Elizaboothy

Cake Balls!

2011-03-09T15:28:00.003-05:00

I made cake balls. Or stick-less cake pops. Or whatever you want to call them. Little mounds of squished up cake and icing dipped in chocolate. And guess what? They're kind of gross.

Which doesn't mean that I can stop eating them, of course. Here's what happened: we had a birthday party for Henry on the weekend and I tried to be a hero and bake a cake from scratch rather than going with a box cake. I have always had trouble with birthday cakes. I've preformed many successful culinary feats in my life, but birthday cakes elude me. Any other kind of cake and I'm fine. But I can not make a birthday cake to save my life. When I found out a few years ago that Aaron's mum's delicious birthday cakes come from a box I rejoiced and started using the box myself. This year, however, I got ambitious and tried for scratch. The cake fell, I cried and then I ran off to the store to grab a boxed mix.

So, what to do with the fallen cake? I crumbled it up, mixed it with the leftover icing from the successfully baked box cake (I do make my icing from scratch, thank you very much), rolled them into a bunch of balls, stuck them in the freezer for 20 minutes and rolled them in melted chocolate. Cake balls!

I know these things are all the rage, but they're kind of cloying. Maybe I used too much icing, but they're really sweet and kind of mushy. They're sort of tolerable if you eat them right out of the fridge, but if you left them on the counter for any amount of time they'd be disgusting and mushy.

So are cake balls the new cupcake, the new maracron, the new whoopie pie. No. And no.

Winter Mini-Break

2011-03-02T16:43:00.000-05:00

Ruby Tuesday: A Story

2011-02-15T12:43:00.002-05:00

Once there was a girl who had a tree.

She really loved the tree.

One day a man with a saw came by and tried to cut down the tree.

The girl got a stop sign and said "STOP!"

The girl went back to loving the tree and the man with the saw was taken to prison. The end.

Yee-haw!

2011-02-07T22:18:00.003-05:00

Ruby wanted a cowgirl party this year. It was kind of epic. I wish I could show you pictures with the actual six-year-old cowgirls in them, but I don't want to freak out any of the other kids' mothers. Anyway, sparkly cowgirl hats are pure awesome dollar store madness.

Now We Are Six

2011-02-03T13:06:00.003-05:00

I have been a mother for six years. Six years. Usually I write Ruby a letter on her birthday, but I've become more and more slack on that over the last few years and I don't think mere words could even start to convey how I feel about her. She is without a doubt the most lovely and complicated human being I've ever met. She's smart (taught herself to read! It just magically came forth one day), generous, gracious, sensitive, and really really funny. She's an amazing artist, a (usually) patient big sister, a beauty, a great friend, and a gentle soul. I guess I can put some of it into words.

This year we had our first ever mother/daughter fancy restaurant birthday lunch and it was magical. We've agreed to do it every year for the rest of our lives. I'm committed to instilling snobby food values into this kid, I tell ya. I think forcing her to go to garage sales and thrift stores balances it out.

Oh, and here is the progress on her "real" birthday doll. Not much, eh? I'm trying people, I'm trying.

Wanderlust

2011-01-26T18:43:00.001-05:00

Really not sure where I'm going with this. But I shall knit until all of those little mini-leftover balls are gone.

Made Mermaiden

2011-01-17T22:00:00.003-05:00

I finally got Hillary's book. It is so awesome -- of course I want to make every single doll in here. Maybe I will. I make Ruby a doll for her birthday every year and the first one that stood out for me was Margot, the topsy-turvey doll. Now, I'm prone to stressing out over complicated projects (not that any of these dolls are too complicated), so I thought I'd test the waters by making a back-up doll.

Mermaiden is one of the smallest and simplest dolls in the book, but it's also one of the cutest. This doll is really simple -- like, if you wake up in the morning and realize that you didn't get anything for an afternoon birthday party, you could probably whip one of these up.

I chose a pretty wacky colour combo, digging through my vintage scraps to find something that would work. I realize the hair is a little odd (and my freestyle quilting is a bit wonky wonk), but this is totally my style, so my kid is used to it. And if I don't finish Margot on time, I'm safe.

Gifted

2011-01-12T15:35:00.002-05:00

Happy 2011! We had some lovely holidays here. The kids were happy, Santa was sweet, much food and wine was consumed. Here are some of my most lovely presents (my friend Alana knitted the shawlette -- isn't it amazing?). Cooking, knitting, and vintage. What more could a girl wish for?

Given

2010-12-29T12:14:00.002-05:00

One of the best gifts that I had the pleasure of wrapping this year was a trio of art pieces that Ruby created to give to her two grandmothers and her Aunties. We borrowed this idea for single colour collages from a project that Ruby's kindergarten class did at the beginning of the year. Each child was assigned a single color and had to collect objects from home to use in their collage. Then they painted a canvas a solid colour and Mod Podged their objects down in whatever manner they chose. The pieces are displayed in the foyer of the school and they're amazing. Ruby was assigned black, which is kind of a boring color to do, so we decided to give it another crack with some brighter colors at home.

Having a well stocked craft room makes this project a lot easier, since we could grab scraps of yarn and ribbon and cut off pieces of yarn to our hearts content. Ruby chose the colours she used, taking the recipients' tastes into account. It took us the course of an afternoon to glue everything down and we had a lot of fun doing it.

I really love the finished look of these guys. It thrills me to no end when a five year old can so easily make something that looks like real life ART. Everyone who received a picture was beyond thrilled and my little gal has never been more proud. Neither has her mother.

Merry Merry

2010-12-24T11:42:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's already Christmas Eve. Again. Here's a little gingerbread house that Ruby decorated at her Nana's house. Leena so graciously put it together the day before, which really is a job that I've sworn I've never do again (I'm not very handy with that royal icing). But Ruby and Henry both came home from a day with Nana with beautiful gingerbread houses. Hooray.

I did manage to make one Christmas Craft -- the Gingerbread Lady from one of Alicia's ornament kits. It was just one of the three ornaments, but I managed to finish it and gift it to Ruby's amazingly wonderful kindergarten teacher on the last day of school before break. Did I photograph it? Of course not.

Anyway, a happy holiday to all of you out there. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, have a lovely day. xoxo.

The Spread

2010-12-20T13:46:00.004-05:00

So, we had a Christmas party. It was a little over a week ago and I'm still deep in recovery. We had about 60 people (including babies) come celebrate in our 1,000 square foot home -- do your own calculation to figure out how many square feet per person that works out to, but I'll assure you that space was tight.

I'll admit, the main reason I insist on a Christmas party every year is so that I can try new recipes and show off my collection of vintage tableware. I realize this is pathetic and kind of anti-social. But the food was glorious, with the Fontina Artichoke Dip and my mother's famous Olive Cheese Balls being the the out-of-the-park hits. I have most of my recipe hijinx documented over at the other blog. Check it out.

For now, I'm elbow-deep in Mod Podge helping Ruby with her super-secret Christmas gifts. Full report after they are unwrapped.

Patchwork Stocking Tutorial

2010-11-29T18:02:00.006-05:00

Okay, I'm hardly an expert sewer, so this tutorial thing is a little strange for me. But here it goes. Last year I had this fat quarter pack of Xmas fabric and I got it in my little head that I would make patchwork stockings for the whole family. I couldn't find a tutorial online that suited my fancy, so I just kind of winged it. By virtue of a Christmas miracle, I finished them on Christmas Eve and they actually turned out pretty awesome. I know that anyone who knows anything about sewing probably could have figured out an easier way to do this, but this is how I figured it out...

1. Make a big piece of patchwork fabric. I realize that this is kind of time consuming and wasteful, but since I was making six stockings, it was the easiest option I could come up with. I figured out how much yardage I needed and I started cutting out squares. I did 2.5" by 2.5" and cut out roughly a million of them. A million.

2. To make my fabric I (kind of) randomly laid out my squares on a sheet of light fusible interfacing. I very carefully ironed them down (thus fusing them), leaving as small a gap between squares as humanly possible.

3. I stitched the squares together, by folding over the interfacing and seaming right over it. I've seen a lot of projects that use this method, usually called fusible quilting or something of the sort. Basically, you're just sewing the squares together in strips, but they're already attached to each other because they're stuck to the interfacing. Does this make even remote sense? It will make sense when you do it. After sewing the first row together, fold over the next row and do that one. Once all of the vertical rows are together, trim your seams and repeat the whole process with the horizontal rows. You know have a very solid piece of fabric that will look like this:

4. Now just use this piece of fabric like you would any piece of fabric. I used a stocking I already had and liked the shape of to make a paper pattern. I traced six stockings out on the patchwork fabric, held my breath and cut.

5. I then cut out stocking shaped pieces in red fabric and from a fleece baby blanket (for batting) and basically made a mini stocking-shaped quilt. I pinned them together and did some stitch-in-the-ditch quilting to make little quilt sandwiches.

6. I cut out some more stocking shapes in red felt and with the right sides together, sewed them together, leaving the top open. I fashioned a little fold over out of fuzzy white fabric and sewed it to the top of the front (quilted) piece. I finished them off by sewing a little loop to the corner to hang by the chimney with care. The end!

If you have any questions, please please please comment or email me. I realize that this explanation might not be totally clear, so your questions and input are much appreciated. xoxo.

Ruby Tuesday

2010-11-23T21:58:00.002-05:00

It is so like my girl to come home from school with puppets like these. Three separate ladies on three separate days to put on plays at home. The bejeweled one is obviously the favourite.

p.s. In other news, I just finished reading the late Rue McLanahan's memoir and it really is a fun read. Now I've moved onto John Waters' Role Models, which is so far, charming, funny, and sweet. Reading is fun.

Thrum Ditty Thrum Ditty Thrum Thrum Thrum

2010-11-20T21:35:00.004-05:00

I'm a little ashamed to say that I'm pretty sure that I bought the kit to make these socks last December. I planned to knit them as a gift for my sister-in-law's birthday, which was in April. That sort of didn't happen. But look, all finished with plenty of time to spare before Christmas!

These are thrum socks, made from a Fleece Artist kit. I have no idea how readily available these kits are, but they're totally awesome. The lady at the store gave me the very sage advice that I should cut the roving in half so that I'd be sure to have enough for both socks. Very, very smart, that one. So, they were made with no problems at all, just roadblocked by the busy-ness of my own life.

I think these socks are pretty hilarious. With the furnace running non-stop I'm feeling pretty puffy through the joints as it is, and when I tried them on my ankles resembled the last week of my second pregnancy. I also like that they stand up by themselves like macabre little sculptures. But mostly, they're incredible because they were made for the girl with the coldest feet in the world and I have made it my holiday-knitting mission to keep those feet warm. If this doesn't do it, nothing will.

