never too early!

I was at Superstore getting some dinner things and to my surprise the Candy Cane fudge crackle ice cream is back!!! YAAAAY!!!

I only discovered the ice cream towards the end of the last Christmas Holiday season. Stoked it's back.

Thank god I've started running. My timing couldn't have been any better!!!

Don't worry I'll pace myself.

creatures of the night

What do a nerd, flying squirrel and a zombie have in common?

They are all going trick-o-treating tomorrow night!!! YAY!!! (I'm the flying squirrel)

We've had to do some last minute shopping for my little zombie. Because she showed her friend what she was going to be wearing (a little too early) and the friend went and bought the same things!!! ACK!!! So because my daughter hates having the same stuff as other people, we had to go buy some different tights... not really a big deal. But, on the day before Halloween it is slim pickings for crazy tights! Value Village was pretty much liquidated of it's Halloween Dept. We did manage though to find a pair of barbed wire tights at a dept. store. Thank god!

I have had the worst last couple of days. I've been without a truck (again), the thing is constantly at the repair shop. The truck broke down Thursday night (always on a thursday!). As I was mentally preparing for the long day ahead of using public transportation, I couldn't sleep so I actually started my day at 2:30am. I was delirious by the time we got home last night, I went to bed at 6:30pm. On our early morning departure as we walked by our truck, I noticed some crackhead had busted my back passenger window!!! Jerks!!! I was already contemplating returning the truck to the dealership, but now have to replace the window before I can do that. I have lame luck.

I'm still dealing with the dealership on what to do with the truck, but as a treat out they are giving us tickets to Frightnight. I love getting scared. Love it. I remember going to the 630 CHED haunted house in Edmonton every year when I was growing up. So fun!!! But my youngest daughter, not so much loving gettin' scared. She takes it too personally. We are unsure how it will work if the three of us go... can't be leaving the little one outside, while we go in to the haunted houses... "Hey, carnie! Watch my kid would you?!". Not likely. But, the rides are open too, so we'll figure something out. Hopefully I can find someone else who can come with us.

Here's to wishing everyone a great night tonight! 

Hopefully you've all found your costumes for your Halloween festivities!!!

Oh Grandma

My grandma passed away this June, the day after my daughter's birthday. I find myself wondering why she is gone. Like, why do other people still have their grandma's and I don't?

 As I walk down the street & look up at the balconies of apartments and wonder why couldn't my grandma enjoy one more summer of a balcony full of blooming flowers? How come she doesn't get to feel the season change?

I miss not being able to call her. I was even thinking of calling the number to see if someone else has taken the number. A new grandma for me to talk to? 

She is just gone now. No more apartment, no more phone number, no more her.

I know it's lame to say it's not fair. But, it isn't. I wish everyone could live forever.

 I hate the cycle of life.

I had a dream about her last week. I walked into her apartment and it was Christmas dinner. We were all there & she was walking around with a pepper shaker asking us if we needed pepper? She was kind of dancing around from person to person, and I remember just staring at her and thinking - you shouldn't be here - you can't be here, you are gone forever. She didn't look me in the eye, but I was standing next to her in awe that she somehow managed to come back for this family dinner. Then the dream was over.

She was such an awesome beautiful woman. She had quite the life & had so many wonderful/crazy stories to share. I try and think of her stories and wonder if I have remembered them right, so I can share them with my kids. I wish I could call & double check things with her. I don't want to get things wrong when re-telling. 

She was a painter. She always had an art room in her apartment. She was so crafty. I remember a million moons ago, I sent her a letter asking if she could make me a Gizmo costume for Halloween. I even tucked in one of my prized Gremlins trading cards in the letter of request so she could use it as reference. She never did make the costume... she said she couldn't find any good fur in her little town on the island. When I was going through her things after she passed, I was kind of hoping I would have come across that old letter. 

I remember hanging out at her place as a child and she was all about building forts in the middle of her living-room. She was so awesome. I don't think she ever made me clean up after myself.

