weekend wishes

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mackenzie and i put in some serious baking time yesterday to get some goodies made for our weekend of camping with friends.....

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wishing you all a yummy smors, sunshine, beachtime, campfire knitting, tenting it all the way filled weekend! i can't wait to sleep under the stars.....

what are your plans this weekend?

fit friday in the mommyhood - playlist summer '09

ok ladies, we posted twice and here's the list you gave....

fit friday in the mommyhood playlist summer '09 -

*hall & oates - out of touch, radiolab podcast, black eyed peas - boom boom pow,dj clash - i'm the ish, alex gaudino - watch out, heartless bastards - the mountain, shantel - disko partizani, the flaming lips - the wand, the republic tigers - buildings and mountains, cut copy - lights & music, beyonce - put a ring on it, jason mraz - coyotes, jason mraz - butterfly, frank turner - reasons not to be stupid, anything by: paramore, bon jovi, nelly furtado, daughtry, keith urban, maroon 5, lady gaga, mandy moore*

so get those runners on and get that tushie moving. don the ipod or crank that stereo, just get the music playing and have fun with it. remember, you're worth it and you deserve it!

anyone interested in me keeping this going and actually creating a downloadable playlist?

off topic - what would be the body part you would like us to do our next exercise roundup on? (we have already done abs,chest and arms)

moments in the mommyhood - hiking it up

sneak peek at our weekend hike....

i wish i could stay in this ray of sunshine forever, i'm so glad i managed to capture just a wee bit of the beauty of this moment.

some weird plant

me and the hubby

another weird plant

goofballs (check out that face in the 2nd shot - hilarious!)

{all images luvinthemommyhood}

the first quilt is finally (and i mean finally) done!

i finally finished my first quilt - finally! i made it mackenzie sized and then plan to hang it in her room when she get's bigger. i decided not to follow a pattern and just winged it. as you can see above, what i did is pretty self explanatory considering it's a rectangle made of squares sewn together :)

i fell in love with the amy butler fabric i scooped for a great price on ebay. so far, all my purchases on ebay for fabric have been good ones with great people and service (unlike the horrible fabricland).

this quilt was truly a learning experience and a labor of love. i enjoyed the whole process and will definitely be making another one. i hand stitched the whole quilt together and only used the machine when i attached the bias tape (this part was trickier than i thought). i found the process of hand sewing the quilt very relaxing and rewarding - both of which surprised me. not so sure why, but it did. i decided not to do any hand/machine quilting on the actual quilt (i was too nervous to and have been practicing on coasters instead) and chose to tie it with the knot method instead. i didn't want the knots visible so i tied them on the back side of the quilt and cut the ends quite short.

the one thing i was really happy with was my decision to purchase my material pre-cut. i would never have been able to cut all those damn squares the same size, even with a rotary cutter. i am a the world's worst fabric cutter. my squares would have just gotten smaller and smaller, that's how bad i am. i really need to practice it, but i seriously doubt it's going to happen any time soon - especially if i can buy them pre-cut!

you can read a bit more about my thoughts on the quilting process here. i got a chance to speak to a wonderful lady on hornby island at a farmer's market when i was on vacation. they have quite a large quilting group there, and she was so helpful and informative and chatted with me for quite some time about techniques and advice. i wish i could find something like that where i live. if any of you know of any sewing/quilting groups in victoria, bc (canada) please let me know. i would love to get in touch with them. i am a visual learner and find it easiest to learn while talking and watching others, but mostly, i admit it, i just love talking to anyone older than toddlers years and if you throw in sewing as a topic i am over the moon with glee.

are any of you working on your first quilt? what were your experiences like? any tips to share?

link luv roundup

i'm loving the necklaces as much as i'm loving the blog "for me, for you".

here's a great new easy fabric scarf/shawl tutorial from "pretty ditty".

my fave photo of the week

wonderfully lovely, cheerful and bright free printable notecards from creature comforts.

i wish this is what my table looked like......

i am dying to get my hands on one of the newly released small magazine orginal art coloring books. what a great break from the regular kids stuff you find at walmart etc. we also like to make our own coloring books at home here using photoshop. mackenzie loves coloring pics of herself or friends.

learn how to make this vintage tea towel throw pillow over on "girls kick ass". {via whip up}

and just in case you haven't already heard the sartorialist has a book coming out on Aug. 12th - insert drool!

