tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91343787359906744742024-03-13T23:16:09.865-07:00My Paper HeartOn crafting, parenting and living in the North!Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-63840151296299220902011-04-16T14:46:00.000-07:002011-04-16T14:46:19.902-07:00Refashioned T-Shirt<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I finished this t-shirt today. It was originally a men's Southpole t-shirt. I removed the crew neck and made a new wider neckline on it. I put some pleats on the shoulders to give them a little puff and a small gather at the end of the sleeve. The chest was sectioned into two seperate pieces and sewn back together. I wanted to add some rusching to the bottom part where it meets the Southpole lettering but it didn't quite work out. Not enough fabric for that, so I just sewed it back together with the little bit of rusching I could do. The Southpole lettering had to suffer an amputation because it was too low on the chest but I'm quite happy with it. I bought the t-shirt on clearance for $1.99 at the Northern so I wouldn't have been too heartbroken if didn't turn out.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7GuEe0YEMeM/TaoNBdMmJUI/AAAAAAAAAKs/b5Lf3-GopXk/s1600/100_6813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" r6="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7GuEe0YEMeM/TaoNBdMmJUI/AAAAAAAAAKs/b5Lf3-GopXk/s320/100_6813.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JQu5EA6Cnog/TaoNV-AK_YI/AAAAAAAAAKw/VUilPuePxSo/s1600/100_6821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" r6="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JQu5EA6Cnog/TaoNV-AK_YI/AAAAAAAAAKw/VUilPuePxSo/s320/100_6821.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-88528592228095191842011-03-21T16:56:00.000-07:002011-03-21T16:56:34.728-07:00My Favorite So FarThis is my favorite purse so far. I call it the Cheeky Chick's Denim Purse! I made this one for a friend's daughter, I know she'll like it! Same zip closure and pink lining as the others.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZBq0DkKfKUI/TYfk3du3O_I/AAAAAAAAAKk/DYrX72ncQJk/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZBq0DkKfKUI/TYfk3du3O_I/AAAAAAAAAKk/DYrX72ncQJk/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ReIKxzqXxGs/TYflbtAolnI/AAAAAAAAAKo/H-IluKB28_A/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" r6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ReIKxzqXxGs/TYflbtAolnI/AAAAAAAAAKo/H-IluKB28_A/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-18868302045492198242011-03-19T18:31:00.000-07:002011-03-19T18:31:26.661-07:00The Denim PurseFor this project I used a really cute pair of girls jeans. There is so much you can do to dress up this little purse, just adding the ribbon made such a difference. I lined the purse with pink and added a zip closure. I am on a 'denim purse' kick right now. I have all the pairs of jeans that no longer fit my daughter to reconstruct at well as some discounted jeans I found at the store for $1.99! I only wish there was more choice in fabric for the lining and sash. I will have to stock up when I go back to Ontario this summer.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LxQGOTz7GcY/TYVWdmrk4AI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/DGdDai2rfrE/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-LxQGOTz7GcY/TYVWdmrk4AI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/DGdDai2rfrE/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+001.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OYjz3jNr-lA/TYVXhsrzdRI/AAAAAAAAAKY/TkxQqf2KT2w/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" r6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OYjz3jNr-lA/TYVXhsrzdRI/AAAAAAAAAKY/TkxQqf2KT2w/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zEfp2KSIGUA/TYVYHv4B-vI/AAAAAAAAAKc/xnGWz47dVX8/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-zEfp2KSIGUA/TYVYHv4B-vI/AAAAAAAAAKc/xnGWz47dVX8/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sgY7JNtC91M/TYVYqtPB3HI/AAAAAAAAAKg/MxKsWX1Jh2A/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" r6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sgY7JNtC91M/TYVYqtPB3HI/AAAAAAAAAKg/MxKsWX1Jh2A/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-15668305523096208472011-03-13T12:01:00.000-07:002011-03-13T12:01:24.089-07:00Reconstructed Clothes<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My project this weekend was to redo a pair of hand-me-down jeans I got for Sarah from my cousin. I used the jeans and a skirt that was way too small and combined them, then added some ribbon for the finishing touches. I could have added more bling but I thought this particular project would look better if I didn't overdo it. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VToV_7VKbwU/TX0PkTMFG2I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/9T6F5UhBVL8/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VToV_7VKbwU/TX0PkTMFG2I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/9T6F5UhBVL8/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+033.