Newest Addiction

You may have read an earlier post about a pillowcase dress I attempted. Not the best work I admit, however, I have been playing nice with the sewing machine ever since and after a trip to fabricland this past weekend I have something to share.

sorry for the blurry photo, it's late

So, whaddya think? I love, Love, LOVE the fabric on the bottom. I even made the "ribbon" out of it. And check out the cool feature of having it tie on one shoulder instead of two. I can make it in sizes 6 months up to size 6. (This one is 12 months)

I purchased the pattern from a seller on Etsy. I (heart) etsy. I've also ordeedr a whole boatload of supplies for some very chic headbands and a few new items to try out.

holding my breath

It's slightly after 1am and not surprisingly I am still awake. I stumbled across some really great blogs with some great tutorials and inspiration.

I've been checking our online banking about once an hour or so since about 9:30. We are impatiently waiting for Rob's paycheck from the Western Quebec School Board. He started back on May 1st (he's seasonal) and has yet to be paid. In case anyone has been wondering why their child's school's grass hasn't been cut this past week, that's why. Anyways, it's going on 8 weeks now without pay. Last year when he would get paid it would show up in our account the nght before (most times). It's not there yet so I'm hoping when I check in the morning it will be there....

bad teacher

Have you seen the previews for this movie yet? I'm looking forward to seeing it (but probably won't get to until it's on dvd)


We're sitting on the couch when the preview comes on. Right after the scene where Cameron Diaz's character instructs 2 boys to hold another's arms while she throws a dodgeball at him, Rob turns to me, and in all seriousness, says "That would be you if you'd become a teacher!"



Wow, thanks for that vote of confidence, father of my 4 children.

How do react to a comment like that?

Good thing I'm not a teacher, eh?

My own little corner of the web

I did something today that I have been wanting to do for awhile now.

I purchased the domain name Cassabella Creations and I signed up for web hosting for my website. I've already picked out a pre-designed template that I adore and am just waiting for it to be set up on the hosting site. So in about 24-48 hours I should be able to start adding my products and set up the site's shopping cart! Woo Hoo!!

Now I can go ahead and order my business cards, product display cards and vinyl banner.

Fun-filled Father's Day weekend.

I hope everyone had a fun weekend, because we sure did.

Saturday started out with Rob helping a friend move some of his bigger furniture and appliances into his new home. He is moving to a smaller house and didn't have room for a few items so he offerred them to us. A very nice white 6 drawer dresser with mirror (which I had coincidentally been telling Rob I would like to purchase for Cassandra since her 3-drawer ikea one wasn't cutting it anymore) and a beautiful antique sideboard. Looks great in my front entryway. Thanks Dave!!

Cassandra and Ryan were also busy for the early afternoon. They visit out local youth centre ~ The Garage, which is a stone's throw from our house. They were having a Lemonade stand where they were also selling muffins and cookies. I don't know who did the baking but the peanut butter cookers were quite yummy!

On to my nephews 5th birthday party being held at my parents house. I enjoy most get togethers there as they are very low key, easy going affairs. This one proved to be one of the best. The weather was beautiful and everyone was in a great mood. You could barely tell there were 10 kids there.

We have instilled a rule in the past where there was to be no alcohol permitted at a kids' party. Well, we threw that rule to the wind this weekend. My Dad set up a huge tent and we all camped out.

Big brunch cooked by my Dad the next morning, enjoyed eating it out on the newly built back deck. Afternoon spent at the beach followed by bbq steak dinner, again cooked by my Dad. It really felt like being away at a cottage.

Ohh and Rob loved his Father's Day gift. A brand new Newmac wood-oil combination furnace. Not really his gift but since I ordered it Friday afternoon I told him that was his gift.

Too many kids...not enough room

I have a small household dilemma. I have too many kids and nowhere to put them all!! Ok, I know I have 4 kids and nowadays that's a lot but I'm exaggerating only slightly here.

I have 4 bedrooms here. 3 decent sized rooms and one pretty tiny room. More like the size of a walk in closet but it also has a door to the front balcony there as well.

My dilemma is how to divy up the kids into these rooms. We took the one with the biggest closet and the only one all our furniture would fit into. Cassandra was given the next biggest as it has the double windows in front and has an awkward configuration in relation to all the doors and windows. Ryan and Cohen were sharing the slightly smaller room and Ashton had the tiny room. Cohen really never slept in their room and Ash ended up with me.

Question: Should I give Ash his own room again with his big boy bed (getting it in a week or so) or should I move Ryan into that room (since he can't keep the bigger room clean anyways) and put Cohen and Ash together in this bunkbed? Ryan is 9, Cohen is 4 and Ash is 18 months.

Or give Ashton his own room with one of these beds?



decisions...decisions....what would you do?

Ring Shopping and rotten in laws

I get to shop for a new ring. But I can't afford to buy it just yet. So I'm doing a lot of window shopping for now.

