oscar recovery day

oops, no post today. forgot to tell you all on friday that i'm taking today off. we had friends from out of town visiting on the weekend and let's face it...with good company, yummy food and the oscars it left me little time for blogging. hope you had a great weekend and have a happy monday!

weekend wishes

to get caught up on my knitting...

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to feel the WARM sun on my face after all this cold snow...

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to share with you soon why i've been digging owls...

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to one day have a yarn stash that looks like this...

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to find some more doilies and make one of these...i'm so in love with it...

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to have a nap here...

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to hang some of these lovelies up in my sewing area...

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to figure out how the heck to make one of these and eat it...

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and to make you smile cause it feels like it's been a long week.

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did ya smile? yeah? good :) cheesy, i know, but cute regardless. it's been a long week for me. feels like one of those weeks that just drags on and on. oh well...the weekend can only get better right? we've got some of our best friends coming from out of town to visit this weekend and we are super excited to see them so most of my time will be spent hanging and catching up with them. i've got a few projects that i have to finish up for a baby shower a friend and i are throwing. i can't wait to show you all the pics but it's going to have to wait because the new mom is a friend of mine who reads the blog and i wouldn't want to give away any of the surprises....right amy?

i've been finding myself fixated on finding doilies at the moment. for some strange reason though i can never seem to find any good ones at my local thrift shops and when i do it's at value village and they are charging way too much for what they are. i have so many projects i want to make right now with doilies.....so i'm sending it out there doilies, wherever you are hiding in some dusty salvation army - peek your head out and say hello ok? i'll give you a nice new home! my fave one that i've been holding onto on my inspiration board is now being stitched onto one of my throw pillows (pics to come soon). now i need to find another one for the other pillow. do you guys heart doilies too?

i think this weekend will be the first time i really am going to miss cable. the oscars are on right? it's going to be weird not sitting in front of the tv ooohing and ahhing over the oscars. i love oscar night. you'll watch for me right?

what are you up to this weekend? any items you're hoping to find thrifting that have been evading you? have any exciting oscar plans? have a wonderful, relaxing, sunshine filled & yummy cookie eating weekend!

toasted tuna for two - a guest post on the southern institute for domestic arts & crafts

the lovely jenny from the blog "the southern institute for domestic arts & crafts" invited me to pop on over to join in for her "meals kids love" series going on this month.  pop on over there and see my post for a recipe for one of our fave lunches - toasted tuna for two.  you'll also find out a secret i've been keeping, and here me go on a rant about my frusterations about feeding & cooking for a picky eater.

there will be yummy pics, some smiles, some funny faces and of course.....toasted tuna.

so come say hi to me over on the southern institute for domestic arts and crafts and let's chat about keeping those darn picky eaters fed.  it's driving me bonkers lately :P

jennyandteddy creation amigurumi crochet pattern winner!!!!

and the winner of the jennyandteddy creation amigurumi crochet pattern giveaway was......drumroll please...

eLBie you are the winner! Congrats hun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  jane from jennyandteddy creation will be in touch soon about your prize.

go check out all the rest of the lovely and adorably cute patterns over here at jennyandteddy creation!  i can't wait to try one!  thanks to everyone who entered.

action pack: a mini-mag for kids who want to do stuff

i was so excited to find out that kathreen of "whipup" is launching march 1st a fab new mini-mag called "action pack: a mini-mag for kids who want to do stuff".  geared to kids aged 7 and up this is the perfect thing to get the tween crowd making, playing and creating!  after all, not all of us have kidlets that are wee ones. 

kathreen developed action pack with "busy parents and creative energetic kids in mind".  it's an easy printable pdf, costs only $5 (wow!), there's no ads and it's filled to the brim with "20 pages of craft projects, outdoor activities, cooking, drawing & more, everything a kid needs for a weekend (or two) of activities".  all the projects inside are kid tested and approved :)

projects like beeswax candles, lip balm & hand lotion (with your own labels!), beeswax dipped origami boats (they float), honey cinnamon cake, drawing lessons, fun facts & more!  ummmmm, i wanna be a kid so i can do the projects in action pack. hello....these are fabulous!  such a great idea! 

most of my readers know i'm a big believer in encouraging handmade in my home so to see this kind of publication come out to encourage not only our wee ones, but also our tweens, teens and everything else in between to create and use their imaginations does my heart good.  you can download and purchase your copy of action pack here for only $5 buckaroos.  skip the latte....you won't regret it.

you can also find lots of other crafty inspiration and goodness over at kathreen's blog - whipup.  you are sure to find more than enough projects to keep you busy and your kids.

so get inspired, find a project and get creating!  your imagination awaits!  what is your favorite kind of craft, experiment or project to do with your kids?  would your child love action pack?

