winter wonderland

So another crazy weekend is behind me, thank goodness. On Friday night we had our Christmas dinner for all the women at church that I was in charge of, and I am so glad it's over! It went really really well, and so many people helped out, so it was great. Our theme was "The True Spirit of Christmas" and it was just a nice way to bring in the Christmas season and be reminded of what Christmas is really about.


(here are a couple pictures, sorry for the crappy quality! they really don't do the decorations justice!)







And then on Saturday night Payton danced at the Festival of Trees. Remember this from last year? Well lucky for me we didn't have a repeat of that incident, everything went off without a hitch. She looked so darn cute in her costume and did an awesome job. It's crazy to see how far she's come in just a year...I can't believe she's almost 4!





(The video is a bit long, I just put it here for grandma's and auntie's that weren't there! Also, sorry for the crappy video-ing...I was trying to watch her and video at the same time...didn't do so well. Ha ha! Ah, well...it's the memory that counts.)


Now that this weekend is over I just want to start focusing on Christmas stuff with my family. On my to-do list this week:

-finish Christmas shopping (or at least attempt to!)
-bake a little bit
-finish putting up my Christmas decorations
-work on Christmas cards
-watch some fun Christmas movies with my kids



I can't believe it is already December. It feels weird this year because we've had no snow and warm weather. I could deal with a teeny bit of snow, just to make it feel Christmasy. But that's it. Just a teeny bit.



Oh, and in case you're in need of some Christmas inspiration, check out the 12 Days of Christmas from the Goodie Box last year. There's some cute stuff to get you in the Christmas spirit!



Hope everyone has a great week.



Tal:)

christmas stuff and "twilight" review...

Just some Christmas stuff I've been wanting to share.



These advent boxes inspired by Ali Edwards:




I actually made these last year, but I didn't finish them up in time for December. So I was excited to pull them out this year, and I decided to pin them all to a bulletin board so I won't have to put any holes in my wall. I'm so excited for the girls to get a little treat everyday till Christmas. I also put a little Christmas "prompt" in each box...just fun stuff for us to do to really make the most of the season. Some of the prompts are simple like "cuddle under a blanket and a look at the lights on the tree" and some are activities like, "bake cookies and deliver them to someone special." So it should be fun!




The next thing I wanted to share is one of my favorite things on our Christmas tree...my picture ornaments. Every year since Graham and I have been married I've made a picture ornament for our tree, and they're so much fun! I love to see how we've changed from year to year and I can't wait to one day have a whole tree of just our handmade picture ornaments. A fun tradition that you can start anytime! Either start with this year, or collect pictures from Christmases past and make a bunch at once. So cute. Here are ours from 2001 to 2007:














And last, a few of my Christmas cards I made on the weekend. I promised myself that my cards had to made from supplies that I already have on hand...from the envelopes to the paper to the embellishments. It felt so good to whip out 20 cards with stuff from my Christmas stash and know that it cost me zero $$$. And who cares if they're not all exactly the same? That's what makes them fun. (Also, I was brain-dead for ideas so I scrap-lifted my own card from the Goodie Box last year.)







And now on to my "Twilight" review...



So I went to the movie last night with my sister and some girlfriends and I have to say it was alot of fun. The movie itself was pretty good....some scenes and characters were bang on while other parts were cheesy, but we just laughed so hard, in a good way. It was fun to see the book come to life, but I don't think if you've read the books you would necessarily enjoy the movie. Part of what made the movie fun was being so familiar with the story and characters, and really, you just have to take it for what it is. It really wasn't a big-budget film at all...hopefully for the next movies they'll have way more money to make them better, but as for Edward and Bella, they were awesome. We were sitting in front of some teenage girls and they were HILLARIOUS. Everytime Edward and Bella kissed (or got near eachother) they almost lost it, and they just squealed and giggled the whole time. It was so funny. Oh, to be a teenager again...ha,ha! So that's my review...just go with the attitude of take it for what it is and have fun.



My kids have officially destroyed my house so it's time for me to attempt to clean. Ugh.



Tal:)

oh, bloggy blog...

Everyday I have blogging on my to-do list, and everyday comes and goes and my poor blog has been neglected. November has been such a busy month. Honestly, December won't be as busy for me as November has been, and December is supposed to be the busiest time of the year! I've been so busy with my calling in the Relief Society...we've had Christmas activities going on all month, and our big dinner and program is this Friday...after that, I will be able to breathe.



