Happy February!!!!!!!

Yeah!!!! We made it past January. Even though it is still winter and cold, I'm celebrating the begininng of a month that is going to be great and so much better than boring depressing January! It just wasn't my month but I just know in my heart (catch the pun? Valentines....heart) that it will be a much better month.

So whats so much better about February, you may ask? Well here's a little list:

1. Valentines Day - I am a very lucky and spoiled girl who gets taken out to a nice restaurant for a lovely dinner...I love eating out!!!


2. 3 birthdays: Little sis Carol on the 13th, big bro Tom on the 17th and friend Susi on the 15th.


3. Groundhog day tomorrow when we find out what that cute little rodent has in store for us!!


4. Chinese New Year - It is on the 7th and it is the year of the rat, i believe! or is it refered to as mouse? hmmmm....correct me if i'm mistaken. To find out what your Chinese Astrology is, go here. I'm lucky year of the rabbit...woohoo! (actually i do love nibbling on carrots).


5. My big sis Cathy will be visiting from out west on the 13th, yeah!!! Can't wait to see her and hear about her trip to Hawaii! (Lucky girl!!)


6. It's my Lulu Belle's 1st birthday on the 22nd. Well, technically we don't know her birthday but i made it up cos 22 is my lucky number and we know she was born sometime this month! If you are wondering who the heck Lulu is, she's my cute little beagle/basset doggie.


7. The wonderfully frustrating tv show "LOST" is back in tv land for me to enjoy (it's been a painfully long wait since last seasons show back in May 2007, i think it was). Maybe we'll find out some of the deep dark secrets of that mysterious island. I have to say, the writing on that show, the ideas and characters and the cinemaphotography is just top notch!!

So, as you can see it is a much more positive and fulfilling month (for me anyhoo) and who knows, maybe some other nice things will happen!!

Oh, i almost forgot!!! I wanted to leave you with this fabulous recipe from one of my fave blogs 'Posey gets Cosy', for Swedish pancakes. I'm tres excited about making them this weekend. They look wonderfully delicious, crepe-y type pancakes and i have a can of whipped cream in the fridge that i am saving for them. I'm gonna load on the whipped cream with some pure maple syrup and some sliced peaches and wild blueberries. I hope you try them out too! Yah Yah!

My latest....

creation is this bunny! I started making plushies last year and decided to make a few for my shop.

Meet Bad Harold. He is a very bad bunny sometimes! He hides miscellaneous items around the house and causes us much frustration!!! He also enjoys watching Pulp Fiction on the weekend. Harold also has a very big heart and loves to cuddle and snuggle. He affectionately nibbles on your ear too!

I will working on some more bunnies for the shop. I had a lot of fun making Bad Harold!

ARRRRROOOOO!!

Hi, there!!! My name is Wuwu, well actually it's Lulu, but sometimes my Papa and my Mama call me Wuwu. I don't know why they do but they do. They're so silly, and sometimes Papa asks me, "Lulu or Wuwu, are you my pretty girl?". Of course, i already know i am pretty but i just can't say it, so instead i perk up my ears and lick Papa's nose. He does'nt like that, but who cares!


You may have noticed that my tongue is hanging out. It usually doesn't, its just that my Papa was playing a game with me and my toy bone and we get so tired that Papa has to lie down on the sofa and I start breathing real fast and my tongue hangs out all funny like this. I love playing with my Papa!!

My Papa loves me and I love him too!
But where's Mama???


Oh yeah, It's tea time. She has a pot of tea in the afternoon and a plate of delicious cookies, that i don't get....boo! Mama can be so cruel, sitting there drinking her tea and eating those yummy looking cookies. She says they're not good for me and would make me very sick! I think she just says that though cos she doesn't like to share her cookies, EVER!!! Oh well....

No one loves cookies the way my Mama does!! And i think she loves me too!!!

these are a few....

of my fave things. Let's start with my absolute favorite...



C O O K I E S !! !



....now all i need is a big cup of coffee to go with these!




Steve's niece Jordan...

came to visit on the weekend and we made lots of gingerbread cookies and had the bestest time rolling out the dough, cutting them out and decorating them with colored frosting and smarties.

Here's a close-up. They tasted just as good as they looked!






Another of my favorite things...um animals.....my sweet Lulu!


She is dressed like a Russian baboushka here with her red bandana.



I have to send out a big thanks to my friend Joe for sending Godiva chocolates for Christmas this year, another of my favorite things.






I looooove cheese. I can't tell you how much i love double creme brie baked with cherry preserves. Oh mama!



Now let's get this party started! All we need now is a nice bottle of Pinot Noir to go with this cheese plate.
What are a few of your favorite things?
And please, no Sound of Music jokes!
No whiskers on kittens or warm woolen mittens!!!

Holiday memories

Well, the holiday season has now passed....it sure does fly by!!! I had a simply lovely Christmas and New Years with the family, although not all could be with us this year! Hopefully next year, more family members will be able to visit! We missed my sisters Cathy and her kids from Regina, Carol and her husband and their wee ones from Boston, (one of which was just born on New Years's day, and my brothers Ed and his wife from Baltimore, and Dan from Guelph. In the photo below is my siblings and I, minus my sis Carol, who was not yet born. (I'm the one on the far left, click on the photo to view better).




Miss Lulu enjoyed the holidays as well, her first Christmas and received a new collar and a big meaty bone in her stocking. The cats also got some cat treats and organic cat nip, which they love.


These prettily wrapped gifts arrived from Boston from my sister who always makes her own cute tags....


This snow pile-up was from the snow storm we had a week before Christmas. Poor Steve was shovelling snow half the day! I got off because of a bad back, thankfully.


We have a blue theme for our porch, i strung up some blue ornaments and blue lights around the porch railing. I guess we had a 'blue christmas' in a way.


Here's Mama D adding some gifts to the tree on Christmas eve.


I love having a natural pine wreath on the front door....so welcoming and Christmasy!


And speaking of pine, this is my favorite gift this year! A real miniture pine cone dipped in gold which hangs from a delicate gold necklace. It was in my wish list folder on the computer from Etsy!! It's handmade from a jeweler there. Thanks Steve!!! I just love it! If you'd like to see the shop click here.


and speaking of Steve, here we are, in front of the tree!


We hung some vintage cards, some of them dating back to the 2o's, on some ribbon, which is a nice alternative to pine boughs.
I hope you all had a memorable holiday!! Can't wait until we do it all again! Uh, well maybe not to anxious!!

New Years Baby!!!!!

Hello and Happy New Year everyone!!

I'm happy to announce the birth of Sean Francis McLaughlin, born at 8:10 am this morning in East Walpole Massachusetts to Carol, Bobby and Lil' Callum (who just turned 2 years old yesterday.)
Mummy and Baby are fine and dandy, just tuckered out! They need some well deserved naps!
I wish i could hand out chocolate cigars to all of you!!!
Love
Auntie Tricia