Organized at last!

Bet you all thought I meant my house was organized after the move... well, no, unfortunately, the house is still in shambles, but my life is one step closer to being organized now that my organizer is all complete (see how many fun things you can do while avoiding work).

I posted a few pics of my organizer before when it was bare bones. Here's what it looks like now. I'm quite happy with it. I think it will be functional and inspiring.





















So each section is divided by my handy tab dividers and has a photo that I love or is of a special memory. Each divider has a pocket on both sides that I stuck a tag in with a quote that I like or that motivates me.

Also, there are four sections... a day-timer, layout planner, layout idea list, and a to-do list. The last three are a free download from Creating Keepsakes magazine. Very handy I must say!

Unfortunately, my organizer will not help me plan around everything that comes up...Being married to an RCMP officer doesn't lend itself to much regularity.
My hubby has been out all night and all day at a big accident here and I'm sure could use some sleep....Hopefully, he'll be able to come home soon.

Be careful on the roads if you're driving anywhere.

One last chance to win...

So, I still have no internet at home, which is a real pain in the butt, I must say. The mountains and seclusion of Lake Louise were a lot more enjoyable when I had all of my connections to the outside world.

Hopefully, the internet and satellite should be hooked up in the next couple of days, which means I can catch up on world events and emails and TV shows that I've been missing out on. Luckily, I can stay somewhat in touch at work on my breaks.

So, as I'm feeling deprived without my technology... my last question for you in the chance to win a $50 gift certificate to the Scrapbook Savvy Mountian Retreat follows.

What is the one thing that you can't live without? Would you be lost without your internet like me or is it the phone or TV or your Cricut or something entirely different that keeps you sane?

I've been tagged...

Recently I received a comment from a friend of mine and fellow design team member from Concealed Beauty, Lisa. Typically, I don't really do these, but this seemed interesting and it's Monday, so here goes. It's called the middle-name game and here are the rules:

1. You have to post the rules before you give your answers.
2. You must list one fact about yourself beginning with each letter of your middle name. (If you don't have a middle name, use your maiden name). After you are tagged, you need to update your blog with your answers.
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and that they need to read your blog for details.)

So here's my answers: Dawn is my middle name...

Dedicated
Artistic
Witty
Neurotic

and because my name is only four letters long, I only have to tag four people.... so, I'll tag a few of my favourite bloggers, Leica, Janine, Trisha, and Aimee and see what their take on the middle name game is.

I'm back... finally

Well, there are a lot of perks to life in the mountains, but one of the downsides is poor internet connections... Unfortunately, I've been without internet for nearly a week, so I've got a lot of catching up to do.

Here are some images of the match book I showed before. This is what it looks like put together. If anyone wants instructions, drop me a line and I'll explain how I did it. Also, I had a photo of the cover, but it has vanished on me...







I inked the edges with some Ranger Distress Ink in antique wood to make it a little more manly... it's still quite pink, oh well that's the colour of the day, right? Besides the ink and a few staples to hold it together, this was done entirely digitally.. if I feel ambitious, I may spruce it up with a few traditional scrapping elements.

Also, another digi layout I did quick with products from Shabby Princess and Two Peas in a Bucket.


Sorry about the bit of white border, don't know where that came from.

I'll add the journaling after I print it and voila! Done!

Digital Inspirations

While I will never entirely give up paper scrapbooking, I like to experiment in the digital world.

I'm going to focus on the things you can do digitally in the next few posts.

Here's a matchbook album I made for my hubby for Valentines Day (actually, it started out as something for Brad and now that I'm seeing just how pink it is, I may have to rethink that).



This is the cover. Hopefully, you can see how it will be folded...




(Click on the images to see them larger)

Can you tell how it goes together? Tune in later in the week to see what it looks like printed out and put together. I'll also include step by step instructions on how to create your own matchbook album.

The best part is it's quick and easy.

The matchbook was made from a digital kit from Scrap Girls LLC.

So... today's question is: Have you taken the plunge into digital?

Here are some other great sites that have free digital downloads for scrapbooking:

Two Peas in a Bucket

The Shabby Princess

Simple Scrapbooks Magazine

Scrapbook Savvy Mountain Retreats Give Away!!!

So? Are you registered yet? It's gonna be good!

Make sure to sign up soon to ensure a spot.

