a crafty vegan

An Apple A Day

2011-09-26T21:10:00.006-04:00

We went apple picking for the first time this weekend. What a lovely time and best of all, it was a success for Li'l C! Not only were the trees young and full of apples low enough for him to pick, we got to pick 5 different kinds of apples. Clem got to play on a shiny, red, old tractor. And take a wagon time.

We now have too many apples but i'm going to get my hands dirty in apple sauce, apple crumble, apple squash soup......

Happy Fall.

A Quilt for a Wee Friend

2011-09-10T08:55:00.007-04:00

Friends of ours had their second baby recently. As a second child born to a family that was readily prepared with clothes, toys, love, and more, i thought a hand-made gift would be a good addition. It took a bit of thought to see what would be a good project.
I am wanting to challenge myself more with sewing these days and thought a small lap quilt would be a good idea. When i came across Purl Soho's April Quilt Challenge, i knew i found my project. Our friends, like us, love to garden, so a Vegetable Patch quilt was a good first real real quilting project for me. I've done simple quilt-like projects before (like my beloved blanket of vintage hankies) but this definitely was a bit more detailed.
Using the PS tutorial as a guide, i chose to make my quilt smaller - both for me and our new Wee Friend Ben. I am quite happy with how it turned out. I even personalized a bit with a little worm embroidered on with Ben's initials and some fun ribbons for him to grab at as he gets older. I love the red and white checkered backing, it reminds me of a picnic tablecloth too, which i thought was a fitting idea!

This project was such a good learning for me, as i know feel more confident to do the borders (a can fix the mistake i made with this, ahem, project. And i know just the quilt story i want to make for Li'l C!

A Kitchen of His Own

2011-08-29T19:25:00.008-04:00

We had promised ourselves to make Li'l C his gifts for is birthday, which was in (ahem) June. Mine is still not done but at least J's is. C loved helping his Daddy every step of the way, and had a lot of input in this project too, as 2 year olds can.
So, as Li'l C loves to cook almost as much as J and i do, and he also loves to keep us company while we cook, J created the perfect kitchen. He used wood from an old record player table, and only had to buy a bit of supplies, like the magnet closures, the door handles, and a bit of wood. The rest is stuff we had already. A great fit for our tight budget.
Here' 'C' can stand for 'Clem' of course or 'cook' for the wee ones that come to join him in his kitchen!
We also incorporate the bowl and vase that i use to wash C's hands in it. He loves this part, and loves that he can do it all by himself now. The stove is a portable stove toy C got as a gift from his Pa and Nana and we built the kitchen to fit it in. I like how it can be removed as we can also use the counter to cut his food and he's learning how to actually roll out dough on it. I also have to admit i decorated the kitchen to fit in with ours - 50s inspired knick knacks and kitchen tools.

C's New Sweater for the Fall (and Spring)

2011-08-21T20:59:00.003-04:00

I have been working on this sweater for Lil C for several months now. It's finally done! I got the pattern from Vintage Baby Knits and loved the diamond details in it.

I love the yarn i used (this taupe colour is my favourite colour these days) but i don't know what happened to my size. I swear i tested my gauge, but the sweater is clearly bigger than the 18 - 24 months size i chose. I guess that's a good thing as i just finished it and it's now Fall and C is 26 months!
The biggest part that i had to alter was the neckline. It was a boatneck but looked more like an 'off the shoulder look' on C that i knew it would annoy us both. I found a tutorial for 'elastic casting off' on-line and it really not only completed the look, it saved the sweater!

His Dress Up Outfit

2011-08-06T19:43:00.001-04:00

P7303207, originally uploaded by a crafty vegan.

We went to our friends' wedding this past weekend and had a lovely time. It also gave me yet another excuse to make something lovely for Lil C. I bought the sweetest green linen fabric at The Workroom to complete my vision with this vintage pattern i scored. I think it mimics a boy's outfit from the 1940s with a modern look.

If only i learned how to get his straps to stay on!

He Turns Two

2011-06-27T19:44:00.004-04:00

I've been busy these last few weeks balancing work, Summer weather, and preparing for Li'l C's birthday party. While he officially turns two tomorrow - egads - here's a look at his birthday party extravaganza. As he loves our local park, we held it there so it was a Picnic in the Park theme.
I made ice cream cone cupcakes (carrot cake) and lady bug (chocolate) cupcakes for the event. I found the simple ice cream recipe in a magazine (sorry no idea which one) but any recipe can be adapted for it. Just pour the batter into the cones. I then made chocolate, vanilla cream cheese, and strawberry icings as the 'cream' and each child (and adult!) helped themselves to making their own cones.

As a new tradition, i made his outfit again this year - Oliver and S's playsuit. I love the bird fabric especially!

As a child growing up with craft time at pretty much all my birthday parties, i wanted to pass on this tradition for C too. Being a toddler, in a park, and a boy, i wanted something that worked for him and his friends. So i brought cardboard, sand, craft glue, and sticks. The older children were totally into this, and C loved the bus i made him.
Here are some of the special candles i got for the party. Fitting i thought. Clem didn't eat his special cake until later.
C finishes the day off with another round of cupcakes. Can you guess what kind? Seconds later after this photo, he had some icing all over his arm too! Good thing he's in the midst of potty training because he was almost naked eating this mess!

Our Sunday Morning - Wee Ones Party

2011-06-12T20:45:00.003-04:00

We celebrated Lil C's 2nd birthday with his (and mine) mom group friends. We have an annual party to celebrate them, and our journeys, as this group has been together since our prenatal prep days.

We had a picnic party in our favourite city park, and had cupcakes on hand for the wee ones to decorate themselves. I made vegan vanilla agave nectar cupcake from 'the' cupcake book (no need to name it, right?) and C decorated one with cream cheese icing and sprinkles. Here it is in action.

Simple Waldorf Toys

2011-05-29T20:50:00.007-04:00

I made some simple toys for Li'l C to enjoy, both featured here are adapted from some Waldorf sources. They are fun to make, and very simple and earthy. I especially liked how quick they were to make. The leaves are hand sewn so they provided a further gentle meditation for me as i sewed them.
As we are vegetarian, i adapted a fishing game into "Felt Leaves and Rake." To make, use some green felt (i used left over felted sweater material), and cut into leaf shapes. Stitch 2 pieces together, and add detail vein down middle if you like. At the end, leave a long piece of thread and knot a washer there. I first tried inserting it inside the leaf, but that proved too thick for the magnet. Make as many as you like, between 3 -5 is best. I had a left over piece of magnetic washer available but they may be hard to find. Try to get one so that you can tie the magnet around some string. Then attach to a stick (bamboo is nice and sturdy). Now we just have to get used to being gentle with the stick as it can be dangerous to swing it around!
The other toy is a wind ring that we lovingly call "Shoo Fly" here as we have picked up singing that song while we play with it. C especially loves how the ribbons tickle him when we chase each other with it. I picked blue as 1) i have a lot of blue ribbons and 2) i thought it looked like either waves of the ocean or sky. It was an instant hit!

A Perfect Birthday Cake for J

2011-05-25T22:31:00.005-04:00

My main man had a birthday this past weekend, a holiday weekend here in Canada. For a very fitting cake, i made him one made of popcorn, chocolate candies (M & Ms, not truly vegan i know...), pretzels, and marshmallow. I veganized this recipe. It really is a cake with J's name all over it - he loves all these treats as snacks separated so i knew it was a winner. Of course, we completed it with vanilla ice creem and whipped creem (i won't name the brand here because they still have not perfected their product but oh well, they're trying).

The cake is very easy to make, and while i had to make some changes, it was straight forward enough. As we don't have a microwave and i had no idea how much 'two microwave bags of popcorn is, ' i googled it and found that means 12 cups of popcorn. Twelve! I also had to buy a lot of vegan marshmallows, which if you must know is more expense than the other kind and doesn't melt nearly as quickly or smoothly. But the end product is oh-so-good. My chocolates also melted a bit too fast because of all that vegan marg and mallow. Oh well, more goodness that way i think.
It was also a small task to get out of my pan, even though i sprayed it as recommended. I don't have a bundt pan so hoped the rose cake pan i had would work. Luckily, it cooperated! Proves just about anything can be veganized. If only souffles and macaroons (French not coconut) can be too....

J said this was a perfect cake for him indeed and a good summer cake - no baking and fun to eat with your hands!

New Patterns for Me

2011-05-17T20:59:00.004-04:00

I got these patterns recently at a neighbourhood yard sale. I only had $2 cash left so had to leave more behind. But check these out! I especially love the buttons that attach the PJs together for Li'l C!

Our Sunday Morning - Mother's Day

2011-05-08T21:41:00.003-04:00

We had a lovely day here. The cherry blossoms are out, finally, so we had a bike trip down to the park to enjoy them. I woke up to J teaching Lil C how to say "Happy Mother's Day" and was treated to hand-picked flowers and pancakes for breakfast. With Champagne no less!

Happy Day indeed.

Easter Feast

2011-04-30T21:00:00.002-04:00

If you're ever in a jam about hosting a holiday dinner for non-vegans and especially non-vegan parents, you can find a lot of great recipes on-line and in the great selection of vegan cookbooks these days. We really had fun prepping this meal - our first time hosting my parents for a holiday meal. I went all out, but it was a fun adventure from thinking up the menu to eating it! Here's what we can up with - it can work with both Easter and Christmas or other days that are important to you.

Let me just highlight the Tofu Roast. It was really fun to make and while the look wasn't as perfect as Ying Ying's Tofu Roast, it is pretty tasty and made from scratch by yours truly. The only thing i couldn't do was make my perfect stuffing as i had run out of sage without knowing. What's stuffing without it? Though i have to say i kept stealing mouthfuls of the leftovers (cold and in the fridge no less) of the next few days.....

