Create Kate

A new kit!!

phew!! it's been busy lately with going back to work!!  I just put the lid on a new kit that will go up at Designer Digitals on Sunday morning. It is a different feel than my last few which have been bold and bright- this one is soft and airy, In fact, it is so airy feeling that that's what I named it.

I'm starting to get excited as when I looked at my calendar today I noticed that it two weeks until I go to Las Vegas for Memory Trends!!  I can't wait!! I have never been to Vegas and I have never been to a trade show. I feel like a giddy newby! Stop by the A2Z booth if you are there and say hi!

This weekend is going to be all about yard work. We have been re-doing the slope in the back so the rainwater doesn't come straight towards the garage and seep down towards the foundation. DH wants to finish it up this weekend and get the second set of grass planted soon. It has been over a month now of having half of our yard be a giant dirt heap. It will be nice to have grass again. For me, I'll be busy in the front planting the beds. I bought 100 tulips and 40 crocuses to plant- LOVE spring bulbs!!  I have being waiting years to have a yard that I could dig a nice flower bed into and fill it FULL with tulips. I was telling my husband that these tulips are an investment as they will come up year after year so we'll only be buying them once. I was telling him this knowing full well that next year I'll be wanting to buy more and fill that bed even fuller. Daffodils perhaps?

Have a great weekend all- looks like it going to be gorgeous here with the mercury hitting the 20s this weekend!

Frustrated

I'm not normally one to complain but I have to start off by saying it took me a good thirty or forty tries to get logged onto typepad. For some reason about a month or so ago, it began to go all wonky on me. Won't let me log in. Says things like we don't recognize that log in name, don't recognize that e-mail when I try to recover my password. I have now discovered that i need to get the password recovery sent to me and then link from there, cut and paste my info. and it will work. Now if I just type my info. it doesn't seem to work but if I cut and paste- voila. Weird I tell ya. There have been countless times when I have had a bit of free time and thought- ahhhhhhhhhhh I'll update the ole blog and then I have just gotten frustrated and given up. Almost ready to say kaput. So, if any of you know how to help me, let me know. I'm going bonkers over here.

Life update:

I went back to work last week. I am just doing two days per week to start and just the mornings for September. I will do two full days in October and then three days in November. My Dr. and rehab consultant worked out a little schedule for me. So far so good. I met the teacher who I am going to be working with this year, Andrea and she is too sweet. She just got her teaching degree last year and spent a few months subbing before getting hired on to work with me. She is really eager and enthusiastic . Love that. Reminds me exactly of me in my first few years of teaching. My how 7 years can change things. I still love teaching but my priorities have changed around a lot. I have a daughter to want to come home to after work and I have to remember to take it easy at work and watch out for viruses etc.  My class seems OK- have some wiggly monkeys but that is par for the course at my school. It was nice to see everyone again and feel welcomed back with open arms. Gotta love an atmosphere like that.

Scrap matters:

I have been swamped with scrap stuff the past while. It seems to go in fits and spurts. When the tap turns on though it really seems to flow out. Lately, I have been working on a few assignments and a big project that I am almost done. I'll be heading to Las Vegas next month for Memory Trends. I have not been able to make to any of the prior trade shows so I am excited. I've never been to Vegas either. I told my husband the other day that it feels weird to be heading off to Vegas without him. I'll be premiering a line of papers with a company called A2Z Essentials. My line is called Essentials by Kate. Should be interesting to watch the response. In all truth, I'm a mix of nervousness, anxiety and excitement. It has been a blast putting the papers together and they are fun so I hope everyone enjoys them. Can't wait. Working alongside my buddy Heather Preckel has been fantastic as well. She's a good soul and that makes it all the better. Watch for some previews in the next few weeks.

I've also been busy working on more kits and  doo-dads for designer digitals. I love the inspiration I get from that site. The papers that Katie and Kellie design blow me away each and every week. I get all excited to download my new papers and try them out. Thanks to those ladies, I have a nice pile of digital kits now.

