Special Project - The Planning

Many of the people that I know also know that I have a few crafty abilities. Often here or there I get asked for a baby gift here or there, or a camera strap, a scarf, I got a request over the weekend that was something different and was also quite touching.

I said yet before I knew I was getting into of course because I come from a place of "yes", and now I'm even more excited about it.

What can I tell you about this project? A friend's mother-in-law was a crochet gifter, who had made a blanket for and her husband, one for her daughter and had started one for her son while she was sick with cancer. The blanket never got finished but the finished piece has been sitting with my friend since then.

I am charged with the challenge of making it into a finished product. Since I do not know how to crochet and I'm sure this is not the project to learn on, I'm going to knit.

The top picture is what I have to work with, and the bottom one is the colours and stitching I have chosen. I went with a seed stitch to give it the texture that "grandma's piece" would have. While I've only gotten though a few rows, as you know seed stitch is a little harder on the wrists so this might be one that needs to be worked on in shifts.


This is what I'm thinking for the finished product, with the piece that I was given in the middle and the rest worked around it. I'm going to bind off the dark blue but continue the sides, and work a hole like to use to attach the middle. Or that's what I'm thinking. It may be different once I get there.

I am just more than honoured that my friend would ask me to finish this for her, to finish a memory for her son that he will have forever. Something to remember his grandmother, something to wrap himself in, something to grow into.

Life gets in the way . . .

I'm sure that all mommy bloggers encounter this, life getting in the way and before you know it it has been two months and you have no new posts and whatever followers you had before have left for better blogs!

I will try and put myself on a schedule and see how that goes, I do have lots to share, but until there here is what has been getting in the way:

- my big man is off to grade one in the fall
- my little man spends most of his days getting dirty
- we've been baking cakes and cupcakes for our friends
- even got a date night with my husband and dad to see the yankees play
- coached a season of ball for the first time
- t-ball ended
- and I even got a little sewing in!

I'm bringing the chevron back!

It is a classic, and if you look in your closet you have one, or several. Likely in pale yellow and green, maybe a little white in there. More often than not it has been crocheted by a lovely elderly member of your family or a close family friend. And 90 times out of 100 if you are a modern mommy no matter how good your heart is (and we know you have a good heart), you have never used it! There is no judgement here, I have several in that corner of the closet as well! No worries all my friends who are expecting, and there are quite a few of you, I'm giving the chevron a makeover thanks to The Purl Bee pattern that I found. Here is my first attempt!

Do you love it as much as I do? There were a lot of firsts in this for me. The first time using circular needles, two new stitches (techniques) to learn ***Thanks Kelly for the lessons!***, and my first time using a wool blend. It took a while to get the hang of the pattern but after a while it was easy and knit up very quickly. I love how heavy it is and how soft it feels. I also love that it's the perfect size for those babies I know who will end up coming this winter and need a little extra something in their carseat.

So yeah or neah, what are you thinking of the chevron makeover?

How involved do you get?

There is always a delima of how involved to you get? In anything really, but at the moment for me it is how involved do I get in my school's parent council? I have been going to the meetings for the better part of almost two years and now that my guy will be moving to grade 1 I want to be able to show him that we should be involved in his school life more.

But how much is too much? Is there such thing as too much and how do you navigate the system of moms who have been there longer, done more and created a circle? I am a well educated woman who has a professional job and I feel that I have something to offer. I believe that I am well spoken and would represent the school, our parents and our students well. But how far do you go to prove yourself if people are not willing to take you at face value? Any suggestions? Are you on your school's parent council? What are they doing well? What role have you taken within it?

Work life of course is going well and I have been able to start some blogging there as well so come and visit me over there at www.brantcountyspca.blogspot.com. You can't help but love being around things like this when you stop into the office.

So cute. I have yet to foster anything, and each time I'm in the staff remind me of that, or ask me "haven't you taken anything home yet?" Even the boys ask me when I'm bringing something home, today William would like a kitten, likely the one that I named after him yesterday who was already adopted before I got back to take his picture for my little man to see.

Do you support your local SPCA? I'd love to hear those stories, right after you are done giving me advice on the parent council issue!

Blogging is always the last thing to get done . . .

Although it is always fairly high on the list of things I "want" to do, it is never on the list of things that "get done" around here lately. So what has been taking up all my time? Life . . .

