Little Pear House

Easy Bread Recipe

2011-01-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

I suck at baking bread. I can bake a lot of things, but bread has alluded me.... until now. I found this recipe from Chef Michael Smith. I love that his "recipe" for cooking is "cooking without a recipe". His show gives you ideas on how to make meals from what you have, and to be fearless. I love trying new combinations of flavours. (Aside from the fact that I now know my husband DOES NOT like the flavour of cumin!!!)

Anyways, his bread recipe is soooooo easy to follow. The flavour of the bread is great to. I think because it has so much time for the yeast to work, the flavour is developed. He has a few recipes that follow the same method. So far I've only done this one. It is for a large loaf.

Step One: Mix together

4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon dry yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/4 cups warm water

Bread ingredients

Step Two:

Mix just until incorporated. It will be a wet dough

Wet dough

Step Three:

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise in a warm place for 18 hours.

I've left it as short as 9 and as long as 24 hours.... they worked out just the same.

Cover and let rise

After 18 hours, this is how it looks. Really moist and more than doubled in size.

Doubled dough

Step Four:

Knock the dough down

Freshly punched dough!!!

Step Five:

Form into a baking pan. I use my Pampered Chef loaf pan... it's great.

Dough into loaf pan

Step Six:

Let dough rise again for 2-3 hours. I cover it, but give it lots of room to expand otherwise it will stick to the wrap.

After two hours of rising

Step Seven:

Bake for 45 minutes in a preheated oven (425 degrees)

Mmmmm... yummy loaf!

This recipe may sound time consuming because it is spread over such a long period of time, but it's really quite easy. If you forget about it, it doesn't matter. You can just knock in down. From my experience, the longer you leave it, the more complex the flavour is.

I may try mixing cheese in with it one time, or even cracked black pepper. I think it'd be super.

Cheers,
Elisa

2011

2011-01-13T08:07:00.000-08:00

I know the new year arrived two weeks ago, but I am finally getting around to taking it all in.

I have a list of 6 things I want to do this year. It's not so much about checking things off a list as it is a guide for how to live this year.

2011 Goals:

1) Finish my 33 before 33 list... I have the 6 months to get about 25 things done. I'm making progress on a lot of them. Yay me!

2) Enjoy my hubby and our furry kids- Everyday.

3) Find a balance in my life between paid work, house work and life. This involves convincing my husband to help out a little more.... small steps.

4) Create!!! Paper, photos, fabric, thread, wool, paint... everything.

5) Be active everyday.

6) Remember to thank God everyday... even for the small stuff.

Very do-able.

Here's one of my furry kids that I am enjoying this year.

My big boy -Bindy Bunny

Cheers,
Elisa

I'll be back soon

2010-12-30T18:37:00.000-08:00

It's been such a busy season. Work is busy and life is busy. I can't complain.
I'll be back in the new year... Time to get my butt back into gear.

Here's a quick pic from my trip to Vancouver over the holidays. Trees covered with snow. It was beautiful.

A black and white army!

2010-11-25T08:46:00.000-08:00

Penguin #1

The other day I visited my nephews when "A" asked me to make some penguins with him. Aren't they adorable... and tasty too!

Small penguin army

A penguin in the making

You take an olive and cut out a section. Fill the center with cream cheese. A second olive is needed for the head. You cut a little slit and add the beak (see below) to it.

Feet and a beak

Getting ready for assembly

A long toothpick throught the top, and voila.... a Penguin! It didn't take long, and we had our own little army. Too bad it didn't take very long to 'win the battle' and defeat that army. They were yummy!

Ready to conquer the world!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends out there. Have a great day.

Cheers from Snowy Peachland.....

-e

My greatest iPhone app & a happy thanksgiving to my American friends

2010-11-25T04:12:00.001-08:00

I would like to say a great big thank you to Apple. A new app that my Hubby installed last night allows me to see where his iPhone is located. While there was a huge blizzard outside this morning, I could track my husband driving in to work, and know he was not trapped somewhere at the side of the road. It really gave me a little peace!

Testing my iPhone

2010-11-20T08:54:00.000-08:00

Just a test.... Have a super day.

My October

2010-10-31T12:01:00.000-07:00

October has been busy... working lots, trying to finish the little details in the laundry room, and making time for family.

Here are a few pictures from the latter half of my month:

Mushrooms, the big one was over a foot across

Top view of the mushrooms

Fall photo

Fall photo, trying to get the dog in the picture

Roxy walking in the park, looking for squirrels

Notice how much Roxy wants to be included... Pat having to hold her there!

Roxy leaving us once again... it was a trend!

Last night I convinced Pat to do some pumpkin carving. He was very reluctant, but I think his turned out the cutest... I had to draw it for him, but he did the carving.

Pat's pumpkin

My tiny pumpkin

The "McCoy" pumpkin

The pumpkin pictures are a bit grainy... I'll use the tripod tonight and try to get better pictures.
Happy Hallowe'en everyone!

-elisa

Disaster!

2010-10-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

I finally realized that we can no longer get by with our current washing machine. It was leaking, and causing mildew on the floor. Also, it was like 20 years old. We ordered a brand new front load from Home Depot last night.... I'm so excited.
Anyways, we are now renovating the laundry room, to accomodate a wider washing machine than what was there previously. Unfortunately, the person who used to own the house was "handy", or so he thought. My dad is actually a contractor, so when we see the work others have done, it is so frustrating, and usually needs to be redone.

Yesterday entailed a major breakdown by *yours truly*!
Then we (mostly dad though):
-peeled back part of the floor
-emptied the room (into our den, which is now a disaster zone!)
-took the cupboard off the wall
-bought the supplies we needed at the store.

Today we:
-stripped the linoleum off the floor
-cut out the bad drywall
-reframed part of the wall
-re-insulated and added a vapour barrier
-re-drywalled
-began filling holes in the walls.
We have a week until the new washer is here. Thank goodness for my dad!

Hopefully the rest of the minor reno will go smoothly. We opened a can of worms with this reno... I think all the suprises have been revealled.

