Jammin' Bros

I survived without internet for three whole days this past week and I did just fine - I managed to finish reading my book about haunted homes in Charleston.
Last week we took an unexpected road trip to Wpg to attend our sister- in-law's funeral.
While the occasion was very sad indeed, it was a blessing to see all the brothers together and to watch them jammin' together.

Is there a glass of scotch in every photo? 

They played all their Beatles favs
.... and then.....

I imported those stripes from the actual Abbey Rd cover photo. Yeah Photoshop.

Recent adventures and places we visited.

I slept in today - so, sorry for not keeping my promise to blog first thing this morning. I love you guys , but hey I don't often get to sleep in and actually feel like sleeping in. No sooner was I out of bed and we were off on an hour and 30 minute walk - okay - we stopped after 45 min for coffee and muffins and then continued. Come on we're in our fifties! Too windy for the bikes - wind and up hills are not really appreciated by us.

I haven't slept in for ....years? Yup didn't get out of bed until 8:45am this morning. Probably because I did something I never do - stayed up until almost midnight last night watching "Matilda" with Allison and Sammy - very cute movie. The young and in love didn't seem to mind Mom hanging out with them in the family room. No popcorn though!




Last Saturday was David's birthday and , well the only picture I have of him is of him putting the bikes back on the bicycle rack.

Yes we bought a bicycle rack for the car because we were getting a tad bored of the sites that were within a 40 min bicycle ride of our home. So we decided this would make our bike riding so much more exciting.

Okay the Victoria St bridge is not all that exciting but it is pretty and old and I am sure it holds lots of stories...we just don't know them.












It was a perfect morning for a bike ride - although a short one - I had to get to work at noon at JSI. But the sun was shining and not too warm. We checked out a few bridges and Broadway before heading home.







I like the glimpse of the Bess under the bridge here.

























Two weeks ago we went for a walk with the camera. I have been working on preparing unique backgrounds for some PowerPoint slides for hymns at church.

You got to love a husband who will carry your camera bag AND stand there on a busy corner smiling at the curious onlookers while his wife lies on the lawn of the church on the corner in various weird positions to take photos from every angle possible.

The sky was perfect that evening and I got the shot I wanted.




Then on the way home I got this sun set. There have been several good sunsets of late. The skies have been rich with colour.













As well as the bike ride and work last Saturday David and got all gussied up to celebrate his birthday. We had a date at Truffle's Bistro and Pattisserie.

So pleased to find that Saskatoon has some incredible chefs! I do hope they stay! Cause we are a steak and potato kind of province.
If you live in the Saskatoon area Truffle's is a place to visit, often.

The portions by Saskatchewan standards (which I have issue with - steak and potato?) are certainly sufficient. Many might feel for the price they are too small. But it is not about a plate heaped with potatoes - it is about cuisine, quality, freshness and presentation. If you are looking to fill your belly for $20, this is not the place for you - try the all you can eat buffets. If however you want to taste true Saskatchewan fare, exquisitely prepared then check out Truffles.

I knew the meals were going to be a spectacular presentation.....so I brought the camera and had the macro lens ready to go.... but to not disturb anyone, I did not use a flash. And as much as we enjoyed the romantic lighting, it made for a very slow shutter speed and some color casts.

Smoked salmon appetizer. I don't think this is Saskatchewan fare...but everything else was. :)

I had the Northern Pike with wild Saskatchewan mushrooms
and wonderfully done fresh organic vegetables.
The fish was done perfectly - tender as can be but cooked through.


Saskatchewan wild rice.

What can I say - this disappeared in seconds. For dessert, we shared a piece of Japonaise torte-
Jorge our waiter recommended it - delectable.

A nice light white wine I would recommend - very smooth...amazing how a whole bottle can just disappear over wonderful food and your lover across the table from you....
Villa Teresa: (Organic) Pinot Grigio, Italy 2006



We will be back for our anniversary in October...if not sooner.

Let me know if you have eaten at Truffles....

Jammin'

There are guitars all over our house. Classical, bass, electric, electric classical and every combination and permutation. I love it. Music belongs in every home. Okay maybe not the drums and those amplifiers, but sweet classical guitars and the piano, a little flute, clarinet, trumpet and recorder.

Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons, and
you will find that it is to the soul what the water-bath is to the
body. Oliver Wendell Holmes

My heart, which is so full to overflowing, has often been solaced and
refreshed by music when sick and weary. Martin Luther

Here is a layout done Sunday evening - about the only time I have to scrapbook these days....sigh.. I used pattern paper from DCWV (quitar paper) and the Creative Cafe (all the rest of the paper). Riff Raff chip board guitars are painted and flocked. Thickers letters and some brads. And no I didn't put the paper on crooked (although I have done that) but it scanned a tad askew)

Journalling reads...

