Sugar Bowl House - Established 1908

A Family Complete

2012-01-03T14:41:00.002-06:00

Welcome to the world, Isabel Silver.

Born December 29th at 1:52am, weighing in at 8lbs 3oz.

We'll be nesting for a while yet so don't look for a lot of posts in the next little while.

Happy 2012! From our family of four

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T14:15:00.003-06:00

Festive greetings, if anyone is still checking back here these days.

We've been having a very quiet holiday season around here this year. We are also still awaiting the arrival of our guest of honour. There is still no baby girl present and accounted for at our holiday table.

But that's perfectly okay with us. With all the complications we were having in this pregnancy and the warning that we shouldn't be surprised to see her by 37 weeks (which would have been the first week of December), we count ourselves lucky that she is technically overdue as of right now.

With her due date being today, she is still firmly ensconced in her cozy space and comfy as can be. And that's all good since at this stage of the game, she's busy growing a brain. Every day extra she's in there, the smarter she's getting. Hard to complain about that. (Hard but not impossible because I really am quite tired of being pregnant. lol)

Anyway, once she's here and the holidays are behind us, regular posting will hopefully return to this space.

In the meantime, I hope you and yours are having an amazing festive season, in whatever way you like to celebrate!

Michele

Halloween Themed Things

2011-11-03T22:02:00.006-06:00

Since bedrest is the order of the day, I do seem to have some crafting time. And with Halloween just passed, I thought I would show what I was working on in October.

First, some skull potholders for my brother's new bachelor pad kitchen, out of the Debbie Stoller Happy Hooker book.

Then we had some Yoda ears needed for a small boy.

And for the newest member of our circle of friends, a newborn hat with monkey ears so baby Cullen had something to wear on the big day.

Hope you all had a lovely Halloween! Michele

New Skills

2011-10-12T07:34:00.004-06:00

Callum and I have been learning some lately.

David made us two tapestry looms, one Mama-sized and one Callum-sized.

Here's what we did with Callum's on the weekend.

It's a remarkably restful and relaxing thing to do with one's hands - and the baby girl and her midwife say I have to be doing restful and relaxing things for the rest of this trimester.

So, hopefully we'll see more weaving and maybe some more crochet and knitting on here in the next little while.

Hope you're having a lovely October, Michele

Eek! September Is Gone!

2011-09-30T07:41:00.002-06:00

Well, I guess my goal of getting more posts up didn't happen in September. Maybe in October, but I'm not making anymore promises of this nature until after this baby is born. Energy levels being what they are, I have no idea if such commitments are even reasonable.

But rest assured that I am crafting. Christmas crafting even. Given that Baby Girl is due on Christmas Eve, I thought it best if I get on top of the holiday cheer early, just to make sure the holidays actually happen around here. Not too much, but enough to make it feel festive.

As soon as I get organized enough to take some photos and get them uploaded to the new laptop, we should have something for you to look at.

Until then, Happy Autumn, Michele

Plans Of A Different Kind

2011-08-29T09:18:00.003-06:00

One of the non-crafty things I like to do is read. I have lots of reading that I do just for pleasure, (even guilty pleasures) that's for sure. But since my university days have ended, I also like to give myself reading challenges.

Reading challenges? Yes. Reading challenges. I don't mean "This year I will read more literary classics." They are more specific than that. For example, a couple of years ago, I decided I would read all the winners of the Giller Prize. I'm not in a hurry or anything, but I am working my way through them.

In fact, I only have two books left as of this past weekend. I've ordered these two from the library and will be picking them up later this week. (Fortunately, both are available on cd so I can carry on with my Christmas crafting while I indulge!)

It feels great to be nearly through them all. This is especially great since some of them were really difficult books to read. Difficult style, difficult subject matter, difficult emotionally. I'm not sure they were all worth it but the difficult ones do stay with me, that's for certain.

Now that I'm nearly finished this particular challenge, my next big reading list is going to be the Canada Reads winners. There is definitely some overlap and it's a smaller list, which makes it a bit less daunting, and I am so okay with that.

Another blogger I discovered recently is trying to read the Canada Reads Top 40 books. It's comforting to know I'm not the only reader out there who gives herself these kinds of challenges. Very comforting. ;)

So my question for you today: what do you like to read? What kinds of books call to you?

Happy reading, Michele

Homesteading 101

2011-08-23T05:33:00.001-06:00

Some of the fruits of my labours this summer:

A great batch of soap for the coming year.

And some home-made pickles. My first success with these babies.

I was hoping for a lot more produce from my garden this year but the weather in June was astonishingly bad and drowned my crops - twice. The fact that I got six jars of dills is a testament to my want to pickle things - I had to buy the cucumbers at the farmer's market!

Still . . . we got more this year than last. And I'm still stoked about next year with big plans for improvements, seed starting and weather precautions.

In the meantime, I'll take what I can get from our little urban farmhouse. It makes me happy, no matter how small.

Happy Tuesday, Michele

For Those Who Can't Have Cake

2011-08-17T05:29:00.000-06:00

I made this little wall quilt for my Aunty Shelly's birthday this month.

So cute and so low in calories!

Happy Wednesday, Michele

Off To The Garden

2011-08-13T05:38:00.000-06:00

Callum seems to be a natural around the garden. He's very drawn to it - but that may be because it's got a little fence around it. Ha!

Whatever his reason, he is very helpful, like when checking on the zucchini.

Or tasting the chives.

Of course, things are lusher and greener and producing more now. (This pic was taken in June.) I'm grateful that he likes the garden and to eat garden fare. Not that he isn't a picky eater - no meat, thankyouverymuch. But what he likes are fresh fruit and vegetables. It could be worse!

On the crafting front, I made some really cute pot holders for my grandmother's birthday from a free Lion Brand pattern (that I can't seem to link to today). But here's a horrible picture of something completely adorable.

This crochet thing I've been learning this summer is completey addictive. I had to go out and add to my cotton stash just to keep up. ;)

Happy weekend crafting! Michele

No Excuse

2011-08-09T14:00:00.000-06:00

Not even a lame one. Life has just been busy, in a lovely, social, summer kind of way. Plus we're living with a toddler and expecting a new babe in a few months. So the blog has been sadly neglected while we've been off enjoying life.

I have been crafting quite a bit, though, but loading pictures onto my aging laptop is becoming cumbersome and disheartening. And I like blogposts with pictures so I tend not to do too many that don't have them.

Even if it's just a lovely pic of the boy with cheeks very full of banana!

I will try to catch you all up on crafting and other life activities in the coming weeks. I'll be more diligent with the photos and get some details up of what's been going on.

Oh, and speaking of details, we've found out that we're having a healthy and big baby girl! Bring on the pink knitting, I say!

Happy summery Tuesday, Michele

Craftiness Happens

2011-07-18T08:03:00.002-06:00

A couple of very cool crafy things have been going on lately.

First, I've been sharing the soapmaking love with friends.

We spent a beautiful Saturday outside, mixing up some castile soap, sharing laughs and knowledge, making 4.5lbs soap each. That should last us a while!

Second, I've picked up a crochet hook again, after nearly 35 years. No longer just for finishing knits, I am actually making things. I know, craziness.

Started with a couple of dish cloth patterns, then a bag, and most recently, a seriously cute little hat for our friend's daughter.

She's not sure about that camera-faced lady but she warmed up to me once I stopped flashing that bright light in her face. lol

Hope you're having a lovely and crafty summer, too.

Michele

Well, There Might Be Another Reason

2011-06-21T10:39:00.002-06:00

That lethargy and exhaustion that comes with the early days of pregnancy might have something to do with the blog being so quiet lately, too.

Yes, we're pregnant and about 14 weeks along now.

We've kept this one pretty quiet until we were through the first trimester, just in case. And now it seems that everything is fine and dandy, with a baby that's growing like a weed.

So here's is Berry Baby - already a week ahead of schedule on the growth charts.

Seems like a good thing to announce on the first day of summer. Let's hope it's a good sign of things to come.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Blazing By

2011-06-09T04:44:00.002-06:00

That's what time is doing these days, scorching fast.

We've been putting in the garden, at last. We've been trying to fight off colds, to no avail. We've been working hard, but not necessarily getting ahead.

Most importantly, we've been living in the now, planning for the future, dreaming of the things that might be.

It's all good.

Life as we know it will return to the blog as soon as we can get a grip on that time thing, maybe with oven mitts. :)

Happy Thursday, Michele

UFO's Get Their Day At Last

2011-05-22T15:08:00.002-06:00

Both of these soakers were nearly finished before Callum was born, over 18 months ago. All they needed was the drawstring.