On the Menu for Good Friday:

Tofu Roast by La Dolce Vegan - notices the three stages of it in the photos above.
Mapled Brussel Sprouts from The Vegetable Dishes I can't Live Without
Hedgehog Potatoes from Super Natural Cooking
Miso Gravy by Juice for Life (Fresh restaurant's first book)

Carrots
Orzo Salad
Roasted Garlic Bread from Ace Bakery
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake by Novel Eats
Oh, and this added bonus by Bunners, our local vegan gluten-free bakery! Vegan Creme Egg (the white stuff on the side is just cream of coconut milk i had extra of). It was pretty yummy and a sweet (pun intended) treat, but as it's the same size as the 'real' egg i don't think it was worth the $4.50. I ate it too fast for that price!

Our Sunday Morning - Easter Sunday

2011-04-24T22:14:00.004-04:00

We had a busy weekend, packed with visits with close friends and family. Aunt J, this post is for you as you inspired me to write a post (sorry for the delay folks) tonight as i promised!

We decorated 2 dozen eggs with Lil C and his Baba. Some were made by staining with onion peel, others we used tissue paper as a wet wrap, and the rest were dipped in food colouring - C loves dipping the eggs in their pools. So, what does a vegan do with 2 dozen cooked eggs? Promptly give lots to friends at our annual potluck dinner. Speaking of that dinner, wait until my next post when i can share the amazing feast we made. Homemade Tofu Roast - need i say more...

For now, here's C during his first ever egg hunt. He doesn't eat chocolate but he loves finding things, so this game was a delight.

Our Sunday Morning - Animal Pool

2011-04-04T18:58:00.004-04:00

We're back from a two-week trip to the West Coast. It was a bit of a bonanza, but i'll get into that at another post, where i can share with you highlights (including a great trip to Astoria and Cannon Beach, Oregon - we had such yummy vegan treats there!).

For now, a day late, but here's a photo of our morning yesterday. Lil C fell in love with dolphins when he met them for the first time at the Vancouver Aquarium. Since he can't say 'aquarium' we worked on 'animal pool' and this is our version of it. We worked on the garden in the morn and he kept busy splashing away.

Toddler Arts n Crafts Group

2011-03-16T21:38:00.009-04:00

I was itching to have a fun group for Clem to share his love of arts with. It would also help me as mom to find new arts and crafts ideas for him to try out. It is so important for me to provide this to him, his creative side, as it's a way of teaching him that boys also can be creative.
The group has started of small but it has been a blast. We have done finger paints, play dough sculptures (oh the glorious mess), V-day cards with potato stamps, bird feeders for Candlemas, IWD noodle necklaces, and paper plate tamborines so far. I have loved watching C discover this side, and learn with him that he doesn't like to be messy - he'd rather organize the mess, but loves a lot of colour in front of him. Sometimes he has doesn't really participate in the activity, but that's not the point for me just yet - it's about having fun and having creative moments.

I have used some great other crafty mom blogs as a guide, so if you want to do a similar group at your home, read here for some info and tips. We hope that this group continues and grows, maybe into gardening soon as Spring is just around the corner!

Our Sunday Morning - Warm and Cozy

2011-03-07T22:20:00.005-05:00

We went out yesterday (Sunday) after another snowstorm came upon us. We didn't want it to hinder our plans, so Lil C got dressed up (again) in his winter suit. We lovingly call it his seal suit. It's a doubly knit one-piece suit that was made in Iceland. We got it locally at an amazing store, Mjolk but they only had the one for sale. Too bad, i get so many folks asking me about it! They do sell adult sizes, though...

Our Sunday Morning - New Seating

2011-02-27T21:00:00.004-05:00

My parents recently returned from a trip down south and came home with a lovely new chair for Lil C. It's darling, but we just have to help C see that it's chair and not something that's scary. The first time he sat in it, he sunk back and that scared him, so he has yet to return. Once his wee friends sit in it, i'm sure he'll love it again!

It's a hand-made replica of the original Alcapulco chair, made also in Mexico where my parents had this hand-made version made. Notice how Martha Stewart's Living magazine also featured it recently?
It's very fitting beside our new Womb chair. Of course, it's not an original but we won't ever be able to afford one, but we just love the design and the name is so fitting. C and i love to cuddle in it daily, to read, snack, nurse, cuddle, cry, laugh, and more.

Our Sunday Morning - Meeting a New Friend

2011-02-20T11:50:00.002-05:00

We welcomed a new friend into the world this week, and i ran over to deliver some freshly made Pumpkin Spice Muffins (from The Joy of Vegan Baking) and this cute Owl Cozy Bag. A perfect way to get cozy when you're born in February, i think!

His New Room-ish

2011-02-07T20:30:00.009-05:00

We got rid of Lil C's crib in hopes he would sleep better. While he loves his new set-up, i can't say he sleeps a lot better...but that's another story. Regardless, updating his new room to be toddler-friendly was full of fun projects for us! During the day, we just stack the two mattresses and surround them with pillows, and at night, we can fit them side by side for a comfy sleep, and a chance for mama or daddy to join him if needed.

We saved the crib mattress and brought out an old single mattress of mine to create a nice sleeping nook. So, that called for lots of pillows. I still have one more to make, and need to start that quilt i've had in my head for C, but for the most part his new room is done!
I love the bird pillow - it's from an old framed cross-stitch piece that i needed to save for 'the right project' and here it is! C was named after James Baldwin (middle name) so we had to honour him somehow. J made a shirt for C when he was 9 months old, and since he clearly has outgrown it, i thought of this easy way to keep it longer. And, since his room is Secret Garden themed, i thought of a fun way to use leftover treebark fabric - by making 2 logs!
As C is a book lover already, and we read a lot of books together. And, i really appreciate that C can reach any of his favourite books. I found this great tutorial on-line and it's a perfect solution. I added some pockets on the outside so that C can reach is board books easily. Luckily, i was also able to re-use most of the crib skirt now that we won't need it any longer.
I am also so happy to use our collection of quilts - 2 that used to be J's when he was little. I think his grandma made them both. The painted animals are adorable! And, soon we'll be using sheets/quilts for C to sleep with, instead of the sleep sacks he has now. Then, the awesome quilt our friend Suzanne made for C will be a perfect fit! Soon, i'll get to add the one i've been dreaming up, full of woodland and garden-themed prints (like his big pillow pictured above).

Happy Candlemas

2011-02-02T22:40:00.005-05:00

As i didn't get around to a Our Sunday Morning post - we were to busy having fun at a monthly AGO family day and i forgot where my camera was! - i wanted to post a quick hello today. We had a snow day from work - even though i already planned to take today off to honour Candlemas with Clem! So, we made some fruit and seed bars from Vegan Cookies Take Over the Cookie Jar, played in snow, and lit a lot of candles throughout the day.
On Monday at my weekly toddler arts and craft group, we made these simple bird seed balls too, to honour today and the return of light and new life. We put them up today but i hope the birds will see them with all the snow!

As i learned most of these treats are either made with suet (yuck) or peanut butter (not wee one safe), i made a simple recipe similar to others i found on-line. Here it is:

Simple Bird Seed Snacks
1 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups seeds
1/4 cup corn syrup
ribbon
wire
orange, halved and cored

1. Wrap wire into loose ball and tie ribbon to it.
2. Make shortening into ball and start wrapping it around wire. Once ball is to your liking, roll ball into syrup and then seeds - we used a mixture of several kinds of seeds. Clem of course started to eat the seeds, shells and all - he sure loves the stuff!
2b. Put ball in orange half if desired.
3. Once done, put in freezer until you need it - needs to be firm to the touch.
4. Hang near a window and enjoy!

Our Sunday Morning-Feeding Time

2011-01-24T20:50:00.006-05:00

Here's Lil C and i getting ready to pack up our hotel on our last day in Ottawa. He sure loves his breastmilk, aka 'mulk' in his words!

We were in our nation's capitol this weekend, celebrating an amazing and well deserved award for my father-in-law. Besides some great family time, we have officially entered a new way of vacationing. I used to go to neighbourhoods to check out their stores and restaurants, now i go where Lil C can play and shop at baby stores. Regardless, we have a lovely time even though it was -30.

Here are some fun things to do if you ever make it to Ottawa:

- Museum of Nature - the interactive exhibits are great for toddlers!
- Byward Market - to warm up, look for Beaver Tails (the pastry), stock up on maple syrup...
- Victoire - an amazing indie clothing store that specializing in local and Canadian-made clothes and accessories.
- Scone Witch - no blog, sorry but well worth it (no vegan scones though)
- skating on the canal
Oh, and since we struggled a bit with tasty, vegan and toddler friendly places to go to, here's a list from Happy Cow that showcases great vegan and vegetarian restaurants.

Our Sunday Morning - Shaking the Dressing

2011-01-16T22:33:00.004-05:00

We were visiting family today and took a mixed bean and veg salad with us for lunch. As i was shaking the salad dressing, C wanted to help out. So, i passed him the jar and he had fun helping mama shake! I only got the before and after photos, of course.

Here's the recipe if you want a quick and easy salad to go:

Quick Bean and Veg Salad

2 cup chick peas, cooked or from a can and rinsed
2 cup corn kernels
2 cups carrots, cut into small cubes
1 apple, cubed
1 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh watercress, chopped
optional - cheese cubes, smoked tofu cubes, red peppers, celery

Just cut all ingredients, place in bowl and refridgerate with dressing for at least 30 minutes

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp pear juice
1 garlic, minced
1 tsp miso
1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Place in mason jar and give it a shake!