make sure to swing by "happy together" to check out two, yep, not just one, two great new tutes on refashioning a tshirt for your little girl complete with ruffles and flowers. these are definitely on the top of my to make list! thanks jessica!

i want to move into this studio pronto! lovely, lovely, lovely....

things i'm luving this week:

- lamp makeover on "shabby chic cottage".
- homemade flea repellent recipe on craft.
- i'll be whipping up some lavender eye pillows with this tute from calli on "make it do".
- check out this great lovely package exchange.
- whip up has a great roundup of refashion projects to drool over.
- label tutorial using spoonflower over on jaybird quilts.
- this new blog is sure to be one my new faves. please swing by "the creative life" and join in on the conversation. {via craft}

a little orange goes a long way....

a little orange goes a long way towards brightening up your day.

here's the "itty bitty dress" (toddler sized version) from "made by rae" that i made for mackenzie. she is going to be wearing this for an upcoming wedding in august. she thinks she looks "beeeeeutiful mommy, beeeeutiful". when they love your handmade goods as much as you do, it's pretty hard not to have a good day.

{all images luvinthemommyhood}

don't you hate it when...

a perfectly good cup of coffee goes to waste....what's that saying when someone spills a beer...oh ya - alcohol abuse, well in my world this was worse, it was definitely coffee abuse. oh, it broke my heart. i just got mackenzie down for a nap yesterday, had the new daughtry album playing (friggin love it), the sun is shining, the computer beckoning and my coffee cup in hand when, crash, my cute little white mug slipped out of my hand, woke the baby and covered my entire kitchen floor! it needed cleaning, but seriously, come on now, that precise moment was not when i would have chosen to do such a hated chore - bah! needless to say, the pants came off, yes, i was still wearing my pj's - come on moms, you all know you keep your pj's on at home during the day sometimes too, i am not alone in this, the floor got washed, the toddler back to sleep and this post written to confess my angst.

speaking of coffee, check out our sponsor. michelle is such a sweetie and would be more than happy to answer any of your questions on organo gold coffee. i swear by this stuff and love it. if you are an avid coffee drinker like i am, it's a good bet for a healthier alternative. it's still coffee but filled with wonderful health benefits and she even sells hot chocolate, teas and a herbal pill supplement. the hot chocolate is great for kids as well!

if you live in the victoria, BC (Canada) area, michelle has lots of fun get togethers and coffee parties to help spread the word about the benefits of switching to organo gold products. i'll sure be doing my darnedest not to spill my coffee again anytime soon :)

have any of you had a moment like this? what's your "don't you hate it when...." moment?

happy anniversary

"happy anniversary to the love of my life and my best friend, i love you more and more everyday."

thought you might all like some sneak peeks at our pictures from our wedding last year at tofino, bc on the beach. it was an intimate, lovely weekend filled with lots of fun, good friends, laughs and special memories at one of our favorite places - mackenzie beach. yep, that's right, we got married on a beach with the same name as our daughter. cheesy? a bit, but we loved it anyways.

hope you all had a great weekend.

p.s. we call the first pic our "harlequin cover" shot :)


{all images luvinthemommyhood}

a new flickr group and other news

i finally decided to jump in to the world of flickr a bit more and start a "luvinthemommyhood flickr group". it's a great place for me to see what you have all been working on using our tutorials. so come drop by, upload some pics - let's all get inspired!! here's the link:

luvinthemommyhood showcase

in other news, i was thrilled to spot our "shirt sleeves to toddler pants" tutorial on cookie magazines "nesting" blog! what a thrill!

have any of you tried the tutorial yet? i would love to see pics, feel free to email them to luvinthemommyhood@yahoo.ca or upload them to our brand new flickr group here.

holiday pics

here's some of our favorite pics from our recent vacation on hornby island. just posting them makes me starting counting down until summer vacation next year, yes, i'm already thinking of next year. what are your summer holiday plans? fave place to visit?

anthropologie website redesign

i was over on athropologie's website today and noticed a major revamp and redesign - i love it! it looks so fresh and clean. their new collection is fabulous as well. it seems as though their clothes have been all the rage for inspiring us sewers, crafters and diyers this year and it's hard not to see why.

here's my faves:

1. irish & rose blouse
2. conservatory chair
3. sewing basket kid's apron
4. charley harper memory game

1. english garden blouse
2. governess cap
3. oxford grad peep-toes
4. swept away top

what's on your anthropologie wish list?