I actually managed to get out and get some Christmas shopping done on the weekend, so that was nice. It was already crazy busy with shoppers...I'm reminding myself not to go out again on a Saturday...I'll have to pawn my kids off on my mom one weekday and just plow through the rest on my list. Thanks, mama! (wink...as if she doesn't do enough for me already!)



Anyways, we've also been busy with re-painting and re-carpeting upstairs...and don't worry, Payton has already puked on the carpet and Gabby's already peed on it (that's another story!). We're breakin' it in early. Oy. Oh, and we put up our tree on Sunday night, and I even managed to make some Christmas cards this weekend, too. AAAaaahh! Like I said, busy-ness. And this week is still jam-packed. I'm just waiting for December to come!



Okay, I'm off to see "Twilight" tonight with my sis, Janna and Sanna-Miina. Yay!



Tal xo

a mini album...

Just thought I'd share the mini album class that Kim and I taught at The Urban Scrapbook this weekend. You can see the whole album here!



Tal xo

merry christmas

So last night I couldn't sleep (as usual), so I went downstairs to the kitchen to get something eat and I looked outside to see lots and lots of fluffy snow falling on the ground. It was so pretty and quiet...winter is here! Which means that Christmas is coming soon. (eek)






I thought I'd share this banner that I made for a class that I taught at my church on Saturday. This is one of the only projects I've done in the last few months...and it's making me want to do more! If only I had more time. Anyways, here are some closeups:















Really, you can't go wrong with a banner, right? We all know how much I love them! The ladies in my class were lots of fun, it was just very laid-back and casual and we listened to Christmas music, too. I love this time of year. Only I'm stressed because it's almost the middle of November and I told myself that I wanted to get ALL of my Christmas shopping done this month (ya, right), and I've barely started. We'll see how that goes!



And in regards to my last post, I spoke too soon about getting better! I've totally lost my voice and have been struggling with a cold since Thursday-ish...oh, man. It's been one thing after another. Luckily my kids have somehow escaped the cold and have been fine, so it's just me. Pregnancy is so much fun!



So if it's snowing where you are, why not take a little bit of time and make your own Christmas banner. Perfect for gifts or perfect for you. Here are some simple instructions:


1. Cut various patterned papers into circles and squares, measuring no larger than 5.5"x5.5".
2. Distress edges.
3. Mount pieces on chipboard with a gluestick.
4. Embellish pieces with jewels, stamps, glitter, and letters, spelling whatever you desire!
5. Punch holes in pieces using a crop-a-dile or hole punch.
6. Attach pieces with zipties and/or ribbon.
7. Tie ribbon on end pieces and you're done!


Have fun!!



Tal:)

(P.S. Thanks for all of the sweet comments on my last post! We are very very excited to be having another girl, even Payton is adjusting to the idea. hehe. Life is good.)

we're having a...

...GIRL!!!



No surprises here...I guess that's just what Graham and I make best. Haha! This has been a very eventful week(ish). Halloween came and went and was lots of fun. The girls had fun trick or treating and I even went with them this year. Gabby was hillairious...very overwhelmed, but once she figured out that she was getting candy, she was all good.



Then we went for my ultrasound on Monday...I was very excited and when it came down to it, I was just assuming that it was a girl...so was daddy. So we just laughed when the tech told us that "they're never 100% positive, but it looks like a girl". Of course it's a girl, what else would it be? It was awesome to see her little body and her heart beating...to know that this is all for real, that there IS a baby in there. When we got home and told the girls that they would be getting a baby sister Payton started crying and said "but I want a baby brother!!". She's been wanting a boy from the get-go, so we've been talkin' up girls big time...I'm sure she'll get used to the idea. (wink) I know I'm excited for another little princess.



Anyways, I hadn't been feeling well all weekend and when I got home from my ultrasound things just went downhill. Payton was asleep by 5pm 'cause she wasn't feeling well, Graham wasn't feeling well, and then the puking started. To make a long and yucky story short, I had my mom take me to the hospital after midnight 'cause I was so sick and totally dehydrated. They gave me fluids and gravol by IV and today was the first time I was able to get out of bed. So it's been a yucky couple days, and thank goodness for my parents and sister who took care of the girls for us. Being sick sucks!!! I'm hoping I'm on the mend and that the flu has come and gone for this little family for the rest of the year.



Hope it doesn't hit you all the way it hit us. Be back soon.



:)

too cute to spook!