Our Sunday Morning - Apple Sauce

2011-01-09T19:11:00.003-05:00

We had a lovely and quiet day at Chez JVC. After a busy weekend of seeing friends, hosting a dinner party, and having overnight friends, nothing finishes it off better than staying indoors in your comfy clothes.

While C had his nap, i took the time to make apple sauce. We get a bi-weekly food box and always get the same staples. You know, carrots, potatoes, greens, and apples. So, as C loves 'appy' so much, i thought this was great chance for him to have some homemade stuff!

There are many apple sauce recipes out there, but i didn't want to add anything, especially sugar. So we loosely followed Get it Ripe's recipe (always a good reference for healthy cooking regardless) and it is perfect. Eight medium apples to one cup of water and bowl for 20-30 min! Done.

New Collections

2011-01-04T19:23:00.006-05:00

We are slowly coming back to our regular routine here, now that most of the holidays are over - and by most i mean we acknowledged both Orthodox Christmas and Candlemas here. So, i am still in holiday vibe, at least until next weekend, when i will have to begrudgingly take down our tree.

Now that the gift giving is over, i wanted to share some of them with you. I went all out and made different sorts of gifts - besides the usual sewing and knitting, i also made truffles, felted things, and J also got creative. I think i shared the truffles with you recently....I already look forward to next year's gift-making when C can participate more.

For the first post of a few, here are some of my new 'collections.'
1) Books - some for me and some for J and C. Books like Sewing Clothes Kids Love, The Joy of Vegan Baking, That's Why We Don't Eat Animals, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, City Alphabet (produced right here in Toronto), and this sweet book i made for C:
I made this simple little book for C and two other wee ones. For each, i searched through my large and generous fabric supply to find images that spell out the wee one's name - for Clem, i found a Cat, Leaf, Elephant, and Mushoom. I also added other pictures of things he loves - an apple, bike, dog, flower, etc. I also got to use my beloved fabric pens and alphabet stamps.
2) Chocolate - not only did i make some (and ahem, sample a few), i am glad people know i love chocolate. Look at my amazing selection! Besides my usual fave company Cocoa Camino, i also got a lovely spicy dark chocolate from local company Choco Sol - a pedal powered production! Some of these were officially for Joel but we liked to share.3) Coffee Cups - here J surprised me by making some for us. He bought these awesome white mugs and then stenciled images on them with things we love and share our initials - a Squirrel for me (last name), a Bird for C's middle name, and a Raccoon for J's last name. Fun and a sweet idea! I also bought him this mug at our annual City of Craft fair, (though it looks like the crafter i bought it from doesn't have a blog to link to) for his new job. But he says he loves the mug too much to take to work.

Incidentally in that last photo also are these lovely wooden pencil crayons i bought for C, and a new scarf for me - to add to my abundant collection!

New Solstice Hats

2010-12-28T19:31:00.005-05:00

We had a pledge this year to only give each other gifts made by ourselves for Winter Solstice. So, i took some cues from J about wanting a new hat and found this great tutorial on-line. I also had bought this pattern for Lil C online months ago and thought that my Solstice gifts this year would be handmade hats.

I am quite happy with both hats, and am proud that my sewing abilities have gotten so good that J thought i 'cheated and bought my gift.' Unfortunately, Lil C's will be small too soon but the pattern goes until he's 3 so i will definitely make one again. It will be good with lighter fabric for the summer, and i suspect he will like dressing up with this hat - i see him as a train conductor and J says the hat is one bikers wear. Incidently, he now wants an adult version too!

Our Sunday Morning - Last Week and Now

2010-12-26T22:39:00.005-05:00

As i got so busy last week with making presents and otherwise getting ready for our festivities, i never got around to upload photos, let alone post here. So, here are 2 photos - 1 from what we did last Sunday Morning and what happened today..as we are back home after a whirlwind family visit extravaganza!!

Oh, and Happy Belated Solstice to you as well....

We made truffles for the first time, and wanted to share them as gifts. Last Sunday, we finished them off after doing most of the work Saturday night. We made two kinds - Cream Earl Grey Milk Chocolate (for our non-vegan friends) and Dark Chocolate Fudge. The second recipe i got from jae steele's great book Get it Ripe. I sprinkled it with cinnamon and cocoa but otherwise i followed the recipe. Fun to make, a big process, and a bit messy. I am happy with the taste of both but definitely need to work on my coating technique.
This is Li'l C and i at my parents house this morning. He loves the camera, almost as much as he loved all the family, company, and attention he got this weekend!

2010-12-15T19:21:00.000-05:00

I wanted to fix up our wreath, and saw this great idea on Design Sponge. While i didn't want to devote a whole wreath to my left over felted sweaters (as i had other ideas for them, that i will show you soon), i could at least make a few leaves.

Instead of using an oak template, i looked up holly leaves to trace. I found these pine branches discarded on the side of road, i'm assuming from someone else's tree maybe? Suits me! I also like that i've been able to reuse my standard wreath and just update it a bit. I am calling this year's winter holiday decorations as Chez JVC 'a homemade christmas,' as you can see from my previous post, most of our tree decorations were handmade too.

Our Sunday Morning - Tree Trimmings

2010-12-12T19:15:00.003-05:00

We bought our tree last night, and set it up to decorate today. We are lucky enough to live in a neighbourhood that has a farmer himself come in to sell organic trees from about 3 hours from us. He talked about the culture shock of staying in Canada's biggest city for these last 2 weeks, but i know i would say the same if i was in his shoes!
Anyway, here are two photos to describe this morning. Lil C has helped me put together this yo-yo garland over these last few weeks, and he especially enjoys wearing it as a boa. And, we all enjoyed some festive drinks - C had rice milk with cinnamon, J had Soynog with whiskey, and i had Soynog with Amaretto. Yum!!!

Our Sunday Morning - Chocolate Mint Soy Drinking

2010-12-05T13:35:00.003-05:00

We've had a relaxing weekend over at JVC house. Right now, i'm about to do some work that i have to prep for tomorrow - i'm going to work on a non-work day to host an event in honour of the Montreal Massacre anniversary.

In order to enjoy the work a bit more, i've poured myself a glass of some festive Chocolate Mint Soymilk, in my holiday glass. Cheers, i guess...

Restructured Sweater Hat and Mitts

2010-11-30T13:54:00.008-05:00

From this to....

this!

My mom felted an old sweater of my dad's ages ago and i finally found a project worth cutting it up for. As C's winter coat set is a lovely cream and beige, i thought this wool would both look lovely and be so warm and cozy. C is not a fan of most hats and mitts and i've noticed too that his neck sometimes gets exposed with just a hat and jacket. So, i crafted up a loose idea for a patten and whipped up this hat in no time. I searched on-line to find a guide, but couldn't but am quite happy with how it turned out.
I cut out the hat part, and used elves' hats as an inspiration. Then, i added longer pieces cut from the sleeves for the neck part. And, easy enough - i just sewed the neck wrap part onto the hat. Now his neck is never exposed! But, as my wee one is definitely going through some type of growth spurt, i don' think the hat will last all winter.

Our Sunday Morning - Hallway

2010-11-28T13:40:00.005-05:00

We finally finished updating our hallway today. We painted it a month ago, and put up new photos and light fixtures. Then, J restructured this old stereo console into a hallway table and shoe shelf (hidden behind the bottom black doors). Didn`t he do such an amazing job, it truly betters our space -not as crowded and hectic! But the finishing touch was this art work we did as a team - Home Sweet Home. We think it ties the spaces well - from foyer entrance to hallway. It also blends together the colours and fabric we used for the new look.

C's Growing Tree

2010-11-21T21:31:00.006-05:00

As we were away this weekend, i couldn't take a photo for my new weekly Our Sunday Morning post. But, just to let you know Lil C slept in a bit for us at his Nana and Pa's place, and we enjoyed some morning giggles together in bed!

On another note, i've actually been able to be creative and crafty lately. For one, i finished a project i (ahem) started in June. It's a Growth Chart for C that i hope to use each year for his birthday, as a way to chronicle is growing pains. We also expect to use it at other times, i just have to find a good place to hang it...
I wanted to make something that plays tribute to his room theme of 'Secret Garden.' And being a boy's room, i wanted it to be a bit less 'girly' even though gendered stuff doesn't matter that much to me. But, i see C is already into gardening and trees, so that's what inspired this Growing Tree.
I couldn't truly capture the piece in the photos as it's quite long, but i think you can get the gist of it. As it's my own design, i think it was pretty straight forward to make. Here are some simple steps, if you like:

1) I just cut 3 pieces of fabric (1 for front, 1 for back, and some interfacing)
2) I then cut out some tree pieces from this great fabric - nothing too fancy, but mostly rectangular pieces
3) Then, i found some remnant pieces of fabric that match C's room colours (mainly greens, oranges, and yellows, blues) and cut them into simple leaf shapes. I found a great fabric with birds on it so just had to include it.
4) This part took me the longest, but i then sewed the leaves onto the tree fabric (that was already sewn onto the front fabric panel). I didn't fold over the fabric, but rather kept the edges frayed, as i thought it would be fun that way (like real leaves) but also i didn't want to take any longer on this project. But i would recommend trying to be more precise with your embellishments if you like.
5) Once all the leaves were attached, i then, put the interfacing on the back panel, and put the right sides of the back and front panels and sew around, leaving a 3 inch space to turn it right side out. Once down, cut 2 pieces of ribbon that are the length you want.
6) Find a piece of branch to use as a support, and add any other embellishments like i did - fabric markers are a great tool for projects like this! I then just recorded what C's height was for 12 months, and plan to keep adding the number each year.

