A Whimsical Wonderland

Tracks in the Snow

2011-12-23T18:37:00.002-07:00

The other day we had some new-fallen snow. My husband sent the boys out to "make tracks in the snow". (Basically just to get outside and get some fresh air!!)

When the boys came back in they asked me if I had been watching them make tracks. I hadn't, so they pointed outside...

As you can see they definitely made "TRACKS" in the snow! hee hee! I love my boys' sense of humour!

Have a wonderfully whimsical day!
Alice.

November Class: Merry Christmas

2011-11-27T22:07:00.001-07:00

Scrapbook Sundays are the day I post a project featuring new ideas and some of my favourite Close To My Heart products. I hope that after reading my post you will be inspired to try something new the next time you scrapbook your memories.

In my November classes we made a page using the Believe paper from Close to my Heart. Believe is a very colourful, Christmas themed kit. In this class however, I created a mono-chromatic page using only red and white.

Click to enlarge.

To create this layout:

Red Background Paper: I added 3 pea-sized drops of Create-a-shade Pearl Paint, 12 drops of White Daisy pigment re-inker and some water to a spray pen. I laid a mask shape (cut using the Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge) over the center of the red paper. I then sprayed liberally around the edges of the mask. When the ink was dry, I outlined the shape using Stardust glitter gel. I think the spray adds a look similar to a snowy window!

White Numbers Paper: Run a 5x7 sheet of paper through the Cuttlebug using the ProvoCraft embossing folder. Rub the Holiday Red ink pad directly over the embossed shapes.

White Ornament: This will be my journalling area. The shape was cut with the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge and I inked the edges with Holiday Red ink, and applied Stardust glitter gel.

White Title Strip: The strip was created using a Martha Stewart border punch. 'Merry Christmas' was stamped with Holiday Red ink using the Holiday Commentary stamp set from CTMH. The sparkle buttons are also from CTMH.

I hope you will be inspired to get scrappin'! If you would like to purchase the materials for this project you can click the "Shop With Me" badge on the right side of this page, or with this link.

Have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

October Class: Friends from Afar

2011-11-13T23:27:00.001-07:00

Click to enlarge.

For this class I cut shapes using the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. The banner, stars, journalling block and "friends" were all done using Art Philosophy!

I used the "Vintage Type" stamp set for the banner and the small alphabet letters. I used the "Universal Backgrounds" stamps to add dimension to the stars. I also added button brads and a section of the strip cut from the top of the paper on the stars.

All of the edges of the page were distressed using the edge distresser. For a final bit of dimension I wrapped a bit of waxy flax around the stem of the letter "d" in "friends".

I hope you will be inspired to get scrappin'! If you would like to purchase any of the materials for this project you can click the "Shop With Me" badge on the right side of this page, or with this link.

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Christmas Card Workshop

2011-11-06T23:59:00.001-07:00

Scrapbook Sundays are the day I post a project featuring new ideas and some of my favourite Close to My Heart products. I hope that after reading my post you will be inspired to try something new the next time you scrapbook your memories.

I am thrilled to share with your the beautiful cards we made in my Christmas Card Workshop this Saturday!
The Workshop attendees made 10 cards each, two of five different designs.

Click to enlarge.

JOY CARD:
This card was inspired by a card from Scrapbook Trends: Christmas Cards magazine. I loved the colour-scheme and I thought it would be easily transferred to the "Believe" paper from Close to my Heart. I layered the Believe paper onto Desert Sand, inked the edges and faux-stitched the Believe paper using a white gel pen and paper piercer. The "JOY" letters are cut with the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge, raised using foam tape and embellished with Glitz Stardust glitter gel.

CHRISTMAS TREE CARD:
This card was inspired by a card I found on the Close to my Heart Consultant Bulletin Boards. My thanks go out to Kandi for this inspiration! I love the simplicity of this card. The tree image is stamped with the "Happy Clusters" stamp set. Then the circles are embellished with a mixture of buttons, sparkles, liquid glass and glitter gel.

SNOWFLAKE CARD:
This card was also inspired by a card made by Kandi on the Close to my Heart Consultant Bulletin Boards. The stamp set is called "Snowflakes" and the paper is "Wonderland". I thought the folds of this card make it very interesting and I loved being able to use my Cricut Art Philosophy cartridge to cut out the snowflake!

ART PHILOSOPHY CRICUT ORNAMENT CARD:
I designed this card with shapes cut using the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge. The red and striped paper is from the "Believe" line, and the black damask pattern is from the "Mischief" line. The ornament is embellished with part of the strip of paper that is cut off of the top of the designer paper, and then with red glitter gel. I LOVE that the strips have product identification on one side, and a useful embellishment on the other!

SLEIGH CARD:
I designed this card using the October Stamp of the Month: Holiday Magic. I love this stamp set, and I was excited to include it in my Workshop. I used the "Wonderland" paper for the brown dots. Colonial white cardstock emboss with music notes using a Sizzix folder, and then inked with Twilight ink. The sleigh is raised with foam tape, and covered in liquid glass for a shiny appearance. The gliders of the sleigh are embellished with Glitz bronze glitter gel. The star is a Milepost shape and is inked and wrapped with waxy flax.

Which card is your favourite? My class was partial to the Snowflake Card. I think my favourite is the Sleigh card. The products used to create these cards are available by clicking the link "Shop With Me" on the right side of the page.

I hope you have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Pumpkin Decor

2011-10-30T20:59:00.000-06:00

Scrapbook Sundays are the day I post a project featuring new ideas and some of my favourite Close to My Heart products. I hope that after reading my post you will be inspired to try something new the next time you scrapbook your memories.

In the spirit of Halloween I would like to share a simple home decor craft. My local scrapbook store had some adorable pumpkin decor, and I was inspired to make my own! These pumpkins are made using the Dreamin' paper from Close to my Heart.

click to enlarge

Using the My Philosophy Cricut cartridge from Close to my Heart cut out 9 circles with a 4"diameter. (You can change the size of the pumpkins by using larger/smaller circles. You may need to adjust the number of circles if you change the diameter.) I used a variety of coordinating papers and cardstock from the Dreamin' package.
Cut a bit off the bottom of each circle so the pumpkin will sit flat on the table.
Fold each circle in half and ink the edges. I chose a few circles to emboss with fall patterns, such as pumpkins, spiderwebs and bullrushes.
When all 9 circles are ready it is time to assemble. Glue the edges of the circles together with the folds to the center of the pumpkin.
The stem was created by rolling a strip of paper and sticking it into the top of the pumpkin.
For the finishing touch, tie some raffia and twine around the stem of the pumpkin.

When I was finished I noticed that I had lots of 'same-size' left-over pieces from cutting the bottom off of each circle. I used these pieces to create this flower embellishment for a scrapbook page. I curled the ends of the flower using a bone folder.

I'd love to hear your comments and I'll answer any questions left in the comment section. Feel free to "Share to Facebook" or other media using the buttons below. I hope you will be inspired to get scrappin'! Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Menu Planning Week 17

2011-10-26T22:56:00.002-06:00

Fall is such a great time of the year! There are so many things on the go and it is so beautiful outside. I have really been enjoying the fall colours this year, although we are pretty much done with that now. We never did manage to get a fall family photo done... maybe we will do a winter photo this year! I canned pickled beets with my mother-in-law the other day... mmmm! I can't wait for them to be ready! I will post about that very soon. Today I will share my menu plans for the next week. I made a delicious Borscht yesterday with a few beets that were saved from pickling.

So here's my plan for this week!

Wednesday - Fried mushrooms, couscous and a Everything Salad

Thursday - Roast beef with mashed potatoes

Friday - Left over roast beef.

Saturday - Halloween party... so not too sure!

Sunday - Hamburger soup

Monday - Chicken and pasta

Tuesday - Sweet and sour meatballs and rice

I hope you have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

My Super-Star Boys Scrapbook

2011-10-23T23:53:00.000-06:00

Scrapbook Sundays are the day I post a project featuring new ideas and some of my favourite Close to My Heart products. I hope that after reading my post you will be inspired to try something new the next time you scrapbook your memories.

This week my project features the Typeset paper from Close to My Heart. I am also using the Typeset Complements Canvas Shapes and the Blue Ribbon stamp set, along with the Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.

I was inspired by my friend Ann to make a mini-book in the style of a K&Company Smash Book. Ann knew that I had received The Cinch machine for Mother's Day. She was very curious about the wonderful projects I was making using my lovely new machine. I was embarrassed to tell her that I had barely even taken it out of the package!

Ann posted a great video of a Smash book she made using the Close to My Heart - Sophia scrapbooking kit. HERE is a link to her post and video.

The book I made is called "My Super Star Boys". I wanted a book where I can collect my favourite photos and memories of my boys all in one place!

The cover.

The first page with the dedication.

A close up of the dedication.

You can see I have used different sized pages.

The different sizes provide visual and textural interest.

There are whole pages that will work well for journalling.

