survey time!

what is your current obsession?
-my flower beds... this is my first (i predict of MANY) years gardening and i am SO proud of my beautiful flower beds in front of our house, they make me smile :) AND scrapbooking, never got into it before but now i have a babe and take a ton of pics so im scrapbooking now! plus there are so many beautiful papers out there now my husband would definitly say that its become an obsession

what is your weirdest obsession?
- i would have to agree with Tracy at Shutter Bean (check out her blog on my side bar- i cannot giver her blog enough praise- SO great) i am obsessed with celebrity gossip, i check the sites multipul times a day :) i was at a baby shower the other day and won a game 'name that celebrity baby'... thats when i realized it crossed the line over to obsession

what are you wearing today?
-dark jean shorts & a navy scoop neck top with ruffley sleaves

what’s for dinner?
-not sure yet, probably going out since it is my husbands moms last night here visiting us

what would you eat for your last meal?
-probably a classic steak dinner, medium rare (more on the rare side) perfectly steamed veggies and a baked potato with all the fixins (double sour cream please!)

what’s the last thing you bought?
-a mixed fruit smoothie at the coffee shop here in town

what are you listening to right now?
-my baby "talking" pretty much the cuttest sound you will ever hear

what’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
-strawberry

what do you think of the person who tagged you?
- she has a fabulous blog with beautiful pictures and wonderful recipes!

if you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would it be?

- southern califorina, right on the beach please!

if you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour where would you go?
-paris

what language do you want to learn?
- spanish... i know enough to get by but i want to learn it better

what is your favorite color?
-blues... all of them!

what is one of your favorite daily/weekly rituals?
-every week either on saturday or sunday i make a big brunch, sometimes just for my husband and I but lately also for whoever is visiting, definitly my favorite time of the week. I love feeding people and I love brunch!

if you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
-a purse that I saw on Saturday... it was even on sale so id have enough for a non fat Iced Carmel Machiatto with extra caramel drizzle and a Ginger Molasas cookie!

Favorite Designer?
-Roberto Cavali

Do you admire anyone’s style?
-nicole richie

Describe your personal style?
-I like anything that has girlie touches to it like ruffles and puffy sleaves, things like that but I like to stay pretty smiple and I dont really do prints, usually just solid colors and clean lines

What are you fave films?
-lots, mostly girlie movies like the notebook though

What’s your favorite fruit?
-papaya, mango, pineapple

What inspires you?
-usually blogs!

What is on the walls in your bedroom?

-wedding pictures, shaddow box shelves and pictures of cherry blossoms

Your favorite book?
-hmmmm dont have an absolute fave but I love anything written by sophia kinsella and james patterson

Do you collect something?

-not really but i love pottery

What is one of your pet peeves?
-loud eaters

This is the scareiest thing I have ever seen...

oh my

New Food Blog I Like!

Found this hilarious post on this food blog today, will be adding this to my Blog Roll! oh, and the cake looks AHmazing!

http://www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com/

update time!

What we woke up to this morning! ARG!!! time to move i think...

this was Ashers outfit today... seriously, MAY LONG WEEKEND?! well, at least we spent the prior two days in shorts and t-shirts at the lake and on the deck... you know what they say about the weather in Alberta, if you don't like it... wait 5 mins. :)

So, after that vague, totally non personal blog post and three weeks without a decent post, I figure that I should write an update. Things have been rolling along here at the Barkey house... lots and lots of changes, good and bad, fun and hard... but mostly good and fun! Hmmmmmm lets see, where did I leave off?

oh my, ok...

So, Jo-Ben's mom came out and it was an AMAZING blessing... I didn't necessarily need her to come out to help per say but it was so nice and so much appreciated. We quickly settled into a routine and since Asher is being bottle fed now she took on the mornings as her time with him and our time to sleep in. SO nice. After a few days of that I felt like myself again and totally rested. We have decided that she needs to come for a month every time we have a kid. Dad joined her out here 10 days after she arrived and they stayed for another week. We had a great time with them both while they were there, relaxing, going for walks and enjoying meals together (some even out on the deck!) Dad even helped me out with some yard work by planting some bushes around the underside of the deck and a rose bush in my front bed. I even got to get some gardening done while they were here since I had so much time on my hands with all of the extra arms to hold Asher. It was great. We also dedicated Asher on Mother's Day Sunday at our church and it was so special to have mom and dad B here to be a part of it.

Speaking of Asher boy... He is doing so well. I think hes about 11 lbs now... growing like a weed. He is developing well, every week I get an email from babycenter.com and its a week behind because Asher was a week early so by the time I get the email Asher has already done all the tings they say he is going to do that week! (i really should change that) He is so alert and smart. Hes also realllllly content. We are truly blessed, hes a great sleeper and sort of has put himself on the schedule that I would have put him on by this point so no complaining here! I'm a lucky Mamma. Hes so fun now too- cooing, smiling at us, holding things, laughing (in his own way) oh! and Jo-Ben taught him how to stick out his tongue after Jo-Ben sticks out his... SO CUTE!

Ive been on project lose the baby weight starting this past week... I am eating more consciously, counting calories (uggghh) and exercising 6 days a week (I go to a fitness class one day, aqua size two days and walk three days) I'm not going super hardcore but I am trying and hopefully it will pay off sooner rather than later as I am in a wedding party on July 4th! (eek!)