Our Sunday Morning - WIP

2010-11-14T13:46:00.003-05:00

While the boys were outside braving the misty weather, i got some quality time in the workroom. After reorganizing all my WIP's and prioritizing them (from hemming clothes, to finishing projects, to ahem starting projects), i got to make a wee dent in the pile.

Here's a glimpse at a soon to be finished art project that will be the finishing touch to our newly updated front hallway.

Our Sunday Morning

2010-11-07T13:40:00.003-05:00

After a quick coffee and smoothie at our favourite local brunch spot (Cool Hand of a Girl for you Toronto readers), we zipped into another fave spot (Mrs. Huizenga's Junction) and bought Lil C the classic old Fisher Price camera that's been in the window all week. As he loves our cameras and electronics, and we're trying to not have them around him too much, we thought this might keep him busy for a while. Not only does he loves gadgets, he loves getting his photo taken!

He's So Small..

2010-11-03T23:31:00.004-04:00

This was Clem on Hallowe'en. Does it look familiar? I know the reference may be a bit obscure, but i just love the story...
When You Were Small by Sara O'Leary. Of course, being a sewer, i loved the idea of making a simple thimble hat for him. And instead of a sword made out of a sewing needle, i made a wand out of a large 'pin' (aka knitting needle). I was so delighted to have found this handmade sweater that matched Henry in the story perfectly. Li'l C had a great time with his wand, and going up to people's houses, and of course playing with the candy. He is way to young to eat them, so luckily he had no idea what the candy was, besides a fun tool to take out of this bowl, but in this bag, and then drop back into this bowl....

As i think this may have been the last year that i got to dress him up in a costume of my choice, i loved the idea of celebrating him being small, and being able to link his story to the book's. He also love this book and carries it over to me to read to him almost daily. So i know the costume was a good choice indeed!

Our Sunday Morning - Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-31T12:54:00.003-04:00

We worked on turning our lovely ole pumpkin to a Jack-O-Lantern this morning. We only got to cut open the pumpkin and clean it out before C's nap, but this was the best part for him anyway! He was a little hesitant at first, but then when he saw that working on the drum, i mean pumpkin involved a large spoon, he was right in there!

Our Sunday Morning (wet one)

2010-10-24T09:27:00.000-04:00

It's a rainy Sunday here, so we plan on staying indoors for the most part, doing final Halloween/Sanheim decorations. Li'l C will also most likely doodle a bit, and we have some new leaves and gourds from our trip to the Pumpkin farm yesterday to play with.

Our Sunday Morning

2010-10-17T19:22:00.003-04:00

I'm thinking of starting a new post entitled "Our Sunday Morning", inspired by some other blogger's weekly posts. But, as i work outside the home + in the home, i think doing something on weekends is more do-able for me. I wish i had time to do all the crafts i have on my to-do and inspiration lists, let alone take photos of them!

This will also keep me active with my blog in general, as at times life gets in the way... But i can at least upload the pictures i take, as i still am taking a lot of them weekly, and sometimes daily.

Now that Lil C is 15 months old, his adventures both in the home and outside it have increased exponentially! He is drawing, walking, dancing, singing, and helping mommy in the kitchen. Helping daddy of course too.

He has figured out how to use the stepstool in the kitchen, which is both exciting and a bit scary. But, getting moments like this photo captures is worth it - he not only helped me clean, he discovered more about himself and our home. Lovely.

Oh, and please excuse both my baggy pj bottoms and messy kitchen - we're in the middle of redoing the backsplash!

Electric Lighting!

2010-09-28T19:30:00.009-04:00

We have been working on updating our place, in ways that we can afford, both time-wise and financially. One thing we did this weekend was paint our hallway and change the 2 light fixtures in it. I'll show you that soon - when we're not experiencing a wet and dreary day - but for now, i wanted to highlight the fun DIY project we did on the fly.
We wanted to get some cool switch plates but either couldn't afford them (um, $22 a piece, Anthro?) or they were just ugly a la Home Depot. So, we thought of decoupaging some fun paper onto the original plates. Then, J thought of a fun idea -why not re-use some of the fun prints from our annual Nikki McClure calandars. Cuz, who doesn't save such fantastic art, right? So, while he painted, i whipped this up. I used the lovely Hodge Podge both as the adhesive and also after, to give that night sheen and protection against messy fingers.
I chose prints that were both small, simple, as well as mainly black and white, so that they blended nicely with our walls and artwork. Not bad for free switch plates, right?

Hooray for Fall!

2010-09-21T19:54:00.006-04:00

We celebrated the last day of summer by going for a walk in our big city park. C found a couple of leaves that already fell on the ground, and i put out the acorns i've gathered this past month - to go proudly on our Fall Seasonal Table. I'm a bit sad Summer is over, but am looking forward to the goodness Fall gives us - harvests of squash, apples, and more, sweaters, and cool morning breezes.

Raw Ra Chocolate Mousse Pie

2010-09-13T21:43:00.004-04:00

I got to sample this pie after my partner brought leftovers of it home. I devoured it and was in shock that there is even was leftovers! So, i cannot official claim the credit for this amazing recipe, but i can share it with you! I did modify it a bit to suit my needs, though. It's a raw chocolate vegan pie that is so easy to make. And, it will be a great treat for those non-vegans in your life, as they can't deny it's decadence and richness.

After getting the recipe for it close to a year ago, i had a perfect opportunity to try it out recently - at a cottage. I didn't have to bake it and i could bring all the ingredients already measured out. I love simple recipes like this! It will also make a great pudding, and i hate to admit it but knowing how easy it is, i think i'll be making it more than i should!

Raw Ra Chocolate Mousse Pie
(my name for it)
1 pie crust (ready made or you can make one - Keebler Pie Crusts work)
2 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips, melted
1/4 almond butter
1 package of silken tofu (or use almond dessert tofu as the original recipe calls for)
2 tbsp almond milk
1 ripe banana (or 1/2 if you don't want it to be too banana-y)

1) After melted chips in a double boiler, mash banana with fork and add all other ingredients into same bowl. Combine will.
2) Pour into pie shell and refridgerate for at least 4 hours.

Thanks Marnie for the recipe!

Labour Day Love

2010-09-03T13:32:00.006-04:00

Labour Day weekend marks the end of summer for me, as well as a great time to make some personal goals and commitments. I guess the back-to-school fever of my youth still dictates that for me. Unfortunately, this long weekend will be a wet and cool one, but i hope to still honour the change from summer to fall.
I've been busy getting some great toddler art ideas and books for fall. I also can't wait to dig out my decorations/festivities bin in the basement to make a seasonal table for fall - i know, it's still a couple of weeks away but i'm excited nonetheless!

We spent last weekend with some friends at a lovely cottage up north. The weather was perfect and a wonderful way to get a break from the city. Lil C loved to swim, and the slide was a highlight for him! For me, it was watching my little guy play and love his little friend, Sadie. He is so gentle. I love him so - there is no other way to warm my heart like spending time with Clem.

Our Little Rider

2010-08-19T20:54:00.003-04:00

We got this Burley as a gift from some lovely friends, who also love biking as much as J and i do - well as much as J does as he's more of a Biker than i am, i admit.

But, as we are car-less, this little trailer has been such a treasure and C loving it as much as been such a gift to us. We can hear him telling us (or just himself?) stories as we bike along in the city. He points at things, makes sounds in response to car honks and train choo choos. And, of course, he sleeps when he's exhausted. Like here, on our recent trip to Toronto Islands.

J says it warms the cockles of his heart that his wee one likes bike rides. Mine too.

Meet Our Lemon Cucumbers

2010-08-16T20:45:00.004-04:00

We weren't sure what these would look and taste like when we got the seeds, but we've been pleasantly surprised - they taste like cukes but have the appearance of a yellowy lemon/egg - more egg shaped than yellow colour. But definitely not your typical looking cucumber.

I love putting slices in water - what a great combo of what we assume to have in it but with a twist!

They are in full bloom now so we are harvesting them a lot this week. I'm thinking of making a chilled cucumber and chick pea soup later this week too. Can't wait!

Lunch Accessories

2010-08-03T18:14:00.000-04:00

As both J and i are now back to work - egads! - i wanted to make some fun lunch bags and the like both for Lil C and i. After realizing that public high chairs and tables probably hold a bit too much germiness for my liking, i promptly made a portable placemat for him. I used some adorable laminated fabric i bought on a whim. Now, i've used it a lot for bibs, the placemat, a lunch bag, and i'm sure i'll think of more things. And yes it's pink but goodness me boys can do pink - just look at the cute boys on the toile images!

Sorry, i digress, i just get a lot of comments that my wee one must be a girls cuz he has pink things.
Anyway, the placemat has faux leather on the back to make it less slippery while eating, and a spot for his spoon. I also added a ribbon to close it up nicely. It cleans up well, just wipe it down post eatin'.

I also made some snack bags after reading Angry Chicken's fun post. Her YouTube video is almost more fun than doing it myself - so funny! I made 3, 2 of which i kept and one i gave my dad who likes to snack on nuts. I love this idea - we are using plastic bags less and less now for sure.

Lastly, i made this small lunch bag for C. It's mainly for the stuff that should remain cold - like cheese and yoghurt mainly. It was a tester as i just bought this insulation stuff off Etsy. I will make another bag but bigger for me. Plus, it would be a great bag if you pump breast milk...I have kept the bag in the fridge with the jars i need to take out with me, so that all is cold until i need to pack it to go. So far, it's worked as the bag is too small really for an ice pack.