I will have a photo peeking through this star-shaped cut out.

Some of the small pages are great for journalling.

As I add photos and stories to the book I will add additional embellishments

I created a pocket for inside the back cover, to tuck pieces until they can be added.

I can't wait to gather up some of my favourite photos to add to this book! Now that I have FINALLY started using my Cinch, I have so many ideas of projects to make... I can't believe I waited so long to get started!

I hope you will be inspired to get scrappin'! Have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

FALL into Scrapbooking

2011-10-17T23:55:00.005-06:00

Welcome to the first instalment of my 'Scrapbook Sundays' series! Every Sunday I will post a project featuring some of my favourite Close to my Heart products. I hope that after reading my post you will be inspired to scrapbook your memories!

When I saw the new Dreamin' paper line from Close to my Heart I fell in love! The colours are perfect for a fall project. The featured colours are: Bamboo, Chocolate, Colonial White, Crystal Blue, Goldrush, Honey and Pacifica. The six different patterns are a fabulous mix between subtle patterns and bold ones.

I chose this paper for the scrapbooking project at my Open House last month. I also featured cut-out pieces from the exciting new Art Philosophy Cricut Cartridge, the layer-able stamp set "So Grateful", and the lovely new antiqued copper embossed brads.

Click to enlarge.

NEW!!! Extra kits of the Fall layout will be available for the next month. All pieces are cut and the pumpkin will be pre-stamped, ready to by cut out, layered and mounted. The only thing required will be your adhesive and photos. Cost for the kit will be $5 + S&H if necessary. Leave me a message if you are interested!

I hope you will be inspired to scrapbook some fall photos! If you would like to purchase any of the materials used above click on the "Shop With Me" button to the right side of the page, or contact me through my facebook page: Alice's Attic - Scrapbooking. I hope you have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Alice's Attic - October Newsletter

2011-10-12T00:00:00.000-06:00

Hello from the Attic!

I hope you all had a wonderful September and that you are looking forward to a fun-filled October! I am so excited about what October is bringing to the Attic!

MONTHLY CLUBS

If you have registered for a monthly scrapbook club you should have received an email with club details! All of the clubs are full and I can't wait to see you all this month!

ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS

Christmas Card Workshop: November 5, 2011 from 2-5p.m. There are only 2 spaces still available in this class. We will be making 10 Christmas cards, 2 each of 5 designs. Cost $20.

Scrapbooking Express Workshop: November 26, 2011 from 2-5p.m. This class is now FULL. We will be making a 20 page scrapbook! Cost $65.

Recipe Card/Photo Storage Workshop: Tentative Date: December 3, 2011 from 2-5pm. The perfect gift for those hard to buy for relatives! Make your own recipe box/photo storage box! This project can be customized to suit your personal style. The box will store 4x6 photos nicely. Registration Deadline: November 5, 2011. Cost $27.

This is a sample box... this class will use your choice of the NEW papers!

CROP NIGHT

The first crop was such a success I can't wait for the next one! Space is limited so please pre-register! November 5, 2011 (same day as the Christmas Card Workshop) If you come for the Christmas card class stay and scrapbook after, or just come for the Crop! 5:30 pm until the wee hours of the morning. Cost $10, or $20 with supper.

STAMP OF THE MONTH

The October Stamp of the Month is Holiday Magic. This beautiful Christmas themed stamp set will be a great addition to your holiday cards and pages. Spend a minimum of $55 in October and receive this set for only $5.50. (Retail value: $19.95)

CONSTANT CAMPAIGN

Get a Fab Freebie in October. Become a Consultant in October and get one add-on collection Free.

JEANETTE'S BLOG

Visit CEO and founder Jeanette Lynton's blog this month and see all of the wonderful things you can do with the new Art Philosophy Cricut cartridge.

MY BLOG

I blog about scrapbooking and many other things I'm interested in. I'll be running a "Scrapbooking Sunday" series over the next few weeks. Visit my blog: awhimsicalwonderland.blogspot.com

GIFT CERTIFICATES

I have gift certificates available in any denomination. Great for the scrapbooker that has almost everything!

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

The new clear 14" ruler from Close to my Heart has measurements in inches, guide holes for evenly placed stitching, metal straight edge for craft knife cutting, and 1" grid marks. See it in action on page 57 of the Autumn/Winter Idea Book. $10.95

TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

Love the stitched look, but hate dealing with needle and thread? Waxy flax makes stitching a breeze! The wax coating helps this fibre stitch easily without a needle. Stitch on a page, thread a button, wrap a dimensional element and more!

CTMH TV

Looking for scrapbook inspiration? Check out CTMH TV for the latest tips and tricks!

STUDIO J

Are you a digital scrapbooker? Are you curious about digital, but don't want a big commitment? Create layouts in minutes in Studio J, Close to my Heart's online software. Studio J offers themed kits, coordinating fonts, and easy to use accents like ribbons, brads, buttons and more. Just drag, drop and go! Priced affordably Studio J is a great way to explore the world of digital scrapbooking.

FIND ME ON FACEBOOK

Alice's Attic - Scrapbooking has a facebook page. Stop by and "Like" me to get tips, techniques and to see the latest news from the Attic!

JOIN MY TEAM

Close to my Heart offers the flexibility of setting your own hours, discounts on products, and a chance to share your love of scrapbooking! With this month's Constant Campaign it's a great time to sign up! Ask me how to join my team!

HOST A HOME GATHERING

Are you interesting in getting your scrapbook products for FREE? Host a home gathering. A qualifying party is easy to achieve! Gatherings can be held in your house or mine. Ask me about possible dates and gathering projects!

PLACE AN ORDER

I place orders several times a month. You don't need to attend a gathering to place an order, simply send me an email or phone me with your order! I accept VISA, MasterCard, Cheques and Cash. You may also shop online at alice.myctmh.com to have your order sent directly to your house.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my newsletter! I hope I can help you make scrapbooking FASTER, SIMPLER and EASIER!

Alice.

Adventures in Hair Styling

2011-09-22T03:08:00.001-06:00

I love to try new things with my hair. I think that hair is a great way to experiment with your style. It can really change the way you look, and if you don't like it... it will grow back!

To show how easy it is to change your look by changing your hair, let me walk you through the last 2 years...

Fall 2009

Late Fall 2009

Christmas 2009

Summer 2010

End of summer 2010

Winter 2010-11

Spring 2011

Summer 2011

End of summer 2011

I decided that it was time for a bit of a make-over! I now have a new hair cut, short and cute! To go with my new hair cut I thought my blog could use a little style make-over, so now you see lovely pink stripes in the background.

Ta da! Here's my "right-now" look! I don't know what I'll do next, but that's the great thing about it!

I hope you have some wonderful adventures ahead of you today!
Alice.

Replacement Windows

2011-09-20T17:02:00.000-06:00

Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with those expensive, double-pane, energy-efficient kind.

Today, I got a call from the contractor who installed them. He complained that the work had been completed a year ago and I still hadn't paid for them.
Hellloooo,............just because I'm blonde doesn't mean that I am automatically stupid. So, I told him just what his fast-talking sales guy told me last year... that these windows would pay for themselves in a year,,, Helllooooo? It's been a year, so they're paid for, I told him.. There was only silence at the other end of the line,
so I finally hung up. He never called back. I bet he felt like an idiot.

Done laughing? I received this email from a friend. I think she was motivating me to exercise, because I had to run to the bathroom to prevent myself from peeing my pants!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

Homeschool Survival Kit

2011-09-01T22:41:00.000-06:00

After my blog post from Monday, First Day Back to Homeschooling, I have had several people comment about how they could relate! One of my friends completely surprised me by presenting me with this... a Homeschool Survival Kit!

The label reads:
Animal crackers for when life seems like a zoo.
Band-aids for when things get a little rough.
Chewing gum to help you stick to it.
Crayons to colour your day bright and cheerful.
Candle for when you are up late marking or planning.
Smarties cause that's who you're teaching.
Kit Kat bar cause by the end of the day you'll probably need a "Break".
Eraser to remind you everyone makes mistakes.
Lifesavers for when you've had one of those days.
Marbles to replace the ones you've lost.
Paperclips to hold it together.
Pencil to "Write your wrongs".
Rubber band to remind you to be flexible.
Shiny penny to remind you that each will shine in his or her own special way.
Starburst to give you a "Burst" of energy when you need it.
Tissues to wipe away the tears... yours and theirs.
Toothpicks to help you "pick" out the good qualities in others and yourself.
And a prayer for you to say at the start of every day.

Oh, and the prayer:

Please help me,

To strengthen their voices, bodies and mind,

To express their feelings

and control them sometimes.

To explore what's near,

and venture afar,

But most important to love

who they are.

Thank you so much to my friend for helping me to put a whole new spin on the "tough" days! It really helps to remind me of why we do this, and it put a huge smile on my face!