Bring on the Crafts

2010-11-18T23:46:00.004-05:00

Craft fair season, she has begun. I'm trying to control myself, but this kind of replaces thrifting for me in these cold winter months. I'm also trying to stop myself from turning into a crazy Christmas lady. I'm not sure how well I will succeed.

p.s. That's a felt tea cozy you see. I bought it for myself, which I know is a pre-holiday no-no. But darn it, it does keep my teapot warm.

Cooky Monsters

2010-11-10T12:21:00.002-05:00

In case you'd missed it, a few months ago I took on the insane task of "cooking my way through" Betty Crocker's 1963 classic The Cooky Book. I'm not doing it Julie Powell-style (trying to do the entire thing over the course of a year), but I'm just baking the cookies in order whenever I need new cookies in my jar. By my estimation it will take me about five to ten years to get through the 450 recipes. Just in time for my kids to be off to university.

I am pleased to announce that I've made it through the dreadfully boring first section: Cooky Primer -- Drop Cookies. Man, oh man, this has been painful. I have never been so excited to make a butterscotch brownie (the next recipe in the book). Seriously.

In other Cooky Book news that you probably don't care about, I've decided to deviate from my schedule to make Christmas cookies. I will jump ahead a few chapters and start working on those, for obvious reasons. I realize this is so completely dorky that it's comical. I am self-aware of my own insanity. And I never want to eat Molasses Jumbles again in my life.

For a full run-down on my Cooky Book adventure, swing on over to the Cooky Book tag at my other blog.

Halloweeeeeeen!

2010-11-02T21:18:00.003-04:00

I don't often post pictures of my kids, but since this is kind of a craft blog, I needed to show off my Halloween costumes. My kids' Halloween costumes are the reason I learned how to sew in the first place and I will sew them Halloween costumes as long as they'll let me. I'm pleased to say that they really do seem to love them and R often says that she thinks store bought costumes aren't nearly as nice. Score!

R decided she wanted to be Princess Leia a long time ago. And she's been talking about it non-stop. Her teacher actually asked me if we were big sci-fi fans because R talks about Star Wars all the time and is constantly drawing pictures of herself in her (then) hypothetical Princess Leia costume. H wanted to be Darth Vader to compliment the Leia costume, but I wasn't about to let a two-year-old wander around in a full face mask. I managed to convince him to be a pirate, with the promise that he'd be "very very scary."

The Leia costume is the angel costume from McCall's 2350. I thought about adding a hood and a mock turtleneck for accuracy, but ended up just making the pattern as is. R didn't care. I made a simple belt that buttons in the back. Easy peasey.

H's was a little more involved, but very satisfying. I used the toddler pirate costume from Simplicity 3650 and skipped the sash because the shirt wasn't particularly long. It was really fun to make. I planned on using the same white broadcloth as I used in the Princess Leia dress, but there wasn't very much left. So I fished through my stash and found a huge swath of sheer drapery material. It was perfect. My new machine whizzed right through these costumes, and if I may say so, several people asked where I bought Henry's custom-made costume. Success!

Pile of Halloween

2010-10-26T22:16:00.004-04:00

Halloween, how the heck did you sneak up so fast? For the past couple of weeks I've kept thinking "Oh no, Halloween is this week!" and then I realized that it was actually a couple weeks away. Now, it's almost here, and I am sadly underprepared. Costumes to make, a playgroup party to plan, pumpkins to carve and I'm kind of pretending that none of it is happening.

But the costumes are actually almost finished. Of course, I can't show them to you until the day comes (mainly because I don't want to overexcite the kids with a costume modeling session), but I'm really really happy with them. After the hellride that was last year's mermaid costume, this year has been a breeze. Ruby was easy: she's going as Princess Leia, and after the investment of a proper wig, all I had to do was make the angel costume from a Christmas pageant pattern and a belt. Easy peasy. Henry is going to be a pirate. That one was a little more involved, but it was actually really fun and despite some risks, seems to have turned out great. Feeling good. Full costume pics and specs on the patterns after everyone is sufficiently filled with candy.

Le Catch-Up

2010-10-24T17:53:00.001-04:00

Yeah, another photo post. I'm still catching up, October has been killer. New York City, Canadian Thanksgiving, working for actual money and the impending-ness of Halloween. Life, you are grand.

Hello Calgary

2010-10-19T17:29:00.003-04:00

I don't usually write about local politics -- or anything local or political at all -- in these parts, but my city, which is usually viewed as being conservative both socially and fiscally, voted in an amazing progressive mayor last night. His name is Naheed Nenshi and he is the very first politician in this province that I have actively supported. I'm very politically-minded, but my politics are not usually favoured around these parts. Until now. A Harvard-educated master in public policy who supports great transit and opposes urban sprawl is my new mayor. You have to understand Calgary to understand how very very big this is.

It was a pleasure to support Mr. Nenshi and as of this morning I am very proud to live in this city (though, I do still miss my true love, Toronto). I've embedded this video, which will probably only be enjoyed by 30-something Calgarians. You know me, sentimental.

October?

2010-10-11T10:44:00.002-04:00

Oh, hi October. Sorry I haven't been around these parts. Life has been busy. Here's some catch-up from September.

Viva

2010-09-07T22:34:00.002-04:00

The husband and I just returned from a fab adult trip to Las Vegas. You don't know how wonderful it was to enjoy delicious restaurant meals and not have to constantly be checking to make sure no one was blowing bubbles in their milk or eating crayons. Or maybe you do.

This was my second trip to Vegas and the first time around I was really disappointed to see how little of the Vegas of yore is present, even when you venture downtown. This time I found it, in an outdoor lot, courtesy of a not-for-profit that runs what is called the Neon Boneyard. Enjoy.

Hipsta-cation

2010-08-14T18:34:00.001-04:00

Like I said, a little obsessed with Hipstamatic in these parts. Here's the view from the road.

Beach Blanket Bingo

2010-08-07T17:22:00.005-04:00

What could be nicer than a family trip to the beach, with a picnic packed and a nice picnic blanket? I started making this quilt in June -- my plan was just to do a quick and dirty patchwork quilt. A broken sewing machine (so happily repalced) and some serious binding procrastination threw me off track, but I finally finished my hand sewing last night. And I couldn't be more delighted.

What makes me most proud is that this gorgeous quilt cost me almost no dollars. The fabric on the top is all either scraps or garage sale finds, the back is a piece of solid gray from a garage sale and the binding is a very light denim, also thrifted. And the batting? Through a strange set of circumstances Aaron and I found ourselves in possession of a couple of Snuggies. While Snuggies are awesome in theory, the fabric they're made of is truly horrid. So rather than junking them, I used one as the batting for this blanket. It worked like a charm -- not as thick as a proper quilt, but with enough heft so it won't blow away at the beach.

So yes, think of me going to the lake, sitting down with my quilt and kicking back. And feeling proud that I finally finished something. Hooray!

Low Tech Tech Cozy

2010-08-06T13:28:00.003-04:00

I got one of those fancy new iPhones. Yep. Before you judge you should know the following: this is the first smart phone I've ever had and I did not stand in line for it (they were just released in Canada last week). My crappy flip phone had got to the point where it only had a two hour battery life after a full night's charge and since I'm hoping to work a little bit more come this fall, I really needed access to email when I'm out and about with the kids. And they're just really cool. And I'm already addicted to the Hipstamatic camera app. Yes, I just said "app."

Anyway, after getting the phone through my wireless provider (thankfully my contract was almost up so I got this baby at a fraction of the actual retail price in exchange for signing up again plus I didn't have to wait in line to get it) I went to my local Apple Store, breezed past the 300+ people waiting in line to get a phone of their own and asked the nice man there where the cases for the phone were. They didn't have any. A quick trip to the online Apple Store illuminated the fact that the store in the mall wasn't just sold out, but no one makes decent cases for the new iPhone yet. If you have one of the old iPhones there are dozens of cute cases (including some really lovely Kate Spade designs). For the new one? Nada. Not a problem if you're like my husband and carry it in your jeans pocket, but if you have a big crazy disorganized purse and don't want your phone scratched to pieces, this is bad news.

I really want a decent protective case that still gives me access to my phone, but until that happens I whipped up a little slip cover for my phone. It took exactly two minutes. I folded a piece of felt, sewed up the sides on the machine, trimmed the edges with pinking shears and slipped my phone into it. Not a perfect solution, but so easy. Like, so easy.

On a side note, Aaron bought a case for his iPad (yes, we're turning into that kind of family) that is basically this, just in really thick wool felt (it would have been too thick to put though a sewing machine -- it actually offers a bit of protection beyond being merely scratch proof). It cost $45. For a felt envelope. Seriously.

FAB! (Ric)

2010-08-03T13:37:00.004-04:00

In an effort to stop using the same five or six prints for every single thing I make, I bought some new fabric. My super awesome friend Heather directed me to a fab sale on Westminster quilting cotton over at Fabric.com a few weeks ago (sorry, it's long over) and I went a little crazy. This stuff was super cheap -- I'm talking less than $3 a yard. So, I took advantage, getting a hodgepodge of stuff with no particular project in mind. If I was thinking I would have bought from a single collection so I could make a fancy coordinated quilt, but who am I kidding? I'd way rather just stick this stuff in the stash and mix it up with my existing stash of vintage and non-vintage fabrics when the right project comes.

Speaking of which (and speaking of those same prints that I use every single time), I'm patiently hand sewing the binding on my picnic quilt, which I need to finish next week if I want to take it on our summer road trip. Oh binding, why? Why?

Weekend Thrift

2010-07-28T16:25:00.003-04:00

Hey it's me, taking a break from my self-imposed blog hiatus. This summer has been so busy, I've barely even had time to thrift, which is just insane to me. So many garage sales, so little time. But I did hit a really crazy estate sale on the weekend -- the person in question had some pretty solid collections of random things -- mostly broken old toys and butter churns, but I did snag a couple of things.

Above, as you can see, is a decorative trio of golden nuns. If you wind them up it plays the song from the Sound of Music (you know, the nun one). I think this will come out every Christmas. I love it.

Since Aaron was busy, I had to drag the kids along and they went crazy over the mountains of crappy toys. They each snagged a lunch box (Henry wouldn't let me take his Snoopy box away from him long enough to photograph it, he loves it so) and Ruby also chose a bunch of She-ra toys. I'm about five years too old to have been a She-ra fanatic, but we did a google search to identify them. Good times!

Cooky Cooky!

2010-07-05T16:15:00.003-04:00

My KitchenAid mixer is fixed and back in my house. It cost $120 to fix the gear -- which hurt, but is much cheaper than buying a new one (and I've realized I can't live without one). Can I bake every one of the 400 cookies in Betty Crocker's Cooky Book? It might take me a decade, but I'm gonna try! First cookie on the list attempted over at the other blog.

Happy Birthday Canada

2010-07-01T17:29:00.004-04:00

Happy birthday to the best country I know. Canada, your government has disappointed me greatly this week, what with the complete affront of civil liberties and mass arrests that happened this weekend in Toronto. Not cool, government. In fact, holding such a meeting in the most populated area of the country was not cool. But this isn't a political blog, so I'm not going to rant. Because I do have a big ugly rant in me. But I'm saving it for my friends and loved ones. Just know, Mr. Harper and friends, you will not have my vote next time around (though, who am I kidding, they never had my vote in the first place).