When going through her things, I wanted to save everything. I put many things aside, and my dad took them. I would like to have more time to go back through her stuff. She actually had many, many, journals. She wrote about everything! I loved her old photos...

I miss our chats and  especially miss her laugh.

I miss her.

Have you ever scene a kokeshi sooooo big???!

Do you see how gigantic the kokeshi is? I have never seen one so big! She is just over 2 feet big. WOW.

 I found her at the flea market yesterday. After walking rows of rows of just lame tables. My youngest daughter and I were about 30 feet away from her awesomeness. You know that feeling when you see that magical must have item. I squeezed my daughters hand and whispered, "ohhhhh giant kokeshiiiiiiii". My daughter was all, "quit squeezing my hand mom". She didn't see it right away. But, there she be in all her glory 2 ft of pure loveliness. Then once she saw it, she gave me the squeeze back. Even at 9, she knows the feeling of seeing a good find. My little seasoned thrifter.

I played down my excitement as we approached the table. After a quick negotiation, I was walking away with her. 

We were outta there.

 Done.

Greatest score ever...

Well, so far. 

kumi solo! YAY!!!

Oh dear. How was kumi solo kept from me for so long? I have found her now & so have you if you haven't already.

Kumi sings in Japanese & French! EEK! Total awesomeness. I think she actually is living in Paris.

Check this super cute pop/electronica video out called, cheap pop song. 

Love her.

i forgot...

I forgot how much I love Japanese girl bands. I don't know how they slipped my mind for a bit. My fav ladies are from Kiiiiiii.

 When seeking them out again yesterday I came across this other group. Only to find out they have broken up :(  Ohhh... Afrirampo, Why???

I guess I am a little late on the Japanese girl band wagon!

catorialist

The Catorialist??!!! 

 Why didn't anyone tell me!!!??? 

I love it.

true blood+real life alex

My mom gifted me an awesome little sony e-book when we were in Hawaii. I didn't instantly take to the e-book. But, as soon as I got home I discovered just how awesome this little thing is!

It's heaps better than lugging a book all over town. There were about 35 books on the e-book already (thanks mom!). I noticed a few books by, Charlaine Harris, and I was so excited. A friend had loaned me the first one of the book series in the early part of summer. I read it even though I have watched season 1 & 2 of Trueblood. I have yet to see any of season 3. After reading more of the books I am so smitten with Eric. I love Eric and how much he loves Sookie. Now, I'm all out of books by Charlaine Harris on the e-book! ACK!!! But, it's okay, I'll be fine. I just need to search out season 3 of Trueblood online to get my Sookie & Eric fix.

How lovely is the real Alex Skarsgard in real life??? So lovely. I came across this video of him hyping up the crowd at some soccer stadium in Sweden. I'm Smitten. I'm adding him to my freebie 5.

alberto's family

Love, love, LOVE everything Sebastian Bandin makes for Alberto's Family. Like the above kitty named, Links. Adorableness.

Each one is handmade & comes numbered. You have to check out Paloma too, she is a dove. She appears to be sold out at the moment, but check out her socks!???

Ack! It kills me - too CUTE!

He is a genius.

Be sure to check out everything on his site - postcards, totes & notebooks too.

Pure greatness.

Chihuahua glass case?

My baby Lily

I love my Lily(my teacup chihuahua) but, I couldn't imagine keeping her in a glass case! I stumbled upon this old photo from the 50's too. 

So bizarre!

 I'm glad this fad didn't catch on!!!

Chihuahua's have such attitude's too - I couldn't imagine Lily complying with hanging out in the glass case. She's pretty bossy, she wouldn't have it all. 

roasted pumpkin seeeeeeeds!

Pumpkin carving has ensued around here and I decided to look for a different recipe rather than just do our pumpkin seeds, plain 'ol salted again.
I found this recipe.

 I love them!
I didn't have cumin in the cupboard, but it turned out so yummy without it. The kids really liked it too. Much more enjoyable than just salted. So if you haven't already roasted up your pumpkin seeds totally try this recipe! You won't be disappointed.

