what i'm looking forward to...

the album "hold time" by m. ward the album is released on february 17th. yep, cannot wait. love his music and my daughter likes to get down to his tunes. she particularly favorites "never had nobody like you". two songs on the album feature zooey deschanel, who i think is hilarious. you can't go wrong with this one.


i also cannot wait to get sewing with some of the amy butler fabric i bought on ebay the other week. it is finally here and i am super excited.

you know that tingly feeling you get in your fingers when you don't want to do anything but create something? you crafters know what i am talking about. it's like a flex reaction, except it doesn't seem to relax until you do something creative and put all that wonderful, spontaneous and contagious energy to use and yes, i purchased pre-cut quilt squares so i don't have to cut them out myself.

i know some of you may not agree with me doing that but i just don't have the time with the little one to do it myself, plus i don't enjoy that part of the process. i love that i can buy them pre-cut and then i can enjoy sewing the quilt myself. it's always a good thing when you can pay someone to do something you hate. now if only i could afford a maid - my bathrooms need cleaning.

mama chic wrist cuff

photo courtesy of jc handmade

i am a huge fan of the blog jc handmade and when i saw the free tutorial for these adorably addicting "mama chic wrist cuffs" i had to write about them. what a great way to use up scraps of material, buttons and more buttons (i have a thing for buttons) and get creative with pattern and colour combinations. plus the free tutorial offers a pdf download available on the blog with an option to make these for your kids! i can't resist. i also love her kidlet wall pocket and felt board tutorial.

photo courtesy of jc handmade

if you are curious like me where the adorable mama button came from you can find them at paloma's nest. these gorgeous natural material buttons are available with custom text as well as some other pieces in caroline colom vasquez's line. you can find her etsy shop here.

jennifer mentioned to me she has a flickr group so you can post photos of any of the projects of hers you whip up. go ahead and share what you've made - there are some lovely photos on there.

please let me know if you decided to make these wrist cuffs, as i would love to see how they turn out as well! happy sewing!

in another life

felt hair barrettes

i decided to spruce up some of mackenzie's barrettes yesterday. i think the hairdresser in me came out and i couldn't stand looking at her everyday, plain jane, hair clips any longer. she needed some pizazz!

i have seen some tutorials online for this kind of thing before but never wanted to cover the whole hair clip with ribbon. i like the flower pattern on her barrette so i thought i would leave them exposed and wing it on the rest.

it seems that most people glue the flower together (or accessory of choice) and then glue that to the barrette. well, i was too lazy to go down to our storage room and dig through all my craft bins to find my stinkin' glue gun that i keep meaning to bring upstairs so i decided to attach my flowers a different way.
here is how i made them. the instructions aren't that detailed, i apologize. i ran out of time photographing. if anyone would love a tutorial on these please let me know and i would be more than happy to whip one up for you.

step one: i cut out the various flower petal layers (do as many as you choose, the more the merrier) from felt - you could use fabric here as well if you choose to but i would think it should be a stiff fabric or the petals will wilt.

step two: lay the petals on top of each other in the desired order. i then sewed a few stitches in the center to attach the layers together.

step three: pick up the barrette. place the flower on the barrette near the non-opening end. you will need to have some kind of decorative object here to either sew through, such as a button or a bead to cover your sewing. place the button in the center of the flower and then sew through the button holes and in between the barrette bar that opens. you should be able to slide this on and off if you choose too. that is what makes this so fun! i can mix them up if i want. i am a gemini after all, so we like to mix things up alot.

step four: wear it!!!! so easy to make, and mackenzie loves them. the possibilities are endless with these things and i didn't have to use my glue gun.

do you think it's cheesy for a grown up to wear these? next thing you know i will be at mommy group with a princess crown on, flower barrettes and my librarian glasses - the mommy jeans are just around the corner.

p.s. i was fiddling around in photoshop and thought they looked like real flowers in this shot. yes, i know this is cheesy and my hubby laughed at me for doing it, but i couldn't help but post it.

naughty librarian?

