Category: Life

Little Green

Posted on Posted in crafting, Life3 Comments

little-green02

I’m not a great sewer. I’m a much better knitter, I understand knitting with everything right there in straight lines, and numbers… it’s straight forward. With sewing everything is inside out and backwards, so abstract. So when I find something I can make, I stick with it. That how I feel about the Lazy Days skirt (free pattern is here for downloading). I made a bunch last summer for Sosi and she lived in them all summer. I can’t imagine anything being easier to sew.

This weekend I found some time to bang out a whole bunch of these skirts for both Sosi and Ila (definitely inspired by the much warmer weather).  This green one is my favourite by far. The fabric was thrifted and the ribbon was in a stash that was handed down to me from a friend many years ago. They look like they belong together, and on her.

little-green

a week of dinners

Posted on Posted in food, Kids, Life3 Comments

I love dinnertime. Sitting down to eat is my favourite time of day, but getting to that point can be stressful. I’m tired and hungry, the girls are tired and hungry. It seems to be the time of day they seem to need my attention the most. I feel torn between being there for them and trying to make them something heathy and tasty for dinner. That usually makes me grumpy.

To try and make this time of day more fun I decided to try an experiment. I wanted to take photos of dinnertime for a week. I was surprised by how something so small changed things.  It made everyone feel like dinnertime was that much more special. It forced me to slow down and not be so frazzled. It made it more fun.

I managed to photograph Sunday through Friday, then Paul made dinner on Saturday and I got so excited that I forgot about the whole thing (it was that good). All flowers were picked and arranged by Sosi.

Sunday

Sunday: Homemade pizza

monday

Monday: Roast chicken, spinach, mashed potatoes with chives, tiny pastas with butter.

tuesday

Tuesday: Annie’s Mac and Cheese, salad, BBQed sausages.

wednesday

Wednesday: BBQed hamburgers, corn on the cob, salad

thursday

Thursday: Spaghetti with tomato sauce, kale.

friday

Friday: Canton Café… chinese food. (Paul was away… us girls decided to go out)

summer, where are you?

Posted on Posted in crafting, Kids, Life

flower

It is freezing here. It is sunny and green… but cold. I’m using that as my excuse for my lack of sewing anything for the kids’ summer sewing challenge. (I can’t imagine wearing anything summer-like, I spend most of the day wrapped in a blanket.) I’ve also been busy with a couple of exciting jobs which are eating up any free time I have. I hope to get the sewing kick-started soon though.

boot

I sewed the patch on those pants, does that count? I didn’t think so…

turning off the t.v.

Posted on Posted in Life10 Comments

reading

A few weeks ago we decided to put away our T.V. I had been thinking about it for a while. Espeically after reading this post over at Sharilyn’s lovely blog.

I was becoming lazy as a parent. Putting Sosi in front of the T.V to get things done (not that she minded). Then I noticed she was automatically turning it on first thing in the morning and as soon as she got home. She always wanted to watch it. We were arguing more and more. It was a battle to get her to do anything, from brushing her hair to getting dressed.

One day I had enough. We had an awful morning of nonstop bickering, as soon as she was off to school I took the T.V. and put it in the closet. When she came home from school I told her that it was broken. She cried and cried. She was inconsolable, saying things like “the T.V was my best friend”. I held her and told her it was going to be O.K. I was expecting her to not be happy, but I was surprised by just how upset she was.

She is still asking for it, and I have moments where I feel a little bad. I loved watching T.V as a kid, and we have movies that we love to watch together.  But she is so much more agreeable and we have such a better quality of time together. She seems like herself again, sweet and fun.

Yesterday while I was scrambling to get supper ready I noticed it was much too quiet. I tip toed and peeked into Ila’s room and this is what I found. I don’t think this moment would have happened if we had a T.V.

happy mother’s day

Posted on Posted in Kids, Life3 Comments

mday01

Happy Mothers’ Day  to my mom, my mother-in-law, and all my mama friends… I have learned so much from all of you and am so thankful to have you all in my life.

mday02

Good-bye April…yay for May!

Posted on Posted in Life, P.E.I

goodbyeapril

April has to be my least favourite month here on P.E.I. It is always so cold, just when your body seems to need sunshine and warmth the most.

To celebrate its end, we took to the beach. Much fun was had by all. Yay for May!!

feeling better

Posted on Posted in Kids, Life2 Comments

better

boo

She’s feeling better. Her smile has returned, her cheeks are getting chubbier by the day and we have started heading out into the world again. Life is good.

back into the swing of things

Posted on Posted in crafting, knitting, Life1 Comment

swing02

swing03

swing04

We’re slowly get back into the swing of things here.

Poor Ila is taking the longest to recover. She’s sure had a rough month, being hit by 1 thing after another.