For those who have signed up, I have a little treat for you. Over the next two weeks, I'll be posting questions on my blog entries. Leave a comment on the blog with your answers for your chance to win a $50 gift certificate for the retreat!! It can be used for the retreat package or classes, your call.

Since it's only good for retreat attendees, (and I want to make sure it will get used) I will be choosing commenters who are registered for the retreat.

Want to come, but not signed up yet? The contest will be going on for two weeks, so there's still time to register. Just be sure that your spot is confirmed before Jan. 31 to be eligible, and make sure to leave comments!

The first question: What project(s) are you working on right now?

Skiing in Lake Louise

I love seeing the sun stay out a little longer each day. So refreshing to add a little light to the day.

With the longer days, I can be a little more creative in my afterwork dog walking.

Lately I've taken the dog for a quick cross country ski after work. It's a bit more of a workout and more stimulating than plodding through the snow.







He loves it, I love it, why didn't I think of this before? Of course there's time for a quick ski before supper.

I should know by now, you just have to make time.

A few new projects and what moving looks like

Here are a few projects I've been working on lately.

I made this book on my scrapbooking excursion last week with the help of a Zutter Bind-It-All. I love this tool and am working out a way to make it mine....





As soon as I unpack my ink cartridges, I'm going to add calendars and make it a day planner. I also need to add riboons to all of the tags.... I'll blow everyone's plain jane boring black organizers out of the water this year!

This is an exploding gift box I made for my grandparents. I used each square to represent a grandchild and why they thought gramma and grampa were so special.



It turned out pretty well, but it kills me not to have everything on hand to embellish it...

And... the reason I really shouldn't be scrapbooking..... this is what it looks like to move....



How great is this? They returned all of our electronic items cords in a box like this....crap! I could never remember what goes where, but Brad seems to think he can. I hope so.

This is our fabulous bed.....we've since gotten our actual bed returned, so our backs are much better.



And the boxes.... gotta love all of the boxes.





The best part? The return all of our clothes on hangers, in dry-cleaning bags. My pj's have never seen it so good!

Check it out, I'm on a Design Team!

Check out the Concealed Beauty designers here
and visit my challenge in the forum for a chance to win some goodies from CB.

If you're not a member of the group, you may have to sign up to see the site. Sign up! It's worth it.

Days away....

I had such an enjoyable past two days.

I met up with my mom, aunt Rhonda, and cousin Katelyn for a day of scrapbooking. What a great day! We got a bunch of stuff done, tried some new tools, and had a great visit. Now I think next time we need an entire week set aside somewhere.....

Then, I went to visit my grandparents, who are celebrating birthdays and their anniversary this month, with my mom. We played cards and visited all night. I won't mention who won, all that matters is that we had fun.(Okay, I lost. Over and over...)

The next morning we woke up and headed out for some shopping!! My hubby met us for a bit and we came home with a ton of lute including a new washer and dryer! (Actually we didn't come home with it, but we ordered it). I feel old, but this is really exciting to me, and to Brad, who does most of the laundry.

I can't wait to get it. At the moment, everything we own is quite clean thanks to a fire and some dedicated cleaners, but give me a new washer and things might need a little extra scrub.

Tomorrow I'll post some pics of the organizer I made during our scrapathon and some other little things I'm working on.

Let it snow!

What a great ski day, it was today. I quite enjoyed waking up to a foot plus of powder on one of my days off. It's one of those ski days where you come back exhausted because there was SO MUCH powder. Not bragging or anything, but seriously... you missed out if you weren't up there.

This is the view from our back yard. Keep in mind the fence is a little over 4 feet usually.





I wish you could have seen my car before I brushed it off. It was piled high!

Our neighbour just came over to play with Bailey and this is what he looked like when he came back.....





He sounds like he's wearing snowpants as he walks around the house. Crinkle. Crinkle. Crinkle. He's got snowballs matted in his fur the size of my fist.

What a dog.

Christmas shots

Well, I've finally gotten around to looking at our Christmas pictures (taken with my NEW Christmas present, a Sony Cyber-shot).

Christmas at Lorne's in Calgary with the Higginsons, Malackos, Pankonins, and Mills', which includes three big dogs, 1 little dog and a nervous cat....busy household.