I need to replace my engagement ring. When it was originally purchased I made a point to tell Rob, repeatedly that I would, inevitably, lose it. so don't spend obscene amounts of $$$ on something I will lose. Heck I even told him to shop at a pawn shop if he felt like it.

Anyways, the reason I get to buy a new ring is because mine is gone! But, surprisingly, I didn't lose it. I have lost it before in the past but only temporarily. And I always misplaced both my engagement ring and wedding band, never just one. I have 3 places that I put my rings, on the window sill behind the sink (they won't fall down the drain, I tried it out to be sure), in the china cabinet or in Ash's pj drawer (My big dresser in my room is for his clothes). I had removed my rings and put them on the window sill because I was hot and my rings were starting to feel a bit snug.

Sadly, we believe it was stolen by Rob's brother, Scott (well half brother). Rob hadn't spoken to him in 15+ years and it had hadn't ended well back then either.

As much as I believe in giving people second chances, that everyone makes mistakes and deserves the opportunity to learn from them, I do believe this man is just rotten and can't be trusted.

Now I Know Why....

They call it a training bra!

Because it takes a god-awful amount of time and patience to "train" a tween to wear one consistently. My 10-almost-11 year old daughter doesn't have boobs (yet) but she does have little nips that tend to make themselves noticeable, especially in the types of thin, summery fabrics our warm weather calls for.

Ten on Tuesday

 Playing follow-the-leader today and taking inspiration from Lena and linking up with Roots and Rings.

1. How do you pronounce the word aunt? Does your pronunciation rhyme with ‘haunt’ or ‘can’t'?
It rhymes with “can’t”. I used to get a kick out of Will Smith (as the Fresh Prince of Bel Air) when he would say Aunt Viv ( like haunt)

2. Do most of the people in your life know you blog? Or are you partially or totally anonymous?
Not really. Pretty much only a handful of people whose blogs I also follow. I really only have, like, 13 followers.

3. When you grocery shop, do you prefer to bag your own groceries or do you like it when the store bags them for you? Paper, plastic, or reusable bags?
I like to do my own. I used to work in a grocery store and I like things done my way, aka the right way. I like using my reuseable bags but we will still request the plastic ones (even at 5 cents a piece) to use for our trash. 

4. Do you have a green thumb?
Not even a little bit. Let's be thankful I'm better at taking care of kids than a plant.

5. If you watch the Food Network, which chef/show host is your favorite?
II don't watch the Food Network. I don't cook either.

6. Do you like to take baths? Do you take them very often?
I love baths but it's not even a choice right now. Our bathroom is mid reno and has no shower.

7. What color are the walls in your kitchen?
Ugh. Ancient beige wallpaper, crumbling white plaster and white barker board half way up.

8. Do you prefer to dine outdoors or indoors?
Indoors. I hate bugs and having to bring everything back in afterwards.

9. Describe your ideal weather.
Autumn weather. 

10. If you could learn any foreign language, which would you choose to learn?
I know French pretty well although not fluent (even though I have my bilingual certificate - go figure) but I'd like to learn Spanish so I could give Dora & Diego a tuning they'll understand

Another loss for us

***warning: possible TMI***

We hadn't announced it yet. Mostly because we had just found out about it ourselves but we were expecting again. We weren't actively trying since the miscarriage I had in April but at the beginning of June I picked up a pregnancy test, pretty much to confirm to myself that my monthly friend would be visiting. I was pretty damn shocked when a + came up on the test.

We held off telling this time, only telling my parents and a few others. Yesterday, I started bleeding. Nothing major it seemed. It didn't feel at all like it had in April.I still had hope, that is until the tissue passed. At this point I knew for certain what was happening so I got my butt up to the ER. Because I am Rh- and my husband is + I have to be given a shot of immune globulin (WinRho) while pregnant (at 28 weeks) as well as after each birth. In this case I needed to be given it upon miscarriage as well.

Now I have to go back for more bloodwork Monday morning and an ultrasound as well. I can't begin to tell you the feeling of laying on the same bed in the same ultrasound room as I had for all 4 of my healthy pregnancies but this time looking to make sure there was no sign of baby.

So that was my Friday.

What I LOVE Wednesday!

This boy! Along with a few others, for sure, but he is definitely my favorite 4 year old!!

I made my first ever pillowcase dress this afternoon. I actually even used a pillowcase for it. Very proud of how it turned out, even though it has imperfections, many imperfections. Cohen so very graciously modeled it for me. Not to mention he made a great mannequin while I was trying to figure out the armhole sizing.

Doesn't he totally rock this dress?

And because I don't have a little girl anymore (only a bratty tween) and the dress has a few too many imperfections to sell, I am offering it up for free. If you'd like it just leave a comment on this post.

Father's Day Freebie

Need a gift idea for Father's Day? Want to keep it real? Check out this deal!

