second funnest day of the year

Right after Talk Like a Pirate Day, the next funnest day of "just for fun" fun is Wacky Hair Day. I know that funnest is not a word, and if funnest was actually a word I suppose there might be funner days than these, but right now, this is totally the most funnest.


Do you remember how seriously we take this day? Serious enough to use "most funnest" in a sentence. This year Loopy's updo was totally a swarm of monarch butterflies on the tiniest floral wire picks. They weaved and bobbed as she moved her head - it looked like a herd of butterflies was chasing her. Do butterflies travel in herds?



Wallace and Dexter were shipped off to their new homes today with Junie Moon and Diva Deb. The post office smelled like cupcakes by the time I was done there. It was mostly Wallace's fault. He just had to have "one more for the road".

blog like a pirate

Ahoy, me beauties. Today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day. This be set up by them fine harty mates, John Baur and Mark Summers, at talklikeapirate.com. I be offrin this post to all you scurvy land lubbers who ain't got the noggins to grab y'selves a grog and talk like a pirate all the livelong day!

Avast, I dare me hearty younger brother Rob to comment on me post in pirate! We be celebratin' Talk Like a Pirate Day for years now.

and the winner is...

Congratulations, Junie Moon - winner of my 200th post party-giveaway! For the sake of it, here's the draw drum in action... just to prove I'm legit:


And dear Junie Moon, make some room on your shelf, because a little someone special is coming your way... his name is Wallace.

Hopefully he won't be too much of a burden. Wallace really, really has a good heart. He is kind and true and will listen to all of your stories and then get them all mixed up when he tells your other bears. He likes to tell jokes but usually forgets the punchline. Wallace is lactose intolerant but still craves ice cream for every meal. You will know he has arrived by the distinct aroma of vanilla in your mailbox. Be kind to Wallace, Junie Moon, as I know you will, and good luck will come your way. Email me at sasha.libby@shaw.ca so I can make his travel arrangements.

Also flying the coop is Dexter, aspiring decorator. He's off to the West Coast to bunk with Diva Deb. He's been after me for an apprenticeship so here's his chance. I must warn Deb that my Dexter has trouble with Imperial measurment as he was trained in the metric system. He doesn't calculate square footage accurately at all and I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but his colour-blindness has gotten him in some horrible mixups with paint chips. But he really does want to learn, and now he can learn from the best.

How did Wallace and Dexter come to be... in all of their shabby sweetness? Well it really is a horrible story. Warning: the next photos are graphic, indeed. Look away if you must.

Simmering away in Earl Grey tea (no other kind will do) for hours and hours... like a kind of hot tub for stuffed bears!

And then - into the sauna. Oh, the heat!!! The heat! Please make it stop! Some bears take up to 24 hours to get nice and dry and krispy and get those silly kinks in their legs. It is a terrible procedure, you can bet. Some of the bears also have a little cosmetic surgery, even after this ordeal. The scars are sewn shut with satin floss.

A little post-spa hair trim with tiny scissors and a new fussy tie for wardrobe and the makeover is complete. Tomorrow Dex and Wally will be packed up and shipped off to their new homes.

mmmmm..... cookies.... Crispy Chocolate Crinkles. Made by Loopy and I for her friend Alexandra's sleepover. Almost sleepover, that is. We've taken to those in our circle of friends: come to the party dressed in your pj's, bring your pillow, favourite cuddle and watch movies, eat popcorn, tell scary stories and the whole bit! Go home at eleven. No all-nighters. No anxiety. Go home and go to bed at bedtime! Love it!

A pail of cookies, all dressed up with someplace to go. The recipe is easy:

One package chocolate fudge cake mix (we like Betty Crocker)

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Stir cake mix and softened butter into eggs until dough forms. Roll from teaspoon into 1" balls and then roll into granulated sugar or sprinkles. Bake at 375 degree oven for 10 minutes. Let sit on pan for two minutes before moving to cooling rack. Store (if you can) in a paper box or bag to keep crispy. These will get soggy in an airtight container. If they make it to the container.

I'm glad you're here to see it! I missed my own "100th Post Party" because I didn't really pay attention on the dashboard to the number of posts... I realized at about 103 posts... and so here I am, celebrating post 200! Welcome to the party.

I have been blogging for about a year and a half now, when I first logged on, I had no idea what a great little hobby it would become for me and how many fantastic people I would meet. Here are some of the highlights from my journey:

I first ventured into blogville a little shy and nervous... both Amy and Mrs. Staggs welcomed me to the community with open arms. They made nice comments (who doesn't like comments?) and we have exchanged hospitality, emails, and good silly-ness. Thank you!

Through swaps like Club Little House and Little Melfie's Fairy Jar Swap, I've met some amazing artists and crafters who share the same interests and who like to bounce creative ideas around. Thank you for that.

Through scrapbooking and blogging I have reconnected with so many people from my life - MJ, who admittedly, I never really had lost a connection with, we now communicate daily or weekly rather than twice a year. Wonderful! And Lecia, who I went to University with - how fun it is to know her now ten years later as the talented artist, teacher and blogger she has become! Just last night we sat around her kitchen table, making Christmas cards for the military troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Most recently, I took part in the Red Velvet Art swap and met Lisa from Alaska - what a fun gal and pretty much a kindred spirit when it comes to music, scrapbooking, shopping and photography!

