The Start of An Artist

It is so exciting to watch little hands beginning their exploration of art.



It gives me hope that it won't be long before we can chill out and create together!! VERY exciting stuff indeed.


*Thanks SO much to Sara at Pomegranate Chronicles for sending your Link Love my way on this fine and sunny day!!

{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.



Have a great weekend!
xo

I AM...

I AM addicted to, and missing out on valuable sleep in the early night hours due to, Jack Bauer and his crazy antics in Season 7.

I AM drinking a lot of Earth Mama Angel Baby Milkmaid tea and loving it.

I AM reading this amazing blog which I discovered through this other amazing blog. Man I love this world of bloggers. Isn't it cool how it has created role models, inspiration and a kind of celebrity, out of both working and stay-at-home mamas, and normal awesome chicks everywhere??!

I AM pining for these amazing pants which I WILL buy the pattern for, and then my pining will be instead for some time when I can sew them!


*image borrowed from Burdastyle.com

I AM so into adding a teaspoon or so of vanilla to my pancake mix thanks to one of my sisters-in-law.

I AM having fun with my baby boys at the Early Years Centre, which is awesomely free (for all you Ontario based mamas out there).

I AM looking forward to voting on May 2nd.


*image borrowed from testcanada.com

And even moreso...
I AM REALLY looking forward to a flight at the end of May to visit my family, where I can properly introduce the newest member of our clan, and where they can get to know Levi at this oh so hilarious, and sometimes rowdy stage of his life.

I AM eating TOO much Lindor Dark Chocolate which IS what we probably will be eating in heaven.

I AM happy for moments of beauty amidst these days of rainfall. It is spring after all! Time to let it be, and enjoy it while it's here.



...And I AM tired, oh SO tired but I AM love, love, LOVING being a mama twice over!!



Happy Thursday!
What are you up to?
xo

Sewing Treasury

Take a peek at the new treasury I created on Etsy yesterday.
SewFabulous is a collection of all things sewing - to decorate or organize your sewing room, or just a pretty spot to keep your pins and needles.

It was a fun treasury to browse for!

My Little Kitchen Helper

My new and most brilliant solution...





See how seriously he takes his "work"





When something needs doing of the baking variety, my little guy "helps" with his bowl of flour and measuring cups and spoons, transferring from bowl to bowl. A happy little man keeps kitchen work light.
Worst case scenario? Flour EVERYWHERE. ;)

Easter Weekend

We had a great Easter weekend with friends and family and WAY too many sweets! The sun came out just in the nick of time on Good Friday, so that we could enjoy watching Levi look for eggs.



I picked up a huge bag of plastic refillable eggs at the thrift store for two bucks a while back. They will be perfect for reusing each year. I plan to purchase a nice basket for each child to put their special Easter treats in every Easter, but I didn't quite get around to it this time around. I like Tonya's idea from Plain and Joyful Living to hide eggs with coins in them. We hesitate to give too many sweets, and Levi has yet to experience chocolate that isn't in the form of a glass of milk. We filled his eggs with Cheddar bunnies, dried cranberries, teddy grahams, and small ginger cookies. He was quite happy chowing down on those goodies throughout the day.


Opening a gift mailed from Grandma and Grandpa


No eggs for this little guy, but it didn't stop him from flashing his sweet little smile several times over!

While uploading, I discovered there were about 30 photos that were not taken by me. I figure these chubby little toes will lead us to the photographer...



Another tasty dinner with family was to be had on Saturday, followed by church on Sunday, and a couple of good long walks which I have been needing for a while. With another week of rain ahead of us, I'm sure glad we were able to squeeze those in.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!! Happy Easter xo

A Cozy Corner

A new piece of furniture was added to our home. The necessary "old man" chair. It's been with us a week, and already seen a great many hours of quiet nursing, good storybook readin', playing, cuddling, and very comfortable sleeping. Levi loves hiding behind it, as well as jumping into it (thank God the mechanism is guaranteed for life) and on it so yes, he approves whole heartedly!

