The Little Lads

In the kitchen

2010-09-22T21:08:00.005-06:00

It has been a busy few weeks around these parts. We've had a few frosts already, which means we (read: my husband) had to work hard to get the garden out of the ground quickly. We were pleased to have a decent harvest of carrots and potatoes, but very upset that all 16 of our tomato plants fell victim to this. We've managed to save precious few, and my grand plans of canning sauces, salsas and straight-up tomatoes have been crushed.

That said, we have been enjoying the rest of our harvest. Though it certainly isn't enough to get us through the winter, it will get us by for a while. We hope to double our garden next year.

My in-laws brought us some big cases of organic B.C. fruit when they came through here a couple weeks ago. The middle child had taken to eating plums, and then throwing the pits haphazardly around the room. I was finding pits everywhere. Hello, can we say baby choking hazard? Yes. So, needless to say, the plums came to a swift end.

Can I just say that we are at jam capacity? Saskatoon jam, blueberry lavender jam, and now plum jam. Our pantry is slowly but surely being taken over by jam. (For the record, the blueberry lavender is still my fave.)

xo

Off the Needles: Pebble

2010-09-03T18:07:00.009-06:00

This literally took me two evenings to make. Complete instant gratification. I mean, look how cute it is! How could I not feel gratified! Baby knitting + Sense and Sensibility = obviously perfect!

Adorable, right? Right? (And, if the biased lady may say, the babe under the vest is pretty sweet too.)

The pattern is called Pebble, and can be found (for free!) here. I used Mirasol Akapana, which is soft, tweedy goodness. Seriously. So soft. The yarn is pretty inexpensive (not to mention a really lovely company), and I only used about half a ball. The buttons are from a giant jar o' buttons I scored at the antique mall (I am loving the mismatched-button look lately).

Oh, this baby. My own personal bundle of squishy wool. Love doesn't begin to describe it.

xo

Jam!

2010-09-02T11:06:00.007-06:00

Last weekend, a booth at the farmers' market had blueberries on sale, 10 lbs for $25. Quite a deal for unsprayed berries, I dare say! The were, of course, a little past their prime, but they had a destiny far greater than the average blueberry.

It started last Friday. I had a hankering for some cookies, so I did a quick flip through my cookbooks, and settled on a recipe for Lavender Chocolate Chunk cookies. (From ExtraVeganZa, which is laden with lavender recipies, for those interested.) One bite, and my love affair with lavender was rekindled. How had I forgotten how delicious lavender was?! I mean, could you say no?

Didn't think so. Anyways, while I was on my lavender high, I was trying to conjure up other ways to use my lovely lavender stash. I knew lavender and blueberries went delicious together, and so it dawned on me: blueberry-lavender jam! A quick google search revealed that many people shared my dream. So, once I had happily acquired my 10 lbs of blueberries, I sterilized some jars and set to work.

I used this recipe, tripling it, which worked perfectly. This is honestly the best jam I have ever had. It is all things delicious. Tripling it gave me 19 250 ml jars, and we have already gone through a few, as well as traded some for apples, and just given some away to share the goodness!

If you have any blueberries hanging around in your neck of the woods, I urge you to make this! Easy! Delicious!

Speaking of those apples... what is your favorite way to preserve apples? Sauce? Butters? Pies? I need to do something with them quickly, and inspiration and ideas are more than welcome!

xo

Hello? Hello?

2010-08-23T20:26:00.003-06:00

Some mammals hibernate in the winter. I, it would seem, hibernate in the summer. Contrary to many people, summer is my least favorite season. It is when I'm feeling least inspired. Hot weather makes me grumpy, and I find summer clothes uncomfortable. Give me cool temperatures and layers, I say!

Aside from feeling rather uninspired, our desktop computer decided that it had lived a full enough life, and would work for only 10 minutes at a time before turning off. Combine those factors, and you get a 2 1/2 month chunk of dead air in these parts. But we have been busy doing summery things. Saskatoon berries have been picked with friends, and canned with friends (yielding each family with a whopping 18 jars of jam). We have camped in the mountains. (Aha! Summer's two offerings appreciated by me: bountiful fresh produce, and camping!) We have been mosquito bitten, and sunburned, and have celebrated 3 birthdays! We survived one very long week with the papa out of the country. And here we are... August is nearly over. In just over a week Q will be starting kindergarten at the local Waldorf school, and we'll be finding new rhythms and routines.

I hope you'll join me as we find our footing and embark on my most favorite season (fall!!).

Consistently Inconsistent

2010-06-11T20:49:00.005-06:00

If there were an award out there for me, I think it would be 'Most Inconsistent Blogger!'. Seriously. I do one WIP Wednesday, then, a few weeks later, one 'this moment' Friday. Just lame. I do have some excuses, but I won't bore you with those. Instead, we will have a massive 'works-in-progress, favorite photo moment of the week, and what the heck else is going on?' post. My apologies in advance.

Shall we get through the current WIP's first? Alright then. Three of my men have birthdays this summer. Three birthdays in one month. Yowza. This is keeping me mighty busy. First up is the middle child's birthday. He will be three (!!), and has requested a turtle and a blue sweater. Done and done!
I am about half done the blue sweater, but have no photographic evidence of that, so we'll have to wait for photos of the finished product, and for now just stare at that pile of bright bright blue. And, how adorable is that little turtle shell!? That was made with my first ever ball of Noro, a yarn loved by many, that has always scared me quite a bit. Anyways. This is the pattern I'm using for the sweet, adorable turtle. Or is it a tortoise...?

