Happy Advent Everyone!

Today is the first Sunday in Advent. As per our family tradition, today after church we decorated our home for the upcoming Christmas season. It is always a fun day filled with decorating, remembering, and snacking on our favourite appetizers to end the day.

However, I need to back the day up for you...starting last night.......

Yesterday the snow began to fall -- truly a beautiful sight! Light fluffy flakes slowly cascading down covering the ground with a beautiful blanket of snow. Evening came and the snow continued to fall slowly to the ground. A quick peek out the window before bedtime and I fell asleep with visions of sugarplums dancing in my head (...in case you haven't noticed, I LOVE snow...it is truly beautiful! I couldn't imagine living somewhere like California where snow is an oddity!!!)

I woke up this morning to the sound of my hubby chuckling to himself. His comments about the snow had me scrambling to look out the bedroom window. We got at least 15 inches of snow...and it was still coming down! I quickly dashed outside with my camera to try to capture just how much is out there. Enjoy!

(Our driveway leading to the church parking lot)

(BBQ anyone?????)

(Backyard was thigh-high in most areas)

(I kinda felt bad that my new baby, Bella, was all nestled and dry in the garage while everyone else's car had to be cleaned off and dug out...NOT!)

Well, after that I showered up for church. We had record numbers out at church today. We live out in the country beside the church. Including my family of three, there were five of us in total!!!! I guess most people were snowed in. But it was a wonderful service this first Sunday of Advent.

After that we headed home, changed into comfy clothes and, after a quick lunch, began our annual "Day of Decorating". The following are a few images of our wonderfully decorated house. I LOVE Christmas lights! I would have them up all year round if people wouldn't look at me so funny -- not that I care, really. Have a wonderful Advent season everyone as we prepare for the season of Christmas!

(Fontanini Nativity Set)

(Even the Littlest Pet Shop creatures came to love and adore the baby Jesus!!!)

(Ornament on our craft tree)

(Our slowly growing Christmas village)

(Angel on Fontanini Nativity Set)

Hello Out There...

...Is anybody still out there? I have been rather negligent in updating my blog as of late. Christmas hours at the portrait studio are crazy for the next few weeks. So I haven't really been on the computer at all lately. I checked my e-mail today ... over 400 unread messages!!!! Yipes!

Also need to knit -- spinning hasn't even been in my thoughts (I've missed the last three meetings!!!!) Just too crazy right now. Be patient with me. After Dec 13th, things will slow down a lot. Until then, I will probably be away from the computer. I need to also update my pictures (organize them). They are sorrily misfiled right now and undated!!!

Better go -- I've been sick the last few days with a sinus infection so I've been off work. Back to work tomorrow, Sunday off (we'll be decorating the house for Christmas), and then back to work next week. Take care and stick with me!!!!

Still Here...

Hi Everyone!

Sorry it has been awhile since I've last posted. Work has been keeping me pretty busy -- but I'm no longer hauling bread...

I got a job as a portrait photographer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hello...dream job!!!!!!!! :D

It has been quite busy since Christmas is coming and most of my shifts have been from 11am to 8pm (the only negative side to the whole thing). I miss having dinner with my family during the week. But it's only until the new year. Then the studio goes back to it's regular hours (10am to 7pm).

I have really been enjoying it. I love working with the kids and babies. It's a lot of fun and I'm so thankful this opportunity came up for me. It's been a real blessing.

The dark side of it all is...I haven't picked up my knitting for a month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yipes! By the time I get home from work, I just want to hang out with my family before Baby Girl has to go to bed. Then I crash on the couch with hubby to catch a couple of sitcoms, CSI, or a reality show (Survivor & Amazing Race) and I'm out like a light.

I have tomorrow off, so I'm hoping to pick up the sticks while hubby watches football -- Go Riders!!!!! Woo Hoo!!!!!!! Riders rock!!! :D

Have a great weekend everyone...I'll try to keep in touch more regularly.

The Black Hole

The Black Hole ... that's what I affectionately call my purse. Because anything that goes in...never comes out! Well, except my wallet -- c'mon a girl's got spending needs.

The Black Hole (or TBH) has never been an issue of concern for me in the past. Probably because the stuff that goes into TBH is either irrelevant to my daily life, or stuff I really don't care about (ie: rocks my daughter finds during our walks, paint sample cards, socks, tourist info from months ago, etc). But last week a great friend of mine and I were comparing the organized state of our purses. My friend, "J", is extremely well organized. I envy her. She is my friend who has got it together. She is a truly "born-organized" kinda gal. So as I was checking out her neatly packed purse, I thought, "Hey, for fun, let's check out mine!" I was rather shocked and dismayed at the things I was able to pull out of TBH.

I went home that night and lost sleep. I was concerned that my friend had been up all night worrying about how disorganized I am and how she could help cure me. So today when I saw her, I told her that I would love to have her help me get organized. "J" is now my new "organizational guru".

You need to understand something about me. I am totally disorganized, I live in a house of clutter, I never know where my car keys are, and I have a calendar for appointments which I rarely use. Oh, I have subscribed to the organizational stylings of FlyLady (which I do highly recommend). But I am the type of person who goes all gung-ho for a few days and then I fizzle out, usually because I am completely overwhelmed by all the chaos surrounding me.

To sum it up the best ... I am "flighty". Not in an "air-head" sort of way. Rather, there are so many things I want to do in my day, but not enough hours in the day to complete them. So then, I do everything half-a**ed and eventually give up on many things because I can't get them all done. Oh, by the way, I am a perfectionist -- big time! I'm sure my husband wishes I were a perfectionist when it comes to keeping the house clean and organized. LOL! However, it is sort of the opposite. I create such a huge "To Do" list for my day, that it is all so unattainable. And then the perfectionist in me figures, "Well, I can't do everything perfectly, so what's the point of starting". As a result I end up with piles of clutter, a very messy house, tons of laundry, hundreds of hobbies/crafts started and never completed, piles of unread books beside my bed, hours of my life wasted looking for my keys, phone calls and e-mails never responded to, panic over conflicting appointments...I think we can all see where this is going.

