Reflections of Mamafliz

Anniversary Spread

2012-01-04T19:18:00.000-08:00

We celebrated our 20 year anniversary at home, with the kid, eating yummy food. Sadly, I forgot to take a photo of the bottle of Port that DH and I enjoyed with our meal.

Island Walk

2012-01-04T19:16:00.000-08:00

Surprise!

2011-10-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

A friend gave DH tickets to the Canucks, so he planned a surprise for DS. He somehow managed to convince DS to put on his Canuck's gear for a trip for "pizza". DS was extremely happy when "pizza" turned into great seats as the Canucks game!

Saturday Breakfast and Soccer

2011-09-18T17:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday started well. I like rainy Saturday mornings - they inspire me to make a more interesting breakfast than normal, and make doing chores much easier. As DS was playing on the computer, not watching tv, I put Adele's "19" CD on the PS2 (which serves as our sound system) and made a lovely apple oven pancake. It would have been the perfect breakfast, if I hadn't forgotten that the pan had just come out of the oven and burnt myself by grabbing the handle.

After breakfast, DS and I threw on our wellies and went downtown to get him kitted out for soccer. He was invited to join a soccer skills camp with an excellent coach, so I figured he should have some gear. After several frustrating attempts to locate youth sized soccer apparel (long story - lesson learned, google first, don't assume a sports apparel chain would actually carry YOUTH size sports apparel), we got all DS all set up.

It was hard to convince him to take the gear off and save it for soccer practice. I've convinced him to let me make him up as a zombie for Halloween, so he can be a soccer zombie :-)

Back to School

2011-09-10T12:15:00.000-07:00

Summer is over, and DS started Grade 2 this week. Despite some uniform glitches (poorly hemmed pants and way to stiff shoes), he's right back in the swim of things. He was briefly disappointed not to get the male teachers, but got over that quite quickly.

I got my "back to school" haircut/colour. Thanks to DS for the nice photo.

And thanks to DS for this photo of the lone apple that has survived on our very windy balcony. There were originally about 7 apples, but the rest fell victim to the harsh wind and rain we experienced in July.

Thrifty Find of the Day

2011-08-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

Voila! My thrifty find of the day is this fabulous, very well made duvet cover for $5. I saw a similar, if not identical one at a discount home wares store early in the week on sale for $200, so I'm feeling a bit smug about this find.

2011-08-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

This is an old photo, but I just now downloaded it. It sums up DS nicely I think.

Now, my ongoing obsession with getting DS' room organized has finally resulted in a room that both DS and I like, without spending any more money on furniture. Well, I did spend $12.99 on closet organizers, but I'm not counting that as furniture.

We started by flipping the ladder of his loft bed to the opposite side, and moved the bookcase to the opposite wall, where it is serves as a very tall nightstand. It is flanked by the dresser I moved out of the closet, which is now the games storage. Then we moved all his hockey related posters to that wall.

By moving the bookcase, we opened up space at the end of the loft bed for storing the bike, lego and displaying DS' growing collection of knight costumery (is that a word?).

Further down that wall is a small desk that used to be under the loft bed, with lots of storage on and around it for all of DS' small knick-knacks, art supplies and shoes. I really don't like that desk, but its all about repurposing what we have right now. The chair is an extra from our dining room set.

We moved the row of hooks to the opposite wall, creating a catch-all space for DS' jackets and school paraphenalia right at the entrance to his room.

DS' favourite part of the room is the reading nook we created under his loftbed, using some curtains that used to hang in the living room and a few safety pins. I moved the Trofast storage unit that we had in the room to one end of the nook, and stacked a bunch of extra pillows and blankets at the other end. DS actually sleeps in there just about every other night. Every kid needs a nook, and his is just right.

Those curtains are rarely tucked back, but I thought you might like to see what it looks like inside.

DS is also very fond of the Lego display he created on his desk.

Working With What You've Got

2011-07-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

First things first. Below is an Indonesian Puppet that DS made at a free puppet making workshop hosted at the Summer in the City festival a few weeks ago. He spent over an hour decorating it. It has bisque head and hands, with a fabric body. We think it is quite fabulous.

I've spent a few days on the sofa with piles of decorating books, trying to get rid of my cold. This of course, gave me the bug to tweak our house and tackle some of the areas that had been annoying me. With little to no budget for decorating, I dug out some art that I'd stashed under our bed. George and I both like these Touloise Lautrec prints, so I hung them up over a bookshelf in our bedroom and arranged some the books that had been piled on the floor under them.

I also rearranged the living room a bit. I can't find a proper "before" picture just now, but let's just say the sofa was squared to the tv, and I had noticed that when guests are over, hardly anyone ever sits on the sofa. So, with a little help from DS, I angled the sofa, which makes the room seem much more inviting. You can still watch tv, but this is definately a more social arrangement. We also dragged out the Ikea chair DS bought for his room, as it is insanely comfortable. Its not quite the right thing for the space, but it works for now. I've got my eye out for a mid-century teak coffee table, and two ottomans to add a bit more seating. Below are a few pictures of the new set up, taken from various spots in the apartment.

Speaking of reusing what you've got, here is the little balcony garden we made last year, using an old chest of drawers. This year, DS planted cucumbers, lettuce and carrots in it, and we were pleased to discover several cherry tomatoe plants growing from seeds left by last year's crop. Once they were big enough, we tranplanted them along the back of the garden. Perhaps we'll see some blooms now that the sun has come out...

Bodum Cozy

2011-07-16T21:27:00.000-07:00

Here is the product of my fireside knitting sessions (along with one very long border line-up knitting session). Cables make me happy :-)

Getting My Knit On

2011-07-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

We spent a few days camping near Mt. Baker in Washington State this week. It was cold, but pretty. I spent a lot of time by the fire knitting.

Miscellaneous

2011-05-25T20:24:00.000-07:00

This is what's been going on in our house lately...lots of reading. When the rain falls, the books come out and everybody crawls into bed to read. I love it.

We finally broke down and replaced DS' old, gigantic Captain's bed with a much more space efficient loft bed. His room seems so much bigger now and he loves sleeping up high.

We moved an old computer desk into his room, and he bought the armchair for $15 off Craigslist today. The chair will soon be covered with his Canucks blanket, to match the rest of the Canucks paraphanalia affixed to the walls and windows in the room. Its becoming a bit of a Canucks man-cave.

7th Birthday

2011-05-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today DS turned 7. Boy was he excited - he has been counting down for two months and had made a lot of plans for his "special day". Unfortunately DH is out of town and I have a wicked cold, but I fortified myself with cold meds and took DS out for a full day of birthday treats anyway.

Our day started bright and early with DS getting dressed up in the King's Cape and Star Wars lunch box he bought last night with some birthday money he received. Then it was off downtown, where we took a long walk, snacked on pizza and watched the movie Hop (not the best movie I've ever seen...).

After Hop we went to the Space Centre, where we watched a rocket demonstration, learned about constellations in the Planetarium and explored life as an astronaut. I nearly fell asleep during the constellation lecture, but DS seemed to enjoy it.

We wound up the day with dinner at our favourite Chinese restaurant and an ice cream at DQ. It was long 8 hours tromping on and off buses, but DS was super happy and it sure beat the heck out of doing chores all day!

Food

2011-05-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

Mmmm, food. On one of the few sunny evenings we've had recently, we made pizza from scratch, cooked on the BBQ. DS has been really into cooking lately, and insisted on adding some fresh oregano to the dough, which he clipped from the plant growing on our balcony.

I skipped the cheese on my pizza in favour of Peruvian Green Sauce, which was also made from scratch. OMG that stuff is good.

DS and DH added mozzarella and provolone cheese to their pizza, but DS liked mine better.

Tonight DS requested "bacon french fry cheese burgers". They were very, very good. And not quite as high fat as they could have been - I used extra lean beef and home made oven fries, which are quite low fat. I could have used light cheese and turkey bacon, but I decided to walk on the wild side and have the "real thing". It was worth it :-)

The not so attractive object above is a cake that DS made up one night. I was very reluctant to let him make up a cake, but I guess he has watched enough Food Network to know the basic ingredients, because it actually rose and tasted good. The chunky bits are oats and apricots.