Next up, favorite photo of the week, or, 'this moment' (aha! it's totally Friday today, so I didn't completely drop the ball on this one... although, those posts are meant to be wordless...).

Q's last morning at the Waldorf nursery school was today. We made each of his teachers gifts, and he (with my help) wrote each of them a little note. So very sweet.

They are amazing, beautiful people, and I am more than a bit sad that our year with them has come to an end!

And, does that about catch us up? Not really, but we'll get there.

xo

P.S. Blessings, love, and so so many hugs to VeganDietitian, who gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, at home, on Wednesday. Congratulations, and happy babymoon!

Off the Needles: Shalom-y and Manda Ruth

2010-05-30T09:36:00.006-06:00

I just remembered that I never posted about my Shalom sweater! I made this back in March, in the weeks right after Guthrie's birth (back when the husband was still off work, and I could just hang out in the rocking chair, nurse the baby, and knit all the live long day).

So, the details. This took me about 3 weeks to knit up. I used Cascades Eco-Wool, 2 hanks. I made a few mods (namely adding sleeves), that are all on the Ravelry page.

Though this sweater is getting lots of Ravelry-love, it is a tad itchy, and my Coraline is still worn far more. (Though, lately I've been layering them, because, ahem, it freaking snowed here yesterday. Yes.) Also, try as I might, I just think I'm more of a lightweight cardi kinda gal than a bulky sweater kinda gal.

Next up: the Manda Ruth (which I affectionately named 'Man...duh!', seeing as it's for my little lad, as opposed to a little lass).

I love this sweater! It took exactly 2 weeks from start to finish. I made the 6 month size, and used Punta Yarns Meritwist Space Dyed. (Warning: to those who may make this cardi with this yarn in the future, I ran out binding off, and had to cut off other yarn ends from around the sweater and tie them on in order to finish.) The very bulky yarn, combined with the seed stitch, makes for a very very firmly knit, warm, thick sweater. Which is good, seeing as it will (hopefully) still fit in autumn, and, um, that lovely end-of-May snowfall we received. I finished it off with a few toggles from the fancy-pants 'fine European fabrics' store, and ta da! Cue the cuteness.

Oh, hi. I'm adorable.

I hope you all are enjoying flower-filled, snow-free ends of May!
xo

this moment

2010-05-21T18:58:00.003-06:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. (Inspired by Soulemama)

xo

WIP Wednesday (on, uh, Thursday)

2010-05-13T19:24:00.005-06:00

Hello, sweet friends!

This is my first Work In Progress Wednesday post (just a little fashionably late. ahem.), and I hope to make it a ritual. (On time, of course.)

On the needles this week:

A shawl for me!

It's the Aestlight Shawl by Gudrun Johnston, and I'm making it with Malabrigo sock yarn. It's been in my queue forever, and I'm excited to finally be working on it.

Also, I'm working on a jacket for my sweet littlest, but alas, blogger won't let my upload the photo of it. Nor will blogger let me upload any of my Mother's-Day-stash photos, so those too will have to wait for another day.

But, because I feel sort of sad leaving you with just one project photo, here are some gnomes the husband and the older lads made on Sunday (while I was out being a yarn floozy).

So cute, right? I just bought The Gnome Craft Book, and am kind of freaking out about it. So many good projects in there. I foresee gnomes overtaking our home in the very near future.

We have been enjoying oodles of warm weather (finally), and lots of time outdoors. I hope you are as lucky!

Toodles for now, lovelies!
xo

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T15:47:00.004-06:00

I hope your day was filled with mama-honouring*. I was treated to chocolate chip pancakes, a secret gift, that has yet-t0-be revealed, a beeswax candle made by Quinn, and my dear husband, who said, "go buy as much yarn as you like". Oh, twist my arm! To the yarn store I did go (with baby in tow). I promise I showed great restraint, and will reveal my gifts-to-myself soon.

For now though, I leave you with my favorite image from the week.

Happy day, all! I'm off for dinner with my mama and sisters (and baby, of course).

xo

*Or birthday celebrating, as the case may be. Happy birthday, Ms. Rebekah!!

Look what I made!

2010-04-27T18:25:00.007-06:00

This past weekend, I attended a Waldorf conference in Calgary. It was an amazing weekend. The people were completely lovely (both the Calgary Waldorf community, and the group of Waldorf-mamas I went with -including Quinn's amazing nursery school teacher), and the workshops were so so good. (The keynote speaker was Suzanne Down, who was featured in last month's Living Crafts. She was so inspiring and beautiful to listen to.)

One of the workshops I participated in was a woodworking workshop. I am amazed at what we accomplished in such a short time. The instructor was great. I have very little experience working with wood, and this was so fun! (It helps that Guthrie slept peacefully in the sling the whole time, despite the sawing, hammering, and drilling going on around him... well mostly.)

Above photos courtesy of the lovely Gudrun! Quinn's nursery school teacher.

And here's what I made! A catapult.

Perfect for launching pinecones. Perfect for my little lads.

xo

Today

2010-04-19T12:23:00.004-06:00

I am grateful for:

strawberry popsicles

warm weather

multitasking (read: nursing baby in the mei tai, while doing laundry/ putting away groceries -- thank you, mei tai!)

iced yerba mate

a weekend full of friends

Image courtesy of my dear friend Kirsten.

What are you grateful for?

Happiness is...

2010-04-15T22:04:00.004-06:00

Pie:

(Made with local apples, saskatoons, and flour, and topped with
crazy-good Celestial Cream from Dreena's most recent book.)