What to Do When You Grow Some Freaky Zucchini

2010-07-29T21:22:00.006-04:00

We scored this year with some wonderful veggies in our garden. Specifically, we grew some zucchini and it was definitely very happy with the soil (or something) this year. Not knowing a lot about yellow zucchini growing, we just chanced it. Had a little battered squash blossoms a few weeks back, and then voila - the biggest squash this side of the Junction we've ever seen!

So, what can you do with 3 large zucchinis? So far, we've made Zucchini Mint Balls, Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes, and Zucchini Chard Quiche.
Since i had to improvise and tweak a non-vegan zucchini croquette recipe (source: The Vegetable Dishes I Can't Live Without) to make this my own, i thought i would share it with you. They turned out quite lovely - simple, fresh, and summery.

Zucchini Mint Balls
1 large yellow zucchini (or 2 regular size ones), chopped roughly
1 cup fresh mint leaves
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup fresh chives
1 cup bread crumbs - Japanese Panko ones are a nice touch!
1/2 nutritional yeast
1 tbsp olive oil + some for fry pan

1) Place zucchini, mint, and cloves in food processor and chop until fine and combined.
2) Place in bowl and then add chives, bread crumbs, yeast and 1 tbsp of oil. Mix with spatula lightly until well combined.
3) Using a medium fr pan, heat on medium with some oil. When nice and hot, shape rounded tsps of batter and place in pan. Press down lightly so that they turn more into patties or dumplings ( i am so terrible and keeping things into precise balls!) Cook for about 3 minutes and then gently turn over and fry other side until all is golden brown.
4) Transfer onto plate with some paper towels to absorb excess oil and serve warm.
Yum!

It Has Been 10 Years

2010-07-19T13:06:00.005-04:00

My partner and i have been together for 10 years today. Ten years. We had our first date ten years ago today. Wow. It has been an amazing decade full of happy, full, challenging, and lovely memories. We've been married for 4, but have always took a moment to remember July 19 as well.So, in honour of our anniversary, we filled this past weekend of happy events. Good thing too, as i return to work after a blissful year off with Lil C. Ugh. But that's another story. This weekend, we bought art for ourselves which really captures us - our fun style and my need to take pictures of our feet wherever we go. We bought mini cakes from the Red Tea Box as that's who made our (VEGAN) wedding cake. And we spent a day at Toronto Islands yesterday, introducing C to it. It was magical.

These past 10 years have been too.

The Garden is Growing

2010-07-16T10:25:00.006-04:00

What a great season it has been for the garden. The mix of rain and heat has been very productive for our wee little piece of greenery. We've already enjoyed oodles of raspberries, more than any other year. And, now we are anxiously awaiting our tomatoes and zucchini.

Baby Goes to the Cottage

2010-07-06T22:32:00.003-04:00

We had a lovely long weekend at my parents cottage this weekend, being Canada Day and all. The weather was a much more respectable degree of 26 than the 40 we see now in Toronto. Yikes!

Lil C got to get his fingers and toes wet and dirty, as we all should when at a cottage. He ate better than i did, being that as usual, i indulged in some (ahem) snack food. He also slept like a log, not something he is known for. I bet the awesome clean air and record amount of time outside that he enjoyed had something to do with it.

See for yourself!
Of course, he was not the only one to enjoy himself and take a load off. We got to put our feet up, watch our wee one be loved by his Deda and Baba (so lovely to see) and Aunt K. We also had some craft projects to tend to - i got to cut project fabrics and J got to make wood blocks from our Christmas tree from last year - the first tree for C! Ah...my heart fills up with such love during weekends like this, just what we need and what cottages are good at. Lucky for me, i found this perfect stone to play tribute to our weekend.

It's Been a Whole Year

2010-06-28T09:10:00.002-04:00

Wow, i can't believe it's been a year since Clem entered our world. We had a wee party for him today, and while i didn't tear up then like i thought i would, i am now. I'm exhausted but can't excuse it all on that - a whole year!!!!
The weather (and G20 summit- ug) was not in our favour so we ended up having the party in our backyard. Too bad, because i really wanted to go here. But, it was lovely in our garden backyard, and since the 'theme' was garden i guess it was the best setting. When C's older, the adventure park/castle playland will be a perfect setting.

I made him some birthday attire for his big day. Of course, he had to have his own crown, like mommy and daddy. His is made from a recycled green sweater that my mom felted for me. I followed Amanda Soule's directions in her great book. I hope for C to embellish it more over the years. He even wore it for most of the afternoon! But he promptly took it off when he saw the cake. I also made this cute romper from a vintage/used pattern i scored at VV months ago. I just love the bowtie and i think he'll need to wear them more often!

We made chocolate cupcakes and carrot cupcakes from THE cookbook. The carrot ones did not turn out too well lookwise, but they tasted pretty lovely. They caved in and shrunk a bit? I used spelt flour instead of all-purpose as C's still not really doing wheat. Not sure if that was the reason? The chocolate were perfect and both were covered with icing that i made green by adding a bit of chlorophyll and tumeric too. I hope you can see the look i as going for- green for grass with a few brown stepping stones and garden do-dads added in. I even made a miniature bunting banner for it - to go with our life-size ones!

As you can see, C loved his first taste.

I also tried making the chocolate icing from the Babycakes cookbook. I really wanted C's first taste of non-fruit sweetness to be agave and not sugar, but it just didn't work out. But for the second time, the coconut oil solidified as i whipped it and it turned into a nasty, chunky mess. Tasted nice but so not attractive. I've had no luck with their icings. Any suggestions folks? I read maybe to use less oil and more dry soy milk powder....
As party favours, i bought great seed packages from Urban Harvest for everyone, and topped it up with some cute toys - chocolate ladybugs, small mushrooms, and windmills. I think it was a nice touch to a sweet little party for our sweet wee one!

Happy Summer Solstice

2010-06-21T19:02:00.008-04:00

I think i officially love Summer the best. Especially June - The flowers that are in bloom (like this sunflower, our first successful bloom in 3 summers!), the fresh berries available locally, the great summer dresses i can wear - ah, summer!
In honour of our first summer as a family of 3, i decided to start displaying Nature Tables, a la Waldorf Education. I`m still learning about it all, but i really am attracted to it`s philosophy - love of nature, imagination, creativity, and not forcing children to learn a certain way. I won`t get into it all here, but for now i think it`s a style of parenting i will follow, more so than schooling. For our first table, i put some things that represent Summer for both J and myself (shells, knit strawberry, lavender, twigs, rocks). And, i was able to add some pinecombs that C and i played with at the park too! He was quite fascinated with them. The all sit on an old plate that my mother gave me, a Serbian one with painted Poppies on them (also kin to Summer). And, instead of playsilks, i've used a vintage table cloth with a blue butterfly appliqued on.

I picked up this lovely book too recently at our local library. It is an older book that was re-published recently. The text is a lyrical poem that goes through each of the months. A perfect way to start our journey celebrating the everyday and natural world we live in.
Today, on our walk today to our LLL meeting, i took some photos. I just love seeing the surprise in everyday life, the colour and art hidden in the concrete of the city. We are lucky to live near a pedestrian railpath and use it a lot to get around. I was so tempted to glean some of these Black-Eyed Susans as mine haven`t taken this year, for some reason, but i didn`t. This way i can enjoy them each time i walk by.

Happy Father's Day to a New Daddy

2010-06-20T10:27:00.004-04:00

We just feasted on Tofu Florentine for brunch, all 3 of us! I love how we can now share more meals together as Lil C gets closer to 1. He of course, only had the tofu, spinach and sweet potatoes fries, but he Loved them.

Happy Father's Day to my honey, my main man. A wish too to my dad, Lil C's Deda, and Happy Father's Day to yours too.

Building a New Summer Wardrobe

2010-06-16T18:40:00.002-04:00

I've been spending more and more time on the sewing machine these days, whipping up clothes and more for Lil C. Luckily, sewing projects don't require the commitment of time that knitting does. I have been collecting old and vintage patterns for a long time, both for me and for the kiddies, even before C was on the radar. Mostly cuz the images are so cute! I made the onesie (on the image above) for our nephew and was so excited to make these shorts. I think i'll be making them a bunch as the pattern can be adjusted pretty well.

I also love the cape in the pattern, so i hope i get around to making it for him sometime. Maybe for when he's 2. It'll make a fun addition for our role play/dress-up bin!

Updating Our Cushions

2010-06-10T18:38:00.000-04:00

We've had the same cushions forever and since our style is changing, i thought it was about time i made some updates with them. We also are changing our basement to make it more of a fun and cohesive family play area, so i thought more playful pillows were in order. Since i can't afford all the design visions in my head, updating our look with simple pillows is a nice touch, and step in the right direction.

I recently splurged on an abundant new stash of fabrics at my favourite local fabric store, The Workroom. Some was for me, but mos was for Lil C. I love bird, butterfly, and leaf fabric, from the Echino line especially. I bought enough to also make a skirt for myself. I got to use the simple A-line pattern from the great Built By Wendy Sew U book, but i guess that's enough story. Oh, and the awesome lineny white pillow with screen printed electrical poles is from a new local partnership called Repeat. Here's a bit of a slideshow to showcase the shams. Yes, there sure are a lot of words that all mean the same thing (sham, pillow, cushion....).