Onto happier things. Check out the awesome Canadian flag that Ruby drew to hang on our window. She wanted to start her day by flinging the front door open and yelling "Happy Birthday, Canada," but then lost her nerve. She even drew out this plan. I'll translate for you -- Step 1: Make balloons. Step 2: Eat toast and peanut butter. Step 3: Eat cake. Step 4: Give presents to Mommy and Daddy. Step 5: Sing a song that she wrote. Step 6: Have a party.

It didn't work out quite that way -- instead we spent the day at the awesome historical village theme park. And soon we will eat barbequed food. And drink iced tea. After all, it's a day to celebrate.

Epherma

2010-06-18T15:53:00.004-04:00

I hit an amazing estate sale yesterday -- I swear the woman who passed away did not buy a single thing after 1958. While I'm always a little sad to rifle though a deceased person's things (especially as their family looks on), I always assume that the previous owner would like the fact that her stuff is finding a new home. I know I would.

We found some other things, but I was absolutely thrilled to find a lot of vintage children's illustrations, in the form of books, comics and (get ready for it) paper dolls! I don't know why I'm so drawn to vintage children's epherma, but I can't get enough of it. I'm only allowing the kids to play with one book -- the rest is far too precious. I just get the shivers looking at it. I hope you enjoy it too.

7 Things I Like.

2010-06-16T15:48:00.002-04:00

It's another indoor day here (we really wasted our money putting Ruby in soccer this year), so I figured I'd do a random list of things that are making me happy these days:

1. Contrary to the above statement and the last post, I'm loving the rain. It rains here so rarely under regular circumstances, so I'm loving it. If it continues for another week I may take that back.

2. Garden gnomes. And other lawn ornaments that strike my fancy.

3. Reruns of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And the new season of True Blood. Yes, I am weak.

4. Smoothies spiked with Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer. Aaron calls it my "new age food" and wants nothing to do with it, but subbing my regular cereal in the morning with a Vega shake has done away with a lot of stomach problems I was experiencing. Sure, it tastes like dirt, but you get used to it.

5. Things that come out of my children's mouths. Example from Ruby: "Dad, did you know that an iPad is just an iPhone but really, really big?" followed by "Mom, have you ever had pizza made from humans?"

6. The World Cup.

7. Coconut cream green tea.

And that is all for now. Enjoy the rain or the sun, wherever you are.

Pimm's, Anyone?

2010-06-14T15:48:00.003-04:00

There was an oasis of sunshine this weekend to break up what's seemed like weeks of dreary rain. Yesterday was a perfect hanging out in the backyard with friends day -- our first of the year. And yes, friends, there was Pimm's. I followed Martha Stewart's method, which garnishes with lemon, but I swiftly realized that omitting cucumber was a tragedy. It is a mistake that will not be repeated. The act of making Pimm's Cup on a Sunday afternoon, however, shall be repeated throughout the summer. Mark my (gin-soaked) words.

New Baby

2010-06-07T16:02:00.003-04:00

Look what followed me home the other day. Really. Actually, my much maligned cheap-o Singer sewing machine finally met its match after years of me trying to force it to do things it just wasn't designed to do. I know I could have fixed it, but I was so annoyed with it and so tired of it being unable to hold tension and just being plain crappy that I decided it was time to hit the online classifieds and buy a new one. I managed to find a never before used (it was won in a contest -- in fact, someone in a Canadian city near you probably won one and is selling it online) Janome 2160QDC, with a quilting package included. I got it for about $350 less than suggested retail. I feel pretty stoked, I must tell you.

I didn't know it could be like this. This thing is so bloody quiet -- it's like it's whispering to me. And it has a walking foot. A walking foot! And the feed dogs drop. And it has a darning foot! Free motion quilting, here I come. Now if you excuse me, I need to go spend some quality time with my new friend.

In Production

2010-06-03T16:14:00.002-04:00

And motivation begins to creep in. Yes, that's a stack of cut fabric. Shockingly, most of it has now been sewn together. I'm feeling good, people. Feeling good.

In other news, Ruby is taking piano lessons with an awesome musician that we know. She sent home a little keyboard picture for Ruby to colour and Ruby took it upon herself to write "I colour me and you!" This cracks me up like crazy.

Art Star

2010-05-13T18:39:00.003-04:00

I've had one of those weeks where I was extra extra extra proud of my kiddos. Ruby participated in a summer art program last July and they held back a piece by each of the kids. They went through all the pieces, chose about 50 and curated an art show at a little gallery downtown. We went to the opening last week and Ruby decked herself out in a pretty dress and a tiara and was just so lovely and pleased with herself. The organizers asked if she'd come back this week to be interviewed by a local TV channel about her piece. Ruby is a very animated girl but clams up around strangers, so I was reluctant, but she wanted to do it and she did a great job. Proud, I tell ya.

So, here is the painting. It's a cowgirl. I'd forgotten that she'd signed her name backwards -- it was something she did for about three weeks last year and could never explain why she did it. Her drawing has changed so much in the last year and it was amazing to see this little nugget captured from when she was a mere four and a half.

Whoopie Doopie Doo

2010-05-10T16:47:00.001-04:00

I made whoopie pies! I was underwhelmed! I shall try again!

(more info at the other blog.)

To the Moms

2010-05-09T17:34:00.003-04:00

This is a picture of the shadow that came through my bedroom window yesterday morning. I captured it as best as I could. I feel so lucky to live in a neighbourhood with decent mature trees.

So, Mothers' Day, right? This one is a good one and a tough one for me. The reason I've been less present in this space in the last six months or so is that I have little to blog about (not making much) and can barely find the words when I do have something to say. I'm hoping that this crazy period is the pinnacle of my kids' craziness -- my two-year-old is a complete wild man and my five-year-old is a curious question-asker that insists on bossing her brother around at all times. This makes for a lot of talking in our house. And screaming. And whining. I love these children more than anything and I know I will miss this special time once they're through being little. But man, I can hardly wait until I get to a time when I can hear myself think for more than two minutes throughout the day. Although, by the time that happens, I'll probably be heartbroken that they're not babies anymore.

I'm savoring this mother's day as best as I can. I love being a mother. But I'm also looking forward to a future date when I have the headspace to be a functioning person again.

xoxo

Eh, Spring?

2010-05-04T15:40:00.004-04:00

I wanted to make a banner for spring (a la Alicia), but I was starting to think that I'd dragged my heels for too long and the spring boat was passing me by. But, as I look out my window at a major blizzard (on May 4), I'm reminded that this has been a wacky year for weather everywhere. I originally planned to have this up by St. Patrick's Day (hence a lot of green), but with spring not quite here yet, I'm certainly not too late.

Anyway, I'm feeling good that I finished something. I had a major breakdown this week over Ruby's kindergarten enrollment next year. Basically, I was feeling less than great about our local elementary school and could envision her life being steered in the wrong direction (I realize this was kind of crazy). My instincts that the school is less than ideal for our family were confirmed after I spoke to the principal (note: it's still a decent school, just not right for us), so we've decided to sacrifice locale for an amazing school that suits our family's style and beliefs. I am so excited, but the excitement only comes after a load of stress and some sleepless nights. I have a feeling that our family's life is never going to be boring. Which I kind of appreciate, but sometimes a little boring would be nice if it means I get a little bit of extra sleep. Phew.

Ruby in Paradise

2010-04-26T15:43:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the unexplained absence -- our little fam took off for two glorious weeks in Maui and I was so frazzled prepping for the trip, there was no time to blog. As I explained to Aaron, for a mom, traveling with small children isn't so much a vacation as it is a business trip. A beautiful, fun and sun-filled business trip, but business nonetheless.

Speaking of business, I'm back and ready to buckle down (to some degree, at least). So much to do!

p.s. I don't know why, but I have a strange tendency to dress my children like tiny senior citizens vacationing in Florida. This time Henry got the brunt of my lunacy. Sorry, tiny old man.

Randoms

2010-04-05T21:47:00.003-04:00

Man, I've been neglecting this space. I've actually been losing followers! I'm so sorry, I feel like I'm letting you down, dear blog. But as anyone who's done it will tell you, having a two-year-old boy is craaaazy! Henry is the most lovable creature, but Ruby and I spend most of our time baffled by his behavior and energy. Roo will often look at me and just say "Mommy, I love Henry, but he is such a pain. in. the. butt."

I have been working on some projects, but mostly I've been working on being lazy and keeping my boy from jumping off of high places. So, here's some randoms:

* Above is an amazing wall hanging that our friend Jenaya gave to Ruby. It hung in Jenaya's room and her mom was cleaning out the house and sent it home with her. Jenaya immediately thought of Ruby to gift it to. This is the second time she's unloaded things that her mother is trying to get rid of on us and frankly, I couldn't be happier.

* Happy Easter, for those of you who are into such things. We spent the weekend up in the mountains, where it looks like winter, but feels like spring. Sleigh rides! Skating! Sounds like an excuse to spread hot chocolate drinking into April if you ask me.

* I reviewed the film about the Runaways a few weeks ago and it's finally opening across the country. To celebrate, I'm reading Cherie Currie's autobiography, which is awesome and a very quick and easy read.

* Speaking of rock bios, I also just finished this book about Elvis Presley and the women who loved him. It's very juicy. And very sad. I can't get Elvis off my mind. They whole time I was reading it I was hoping it wouldn't end the way I knew it would. Sad, sad, sad.

* I am working on some crafty stuff. I'm just having trouble finishing. Hopefully the melting snow will give me some motivation. Or I might just go outside and never make anything again. (Just kidding. Don't stop following me.)

Crafting With Kids

2010-03-26T16:05:00.002-04:00

Do you craft much with your kids? I sadly don't do nearly enough. I find that while Ruby likes doing it, she has a short attention span and likes to put in the minimal amount of effort into any project. When she comes home from school with crafts the other kids seem to have elaborate drawings, and she just does a couple of squiggles and then runs off to play. Perhaps she just doesn't love making things? Yet she claims to want to do crafty things all the time...

If I've learned anything about crafting with a five-year-old, it's that you need to keep things simple (especially when you have a very demanding two-year-old boy riding sidecar). We got this very cool looking Princess Doll Making Kit for Ruby's birthday and while I love the intent behind this craft, it was a bust in our house. Double sided tape, cutting with grown up scissors, precise placement... did I mention the double sided tape that holds the whole thing together? All of it made for a sad looking doll and a sadder looking mama. With Easter Break coming up, I think we need to stick to the basics. Any ideas out there?