room with a new view

do you ever get sick of staring at the same view day after day while breastfeeding?  we sit day after day, hour after hour breastfeeding and looking at the same darn view.  i know, i could change rooms, but i like to nest and i have my fave spot on the couch, my fave end so to speak and i nest there.  i've got my drinks (water, coffee), my remotes, snack, nail clippers (for the baby), my laptop & table it's on(piled high with dayplanners and sketchbooks/ring binders), my knitting and of course - the "view".  

i have a basic circle mirror from ikea hanging above my mantle that was just missing some va va voom.  i didn't know what the heck to do with it, but it's been driving me batty.  i was going to take it down but for some reason just couldn't bring myself to do it.

remember this wreath?  well it was the size of a grocery story pizza box.  just right for a holiday decoration but it just didn't seem to have enough oomph once all the decorations were down.  it looked too lonesome where i had it.  again, i found myself torn...wanting to keep it up but unable to find the right home for it.  then inspiration hit me.  why not do the same thing on the mirror?

so i took the leaves off the cardboard and simply attached them to the mirror instead.  ohhh, sticky tape i do love you.  i had to cut out more leaves but it was just a fun project to do with mackenzie.  we cut and stuck our pretty white paper leaves to our boring mirror and shazam a new view.  gotta love that.  now while breastfeeding i feel inspired just that little bit more to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new.  even repurposed items can be repurposed.  i  so love that. 

Say cheese!

so get inspired ladies.  don't settle for the same ol' boring view.  mix it up.  move something around, turn something into something else.  just make "your nest" a happy place.  where do you "nest"?  what's your fave view while breastfeeding?  take a pic, leave a comment - let's chat!

the post was late...late for a very important date...

ReSew: Turn Thrift-Store Finds into Fabulous Designs

well today's post was supposed to be a fantabulous giveaway from one of the sweetest author/bloggers i know - jenny wilding cardon from the new book resew: turn thrift store finds into fabulous designs. we've got a great interview filled with tips, pics and refashioning goodness. jenny is also our newest moms in the mommyhood (back by popular demand)! we decided that while we did the interview i would also do a book review and a giveaway for all of you. but whatdoya know...as per usual any snail mail coming from the states to good ol' canada (we really aren't that far away) takes FOREVER! i mean forever. my fabric takes forever, my orders for lovely goodies take forever....why, oh why postperson do you torture us so? and you wonder why we end up using ups or purolater???


so all you wonderful readers stay tuned.....jenny's post will be up soon and it's lots of fun so you don't want to miss it! plus you guys are not gonna wanna miss a chance to win a copy of her book! here's a little video clip to tide you over. ohhhh....ahhhhhhh...doesn't it make you just want to take your thrifting to a whole new level?

you can read more about jenny and her adorable family on her blog the wildcards, follow along with the rest of jenny's blog tour (i'm so excited to be among these fab blogs) and if you can't wait to win a copy of resew pick up your own now right here.

what's your favorite item to refashion? what do you love the most about thrifting? are you excited that "moms in the mommyhood" is back?

moments in the mommyhood - a swinging good time

the weekend that i thought may not be a good one turned out to be pretty alright. the scattering of one very, very, very large tantrum threatened to damper our day but we made it through unscathed and enjoyed the rest of our days off. i'm sure you can all relate to the dreaded tantrum who looms around every corner just waiting to eat happy little kids for a yummy snack....i don't like that mr. tantrum.


we hit up a local rummage sale with some friends and then had a nice walk in the sunshine with the hubs and yes, enjoyed a half price starbucks - i'm sad it's over but i milked it while it was around. we couldn't resist sticking little harper in the swing for her first swing ride. yep, i know she's 9 months and she's never been in the swing....what can i say, i avoid the park like the plague unless i have to be there. harper had a big weekend because she also took her first steps!!!! oh my baby isn't such a baby anymore. pretty soon she's gonna be running everywhere and my days of sewing while become even more few and far between..hahaha.


sunday we were lucky to get sun again...i'm hoping this means spring is around the corner. we enjoyed some more park time and swim lessons followed by a yummy roast in the slow cooker (thanks for all the tips/recipes from the facebook crowd). now, if only i had been able to sleep through the night...or even slept for 4 hours without being woken up by one kid or another....then...welll...no...i can't even think about it. forget the food, the thought of sleep is enough to cause a substantial amount of drool in my mouth and a recurring longing in our house. a longing for sleep that probably won't come to realization until my kids are 18 and even then i sometimes wonder if it will :)

how was your weekend? what did you get up to? do you avoid mr. tantrum like the plague too?

weekend wishes

to find out how the heck to get my hands on these overly cheerful, yet adorable mugs..you know i need these right?....