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QmEWuxLUXgQ/TX0P8wDisaI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/HUch4uY2Kfw/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" q6="true" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QmEWuxLUXgQ/TX0P8wDisaI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/HUch4uY2Kfw/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tD0Z9lfe6Dw/TX0QZe8iyJI/AAAAAAAAAKA/ekwFxMYEsqg/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tD0Z9lfe6Dw/TX0QZe8iyJI/AAAAAAAAAKA/ekwFxMYEsqg/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+038.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--BQZlUlkHfU/TX0RMbznm7I/AAAAAAAAAKE/z3T4tUY7QDs/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--BQZlUlkHfU/TX0RMbznm7I/AAAAAAAAAKE/z3T4tUY7QDs/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+040.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qHDRCYaTA3A/TX0Sr0nhihI/AAAAAAAAAKI/49W4ny5c3L8/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qHDRCYaTA3A/TX0Sr0nhihI/AAAAAAAAAKI/49W4ny5c3L8/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+041.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KHFv8Tx8vAk/TX0TMTbn_5I/AAAAAAAAAKM/ZHBDbVBzUZg/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KHFv8Tx8vAk/TX0TMTbn_5I/AAAAAAAAAKM/ZHBDbVBzUZg/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+043.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-38764320470723152232011-02-09T16:10:00.001-08:002011-02-09T16:10:56.128-08:00Not Aspartame But SucraloseHuh. Well it appears the source of my problem is not aspartame but sucralose. Nestea low calorie drink mix is made with sucralose which can be equally toxic. It seems the heart palpitations, chest muscle pain and anxiety was caused by this artificial sweetner. Anyway, I've cut it out of my diet and am drinking just plain water now. Yuck.Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-5755588678881989642011-02-07T18:22:00.000-08:002011-02-07T18:22:53.868-08:00Progress - Knitting and BeyondI have managed to knit half the sweater so far. I am done the body up to the armholes and am now at a standstill, unsure of how to continue. I am a visual learner so written instructions confuse me. I'm sure I can find a video on Youtube or Videojug that will explain it all. No rush, I'm sure I will have it finished before the end of the cold weather...in June!!!<br />
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As far as my weight loss, I am doing fairly well, I have lost 13 lbs in five weeks. I am still feeling too lazy to exercise, but I just received Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred in the mail and am going to check it out...tomorrow! It's easier to cut down on calories. I am still doing the Slim Fast plan but I've cut out drinking Nestea 5 calorie drink mix. I think the aspartame is what was giving me anxiety and heart palpitations. I always new aspartame was bad for you but I didn't think one little packet of Nestea drink mix would be enough to set off the mayhem of side effects. It didn't happen right away, I was drinking it for a few weeks before I noticed these symptoms. Anyway, I'm really happy with my results so far. I've reached my birthday goal and am just two pounds away from my Oscar night goal. Hopefully I will reach my goal to lose 30lbs by this summer. We are going to Las Vegas and I want to buy a couple of fun dresses to wear. That is one of the best parts of losing weight, an excuse to shop for a new wardrobe. Actually my old wardrobe is still hanging in my closet waiting to come out of retirement.Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-54985528644521387232011-01-23T20:53:00.000-08:002011-01-23T20:53:00.988-08:00The Rolled Brim HatI knit all day and finished the first of my list of projects. My daughter requested a green pompom to go on her hat so I did my best. Here it is.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TT0FVwNXN-I/AAAAAAAAAJw/sNpDVBFwq1M/s1600/Baker+Lake+2011+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" s5="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TT0FVwNXN-I/AAAAAAAAAJw/sNpDVBFwq1M/s320/Baker+Lake+2011+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I'm not terribly happy with the yarn, it's been recycled so it looks a little lumpy. I think it will look ok though.Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-63042942847452802942011-01-23T12:24:00.000-08:002011-01-23T12:24:07.664-08:00This Year's Knitting AmbitionsI began knitting my daughter a hat today and it looks like it's going to fit. I'm really happy this didn't turn out to be a 'just for practice' project. This is usually what I end up with when I decide to practice my knitting with whatever yarn I have laying around the house with whatever needles I decide to use. Anyway, I'm winging it on this hat (my first) with size 8 circular needles and chunky yarn. I am learning to knit a little more loosely too which is helping with the stiffness and cramping in my fingers and hands. Now that I am off and running on a viable project I feel confident that I can accomplish a few neat propjects this year. So here it is, my list of projects that I hope to accomplish this year.