Game 7 - Bring it On!

2011-04-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to write something to go along with these photos, but DS is so excited about this game that he won't stop talking. So, Go Canucks Go!

Got My Hair Color Fixed

2011-04-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

Phew. After a disasterous home hair colouring misshap (can we say jet black?!), I returned to my long neglected hairdresser. Cut fixed, colour returned to normal. Thank goodness for Ciara.

DS Met the PM

2011-04-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

DS met the Prime Minister last weekend. He was very excited and got himself all dressed up for the occassion.

I think he was even more pleased to meet "Mrs. Prime Minister", with whom he apparently had a very nice chat.

Having met my share of political heads of state in the past, I chose to skip this particular meet and greet and went grocery shopping alone. What a treat! Seriously. I happily wandered up and down the aisle looking at all the things I normally get rushed past, like housewares and magazines. Bliss.

FO - Cable Necklace

2011-04-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

I'm in love with this knitted necklace, which is a phrase I never thought I would utter, but there you go. The pattern is from a great blog called Olgajazzzy, and is very simple. I have a short attention span these days and a lot of small amounts of different yarns, so I'm going to be exploring knit and crocheted jewellery for awhile.

DS wanted me to post this picture of us. I can't believe he's so big now. Pretty soon I'm going to be the shorty in our house.

Aftermath of a Paint Splatter Birthday Party

2011-03-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

DS attended a paint splatter party at our local 4Cats Art Studio yesterday. They learned about Jackson Pollock and then went crazy in the paint splatter room. I wish I had taken a picture of DS before he stripped down for the bath, because there was barely a square inch of clothing without paint. The boys all agreed that it was a REALLY fun party.

Digging Out

2011-03-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

It has been a difficult start to the year. I've managed by sticking my head down and just getting the things that needed to be done done. I've slept a lot. Too much. Buried myself in back to back novels to shut down my brain. Been "the worlds most boring mother". Sorry baby.

The most difficult thing has been my Grandmother's passing. She died on January 21, aged 93, surrounded by people who loved her very much. Many of my relatives have written very eloquently about her passing, her influence, her life. For some reason, I feel very blocked when I try to express how I felt about her. What I can say is that I loved her, she taught me a lot, and I am very grateful that I was there when she passed. It was a wonderful experience hearing others talk about how they knew her and how she impacted their lives.

There have been other stressors, most of which were small, but all together probably contributed to the cold that has been laying me low for four weeks. I am tired of being sick! Thankfully, I finally convinced the doctor to give me antibiotics and feel like I am heading back to healthy. I would really like to have the energy to exercise again, not to mention be a more interactive member of my little family!

Today I did root through my yarn stash and made up a swatch for a shrug that I think I have enough yarn to make. I think it is a good sign that I want to create something again. Maybe I am rising out of the doldrums and returning to the land of the interactive. Time to work on getting DS to retract the most boring mother label.

Uptown Cowl

2011-01-30T07:58:00.001-08:00

This is the Uptown Cowl, published in the February 2011 edition of Canadian Living magazine. Worked up in Mission Falls 1824 Wool, 100% merino superwash. My version is knit up in a smaller gauge than recommended, as I wanted a less relaxed fit.

The pictures above were taken before blocking, so I think the fit will be a bit more relaxed once I finish that step. I really love this pattern, which is very easy to make up and is worked in the round. This was my first attempt at cables and I'm very pleased with the result.

Tank Girl

2011-01-25T21:23:00.000-08:00

This is Tank Girl, designed by Karen Baumer, as featured in Stitch 'n Bitch: The Knitter's Handbook. This is one of the few garments I have completed. Worked up in Alfa by Sandesgarn (wool/mohair blend) on my size 9 Denise Interchangeables.

I would make this again in a less bulky yarn, and maybe in a less itchy fabric And a few inches longer I think.

Bread Experiment

2011-01-09T20:12:00.001-08:00

We ran out of all purpose white flour the other day, but I really wanted to make some no-knead bread. I was a little concerned about using 100% wholewheat flour, because the vast majority of breadmaking bloggers reported less than stellar results. However, I decided to go for it and followed this simple recipe.

I made the dough quite wet. Even after 24 hours of sitting in a warm place, the dough hadn't risen as much as the batch of all white no-knead bread I had made previously. Despite my misgivings, I soldiered on, rolled it out and shaped it, using quite a bit of extra flour, but leaving the dough pretty wet still. I put it into a glass bread pan which had been sprayed with cooking spray and coated with cornmeal. After another two hours of rising, I put it in a cold oven, covered it with my large crockpot liner (stoneware?), then cooked it at 500 degrees for 30 minutes, then 200 degrees for another 20 minutes.

I'm really happy with the results. It developed a slightly sourdoughy taste, which DH didn't enjoy, but I liked. Despite being 100% wholewheat, this bread had the best texture of any I've ever made. A success in my books.

2011-01-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

DS and I played Plasticine today. We decided to keep these little guys (even though our dog looks a wee bit like a sheep to me!).

Post Christmas

2010-12-28T20:31:00.001-08:00

This is what I've been looking like post-Christmas. No makeup, sweat pants and plugged in to my new netbook watching Seasons One and Two of Re-Vamped.

I have dragged myself away from the netbook a few times - mostly to eat, but I did join my SIL and nephew for a walk, and worked out a few times. Today I went to the gym and cranked out a few miles on the treadmill. It felt great! I'm pondering signing up for three months of kickboxing classes. I had fallen off the exercise train until very recently, and its wonderful rediscovering how strong and beautiful I feel when I'm using my muscles.

As for Christmas, we had a really lovely, relaxed celebration this year. DS received a Nintendo DS Lite as his main gift from us, and has been in love with it since opening. He takes it every where with him. Despite his deep love for this new electronic gadget, I think his favourite part of Christmas was opening his stockings (he gets two - one at our house and one at my MIL's house).

The years we celebrate Christmas at home (we alternate one year in our home city and one year at my Mum's in the country), we open gifts at home, then go to my MIL's for a noon time gift opening with my inlaws. Usually the kids are a bit of a handful, but this year they let the adults sit down to enjoy a drink and had to be invited to open their gifts...what a change! Very civilized.

The rest of the day carried on in the same relaxed fashion. Just the way Christmas should be.

Now we are enjoying our last few days off before returning to work and school. DH has had more than enough of us under his feet and it practically counting down the days until he gets his domain back (he works from home). Tomorrow I think I'll take a break from the netbook to do laundry, scrub bathrooms, make no-knead bread and start the front of the tank top I've been knitting.

Just About Christmas

2010-12-23T19:27:00.000-08:00

I believe we are ready for Christmas. The stockings are hung...and DH and mine already stuffed by DS, who decided to be Santa's helper elf and make up stockings for us this year. A budget, two trips to the local dollar store and he was the happiest elf around. His empty stocking looks a bit sad, but Santa will take care of that tomorrow night.

Our tree has been up for a month (did I mention how much DS likes Christmas?), but has been gaining more and more decorations each day. Its a bit overloaded at this point, but you can never have too many decorations, can you?

I've also been baking up a storm. The package above holds a batch of Chinese Chewies, a long time family favourite. This is a simple bar cookie, with dates and nutes, cut into squares and rolled in powdered sugar. Really easy to make and so tasty!

I also made up a batch of icebox cookies today. I've baked up half as thumb print cookies filled with crushed candy canes, and the other half will be baked tomorrow. I've prepared those to be baked up as sliced cookies rolled in crush candy canes (we have a lot of broken candy canes around). These will all be given as hostess gifts at a Christmas Eve open house we are going to, so I don't eat them all myself!

Tomorrow I'll make a double batch of No Bake Fudgy Snow Balls from Gina's Skinny Recipes, which I made last weekend as dessert for my parents and cousin. They were fantastic and really easy to make. These will also be gifted, because even at 2 WW points each, they are way too tempting to have laying around.