Ive developed a new hobby which I am loving- gardening! I have always been interested in gardening but never really knew how (especially out here in Alberta- its so different than BC!) and I have never had my own place to do so but now I do and I have been busy gardening in my flower bed in the front of our house! I planted 150 bulbs last fall and lots of tulips, hyacinths and daffodils have sprouted up but only one daffodil and one tulip have bloomed. :( My friend had the same thing happen to her last year and this year her bulbs bloomed big time so I have high hopes for them for next season... Ive supplemented with some snap dragon plants (in yellow, white and burgundy) as well as multi colored petunias... I also planted tons of sweet pea seeds and set up a lattice for them to climb up so I am excited to see those grow and climb! Its allot of fun to tend to it and see things come up and bloom, I am so looking forward to seeing more happen as the weather gets nicer and nicer. I am looking forward to planting some perennials that a neighbor is giving me out of her garden and some planters later this week... I am thinking Geraniums, marigolds and some pansies oh! and my favorite plant that I discovered this season- sweet potato vines, the deep plum ones are my faves. I am also hoping to find some more ground covering for the flower beds... I have already planted this one called creeping jenny and lambs ear (i think thats what its called) Anyways, I'm really enjoying it.

new things have also been developing with Jo-Ben's job out here so that's interesting/exciting... things are going in a new direction so we will see what comes of that very soon!

All in all things are going well (other than waking up to snow this morning.... don't even GET me started!) I will leave you with some pictures... Enjoy!

dressed up in big boy clothes

hanging out with Dad and Joey

going for a walk with Mom

brothers

all dressed up for church

my flower bed :) its a start!

his shirt says id rather be naked

us at our friends wedding

what a ham!

some changes to his room

mothers and fathers day presents

us with Babaw and Chocho

smiley boy

so chill

so CUTE!

my bushes planted by my father in law

my lonely daffodil!

Asher and his Chocho

Asher and his Babaw

My sweet boy

cheering during a big game :)

Just some thoughts on yellow and grey

I have been seeing TONS of Yellow and Grey combos in everything lately, in fashion, nature and decor and I cant WAIT to have a little girl so I can do a yellow and grey themed room for her... at least that's what I would do if I would have one tonight :)

see, fashion...





decor...
& even nature!

I love all of the yellow and grey patterned fabrics out there especially the ones by Amy Butler

Pretty pillows I found on Etsy
Some gorgeous yellow and grey designer rooms...




THIS is the room I saw months ago that inspired me... I love love LOVE the wall paper with the faint print of the trees...
Beautiful pillows too... I saw them at Anthropologie in the States when I was there for Christmas
Amazing glider... if only. A girl can dream though...
This is my favorite part of the room... beautiful prints
And finally, I thought this was interesting... its like some Asian line of nursery items which I hate but the wall color is pretty much exactly the color in Asher's room and I never thought that yellow or grey would go well against it... still undecided about that one.

Anyways, if I were to do a baby room for a little girl, MY little girl, it would be in yellow and grey... with birds of course. :) I would love to get some modern looking white furniture like the stuff from Oeuf, that gorgeous birch tree wall paper, a beautiful wingbacky, vintagey looking grey chair, a plus white fur rug of some sort, and curtains + pillows made out of some fabulous grey and yellow prints (and some great crib bedding of course) I think it would be SO pretty.

Late night window shopping at Ikea...

FINALLY! Spring has sprung in Alberta, finally. There are things I miss about BC and things I don't, the rain being a big one on the 'don't' list, but I do realize that the rain makes everything green and with the mild temps and all that rain you BCers sure get to enjoy spring allot sooner than us Albertans and I DO miss that. We are experiencing weather here that I remember experiencing in February in BC. Today I heard an add on the radio that said May showers bring June flowers... whaaaaat? I guess in Alberta... yikes. I am just happy to have our grass starting to turn green and temperatures above 10! With our beautiful spring weather starting to flourish I am getting VERY excited for time spent in our yard, on our deck, on our patio... sigh, I can just imagine it now. My father in law is visiting and has a MUCH greener thumb that I and is helping me get things going around our place. He bought me a beautiful Queen Elizabeth rose bush for mothers day and planted it in the front right by our front door... cant wait till it starts blooming. I bought some beautiful bushes (Pecking Cotoneaster) that he is going to help me plant around our patio... I cant WAIT to see our yard blooming and in color! I will post pics when things get underway! We bought some beautiful patio furniture last year and Ikea has some really great looking stuff that would go great with it and is tempting me.. good thing there is no online shopping at Ikea or else my credit card would be in t-r-o-u-b-l-e. For now, I will dream and post some of my faves below!

I can imagine this hanging out my kitchen window with Thai Basil, fresh Mint and huge stalks for Rosemary growing in arms reach!

Love this chair! How comfy does it look?!

Ok, outdoor mobile anyone? Totally unnecessary but pretty cool... maybe just because I have baby brain or something but I love it.

Remember homemade Popsicles growing up? I am totally getting these.
Love these planters, I want to get them for either side of our french doors that lead out onto the deck and a couple for the corners of the patio... I can picture bright purple and fuchsia flowers blooming in them.
Love these too... don't know where I would hang them but they sure are cute!

Keep dreaming Amanda...

Grateful

“You did it: you changed my wild lament
into whirling dance;
You ripped off my black mourning band
and decked me with wildflowers.
I’m about to burst with song;
I can’t keep quiet about you.
God, my God,
I can’t thank you enough.”

Psalm 30: 11-12, (MSG)