As you can see, the little burgandy crochet pants are finally finished. I just knitted up the i-cord for the waist and installed it.

They were made by a coworker's mom and they were one of the last pieces she completed as her eyesight is failing and she finds the handwork too much to do anymore. I figured it was time to get them completed and pass them on to a baby who will get some wear out of them.

The blue striped shorts are next but there was really no hurry for them as they're only just going to fit Callum now . . . at least I hope they will.

They are an Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern, and although I got gauge bang on, they are huge. So huge that they never would have fit a newborn and we're just getting them on to the toddler now.

Next time I make them, I'm going to try a sock yarn and see if I can get a newborn size. For these ones, I used Knitpicks Swish DK and it is lovely and soft next to a small boy's sensitive skin.

Speaking of the boy and his clothes, here's a shot of him getting chocolate croissant on his t-shirt, his face, his hands, just about everywhere. But he sure had a good time eating it!

We've had a long weekend here this week and the weather's been very hit and miss - good for the garden, though. Which we've been working on diligently. We're finally past the last frost warning and looking to plant this week.

So looking forward to some canning and pickling this year.

Happy home making! Michele

Garden Quilt

2011-05-15T16:09:00.002-06:00

I just had to take a picture of this quilt top out in the yard. The colours in it are so reminiscent of a garden, it seemed fitting.

I'm making this one for my cousin's wedding gift. It matches their decor and I think it's just gorgeous. I hope they agree.

I'm quite proud of it actually. I have been extremely careful with it all along the way and so many of the corners match, I hardly recognize it as one of mine. But it's really special and deserved the extra extra attention.

I'm still trying to decide if I should add a pieced border or call it done now. If I don't make up my mind soon, I'll just run out of time and it won't get finished at all - not cool. So it's on the top of the priority list.

And speaking of top of the priority list, here's our boy. He's getting pretty adept at running the mouse on Daddy's computer - at 18 months. Seriously. Growing up so fast.

Happy Sunday, Michele

Fast Knitting

2011-05-10T20:11:00.002-06:00

I just finished promising that I'd show more in progress stuff and here I went and finished a sweater in about 24 hours. Whaaaat?

It's true. The Baby Boy 5-Hour Sweater.

I won't claim that I sat down and knitted for five hours straight. I also won't claim that I actually finished it in five hours - mostly because I didn't time myself but I also kinda doubt it took me so little time. But it was fast - about 24 hours between cast on and cast off.

I still have the ends to weave in but hey, I said I was going to share more WIP's so this could count - if barely.

It's a very sweet pattern, knit from the top down, in Manos del Uruguay, colour 111, on size 5.5mm needles. I have had the yarn for ages and just couldn't find the right pattern for it, until now. I used about a skein and a about a third. The pattern calls for 4 oz, so that's close.

It's a quick and very satisfying knit, perfect for a new baby in your life.

And because I need a new cute picture of the boy on here, this one is Callum and his granny sharing grapes at the table. He's clearly enjoying them!

Happy Tuesday, Michele

Much Needed Day Off

2011-05-06T11:12:00.002-06:00

It's my birthday today. I took the day off work so I could enjoy it. Believe me when I tell you that I am making the most of it by doing as little as possible. Bliss.

Last week, I was lucky enough to be able to attend a free workshop by the Regina Stitchery Guild on crewel embroidery. It was a fun morning and I learned some great stitches.

Here's my work thus far.

My husband tells me (as frequently as he thinks he can get away with) that I'm very much a destination person, as opposed to someone who enjoys the journey. I think that's why I prefer to show my finished product on here, rather than a WIP.

So I've decided to make a concerted effort to show my steps along the journey (like I used to), and focus more on how much I enjoy the going, rather than just the getting there. You're more than welcome to tag along, if you like, and I'd be happy for you to share the ride with me.

Hope you're having a great day. I know I am!

Michele

Library Time

2011-05-03T09:34:00.005-06:00

David and Callum are off to Mother Goose Time at the Regina Public Library this morning.

It's a wonderful program that offers music, stories and social interaction for little ones and their parents at several locations around our city, several times during the week.

And here's the kicker . . . it's free.

Everyone has access to it no matter their situation.

I like that a lot.

Our library is pretty amazing and it's one of the best systems I've ever used. (And believe me, as a ~~dork~~ reader and a traveller, I have used quite a few.)

All the libraries in the province of Saskatchewan are linked: One library card for every location. It is currently the largest library consortium in the world. I can order all kinds of materials online and have them brought to my closest library for pick up. I do this almost weekly.

Everything can be renewed online, too. So if I can't get down to the library that day, I just sign in with my card and renew (as long as no one else needs the item, then I have to run it down and get it in the returned slot before I get a late fine!).

In addition to Callum's weekly Mother Goose Time, I'm taking a class there next week on local vegetable gardening. I have also learned about raw dog food and cloth diapering at sessions offered by the library.

It's an awesome resource for our family and I just wanted to give a shout out to the Regina Public Libary today because we are avid supporters of this great community service.

(And after yesterday's election results, I kind of feel the need to make sure our community services are brought into the light and appreciated, just in case.)

Happy Tuesday, Fellow Readers!

May Day

2011-05-01T14:43:00.003-06:00

Today is International Workers' Day and we participated in a march to our legislature to mark the day. People bussed in from all over the province to attend.

It was Callum's first political march. He took it all in and was sound alseep by the time we got to the legislative building.

We have a bit of a family tradition for political rallies . . . here's Callum with his Daddy and Granny, listening to the speeches. Awesomeness.

If you live in Canada, don't forget to exercise your civic duty tomorrow and vote in the federal election.

Happy May Day! Michele

Repurposing

2011-04-25T07:28:00.000-06:00

Further to the Earth Day Crafting Challenge, I thought I'd share another repurposing project we completed a couple of weekends ago.

First off, there a couple of background facts you need. One, we live in a 103-year-old house. It has some . . . quirks. Two, we made our own platform bed to accomodate my bad back and the insane lack of storage in our old house.

We didn't make our bed with a head board but eventually we were in need of one - desperately.

Why so desperately? Because the power lines are attached to our house by a very large nut and bolt. See note about the very old house, above.

With a small but active boy who likes to play on the bed, it was becoming a hazard to his health and safety.

Between us, David and I came up with the idea of building a headboard out of the leftover wood from our platform project. David installed a layer directly over the nut with a hole cut out to accomodate it.

Then I took a second layer and covered it with the fabric I'd saved from an old duvet cover - one that had an untimely demise at the mercy of a puppy a few years ago.

David then installed the second layer over the first, and we have a pretty new headboard.

This photo shows the top of the platform covered in the same pretty fabric. The rest of it is covered in the coordinating flower fabric from the "other side" of the duvet cover. Can't say I didn't get my money's worth out of that fabric!

And there you have it . . . another repurposing project and a lovely addition to our bedroom that also serves to keep our boy safe and happily playing on the bed. A most satisfying end.

Happy Tuesday, Michele

Happy Earth Day 2011!

2011-04-22T13:41:00.005-06:00

Here it is - my response to Katharyn's Earth Day Craft Challenge.

It all starts with a $3.99 sweater I found at our local thrift store.

I removed one whole sleeve and the ribbing end of the other and joined them together.

I stitched up a lengthwise seam, added buttons and button holes and I now have a brand new cowl.

I've been wanting to knit myself one for ages and when Katharyn issued the challenge, I thought maybe it would be a good way to work one for myself. Mission accomplished.

And since I had so much sweater left over, I thought I'd make a pair of matching mittens from the same one.

Absolutely adorable!

Happy Earth Day, M

We're Skipping Spring

2011-04-17T06:49:00.003-06:00

I well and truly believe it this year. We're going straight from winter into summer, or maybe even autumn.

I know because this is what we woke up to yesterday morning:

Yep, on April 16th, we got to look out into the street and see a beautiful November day. Thank you oh so much, Mother Nature.

I don't think I'll be getting any yard work done this weekend. And the garden plans will be strictly of the indoor variety.

But I guess it could be worse. Three weeks ago this little garden of mine was still under three feet of snow, literally, three feet.

And since progress is actually evident, I will risk starting some seedlings this weekend. Some herbs, chard and such. Maybe I'll even go dig down to get some onions and garlic planted. Wish me luck!

In the mean time, and in between time, I've been working on a couple of special projects instigated by my friend, Katharyn. A few weeks ago she put out an Earth Day Crafting Challenge and I am excited to participate.

If you feel inclined to join us, it's not too late, you've still got a few more days before Earth Day. The idea is to take your crafting to a different level by reusing, reducing, recycling into a special craft project. And I already checked, it's not about reducing your stash. I've been trying to think more along the lines of repurposing. And once I framed it that way, I realized that I do that . . . a lot.