Cupcakes for a Big Boy

2010-03-16T22:19:00.004-04:00

I thought it should be noted that my sweet, my love, my little Mr. Henry Pickles turned two this weekend. I don't have much to say on the matter -- I was alone with the kids over the weekend, which was tough, and I do admit that there were times when I was ready to send him off to live in the zoo. But generally, he is such a lovely little light. The world's biggest smiles, sloppiest kisses, longest eyelashes, deepest belly laughs, softest skin, splashiest baths, and most rebel-ist rebel yell all come from this tiny little boy. He is a peach, a treasure, and definitely made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails. xoxoxo

Oh, and check out more info on the cupcakes a the other blog. Henry's verdict was: "Rillly rilly gooooood!"

We Are Family

2010-03-12T18:10:00.004-05:00

Ah, this post is painfully overdue. Every year, I make Ruby a doll for her birthday. If I weren't so lazy, I'd link back to them, but every year they've been a little bit different: Kate the Knitted Cat, the Wee Wonderful kitty, a Raggedy Ann-style rag doll, a Ruby doll and now, Amy Karol's Aunt ___ doll from Bend The Rules With Fabric. I've been meaning to make one of these ever since Amy first posted the idea on her blog a couple of years ago, but I think I really needed the template from the book to push me over the edge.

Aaron's sister Daniella lives in another city and we only get to see her a couple times a year. This fact would be made easier if she wasn't one of the most awesome aunties in the world. Ruby and Henry both love the stink out of her and it's painful that she's so far away. Hence, the Auntie Daniella doll. And, soon to be sent off in the post, for Daniella's birthday (which has also passed, I'm such a failure), Ruby and Henry dolls.

These were incredibly easy to make, the hardest part was going out to buy the printer-ready fabric sheets and hoofing over to my parents' house to print the photos (we're a laptop family and don't have a printer). Super easy, super cute and a little weird (I'm such a sucker for a floating head).

These were ridiculously hard to photograph because Henry would not keep his paws off of them. He was even kissing them, which is why there are some wet marks on the faces. He loves his Auntie 'Nella (as he, and no one else calls her). And I do too.

Weekend Thrift

2010-03-04T11:18:00.004-05:00

Okay, since this stuff came from a swap meet and a professional estate sale, "thrift" isn't the operative word here. But since I've been itching for spring, this bounty definitely served as a late-winter pick-me-up. And I swear I didn't pay too much. Even for the Jadite. I swear!

Maple Leaf Forever

2010-03-01T22:27:00.003-05:00

Ah. The Olympics are over. Olympic fever has officially been cured. Time to get productive again.

I will admit, I screamed twice during the hockey game last night. And I watched the curling attentively. And fell a little bit in love with Charles Hamelin. And Jon Montgomery. And those girls who came in first in bobsled. And Canada. We did pretty good, didn't we?

Above is a gold medal that Ruby made in school. The children got to decide what they were being awarded the medal for. Ruby decided that she should win gold in "skating really fast." She's already chosen the dress she wants to wear when she wins in Ice Dancing in 2026.

Book/Cover/Judged

2010-02-25T22:06:00.003-05:00

Ever buy something solely based on the packaging? You know you do.

This is all I've got for you today. We've got a very serious, perhaps fatal, case of Olympic fever going on in this house.

Bee-yooo-ti-ful Borscht

2010-02-21T22:27:00.002-05:00

I posted about this over at The Fickle Housewife, but it was so pretty, I thought I'd share it here too. It's the Backseat Gourmet borscht. It was delicious. And picky little Ruby actually ate some of it because she was promised that it would turn her pee pink. And I tell ya, that girl loves pink.

Okay, gotta run. Ice Dancing is on, you know.

Help For Haiti — Delicious Edition

2010-02-19T15:58:00.002-05:00

Look what the post brought me today. It's the Help For Haiti cookbook, as spearheaded by Julie Van Rosendaal who is a bit of a local celeb in these parts. Featuring recipes from all sorts of food bloggers, it's chock full of great food ideas.

Unfortunately, they closed production of these books (they're actually Blurb prints, which is how they got it out so quickly) to coincide with the deadline for the Canadian government to match charitable donations to Haitian earthquake relief. I've heard rumours that it might return though, but I'm not sure. Either way, I've already got some beets roasting to make Cheryl's borscht. Stay tuned to The Fickle Housewife to see how it goes.

New Day, New Blog

2010-02-18T14:32:00.002-05:00

Okay, party faithful, I'm taking a short break from my non-stop Olympic watching to let you know I have a new blog. Yeah, I know, since I'm so good at keeping this one updated, I really have time for another one. But, here's the scoop: most of my creative energy has been going towards cooking these days. Because I am a fickle soul, I get bored of recipes really quickly, so I'm constantly combing books and magazines for new taste sensations. Since cooking as a project is much more fun than just cooking to feed your family, I'll chronicle the trials and errors of new recipes with my new blog.

It's called The Fickle Housewife. Please check it out. Feel free to comment. Heck, go ahead and become a follower!

And don't worry, I'll still keep up with Elizaboothy for all my other goings-on. If my children ever give me a chance to spend free time doing anything of any sort every again (it's been one of those weeks).

Love To Love You, Baby

2010-02-16T16:06:00.003-05:00

We took an impromptu trip up to Edmonton to celebrate the Valentine's/Family Day weekend. You know, Edmonton gets its knocks down here in Calgary, but I gotta say, we had a ton of fun. First up, we stayed at the Hotel Macdonald, which is beyond luxurious. I've been in a lot of Fairmont hotels for visits, lunch, and sometimes even interviews, but I've never actually stayed in one. What an amazing brand they have. Expensive, usually, but we got a great deal and it was really fun to live the high life. Plus there were loads of weddings going on because of the romantic calendar date, so the hotel was full of great energy.

We also took the kids to the World Waterpark at West Edmonton Mall, which was so much fun. It was made all the better by the fact that the mall also houses the only Anthropologie in Western Canada (I only allowed myself to shop off the sale rack). We rounded our trip out by a visit to the brand new Art Gallery of Alberta, which is frickin' amazing. Seriously — the exhibits are decent and they really go the extra mile to get the whole family interested in art. The featured exhibit for winter/spring is Degas sculptures, so they had ballet dancing and batik making for the kids. Ruby had a blast. I highly recommend that anyone in Alberta try to make it to Edmonton to check out the gallery, especially for the All-Day Sundays, when they have free crafts and such. Ruby and I made the pendant and card above as part of their Vintage Valentine activity. Fun!

I Heart You

2010-02-09T23:08:00.004-05:00

I knew I was going to do it. After helping Ruby to make her paper hearts garland, I needed to make a fabric Valentine's banner. I NEEDED to. Actually, it was practical, because I had this really cute V-Day fabric that I bought from Sew Mama Sew some time ago (sorry, I'm really bad at keeping track of fabric names/designers/etc). It's adorably cute and I was thinking of making a Valentine's apron with it, but I like this even better. I ended up wasting a lot of it to get the motifs I liked (and even then I didn't really take the time to centre them properly), but I'm glad it got put to use. The other fabric (the one with the little people) used is another Sew Mama Sew purchase and then a floral vintage thing I had lying around.

I used the Birthday Banner pattern from Alicia's book Stitched In Time, except without the stenciled letters. I also backed each panel with pink fabric because I am notoriously cheap when it comes to my patterned fabric (which is why you see the same patterns show up in a lot of the stuff I make). You can see the pink when the light shines through, which is okay, since I chose pretty non-Valentine-y fabrics so that the men folk in the house would be able to live with it.

Overall I loved making this thing — it was easy, and lets the cute fabric shine. I kind of want to make one for Henry's birthday too, but it's so hard not to just move on to the next thing.

Paper Hearts

2010-02-05T18:17:00.004-05:00

I will not lie -- it has not been a great week in these parts. Ruby's birthday weekend was a blur that ended in us all becoming sick and tired -- both figuratively and literally. The kids and I have lost patience with each other and the times friends, have not been fun. But we did manage to pull off a fun V-Day craft.

For Valentine's, Ruby's class decided to turn their playhouse into a restaurant, but Ruby was dismayed that the restaurant didn't feature any "beautiful decorations." So she suggested that we paint some paper, cut out some hearts and string them together. So we did. We started by painting:

And then cut the painting into hearts. I simply ran them together through the sewing machine and had an instant garland. Easy peasy. It did hurt a bit to cut up the painting because it's so awesome, and it also hurt to hand it over to her teacher, because I kind of wanted to keep it. And I'm understanding how so many blogger types go garland crazy, because garlands are pretty boss. I really want to make a fabric Valentine's garland, but am far too exhausted.

Oh, and have you heard about the Blog Aid cookbook for Haiti? There's more info on that here. It looks totally awesome and I can hardly wait to find mine in the mail. Because, like garlands, a girl can never have too many recipes.

Magically Revolting

2010-02-02T22:08:00.005-05:00

From top to bottom: Shrimp Cucumber Diadem, Wiener Tiara, Macaroni Loaf

This weekend we threw a Nostalgic Nosh party, where all participants had to cook a dish or two from a vintage cookbook. It was really fun (perhaps the cocktails that Aaron was pouring helped on that front), and for the most part, the food was... well, edible. I made the Diadem (a double layered jelly salad with the top layer being gelatin flavoured with chicken broth and onion with shrimp, and the bottom being cucumber, lime jello, mayo and sour cream), the Wiener Tiara (with a orange-flavoured Stove Top Stuffing centre) and a Lime Angel Pouf Pie (not pictured). I had to include this Macaroni Loaf that my friend Jane made because it is so beautiful.

Does the Diadem look gross to you? Well, it was. Everyone tried some, and some people said it was okay, neither Aaron nor I needed to be that polite and we admitted that it was disgusting. Sometimes recipes should stay in the vault. With that said, next time I'm trying the jellied corned beef/potato salad diadem. It has horseradish!

Dear Ruby (Part 5)

2010-02-01T22:31:00.003-05:00

Dear Ruby,

You are now five. Every year I like to write you an open letter around the time of your birthday, although this year I hardly feel like it because, lady, I am exhausted. At least in our world, five is the first year a kid has real friends. Friends who come to a fun birthday party. Yesterday we had a birthday party with eight of your friends and my darling, it nearly killed me. Though it was so lovely to see you sequestered with the girls in your room, dressing like princesses while the boys chased each other and pretended they were monsters.

So, five. Your changes are so much more subtle every year and I can see you growing into a very poised and charming girl. You have your quirks: you are stubborn and seem to possess the Finnish trait called Sisu -- but your stormy nature is usually overrun by your kindness, your sweetness and your zest for life. When you get excited, like when you talk about your trip to Disneyland, you are so full of words that you can barely contain yourself. You love playing with your friends and have become a natural leader at your school. The other kids seem to adore you and flock around you, wanting your attention.

