Getting back on track....

Not really sure.... where to start... but since my last post so many things as changed in my life! So here's to a new start in blogging again. I will be during the next days uploading all the past classes that I gave since October just to keep a log of them here. Then I will be looking in getting a fresh new look for this dear blog of mine and get things rolling again!

336 hours, 14 days, 2 weeks... at the end it's all the same!

I’m calling this “the final countdown” period… yes like the song…

Let me explain.

I didn’t post much about this on my blog, but I’ve been keeping a little calendar in my purse of when Stephane returns. He left overseas to Egypt May 16 and he’s back on Aug 25. Yes 3 long months. After 8 years ½ together... always side by side, let me tell you... it’s not a walk in the park for sure. But I truly think I made the best out of it. Technology {insert my life saver Skype} helped tremendously to keep in touch + facebook for all the photos. Then all my Friends… SERIOUSLY…Thank you to all {insert Hugs, HUGS and H.U.G.S even to you Ham & Natasha!}…that listen to me ramble about it, cry about it... Your support was amazing. Some even offered different “Hotel” type accommodations with their guest bedrooms if needed and I knew I was always just a phone call away at whatever time of day/night.

So in that calendar, I logged the 101 days, the weeks and when a month was completed how many days that was in total… Religiously every start of my day I MARK the previous day with a BIG X in sharpie (hated that smell at the start, but now knowing it’s so close to the end, loving it oh so much more). Once he’s back it will go in my Smash journal for sure.

I didn’t have anything much creative to share today, but wanted more to share the “stuff between the two slice of bread” (ok imagine a sandwich… So that would be what is filling the bread…) basically what I felt inside… Mmmm do you get the picture!?!?!?! Lol... ok I am finding my self really funny right now and I know my closest friends are probably laughing right about now… about it also! Priceless Stephaniesme!

Enjoy your rest of the week!

It’s almost the weekend! Happy Dance!

Hugs XO~♥

Sophie & Sebastiano

I wanted to do this since a week now….

My sister arrived 2 Monday's ago with her little ones for the summer! We had a fun family weekend, filled with quality time and good “re-bonding” moments! We didn’t see them since a year and boy did they grow up since that time. Sebastiano is a little boy full of energy, remembered all our names from our Skyping times, understands French but communicate more in Italian and loves anything TRACTOR, so sweet boy. Little Sophie is a pure delight! She loves everybody and loves that her “Ninie” (Stephanie in short) takes loads of pictures! What a cutie pie! Can’t wait to see them back in 1 week!

Have a fun weekend! Tomorrow nothing major planed but watching the Canada Day festivities on TV and transforming the living room in a Art studio. So much to do.... classes, art journals, special project for a colleague getting married.

Enjoy your w-end!
Hugs
Stéphanie xo♥~

Weekend fun!

Totally a fun weekend!
Friday was the Free Make & Take and we had allot of fun playing with the Perfect Pearl Mists & Distress Dabbers. Saturday I was teaching in the afternoon the "Portrait Organizer Drawer" in the afternoon and for the evening we had a get together for some yummy Raclette at Luce house with Loulou and respective hubby's. Great laughs, food, drinks and scrumptious desert! i had a sleepover planned and we went to bed way too late!

Sunday we had an improvised day and decided to go on a little road trip Luce and I. We ended to stop at a wonderful Antique store in Wendover that is in a barn. Lise-Anne was a marvelous host and we stayed over 2 hours just enjoying every little bit of her treasures! Here are my finds: An original stamp carousel that will be great for my Tim Holtz ink applicator, A 10" tall Mason Jar full of buttons, wood tread spools, open stock mix buttons & Rhinestones and a 1923 "Stylistique Française". Great finds! I must say that you never know what you can find by just looking around our nice roads by spotting the perfect thing!

Yesterday night watched Country Strong with Garrett Hedlund, Gwyneth Paltrow, Leighton Meester and Tim McGraw, was really good.

I am now ready for a new week, my sister is arriving tonight in Montréal from Italy with her little ones Sophie and Sebastiano!!!!! Can't wait to see them next Friday! She will be passing the summer with us until the end of August! I know I will be "Photo clicker happy" this weekend and all summer!


Enjoy your week!
Hugs
Stéphanie xo~

A weekend with Donna Downey

2 weeks ago The Scrapbox was hosting an event with Donna Downey. What a weekend! 2 days in her marvelous compagny! Great to see her again and we pretty much pick up where we were 2 years ago.

We went to the airport to pick her up, had lunch at The works, then a store visit, prepping the venue, Friday Album's Class and diner at East Side after. Mellisa was spending the weekend at my place, so was great to go back home and chat about our day. The following morning came way to quick for me {insert about 4h30 of sleep}, made a couple of errands in the morning and had our 2 Saturday classes. Diner & drinks at Lone Star to finish our weekend and what a hoot it was! We kinda advised that it was "Mari-Jo" birthday {aka Donna} and the staff gave her the full birthday treatment! It was pass "Cinderella time" when we left the restaurant and got to hang with Donna until the weeeeeeee hours of the morning chatting and reconnecting. Special times and until we meet again! I really hope to go to her studio the next time!