It feels like Christmas, now that I've done some baking. The gifts are wrapped, the plans confirmed and now we can relax and enjoy the holiday. Happy holidays.

Winter Feast Outfit

2010-12-17T02:21:00.000-08:00

I'm usually a LBD kind of girl, but this year I forced myself out of the box and chose a champagne satin and old-gold dress for my work's Winter Feast. This was matched with a faboosh pair of deep red/burgundy heels, which look marvellous but left me in pain after an evening of dancing (surprise, surprise).

It was great fun getting all gussied up to go out and DH and I danced together for the first time in ages. I love to dance but don't do it much any more. Must try to fix that! The outfit will get trotted out again in February for a gala we have to attend...perhaps with a slightly less high pair of shoes.

Another Shrug Completed

2010-11-14T15:24:00.000-08:00

I finished this very basic wide-sleeved shrug today. I was given a ton of this not-so-pretty grey yarn years ago and I decided to use up what was left of it to make a big cozy shrug. Our computer is located next to a very drafty window, so shrugs are a great way to keep warm. I think shrugs are hideous but functional; however when I did wear one out of the house last week (not this one), I received numerous compliments. Interesting.

With this project out of the way, I have to knuckle under and start crocheting the Star Wars amuguri that I promised to make DS for Christmas. I've never made amuguri before, but should be able to crank out a few before December 25th...I think. The instructions are awfully long for such wee little finished products.

The Christmas crafting bug hit me hard today. I spent two hours perusing craft and design blogs while I knit the last few rows of the shrug, tagging and saving my favourite gift/craft ideas. There are some amazingly creative people on the internet! Now I HAVE to make a button necklace, a handbag out of a scarf, tassle earrings and a dyed wooden bead necklace. And lots and lots of fridge magnets.

Amusing Myself

2010-11-13T13:08:00.000-08:00

I got very tired of looking at this:

So I dug out all the great family photos I had in albums and made this:

It isn't perfect, but I like it much, much better.

New Vehicle!

2010-10-17T06:21:00.001-07:00

Welcome to our new to us vehicle!

We have been talking about getting a new vehicle for a long time. Over a year. Our 89 Toyota Tercel was beginning to rust out from under us, but was so good on gas that we were reluctant to trade up...especially for the SUV DH really wanted. But when the Tercel started needing maintenance/repair that exceeded its total worth, we decided to bite the bullet.

I was pretty proud of myself, because I have an unnatural fear of car dealerships and have never made such a large purchase (its used, but still, a big purchase for us). But, I did my research, check out the Canadian Red Book value of the vehicle we were considering and negotiated. DH kindly sat back and let me do my thing.

The best part of having this new vehicle? Its an automatic, so I like driving it!

Too Busy

2010-10-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

I've been too busy to blog. By the time I get home from work, my brain is on empty. I've been going into the office at 7 am and working until 6 pm or so, with no real breaks. The end is in sight though, and I'm really, really looking forward to the long weekend and our conference season being over.

Labour Day Weekend

2010-10-01T19:27:00.001-07:00

Here are a few shots from our Labour Day visit to the "moon rock beach" on Denman Island:

(Grampa taught DS to make flying saucers from clam shells)

Things I'm Loving These Days

2010-08-23T21:03:00.000-07:00

First love of the day - the new photo wallskin that arrived today from Canvas Canada, a company from St. John's, NF, who will print up any picture you send them onto canvas, or for a much more budget friendly alternative - wallskins! Wallskins are removable, restickable sheets that can be peeled and repositioned as desired. Hello custom, rental apartment friendly art for under $50, including shipping.

From the front (a little washed out by the flash)...

From the side...love!

I am also loving how DS chooses to watch tv these days...apparently reruns are all new again if you watch them upside down.

I am also deeply grateful for and loving (as I always do) my Mom, who is an extremely talented vegan chef and cookbook author. I phoned her on Saturday and challenged her to make a vegan, low fat version of 5 minute chocolate mug cake. Sunday evening, her recipe arrived in my inbox. You can find it here on her blog. I tested it tonight and it was lovely. The recipe I originally made was 10 weight watchers points - my Mom's version was 3.

Some other foods blog that I've been loving lately:

http://www.seasaltwithfood.com/
http://foodgawker.com/
http://steamykitchen.com/skblog

The Sock!

2010-08-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

How proud am I?! I have knit a real, human sized sock. So, its a little loose, needs to be blocked, has holes in the gusset and the toe grafting is uneven! It is wearable and I LOVE it. Now, to knit the matching sock...

A Bowen Long Weekend

2010-08-02T17:48:00.000-07:00

We were invited to spend the long weekend at a friend's guest cottage on Bowen Island. It was a wonderful experience - beautiful weather, great company and a wonderful location. It was the first time in nearly four months that I've felt really relaxed. DS loved being able to play outside freely and having so many other children to hang out with. There was always one or two parents keeping an eye out for the kids, so no one worried and everyone was happy.

This is the cottage we stayed at, perched on the cliffs overlooking Vancouver. We could even see the fireworks on Saturday evening.

DS really enjoyed the sleeping loft, where the three of us cuddled in at night.

DH enjoyed the deck a bit more than the family style sleeping arrangements.

This is a view of the "big house" from the guest cabin, where we shared communal meals with our hosts, hung out and drank far too much wine and beer.

There were about 12 or 13 children staying on the same property and DS had a blast. When he wasn't inside playing a very bastardized version of monopoly, he was free ranging outside with the other kids around the pool, playing soccer, chasing crabs on the rock or sharing kayak rides around the bay.

I would be remiss if I didn't post this photo of DH and our host, cooking up some ribs on the deck of the main house. Did I mention that we ate very well all weekend?

The eagle pictured above greeted me this morning shortly before 6 AM, perched on a rock outside the cottage. Pardon the blurry photo - I didn't dare open the door to get a clear shot.

Mosquitoes, Sweaters and Summer Colds

2010-07-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took an impromptu trip into the interior to look at piece of property. It was a tad more rustic than we had hoped and quite boggy. DS declared it unliveable and we fled from the mosquitoes, hoping to spend the night camping some where along the way home. Unfortunately, the mosquitoes were even worse at the two campsites we tried and we threw in the towel. I am too old to suffer insects AND tenting. We ended up spending the night with some good friends along the way, rescuing an otherwise lousy road trip.

On the crafting front, I tried a new baby sweater pattern that I found on the internet, cleverly constructed from two hexagons sewn together along one side. This one has become a teddy sweater in DS' stuffie collection, because the yarn is a little tickley, but I will definitely make another one out of baby yarn for one of the many new babies coming into our life this year. I think I will also try a slightly more sophisticated version I found here.

DH gave me the gears today for not blogging more often, but I just haven't felt up to it. My new job has been a stressful adjustment for me and DS and I have both been fighting a low grade summer cold that has ramped up this weekend into a full fledged chest cold for me and an ear infection for DS. So, not to much to blog about, I'm afraid.

Kindergarten is Done

2010-06-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

DS is finished with Kindergarten. On Wednesday his teacher invited the parents to watch a beautiful slide show of pictures she took of the children during the year, which made me cry. I wasn't sure at the time which was more moving - the slide show, or the children taking such pleasure in seeing each photo and singing along to the music. Each family received a copy of the presentation to take home and we will definitely be watching it again over the summer and the years to come.

DS also received a beautiful scrapbook of special work he made during the year, which was very thoughtful. We have redone our art walls with all the artwork he brought home this week, retiring his "pre-K" collection at long last, and have set up a "work station" with some work books he brought home and wants to continue with over the summer.

The cherry on top of this lovely week was a great report card, which he was very proud of. We are really going to miss his teachers, who really inspired and guided him this year, and I hope that the love of learning they instilled in him will continue on. I am curious about the 5 absents that showed up for this term though...I'm pretty sure he wasn't away at all this term and he's a wee bit young to play hookey! Oh well, a little mystery is good now and then.

The Black Eyed Prince

2010-05-31T20:23:00.000-07:00

DS is really into his dress-up clothes these days, particularly the knight and prince costumes. Today he dressed up as a Prince from Narnia, wielding a broken sword against imaginary foe and posing as fiercely as he could.

