Now you may have wondered what possessed us to pack up a four, and a six year old and drive twelve-ish hours away, into an entire other country just to splash in some salty water. Well, I'll tell you what. We had a much better reason to visit the beach than just to pick up some shells. The real reason we decided to go to visit Cape May was that we were going to a wedding! And not just any old wedding. My Little Brother's wedding. P.J. (or Uncle P.J. as he is known around here) is my little brother... Continue reading

oh, I have SO many pictures to show you. We just got back from our very first family beach vacation. Also, our very first family road trip. Also, our first swim in an ocean. Also, our first beach wedding! So many firsts. But one thing at a time. This is going to take a few posts as we saw so much stuff and had so much fun that it can't all be crammed into one little post. So here goes. After a 10 hour drive, which was really a 14 hour road trip (what with the stops to eat and... Continue reading

And no, I'm not pregnant. Bite your tongue. But yes, this does have to do with my children. Because we finally did it. We got…. wait for it… Haircuts! One of my kids looks a LOT different and one of them looks much the same. Can you guess which will be which? Here is the Little Dude's before shot. He has naturally curly hair (obviously, who would artificially curl a six-year-old's hair?) and we just basically cut it to keep it out of his eyes. But its mostly shaggy and not really a style. And here is my other little... Continue reading

Do you ever have that thing where your kid turns to you over breakfast and says "oh, you know I need a medieval archer costume for school tomorrow right?" sigh. I did NOT know that. "It's a good thing I remembered today, hey Mom?" Yes, yes its a very good thing that I have 24 hours notice on your need for a home-made costume. Whew. What a relief! So with a quick bit of brainstorming before he got on the bus, he found the green sweatshirt lining from his spring coat and said "its easy mom, all you need to... Continue reading

So I've been doing this thing where I take pictures. I won't say that I am a photographer, because I'm just another person with a digital SLR and there's no need to get uppity about it. But my point is that I'm not always, shall we say, a huge fan of my life. On the bad days (and there have been some bad days lately) it can be hard to see the value in what I do. And yeah, yeah, I know "Moms are important", and I'm sure if I google that phrase I'll get a bajillion heart-felt, uplifting stories... Continue reading

The first day of Spring was almost a couple of weeks ago, and I meant to post these pictures then, but you know, life happens. Ridiculous cakes have to be baked, swimming lessons had to start, committee meetings were scheduled and I forgot. But then I remembered, and wanted to share. Because the calendar said SPRING! Ad how we have longed for, waited for, hoped for SPRING. And since the calendar said so, we went out into the world for a little walk to see if what was marked in that little box had changed the way the world looked.... Continue reading

So the girl's group I volunteer with had a cake auction fundraiser today and I needed to bake a cake. The girls love rainbows and sugar, so I used that as my inspiration, and went to the store and bought all the skittles I could carry. The boys were very excited to see the 'groceries' that I brought home. And VERY excited to hear that they had a job to do to help me with my cake…. …sorting skittles! Sort, sort, sorty sort. I can't even tell you how much they enjoyed this. The Little Dude drew me a diagram... Continue reading

I've been a little lax in posting the stuff I've been making lately, (which I think may have been the original intension of this blog. ahem.) so I wanted to take a moment to share some pictures of this cute quilted game I made. This is a little quilted, button sudoku game! There are nine sections, and each is divided into nine squares. It could not be easier to make. I got the pattern from the lovely book "A Month of Sundays" by Cheryl Arkinson. This is a great "new quilter" project. The hardest part is finding 9 buttons in... Continue reading

I've been a bit busy lately, a bit distracted by projects and, you know, life. So I haven't yet gotten around to posting the pictures of the cake I made when our Little Guy turned three. But it did turn out so nicely, and in the interest of sharing the way I made it, I now present to you, The Owl Cake. Oh, but wait. First I have to tell you that the Little Guy originally asked for a different kind of cake. When I told him he could have any kind of cake he wanted, he said "A Doggy... Continue reading

I'll try to spare you all the cliches of parenting as my child gets a year older. All the "where did the time go?", and the "how did it happen so fast!", etc. You know them all. But as they say, sometimes cliches are cliches because they are true. Suffice it to say that our Little Guy (aka, the Baby) is four today. Despite the fact that we've talked about it for weeks, and tucked him in bed last night with "goodnight for the last time as a three-year-old" kisses, he didn't remember that this morning was his birthday. So... Continue reading

About once a month I walk around the house with a bucket and pick up all the partial and mismatched lego minifigs that are lying around. Discarded after a day of play, forgotten during the urgency of a trip to the bathroom, or hidden during a game I find them in the funniest places. In the cup holders of the car, in the pockets of dirty pants and scattered like confetti around the edges of the play room. I put the bucket someplace "up high", and then once the kids are in bed I sit down and take them apart... Continue reading

In case you haven't noticed, its definitely winter! I know we've had years where we complained about not having a 'real' winter here in Ontario, but this year its about as real as it gets. Hubs did a LOT of shovelling the other day, and being the creative re-user that he is, he did not just chuck the snow aside and forget about it, but used it to make more fun for his little helpers. A fort! The Little Dude in particular was very proud of the for that he helped build. It was originally to have a roof, but... Continue reading

So its pretty cold these days. Can't say I like it. I know its barely January, but I would just like to note that I am pretty much DONE with winter. That being said, though the weather is awful, it does make for some pretty nice ice on the pond. And so, we go skating with the kids. Or as I like to call it "45 minutes of getting outside gear on, for 15 minutes of falling down" Its important to have your Grandpa on hand when you are trying to stand on those darn skates. Because ice is slippery.... Continue reading