Once my projects are finished.... I'll post pictures!

More than 8000 Kilometers away... from the shores of Egypt

.... the most Romantic thing.... 2 letters, one symbol.... i {heart} you too.

On a Thursday morning - Random little things!

Trying to find a blog routine is not always easy! Do you have tricks.... please share! It's the "time" factor that I find sometimes hard to manage! Ever ending battle! So I thought to share 11 random things today.... (why 11... not sure... just go with it!)

1- One year older, last Friday on Earth Day, I turned 35! That number was bugging me a bit... but now I am getting over it. My weekend was filled with great surprise! Got my first ever laptop from Stephane, he pulled "the leaving the box between the 2 front doors and ringing the door bell and running to hide" trick.... I was totally surprised and he looked at me with a little grin asking "hope you don't mind it's not wrapped...!"
2- Friday went to the States with Mag, Max & Stephane (mmmm not the best idea we ever had) {insert 3hours for a 2 km distance to cross the border}, but we were really enjoying our selves... a true Comedy Show Stephane style (for those that know how he can really play it up....), laughing at what we should anwser the custom officer when we would arrive at the gates... "mmmm... Well we had planned to go for breakfest and some shopping, but now we kinda think we only have time to have diner at the next exist and come back".... Silly questions once again, I truly think I should write a short story of crossing the border and what questions we get.... seriously.
3- Good Easter weekend at home, my parents prepared me a great birthday supper with all my favorite things. Miam miam . Love you and thank you!
4- It's official my sister is coming over from Italy this summer with her 2 little ones for 2 months! Can't wait, fun things planned for that period of time and she is even planning to come for a weekend here in Ottawa. YEAH!
5- Last night was a blast. I was teaching the first class of my Art journal series. We wanted to keep the class size more limited to 9 participant for the 3 month duration (more manageable with the supplies & tools). All 9 ladies had so much fun, "Zen moments" and pure creative bliss.... A evening full of new techniques and playing with different medium. They were all sad that the next class is in a month. We did 4 pages and finished on the dot at 9. Going in, I was a little nervous as it was my first time teaching this type of curriculum, but all went well. Found the best way to distribute paint to all - Dixie Cups! Just perfect. I think we may have a potential other series here... lets see what time reserve for us!
6- Thanks Luce for the good chat last night after the class - hope you are not too tired today and big hugs to you.
7- Creative update: Art journalling: I have to continue Sharon's Art journal tonight...as I know a certain Rosa is really hoping to receive it soon (sorry for the delay).
Scrapbooking: Well I have a pile of layout that I gathered wile organizing my craft bags & room... that I found that were incomplete... like 7 or 8 of them. Good treasure to find. They are all in a nice pile right now and it's just the perfect thing when you have just a couple minutes and you are looking for something creative to do! Most of them were started at crops during the past year and I was missing stuff to complete them. Hoping to find a couple of those extra minutes over the weekend to get them finish! Classes: On my list of my May classes - I have a Card Class using vintage images that I purchased from one of my favorite etsy store. Thanks Elise. Little sweet baby angels and friends really precious. And I also have my Teresa Collins Notation Album using also the Time Pieces collection to complete.
8- Fun stuff happening at the Scrapbox in the next weeks! Our Mega crop on National Scrapbooking weekend, Scrapbox Garage Sale on the 14 (need to focus on that as it's creeping up soon) and then June 3 & 4 miss Donna Downey is coming to town and I just can't wait!
9- Spending lost of time with my sweetheart Mr. Stephane♥, May 16 is approaching too fast.
10- Received two fabulous birthday gifts from some very special girlfriends in my life. One from Loulou that registered me to Christy "She Art class" (can't wait to buckle down and do one) and one from Linda O to the "She had 3 hearts class" also from Christy Tomlinson. The perfect Creative gift! Thank you ladies!
and 11- Leaving you with a quote that my last night ladies liked: Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans....