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. One rolled brim hat for my daughter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Four pairs of socks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Love Bites-For Him sweater from the Vampire Knits book</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. Pulse Protector cowl from the Vampire Knits book</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Sidhe Lace Shrug from the Vampire Knits book</span><br />
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Seems ambitious for a beginner, I know. I'm very excited and motivated to become an accomplished knitter. I finally received some of my yarn in the mail from Knitpicks, now I am waiting for the 29" circular needles I ordered on eBay to get started on my husband's sweater. If by some miracle I complete all these projects, I will update my list. I also ordered a couple of books from Knitpicks since they are having a 40 off sale right now so I have quite a few fabulous projects to choose from!Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-79242689004926752602011-01-22T10:11:00.000-08:002011-01-22T10:11:09.255-08:00Feeling HomesickAs much as I like the people of Baker Lake as well as my job and the perks it brings, I have a heavy heart these days because I wish I could have stayed in Iqaluit. My daughter could have gone to L'Ecole des Trois Soleils, the french school there and kept her friends from daycare. She would have received a stellar French education as most of the teachers are from Quebec. There is much more for her to do year round there, like swimming lessons, gymnastics and the movie theatre. There was much more for me to do to. I miss the little places I would visit on my days off like Baffin Flowers and the Fantasy Palace. I went to that coffee shop every Thursday to have a coffee and read my book for a couple of hours. I would then head over to Baffin Flowers and pick out a new nail polish or cute hair accessory for my daughter. That store was full of everything a girl would want to shop for. I feel much more isolated here, the cost of airfare from Baker Lake to Ottawa is outrageous. Iqaluit to Ottawa was still expensive, but manageable. The view was prettier in Iqaluit as well, it is very hilly and little streams run across the community everywhere you go. When I close my eyes and think of a happy place, it is usually a walk in a forest back home or Iqaluit by a stream in the summer. Maybe some day I will be back...Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-83812228631807939082011-01-08T15:34:00.000-08:002011-01-08T15:50:02.141-08:00The Oscar Night ChallengeI put it out there on the 3fatchicks.com forum that I am having an Oscar night challenge! Anyone who is a fan of the Academy Awards knows what an event this is and a big part of the night is seeing all the beautiful dresses on the red carpet. My challenge, therefore, is to lose enough weight by awards night on February 27th to fit into that special outfit you have hanging in your closet that you can’t quite fit into. You can celebrate by throwing a bash and having a blast that night! My goal is to lose 15 pounds or enough inches to look reasonably good in my favorite red dress. Join me and update me on your progress! Closer to awards night we can fill out our ballots and vote for our favorites in the top categories! <br />
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Here’s to fabulous you! Good luck!Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-17782699200108299062010-12-31T13:15:00.000-08:002010-12-31T13:15:05.948-08:00Finally Knitting A SweaterThis year, I am making a commitment to knit something of value. Not that dishcloths are not useful, I just don't think I am making use of my full knitting potential. I recently purchased a copy of Genevieve Miller's Vampire Knits. I has some very nice modern projects I can't wait to get started on, particularly the 'Love Bites-For Him' sweater.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TR5HQ3cYQOI/AAAAAAAAAJs/6rRDT-dzbuo/s1600/imagesCAFBSPJX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TR5HQ3cYQOI/AAAAAAAAAJs/6rRDT-dzbuo/s1600/imagesCAFBSPJX.jpg" /></a></div>I was happy that Knitpicks still had that particular yarn still available. It is Wool of the Andes in Coal colour. This sweater is simple and I think I will really enjoy knitting it. I hope my husband likes it!Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-54582530152341575282010-12-28T16:08:00.000-08:002010-12-28T16:17:03.229-08:00Rescued PupMy very kind neighbour was leaving work yesterday and noticed something moving in the snowbank. Lo and behold it was a puppy, no more than two months old, covered in snow looking weak and exhausted. He picked up the puppy and put it in his truck, then went in the store to purchase food and treat for the poor little fella (which turns out is a female). One of the managers wanted to see the pup so he brought it in to let it sniff around while he shopped. This sickly little puppy was weaving around she was so weak. He brought her home, fed her and gave her water. She was dirty and skinny, but a good bath and lots of food seems to have perked her up. When she was let out to pee in the morning she wasn't too anxious to go out the door, for fear she would not be let back in. Today she was playful and happy, jumping and playing like any puppy would. When he let her out to pee again she paused at the door, worried he would not let her back in the house. She stood outside with one paw still in the doorway so we couldn't shut the door on her. We are not allowed animals in this apartment complex, but he is really hoping he can keep her.<br />
I don't know how people can neglect their animal that badly. Even though people here like having their dogs, many of the locals leave them tied outside no matter what the weather. Someone in town lost all their pups a few weeks ago because they froze to death outside. There is no animal shelter here, if the dog is picked up by the bylaw officer, I hear they are left in a cage on the tundra and are no better off. This makes me heartsick for these neglected dogs. <br />
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There is a couple in town that spend their own money getting wood to build and donate little houses for dogs that they see tied outside out in the open. Please, if you are reading this and you have pets, spay or neuter them so there are less unwanted animals roaming around.Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-63378218330287133672010-12-19T10:53:00.000-08:002010-12-19T10:53:37.492-08:00Lazy Daisy No MoreWhen I met my husband, I was a very svelt 123lbs. All muscle, I might add. My husband was a lanky 185lbs. Fast forward 14 years and I am now pushing 160lbs. Mark has also added a couple dozen pounds to his frame. He is much more athletic than me though, so the weight looks good on him. I can't blame my weight gain on my daughter, I returned to my pre-pregnancy weight of 135lbs two weeks after she was born. I just can't seem to stop focusing on the joy of eating these last few years. I have some hard work ahead of me but, thanks to my new (to me) manual treadmill, I am hoping to change all that. I think the parts of my body that bother me the most are my roly-poly arms. For someone that used to be so thin, I never had very slim arms to begin with. I never had to dress to camouflage them either, but now I choose my wardrobe carefully. If I can't control my eating, I will control my level of activity. I managed a full three minutes of fast paced walking on this slightly inclined treadmill, and had to take a break. A long road ahead.Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-31830767314425774642010-12-17T14:14:00.000-08:002010-12-17T14:14:56.868-08:00Belief Still IntactI am happy and very relieved that my daughter's belief in Santa is still intact. A few days ago I thought I had let the cat out of the bag (check my previous post). After mentioning Santa and looking for cues that she is wise to the folklore, I'm confidant she still believes. Phew!! Glad she will still enjoy that part of Christmas a little longer. I think I was six when I found out about Santa. I don't remember being crushed by the revelation. We still got presents, so all was well!Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-27096025866549994722010-12-12T10:43:00.000-08:002010-12-12T10:43:57.447-08:00Spilling The Beans About SantaI may have inadvertantly spilled the beans about Santa today. I was in my own little world, talking to my brother on the phone and discussing who was playing Santa at his church brunch. I told him we had a young employee play Santa at the Northern and that you can even see the elastic holding up his beard. I wasn't paying attention to the fact that my five year old daughter was just a few feet away watching tv. I had just brought her to see Santa at the store last week. I'm hoping she wasn't paying attention to my conversation, being engrossed in an episode of Fairly Odd Parents. She hasn't questioned my about it but she may also just be keeping it to herself. I feel SO bad. I really hope she didn't hear me.Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-55663193997749618792010-12-08T16:35:00.000-08:002010-12-08T16:35:02.559-08:00Baby, It's Cold OutsideIt's about 6:25pm and I just checked the weather network. The temperature outside is -51C with the windchill. Ouch! I had to walk home from work and I was glad to finally get here. Unfortunately, my lettuce froze on the way. It's only a 15 minute walk tops, and I have a full length down coat, but my legs were still feeling the pinch of this crazy cold weather. Time for a hot bath. Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-71187856879093605062010-12-05T08:44:00.000-08:002010-12-05T08:44:54.056-08:00Teaching My Daughter FrenchWhen my daughter was born, I spoke to her in French. For the first two years of her life, every word she spoke was French. The problem was, my husband does not speak any French, only English. When I noticed my daughter was falling behind in her language development, I figured it was because we were trying to teach her both languages at once. I began to speak to her in English and also brought her to speech therapy. She made good progress, but in the three years that have passed I haven't been conversing in French with her. Last year, when we moved to Iqaluit, we were fortunate in that there was a French language daycare and school. The teachers are from Quebec and so had taught Sarah to speak French with perfect pronunciation.<br />
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We have since moved to Baker Lake and Sarah is attending an English/Inuktitut school. Sarah is facing the same difficulties the Inuit children are in preserving their native language. I must admit, even though I went to French school my whole life, it is easier to just speak English. We are surrounded by the English language on TV, radio and in newspapers. My husbands family is English and all of our friends are English speaking. Keeping up my French language has been a challenge. The more I make the effort to speak it though, the more comfortable I am in expressing myself. If I have difficulty finding the right word, I look it up in my English/French dictionary. It will be a challenge to go back to thinking in French. <br />
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My next step is to find some interesting French books to read. I found the Janet Evanovich books for sale, translated into French. I checked it out online, and it's a slangy French that will be fun to read. I think I will put that on my Christmas list!Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-40826702221802530762010-12-02T14:36:00.000-08:002010-12-02T14:36:47.716-08:00Lovely Morning ColoursOn my walk to work this morning, I remembered to bring my camera. This beautiful photo was shot at about 8:40 this morning. There was just a sliver of a moon and one bright star out. Nothing else to report!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TPgfRukVt3I/AAAAAAAAAJg/uVbjjN0V5mg/s1600/Baker+Lake+2010+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TPgfRukVt3I/AAAAAAAAAJg/uVbjjN0V5mg/s320/Baker+Lake+2010+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-65484217242368339812010-11-28T12:16:00.000-08:002010-11-28T12:16:44.310-08:00A New BeginningThese last few years I have been thinking a lot about 'what would my life be like if...' One of those 'ifs' was university. How different would my life be now if I had gone to university instead of college. My goals and interests now are very different than they were when I was 19. At that age I would have entered university to become an archaeologist. Being that I was too shy to leave home, I instead went to college to become a secretary. My shyness and lack of self confidence even then did not allow me to pursue the field. Instead, I worked in a call centre. When it closed its doors, I took a job in a factory. During this time, I met my husband who was in college taking an electronics course. It was the 1990's and the field was booming. I signed up with a little encouragement from him and graduated. I was an electronics engineering technician. I worked as a technician for a wonderful company for three years, then the market tanked. Nortel sold our facility to another company. Withing two years we were closed and I was out of work. Luckily, I found another job as a technician in my home town. I worked there for five years always afraid of lay-offs, with good reason. Such is the nature of the manufacturing world. After being off work for five months due to an illness, I was laid off. That company is still struggling but is managing to stay open. I would never work in contract manufacturing again. I have overcome my shyness and enjoy working with the public very much. And so, I've decided it is time to go back to school. I will be taking my courses part-time and online, working towards a Bachelor of Social Work, so I can still hold down a full-time job and pay the bills. I am happy I won't be retiring and still saying to myself "I wish I would have..."<br />