Some New Kinda Baking

2010-05-31T18:55:00.008-04:00

I fell in love with the Babycakes bakery in NYC when i was there last year, so was so happy that they created a cookbook to go with it. All things vegan, gluten free and (mostly) sugar-free. Wow, what a specialty! Good thing they are still going strong too. Here`s a preggers me enjoying our finds.
So, i was even happier that my local public library had copies of the book. The wait was LONG but well worth it. Seems like we`re not the only ones that like such good baking. I finally got a copy of Babycakes cookbook from the library recently (the link is to their site and has great photos of the book so you can see it for yourself). And, since i had 3 weeks to enjoy it, we planned to make good use of it, so whipped up quite a few recipes! We enjoyed it so much that we`ve decided it`s something to buy. There were some hiccups though, but in the end each of the baked goods we made tasted yummy. For one, we had to buy a bunch of items that we`ve never used but now stand firmly in our pantry. Like potato starch, coconut flour, and garbanzo bean+fava bean flour. I do appreciate that it`s all to make gluten free goods, but it sure is a lot to have on hand. Also, since i`m in the process of reading The Omnivore`s Dilemma i am floored about the overuse of corn products in everything. Included xantham gum, which is a stable item in gluten free baking. Not sure how to avoid it though, as vegan baking can be so tricky and un-fluffy at times.
That said, there are some amazing, yummy, and creative recipes in this book. Plus, the book is so beautiful to look at - a true porn cookbook! The photos were lovely, and there are so great write-ups of things. There is some name-dropping as well by celebs, but i love them all so i guess it`s okay!...We tried the Johnny Cakes, Fat Pants Cake, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, and coconut icing for the cake. I`ll just share a couple of thoughts with you here for the cakes.

In all, the cake was my favourite even though i had a panic that it wouldn`t turn out. I made it for J`s birthday and had to bake the cakes (3 layer cake and all) MUCH longer than the recipe called for. Also had a nervous moment transferring each onto the serving plate as they were so fragile. The icing was lumpy as the coconut oil seemed to solidify after it was combined with the other ingredients. And, it just didn`t seem sweet enough - i know it didn`t call for `real` sugar but still icing should be sweet. In the end, i just added it into the middle layers and had another vanilla buttercream icing for the outer layer. And, with chocolate chip cookies PLUS chocolate chips and cocoa in the cake already, it was pretty decadent. Once done, the cake was so good, i kept stealing pieces of it and was so glad that there were leftovers after the party.

J made me the Johnny Cakes for Mothers Day. They were lovely. Baked pancakes with cornmeal (forget the comment i made above re: corn!). Nice and fluffy, even though they were dense. I also love the way our maple syrup made this cool spiral pattern instead of just falling off the cakes. A great alternative to standard pancakes, they are very filling!

Now, if only the book had a recipe for the amazing cinnamon buns we had. I guess they have to leave some things out, so that we keep going back to the store!

Bon Voyage Mom!

2010-05-20T10:47:00.002-04:00

As a Mother's Day present for my mom, i thought of a fun idea! Since she only likes handmade gifts from us, i knew i had to make something that also fit with my limited craft time. So, since she's going to London and Paris with my dad, i created a fun passport holder.

Now that they're both 'retired' (but still oh so busy!) they are traveling more, so i know this holder will get some good use. I also know my mom is already pretty organized, so didn't need to make an extravagant wallet or anything. This one fits 2 passports, and has space for some other things like their itinerary and a spot for her notes of the things she wants to see.

I made this from scratch but used Thimble's travel organizer as a basic guide. Instead of an elastic or snap to close, i used left over binding strip from another project to keep the holder closed. I also had an excuse (er, reason) to use a fabric marker that i ordered on-line recently!

Guitar Lessons

2010-05-11T18:17:00.004-04:00

Lil C has been busy getting to know how to play guitar. He watches his Daddy play it quite regularly, and has realized he can learn how to stand up AND play music at the same time. So, as the guitar isn't the easiest thing for him to play with on his own, i made him a small softie replica. I knew just the fabric to use too - once i saw it at The Workroom months ago, i just knew i had to make something 'wood-like' from Joel Dewberry's woodgrain line. I used one of J's 5 (or is it 6?) guitars as a guide. Pretty straight-forward pattern! I added some bells for the musical effect.

As you can see, C's not the only one who likes to play guitar. My mom has been busy sewing toys too, like this owl!

If you have a moment and want to see C jam, click here to see a wee video over at Flickr. It's too big for this site, but too sweet to not share with you!

His Summer Hat

2010-05-02T16:11:00.005-04:00

Just in time for the nice Spring weather and getting ready for Summer, i made Lil C a sun hat of sorts. I love the big visor on the hat and used light weight cotton fabric. As he hates wearing hats (pretty standard i'm sure), i also added some ties that i can bow tie under his chin.

The pattern is from Amy Butler's Little Stitches book and was quite straight forward to follow. I love that i made a hat. I'm no milliner but i think it's a great challenge for me. I made it bigger on purpose so that it can last until the end of summer at least.
Our friend, Christina, took some sweet photos of us when we had a date together at our local big city park the week the cherry blossoms were in fine form. Thanks so much for the lovely photos and gesture to capture the day, Christina!

Now if only i can get a photo of him and his daddy, as he has a hat that is coincidently (really, i swear!) just like C's.

Let's Go Swimming

2010-04-28T21:46:00.003-04:00

Lil C and i started baby swim classes recently. I thought he'd enjoy it as he loves to play with water and bath-time is a highlight of his day. So far, i have to admit, it's not his favourite outing. But, we have cute swim diapers to wear, so he looks pretty adorable! He does like clinging (ahem) wrapping his arms around me, and loves to chase after the rubber ducky though.

I wanted to find some cute swim diapers, and after being less than impressed with the ones on hand from the usual cloth diapering companies (weird tie dye prints, too gender-specific images), i realized Etsy probably has some sellers who make them. Good idea! I found lots to chose from, but settled on this adorable suit. Rethink Crafts has a great line of fabrics to choose from, the price is right, and the work is great. Plus, they fit really well and luckily we've had no leakage issues! Check out her site to see what else she has!

Maybe by the time June comes around, C will be into the Splash Pad in our local park. We can really get use out of our swim diapers/suit by then.

Happy Earth Day

2010-04-22T19:33:00.011-04:00

We have been enjoying some lovely books and since it's Earth Day today, i thought it was a perfect time to share them with you. You'll see the connection to today's theme i'm sure. My partner and i are avid budding gardeners, and want to model this to our wee one - of course knowing he's his own dude and all. But with great books like these, i'm sure he'll be inspired!

Here they are for you to learn more:
* In My Nest
* I am a Bunny
* Growing Vegetable Soup
* Planting a Rainbow
* Farmer Duck

As you can see Lil C loves In My Nest. It's an interactive book with finger puppet. What a great idea! It's such a sweet book and C loves to play with the cute blue birdie. I have to say though, my favourite of the bunch is Planting a Rainbow as it features Spring flowers that are in bloom in our own backyard. It makes it real for us as we read together, and i love that it is a tool to help C learn more about our own garden!

A New Journal

2010-04-03T22:45:00.004-04:00

I've been writing again in a journal and find it so rewarding. My last journal, which lasted (ahem) for almost 6 years became more of a lists/to-do and menu journal than a therapeutic one. I hope this one will be more writing and less planning.

Since i just finished Buddhism for Mothers, i think i'll be able to devote this thoughtful time for myself. Yes, i 'think' i will, but i truly hope so! This book was so helpful and motivating. I feel like i read it at a perfect time for me, as i am reflecting on the mother i want to be. Being patient, persistent and calm are traits that i feel are so important to mothering, especially as they teach both me and my wee one how to be respectful to each other and ourselves. I whole-heartedly recommend this - even if you don't follow Buddhism nor are into meditation.
When i went to to treat myself to a new journal, i was happy to discover the one i chose was artwork by Lisa Congdon, who i love. I didn't even know it was her work until i got it home and read the back - egads! I just connected with the cover work, which i find important for journal writing.

Another thing i think is crucial for good journalling is a lovely cup of tea. I bought this yummy tea at a local French bakery and it is to die for! I especially love drinking it in my yellow vintage fancy, pinkie finger raised tea cup!

Wee Ones Booties

2010-03-28T22:06:00.003-04:00

I love Amy Butler's book Little Stitches for Little Ones. I've made these booties twice now for Lil C. The first time, he was just about 3 months old so they really just were a cover-up to help him stay warm. Now that he's moving about, it's another story!

I got some non-slip fabric from my mother and used that as the sole. It really helps. C isn't walking on his own quite yet but he's close and good shoes help keep him steady. Wow, does he ever move fast when he walks!

I do need some support with these booties though. If anyone has made them already and they actually fit your wee one, let me know. My partner, J believes these booties must have been made for babies with 'club' feet as they're so wide. I made the 9-12 month old size and C is 9 months now. I just can't see him growing into them that well. The other problem is where the velcro is placed to close them. Looks perfect without a foot in them, and i'm sure i followed the instructions/pattern to a T. But, i just can't close them securely once his foot is in. I'm thinking of getting rid of the velcro and adding some sort of snap or at least moving the velcro to a better spot.

They're just too cut to have as display only!

My Sweet Goodness I love Dessert!

2010-03-19T13:56:00.009-04:00

I have been lucky enough to do some baking lately and have scored some amazing dessert recipe finds. Even more, each are pretty easy to make and require no baking so the time to enjoy them is even closer at hand! I just love when baking is therapeutic both when making it as well as eating it!

I live for chocolate and have missed good chocolate mousse cake. Miss it no more thanks to Hannah at My Sweet Vegan who has made an amazing Silken Chocolate Mousse Cake. I found a good excuse to make it recently - friends from out of town came for a visit - but really i don't need a reason except i want some. I kept going past the fridge and thinking 'hmmm..there's chocolate mousse in there' and treating myself to a spoonful. I even tricked my mom into trying some and my dad had seconds - both of whom are not vegan eaters! The texture and density was perfect and the flavour was decadent. I can do without the ground almond and cocoa base too as nothing can compete with the mousse part. Wonderful.
I also got to try another recipe of Hannah's as my partner got me VegNews as a gift for the year. At a friend's cottage this week, i made her Orange Creamsicle Semifreddo from the March-April 2010 issue. I got to use a whole Navel orange including the peel and that added a whole other level of flavour! Instead of using vanilla extract, i decided to use a vanilla pod and that added both a nice touch of flavour as well as specks of colour. The dish tasted fresh and summery - a perfect way to bring in Spring. Having raw cashews in there also made me feel like it was a healthy dish, even with all the sugar!

