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Happy Canada Day

Happy Canada Day

from our

Family home to you!

It’s here, the long weekend. I’m so happy my husband is home and we get to be together as a family.

Our Canada Flag (pictured below) has been hanging in the front of our house since spring. The flag post holder and flag was his father’s day gift last year.

My husband is very proud to be able to hang the Canada flag all spring, summer and a bit of fall, until I tell him, it needs to come down.

It just so happens to a cold and rainy weekend, typical BC, Fraser Valley weather. Last year was HOT and we got to join friends for the Canada Parade.

This year we are keeping it pretty low key. Plus, I can’t fit my Canada Clothes I bought last year. Shopping this morning I spotted a Canadian onesie for our new little one. I didn’t buy it – because she JUST grew out of preemie clothes, there’s always next year.

Tonight we are having BBQ’d burgers for dinner and tomorrow’s breakfast will include bacon.

Our Canada Day won’t include the parade this year as we will be in Church. We intend to see family tomorrow and get to be together as a family. Hopefully get to see some extended family from my side when they arrive.

I can only imagine next year will include the Parade, More BBQ and family time.

Thankful to have been born here in Canada, it’s a great place to have grown up and now have a family to raise.

Enjoy your weekend!

Career Path in Music

I advertise on my blog bio and on my social media pages that one of my topics is music. Here’s a brief intro about my career path in music.

‘Career Path’ is a great way to describe having a career…..we are all on a path.

Graduating high school in 2004, I went straight to college for a career in Music. If you’re just finishing high school and want a career in music, it’s possible. I played piano as a kid and in high school played mainly flute and clarinet (for a short time) in band.

Many people can question if you can ‘make money’ with a career in Music or seem unsupportive, but you know yourself best and what’s the right fit for you. I knew I played music well and was a passion for me.

I graduated Keyano College’s Musical Instrument Repair program (no longer available) in 2006.

Carries Pictures 234

I went to work in Vancouver right from college and apprenticed under a well-known Repair Technician and Musician, Bob Mac Donald. Bob became unwell shortly after I started working with him. In 2008 Bob, my music mentor and friend passed away, shortly after I left the shop.

I got married that fall and after working in another shop (closer to home), I learned working for someone else shop wasn’t for me. I closed up my toolbox and went back to school to become an Educational Assistant.

Even though I stepped away from a career in music, music has never left me.

I’ll admit, playing music wasn’t the same as fixing instruments, I missed it (I didn’t realize it at the time). So I stayed playing for church on a worship team. As I said before, you know yourself best and what’s the right fit for you. You will see more what I mean below when I talk about family.

2014 is the year we decided to sell our townhouse and move into a bigger house. We already had one child and wanted to continue to grow our family.

After house hunting for a long time, when I walked through the basement in our current home I saw my shop. My kids call it “mom’s garage”. I’m still working to make this space mine and figure out how to make it fit. It’s an awkward storage spot in our home.

Now that we are done having kids I finally feel ready to open my tool box again and expand my knowledge with tuning pianos. As I said before “working in a shop wasn’t for me”.

Having my own business/shop fits my life for my family.

Today I’m continuing to go on my path with a career in music.

Plantinga Music – is coming in the near future.

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Last year I was making steps to get my music business started. Getting photos done was one of those things. Favorite memory was getting asked by someone if I played with the symphony, ummm no.

Thank You to Theresa Lynn Photography for doing this Photo Shoot at the River.

Shortly after taking the photo’s we became pregnant, so I had to put working on the business on hold for a bit. I started up this blog in the meantime, when it’s monetized, income from this blog will help our family and get tools/supplies for my shop.

You can follow my music adventures on: Instagram @plantinga_music

I’m still working out this new “fit” with a young family. One way I know I can make it fit is post useful and noteworthy tips for Music on the blog.

If you have any questions about my career path in music or a topic you want me to write about on the blog please contact me.

Homemade Grapevine Wreath

Homemade GV Pic 2

I’m excited to start sharing some of the things I’ve been making and re-purposing in my home. I shared this in my DIY – Sneak Peak this grapevine wreath. I already knew I was going to start with this DIY when I ask;

‘Which one do you want me to share first?’

Since moving into our current home I was happy to find out that our new neighbors love gardening like I do. They have a very healthy grapevine growing alongside the fence that goes between our properties.

How Healthy was this grapevine?

With help from my mom, (how taught me canning), we made 26, 1 cup jars worth of grape jelly.

We couldn’t eat it all so we gave lots of it out as gifts to family and friends.

Canned Grape Jelly Pic

Back to the wreath…..

I noticed there was vines growing most of our backyard length, Like 20 – 30 feet long.

I cut 2 of these 20 – 30 foot lengths and attempted to wrap it into itself.

I love that it’s not “perfectly round” like craft wreaths from the store.

Current cost at this point: FREE

I was super happy how it turned out. I had already purchased the leaves from the dollar store for another decor project.

I used wire to attach the leaves. Then used some twine to hang it up and my mantel was ready for fall.

I was so happy with how it turned out. If you haven’t caught on, I like to make things with little cost possible.

Here’s other versions of the wreath

I have been using floral from the dollar store and more wire to continue to make these.

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Here’s the final result: Spring Wreath

I loved how it went above my old keyboard.

When I remade my spring wreath it went on my front door.

It’s the same picture from my other post and my “welcome home” one. Here it is again.

Close up you can see it’s not perfectly round. From a distance you can’t tell.

I’m actually taking this one down as summer is here. You will see in the near future what I plan to do with the flowers in another DIY soon.

If you can’t make one I would recommend this one from Amazon:

Additional Tips:

If you want to make one? Find a friend or family member of someone in your community who has a grapevine.
Please ask permission once the grapevine is done producing.
- I cut it once the leaves fell off.
Cut off 20 -30 foot lengths (if possible).
- Shorter lengths will make the wreath smaller.
The grapevine will still be green on the inside so it’ll be easier to bend it.
If the skin splits – don’t worry.
- The green part will dry out and become brown.
It will dry out and seem brittle, but it dried this way so I don’t see it breaking.
- I’ve had mine for 3 years and it hasn’t broken.

Another Fall Version

-YGGUM~1

Let me know if you made one?

I would love to know how it turned out.