Shameless Plug

*Photo shamelessly "borrowed" from Anna's blog. Hey, it's me! I can borrow it if I'm in it can't I? Yeah so don't go all legal on me, I know that's not true*

That there bag? Anna made it for me. From what you might be wondering? Where did she get that chic tweed?

From furniture upholstery samples that's where. Which means that the bag is not only perfect for replacing any need for plastic shopping bags but also made from reclaimed materials that would otherwise be useless.

And not to rub it in or anything but all I had to do is help her tackle Mount Laundry. 'Cause I am nice like that.

However, since not everyone gets the pleasure of hanging with Anna at her house, she has them available from her Etsy Shop.

They rock! I highly recommend them. Not only are they big enough to fit that new pair of boots in including the box but you can also fit some new jeans and a few new snazzy tops in them too.

Okay so is it obvious I have a shopping addiction that is entirely in conflict with my Mother Earth campaign?

I am in no means adovating a shopping addiction, however, I do advocate the use of reusable shopping bags and the ones available out there are no where as chic as the ones Anna makes.

Let's start a new trend, chic reusable shopping bags! And stop the spread of the The plastic blob .

'Cause this blob is going to take over the world. And this new scare over BPA will also not help but that's another post.

Fame has a price

Remember when I said the boys were happy to pose for me whilst I learn the tricks of my new camera? I may have to retract that statement. See for yourself.

Well okay, no smile but at least he's not grimacing.

Wow, dude, could you look any more put out?

Yup, guess that answers that question.

But guess what? My camera doesn't take 4 min to take a second shot.

Or a third.

Or a forth. As long as I can stay upright and keep the laughing I am doing from shaking the camera too much.

Yes, I can and you know what else? You cannot resist cracking a smile when I howl with laughter like that.

Never.

Gotcha dude!

And if you are wondering if your brother shares your sentiments on posing for me and my incessant picture taking here's your answer.

Why I do believe that's a yes if I have ever seen one.

I am in love

Last night, when I posted, Natalie had just received my shots of us… look up, look way up. See those up there? I sent her those last night. Within minutes of sending them she sent me back the banner you see up there. I never dreamed she would have time to install it all before most of you even read the post.

Let me start at the beginning.

I have been envious of all those professional looking blogs out there. No matter what I did to mine, it looked, well, mediocre in comparison. The primary reason being that all I know about blogging I have learned by trial and error. Want to know how much html I know? Do you have five seconds? That’s all it would take for me to enlighten you.

Last week, Natalie was doing some really cool things to her site. I commented that I was html illiterate or something smart and witty like that, ‘cause you know I am….stop rolling your eyes…anyway, I was joking because really it’s like a dead man asking to be healed. There ain’t enough time or money honey.

But Natalie? She is a darling girl from Texas. Everything is bigger in Texas my Dad always says. Having done some contract work in Dallas a few years back he is, as you would imagine, an expert on these matters.

Guess what? Natalie’s heart is huge.

She offered to make me a template.

YAHOO! Said I. And I’ll pay you.

No, said Natalie.

Who am I to argue with that deal?

Don’t worry I am not a complete ingrate. She’ll be receiving some worthy goodies in the mail as fast as the Canadian and US postal services can carry it….. right, so I better make it good because the wait might be a plenty.

She asked me what I was thinking for colours, sent me to a couple of sites where they have the html colour codes.

I have a passionate love affair with brown and steel blue right now and I had seen polka dots on someone’s site. I passed on this info. She sent me back the polka dots to the side. The colours were not quite right so I sent some colours back. They were not right.

Emails were flying back and forth (have I mentioned how much I love email?) between us. She found the colours, I jumped up and down.

She then sent me the signature. Look down, look waaaay down. With the glasses? That scream Kami.

I was jumping and screaming with glee.

Then?

Came the banner without the pictures because those, well that was my only job and I hadn’t gotten good ones yet. Still learning how to use my camera. Check back in 2010, I might be half way there.

I was hooting and hollering when I saw the banner. She suggested sepia photos to match the brown and all. She has an eye that Natalie!

Last night after kids were in bed I sat down with my laptop on the couch and scanned through the 100 (I am not even kidding) photos I had taken yesterday of the kids and me. Edited and sent them off.