Finger knitting:

And this sweet, sweet face:

Happy weekend, everyone! What's making you happy at the moment?

xo

Happy

2010-04-04T09:00:00.000-06:00

However you are spending this weekend, I hope you are enjoying it!
xo

Off the Needles: Coraline

2010-03-28T21:26:00.003-06:00

I cast on for this sweater at the end of December, and worked on it occasionally over the next couple months. In the last two weeks of pregnancy, I got back into it, and really did most of the work on it in those two weeks, and the first week after Guthrie's birth. (Because, if you're going to spend the day in the rocking chair, staring at a sweet newborn face, you'd might as well be knitting, right?)

I am completely in love with the sweater. I have worn it quite a few times, and it is perfect. I am already planning another one. The pattern (by Ysolda Teague) is very well-written and easy to follow. And, although I was initially apprehensive about the colour (that Ms. Becka talked me into buying over a year ago), I am completely enamored with it now. It's sunshine!!

This sweater = happiness.

Thank you!

2010-03-24T20:16:00.003-06:00

Thank you, thank you for all the well wishes! We are doing well, and settling into a new rhythm (this is made much easier with papa being home for 6 weeks and a village of lovely people bringing us food and love).
I have many more things to post about (I made myself a sweater! and pie! and it's spring!*), but for now, I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you, all you beautiful, lovely people. Thank you.

xo

*Ahem. So, it is meant to be spring, and, while we have mostly switched up the nature table, it was -10 this morning, and has been snowing heavily for the past two days. Mother Nature, do you hear me? Bring back the sunshine!

Arrived!

2010-03-07T18:52:00.003-07:00

We have a third little lad! Born at home, in the water, yesterday afternoon. He weighs a hearty 8 1/2 lbs, and is mellow and sweet and lovely. The birth was smooth and easy, and we are all doing very well.

Introducing Guthrie Walker Cecil.

May you be as strong as the oak, yet flexible as the birch;
may you stand tall as the redwood, live gracefully as the willow;
and may you always bear fruit all your days on this earth.
~ Native American Prayer

Waiting

2010-03-01T17:14:00.003-07:00

"Life is always a rich and steady time when you are waiting for something to happen or to hatch." ~ E.B. White, from Charlotte's Web

Off the Needles

2010-02-18T19:25:00.004-07:00

A 'Milo' vest for each of them.

(To put into perspective just how crazy-teeny this baby-vest is: the hanger it's on? A children's garment hanger. So so small.)

And a wee head-warmer for the one with the bluest eyes.

And plenty of longies, waiting impatiently for a teeny person to wear them. (Hear that, baby?)

Getting Crafty

2010-02-14T15:47:00.004-07:00

Chilly temperatures, and a mama that is too tired and heavy to do much in the way of outdoor fun these days, means that we've been spending time inside, getting crafty. The watercolours make an almost daily appearance, and these books have been dusted off as we work our way through whatever projects capture the attention of the littles.

A few projects from the last week:

Wet-felted roving balls, "for the baby". These are quickly becoming a favorite. The weight and size of the balls is perfect, and wrapping them in yarn scraps makes them a treat for the eyes. I'm addicted.

A wee bunny:

And a nature mobile for the boys' bedroom (to help convince us that spring truly might be around the corner...)

(I can't take credit for the Spring Fairy. She is beautifully made by the lovely people at MapleRose)

What is keeping your hands busy these days?

Date Night

2010-02-05T22:25:00.002-07:00

Some local theatre, and sorbetto. With one of my favorite people. A truly lovely way to spend a Friday evening.

Getting there

2010-01-25T20:05:00.002-07:00

My beautiful and talented longtime friend recently popped by and snapped some photos of the belly. Take a peek at them (and the rest of her amazing photos) here.

Winter II

2010-01-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

Winter

2010-01-16T12:29:00.006-07:00

I don't much have the energy/ brain capacity for words these days -- late pregnancy fatigue is really kicking my butt-- so, in order to keep this blog going, the next few posts will be mainly photo essays of how we've spent this past month.

xo

And all the rest.

2009-12-13T18:16:00.004-07:00

Firstly, thank you, thank you all for your kind congratulations! They truly warmed my heart.

Secondly, I think I need to share all the "creating" that's been going on that has nothing to do with the wee babe in my womb.

I have been quiet this past month (month! it has felt like just a few days!), because my hands have been very, very busy. My hands are generally pretty busy anyways, caring for the littles, keeping house, and baking (um, this book has been so dangerous. my kids now think that making cookies every single day is totally normal. ahem.). But, this past month, or so, I've been busy getting ready for the holiday season. I can't show too much, as some of my gift recipients (okay, just my sisters), check the blog on occasion, but here's a little sneak peek.

Oh yes, the season of gift-giving is here.

xo

Part 5, Creating

2009-11-12T18:51:00.003-07:00

The last 8 months have been a whirl of creating. I have knit myself sweaters, knit shawls for auctions, sewed up birthday gifts for littles, and done a whole lot of other creating that I don't even recall. (Hop on over to Ravelry if you're keen to take a peek! I'm 'thelittlemama'... creative, right?)

But. I must confess. I have been creating a something very special for the past few months that I have been very excited to share with you.
In just over 3 months (think late Feb/ early March), we will have a brand new, sweet-smelling, woolen-clad babe in our midst.
We're all so very excited!
(And, while we're on the subject of creating, I did knit the hat and scarf. Ha!)

xo

Parts 3 and 4, Guests and Playing

2009-11-07T21:18:00.004-07:00

The first few months back in our home, we found ourselves with a nearly constant stream of visitors, which we welcomed.