But, as much as you love your friends, you love your family even more. Your little brother is, in your words, a pain in the butt, but you do your best to keep him happy and are genuinely kind and loving to him. And you give me the best hugs and kisses in the world. Boy, do I ever feel loved. And I hope more than anything that you feel the same from me. Because, my princess I love you more than you could ever imagine. Even more than you love the colour pink.

xoxo

Mommy

Feeling January/February

2010-01-29T15:38:00.002-05:00

I've finally completely de-Christmas-ized the house. The snowman cookie jar is in storage. After a short period of all-Princess decor that will take over the house over the weekend (someone is turning five), we're ready for some pre-Valentine's cheer.

We got an early start with these wax paper hearts, as suggested by Hilary, as inspired by the Great Oracle. Ruby really had fun with these -- she didn't even mind the amount of "grown-up work" (i.e. ironing) that was involved. They look both pretty and kid-friendly.

Oh, and I finally got around to changing out my kitchen display space. From Christmas to winter blues. These things never photograph that well, but you get it. Brrr!

Year of the Tiger

2010-01-27T15:09:00.005-05:00

Ahhh. Sorry for the extended pause -- we missed a full night of sleep last week en route back from California (we basically arrived home a full 10 hours after we were scheduled to -- again, don't ask) and the whole family are still feeling the effects. But we're slowly getting back on track. Mind you, with a certain little girl expecting a birthday next week, things are chaotic here anyway. I thought January was supposed to be easier than December?

Anyway, I was invited to a baby shower this past weekend (which I bailed on, due to the aforementioned chaos/sleep deprivation) and I didn't want to pick up a last minute layette set that the baby/parents didn't need anyway. I love to make my baby shower gifts, but with this little guy being born on Christmas Day, I couldn't get to anything too substantial (poor little dude, this will probably turn out to be the story of his gift-receiving life). Then I remembered all these little Aranzi finger puppets I'd made ages ago. I bought a little shadow box, stuck this guy in with a couple of those double-sided sticky foam squares that scrapbookers use and boom -- instant handmade present.

I had this idea floating in my head for some time, but was double inspired by an article in the new Martha Stewart Living that focuses on creative family memories in shadow boxes. Now I want to shadow box everything -- if it weren't for the fact that shadow boxes are really freakin' expensive. Does anyone have a line on cheap shadow boxes? I am certainly not a carpenter, so I'm not about to make them myself.

On a totally unrelated note, I urge anyone who visits Disneyland to pick up a bag of their saltwater taffy. I was standing in line at the coffeeshop on Main Street their to inquire if they sold Rolaids (they do -- they're hidden and you have to ask for them, but that's the place to go if you're having that kind of problem in the Magic Kingdom) and suddenly remembered getting saltwater taffy at Disneyland when I was a kid, so I grabbed a bag. I wish I had bought more. I finally cracked it open today and can not stop eating it. Usually the flavours in saltwater taffy are fairly muted (i.e. every colour tastes exactly the same), but this stuff is a flavour explosion. In a cruel and unusual move, I have not alerted my children to the existence of this lone bag of taffy. I'm a horrible mother.

2010-01-20T18:13:00.003-05:00

Reasons why I just had one of the best vacations ever (Palm Springs/Disneyland/Los Angeles)

*I got to see my little girl meet seven Disney princesses. The anti-commercial feminist in me says boo, but the look on her face warmed my heart like you wouldn't believe.

*Food. Good Mexican, chicken & waffles, pizza with salad on the top, fois gras...

*Learning that my kids are real troopers. They both usually nap, but we would hit Disneyland from opening to closing and Henry would get about a half hour in the stroller and Ruby would just walk and hop on rides. She even took the "scary" rides in stride -- though wisely bailed on Space Mountain when she got to the front of the line. And because it's still a sore spot, I won't mention that we didn't get home until 4 a.m. this morning, but those kids really put up with a hellish day of travel.

*Pee-Wee Herman! We took a grown-ups night in L.A. and went to Pee-Wee's new stage show. It was divine.

*Piano Bar. Hung out at a unchanged-since-the-'60s piano bar in the desert. Got drunk on champagne cocktails. Made friends with the whole place. Got a ride home with the waitress. True story.

*It's A Small World. We rode it three times, at Miss Roo's request. I love Mary Blair's design. This is my happy place.

*Good friends. Checked in with some buddies who moved down to L.A. a few years ago. We haven't seen their daughter since she was a baby (and vice-versa). She and Ruby spent a morning pretending they were sisters.

*Magic. There's magic in California, I swear.

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

2010-01-11T14:34:00.002-05:00

Away for the week. Be back soon. Wish you were here.

(may post if anything comes up. If I don't, don't alert the authorities, I'm doing just fine)

A Very Good Year

2010-01-06T18:28:00.004-05:00

I know that 2009 was a pretty wonky year for a lot of people. but with our two children growing, it was a fun one for our little family. I created little mosaics of my various crafts and thrift scores on Flickr, but stupidly forgot to save them to disc. Also, I have been pretty slack about posting things on flickr -- two of my biggest craft projects (the Christmas stockings and the mermaid costume) aren't on there at all. Ooops.

Anyway, it's clear to me that I did a lot more thrifting than crafting last year. This is not a surprise to me. I can't promise this year will be any different, though I am feeling the pull of the knitting needles this winter. After so much time at the sewing machine, I'm jonesing for some yarn. But I'm also obsessed with reading Sookie Stackhouse novels on my Kindle, so we'll see how that goes (I haven't perfected the art of reading and knitting at the same time).

And for those of you interested in my nerdiness, you may or may not know that I'm a big movie nerd and try to watch as many films as possible. For the past couple of years, I've been keeping track of the movies I've seen over at listography. Take a glance if you're interested. And, if you're bored, tell me about some of your favourite movies that you saw in 2009.

I'm The Luckiest By Far

2010-01-04T14:25:00.004-05:00

Oh lucky day! In addition to the amazing Christmas presents I accumulated over the holidays (more on that another day), I managed to come out on top on not one, but two giveaways from the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day! This is so awesome -- not only did I learn about a whole bunch of blogs and get to give away something of my own, I ended up with some really special stuff.

From the beautiful Home, Heart, Happiness, I won the mystery prize. Now, since this was coming all the way from New Zealand (during the holidays, no less), I was afraid that I would burst waiting for the mystery to be revealed, but it actually came fairly quickly. It was impossible to photograph, but above is the best I could do to represent this beautiful full apron. I just love it. The fabric is beautiful and, of course, I am an apron nut. In the same package:

A vintage doily and some gorgeous buttons. So great.

I also won a prize from Cheryl at Naptime Quilter, who happens to live in the same city as me by sheer coincidence. Cheryl is an amazing quilter and she offered up a bag of her selvages, which she very thoughtfully ironed and rolled up for me. I'm really excited by these little scraps -- I have an idea of what to do with them, which should be interesting, especially taking my sewing and quilting inexperience into account. But it's a new year. New adventures await.

In With The New...

2009-12-31T11:13:00.003-05:00

A decade ago, we were all afraid that every computer in the world was going to go haywire because they wouldn't be able to figure out the "2" at the beginning of the date. A decade ago, I was single, living in the smallest basement apartment you could imagine, going out three or four nights a week, eating Extreme Pita for dinner a few times a week and constantly in a state of angst. A decade ago, I was 24 years old. A decade ago, you could still bring water on an airplane. A decade ago, 2010 seemed so far away.

But, here we are. And although it seems like so little time has passed, when you stop to think about it, a lot has actually happened and the '00s will probably be remembered as a relatively well-defined decade. On the grander scale, the decade's story arch is very dramatic: fear on North American soil and war in so many parts of the world. Obviously, what happened in 2001 is the most defining moment, but so much more happened. George Bush was the president for the bulk of the decade, but hopefully, it will also be remembered in history as the decade in which Obama started his two-term presidency and made some positive changes (work with me here, people). It started as the decade of Nickelback and Limp Bizkit, but ended as the decade of Lady Gaga (this in my mind, is definitely change you can believe in).

Personally speaking, it was a very transformative time for me — perhaps because the years between 24 and 34 bring life changes for a lot of people. I started dating my husband in 2000, got married in 2001, and spent the next five years becoming a real adult in a large city on the other side of the country. I went from that crap basement apartment into a nicer apartment, then a house that I owned, then a nicer house back in the city I grew up in. I became a parent. Twice. I went from a working (but very poorly paid) magazine writer to being a stay-at-home mom. My husband went from being a struggling professional touring musician to having a very successful career in a business he had never even heard of until after he had kids and decided to work for a better paycheque. I look older when I look in the mirror. I don't mind.

How was the decade for you? Can you believe the '90s have been over for 10 years? Can you believe the '90s started 20 years ago?

Happy New Year, peeps. It's going to be a good one.

Almost A Wrap

2009-12-29T17:51:00.003-05:00

Whew! What a crazy week it has been. I'm sure you're all feeling the same. I've got loads to share, but I've been so busy eating chocolates and watching the first season of True Love on DVD that I couldn't possibly type out a proper post just now.

And look -- the stockings were hung with care by Christmas Eve. I'm so happy with them. I'll do up a proper tutorial soon -- not that many will really care for another 10 months or so. But, until then, happy holidays and all the best for the new year. xoxo

Not A Creature Was Stirring...

2009-12-22T23:50:00.005-05:00

Except for those disturbed by the never-ending whirl of the sewing machine. The presents are wrapped, but I'm busting my hump trying to get these stockings made before they have to be hung on the banister with care. I'm feeling like I'm completely insane for taking this on, partially because I don't really know what I'm doing and am kind of winging it. And I'm making six. But the end really seems to be in sight, I think I just need one more night in front of the machine.

Then there's the baking to do! I'm planning to make this for Christmas dinner. And I have to make my Grandma's famous Pistachio Pudding Pie for Boxing Day. And Christmas morning brunch. Thank heavens I'm not doing a turkey (thanks, mom).

Oh, and Ruby had her best friend from school, Julia, over yesterday to make gingerbread cookies. I used Martha Stewart's gingerbread recipe from the Cookie Book, and baked them in this crazy Wilton pan where you press the dough into molds rather than roll it out and cut it with cutters (I refuse to roll cookies). I gotta say, they were not great. It took me a few gos to get the baking time right (burnt gingerbread is never great), but they still tasted weird because they were super super spicy. Granted, I may have put too much in when trying to bake with two four year old girls and one one year old boy, but there was a lot of ginger and cinnamon in the recipe. Santa's going to get a bit of a kick in the pants when he stops by on Christmas Eve. Let's just hope he has some stockings to fill by then.

Checking In

2009-12-17T17:35:00.004-05:00

And the race is on to make six patchwork Christmas stockings before this time next week. It's not going to be easy -- I'm exhausted, not finished my shopping or wrapping, have a really painful cooking burn on my arm, and fear that Henry has the croup. Yes, I am whining. But if I don't finish, I can always buy some at the drug store on Christmas Eve and save these for next year, right? Right.

