Looking Back On 2011

First, I want to say thank you to everyone for your support the last few days! My inbox was overflowing with advice and sympathy from all of you guys, it was like a great big group hug! I checked in here and there (obviously my little hiatus didn't last as long as I said it would-just goes to show that I love what I do and can't stay away!) and worked a bit on my blog design. It's almost there-bare with me! If you see something wonky or links aren't working, send me an email, k? Things are getting better on the home front. I guess it just shows that a good marriage doesn't happen easily, especially when little ones are involved and your patience and understanding is overtaken by lack of sleep. Communication seemed to be the word in everyone's email :)

And now, I am sick with a very soare throat and no voice, so it's good job blogging is writing and not talking! Unfortunately though, we've had to cancel our New Years plans..boo...I hate being sick! Not only that but our plans were with my best friend who came all the way from England to spend Christmas here in Canada! Double boo!

For my last post of 2011, I would like to take a moment and remember what 2011 brought to myself and family this year. It was a year of growth for me in so many different ways...

January 2010

The finishing of Gray's big boy bedroom started off 2010. I was very pregnant and growing by the second!

February 2010

Mike and I took a much needed weekend getaway!

March 2010

I was in full blown craft/nesting mood...and getting bigger!  

April 2010

On April 3rd we were blessed by the newest member of our family, Westyn!

May 2010

Although Westyn's nursery got finished, other things started to slip around here, I opened up about some of my struggles and revealed my Ugly Truths.

June 2010

Someone turned 2.

July 2011

I got to spend time with my best friend who came to visit (she lives in England) and she got to meet Westyn for the first time! We ventured off to the beach! Looking through all these summer photos is seriously bringing on the winter blues, and the snow only just got here! LOL!

August 2011

The first month that I actively started 'trying' to put my blog out there...I contemplated life and how becoming a mom had changed me, which led to the launch of my first Frivolous Friday Linky Party (which will be back-stay tuned to more info on that). I also hosted my first giveaway too!

September 2011

I began to focus more on photography and enjoying the simple things that the lens allows our eyes to see.

October 2011

 With the weather getting cooler, gorgeous fall photos took over my blog and my need for yummy baking!This was the first month that I started accepting Ad Swaps on my blog...I met so many of you through swapping. I love it!

November 2011

November and December led to lots of time indoors-stupid rain! Where the heck did the good ole' Canadian winters go? This month was a huge milestone for me in the form of visitors to my blog, my Kick Off to Christmas was a huge success, my quest for the perfect photo for our Christmas Cards, lots of handmade gifts, and the addition of my photography prints to my Etsy store!!

December 2011

The end of 2011 came with a rush of emotions, our happy Christmas, feelings of doubt and loneliness, and yummy recipes.

 

I want to say a hug thanks to all of my readers for making 2011 a memorable blogging year! I have developed lasting friendships with some of you and am so glad to be a part of this blogging community! I value each and every comment and and love hearing your feedback and stories! Because of you guys my blog has grown to numbers that I never knew could happen in such a short time! I hope you stay along for the ride because I have big plans for Imprintalish in 2012.

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year, see you in 2012!

Failing

This should be a happy time...but I can't get there. Today has been completely awful and it is only 10:30am. I can't even begin to explain what I am feeling, overwhelmed, exhausted, angry, misunderstood...I guess that might sum it up. I've been rocking a little boy to sleep for the past hour because he's been screaming and I just can't wrap my mind around how I am supposed to do everything. Mike is home for the next couple days and while I think that this should be a blessing-maybe I can get something done without having to juggle kids, diapers, breakfast...this is not the case. In fact it's like adding in an extra kid. So then we fight, a lot. All I wanted was a couple minutes to fix my blog layout that I screwed up last night. It was late and I was tired, so I said screw it, I'll fix it tomorrow. So this morning as I was attempting to fix it, kids woke up and wanted breakfast, Mike was laying on the couch watching TV. But it was me, who got up and started breakfast. I probably sound like a selfish wife...but really? This is just the tip of the iceburg.

The kids are crazy and whiny because of course they are off schedule. For the past 4 days we have been across the country five million times, nap times have not existed and meals have been not quite right, add in a million presents, sugar and we are bound to have a bad day today. Knowing this though, I still get frustrated.

I love my husband, but on days like this, it is incredibly hard. As I put laundry into the washing machine I noticed the bag of wrapping paper on the floor...the bag that should've went out with the recycling this morning. The bad that was sitting right beside the blue box. As I yell out the door to Mike to hurry and get it in the box, I get no response....why? Dunno...him and Gray have disappeared. Thanks for telling me you were leaving. So here I am sitting, taking advantage of time alone, when I should be cleaning up this chaotic aftermath of Christmas. But I wanted to sit here and not explain why I am on the computer, yet again.

Which brings up another area that I feel so overwhelmed with. My blogging. I love it. I love it so much that I want to so it all day! I know that this is not possible so I try and schedule in time to do it, usually in the evenings or during nap time. Unfortunately, this time gets shorter and shorter for some reason. I am not sure how I am supposed to succeed at something when I clearly have no time for anything. I'm a crappy mom when I blog, I'm a crappy blogger when I have to be a mom, and I seem to be a crappy wife all the time because I can't commit 100% to anything.

So should I give up blogging? I hope not. I would like to see this become some sort of an income in the near future as I will be coming off mat leave in 4 months. Which means no income. Which means that unless I get my butt in gear (not sure I could get any faster), I will be handing out resumes to find a crap ass minimum wage job to come up with an extra $600 a month just so we balance. Which means I won't be with my kids, I will be paying someone else to look after them. I will be re-entering the work force after being at a full time steady job, that I loved for 6 years.