Friends brought laughter, peace, and much-missed company.

Family from the east coast brought weekend getaways, late night chatting, and plenty of energy.

My brother-in-law and his band, who camped out in our yard, brought a whole lot of fun, and the kids especially were so sad to see them go.

My in-laws, who were out a few times, and are due again at the end of the month, are always a huge help, and a treat for the kids to have around.
I've combined these two parts, guests and playing, because they have been so rooted together over the past few months. Since summer has ended, we've settled into a bit more of a routine, and play is certainly still a focus of every day, but it's never quite the same as when our home is bursting with the energy of beloved guests.

Part 2, Camping

2009-11-02T19:38:00.005-07:00

It seems so funny to be writing about camping trips that we went on 4 or 5 months ago! Now that the weather has turned cool, and we've already had quite a few snowfalls, camping seems to be the last thing on my mind. But, when the weather was warmer (though not always warm enough!), and the days were longer, a-camping we did go.

On more than one occasion, we drove through the prairies, found a nice spot in the woods to call our own (for a few days, at least), and spent time with friends and family. And it was perfectly lovely.

Early summer camping means enjoying two things:

*friends*

*and warmth*

And there was plenty of both to go around.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T16:46:00.003-06:00

I hope you all enjoy spoooky nights! (Or enjoy the unbelievably adorable small children dressed as bees/ skunks/ gnomes/ insert-insanely-cute-costume-here.)

Be back with a real post tomorrow.
xo

Where the time has gone: Part 1, Nesting

2009-10-11T10:15:00.007-06:00

Um. Hi there, friends. (cautiously crawls out of blog-hole)

It's been a while. Too long. I hope you all enjoyed your summers (or winters, as it may be), and are settling nicely into the rhythm of autumn (or, um, spring).

We've had a busy few months. A steady flow of nesting, camping, guests, playing, and creating has sufficiently taken up all our time and energy. (All that, coupled with a very busy papa, who has had to spend a great deal of his spare moments working.)

I'll cover each of the areas that have been keeping us so occupied over the next few posts. Today is nesting.

Moving is always such work. Moving into a house you've lived in before is an entirely different experience. It was like we got a second chance to make this house what we wanted it to be. This house is by no means our dream house, but we've grown so much in the year since we left it, that we came back inspired to make it our own. Dead trees have been removed (and firewood has been stacked accordingly), walls have been painted, and parts of Vancouver (like the couch above) have been brought back with us.

We're still trying to sort things out; sure, none of our windows have curtains, and we have a basement full of boxes that are waiting to have their contents re-discovered, but, for now, I'm happy with where we are.

Aaand...

2009-06-11T16:17:00.002-06:00

...we're all here. Back. We have moved back into our house, and finally have internet again. (For those who are wondering what the heck has been going on, and why we've moved so much... we own a house that we rented out when we were in Vancouver. When we left Vancouver, and came back home, we had to wait for our tenants to move out -- they were kind of jerky, and refused to leave early -- we were living in a teeny tiny apartment. But, now we are back in the house that we have had since before Quinn was born. It feels good. And weird.)

This means that I can also finally get photos onto the computer again. Hurrah! But, give me a few days, will you? We've been working our patooties off (with much-needed -- and appreciated -- help from my in-laws) painting, gardening, unpacking, etc-ing.

It finally feels like summer, so we're all off for a bike ride to partake in some Mexican food. Enjoy the day, lovelies! I'll be back this weekend with more.

xo

Amazing awesomeness.

2009-05-26T23:01:00.000-06:00

2009-05-17T09:04:00.002-06:00

Hello friends. I know I am supposed to be on a moving break, but nonetheless I had to poke around a bit here. You may notice that the blog has a bit of a new look! It's not completely finished it's wee overhaul yet, but I've added a list of books and music that we are currently obsessing over, so take a peek! We've been practically living at the library lately. When we're not there, we're at home reserving books online. Loveliness.

Other things:
- Q has started soccer for the first time, and it is really entertaining and adorable.
- Our house in Vancouver finally sold, and the new owners took possession last week. Hallelujah!
- We've started this year's gardening adventure, and have so far planted pole beans, green beans, shell peas, snow peas, rhubarb, two kinds of tomatoes, and mint. Unfortunately our tenants are still living in our house, and we are still in the cave-like apartment, so all our gardening is, for now, being done on the tiny tiny balcony.
- On that note, the tenants are finally moving out in precisely two weeks. Hurrah.
- Also, gardening-related, it looks like spring is taking it's sweet-ass time this year. It snowed last week, and the forecast is calling for snow twice this week. I am not impressed. The snow doesn't stick, and is usually surrounded by days of 17 degree weather, but seriously. Spring and I need to have a talk.
- I've started the popular baking soda/ apple cider vinegar routine instead of shampooing. I only wash my hair once every couple weeks anyways, and so far it's been good! I also bought the ingredients yesterday to make Angry Chicken's famous deodorant. I'll probably make it tonight or tomorrow and keep you posted on the results.

Okay. A friend and I are doing a bit of thrifting today, and then the family and I are off to meet the newest member of a dear friend's family. Welcome baby Owen!

I hope you are all enjoying your (long) weekend!
xo

Shameless Plug.

2009-05-14T16:12:00.000-06:00

Many of you are familiar with my lovely friend, the beautiful, clever, and talented Becka, of Bliss in a Teacup. She and her husband (whose loveliness I can also attest to) have just opened a charming etsy shop full of goodness.