So in a few days, on April 22nd to be precise, it'll be Earth Day and time for the big reveal. Hopefully I get organized enough to get that post done on time! :-)

Whether you're under a few inches of snow or looking at the blooms in your garden, I hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Michele

The Sweetest Man

2011-03-28T20:27:00.004-06:00

My husband likes to leave me little messages all around the house.

So I dug through one of my piles of stash.

I think I see a husband-sized sweater in my future.

Happy Monday, Michele

Baby Shower In A Box

2011-03-17T06:22:00.003-06:00

My best friend since 1974 had twins recently. Coleen is actually a year older than I am and I find it lovely that we both waited so long to marry and have children.

I'm tickled for Coleen and her husband and I wanted to celebrate with her in a big way. When I told my Mom that the twins had been born, she wanted to do something special for her "other daughter," too. So we came up with the baby shower in a box idea.

We both made several items for the box and we both purchased lots of things for the box. In the end, we had to tape together two copier paper boxes to fit everything, and send it on the bus since it would have cost a fortune to mail it.

Big and celebratory was the idea, almost as if we were right there with her when she opened it, laughing and cheering. It included several receiving blankets, socks, toys, quilts, sweaters, booties, etc, etc, etc.

Here are pix of my handmade contributions.

For Justis, a kimono-style sweater, a baby sling, booties and a quilt.

And for Jaiden, a kimono-style sweater, baby sling, booties and a quilt.

I had such a blast preparing these things for a dear and wonderful friend and her family. She loved the things we sent and was touched by our reaching out to her and her children. It was a great feeling, both in the making and in the giving.

So that was my big project of the last couple of months. Lots of crafting but not a lot of sharing until now. Two craft posts in one week - that's a record lately.

Hope you're enjoying your Thursday, Michele

Yay, Crafting!

2011-03-14T18:33:00.005-06:00

We are having a baby boom around here these days, and I've been having a blast doing some baby-related crafting.

I whipped up this gorgeous little quilt for my coworker's baby boy expected in June.

Then I thought I would knit up a little sweater vest and shoes for the little guy, too.

Making all these wee things keeps my hands and heart very happy.

And speaking of things that make me happy, here's my guys colouring together.

Happy Monday, Michele

ETA: Krista loved her gifts! Awesome to give such lovely things to someone who really appreciates them!

Style, Styling, Stylish

2011-03-11T13:22:00.004-06:00

Natalie over at Knatolee's World has nominated me for the Stylish Blogger Award. I am touched that she thinks so highly of my little spot on the internet. I'm also a little slow off the mark as she did this a couple of weeks ago and I'm just getting around to the post today. Oops.

Along with the award, there a couple of things I need to do to spread the love.

1. Thank the person who gave me the award and link back to them.
2. Tell you seven things about myself that you don't know.
3. Nominate other great bloggers and notify them.

So number one is already accomplished - please see above.

Seven things about me that you don't know. Hmmm. This is the hard part and probably why it's taken me so long to get this post done. There's a fine line between interesting things and creepy things because there's not a lot of stuff left to tell you after all these years on the blog. But here goes.

1. I taught my mother how to drive. She was in her thirties when she learned and still doesn't have a great instinct for it, but she gets around just fine.

2. I love music and wish I had stuck to my instrument lessons when I was young. I'm hoping to take guitar lessons next winter at our local conservatory.

3. For many years now, I've wanted to build an earthship. I read an article about them twenty years ago and they really resonated with me. David is now interested in them and we talk about finding some property to build on quite regularly.

4. I love to bicycle and wish that I still made more time for it. It used to be my main means of transportation in Vancouver. I check into this bicycle website regularly and secretly yearn to live in Copenhagen because of it.

5. I have this strange and convincing ability to argue that black is white. Really. It came to my attention in high school debates. It's very disconcerting for my husband when I do this during one of our, ahem, debates. Fortunately, I use my power for good, most of the time. ;)

6. Rocking chairs are an essential piece of furniture in my home. Always have been. I think it's genetic. I barely sit in them but my mother will practically come to blows if someone else is sitting in it when she gets here. Currently, the rocker is my son's favourite chair so I think it may have skipped a generation.

7. I adore tea. That I've mentioned before. The newer part is that my favourite tea is Earl Grey. And the bummer is that I'm allergic to it. Something about the bergamont in it makes me vibrate, which can be fun, I guess, in a twisted kind of way. But the hangover from it is wicked.

Well, that's done. Now on to the next step - nominating other bloggers.

LaDonna over at Gracious Hospitality is definitely stylish.

Katharyn at While The Tea Is Steeping is a favourite read, and she's just come back from a long hiatus, so bonus!

Tazzie at Tazzie Quilts is a must read for me, and a sweet lady, too.

And then there's Natalie but she already nominated me so I can't really nominate her back. . . or can I? No, no, I'll refrain.

Anyway, that's my award acceptance post. Thanks to everyone who stops by here regularly and please feel free to keep dropping in, maybe even leave a comment, I'll put on the kettle for some tea.

Happy Friday, Michele

New Kitchen Toy

2011-02-28T17:30:00.004-06:00

We're hooked on fresh pasta noodles around here, especially Callum. He prefers them to any other kind.

So with that in mind, we decided to go in search of a pasta maker to help with the process.

We found a little manual deal that makes lasagna noodles, fettucini, and angel hair pasta.

I appreciate it because it makes the pasta making job a little bit easier. Plus home made noodles are really gratifying to make and eat, more so because the boy loves them so much.

This is what they look like before we cook them up. We boil half of this at a time to make sure they don't clump together and that they cook all the way through. Ten minutes in the pot and they're ready.

Then we serve with a home made pasta sauce and dinner is wonderful!

A lovely new tradition has been born in our house and it makes me very happy for so many reasons - it's healthy, it's delicious, it's made with love, it's eaten with gusto. What more could a Mama ask for?

Happy Monday, Michele

Heart Biscuits

2011-02-22T06:37:00.000-06:00

When I posted about our winter feast a while back, I had a request for the recipe from my dear friend, Katharyn.

So here it is, as found in my ancient cookbook:

Basic Tea Biscuits
2 cups flour (we use unbleached)
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup water

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
Cut in the butter (this works best with a pastry cutter, well worth the investment if you don't already have one!).
Add the water (recipe originally called for milk but we are dairy free here).
Once mixed, turn the dough out, using a sprinkling of flour to roll it out and cut shapes.
Bake between 10 to 20 minutes at about 400 degrees - until light golden brown.

We serve them warm with all kinds of things - butter, freezer jam, cold meats, cheese, whatever strikes your fancy.

They're also lovely the next day for lunch, instead of sandwiches.

So better late than never, Katie! I hope you enjoy them. :)

Michele

The Winter That Never Ends

2011-02-20T11:01:00.003-06:00

I, for one, am ready to see the back side of this endless winter.

Seriously, we're getting more and more snow these days. And it should really be done by now - really really.

The sun is shining today, which is lovely, but means that it's very cold outside. Not just cold but frigid.

But the weather hasn't even been the worst part of this winter. We've had some pretty big blows to our family. Callum was diagnosed with asthma just before Christmas and we've had to rehome all of our pets - all of them. Then we lost the baby. We've also all had a horrible cold/flu for the last two weeks and David's seems to have developed into pneumonia. To top it all off, I broke a tooth last week and while having it repaired, the dentist drilled a hole into my tongue - literally took a chunk out.

So yeah, I am ready for the winter of 2010-2011 to be done.

But we are carrying on and life, though tumultuous of late, has still been amazing and miraculous around here in all the little, daily ways. My men make it so, just because we all love each other like mad.

Now enough of all that whining business. I have crafting news.

I know I've been fairly quiet on here lately but that's not because I haven't been working away on things. I have actually been working on a fairly large project that I cannot reveal as of yet. It's a surprise and the surprisee does read the blog - so no details. But soon, my crafters, soon.

I did, however, sneak in a finish of a project that I started working on a couple of summers ago. My fungly quilt top is finally all done.

In case you don't know, the fungly challenge was meant to use fabrics that you would never put together normally. Fabrics that had been hanging around too long, fabrics that just didn't seem to fit with other fabrics, fabrics that could be classified as ugly and unwanted. Then we needed to try a new free piecing technique, match it with some free-pieced lettering and see what the result would be.

My mathematically-inclined brain decided to use triangles and then make the words that described them. It's cute. It's carefree. It'll be added to my quilts-for-the-couch pile. And most importantly - it's done and can be added to the finished list. That's always a bonus.