In other news, after constantly referencing Julie and Julia on this blog, I finally saw the film (I have kids -- I only make time to go to the theatre if it's a kids' or a, ahem, Twilight movie) and looooved it. How could a movie about cooking be so good? Of course, now I have all these plans to cook like crazy in the new year, which will probably never materialize. But it is nice to dream of duck wrapped in pastry, isn't it?

Little House

2009-12-14T17:20:00.004-05:00

I finished the Cozy Cottage from Alicia's kit. I'm telling you, this is the Sistine Chapel of felt ornaments -- so much beautiful detail, and actually quite time consuming. Mind you, I did go a little overboard on the beading, so that could be why it took me almost a full week to make it. But I loved every second of it, especially embroidering the holly. So fun. I'm kind of desperate to move onto the Ice Skating kit, but I'm also committed to making six (!) patchwork stockings in the next 11 days, so I think I might stash them away until next year. Christmas, how do you always manage to come so quickly?

But I do love this Cozy Cottage, and I'm very glad that this one is not intended as a gift, it's staying put on our own tree. Also, it's near and dear to my heart because I started it, appropriately enough, while on a pre-Xmas family vacation that took place here:

And featured a view of this:

Yep, last weekend was bliss in a rented house in the mountains. We risked life and limb driving there in a horrible blizzard, but got to spend almost three whole days with Aaron's parents and his sister and her girlfriend, which was amazing. And certainly made me feel very Christmas-y indeed.

From The Family Vault

2009-12-10T20:56:00.003-05:00

Our annual holiday party is coming up shortly before Christmas and I've been slaving away in the kitchen, though this year I've had little direction when it comes to my obsessive cookie baking. Last year it was all about the Martha Stewart Cookie book (and this year I've already pulled a couple of those out). I also very recently got a reprint copy of Betty Crocker's The Cooky Book, which I'm completely obsessed with and want to bake through Julie and Julia style (I know, I've used this analogy before, but it's true). But it's come to me so recently, I haven't been able to organize myself to make many recipes from it (though next year I might restrict myself to ONLY baking from it). I'm also trying to cook my way through my family cookbook, which brings me to the next two recipes.

What you see above are something that I grew up calling "choco-balls." I have no idea where the recipe comes from. It's a no-bake cookie that includes raw egg. I could not bring myself to include raw egg, knowing that my children would want to eat them, so I substituted with corn starch mixed with water. I don't know if it was the lack of egg or what, but they did not form into balls unless I chilled the mixture first. But not too much, or it gets hard. Either way, it wasn't hard to figure out and they're quite delicious if you want to give it a whirl (though I do admit, they look like meatballs).

1/2 cup butter, melted
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 beaten egg (I strongly suggest some kind of egg substitute to avoid poisoning yourself)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnut.

Mix together. Form into 1 inch balls. Chill until firm.

Next up, my Grandma's Nuts And Bolts. These call for Rice Chex, which I don't think they make any more (or at the very least, don't sell in Canada any more). I substituted it with something called Crispex Krispies, which are in the Rice Krispie family of cereals and pretty much look and taste like Rice Chex. In fact, I only just now noticed that there's a very similar recipe on the Crispex Krispies box, only it omits the Cheerios (not Kellogg's, you know) and adds onion powder and lemon juice (which may be more delicious). I do warn you, this recipe makes a boatload of this stuff. Also, the quantities are 1950s sized, so you'll have to just use your judgment on what size of box to buy (I got large boxes, not "jumbo"). In fact, I was asking my mom about it, because I remember eating tons of this stuff at home every Christmas, and she told me she's never actually made it. My Grandma just had so much excess after her own holiday entertaining that she handed it off to all of her children. Either way, it's tasty and very old school. Enjoy!

1 large box Rice Chex (or Crispex Krispies)
1 large box Cheerios
2 boxes stick pretzels
1 lb bbq peanuts
1/2 lb melted margarine (I used butter)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp garlic powder

Combine in a roasting pan. Bake at 200F for 2 hours

Display

2009-12-08T23:37:00.003-05:00

We're still a young family, so we're still in the process of collecting special Christmas ornaments to fill our home. Which means that even though we have a relatively small house, there are lots of places that are begging to be filled with seasonal items. Ruby and I have really been digging this book, which is full of crafty ideas for the preschool set. Today we made some tree ornaments out of felt, but her absolute favourite is these construction paper angels. Ruby is all over the angels this year. Like myself as a child, she likes anything that represents girl-dom. It's quite funny, really. Anyway, she's made two so far, but she asks to make more every day. It's a craft that she still needs a fair bit of help with, but when I have a spare moment, I don't mind helping to put these girls together.

And here is my kitchen space spruced up for Christmas. This space never photographs well, but I feel the need to document it as I change out the treasures. Note the coveted Pyrex Christmas bowl. I love it so, but I refuse to serve anything out of it during our holiday party because I'm so afraid someone will break it. I'm dorky that way, you know.

Drum Roll Please

2009-12-07T14:23:00.004-05:00

So, after much ado, I'm ready to announce the winner. After consulting a random number generator (you're going to have to trust me on this one), the winner of my giveaway is Firesong! Firesong, I've emailed you to ask for your deets, but if you didn't receive that email, please contact me at the email address on the sidebar. You'll receive the apron pictured above (it's folded, so it's still a wee mystery).

And thank you to all of you who stopped by, entered the contest, and especially those of you who are coming back or have added me to your follow lists or readers. It really means a lot of me. I love using this blog to keep myself motivated and it's easier to keep motivated if other people are watching. So please feel free to come back often and to comment on the posts. And if you're still hankering for a tea towel apron, there are a few (including the original one pictured in the giveaway post) available in the shop with more being added very soon.

In other happy news, I'm a winner too! I won a mystery prize from Home, Heart, Happiness. I'll let you all know what it is when it arrives.

All I Want For Christmas Is A Ztar Warz Movie

2009-12-03T16:18:00.004-05:00

Wow. First off, thank you to all who have dropped by/are still dropping by to sign up for my giveaway (the post is one below this one if you're still looking for it). I knew the response would be good since Sew Mama Sew is so popular and I am, after all, giving away something for free, but you've all said such nice things, it's warmed my heart. The comments will be open through the weekend, then I'll announce a winner on Monday.

What else... oh, I finished the Snowy Tree ornament from Alicia's Walk In The Woods kit. Cute, no? This means my teachers' gifts for playschool are finished. Whew. I'm moving on to the little house next, which will go on our own tree (yes, the Snowy Tree is currently on our own tree, but it's just for display purposes, I swear).

And I had to share Ruby's letter to Santa. I suggested that she dictate to me and I'd write it, but she insisted on writing it herself, with me spelling out every single word for her. I realize that I mislead her in the spelling of "Claus," but it was early and I had yet to finish my first cup of coffee. So much for my former life as a professional editor, eh? Still, it was hard for me to put this in an envelope and send it off, it is so precious. I have no doubt that Santa will bring her her Polly Pockets and Star Wars movie, because she is indeed the world's greatest girl.

Advent/Giveaway Day

2009-12-01T16:02:00.006-05:00

It's here! The advent calendar is up (and the first day's treats are long eaten), Santa has been visited and Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day is here!

So, here's how it goes: Sew Mama Sew has a giant list of blogs participating in giveaways of handmade items and craft supplies (or will by tomorrow morning) and I'm happy to participate. All you have to do is comment on this post before end of day December 6. On the morning of December 7 I will randomly choose a winner and ship off the gift. This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere in the world. Please make sure I can get a hold of you when you comment -- either leave your blog information or email address in your comment.

And what do you win? A vintage tea towel apron like the one pictured above. It won't be the exact one pictured (that one is for purchase in the shop), but it will be just as nice. I promise.

So please, comment, let me know who you are and if you're a regular reader or if you found the blog through the Sew Mama Sew List. And check out the other giveaways! I know I will.

Re-Gifting

2009-11-29T16:25:00.003-05:00

Every year, Aaron's dad tends to be the hardest person to buy for on our Christmas list. He's a man of simple pleasures: he likes to spend his weekends cutting the lawn or washing his car, or in the winter watching sports in front of his fireplace. He likes golf, cigars, and a nice glass of Scotch. Which means that any gift related to any of these activities has been bought for him years and years ago. So it's tough. But this year, thanks to Aaron's mum, the perfect gift managed to materialize.

As mentioned, Aaron's dad likes to relax with a nice glass of Scotch and I've long admired his special glass he likes to drink from: a vintage bar glass with pictures of pheasants on it (you know the type). Turns out, the pheasant glasses belonged to his late parents, which makes them all the more special. Well, Aaron's mom spied a matching ice bucket in a ridiculously overpriced small town antique store. So yesterday, we drove down and bought it. Perfect, no? The picture doesn't do it justice, but it is truly a beaut.

And yes, I did not blog yesterday. NaBloPoMo was in my sights and so close to the finish line I bailed. That said, I have a lot on the docket, so hopefully the frequent posts will continue into the upcoming months.

Hoot

2009-11-27T19:44:00.003-05:00

I'm usually not the type to buy vintage stuff on etsy (I'm a thrill-of-the-hunt kind of gal), but I couldn't resist this little treasure that Tracy had in her shop. It's a napkin holder, but my plan is to keep in on the table next to the door so it can hold unsorted mail. I'm aiming to be tidier in the house (it's a challenge), so I hope this will do the trick.

I've been noticing a lot of owl-themed things in my house lately -- it's like etsy circa 2007. I'm not collecting, I swear. Maybe I just like Henry pointing to them and saying "Whoot, Whoot!"

Savory

2009-11-26T20:48:00.003-05:00

Aaron's mum generously took the kids today and I spent my time doing some Xmas shopping and sequestering myself in the kitchen. With our holiday party only two weeks away and lots of busy times between then and now, I've got to prep while I can. Today, among other things, I made my mom's famous olive cheese balls. She's been making these for her annual Boxing Day party since I can remember and I've always loved them. I remember Christmases as a teenager where I'd steal a handful of these from the freezer, pop them in the microwave and make a Christmas day lunch out of them. Not healthy, but considering I was chasing them with holiday chocolates, I obviously did not care.

So, as a Thanksgiving gift to all of our American friends, here is the recipe. Try it out and let me know if you like it.

Olive Cheese Balls

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
36 (approx) pimento-stuffed green olives, drained

Mix cheese and flour. Add butter and mix thoroughly. Mold 1 tbsp dough around each olive and shape into a ball. Place on ungreased baking sheet and chill at least 1 hour. Bake at 400F for 15 to 20 minutes.

Favourite Things

2009-11-25T15:54:00.002-05:00

Did you hear that Oprah isn't doing her Favourite Things show this year? Apparently, she's not (not that I'm a big Oprah fan anyway, but you know). So, in lieu, here are some random things I've been digging as of late:

Tetley Herbal Tea
Especially in the Soothe (ginger mint) flavour. I can't get enough

The Corner
This 2000 HBO mini-series was a precursor to The Wire. (Which is, of course, the best show in the history of television. This is not debatable. It is a fact.) I've been watching it on DVD and the characters are so multi-layered, and so sad. Not as developed as The Wire, but awesome.