my eyes are going kaput. i fear that now i am in my 30's my eyes have just decided to say screw you, we're tired, we need a rest.

funny thing is i didn't think being tired could affect my eyes. but seriously now, what mother isn't tired? c'mon now, it's a given that if you have children (i don't care how many you have) you are tired. you are more tired than you are energized and the energized moments come from a great (very strong) cup of coffee.

i had been noticing my eyes were saying f** you on a regular basis so jer finally told me to stop whining and go see the eye doctor. i am embarrassed to say i have never been. not sure why not, i just figured i was fine. so i went to get my eyes checked the other weekend and low and behold i need glasses for reading and for using the darn computer.

while at my appointment with - let's just call him mister i don't have kids and can party all night, be late for my patient and then whine about how tired i am - i discovered that being a mom (thus being tired) can cause eye strain. he said that i needed to get more sleep. i nearly fell out of my chair, had a good laugh and then wanted to slap the bugger. more sleep? really? who woulda known?

seriously, i don't think he will ever tell a patient who is a mother again they need more sleep. i gave him a sweet, friendly reminder that he shouldn't tell a sleepless mother that they need more sleep after he just finished telling me how tired he was from being up late the night before, geez.

mister (insert swear words) then asked me about my computer usage. i told him i have a blog and type on the computer often (which isn't that much considering i have a toddler running around) and he then said - "let me guess, it's a mommy blog?" what a jerk. he was a nice jerk though. he fixed my eyes and put up with me nagging him about how he should enjoy his sleep while he can still get it and so on.

jer and i had a good time (ya right) trying to find me glasses while toting a soon to be two year old around through store after store filled with pretty, reflective, breakable things. not such a good idea. it took us a long time, and both of us looked as though we had fought a huge battle and not won when we were done.

now i have my new glasses at home and i am sitting here enjoying how writing on here no longer gives me a headache, only my mommy tiredness does, and thinking i look a little bit like a naughty librarian while my daughter runs around yelling "i had a poo poo, i had a poo poo". just a regular ol'day in our mommyhood.

i'm reading...

knitting for good!
a guide to creating, personal, social and political change, stitch by stitch

please check out betsy greer's site craftivism. if you have ever wondered about doing something more with your knit goods this book is the answer. Betsy believes that "everytime we knit, we have the opportunity to create positive change in ourselves, our community, and in the world". her website is full of a lot of wonderful ideas and links to some great organizations.

i love the idea behind this book and it does my heart good to see someone write about it. the book is filled with insights from other fellow knitters and crafters on how they use craft to benefit others. i am sure we have all sat at our stitch n' bitch meetings and pondered and conversed about what else we could be doing with our knitting and thankfully this book answers those questions.

the book is written in three parts:

part one - knitting for yourself

part two - knitting for your community

part three - knitting for the world

there is so much good we can all do with our passion for this wonderful craft and betsy's book gives us the guidance we need to start picking up those needles and knitting for loved ones we may not know we love yet. and you know we can all use a little love - especially some handmade love.

p.s. yep, there are patterns in the book too!!!

i finally found it (or it found me)

i have been hunting for weeks on used victoria for a small desk for me to use for sewing, crafting, art and all other goodness i get up to when not busy being a mommy/wife.
i had found one i fell in love with but the seller wouldn't respond. i am assuming either it was sold, or she just thought it was weird that i was stalking her via email over an old, broken down desk. i will never know...haha.
my luck changed on sunday though. we headed out to metchosin to see jer's grandma and family for the day. during our visit jer mentioned he thought he had found me a sewing table. he brought me downstairs to see what is now my "new baby". it was almost identical to the one i was stalking some girl over. now that's what i call fate! it needs some massive tlc, but i am just the momma to give it to. thanks so much grandma joan!
jer's dad helped me get a new top for the desk due to the current one being broken and all busted up. we are going to replace the top, sand her down and paint her up all nice. to top off how elated i was over the desk, there were even vintage sewing patterns and gorgeous buttons inside the drawers! i am over the moon!
i will do another post about the desk when it's all done. i can't wait to whip out the paint brush!

