New Mickey Mouse double page layout

I finally got around to finishing this double page Mickey Mouse layout.
The layout can be viewed here:

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28353948

Here are some pics, I would love your feedback.




Cheers

Etsy Seller Feature - Sweets

I have to tell you it is not the smartest thing to search Etsy's food sellers when you are hungry, everything looked so good!!
However I have to say that the following two sellers really stood out to me and I hope you can take a minute to check them out. Everything looked scrumptious :)
I have to put a small disclaimer out there, I have not tried anything that I am featuring but do plan to in the near future.

Let's start with chocolate, mmmmmmmmm

Bliss Candies - http://www.blisscandies.etsy.com/
The selection in this shop is superb and I promise if you go in with a sweet tooth your wallet will be a little lighter.
Cookies, candies, caramels, cupcakes, even Vegan Sweets. What is perfect about this shop is that if you can't decide they have a nibbler box with a little bit of everything.
These are just two of my favorites:

Cookie Dough Truffles - can you imagine these two together, I sure can and my thighs are saying noooooooooooooo. Absolutely awesome!

Jumbo Salted PISTACHIO Nut and Caramel Turtles - ok so here is my favorite chocolate with my favorite nut added again the combination of the two is brilliant!
You have to check these out for yourself.

This weekend they have put together a CARAMEL SAMPLER of their newest flavors-Sweet & Spice Ginger, Toasted Coconut, Vanilla Hazelnut, Orange Creamsicle, and Traditional Vanilla. This sampler is available for THIS WEEKEND ONLY! Be sure to check it out.

Loris Place - http://www.lorisplace.etsy.com
If you are in need of a cookie as a favor for a party, wedding, special event, or just because you deserve it then be sure to check out this shop. The cookie designs I came across here are just amazing, so detailed and vibrant.
I can't imagine anyone not being super impressed to receive such a cookie at a party.

Here are my two favorites:

I would love if you took a visit to these shops you definitely would not be disappointed.

Cheers

New custom page layout auction listed

Do you find that you have more pictures than time these days??? Well if this is the case then be sure to check out the auction I have running right now.


It is for 20 custom scrapbook pages for the low starting auction price of just $0.99 cents (no reserve on this listing)

The listing contains examples of my past work. I love working with others bring their pictures to life and take great pride in the end result.


20 page custom listing - just $0.99 cents
http://www.http//members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=kriskropmemories

You can also check out my work (Mickey Mouse and Goofy layouts coming this week) at my Etsy shop, http://www.kriskropmemories.etsy.com/
Thanks for looking and happy scrapping!


Cheers

Phew! What an awesome weekend!

What a wonderful weekend we had. I have to first say I didn't accomplish anything scrapbook/card related like I had wanted but I really didn't mind because this last weekend are the ones I live for. All about Family!

When I left for work on Friday morning I asked Rory to really think about what he wanted to do on Saturday. He was going to some ball games on Sunday so I knew that Saturday was the only day for quite a while that we would have as a family. What normally happens is we wake up on Saturday and then sit there for hours trying to figure out what to do, by the time we have decided on something most of the day is done, didn't want that happening on Saturday.

Rory isn't a lake person so that wasn't an option, I didn't want anything inside as the weekend was gorgeous so it down to two things to be decided Friday night. The Othello tunnels (none of us had been before) or a full day trip to Sequim WA (they were having their Lavender festival this weekend and they have a really fun drive through animal park (the kids and I have done it and it was a blast, now we want to show Dad)).

We decided on the Othello Tunnels as they were a little closer, Sequim is really something that has to be planned a bit as there is the border and ferries to take into consideration.

So the Othello Tunnels, neither of us had been there so we really didn't know what to expect. Do you know how sometimes you get excited to check out something new and then it's a total bust well this wasn't the case today. Back in 1915 (I believe this was when they were built) 5 tunnels were created through this mountainous area of B.C., it is my understanding the rock was granite and that due to the terrain the man responsible for the tunnels was told there was no way he would get this done, but....he did. They are no longer used for train transport so know they have become part of a provincial park and you can walk through these 5 tunnels. The tunnels are very dark and cool, which is great for a hot sunny day. They are connected also by two bridges that go over the Coquihalla River, the kids loved it and so did the parents. We finished the day with a linner (Trevs word for lunch/dinner) at Red Robin.

If you are ever in the area (Coquihalla Hwy enroute to Merritt B.C.) be sure to check them out, definitely a great pit stop while travelling.