The Onion's Best Of The Decade
Check it out here. The best of TV, movies, music, books and other media. I could hang out on here for days. On a side note, can you believe that the '90s have been over for 10 years? Seriously -- Y2K was a decade ago. I feel so unbelievably old.

Rosebud Perfume Co. Rose Mint Lip Balm
So good.

New Moon
Seriously dudes, I loved it. I do not think it was actually well-written or well-acted, but I loved every second of it. I especially laughed when Jacob Black took off his shirt and the entire audience burst out laughing. So awesome.

So, that's five. Americans, have a good Thanksgiving weekend. I'll see the rest of you tomorrow.

Attention Shoppers

2009-11-24T14:49:00.004-05:00

My shop is open. The items are still very limited, but more will go up in the next few days, I hope. Also, on a slightly related note, I will be participating in Sew Mama Sew's awesome Giveaway Day this year. It's on December 2 -- stop by and comment on that day to win a prize.

In unrelated news, I'm have tickets to see New Moon tonight. I am inappropriately excited. This article kind of sums it up.

Deer Prudence

2009-11-23T20:59:00.003-05:00

How the heck did I find time to make a felt Christmas ornament? I don't know, but I'm telling you, these things are addictive and I can hardly wait to make more. This is the Little Deer ornament from Alicia's Walk In The Woods kit. I started with the deer because it's the easiest of the patterns, and I managed to complete it over the course of one bad Canadian film and an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I admit, I was a little discouraged when I realized that I should do all the embroidery on BOTH sides of the deer, but since I'm creating heirloom pieces here, people, I decided laziness was a poor course of action. So yes, Mrs. Deer has beautiful sequined speckles on both sides of her rump.

I'm really hot to trot on getting onto the other ornaments, even though there are more pressing things at hand. But I really want to get the rest made so I can decide which ones I'm willing to part with as teachers' gifts. It's hard. Maybe I'll just buy them some soap or hand cream instead.

Coconuts

2009-11-22T22:34:00.003-05:00

Okay, maybe not the most appetizing picture, but proof that I've got another batch of cookies in the freezer! This morning I set out to bake as much as I could with the limited supplies in my pantry (my mission: try not to actually leave the house). First up, a batch of blueberry corn muffins for Ruby and Henry's school/babysitting snacks. Done (but to be honest, pretty meh tasting). Then I wanted to do a batch of Christmas party cookies. With very little icing sugar on hand and no nuts, my choices were limited. But I did have macaroons on my list and what do you know? They require very few ingredients and are super easy to make.

I love me a macaroon, but I've never attempted to make them. Soooo easy. You basically just mix some coconut with sugar and egg whites and then bake them for 15 minutes. This is, of course, the version from the Martha Stewart Cookie book, and I added in some chocolate chips for fun. Delicious. And easy. And making me feel like I'm accomplishing something. Hooray!

Angels and Demons

2009-11-21T22:01:00.003-05:00

I went to a really big pro Christmas craft fair today. I have mixed feelings about these kinds of sales -- while all the vendors are people who make stuff themselves and sell it, not huge commercial retailers, I would much rather support tiny more edgy craft fairs. I find a lot of the stuff at the big fairs really not to my taste, and honestly, some of the patrons get kind of annoying to shop next to. Still, since I'm buying for parents and other people who may not share my indie taste, I usually try to hit at least one big sale every year.

And I did pretty well. In addition to some gifts for the family, I bought an angel to top our tree (do you have any idea how hard it is to find a good angel? Most stores are way more into star toppers) and this ornament here, both crafted by an older lady who was working the fair. Ruby is going to love this little gal -- so fluffy and girly. I love her too.

And So It Begins...

2009-11-20T21:50:00.003-05:00

We always have a holiday party at the beginning of December, so holiday baking usually starts here at the beginning of November. Not so much this year. I'm a little bit freaking out because of the lack of party prep on my part -- but until very recently, Aaron's spent most of the month out of town and I've been sick since October 24 (yes, I know the date). Today I finally buckled down and made the first batch of cookies, but the freaking is still strong.

These are Chocolate Crackles from the Martha Stewart Cookie book, which I love. I made these last year too and they were so loved by all that Aaron's mum also added them to her repertoire. Actually, they also showed up at an Oscar party we went to, baked by my friend Tasya, who is a very picky baker. So they come highly recommended. As usual, each member of the family was entitled to a single cookie for dessert, then the rest of the batch went into the freezer. Next stop, cheese balls.

2009-11-19T22:14:00.002-05:00

Okay, so you know how I have so much to do before December hits that my head is spinning? Yeah. Well, you know what I started to do last night even though I had a bunch of real writing to do and cookies to bake and important stuff to think about? I started knitting a dishcloth. And man, it feels great.

We Are Four

2009-11-18T18:27:00.003-05:00

I can't believe I missed the anniversary of my blog! It was earlier this week. Four years. Wow.

I know that this blog has slowed down a bit over the last year and a half or so, with Henry showing up in my life and all, but I still value it very much. It makes me feel like the things that I do are real and worthy of writing about. Even if not that many people stop by here on a regular basis, having a place to record my various endeavors make me feel more productive.

So, hooray! Happy belated blog day to me.

Book Review: 400 Knitting Stitches

2009-11-17T15:54:00.002-05:00

Potter Craft's 400 Knitting Stitches is a book whose title says it all: this is a stitch dictionary, nothing more nothing less. No fancy introduction (other than some knitting basics), no project ideas, no examples of sweaters or scarves or legwarmers using these patterns. Just stitches. Which is what makes it totally awesome.

Each stitch entry consists of directions, a chart, and a photograph of the stitch swatched in off-white yarn. The patterns are sectioned off into knit/purl stitches, crossed stitches and cables, slipped stitches, lace stitches, double stitches, twisted stitches, cast off stitches and "fancy" stitches (smocking, bobbles, etc). And that's it.

So, why do you need this book? Well, if you design your own knitwear, the answer is obvious. If you don't, it's still handy if you want to add some zip to a plain scarf or sock pattern. Me, all I can see is dishrags. Loads of fun dishrags. I hope to spend a lot of time on the couch with some cotton, whipping up dishrags. And when I'm not doing that, this can sit on my shelf as an amazing reference book.

Capital R

2009-11-16T15:47:00.004-05:00

I bought Ruby this fabric-covered R at Anthropologie (I find the kids' books/stuff section that exist in some Anthropologies a little weird and out of place, but totally awesome). I got Henry one too (well, an H) and I just love them. There are little hooks on the back to hang them on the wall, but Ruby's sits on top of her bookcase, which is an antique that used to live with Aaron's grandparents. This is as tidy as the top shelf ever gets (i.e. not very), as Ruby tends to stash anything up there that she doesn't want Henry to touch: her jewelry boxes, a little music box, the centrepiece from my brothers' wedding, photographs, her rock and coral collection... In our house it pays to be taller than three feet because you can reach the good stuff. I've been collecting ceramic figurines for Ruby to one day place on this shelf, but until she gets past the need to shove stuff up there, it isn't really a safe place for a lot of breakables.

In other news, I've lost my voice! This is the illness that will not end. Thankfully, I'm not feeling that bad, but it's hard to be an authoritative mother when you can only croak at your kids.

Cards. Made of Paper.

2009-11-15T21:55:00.003-05:00

I think I probably mentioned this last year (probably also in November), but I am absolutely stubborn about sending out physical Christmas cards. I scoff at the e-card and sniff at the annual email newsletter. I love paper mail (I won't even call it snail mail because really, next day delivery within the city is pretty frickin' quick). I find the postal system pretty fascinating. Frustrating at times as well, sure, but it really is a miracle that most stuff makes it to where it's supposed to be going.

Every year I send out about 150 Xmas cards, many of which include a Walmart photo of my children (it's the only thing I go for Walmart for. Why Walmart is a question I can not answer. It's just become my tradition). I've got the process down to a near science and I manage to get them all filled out and addressed over the course of a week or so. The only snag is tracking down addresses of people who have moved. Also, finding time to go to the post office to send off the overseas cards. This year the holidays are totally sneaking up on me and I'm feeling huge stress, but I will not forsake my Christmas cards. No way, man.

Stilllife With Wine

2009-11-14T16:07:00.002-05:00

This picture hopefully represents what will be a lovely evening. As part of our neverending slide into total yuppie-hood, Aaron and I host a wine-tasting party every few months. I think the one we're holding tonight is about our fourth or fifth, and they're really fun. Every couple brings a nice bottle of wine, we taste them, we eat cheese, sometimes we order pizza (though tonight I have a crock pot of curry on), and chit chat. Tonight we take on Australia. Each participant is supposed to research their wine, but it's really the drinking that matters.

I have a pretty nasty cold, so I'm going to have to take it easy, but I think my palate is clear enough to enjoy the wine. Aaron picked up some kick-ass cheese too, including a mellow blue encased in wax called Dragon's Breath. Apparently it's not even legal to sell in here, so we feel very special to have this contraband, quite likely unpasteurized cheese.

Oh, on an unrelated note, you know how they say that Corelle plates don't break? Not true. This morning Henry tipped a Butterfly Gold Corelle lunch plate off of his booster chair tray and it smashed into eight zillion pieces. I wish I had taken a picture of it. So yes, Corelle, if it hits on the right angle, will break. Just though you should know.

Cushy

2009-11-13T16:03:00.003-05:00

Pillows! I managed to whip up these Semi-Simple Pillows from Bend The Rules Sewing while the kids were awake and playing (our playroom and sewing room are actually the same room). I got this vintage green fabric ages ago at a fabric sale and knew I wanted to use it for a project where I could quilt or embroider around the flowers. There was also a quilt in Joelle Hoverson's Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts that it would have been great for, but I didn't have enough. So, I used some of it in my Easy Lap Quilt and saved the rest for these pillows.

My old couch pillows were getting shabby (i.e. the fabric was falling apart completely), so I wanted to get these done before we start our holiday entertaining. Free-motion quilting scares me and I didn't want to ruin the fabric, so I just hand embroidered around a few of the flowers. The rest of the pillow is made from some thick natural linen. Perfecto!

In other news, I enjoyed my first Starbucks holiday drink of the year today. I only drink Starbucks during the holidays, so this was very exciting.

Cheat...

2009-11-12T22:01:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm allowed a little cheat now and then, right? I actually have a lot to blog about, but no decent pictures, and I'm swamped with stuff I need to do, so to keep up with my NaBloPoMo (post every day in November), I'm cheating. Apologies. Two kids, husband out of town (though, thankfully, home tonight), sickness throughout the house, holidays coming up. I know, enough of the excuses. Perhaps I'm just feeling defeated because I spent two hours making a very complicated dinner that tasted like meh. Thanks a lot, Canadian Living magazine. I'll be back on my game tomorrow. Please drop by. Leave a comment if you'd like.

