scrappin' anyway...

so,
my house is in a shambles...
i'm starting to accumulate laundry...
my scrapbooking stuff is in various boxes around the basement...
i haven't run in 3 days because of this stinkin' rain...
i'm supposed to create samples for my fall classes...
i'm hoping people sign up for the crops & classes at wwcc...
life could not be more hectic.
& yet I scrapbook!

It makes me feel good and happy.
I'm almost done my new addy book & hoping to make a few for sale at the Baby & Kids Show in February.
Would you like a one-of-a-kind personalized addy book? Let me know!

Here's a few photos to show my crazy set up on the basement floor & my addy book:

{what can I say ~ I'm a messy scrapper!}

{loved using UTEE on the chipboard ~ gave it a cool polish!}

{also loved the pin in the flower ~ tricky but cute!}

Thanks for coming by!
I hope to share more of this project with you by the end of the week.

Happy scrappin'
Cindy

~ ahhh... Love...~

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

I've started crafting with little lulu, and we are trully enjoying this time together.

She's having fun stamping and learning how to cut with funky scissors and I'm enjoying having little bits of her creativity for her scrapbook. The best part: I bring out all of the paper and crafting supplies that I haven't used yet or have not been inspired to use.

It's awesome on all levels!

Here are some cards I made this week-end as we shared some crafting time together:

{I loved using the Funky Fiskars Scissors and the Martha Stewart Valentine's Day clear stamps!}

Happy Scrappin',

Cindy

Happy 2010!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Here are a couple of projects I have been working on & a couple of projects I hope to accomplish within the month of January:

Lulu's Bedroom & Playroom

Still have some paintings and door signage to finish, but it's almost there!

{how can you tell I'm a teacher?}

My New Address Book

{lost my online version & had a massive headache trying to find everyone's addy for christmas cards}

A Baby Book

{a client scrapbook - using SEI set Penelope's Potpourri}

Here's to a fabulously creative new year to one & all!

happy scrappin',

cindy

2010... here I come!

A new year is to come & I hope to start it off right.
I'm in a new home, new school, and new frame of mind.
I've taken a little time to take a step back and find out what really matters to me, and thank goodness!

So here's to starting fresh and doing what I need to do to make my life full & happy.
Of course scrapbooking is part of that! :)

talk to you later,
Cindy

~ good grief ~

So, I finally have my car back & I finally have my computer back.

Wow, I never knew just how much I relied on those two things alone to make my life easier!

Well, they're back and here I am trying to figure out how I'm going to do all of things I need to do in 2 days. I'll let you know how it goes. :)

~ Surfin' Saturday ~

You need to check out these 2 wonderful women & their fabulous website & blogs:

Kerri Malloy & Linda Fennell own & operate Rhubarb Roots Scrapbooking & Rhubarb Roots Blog
in Altona, MB. & now they've expanded to Rhubarb Roots Photography.

I don't know how they do it, but keep up the wonderful inspiration & great work ladies!

Cindy

~ brrrr ~

I hate this -40 weather.
You'd think it would make me stay inside and scrapbook, but noooooo...
My car up & dies on me yesterday,
my computer up & dies on me later that same evening annnd
my daughter is teething, which means I had to get up & out of my WARM bed to soothe her
(which I really don't mind doing, but I like to write in 3s!)

I also had a late night at school with a parent meeting tonight.

On the positive,
my car is ready for pick up tomorrow & is costing me less than I expected ~ YIPPEE! ~,
I still have my laptop to work with at home annnd
Lulu's tooth popped this morning which hopefully means that we'll all have a full night's rest this evening.

I have no pictures for you today, but I am working on my wedding album. As soon as my other (faster) computer is up & running I'll upload some photos of how I'm turning a plain 200 pg, 4x6 album into my favourite piece of family memories. I really can't believe how easy & beautiful this piece is turning out!

P.S. Watch out for news on this year's Scrapping for MS! Crop. I'll be posting some info as that month comes to an end. If you'd like more info stay tuned to our blog or check in to a unique flair.

Talk to you soon,
Cindy

~ lovin' it! ~

~ WOW Wednesday ~

So, as you can see I've added a slide show & I have to say that...

