has informed me that there is a parcel at home for me.....I am so excited as it is my new Magnolia Ink magazines, 2010 Volume 1 & 2.  These are magazines that are dedicated to the Magnolia stamps from Sweden. I have posted a couple of cards using Tilda a Magnolia stamp.  I am so excited to look through these magazines as they are filled with tutorials and inspiring ideas.  Maybe my new stamps even arrived...crossing my fingers that they are in as well.

They're Back........

........the walls that is!  Yesterday I arrived home to the all the walls up in my dining room and only one wall left to go up in the kitchen, the half wall around my stair well and the entrance way still need gyprock on the walls and then the dirty work starts.....the Mudding!  Glad I'm not doing that part!  What a difference in my house.  I never realized how big my kitchen really was until we changed the wall around the stair well and took out the wall that used to be my computer room/junk room to build the dining room.

I found the microwave that I want yesterday.....I need one with an exhaust fan built in as I am putting the microwave above the stove.  My husband said since we saved so much money by doing everything ourselves he wants to buy a new stove.  Hey I am game for that....mine is a plain nothing fancy stove that is only 2 years old and works well....no complaints...but we are thinking of going with a Gas stove or an Induction Range......found one of each that I really like.  I don't know too much about the induction stove top so have to do a bit more research before I make a final decision.  Decisions......

Unfortunately I haven't had any time to work on any of my handmade cards this week, let alone color any of my stamped images.....just too many other things going on....maybe next week!  I did manage to print off some sheets of my new digital stamps that I bought over at Mo's Digital Pencil Shop.  I purchased Lacie with Ice Cream, she is so adorable and Siku and Shiya. There are many other's at Mo's Digital Pencil that are on my wish list.  Check out her blog to see her newest stamps by clicking HERE.

Going Back Up

Yesterday evening I came home to my house a bit of an obstacle course.  The gyprock is going back up on the ceiling.  They figure that by the end of today they should have the ceiling finished in both the dining room and kitchen and probably most of the walls if not all.  The ceiling is up in the entrance way/porch.  Soon we will be ready for paint.  The biggest challenge was getting a day without rain so that my hubby could get the gyprock home, thank goodness mother nature held out yesterday. Al made two trips to town and should have enough to finish.  Worst part is that once the mudding is started with the damp weather we are having it will take that much longer for the mud to dry. 

I am hoping that by maybe Friday I can start with the primer at least.  It is coming together faster than I could have imagined. 

Sunday Morning Ramblings.....

Seems that we have a bit of a reprieve in the weather.  We haven't had any rain since the wee early hours of Saturday morning.  My daughter needed to be picked up from the bar that morning...so she awoke me from my sleep but I didn't hesitate a bit to go get her.  In the 40 minutes that I was gone from home....my hubby said it poured and poured and poured.  When I left the roads were soft and gooey from all the rain we had during the week.  When I came home the ruts were filled with water and I mean filled.  I actually had to shake my head as I thought I was seeing things.....but NO it was real and the road was full of water.

I am actually taking advantage of the nice weather right now....by sitting on my deck with my coffee listening to the song birds sing their songs as well as listening to the darn magpies squawk and squawk and squawk.  The sky is clouding over but I still see some blue sky so I am hopeful that the rain stays away but as I type this I feel the odd teeny tiny drop of water.

Monday if the weather holds Al can go pick up the gyp rock from the lumber yard and start getting the drywall up.  My son has a little bit of insulating to finish and finish putting the poly on the ceiling then it is full speed ahead for the drywalling.  Once the drywalling is finished it is time to start painting.  I have the colors picked out going with Oxford Blue in the entrance/porch (a nice light blue grey) and Lexington Blue for the feature wall in the dining room and kitchen (not navy blue but not royal blue) and Ranchwood for the main walls (it is a brown/beige/grey) which is also going to be carried down the stair well and into the living room so everything flows together.  The feature wall in my living room is New London Burgundy. All my paint is Benjamin Moore...if you want to check out the colors click HERE to go to Benjamin Moore's website.

Al is going to get the flooring guys to come out this week to take measurements so we can order our flooring as once the painting is done the floor comes in then my cupboards come in.

Okay mother nature is out to torture me I am sure.....as those teeny tiny rain drops are now coming on a regular basis and they are bringing their friends with them.  Good thing I am under an umbrella as I still able to sit out here and be on the laptop.  We have had over 8 inches of rain since May 1st...this is getting ridiculous.  Ahhhhh.......this morning's little shower has passed over and the sun is starting to peak through...the birds are still singing and the squirrels are chattering away.  I love living out in the country...muddy roads and all!

God has given me a wonderful place to live....I get to enjoy his beautiful handiwork each and every day!  I am blessed!  It truly is a "Wonderful Life".

Down to Bare Bones

Well today when I came home there was very little gyp rock left on the walls....and it wasn't there very long.  The cupboards are gone...the gyp rock is gone...now to finish the wiring.  Al figures he will be able to start putting the new gyp rock up on the walls..then comes the mudding and sanding.  Then when all that is done....it is my turn at the helm.....the painting will start.  My new kitchen and dining room are becoming a reality....I look at my kitchen and I can picture it in my mind how wonderful it is going to look when its finished.....did I tell you I'm excited for my kitchen reno's to be finished. Oh ya! I'm excited.

Well cross your fingers for me that we don't get anymore rain tomorrow so we can have the Relay For Life outside.

Cupboards are Coming Down

Today my hubby and our son were busy little bees.  Mike finished insulating the porch....he said he went from hot and muggy to cool as the insulation went up.  Al packed up some of what I didn't get packed out of the cupboards last night.  The first set of bottom cupboards are gone......OMG did I ever have UGLY cupboards and some really rotten areas...but I guess when you think these cupboards are over 40 years old it is time for them to GO! 

Tomorrow Al and Mike have a little bit left to pack away from my baking cupboards and then the tops can go.  I have been taking pictures but will post a before and after once everything is finished up. 

I was sitting on the deck enjoying the evening with Al and Mike but gave up because of the mosquito`s...they are really bad so far this year....I am sure it has to do with all the rain we have had in May and the forecast is supposed to be for a wet June as well.  This is not good news for the farmers either...they need to get the crops in the ground before its too late.

Tilda Birthday Card

I finished my card for Challenge #3 of the Magnolia Yahoo Group Birthday Bash.  For this card I used Tilda In Hat Sitting.  Click HERE to go to the Magnolia-licious Store.  Tilda is colored with Copics for her skin and PrismaColored Pencils for the rest of her.  I am sorry I can't tell you the colors I used as she is an image that I colored sometime last year.

I love how the blues and dusty pink complement each other of well.

Below are a couple of close ups of Tilda.

Happy Birthday greeting is hand written.....

I haven't decided who will receive this Birthday Card!  I have a couple of ideas....it is nice to have a few cards in my stash so I am not scrambling at the last minute to do up a card.