I'm leaving you will three parting shots from my walk the other day.

Roxy, the happy dog, enjoying the fall sunshine.

Chester (yes, I named the squirrel) checking me out.

Chester finding an escape route.

Canadian Thanksgiving

2010-10-11T08:31:00.000-07:00

Today is Thanksgiving here in Canada. It's nice to be able to take a day to remember what you love about life, and what you are most thankful for.

This weekend I spent my free time baking pies. I made 2 pumpkin pies, 2 apple pies and a lemon meringue pie. Yummy! (and oops... I didn't take any pictures of them!).

I did take pics of the caramel apples I made. Here's how it looked.

You take a bunch of apples and wash them:

You mix the sugar, milk and package and boil.

You keep boiling until it reaches 120 degrees (softball stage). This took a lot longer than I expected.

You burn your fingers a few times while dipping into the HOT caramel. Quickly you twirl them in your selected candies. Place them in the fridge to cool and watch the toppings slide to the bottom. Then, you wonder what went wrong while you hold your burnt finger under cold water!

They were yummy, even if they didn't look like the ones from the store. If I was to do this again, I'd cook the caramel a little more, almost to the hard ball stage. It was just too gooey.

Happy Thanksgiving, Canadian style!

-e

Where you go?

2010-10-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in our house we have lost a cordless phone. The battery must have died and we have no way of locating it. It's probably tucked in a box or high on a shelf.

Oh little phone, where are you?
One day I'll find it and go "oh, yeah".

One day.

-Elisa

End Polio Now

2010-10-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

Dear People on the highway behind my house,

I too would like to bring an end to polio. I think it's a brilliant idea.
I do however, fail to see how getting people to honk is going to end polio. Also, getting people to honk at 7:00 am is not only is crazy but puts your life in jeopardy. I am a calm person, but my neighbors, they are not so much. "Lunatic" as we affectionately call him lives on the left side of my house, and "crazy" lives on the right. They may not appreciate your call to action, your fight to end polio now so early in the morning.

My puppy is curled up on the bed, resigning herself to the fact that there will be no napping in the backyard this morning. I alas gave up the fight to sleep in, and have planted myself infront of the computer... counting the honks per minute. My favourite honk of all was the semi who layed on the horn for approximately 10 seconds. Usually noise like that is followed by a big "CRASH", but no, just you cheering.

Please polio fighting people... have a good day, but don't come back.

Sincerely,
me

Everyone else,
Have a happy day. I'll leave you with a pic of my little Roxy trying to figure out how to get a squirrel!

Hi Y'all

2010-09-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

At the end of August, my hubby had surgery to remove a metal plate from his leg. Well... the leg is healing and he returns to work on Thursday. I can't wait! I can't wait to have the house to myself for any length of time. This time off work makes me realize that we need to make more friends.

To capture the last little bit of summer, we went to Vancouver for a few days (where the olympics were held). Here are a few of my favourite pics.

Wonderful sculptures where the horses were tied.

My hubby waiting for the horse drawn tour. The horses names were "Bud" and "Wiser" (groan!).

Us on the tour.

Totem Poles at Stanley Park. They used to look so scary to me, but now I think they're neat.

Please excuse the hair... Vancouver is humid, so I can never get my hair to do ANYTHING. Also, the water at the hotel didn't help. I felt like I was in the Seinfeld episode with low flow shower heads.

The steam clock in Gastown.

A bright and beautiful day at Granville Island.

So hopefully life gets back to normal soon. My work is slowing down to its regular pace which means I'll have some free time in the next couple of months. That makes me so excited. I'll have time for coffee, crafts and nice walks with our little puppy.

-Elisa

A mouse in the house?

2010-09-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

What a story to tell this week...

I was baking bread the other day {the best recipe, I must share it some day!}. Let me just preface this, saying that my oven is gas. It doesn't have an element on the bottom like an electic one does, instead there is a tray like area with two cutouts that are about 1 inch by 12 inches.

I had my little loaf in the oven, rising in a loaf pan with a tea towel draped over it. I opened the oven to see the size of the loaf, and check if it was time to preheat the oven. When I touched the loaf, a MOUSE ran out from under the tea towel and under the tray in my oven. I yelped! Yes... yelped. My husband had never heard anything like that from me before. IN MY OVEN! I was in shock and horror. I quickly phoned my dad because we didn't know what to do. Again, my hero, raced down to our house to save us!

I stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching my oven until he arrived. About a minute before he got there, I saw the terrible little mouse fun from under my stove, to under my cupboard, and into a hole, never to be seen again. Anyways, dad found the little hole that he escaped into, and sealed it up. He figures it went into our crawl space.

I spent the day cleaning the oven, everything in the entire kitchen, and anything that the mouse could have possibly touched. It just makes me uneasy thinking that there was a mouse in my kitchen. Now when I walk into my kitchen, my eyes play tricks on me, and I think I see a mouse running out of the corner of my eye. My husband thinks I'm crazy. I was thrilled to find NO mouse poop anywhere, so we believe that this is an isolated incident. I'm working at getting over it, end of story.

I decided that I need to change my outlook on mice, so what better way than to find cute mouse things on etsy! Here were my three faves:

Crocheted doll pattern by Amy Gaines

Maybe it's love by missmarjorie

Tilly, the needle felted mouse by Janice Cordeiro

I think they are all so cute!
Have a great day... I'll be away celebrating my man's 37th birthday!

Cheers,
Elisa

Late post... July Happy Mail

2010-09-02T09:57:00.000-07:00

I love happy mail. It's totally not about getting stuff for me. Its's more about the anticipation of a letter in the mail. But most of all, my favourite part of happy mail is dreaming and imagining what that other person is really like. Blogs tell you some bits about them, their crafts, their family, but never the whole story. I love to take what I know about my partner and dream them up in my mind.

That said, getting a suprise in the mail is fun too. I put a lot of thought into what I think my partner would appreciate, and I love seeing what they come up with (with little money spent) for me.