I think the black eye he gave himself today playing with a swing at recess completes the look, don't you? Sigh. Sadly, he has my lack of attention span and spacial awareness. I'm grateful he didn't give himself a concussion.

New Hair

2010-05-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

I needed a change, so I had a fringe added...I wonder how long it will take for that to drive me crazy?

Sort of Finished Project

2010-05-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

Another pattern from Crochet That Fits by Mary Jane Hall. I left off the neck/back ruffle as I wanted something quite simple and was running out of yarn anyway. I really like this pattern - simple to work up, easy to wear and just warm enough to stave off air conditioner chills.

This is How Our Garden Grows

2010-05-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

Take one old dresser, a length of 6-mil plastic, two bales of potting soil, hard work and a few plants, and what do you get? A nice little balcony garden.

One Happy Soon to be Six Year Old

2010-05-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is DS' sixth birthday. To say that he is excited is an understatement. Not only is it his birthday, but it is also his "special helper" day at school, he gets to bring popsicles to school to celebrate his birthday with his friends AND he pulled out a tooth today, which means when he wakes up on his birthday day there will be money under his pillow. That is a lot of happy making stuff for a little guy!

I love the note that he wrote to the tooth fairy on the front of envelope.

Sail Past

2010-05-10T20:21:00.001-07:00

DH and DS attended Sail Past last Saturday and DS was very thrilled to steer the boat. Now he wants to live on a boat because he had the "best nap ever" due to the "quietness and waves".

He also informs me that going to the bathroom in the "head" was not great and that I wouldn't have liked it. Duly noted my child.

A Busy and Lovely Weekend

2010-05-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

What a lovely weekend I've had. Full of wonderful meals, great company and some very thoughtful and unexpected gifts, like this wonderful box of yarn, hand-dyed and spun by my sister. She included some circular needles so that I can try my hand at knitting socks in the round. I'm so excited! I'm starting my new job tomorrow and I am going to need some stress relief. Knitting up some socks is just the distraction I need.

There was a lot of eating going on this weekend. On Saturday morning, DH, DS and I meet my yarn spinning sister and her husband at a great place called Deacon's Corner, which served up huge portions of good food. I definitely did not need lunch after that! That evening, I met a good friend for dinner at Chambar, a Belgian restaurant, where I indulged in a Mint Julep in honour of the Kentucky Derby and a fantastic Belgian beer. My dinner was good, but not fantastic: tuna carpaccio, mussels in white wine sauce and a two cheese platter for dessert. Then it was off for cappuccino and a second dessert at a local hotel. I slept well that night!

Today, I started freaking out about starting my new job and sent DH and DS off to skating lessons without me so I could pull myself together. I don't usually get so uptight when changing jobs, but this week is full of new work and personal obligations that it is a bit overwhelming. So, I took some Valerian and decided that stuffing 80 loot bags would be good therapy. DS is sharing his birthday celebration this Friday with two other boys from his school. It is going to be a huge, noisy mash-up at the local Play Palace. After experimenting with stickers, I decided to hand tie 80 yarn bows to keep the bags closed. It was very therapeutic and I felt quite calm by the time the task was completed.

I took a well-deserved nap after that, then we all dressed up and went off for a very lovely dinner with another family at Le Gavroche. I was quite nervous about bringing two 5 year olds to a fancy French restaurant, but they were extremely well behaved. DS impressed me by tucking into duck cassoulet, lamb shanks in port wine reduction and creme brulee. DH was the happy beneficiary of what DS couldn't finish. I had a lovely vegetable terrine, Israel couscous risotto with asparagus and wild mushrooms and a wonderful creme caramel. It was a fantastic meal and I really enjoyed getting to know our friends better.

The Latest Stuffy

2010-04-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

DS is a bit obsessed with blue stuffies, and frequently saves up his meagre allowance to spend on them. I really hope he doesn't develop a dust allergy...

Taking Charge

2010-04-20T20:52:00.001-07:00

About a year and a half ago I decided to take charge of my health. I logged on to Weight Watchers, lost a lot of weight, started working out, and finally began to deal with a persisting foot injury. It's been challenging at times, but immensely rewarding. I feel really good and I can wear high heels without suffering for weeks afterwards (if you know me at all, you realize how happy this makes me).

Now I'm ready to take charge of my career. I've been working as an administrative assistant in some form or another for my whole working life (with a few brief exceptions). I was always looking for something better, different, more exciting, but each time I tried out a career I thought was more glamourous or fulfilling, I didn't really enjoy it and ended up back at the computer, doing the one thing that has always provided me with a steady, reliable income. I've dabbled in interior design, Mary Kay sales, makeup artistry and retail to name a few. Its exhausting trying to figure out what you want to be when you grow up!

A month or so ago I decided to see a life/career coach, which was really helpful. After much venting and "blue-skying", as DH likes to call it, we decided I would focus on finding a position in the same field that better utilized my strengths as a communicator, working with a person who was supportive and respectful, who challenged me to grow and allowed me to be a fully involved partner in his or her work. After mulling it over, I reached out to an acquaintance who is a recruiter and have recently accepted a position as an executive assistant to a senior executive in an organization whose work I am very interested in. The position will be challenging, fast-paced and there are some major adjustments to be made (longer hours for one), but I feel up to the challenge. I am really looking forward to being happier in the workplace and thus happier at home.

DH and DS have both been so supportive of me through all these changes, even when I've been distracted, grumpy, frustrated and scared. DH has been amazing. He has encouraged me, reminded me that I can do more than I have been and that I deserve to be successful and happy in the workplace. Have I mentioned that he is great?

Life Isn't All Crafting

2010-03-15T21:03:00.000-07:00

Life isn't all about crafting, although that seems to be all I blog about these days. If I had it my way, life would be mostly about knitting and crocheting, but, if wishes were horses...you know how it goes.

Most weekday evenings, DS and I take turns dorking out on the computer. Tonight he took a picture of me taking my turn and deemed it "blog-worthy". So, there you go.

DS was a lot of fun today. He was really happy when I picked him up from school, had a lovely nap in my lap on the way home on the bus, and then took his turn on the computer while I did my taxes. I confess that we both ate our dinner in front of the computers (I dusted off my hanging-on-for-dear-life laptop to do my taxes), which is a bad habit we have fallen into on nights when DH is out at meetings.

Later on, DS showed me his yoga moves from gym class and we practiced our v-sits, A-frames (downward dog), backbends and storkstands. I even managed to impress him by doing a handstand against the wall. Yes, my child, your old mama can do an interesting thing or to, thank you very much.

After staying up way to late hanging out with me, he procrastinated even more about bedtime by dragging out his cowboy hat and stickhorse. Then he practice "boomerang throws" at my legs. Fun times. But seriously, he and I tend to argue a lot - our personalities are like oil and water - but tonight was one of those great moments when we just relaxed and enjoyed each other's company for a change. I should try that more often.

On another fun note, DS, DH and I went to see a sledge hockey game last weekend, which was very fun. DH took our picture with Sumi and we found ourselves seated right next to a group of 30 or more Korean kids, all wearing matching Team Korea jumpers, waving Korean flags and chanting and cheering like mad for their team. On the other side of us was a very small contingent of USA fans. Every time they started cheering, the Korean children would burst into their chants and completely drown out the USA fans. I really, really wanted Korea to get a goal to reward those kids for their energy and commitment, but it was not to be. They cheered on anyway and it was a fantastic experience.

New Hat - Not Really Feelin' the Love For This One

2010-03-12T22:19:00.000-08:00

This one is a little bit big I think. If I had dreadlocks, it would be perfect. This is the beret from "Crochet That Fits" by Mary Jane Hall. What did I learn from this project? This yarn works up way chunkier than expected and it really helps if you read the instructions THOROUGHLY from start to finish. I realized after I wove in all the ends that I had gathered the wrong end for the crown and that I really needed to rip out a few rows to improve the fit. Alas, the ends were no where to be found, so it will remains an oversized reminder of what not to do.