These rascals might have something to do with it. Somehow Andrew has turned two and I am still in complete denial. I'm not sure how we got to birth from here, it's really been far two quick for my liking. He is at such a great age though, something new each day, a new word, a new phrase, a new action. But the other part of him growing up is that I'm feeling the baby pull again, I didn't have it after William was born, but it's so strong now I feel it hard to look at wonderfully pregnant ladies, my womb feels empty and as much as I don't want more than three I can't explain my need for the third to my husband, and even when I do he just doesn't get it at all.

The other part of life that is keep my busy is the new job! I am back to loving what I do and that makes all the difference to me, my mood and the rest of my life at home as well. Although there have been a few difficult stories within what I do, mostly it's these guys . . .

 . . . I mean how great is that? Those faces and being able to watch them go to great homes really is rewarding. What is even better is that it's ground-up work for me, building a Facebook page, a Twitter account, brochures, postcards, event planning and donor relations. I get the best of everything.

Now if I could just be as good at getting back to the blog as I've been about my Picture A Day project . . . .





Things (4 to be exact)

Okay Liz over at Mable's House does this all the time and I love it so I'm stealing it outright and trying it myself and adding pictures! Let me know if it works, as in do you like it, and if you don't check Liz's out cause her are great.

1. I love my new office, and I love that I built my own desk and it hasn't fallen down yet.

2. This year was a banner Valentine's day as we made our own instead of store bought and I love the way they turned out.

3. This little man is getting more grown up every day and it is making me want another, his personailty is really showing, sweet and kind and a firecracker all at once.

4. I could not resist showing everyone what I get to hang out with at work, man life is good.

Back in action . . . but changes are a foot.

I'm not sure what happened to January, when I looked at the blog the other day I had to take a second peek to see if it was really true that I had not posted in January 4th!

So much has happened, so here's the recap!

Helped with my first birth as a doula (although still training and still studying), what an experience it was, brave mommy Sam and little baby Duncan really gave me a day and night I will never forget.

The boys have been having lots of winter fun with Daddy outside (Mommy is not an outside girl in the winter, too many memories of freezing while snowmobiling with my parents when I was younger).

And the last big news of the month, was that I have resigned from my current fund development position with the Alzheimer's Society and will be starting on February 14th raising much needed money for our local SPCA. I'm really excited about the change, it comes at a great time and while I will miss the amazing crew where I am now, I'm sure that I will find an equally amazing crew at my new place!

Oh P.S. it might actually be my new addicitions to Pintrest and Instagram that is keeping me away from the blog . . . . I'll do better I promise.

A Zoo

No we did not buy one but my house feels like one these days. Too many days off for little boys who enjoy their routine. Drew is currently sporting a cut on his eyebrow that he sustained while riding his brother around the living room. In return the next morning William came to me with his finger bleeding because his 20 month old brother had attacked his hand with tongs! Come on now, you can't even make this up, and it's not like they are unsupervised, but who thinks that you can almost loose a finger to meat tongs at the hands of a toddler.

The cure for all our ails at the moment . . .

Auntie Julie cookies. After posting this on Facebook as my picture of the day I figured out that just about every culture has this cookie but calls it something different. I call them Auntie Julie cookies, we get them at Christmas and Easter and that's it. Always stacked high in a clear plastic bag with a twist tie. Give the boys one of these and everything seems to be alright . . . for a moment or two.

My salvation . . .

Could it really have been anything else??

Hello 2012 - What do you have in store for me?

I have no idea what my "new year's resolutions" will be this year, but I have a lot of goals that I want to accomplish. I want to finish my doula course and get certified, I want to learn to cook for my family better, I want to be a better woman, role model, mother, wife.

I'm also starting a picture-a-day as well. Instagram has been consuming my spare time, what a great little invention that is. I've recruited a few lovely ladies who will also join me and I can't wait to share their pictures along the way.

Today's picture, kinda speaks to what I've been doing and waiting for how I feel about 2011, icey!

So here is to melting the old year and warming up the new year. Any resolutions, goals, dreams? I would love to hear them!

Please, please bring on the new year already!

I know I shouldn't say that, I have a lot to be thankful for but really, 2011 has been such a difficult year in terms of family, relationships etc, that I really would like to hit the reset button with 2012.

If only it were that easy . . . . what are you hoping for most in 2012? I might need all of these to "take" if only it were that easy.

Heartbreaking Holiday

I took this picture at an industrial photoshoot back in the summer, and it kinda fits the story that is going through my head today. How do you build back something out of nothing?