In July, my partner was Tyler. She sent me the biggest package. It was so fun to open because everything inside was wrapped.

The inital opening of the package

Her gift to me

My favourite necklace

I was absolutely spoiled. I know that the last two pictures are blurry, but by the time I had downloaded them onto the computer, I had ate most of the candy, had used a few of the craft supplies, and had put everything else away. Sorry!

Anyways, I'm off to walk our poochie, and then do some work.

Cheers,

Elisa

Art Play Date

2010-08-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

Recently my sister-in-law (hi Monie!) called for an art play date. Happily, I obliged. She brought coffee and I had chocolate for us, and we sat at the table working on "art". I made four little paintings and one bigger, and totally different painting (I'll show you that one another time). She made two adorable little paintings, but I didn't get a picture of them. She has since given them away. She's sweet like that!

Here's how three of mine turned out.

Each of the canvases are 4 inches square, and one inch deep. I added glitter in strategic areas and now LOVE them. They make me happy. I think I'll put them up by the door I always use, so I can see them whenever I come home.

By the way, I have learned that adult art play days are much more fun that child barbie play days... I am often asked for one of those. I get coffee and I'm not forced to be the ugly barbie when adults come over!

That's all.

-Elisa

Where has August gone?!?

2010-08-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

I knew it had been a long time since I blogged, but was amazed when I realized it was over 3 weeks ago! Oops... I guess life just got in the way. I have been super busy at work, and had a ton of company. I really can't complain.

Here's what I've been doing since I was gone:

Prepping Peaches

Making Spiced Peach Jam

My Peach Products: Peaches, Peach Jam and Peach Honey

Hanging out with my honey,and lap dog!

Going to the beach

My hubbies beach feet.... I don't think he'd appreciate everyone seeing the rest of his pale white body

Going to garage sales... this week I scored a level and pretty trivet

I've also been doing copious amounts of laundry which I am beginning to enjoy because we bought a laundry line, so I can hang it all outside to dry. I love it.

I was in a course all last weekend, keeping up on my required continuing education. I just wish I could have been outside enjoying the sunshine.

I have tried my luck at organizing and cleaning the house, but fear I am losing the battle!

Well, I'm off for now, but I promise I shall return with pics of my wonderful July happy mail, and a few projects I've done around the house.

Cheers, Elisa

Our Tuesday Picnic

2010-07-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

My darling husband, my dog and I went for an off road adventure (or should I say misadventure) on Tuesday. The plan was to go up in the woods to explore some of the little lakes around where we live. We were going to scope out the roads to see where we would be able to take our trailer and camp.

Our journey began on some terrible washboard gravel, but it only lasted for about 5 minutes so we continued on. We made it up the hill to our first turn off... Peachland Lake. It was really quite beautiful and serene. After exploring a little ways, we decided to turn back. About half way back, Pat thought the steering was a little off. The wheel kept pulling to the left. He hopped out to check it out. Roxy and I hopped out to check out the woods. We had only taken a few steps when we heard the hissing... no, not a snake, a flat tire. ARGH!!!! We drove out of there to the road before the tire was completely flat. Once at the road, we managed to change the tire (no easy feat, as the jack was too high, and so we had to back our flat tire onto a rock).

Roxy at Peachland Lake

Flat tire

So, we continued on. We would not let one little flat wreck our day. We went up to a beautiful lake called McDonald Lake. We explored a little, and then added it to our list for where we plan to camp. I saw the biggest mushroom. It was 12 inches across.

Tree that had a googly-eyed monster face!

MacDonald Lake

Big mushroom

MacDonald Lake

Next up, more driving. We went in search of another lake, but could not find it, and the road was getting too rough, so we gave up on that and went on to the next spot. We found Pinnacle Lake. Here we had a nice picnic, threw sticks in the water for the dog and checked out the tadpoles. It was pretty fun.

Puppy picnic

A few more lakes and a lot more driving, and then I thought I heard something dragging. I imagined our running board was dragging so I asked Pat to pull over. I jumped out of the truck to see, and to my dismay.... a second flat. WHAT!!!! Now, with the spare already in use, and no cell service, we were left with no options, but to drive on it. We were still about 10 kilometers away from the nearest forestry store/cabin. Long story short, we found a nice old man in a cabin with a cell booster and were able to contact my dad (MY HERO) who filled up his air compressor and came and saved us.

Hidden gem... oh so pretty in there. If we didn't get the second flat, I wouldn't have seen it!

Me walking the dog, Pat waiting to be rescued... second flat was the passenger rear tire.

The moral of the story is GO HOME AFTER YOUR FIRST FLAT TIRE!!! Lesson learned!

Things have been better since. Our tires have been replaced and we are no worse off. Plus, we have a fun story to tell.

-Elisa

My busy week

2010-07-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

My job tends to have really busy times and really slow times. Right now is a really busy time, which sucks because the weather is beautiful, and the beach is calling. However, even in this busy time, I have still been motivated to do some crafting.

This crafty spirit is mostly due to me being enrolled in Wild Olive's beyond fabric and floss class. I'm working on the projects. Not all of them are finished, but I have done quite a few.

Here are a few of my badges that I've made. I didn't put pins on the back, instead I think I'll make them into magnets for on my craft board. They're great because I can finish them pretty quickly, and they are somewhat easy to do.

I also made my sunglasses case. I chose to embroider this image because it is summer.. can you guess what I've been craving!?!

I've also done some contact paper for my composition book. I like the embroidery, but the fact that it stays puffy kinda bugs me... I'll think about it, and maybe work out some of the bubbles.

Finally, I've been baking. These coconut cookies are really yummy.

One last pic for you today... it's one of my clematis. I love the colours, especially against the green colour of my house.

I still have one page left to do in my journal from the 30 day challenge (it's more like a 60 day challenge becaue of this page!!! YIKES!!!) Once it's done, I'll show more of the pages.

Hope everyone is enjoying the last of their weekend. The work week seems to come too soon!