Okay, maybe a little styling can save this one. I fussed at it a bit and it sort of looks cute now. Not to mention super comfy and wouldn't totally crush your hair. Hmmmm. Maybe I'll test drive it in public tomorrow...

Taking in the Spring Sunshine

2010-03-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

Pinwheel Beret Complete

2010-03-06T07:53:00.001-08:00

I stayed up until 11 p.m. last night finishing the Pinwheel Beret I started in my last blog post. It is a little bit snug around the band, but I don't feel liking frogging back 6 rounds to remove a row of decreasing.

I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but I ran out of my original yarn (I thought I had another skein but I didn't). Fortunately the Elann I've been working with for several projects coordinated well, so that was used to finish it off.

Newest Project

2010-02-28T22:12:00.000-08:00

I'm 19 rounds into this 57 round Pinwheel Beret designed by Cynthia Preston, published in the Winter 2008 Interweave Crochet magazine. As long as you can count and move a marker up a row to mark the first stitch of each round, you can make this. A simple single crochet spiral with a pleasing, subtle texture.

Projects New and Old

2010-02-26T22:38:00.000-08:00

I finished a fast "reduce, reuse, recycle" project tonight. A sheet and a duvet cover wore through at the same time and I decided that instead of throwing them out, I would tear them into strips and crochet up a simple rag rug for the kitchen.

Here it is in its new home.

I realized shortly after photographing the rag rug that our home is slowly being filled up with things I've made, which gave me a great sense of satisfaction. Most of my handiwork lives in drawers or closets, but a few are regularly walked on or cuddled under daily.

Here is an afghan I crocheted years ago that is a staple snuggling blanket in our home. It was a very challenging project for me at the time and is made of horrible cheap acrylic yarn, but the pattern still pleases me and it keeps me warm in our drafty apartment.

Last but not least, here is a hooked rug I made, also many years ago. It is the result of many hours of back breaking bending over a rug hooking frame. I learned the art of rug hooking from a wonderful woman in East Vancouver whose name I can no longer remember. She made the most amazing rugs based on drawings her toddler made. I was in awe.

Sadly my rug has been relegated to the patio entrance, so that the curtains cover up the holes that developed when I gambled with the crafting gods and machine washed it (I know, BAD!!!!). But I can't bear to throw it away, as it has warmed my feet in the kitchen for so long and it took me so long to make it.

Food

2010-02-22T17:07:00.001-08:00

If you've read this blog at all, you'll know that I've lost 45 pounds through WW. I gained about 5 pounds back over Christmas and have found it way harder losing those pounds than the previous 45! But I've gotten on top of it, despite struggling with wanting to just eat everything in sight. This most recent struggle really illustrated the importance (for me anyway) of tracking everything I eat and filling the pantry with high quality, low points friendly foods to make cooking well, but tastily, easy.

I've recently stumbled on a great cooking blog that features WW friendly foods, many with a latin twist. The author is entertaining to read, has a great recipe range and some fantastic links too. She has inspired me to drag myself out of my food rut and get cooking again.

Skinny Weight Watcher Recipes

One of the other sites I've been enjoying lately is Food Porn Daily. Look and drool my friends.

The New Collection

2010-02-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

Here is the new collection...Olympic pins. DS is on a quest to collect as many Olympic pins as possible and has instructed me to go out on my lunch break tomorrow to see if I can get more for him. He would like me to tell you that next I will get him a Sumi pin. Hmmm, we shall see if I am successful. We are only collecting the ones people are handing out, not buying them. Makes it a little harder.

Scenes from the Our Trip to the BC Pavillian VIP Party

2010-02-15T07:07:00.000-08:00

Last night we were invited to a private reception at the BC Pavillion, which is housed on the 4th floor of the Vancouver Art Gallery. The VAG has been covered in "wallpaper" (DS' description), and is currently featuring sketches of the human body by Leonardo Da Vinci. DS and I were the first guests allowed into the gallery after it had been closed to the public, so we had the awesome experience of having the whole VAG to ourselves. We also saw some amazing Shadbolt sketches and paintings, including a series of sketches entitled "Hornby Series". So gorgeous.

The 4th floor of the VAG has been converted into a fantastic "BC Experience", including an awesome forest scene, featuring gorgous woods, video projections of salmon swimming on the floor, tree niches filled with beautiful art pieces and a "waterfall" that you walk through to move to the next area of the exhibit. They also have a 4D short film that takes you ziplining, snowboarding and on a tree canopy walk. We watched that about 5 times over the course of the evening. I would definitely recommend a trip to this exhibit.

The reception was hosted in beautiful room full of furniture made from pine beetle wood, and featured two chocolate fountains, a fantastic band and Vicki Gabereau (sp?) as the host. I confess to embarrassing myself by gushing over her like a crazed fan. She was very gracious about it, LOL. Several Olympic medalists spoke and the event was attended by about a zillion political VIPs, but I was too busy making sure DS didn't bash into anyone to pay much attention to that part of the event (although I did notice the Premier was losing his voice from so much cheering).

DS conducted himself admirably, we were fed like kings and queens and we had an amazing view of the activities at Robson Square, including dancers, big screen projections of the gold medal win of the evening and the Nelly Furtado concert. We also really enjoyed the light show and zip liners, but DS could have lived without the fireworks. Even our trip home was good. We walked down to the first skytrain stop, got on and seated without waiting and zipped over to where we had parked the car. All in all, a very fun night. DH and I are going again next week and have been invited to go a third time with DS to enjoy the closing night festivities. Wheee!

Olympic Torch Experience

2010-02-12T07:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the Olympic Torch was carried through our neighbourhood by our friend and Olympian George Hungerford, who won gold with his rowing partner in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. DS and DH went to cheer him on (I was working) and then we all went to celebrate at the Hungerford home, where we an opportunity see the 2010 Olympic torch up close.

It's hard not to catch the Olympic spirit when you see the pride and joy of an Olympian in person. As DH recently pointed out to me, I am very conflicted about the Olympics; on the one hand, I really resent the corporate and security presence foisted on my city by the games, but on the other, I like the sense of pride, community and sport that the people participating in the games feel and share with those around them. I think the games can and should be something very positive, but that seems to come at quite a cost to the host cities.

September Hat Complete!

2010-02-11T22:20:00.000-08:00

Ha! I have finished the September Hat. I haven't blocked it yet, which I'm hoping will fix a few problems I had with laddering, but I like it. The pattern is my sister's design and was made up with Elann Peruvian Quechua (an Alpaca/Tencel blend) on 3.75 mm needles, using the magic loop method.

This and That

2010-02-06T18:05:00.000-08:00

Here is my first attempt at magic loop knitting. It looks a little weird, thanks to my poor tension. I'm hoping that after blocking I will have done my sister's pattern justice. I'm using Denise interchangeables, but find the joins really hang up the stitches as I'm moving them around the loop. I'll likely get the 40" and 60" cables available for the set, but I'd really like to try the Addi Turbo interchangables...maybe when I win the lottery!

I've been sick for a few days and DS has been really patient. Here he is listening to Journey and doing his phonics homework while I rest.

And here's another DS pic, but because he looks cute. That's Quatchi and Flat Stanley he's waving around, in case anyone is wondering. Quatchi is the most recent addition to DS' Olympic collection, which is taking over our apartment. While I enjoy his enthusiasm, I am personally sick to death of the Olympic and can't wait for them to be over. I'd like my city back please.

Magic Loop

2010-02-01T08:56:00.000-08:00

I taught myself the magic loop knitting method this weekend. I am so excited! This means I don't have to use double-pointed needles unless I want to; wahoo! There were some major bumps in the learning curve (like accidentally slipping half the stitches right off the needle while adjusting the loops, d'oh!), but I think I've got the hang of it now. I'm well into my sister's September Hat pattern, which I hope to finish this week and will post a picture of eventually. I think it will have to be for DS as the yarn weight I'm using is a little fine for the project.

Houston,We've Lost a Tooth!

2010-01-29T06:58:00.000-08:00

DS lost his first tooth last night! The tooth beside it is loose as well and DS is eagerly anticipating the tooth fairy's next visit.