So life is carrying on around here. Those little, daily things that make me so happy are carrying on. And despite all the unwelcomed life challenges lately, the crafting and the blog is also carrying on.

And may this winter finally start to ease up.

I think I'll go do some garden planning now. I need spring in a big way.

Happy weekend, Michele

Things Have Been Better

2011-02-11T20:17:00.002-06:00

Well, blog readers, we've had some bad news this past week. I've had a miscarriage. And thus there will be no new baby in September.

But we're all doing well. And Callum makes it easy to stay focused on the important things in life - like each other.

We'll be snuggling in for a nice weekend of movies and knitting and trying to recover from a nasty cold virus with lots of hot chocolate and popcorn.

Hope you have a lovely weekend, Michele

The Next Level of Diapers

2011-02-01T06:03:00.002-06:00

At fifteen months, Callum definitely needs diapers that are bigger. And this time around, we've had enough experience with diapers in all shapes, sizes and designs, that I've modifed my own pattern to suit our preferences.

First off, we had to deal with the size issue, because a 15-month-old backside is quite a bit bigger than the tiny little one I made diapers for previously. So the pattern got upsized.

This new size would have been enough to wrap our little man in when he first came home!

Next, I know that David struggles with little fiddly things on diapers because he is a big guy with big hands and thus he prefers diapers with snaps or velcro. So I added velcro to the latest incarnation with a nice wide strip across the front to make it more sizeable. (I also don't own a snap gun so velcro it is.)

And let's face it . . . without David's support, my cloth diapering venture wouldn't fly at all so I try to make it work for him, too.

I still like pocket diapers the best because I can change up the absorption layer inside. Plus I like being able to pull them all part, ensure that they're clean and dry, and then reassemble them for the next diapering needs.

And finally, I have tried many different fabric combinations over the last year and a bit. I like this one the best, with flannel on the outside, absorbant microfibre in the pocket, and a soft layer of cotton fleece next to the skin.

With a dozen added to the stash, these latest diapers should last Callum through to the other side of potty training.

Now I guess I should go dig out the tiny diapers again for the next little one!

Oh, and have I shown you a picture of my latest sewing helper?

He's really more interested in the way it works, and how to take it apart, than he is in sewing with it. But any interaction with crafty tools on his part makes my heart do a little pitter pat!

Happy Tuesday, Michele

Radio Silence

2011-01-28T07:58:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the disappearing act of late.

Work has been crazy. Life has been crazy. And it all seems to get in the way of crafting and blogging.

Don't know that it's going to get better any time soon. But we live in hope.

In the mean time, we've had some amazing news . . . We're expecting baby number 2 in September!

That'll help things slow down, I'm sure. ;-)

Happy Friday, Michele

Booties For Babies

2011-01-19T03:21:00.002-06:00

Our doctor is expecting her first baby in March. We thought we'd thank her for being such a great doctor with a pair of dancing shoes for her son.

I love this design. It's the same one I made for Callum last year. Having a tie on them helps them to stay on squirmy little feet better.

I hope she gets tons of use out of them with her little bundle of joy.

Happy Wednesday, Michele

My Oldest UFO

2011-01-09T17:23:00.002-06:00

The orange bag. So old, it was getting stinky like cheese!

But now it's finished.

It's already in Maegan's possession and she loves it. Which is good because if she didn't love it, I would have asked for it back. Tee hee.

Happy January, Michele

More Is Plenty

2011-01-07T12:06:00.002-06:00

As in more baby carriers . . .

One of my old students just had her second son on New Year's Day. This one is for her.

Another of my old students is expecting a baby girl in March. She requested fuschia so this one is for her.

I love them all and love being able to model them with my own wee boy. :)

Happy Friday, Michele

A New Level

2011-01-05T18:23:00.003-06:00

For Christmas, my amazing husband made his own version of a learning tower for Callum.

It's very popular with the boy who likes to help with everything in the kitchen.

I'm pleased as punch that Callum loves the tower.

I'm also pleased as punch that my men are so handy around the house. Lucky me!

Hope you've had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to a great 2011!

Michele

Season's Greetings

2010-12-24T06:05:00.003-06:00

Peace, Love, Joy:

All the best of the holiday season to you and yours,

from me and mine.

House Elf

2010-12-23T04:58:00.003-06:00

That's right. I have my own personal house elf. And he's a keeper!

He likes to vacuum.

He likes to cook.

He's also pretty amazing at picking up blocks and putting away tub toys. I think we'll have to keep him on the staff around here!

Happy Thursday, Michele

A Tree, Finally

2010-12-22T06:33:00.002-06:00

The last week kind of exploded for me and it put our holiday preparations behind schedule - some of it by quite a lot. But we did finally get our tree up.

It's a little one but it's very child friendly. There's nothing but lights, garlands, and big velvet bows on it. Which means there's nothing to break, swallow, or cut a small boy with.

But still so pretty.

Happy Wednesday, Michele

A Lovely Night

2010-12-21T05:55:00.002-06:00

Did you manage to see the red moon where you were? Very magical!

Happy 1st day of winter! Michele

Solstice Night

2010-12-20T06:34:00.000-06:00

Tonight, we'll celebrate the Solstice. There will be a feast, and a bonfire. And there will be wishes for the future and rememberances of the past.

Most importantly, the longest night of the year means that the turning of the earth will bring us back to the days of light.

If you haven't yet, you should give this book a read. It's full of legends, stories and traditions from around the world, all celebrating the sun and the winter solstice.

When you live in the north, whether it's the far north, or just above of the 49th parallel, the light becomes the clock by which you await the seasons. I, for one, love this midwinter day, because if we made it to here, we can surely make it to another spring.

Happy Solstice, Michele

Byron

2010-12-17T07:13:00.000-06:00

Our foster kitty, Byron, is still looking for a new home. If you or someone you know could open your home and your heart, please contact me through the comments or contact People For Animals for more information.

Happy Friday, Michele

Easter Bunny?

2010-12-16T06:32:00.000-06:00

Bunny tracks outside my office window:

Happy Thursday, Michele

Puppets!

2010-12-15T06:21:00.005-06:00

Callum's getting quite good at this mitten thing we've got going on.

Now if he could just figure out how the puppet strings work . . .

Or maybe he'll start some place easier to reach. ;)

Happy Wednesday, Michele

Pajama Party

2010-12-14T06:27:00.000-06:00

We've been sewing. And this time, it wasn't just Mama doing the stitching. Look who was helping me - a very enthusiastic assistant!

We made pajamas like crazy this past weekend.

There were some for cousin Danger.

There were some for cousin Arcadia.

And there were some for Uncle Bracken.

Fortunately, my brother and his family don't read the blog so I can post these pix today instead of after Christmas.

The patterns were some I had in my stash, as were the fabrics for the pajama bottoms. The t-shirts were all very reasonably priced purchases last week that we personalized in some way.

These cozy pj's and a good book to curl up with for each recipient were shipped yesterday and should be in BC in time for the big day.

Hope your weekend crafting felt as successful as ours did!

Michele

Making Holiday Music

2010-12-13T07:17:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, Callum and his Granny opened the mitten together.

And while the card tasted especially nice, it also read "Let's make some holiday music!"

You can see here that he thought that was a great idea!

Happy merry making, Michele

Fruit Cake

2010-12-12T14:44:00.001-06:00

No, not me, the recipe.

This candied orange peel might not look like much in this picture, but it is amazingly yummy.

And adding it to the fruit cake gives the cake an extra zing.

A delicious light fruit cake that will become part of the holiday traditions for us around here.

Happy holiday baking, Michele

Write for Rights

2010-12-11T14:17:00.003-06:00

Last night we went to the Amnesty International Write for Rights event at our local community centre.

It was a great evening, with some knowledgeable and passionate speakers, a couple of wonderful local bands, petitions to sign, greeting cards to write to prisoners of conscience, a silent auction, a concession stand, and more.

Callum enjoyed the music, and he spent quite a bit of time working on his own letters and writing on his face. Today he is enamoured of pencils and I think that's awesome.

And David didn't want to leave. He was signing petitions, listening to the speakers, swaying to the music and enjoying his time with the group. It was his first Write for Rights event and he is hooked. My husband is an amazing man who embraces new things, learning and loving as he goes. Yay for me and my boy to have such a man in our lives! Gush.

If you haven't had a chance to attend an Amnesty event, we highly recommend them.

If you want peace, work for justice.

Michele

Presents from the North

2010-12-10T07:06:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, Callum received a parcel in the mail.

Inside was this pair of handmade beaded slippers.

My amazing friend, Verna, made them for Callum. I nearly cried when I saw them.