Cheers, Elisa

Stationary Swap

2010-07-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

Oh, one more thing that I realized I forgot to blog about... Jamie over at Inspired Mess is holding a stationary swap. Basically, you buy some stationary for someone, and mail it to them, and you get some in return. She has the rules and contact info here. You should go and check it out... I've already bought what I am giving away.. it's super cute!

Have a great day,
Elisa

Busy, busy, and a confession!

2010-07-18T14:50:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make... my husband doesn't know about my blog. Crazy huh? I just don't think he'd approve. I know I might as well tell him, but I don't like getting in trouble. He probably wouldn't like the idea that I share anything personal with the world, after all, he does work in the security field. All well, I'll probably save that confession for another day. Until then, I'll continue my posts while he's at work, or napping!

Aside from that, I've been busy. Summer is always busy at work, and everyone and their dog visits us here in the "Sunny Okanagan". I got to spend part of the day with my brother and his family at the beach yesterday. It was great... hot and fun! This is my summer:

My family and the beach

Cherries off the tree

Blueberries for breakfast

Could it get any better?

This week I am determined to finish the two pages in my 30 day journal challenge that are still incomplete. I just seem to have writers (or sketchers) block. Then hopefully I can figure out how to make a collage to post. I've also joined Wild Olive's Beyond Fabric and Floss course. I'm so excited. Today I started my projects. I want to get caught up in that course (I joined a few days late). I need to mail my happy mail for the month. It's all packaged up, just need to make that trek to the post office.

Last, but definitely not least, I have a load of gravel in my driveway that needs to be shovelled into a wheelbarrow, and taken to the back yard. It's so hot though, I really don't want to!

Hopefully I can keep all the balls in the air, and not drop any this week!

Cheers,
Elisa

ARGH!

2010-07-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

I just created a post, and had it delete on me! Now I have to start again. I was already feeling sorry for myself because I have a sore throat, and because my husband was "fixing" the computer last night and now we cannot receive emails.... we can't even open outlook. I'm feeling so cut off from the world.

So instead of checking my email, I uploaded more of my journal pages to flickr, and took pics of the dog playing in her wading pool.

While going through my June photos, I realized I hadn't posted the photo of the happy mail I recieved from Melanie. She absolutely spoiled me. She sent me things that she enjoys. I especially love the lip smacker. I had never tried this type before, but am thrilled with it. And who could complain about a Tim Hortons gift card. I haven't used it yet, but I think I'll get an iced cap. Mmmmm!

I also realized I hadn't shown anyone the before and after shot of my hair.

Before (taken while out for dinner on my birthday)

(that's me on the right... lol)

After

I know, neither are the best shot of my hair, but it's the best I could do while holding the camera. I was too lazy to set it to timer and find a spot to set it. I'm in love with my hair colour. I think it really makes my eyes stand out. The cut is also so easy to do. My hair dresser is amazing.

Well, that's all for now, after all this is the second time I've posted this today. Hopefully this time it'll work!

Cheers,

Elisa

Journal challenge

2010-06-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty much keeping up with Janel's journal challenge. I have a few "in progress" pages. I'm waiting for creative lightning to strike!

Here are a few of my favourite pages thus far:

The favourite part of my day

What's in my heart

I love Pat and fonts!

Collections

I've had so much fun doing this. My husband also loves to see what I come up with. I think it's a great way to open the door for him into my creative side. Usually I can't explain my creativity to him, but now he can look at the sketch book and see what goes on inside my cute little head. I think it's a little bit of a scary journey for him!

I'm off now to cook and clean. So far lemon cranberry muffins have been baked, the roast is in the crockpot, picture has been hung and a load of laundry is done. I'm making progress!

Cheers, Elisa

Happy Daddy's Day!

2010-06-20T08:04:00.000-07:00

I admit it, I'm a daddy's girl! I have always been, and will continue to be. Dad and I have personalities that are very similar, and we LOVE to get into trouble together. My poor mom!

Happy Father's Day to all those wonderful men out there.

xoxo,

Elisa

30 Day Journal Challenge

2010-06-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

I accepted Janel from Run With Scissors Journal challenge. I hummed and hawed, but am glad I just did it. For those who don't know, the first prompt was to introduce yourself. Here's how my page turned out:

I love it, and can't wait to continue for 29 more days!

Happy Day!

Elisa

I've been away

2010-06-13T08:52:00.000-07:00

I'm back! We've actually been back from holiday for a week, but I've been absolutely swamped with work. The weeds and lawn have grown, the laundry has seemed to multiply and the time just seems to slip away. It's hardly fair. I'm playing catch-up, but so far haven't caught up.

Our holiday was lovely. It rained a lot, but was still warm. Our holiday included lots of food....

visiting antique stores....

visiting local farms and artisans....

walks on the beach.....

our puppy... (note to self, don't take a puppy on your anniversary get away)

and of course riding in an air tram... why not?!? I was in an actual tram, not just behind a wooden cut out.

Now we're home, and we've been fishing. Look what I caught yesterday. Two rainbow trout. Mmmmm!

Anyways, on with my day. Yesterday I had to work, a birthday party and a baby shower. Now today I have a husband home sick from work, and a bridal shower. Tis the season I guess.

Cheers,

Elisa

My love

2010-05-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Today is our first anniversary! We made it.

It was a beautiful, sunny day in the Okanagan. We were married on the beach with 12 guests (we both have very big families... and wanted only a tiny wedding). It was perfect.

Saying our vows on the beach

A kiss and whisper in my ear

Wrestling on the dock

We are off on a brief getaway to Harrison Hot Springs for a few days. I can't wait. We've both put in LONG hours, in order to be able to get 4 days off together. Today is my love's 11th day in a row. I have a feeling we will just sleep the first day.... at least we'll be together.

Until later,

Elisa

My finds

2010-05-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

So the garage sales yesterday were kinda a bust. I ended up only getting 4 plates for in our trailer and a cute coin. There was a beautiful accordian that I really wanted to buy, but my dad said "you don't need an accordian", to which I replied "but it'd be so cool... then I could find some bagpipes and I'd be set". He then said "lets get out of here before you waste your money". I had no reply, and followed after him.

