Pass the celery would ya?

Just like that it's all over... family has gone back home, the decorations and tree are packed back up and all of the new gifts have permanent homes... The New Years Eve festivities have come and gone, the fireworks and glittery dresses have been put away and all of the junk food has all been replaced with rabbit food. To all of this I say GOOD FREAKING RIDDANCE STUPID 2011!!!

 

Last year was not a great year, and after reading countless 'status updates' on Facebook I see that I'm not the only one that felt that way, so many people commented on the crap year that was 2011 I have begun to think no one had a good year! It's a good thing that we have just started a whole new year because we all have the opportunity to have a fresh start at things... We can sweep the old bad left overs out the door and make an effort to have a better year, a year with better friends, better jobs, better health, a better home... whatever your "better" is. Aside from a few personal goals and "things I am looking forward to" I have set myself some artistic goals like creating and making things that inspire me, upcycling old finds and learning a whole lot more about photography. I had already made my birthday list before the Christmas holidays were over, I would like a fancy shmancy camera with tons of manual options and lenses. I have always loved photography and I love taking photos, especially when we go away and have even framed a few of my own photographs in my home (I've posted two below) but for some reason until a month or so ago it had never dawned on me to buy a nice camera. Currently I am using a Sony Cybershot, and sure it's a great camera... if you don't need to change your settings. Want to crank up the ISO? Looking to slow the shutter speed? Not going to happen with this little guy. So, my first project of 2012 is to decide what camera is my top pick... I've been doing comparisons of the Nikon D5100 and the Canon Rebel T3i, but I think I need to go into a store and actually talk to someone before I make any final decisions. 

 

 

 

Come to think about it, the camera project will be my second project... I am already underway with project one: Changing our dog's diet over to 100% raw food. No more processed, slaughterhouse floor mess combined with disgusting fillers for my girl. We started her on her new diet Friday December 30th, and let me tell you - if she doesn't take to this (health wise) I don't know how I will ever get her off it! It is like I have opened Pandora's box... Roxie is underfoot before the food even hits her bowl, if you could feed a dog heaven, this is it. I researched this raw food diet until I was blue in the face and I couldn't find a single thing wrong with any of it... it helps with just about every aspect of a dog's health and is exactly what they would be eating in the wild, so why not? I was pretty ecstatic to find out that our local butcher (Meridian Meats) carries it and they buy it from a local reputable company (Bramblehills in Chilliwack http://www.bramblehills.com/) So, hopefully it turns out she just had a chicken allergy and this will not only fix that (she's on the beef diet) but also make her healthier all around - because who doesn't want their four legged companions to live as long as possible?

 

 

On my last post I noted that I had made another custom monkey but that I couldn't post a picture until after Christmas because it was to be a gift... well, it's no secret anymore - I made a dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) monkey for my sister!

Again, as I've said before I can do all sorts of custom monkeys so if you have an idea throw it my way, I'm sure that I can figure something out!! It could be something complex like this guy or the zombie monkey or something simple that will remind you of someone or something special everytime you see it, like I did for the "M" family. Momma "M" wanted her kids to think of each other and of her when they saw the monkeys, so I left the tops of their hearts open so that she could leave them a note, a picture or a coin that meant something to them as a family so no matter how many miles are between them they are right there with you...  

 

 

 

 

 

Phhhewf, I feel like this was an uber long post, but I guess it's been a while... and I had a lot to say (I know, I know I can hear my friends and family rumbling "No surprise there" lol) so I will shut up and let you get on with your amazing new year, I wish for all of you a better year than last and hope that you all have a great 2012... I know that I'm really excited about what it has in store and think that it is going to be one hell of a year!!!

Merry Ho Ho, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Festivus...!

One more sleep until the Christmas festivities begin for us... then two days of Family "fun" (Read: Soul Crushing Insanity).

 

I have finished all of my monkey orders, all of our xmas shopping, and almost all of the wrapping - just one more present to go! I even found time to buy myself a little Christmas present yesterday... two hardcover books. Emma Forrest's 'Your voice in my head' and Ransom Riggs' 'Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children'. I know I shouldn't have... but, I cannot resist a new book especially when it's a hardcover... ugh... I have such an obsession with books. Even as a kid I would ask my Mom to buy me books all the time - regardless of whether or not I would ever read them, I needed them. I will definitely be reading these books, no question about it... and seeing as how I have a little extra time off next week I will be taking advantage of that and scheduling lots of much needed "Tanya Time". Today though, I will be grinding through the day getting everything ready for the holidays because my office will be closed until next Thursday... So with that I leave you with this, the best Christmas picture I have ever seen... someone should really make this into a card:

 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

xoxo

My nephews are better than yours!!