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On a lighter note, I took some pretty pictures outside today and here they are. It's a beautiful clear day and I'm hoping tonight we can see the Northern Lights. We'll see!<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TPK3jsXg0QI/AAAAAAAAAJU/x66eMaUpAe4/s1600/Baker+Lake+2010+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TPK3jsXg0QI/AAAAAAAAAJU/x66eMaUpAe4/s320/Baker+Lake+2010+019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TPK31ojL18I/AAAAAAAAAJY/4PAnqOZetY4/s1600/Baker+Lake+2010+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TPK31ojL18I/AAAAAAAAAJY/4PAnqOZetY4/s320/Baker+Lake+2010+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TPK4RwCtFcI/AAAAAAAAAJc/wuBDk1hOc28/s1600/Baker+Lake+2010+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TPK4RwCtFcI/AAAAAAAAAJc/wuBDk1hOc28/s320/Baker+Lake+2010+021.JPG" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-35986843193215429322010-11-22T17:54:00.000-08:002010-11-22T17:54:27.411-08:00ProcrastinationI have just spent the last couple of hours deleting over 2000 emails. I have signed up to so many newsletters, get jokes forwarded to me, confirmation letters from eBay, Amazon.ca, Chapters, etc. I've had this email address for several years now and every so often I'll sit down and delete a pile of emails, yet I still have so many that I 'save' to read later. Of course I either never get around to it, or neglect to delete it once it's read. I'm down to about 300 emails now, I'll get around to sorting through those another time. I am such a procrastinator.Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-89160156510015541052010-11-20T14:45:00.000-08:002010-11-20T14:45:09.898-08:00At LastI finally got my tank filled at 4pm. I think they finally broke down after 8 or 9 calls. Now the task of cleaning three days worth of dishes. Better pour myself a tall glass of wine. I've been saving it all day just for this, lol!!!Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-53166801926742662312010-11-20T08:31:00.000-08:002010-11-20T08:31:10.711-08:00Day 3, Still No WaterI am STILL out of water. It's been three days and I am still waiting for the water truck to come. Every dish in the house is dirty and I've resorted to melting snow in a roasting pan to flush the toilet and wash my hands. At first we had no water because the sewage tank was full. The truck finally came after a few calls and so we had the water running for half a day until we actually ran out of water. What a pain in the butt. I know they are backed up because of the blizzard, but I NEED to clean my house! Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-85813842865266171512010-11-19T05:29:00.000-08:002010-11-19T05:29:15.348-08:00No WaterI've been out of water since yesterday. Not because there is no water in the tank, but because the pump is broken. Great. I hope it's not a part they have to order. In the meantime, I scooped a pile of snow into my roasting pan and let it melt so I can wash my hands. I really need a coffee too (sigh).Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-35548544576830138402010-11-17T12:20:00.000-08:002010-11-18T15:17:29.701-08:00Weather UpdateI took another picture of the view out my window this afternoon. It's a little brighter outside and visibility has improved some, but it's gotten colder. At 2pm, it is -25C , and -44C with the windchill. Wind gusts up to 80km/h. The water and sewer trucks are not running. The city is shut down for the day. Hope it clears up enough tomorrow to open the daycare and the store.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TOQ4TH3NZZI/AAAAAAAAAJI/1iZIk1FBOKI/s1600/Baker+Lake+2010+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TOQ4TH3NZZI/AAAAAAAAAJI/1iZIk1FBOKI/s320/Baker+Lake+2010+003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TOQ4pm9NBWI/AAAAAAAAAJM/PWJU5drGYus/s1600/Baker+Lake+2010+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TOQ4pm9NBWI/AAAAAAAAAJM/PWJU5drGYus/s320/Baker+Lake+2010+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9134378735990674474.post-81907200515443411872010-11-17T06:18:00.000-08:002010-11-17T06:18:51.714-08:00Blizzard in Baker LakeThese last two days have been blustery, to say the least. There's been a blizzard the likes of which I have never seen. The wind gusts were at 100km/h last I checked yesterday before bed. This morning it seems to have 'calmed down' some, the wind gusts are at 78km/h and the temperature is at -40C with the windchill. Brrrr. They even closed the Northern store at least until noon. The daycare and schools are closed too. Oh well, I'll get some housework done this morning. Here are some pictures I took this morning. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TOPj5MGpXOI/AAAAAAAAAJA/OKi_CImBKdg/s1600/Baker+Lake+2010+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TOPj5MGpXOI/AAAAAAAAAJA/OKi_CImBKdg/s320/Baker+Lake+2010+001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TOPkLMRvSXI/AAAAAAAAAJE/4SrAtOKNeqI/s1600/Baker+Lake+2010+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_xTqUNWrbbEw/TOPkLMRvSXI/AAAAAAAAAJE/4SrAtOKNeqI/s320/Baker+Lake+2010+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Chantalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02416022680719767065noreply@blogger.com0