Like Father, Like Son If I couldn’t find David in the evenings then he just might be in the basement in Paul’s room jammin’ to the Beatles. How those two love to listen and play along with the Beatles – and many other ‘rockers’ of the 60’s and 70’s. They would be lost in there own world of being a momentary rock star, jammin’. Then came the drums!

Father son bonding.

About six weeks ago David and I stopped in at Pier 1 Imports to get some decorating ideas. We spotted a very cool picnic table. It was wooden, just like the 20 yr old wooden table in our back yard. Perhaps a new bright coat of paint could make ours look like this one. Well when Mark arrived home after his graduation, he and David set to work on this table. However it had a few rotted boards after sitting in the rain and snow for so many years, so off to home depot they went for wood. ....and a few other "necessities"!

and they set to work... (that is Harold throwing the discus there AKA a new blade for the saw. )

Long story short....there is nothing left of the old table and benches. It all sits in a heap at the side of the house waiting for a trip to the dump. And guess who gets to use his new jig saw!

At this point Mark had to head back to Shilo. But all the pieces for the benches were cut and ready to assemble and the table was ready for sanding and painting. David spent all of Tuesday putting the benches together. Then when I arrived home from work Saturday evening he had a big grin on his face! "Come and see dear"

Wood ~ $300.00

Bolts and hardware ~ $40.00

Paint ~ $ 30.00

sandpaper ~ $3.00

New jigsaw ~ "not that much really dear"

Other hardware ~ $35.00

Father - son bonding - PRICELESS

Feeling of accomplishment - PRICELESS

He also cleaned out the rain gutters and made supper! Love this guy!!

Twin Brothers

This is a photo of my husband with his twin brother taken in 1982. Yeah I know - some of you were barely born that long ago. Don't they look so young? And cute? And so skinny? One of them is a Chartered Accountant and the other is a Doctor and the Chartered Accountant is a father! They are 27 in this photo. A couple of smart guys - and really nice too! I think I got a catch! Actually I know I did. I've had him for 28 years! He's gained a little weight. Still very smart though...knows exactly what to do to keep me happy!!

I used the Basic Grey line here and a chipboard "brother" from Pressed Petals. The family tag is (I think) from Dream Street Papers. Metal letters and embellishments are from the 'stash' i.e. got them so long ago I can't remember.

Drunken Pig Stew

Drunken Pig Stew is what David had for lunch at this large English pub (photo on the rt side of the page). This was part of a one day trip over to England from Delft, Netherlands when he was over there for business in 2000. The trip also involved a short stop in Paris - but it was at night and well, let's just say I am the photographer in the family although his skills are improving tremendously. He now knows a flash picture of the Eiffel tower from 2 miles back at night does not work. hehe. What a guy. He took some nice pictures of this old church though.

Journalling reads...It was a short flight over the Channel to Humberside airport in the north of England and then on to Lincoln , a small city. We managed a little drive-by sightseeing to see the Lincoln castle and Lincoln Cathedral. It is quite impressive architecture, but the highlight of the day was a noon hour stop at a genuine English pub called the Pyewipe Inn for a cold ale and the ‘drunken pig stew’. That, was a tasty experience. We left the country shortly after and departed for Paris to see our France sales office. Dinner that night was at a fantastic restaurant on the Champs-Elysees.

I think I should get him to do all my journalling. :)

Blessings!

Julie

12 min page

Seriously this took me 12 min. A new Deja Views exclusive line called Little Yellow Bicycle arrived at the store on Thursday - boy stuff - yeah, I agree, enough of all those pretty pinks!!! This stuff is for the guys! It is fun and tough! So here are a couple of my boys curling last winter. One piece of paper, a package of very cool stickers, my adhesive and sanding block and there you have it! yup! 12 minutes and I like it!! I'm going back for more.

Valentines Layout

I showed Ralna these two dark, cluttered pictures with every colour under the sun in them and said "What do I do with these?!" It took her about 6 sec to walk over to the shelf and pull this new Dream Street Paper "Birdie Bit" paper off the shelf. All the colours were there! Fun paper. Then the new American Craft felt "details" embellishments were just unpacked from the box - perfect...and the new thickers white "Jewelry Box" font...oh this page was coming together before my eyes. Picked up the Heidi Swapp chip board letters in these new fun colours and I was ready to put it together. I have now completed four pages from the 2001 stash of photos - I will post the other two this evening.

Journalling reads... Allison and I arrived home from Victoria to a surprise on Feb 14th, 2001. Dad had made supper, decorated the kitchen and had Valentines gifts for his two sweet girls. Chocolates, flowers, balloons - What a guy!

Not great photos but precious memories will now go in the family album. And THAT is why we scrapbook!

Okay - running out the door to work - see you at JSI this afternoon - remember Shaw will be there to find out all about scrapbooking!

Blessings!

Julie

Scrapbook Party more pages!