So, I will show you three of my steals from last week. (Please excuse the uneditted, not so hot photos. We are switching our computer over to Windows 7, and don't have photoshop re-installed yet.)

First, I got a cute little clock radio that I think will sit on my book shelf. We actually got two, one for parts and one for looks. They were $3 for both... I couldn't pass them up.

Second, I got some tupperware for spices that is going to look adorable in our trailer. It cost 25 cents.

Thirdly, I got a little tin full of buttons for 25 cents.

I also got boring things like a new sewer hose for our trailer, a mat for the ground and a paint roller extender... but they aren't really that special.

Then yesterday when I got home, I spent some time pulling weeds and trying to get my yard back in some kind of shape. I planted my herb garden this year in a long rectangular tray, rather than individual little pots. I hope it works out ok. Here is the finished product.

I also have a big patch of parsley in with my vegetable garden. I planted tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, pumpkins, carrots, parsnips and radishes. I think that's all I'm going to do this year. I usually do more, but then have to pull it out because it gets so over grown.

Finally, I will leave you with a pic of my biggest bunny "Bindy" enjoying his time under his favourite tree. It's kind of like a where's waldo, so I circled him.

Foo Foo was there too, just behind the tree. They love to dig and eat the grass.

Well, ta ta for now. I'm off to sell shirts for our local chamber of commerce. There is a big car show today, and they needed volunteers.

Elisa

Garage Sales

2010-05-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

I'm getting ready to go out with my daddy. We have a standing date Saturday mornings at 8 am. The day starts with him arriving at my house, greeting my pets while I blowdry my hair. He then fills his coffee cup and grabs the Bailey's out of the cupboard. We then get the dog loaded in the trailblazer (it used to be his little Mazda pick-up, but she is getting too big), and then set out in search of garage sales!

{Source}

I love our ritual. Usually we end up at a little diner for breakfast and then home around 11:00. I can't wait. I'll let you know what I score at the sales today. Hopefully there will be some great treasures!

Cheers,
Elisa

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to the two ladies in my life: my mom and my mother-in-law.

My mom is the kindest and most compassionate person I know. She is the one that everyone goes to in their time of need. She always knows just what to say, or when to say nothing. It's a true gift.

My mother-in-law is one of the sweetest ladies I know. She actually cares to hear how your day was, and is there to offer support or say a little prayer for you.

Both ladies are amazing women, without them I'd be lost.

Thanks moms!
xoxo
Elisa

Vol 25 picture

2010-05-06T15:06:00.000-07:00

I almost forgot to mention... I won a giveaway on FreckledNest.

It was from vol25. I love her work. It was sooooo hard to narrow it down to one picture that I would like. In the end I chose "the journey" because my husband and I just bought an old trailer and are planning on camping together. This is what it looks like:

But I got it in red. She offers it in 6 different colours.

I can't wait for it to arrive. I'm so excited.

Cheers, Elisa

Puppy potty training not going as planned

2010-05-06T14:49:00.000-07:00

Well, housetraining is not as easy as I had hoped. We are still having accidents almost daily. Sometimes we don't tell dad! It's Roxy's and my little secret.... shhhhhh!

I love her no matter what.

************************************************************************

In other news, I received some of the best happy mail today. My April happy mail partner was Casey AKA jerkcake. She had read about the passing of our cat Lucky, and made me a new bunny friend named George. Here's a shot of him.

And here's a shot of his bum. Cute huh!?!

She brightened my day.

-Elisa

PUPPY!!!!

2010-04-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

Everyone, meet Roxy!

She is my 10 week old, lab/border collie cross SPCA rescue. I am learning patience once again! It's good for me.

She on the other hand is learning to dig. Bad girl. But oh so cute!

She also had her first taste of squirrel. Don't worry, only the stuffed kind.

That's all for today, I have to go potty train a puppy!

Oh, by the way, my exam is done. Hopefully I passed. I can't wait to have time for myself again. Craft room, here I come!

Life Continues

2010-04-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of studying for my final exam in Gerontology, so I will be MIA another few days.

I thought I'd pop by to share my excitement.... We got a new vehicle. Well, not really new, a 2005, but new to us. It's a Chevrolet TrailBlazer, and it has very low miles (38,000 km/26,500 miles). I know an SUV is not the best thing for the environment because of all the gas it uses, but I seriously was only going through 1 tank of gas per month in my old car. I don't drive all that much. Plus, we needed something that could pull our trailer when we go camping. We'll also be able to grow into it when we have kids. Here she is... we've named her Lola!

Isn't she pretty!?!

Also, this weekend we put in an application to adopt a puppy from the SPCA. Fingers crossed that we get her. She is a black lab crossed with a border collie. Those are the two breeds I wanted. She's 9 weeks old and cute as a button. She even peed on me! I think I've paid my dues, we are meant for each other. They need to call my vet to be sure he doesn't have any hesitations about me adopting a dog and then the director of the SPCA will do a drive by to see that we have the fence we said we have. I don't foresee any problems. I will post pictures if and when we get her. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Hoppy Easter!

2010-04-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy this weekend. I painted the living room... not the colour that I wanted, but a compromise between myself and my husband. I think it'll grow on me, it has too because I don't want to repaint for a while. I'll post more about that when the room is set back up. I have a few more little renos that I want to finish in here: new tile around fireplace, new baseboards, new curtains.

I've worked all weekend. I wish I was away at a resort and could get a massage like my clients did this weekend. I must say, I'm kinda jealous, ut jealousy will get me nowhere, so I'll just get over it.

Tomorrow we are having our Easter family dinner. I can't wait. I love it when mom cooks a big meal and we can all sit around talking and laughing and watching my nephews play.

Despite being so busy, I did take time to remember what I believe Easter is all about... Jesus dying on the cross for us, and rising again. I think it's amazing. It's so important to me to take time and savour the sacrifice.

Finally, I thought I'd post a few of my favourite pictures of MY easter bunnies. These were taken a few years ago, by their lovely mother (groan!). I must just mention I had a lot of time on my hands, and secretly I think they loved the experience.