Ok so that was Saturday. Like I said earlier Rory was going to watch some ball, there was a tournament at a park close by to see who would go to Provincials and they eventually off to Little League World series. So I decided to get together with my Mom and spend the day with her and the kids, again it was a beautiful day so it was definitely an outside day, mmmmm what to do. Well since Mom was having us all over for dinner she mentioned she wanted a blueberry or raspberry pie for dessert so I got to thinking, why not pick the berries and make the pie ourselves so that's what we did.

Off to a berry farm in the Fraser Valley to pick blueberries, at first the kids weren't too excited. Trevor actually made a comment like this is going to be boring but after a few minutes they were both so in to it, it was really cute. Brendan kept getting mad at my Mom because she would throw in berries that were still a little pink, I made sure they understood the concept of a blueberry, not a green berry or pink berry and Brendan took this talk VERY seriously. We picked about 4lbs of blueberries and then we were off to my Moms to make a pie.

The kids helped with the vanilla pudding and then had a blast throwing the berries on the pie. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the pie and we did a good job eating it all up. Returned home with some tired kids and an exhausted Mom around 8 p.m. which is why nothing crafty was done.


I was hoping to get some done on Monday night but my other summer indulgence was on t.v. and it's almost over for the season so I had to watch the Men Tell All!!!

Cheers

Newest contest I have stumbled upon

And guess what it's not craft related. So if you have a Dora the Explorer fan be sure to check out this link, the contest winner gets this.....

http://snipsandsnailsboutique.blogspot.com/2009/07/dora-explorer-tricycle-giveaway.html


Cheers

With the middle of the month come some new things for this blog. As always it will be both about my family and my crafting/business ventures but I am going to add a few regular features to the blog as well.

Last week I started and Etsy feature, showcasing a few different Etsy sellers. This will be a regular feature, I am hoping to do this every Thursday (it will be done once a week for sure if not on Thursday), and it will always have a theme. Watch for tomorrows feature, Food is the theme, mmmmmm :)

As you can see from my last post I forwarded on info about a contest to check out from another blog I follow. This will be something I do on a more regular basis as who doesn't love contests! I promise they won't always be about craft themed items but it will probably swing this way a bit more than not. This won't be done on any particular day, just as I come across them. I have never included things like this here and think it's time to start. If you come across any fun contests I would love to hear about them

Now of course the plan is to try to post daily and to include a piece of work I have completed, it is definitely a good plan but...well life sometimes gets in the way of a good plan. Anyway I will definitely be trying my best for this as well.

Finally I will be having a monthly contest here on the blog, not sure just yet on any of the particulars, I will keep you posted.

So those are just a few of the changes coming, it is my goal to build this blog to a fun community where we can share thoughts and common ideas so there will be more as I figure out how to do this.

On a completely different note I did complete a new card last night titled You're A Star. I will be loading this into my etsy shop tonight.





The goal tonight after taking the kids out bike riding/scootering and mowing the lawn is to complete a Mickey Mouse double page layout, can she do it?? lol...find out tomorrow


Cheers

BLOG CANDY EXTRAVAGANZA!!!

If you are into cardmaking, stamping, or scrapbooking then definitely check out this link for an awesome contest.
The items are adorable and beautiful so be sure to take a peek and follow the instructions, entries close today.
http://crissysartnheart.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-candy-extravaganza-plus-sneak.html

Here is just one of the items included:

The planning stages - USA roadtrip

For years now I have wanted to take a cross county road trip, across the USA. I know as a Canadian I should want to see my country but I have to be honest and say not really, lol.

I have driven from Vancouver to Winnipeg and do plan to include parts of Ontario and the Maritimes in this road trip so I have covered quite a bit of this huge country.

Now when I say I am planning you have to be aware that this is for probably just under 2 years away, given that Brendan has only just turned 4 I want to be sure that he will at least remember some of it. I have found that Trevor really doesn't have many real memories of the trip we took to New York when he was 5 but anything after that he does so I am hoping the same will be true for Brendan.

Also although I don't plan to plan every second of every day I do like to travel with itineraries, without them I just find my family goes around and around in circles. This type of itinerary will (without taking over my life) take quite a bit of time to complete and I want to be sure that we get the most out of each place we visit.


Here is the quick itinerary I have put together, now this is only as detailed as cities at this time but if you can think of any major places I am missing or any awesome places in the cities listed that you don't think we should miss I would love your feedback. I do have it ending in L.A. as we have done that leg of the trip so many times already that I believe this will be the place we fly home from, only after visiting with Mickey of course.


Niagara Falls
Ottawa
Montreal
Quebec City
Moncton, NB
Charlottetown
Halifax
Boston
Providence
New York City
Philadelphia
Atlantic City
Washington D.C.
Norfolk VA
Savannah
Orlando Fl
Memphis
Nashville
Louisville
Chicago
Minneapolis
Rapid City
Yellowstone
Salt Lake City
Grand Canyon
San Diego
Anaheim

We are hoping to have at least 45 days to do this, like I said just in the early planning stages but I love planning trips.