Ergo, I needs me an organizational guru. Enter "J". Did I mention that I envy her??? She is the epitome of organization! Even if I can organize a few things in my life, I believe life would be that much smoother and sweeter.

And who knows -- TBH might even become a tiny compact world of organization! Dare I dream?

4659...

...and counting...

That's how many people are ahead of me waiting to be allowed to enter the hallowed halls of Ravelry. Don't ask me why I am so excited ... it's not like I have the time to spend scouring the pages and pages and pages of the loverly goodness. However, I will make the time. I will sacrifice. It will make me happy.

Work is busy as ever and I really thought by now my body would be beaten into submission. Alas, it was truly a pipe dream. I realize that now. My bruised body continues to scream profanities at me every day I come home from working at the bakery...although, to be honest, at least my toenails don't hurt anymore. The people are nice and I love the customers, but let's be honest with one another...this princess's body was not built for the physical labour. My inner princess has truly been a brat yelling at me for making her suffer through all the lifting, squating, kneeling, stretching, hauling, sweating, and power walking. She really has been spoiled! As I am typing this blog I have seven severely coloured bruises, four broken fingernails, and to top of my day today, I ran over the top of my foot with a bread rack that is approximately 6 1/2 feet high and maybe 7 feet long loaded with bread. Ouchy -- that smarts! But on the plus side, since I started last week I have lost almost 5 lbs. Now it is just convincing my body that this is all good! Hard to do at 5:30 a.m.!

Knitting has ceased for a few days. For one reason -- I'm just too tired at the end of my day to pick up the sticks. So I've been browsing through all my knitting books and magazines looking for potential future projects. This is about all I'm capable of at this point. I tried casting on for Shadir, but my gauge was waaaaaaayy off -- much too big! But I don't have a circular needle smaller than the one recommended, so it will have to wait. I started a lacy scarf the other day, but didn't really like the way it looked. I even thought about designing my own pattern for a cabled hat for my dear hubby, but it required far too many brain cells which were already complaining that I'm going on overload. So, I've turned to a more calming activity of browsing through books and magazines.

I've really been wanting to do some cable work and I thought my handspun Cotswold would work up in the most loveliest manner for these...

Hmmm....tooooooo many decisions. Brain shutting down ....................

Honestly...How Do They Do It?

Hi Everyone,

Okay, so I haven't totally recovered yet physically from the aftermath of working yesterday. In fact, if it's at all possible, I think I hurt even more today! Yipes! I am so totally out of shape it's not even funny -- I'm pooped!!!!!!!!

So on the knitting front, I totally frogged my last project with my Cotswold handspun. It really wasn't working the way I hoped. So I started another lacy-type scarf the other night. It is getting too dark here for the natural light, so I'll take pics of it tomorrow after work. I'm planning on working on it tonight, so hopefully I'll have something to show for it by tomorrow.

Well, it's a short one tonight folks. I am too pooped to pop. Hubby is working tonight and I need to muster up all my strength to get my baby girl to bed and myself. Early morning tomorrow and then I have Friday off (WOOOO HOOOOO!!!!). But then I have to be at work by 7 am on Saturday morning -- how yucky is that!!!!

Have a great night everyone.

A Whole New World of Pain

Hi Babies!

Okay. How do I put this...I am experiencing a whole new world of pain. Why? I started my new job today and it was crazy busy. Actually I didn't really notice the actual physical pain until I got up from having my lunch break today. That's when my body pulled back on the reins and said, "Whoa there, cowgirl! Just what do you think you're doing?" Every muscle was screaming from exhaustion. And I still had a couple of hours to go!!!!

I spent the morning learning about where they keep everything in the bakery and making sure the bread wall was full of product. This meant carting stacks of trays (sometimes 10 high), unloading them, putting away empty trays, bringing boxes out of the freezer, date-stamping the product, putting the product on shelves, breaking down boxes, taking boxes and garbage to the back, and then doing it all over again ... at least three more times!!! I have a whole new appreciation of grocerers and the work they do -- it is absolutely non-stop. And in between all of that you need to greet customers, anticipate their needs and generally help them out. Crazy stuff! And exhausting! But rewarding. I really did enjoy myself despite the fact that at this very moment, the muscles in my typing fingers are saying to me, "Seriously? You're doing this? This...this...TYPING thing. You realize it's physical, don't you?" I feel like an old lady as I'm about to say this, but all I want to do right now is soak in a tub of Epsom Salts and rub Ben-Gay/A5-35 on EVERY aching muscle in my body. Well, except my eyelids -- that would just be silly!

I sat down about 15 minutes ago to sit and do a bit of knitting. My body just laughed and laughed at me. So I figured it would be a little less strenuous to type -- however, I know that after I finish my body is going to go on strike and refuse to move. I don't care. I'll sleep in this chair -- I will, I'll do it!

Hey, slight change in topic. Has anyone out there checked out the new Monday night comedy called "The Big Bang Theory"? I think it's on CBS or something -- it is hilarious. Probably my new favourite show. You simply must check it out -- it is an intelligent comedy!

Well, my baby girl is finished showering. I need to do her hair -- tomorrow is picture day at school. So, you know, gotta find something for her to wear and all that. Better go -- I need to be up before the crack of dawn and it may take me that long just to walk down the hall to my bedroom.
...

This just in -- my daughter needed a fresh bath towel. This required me to convince my muscles they simply must work together and get me down the hall.

...They just laughed in my face...