Without further ado:

Bindy searching for treats (or trying to escape... one or the other).

A new hare-do!

Foo Foo wondering if I've officially gone crazy?!?

Foo Foo knowing that I've officially gone crazy!

Foo Foo searching for treats.

Bindy praying that I've hidden something good in the eggs.

And finally Foo Foo hiding beside the lamb, hoping I can't find him!

I hope you enjoyed the little glimpse into the crazy side of my life.

Creativity has sprung

2010-03-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

So I've been doing a little painting lately, and I thought I'd share with you my favourite piece from this week. It sums up all the things I love... blue, turqoise, purple, black and white and texture. I'm really quite happy with it. I think I'll get a thick black frame and hang it in our bedroom.

Have a happy day everyone!

So long sweet friend!

2010-03-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

This post is a little tribute to my sweet little kitty "Lucky". She passed away on Friday. I am glad that it was quick, and that I could hold her as she died, but it was still really tough. She was 3 years old, but the vet figured she had a heart attack. At least she wasn't sick and suffering. I don't think I could have handled that. I've cried my tears and now am feeling a little stronger. I'm sure there are more tears to come, but for now I'm focussing on the great memories I had with her. She was my husband's cat before we got together, and my very first cat... not my last though.

Here are a few of my favourite pics of her... not all the best quality, but the memories associated make me smile.

Lucky on my nightstand at bed time.

Lucky in a box! She was always "in" something, usually it was the laundry hamper or towel closet.

Lucky laying on top of the bunnies "castle" batting at poor little Foo Foo. They really did love each other. I know they are missing her.

Lucky "helping" me quilt. Look at her face... she know's she's done something wrong.

Luck outside hunting birds. Luckily we only had one brought into the house, and it lived to tell the story of being attacked by a cat.

I think that's enough for all of you out there. This post is really just for me to get it off my chest. This weekend has helped me to remember to take time with family (human and animal variety) and friends to ensure that if they went today, I'd know I'd spent the time with them that I needed to. No regrets. Thankfully I have no regrets with Lucky. We were together all the time, with lots of cuddles and love.

One final pic.. these are the flowers that my amazing husband bought for me. Isn't he sweet?!?

Today I'm feeling so much better and stronger. Hopefully my creative juices will start flowing again. I've been doing some paintings and beginning to feel the fog of winter lift. Spring is here. It's time for me to start enjoying the outdoors again. I'll be back soon with some of the projects I am starting.

Happy Mail x2!!!!!

2010-03-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

I got happy mail twice this week. The first package was from the wonderful Alexz aka Bird Trouble. I was so excited. She spoiled me. Here's two pics of what she sent to me.

She sent me this cute little book which I cannot wait to read, a vespa journal (so cute!), a eco-friendly cup cozy and a polaroid she had taken, that she had written some Bob Dylan lyrics on. I love Bob Dylan.

Here's a close-up of the polaroid. Isn't it fabulous. Even my husband loved it, and he doesn't usually notice these kind of things. I already have it up beside my window in my kitchen.

Then... today, I had more happy mail arrive. This time it was from Tara aka sewtara. She spoiled me too! All this spoiling may go to my head... I better be careful!

Here's a some pics of what she sent to me. This first item is a cute little folded book that I am going to fill with some pictures of the loves of my life... my hubby, my bunnies and my kitty cat. I think it'll work well. It even says "meow" and has little mice in some of the polka dots.

Then she also got me these cute tissues, two frames (one is being glued as it cracked during shipping, but will be good as new in no time), a little pouch and this wonderful kermit the frog pin. You did well Tara!

Thank you so much to both my wonderful happy mail partners. I hope you loved the treasures I found for each of you.

My week

2010-02-28T16:38:00.000-08:00

So, the good news is that I am almost fully recovered from my bronchitis. The bad news is that I almost cut the tip of my finger off... unbelievable. I was chopping onions last night, and my freshly sharpened knife sliced right through the tip of my ring finger. It bled a lot and I cried. I phoned my mom (who lives about 5 minutes away) and she came down and fixed me up, and as a bonus washed my dishes. What a great mom!

Anyways, the finger is healing. It's always scary when I do something to one of my fingers because I am a massage therapist and I use them all day. Crisis averted.

I thought I'd post what I have been up to this week. First, I decided that my husband and I needed a menu board. For the past month, we've been planning our dinners, so I can grocery shop easier and not feel so stressed about what to cook. We've just been writing it on a piece of paper on the f ridge, but I wanted something more. This led to a post done by the idea room. Here is how mine turned out:

I love it. I really wanted the frame to be purple, but I think I need to break my husband in slowly!

Secondly, I made clipboards for our bills. Because I have a home based business, I need to keep almost all our receipts, and the paper can get out of hand. We tend to miss bills that need to be paid, or lose something that I need for taxes. To solve this I made one clipboard that says "pay" and another that says "file". Hopefully this will help, and my fridge won't look like a sea of bills anymore.

I used some Amy Butler scrapbook paper on the front, on the back (not shown... oops) is some Martha Stewart paper. I glued everything down with mod podge. Then, I cut out some extra flowers and glued them on the back. Around the edge I used purple ribbon to finish it off. I love them.

Anyways, that's all. I am off to have a family get-together and celebrate Canada's GOLD and enjoy the closing ceremonies for the winter olympics.

Cheers!

Elisa

Sick

2010-02-24T13:44:00.000-08:00

Oh how I miss being able to breathe through my nose.. actually this would sound more like "bree-eet true my nobe". Just when I thought I could jump back on the blogging bandwagon. I have bronchitis and my coughing sounds like a cross between a seal ("ork, ork, ork") and an old lady smoker. I am neither. Wierd how that happens.

At least the olympics are on, and I have something to watch in between naps. Yesterday I had 3 naps and then still slept 8 hours. I didn't think it was humanly possible.

Anyways, I am off to take my antibiotics, have some tea and probably a nap!

-elisa

Schools out....

