So long, farewell........

Brian's grandma passed away on Wednesday. Sad

I didn't know her well like I know his other Granny. Partly because her health wasn't ever great, even when I met B almost 5 years ago. I do know she was a spunky lady. Even in her old age.

I am sad for Kathy. Who is so tuff, but I cant imagine what she's going thru. If I lost my mom, I would be helpless.

The memorial will be on Sunday morning.

The picture here is of her wedding day. They were married during the depression so there was no big party. I like this picture (even if she's wearing fur!).

I have a crop at the store tonight with 14 ladies. I think it coud go well. I hope they spend a little money. Things have picked up (yay!) but we are still struggling to meet ends a little. The classes however, are filling (or full) and that's a good sign of things to come.

Now I just hope an order comes, so I have something productive to do this evening. I am waiting for Daisy D's and also for Hero Arts. Christmas is coming, no mistaking. I can already feel it in the retail world. So I am ready. Bring it on.

Go flames go!

I am going to a flames game tonight. yay. I know it's pre-season but I am still pretty stoked. I can't wait to see the new line-up. I hope they play Tanguay tonight. I hear they were.

The tickets are compliments of Georgette. ( Remember her from my "favourite people" list). She called this morning and offered them to me. And, it's purely conincidence, but I made her a mini album last night. SO, I already havethe perfect thank-you gift.

The store is srtaing to pick up a little. This morning I had three ladies in right off the bat. It's nice because it helps me to relax a little ( knowing I wont have a $0.00 day). That stresses me out. I know it will happen some day, I just get an 'uneasy' feeling thinking about it. Almost as uneasy as I feel about Las Vegas. Which we cannot afford. So why am I going? No idea. I guess becuase I don't want to be left behind when it comes to the new products & new trends.

I am skipping my dance class tonight. If I didn't hate it so much I'd feel guilty. I should go. But more than that, I should be running again. It's not like I have to wake up early ro anything.... I really should do this..... What will it take to freakin' motivate me?

I am hoping for an order from Daisy D's or Hero Arts to come in today. Just hoping, and waiting, and wishing and dreaming...........

Love To Lay Here Lazy

I feel tired.
The house is in shambles.

Everywhere I look there is a mess. And there's no where to clean it up to. It's so frustrating. Cat hair. Dry wall dust. You name it.

I dream about one day having a bathroom upstairs. Ahhh! So close, yet so far away.

And a scrapbook desk, and a finished room.

I love to organize. I just need somewhere to put everything. Mom offered up help this week. ( I hope she doesn't regret that). We made a list last night of things to do. It's a long list.

Our bedroom was sweltering last night. We have no heat, just a space heater. And it was HOT. But I like that. Only Koho wants to sleep on top of me. Too hot.

That was my "vent". I feel better now. Less frustrated about all the chaos.

The 411

Viva la Scrapfest!

What a great time. Totally worth every cent. ( If it had been longer & I had done more I know I would have liked it better than CKU).

The only class I took was a Ranger class taught by Jen Starr. Fabulous. There was lots of elbow space (not a CKU high point), great NEW products ( I actually won something as well), and lots of time to finish.

The class was a three peice canvas set. Using acrylic paint and layering masks. I will definitly hang it once I get the pictures on. I'm not sure how well the New daubers worked for this project, but they were cool & I will definitly order them for the store. They would be great for Clean & Simple application to foam stamps.

I was happy with my class. Theresa paid $90 for an Ali Edwards class. They made a mini album with about $8 worth of product. It was cute, but that's brutal. I guess you pay for the name...

The marketplace was great. I was unable to "curb" my spending. So that means they were a sucsess. I got some great new products, and a lot of ideas of things I can order. The Bohemia paper was a big hit. I was grumpy at times when I was looking at items that I ordered in February and have not reached my store yet. Theresa (of Bliss) was feeling the same way.

We hit up Western Eductional. I had never been there before. I liked it, a lot of stock, but I felt something was missing. I didn't spend nearly what I though I might. Got a nice bird image thou.

The crop was good. A little cold in that big room. I like to scrapbook in the warmth. It was hard to concentrate. I didn't get anything done in the first three hours. But I bought a kit to make some wodden letters and finished with a completed project! Then last night I did another project ( a little magnet) out of the kit. It was 32 bucks, but you get a lot in it.

The hotel was good. Minus the hairs in my bed. ( They did bring me new sheets). There was actually space availble at breakfast time (unlike CKU). So overall, I really enjoyed it. I would reccomend it to anyone.

Just An Action Junkies Lullaby...

I guess I just dont stop.

This weekend I am headed to Edmonton to attend Scrap Fest.

I think it's going to be a good time. My goal is to try and control my spending. After all, I am going to a much bigger show in, er, three weeks. Memory Trends in Las Vegas. Not that I could buy Scrapbook stuff there. No, my Vegas weakness comes in the form of Lacoste shirts & Coach bags.

Anyway, Viola ( Scrapbooker-extraordinaire) and Sandy will be picking me up after work (I have a teen crop until (9:30pm) & we'll drive down to Edmonton. The class we are taking (only one) is by Ali Edwards. Her new book is great, I hope she can teach. Some of there "scrapbook celebs" cannot teach. They are fabulous at what they do, but they cannot conveyt a message clearly, and it's so frustrating. At CKU Donna Downey's class was a joke and Elsie Flannigan (although it was her first CKU) was pretty brutal also. I hope Scrap Fest can bring to the table what CKU was missing. CKU classes were rushed. I didn't finish a single project. I did however learn A LOT about the teachers (is that why I travelled so far?). Also CKU didn't teach me anything. I DID a lot, but didn't LEARN a lot. Not a lot of new techniques (Donna Downey's class was teh exception, but poorly taught. Felt more like a celeb interview session). Blah blah blah.