the old top that we are replacing

purse size tissue holder

it was a friends bday yesterday and it was just the excuse i needed to try out this purse size tissue holder tutorial from skip to my lou. it's simple, easy and a great stash buster to make. my sister wants one now and so do i.

i used some material i had left over from mackenzie's chair cushion covers that were originally a pillow cover from the dollar store and then lined the inside with material from some cute pajama bottoms.

i love repurposing objects and i am finding it more and more addicting the more projects i do. (that was a little "more" love fest) it's a creative challenge but a fun and exhilarating one. why throw out or donate something when you can repurpose it and use it to make something you will love. you loved it enough to buy it once before so why not keep the love alive?

speaking about love, this weekend we are enamoured by:

the kooks album - konk
(go ahead and check out the 2 disc special edition, it's sooo worth it)

i can't seem to listen to this album enough. it came out last spring, but it is one of my fave groups to listen to while in the midst of my crafting madness. i love sewing up a storm to these guys.

and while i am it i might as well throw in some:

andrew bird - noble beast

i hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. i am gonna go get back to mine :)

yarnbombing

a friend sent me a link to the wildest "yarn movement" i have ever seen. (thanks mel.) i love this and think every knitter out there should check out this blog:

yarnbombing - improving the urban landscape one stitch at a time

These two wonderfully creative ladies, Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain, hail from my old stomping grounds of Vancouver, British Columbia, and have written an upcoming book called Yarn Bombing - The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti.

Yarn Bombing
The Art of Crochet and Knit Graffiti
By Mandy Moore and Leanne Prain
(Available September 2009. For more information contact sales@arsenalpulp.com)

they also have an inspiring and humorous blog called yarnbombing that is all about knit graffiti. that's right. you read it right. knit graffiti. what the heck is that you ask? well, it's just like it sounds, graffiti that is knit...haha. i just can't say enough about this. it makes my heart swell. instead of eyeing your average spray painted graffiti, knit graffiti artists put up works of creative media all over their urban landscapes.

still not following? check out strathcozies - images of my knitting in and around the 'hood blog for a kick ass example of how she is plastering her east van neighbourhood with some cozy knits.

both of the above blogs offer a lot more explanation on the subject of knit graffiti and it's artists. i feel like a bit of a dork for not ever hearing about it, but then i have an excuse of being a stay at home mom, or so i tell myself it's an excuse..hahaha. so next time you are walking around your 'hood take a good look around, you just might see a decked out telephone pole on your street.

wouldn't we all love to be princess for a day?

mackenzie got a new "princess crown" today and boy did we have fun wearing it and playing dress up. now, don't get me wrong, we have made many a crown in our house, but there is something to be said about a shiny, bejeweled one. we had so much fun with that crown i wish i had bought myself one too!

sick of my fuse box

i hate where the fuse box is in our apartment.as soon as you walk in the door - it's literally directly above the console table. a giant eyesore! it's one of the first things you see.

jeremy and i have been toying with what to do to cover it since we moved in way back in august 08. i was tempted to slap on some material or funky wrapping paper and kind of frame it out, but just never found what i was looking for.

then one week, months ago, i found an old cupboard door at the bottom of someones driveway waiting to go out with the trash. i took it. yep. i grabbed that sucker and brought it home with me.

i cleaned it, scrubbed it, wiped it and shined that puppy up. the colors of the door are the exact color of our paint on the walls, the exact size of our fuse box & the light blue was the perfect match for our dining room. i knew it was fate. it called out to me when i walked by and i just can't seem to resist things that i get "that feeling" about.

at first i was tempted to take the hinges off the sides, but once hanging i decided to leave them on. (also they looked like a damn pain in the a** to remove) it has taken me a while to figure out how to hang it over the fuse box without it sticking out to far from the wall. but i managed to root through my tool/hardware bag and found some short, thick hook and eye screws and whammed those puppies on and hung the door.