Treats

2009-11-11T21:54:00.004-05:00

A couple weeks ago when I was in New York I was walking by the Plaza Hotel and gasped. I've been to New York a bunch of times, but usually find myself spending most of my time South of Midtown, so I'd never really had a moment to gaze upon the place-where-Eloise-grew-up before. I gawked for a second, then started on my way. Then it dawned on me. I could go in. I could go in and see the Plaza. I was all alone, with no responsibilities, no children, not even Aaron. I wasn't rushing to go somewhere or pick someone up or get something done. So, I went in the Plaza, sat at the bar, and had a glass of wine at 2:30 in the afternoon. I chatted with the bartender and only grumbled silently when I realized that they charge $30 for a glass of wine at the Plaza lobby bar.

So, when I was driving with the kids after picking something up this morning and drove by a really yummy Middle Eastern restaurant that I'd only eaten at once before, I had a Plaza moment. With Ruby now over her illness but nothing on the agenda today (November 11, you know), there was nothing stopping me from introducing my kids to the wonder of falafel. And then, to be even bolder, after lunch (which they loved), we walked a few blocks to my favourite yarn store and, for the first time in ages, I bought some yarn. To knit with. Oh yeah.

And it ain't cheap yarn, but I didn't buy very much. When my aunt saw my mom and I wearing our Calorimetry headscarves at Thanksgiving, I offered to make her one. So I bought some really gorgeous turqoise merino by the Tanis Fibre Arts. And after making Fishnet Bandanas for Aaron's sister and her girlfriend I thought maybe I should make one for myself. So I bought this crazy Malabrigo colourway (I know, the fact that it's not hot pink shocks me). So yes, one day, and hopefully one day soon I will knit. Because that's something I like to do.

Hooped

2009-11-10T22:01:00.002-05:00

November, you are deceivingly difficult. I thought after Halloween, I'd have some breathing room. But no. There are: things to make, presents to buy, cookies to bake, articles to write, stockings to stuff (and construct), houses to clean, parties to throw, kids to entertain, workouts to sweat out, friends to visit... you know. Oh, and I (and a nurse) am relatively sure that Ruby is getting over a mild case of H1N1. Yikes.

Fingers And Toes

2009-11-09T22:59:00.002-05:00

Finger puppets! A little team of finger puppets! These little dudes all come from the Arazni Aronzo book Baby Stuff, which is awesome. There are a bunch of finger puppets in there, and I had grand plans to make all of them, but I only got to six (there's a pig that I made that I found after I had already taken this picture. Sorry piggy, I swear it has nothing to do with that flu that I think Ruby may have).

I actually made these guys a while ago, when our kitchen renovation was going on. I promptly stuffed them into my embroidery bag and forgot about them. The problem is, they originally started off as a baby gift, but then I realized that no baby wants one of these finger puppets. They are far too flimsy and delicate for a baby, or even an adult to play with. I was thinking of maybe buying a couple of deep picture frames or shadow boxes and sticking them in there as little pieces of nursery art. That would be a nice baby gift, no?

Holiday Inspiration

2009-11-08T17:16:00.002-05:00

Every year I look at Sew Mama Sew's Handmade Holidays feature with awe. In case you haven't seen it, every year (this is the third annual), the geniuses at SMS spend November corralling a bunch of sewing tutorials that are perfect for holiday gift giving and decorating. It really is genius. The folks there seem to have a really great eye and a really great aesthetic (not to mention great fabric to sell), and this feature offers so many ideas and so much inspiration.

That said, for the last two years I've jumped on the bandwagon too late to actually get anything made. As a public service, I'm gently reminding you about Handmade Holidays, so you can swing by there before it's too late. New ideas all throughout November. Check it out.

Golden Years

2009-11-07T17:10:00.002-05:00

Twenty-three large bags of leaves. Just from the front yard. And there are still leaves on the trees, so we'll be doing it again before autumn is over. There was much jumping, rolling in piles, and crunching of leaves as the whole family helped with the job.

Weekend Thrift

2009-11-06T21:58:00.002-05:00

I wasn't planning to stop at that estate sale. It's just, I had some time to kill because I was running early to where I had to be. And there it was, right on my route. It's not my fault there was some choice Pyrex, plus some Melmac. I couldn't help it. I only paid $20 for the lot.

I am not addicted. And I swear I am not on my way to becoming a hoarder.

She's Got Style

2009-11-05T17:21:00.005-05:00

Readers of both Angry Chicken and Posy Gets Cosy will recognize this. There's a wacky site called Polyvore where one can create a "set" of clothing items -- essentially like Fashion Plates but in a more digital way (by the way, real Fashion Plates are going for fairly top dollar on Ebay these days). Of course, at the end you can order all the clothes online, but that wouldn't really be much fun, would it?

So, being a sucker for this sort of thing, I thought I'd try it out. When my kids were awake. Big mistake -- Ruby took one look at my laptop and needed to take a go at it. Above is the outfit she put together with very little guidance from myself. It's very pink, but actually, considering it was styled by a 4.75 year old who is obsessed with Barbies and Princesses, it's pretty awesome. It is kind of Barbie Girl, but also sort of hipster '80s retro. And her taste isn't cheap, either. That cardigan alone is $372!

Here's my Dream Date outfit. I should note, I do not really dress like this, but if I had a lot of money and went to swishy film openings, I might. Oh, and if these dresses were made to fit women who are above a size six.

Oh, The Luxury

2009-11-04T16:03:00.002-05:00

Is it too early to start making Christmas ornaments? Yesterday when I was on my mission to reluctantly purchase the pinkest, most plasticy Polly Pocket extravaganza imaginable, I noticed that my local mall was in full-on Christmas mode. Actually, I was even more shocked to see that by the morning of November 1, my grocery store had done an overnight transformation from Halloween to Xmas decor and that they were actually selling fruitcakes. It's November, people. But I digress. Back in September, I ordered both the Walk In The Woods and Ice Skate Afternoon felt ornament kits from Alicia. Normally I don't go for these kits -- I'm kind of cheap and would rather save some dough by putting together the supplies for myself. But, the luxury of letting Alicia do it for me (and thus, letting me avoid a trip to the craft store) was too much to resist.

I have a bunch of work stuff I have to do before I dive into these beauties, but I'm really excited about them. The plan is to give one each to Ruby's teachers, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to part with them. Either way, I'm excited. And while the kits are sold out, Alicia does still have PDF patterns for sale. Less luxurious, but just as festive.

Wedding Bells

2009-11-03T20:57:00.002-05:00

Do you have a go-to wedding gift? Like when nothing on the registry seems quite right (or there is not registry at all) and you're not sure enough of the couple's mutual taste to buy something really unique? My go-to is what you see above: the deluxe edition of Scrabble.

My friend Joanne told me years ago that this is her go-to gift, and since we've never been mutually invited to a wedding, I promptly stole the idea. I usually add a little note" "Now that you're an old married couple, here's a little something to help you pass the time." We're going to a wedding reception on Saturday. Guess what I picked up today while helping Santa shop for some very coveted Polly Pockets?

Under The Sea

2009-11-02T21:52:00.003-05:00

As promised, here's the post-mortem on Ruby's mermaid costume. As previously mentioned, I used the Simplicity 4043 costume to make Ruby the costume that she'd been asking for for a year. I thought I'd be able to find an official Disney-sanctioned Ariel costume, but alas, the pattern books only had Cinderella, Snow White and maybe Jasmine. Because most amateur sewers aren't crazy enough to make a mermaid costume. Time to start calling me crazy.

Regular readers know that I like to sew but I'm more of a doll and pillow sewer. Basically, other than a very simple skirt, I would never make myself something to wear, because I take pride in the way I look when I go out in public. I like the instant gratification of sewing, but I'm not great at paying attention to meticulous detail. So, this pattern was definitely a challenge for me. Also, the material was a bit finicky -- stretch knit with a sequined lace overlay, lots of poly lining, and a shiny, very synthetic satin-y thing. Basically, that meant that the magic of pressing was not an option and I actually did melt the fabric in a few places. Oops.

I did make some modifications to the pattern to make it easier/less time consuming. I skipped on some of the sequin applique, and hand-stitched the stuff I did use, rather than machine stitching (though I did do a machine stitch under it to get a quilting effect). I skipped the zipper and the boning. I did not properly finish all of the inside seams of the lining. But I finished it and Ruby loved it. And I did take a look at some of the store-bought Ariel costumes in the Disney Store (which were basically just a cheap-o pencil skirt with some fins sewn on the side) and, frankly, mine is waaay better.

A note on the photos: why did I not actually take a full body shot of Ruby in costume so that I can admire my work 20 years from now? And prove to her what a doting mother I was when she was little? Either way, you get the drift, and believe you me, she did look like a beautiful mermaid.

Mystery Gnome Revealed

2009-11-01T15:52:00.003-05:00

So, since I figured that this was the last year I had to totally humiliate the child at Halloween, I made Henry dress up as a garden gnome. It took most people a few minutes to figure it out, especially since he would only wear his fake beard like a bib, but all in all, I think he's adorable. And he wore that elf hat all day without complaint. I was very proud of him.

And boy, did this kid ever dig trick or treating. I stayed home to hand out candy, but apparently he'd march up to every door, drop his plastic pumpkin bucket on the welcome mat and yelp "treat!" before looking up at the resident with his big chocolatey eyes. His bucket was more than full by the time he got home and he's been begging for the candy ever since. Poor guy. Little does he know that I'll probably throw it all out long before he has a chance to slip into his desired sugar coma.

I'll post some pictures of Ruby's mermaid costume tomorrow. NaBloPoMo, you know.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T23:51:00.003-04:00

Yes, the day is almost over (about five minutes left for those of you out East), but I've finally found a minute to wish you all a Happy Halloween! Our day was full of costumes, parties, candies, treats, friends and family. Hope yours was too.

And, for next year, as an ingenious kids craft, take some nails and use them to tack buttons, ribbons, fabric, pretty papers and other odd items to a mini pumpkin. Instant art!

Nearing the Witching Hour...

2009-10-29T21:49:00.003-04:00

Nearly all of my crafty time lately has been dedicated to full-on Halloween sewing mania, mostly because I elected to make Ruby such a ridiculously complicated costume. Here's a sneak peek at little Henry's equally simple costume. I won't totally disclose what he's going to be -- pictures will come after Halloween (conveniently, as part of NaBloPoMo).

What you see here is a Woodland Elf Hat, as seen in Amy Karol's Bend The Rules Sewing. I've made a few of these before, but they were adult sized and I kind of free-handed the pattern and cut and re-seamed as I went to size them properly. Let me tell you, when you do this pattern properly, it is the easiest thing in the world. I think the whole pattern (including cutting) took me about a half hour. Seriously, even a complete non-sewer could make this (I suppose if someone threaded their machine for them).

Now, how does one convince a 1.5 year old to keep a costume on? That, my friends, will be a much bigger challenge than making the hat was.