Sock!

2010-01-28T06:05:00.000-08:00

Last night I went to the "Sock Knitting Boot Camp" at my LYS and knit this tiny little learning sock! It was SOOOOOO much fun :-) I have been terrified of knitting with double pointed needles for so long...I don't know why. It wasn't actually that bad. Now I am going to try to make a sock I can actually get my foot into.

Do-overs

2010-01-17T20:52:00.000-08:00

Last weekend was...difficult...with DS. He graced our Sunday family lunch with a really doozy of a temper tantrum, which left me sobbing in frustration in the car and him running around my MIL's front lawn in his stocking feet screaming "I DEMAND cake RIGHT NOW!" at the top of his lungs. I would not have been at all surprised if the police had shown up. He was putting on quite a show. Have you ever tried to put a raging 45 pound child into a car seat? Don't bother. It's futile.

I realized after that delightful experience that DS needed some "loving up", so this weekend I cancelled all plans and just hung out doing DS stuff for the majority of the weekend. After I picked him up from school on Friday we went to our local coffee shop, which happens to make awesome woodstone pizza, and shared a pepperoni pizza. Then off home to snuggle, read together and fall asleep while DH was off looking handsome in his tuxedo, celebrating Sir John A. MacDonald's birth. Saturday, which graced us with sunshine, was spent playing baseball, going to the library and having lunch at Subway. About halfway through his sandwich, DS said "Mommy, my tooth feels sensitive". So I had a look and found that he has his first loose tooth! I think we both squealed for joy. He's been wishing and wishing for a loose tooth and finally he has one. Two actually :-)

It hasn't all been sunshine and roses this weekend - DS has some strong feelings and changes going on right now, but we've done a much better job at guiding him, so the frustration has been slightly less and there has been (thank goodness) no more rain-soaked public scream fests. Sometimes we forget that he's still a really little person and needs a lot more from us than we've given.

Somewhere in between all the cuddles, playing and talking about all things important to a young boy, I squeaked in a lot of cooking and a few household chores and started on sweater #2 for DS, who has decided I can get a do-over of his sweater after all. Yah! This time I'm trying it with a v-neck, in single crochet, with narrower sleeves and maybe a pocket. We shall see.

The Girlie Sweater Complete

2010-01-11T18:56:00.000-08:00

Well, I finished the modular sweater, dubbed "the girlie, itchy sweater" by DS, for whom this was made. DS hasn't been willing to let me take a picture of it while it is on; if he changes his mind I'll post a picture. I think it is really ugly and want to rip it out, but DS will not allow it. I think he's impressed that I made a garment with my own hands. Now it will sit in a drawer until he agrees to let me send it to Knit-a-Square.

I do like the concept for creating garments set out in the book I used for this, "Modular Crochet" (now out of print and apparently worth a LOT of money...hunh.), but my execution leaves a lot to be desired. I'm going to try a v-neck vest from the same book and pay more attention to my counting and tension. I also struggle with seaming and weaving in the yarn ends invisibly. Practice makes perfect, right!?

"But It Looks Girlie Mommy"

2010-01-05T20:44:00.001-08:00

At DS' request, I have been using some of my personally coveted Elann yarn to crochet him a sweater. I deemed it ugly about a 1/4 of the way into the pattern but he refused to let me rip it out. He even decided that I could hide the puckering row in the front that was really bugging me by sewing buttons on (rather smart idea, I thought). Today I had him try it on to suss out sleeve length and what does he tell me? "But it looks GIRLIE Mommy! And it's itchy." Great! So I can frog it and make something else, right? No, he still insists I finish it. Argh.

I guess I can send it off to Knit-A-Square if he still doesn't like it once it has been finished. He thinks that would be a good solution too, even though he insists it doesn't get cold in Africa, even at night, so why would anyone need a sweater there? If you have a little extra time on your hands, I encourage you to knit or crochet a square, sweater or vest to send off to the wonderful people that run Knit-A-Square. They sew all the squares into blankets for the many children who need them, and they desperately, desperately need sweaters and vests for older kids.

Next project? Conquering my fear of double-pointed needles by attending a "sock bootcamp" on the 27th, where I have been promised I will complete a tiny little sock in a mere three hours. I think they have more confidence in my skills than I do...

Happy New Year

2009-12-31T20:46:00.000-08:00

Poor DS, he fell fast asleep before 6 o'clock, barely 1/4 of the way into Star Wars Episode 4: The Last Hope. We had great plans of watching it together as we have all been playing the Lego PS2 Starwars II game for days now. Ah well, we'll watch it tomorrow.

So, with DS all tucked up into bed, DH and I rented Star Trek 2009 (I love Telus Movies on Demand!) and are about to watch a Harry Potter movie we haven't watched yet. I've eaten a lot of delicious cheese, chorizo and Port and am about to enjoy some fine Denman Island dark chocolate. Now this is the way to ring in the New Year.

Happy New Year everyone. May it bring what you need, if not what you want.

Happy Holidays?

2009-12-29T11:45:00.000-08:00

Christmas is over. I had a really lovely celebration but still feel immensely relieved that this particular holiday has come and gone. If I had my way, I'd be packing up all the decorations and sending them back to storage, but DS insists we keep them up until he goes back to school, or, preferably for him, all year round. I think not.

Today I am sitting at the computer trying to ignore the dirty bathrooms, the carpet in desperate need of cleaning, the toys that need picking up and the ironing. DS has gone off to day camp for the day so I have no excuse for not doing chores, but I just can't get off my butt. I don't want to clean. I don't really want to do anything. Motivation is in short supply for me today.

I realise as I am typing this that I (once again) failed to take any photographs of our celebrations. Oops. It really was nice. We went to my parents' "cabin in the woods" this year, where we had a quiet Christmas day with just DS, my parents, DH and I, then the large extended family gathering on Boxing Day with my sisters, my brother and their families. DS spent most of our three day visit playing with his cousins, so we barely saw any of him. It was nice to all share a bed at night because I felt like that was all I saw of him each day, even if it did mean hardly getting any sleep due to DS' kicking and thrashing.

Well, I should really try to do something constructive while DS is off cosmic bowling and swimming. I think I'll go work on the sweater I'm crocheting for him. Then I'm going to read cookbooks for awhile. Sounds like a good way to procrastinate the day away. I am on holiday after all.

18th Anniversary

2009-12-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

Today is DH and my 18th anniversary. I couldn't ask for a better partner in life than DH, who despite being my polar opposite in most things, is the perfect person for me. He is an amazing dad and an even better friend and I am looking forward to at least 18 more years together with him. I love you sweetheart.

On a totally different note, DS' Christmas holidays began yesterday and he is so excited. His holiday started off with recieving a great report card and having a sleepover at Aba's house so DH and I could go out for a dinner and have a sleep in. The sleep in didn't pan out because I was wide awake by 6 a.m., but we did enjoy a really nice dinner and a movie. We need to do that more often because I feel as though I've forgotten how to talk to DH about anything but DS and work. Poor guy! I'm afraid I wasn't the most riveting dinner conversationalist.

Well, my cold-addled brain isn't helping me post anything insightful or even interesting, so I think I'll sign off now and do some chores. I like to get them out of the way early (our poor neighbours) so I can enjoy my weekend.

So Proud!

2009-12-15T20:00:00.001-08:00

Today Logan received an Academic House Award and earned 20 points for his house at school.

New Voiceover Work!

2009-12-05T14:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNrvZc1t2EA

I recently voiced this piece for one of DH's clients. DH co-produced and directed the piece.

Trying to Focus on the Moment

2009-12-05T06:17:00.001-08:00

The past few months have been tremendously stressful at work, and I must confess that I haven't been enjoying the courses I'm taking (paralegal). I resent having to spend my personal time studying for something work-related, so I'm taking a little break until April 2010 to think about what I'm trying to accomplish and whether or not focussing on work-related education in my personal time is right for me at this time.