My nephews are better than yours.

Sure, my opinion is bias... but if there were a contest I still think mine would win.

I got to spend the day with my nephews and their Momma, who is one of my favorite people, on Saturday. We shopped and finally made our Christmas ornaments that we were supposed to make a couple weeks back - but I had to go and get the flu. I was down for the count for eight days... first the flu hit me like a freight train and then I ended the week with Laryngitis. Fun times. So, my already full to the brim month has officially gone over the edge... and I am pretty sure I'm right behind it.

So - my adorable nephews... I am not even joking when I say that no matter how mad/sad/whatever I am - my eldest nephew, Jake, can make all of that melt away with one smile. I am pretty sure that half the women at the mall on Saturday could also attest to that. I have NEVER been approached by so many strangers in my life, Jake just sucks them in with his adorableness. Who can resist a two and a half year old saying "Aunty Tanya, where did you go" when you go into the change room... or "Mommy, you make me so happy" when Mommy comes back from making a purchase - seriously, women everywhere were melting around him.

After our shopping adventure we went back to my house to make Christmas ornaments and Jake was so happy to see his Uncle Ron TWICE in one week!! I'm not going to lie, getting a painted hand print from a 6 week old baby - NOT EASY. Getting a painted foot print from a 6 week old baby - IMPOSSIBLE. It was hilariously awkward. Of the dozen we did, only three turned out descent... but that's okay because it allows for a "re-do" when Brett is a bit older. Jake on the other hand couldn't have been easier... in fact I ended up painting his other hand a different color so that he could hand paint some paper after our decorations were made. I love being the fun Aunty that lets you get paint all over the kitchen counter and uses the dinner plates as a paint tray... this I know will become a joke in their later years... because they come from an OCD clean home and the thought of even painting at their Grandparents would bring a laugh or two. I can see it now - "If you're going to make a mess go to your Aunts"!! 

Thirteen days until Christmas... I have six more people to buy for (one of which I don't even know where to start), a custom order of three monkeys to fill, all of my wrapping and I am spending the day decorating my parent's tree with my Mom which has become tradition over the years. Phewf. Even writing that down has got my heart racing a bit because I know that is just "MY" stuff... I am the person in my family that everyone goes to for things (Read: DEPENDS on when they are stuck) so that list will no doubt get larger as the days go by and Christmas gets closer... But at least I put up my tree yesterday and I got to spend one day doing fun things with the two boys who have stolen my heart.

Oh yeah - and I finished up another badass custom monkey this weekend... I'll have to post pictures AFTER Christmas, so that the person receiving this monkey doesn't see him beforehand... Keep your eyes out for him!!

On Dasher, On Dancer, On Visa, On Master!!!

One month today! One more month that is going to fly by until Christmas is upon us... wow, I'm pretty sure that last week I was complaining about how hot it was and wishing the summer to be over (I guess the first thing about me to be effected by age is my concept of time!!)

 

Today is the official mark of the holiday season, it's Black Friday and we have exactly one month to go... So we all know that for the next 30 days everyone will be running around looking for the perfect gift for little Timmy or little Sarah and even though I think that the perfect gift for EVERYONE on your list is one of my sock monkeys, I know that it's the malls that will be buzzing with shoppers. Impatient, grumpy shoppers! See, another reason to buy my sock monkeys - no grumpy shoppers, no fighting over parking spots and no line ups!

 

I have managed to once again over-commit myself for the lead up to Christmas... I think secretly I need some sort of chaos to keep my batteries charged, or that maybe I enjoy the punishment. I have barely started shopping yet (usually I'd be done by now), with the exception of a small start to my brother's gift and half of my nephews' gifts - which I'll be honest I had already done in my mind months ago... They are my very favorite little people out there, who never fail to make me smile. Next weekend, after some gift shopping their Mom and I are going to make tree ornaments with them - or should I say, with their little hand prints!! I found this idea online and now I can't wait to make it with them!

 

I'm really starting to get excited for Christmas, I can feel the energy building... and I'm already thinking about where the tree is going to go this year since I moved furniture around a few months back... I've already marked a date on the calendar when my hubby and I will go to the Capilano Suspension bridge to see all of the lights... and I'm making my first trip to the Christmas store tomorrow morning with my Mom! So aside from the eight trillion things on my "to do" list this month, I'm ready to get the big day going already! I am hoping this year will be a white one, as we have been promised by all the weather forecasts, because nothing sounds better than being with loved ones on a snowy night having a glass (or several) of red wine in front of a fire... well, except SOCK MONKEYS... come on, you know you wanna - go buy a sock monkey!