Jo vs. The Pin : Mother's Day Card

Lately,  I have been OBSESSED with banners & flags and more subtle colours.  So when I set out to make Mother's Day cards for my Mom & Mom-In-Law, this pin was a natural starting point. 

THE PIN:

I love everything about this card, and lucky for me, I have most of the materials!  (All Stampin' Up)

I used all the same colours: Cherry Cobbler, Crushed Curry, Basic Black, Old Olive & Pool Party. 

But, changed up the embossing to the dots folder I had- and used a plain black ribbon instead.  (Note though- I LOVE the striped Stampin' up thread, and it has been added to my MUST HAVE list!)

I also used the Mother's Day stamp from the "Teeny Tiny Wishes" Set, punched with the "Modern Label Punch" 

I LOVED the result! (Hope the Moms did too!) 

Better Late Than Never?!: Easter 2014

We had a TON of fun Easter Weekend

Saturday, Mom, Zoey and I headed to Promise Land Farm for an Easter Egg Hunt and to see some animals.  Of course, Z had a blast, playing with the animals & other random activities.

And of course, the Easter Egg Hunt, which was a bit of a free-for-all, but what can you expect, really?!

J, My Dad & Uncle Scott spent most of the weekend working outside on my new garden retaining wall & path, but did take a break to enjoy a few HUGE dinners at our new dining room table (which I am totally IN LOVE with!)

Jo vs. The Pin: Easter Eggs

Note: Although decorating Easter Eggs may seem like a toddler-friendly activity, it isn't.  I learned the hard way... as always!

There were a few pins I have been DYING to try for easter!

I wanted to make BEAUTIFUL deep coloured eggs like THIS PIN

 

And then turn them into a colourful centerpiece like THIS PIN  

 

The result... not so bad, if I do say so myself.... although the colour on my eggs seemed to fade/ marble over time (I did them a week ago) 

Up close (and not quite as nice looking) 

With Z, I wanted to try the character eggs like THIS PIN 

She chose princess & Minnie Tattoos..  This was relatively easy, but the simpler and smaller the tattoos... the easier it was.  And, as always, practice makes perfect.   And then, of course, we added glitter, and jewels, and pretty much anything else she could get her little hands on! 

Happy 3rd Birthday Z!

Hard to believe my little Boo-Boo is 3 already.
We had a pretty low-key day.
J and I blew up 100 balloons the night before, and put them in her room so she woke up to a balloon overload.
We went for a swim, went to the Belleville Home show & topped it off with dinner out and cake.

Fun at the home show

Dressed up for dinner

The cake... oh the gross cake.  I asked Z what she wanted- and time and time again, she asked for "pink cake"  So, I made her pink cake:

Maple in the County!

We decided to check out Maple in the County, a local festival featuring Prince Edward County Maple Syrup Farmers.
To accommodate  people & pupsters, we decided to tour Three Dog Winery & Sugarbush which featured a 3km hike through the sugarbush, a marshmallow roast, fresh goodies, and was, of course, dog friendly.

We had a great time, although I think my poor pregnant body will be paying for it for a bit...

What wasn't on the website, was the fact that the hike was 3kms in and 3kms out... ok... 6kms. no big deal...

What we failed to consider was the fact that there has been about 1,000 feet of snow this winter, and the trail would hardly be plowed.  SO... what appeared to be a nice walk- was actually a little precarious.  Most of the way, we had to watch our step because the snow was about 4-5 feet deep, lol.

It was interesting... at least I got a good workout! And Z had a great time running around and testing all the sap!

Stella Family Christmas Tree: 2013

This is the first year we are hosting family Christmas, AND the first year we are actually allowed a REAL Christmas tree. (When we lived in a condo, Christmas Trees were not permitted due to insurance/cleanliness reasons) 

We decided to take a short drive out to Barrett's Christmas Tree Farm to pick one out, so we packed up my car with some snacks, our snowpants and the pupsters, and away we went! 