Here are just a few of their treats...

Writing Slate, Politeness Edition

Embroidery Hoop Chalkboard

Spring Blossom Earrings

Head on over and treat yourself to a little gift!
xo

For the mamas

2009-05-10T10:54:00.000-06:00

Just popping in to wish all the lovely, hardworking, devoted mothers out there a wonderful, love-filled day.

My mama and me, a good many years ago.

Mothers' Day Proclamation: Julia Ward Howe, Boston, 1870

Mother's Day was originally started after the Civil War, as a protest to the carnage of that war, by women who had lost their
sons. Here is the original Mother's Day Proclamation from 1870, followed by a bit of history (or should I say "herstory"):

......................................

Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts,
whether our baptism be that of water or of fears!

Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by
irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking
with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be
taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach
them of charity, mercy and patience.

We women of one country will be too tender of those of another
country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. From
the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own.
It says "Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance
of justice."

Blood does not wipe our dishonor nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons
of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a
great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women,
to bewail and commemorate the dead.

Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the
means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each
bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
but of God.

In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a
general congress of women without limit of nationality may be
appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at
the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the
alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement
of international questions, the great and general interests of
peace.

Julia Ward Howe
Boston
1870
From peace.ca

Taking a break

2009-04-30T08:25:00.000-06:00

Hello friends.

I'm going to take a bit of a break here, to wrap up a few things (it looks like our house finally sold! yay!), but I'll be back in about a month.

I hope to see you then!

xo

Spring back.

2009-04-21T18:52:00.000-06:00

Hello, friends!

Still no new pictures (only a month or so left, I promise!), so for the next little while I'm going to focus on last year. Photos that never made it on the blog, because, well, I didn't have this blog.

So. Here goes.

From last April. We had sushi in the backyard on papa's lunch break. We played in the grass, drew on the sidewalk, and cuddled. A good day.

Here's hoping the weather takes a turn for the better soon.

xo

Happy Spring!

2009-04-11T09:27:00.000-06:00

Image courtesy of oldesaltbox.etsy.com

Enjoy the long weekend, friends! Unfortunately, all our weekend plans have been put on hold as we tend to a very pukey little boy (too much information?).
Nonetheless, we are enjoying the beginnings of what I'm sure will prove to be a lovely summer. Last night was the first thunderstorm of the season. What fun!
Alright, I'm off to cuddle with my sicky boy.
Enjoy your long weekend!
xo

Awaiting Spring

2009-04-02T13:55:00.000-06:00

Happy April friends! I hope wherever you are, tulips are blooming and birds are singing and trees are blooming. (With the exception, of course, of our friends in the Southern hemisphere, where I hope the warm blanket of fall is softly falling upon you.)

As for us, our grounds are still, for the most part, covered with snow, which is slowly melting to reveal brown, dry grass. (For those of you wondering, we have landed in Alberta, Canada.) I am impatiently awaiting the day when I see blossoms on trees, and green in the grass. Soon, please. Soon.

'Til then I can fight the fatigue that's been nagging me as of late, and prepare the boys' Spring baskets. We are by no means a religious family, but I cannot help but partake in the loveliness of 'Easter' baskets. I had high hopes for knitting up treats like this for our littlest, but seeing as I haven't even ordered the yarn yet, it seems unlikely to come to fruition. But, ah, I will welcome the long weekend nonetheless.

I am feeling a bit rambley, so bear with me. On my mind these days:

- wishing our house in Vancouver would sell (please!)
- loving Quinn's new obsession with Beatrix Potter
- regretting not packing our camera-charger (yup. boo.)
- planning a garden with my littles
- thinking about cookies. butter cookies. with frosting. sandwiched with raspberry jam.

I just re-read Jane Eyre, and fell in love again. Such a great book. That Mr. Rochester is such a character!
Have you a favorite book that you can read and re-read again and again?

Okay. Enough incoherent rambling from me. You will note that I have no new pictures. Yes, it looks as though I cannot put them on the laptop, so we will have to wait until the end of May, when we move into our permanent residence.

'Til next time, lovelies.
xo

Landed.

2009-03-24T19:57:00.000-06:00

We have arrived. The weekend we got here, the temperatures were a cool -30 C. Yeah. The weather has improved since, but there is still heaps of snow, and the temperatures are still hovering just below zero, with a warmish day now and again to taunt us, and coax us out of doors. In fact, on a trip to the library last week on one of the aforementioned warm days, Little Q was frolicking through puddles, when he slipped on a patch of ice, well concealed beneath the murky water, and dove face-first right into the puddle, soaking himself through. The next day, the puddle had entirely frozen over again.

We are staying in a temporary home right now with nearly all of our belongings packed away in a storage facility (in another city), which is proving to be an interesting adventure.

Since I have not yet figured out how to load pictures from our camera onto the laptop (it's been a month, I should really figure this out), I will instead share with you a few of my (recent) favorite internet finds. Just for fun, and to take my mind off the teeny shoebox we are sleeping in, wherein we can hear both our neighbours partying to the right of us, and quarreling to the left.

Let's begin, shall we?

These adorable mary janes were such a steal, I couldn't help but scoop them up (virtually, of course).

Photo courtesy of Nerdy Bird Vintage

I have been wishing and hoping for this print for some time. Perhaps I will treat myself when we move into our permanent residence.