I hope you have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

Menu Planning - Post summer start-up

2011-08-31T00:01:00.004-06:00

It has been an exciting summer, with plenty of travel and activity. The one thing we haven't had was a routine! I haven't been menu planning for ages, and I have definitely noticed. Meals were random, "Let's see what's in the fridge." was a common phrase heard around here! Now that fall has arrived it is time to get back into our routines. I have loved the effect that menu planning has had on our life, so that is where I am starting!

Wednesday- Stir-fry with leftover steak

Thursday- Borscht

Friday- Left-over Borscht

Saturday- Homemade Pizza

Sunday- Chicken and roasted potatoes

Monday- Spaghetti and meatballs

Tuesday- Roast beef and vegetables

Now, I'll make my grocery list and I'll be set for the week! Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Strawberry Freezer Jam - YUM!

2011-08-30T20:44:00.000-06:00

My husband stopped by the grocery store today to pick up milk. He forgot all about the milk when he saw the great deal on strawberries. $1/lb. He brought home 8 pounds of strawberries! I knew that if I didn't do something right away, many of these strawberries would go to waste. Wasting strawberries is practically a crime, because these ones are REALLY GOOD. So I removed the tops and washed them. All 8 pounds of them.

This is only a few of our strawberries!

Then I decided I would freeze some of them, and I should make some freezer jam. I had recently read a post about strawberry freezer jam over at The Frugal Girl. After reading the post I picked up some special freezer-jam pectin in anticipation of jam making. So I was ready to begin my adventure!

The directions said to crush the strawberries, so I chopped them finely and then mashed them a bit with a potato masher. They looked kind of crushed, so I mixed up my pectin with the sugar and mixed it all together. Then I poured the mixture into some jars, and voila! Strawberry freezer jam! How easy was that?!

Mmm! Delicious freezer jam!

Hopefully this post will inspire you to try something new today! I had never made freezer jam before, but it was so easy, and it was definitely worth it! Thanks to my impulsive husband I now have freshly made freezer jam, and frozen strawberries to put into my smoothies... I can always pick up milk tomorrow, right?

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

First Day Back... to Homeschooling

2011-08-29T20:31:00.000-06:00

So, today was our official first day back to homeschooling after the summer. Here's a photo of my boys today.

Yes. It was going THAT well. Fortunately my younger son didn't give me the same kind of grief as my nearing teenage son did. We did manage to get some math done, some spelling practiced, we worked on dictionary skills and read a story for our medieval study. I think that took 4 hours! OUCH! Hopefully tomorrow the boys will crack down and get their work done in an appropriate amount of time! (about half as much time, or less!)

I hope you have a wonderfully whimsical day!
Alice.

Big Idea Festival

2011-08-27T00:25:00.001-06:00

Stacy Julian is awesome! She was the founding editor of Simple Scrapbooks Magazine, my favourite scrapbooking, but now defunct, magazine. She is an inspiring speaker. Her blog is fantastic! She is super-fun! She wrote a fabulous book to help scrapbookers store their photos and scrapbook in a stress-free and guilt-free way. This is just my 10-second list of wonderful things about her.

Stacy's latest project is Big Picture Classes. At Big Picture she shares her excitement and passion for scrapbooking in online classes, and she brings together other experts to share their knowledge as well. Some of the online classes are free, some have a fee. I would highly encourage checking them out!

The class I did recently is called the Big Idea Festival. Every day, for twelve days, a new word was assigned and a page was to be made. I am excited to share my pages! (Click on a photo to enlarge.)

All of the products I used are from Close to my Heart. (If you are interested in ordering please click the link on the right side of the page under my profile photo!) The paper is from the new Roxie line, and the book is a My Creations Board Book.

This was a great project to get me back into scrapbooking after having a summer off. I mostly take photos during the summer, then I spend the cold winter months scrapbooking those photos and reliving memories of our life without 3 feet of snow! Information about upcoming classes that I will be teaching in my workshop will be coming soon!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

Exciting News: HERE IT IS!

2011-08-22T09:36:00.001-06:00

I am so excited to share that today I am a guest post blogger over at Stuff Jewish Girls Like today!!

Here is the link to the blog post.

I would like to thank Jewish Girl for this opportunity to share my story with her audience. I hope you will go over and read about my adventure to Oshkosh! (Jonas and I flew there in his airplane last month.)

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Big Things

2011-08-21T22:35:00.001-06:00

Albertans seem to like Big Things. We have an abundance of giant landmarks. (Click here to see a list.) I had the opportunity to explore some new places in my province last week. From Monday to Friday my boys went to 4H summer camp. The camp was a 5 hour drive from our home, so in all of the dropping off and picking up I spent 20 hours just driving - oh boy! (Please read that last comment with heavy sarcasm, thank you!)

Along the way I visited two towns with big attractions. Smoky Lake, Alberta is the home of the Great White North Pumpkin Fair and Festival. The town has a display of some very big pumpkins perfect for a quick photo op.

Then we went to pick up the boys at camp.

awe!

Signing the camp T-shirts.

Now that we had our boys back we stopped in Glendon, Alberta to see the World's Largest Pyrogy. A pyrogy (also perogy and pierogi) is a dumpling most commonly stuffed with mashed potato.

While visiting the giant pyrogy we decided to order some pyrogy's from the Pyrogy Park Diner. While we waited my boys played in the park. (I absolutely loved Merry-Go-Rounds as a kid!)

When our pyrogies were ready, they were delicious! No wonder Glendon is famous for its pyrogies!

I'd like to tour Alberta to see all the "Big Things." I don't think I would travel just to see them. Perhaps I should keep a list, and mark them off as I do my regular travels. Do you have any larger than life landmarks near you? What do you think about these "tourist attractions"?

I hope you have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

The Green Album

2011-08-16T20:22:00.001-06:00

I love the Muppets. Present tense. I loved them as a child and I still love them as an adult. My best-ever lunch box had a picture of all of the Muppets on it.

The Muppets were always more than just puppets that sing and make jokes. I was exposed to new and interesting kinds of music, from Elton John to Alice Cooper. I sang along with The Muppets music. I hoped that Kermit would somehow be able to avoid the advances of Miss Piggy, although a part of me really respected her for never giving up. I learned that sarcasm is hilarious, thank you Statler and Waldorf. I longed for some of Miss Piggy's fantastic wardrobe, so glamorous! I found that even though the Swedish Chef didn't speak English I could understand what he was saying. I smiled and laughed, and my mom laughed alongside me. That was another great thing about The Muppets, it wasn't just fun for kids.

Today I discovered that a new music album, called The Green Album is soon to be released. This album brings some of today's great new music stars, like Weezer and Hayley Williams of Paramore, and combines them with The Muppets' famous music. Listening to Amy Lee, lead singer of Evanescence, sing "Halfway Down the Stairs", Alkaline Trio's "Movin' Right Along" and Weezer and Hayley Williams' rendition of "Rainbow Connection" made me smile. The Muppets have done it again.

You can listen to a preview of the album here. Sales start next week, (Amazon, iTunes, etc!) I've pre-ordered mine already! Mahna Mahna!

Cover artwork for The Green Album

Image from Disney

Drive By Inspiration

2011-08-05T23:50:00.000-06:00

As I was driving home tonight I passed a car and this is what I saw:

DON'T FORGET YOUR IMAGINATION

This put a HUGE smile on my face! I slowed down so I could pass them again and get a photo to share!

As a kid I loved playing the "How many people can you get to wave to you game" in the car. As an adult I have fond memories of travelling with some friends and having a conversation with a car full of strangers on the highway, displaying notes just like in the photo above.

Why is making a brief connection with an unknown person so interesting? I love to chat with strangers in airports. (Yes, I'm THAT person!! I get it from my dad!) I'm not expecting to become life-long friends. I just love to find that common bond, whether it is travel, scrapbooking, kids, or who made the cut on American Idol.

What kinds of things make you enjoy the trip, not just the destination?

Have a wonderfully whimsical day!

Alice.

Pride and Accomplishment

2011-07-28T22:39:00.000-06:00

My son Ryan is very proud of himself. He has a very good reason to be. Through hard work and perseverance he has achieved quite the accomplishment! Ryan has developed enough muscle to operate his bow and arrow UNASSISTED. This is no small feat!

It is still difficult for him, but as he is VERY determined, and he KEEPS practicing, it won't be long until it becomes much easier. He is already a terrific shot, and now that his practice time is not limited by requiring help to pull back the bow I'm sure he will become even better.

For me, the best part about this is the sense of pride he feels in accomplishing something so difficult. This feeling of accomplishment can not be handed out. It needs to be earned. I'm so glad he had to work so hard for this, and that he has finally experienced this success. As the saying goes...

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

Congratulations Ryan!

I hope you have a wonderfully whimsical day!
Alice.

Reading: Her Fearful Symmetry

2011-07-25T00:01:00.010-06:00

I recently read Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. I thought this was going to be a great book. It captured me right from the start. The setting was interesting, London's Highgate Cemetery is the backdrop of the story. The characters are interesting, twin sisters that no longer speak to each other, one of them with twin daughters. The book was fun and easy to read with an air of mystery waiting be be discovered. Then the main character died and became a ghost. Oh...