William attends before and afterschool care through the YMCA, and one of his Y teachers and her family have suffered a devistating house fire. They got out (she, her husband and their two teenage children), but they lost everything including their pets. The thought of it anytime of the year would call me to action of course but this time of the year more than ever.

I put out a notice to all the parents who use the before and aftershcool program asking them to help us give a little something back. Where to start is the biggest, when you've lost everything, everything has to be replaced. Here is a woman who gives to our children each and every day and I just hope that the spirit of the season is enough to show her that our community cares. I'll keep you posted, and in the meantime hug your loved ones, and look around your home and be thankful that it is there. 

My first "client" . . . introducing Sam.

This is Sam, and in her lovely belly is Baby Duncan. Not only did I get to do this amazing photoshoot with Sam, her partner Duncan and the growing one, I am also going to support Sam during her labour as her doula.

I've done almost all my reading and of couse what I need now is some practical experience, and Sam was willing to offer me that. She is a barista at my Starbucks so needless to say she knows be quite well and I'm thrilled at the chance to help her out.

She and Duncan are excited but of course nervous as well, as a young couple of course it's a daunting thought to bring a human into the world, I thought it was and was well onto thirity by the time I had my first.

Baby Duncan is due to make his arrival sometime around or after January 9th, I'm preparing her to go over but that's the thing about babies, they really do call the shots. I'm extremely proud of the homework that she's doing, she's decided (all of this in a perfect world of course) to delay cord clamping, to try her best to breastfeed, and for immediate skin-to-skin contact with the babe.

It's interesting how much is not told to new parents about the importance of the decisions she's made above, and I'm glad to be able to have given her some knowledge and informed choice when it came down to it. And while I'm hoping she gets through this without an epidural, she's planning on one and I will support her. Truly I also hope that I will be able to draw her partner Duncan into the process, gently and without force, to a position that he will be able to support her as well.

This story will continue . . . .

I found it! My hometown.

That's my hometown, Erieau! Don't know where it is? Many people don't. It's a tiny little fishing village on Lake Erie in Southwestern Ontario. My parents had taken us there as kids almost each weekend in the summer as we had a boat. It was about 15 minutes from where we had our house in Charing Cross, (an even smaller village!).

When I was in grade 8 or so my parents bought a cottage there, with access to the Bay and we spent from May to October there each year, funny because who has a cottage 15 minutes away from their real home. The only thing it meant was taking a different bus to school.

I will have to look up some pictures to post, but it's lovely, under 400 people, even less in the winter when the cottagers have all gone home. I spent summers working at the marina in the store while my friend Neal worked outside at the docks helping put boats in. It's quaint and lovely and when I find the pictures I will post more about it.

So the reason I'm so excited was I bought some of the Hometown canvas made of course by the lovely and talented ladies at Sweetwater, and found Erieau! I had submitted it when they had their little call out and didn't think much of it, until I was looking at the fabric today. Sadly the only problem is that I had bought it to makea gift for someone and now I don't want to use it . . . what to do????

A project of preservation

There are always things that catch my eye that I think "that looks easy, I could do that" and it seems to be happening to me a lot lately. That long with the feeling of envy when I see a really neat thing in someone else's home or in a magazine that sets a space apart.

My kitchen walls have nothing to do with my kitchen and that's going to change. I am in the process of trying to change that, and this is my start. Taking the recipies that my grams wrote out for me and sent along with letters that she's written to me over the years and making them into wall art. My first one, although the title says "frosty strawberry squares", in our house it's call "strawberry dessert" and grams only makes it once a year, Christmas time.

Since neither of my parents will be around for the holidays this year, each headed their seperate ways to someplace warm, the chances of me getting my dessert are nill. Hopefully getting it up onto my wall will make me feel better. I'm debating having it printed on to a canvas already stretched or onto a fabric and framing it that way? Any thoughts?

Here's what it looks like all ready to eat!

Holiday Crafting

Hard to believe most days but I still have a creative side I swear, and of course the holidays are the best time to get crafting for me.



A few holiday pot holders for friends from here to there. Check your mailboxes next week . . . who knows. Of course they were super easy, the labels from from Sweetwater's Etsy shop, I could spend hours and millions in there, and they make me look good when I can easily in an hour turn out things like this.

The other thing that has been hot in demand from friends and family since I posted this picture on Facebook!

I saw these in a home magazine and had one of those "I could do that" moments, and well as much as I love them, I might be sick fo making them once the requests are all in! Ha ha!

What is your holiday crafting looking like? I'd love to know.