Minutes later (note even exaggerating a bit) back was the banner with the photos. I loved the boys, all three of them. Me not so much. I sent an old head tilt one back and minutes later, it was back as you see it above.

Then minutes after I posted last night, she had it all up here and looking smashing.

She's been tweaking it since and then tonight she tells me to check out the divider. What's a divider I thought?

Um? Can you picture me, sharp intake of breath for excitement, when I see that there work of art down there between posts?

Incidentally it’s the same sound (only with holy crap I forgot behind it) I made earlier when my hair stylist called at 6:40pm to ask if I was coming to my cut and colour booked for 6:30. Yeah, I’m cool. Good thing I have a calendar on the fridge that lists things like these so I DON’T forget. Don’t worry I live close, I made it, no grey for another 7 weeks or so!

Back the blog. I may be stating the obvious here but this look?

I LOVE IT!

All of it.

How much you ask?




So much that I took of picture of it on Anna's wide screem monitor. It was up on her monitor because as soon as I walked into her house today for a playdate I said, "GO TO MY BLOG NOW!" (See how calm and rational I am?) I was bursting to show it off!

It's all I ever wanted and more. I <3 href="http://s160.photobucket.com/albums/t193/kjlahti/blog/?action=view&current=kami_sign1.jpg" target="_blank">

Our World

There should be big things happening over here very soon thanks to a lovely Texan girl who I am privileged to have met on this here internet. I am bursting at the seams and I can't wait, stay tuned!

But today's post is in honour of Earth day. I think a Mother Earth update is long over due. I went on a big green kick about this time last year I listened to a talk by David Suzuki and I decided that we would take the Earth Challenge. Don’t know who David Sukuki is? He’s Canadian eh! And he rocks.

I made a few changes around here and every few months I try to add a little more green.

Lately the new additions have been using reusable shopping bags for everything. I used to just use them for groceries but now I have one with me no matter what store I go into. And if it’s full, I am DONE shopping. A little reminder that excess is not the way to happiness…now I know my shopping of late may seem a bit hypocritical. However, the white shoes, returned. The brown ones, returned. I am being much, much more discerning about what I buy and what I keep. I used to keep everything only to get rid of it 4 months later having never even worn the thing. I am a work in progress.

I also never spluge on a Starbucks without using my own reusable mug. I just can’t justify the treat for myself by using the disposable cup. I even cart it along with me when I go out of town for work. It’s my handy travel companion and Starbucks, well, it’s also a big part of my trips. I mean Vancouver has one on every corner after all.

And the latest ingenious thing we have started doing is to use our grocery store receipts that are 8 miles long by the way, for lists. I turn them over, fold them up and put them in the drawer in the kitchen where we keep our grocery lists. Voila! A nice long piece of paper for all that we need for the next trip to StupidStore.

And lastly, all paper that is only printed on one side goes back into the printer tray for another use. I only print things for my own use so I don’t mind that the other side has something else on it.

It’s about baby steps and we at the Khlopchyk house are trying but often I feel like we aren’t doing near enough. Going green is a journey, not a destination to use an old cliché.

Happy Earth day!

Paparazzi

Can't stop snapping pictures! Help!

A corvette pulled up in front of the neighbor's house and I set the camera to continuous shoot and totally pulled a paparazzi. The pictures were exactly like those you see of celebrities where they are coming out a building and if you flashed them quickly by it would almost be like a movie.

Until the neighbor girl looked and noticed me in the window. Then I fell to the floor laughing hysterically! Cool I am. Truly.

I deleted the pictures though without selling them to a rag so I guess I really am not a true paparazzi.

I took over 200 pictures over the last couple of days and have been playing with all the settings. I haven't quite figured them all out yet but the kids have been great guniea pigs and are willing to do just about anything.

Here are a few of my favourites.

This last one make me very happy because Jack always puts a fake smile on when I ask him to pose. THIS is his real smile and it is so much different! And now? I have a camera that can take pictures quickly so I can capture it.

Excuse the weird cropping I did, I was trying to minimize the view of the wall where you can see my wipe marks. DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT USE EGGSHELL FINISH PAINT. Ever. Period. See above noted picture.