We hope you have a spooky and fun Halloween!!!



Love,
Talia, Tinkerbell and Wendy xo

it's not too late...

...to whip up some Halloween stuff. I made these cookies using this recipe from Martha Stewart. So easy and yummy. Payton and I made these from start to finish in about 45 min and I even tripled the recipe. (it only makes about 12 cookies, so if you're wanting to give some away then you'll want to double or triple it for sure!)





And a 30 second card. Literally. Folded a piece of scrap paper in half, stuck on a cute sticker, word and decorative tape. Done.




Things have to be simple for me lately if they're going to get crossed off my list. I'm trying to do fun things with my kids without putting too much pressure on myself...then I just get overwhelmed. Simple is better, right? The rest of this week will be fun. Tomorrow Payton has her Halloween party at dancing and then we're carving pumpkins tomorrow night. I can't wait to see Gabby in the gooey pumpkin guts...scary! She'll love it, I'm sure.



Just wanted to pop by to share my simple Halloween ideas. Drop someone off a spooky card and plate of treats...it'll make their day, and it's fun, too!



Tal:)



P.S. Kim and I are teaching a class at the Urban Scrapbook on Saturday, Nov 15th. Head on over to their website for details. Spots are limited!

scrapbook stuff

It has been sooooo long since I've shared any scrapbooking projects, so I updated my scrapbook album for anyone who wants to take a look. These are all layouts that I've done over the last few months and just haven't had a chance to share.




Enjoy!



Talia:)

a little bit of halloween...

With how crazy my life has been these last few months I've missed "making stuff". I finally tidied up my room the other night, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to find some time to scrapbook again...GASP!! I know, I know, it sounds crazy!! Anyways, I found these little buckets at Walmart for less than a buck for my kids for trick-or-treating, but they just weren't cute enough on their own. I think a little ribbon and tulle did just the trick! Sad that I'm considering this a halloween project this year, but they do make me happy! (haha)




I love Halloween and fall. I've had my house decorated with all of our fun decorations since September, it's nice to enjoy them for a while. Next week will be busy busy with Halloween parties...one at playschool, one at dancing, one at church, plus trick-or-treating...my kids will definately get to wear their costumes! It will be fun.



I always have lots I want to blog about, it's just finding the time lately. Hopefully I'll be back sooner rather than later. We'll see. (wink)



T:)

san francisco

So, I have been away. Like, actually out-of-town. That is my excuse this time for my lack of blogging. (haha)



Back in September sometime Kim and I booked a trip on a whim to San Francisco...we've both always wanted to go there and we found cheap flights and a good hotel, so off we went. It was lots of fun. San Francisco is an amazing city...lots of touristy stuff to do and CRAZY shopping. Like, every store you could imagine. So that's basically what we did...shopped, ate, walked around and ate some more. It was nice to have a little getaway...my last one for a loooong time, I'm sure. And yes, I am getting fatter...ugh. I'm just at that stage that I just look FAT, not quite pregnant yet. Oh, the joys!








It's always so nice to come home after being away...as soon as we left the airport, we headed to Red Robin's for dinner for Gray's birthday. Going to restaurants with the girls is always interesting, we never quite know what their behavior is going to be like. But luckily I had "presents" from my trip to keep them busy and patience as I hadn't seen them for a few days, so it was fun.



I have been soooo busy since I got home on Friday...my to-do list is piling up, and the next thing after blogging is cleaning my studio. It's become nothing but a dumping ground for the last few months and it is time to get organised. Aaaahh!




Have a good week!!



Tal:)

a sneak peek...

So one thing I've done for the past couple years is take pictures of my girls in their Halloween costumes waaaaaay before Halloween, 'cause living where we live, you never know what the weather is going to be like when the big night is actually here. So we went out on Friday morning and I am sooooo glad we did 'cause it was BEAUTIFUL outside, and now the weather is currently rainy and cold. I'm glad I crossed that off my list. (Not to mention the fact that it takes away the pressure of trying to get pictures on Halloween...too stressful and all kids want is their candy, not to be smiling for mum.)



Anyways, here's a little peek at their costumes this year...so cute if I do say so myself. I wanted to wait till Halloween to post them, so instead I thought I'd just post one, and more will come later. This year we chose characters from one of their favorite Disney movies and sprinkled "pixie dust" on them before we left the house so they could "fly". I love having little kids.



Off to bed now...goodnight!
Tal xo