I've been very light on the blogging as we come up to Christmas. There has just been so much to do, you know how it is. Anyhow, here's a little glimpse into how we are celebrating. We've hung up some lights. These are a string of the "Old Fashioned" ones, left over from my childhood probably. I just love the colours of them. So soft and warm. And we've celebrated advent with the help of the lego company. (and a good friend and kind cousin who helped get us our this treat) I know, I know. I have long had... Continue reading

The Little Dude's school Christmas concert was tonight. I just have to say, these sort of kid's programs are so… interesting. I really appreciate all the effort that goes into them, and the intention to celebrate the holidays, and encourage performance skills and talents in the kids that don't have much of an opportunity to present themselves during the rest of the school year. And the feeling of community is lovely. Also, even though it is unbearably cliche, I'm a sucker for a little kid in an angel costume. And there was a big audience. Which was not surprising. The... Continue reading

We are decorating our Christmas tree this afternoon. As an event, it is the most bizarre blend of idyllic memory making time, and a total crazy mess. (these are the sweet ornaments that the nice ladies at Sunday School helped the boys make. Personalized with pictures and everything! Way to go Sunday School ladies, you are officially on top of your game.) On the one hand James is sitting beside the tree, strumming a ukelele and singing along with Christmas carols and looking like an adorable hipster cherub. On the other hand they are eating too many candy canes and... Continue reading

Every family has their own Holiday traditions and whatnot, but in general, if the advertisers are to be believed, for most people that will involve gifts. We do give gifts in our family, but to keep it from being full on insane, we draw names among the adults and give one gift to one person. Its a good system. We make it one substantial gift (since you are only getting one) and we do it secret Santa style, so you don't know who you are getting it from until they hand it to you. Which is fun too. But that... Continue reading

You know, I think I should post a regular kids book review here because I just love kids books. We do a lot of reading around our house and we are HEAVY library users. And everytime we get out a really good book; one that they kids really enjoy and I really enjoy too, I feel like I should tell everyone about it. Because face it, not all kids books are good. There are many that I do not care for, and as an artist I am VERY picky about illustrations. A really good book has a good story, great... Continue reading

So I've got a new set of charm packs in the shop. I'm super excited about this one. I think it really is my favourite. I call this set Pottery Blues because the patterns and the colours remind me so much of the Delft Blauw (did I spell that right?) china and pottery that is so much a part of my Dutch heritage. I LOVE blue and white. There are so many different traditions of blue and white pottery. From Ming Dynasty China to India to the Willoware of England. And of course, the Delft blue of my childhood. Aren't... Continue reading

ok, the snow that is falling right now is ridiculous. Its not the volume of snow that is ridiculous (we had THAT last week) but the quality of the snow is what is blowing my mind. Look at this! Is that not oddly perfect? That's what I call Hollywood snow, because it is so freaking photogenic. Its like Martha Stewart is hanging over the edges of heaven right now, using her Martha Stewart Brand Craft Punch to cut snow flakes out of high quality vellum or specially-ordered artisan-made German all-wool felt. (that enough hyphens for ya?) Now I'm imagining the... Continue reading

Ok, I'm excited about this. My etsy shop has been kiiiind of empty as of late. But you know, the holidays will be soon upon us, and this is the time of year that people start to get shopping, so I figured I should do something about that. I'm always trying to think of something new for the shop, and item that I myself would like to buy. Something this is not insanely expensive to ship. And then I though of the perfect thing. Charm packs of fabric lovingly assembled from my extensive collection of vintage sheet fabric! (Please note... Continue reading

We used to have a trampoline in our backyard. But as you can see from this photo, it has seen better days. This particular trampoline is what would currently be charmingly classified as "vintage". Though it might more accurately be referred to as a "death trap." My Dad installed it in our backyard when I was but a wee girl, and had the brilliant and literally groundbreaking idea of digging a hole and making it flush with the lawn. The better for us not to injure ourselves on it my dear. And it was a very good idea. There were... Continue reading

Sometimes I walk around my house and just despair of it all. Its so MESSY! The crumbs on counter tops, the corn and peas and rice sprinkled on the floor under the chair where the Little Guy sits, the drops of liquid that were spilled on the linoleum days ago (orange juice, milk, who knows?) that have collected dirt and are now a trail of little brown dots. And I just cleaned this bathroom, so why does it smell like pee already? And toys, toys, everywhere the toys, as though the tide has swept through my living room and left... Continue reading

So far, I kind of hate this November. It is so grey, and wet and cold. I mean, I can handle any of those things in sets of two, but all three together is the worst. Like for example if it was just grey and wet, but not cold, that would be bearable. Or if it was cold and wet, but at least sunny, well no problem. But it is the trifecta of November weather nastiness that is bumming me out. There is not enough tea and chocolate in the world for a November like this! Luckily, the Little Guy... Continue reading

Can you believe this? A WHOLE PINT of fresh raspberries picked from our raspberry bushes in the back yard. And what date is this? Its November people. NOVEMBER! The 3rd is when these pictures were taken, to be exact. I'm telling you, those raspberry bushes are, hands down, the most rewarding and worthwhile thing we ever planted. We basically ignore them and they produce these lovely little gems forever! Can you guess which container was the Little Guy's and which was Hubs'? But luckily, it doesn't matter who picked what. All four of us had them over vanilla ice cream... Continue reading