Image courtesy of Jen Skelley

With all our belongings stored away, the kids were beginning to get restless. A quick order was placed, and we just received a lovely, and much-needed package full of art supplies from a most wonderful shop. We already have some of their goodies (the rock crayons are a favorite), but it is of my opinion that the more art supplies one has, the better! (Not to mention that our beloved rock crayons, among every other colouring item, are in boxes.) Amidst a few other lovelies, we got some paints, and brushes.

Images courtesy of Stubby Pencil Studio

And, lastly, a happy thought to leave you with, and a print that will surely be gracing my walls in the near future.

Image courtesy of dazeychic

Enjoy the last few days of March, and Happy Spring, my friends!
xo

Off and away and away and away. Together.*

2009-02-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

We are off to become buried beneath boxes and airplanes, and rental cars and take-out dinners. I hope to reconnect with you all next week, as we settle in, and adjust to the much colder temperatures of our new abode.

'Til then.

xo

*A line from one of our favorite books, The Little Yellow Leaf

Owls

2009-02-19T23:43:00.000-07:00

Late nights have become all too common around these parts lately.

At 10:30 pm this week I've been:

Serving up peanut butter toast for a certain counter-seated customer who has been fighting sleep tooth and nail as of late.

and..

Sharing a rather small bed with a nursling for the good part of an hour, in the vain hopes of him drifting off into dreamland.

The view from his bed. In just a few hours, I will be woken by the sound of his little feet bounding into our room, anxious for a snuggle and another nurse.

Here's hoping your nights are full of as much love.

xo

We are.

2009-02-14T18:19:00.000-07:00

Waiting.

Healing.

Hoping.

Giving.

Playing.

Savouring.

Planning.

Loving.

And you?

xo

Vio-lin-lin-lin

2009-02-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by the most lovely Becka to play along in a little photo game. The idea is to open the sixth photo, in the sixth folder in your computer, blog about it, and tag six others.

Here's my photo. Taken April 2005, in the wee rental house that Keith and I shared before the lads came along.
This particular photo, if I remember correctly, happened one evening after a family dinner at my dad's house. My sisters had come over, and we somehow convinced Keith to pull out his violin and show us his skills. Pictured below is my sister, Janet, and Keith. Keith's "skills" were a little (a lot) rusty, but fun was had.

A few more photos from the same evening, just for fun (and because I love the muted colouring on these photos, taken with my grandpa's old 35mm).

Ah, some good brother-in-law love from my two favorite gals.

I tag Monika, Michelle, Amber, Eva, Alanna, and Melissa.

xo

Love.

2009-02-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

Monday morning, I slept in until after 10, and was gently woken with pancakes and a hug. From my love. What a lucky gal I am. He's quite a guy.

That photo below? That's him. And, just so you can all get to know him a little more, here's an interview he recently did about an old skateboard video he was in.

Photo courtesy of Sandro Grison

Swoon.
xo

Peace. Well, almost.

2009-01-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

Quiet. Serene. Peaceful. These are the words that describe my littlest. But, only when he's asleep.
This photo was taken during naptime on Monday morning. So beautiful, and so calm.

Less than three hours after this photo was taken, a very awake little T, in a botched attempt to rodeo the dog, fell head-first into the couch, splitting his forehead. After a 4-hour wait in the ER at the children's hospital, he is patched up, and unfazed. Actually, he was back to his normal, giggling, daredevil self minutes after it happened, while a very frantic mama raced around trying to hold a wet cloth over his gaping wound. Luckily his papa, as it happens, turned out to be very skilled with butterfly bandages, and our wee-est didn't need stitches, just some good old fashioned... glue. And a giant bandage that has to stay on until tomorrow, and then we can take it off and reveal his scar. The first of many, I'm sure. What a character.

Settling in

2009-01-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

We made our way back home a couple of weeks ago, and have been settling back into a rhythm. We also came back to the news that the new year will present us with yet another move (that's 4 moves in 5 years!). We'll take it in stride, and try to remain calm!

A few moments from the first day of our holiday journey.

That will have to do for now... off for tea and a good game of Go Fish with one of my loves.
xo

Seedy

2008-12-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

Writing this from a shady motel in Kamloops. Sorry for my mysterious absence! Things have been crazy, to say the least. Last minute holiday craziness, with some work stress thrown in have made for little blogging time.
We are on our way back to Alberta to celebrate the Solstice and Christmas, and then we'll be heading to the Okanogan for New Years, so I'll likely be out of this space for the next couple weeks. But, I'll still be checking other blogs, and reading comments, of course.
I wish you all the merriest of times, and I do hope you all stay warm!
'Til then,
xo

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2008-12-04T20:04:00.000-07:00

Soup, biscuits, and salad, holiday style. Prepared by Quinn and mama, with a little help from Teague. To keep our bellies full, and our spirits high.
xo

Wishy

2008-12-03T00:31:00.000-07:00

I'm all swept up in holiday busyness right now, but I thought I'd pop in and share some of my etsy favorites, just in case anyone out there needs any ideas... *cough*Keith*cough*

Last Snow This Winter print, by MarmeeCraft

You Can Still Ride Skirt, from TrapperJane

The Market Bag, by Moop

Knitware Vase from alyssaettinger:

Amazing vintage boots that have sold, but I can pine after nonetheless. From RamonaWest.

Last year, I did the majority of my holiday shopping on etsy, and it was lovely. This year, now that Teague is a little bit older, and the slightest bit more independent, I am sewing/ knitting most everything. Nevertheless, it sure is fun to troll around etsy lusting after everything everyone has to offer. It is my number one place to check out new toys... some of the stuff on here is brilliant.