2010-02-18T21:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm back after a busy hiatus. I finished the terrible course I was taking "Issues in Health Policy in Canada". Talk about a PAINFUL subject! I'm happy to say I passed. I actually ended up with a A- if you can believe that. I was so stressed out about the exam, not knowing how well I did when I actually got 88%. A MIRACLE!

That was the last of the mandatory courses for my degree. I am also taking Gerontology right now. Two courses until I am done for good. What a super day that will be.

On a happy note... the olympics are on. I love it. I wish I could watch more, but there just aren't enough hours in the day. I loved watching the womans downhill yesterday. There was some spectacular crashes... luckily no one was seriously injured. That makes it okay to enjoy watching them wipe-out!

Just a cute pic I liked that will hopefully cheer up your day.

*source*

Happy night... I will post more soon. I promise.

HAPPY MAIL

2010-02-06T20:44:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot.... the highlight of my week. My happy mail from Sara arrived. She completely spoiled me.

I got candy (watermelon and chocolates... you can see we've eaten almost all the chocolate), stickers, magnets, and cute little zippered pouch, ribbon and a ring.

This ring is gorgeous. I love turquoise, so it's perfect. AND... it fits my hand! Yeah! The challenge I have is that my fingers have gotten so thick because of my job (I'm a massage therapist). It's like every muscle in every finger grew when I started school. I can usually find larger rings, but finding gloves is a real challenge.

Anyways, happy weekend to all.

Cheers, Elisa

Catching up

2010-02-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

Well... I'm back. Life keeps going, and I feel like I spend most of my time just trying to keep up and catch up. My husband was so sweet last night. He came home to a wife who was close to losing it (after studying for a final exam) and a house that was a complete disaster. He told me that he didn't care that the house was a mess (as it often is) and that he knows I work hard all the time. It'll get cleaned sooner or later.

I had my exam today... SUCKED! All well, it's done. Now I just have one more paper to write this week and I am set for about a month. I'll only have one course on the go then, and I should (fingers crossed) be able to keep afloat.

I did get out for a little walk the other day, and brought my camera along. I took two really pretty photos...

This is the creek by my house. Right now the water level is low, so I can wade out into the sandbar and look right up the creek. It was just beautiful that day, even with the overcast sky. The water was absolutely still.

This is the dock infront of what used to be my grandparents house. I love looking down it into the low gray skies and glass-like water.

And that... is how my week was!

xoxo Elisa

Torch Relay!!!

2010-01-25T18:12:00.001-08:00

The olympic torch came to Peachland today. I went down to the beach with my mom and my dad. We just happened to run into my uncle.... yes, I live in a small town!

Coke was there, handing out special "Vancouver 2010 Torch Relay" Cokes. We all stood around... slowly my toes got cold, and then my finger tips, the cold then progresses to my nose and my bum.

Just when I was getting bored... along came the torch! I didn't think I'd be that excited, but it was great. I almost cried. It was amazing. Look how happy she is to be taking part in this. Pure joy.

Crafty crafty

2010-01-25T18:03:00.000-08:00

So, instead of doing homework and reading books and writing papers, I craft. I am the queen of procrastination. This week I made two cute little valentines garlands; one for above the fireplace, and one for in my craft room. It started out with these.

And then ended up like this. I love them. The one in the craft room is only 5 feet long, and the triangles are right up against each other. Beautiful.

I also picked up this pink "love" piece. It's just a piece of wood. I decided to cover it with the paper from our wedding. First I painted it black (on the sides that would show) and then glued the paper to it. Then I cut around the letters with an exacto knife.

This is how it ended up. I "love" it! I honestly do.

Hoarders

2010-01-17T19:21:00.000-08:00

I've recently been watching the show "Hoarders". I've decided tonight I need to go through my magazines, rip out the pictures I love and then recycle the rest. It's not that I live in a house that only has a path through 5 foot piles of 'stuff', but I fear it may become that! Anyways, I'm taking steps not to prevent it! :)

I wish I had a room in my house that I could set up like this, then the magazines and craft supplies wouldn't be an issue, only a beautiful thing to behold.

Picture from weheartit.com

Oh, I also taught myself to crochet today. I'm getting pretty good.... I must say that I amaze even myself.

Relaxing Saturday

2010-01-16T14:35:00.001-08:00

Sorry I've been away. Aside from owning my business and working a lot, I'm also a student, taking 2 online 4th year university courses. I'm exhausted. Today is my day to do a little catch-up and finish... I mean start a few assignments.

**********************

This week our first big purchase of 2010 arrived. We actually figured out that it is our first big purchase as a married couple. We each had furniture and so we've never really needed to buy anything new.

We bought a fireplace (just an electic one) for our front living room. It's pretty cold in there compared to other rooms. We search and searched and this was the nicest one in our price range. It is from Sears. It was a snap to assemble too. It only took about 15 minutes. We were a little concerned about the wallpaper being too much, but for now I think it's okay. I've had the wallpaper up for 2 years, well before this room ever became our living room. I love it, but my husband doesn't share my enthusiasm. I might take it down at a later date. Sorry the picture is so bad... the sunshine was beaming in (YEAH!!!!) and I was in a bit of a hurry. My husband's grand plan is to buy a flat screen to put above it. I've dragged my heels, but I think he's going to win this battle.

I also love this little stool that I got just after Christmas. It was $15 from Winners. I don't know where I want to use it, but I love distressed look it has. I'm also really loving this green colour with all the black and white in my house. My husband, once again doesn't share my enthusiasm for the stool.

Happy mail also arrived for me from Sara aka mzsarajane. She sent me the greatest earrings in the world. They are handcrafted out of leather. They are from cotton candy cupcake. I absolutely love them. They are so me. The artists etsy store has many more colours and styles.

That's all for now. Must go and work on some school work. It never seems to end.

xoxo
Elisa

CCCCCold!

2010-01-08T18:29:00.001-08:00

It's cold and going to snow again...I miss summer. I miss the beach, BBQ's, sunshine, stormy nights, long days and the ease of the summer. As a little pick me up I'm posting this beautiful sky from just before a storm. I love storms... they refresh and entertain all at the same time.