I’m sure I’ve said this before, but getting your world turned upside down by sickness sure makes you really appreciate the boring normal-ness of life. So that’s what I’m doing right now, enjoying the boring-ness… and trying to catch up on lost sleep .

“things in my kitchen”

Posted on Posted in Comics, Life2 Comments

yarn

This week’s Small Fancy theme is “Things in my kitchen”. There hasn’t been much activity in my kitchen this week… we have all been sick with the stomach flu. Nothing to make you feel alive again like a future sweater, all balled up,  the colour of sunshine. Can’t wait to get knitting!

sore

Posted on Posted in Art, Barnfaces, Life2 Comments

ouchie

This is the reason I missed Easter dinner. My finger somehow got caught in the trunk as I was packing away that lovely pudding. You don’t want to know what’s under that bandage, it is the stuff of nightmares. I only looked at it once, right after it happened… and I still can’t get the image out of my head.

I’m working on a big shop update. I’ve made a set of mini barnface paintings that I’m going to put up for sale. Check back soon!!

crafting and pudding.

Posted on Posted in crafting, food, Life

mat

Life is getting back to normal. Not only did I get to do some cooking (see the gobbled up bowl of spinach soup?? it’s rare that everyone loves something I make! ) this weekend, but I also got to do some sewing.

This is the first of 4 placemats I am planning on making. It is made from a thrifted linen table cloth and various scraps stitched on. I worked roughly from the pattern in Patchwork Style by Suzuko Koseki. I love it!

pudding01

I also made a batch of our favourite butterscotch pudding for our family Easter dinner (which I actually didn’t make it too… more on that in another post). I found this recipe in the February issue of Gourmet magazine at my local library (sadly this magazine is now out of print). If you like pudding, you have to try this recipe.  It is a great simple desert and only takes about 15 minutes to make.

Here’s the recipe:

Butterscotch Pudding:

serves: 4

Active time: 15 minutes from start to finish

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp cornstarch

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 heavy cream

2 Tbsp butter, cut into bits

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

*Whisk together brown sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 tsp salt in a heavy saucepan, then whisk in milk and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently, then boil, whisking 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vailla. Pour into bowl, then cover with butter wax paper and chill until cold, at least 1 1/2 hours.

See? so easy!

pudding

sweet tooth

Posted on Posted in Life1 Comment

yumyum

These past 2 weeks have been fueled by jelly beans and coffee. Not too healthy, but it has gotten me through. Ila is seeming much better. As much as I have missed sleep, I have  missed real food just as much. Hoping to cook something yummy soon!

making happy

Posted on Posted in give away, Kids, Life4 Comments

us2

It has been a hard week in these parts. Our little Ila has not been well. There have been many sleepless nights (for all, this child is LOUD), trips to the hospital, scary fevers, no eating, crying… so much crying,  and much heart break on my part. She seems to be a little better today after getting worse this past weekend.

I’m sitting here trying to make myself feel happy, and thought a free download might help. I made last week’s bonbon small fancy into a downloadable PDF colouring page. I hope it brings some smiles to some little faces.

(Above photo from happier days… I’m afraid if you saw a picture of us today you might never return to this site!)

colourbonbon

download

little bunny

Posted on Posted in crafting, Life4 Comments

bunbun

My barn paintings have been put on hold while I have been tending to little ones. In times like these, when I find myself with no time to work, I always turn to knitting. Knitting can be done just about anywhere, sitting on floor playing lego or playmobil or holding a feverish clingy baby. It always gets me through, and  helps me to hold on to my sanity.

These bunnies were supposed to be Easter presents, but when you are knitting something this cute and fluffy right next to the person you are making it for, it  is pretty hard to hide it. This little bunny (pattern free from RebeccaDanger’s site.) is  a huge hit with Sosi. For Ila, I think I will make a Tofu dog (how can I resist that name?).

gnomes and leprechauns

Posted on Posted in Life2 Comments

gnomes

If you are wondering what has happened to me, I have been busy with gnomes and leprechauns… (and flying eggs on toast. Visit Mia’s gorgeous new photo blog to see Sosi’s inspiration for the egg on toast)

leps

postcard from my dad

Posted on Posted in Life2 Comments

dad

In 2000 my dad sailed around Newfoundland with his brother. He was gone an entire summer. I found this postcard he sent me while working on my Small Fancy for this week (isn’t it gorgeous?).

On the back it reads:

“Tablelands, From Photographer’s Lookout in Norris Point (photo by Terry Parsons)

23/6/00

Dear Lori/Paul,

Having a great time, have had enough adventures to last the rest of my life! We are not moving very fast because of bad weather and stopping to enjoy the sights. We are now in Gros Morne Nat’l Park, Spectucualr! Leaving tomorrow to go North and cross over to Labrador.

Letter to follow,

Love Dad. “