I have more that I wanted to upload but Blogger is cranky tonight. Off to not do any work and hang out with my handsome hubby!

Guess what came today!

My new camera!

I have a lot to learn, these a bit blurry but I am loving that it turns on immediately and when I push the shutter closed, it closes immediately not 5 seconds later. I have a LOT of pictures of what happened 5 seconds after the great shot from my old camera. This will hopefully change things!

Yipee!

And it was 20 degrees here today. The snow is apparently still coming but I am still in denial.

Happy weekend!

Happy, Happy Day

1. Spring days, no jacket required
2. The sun on spring days, no jacket required
3. The gleeful screams of the kids on the trampoline for the first time this season
4. The feeling of knowing I just pushed my body to its max just because I can
5. The blissfully hot water running over my tired body in the shower
6. Coffee
7. Weekends because all four of us are together
8. Sleeping in on Saturday morning
9. Healthy, happy kids
10. Amazing friends
11. Blogging - Post 371!

Today?

Is a good day. I wish the same for each and every one of you.

God Bless!

Been MIA

Enquiring minds are wondering about the casserole dish. Here it is after Jay, cause he rocks like that, washed it. I am a walking advertisment for Corning Ware French White Caseroles. Now there's a dream come true.

It's been a weird week. I have been on my usual emotional roller coaster. You know how you are sometimes okay with things, and then slam, not so much? This was a not so much week.

In usual materlistic fashion I headed out on Thursday, and Friday and Saturday (ACK!) for some retail therapy. Don't worry I kept myself in check!

Here are some of my finds:



A pretty pink skirt to lighten my heart.

Spring shoes to put a spring in
my step.

And a daily reminder to live not only for today, cherishing every moment but to dream for tomorrow.

I also bought these because how cute are they? But they are also a half size too small. So I could keep them and never wear them because of the pain oh the pain or I could be rational and return them. I tried to find them in a bigger size but to no avail. But really, I am a work at home mommy, what do I need these for?

On another happy note, we ordered this camera from Airmiles! It's the Canon EOS Rebel SLR digital that I have been coveting this for quite some time due to all you amazing photographers our there in blog land. Jay okayed me wiping out our Airmiles account for it. I love him for more reasons than I can count and of them is because he knows exactly what I need.

Course it takes 4 weeks for Airmiles to ship so there will be no instant gratification there. Now I need to sign up for the photography course I have been wanting to take.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Forsaken

I have been forsaken by my ancestral roots. I assure you that my grandmothers are both rolling in their graves tonight at the sight of their granddaughter’s cabbage roll skills.

See for yourself.

I may or may not need a new casserole dish. I am not sure that baby will ever be the same.

Yes, have cabbage rolls and perogies running through my veins. They are sacred in our family.

You see, I am of Ukrainian or Polish decent. The borders changed frequently and there may or may not be some Russian mixed in there as well. I am at least 2nd generation Canadian but the thing is, the food? It stays with you no matter what.

The spelling of the word perogy is disputed, the filling is even disputed however, no one disputes that if you are Ukrainian/Polish/Russion you LOVE perogies. Cabbage rolls follow the same rules.

Now my mom is the perogy master in the family. I need to learn how, I want to learn how, but damn she makes ‘em good. Someday. No really Mom, I mean it. I really will learn.

I saw that Mom, quit rolling your eyes. Mom, c’mon on., not in front of my friends.

Now cabbage rolls are another story. Mom doesn’t make those. She “claims” she doesn’t make very good ones. Whatever, they would be 99,000 times better than mine so what’s your concern?

Anyway those bad boys up there? I actually didn’t make the rolls myself. No, Mom bought them from a lady she worked with. They are devine. Well if Mom cooks them anyway.

All I had to do was put on the sauce, which is primarily Campbell’s tomato soup, and cook the little buggers.

One of my aunts make the BEST cabbage rolls on the face of the earth and she is always saying me and my two cousins should learn. But this just might change her mind. If I can’t even cook pre-prepared ones properly, what damage would I do making them from scratch? I shudder to think.

I got some bum genes somewhere and I am positive my Mom will not take credit for them.

Who can blame her?