Where did the weekend go!

Where did the weekend go??? It felt as if Friday evening arrived and then poof it was Sunday night. We did have a great weekend, the weather was comfortable which is always nice for Rory as the heat just wears him down.

The boys let me sleep in on Saturday which was a nice treat but boy does it ever throw the day off balance , I think this is one reason it felt as if the weekend was going so fast.

On Saturday we packed up the kids to take them to a place here in Langley called Critter Care. This is a non-profit place that takes in orphaned deer, bear, skunks, raccoons, opossum, basically if it has legs and no Mom it's in :)

Once a year they have an open house to teach people what they do there and to raise money. I had planned on doing this for about a week but honestly had no idea the number of people that were there and planning just like I. So unfortunately we didn't get to take the tour because it was 1 1/2 hour wait and we had to go to a birthday party. We did have lunch, make our donation, the boys played in a fire truck and we watched a dog dancing show (still not really sure what the point of that was)

Following Critter Care we went to my sil's birthday party. The kids were able to swim and it was a great day/evening. We didn't get home until midnight so you can imagine we did pay for this on Sunday but it was worth it as everyone had fun!



On Sunday I completed a 2 page layout that I will be listing sometime today. I'm not sure if it's because I don't normally work with pink (two boys not a lot a pink happening, lol) but I just don't feel this one, thinking like I said it's just the color, it throws me off.

I have some cards and tags on the go tonight but of course only to be done after watching the Bachelorette, for those of you that watch I must say I was very relieved that she got rid of Wes, what a snake!!!

Anyway I hope to have those new cards listed tomorrow and sometime this week there will be an Etsy food seller feature, can't wait to do that, so many great items available.

Etsy artist feature - July 9th

Way back when I started this blog I was doing a regular feature of really awesome Etsy artists and would like to start this up again. So once a week I will be doing an Etsy artist feature, it may be just one or a few and I hoping to always show different themes. This week there isn't a theme as I am just getting back into it, actually strike that, the theme this week is that they are all great with unique items to showcase :)
So here it goes, I would love for you to take a look and support these wonderful sellers.

Valentine Photography
http://www.valentinephotography.etsy.com/

This Etsy seller has some of the most beautiful photographs I have seen. All different types of themes including landscapes, flowers, bees & butterflies, and much more. This shop even features free shipping to anywhere in the US.

Here are just a couple examples of the beautful work to be found:

Sasha Sews
http://www.sashasews.etsy.com/

Here is a relatively new seller to Etsy but one with great talent! I love the idea of sewing but have never been able to get it, not sure why, but this seller sure does get it! Bags are the passion here and they are beautiful. So if you are looking for a new bag be sure to check out this seller.

d'Pholk Designs
http://www.dpholkdesigns.etsy.com/

Finally this last seller I am featuring this week has items I would love to fill my home with. All beautiful and wonderfully unique. This shop has a great blend of Fused Glass and decorative art.
So if you are ever in need of a wedding gift, Christmas gift, or a just because I deserve something beautiful be sure to visit this shop, I am sure you will find something that is perfect!
This seller also offers free shipping to the US and Canada on the fused glass pendants.

So again I would love you to check these sellers out, it is always great to support small business and handmade!

Cheers

The MRI and a new card, a great day!

So we were off to Childrens Hospital in Vancouver at 6:30 this morning, right in the middle of rush hour. I used to do this commute every day and I can't tell you how happy I am to no longer have to drive an hour + to work.


Anyway we arrived at 8:15 and were advised that since the day was fully booked with kids getting MRI's that Trevor would literally only have about 5 minutes to prove he could stay still long enough to get this done without sedation. I know I was probably overreacting regarding the sedation but I really didn't want this done if it didn't need to be done.



He is in there for the first few tests that were about 30 seconds long and he was doing fine, then they moved up to a two minute test, I am sitting there watching him twitch and move and thought we were done (the cranky nurse made me think so too, the first cranky nurse/doctor I have encountered at Childrens). They gave him a second chance and he was a star, for the next 30 minutes he was as still as a statue so we were out of the hospital at 9:30, couldn't believe it, I was so proud of him!! The best part was that we were told that if they saw anything alarming they would tell us there and then, we walked out of the test and nobody wanted to talk so I am very relieved.


Thank you for everyones thought and prayers, really appreciated.


I was productive last night as well, I put together another card that I have listed on Etsy (http://www.kriskropmemories.etys.com/)


I saw this Lemon paper at the store and this card just popped into my head. Love to know what you think.