1. It was a lot easier to use than I thought &
2. I really like it.

In school, I asked the kids what they would like to try in 2009 and they came up with some great ideas.
For me, I knew that I needed to show a little bit more of my work and I knew that this slide show was pretty common on most blogs.
So, this was my try in 2009.
By no means is it going to be my last, but it is my first and it was quite successful. Yeah me!

Let me know what you think.
Should I scrap it {file it under G} ? Is too much? Do I need more pictures and of what?

Next topic for today's WOW... My appology.
I'm really sorry that I've been gone for so long.
I promised not to dissapoint & I did.
I fell behind in everything scrapbooking and A Unique Flair, and I have no excuse.
As I said in my first post of this year, I want to make my life better and I've made a committment to myself to do so. Part of this is to scrapbook on a more regular basis, devote time to my blog for me & my followers, and come up with some awesome crops to help us all spend sometime doing what we love... scrapbooking.
So, I've started a new project ~my wedding album~, and I'm starting to plan my annual Crop Scrappin' for MS!. I'll have some photos and details shortly.

I hope we all have a better & healthier New Year!
talk to you soon,
Cindy

~ good news! ~

Hi everyone!

My NEW website is up and running.

a unique flair - scrapbooking services & classes

Let me know what you think!

I've been trying my best to work out how people use it and I think I've come up with a good site.
If you can I'd love some feedback on it. Really any feedback at all... good or bad... what works well and what needs immediate improvement.

You can post a comment on this blog or send me an e-mail at cindy@auniqueflair.com.

My gallery is still under construction but I have a little preview for you right here...

I hope to hear from you soon,
Cindy

~ it's been a while ~

Life certainly has its ups and downs, and WOW am I prone to them! :)
So much has happened in the last few months...
* juggling motherhood & my new job
* family in the hospital
* my brother's wedding
* searching for a new house
* my sister coming back to town and so much more...
I'm happy that's it the new year, and that I get a fresh start to make my life better and easier.
Here's to wanting better and making it happen!

Happy New Year Everyone!

{photo: freckleface photography}

Talk to you soon,

Cindy

~ September Newsletter ~

In this newsletter...
Editorial
Upcoming Events

And it has Begun...

So we've all seen the last couple weeks rush by in a blur as we ( in one way or another) get ready for back to school. I've been so crazy I've put aside my website & I sincerely appololgize. I am working on it and once it's up & running it will be great. Much more informative & so much easier to navigate. I'm also hoping to have a friend help me out with the gallery & take some new photos of my work. All of these lofty hopes take time, which as I mentioned earlier, has gone by in blur. So my new deadline for this magical website is the end of September. As I have been at it in my spare time this week, it should be done by then. :)

Thanks for signing up as followers... I promise not to dissapoint! I'll announce our Giveaway Winner Wednesday Morning!

I'll finish this little editorial by reminding you of some of the changes occuring this fall with Say it with Flair & A Unique Flair.com. Should you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment or e-mail me directly at cindy@auniqueflair.com.

Make-n-Take Mondays, Thesauraus Thursdays, & "Sense-ational" Sundays will be my regular blog posts. If I have time, I'll post the rest along with my usual banter.

Make-n-take Mondays will be more Interactive. I will be featuring some Great People & Projects every Monday. I would really like to showcase some of the great ideas out there. All you have to do is send in a photo of your project, step by step instructions on how to create it, and a photo of yourself to cindy@auniqueflair.com. If there is no post it's because there were no entries submitted for that week. I hope to hear from you {my readers} SOON! :) If I see something you've done I might possibly ask you for permission & a photo & share your great idea for you. You decide whether or not I can!

Newsletters will only be on the blog. Newsletter subscribers will get the usual e-mail with a link to both my website for new changes & the blog for current information.

I'll be planning only CROPS for the following year. Classes take up a lot of extra time, that I unfortunately will not have. I will however, take small groups of beginner classes. Please contact me for days & times. If you have any questions or if you want to know how to do a certain technique, be sure to e-mail me. I'll either add it to my Tuesday Tag Book blog or create a class just for you.

