my family wall....

Awhile ago, I gathered up some frames not in use from around the house and spray-painted them heirloom white.

I had an an inspiration....I wanted to create a "family wall"....a collection of photos of our family roots....our parents and grandparents. It is also important to me that my children recongnize those they come from.

The hardest part was locating pictures. I was able to find pics of all the grandparents except for Ron's paternal grandparents. I am not sure if even a picture exists of these two people in their younger days. Once I found the pictures, the rest was easy. Arrange. Hang.

I absolutely love this wall.

The picture in the centre is of Ron and I on our wedding day in 1995. The picture to the top right of us is of my maternal grandparents Josephine and Frederick circa 1950's. To the lower right are Ron's maternal grandparents Evangline & Antonio on their wedding day in 1945. Just below Ron and I are my paternal grandparents Ada & Clifford with my Uncle Phillip circa 1941. And to our lower left are Ron's parents with Ron and his brother when they are little. That handsome couple to our upper left is my parents in 1965 at a high school dance.

I loved my grandparents dearly and it is a nice to have their pictures on the living room wall  to remind me of happier times. And of who I am and where I come from.

This post is linked to these great parties:

Hello Mrs. Bunny Cake...

My mom always made a version of this cake for us at Easter. It's a simple homemade cake cut into a bunny shape. Decorated with jelly beans, coconut, licorice and whatever other yummy things we had on hand.When she happens to be visiting us at Easter, she makes it for my kids.

Such a simple little tradition. But it makes the kids feel so special.

This is our project for today...to make a Mrs. Bunny Cake. We have icing, jelly beans, licorice....it can't be a holiday unless there's a mess in the kitchen.

Sarah's House Season 3: The Farmhouse Kitchen

It always amazes me how I can watch each episode of Sarah's House faithfully each week,

and how there are still beautiful details that the 30 minute show doesn't capture.

Like this staircase.

We never saw it in the show.

But here it is.

I have seen numbered staircases before, but it looks like there is a painted runner

in addition to flea market style numbers on each riser.

It really adds some great character to what could be a lacklustre staircase.

But there is never lacklustre with Sarah.

Another little corner of the kitchen that we didn't get to see in detail on the show.

Here appears a beverage centre and a baking centre.

Sarah has tackled the use of space around low hung windows with practicality.

I love this view of the kitchen.

It shows how Sarah has made every square inch of the kitchen functional.

Love the farmhouse sink.

The big stove to put out the big meals you expect at a farm.

The island that can serve as a buffet for entertaining.

Another beautiful vignette.

I would love to cook in this kitchen.

It is so bright, functional & cheery.

I think this kitchen would reform this late sleeper into a morning person.

Skinny Legs & Cowgirls...

Intriguing isn't it?

Skinny Legs & Cowgirls.
Such an interesting and fun phrase.

It's a resturant...themed after some old giddy up Cowgirl inspirations taken from a novel.

Super fun. Super chic.

A great watering hole, so to speak.

Some girlfriends & I finally ventured to this place for lunch.

It did not dissapoint.

Except on one point....I did not leave with skinny legs.

Dang it.

This place features mostly organic meat & produce.

And a few fish dishes to round out the menu.

We started with 2lbs. of PEI mussels.

And 2 of us being from the Maritimes, we know our mussels.

They were truly delicious...cooked just right in a wine & tomato broth,

With bread for sopping up that broth left in the dish.

And on one's chin.

Next came chicken in a mushroom cream sauce..with risotto.

And a salad.

It was so very juicy & tasty.

No ladies' lunch would be complete without chocolate.

We shared a delightful chocolate mousse pie.

We can't wait to whoop it up again at this place.

It was totally a 'happy trails' experience.

some 'Grammie' LOVE in the kitchen...

Whenever my mother comes to visit,

she & Hunter like to cook up adventures in the kitchen.

One of the ways my mother shows her love for people is to cook for them and with them.

Hunter has learned so much from her.

And one of things I love about my mother is that she is always game for whatever you want to try.

She's such  a FUN girl!

Hunter always wants to make crepe desserts with Grammie.

This time it was crepes with sauteed pears, candied walnuts with vanilla ice cream.

Topped off with maple syrup.

Delicious.

Hunter feels that crepes taste better when they are flipped.

But they must be flipped by her.

The sauteed pears in all their butter, cinnamon and syrupy glory.

Candied walnuts ready for garnish.

The yummy finished dessert.

the staff appreciation luncheon....

Each year, the parent council at my childrens' school hosts a luncheon for the teachers and staff.

It is to show appreciation for all the little 'extras'  the teachers' & staff give to our children.

It's  held on a  regular school day in the gym during school lunch hour.

The teachers and staff really look forward to this special treat.

The honour of planning this event this year was entrusted to me.

{Um...probably 'cause I opened my big mouth last year and said that I would love to

organize & plan hot dishes instead of just sandwiches.}

In any case, it was my pleasure to plan this little party.

I chose an Olympic theme to tie in with the Vancouver Olympics.

And the students awarded the teachers 'GOLD' medals for different events as part of the luncheon entertainment.

The budget for this event is very small.  Just $100 is what parent council sets aside to cover decorations and supplies. We try to make the best of every dollar with carefully chosen,

but simple decorations.

I had an amazing  & super enthusiastic mother design these simple, yet elegant flower decorations for the tables.

Very lovely touch.

The parents of the school donate ALL of the food. It is strictly on a volunteer basis.

For the first time, parents were asked  to donate crockpot dishes if they could.

I was overwhelmed with offers of donations of crockpot dishes and desserts.

We have a fabulous group of parents at this school.

In addition to crockpot dishes, there are veggies & dips, salads, cheese trays, and bread.

The beverage station had water and punch available.

This was the dessert table. It featured all kinds of homemade goodies like tiramisu, cupcakes, carrot cake,

cookies, chocolate-dipped pretzels and fruit salad.

I tried the tiramisu. Yummy.

The carrot cake. Super yummy.

When the 'gold medal' presentation was finished, the students got 'High 5's' from the teachers and staff

for a job well done.

After the luncheon was over and teachers return to their classrooms, the volunteers sit down for a well-deserved break and lunch.

Then we pack up all the leftovers and load them into the fridge in the staff room  so teachers

can have a meal the next day as well.

On the day of the luncheon, I arrived at school at 8:30 am and I remained there until 3pm.

Needless to say, when the event was over, I was pretty pooped and my feet were killing me.

When I finally had a chance to sit down at 3 pm on a bench in the school hallway,

another mom arrived and announced that she was going for a 'walk' outside and did I want to come?

My response was, "Are you kidding me? I just had a 6 hour walk....all over the gym!"

But, at the end of the day, it was a really fun event and it was full of fun & laughter.

It was a most rewarding volunteer job.

my picture of the day project...

is coming along well. I am actually keeping up with taking the pictures

AND

getting them into the album

AND

having fun!

It was a little hard at first to remember to take a picture EVERY day

but now it had become a normal daily 'habit'.

Doing this project is part of my goal for 2010.

My word for 2010 is " Illuminate". I want to illuminate more areas of my life.

And not save the scrapbooking for the BIG events of life, but to scrapbook

all the little moments that make up our everyday life.

This format is working so well for me.

I am almost 3 months into the project and I am just as enthusiastic as when I started.

This has been  a wonderful and illuminating experience.