Now that my exam is written and a vacation is in sight, I'm trying to refocus on the important things...family, getting our home in order, self-care, etc. As always, December is shaping up to be very busy with lots of socializing and I find it hard to fit in little things like haircuts. As we were walking to the bus stop last night, I was complaining to DS about needing to find time to get a haircut when he suggested that we should go into a hair salon near by and he would read a book and take a nap while I got my hair done. I wasn't sure if it would work, but I was so grumpy and desperate to get a little self-care in that I took him up on the suggestion. To my delight (and that of everyone else in the salon), DS quickly took off his shoes, curled up on the sofa in the waiting area and fell asleep. I got my haircut; he got a nap. I love it when a plan comes together!

Today we are up bright and early again and looking forward to another full day. I have to get my eyes tested, order new contacts, get my glasses tightened, take DS to the toy store, do laundry, go to the gym, get cracking on the last few gifts I need to make and do little grocery shopping. I'd like to wrap some gifts too. This our last unscheduled weekend before Christmas, so I want to take advantage of the time to get a lot done! The next few weeks are full of visits to the Christmas Train, skating parties, my work Christmas 'do, a film screening, our anniversay dinner (our 18th!), several Christmas parties and packing for our trip to my parent's house.

Well, DS is vying for the computer so he can play Club Penguin, his new obsession, so I will end this early morning ramble.

First Christmas Concert

2009-11-30T18:16:00.000-08:00

DS had his first Christmas concert today. Our camera is awful, so I apologize for these poor quality photos and videos!

Speaking of Crafty Xmas Gifts...

2009-11-29T21:14:00.000-08:00

I'm making crocheted cuffs for a few of my nieces. This one is this pattern from Creative Yarn.

This one is a modification of that design, using only one motif.

Oh My Christmas Is Upon Us

2009-11-29T20:35:00.001-08:00

Here we are, not even in December, and DS has had his picture taken with Santa, put up a Christmas tree in his room and pulled out the Advent calendar. He is very much in the Christmas mood. I'm busy crocheting and knitting in an attempt to complete Christmas presents on a budget and we are all looking forward to an Island Christmas (hopefully without snow). I will probably wrap gifts next weekend. I may even bake...I don't know what has come over us!

Homework

2009-11-18T19:55:00.001-08:00

Every night DS brings home a book from school, which he has to read to us. Then he chooses a comprehension assignment and completes that. Today he wanted to show you his work.

And a close up, to make sure you could read it :-)

Another One Off the Hook, Plus a Little Maudlin Rambling About Age

2009-11-14T21:45:00.001-08:00

I've been procrastinating about doing my homework today and have been generally horrible to my family. Things have been a wee bit stressful at work and I'm afraid I've been taking it out on everyone. After spending some time making up for my bad parenting with DS this afternoon, I tucked him into bed, did a bit of homework and then retreated to the couch with my crocheting to watch Midsomer Murders. A short time later, the scarf above was finished. It will be given to one of the nieces for a Christmas gift. I used a flower motif created by the blogger at Creative Yarn and joined them together to make a short scarf/neck wrap. It's made up in a nice, soft cotton, so it can be worn year round.

It's my birthday in a few hours...turning 38 already. Hmmm, perhaps I'm a little depressed about that. I don't know why; I like getting older. I'm in good shape, I look better than I have in ages, I have a wonderful man and a great little boy. Life is good...I think I'm a bit blue because there are a lot things I thought I would have done by this age that I haven't. Ah well. There is still a lot of time to do all those things :-) On a happier note, I received a very lovely gift certificate today and used it to order myself a very stylish shoulder bag that is designed for knitters/crocheters. I can't wait for it to show up! Thank you :-)

Random Photos

2009-11-10T05:53:00.001-08:00

DS likes to take pictures of his tv shows. This Jimmy Two Shoes and his friend Beezy.

He also fancies pictures of the bookcase.

I decided it was time to post a picture of DH. He tolerated my idea...barely.

I Like It!

2009-11-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

My second attempt at Emerald Green Handwarmers, by the talented blogger at Creative Yarns. Very easy to make and so pretty! I think this pair will be a Christmas gift for a niece...

Appendectomy and Yarn Goodies

2009-11-01T06:12:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday DS had to have an emergency laprapscopic appendectomy, which meant that I have been away from work for a week making sure he doesn't pull out his stitches. He's healing very well, but is very tired of hearing me tell him not to be too active. Still, I don't think jumping on the monkey bars and play fighting are going to help his stitches heal, even if he does feel good!

Yesterday I started feeling stir crazy and went out to Urban Yarn, a wonderful local yarn store, and bought yarn for making gifts. They were having a great sale and I bought the most wonderful Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk (the burnt orange yarn pictured above), a lovely merino wool in extra fine and some super soft cotton worsted. It is so nice knitting/crocheting with non-acrylic yarns! I also indulge in two pattern books and picked up the class schedule for November. I've suggested to DH that their Sock Making Bootcamp would make a perfect birthday gift :-)

Earrings

2009-10-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

Made these today...no pattern, just made them up. They don't match perfectly, but close enough :-)

Experimenting With Jewellry Wire

2009-10-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

I'm sick and therefore should be sleeping, not crocheting, but I started goofing around with some light gauge jewellry wire I picked up today and this is what I ended up with. It's an adaptation of an earring design called Delilah.

Meet Flat Stanley

2009-10-16T19:08:00.000-07:00

DS made a new friend in art class; "Flat Stanley". I understand Flatty, as DS calls him, is a character from a book who has lots of adventures even though he is flat. The children in DS' class will be taking their personal Flatty's on adventures throughout the year and have been encouraged to photo document his travels and share them with their classmates. I think we'll take Flatty to the barbershop tomorrow for his first hair cut...

Handicrafts and Tripping Down the Culinary Memory Lane

2009-09-30T21:01:00.001-07:00

I found a wonderful blog the other day...http://creativeyarn.blogspot.com/...where a very talented and generous crocheter from Milan shares patterns for the fabulous things she thinks up. Now that DS goes to sleep at a normal time, I decided to make up the mohair handwarmers she shared. My hands are always freezing at work so these babies will come in handy. They are a wee bit itchy and I think I'll make another pair tomorrow with a slight modification to the design which I think will make them a little more fitted...I'll post another picture if my idea pans out.

I've also had time to trip down the food aisle of my memory lane with my mother's collection of Sunset cookbooks, which she kindly gave to me. I used to pour over these books as a child. The books are VERY 70's, but I'm enjoying pouring over them again, seeing my mother's handwritten notes in the accompanying recipe guides and recognizing the recipes that showed up on our table during my childhood. I may even try one or two of them myself, even though DS has declared my cooking less than sufficient. Hmph.

Our Saturday in Pictures

2009-09-28T20:42:00.000-07:00

Not quite all the things we jammed into the day...we missed the chocolate cake we baked, the six loads of laundry washed, dried, folded and put away, the washing of the kitchen, the temper tantrums by both Mom and child, the stories, homework and more things I've already forgotten about. Just the normal weekend grind.

A Good First Week of School

2009-09-11T05:28:00.000-07:00

I have to admit I was nervous about DS starting at a new school and worried that our choice of private school may not have been the right one (my own fears of not in fitting rearing their ugly heads). But this week has alleviated any concerns I had and has confirmed the wisdom of our choice for our family. DS is in a class of 22 students with two full time teachers who are young, but very experienced and well-trained. Most importantly, they are very empathetic and have taken the time to check in with me several times during the week via email to confirm that DS is doing well and to answer my questions about various first week of school concerns. The school administration and DS' teachers have exceeded my expectations with respect to guiding us through the first week and communicating with us about what's needed, explaining routines, etc.

DS has been enjoying his class and has made a fast friend with the other new boy. He seems to love his uniform and was really excited to wear the "fancy uniform" for picture day yesterday. Most often he wears his gym strip, but twice a week he gets to put on the whole shebang and looks quite handsome! For the first time ever, he gets himself dressed each morning without complaint. Bliss.

