Posts coming...

I have been really good at taking photos - just not so good at posting them.  I have a bunch on the camera right now, but everything is helter skelter because we're packing for our *BIG* move on the 30th... YAY!!!!!  That'll be a gratitude item for SURE!!!!

day 14 - my new Starbucks coffee tumbler

i'm not a starbucks addict, not even a coffee addict (i only drink an average of 1 cup a day)... but i LOVE this coffee mug. it's a "design-your-own" one... so i stamped with my new stamps. i don't think the casing is big enough to put photos in it, like it's intended for, only if you printed them out on the computer... which i DO intend to do, after we've moved, and i have 5 minutes to work out a digital template. :)

photo: colour temp down SLIGHTLY

day 13 - bananas

i'm anaphylactically allergic to alot of fresh fruits, so bananas are one of the only fruits that i can enjoy in the great white north that aren't stupid expensive during the winter. good thing i LOVE them. :)

photo: no changes

day 12 - my boys' kitchen unit

this toy is so darn cute, and it's teaching my boys that it's ok for men to cook. their daddy is a GREAT example, as he does most of the cooking now, but before i got a job outside the home, my boys LOVED to "help" mummy make dinner - and now they have their own little kitchen.

photo: temp down and brightness up

day 11 - my grama's house

Ok, so I'm not grateful for this CARPET per se... This is the carpet in "our" living room in the basement. It's older than I am. :D

On 30 Jan, we'll be finally moving into our own place, after 18 full months of living under my grama's roof. It hasn't been easy, but I couldn't possibly be more grateful for the roof over our heads.

photo: no changes.

day 10 - Psalm 23

Okay, so I've been bad... I have been taking my pics, but just not uploading them... so tired at the end of the day, and no energy to climb over the boxes of stuff to get to my computer.  But, no excuse, I need to pull up my socks.

Our Pastor did a sermon on Psalm 23 on Sunday, and it's a GREAT pick-me-up when you're going through tough times.

photo: had to turn down colour temp.

Day 9 - Stampin' Up!'s new easy-to-store clear mount stamps

Had a FANTASTIC open house today in conjunction with my friend TH who is an Epicure consultant, so I HAVE to have something Stampin' Up! to be grateful for today.  ('cause it's just on the brain, mmmmm, a BIT.)

Okay, so I'm a paper-crafting nut.  I've never denied that.  But these new stamps just rock my world.  In case you did NOT know, I'm a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, and have been, for about 4 months now.  I LOVE IT.  And I get silly, giddy, hyper-active, you NAME it, when I get new goodies.  It's like Christmas and my birthday, ALL THE TIME.

So anyway.  These new clear-mount stamps are a God-send for people like me that are a) organisationally challenged, and b) space challenged.  Now they're all in these slim dvd cases... oh SNAP!

And it doesn't help that with each new design they come out with, I get giddy too.  ;)

Photo: upped shadows (slightly), colour temp down, and contrast up.  Seems pretty standard to be making those adjustments based on my flash and the lighting in our house. :)

day 8 - toffifee

This is a bit late - I took it yesterday, but didn't get on the 'puter to put it up.

If you've never had one... you MUST.  Toffifees are a Christmas stand-by for my family, and I easily polish off half a tray of 24 in about 15 minutes.  NO PROBS.  I LOVE them.  They're smooth, caramel-ly, with a nut, and a super smooth chocolate filling... mmmmmmmmm. chocolate.  *drool*

This pic is of the tray that comes in the box - each choccie is a half-sphere.

Photo: I played with colour temp (down), contrast (up slightly) and shadows (up slightly).  Macro setting on my p&s.

day 7 - my doona

To the non-Aussies, a doona is a comforter.  We have a down one, and in the winter, it has a flannel cover.  I loooooooove my doona.  In the winter, it is the BEST feeling to snuggle deep into bed, wrapped up with the doona...mmmmmmm.  LOVE MY DOONA.


Photo notes: I bumped down the brightness of this, and bumped UP the contrast.  I had to use the flash, which is hyper-harsh, so playing with those settings made this turn out not-too-bad.

day 6 - baking soda

Okay, yeah, so that's just plain weird, I know.  BUT, I can't tell you how many times baking soda has saved a burnt out, crusty pot for me... and it did it again today.  I'm not sure how, but when I left my chili to simmer last night (on LOW), I came back, and it was on MEDIUM... and the bottom was all burned... thank goodness it didn't taste burned, man was it GOOD.

So anyway, baking soda, boiled in about an inch of water in a burnt out crusty pot saves the day.

;)

Day 5 - my boys love BOOKS

I love that my boys LOVE BOOKS.  I was a bookworm as a child (and still can be, when I find the time to sit and read), so it's really not all that surprising that they're both already showing an appreciation for literature (lol)... but I'm grateful for it nonetheless.

As I'm combining this blog with my efforts on 365project.org, I'm going to add photo comments too, since that is a project to improve my skills as a photographer.

Photo: I played with the colour saturation setting, and with the exposure settings in Windows Live Gallery.  I'm not all that skilled in Photoshop to be honest, and really, PS takes FOREVER to load on my ancient dino pc, whereas WLG is quick, and sooo user-friendly.

Day 4 - forklift

I LOVE this part of my job - the forklift.  Well, I shouldn't say THE forklift, as we have THREE, but MY forklift.  LOL  Okay, not really mine, but the one I use the most.  It makes my job more fun, it's great bombin' around on it (but I don't do stupid stuff), and I just plain enjoy it.

Day 3 - the Cross

EVERY day of this blog could be a form of gratitude to God for His gift... but today, being Sunday, and being a day I went to church, is often a day that I feel alot of gratitude for the grace and love that is offered to me (and every one of us)... and the mercy.... oh, the mercy.  For me to be who I am, no pretext, nothing hidden, all out there - and He loves me just the way I am, because Jesus died for me.  Faults, mistakes, stupid decisions and ALL.... That just rocks.

Day 2 - Mac'n'cheese

I KNOW how BAD for me store-bought, instant macaroni and cheese is.  I KNOW that I should be cooking more healthy lunches on the weekends....


But.


Mac'n'cheese, the boxed kind, tastes YUMMY, and it's TOTALLY a winter comfort food for me... so I made it for us on this chilly winter day for a warm lunch... and it rocked. :)

Day 1 - my phone

I am grateful that I have the connection that my phone gives me.


We have relatives and friends around the world, and to be able to connect with them through this electronic device is something that brings a smile to my face, and often giggles (accompanied by snorts!) and tears too.