I know from my time in the far north that each bead is individually stitched on to the leather. Then the upper is sewn to the body of the slipper and the slipper stitched up. The final step is adding the beaver fur.

It's a process that takes a huge investment of time and dedication. And while some people make them for commercial gain, most people are like Verna and do it for love. Imagine how touched I was to receive them for my son.

A lengthy and long overdue phonecall followed, and two old friends caught up on the daily happenings of each other's lives. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful friend. I hope you can say the same.

Happy Friday, Michele

Winter Feast

2010-12-09T07:07:00.002-06:00

Another food post? Well, that's probably because Mama forgot to take pictures of the festivities at the library last night. Each of the branches in town is hosting a holiday open house during December. Since we super-love our local library system, we wanted to show our support.

They had a children's entertainer, cookies, hot chocolate and a bunch of kids. Callum was quite besotted with all the dancing children and kept trying to crawl in the middle of them. Fortunately, the dancers were obviously used to little ones crawling around because no one stepped on him. :)

But alas no pictures.

So instead, I thought I'd share a bit about one of our favourite meals during these first cold days of winter. (And they have been very cold and very early for this area this year.)

These lovely winter feasts of ours usually start because I get a hankering to make tea biscuits.

I taught myself to make these this year in my quest to make pastry. Kind of like a pastry substitute, if you will, that is also good for dumplings for stew. Yum!

Then we fill the table with warming soup, butter, slices of cheese, cucumber and tomatoes, and ham/salami/pepperoni. Mostly it's whatever we have on hand at the time but it usually looks something like this:

Everyone can graze as much or as little as they like, and nobody ever complains that there wasn't enough. Delicious!

Happy Thursday, Michele

Pasta, Please!

2010-12-08T06:29:00.001-06:00

Last week I attempted to make pasta from scratch for the first time.

We had a delicious, dairy-free yet creamy mushroom and salmon fettucini with the fresh noodles.

Callum seemed most impressed with them.

He couldn't seem to get enough.

They were yummy and fun, all at the same time!

We'll definitely be making those again!

Happy Wednesday, Michele

Holiday Train

2010-12-07T06:18:00.000-06:00

If you live in Canada, you've probably heard of the Canadian Pacific Railway's Holiday Train. I didn't realize until just now that it goes through the northern United States, too, which makes it even cooler that we share it with our southern cousins.

The best part about the train is that it has raised nearly $5 million and over 2 million pounds of food for food banks in it's eleven years of operations so far. Those are staggering and awe-inspiring numbers, especially since the event is free, so everyone can participate.

The fact that it runs through Regina just two blocks from my house makes it a must-see event through the holidays.

It only stays for 45 minutes before moving on to Moose Jaw and other points west. There are bins for food donations set up all over the railyard and everyone is encouraged to bring what they can in support of the cause.

This year the entertainers on the Canadian leg are Odds, a group of rocking guys who do between two and eight shows a day for three weeks, all from the freezing cold stage car. Brrrr.

We walked down the block with Callum and soaked up the energy. It's fun and festive and if you have a chance to go in your community, don't miss it!

Happy Tuesday, Michele

Celebration of Light

2010-12-06T06:43:00.001-06:00

Last night, we lit the house up for the first time this holiday season. So cheerful. So pretty.

Happy holiday lights, Michele

Wreath Hanging Day

2010-12-05T07:04:00.001-06:00

That's Not My Snowman!

2010-12-04T06:25:00.004-06:00

Last night's mitten held a new book for the holiday season.

Callum loves this series of books. That's Not My Frog has been one of his favourites since he was three months old. We start reading it and he stops whatever he's doing to join us. (And don't think for a minute that we haven't used that to our advantage now and again! lol)

I think he might like this one just as much!

The links I've provided take you back to the publisher's page but these books are also available locally and online at the usual book-buying places. There are many titles to interest just about any young reader.

Happy reading, Michele

The Pastry Quest

2010-12-03T07:18:00.002-06:00

Remember my bread quest post from earlier this year, outlining my struggles to learn to make bread? In it, I stated that my next kitchen quest would be to pursue pastry making.

Well, today I can tell you that I am very happy to be a pastry maker. I attribute my succes to this book:

That and my mom being around when it came time to roll it out. Great recipe + motherly intervention = winning combination.

The results were delicious and met with much approval.

Our meal included this yummy salmon quiche:

And this mouth-watering apple tart:

I have to say that I adore this cookbook. I got it out of the library six weeks ago and I've made several recipes from it that have been amazing. And when I read her pastry tips, my pastry-making hopes reignited.

It's a great book, easy to read with tons of hearty, simple recipes that will be favourites at our house for years to come. I highly recommend it and it will be on my wish list, for sure.

I feel mince tarts coming on for Christmas!

Happy holiday baking, Michele

The First Night of December

2010-12-02T08:21:00.002-06:00

For our holiday celebrations this year, I have knitted many mini mittens from the Knitpicks Smitten Garland pattern. Not quite an advent calendar, ours will go all the way to the 31st of the month.

And instead of chocolate or candy, there is a little card inside, each with suggestions for activities or gifts for the day.

Last night, the card read "It's December. Let's light up some trees!" And off we went to the tree lighting ceremony at city hall.

There was singing, a reindeer, a red-suited guy to hand out gifts, and lots of people enjoying hot chocolate.

Callum is unimpressed with the winter gear he is required to wear in these parts so he is reserving his opinion on this whole holiday celebration thing. :)

I'm sure he'll warm up to the idea once he gets the hang of it all!

Happy December, Michele

The Gift of Craftiness

2010-12-01T06:24:00.000-06:00

I get my craftiness from my mother. . . and my aunts . . . and my grandmother. I have many childhood memories involving knitting, crocheting, sewing, rug hooking, needlepoint . . . you get the picture. It's a gift I hope to be able to pass on.

My mom made this adorable baby quilt for Callum. She cross-stitched thousands of little hatches on it. It's the making of an heirloom.

Even those people who don't appreciate handmade items, have to admire the dedication it takes to complete a piece of this magnitude.

For those of us who know what it is to invest this much of ourselves into something, it's already precious. More so because it comes from Callum's Granny.

Happy holiday crafting, Michele

Lotion Potion

2010-11-29T07:18:00.000-06:00

Ever since I made baby toiletries for Callum when I was pregnant, I have been on a kick to do as many of our own products as I can.

It's linked to my bid to keep as many preservatives out of our house as possible - which in turn has a lot to do with trying to raise a healthy little boy.

You might have seen my adventures in soapmaking, which hello? The best soap I have ever used (but I may be biased on that one, just maybe).

Lately, it's been about lotions for the sensitive-and-dry-skinned persons in our household. And fortunately I've got a collection of herbal ingredients and oils to keep us experimenting with such things for quite awhile.

A shelf in our kitchen is currently holding up these:

Herbal infusions of rice bran oil - chamomile flowers on the left, calendula flowers on the right. I use them in moisturizers for extra soothing and healing properties.

I love knowing all the ingredients in our stuff - whether it be lotion, soup or bread. And the most surprising thing about these homemade toiletries (like all the homemade things I do) - it's remarkably easy! Because I am nothing if not a lazy, no . . . er, efficient homemaker!

Happy Monday! Michele

bread. soup. love.

2010-11-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

Came home from work last night to my husband baking bread.

Made some amazing fresh tomato soup to go with it.

Surrounded our table with love.

Bliss.

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends, Michele

Knitted Goods

2010-11-22T07:00:00.000-06:00

With winter now upon us, I was worried that the wet hair from swimming lessons would be a problem. My worry was compounded by the boy who will not wear a hat. But this pattern came to our rescue.

Here's what it looks like on Callum:

Warm, scarf and hat combined so it can be tied under the chin, lovely Malabrigo yarn whose tag I have currently misplaced - the answer to a northern Mama's prayers. And so cute, to boot!

I also managed to finish a pair of mittens for myself - workaday mittens from a pattern I put together in my head. Made from my go-to yarn supplier stash, knitpicks. (Ball band also not with me this morning.)

And you will not believe the knitting I've got going on now - trying to get it done for December. I'll post pix and details soon!

Happy knitting Monday, Michele

Baby Wearing

2010-11-14T16:31:00.003-06:00

We have a new little one in the family - baby Amelia. Her parents are my cousin Sean and his parnter, Jessica. When they saw our baby sling, Jess wanted to know where to get one. So of course . . .

Mama's been sewing again.

Callum's so much bigger this time that there's less fabric in the "fan" part but it still works great!

This photo is a better picture of the colour - lovely purple/blue/green batik.