Canada Freebies: Free Father’s Day Portrait At Black’s Canada (Until June 19, 2011)

June 4th, 2011

Receive a FREE 6×8 Father’s Day portrait from Blacks, from right now until June 19, 2011.

Here’s what Black’s had to say about this promotion on their website:

Effective right now and continuing through until Father’s Day, we’re shooting FREE Father’s Day Portraits in our stores, just like we did for Mother’s Day. And yes, it isabsolutely free – no strings attached!

Just bring your little ones to any Black’s location and we’ll shoot a portrait on the spot, and then print it out for you in one of our big, beautiful 6×8 Father’s Day themed borders that you see here. Did I mention it’s FREE?

Click here to find a Black’s Canada location near you.

Not MY Aunt!

I'm fairly certain this blog post will only truly be appreciated by 2 of my followers. You'll both know who you are once you read!

Most families have one or two of "those" people, right? The relatives you barely admit to being related to...well this is one of mine.
Psycho Aunt. She has done some odd things over the years. She's certainly had her ups and downs and at times has even been a pretty nice person BUT this really takes the cake.
She is THE cat lady. Give it a few years and she will be just like that raving lunatic on Simpsons.


To get to the point, she inherited a cat from my Nan when she passed away, who is now 13 years old. Clearly Min's life was coming to an end at some point soon. Well, the inevitable happened and Min passed on. Apparently, she passed in her sleep laying on the end of Auntie's couch.
Here's the kicker, she left her there for 2 days. D E A D. On her couch for 2 days!!!!
Attachment issues?

Disclaimer: I'm really not normally this harsh about family members but this particular aunt threw my bassinette across the room with me in it, clearly I've held a grudge.

Amazing Giveaway

Although I'm pretty sure all my 13 followers are already following Lena's blog, I will go ahead and rave about it anyways.
If you are in any way interested in cute and terribly funny kids, fashion and fun among other topics then you definitely need to check it out.
And she is having a great giveaway ending tonight! Like in 1 hour (see how I waited to blog about it? Strategy peeps, strategy! Less competition)
Check it out here!

Kitty Kitty take 2

Remember how we used to have a little bitty grey kitten? And how that ended?

Well, we've inherited another itty bitty grey kitten. Actually, we're pretty sure it's from the same mother, courtesy of a neighbour who seems to enjoy breeding stray cats...Again, found him in our garage, just like the first one.

Hopefully Scrump #2 has better luck with Cohen than the former Scrump-kitty did. I assure you Cohen has undergone some serious kitty-training, and Scrump can outrun him!!

What I'm LOVING

I have enough a/c units installed to keep the house comfortable in the heat!

Rob is officially back to work which means *regular paychecks*. After 5 LONG months with NO income other than my baby bonus and the odd jobs Rob was able to get we are beyond happy to get to see regular cash coming in!

My swimming pool will be ready soon (if Rob leaves the pump plugged in, that is)

The week is halfway over! Looking forward to the weekend! Hopefully Rob will have his much anticipated paycheck by then!

My hubby let me sleep in this morning. He came in looking for work pants and I think I mumbled something to him about Ash crying for 2 hours for no reason last night and the next thing I knew it was 10am!

It's been awhile since I've blogged and I can't let the whole month of May go by without a single post. It would look funny on the sidebar list of posts.

A general update of the last month's goings-on for us...

My online business has been growing. I participated in 4 different events as a vendor and met some really great people and made a few new contacts, and of course, customers.

Cohen pooped on the toilet. This has been an ongoing battle issue for us and we couldn't be prouder. Good ol' bribery reward system in action.

Ashton doesn't seem to need Mommy as much at bedtime and naptimes. If he's "ready" for bed I can plop him into bed and actually LEAVE the room. This is  HUGE milestone. We are a co-sleeping household, not necessarily by choice. Ash will be getting his own big boy bed (with safety railing) in a few weeks. Cohen will be bunking in with Ryan once I buy a new set of bunkbeds and maybe, just maybe, my couch sleeping husband will start sleeping in my our bed again....

The boys started ball tonight. Ryan plays minor ball and Cohen plays T-ball! After a slow start for Cohen he started to enjoy himself and is looking forward to next week. Ryan LOVES baseball and can't stop talking about it!!

Cohen has quite the crush on our little neighbour. She is the cutest little brat girl. And Cohen absolutely adores her. I was calling his name, repeatedly, and of course he had totally tuned me out. Little Kaleigh simply calls his name once and he goes running to her, yelling, "I'm coming!"

How cute are they modelling tutus for me! Cohen was willing to do anything to make Kaleigh happy!

Rob is officially back to work, which means I am ALONE a lot! As alone as one can be with 4 kids.

Our tenant from hell FINALLY moved out! He left the house a complete pig pen and destroyed a few things but when it all comes down to it I am just glad he is out!

So that's a bit of what's new and oh-so-exciting around here.