Last night the "design team" aka the girls at Just Scrap It! got together to scrap, munch and laugh! I wish I didn't fall asleep at 10 pm every night because I could have got a lot more pages done. I did hang in there until 10:30 though! Yeah! Three pages done. I love this picture Melina took of David and me. Have I told you lately? I love you! Every day! Every day!

And another picture of David and me in Mexico - I love this new line of vacation paper just in at Just Scrap It! VERY tropical!! If you are looking for vacation paper, Just Scrap It has it!!

Doesn't this paper just scream sun, warmth, relaxation and fun - oh yeah!

Have to go back soon! Oh such fun together !!

My space...used the new line of Dream Street Papers just in - oh I love it all!! This paper is beautiful!! I have grabbed one of each - it is flying off the shelves. You have to come in and see this line - just gorgeous - I don't know, I may like this line better than Basic Grey!! Just really cool distressed paper with real variety and yet it all works together and it is nice heavy weight - yeah - a new favorite. Journalling reads...

This is my space. It is one of my favourite places to be. It is my haven, my get away, my therapy, my little space where I put the commitments of my life aside and create something. Here is where I play in Photoshop. This is my spot to scrapbook and put on paper my memories and thoughts. It is from this chair I do all my blogging and on line Bible lessons or just reading. I pray in here. This is where I store all my photographs and sit and organize them for hours. It is here that I reminisce and remember and marvel in His goodness to me. This is where my bag of inspiration from Just Scrap It! lands when I come in the door. It is in this chair that I go through my Google reader and find out what all my friends in far away and not so far away places are busy creating in their scrapbook havens. It is from here that I get to connect with their lives. It is where I stay warm –it is right over the furnace room and it is small. This is where ALL my scrapbook supplies and photograph equipment are. In this space I create, I blog, I pray, I organize, I dream, I read my Bible, I plan. It is such a big part of me and yet I really don’t get to spend a whole bunch of time in here. But it is enough to revive me. I transformed this room from a messy disorganized, cluttered smelly corner into “my space” for my 50th birthday. I am almost 51…and this space of mine has been a favourite place for almost a year. I think it will just keep being that for a while.

Thanks for letting me share...love to hear your thoughts.

Have a great day!

Julie

Sunrise with my sweetheart and my camera!

I have an amazing husband. He always knows just what to get me for Christmas. Last year he surpirsed me with a Lensbaby - a new lens for my camera - I love it! Very fun!! This year he surprised me with a new Velbon tripod - it does everything! fast and easily - wow! I can be set up in seconds. And he picked it out with very little help. Thank you Don's Photo for helping this guy out...next year I will stop by and give you all a wish list. hehe

So as per my usual I was up very early this am (I won't tell you when)- put a pot of coffee on and read a great book David and I got for Christmas from our pastor - funny thing is we bought him the very same book!! Total Church - great book - lots to discuss and talk about from this book. Anyways I have been ansy to try out my new trypod on more than just family photos in the house and thought it was shaping up to be a good sunrise this morning ...a few clouds but I was hopeful they would burn off. Perhpas some nice frost in the air. I asked Mark, my 24 yr old photo enthusiast son to join me but alas he wanted more sleep - but the sun doesn't rise until 9:15 Mark! still a no and he rolled over to pull the covers over his head.

Hmmm, maybe David would come - what a husband - sure, he said but we have to stop at Intermission House for a coffee to give him something to do in the car while I play - agreed. So out the door at 8:24am.

We arrive at my chosen spot just NE of the city, I get set up and David gets out of the car and says "make sure you get the shot along the fence dear with lots of depth of field" ...LOL ...I am stunned....this guy never takes pictures! I ask him " what do you think I should set my F stop at dear?" he looks at me dumbfounded "How would I know?" ...exactly my point! I didn't actually say that - just smiled. He gets back in the car to warm up with his coffee. But I am very amused and actually excited - you see David has recently started becoming interested in photgraphy. In Hawaii he took my old Olympus point and shoot and took some very good pictures - he has a real sense of composure and actually took some very artistic and unique shots - I was impressed. So I am slowly teaching him bits and pieces about manual settings and he is actually listening and getting it.

Back out of the car again David trudges through the snow to the fence. What IS he doing???

"Try a shot from here dear" he says...I was trying to avoid getting snow up my pant legs but he IS right! I love it! So here are a few of this mornings pictures...and the sun? Did not perform. It became even more overcast. But that's okay - God's creation is always beautiful to behold...even when cold and icy. And I loved this time with my sweetheart!

...he was right - worth the snow up the pant leg! LOL

Thanks for letting me share!

Julie

Go Magazine! the magazine for active men!! WHOA!

This is too much fun! I can't stand it! Creative Imaginations have these 8X10 overlays that look like magazines. Find the right picture cropped to the right size and you have a layout in a matter of minutes. It helps to have photoshop to play and resize. Love it! haha