I'm not saying that books with ghosts aren't great... Harry Potter has ghosts, it is AWESOME!! (Harry Potter is awesome on so many levels!!) Apparently I didn't read the back cover very well because I didn't realize I was reading a ghost story. I guess I was just in the wrong state of mind for it and it didn't win me over. The author also wrote The Time Traveller's Wife. I only watched the movie, I didn't read the book, but since it was so fascinating I had high hopes for this book. If you are okay with ghost books, and you want one that is well written then I would recommend this book for you... just not for me!

Good Food Box

2011-07-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

Just when I think that changes won't happen something comes along to bring a ray of hope. I believe that most people will admit that unhealthy eating is a real problem in society these days. One of the common complaints/excuses I hear about why people can't or don't eat healthier is the expense of fresh food. That's why I was so excited to hear about the Good Food Box in my community. For $20 you preorder a box of vegetables. You don't choose what is in the box, you simply get what they give you. (a list of potential items is provided). The purpose is to provide fresh food for less.

This month was our first month participating and I was very happy with the program. They schedule one day for picking up your box. If you don't pick up your food during the time allotted it will be donated to the local food bank. I went to pick up my box and found out that it was actually a reusable shopping bag. Hooray for first impressions! The bag was stuffed full of fresh fruits and vegetables. Not all items that were on the suggested list were in the bag, but for every item not included something else was. For $20 it was a great deal.

Here is a photo of all of our food!

This program is open to everyone in the community so I hope it is a huge success and that it will receive the support it needs to continue!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

2011-07-23T00:01:00.002-06:00

I was so excited to see the return of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution for a second season. I enjoyed the first season so much! Jamie Oliver is working to bring healthy eating to the mainstream. He is trying to make changes in schools and at home. He wants people to eat real food, food made from ingredients that you can pronounce. He has recognized the societal problem with obesity and diabetes.

Jamie Oliver is trying to make a difference. Most people talk about making a change but he is actually out there trying to DO something!

If you haven't been watching Season 2 of the Food Revolution don't miss out! In Canada you can find episodes online at watch.ctv.ca

Be sure to check out JamieOliver.com for more information and to get involved!

Have a wonderfully whimsical day!
Alice.

Sugar: The Bitter Truth

2011-07-22T00:01:00.001-06:00

I recently came across this video in my quest for healthy information. Sugar: The Bitter Truth by Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology.

The video is pretty long, and there are parts that are not very exciting, unless you love sitting through bio-feedback chemistry! The message shared is valuable. That is why I am posting it here. Take from it what you will.

Have a wonderfully whimsical day!
Alice.

Exciting News!

2011-07-19T18:18:00.000-06:00

I am excited to share some news! I will be writing a guest post for another blog this summer! One of my favourite blogs, Stuff Jewish Girls Like, will be featuring guest posts while she is away on holidays. Jewish Girl put out the call for guest posts with the topic "How I Spent My Summer Vacation". I submitted my idea and she has accepted my offer! I will let you know when the post is up (sometime in August), and I will provide a link to it. Sorry, no spoilers!

You may remember my post about the 30 Day Shred Challenge. The challenge was made by Jewish Girl, and she had a wonderful series of posts about it. If you are not familiar with Stuff Jewish Girls Like blog I will give you a quick introduction with some of my favourite posts!

The Top Ten Most Ridiculous Things I Own

The (Jewish) Nose Goes

Eat What You Want

Meditations on the Last Five Pounds

Secretly (?) a Mess

and of course the 30 Day Shred Challenge:

Background on the Shred

Level One Discussion Forum

Level Two Discussion Forum

Level Three Discussion Forum

Conclusion of the Challenge

Now that you are caught up with the recommended reading, I'll bet you've bookmarked her blog!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Reading: Maine

2011-07-18T14:38:00.000-06:00

I just read Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan. I ordered this book from the library on the advice of Jen Lancaster, one of my favourite authors. (Here is the link to her recommendation.) Maine tells the story of three-generations of women. The family lives at the beach every summer and they have developed complicated and complex relationships. Secrets will be revealed, and new ones will be formed. The family dynamic includes frustration, anger and guilt, and yet there is also love. The author writes beautifully and it kept my pages turning long after lights out. After reading this book I long for a summer home on the ocean. I definitely agree with Jen Lancaster that this is a great summer read!

Living Life: Right Now!

2011-07-13T21:55:00.002-06:00

I was recently inspired by a blog I read about living your life in the present. Generation Cedar wrote: Are You Wasting or Living Life.

"Do you ever feel like you’re just busy waiting for the next phase, the next season, the next step?

Once we arrive *here*”…life will be easier, slower, better.

We are here. Now." (quoted from Generation Cedar)

The author is talking about truly living in the present. This has been the conviction I have been living by my whole life. I make time to do the things that are important to me. I don't put things off until I'm thinner, richer or have more time. I try to encourage others to live in the present also.

A friend of mine was always wearing unflattering, too-tight clothing. She only had one pair of pants. (How this is even possible could be a whole separate blog topic!) This was not some kind of moral or economical choice. She wouldn't shop for clothes because she was unhappy with the weight she had gained the previous few years. She said she would shop for new clothes when she was smaller. I asked her if she was living her life right now. I asked if she needs clothing to wear right now. I also asked her if she was valuable enough to have clothing that fits her right now. My friend was so caught up in the weight issue that she was forgetting that she is living her life Right Now!

I've heard the same story told in many variations. People wait to do the things they love until retirement. What if retirement doesn't come? What if when retirement comes you don't have the good health to do the things you have only wished about?

Are you living the life you want to live? If not, why not? Can you change something to make your dreams part of your everyday reality? I am not recommending spending money that you don't have! There are many resources available to help you trim your finances, or help you redirect your money into the activities that you love.

I'd like to share a few ways that I live my life, enjoying the present. Some of these are the big things, some are simple, everyday things that make me smile. All of them help me to live a happier life!

I eat soup for breakfast almost every day because I love it!

I have gone bungee jumping and skydiving, just because I wanted to.

We started homeschooling our two boys.

I travelled to India... as spontaneously as that could be arranged!

We sold our house, moved into a travel trailer for 17-1/2 months while we built our new home.

We took an impromptu trip to Europe after the tragic death of a pet.

My husband bought, built, and flies his own airplane which he LOVES to do.

I have a scrapbook workshop so I can share my passion and excitement with others.

I started singing with the choir because it scared me to death and I'd always wanted to do it.

We travel with our children.

I will sit in bed for a whole day to read a good book once in awhile.

I wear dresses as much as possible. Especially twirly ones.

I have many multi-coloured purses, but no black purses... Life is Too Short for a Black Purse!

My number one way to choose home decor is: How much do I love it?

I get excited about new interests and I don't feel too bad if they are only short-lived. I don't have to like something forever! (It's not a tattoo!)

I haul my kids to sports events and stay to watch them even if I don't have to... because it brings me joy.

I swim because I love to... not for exercise.

I try to spend time with friends as often as I can. I will never be unhappy about laugh lines I earn laughing with my friends.

I am constantly trying to do better, be better and live better. I will live in THIS moment and plan for the next!

I hope this blog will inspire you to go and and do something you love... TODAY!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

New Dining Room Art

2011-07-13T00:07:00.000-06:00

Last week my boys and I spent the week in the city. Ryan did a competitive swim camp, Joe went to a science camp. I went shopping! After I dropped the boys off in the morning I was free until pick-up time in the afternoon.

I found some art for my dining room. This is big news as my walls have been blank for over 2 years! This canvas came from Chintz and Company.

Here I am with my new art!

See the dimensional texture!

I love how the textural butterfly fits so well with the textural tree in my sitting room. Now I have a little bit of nature to enjoy year-round!

I am so happy that my new art is hanging on the wall!

Have a wonderfully whimsical day!

Alice.

7 Things That Make Me Happy

2011-06-27T22:24:00.001-06:00

7 Random things that make me happy right now!

1. I planted a garden with my boys.

We made a wonderful little garden!

2. Dia Frampton from The Voice TV show. Dia is an amazing singer. I love her shyness. I love the way she comes alive when she performs. I think she has an incredible musical talent. Her rendition of Kanye West's "Heartless" was amazing! I was in awe of her ability to take a rap song and make it so soulful. She's my choice to win The Voice!

3. Walking in the rain. Normally this isn't really my kind of thing to do, but last week amidst the rain, rain and more rain we took the boys out to see the effects of the rain on our local environment. We had such a great time... even in the rain!

4. Swedish Berries candy. YUM!

5. Watching Ryan swim. I love this so much!

6. Shopping for new homeschool science books. I love science and I found some wonderful books to help me share my love of science with my boys!

7. This amazing rainbow coloured rose!

Isn't this the coolest rose you've ever seen?!!