Hugs and have a happy Thursday!
Stephanie

Saying goodbye to 2010

Writing this I can’t believe that we are all ready day 5 of 2011 (I wanted to do this since the past week but it just didn’t happen due to the big "TIME" factor!) The holidays were great! When I was putting my “out of office” at my job, I was kinda dreaming and hoping to also put it on my "day to day LIFE". To just do want I wanted to do, spend quality time with Stephane and my family, to really Rest & Relax, put the “creating” aspect on my life on hold…. Well it really happened. YES it did. Here’s a little recap! I pretty much didn’t open my computer (just quickly looked from my phone on emails & a few blogs, therefore sorry if I didn’t reply yet to an email, getting to them now…). I played DS with Stephane many many hours, spend time with my family in New Brunswick – My grand-maman is turning 90 in a couple of weeks so it was great spending Xmas there with my parents, brother and my extended family. The drive was horrible going and coming back, traveling to NB in winter what can you expect! ( almost 15 hours coming back when it's normally 12...) Had a great time on the 31st at Magali, Maxim and Loic for new years (if one day you plan to do the full meal of little hot M&M finger type food for 12 adults – PLAN they aren’t all the same temperature or baking time in the oven – it was a nightmare; but the chocolate fondue desert was heaven!) Didn’t take one photo * ZERO *… now it’s heavier on my conscience of keeping those memories on photo paper and for scrapbooking purposes… But I really wanted to put "it" on hold…. So I need to accept the consequences now!) Back to reality now, day #2 at the job, created some classes since the past week (see following post), thinking of my word of the year since December 30 (I think I have it now…) and happy happy happy that Friday I will be cropping at the “Box” with my girl Katie, Theresa and miss Lorrie (that’s the Scrapbox for those that don’t know and there is a tone of space call and join us 613.745.2215). Saturday a first "Girlz" reunion with Loulou, Linda O & Dawn with drinks, food, Scraps & much fun I am sure! Can’t say goodbye to 2010 without a couple of Highlights Little Sophie’s birth on the 10th of January and that I am the Godmother, My Trip to Italy to visit my sister and her family (traveling with my brother was really great), 6 days in Orlando Celebration V with Stephane (living the full Star Wars fantasy + Disney) & with Mag, Max & Lolo, Taking great workshops with Tim Holtz, Debbie Schuh & Melissa Frances, Teaching & Cropping at the Scrapbox, Creating custom Necklaces (can’t wait to do more…), actually itching to do some right now.... maybe Saturday ;) Well that’s it for now! Hugs and happy 2011! ♥ xo~

ok - she's so beautiful and I really needed to share~!

Just got these photos from my sister and isn't she the cute or what! She's almost 1 year old. Thanks Kiki for sending me the pictures - great subject to scrapbook really soon!

Hugs

Ninie xx (my nick name for my sister's kids)

Just back from Disney~!

Well last week was big trip # 2 of the year!
We went to Florida and enjoyed some beautiful and HOT & HUMIDE Orlando temparature, Celebration V (Star Wars convention) & quality time at some of the Disney's Fabulous parks!

Was good to step away for 8 days and enjoy time with Stephane & our friends. To rent a house was really the best economical way to go when 6 adults are paying. 20$ a night for ea - 4 bedrooms & 3 bathrooms + a pool and screen in backyard. (oupsy just realized I took ZERO pictures of the house... I hope Magali got some!)

For the rest Greedo our cat was really happy to see us back and I am trying to short all our photos. Stephane had his own camera + Mag & her mom had hers.... so those I will only get at the next long weekend.

Have a great hump day!
Hugs
Stéphanie xx♥

Lovely weekend here I come!

Well it's mid summer ( I can't believe that we are July 23rd... wow were does the time go....) and what better way to enjoy with great friends! I am feeling much better (not 100%) but I finally am carrying my weight and not dragging like the past 2 weeks!

So this weekend I will enjoy some great cropping with my great Scrapbooking friends Katie, Mellisa, Heather, Natasha aka "# 512" and some of the Scrapbox ladies! I'm HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY! I have my classes for August to complete and I really am itching to create layouts with my Italy pictures!

Lets see what I am able to tackle!

So where ever you are - enjoy your weekend and stay safe!

Hugs

Stephaniexx

Back from Italy! Part 1 - 24 hours in Rome!

I am back!
Here's a sample of the pictures... almost 2100 pictures in total Many pages to scrap!
I am back since June 1st - well almost June 2nd as we arrived in Ottawa around 1am. It took me 1 week to sort and select the ones I wanted to share.

***** Make sure to see older post - it's all the pictures from when I was with my sister in Sant'Angelo - 8 days in total! ****** or click on this link!

Saying goodbye to my Stephane

Traveling partners! My Brother and I

The best service ever- Really top notch! Food and all

Arriving at Rome at the train Staying - taking the Leonardo Express to downtown Rome - Next trip - I will want to stay at lease 3 to 4 days in Rome - so much to see.

Near our Hotel

First evening after taking a portion of the bus tour. Near Vatican City enjoying a fabulous meal. 51 euros - each an appetizer, we split the pizza, pasta, desert and a good bottle of wine!

The best Gelato ever - during our diner - we saw at lease 100 Italians turning the corner with each a Gelato and we were recommended from our water to go! Wow amazing!

* NEXT MORNING *

24 hours is really a short stay - but my brother got us ticket for a Hop-on Hop-off Bus - it's the best way to see it all if you are not staying for long.

All photos are taken from the Bus except at the Trevi Fountains

Urbain Rome

in front of the Presidential palace

Micheal-Ange courtyard were we would meet one of his ladies....

This is the most impressive place in Rome (after Vatican City)

Perfect wind for the flag!

Cesar was stab here.

Walls of building - Beautiful

One of the Tiber bridge

Were the Pope would take refuge if needed in time of war

Castle Sant' Angelo

I can't recall.... oups!

My dream stop!

The Trevi Fountains!

Making a few wishes!

The right side of the Coliseum

Tiber River

Vantican City Walls

Pictures from the Church near the Trevi Fountains

Part one completed!

See bellow for part 2 in Sant'Angelo -

xx