This photo was taken just after the storm. It's so magical to have calm restored after thunder, lightning and a downpour. Sitting on the dock... barefoot... enjoying the breeze with my man! I love it!!!

BUT... even though it's winter, it can still be great. A few days ago I looked outside to find 4 ducks on my lawn. I live a few blocks from water, so to have ducks was unheard of. I especially love the duck prints in the snow. So cute! This little man made my day.

Have a super weekend everyone!

XOXO

Dismantling of the house

2010-01-03T16:13:00.001-08:00

I love the feeling of my house being able to breathe again. Taking the mounds of Christmas decor down, and returning everything to it's rightful position is so liberating. I love to carefully package each ornament to ensure it survives the year in the garage. This year I am being even more detailed with my Christmas decor packaging. It was overwhelming to pull out the 8 bins of stuff and not be able to find the extension cord, or star amongst them all. So... I've put all the things that go in the same place in the same box. What a novel idea!?! I hope that makes next December a little less stressful for me. Here's how it looks:

When my husband came home last night he looked like he could almost cry. He said "I don't want Christmas to be over, bring back the tree." I laughed at him and opened the curtain and said "don't worry, it's still on the deck". How's that for taking down a tree!?! I didn't want to get all scratched up, so I left it in the stand. Now we have something to look at on the deck. It even has the ribbon tied to it that held it up for the last 2 weeks!!!

Have a great week.... stick to those resolutions!

2010 has arrived!!!

2010-01-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve in Peachland was the marking of the end of our centennial year. All year there had been events celebrating our town's 100 years. To finish off the year, the fire department had a bonfire on an island across the lake from us. Apparently 50 years ago the boy scouts had a bonfire like it on the top of one of our mountains for all to see. To avoid a possible fire in the forest, they chose to do it on the island. It was very quiet and still as the snow dampened all noise. It was dark until the fire started. Then the light from it bounced off of the clouds above and shimmered across the lake towards us. It was beautiful.

This is just another view looking up the lake in another direction while waiting for the fire to really get going. (Sorry about the grainy photos... still figuring out my night settings)

Anyways....I'm so excited. A new year has begun and that means many new adventures await myself and my husband.

REVIEW: Last year was a busy year.... a few things that happened were:

Got engaged
Planned a wedding
Got married
Lost my cat in the woods while on my honeymoon
Found her 11 days later... ALIVE!
Sick for 2 months in the summer... came out the other side somewhat unscathed
Took 2 courses... actually still finishing up the second
Had my most successful business year so far, almost to where I want my business to be

GOALS: I have been working on figuring out my goals for the next year. It looks something like this:

Take an art class
Focus on health, not weight… become healthier
Have our wills written
Finish the course I started… complete my very last one
Practice yoga
Use more of my creative brain
Sew a quilt
Finish my 6 week menu
Stick to the 6 week menu
Work- average the number of clients/week that I've set out
Have a baby in the works!?!
Do my weekly photo challenge… scrapbook those collage

I think its a list full of do-able projects. Here's to 2010. May it be filled with more joy, laughter and great friendships.

2009-12-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas. It's so magical. I've been busy keeping up with my advent calendar.
We've made bird feeders to put outside. Much baking has been done, packaged up and shipped to the family. We've had family dinners, with the big one tomorrow night. I love mom's turkey!
We snuggled on the couch, watching "It's a Wonderful Life". It was the first time I've ever seen it.... I'm 31 and had never seen it. I loved it. Here are a few of my favourite pictures from around the house....

A great little sign that I bought a few years ago. Definitely on of my favourite things.

Our cat "Lucky" admiring our Christmas tree. It's just so tempting.

A jube jube wreath that I made. It took a lot more jube jubes and toothpicks than I had expected, but well worth the effort.

One of my trunks, filled with Christmas joy. It makes me smile when I come through the door.

We spent an evening with hot chocolate in the car, looking at Christmas lights. Here's one of the yards I liked best.

A few last things need to be done before tonight. I need to do a quick clean, wrap a few more presents and then go to church with my family.I can't wait for Santa to come! Merry Christmas everyone! I hope the magic of the season fills your hearts.

Christmas Baking

2009-12-18T21:18:00.000-08:00

I just finished my Christmas shopping... YEAH ME!!! What a relief. Now to wrap all the gifts. Maybe I can convince my hubby to help. He'd rather play with the Wii I think.

I'm doing a ton of Christmas baking tonight. It's time to play catch-up and get it done. Tomorrow I have to send off a package to my husbands family.

I've already made mint peek-a-boos, hello dollies and some butter tarts. I just have to make my almond candy crunch, Grandma's chocolate jewels, and shortbread. Then we're good to go.

I'll be sure to take some pics and post them for all to see.

In the beginning....

2009-12-16T14:23:00.000-08:00

So this is it. My first real posting. I'm jumping into unchartered territory for me. A huge leap from the girl who prefers that people not know anything about her!

I thought I'd do a little intro into what I'm about. As you will see... I'm a little scattered, with a ton of things on the go.

I'm busy with work (I have my own massage therapy practice), busy with school (finishing my science degree) and busy with family (only a husband and three pets so far... kids in the near future I hope). We were married in May, so we are newleyweds. This means we are working to balance our lives together... a new adventure. We are learning a ton along the way.

These are my boys... "Bindy" the big brown one, and "Foo Foo" the little grey one.

This is my cat "Lucky". Doesn't she look impressed with having her picture taken?!?

What am I about? Well I love making lists, so I'll introduce myself in list form. I love to:
-bake and cook
-garden
-craft
-sew
-renovate the house
-learn... always trying to figure things out
-laugh

Why did I choose the title "little pear house"? By now you've seen the photo of the front of my house, and it's pear coloured. Well, actually it's called "Grass cloth" by Behr.. but it is a cross between a pear and a lime. I love it. It's my favourite colour.

Coming up next... my new years resolutions! This should be good!