Zoey wasn't too impressed at first, but the promise of hot chocolate got her moving :) 

Post- Tree cutting... Tree got bailed & we had some Hot Chocolate and shortbread cookies!

And being the intelligent people we are.... we securely fastened the tree to the car via the windows.... ooops... 

Car doors wouldn't open and we had to climb in the windows.  At least everyone had a good laugh at our expense :P 

 

And of course, the most fun of all, decorating the tree! 

Belleville Santa Claus Parade: 2013

Last weekend, our little city held it's annual Santa Claus Parade.  

For a small city, it was a HUGE turnout, and the weather was perfect! Thank goodness it wasn't this weekend! It's getting COLD around here!! 

Zoey had a blast!  She caught on pretty quickly that pretty much everyone in the parade was giving out a treat of some sort (ugh...and we are still rationing her Halloween candy)  The pupsters liked it for the most part- getting a TON of attention from all the kids!! 

Halloween 2013

We had a GREAT Halloween this year!
We talked a lot about Halloween before the fact- just trying to make sure that Z understood (especially since she FLIPPED out when she saw decorations at Home Depot!)

We made cookies, carved Pumpkins and she even picked out her own costume!

Cookie Making 

Trick-or-Treating!

I hate that the best picture I had of the pumpkins has the camera strap in the corner :(

Run for the Cure 2013 (And What a Difference a Year Makes!)

2012-2013

Run for the Cure in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is an event I have been participating in for 9 years! It is an even that is very close to my heart, and I am proud to raise money & show my support for the cause!

This year, well, things were a bit different!

1.  We participated for the first time in Kingston, Ont.
2.  J was with us again this year (having been away for a few years)
3.  I am 60+ lbs. lighter than I was last year! (I wasn't in many pictures last year, so sometimes I forget how different I looked! )
4.  Zoey has truly transformed into a little girl.  Where did my baby go?

50 Books in 2013: September Update

I have to admit, I've been reading a lot less since moving.  I have been spending most of my spare time talking with J & reconnecting.
Nonetheless, I am still well on my way to goal!

1.  The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
2.  Waging Heavy Peace by Neil Young
3.  I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen by Sylvie Simmons
4.  Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward
5.  We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
6.  Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
7.  Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
8.  This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz
9.  The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis
10.  Ru by Kim Thuy
11.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbotsky
12.  Cinder by Marissa Meyer
13.  Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
14.  Life of Pi by Yann Martel
15.  Wool Obnibus (Wool 1-5) by Hugh Howey
16.  Divergent by Veronica Roth
17.  Insurgent by Veronica Roth
18.  The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay
19.  The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick
20.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
21.  The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
22.  Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan
23.  Lover at Last by J.R. Ward
24.  Wonder by R.J. Palacio
25.  Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
26.  The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist
27.  Still Missing by Chevy Stevens.
28.  Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d'Art by Christopher Moore
29.  Rabbit, Run by John Updike
30.  Boomerang: Travels in the New Third World by Michael Lewis
31.  Dead Ever After by Charlene Harris
32.  The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow
33.  Let's Pretend This Never Happened: A Mostly True Memoir by Jenny Lawson
34.  Gone Girl by Jillian Flynn
35.  The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
36.  Big Brother by Lionel Shriver
37.  Bared to You by Sylvia Day
38.  Reflected in You by Silvia Day
39.  Entwined in You by Sylvia Day
40.  And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
41.  The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
42.  The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
43.  Odds Against Tomorrow by Nathaniel Rich
44.  Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff
45.  American Savage: Insights, Slights and Fights on Fatih, Sex, Love and Politics by Dan Savage
46.  Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris

Farm Day!

So we moved! (More on that another time.)
Today, we went to Cricklewood Farm to check out the corn maze!

I LOVE that our new home is SO close to so many fun things to do with children.  It's an adjustment for sure, but I love being so close to so many farms!