DH has been taking DS to school in the mornings, and each morning DS selects a book and reads a bit of it to DH before class starts. Reading seems to be the focus in class right now, which is great; however, DS would like to know when he is going to get math homework. I told him to enjoy the lack of homework while he's little :-) Yesterday they had their first French lesson and his Spanish lessons and swimming lessons start next week, which DS is looking forward to. However, he is most looking forward to the special pancake breakfast and Olympic Torch relay that the school is hosting for the students and parents this morning. He has been asking DH everyday "You are coming right Daddy? There's going to be PANCAKES!".

Last but not least, my stress about after school care has also been put to rest. His afterschool caregiver at the school is very nice and DS seems to enjoy hanging out with the other kids that participate in the program at the school. Its a nice mix of older and younger kids and they do a variety of activities, from playing games in the school yard to using the computer lab. He has been reluctant to leave every day when I get him, which is a good sign in my books!

The only thing about the new arrangement that I don't like is the commute home. Ugh. But, you can't have it all, can you?!

Wild Blueberries

2009-09-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

Mmmmm, blueberry coffee cake made with fresh wild blueberries hand picked on Cypress Mountain today. Well worth getting soaking wet for.

First Day of Kindergarten

2009-09-04T17:24:00.001-07:00

DS attended his first day of Kindergarten at his new school today. He got himself all dressed up in his uniform, posed for a few pictures and sent us on our way.

New Hat and Scarf

2009-09-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Whipped up another scarf using this Lion Brand yarn pattern and then made this hat from a pattern I found on a great blog I stumbled on recently. The designer comes up with great hats, but as always, my tension is too loose, so I have to try the hat again with a smaller hook. It is meant to be a child's size but is a bit loose even on my big head. I think I'll keep these versions for myself and make smaller versions in a less chunky yarn for the intended child.

A Perfect Day

2009-08-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the perfect Saturday. We slept in a bit, then we went out to run some errands and ended up playing in the playground at DS' new school. He told us about his plans to make new friends, wondered if he'd have homework and shared how excited he was to be graduting from "preschool to big kid school".

Back home for lunch, then I crocheted another scarf while DS, DH and a friend played Lego Batman. Then I dragged DS out to Kerrisdale days where we wandered, ate, played and generally had fun in our own backyard. The heat finally chased us back home for more video games and a quick swim before we rushed out to White Rock to enjoy the outdoor movie festival. We saw "Mamma Mia", which I hadn't seen before and really enjoyed.

A perfect summer Saturday.

Latest Neckwarmer

2009-08-28T21:10:00.001-07:00

DS is graduating from his preschool/daycare after two and a half years. As part of our gift to his caregiver, I crocheted this lovely neckwarmer for her. I love it and I'm going to make a few more for other gifts. The flower is used to fasten the scarf and can be affixed where ever you wish, as it has a button on the back as well as the front. It was an extremely easy pattern that I found on Lion Brands yarn's website. It took me about three hours to make up.

Vacation With Family

2009-08-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a wonderful stay with my parents, who are fabulous hosts and feed us so well. DH just has to mention a craving for something and my Mum whips up a vegan version for him. This time is was two amazing curries. Yum!

DS had a blast playing with his cousins, especially on the trampoline at my brother's house and dressing up in Nonna's bellydancing scarves and veils (I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the top secret dress-ups!). I dearly wish we lived closer to my family, but we don't so I am just going to have to conquer driving the standard so I can drive over more often to visit. We are really looking forward to our Christmas visit.

Student PSA I Voiced - Warning Contains Moderately Violent Imagery

2009-08-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

I volunteered to voice a student anti-ivory poaching public service announcement for some students at the Vancouver Film School about a month ago. This is the result of their project. I come in towards the end.

I Reached My Goal!

2009-08-05T20:53:00.001-07:00

On December 13, 2008, I decided I was tired of being overweight and finally joined Weight Watchers online. Today, I reached the goal weight I entered there...140 lbs. As of this morning I have officially lost 39 lbs.

That was then...

This is now...

I'm planning on losing another five pounds to get down to the weight I really wanted to be but didn't dare enter into the WW website, then switch to maintenance mode. I never thought I'd do it, but I did and I'm VERY proud of myself for losing weight slowly, healthfully and without starving myself. Now, I'm working on learning to love or at least gracefully accept daily exercise and healing my injured foot.

Oh and thanks to DS for taking both the before and after pictures for me :-)

Camping

2009-08-03T18:46:00.001-07:00

We spent the long weekend camping with friends. DS did a lot of rock lifting...

and reading, which was very cool to see.

I met my goal of losing enough weight to wear a bikini in public.
I even wore it without the skirt!

DH enjoyed the sun and our new favourite summer time beverage, lime beer.

DS prefers fizzy orange juice.

This is Summer

2009-07-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

DS has become a very adept swimmer. We don't actually have to be in the pool with him anymore. He will happily cannon-ball, swim to the ladder, climb out, cannon-ball, etc. etc., all day if he can.

Tired of Death

2009-07-07T18:52:00.001-07:00

We've had so much news of death lately. Not just the famous deaths that have dominated the media, but the deaths of loved ones of close friends. Today I had news of another death...this time the soon to be adopted child of a friend, who is just heart broken. How do you grieve such a loss?

I need light and joy and happy news.

A New Pretty

2009-07-07T18:47:00.001-07:00

I finally used this beautiful yarn my sister sent to me for my birthday over a year ago. I used the Ruffled Scarf pattern from a book called "Essential Crochet" by Erika Knight. The yarn wasn't as thick as the pattern called for, so it doesn't look as twisty as it is supposed to.

But I think it's still nice. I'm going to have to look for the perfect charcoal or black fall/winter coat to showcase my lovely collection of scarfs once the weather turns.

New Creation

2009-07-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

This odd looking creation is the result of my first attempt at crocheting Solomon's Knots, which did not go well. I don't think I was connecting the knots in the right places. But after two rows, I sort of liked the result and rather than pull it out, I made a ruffled edging along one side, and a less ruffled edging along the other and ended up with this little number. This is the first time I've free-style crocheted, as while crocheting the straighter edging side, I didn't like the gaps in the webbed area that form the centre of this scarf, so I randomly picked up stitches along the way as I saw fit while working the edging, making the webbing more uniform that it had been. The yarn is a mohair/acrylic blend that I had in my stash.

It can be worn two ways. Wrapped around the neck like this:

Or like this:
Pardon the tired looking model, but we had just returned from Granville Island, where we celebrated Canada's Birthday.

Reading

2009-06-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, this little boy read me a book. Not a board book, with three letter words on each page (although I would have found that thrilling as well). He read me a book with long words and many pages! I nearly cried :-) And it wasn't one that we've read often, or even looked at in the last six months so I KNEW he was reading, not reciting from memory. My little guy can read!

The Cabin Through DS's Eyes

2009-06-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

Great Weekend

2009-06-14T19:43:00.001-07:00

This weekend we went up Cypress Mountain to a friend's cabin. It was great to get out of the city and into the woods, where DS got to free range with out worry. We have a bear whistle that he puts around his neck. It has a compass on it, which DS thought was pretty cool. He was a little nervous to have such freedom and stayed within sight most of the time, occassionally stopping to holler out what direction his compass was showing.

He spent a lot of time wandering down to the creek, poking his walking stick/sword into holes (contrary to our advice).

He also spent a lot of time pretending to turn various things into other various things, thanks to the majic wand DH made for him.

DH and I enjoyed his ramblings from the comfort of the front deck.

And of course, there was a lot of "sword" play around the forest.

We got up bright and early this morning to hike back down the mountain, but not before I had a standard driving lesson in the Cypress parking lot. It wasn't as horrid as I thought it would be. In fact it was sort of fun, stalling and all. Gotta work on the backing up though!

We finished the day off with pizza, made from scratch, and cooked on the barbeque. It was awesome.

Weekend Happenings

2009-06-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a nice, lazy one. DS got to do some of his favourite things, like riding the horse at Choices, fighting ogres along the railway lines near our house and finishing up his skating lessons with a fun day of hockey and "What Time is it Mr. Wolf?"

If you can stand a cheesy video, DS is the one in the blue plaid fleece pants.