I will be working on an Etsy feature tonight (after Big Brother) so be sure to check back tomorrow!

Cheers

Birthdays and more

Well I would like to start off with a very belated Happy Fourth of July for all my American friends. I had every intention of doing a post with fireworks and more but we were also having a party here and I got behind in everything I was doing.


Brendan had his 4th birthday party on the 4th and we had a great time with family. He is so sweet, every gift he opened he screams out "it's just what I always wanted!!", for some a few seconds later he would ask what it was, but it's just what he wanted, lol.


Here is my favorite pic from the day. Unfortunately not many pictures turned out because my sister was taking the pictures with my camera and I have no idea what setting she had it on but they are mostly blurry. I can't say anything though because I was taping the celebration only to realize later in the evening that I forgot to press record, this is why taping is Rorys job!



and one I love with the both boys, a little blurry

So tomorrow is a big day for us. It was about a year ago when Trevor had his seizure. After having an EEG it was determined that he needed to have an MRI as well, he was put on the list and one year later here we are. It takes so long because kids need to be sedated to do the MRI and so not many can be done each day. The sedation does make me nervous so Rory asked the hospital if it would be possible to try without sedation first, we will find out tomorrow.

I had promised an Etsy artist review for last Friday and mmmmmmmm, yep not done, this is the plan for tomorrow. I also have a new card to list in my shop so depending on what time we get home tomorrow I am hoping to have it done before dinner.

Last but definitely not least my summer guilty pleasure starts tomorrow, yep that's right I am a huge BIG BROTHER fan and cannot wait to see it so I am sure over the next few weeks there may be some Big Brother chatter.

Cheers!

How I imagine it would be...

When I was younger without children I used to dream of what it would be like to have a family. Rory and I wanted kids from very early on but we had to go through quite a few tests and years before we were able to get pregnant. We were actually told we would not be able to have kids so after spending the baby savings I became pregnant, Trevor was challenging us even then :)

Anyway where am I going with this you ask...well I dreamed of all the big things regarding kids, like Christmas, Disneyland, birthdays and more, but most especially it was the little things (family time) that I dreamed of and today was one of those days. Started off uneventful, actually not true, I slept in (needing a new alarm clock), I came home for lunch and Trevor was all over me, hugs and kisses, really weird for him but I love it. Anyway after I came home from work started preparing dinner (can't say what because it was really bad,meaning it was really good,lol), we all sat down talking about our day, this is really important to me the family dinner. Then we all played outside, Trev in the pool, Brendan using the sprinkler and us watching on enjoying their every laugh.
After drying them off I thought we would just sit around waiting for bedtime to come about but instead Rory suggested we all play Wii together, and what fun. Brendan kicks my you know what but the kids thought it was so cool that Mom was playing, Mom never plays.....I can't tell you how many times they asked "do you like the game Mom", or "this is how you do it Mom", and "good try" (yeah I suck!!). I am hoping that these are the memories the boys take from our family one day when it's time for them to raise families because honestly these are the types of memories I have of my childhood and they always put a smile on my face.

I finished my first pre-made layout in quite a while, I have some pictures here but I will be taking better ones tomorrow (better light is needed) before adding it to my Etsy shop.
Titled Cool in the Pool, here are some pics. The next on the list will have butterflies.

Cheers

Happy Canada Day!!!

Happy Canada Day to all that are Canadian.
I was thinking a holiday in the middle of the week was going to kind of suck :) however I think it was great, work two days, one day off, work two days, two days off, a great schedule!

We had an excellent day today as a family. Even though I know Rory wanted to be glued to the sports channels as the free agent market for hockey opened today I think he realized just how important it was for us to spend the day together. First stop was lunch to a new restaurant (actually new to us but not the community), it was so cute, a train theme which Brendan just loved.

Then we were off to Science World (pictured above). If you are ever in Vancouver and have children I highly recommend a visit here. The kids had a blast and I love that every exhibit is hands on for them to learn. We spent about three hours there before the lights and noise started getting to Rory. We took a quick walk around the outside of Science World to take a look at the Olympic Village they are still building, looked fantastic.

We arrived home to an invitation to Rorys brothers place for a bbq and some Wii. So back on the freeway, picked up Rorys Mom and headed for a free dinner, I love free dinners :) , just kidding it was great. So all in all we had a wonderful Canada Day. The only weird thing is that it feels like Saturday, so going to work tomorrow seems strange, crazy how a small change in your schedule can put you so off.

p.s. I did some scrapping last night, so I am hoping to have a new double page layout listed on Friday. Cool in the Pool is the title.

Cheers