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to finally get brave enough to go into the gap and try on these fab skinny jeans i have been coveting for about 6 months now...

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that the sun shines so bright that we gotta wear shades dude...

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to finally crochet myself some fresh, colorful coasters...

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that we'll be able to plant our deck soon and be eating yummy strawberries & tomatoes again this summer...

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to sit here with my knitting and a good book....

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to have some time to daydream.

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well it's friday folks. am i excited this week is over? yes. am i looking forward to the weekend? not so much. the hubs has still been pretty sick around here, both girls are still not 100% and neither am i. hubs has to go put in some overtime this weekend which means i'm solo with my two babes. that equals no rest or relaxation in this momma's agenda.

i am going to try to fit in some cuddles though and maybe a few more splurges at starbucks for those naughty half price tea lattes (till the 20th)...i can't resist the prize for my fave chai tea latte...yum! i'm also going to try one of those chocolate chip cookie recipes you all so fabulously shared with me on our facebook page.. even more yum! i need me some chocolate this week...a girl's gotta splurge every once and a while right? especially since i'm judging the last week of project run & play - eeek! i have no idea how the heck i'm gonna do this. come help me out and vote k?

while everyone else is sleeping i'll be working on my guest post for celebrate the boy....yep, it's started! go check out all the good stuff on dana and rae's blogs. i'm also working on a guest post for katy of no big dill for her "once upon a thread" theme - an entire month of sewing inspired by children's books. i'm honored to be in such fabulous company and to be part of this fun theme on her equally as fab blog. go check it out!

remember that tute i told you all about that i was madly working on the other week? while it's done too but you have to wait till mid march to see it! i'll be posting on one of my fave crafty blogs and can't wait to share it and the news with all of ya next month!

so there ya have it...cookies (in my tummy), cuddles (with my 3 fave people), chai tea latte (to warm me up) and computer time (to hang with all of you)....hmmmm, maybe a not so bad weekend after all :)

what are you all up to? anything fun planned? have you been joining in on the chats on our facebook page? come "like" me...pretty please?

I Made Shoes....and the Sweet Pea Patterns Giveaway Winner!!!

i made shoes!!!!!! i can't believe it. i've never made shoes before and this whole process sort of freaked me out and made me so nervous i was going to screw them up. i'm happy to report though that they are not screwed up...not perfect...but not screwed up. cheri from sweet pea patterns instructions and photos were easy to follow and i found my nerves easing once i dived into the project.


whatcha think? you likie? i do. i made the 9-12months size and harper has a bit of room to grow into them but they look adorable on her. sorry no pics of her in them, she decided it was nap time during our photo shoot. are you interested in trying to make your own shoes but are feeling a bit hesitant? here are some tips for sewing sweet pea patterns "little london loafers" that i had:

- iron...a lot! i ironed everything over and over and over. it helped with the pinning and keeping everything lined up and on track. i love my iron and find it does wonders for me when i'm sewing. i didn't have fabric glue handy so the extra pinning and ironing allowed me to still make the shoes.

- the step where you are sewing the shoe together i also recommend a lot of pinning. pin till you can't pin no more. no pleats and my edges stayed lined up thanks to the tons of pinning.

- read the instructions through a few times before starting. i made an oopsie with the cutting of the pieces at the start because i got all gung ho and jumped ahead thinking i knew what to cut out. not fun. luckily i had just enough fabric left to recut.

- use the right needle for your machine and material. cheri shares this tip in the pattern but i wanted to stress this. it's always important to use a new needle for a new project and one that is for the kind of fabric you are working with.


shoe face...hahaha. couldn't resist posting that pic. mackenzie came over as i was shooting my pics and declared she wanted watermelon in the picture. i think the kid has a good eye..haha. she spotted those dots and thought they looked like eyes.


i had so much fun making these and know they will not be my last pair. next up...mackenie and then me. you can find patterns for your wee ones at sweet pea patterns, for your kidlets at sweet pea kids and for you at shoeology. cheri also sells waterproof soling material now so you can wear your fab shoes outside without ruining them! cheri - you rock girl! love you for making this so easy! and now on to the winner!!!!!

felicia - you're the winner! congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!! can't wait for you to whip some shoes up for your little ones! i'll be forwarding your info to cheri and she'll be in touch soon.

here's a pic of from one of our fave long time readers - buffy. this is her daughter wearing a pair of boots made from the super slouchy boot pattern from sweet pea patterns. aren't they adorable? i love seeing what you guys are all making so come join our flickr group to show off your sewing goodies!

happy shoe making everyone and thanks again for all the entries! have you tried out making your own shoes recently? do you have any tips to share with us?