moments in the mommyhood - funny faces

hanging with daddy on the deck

loving the mist on the beach

i've been busy working on organizing and editing our holiday pictures (hopefully some will be posted tomorrow or the next day), but in the meantime here's what we we've been up to. don't you just love what a poser she is?

things may be a tiny bit sporadic around her for the next week or so as we adjust to being home, and i get some serious sewing time in. i scooped on some great vintage linens and fabric from "the free store"on hornby island, yep, they have a store filled with free stuff! i love it! every town should have that, and i also am finishing up the next tutorial in the "newbie sewing series" - so stay tuned!

bath time and cooking with mommy

*all images luvinthemommyhood*

link luv roundup

oh man are these pics from sarah london textiles making me want to get my hooks out start crocheting! i love the flower blanket! anyone have a pattern like that? you can find her work on here or on flickr.

rebecca danger is one of my fave knitters and i can never resist posting about one of her adorable creations. here's the link to her newest - "monster chunks". happy knitting.

craftynest always has wonderful projects to flex your crafting muscles with but this wine cork trivet caught my eye and i couldn't resist posting it. what a great idea to use up all those wine corks leftover from all the lovely summer drinking you may or may not be doing :)

i adore this necklace tute from resurrection fern and i admit i am mildly obsessed with her crocheted stones.....so lovely. check out her etsy shop for more eye candy.

these cute little boys knit capris from pickles caught my eye today.

gina at the shabby chic cottage has a great tutorial for this gorgeous honey bee pillow.

here's a lovely little roundup of girl's skirts that i can't wait to try:

1. baby, toddler or adult skirt tutorial from blue eyed freckle.
2. border fabric sundress from lil blue boo.
3. simple, sweet skirt tute from debra's creative ramblings.
4. a double ruffle, twirl skirt from treasures for tots.

swing by handmade by alissa for a free baby quilt pattern.

learn how to make your own fabric covered cork board over on sew spoiled. i was excited to see this as it's been on my to do list to make one of these for ages.

things i'm luving this week:

- check out this site if you are a bag lover who loves to make their own bags.

- who doesn't have loads of old tank tops laying around just begging to be made into fresh little girl's dresses? obsessively stitching has a tutorial showing you how to refashion yours.

- learn how to use to hem your own jeans.

- refashion that peasant blouse with "my mama made it".

- a great new skirt pattern that works for almost all shapes - even maternity, from "make it and love it" available in her etsy shop.

is there such a thing as the holiday blues?

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our holiday is over, but my mind and body isn't ready for it to be. we spent 8 lovely days on hornby island, bc at my father in laws house on a lovely piece of paradise. how can you not want to extend your time on a quiet, breathtaking, soft sanded beach filled wonderland with lovely, friendly people?

we had a lot of good times whether it was raining cats & dogs or the sun was roasting hot, the drinks were poured, the food was a plenty and the company was to be treasured. as the years have gone by our close group of friends have all moved away and started their own lives. we try to get together once a year for a holiday to hang out and visit. it's always hard saying goodbye and starting the countdown till next year's gathering when we feel like we just said hello.


i found this holiday to be exactly what i needed. the joys of hanging clothes on the line to dry, cooking delicious meals for loved ones, laughter, showering outside in the open air, good books, crossword puzzles and scrumptious piano music played by my father in law was just what i needed. how does one readjust to computers, tv, schedules, alarm clocks, city life, traffic, bills and chores? i seem to be stuck and pondering this since sunday morning. what do you guys do to get reacquainted to your pre-holiday lifestyle? how do you incorporate those little getaway luxuries into your real life?

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i find myself longing for quiet gravel road lanes, horses, sunsets, fire pits, quilts, late night laughs, homemade goods and a more simple existence. much of it may be attributed to me reading "a homemade life" by molly wizenberg right now, but i think it may be more. i am missing simpler times and realizing i have forgotten to focus on the simplicity of life and the joys in those things. i have been striving to be more hands on and to incorporate that into our home, but in my quest to do just that i found myself even more dependent on technology and distractions. it felt great to unplug and unwind and to remove the attachment to those distractions. it recharged my creative batteries, and filled my head with some wonderful new projects and little goodies to come in the next few months.


my question to you is this, what are your tips for simplifying life and for staying connected without sacrificing all other connections? how do you keep them all balanced and in sync? there must be a way to enjoy the simpler things alongside this fast paced world without losing all amenities. with summer holidays in full swing, i would love to hear your thoughts and your experiences and let's all help each other recover from the holiday blues together.