So, what is making you happy right now?

Have a wonderfully whimsical day!

Alice.

Reading: The Devil in the White City

2011-06-14T15:34:00.002-06:00

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is not fiction! That deserves an exclamation point because I can't remember the last time I read a non-fiction book that wasn't about homeschooling or scrapbooking. This book was a selection chosen by the book club I ~~attend~~ try to attend at my local library. This month I was late in picking up my book, so I had barely read anything by the time of our meeting. C'est la vie!

Although this book is non-fiction I was thrilled to find that it reads like a novel. It has intriguing main characters. The plot is compelling. The story is set in Chicago, during the construction and operation of the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. The first storyline is about the architects of the fair, and their struggle to make this an event worthy of 'World' status in a very limited time frame. The second storyline is of the serial killer, H. H. Holmes, who takes advantage of his charismatic ways to charm people out of their property, money and ultimately their life.

Although the serial killer aspect was fascinating and is told in a very plausible manner, it was actually the story of the construction of the fair by Daniel Burnham and Frederick Law Olmsted that captured my attention the most. Larson really conveys the motivations and devotion that Burnham felt in trying to create the greatest fair that has ever existed.

Some of the accomplishments made by the architects of the fair include: invention and construction of the first Ferris Wheel, development of a swampy area into a series of canals and lagoons, first public display of AC current, construction of the largest building in the world (by area). The fair is also noted to be an inspiration for the Emerald City from L. Frank Baum's Land of Oz and Walt Disney's theme parks.

I would definitely recommend this book. Learning about the effects this event has had on our world made this a wonderful read.

Have a wonderfully whimsical day!

Top Cadet

2011-06-12T18:16:00.000-06:00

My son received the Top Attendance award at Air Cadets the other night!

Joe receives his Top Attendance award from the Major.

Great job Joe!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!

First Swim Meet...

2011-06-08T23:14:00.001-06:00

... of the Season! Saturday was the first swim meet of the season for my son Ryan.

Here you can see Ryan diving off the block.

Ryan swims a freestyle race.

It was a great meet. Ryan did not swim last summer, so we weren't too sure how he would place getting back in the water this year. (He swam the 3 years before that!) As it turns out he did very well! Ryan placed second in his 25m backstroke, third in his 100m freestyle, and fourth in his 50m freestyle! He was really disappointed to find out that his fourth place was only one one-hundredth of a second behind third place. I told him, that even though this time was not in his favour, he should be encouraged, because that means he could easily have third next time!

I was really happy to be back in the swim circuit. I love cheering for all of the swimmers. I love watching the kids improve on their own personal best times. I love the atmosphere and I love watching my son swim a great race! Go Ryan, Go!

TV: House

2011-05-24T20:41:00.000-06:00

On Mother's Day I spent time at my brother's. He introduced me to the TV show House. I've been missing out! This show is hilarious!

Hugh Laurie is a comic genius. He plays the role of a pompous, overbearing, know-it-all. And yet, the show has heart. There are little twists and turns. Wrong guesses. Mind games. There are also touching moments and personal battles.

I have had plenty of opportunity to sit around lately, so I've been able to watch the DVD series back to back. If you happen to have some time to sit around I would definitely recommend giving House a try!

Have a whimsically wonderful day.
Alice

Camp Croppin' 2011

2011-05-03T15:31:00.000-06:00

April 15 and 16th was Camp Croppin' 2011, hosted by Scrapbooker's Paradise in Calgary, Alberta. What a fabulous event! The ladies that organize this event outdid themselves again! The keynote speaker was Katharina Doyle, co-founder of Canadian Scrapbooker magazine. She spoke to us about the importance of teamwork. Allison Orthner described the four different kinds of scrapbooker, and then led us through a fast-paced teamwork exercise... we made a beautiful scrapbook page in 5 minutes!

I did make and takes with Tattered Angels, Stampendous, and American Craft.

I did a classes with Stampendous, Bo Bunny, American Craft and Prima.

I made a whole mini-album in 2 hours!

The ideas I gathered will definitely influence the classes I host in my workshop! I can't wait to get scrapping!

Hooray for fabulous prizes!

Tattered Angels class with Wendy Senger... the creator of

Glimmer Mist!

My friends and I pose with Tammie from Stampendous.

The page I made using Glimmer Mist.

Hooray, more awesome prizes!

My friends and I hang out with Leica Forrest, with American Crafts!

(click on Leica's name for her Camp Croppin' update!)

Late night scrappin' in the hotel room after the event is over!

I already can't wait until next year! If you are interested in learning more about this event please click here. Maybe next year I'll see you there!

Have a wonderfully whimsical day!
Alice.

Menu Planning Week 16

2011-04-27T18:34:00.000-06:00

I am stepping up to a new challenge... and this one involves food! I am making changes to my diet, and that will involve some big changes in the food that I eat and prepare! Meals will consist of lean protein, complex carbs, and lots of fresh veggies!

I will actually be eating 6 meals a day! I will still prepare one main supper dish for the family, and I will use portions of that meal to make a few of my mini-meals. Here's what is on the menu this week.

Wednesday - Grilled Chicken breast with whole wheat spaghetti and vegetable sauce

Thursday - Grilled Chicken breast Wraps with seared vegetables

Friday - Meatloaf made with lean ground beef and oatmeal, side vegetables and salad

Saturday - Whole wheat homemade pizza

Sunday - Leftover pizza

Monday - Roasted Chicken and baked sweet potatoes with spinach salad

Tuesday - Homemade Chili

I hope you have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Menu Planning Week 15

2011-04-20T01:11:00.000-06:00

You may have noticed that I skipped menu planning last week. I was away for most of the week, and I knew that my menu plan would not really happen without me, so I didn't bother. This week I'm home, and I'm planning!

Wednesday - Lasagna

Thursday - Aussie Chicken and brown rice

Friday - We are going to my mother-in-law's for Easter Dinner. I'll bring a Taco Dip.

Saturday - We are going to my mom and dad's for Easter Dinner. I'll bring a barley salad.

Sunday - Shepherd's Pie

Monday - Shepherd's Pie Leftovers

Tuesday - Chicken and pasta

I hope you have a wonderful day!
Alice.

30 Day Shred

2011-04-19T00:19:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I finally started my 30 Day Shred. This is a DVD with trainer Jillian Michaels. The workout is only 20 minutes. That sounds easy, right? WRONG! After I finished my workout I needed a nap! Seriously.

The workout is intense! It is a series of circuits that focus on cardio, strength and abs. I think I will see amazing results, so I'm excited to keep at it! I'll share my progress every week, and at the end I'll share my final results. Hopefully I won't need a nap every day!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Joke: A Child's Drawing

2011-04-10T00:01:00.002-06:00

This arrived in my inbox last week and made me smile... thought I'd share!

First Grade Drawing - PRICELESS!
A first grade girl handed in the drawing
below for her homework assignment.

The teacher graded it and the child

brought it home.

She returned to school the next day with the following note:

Dear Ms. Davis,

I want to be perfectly clear on my child's homework illustration..
It is NOT of me on a dance pole on a stage in a strip joint surrounded by male customers with money.
I work at Home Depot and had commented to my daughter how much money we made in the recent snowstorm.
This drawing is of me selling a shovel.
Sincerely,

Mrs. Harrington

I hope you have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Project 365 Week 14

2011-04-09T00:01:00.000-06:00

It's Saturday again, so it is time for the next instalment of my Project 365 photos! If you missed the last one click the Project 365 tab at the top for a link to all of the posts. The goal of Project 365 is simple: take a candid photo every day for a year!

The photos can be of anything, people, places, activities or objects. The photos will tell a story about the interesting tidbits of your life for a whole year. If this sounds like fun to you, join in! This project does not need to be started on January 1, you can start any date, your birthday, anniversary or today!

April 2 - My brother-in-law's birthday cake... I did not make it, but it was sure great!

April 3 - My first flight in Jonas' new plane! We went to the mountains.

April 4 - I was making Cheese and Beer Bread, but guess what I didn't have? Cheese! Oops!

April 7 - The beautiful sky on my second flight in the the plane.

April 8 - Ryan gets to hold a Bearded Dragon at a friend's house... he was very happy!

Have a whimsically wonderful weekend!

Alice.

April Challenge: Update

2011-04-08T00:01:00.000-06:00

Last month I posted my new challenge for April. (see that post here) I am doing a fitness challenge using the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred workout DVD. Well.... I waited too long before I ordered my DVD, (I had planned on winning my copy! maybe that wasn't a very good plan!) and it is still not here!

I HAVE been keeping busy! I have been: Swimming, Dance Dance Revolution, Aquacize, and lifting weights, not to mention cleaning my house... yesterday that was an Olympic event! If I'm lucky my video will arrive tomorrow... if not I'll just keep swimming. (BIG SMILE, if this made you think of Finding Nemo!)

