5 Core Values

During the Process of a "Dreaming" exercise, I came up with a list of 5 core values that resonate with me. There are as follows:

1. Dream
2. Passion
3. Respect
4. Energy
5. Happy

What are your core values?

Where Dreams Come True

Before my maternity leave came to an end, I was able to spend 2 weeks at Disney World with my family. It was the perfect finale to a year of parenting, rejeuvenating and fun. It truly is an amazing place to visit and I don't think it matters whether you are 2, 22 or 102. Looking at the picture here, you can also see that it didn't matter that the rain was pouring down, our spirits weren't dampened any. We were just happy to be there.

Of course, as a parent, we partook in typical character events and rides. One of the great things about Disney, is that you can take infants on many of the rides. My 9 month old was absolutely captivated with "It's a Small World" while my 5-year old loved "Space Mountain".



We made sure both boys got to meet the stars of Disney at a character breakfast at Chef Mickey's. It was a wonderful way to get personal time with each of the key members - Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Pluto and the big guy - none other than Mickey himself. My 5 year old was thrilled. We bought him an autograph book and he was keen to get all of the character's signatures.

I was lucky enough to travel with my sister's family, our parents and my aunt and cousin's family so there were plenty of babysitters on hand. This allowed us "Big Kids" to go out and enjoy more mature entertainment. We spent an evening at Jelly Rolls which is a dualing piano bar on The Disney Boardwalk. I can't even remember when I've ever had that much fun. We sang and danced along to the tunes played by the musicians and enjoyed some lovely cocktails.

I could go on all day about our fantastic vacation but it really is something that one should experience for themselves. You can check out Disney's website but I think you'll find, there's a lot more to Disney than just the theme parks. It's a whole culture unto itself. One that truly made me believe it's not only a place but a frame of mind "where dreams come true".

Warming Up

With the New Year under way life returns to normal and we must brace ourselves for the long winter months that lie ahead. I'm not a fan of January, February and March as I'm sure you could guess but one thing that I do find comforting this time of year is a nice long soak in a hot bath.


I like to light a few candles, dim the lights, pour in my favourite moisturizing bubble bath, lean back and enjoy the warmth. Sometimes, I'll put on some classical music or Nat King Cole. This ritual allows me to escape the harshness of winter and visulize how I am that much closer to spring. Almost halfway there.

Chugga Chugga Christmas

Have you seen or heard about the Canadian Pacific Holiday train? It's a wonderful holiday treat for anyone. We've started to make it a tradition to catch a glimpse of it as it passes through our village every year. If you check out the schedule each year, you can trek to one of its stop locations and see some fabulous holiday entertainment. I, myself, have not yet witnessed the entertainment acts, but my husband, two wee boys and I, camp out at the side of the road by our neighbourhood train tracks for a 1/2 hour to see the festive locomotive as it goes by.

This year, being the first time for this annual event for us, was so exciting. Here we were, all of us crammed in the front of our SUV in the dark, waiting patiently for the train. Every time there was a passing light or the possible sound of a train horn in the distance, my 5 year old would start to squeal with excitement which would trigger my 8 month old to do the same.

Finally, when it arrived, it was spectacular. Every car lit up with festive lights and images, it was almost like seeing Santa's sleigh magically soaring by on Christmas Eve. Sadly, it goes by so quickly that my boys awe swiftly turned to disappointment as the train chugged on its merry way to the next stop on its list. For us, in Southwestern Ontario, the train visits in early December so I told my boys not to be too down because this is only the beginning of a season that is sure to be full of more magic and excitement.

For more information visit the
Holiday Train's website or Blog.

In keeping with the Christmas spirit, this is one my Christmas card creations I will be sending out this year.

Catch the Spark

This is a fabulous site: Spark People I don't even remember how I happened upon. Even though it seems like a weight-loss site (which you could say it is), I like it because I think it offers a great way for one to make a transition into a healthy lifestyle. I'm not one who is worried about my weight but I know that when I take care of eating right and exercising, life is so much better. I feel great, have more energy and confidence and I am better able to handle sickness and stress. It has a
recipe site with healthy meal ideas, articles on everything health related, exercise tracking and tips and other great things to help you live well.

Care for a Glass of Wine?

Something I really enjoy, especially after a hectic day, is a nice glass of red wine. I find you can't gulp it or guzzle it, you must sip it and enjoy it slowly. This forces you to take time to relax and reflect. An important activity in this fast and busy world.