Unfortunately, my mommy brain (good excuse for my lack of memory these days) has inhibited me to remember to take a picture let alone remember where i got the recipe for a tasty Lemon Pie with Almond Meal Crust. The pie tasted just like its non-vegan sister and know if i can only remember where i got the recipe, i can make it at home. In my search, i did find this recipe and link to vegan meringue mix! Wow, what a great find that was! I better find it again as i was planning to make it whenever i wanted lemon squares.

Edited to add: I found the lemon pie recipe! Yea! It's in Everyday Vegan. Thank goodness

Knitting for the Family - Part 3

2010-03-11T18:03:00.007-05:00

I love how friends and family have been working at knitting (and crocheting and sewing) for my wee one. Here are just a few examples of the beloved work he's gotten already.

Li'l C loves to play with his fun softies - this awesome crocheted monster doll is a new favourite. I personally love the fawn my sis made him (see it in the background?) and coincidently bought the same pear fabric for some other baby gear i'll be making him soon. Great minds...right?
My mom just finished this 1-button cardigan for him too. It will be perfect for Spring, which incidentally already seems to be here. I love how she picked non-boy colours too! Speaking if which, in response to Becky's comment on a previous post about baby clothes: i can't say i really wanted a girl but i do admit i love baby girl clothing. I just wish boy clothes were just as creative, whimsical, and playful - not just onesies and button down shirts with trucks and stuff! I think my blend of sweet French baby, homemade baby, and vintage baby is working well, and still allows C to look like the boy he is.

Speaking of whimsical, isn't this green vest lovely? And, yes that's cabled owls! My friend Kelly made it for him and i believe she found the pattern off Ravelry. It fits him perfectly already so i hope it lasts for a while yet!

Seeing my boy with the clothes and toys my loved ones have made for him warms my heart like you wouldn't believe. It truly is so precious. Thank you.

Happy International Women's Day

2010-03-08T08:10:00.000-05:00

One of my favourite days is International Women's Day, and i'm so happy to share it with my son. We took to the streets on Saturday to march and rally with our peers. Today, being IWD, we're heading out to a La Leche League Meeting, a treat trip to Anthro, and maybe to get some decadent desserts on the way home. A lovely day. I hope you have one too.

Knitting for the Family - Part 2

2010-03-03T21:16:00.004-05:00

Good friends of ours are expecting their first baby this April. So, i happily took a break from knitting for my partner and baby in order to make some fun baby girl goodies. While there are oodles of fun patterns out there for girls - i will try not to lament again about not having the same volume of cute baby boy things to wear - i wanted to make them something less girlish. As i was looking around at all my craft porn, i knew that they would appreciate this decision, especially how we all still seem to believe girl = Peptobismal Pink.

Anyway, again i digress... So, i picked two lovely patterns from my Vintage Knits for Modern Babies book. I made the Apron Tunic Dress in a lovely muted green, using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino dk. And as my friend loves this shade of grey-lavender like i do, i wiped up these Ruby Slipper booties in no time. I am planning to make some for Lil C too.
The booties were an especially easy and straight forward pattern, that really takes just a couple of pieceful (i mean peaceful! pun intended) hours. The tunic dress was a bit more of a challenge as i could not understand some of the instructions. If anyone else has made it, let me know if you understood how to make the front without adding the pockets. The pattern calls for pockets but i thought a 3 month old would not need them, and this way J could stencil the cute doe for us to applique on the dress. I sent an inquiry email to the author for support, but only got a generic email back telling me to take the work to my local yarn store, a week after i already gave the gift to my friends. As i did not find any errata or other mentions of this pattern online, i went ahead with my plan and just made two back pieces. It worked out great! And, as you can see my 8-month old SON looks cute as a model and it fits fine.

Oh, and a gift is not complete without proper wrapping. So, i whipped up a knit bow to use. I loosely followed the instructions here, but made it much smaller (knit 7 across instead of 13). Maybe the wee one that comes in April will be able to wear it as Lil C is modeling!

Knitting for the Family - Part 1

2010-03-01T19:10:00.005-05:00

I have fallen in love with knitting all over again. While some projects can take much longer than i have patience for (i want it NOW), it is such a lovely, meditative craft. I am also finding it very helpful to teach me said patience, now that i am the mother of a very active and inquisitive 8-month old! I especially love it as my babe is sleeping on me, or while he is playing nearby. It is also so great to have him play with the ball of yarn, even as i'm using it! I can honestly tell people, as i'm giving them a gift of something i hand-knit, that Lil C helped me make it!

Speaking of which, here is the first of 3 posts i plan on doing where i'll share with you something i recently made. I owe my partner, J quite a few projects. So, here's a long overdue scarf he requested. I used some lovely cottons and the scarf pattern is the Chevron pattern featured in the Scarf Style book. A great technique. I didn't plan it to look so like Harry Potter's scarf, but J likes it and that's all that counts.I ran out of the yellow yarn halfway through. The original is the Manos del Uruguay yellow but luckily i was able to find one similar (and also fair trade and organic!). I didn't realize that cotton is considered a 'seasonal' yarn and hence not always in stock at stores in the winter...Lucky me that i could still finish it for this season. To be honest, the second yellow fits better on the yarn and is even softer. I doubt you can see the difference in the photos, but if you really look, you can!

Up-Cycling For My Wee One's Bottom

2010-02-09T13:20:00.007-05:00

I think i may have mentioned this already, but we are a cloth diaper family here. I've been able to find some great dipes that work for day as well as overnight, but i'm still always looking for better. It's a bit of an addiction really. I also love all the handmade ones i see on-line (namely Etsy of course), as well as some patterns for me to make my own. But, i just don't have the time...Maybe for baby #2 (wow, i'm already there, huh?), i'll be with it enough to make my own.
I also came across some great sites to make your own cloth diaper covers.
As a vegan, i typically don't use wool myself, but as my partner isn't a vegan and nor will C be one (unless he chooses to be), i figured i could reuse some old sweaters my mom had already felted to make some great wool covers. Wool is just that much absorbent, and i love the idea of using what we have. Plus, i have been thinking more about how the vegan diet/culture isn't so organic or earth friendly as i wish it was.

But i digress...
So, after looking on-line at some great tuturiols, i made 3 wool covers for C. I have to admit, while they were pretty easy to make, and adorable, they're not perfect. I need to add elastics to the back to make them fit him better. Otherwise, they're kind of useless, right? But, they fit almost perfectly around his very bulky cloth diapered bum, except for the waist part.

In my research for finding good diaper covers, and things that are EC-friendly, i was so happy that a friend (thanks Rachel) referred to me to this find blog, Childhood Magic. So fun and a great inspiration - from home-schooling, to using wool diaper pants, and more! Check it out.

Baby on the New Blocks

2010-01-27T22:21:00.008-05:00

I love making things for my wee one. Luckily, now that he's actually starting to interact with toys (and in fact ANYthing can be a toy these days - i love the discovery phase he's in!), i've been able to set aside time to make him some goodies. And, what fun i've had both making them and playing with them too.
I love wooden blocks, but i also love the idea of soft toys. As someone who already loves the simplicity of everyday objects as toys, I got re-inspired by great and lovely book, The Creative Family, as there is a discussion of making toys and using organic materials. I set out to make a set of 4 soft blocks. My sis went to Hawaii a while back and bought me these fabulous fabric squares - yes already cut coincidently to size - so it was easy to make them. I made some fun embellishments on them too; shapes, 1-2-3-4, and some added do-dads (cloth flower, balls).
Li'l C loves them and it's especially dreamy for me to see him reach for them. We're not shy around colours here, and it looks like he's not falling far from the tree, if you know what i mean!

Next up, some softies to help him sleep better. Hello Ms. Lovey!!!

Weekend Sewing - aka When Baby Sleeps Sewing

2010-01-21T15:25:00.006-05:00

I have wanted the book, Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross for a while and was very happy to get it for Christmas. So, since i don't really have weekends to myself, i've had to rename my crafting time to "Moments I Can Get Away." I am still working hard on helping Li'l C fall asleep on his own and in his crib, but naps just don't happen there. Not that i'm complaining 100% - it is nice to have him so close (my lap, my arms, the carrier, our family bed), but i would love some v-time alone. Ya know? But, luckily, i get some down time at night, when i truly need it. I've rediscovered that sewing and creating in general are really the juice that keeps me going. Self-care at its best, and i feel so recharged after even a bit of time doing it.

I have too many projects both on the go and even more i want to do. I just hope i get half of them done before C doesn't need them - and yes, it's all about the babe now. A few projects for us adults, but for the most part, i'm making toys and clothes for the wee one.
But, i did promise J some pajamas for Christmas, and luckily he understood my IOU. So, i was able to try out the book and make the weekend pjs. I had to alter the sizing to fit my not-s0-wee-one, but that was pretty straight forward. And, as he's an avid biker, i got to use this fun fabric my mom gave me oodles of.
I also have been wanting to try making cloth slippers For Ever and have some patterns from Japanese craft books. So, i camped some time to myself an made these. All i need now is some stickers to put on the soles as these slippers are just that - SLIPPER-Y!! But lovely. I didn't have enough rick rack but i think they turned out fine just like this. I think my cat wants a pair next!