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and the top tutorials week winners are.......

crafts:

soto softies

warm fuzzy mammal finger puppets (posted june 10th)

diy/repurpose:

ruby ellen of cakies

fabric scrap necklace (posted april 7th)

sewing:

rae of made by rae

spring top tutorial (posted april 24th)

crochet:

vickie from vickie howell

tarina necklace (posted may 2nd)

knitting:

hilary from "the yarniad"

the trina cardigan (posted march 20th)

a giant thank you to all the nominees and wonderful voters who made "top tutorials week" so much fun! thank you for all your posts, button sporting and emails/comments (i will be getting back to all of you, my inbox is a bit nuts at the moment, so bear with me)! you guys rock! i love all these tutorials and trust me, it was no easy feat picking the nominees. part of my passion for this blog stems from "the thrill of the hunt" in finding new, creative and inspiring tutorials to pass along to all of you so that we can share in each other's talents and celebrate handmade goods for our families and loved ones - and occasionally (if we're lucky and our kids are accommodating) for ourselves.

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i'm so excited that you all enjoyed "top tutorials week" and look forward to all the exciting tutorials that are coming my way for the next edition. hopefully as the year progresses and this site grows we will have some fun prizes and giveaways to offer, but for now, you get a nice spot on the sidebar with a link to your tute and i will be emailing the winners a button for their own site to post and proudly display.

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stay tuned, i will be posting some pics from our holiday later today or tomorrow as we get back into the ol' swing of things here in our household. the laundry is being done, the bags are getting unpacked and we are welcoming the open arms of our comfy, cozy beds after an 8 day holiday.

thanks again for reading and for being a part of "the mommyhood" it truly means so much to me.

top tutorials week - crafts!

1) flower headband (posted may 12th)

by: kate from curiousity's

2) warm fuzzy mammal finger puppets (posted june 10th)

by: soto softies

3) little bean bag rocks (posted june 10th)

by: mary beth of salt & chocolate

4) recycled magazine coasters (posted june 24th)

by: jessica of how about orange

5) altered tins (posted march 17th)

by: jackie of crafting a green world

*Note - Please try to cast your vote using the poll shown below. If for some reason it isn't working, please just leave a comment stating your vote :)

top tutorials week - diy/repurpose!

1) fabric scrap necklace (posted april 7th)

by: ruby ellen of cakies

2) bedside table makeover (posted march 11th)

by: britt of cucumbersome

3) tea canister cuff bracelet (posted april 9th)

by: jessica of zakka life

4) make your own underwear from a t-shirt (posted may 20th)

by logan on supernaturale

5) spring cleaning dust mitt (posted march 25th)

by: laura of we wilsons

*Note - Please try to cast your vote using the poll shown below. If for some reason it isn't working, please just leave a comment stating your vote :)

top tutorials week - sewing!

1) the shirt dress (posted april 8th)

by: dana of made

2) spring top tutorial (posted april 24th)

by: rae of made by rae

3) tulle skirt (posted april 9th)

by: pink picket fence

4) ruffled linen skirt (posted may 21st)

by: mae of amazing mae

5) the bubble dress (posted july 1st)

by: alexis of my mama made it

*Note - Please try to cast your vote using the poll shown below. If for some reason it isn't working, please just leave a comment stating your vote :)

top tutorials week - crochet!

1) olivia's butterfly hat (posted june 24th)

by: vallieskids

2) masulin scarf (posted march 30th)

by: camille labarre (sorry, pattern only available on ravelry - join now, it's fun & free)

3) tarina necklace (posted may 2nd)

by: vickie howell

4) om shanti yoga mat bag (posted april 28th)

by: heidi & anna of pickles

5) crocheted glass bottle cozy (posted march 25th)

by: jenn from a merry mishap

*Note - Please try to cast your vote using the poll shown below. If for some reason it isn't working, please just leave a comment stating your vote :)

top tutorials week - knitting!

) henri - the knitted bear (posted march 17th)

by: rachel of the blog "yarnigans"

2) the trina cardigan (posted march 20th)

by: hilary of the blog "the yarniad"

3) the whitney headband (inspired by the anthropologie headband whitney port wore on "the city", posted on march 23rd)

by: jenny from "jennyhats"

4) bunny nuggets (posted april 5th)

by: rebecca of "rebecca danger"

5) bangle wristwarmers (posted may 6th)

by: michele of "a house called nut"

*Note - Please try to cast your vote using the poll shown below. If for some reason it isn't working, please just leave a comment stating your vote :)