I love wearing my baby boy! It's great for dancing, cooking, shopping, walking and for snuggling! Squee!

Happy Tuesday! Michele

Winter Is A'Coming

2010-11-05T10:24:00.007-06:00

And it's time to snuggle up with a good book, a warm quilt and a new furry friend.

If you haven't thought about it in a while, maybe you could consider adopting a cat or dog into your home from your local shelter or animal rescue.

At our house, we have a new foster kitty, Byron.

He's a lovely snuggly boy who would rather have cuddles than eat or play. He's got extra toes on all of his feet and the most beautiful green and gold eyes. I would love to see him find an amazing new home, where someone can give him all the love and cuddles that he's obviously been missing.

If you would like to adopt Byron, or even just know more about him, please leave me a comment. People For Animals has agreed to help find him a forever home and they'd love to hear from you if you're interested in adopting one of their cats or kittens.

This is a slide show of the animals at our local SPCA that have been there the longest.

"TOP TEN November 5, 2010"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

It breaks my heart to think of these babies in the shelter for so long and what their ultimate fate might be if we don't help them.

But if we all do what we can, I know we can make a difference.

Happy winter weekend, M

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T15:07:00.004-06:00

We had a lovely time at Halloween Family Day at the Regina Floral Conservatory. It was lovely and warm in there.

Here are my beautiful men in their Frodo and Gandalf costumes.
I love this pic! I can't stop smiling every time I see it.

The only piece of these costumes we purchased was Callum's wizard hat. We picked it up for $1.49 last year at the after-Halloween sales. The rest we built from what we had in the house and I think they turned out great.

There's knitting going on in our house these days so I hope to have a post about that activity very soon.

I hope you're having a Happy All Hallows, M

Mindful Monday

2010-10-25T01:03:00.002-06:00

I'm back at work these days. Have been for a month or so. It's keeping me busy as we learn to cope with new routines, new energy levels.

While I'm at the office, I like to keep my priorities clear in my mind. A picture helps.

Happy Monday, M

Musical Exploration

2010-09-21T06:06:00.002-06:00

Gotta make sure he's got music in his life, one way or another.

Happy Tuesday, M

Pumpkin, Baby!

2010-09-17T07:01:00.000-06:00

Nuff said.

Happy autumn weekend, M

Herbarium? Herbania? Herbathroom?

2010-09-14T21:08:00.005-06:00

This is what my mainfloor bathroom looks like today.

It's a tiny, lightless room with good ventilation. No better place in my house to dry herbs.

And it smells especially nice in there at the moment.

I thought my choice of push pins for the drying was especially appropriate. :) But then again, I have a thing for bees that my husband finds a bit . . . hmmm, puzzling.

The garden has reached its end around here this week. We're expecting frost on Friday and it hasn't stopped raining since the beginning of August, at least not long enough for anything to dry out and ripen.

So here's our harvest.

A little bit of this, a little bit of that, and a pile of green tomatoes. Can you say Salsa Verde?

Happy harvest, M

ETA: Apparently this room has other uses as well. Like our Stan's perch of preference. tee hee.

Raising a Reader

2010-09-12T12:56:00.002-06:00

As a former school teacher, I love to see our boy interacting with books. Makes me feel like we're doing something right.

Hope you're having a lovely autumn weekend (or spring, depending on your hemisphere).

Michele

Drive By Blogging

2010-08-31T17:41:00.003-06:00

Sorry for the hiatus. Life is crazy and glorious and going a kajillion miles an hour these days.

A camera with no batteries, a back that has been uncooperative for most of the summer, and a boy that's teething, crawling, standing, exploring - it all makes for very few moments of blogging time. But I do have a few blog posts fermenting in here somewhere and I'll get them up in the coming days.

I'm back at work in just a few more weeks and I cannot believe how quickly this year has screamed by. Ironically, I think my days will slow down somewhat once I'm at work. David will be home with Callum for the next year and I suspect he will not be able to say the same. :)

Hope you've all been having a wonderful summer! M

We've Been Sprouting

2010-08-02T21:42:00.002-06:00

In fact, growing things seems to be forming into a bit of an obsession around here.

Sprouting, reading about sprouts, cooking with sprouts, looking for new things to sprout. Yep, definitely taking on a life of its own.

These are adzuki beans sprouting in our sprouter. Yum!

I'm looking forward to having fresh greens in the kitchen all year round.

Happy sprouting, M

This Moment

2010-07-30T06:52:00.002-06:00

Inspired by Amanda at SouleMama, this is a moment I want to remember: my little guy concentrating so hard on these crayons he met for the first time that day.

Happy weekending, M

Scratch Beans

2010-07-27T11:01:00.001-06:00

I have in my possession one of the coolest old cookbooks around. I say it's in my possession because it used to be my mom's highschool home economics cookbook. But my mom thinks popcorn is supper so she doesn't really use it much.

I was checking out the publisher's page and noticed that it was first printed in 1923. Seriously cool.

And it has some fabulous old recipes in it. Like the one for sourdough bread that requires the pot to be hung from the rafters above the woodstove. Tee hee.

It does have a lot of very useful recipes in it, too. Like this one for baked beans that we tried recently.

Notice the line that says to cook for 6 hours. Yup, that's what is called slooooow food.

They were mighty fine beans, though. We will definitely be making them again.

I love trying out new recipes, or even very old ones. Because we're working at eliminating all the chemical preservatives from our diet, I'm always looking for yummy things to make from scratch.

Do you have any favourite recipes you'd like to share?

Happy cooking, M

Let The Harvest Begin

2010-07-22T10:45:00.008-06:00

Our garden is growing like gangbusters out there. We even have our first zucchini ready for feasting upon.

The tomatoes are not far behind, either. Which is miraculous to me because as a container garderner for the last few years, I haven't had toms show up before mid-August. This is way early. Yay!

We've been picking herbs and chomping lettuce and swiss chard for weeks now and we've still got weeks left on them, too.

And very exciting to my little green thumb heart are the pumpkins we've got coming. With an October baby in the house, pumpkins are shaping up to be a big thing around here.

All in all, I'm very pleased with how everything is going.

I'm already planning what I'm going to plant next year, how I can improve things, etc, etc. I am hooked!

Happy gardening to you, M

Drummer Boy

2010-07-19T06:28:00.000-06:00

Callum and his daddy were having fun in the kitchen.

Even Emmett, the dog, looks a bit worried about this.

Happy Monday, M

I Want To Be A Cat

2010-07-17T10:57:00.000-06:00

If we get to come back, in the next life I want to be a cat that lives in my house.

Sounds complicated but if I can make it work, I'll be there! Or here, I guess. :)

Happy weekend, M

The New Laundry System

2010-07-13T13:39:00.004-06:00

I think this must be David Appreciation Week around here. That would be because he deserves to be appreciated, but also because he's an amazing man to have around the house.

Today I'm showing the wonderful new drying rack he made for our backyard.

It's up against the fence in this picture because the wind that day was brutal and kept blowing stuff all over the place, including the laundry and rack. Normally, it's more free-standing.

He based the design on one that I had had previously but was falling apart. Only he made it higher, faster, stronger. Okay, well higher and stronger, anyway.

I love it! The minute I saw my new drying rack, I just knew I had to make a clothes pin bag to go with it.

This little piece of garden fabric was a thrift store find from my mom. I whipped it up into a pin bag in a figure-it-out-as-you-go kind of way. No pattern, just an idea in my head, now on a hanger!

Now if it would just stop thundering and raining outside, we might get some laundry hung out to dry.

Happy Tuesday, M

Reason #1537

2010-07-11T11:12:00.003-06:00

Why I love my husband!

Our little man was giggling his head off for three turns around the main floor. And then he saw Mama take the camera out! He's so camera aware - you'd think we take a zillion pix or something! lol

Hope you're enjoying your Sunday! M

Rhubarb Soda

2010-07-07T21:44:00.000-06:00

This summer, an old favourite from the garden patch learned a delicious new trick.

As you've seen from recent posts, my garden is brand new - not just pots anymore. And one of the first things I planted (okay, transplanted) was rhubarb. It seems no Saskatchewan garden is complete without it. As such, rhubarb recipes abound, but this one was brand new to me.

You start by chopping the rhubarb, almost as if preparing for jam - not pretty or anything, just chop, chop, chop.

Add sugar and water, bring it to a boil and then simmer it until you get a bright pink syrup - about 15 minutes in total. Cooking too long will yield something less appealing for your needs so don't go over 15 minutes.

Mix spring water with the pretty pink syrup and you get light and refreshing rhubarb soda. Add that to ice cream, and you get a rhubarb soda float.