i like it. i may still change it up if i find a wrapping paper design i love along the way, but i will still keep that door. i wish the photos were better, but there is literally no light over there to show it's true colors.

funny thing is, after all that work, jeremy still hasn't noticed it is on the wall....hahaha, that's men for ya. (sorry babe)

special delivery

it's a good day when the mailman comes bearing gifts!
much to our delight this morning a big parcel arrived filled with some cute valentine's day gifts from my mom for mackenzie but also filled with this:
i am so friggin excited! i called my omi a few weeks ago after hunting for months online for a chinook sweater pattern! she has made them for all the grandchildren and for my folks and i thought she might still have the pattern kicking around. silly of me not to try her first because low and behold she still had it! but what i didn't expect is she still had the wool to make them!!! it's gorgeous, i just want to sit and pet it. i am in love with it and cannot wait to start!!!! don't you just love grandma's????

my day also contained alot of this:

can't beat an afternoon playing at the park with good friends! those smiles on mackenzie's and her buddy sadie's faces are contagious.

more valentine's yumminess

i get a regular email newsletter from kids craft weekly and i adore this site. amber carvan serves up a "regular dose of crafty goodness for kids". this website is lots of fun and full to the brim with creative crafts for mom and kiddies alike. she even offers a great selection of printables for her crafts which is a perk me and mackenzie adore. so if you're like me and you are always on the look out for crafty goodness for you and your little one subscribe for the newsletter. it's always a fun day when it comes to my inbox.

check out these yummy valentine watermelon hearts; so easy and so cute. click here for instructions on how to make them.

don't you just love a gorgeous sunrise?

the view from our balcony this morning...........

the seat cushions are finally done

i fought a battle last night.

in between conquering my hubby's ironing and trying to sew up some pillows for mackenzie's chairs i feel like i fought a battle.

the chair cushions turned out alright, i do wish i had used a pattern though. i don't think trying to wing it when tired was such a good idea...haha. i used a pillowcase i had found at the dollar store for the cushions. those things have kept me sewing like crazy. i love that i pay a dollar and get to add to my stash! i did have to do some fix it's in the end and tried to hide my mistakes. overall i think they turned out useable and in jer's words - if i make some more i know what to change next time.

yesterday i did have a shining moment of happiness though. i bought some great amy butler fabric on ebay for a steal! the mailman cannot come soon enough!!!!

valentine's day craft ideas

i thought i would help spread some valentine spirit today.

i am someone who believes in valentines day. i do agree it has become a huge mass market holiday, but it doesn't have to be that way in your home. why not teach our children the true meaning of valentine's day.

children love valentine's day. this year try making some fun crafts with your kids to give to each other as a way of expressing there feelings instead of buying candy.

oh, and while you are at it, it doesn't hurt to indulge yourself as a way of saying "i love me". that is definitely not something we as women do enough of, especially moms! so go ahead, treat yourself and have a happy valentine's day.

To make with the little ones:

heart pins from the purl bee (one of my favorite sites!)

conversation starter from family circle

felt fortune cookies from martha stewart

clothespin cuties from family circle

love garland from family circle

some great craft ideas from another great blog - the long thread

To buy for yourself..tee hee:

Hey Valentine Wood Pendant by Zephyr Woods

Sitting Still print from Yumi Yumi


The Chloe Vintage Inspired Pink and Red Birdseed Full Apron
by Boojiboo

be sexy and comfy on those late february nights in these cute jammies from la senza

toddler fingerless mitts

ok, so i thought the mitts would go fast, but they were super fast!! i am done and i think they turned out cute, but most importantly mackenzie loves wearing them!
the pattern was super easy and lots of fun to alter and add a bit of flair to if you choose. i decided to add a crocheted ruffle around the bottom border for a bit of femininity (not that making them pink wasn't enough...haha).
you can find a link to the pattern on my ravelry page here or in my previous post here.

a little bit of the hills is done!

