Been Gone Far Too Long

 I've been busy with life, work is great, family is amazing and I'm going to aim to come back to my blog this year.  I know I won't make it back here daily, but when time permits I'll be back! 

In the meantime, on December 29, 2023, I celebrated 18 years of recovery,  I won't lie and say this has been easy, there's been some extremely challenging life events that have transpired but I walk my talk and am going to any lengths not to pick up.  For me, to drink is to die and overall I'm enjoying life far too much with a clear head and clear eyes!

Wishing anyone reading this a blessed, prosperous, healthy and happy New Year!

Upcoming Baby Shower

 We have a baby shower coming up on the 24th of this month, my daughter is due the first week of September.  She is having a boy, my first grandson and I'm totally looking forward to baby Everett's arrival!  

This past weekend my oldest granddaughter spent a night with me, we decided to go shopping to pick up some plain baby bodysuits with the plan of using the Cricut and creating designs for them.  They turned out very nice! 

                       I had such a fun night spending quality time with Elyssa, not only crafting,                                 we baked, visited, and made one heck of a fantastic dinner! 

Ribbon Skirts

After once again taking a break from blogging I'm finding that it's time to get active and back into posting and sharing.  I've missed my blog without even knowing I've missed it.  I've been distracting myself with other things in life.  Lately, I've taken to making ribbon skirts, this is good therapy for me to be able to get back into being creative.  I'll share a few of the skirts I've designed and have 6 more in the works, some youth, children's and women's sizes. 

I designed this one as a gift for a beautiful woman who has touched my heart. 

One wee girl to who I gifted a skirt to refused to take it off for her bath, when she relented and had her bath she got right back into her skirt.  Come bedtime she once again refused to take it off and slept in her skirt. In the morning she insisted on wearing her new skirt to daycare.  After hearing this I've designed a few others for her so she would have choices.  

Another for the precious princess who loves her ribbon skirts! 

                                                                A mother and daughter set. 

Here is one I made for myself to honor Murdered and Missing

Indigenous Women and Girls.  The shirt was a last-minute add on

using my Cricut machine to create the applique. 

                                                        A birthday gift for a friend's wife. 

         Now to learn how to use this Serger my children bought 

           for me for Mother's Day and I'll be all pro at this! 

Rest In Peace

 

On April 29, 2021 my oldest son passed away;  I was at the hospital with him when he left us.  This is by far one of the most difficult things I've ever had to experience as a mother and this grief process continues and plain out sucks.  

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be Shayne's mother, I had him at a very young age and we learned a lot in life together.  At times we struggled, however, we always knew how much we loved one another even through the anger.  We had some wild and crazy times, we laughed a lot and enjoyed life. 

A friend told me that my son is now my teacher, I definitely agree, and learning the truest form of unconditional love as my boy was slipping away due to promising him I'd never, ever give up on his was so damn hard, yet I was there holding and loving him. 

Shayne was an avid Oiler's fan, we had a small Celebration of Life for him with a group of 10 and then switched out to another group of 10.  Covid regulations prevented us from all coming together as a family unit.  Now that we are at the tail end of this Covid (fingers crossed), it's time to start to make plans on when to spread his ashes, this will be out in the country where his Grandmother is buried as he was extremely close to my mom. 

For now son I shall say see you later, as we do not say goodbye in our family.  Rest in Peace my boy. 

Made with Love

 Unfortunately, I won't be decorating heart cookies with my granddaughter this year; however, I'm still baking them and dropping them off for her to decorate.  Decorating cookies has been our tradition since she was old enough to sit at a table, now I'm baking for my younger granddaughter as well and starting her on this path of cookie decorating, made and decorated with love! 

Brrrrr

 It's been one heck of a cold week, other than going out to work and dashing out with my dog it's been a stay indoors kind of a week and it's not going to let up for another week or so.  Today averaged -29c without the wind chill and tonight it's dipping down to -35c.  I sure miss summer when we experience this type of weather.

Time to crawl into my pre-heated comfy bed and call it a day, 

this cold weather makes me want to hibernate! 

Turtles

 There is something about turtles, so much so my first tattoo was a turtle, that's how much they "talk" to me.  There are various meanings to turtles, but one of my favorites I do believe is slow and steady wins the race. 

 This turtle I brought back from Australia when I visited there in 2012, I spent 4 1/2 months across the pond, and what an experience this was! 

Two to Love

 I am so blessed to have two beautiful granddaughters to love; there is about a 10 year age difference so they definitely will not get the same gifts on a regular basis.  However, for Valentine's day...                              what can I say? :-)

 

Winter Wonderland

 Stepping outside of work today, sure it was chilly, but it sure is beautiful! 

Warmth

 

Warm fuzzy goodness at the end of the day in -100, this feels absolutely amazing!

(Ok, so it's -20, with the windchill it feels like -100 lol)

My granddaughter bought me these for Christmas, how thoughtful!