I have sat down here to nurse several times only to wake a couple of hours later. Good times...



I recently scored a magical spare hour to dip into my sewing room and stitch up this blanket to add to our little corner. I think I'm learning to sew faster with the few spare moments available!!





One side is a natural, unbleached, undyed cotton flannelette, and the other called, I think, a waffle patterned cotton/poly (80/20?). The two combined make for a very nice weight. I pre-washed them, but the blanket still warped a bit after the next wash due to the cotton/poly blend fabric.
I bought the extra wide so it would be a slightly larger sized blanket. The material was actually bought for a blanket intended for Owen, but as it turned out to be quite a bit bigger than I thought, it works splendidly for keeping cozy while feeding him in this chair. Therefore, it still is sort of his right??

Here is my tutorial for sewing this type of blanket.

I think in this house we all agree that this is THE place to chill.



xo

Frankie Magazine

When we were living in Australia I fell in LOVE with this mag. It's a great mix of tunes, artsiness & craftiness, photography and fashion among other things. Unfortunately it is unavailable in North America, and a subscription is SO not do-able at over 100 bucks per year, and that's only for 6 issues!!

After looking ALL over for a copy, I finally discovered that I could subscribe to it digitally through a site called ZINIO. Now, I know, it is not the same as being able to physically hold your magazine in your hands, fingers flipping through the pages, tearing out the goodies for your wall o' inspiration. For those reasons I was hesitant to subscribe, but for 15 dollars for 3 issues it is well worth it to still be able to check out this great mag. You can flip through, while zooming in on each page. Another big plus is the paper-saving factor. I also love that I can download my copies and read them while offline. Plus, plus, plus!

*image borrowed from Frankie Magazine

A Turtle For Sitting

I posted about this "to be completed" task a looooong time ago here and here. My grandpa made me this awesome little stool when I was a fair bit younger, and I have loved it. Unfortunately, as does happen, over time this poor old turtle lost his eyesight, acquired a couple holes in his shell, and just took a bit of a beating. He has finally been given a new lease on life. He can see again, he has a new shell, and a fresh coat of paint, er...um... skin??

BEFORE



AFTER



I found a bag of these fantastic eyes at the St.Jacobs Antique Market for 2 bucks. Anyone need eyes for anything??? I've still got several pairs left. Jim drilled holes in the turtle and glued the eyes in, and I painted him up and recovered his "shell". I am so excited that this little stool is now going to be a part of my little boy's lives as it was a part of mine!

Seeking Balance

Balancing my time as I learn about daily livin' with two babes has been a challenge - one I have enjoyed mind you, but a challenge none the less. As the first week with my hub back at work comes to a close, I am discovering many new things, figuring out routines, and learning how to manage leaving my house :).

Most important for me right now is appreciating each moment. You know when you're in a moment where your wee one needs a snug, so there you are sitting with this amazing little miracle resting in your arms, and looming in the back of your mind is that great big pile of laundry, counter covered in dirty dishes, or baskets full of clothes needing to be put away?? It takes some effort to let those things go, and know that at some point they will get done - somehow.


Stop
to
LOVE THIS
moment
xo

Niagara Day

Yesterday was another amazing day weather-wise, and thankfully one we took advantage of.















At least we were able to enjoy two days of beautiful weather before all the predicted rainfall for the week.

As a side note: I apologize to everyone in the GTA for last night's teaser snowfall. I got a little over-excited and toted up all our winter gear yesterday afternoon - a slight jinx I know, but it could have been worse right?

Almost A Spring Walk!

Signs of winter were still to be seen everywhere on Saturday, but at 10 degrees above I certainly wasn't complaining!









It was the absolute perfect day for a walk at one of the local conservation areas.
It won't be long now - Winter has nearly finished running it's course!