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Daybook

2011-04-07T00:01:00.000-06:00

I really enjoyed a blog post I read recently. The post completed a series of sentence starters. The idea came from another blog: The Simple Woman's Day Book. Check out the site in order to play along!

Thoughts from Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Outside my window... there is mud, mud and more mud! The driveway is not gravelled and right now that is a HUGE problem.

I am thinking... that I am still extremely nervous about my choir solo. Practice has not made perfect.

I am thankful for... the sunshine... although it comes with mud, at least the boys are playing happily outside again.

From the learning rooms... the boys asked me to teach them how to pay bills. So I taught them the basics of keeping a ledger book, balancing an account, how to write a cheque, and making online bill payments. For some reason they thought this was fun.

From the kitchen... the Teriyaki Chicken roasting in the oven smells amazing.

I am wearing... black jeans with a cute floral top... not very creative... need to do something about that tomorrow.

I am creating... a new healthier me! (through exercise and portion control)

I am going... to host 13 kids for a craft day tomorrow... if they can get up my muddy driveway!

I am reading... Last Man on the Mountain: The Death of an American Adventurer on K2 by Jennifer Jordan

I am hoping... that the boys will be finished their math book by the end of April.

I am hearing... the rice cooker bubbling away, and the sound of my boys playing together... happily, for now!

Around the house... things could use a bit of a tidy up... again!

One of my favourite things... my Claire necklace from Stella and Dot

A few plans for the rest of the week... I will do office work with the bookkeeper, and have a relaxing weekend. Next week is Camp Croppin'!! Hooray!

Here is a photo for thought I am sharing...

People are capable of doing amazing things when they have a dream, determination, and the patience to make it happen. (photo taken in the Tower of London 2009)

Maybe I can try to do this once a month or so. I am curious how my perspective will change. Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Menu Planning Week 14

2011-04-06T00:01:00.011-06:00

Menu planning has worked out great again! Last week I tried two new recipes. I made a Chicken Pot Pie recipe from the kraftcanada.com website. I substituted Pillsbury Crescent rolls (not rolled up) for the top of the pie. That worked out really well and was easy! Definitely a recipe to add to my repertoire! I also made the Hamburger Soup from the BIG COOK Cookbook. It was great, and also very easy to make. This week I'm going to try three recipes from the BIG Cook Cookbook, Teriyaki Chicken, Spicy Peanut Chicken and Thai Chicken. I'll let you know how they work out!

Wednesday- Teriyaki Chicken from The Big Cook Cookbook

Thursday- Turkey Soup (from the freezer)

Friday- Spicy Peanut Chicken

Saturday- Homemade Pizza

Sunday- Thai Chicken - Recipe from The Big Cook Cookbook

Monday- Lasagna

Tuesday- Lasagna leftovers

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Flying!

2011-04-04T21:59:00.003-06:00

Yesterday I got my first ride in Jonas' new plane. We had beautiful weather, so we flew to the mountains! Here's a few photos of our trip!

We are getting close to the mountains!

I'm excited to be on my first flight in the new plane!

I love the way the snow looks like puddles of ice cream.

You can see Mount Robson in the distance.

I love the way the cloud billows over the top of Mount Robson.

We had a short stop in Valemount.

I was surprised to see all of the open water on the rivers.

I loved the way the snow was blowing off the top of this mountain!

I can't wait for my next trip!

Have a wonderfully whimsical day!

Alice.

Chocolate Cookies

2011-04-03T00:01:00.001-06:00

The Frugal Girl is one of my favourite blogs for baking inspiration. This time her offering was Chocolate Cookie Bears.

I made some bears, but my boys were not into the "cute and cuddly" kind of creations.

Can you spot the axe, bomb, gun, bullet, skull, snakes and snake eggs?

Yes, I have boys!

For the recipe visit The Frugal Girl's blog here: Chocolate Cookie Bears.

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Project 365 Week 13

2011-04-02T00:01:00.002-06:00

March 26 - Deceptively Delicious Cookies

March 27 - Cookie gets a new sweater from some friends.

March 28 - Popcorn and a movie... it is Bond, James Bond!

March 29 - I tried a new barley salad recipe - delicious!

March 30 - The boys play in the pool with their cousin.

March 31 - Joe gets brand new Nintendo 3DS game system... COOL!

April 1 - I get a new short, blonde hairstyle!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

My New Hair!

2011-04-01T13:39:00.000-06:00

Okay, this time it is for real!

I'm thrilled with my new cut and colour! Thanks for sharing your opinions on my search for a new hairstyle. (See that post here!)

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

New Hairstyle: Decision

2011-04-01T00:01:00.001-06:00

I just thought I should share my new hairstyle!

Ha, ha, ha! April Fools!

I'll post later with my REAL final results!

(I look Pretty in Pink though, don't I?!!) Hair style from HairMixer.com.

Have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

Challenging Fear

2011-03-31T00:01:00.001-06:00

I have accepted many challenges this year. One of the challenges from my New Year's Resolutions 2011 is:

7. I resolve to try new things! Things that make me uncomfortable or squeamish. I've never tried sushi, (I don't like fish, somehow RAW fish doesn't sound better!!) or ran a 10k, or ... I don't know I'll have to see what I can come up with!!

So, I've been working on trying new things. Things that make me uncomfortable. It is in this spirit that I said yes to something that TERRIFIES me!

In the fall of 2009 I joined the Community Choir. I like to sing. I am not known for my singing abilities, but I figured, "In the choir, I can just... BLEND!"

photo of me "blending" with the choir last spring

SO MUCH FOR THAT!!!

Last week, our choir director decided we needed a soloist for one section of music. It is ONLY 3 bars. It is ONLY One sentence. That doesn't sound bad, does it? At the wrong moment I happened to look up and make eye contact! (Note: NEVER MAKE EYE CONTACT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO AVOID SOMETHING!!!)

"Alice, how about you?" she said in her irresistible British accent. As my face turns green, somehow I manage to exhale a reluctantly affirmative answer! OMG! What was I getting myself into?

Lets get one thing straight. I don't mind a spotlight, not horribly anyways. I can speak to a group of people. I even manage to seem somewhat relaxed when doing this. BUT...

Singing in public??? That was already a VERY BIG stretch for me! Now they want me to sing... ALL BY MYSELF!!! (Excuse me for a moment while a blow into a paper bag, and try to inhale!)

But apparently some small, very small, somewhat crazy, part of myself figured this is something I can do... so here I go! Now, I will practice like crazy, and do the best job that I possibly can. If I manage to not turn into a pool of jelly, that will be quite the accomplishment!

And if you are sick and twisted, and want to see this torture in person, please... join me on April 30 for our Spring Concert! We are performing a selection of pieces from Andrew Lloyd Webber. The show starts at 7 p.m. at the Whitecourt United Church.

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Menu Planning Week 13

2011-03-30T00:01:00.001-06:00

Last week started out well, but then later in the week a few substitutions were made! The roasted chicken ended up being roasted roosters! (see my Spring? and Population Control post if you are curious) Naturally I made rooster soup next! So this week I'll add the hamburger soup back onto my schedule! Also, when I did my grocery shop last week I forgot my list in the car. That wouldn't have been a problem, except that I was express shopping, in between activities! I only had 20 minutes to shop, and I didn't want to run back out to the car. The only items I forgot were my pizza ingredients, so I did fairly well!

Wednesday- Meatloaf - Requested by Ryan

Thursday- Pea Soup

Friday- Homemade Pizza

Saturday- Gram's Chicken Pot Pie from kraftcanada.com

Sunday- Hamburger Soup - Recipe from The Big Cook Cookbook

Monday- Hamburger Soup Leftovers

Tuesday- Chicken and tortellini

Now, I'll make my grocery list and I'll be set for the week! Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Barley Salad

2011-03-29T13:36:00.000-06:00

There is no hidden meaning here! This is not a post about beer!

I recently was inspired to try making a barley salad. I love barley, and I have had it in a salad before, once, a long time ago. This is not the usual salads in our house, but maybe now it will be!

My recipe was inspired by a couple of recipes I found online. I combined the parts that sounded good.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups dry Pot Barley
3 cups of water to cook barley

1 red pepper, diced
1 pkg. of grape tomatoes (I didn't have these today.)
3 stalks of celery, chopped
2-3 carrots, finely chopped
1 cucumber, chopped (I didn't have this today.)
1 can of niblet corn, with the juice
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
basil
dill
salt and pepper

Directions:
Cook barley in a similar fashion to rice. It should absorb all of the water.
Cut/dice/slam chop all of your ingredients, and mix together with barley.
Chill.
Eat.
Enjoy!

Substitute any vegetables that you like for ones that you don't. If you think it might go, try it! Judging from my boys' empty bowls, and Joe's second helping, my kids like it too!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Hope for Japan

2011-03-28T22:44:00.000-06:00

OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO THE VICTIMS OF THE EARTHQUAKE AND tsunami in Japan, and like so many of you, we’re eager to help. And helping has never been easier!