I would love to make a go at this blogging/Etsy thing but I don't know how to get there. Not having support from someone you love makes it incredibly hard. Although they say the support is there, why is it so difficult for me to see?

I had big plans for this blog for 2012. Right now they seem like far away dreams though...

Sorry I'm such a downer, I just had to get some of these feelings out. It probably doesn't even make sense. I just feel like a big ball of poo. Hopefully I can get back on track, but for now I am going to be taking a little hiatus until the New Year. I think that in order to figure things out my computer has to shut off, my pretty little blog makeover will be left in an unfinished mess and my inbox will over flow with emails. But it has to be done. I will get back to each and every one of you, I promise. Don't worry sponsors, I will get your ads up in time for January and for the rest of you, I will be back, and better then ever...:) Cross your fingers for me.

Our Christmas

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas!!!! I know we did, and it's not over yet!!! I was going to take a bit of a blogging break and not post anything till the 28th-we still have some visiting and traveling to do in the next couple days and it has been a busy, busy last 3 days! But I just couldn't wait to share our Christmas morning pics with you....

This is Christmas Eve, note the time on the clock...yep, it was a late night by the time we got back from spending the day with my side of the family and got things set up for spending Christmas morning at our house!

It was Westyn's first Christmas! Of course, he was the first one up at 5:30am!! Seriously, that is when he has been getting up lately...so we had a long wait till Gray got up (9am!) I wanted to go in and jump on him and say GET UP IT'S CHRISTMAS!!!! LOL!

When he finally got up, of course he immediately went for the tent! Which he loves! I wish I had made it bigger so I could fit in it too...hehe.

Westyn was more interested in the paper!

Look at the anticipation on his face-priceless!

Westyn is probably thinking 'Seriously, are they not done yet!'

The aftermath!

Our sweet family of four!

It's been a pretty awesome 3 days of Christmas events. Three different houses, three trees, about 5 hours of travel time, a bazillion presents, lots of laughter, hugs and good times! Our last celebration is tomorrow and then it will be back to regular programming for us on Wednesday. I've taken over 1000 photos and I am stuffed to the brim with good food!I'm exhausted, but happy!

As a side not...my blog is a bit chaotic right now! I'm playing and rearranging so I can unveil a new design by the end of the week. New Year, new look!

Good night my friends!

A gift for you! Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the Think Smink Art giveaway is....

Congratulations Meagan, I've just emailed you!

Since this is my last post before Christmas, I just wanted to send out a special shout out to some Etsy Treasuries that featured my photography prints in the last little bit. Getting those email notifications is just like opening a Christmas present! So be sure to check them out here, here, here, here, here and on Farrielle Design and Fashion!

As a final note, my Etsy shop is still open during the Christmas season (so you can still view stuff-I hate when a shop goes on holidays and I can't view anything!), however any orders placed from now until January 15th will not be processed until the 16th! Which will be when my kitchen is hopefully finished!! Woohoo!!!

Last but not least, the best part of this post....In the spirit of the season....I'm giving you all free 5x7 photography prints! All you have to do is click on the print you would like and right click after that to save to your computer...then print away! Give it as a gift, add some words, do something creative...whatever you like!!!

Merry Chirstmas to all my bloggy buddies!!! You guys are so great and I wish you all a beautiful, love filled Christmas season! Mwah! See you all in a couple days!

Linking up with Freestyle Friday's

Pecan Puff Recipe

Here's another recipe that I guest posted awhile ago and thought I would re-share in case you missed it!!I originally got it off a Christmas Special on HGTV from Sarah Richardson. These lovely Pecan Puffs have since made their way into my Christmas Goodie line up year after year! They are so yummy and perfect and not to sweet, so it balances all those other treats you'll be eating really well!

Ingredients

2 cups pecans

1 cup of softened butter

4 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups sifted cake flour

Icing sugar

Ground pecans in a food processor/blender until fine, almost like a butter.

Add in the butter and brown sugar, mix until creamy and smooth. Stir in vanilla.

Add in flour a bit at a time, stirring until you get a thick paste. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (While you wait, head on over and check out my recipe for my Skor bars! Super easy and quick! )

Roll dough into small balls. Cook at 300 degrees for about 40 minutes until a nice light brown. Between batches, put dough back into fridge to keep firm!

 

Allow to cool for 5 minutes on pan-carefully remove them and set them on cooling racks lined with wax paper underneath. When they are cool to the touch, sprinkle with (lots!) icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Linking up at It's Overflowing

Wordless Wednesday

My three boys...the best present ever...can't imagine life without them!

Busy, Busy, Wrapping

My last two nights have been spent wrapping...a lot of wrapping...and I am not even close to being done. This year I decided to forgo traditional wrapping paper after falling in love with all of the crafty things you can do with Kraft Paper...I don't want to show too much, cause that would spoil the surprise! But here's what I've done so far...

Gray and I did some potato stamping for the Grandparents. I also stamped everyones name on the paper, which is handy when we are gathering gifts to pack up as you go visiting!

For my niece I used lots of bright colors...one of her presents was a long roll of paper and I jazzed up the ends by wrapping tissue paper onto the ends to resemble a flower, like this.



For the adults I kept it simple. I used streamers for ribbon (see below for the how to) and I topped each present with feathers and an ornament- I love using ornaments as present toppers!

To make the streamer ribbons- Just crinkle and fold the paper as you feed it through the sewing machine

That's it. Pretty easy!

Happy wrapping!

Linking up to...Whatever Goes Wednesday, It's Overflowing, Freestyle Friday's