In other news:

It was a crazy week at our house. We live across the street from North America's largest urban peat bog. We walk on the trails in it all the time. There is a small section full of trails just below us. Mackenzie loves it down there. It is only about  2 miles square. Then just past it, is a freeway and the rest of the bog. It is HUGE. They say it is as big as 10 Stanley Parks (that's big!) That section of bog caught on fire on Sunday afternoon. By Sunday night it was ablaze. We could see the flames from our deck and dining room window. It was pretty scary/crazy. The next two days were nuts. Planes flying overhead. Water bombers constantly buzzing literally 300 feet above our house. Apparently, the largest bombers drop the water 175 feet above the tree line and they were dropping it pretty close to our place so if felt like they were going to fly through the living room window. Mackenzie and the little girl across the street were out on the deck watching it all go down. A few times, the planes were so close I could read the numbers on them!  Then finally by Tuesday night they had it mostly under control and the fire borders were holding up. That's when the SMOKE set in as they began to put it out. It still smells like a campfire outside. We ended up leaving for the day one day as it was just too smelly and it was irritating our throats. Luckily, the rain set in last night and will help finish off the job. Phew!!  Here are a few pictures of it all. All of these pictures were taken from my deck. That;s how close it was. Scary stuff. So glad it is over. Phew!

Tagged...

Ok I'm heading out for the long weekend-wahoooo!!!  Going back to work next week too- a bit scared after being off for eight months, but I am starting slow- half day here, half day there. There also won't be any new kits from methis week- just too busy getting my classroom ready etc... Next week though- a paper pack and a brush/stamp set- yay! Got my haircut today andfounda new hairdresser. I am embarassed to admit that mine moved away over a year ago and it has taken me this long to get a new one. I have been justfloating about trying to find one and then basically gave up and let my hair grow for the past 5 months. Sooo, I found a new girl today and she rocks- love my new do'. Choppeda lot off too and boy does it feel good. Kenzie has been at Grandma's for the past two days and she will be surprised to see me!!  I miss that little snuggle muffin like nothing else!! CAn't wait to run up to her and give her the biggest hug tomorrow morning.

Ok so Rachel tagged me. Here goes. Five random Kate facts:

1. I havea penchant for liquid treats. I swear I get wayyy too many calories from drinks. Some of my faves are Iced Cappucinos from Tim Hortons (my DH thinks I'm nuts as he prefers the Starbucks ones- I can't handle much caffeine and the Timmy ones have just coffee syrup  which is basically no real coffee- teehee) Oranginas (oh man yummy- like an orange selzter drink- DH brings them home from his work for me) and Perrier (Ok so this one is good for me- phew!!  I LOVE Perrier! The plain or lemon are my faves but if someone gives me a lime one I'll guzzle it down too.

2. My Mom found out she was pregnant with my brother when I wasfive months old. He was not planned quite that soon and she had no idea she was pregnant until I just up and refused to nurse anymore. My Mom took me to the Dr. and he said I was fine and finally tested my Mom and a-ha she was pregnant. See, my finicky liquid drink problem started early on.

3. I used to be a lifeguard and taught swimming lessons for 10 years. That's how i met my DH- I was his first boss at the local outdoor swimming pool.

4. I am 3 years older than my DH. Wemet when I was 21 and he had literally just turned 18 and just graduated from highschool. He loves to talk about and bug me that the only reason he first dated me was because I a.) had a car  b.) was a cool older girl and   c.) could buy him alcohol in both Canada and the US. (silly boy!)

5. I love board games- love them!  My brother actually loves them even more as my whole family is crazy for games. I love to find more obscure games and have more than once ventured into some very interesting gamestores full of sweaty boys/men all hunched around atable playing some long role playing game. It's all worth it if  I score a new game. My current fave is  card game called Bohnanza- SO much fun!

So there ya have it- 5 facts about me and it only took me a few days eh Rach? ;)

And I'm going to tag Melissa Diekema! Your turn girl!