During April, purchase the exclusive “Hope for Japan” A-size stamp set for the special price of only $5 (retail value $8.75) and Close To My Heart will donate 100% of the profits to the American Red Cross efforts in Japan. This beautifully designed stamp set reminds us of how our hearts are hopeful for those who are in need.

Contact me today to get involved in this heart-worthy cause.

This stamp set is available until April 30, 2011. Please contact me through my website: alice.myctmh.com for any questions or to place an order. Please note that I do not make commission on orders for these sets, as all the profits are being donated. I will be happy to receive your order!

Have a whimsically wonderful day.

Alice.

Deceptively Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-03-27T21:28:00.001-06:00

Today I would like to share a cookie recipe I like. I have made these cookies twice, and I have been very happy with them both times.
Jessica Seinfeld wrote a cookbook called Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food. The main secret in this book is to hide vegetables in otherwise fun foods that kids love. I'm not about to make a bunch of purees to get my kids to eat healthier. Luckily my kids are not that picky of eaters, and they like vegetables. If this was a problem, maybe I would have a different attitude about making purees to hide vegetables!

The "secret" ingredient in these cookies is Chickpeas, aka Garbanzo Beans. Yes, REALLY! And these cookies are delicious.

Deceptively Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup margarine
2 large egg whites
2 tsp. vanilla
1- 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups of flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray pan with cooking spray.

*Alice's edit to the recipe: Puree the chickpeas, using the egg whites. (the original recipe doesn't puree the chickpeas, but that wasn't attractive to me!)

Cream sugar and margarine. Beat in vanilla, chickpeas (now mixed with egg whites) and chocolate chips.

Add flour, oats, baking soda and salt. Mix until a thick dough is formed.

Drop onto baking sheet by the tablespoonful. Bake until the cookies are golden brown and just set, 11 to 13 minutes. Do not overbake. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Store in an airtight container up to 3 days.

I found a caloric breakdown online, click to enlarge:

These may not be the healthiest cookies, but they are COOKIES! I find that the pureed chickpeas make them very soft, and they don't taste like chickpeas at all, they just taste great. Enjoy!

I might try to make these cookies with less margarine, and I could definitely use fewer chocolate chips, this would help with the calorie count! This batch is gone already... thankfully I had company and didn't eat them all myself!

Have a wonderfully whimsical day!
Alice.

Project 365 Week 12

2011-03-26T22:30:00.000-06:00

March 19 - My Shamrock I received from Joanne at our Progressive Dinner.

March 20 - The first day of Spring?

March 21 - Rooster population control.

March 23 - The boys have a tour of the RCMP station, including the squad car!

March 23 - (Bonus photo!) Our little criminal!

I hope you have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

Trying New Things!

2011-03-25T00:01:00.002-06:00

One of my New Year's Resolutions for 2011 was to try new things. I'm proud to say that today I tried a new fruit. It is called dragon fruit.

photo courtesy paytai

The fruit has the consistency of a kiwi, with a sweet but bland flavour. The little black seeds crunch in your teeth the way kiwi seeds do. It isn't my new favourite fruit, but it was okay. I had some of it from a fruit tray, so I'm interested in how they look before they are cut open! I'll have to get one so my boys can try it too!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

New Hairstyle: HELP!

2011-03-24T00:14:00.001-06:00

It's been quite awhile since my last trip to the salon. I am WAY overdue and I'm ready for a new look. In order to plan for this new look I thought I would try out an online hairstyle selector.

I went to HairMixer.com and uploaded this picture of me:

Then you simply choose the hairstyle you would like to try! It was very easy! Here's some of my results!

Reese Witherspoon hair, my face

Kim Cattrall hair, my face

Uma Thurman hair, my face

Meg Ryan hair, my face

I think I'm going BLONDE!!! Any favourites? I could definitely use some advice! My appointment is on April 1, so I have time to decide!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

Menu Planning Week 12

2011-03-23T00:01:00.002-06:00

Here's my menu plan for this week!

Wednesday - left over Shepherd's Pie

Thursday - ham and scalloped potatoes

Friday - Roast Chicken and tortellini

Saturday - homemade pizza

Sunday - hamburger soup

Monday - left over hamburger soup

Tuesday - crock pot roast beef and vegetables

Have a wonderfully whimsical day!
Alice.

Personal Style Intervention Needed Again

2011-03-22T21:44:00.000-06:00

After spending February working on my personal style with the 30 for 30 Challenge, I'm finding that March has been a lot more casual. If you translate 'casual' into: laid back in my lulus and concert t-shirts you will understand what I mean! YIKES!

It is time to get back on track, and work on that style. I would like to find a couple items to add to my wardrobe. I'd like to do this in a smart and calculated way, so first I'll be reviewing a few shopping strategies.

Here are some handy links from wardrobereview.com (a blog I have recently discovered!)

Back to Basics - The Rules

Pattern Mixing 101

Wardrobe Top 10 - Identifying Personal Style

I'll make up a wishlist of items that I could use in my wardrobe, and hopefully I'll get the opportunity to start the search this week!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice

Spring? and Population Control.

2011-03-21T22:14:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was supposed to be the first day of Spring. This is the weather we had yesterday...

So much for Spring! The weather forecast shows that it will snow all week. Oh boy.

Yesterday was also the day our rooster population took a dive. The young roosters were picking on their poor old dad. They had even kicked him out of the chicken coop! (I wouldn't want to live outside in this weather!!) My boys said they would rather keep their old rooster, so the young ones had to go! The boys didn't have to butcher this time, but they did get to help pluck and clean.

WARNING: This post contains photos of chickens being plucked/cleaned. If you don't want to see this, don't scroll any further!

Guess who's having roast chicken this week?!!!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

April Challenge: Come Join Me!

2011-03-20T16:56:00.001-06:00

2011 has been the Year of the Challenge for me! This has been a wonderful experience for me and I'm truly enjoying myself. In order to step up my game a bit I have found a new challenge for April, courtesy of Stuff Jewish Girls Like.

Jewish Girl is recommending Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, a workout DVD. She has done this before and was thrilled with the results, so she's going to do it again and she invites everyone to join in the fun!

For more information about the Challenge go to the Jewish Girls post: A Giveaway to Simultaneously Love and Hate. There is also a give-away of everything you need to do the challenge!!

I'm taking the challenge, I hope you'll be inspired to join me in the fun!
Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Project 365 Week 11

2011-03-19T23:59:00.002-06:00

March 12 - Photo of my Mom and Nephew on his first birthday! Permission to use photo requested.

March 13 - Venice scrapbook page from my Economical Scrapbook Class

March 14 - Me and Kim after Sorority at my house.

March 15 - No photo!

March 16 - Joe polishes his boots for cadets

March 17 - Green chicken for St. Patrick's Day!!!

March 18 - I wonder how big the bathtub for this rubber ducky is!!

March 18 - (Bonus photo for March 15) The boys get ready to load some groceries onto the Stuff a Bus for the local soup kitchen.

Have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

A Fun Idea!

2011-03-18T00:01:00.002-06:00

This year I have been trying all kinds of new challenges, and I just found a really fun idea!

Kaylah from The Dainty Squid posted about taking a photo every hour for one day. I thought this was a very fun idea, so it is on my to-do list for the very near future!

Would you like to document one day of your life? I think I can manage to do this for ONE day, but I would never do it every day!

I hope you have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T00:01:00.001-06:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The day where we all go GREEN and show our support for...

oh...

what IS this day all about?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

FUN!!

I'll be wearing green, cooking green food, drinking green beverages and HAVING FUN!!

Image: free-extras.com

So a Happy St. Patrick's Day to you, and double that if you're Irish!
Alice.

Photos of my "Green Day" to follow soon!

Menu Planning Week 11

2011-03-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

This past week was great. Every meal went exactly as planned! Here's my menu plan for this week.

Wednesday: Pulled pork, green beans and stuffing

Thursday: GREEN supper for St. Patrick's Day... I'll try to post a photo of this one!!

Friday: Stroganoff meatballs

Saturday: Sorority Progressive Dinner: I'll make a chicken dish.

Sunday: Shepherd's Pie

Monday: Shepherd's Pie leftovers

Tuesday: Chicken and pasta

I hope you have a great week!
Alice.

Economical Scrapbooking Class: Projects

2011-03-15T22:42:00.001-06:00

Last week I posted a sneak peek of some photos that I was scrapbooking. Now I will share my layouts! They are from my Economical Scrapbooking Class held on Sunday, March 13, 2011.

All of the products used are available from Close to my Heart. The paper line is called "Bliss". I used photos from our trip to Venice. I still have some finishing touches to do... mostly the journalling, but I thought I'd share the layouts now!

Have a wonderfully whimsical day!

Alice.

A Laugh for You

2011-03-14T23:27:00.003-06:00

I have a joke to share with you today!

A lot of folks can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here in Canada.

Well, there's a very simple answer,
Nobody bothered to check the oil.

We just didn't know we were getting low.

The reason for this is purely geographical.