Happy browsing.
xo

Baroness

2008-11-28T00:27:00.001-07:00

Thank you all dearly for the birthday wishes. I am so touched! My family and I shared a wonderful day, and I feel so loved.

Even though I have been knitting for over 5 years, up until last week, I had never knit anything for myself. Needing a hat for the winter, I decided to knit myself up a little beret (the Baroness Beret for those on Ravelry) in honour of my birthday.

It was a very quick knit, and I am in love with the results. (Knit with Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton, for those who are curious.)

As it happens, the week of my birthday also coincided with a week of wicked teething for my wee-est lad. Lots of sleepless nights and homeopathy, and we are still recovering. Proper post coming soon, lovelies.

And, thank you, thank you again for the love.
xo

24.

2008-11-18T20:34:00.000-07:00

Another year wiser, I am today.
I was lucky enough to celebrate my day twice: with my lovely friends on Sunday, and with my darling family today. Thank you everyone, for everything.

The cake, Lavender Chocolate (from ExtraVeganZa), was divine.
A happy birthday indeed.
xo

Lucky us!

2008-11-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were lucky enough to have a visit with one of my darling sisters, known around these parts as Auntie Heather.

There was much fun had, but I think the highlight for the wee ones was our trip to the aquarium.

Thank you so much for the visit, love! See you over the winter holidays!
xo

Rainy Rain Rain

2008-11-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

It has been a rainy couple of weeks around these parts. A sure sign that winter is on its way. While we all like the rain, we certainly have been spending more and more time indoors, which I'm sure was a large factor in us all getting some unpleasant colds this week.
How we've been occupying ourselves:

Games for Q,

puzzles for T,

knitting for mama (combined with some stress as the winter holidays draw near),

And, just for fun, we made some vegan cheese (the Colby Cheese from the Uncheese Cookbook). It is made mostly of cashews and roasted red peppers and is not bad. I mean, certainly isn't going to fool anyone, but we all liked it just fine. We promptly made some grilled cheese sandwiches, which the children had never had before, and were delighted with.

The colds, combined with our wee-est one teething has resulted in some rough nights, and tough days. Lots of sling time and homeopathy for this little one.

I do apologize for the wee absence there, friends. I hope you are all well!
xo

Bookworms, Part 1

2008-10-28T21:35:00.000-06:00

We are a family of bookworms. Our house is filled with borrowed books, library books, and stacks upon stacks and shelves upon shelves of our books. I am, admittedly, completely addicted to buying books. Sure, I love the library, but oh how I regret having to give those loaned books back! My love of books is very clearly echoed in Q, who can (and many times has) sit for hours carefully "reading" (he has most of them memorized) every single childrens book we have.

Wee T was a little slower to warm up to them (read: destructive), but has certainly found his favorites.

And a new rhythm has developed for us, during these cool and beautiful autumn days, involving lots of library time, followed by lots of park time. It couldn't be more perfect really.

Unless we find some friends to join in the fun...

Have you read any good books lately?
xo

Organic food

2008-10-27T21:30:00.000-06:00

Although I have never actually seen Star Wars (hides under blanket), my husband tells me that this spoof, about the importance of organic food, is quite funny! I hope it brightens your day a little.

xo

Little Things...

2008-10-21T22:53:00.001-06:00

... making me happy these days:

Vintage shoes from etsy:

Hot apple cider from the farmers' market:

My littlest babe learning all about baking and chopsticks, two very important things to know in our house:

And fall food. Hot Jamaican patties (a comfort food from my childhood - loosely based on this recipe), and carrot soup (based on this recipe):

All this along with a big, fresh batch of library books all about fall, and I couldn't be more pleased.

What little things are making you happy these days?

xo

Randomly Six

2008-10-17T15:37:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged by the darling Becka to reveal 6 random things about myself. Sounds simple enough, right?
Okay. Here goes.

1. I bought an amazing vintage acoustic guitar 4 years ago (when I was pregnant with Quinn), and haven't yet learned a single chord. Or note. Or whatever.

2. I hate being scared, and cannot watch even the tamest of horror movies.

3. I am rediscovering my love of audio books, and desperately trying to instill that love in my babes. Last night? Anne of Green Gables. This morning? The Wind and the Willows. Right now? Little House on the Prairie. So good.

4. The first thing I ever knit was a scarf for Keith that he still wears regularly.

5. I'm a notorious procrastinator, and am late for everything. Including my own wedding. Yep.

6. We are a tv-free household.

and, a bonus 7. I've never yet been stung by a bee/ wasp/ hornet.

The rules:
• Link to the person who tagged you.
• Mention the rules.
• Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself.
• Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.
• Go to each person's blog and leave a comment that lets them know they've been tagged.

If you haven't been tagged yet, then I tag YOU!!!

Have the loveliest day....

2008-10-12T14:30:00.000-06:00

When I moved to Vancouver in June, I spent the first month alone with the kids, schlepping them to-and-from the beach, and aimlessly wandering around the neighbourhood. One day I bravely ventured out to a community play center, and happened to meet the most lovely lady, who shared so many of my interests that after the play center closed, I walked an extra 10 blocks out of my way just to keep talking to her. She's vegan, she's compassionate, she's smart, and she's a darn good friend. I feel so lucky to have met her.
Thanks for being delightful, Amber! I truly wish you the happiest of birthdays.
xoxo
P.S. Don't move!

The Cabin. Or, more aptly titled, a photo essay on how I'd like to spend the rest of my life, if you please.

2008-10-08T17:57:00.001-06:00

Oh the fire! The river! The trees! The people! Oh autumn! Oh! When can I return?