i forgot to mention i finally got my "a little bit of the hills" hat done from the drops design pattern. yes, i watch the hills and yes i love seeing what the ladies of the hills are wearing. so when i caught an episode with lauren conrad wearing a cute, cream slouch hat i was sold on making one of my own for all my bad hair days.
This hat has taken me what feels like eons to finish. I am not that fast on double pointed needles and this one i found tricky on them due to the size. I also had a problem with the gauge (i hate gauge..haha) and thought I had it right when I did the rib border but low and behold when i finished the hat (even though I tried it on as I went) the ribbing border was way too loose. I was discouraged and didn’t want to unravel the whole hat so I spent a few days pondering what to do. I ended up placing two cute buttons on the back ribbing and folded and sewed in the border to fit tighter against my head. I haven't tried to shrink it in the dryer yet because i have been too busy wearing it and i have to admit it is growing on me the way it is. all in all I liked the pattern, it’s super cute, I just wished mine had fit me better.

keep those little hands warm

so i haven't finished sewing the mittens yet. oh well. i have an excuse, i have been sick. due to the fact of my excused laziness i started yet another project.

i have been obsessing on ravelry looking for a new hat patterm for little mackie and just can't seem to decide which one to make for her. i got fed up with choosing, so while laying in bed watching damages i decided to make cute fingerless mitts for her in a light pink color of course! now she will have some just like momma's stroller fingerless mitts made from the pattern emanelle by nancy ricci!

sucky thumb mitt pattern you can also view it on my ravelry page.

i have been madly trying to find a nice, easy pattern to work on when i finally get to attend the local knitting group here in victoria. it is the number one thing on my new year's resolutions list to do. with all of jeremy's overtime last year and the wedding i just never made it and i am dying to go. they are called "the bitchy bees" and this group kicks some serious knitter butt. they have monthly beer knit nights at pubs in town!!! come on now, how can i not want to go? knitting, beer, a great group of people, oh and no baby? i am in. they have been so nice in letting me lurk in there ravlery group for a year even though i have never attended a meeting - thanks guys!

if you live in town and are interested in attending here is some info from there ravelry group page:

Twice a week we invade the serenity of Khona Cafe and wreak havoc and knitting mayhem upon its staff and customers. We love knitting almost as much as we love being obnoxious! Come sit, stitch, socialize and swap stories and ideas with us. It’s as simple as that, nothing pretentious at all. We are a boisterous and passionate group of knitters, and despite the name, we’re really nice :-P
–Women and men, beginners and experts, bohemians and professionals, young and old, knitters, crocheters and other textile crafters – all are welcome!

Don’t know how to knit or crochet? Just bring needles and yarn with you and one of us will be happy to help you get started.
The only cost involved is the food or drink you order. We recommend a one beverage minimum. (They are running a business after all!)
So if you’re interested in meeting up for a fun night of knitting, drop by! We love meeting new people :-)

When?Where?
Khona Cafe/Coffee Bar (corner of Fort & Cook)
Victoria BC Canada
Tuesday and Friday Evenings
6pm to 8pm

**Check out the bitchybees website!**

i have a feeling that i will end up finishing the mitts by tuesday....ahhhh, then i really will have to decide on a new hat for mack.

australia, here i come!

oh how i wish i was in australia right now.
i love tennis. i love to watch tennis almost as much as i love to play. i have been happy knowing that at least while i am under the weather i can sit and cuddle with mackenzie and watch some great tennis. she loves to watch it and we can't wait to teach her to play.
my nana (who is my favorite tennis player) has been very ill for a few weeks now in the hospital and it is a nice feeling knowing that she is watching it at the same time as us. she taught me how to play tennis but more importantly to truly love it. i hope i can pass that along to my daughter. i love you nana.
i am hoping for a final showdown between nadal and federer, but there are some other players out there who could upset the balance. i wouldn't complain about that either. tomorrow's match of roddick against federer just may be the upset this competition needs.
i just can't get enough of a 4 hour, 5 set, nail biter, play till you crack game of tennis. the weather there is scorching hot, the atmosphere is pumped, the fans are diehards and the matches are unbelievable - you just can't get better than that when it comes to tennis.