And what timing - Darling Diva Deb, I met you via all the fun at Inspireco and today your sweet parcel arrived, just in time for the "200" party. This is what I mean about all of the people I have met via the blog! Crafty, fun, generous people who inspire each other and share with each other. Ooooh, damask paper (pinch me) with a vintage millnery flower (I must be dreaming) and inside...

This book! Oh Deb, how I coveted this book! How I need this book! Thank you so much! We have four bathrooms to renovate around here...

And so my life in the blogosphere is an embarassment of riches. Thank you for reading and sharing in my little journey of life, family, arts and crafts. In celebration of my 200th post, I'm going to make a draw on Monday for something (somebody) very special to come live with a worthy reader... or lurker. Leave a comment, I'll be making a draw on Monday to celebrate this little part of my life. Who knows... it might just be your lucky day!

feeling juicy couture - and very tired

My eyes, well every little bit of me is just pooped. Having a new puppy is like having a baby, don't you think? And I really didn't take into account when I signed up for two classes... homework. Today I had to keep on top of my art history reading for next week and also get started on a fairly major project for painting. I think I was feeling a little cocky and chose a fairly difficult subject matter... but oh well. It's good mental exercise.

Back to my eyes, they are pretty strained. Plus I rubbed them a bit (never a good idea when working with charcoal) and now they're sore. I'm wishing I had glasses just like Loopy's new ones (above). Curse my perfect eyesight! I never get to order cute glasses from Juicy Couture.

before chaos

I started off this post in my usual braggy way, with the title "all is well" because, first off: my swap parcel from sweet Lisa arrived and look what she sent - sharing her favourite things with me. All the way from Alaska. My goodness. With such a nice letter explaining why she chose what she sent... can't wait to try cooking something cajun with that gumbo file spice! Lisa shared a little secret and I will surely use it this weekend... I'm dying to hear the sound of Ingrid Michaelson - and don't you know, I sent Lisa a CD, too! Great minds, I suppose!

Have a gander at those nice embellishments - I can't wait to use them. Thanks Lisa for being a wonderful swap partner, and because of the swap, a friend. Isn't that what the swaps are for?

So here is why all was well - before chaos. Have a look at the sleepy puppy....

He is dreaming that the Michigan Wolverines will get their doggy-poo-poo together before their next game, or he will have to send Uncle Rick after them.

Here he is dreaming of Buddy coming home from Toronto so he can play and jump around with some puppy/teenage boy games and hear all about the Bjork concert.

Then I got busy admiring all of my weekend handiwork, my mother-in-law Shirley helped me swap out all the summer decorations and we organized to put the fall things out...

It seems like loads of work to do a job like that but not so much when you have someone to visit with. Voila! We found the last two missing baskets in the attic... and then there were four.

And so, feeling quite proud of myself, maybe a little too proud... the Duke of Windsor awoke, sauntered down the hall, and guess what he left for me???

And then, I stepped in it. And slid a bit, just for good measure. You see, he looks innocent, but in reality....

a wedding!

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! My sweet cousin Chantelle - she is getting married!! You simply have no idea how exciting this news is for all of us. And even more thrilling, she called and asked me to help with the plans.... and of course, practically as excited as if I'd been asked for my hand all over again... I said yes, yes of course, I'd love to help plan a wedding!

So shall I get Millie and Dillie (above) out from the attic and tell them they've got a party to attend next summer? Chantelle and I are getting together next weekend for a major planfest. You have no idea how creative this girl is, aside from the fact that both of our Dads and our entire family is crazy, and we love, we live for planning parties... she is a teacher... and just about the sweetest little teacher ever, the kind of teacher who hatches ducks and chicks in her classroom and all that jazz. This is sure to be about the most fun wedding evah! I wonder if they make duck tuxedos?

art school dropout

I decided, just a couple of weeks ago, to go back to school. MJ was wondering aloud as I told her "how many more letters I really needed" after my name, and she's probably right! This time, I'm going to school just for me and taking the few classes I need to finish my degree in Studio Art. I have some transfer credits from graduate school so I don't think I need too many classes and then again, so what? I've got no timetable, no worries, no student loans this time.

I'm taking two classes this term: Art History on Tuesday mornings and Painting on Thursday mornings. I have time to drop Loopy off at school, drive through Starbucks, wrestle a parking spot near campus and relive my youth... today was my first painting class. I have the same professor that I did before I gave it all up to get my Master's Degree in Administration (boooooring)!

Ta-da! Here is the Duke of Windsor, he's hard to capture when he is in full-romp mode. We got him home late Tuesday night. He slept the night away but cried most of the day yesterday. Today he was shivering so I put one of Wrigley's doggie shirts on him. Poor doggie, wearing hand-me-downs.

My sweet mother-in-law is coming for the weekend, to see the new house and the new pup. I may or may not post over the next couple of days - seeing as how I now have homework to do... I forgot about that part.

and we're off...

... to pick up our new puppy at the airport in Edmonton, Alberta! And what a good excuse to go here, here, here and here. Of course we will have supper tomorrow night here.

The kids want to get up and leave very early in the morning. You know the whole thing about teenagers and malls. I'm with them. Veto, our driver, may have a few things to say about that. Plus, we're planning to read the last few chapters of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as we drive along. Yes, I packed tissue, just in case.

See you next week!