Finally, I'm looking for Sponsors. Manitoba based if possible, but I'm looking for anyone willing to help me give you {my readers} prizes. As I'm not a store I don't have easy access to products, but I do have a client list & I know that I can share lots of goodies with them via my newsletter.

Once again, thanks for taking some time out of your busy day to come & visit. I'd love to hear from you & possibly feature your fantastic scrapbooking.

Cindy

Upcoming Events...

September 26th, 2008 - 7:00 pm - Back to School Crop - A Unique Flair

September 12th & 13th, 2008 - 9am to 11pm - Scrapbook Theme Crop - Themecrops.com

October 17th to 19th, 2008 - Fall Getaway - Smalltown Scrappers

See you around!
Cindy

~ I'm back! ~

Hi everyone!

How was your summer? I had a blast!

I took the time I needed to rest & relax; now I'm back & ready to go.

I need a couple of days to get my thoughs back together, but I'll post a September newsletter soon. Until then, here are some shots of my summer...

~ edmonton mall ~

~ our home away from home ~

~ the family in jasper, ab ~

~ scrapbooking...duh ~

~ at the kicking horse mountain resort ; golden, bc. ~

~ my fav. photo of the whole trip!~

~ up on Sulphur Montain ~

~ fav. family photo {near the cave & basin in Banff} ~

~ enjoying the flowers at Bannf Springs Hotel ~

See you soon,

Cindy

~ it's summer time! ~

I hope you are all having as much fun as I am! :)

I am really enjoying my summer so far & I'm so excited about my upcoming trip.

{ gimili harbour }

As you know {via my june newsletter} I'm off for the summer. I felt REALLY guilty about not blogging, at first, but a friend of mine reminded me that taking the summer off means that I should feel no guilt or pressure, so I won't. I'll be back in full swing in September & hopefully with a new website. {Yes, that I'm working on...}

Anyways, I thought I would share a few exciting this that have happened in the last few weeks & give you a tip for Scrapbooking Summer Traveling; here you go:

1. Lulu turned 1!
I was / am a very proud momma. She walks and chatters away and now is growing in some very cute curls. There is not enough time in the day to scrapbook everything I want to about her! :)


2. I finished my brother's wedding invitations this week.
I'm so relieved, as I'm heading out to Alberta & BC this week-end. I'll post some photos of them and the rest of the stationary in September.


3. Lulu & I had our last playdate yesterday.
This has been such a great experience for both of us. I felt great about being able to get out of the house, I connected with other fabulous moms in Winnipeg, and I know that Lulu is growing beautifully becasue of her connections with the boys! :) {she was the only girl in the group - what a trooper!}

And last, for today, here's your tip for the summer:

Create your travel journal before you go on your trip. It saves you time & money. You buy & gaterh your materials now and you also have an almost completed book for when you get home {all you have left is to pop in your pictures} .

Here's mine for this summer...

I love trying new things so I went to Home Sense /Winners {they have such a greart selection of neat journals & sometimes scrapbooking items for great prices} & looked for a journal I could easily make into a scrapbook/journal. I found this one with an accordian pocket already in it & for only $5! I was tempted to buy more than 1, but then I really wouldn't be saving any money, would I.

I headed then to Michael's and found some Making Memories embellishments on sale & I grabbed those too!

The journal had an oriental themed cover, so I grabbed some outdoor / nature patterned paper & covered it to adapt it to my upcoming camping trip out west. I then added some new embellishments & a chipboard piece with a title & presto, my travel journal/scrapbook is done! My layered embellishment cover is inspired by vanessa {a gal with great scrapbooking sense}. I love how she does this & tried it myself. I love it... it looks so good! Thanks for the idea vanessa!

Now, as I'm heading out for several weeks, and I really can't go that long without scrapbooking, I'm taking a little kit with me. Here it is...

I know that Lulu will keep me busy, but I hope that along with writing about my travels, I'll be able to be creative with my journaling & all the little trinkets & memorabilia I'm sure to pick up along the way!

Well, I'm off! Have a great summer & see you in September!