Hand one of these to your loved ones on a hot summer night, and you get happy family.

It's a new favourite summer treat for us.

Next we're going to try it with strawberries. Or maybe raspberries. How about blueberries? Blackberries? Oooo, the possibilities are amazing. Tee hee.

Here's the recipe I used, if you'd like to give it a try. I first read about it over at Soule Mama, a lovely and inspiring place to visit.

Happy ice cream floats! M

Care To Join Me For A Snack?

2010-07-04T09:01:00.002-06:00

A little fresh bread and strawberry-banana freezer jam?

I taught myself how to make freezer jam last week. It was so wonderfully easy and amazingly tasty.

It was nice to have such a sweet success on a day when my bread was not rising, thanks to the crazy humidity we've been experiencing. The bread was still very tasty, just a bit heavy, especially with lovely sweet jam.

Happy jamming, M

Callum's Hat

2010-06-30T07:35:00.003-06:00

My baby boy has a rockin' new hat.

I've managed to devise a way for this one to stay on his head. As he is not a fan of the things, this was a bigger challenge than it seemed.

How did I do it? I bought a reversible model, threaded the straps through the holes for the "reversing part" and tied a knot in one side. A most excellent fit, right under the baby chin.

And now this rockin' new lid is ready for all kinds of action - like going to the park for the very first swing ride ever.

I'd say he's a happy camper, hat and all!

Oh, I just want to kiss that face!!!

Happy baby swings, M

The Evolution of a Garden

2010-06-28T13:59:00.001-06:00

I have been told by neighbours that the man who used to own my house was an avid flower gardener, renowned for it even. I have found evidence of this all over the property but by the time I moved in, there was very little left growing.

In fact, only these eight tulip bulbs still show up every spring along the fence.

I have to admit that, being a bit of a green thumb myself, I have been eager to start growing things here, especially knowing that the property has a history of gardening love. It gives me a sense that it should be covered in green loveliness again.

If you'll recall from a previous post, this is what my backyard used to look like.

The fence on the shed side of the property was in very bad shape and was one of the first pieces of construction I had done. It was literally falling to pieces and on more than one occasion, a dog passed between properties.

The shed, while originally all handmade and quite adorable, had an addition made of corrugated plastic, even the extra part of roof - strange! David removed the addition for me but left the adorable part.

These days, this side of the backyard looks a lot like this.

There have been a few more things added and moved and built since I took this picture last week, but you get the general idea.

As for the growing part, we've already been munching down on some lettuce and onion greens, and as of last Friday, we had a zucchini blossom. Hurray!

I checked this morning and we have a three inch long baby zucchini, along with several other plants about to burst into blooms. I am feeling oh so successful as a farmer already!

Happy gardening, M

Adventures in Soapmaking

2010-06-23T21:37:00.001-06:00

It's been a whirlwind of activity around here lately. With the solstice celebration, gardening forays and amazing feats of babyhood going on, we've been busy little bees. As a point in case, I've been trying to get this post written up and filled with photos since Monday.

I've been wanting to share my soapmaking experiment with the blogiverse. These photos were taken last Thursday morning, as I tried out my first lye-oil recipe.

You can see that the measuring of ingredients is very important, as are the safety goggles and rubber gloves recommended by all the soapmaking resources. I also have a thermometre handy to make sure the separate parts are at the same temp before I join them.

Once the lye-water solution and the oils are joined, the chemical reaction starts immediately. With a little mixing with the stick blender, things really get cooking. I had to keep this up until the mixture was like pudding.

Then I dumped it all into the prepared soap mold (or former margerine container), worked out all the bubbles, smoothed it over and let it set for 48 hours.

Once set, it was ready for cutting into bars and imprinting with my Canada rubber stamp. Now it's curing in an out-of-the-way place for the next four to six weeks.

It was quite an adventure and I'm quite thrilled to have it go so well. I can't wait to see how it turns out in the end. I have many big plans for this soap of mine. Tee hee.

Happy summer! M

Soon He Will Be Unstoppable

2010-06-17T12:52:00.001-06:00

Any second now, he's gonna figure out how this crawling business works.

And then I will be chasing him for the next many years!

It's all so exciting - for him and for me!

Happy Thursday, M

Bread Quest

2010-06-16T13:51:00.003-06:00

This past winter (and well into the spring), I have been seeking the perfect bread recipe. It needed to be something I could make by hand and that would turn out well, each and every time.

Although I have been making bread-machine bread for years, I have never been 100 percent happy with that method. I also considered it a considerable cheat. (Though you can never really cheat all the way because there's that hole in the centre, from the paddle in the bottom of the machine. That's always a dead give away that it was a machine bread.)

My first steps into non-machine bread still used the machine to do the mixing for me, until I got used to the consistency I needed. And once I stopped using the bread machine for mixing, I still used the same recipe. I was breaking that dependency one step at a time, apparently.

So while I was home this winter with Callum, I decided that I would go in search of the hand-made bread recipe of my daydreams. And it took a while.

I read books. I looked online. I watched tutorials. I looked up recipes in very old cookbooks. Throughout the process, not a lot of edible bread was being made but an awful lot of flour was being wasted.

I finally phoned a good friend and asked for her recipe. We even made a date for her to come the 1.5 hours south to have a bread making day. It turned out that her bread recipe was more ad hoc than she realized and the preparation I did in advance wasted yet another 10 cups of flour. We went for sushi lunch instead. :)

In the end, though, we went to the recipe's author, another friend from the north, to be told that the original measurements published in a fund-raising cookbook were a misprint and the 10 cups of flour should actually read 15 cups. Well, that might explain the problems I had with it.

Armed with the correct ingredient amounts, I made one last attempt to work that bread recipe. I vowed that if this was not meant to be, this would be my last try and we would go back to weekly visits to the local bakery.

But lo and behold, it worked. It well and truly worked. I was stupefied. My husband breathed a sigh of relief. These first four loaves were a masterpiece; indeed, they were loaf-shaped beauty. Ahhh.

Even with this initial success, and the subsequent batches, I am still tinkering with the bake time - a nudge this way, a skosh back - trying to get that airy inside and that crispy outside. I think I may finally be there.

But more importantly, I have finally realized that the whole process, as trying as it was, was worth the end result. It was also a lesson in patience and perseverance, things I'm going to need a lot in my new role as parent.

Next, I quest for pastry.

Happy bread baking, M

Laundry Day

2010-06-14T16:56:00.004-06:00

Today is the first time this spring/summer that laundry day and sunshine have coincided. How crazy this weather has been this year.

But it's finally here - some sunny weather and some diaper-bleaching, -disinfecting sunshine has been shining on the diapers all afternoon. Yay!

As I type this, though, I have on my very long to-do list a reminder to make more diapers. Callum is growing so fast and he is in need of some new, larger ones. And I am itching to try a new design of my own that incorporates all the features of the products we have tried and love. Yes, sewing/parental dorkiness abounds!

And in the realm of laundry as well, I'm going to be making cold pressed soap very soon. I have all the supplies and equipment and now I just need to find the baby-free, pet-free time/space to get it done. Once the cold-pressed is done, I'll use that to make my own chemical free laundry soap. We use a nice brand now that is very basic and as green as I can find while still cleaning, but I'm looking forward to trying my own. Wish me luck with that endeavour!

Happy Monday, M

Blink! And Four Days Are Gone!

2010-06-13T22:16:00.003-06:00

I swear I have no idea how that happens. But it well and truly does around here.

So on with the discussion of natural oven cleaning solutions. How did they work for me?

Hmmm, well, first I have to qualify this by telling you my oven has not been cleaned in two and a half years. Ewwww! I know. I know. But I bought it new when I moved in. And I just kept thinking of it as a new oven. And then, well, life moved on and I wasn't about to clean it last year in all my pregnant glory. So now we're here, two and a half years later.

Now, keep in mind, there have been times in my life when two and a half years of not cleaning an oven just would not have seemed that bad. I rarely cooked in those days, and even more rarely cooked in the oven. So no biggy.

These days, though, I run that oven hard. I bake pies that overflow. I roast pork and chicken until they spatter. I make pizza from scratch and the cheese gets all melty and gooey. It is a well used, and well loved, oven. Needless to say, this translate as a very, very dirty oven that should have been cleaned ages ago.

Now that we have that back story, let's return to the cleanser issue.

I found the first formula completely ineffective. I was using more elbow grease than anything and it was barely touching the grime. I decided to up the game and use the salt/soda paste as the initial scrub all over the oven.

Again with elbow grease being a key element, along with a bundle of steel wool, I made fairly good headway. Once I had scrubbed the inside and applied a good coating of the paste, I turned on the oven to 500 degrees and waited for results.