Funny, when I was a student, when weekends were defined by parties and alcohol consumption, I tried just about every kind of liquor in search of something that I could get past my taste buds. I stayed clear of wine though. I thought the taste was offensive and couldn't believe that there were folks that thought it was well paired with meals.


Having many years in between to acquire a taste, I am now, very much a fan of wine, especially, full-bodied, dry red ones. Fetzer Merlot is one of my favourites. Winemaker Dennis Martin sums it up well: "This wine goes great with just about any meal, making it a good choice to have on hand for every day". I try to have it on hand but I'm afraid it never lasts long once it's in the house.

The Fetzer Vineyards site is also a great one to visit if you are a wine lover. Not only can you read about the wines they offer, you can find recipes and menus that go particularly well with each.

A New Beginning

It is 2:30 in the a.m. and I'm wide awake. I was writing in my journal before bed and I had an inspiring thought that has me excited. I don't even know where or how to begin.

I've been trying for some time now, to live a life full of goodness - positive thinking, abundance, gratitude, happiness, small pleasures, simple indulgences etc. My natural tendancy, however, is to lean towards the negative - judgements, criticism, grouchiness, anger, feeling burdened, scarcity. I make a conscious effort continuously to look for the silver lining in every dark cloud and to make positive choices over negative ones. Usually, I'm successful and I think many would classify me as a positive person but if they knew how hard it was some days they would probably reconsider.

Today, I'm starting a new leaf and it means a shift to the purpose of this blog which I already mentioned in an earlier post. I will still share my card creations as they are something I consider to be good and stimulating but I am going to put more focus on blogging about GOOD. Whether it be a small pleasure, simple indulgence, grandiose luxury or random act of kindness, I want to pick something regularly to talk about that is good. If it makes me feel good or makes someone else feel good I want to talk about it.


My hope in this endeavor is to make it easier to fill my life with joy and happiness and share this with others if they so find their way to this blog. It gives me a purpose to keep my mind open for goodness where ever it might be found. It is so important, in my opinion, to spread goodness and positive energy in any way I can. In a world where grief, terror, pain and suffering is in our face consistently, may I help to shed light to the things that are often overlooked but might help to make the world (at least mine) a better place. Stay tuned ...

Feeling Motivated

That's right! I'm feeling motivated today. Not that I don't usually feel this way but for some reason, I feel like I can conquer the world today. It started yesterday. I began exercising again (haven't since before I was pregnant with Noah) which gave me a boost of energy so I completed all my morning chores last night. This, of course, meant that I had a jump start on today and that always feel good to be ahead. So, I've started to declutter the hall closest. I'm sure everyone has one of these - you know - the one that you shut quickly before everything falls out and then you brace yourself the next time you go to open it. Noah is down for his nap and I have some time to blog and hopefully get some thank you's done.



Here are some baby cards that I finished on another motivated day. These were made for a sketch challenge on Splitcoast Stampers. These challenges are great to give you just what you need for inspiration or motivation.

I'm Back!

I know it has been a long time since I've blogged but I have a good reason. I just added a new member to my family - Noah. I've spent the last couple of months enjoying his company and watching my other son, Ethan, entertain and play with his new brother. It's been wonderful. Needless to say, I didn't get around to blogging much.

I have had some time to create some new cards like this one: "Thanks for Sharing You With Me". I made this one for my DH for our anniversary. I can't believe we've been married for 7 years. It's been fabulous.


I'd also like to change my blog a little by adding some motivational things. I've recently found this site called 43 Things. It's a site for people to visit and create a life list of 43 things they want to accomplish in their lifetime. This allows you to have a concrete list to work from, evaluate and strive for. You can also see what other people have on their list. There is a book that you can purchase called 43 Things that goes with the site, to give you ideas of some things you may want to consider for your list. I've found it to be quite inspirational and am now putting serious effort into crossing off things on the list. I finally hired a housecleaner which I've always thought about doing but didn't do until I finally wrote it down and realized how important it was to me. I encourage others to start working on their list. It's been a great motivator for me!

The Sweetest Thing

Where did July go? I can't believe we are into August already. It's been a wet summer in good ol' Southern Ontario but there has been plenty of sunshine and warmth too. We've been to Storybook Gardens, Canada's Wonderland, splash pads and the beach. We've been to see Thomas the Tank engine, had bonfires and plenty of picnics. Definitely a summer to remember.

This here is a scrapbook page for my mom to add to her collection. I think I mentioned that there are a lot of birthdays for us to celebrate and she just had hers. This is her and grandson Ethan (my little guy).