October 2.

2008-10-02T10:48:00.000-06:00

Not too many years ago today, I wore a white dress, said some vows, and shared a kiss. Happy Anniversary, my love.

My gift to him was an embroidery of an image titled "Peace Tree", from The New Crewel. It was my first attempt at embroidery, and, if you can get past the crummy lighting in this picture, it actually turned out quite lovely.

We are off to disappear into the woods for a few days with some friends. Enjoy your weekend, lovelies.
xo

Simpler. Sorta.

2008-09-30T21:07:00.000-06:00

Hello, lovelies! Sorry for the wee break there! That was certainly unintentional.

Fall is here, and I could not be more delighted. Oh fall. How I love thee. Jackets have been brought out from storage, hats have been knit, and root veggies have been roasted. All very good things.

(Both of the above jackets were hand-knit by the boys' great-grandma, and belonged to my husband when he was a wee one.)

On a particularly rainy and sleepy day last week, my husband played hookie from work (shh!), and we all took a day to relax and decompress. Or, that was the idea. Rather than slowing down, I simplified, sort of. In an ongoing effort to free ourselves from relying on corporations to feed us, we have taken many steps to simplify our food. We always buy most of our produce from the local market, and always buy organic. To take an extra step, I decided to use my "free" day to cook up some other goods that would have otherwise been purchased. I whipped up these crackers (yum!), jars upon jars of jam (from the blackberries picked a few weeks ago... I used this recipe), and fig newtons.

The fig newtons were a real treat. They are Quinn's favorite cookie (really, the only cookie he knows...). They were a little labour-intensive, but surely worth it. The recipe is from Vegan With A Vengeance.

Another treat is the little Italian shop we have a few blocks away that sells vegan ravioli! Goodness. I love ravioli, and theirs is just fantastic. They sell 3 kinds: butternut squash, mushroom, and spinach, and all three are just lovely. I whipped up some homemade pesto, and a fresh salad, and dinner was served!

We had a fantastic weekend, attending a vegan pie party (oh yes. I have some good friends.), and the Taste of Health. I also threw together this hat for Quinn at the last minute. It didn't turn out quite as charming as the photo in the book, but I kind of love it anyways. It has a sweet pilgrim feel to it. And the hot air balloon ribbon just makes me smile.

I hope you all are doing well and keeping cozy!

xo

Happiness is...

2008-09-16T20:38:00.000-06:00

Takeout.

Pancakes for supper.
(Pancakes are the basic recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance)

Yummy food.
(So many thanks to Monika K. for letting me in on this cucumber salad recipe. So so delightful.)

Keith's old record player, and my old record now being enjoyed in the boys' bedroom.

And some afternoon music, on our new-to-us couch.

Some other things that are bringing me happiness these days...
- dreaming about new shoes, particularly these, these, and these, even though I clearly need no more shoes... it is so fun to pretend that they will magically fall into my lap...
- fall! in all it's beautiful, warm glory (particularly all the good fall produce at the farmer's market. yes, fall truly is my favorite time of year.)
- maybe these shoes too...
- listening to Julie Doiron's Heart and Crime album, especially the song Wintermitts, which I want to sit and listen to over and over again
- Julie & Julia, which is quite possibly the most not-vegan book ever written, but is entertaining me nonetheless
- finally finishing my business website, and patiently awaiting clients...

I hope you're all enjoying some happiness right now as well!
xo

The Longest Weekend

2008-09-09T21:28:00.000-06:00

The Labour Day Weekend was a couple weeks ago, and we enjoyed our 3 days together as best we could. It was a very eventful weekend, filled with friends and fun.

Sunday was our busiest day, beginning with our weekly trip to the local market, then to a second handmade market, and then on to a spectacular concert. The concert was certainly the highlight of the day, shared with good friends.
The evening was chilly, and the yarn and knitting was a comfort.
Rebekah knits, and Richard winds a ball.
Socks in progress, and some reading material, for in-between sets.
Keeping warm with cuddles and dance.
We are not big car users, usually reserving our car usage for the weekend, but this weekend we stuck to our bicycles. Not being a long-distance bicycler, I was amazed to learn that we had biked 31 km in one day! We were sure worn out by nightfall, as were our wee ones.

The next day we met up with a small group of lovelies to pick blackberries. I am so lucky to live nearby bushes and bushes of these sweet treats!
Our bounty at the end of the day was great, and my berries are resting in my freezer, just waiting to become jam.

Thank you for the company, friends!
xo

Oh, yes yes please!

2008-09-03T09:32:00.000-06:00

Bored? This should keep you busy for a while.

My dream fall ensemble. I need much longer hair to pull off the beret/ tam, but in my dream fall world, I have longer hair, so it works. Also, the boots are sonotvegan, but in my dream fall, they are. So there.

Go, play!
xo

1...2...3!

2008-08-30T08:50:00.000-06:00

Quinn's 3rd birthday was spent primarily on the road, as we made the 12 hour drive from Vancouver to Edmonton.
Brother-love, and Quinn donning his Waldorf-esque birthday crown.

Much thanks to my dad for picking up a slice of vegan chocolate cake from the local health food store, Quinn was able to enjoy a late-night slice of birthday cake after the long drive.

His gift was a simple child-sized acoustic guitar that he had been wanting.
Happy Birthday, sweet love.

Hi there.

2008-08-29T20:31:00.001-06:00

Welcome to my new space. A space for warmth and friendship.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope to see you again soon!
xo