Our Oil is located in:

ALBERTA
SASKATCHEWAN
BRITISH COLUMBIA
MANITOBA
COASTAL NEW BRUNSWICK
COASTAL NEWFOUNDLAND
Our DIPSTICKS are located in OTTAWA

Any Questions ???
NO ?... Didn't think so.

I hope you have a wonderfully whimsical day!
Alice.

Homeschool Math: The Stock Market

2011-03-13T23:01:00.001-06:00

Today Ryan came to me and told me he would like to buy some more stocks. When he was a toddler he scribbled on a piece of paper and we entered it into the colouring contest at our bank. He won! The prize was 2 shares of The Walt Disney Company. Since then Ryan receives a dividend cheque every year. The cheque is for about 50 cents, but it makes Ryan think about the opportunities for making more money!

Since he would like to buy more stocks I thought we should learn about investing, and dividend stocks. There are some complicated ideas when it comes to investing, however, the idea of compound interest, and making passive income are two ideas that a kid can grasp very easily!

As we begin our study of this we are both learning a lot. Ryan is quite content to listen to me read long passages about stocks, and dividends. He is interested in the content, so that makes it easy. If he wasn't interested this would not be so much fun. This is one of the major benefits of homeschooling. We can focus on the boys' interests, and show them that learning is not just something you do in school.

The math and formulas used in learning about investing are complementary to the math "schooling" we do. Learning in this manner is a wonderful way to learn. (Just like baking and comparison shopping are great complements to fractions.)

When Ryan has finished his stock research I'll pass along his stock choices, and his reasons why he chose those stocks. Perhaps I will create a series that tracks his financial progress.

I hope you let some learning into your life today!
Alice.

Project 365 Week 10

2011-03-12T22:27:00.001-07:00

It's Saturday again, so it is time for the next instalment of my Project 365 photos! If you missed the last one click the Project 365 tab at the top for a link to all of the posts. The goal of Project 365 is simple: take a candid photo every day for a year! The photos can be of anything, people, places, activities or objects. The photos will tell a story about the interesting tidbits of your life for a whole year. If this sounds like fun to you, join in! This project does not need to be started on January 1, you can start any date, your birthday, anniversary or today!

March 5 - Scrapbooking at the Legion event in Mayerthorpe.

March 8 - Cookie does the pre-wash cycle.

March 9 - Joe 'On Parade' at cadets... first night in his uniform!

March 10 - Mmmm...

March 11 - Ryan gets dressed in the 'Bomb Jacket' at the army base.

March 11 - Joe tried out the 'Bomb Jacket' at the army base. (Bonus photo for missing other days!)

March 11 - The kids thought the army vehicles were great... until they got to spin in the turret... then they were AWESOME! (Bonus photo!)

Sneak peek!

2011-03-11T00:45:00.000-07:00

Would you like to know what I'm scrapbooking right now? Here's a little sneak peek!

Do you know where we were? (photos from November of 2009)

I'll post the very obvious answer with my scrapbook layouts next week!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Cat Lover?

2011-03-10T22:19:00.001-07:00

I'm not exactly a cat person. When I was a kid we had some outside kitties, but we never had a house cat. I did dream of having one of those adorable white fluffy kittens from the toilet paper commercial, but fortunately that dream was never realized.

One of my favourite authors... possibly my favourite... depends on the day, is Jen Lancaster, author of Bitter is the New Black, (my review here) and some other awesome, amazingly fantastic books. She has a blog called jennsylvania and she tends to post absolutely hilarious things about her life. Jen loves dogs and cats, and has a few of each. This is her most recent blog post. I dare you to read this and try not to laugh!

The Drawer of Shame and Other Assorted Oddities

Have a wonderful, laughter-filled day!
Alice.

Menu Planning Week 10

2011-03-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

Another week of menu plans! Here's what we'll be eating this week. It is amazing how easy grocery shopping has become, now that I do this simple task of planning our weekly meals.

Wednesday - Corn Chowder

Thursday - Corn Chowder left overs!

Friday - Crock Pot Roast with vegetables

Saturday - Dinner at my nephew's first birthday

Sunday - Beef Stew

Monday - Sweet and Sour Meatballs and rice

Tuesday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

Have yourself a wonderfully whimsical day!
Alice.

Reading: Painless

2011-03-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago I downloaded a free copy of Painless into my iBooks on my iPhone. Painless is the first published novel by Derek Ciccone and is available as an ebook purchase from Smashwords here, or from Amazon.ca here.

I was fairly new to the iBook format, and in the 'free' section I mostly found classic stories, not much for modern fiction. I downloaded Painless and didn't start reading it right away. When I finally started reading, I was disappointed that I had waited so long!

Painless is the story of Billy Harper, a struggling writer, who rents a guest house from Chuck and Beth Whitcomb. As part of the rental arrangements he agrees to babysit four-year-old Carolyn Whitcomb. As Bill warms to "princess" Carolyn's winsome ways, he soon discovers that Carolyn is not your normal four-year-old little girl.

The plot is complicated by a covert military organization which takes an interest in Carolyn's interesting ability/disability. Billy soon finds himself on the run, trying to protect Carolyn from this dangerous threat.

I found this story to be captivating right from the start. The characters are interesting, and flawed, just like real people. I found myself laughing at the cute things Carolyn said, and fascinated by Carolyn's special ability. Carolyn's 'ability' became a major issue for contemplation while reading this book. I found myself constantly trying to imagine what life would have been like for Carolyn, or for the people that love her.

I would highly recommend this book! Painless by Derek Ciccone will keep you reading and get you thinking, and that makes a great book!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!
Alice.

Flight Test

2011-03-07T22:02:00.000-07:00

Today Jonas went for his Flight Test... his second last step on his way to getting his Private Pilot's License. He did an awesome job! He got 96%. The examiner said that is the highest mark he has ever given out! Congratulations Jonas, I'm so proud of you... I can't wait until you are finished and we can go flying!

Have a wonderfully whimsical day,
Alice.

Reading: The Secret Garden

2011-03-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a classic children's novel. I'm not sure that I would have enjoyed this story as a child, however as an adult I found it a very captivating story. Some of the language, mainly the "York accent" would have been off-putting to me as a kid. As an adult however, I found it intriguing.

I really enjoyed the way the secret of the garden captivates the imagination of all who hear about it. I love the strong-willed little Mary, who does not understand how to "fit" into regular societal norms due to her unusual upbringing in India.

I love how so many perceptions in the story are actually realized to be misperceptions. I love how the garden is kept somewhat wild and unruly, while still tended with love. I think this book has a lot to love.

If you have never ready The Secret Garden I would definitely recommend it. When you are done reading it, go straight into The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. (My review here.) Having just read The Secret Garden, I realize how important it is to read before reading Kate Morton's wonderful book. I wish I had read it first. I might reread The Forgotten Garden now that I know this story.

Happy reading!
Alice.

Project 365 Week 9

2011-03-05T00:01:00.002-07:00

It's Saturday again, so it is time for the next instalment of my Project 365 photos! If you missed the last one click the Project 365 tab at the top for a link to all of the posts. The goal of Project 365 is simple: take a candid photo every day for a year! The photos can be of anything, people, places, activities or objects. The photos will tell a story about the interesting tidbits of your life for a whole year. If this sounds like fun to you, join in! This project does not need to be started on January 1, you can start any date, your birthday, anniversary or today!

February 26 - The Red Velvet Cake I made for my dad's birthday.

February 27 - The beautiful bathroom in my scrapbook room.

February 28 - He sleeps.

March 1 - Joe tries to get Cookie to pose for a photo.

March 2 - Joe in his new Air Cadet uniform.

March 3 - Making brownies at midnight.

"Photo of my nephew chewing on a toy dino"

March 4 - Babysitting "Nephew" today was fun!

(photo withheld as permission has not been requested yet)

I am FINALLY catching up my scrapbook, so the update will come soon!

Have a whimsically wonderful day!

Alice.

In Pursuit of Happiness

2011-03-04T00:01:00.001-07:00

This weekend I plan to spend time doing things that I love. Since this will be such a happy time for me I thought I would share some wonderful quotes about happiness. My favourite part about these particular quotes is that they all depend on you. Enjoy!

If you want to be happy, be. ~Leo Tolstoy

Happiness is never stopping to think if you are. ~Palmer Sondreal

Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone stark raving mad. ~Norm Papernick

What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner. ~Colette

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet. ~James Openheim

There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second. ~Logan Pearsall Smith, Afterthoughts, 1931

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. ~Abraham Lincoln

Ask yourself whether you are happy and you cease to be so. ~John Stuart Mill,Autobiography, 1873

If you are not happy here and now, you never will be. ~Taisen Deshimaru

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. ~Joseph Addison

On the whole, the happiest people seem to be those who have no particular cause for being happy except that they are so. ~William R. Inge

All quotes from: http://www.quotegarden.com/happiness.html

I hope you have a happy, wonderful day!
Alice.