The gaseous substance emanating from my oven freaked me out at first. I realized, though, that it was just steam from the water in the paste. Once I opened the windows, the steam dissipated quickly and there was no smell or anything to worry about. So not-really-a-crisis averted.

Once the oven had cooled down and I removed the cleanser, I was impressed with the state of the thing. I won't tell you it was gleaming or perfect or anything like that. But it was very much improved.

The verdict? I will use both suggestions again, only much much sooner. I figure if I clean my oven as part of the regularly monthly routine around here, it will clean faster and more easily. I can live with that - cleaning more often makes it easier. Got it.

Happy oven cleaning to you, M

Home Made Oven Cleaner

2010-06-09T11:15:00.003-06:00

NATURAL SCRUB CLEAN OVEN SOLUTION

4 tbsp baking soda
Enough very hot water to make a paste with the baking soda

Make a paste and apply to your oven with an old toothbrush or soft bristled brush. Let sit for at least 1 minute, then scrub with the brush. Rinse with water and cloth, making sure to remove all traces of baking soda (or your next oven-cooked meal will have a funky taste!).

TOUGH OVEN STAIN REMOVER

1 cup baking soad
1 cup salt
Enough water to make a paste

Apply the paste to the stains in your oven. Turn oven on to 500 degrees F and let bake for 1 hour. Allow oven to cook and remove cleaner with a damp sponge. Again, make sure all traces of the cleaner are removed.

Both these recipes came from here.

Guess what I'm doing today. I'll let you know the results later.

Happy house cleaning, M

Rain. Sigh.

2010-06-08T10:38:00.003-06:00

I know it's been far too long since my last post. I have no defense. I have no explanatory apology prepared. But I am sorry to anybody that keeps checking back here and finding nothing new in over a month.

The month of May was unusually gray and rainy and gloomy. Not unlike the way June is starting out. But it was also a busy and celebratory month. David and I both have birthdays at the beginning of May, followed very closely by my first Mother's Day as a new mom. We also managed to get out to some awesome spring events in town, despite the rain and thunder. It wasn't a bad month really, it just wasn't a good writing month, I guess.

But here we are in June, with a garden nearly planted, knitting on the needles, new diapers that need to be sewn up, all kinds of things that might make good blog posts. One might even call them inspiring. Let's hope I can get the time/energy/inspiration combination right this month and start up with the regular posting again.

But if you had this guy to hang out with every day, I'm thinking you might have a bit of a trouble pulling yourself away to blog, too. :)

Happy June! M

Crafting Content - Woot!

2010-05-05T11:32:00.002-06:00

I'm so excited to show you something that I actually made that I don't care how long ago I made it.

I don't mind in the slightest that I'm showing you the bag I made for my mom for Christmas - the bag that was completed before Callum was born and stashed away until the holidays.

Nevermind all that delay, isn't it cute?

The pinks and greens totally suit her. Better yet, when I gave it to her, I stuffed it full of yarns and some beautiful birch knitting needles.

It's the same pattern I used to make Janet's bag, but looks so very different with the alternate fabric choices.

I enjoy sewing up this pattern and will probably make a few more like it, maybe even one for myself one of these days. Well . . . if I ever get back to the sewing room, that is.

In the mean time, I bask in the glory that once upon a time, I made something. :)

Happy May! M

Came Down With A Virus

2010-04-23T00:01:00.002-06:00

Unfortunately, it's the computer kind. So my laptop is out of commission for the duration, and David's is in the process of writing his thesis for him (Wouldn't it be nice if that's how it actually worked?). Thus I get up in the middle of the night to do things that need to be signed into - like the blog or banking or email or facebook. Meh.

In other more important news, Callum is growing like a weed - totally catching up after starting out so very tiny. Next week is his six-month check up with the doc. Hard to believe he's been here for six months already.

We've been spending all kinds of time outdoors, planning out the garden, raking old leaves, walking along the lake, watching the puppies romp. Pure bliss, I tell you.

Anywhoo, on to the point of this post (I promise that there is one) . . . I was talking to Allana from People For Animals (where our Stan came from) while visiting my Mom earlier this evening. I mentioned that our pets are all over the blog so she should check it out. Then I came home and realized it's been a while since I posted some furry cuteness here.

So I'm up in the middle of the night and I'm here posting a pic of some of our other boys. I give you Emmett and Our Man Stan, all sharing and lovey on the dog bed.

They might wrestle for the video camera but they do actually snuggle up some times. Sign of a truly happy household. More bliss for this Mama!

Hope you're all having a great April! M

Spring Has Finally Sprung

2010-04-07T07:20:00.004-06:00

And with it, we have been enjoying the outdoors.

We've been starting our mornings with a family walk through Wascana Park.

Callum finds these outings very relaxing, as you can see. In fact, it's become a part of his normal nap routine - every morning he sleeps for up to 45 minutes in the carrier while his daddy walks.

Today, we're starting garden preparations: raking up leftover fall leaves, digging up borders, plotting out plantings, repairing the shed, giving the compost a turn, getting the seedlings started, that kind of stuff. It does my Taurus soul some good, that earth work.

Hope you're all enjoying your warming days. M

This Moment

2010-03-26T09:09:00.002-06:00

Another in the series of Friday rituals from Soule Mama, this is a moment I want to capture, remember and cherish.

Happy Spring, M

See . . . Crafting

2010-03-17T16:31:00.003-06:00

This beautiful little blanket and adorable horse are on their way to my niece, Keara.

And you can see a close up of the lovely quilting in this shot.

I would love to take credit for this cutie little blanket but it wasn't me that put it together and quilted it. I only put the binding on it.

It was, in fact, the thrift store find of the year for 2009. Everything complete, except the binding, my mom found it for a fraction of what the fabric would have cost.

A good wash, a fresh binding, and it's off to a little girl who will love it endlessly.

I know, I know. It's not a lot of crafting but a girl's gotta get her crafting buzz where she can. :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day, M

Fitting In Where You Can

2010-03-12T01:19:00.005-06:00

What?

There was a spot here.

I love that cat!

Crafting content coming soon to this spot!

Happy Friday, M

Hmmm, 500

2010-03-05T16:05:00.004-06:00

This is my 500th post.

I thought I would do something to celebrate. In fact, I've been thinking about it for a week now. And in the thinking, I kinda forgot to actually do something. :)

So let's just say, I'm glad to still be here.

In commemoration, I offer a video of life at our house.

Happy March, M

This Moment

2010-02-26T10:37:00.006-06:00

Inspired by Amanda at Soule Mama, this is a moment I'd like to keep and remember.

Wintry Afternoons

2010-02-23T14:52:00.007-06:00

Not much crafting going on here these days. I seem to have an aversion to sharp objects (like knitting needles, scissors, and needle and thread) while carrying a certain boy around, which I am doing a wonderful lot of.

Instead I have been reading some lovely books, trying to stay on top of laundry and housework, watching olympics and the odd movie, and dreaming of spring.

This afternoon during Callum's nap, we have Harry Potter's Chamber of Secrets in the dvd player and I'm loving the herbology nurseries. Wonder what it would take to build one of those in the backyard. Sigh. I'm missing the garden.

The funny thing is that I love winter. That's why we got married outside last week. But with a tiny one to keep warm, it's difficult to get outside much, without lots of extra planning and tons of trepidation about his body temperature.

So here we sit, staving off cabin fever, bundled up in warm woolens, daydreaming of blossoms and fresh veggies.

Hope you're all keeping warm, M

The Snowy Elopement

2010-02-17T11:27:00.005-06:00

This was the scene in snowy Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan yesterday.

Two star-crossed lovers and an officiant.

Then a kiss to seal the deal.

And a few smiling friends and family to witness it all.

David's Christmas Socks

2010-02-08T17:11:00.005-06:00

Before I start this post, let me tell you that I love David very very much.

This is an important point to understand when I show you this next picture - David's Christmas Socks. Aren't they yummy?

But they are size 15. Yep, size fif-teen. The only pair of socks on which I have used all the sock yarn from two balls. And they are still only just above his ankles.

Which is why I frequently had to remind myself how much I love David while I was knitting them. :)

They are knit from a lovely grey tweed sock yarn from Knit Picks. Every time we wash them, they get softer and flufflier and more lovely.

And every time they get washed and pulled out of the dryer, I want to knit myself a pair. Or three. Or ten. (I'm just going to nip down stairs and see if I have anymore in the stash!)

More importantly, I will undoubtedly knit another pair for David. Because I love him. (And maybe because of a little bit of yarn lust.)

Happy February crafting, M