 They WERE sooooooo gooooooood - notice the past tense?
they are sadly all gone now!

oh so easy!

I just transferred my old blog to the new one, just now!

 It was so easy! Gosh, blogger has made some many changes since I was last on here. I never thought it would be so easy to transfer all those old posts. But, it was. Awesome! I feel whole now.

The picture above was from earlier this week. Silly me locked my one and only key in the truck right smack on the seat! GOSH what a nerd I am! The lucky tow truck driver earned $70 in less than 5 minutes! I'd love to earn $70/5 minutes. It was so simple too, all he did was insert a inflatable pad in between the door and the truck... pumped it up using what looked like the a pump to check your blood pressure, slid in a wire pole thing and clicked the switch to unlock the doors. I wish I had known how easy that was going to be. Surely I could have done it. So easy.

Note to self: Make more copies of keys for the truck.

pumpkin patch squishiness

Last weekend we hit up the local pumpkin patch in Ladner. It had been a pretty rainy day before this beautiful sunny Sunday, so we expected it to me quite marshy out there in the fields. We had warned our little friend that she should wear some rubber boots too. Nothing could have prepared us for how muddy it really was. Families were coming and attempting in just runners and normal footwear. There was no way they could go into the fields to find their pumpkins. So they opted out of "pick your own pumpkin".

 We spent about an hour and a half in the field looking for the perfect pumpkin. All along the way getting stuck in ankle deep mud if we stood for in one spot too long. I even found the perfect pumpkin! I wasn't going to get one for myself, but I couldn't resist when I saw it. I gave the camera to my older daughter to take a picture of me and my awesome pumpkin... but she was taking forever to get the shot. Meanwhile I was sinking! I was like Dre Parker in the garden scene of Karate Kid (new one). But, I was stuck! "Forget the shot! Come and help meeeeee out!!!", I yelled to my daughter. She tried to pull me out and over towards her, and I just fell forward feet still stuck in the mud, knees now covered in muddiness. I was kind of starting to panic, I was sinking more and more by the second. I put my pumpkin down and tried to pullllllll my boots out with all my might. My feet were sinking more. Nothing was working.  I was about mid-calf deep in mud now. I almost gave up. Just leave me out in the field to rot. But, I couldn't let the field win & beat the city girl! I pulled my barefoot out of the boot that was really stuck. I then balanced that foot on a near by pumpkin and then got low and yanked with all my power on the boot that was getting sucked into the field. It was so in there, like concrete. Finally I just growled with all my strength and got it out!!!! YAY!!! I put my boot on, got the other foot out and high tailed it out there. So relieved. Screw you mother eating field! How many other mothers had that field eaten, I wonder???? all in the name of fun?

Then we headed to the section where you pay, the girls saw all the perfect pumpkins neatly all set out in sections. They ditch their pumpkins that we worked so hard for to pick the pre-picked ones! I kept mine though. I almost died in a field for that pumpkin!!! 

an adventure+bikes= FUN

Our truck became ill on our way to school a week ago, so unable to get to school on time we decided to play hookie!!! Instead of having the girls sit at home on facebook or watching tv all day,  I told them we had to be outta the house the whole day. We went and got my bike fixed and then headed out to Stevenston for our first super duper long bike ride!!!

 We had tons of fun, we did a little thrift shopping (found some fun masks)... saw cows, turtles and bascially just took our time all along the way. Stopping to rest ALOT. We left the house at 9:15am and didn't get back till 5:30pm. Our butts were a little sore - maybe I'm just speaking for myself, but I think I have the worst bike seat in history. I need a pillow on my seat for next time!

 It was an all out awesome day. We had always wanted to ride to Steveston from our house & thankfully the weather was beautiful and we got to do it. Not sure I would do it again... I'll need to invest in something for my bike seat. But, with the weather hanging in there we might just have to squeeze in one more crazy bike day adventure before our weather turns into cold, soggy days of darkenss.