When I get back, I have a whole lotta' classes lined up for the rest of September. I'm not teaching as much as I use to. It's a nice break. My teachig staff right now is fabulous. Nancy Walls, Michelle Gier and Lisa Slocombe. They each are great at their own "style" and teach well. Becuase of them, and their classes, the last three days have been semi sucsessful.

Ok, off to work I go.

An entry about nothing really..

I'm feeling a little creative.

Last night I had a fabulous time putting together shelves from Ikea. They are going to hold all of my scrapbook supplies in my new Scrapbook Room. I have been itching to scrapbook lately and that's hard because I don't have a place to do it. I will soon thou... Now I just need to find a scrapbook buddie.

This may sound geeky (may?) but my fav. thing to do in the past days has been to put my ribbons into jars according to color. They look so pretty. I can't wait to use them all. ( Sounds like I'm easily amused). I've also unpacked some of the things I bought in Utah. I almost forgot what I bought it has been so long.

The store has been slow today. Michelle has a class tonight and hopefully that generates SOMETHING. Anything. Please....

I'm already starting to prepare the store for Christmas. I've ordered a lot of green & red cardstock. And, I am busy making a rubber stamp display for christmas card makers.

It's getting pretty cold out. I think my scooter riding season is over. Which means I may have to look at buying a car soon. I was thinking about a Toyota. My old one wa always good to me (even when I wasn't good to it). I like the Matrix. I also like the Madza 5. But I don't know how I feel about driving something that looks so close to a mini van. I guess I'm saying I'm open to suggestions.

Memory Trends is sneaking up on us. Three weeks & we'll be in Las Vegas. Should be fun. We're staying at the Mirage. A little more central than last time. And we're going to see Cirque du Soleil. ( sp?). And then I have 2 days of business courses. I think they could really help the sitaution we're in here. (With the store.)

I had my first Pilates class last night. Brian & I were stung with the harsh reality : we are OUT of shape. Big time. He liked it thou (whew!) and we'll go back next week. My abs are killing me today. I can feel every freakin' muscle. I'd like to go guy my own mat as well ( seemed kind of gross to borrow a mat). Anyway, I think I'll really end up liking this. It'll keep me busy anyway. ( Like I need that).

Some Wedding Photos Por Vous..

Top to Bottom:
* Brian & I. Don't he look goo-ood?
* Me with my sisters (two of my bridesmaids) Kendra (left) & Carmelle (Right)
* Kisses.
* Our "Church".

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful....

And it's only September 15th.

It is going to snow tonight. This morning leaving the house there was that winter "chill" in the air. I love it becuase it is so fresh. But come on! It's the middle of September!

Only 3 weeks until we go to Vegas. Not good. We have no money to buy anything. Oh well. We can order some stuff and hopefully pay for it later. I love going to the show. There is so much to see. And I get pretty pumped about the store after them. This time I am taking some business seminars before the expo. I think they could really help us out.

The main bathroom now has a bath tub. Finally. And, it's a sweet jetted tub that is really really deep. Mom and Dad are finishing that bathroom for us as a wedding gift. Mom is also painting my "scrapbook room". I am happy for that becuase I just haven't had the time, and I miss having that space. It looks good so far. Chocolate and Lilac are the colors I chose. So girly.

Poor Koho. He has mites. (Perhaps from the cats who lived in the house before us?). H is scratching his ears until they bleed. So $80.00 later, we haev ear drops. I hope they help. I just love that hairy little bugger. But he sure isn't cheap.

I was online again the other day looking for a high school friend I lost touch with. It looks like I might have to pay to use one of those "people searches". I think it would be worth it. I think about her from time to time and wonder how she is doing. It's harder that you'd think to find someone.

Well, I should get back to work. I have lots to do. ( Nothing I really WANT to to thou).

Tomorrow I am going to Officially change my name from Haley Marie Hopaluk to Haley Marie Ross. So weird.

Now Things Can Get Back To Normal??? (I'm Ron Burgundy)

If anything went terribly wrong, I did not notice. And I like it that way!

The wedding is over. Everything was beautiful. The weather was perfect (not too hot, just sunny enough). Everyone was lookin' good. All of my (and my mom's) efforts paid off.

I could write an essay (or three!) on the nights events. But I won't (I'll save that for my scrapbook). And there are over 1100 photos to look at.

Highlights for me? Seeing Brian waiting for me (he showed up!) at the end of our "aisle". I loved the deviled eggs from Aunty Tara. A great bottle of champagne. Our first dance. ( To The Luckiest by Ben Folds). Having allof my family & friends in one place.

We got some great gifts. Gord & Kathy gave us a gift cetificate to get the dinning set we wanted at Country Home Furnishings. Mom and Dad are buying us the rest of our bathroom reno's (yay! finally a bathroom upstairs). We also got some obsene gifts (wine from Jules & some unmentionables from Jenny & Lance. Perverts!). I was excited to get home & use all of our goodies.

Victoria was nice. We wish we could have seen more. We shopped a little (FYI: I recently married a lulu-lemon addict), we ate some great meals (The hotel had the best hommus eva! We ate it everyday.). Ill Terazzo was our favourite meal (maybe of my whole life). The wine was fabulous, the meal was great, and the dessert (a platter of rare cheeses) pretty much kicked ass. Our room had a fabulous view of the harbour and we watched boats and aqua planes all day. And the HUGE ho-tUb got filled every night. It was so nice to sit & relax in it with a bottle of wine. Loved it!

Okay. That's all for now. I'll post some more pictures and let them do the talking.