Cindy

~ my garden ~

So, I was so excited about this week's Sense-ational Sunday, as we headed out to a bbq at a friend's place. We had so much fun I forgot to take photos! Seriously! This dosen't usually happen as I'm the photo lady... the one who says that a camera is an essential piece in the diaper bag. But it did this week-end. Sorry about that. Just know that it was a great time to be ahd by all!

I did take some time this week-end to work on my garden. I promised to keep you updated so here's a few shots...

the flower bed is green now... tulips are gone & the mid summer flowers are on their way!

We decided {meaning me} that this side of the house needed something more so....
before

during

after

I'm so happy with my new pots! I went out to buy some flowers for them & I'll post some shots of those once I get them in!

Talk to you soon,

Cindy

~ princess for a day ~

I'm a Princess today!

I was contacted by Queen Kat Bloggers Club a few weeks past & I was so excited to be asked to be a part of their club! These ladies feature fabulous crafters on a daily basis. Visit their blog at Queen Kat Bloggers Club and let them know I sent you!

Have a great day everyone!
Cindy

~ questions & answers ~

Thanks for all of the fabulous comments in the past month. I really appreciate it. It's good to know people are actually reading this! :)

Here are some answers to some of the questions I was asked...

I used to enjoy being on Scrapbooking forums, however the last couple of years have been really busy & I haven't really had time to keep up with any of them. I used to participate as cindysuniqueflare on the Smalltown Scrappers & Love is in the Details forums. I miss them and the fantastic people on them, but I do see them around the province at various events and communicate with them via my blog.

I use a variety of stamps in my scrapbooking. I buy my stamps at various stores in the city, but always on sale! :)
Kelsey Kolench is who I go to for Close to my Heart Orders.
Heather Fisher is who I go to for Stampin' Up Orders
If you'd like to get in touch with either of these ladies send me an e-mail at cindy@auniqueflair.com and I'll get the info. to you.

My scrap space emerged slowly; it's take 3 years to get it this way. I put it together literally piece by piece. I bought all of my organizational pieces as I needed them, on sale and I re-organized the space as I added pieces. Most of my purchaces were at Michael's {vertical storage & tools} and Superstore {rubbermaid drawers, mini totes & pencil boxes} My latest piece was the rubbermaid 4 drawer chest on the floor by my chair. That piece has been my lifesaver since I bought it and reorganized.

Last but not least, I loved doing the stationary & scrapbook for my brother's shower. Unfortunately, I did not make the lolipops. I bought them at Dollarama. They're good!

Again, Thanks for the comments and keep them coming.
Happy Saturday to all of you!
Cindy

~ wow wednesday ~

I'm pitiful... sorry.


Here you go my wow for the day {yes I know it was yesterday} is that my front flower garden is done. Here are a couple of shots of the before & after.

~ before ~

~ after ~

I'm really excited about this because I can see that the little tulips I transplanted last fall have come up and grown beautifully. I'm sure to have more blooms next year. I also planted some white daisies {in honour & as a reminder of my little sis~ she loves daisies} & I can see the first set of daisies ~ red ones ~ already coming up.

~ my sister's daisies ~

My mom & I also planted some orchids in my flower bed last summer & I was observant enough to see them coming up as well {instead of pulling them out} . I'm really excited about the possibilities of these beauitiful flowers & the colour combinations I've chosen. As they grow I'll post more photos.

Cindy

~ fabu friday ~

Fridays, in general, are great because they signal the beginning of the best part of the week... the week-end! I am always excited about the week-end; I make plans to meet up with family & freinds, or I plan to go outside to have some fun in the sun {especially now that the sun is out}, or I make plans to dome some of my easier & more entertaining house chores like gardening or dusting {believe me, when I'm in my gardening get up I'm very entertaining!}

Notice how I plan to do so much... yep, you guessed it, it usually doesn't turn out the way I planned. But, this is why I think Fridays are so fabulous. I enjoy making great plans and knowing that although I may or may not do what I had planned I'm still happy it's the weekend and not at work.

So, on Fabu fridays I'll post some photos of my previous week-end & give you my plan for the week-end to come. Hopefully there'll be lots of fun stuff to share & scrapbook about as time goes on!

