Date Night!

A welcome relax in the "big city" with the hubs this weekend.

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend! 

xo

{This Moment}

{This moment} is inspired by Soulemama, and beautifully done by so many. It reveals a moment from our week that is special enough to stand alone, without need for expression, or explanation.

xo

English Paper Piecing

A few weeks back, I took part in a workshop for a little sewing technique called english paper piecing (a very old-school method of quilting which uses a paper template).

Having 2 young boys makes it difficult, if not impossible to escape into my sewing room most days, and so I was in the market for something new, and portable to fill my creative needs. This workshop sounded like it was just that new something I needed. Once the initial step of ironing your template (butcher or freezer paper) to your fabric is complete, you can take it absolutely anywhere!

The workshop was held at The Workroom in Toronto.
It was incredibly tough to concentrate on the workshop with all those shelves of beautiful fabric calling to me. I couldn't imagine "working" here. My earnings would be spent every week before even being deposited in the bank!
Needless to say, I did not leave empty-handed.

English Paper Piecing is fabulous. I have just set about making hexagons with no ideas quite yet of what I'm making. Possibly something small? A pouch, bag, cushion cover maybe?... Or maybe I'll just go full-on and head for a queen size. That's what I really want.

For now, I'll just keep putting these together, all non-committal like, and see where it leads me!

Don't miss THIS POST! Be one of the first three people to comment on it, and you'll end up a part of something  awesome!

Pay It Forward... Handmade

I am joining in with More Like June on this awesome Handmade Pay It Forward. How fun is this?? 

Here are the rules:

1.  I will send a surprise gift to the first three commenters on this post. The gift will be handmade by me.  It will be sent sometime in the next 365 days. It will be a surprise.  We all love getting surprises in the mail, right?

2. To sign up and receive a gift, you must play along, too. Pay it Forward on your blog, by promising to make a surprise for the first three people who comment on the post.

3. You must have a blog. (That is regularly updated, as I will blog stalk you to find the right little something for you)

4. After commenting here, you must repost this or something similar to your blog in 48 hours.  If not, I will choose the next person who comments…

365 Days to create and send out my handmade surprises? Do-able. Definitely do-able. Who's it gonna be??... :)

xo

Immunity Blues

Sorry for the constant time out's on this little space. I am a bit of a disaster these days as far as the old immune system goes, and I'm really at a loss for how to pick myself back up again. With completely zapped energy levels, and zero motivation, I am really not a pool of accomplishment lately. I have high hopes for the coming days though as I finish up my antibiotics (my THIRD course since January).
Might I warn all those out there who think they can fight strep on their own - don't do it! I tried. I was dreading taking pills again, and so I really tried. 3 days in, it was the worst ever, and had included my ear and teeth in it's evil quest for rule. My whole head had become a throbbing, agonizing pain. Not cool. Since beginning these meds, my body has worked it's way through about 5 more illnesses it seems like, and I feel (*knock on wood*) that things (...with hesitation) may be improving. For example...tonight is the first night I have stayed up past my little ones going to sleep. Probably not a great idea on my part, but just to have a few sweet minutes to myself is a gift  I have not had in a while.

So, here's hopin' I'll be back in this space "with bells on", and maybe even a project or two in the works, in the next few days! Thanks for standing by!!
xo

{This Moment}

{This moment} is inspired by Soulemama, and beautifully done by so many. It reveals a moment from our week that is special enough to stand alone, without need for expression, or explanation.

xo

Playful Grounds Cafe

605 College St., Toronto

I met my sister-in-law, and two nieces at Playful Grounds this morning - a College Street cafe with a play area. That's right folks. A place where, as your children play, you can sit, drink AND enjoy a cup of good coffee, or even a nice cool beer should that be your fancy.

I'm lovin' the hot chocolate in sippy cups, bibs for usage (I forgot one today), and the very kid-friendly menu.

This morning I enjoyed a freshly baked bagel with cream cheese, cucumber, and tomato. My previous visit I had an awesome chicken pesto panini - very yummy.
In their own words they are "Committed to using organic and local ingredients wherever possible".

A place where you don't have to be bashful about your little screamer, or the ridiculous food mess on and under your table - I like it!

These Days

Here we are, plodding along through the tail end of winter while spotting glimpses, here and there, of Spring.
These confused days where you catch a down-filled coat, and toque wearing dog walker, pass a shorts and sandals clad cyclist. Oh yes, no one knows quite how to dress in these, the first days of Spring.

I am so looking forward to more and more of these Springy moments as our time outdoors gets longer and the layers of clothing decrease!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter weekend!
xo

{This Moment}

{This moment} is inspired by Soulemama, and beautifully done by so many. It reveals a moment from our week that is special enough to stand alone, without need for expression, or explanation.

xo

A Birthday Bug

It has taken me some time to get around to writing anything on my blog. Wow, how the days just roll into one another lately.

Owen's birthday party was originally planned for the day after his actual birthday. Most unfortunately, our house went viral and stayed potent for a couple weeks. And so, under these circumstances we warned our guests away and spent our dear boy's day sharing and devouring 4 delicious cupcakes between us. With a little prayer that the eaten cupcakes would stay where they belonged (in the tummy) for at least a little while, we put on our smiles, blew up a few balloons, and went out for a little fresh air (with a couple of towels, a whole lot of wipes and our fingers crossed). What troopers our 2 pale, sleep-deprived little "partyers" were.

10 days later...
I had doubled my caffeine intake; my washing machine had worked her motor off, cleaning about 2 months worth of laundry in 2 weeks; my home had been given a once over with the hard stuff in hopes of killing off the evil that had invaded us; we were feeling pretty good, and we were finally ready to join family and a couple of close friends in celebrating our baby boy's first year.

It feels really good to be a part of the civilized world again!  Come on family, let's stay healthy!!

My man spray painted the lids of the baby jars I collected; we filled them with candies and then the favour tags were printed, hole-punched and tied on. Easy party favour!

Tip: spray paint well in advance so your tasty sweets aren't infused with spray paint smell if you don't eat them right away! (like ours were! Oops...).

Mmmm.... Banana cupcake with chocolate buttercream icing, and vanilla cupcake with maple buttercream icing. Yummy. Also, might I add, God bless the inventor of the cupcake topper! My mom used to make the most elaborate, beautiful cakes for my birthday's. Me? I love to bake, but I just don't seem to have the motivation for cake decorating. Maybe it will come later?...

Birthday Onesie by Sibling Special-Tees; Paper straws from Indigo Books & Music; Cupcake toppers & favour tags (as PDF files) by DomesticallySwanky; Cupcakes by Flour Girls.