You may have noticed I'm the star of the show... my hubby really liked the camera, too. Funny thing was, we both got each other point and shoot digitals for Christmas but decided that one was enough. Great minds think alike.

And the crowning glory of the family, Brad's brother, Broc singing Ice, Ice Baby. That's right. Vanilla Ice... You may want to turn off the slideshow music so you hear this, just click on the little grey volume box by the snowman.



Who needs a TV in the car when you've got Broc to entertain?

Things I love in 2008...

These are a few of my favourite things.....

(you're lucky you can't hear me, I sound better in writing)

I'm loving Canada's scrapbooking magazines. Way to go Canada for trumping our neighbours to the south! In my opinion, these two magazines are right up there with the best!

Canada's newest scrapbooking magazine, Scrapbook and Cards Today posts a FREE (you heard me) free issue on their website each season and if you prefer a paper copy, the only cost for subscribing are the shipping fees. What a bargain!

Canada's first scrapbooking magazine, Canadian Scrapbooker has been inspiring me for two years now and is currently one of my favourite reads. The best part, the co-founder and editor, Jackie Ludlage will be at the Scrapbook Savvy Mountain Retreat this spring teaching.

Scrapbooking companies I love include:

Maya Road - they have the best chipboard products and even supply free printables to fit any size of book you're making. They have journal pages, address book pages, day timers and organizer printables all here

I love the rub ons from Basic Grey and Luxe Designs.

I also love the jotters and the transparencies from Luxe.

Prima makes the best flowers, which I've been using a lot of lately. I also like their new crystals. They are perfect for adding that finishing touch to layouts.

Tools I love:

The Zutter Bind-It-All has definitely caught my eye. This may be something I have to get myself for a little after Christmas gift!

Speaking of Christmas, I recently got a Silent Setter from Provo Craft for Christmas (actually, I haven't got it yet, but I'm patiently awaiting it). I have big plans for it. I like it because there's no hammers involved, it's quiet, hence the name, and you can use it anywhere, you never have to worry about it not being able to reach.

Best places to find inspiration:

I may be biased, but Concealed Beauty is a great site with amazing monthly kits and a great forum. Stop in for a chat.

I find the Prima Blog very inspiring. I could spend hours pouring over their layouts and love to see the tips and techniques they showcase.

I love catching up on Leica Forrest's life and seeing her amazing layouts on her blog. Check it out. You'll add her to your favourites.

Another favourite is Two Peas in a Bucket. I love perusing their gallery and seeing what everyone's working on.

All in all, I have a long list of favourites and I'm sure I'll add more as I peruse the stores and shop online this year. I'm excited for the things to come

Hello 2008!!

Wow, I can't believe it's all ready 2008!

All things considered I thought 2007 was great. Can't wait for 2008.

Here's the highlight reel:

December - a house fire, Christmas, and making the Concealed Beauty Design Team
November - celebrating Bailey's second birthday, meeting up with my e-mail workout group for the first time, and taking a shopping trip with my mom, aunt, and grandma
October - celebrating two years of marriage, Crystal and Ryan's wedding, and taking a work trip to Vancouver where I got to visit family
September - Our third annual salsa making weekend and attending the Canadian Scrapbooking Crop for the Kids in Edmonton with my mom
August - camping at Wasa Lake with Broc and Steph, boating with Dianne and Anders in their new boat and two new National Historic Site events
July - slopitch games in Lake Louise every week, 24 Hours of Adrenaline, and the Benedict's 2nd Annual Lake O'Hara Weekend
June - a Calgary trip with the Benedicts, Gramma B's birthday celebration, and a Kalispell trip with the girls
May - a ceremony at the Lougheed Block in Calgary
April - Easter and a MAK weekend to Edmonton
March - my birthday, a work conference in Camrose my parents met me at, Lorne's housewarming, and Nicole's play
February - Brad's birthday and Shannon and Jonathan's wedding
January - wow, that was a long time ago.... a scrapbooking day with mom and Ronnika

Busy year!

Now I'm just adding dates to my new calendars and scheduling things in for another year.

Did you make any resolutions for the new year? I suppose I posted mine earlier, but I have a few of the usuals that I'm keeping in mind:

I would like to be more creative, stay active, travel, and spend more time with friends and family (How unoriginal, I know).

I would love to hear about your resolutions and any excitement you had in 2007.