Here is today's fabu friday plan...
1. do some gardening this week-end & plan my new retaining wall
2. go to a friends for a BBQ saturday evening {this is already planned}
3. go to the park & have a family play date on sunday

I can't wait! It's going to be such a great week-end!
I hope you have one too,
Cindy

~ challenges on hold ~

So, I have no entries for Challenge #2.
I know I'm competing with a lot of online challenges & such, so I'm gonna hold off on the challenges until I can zip up the program. I've set a deadline date for myself, so you should see a new challenge program from A Unique Flair by the end of this summer.

Do you have any ideas how I can make my challenges more appealing?
Let me know I'm willing to try anything {within reason of course :) }

I hope to see you then,
Cindy

~ sense-ational sunday ~

As I promised, here is the beginning of my daily themed blogging.

I'm starting with becoming more aware of my life & what surrounds me. I was inspired & challenged to start my week with my senses by Emliy Adams.

This 'sense-ational' sunday is focused on my very first mother's day. As most of you know I'm a first time mom to a beautiful little girl. Being a mom meets most & exceeds every other thought or expectation I had. I'm so glad I have her in my life. Here I go.

I SEE . . .

the sweet family I am a part of. I love waking up in the morning {as I did today} and finding my little one smiling at me, and then {looking at my sleeping hubby} wondering how I got so lucky as to have 2 people in my life who love me unconditionally.

I TOUCH . . .

her cute little curls. I have poker straight hair, which I love for its ease and variability in styling, but disliked due to its plainess. My daughter has inherited my hubby's curls; I love it with absolute envy. I enjoy playing with them.

I know that I'm going to have to teacher her how to take care of these curls so that she appreciates this wonderful inherited trait {she can always blame her dad for it ;) }. I just hope that she doesn't hate her hair as she grows up... it scares me to think that my daughter will have to face all of those images & messages to always be more beautiful. I want her to grow up feeling that she is beautiful. I have a lot of work ahead of me.

I HEAR . . .

Happy Mother's Day for the first time! I absolutely loved it. Thank you lulu for giving me this wonderful day!

I know that this day is set aside just for mom's, but I know that some families have only dads or gramdparents or aunts or uncles and some with mothers in heaven. As in my previous post, being a caregiver on a daily basis is hard and yet so rewarding. My best goes out to those of you who take on this challenge, responsibility & daily dose of love.

I TASTE . . .

When I geve birth to my daughter the first thing I was given to eat was some toast & jam. I have craved it ever since. That's all I ate {at all hours & among the other food handed to me} those few days in the hospital. I would get up during the night, with my hubby & new daughter asleep in the bassinet, to make & eat some toast & jam. When I was okay enough to start driving again, I went out to buy some field berry jam & that jar didn't last me a month.

So, to start this wonderful day & had some toast & jam. I also introduced lulu to grape jelly. She likes it!

I SMELL . . .

I think my brother said it well, a few weeks after lulu was born, "You really can't bottle this [baby] smell". {only to be told by my sister that he was holding the lotion bottle in which the smell came from... we all had a good laugh at that!}

It's so true. This one thing make me want to weep, its so sweet! When I pick her up in the morning I take a deep breath of her baby smell, and smile. When I finish giving her a bath at night, I do the same and know that all is right in my world.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my 1st 'sense-ational' sunday. Let me know what you see, hear, touch, smell, & taste.

I hope you take Emily's challenge and become more aware of your surroundings!
Cindy

~ happy mother's day ~

Here's a fantastic letter I received this week from a dear freind of mine ~ Lisa ~...

This is for the mothers
who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms,
wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, 'It's okay honey, Mommy's here.'
Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies whocan't be comforted.
This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.
For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.
This for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.
This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.
And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars. And that when their kids asked, 'Did you see me, Mom?' they could say, 'Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world,' and mean it.
This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.
This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat.
For all the mothers who read 'Goodnight, Moon' twice a night for a year. And then read it again. 'Just one more time.'
This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead. This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.
This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls 'Mom?' in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college ~or have their own families.
This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.
This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.
For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.
For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.
This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart?
Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?
The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home?
Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?
The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation... And mature mothers learning to let go.
For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without.
This is for you all. For all of us...
Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them. And pray and never stop being a Mom.

Happy Mother's Day!
Cindy