Oh, Anthro!

2010-01-13T21:15:00.002-05:00

Now that we have our very own (2!) Anthropologie stores in Toronto, i am a very excited girl. My wallet and maternity leave EI cheques are another matter though. Luckily, i can't get there very much and since we have our very own stores here, i think the novelty and allure of them has worn off a bit. A bit.

For instance, i dragged J and our wee one to Anthro during Boxing Week sale-city, along with my gift card from J (he knows me so well) but got me even better presents he made for me!), and some birthday money. It was a bit chaotic there but we did not leave empty handed. Again, i never leave there disappointed aka empty-handed.
On top of some lovely things for me to wear, we bought this fantastic bathroom rug because it was on a great sale price. And since Li'l C is a Anthro baby, we bought him this cute fair traded felted birdhouse. Goes with the theme for his room, right? And, it's a great way to store his blocks. I love the wooden blocks just as much! J played with the exact set when he was a wee one too. We purposefully put them nice and low on a hook so C can get to them when he wants to.

Oh, Anthro!

Farmers Market Knits

2010-01-06T19:01:00.003-05:00

I love all the sweet toys we have for baby C. I have to admit, i am enjoying playing with them as much as he is. Even better, i've been able to make some and have friends and family also make gifts/toys especially for Li'l C.

Case in point, these great knit and crocheted veggies. Our friend Janice crocheted the eggplant and carrot and i love them. The carrot is assumably not organic as it's pretty huge, but C loves them regardless. I knit him the strawberry following this pattern and they all have sweet little bells inside to make them rattles.

Amuse Bouche New Years

2010-01-02T17:27:00.003-05:00

We hosted an epic dinner party for New Years. We love dinner parties and themed ones at that. So, to join in the trend of amuse bouche dishes, we thought of having an 8-course feast.

Of course, the dishes are small, so we thought eating so much would be okay. We were wrong! We each took turns preparing our dishes in the kitchen, while the conversation and drinks flowed in the dining room. Bad idea...it took a long time to make the food and the drinks were too good to sip delicately. We had some Rosemary-infused Martinis, wine, and Champagne/Cava. I, of course was on baby duty and breastfeeding, so i kept my sips to ladylike proportions!

The menu was quite extravagant and we definitely outdid ourselves. J and i contributed a Parsnip Pear Soup recipe i found online and served in small eggnog cups. I substituted coconut milk for the regular milk it calls for, making it a lovely, simply dish (and vegan too). I also am in love with balsamic vinegar reductions!
J made a fun Sloppy Joel - with the topping from Veganomicon (lentils instead of typical TVP) and Quinoa Quinoa Cornbread from Vegan Soul Kitchen. Good stuff.
We almost made it to 2010 by course 7, but alas we had to eat the best Tempeh sandwich ever after...not a bad way to start a year, in my opinion! It had homemade BBQ sauce and a lovely cole slaw mixed in it. Goodness! Luckily, it is bigger than a typical amuse bouche, as all our dishes were!

Christmas Tags

2009-12-28T19:12:00.002-05:00

Just a quick note to check in with you all, as we're still in holiday mode here. Christmas is a week-long vacation for us, not just two days!

This year, as usual, i wanted to do something fun for gift wrapping and tags. I decided to not buy any new wrapping or bags, nor gift tags. So we used old gift bags (even ones that weren't so festive like this one above) and i looked through my stock of old holiday cards to make gift tags. I don't know why i keep all that i do, but luckily i had a lot of old cards that i could re-use. They make simple tags and are great for my wallet and Mother Earth!

I also used old fabric that i didn't want anymore. I found festively coloured ones from a trip to India i made, and also used fabric remnants from recent projects. Fun and a great way to add to the gift itself!

Happy Winter Solstice

2009-12-21T10:56:00.009-05:00

I love tradition, and now that we have a wee one, we're starting a new tradition for our family. J and i have celebrated the Winter Solstice for years, but we wanted to do something that honours our community. So, we baked - correction, J baked as i was sick in bed - some festive loaves that we'll be giving to our neighbours today. Nothing says holiday like some baked goods - this year it's cranberry orange loaves. We got the recipe from our stand-by book, Veganomicon. Too bad i was so stuffed up that i couldn't smell the magic coming from the kitchen!

I also went with a woodlands theme for decor. Our tree has some new ornaments, made by me and bought. I made some cute acorns, loosely following this pattern as well as this one that i modified for an acorn.
I also bought C his first ornament and was so happy to have an excuse to buy/splurge on one of Tamar's work. We'll put it in his room afterward. I also bought this great crocheted pinecomb at a local craft fair, and the mushroom is from my favourite bookstore in the city.

Starting the Baby-Proofing

2009-12-13T19:36:00.009-05:00

BEFORE
Our house is so not baby-proof. We have a long way to go, but luckily Lil c is not moving around too much just yet. He is very aware of his surroundings though, and likes to touch everything. EVERYthing - so we have to be careful. I do love how he's discovering the world around him, especially all the little things that make up our home. I have to admit, i'm letting him touch a lot - texture is such a wonderful thing!

Our living room and dining both, where we happen to spend most of our time, are not very baby friendly with all the knick knacks and breakables, let alone things that can hurt him. So, i'll be checking through it all soon, but to be frank, i don't think we'll change a lot or get rid of lot because i like children living in a real family space, instead of turning rooms into a daycare scene. Of course, we'll get rid of things that will hurt him, for now.

AFTER
Like, for instance, we've already stashed our alcohol. We used to love having it out for us to have easy access to (we're not really lushes, i swear!), and to be good hosts. But we got the coolest cabinet to do it, and we bought it as soon as we saw it because it's so cool. Don't you agree? I love the hidden top that opens up, oh so gently, to a ready to serve bar. We just need to find bottles and/or glasses that are small enough for those wee holes! Plus, c won't be able to figure out how to open that top part for a long time. And the bottle has a key. Notice the fancy copper lining on the right side? Pretty cool, if you ask me! We just have to finish those bottles on top soon, as they don't fit anywhere. Good thing it's the holidays!

Getting Ready for Solids

2009-12-05T11:16:00.002-05:00

Li'l C will be 6 months any day now, and while i'm not in a hurry to have him grow up on me, i look forward to him eating solids. He's going to be breastfed for a while but i love the idea of making him foods and meals each day, and involving him in all that we do. I know it'll be a lot of work, but with great books like this one i'm sure we'll do fine! I also have one that's called Raising Vegetarian Children so we have all things covered on that front, but finding vegetarian baby/toddler books is hard.

My mom is going to Mexico soon, so i've made a request for oilcloth to put under our table, and C's chair as i've heard it will be messy! I also hope to get a fun enamelware tea set and/or dishes for him to use and play with. I used to have my own cabinet that i played in while my mom cooked when i was a wee one. We'll have to start baby proofing soon too - but i'll make sure to have a special place for C to play in and 'cook' with mommy and daddy.

The squash is from our garden and it'll be his first food. My mom has also put aside her squash and i've made apple sauce with local, organic apples recently. We're starting with veggies and then moving towards grains like quinoa, millet, and oats, along with fruit. It's overwhelming to think about all the stuff that goes into baby food but it's good nightly reading for now.

What sort of first foods did you give your wee ones, and if have any other advice of books and/or simple gadgets for making and serving food, i'd love to hear from you!

Vegans Can Do Soul Food

2009-11-14T11:07:00.005-05:00

I was recently given the book, Vegan Soul Food: Fresh, Healthy and Creative African-American Cuisine by Bryant as a lovely surprise gift. I hadn't even seen it around, so it wasn't on my radar. I guess having a newborn does that to us, right? Anyway, after having some tasty grub (which i also lovingly call my breast milk, but that's another story) at the Red Bamboo restaurant in NYC, i was hopeful that i could make my own 'Po Boys' and Johnny Cakes. And i was right!

J and i tested out the book with 2 simple recipes - Fried Green Tomatoes and Johnny Cakes. The tomatoes we used were from our own backyard. I've never had them before so i can't compare to anything. But, they actually were juicy and i loved the Multipurpose Coating for Dredging Food recipe that came with it.The cakes were nice and plump, and better served with a tasty gravy or chutney of some kind. I can't wait to try more recipes like Blackened Tofu Slabs wit Succotash Salsa, Sweet Cornmeal-Coconut Butter Drop Biscuits, and Spicy Mafe Tempeh. Any of them would go down nicely with a glass of Cinnamon Applejack Toddy.

A lovely touch to the cookbook are Terry's addition of suggested music for each recipe - a great idea because who doesn't dance around in the kitchen while cooking?! I sure do - it keeps Li'l C happy while i'm busy cooking.

Boys Can Wear Leg Warmers

2009-11-06T11:22:00.001-05:00

I find it funny how people think leg warmers are just for girls. They are actually quite practical! I don't know about you, but my little boy's pants all ride up the leg when he's in the carrier. Also, now that the weather is turning, having that extra layer on his legs is such a nice thing. I have 3 pairs of leg warmers, to match various outfits, of course. The ones above are the pair i made, following Never Not Knitting's easy pattern!

Edited to add: It took me a bit longer than it should to make these. I am still learning how to balance 'non-mommy' time with my wee one, especially as he is such a short napper! Though whenever i do knit (or sew-even more rare!), it reminds me how therapeutic it is. So soothing for my soul. Thank goodness i have realized i can knit while walking Li'l C to sleep in his carrier!

A Camera to Play With

2009-11-04T11:17:00.007-05:00

Since before Li'l C was born, i wanted a camera with video, one that was quick and easy to use. I love my SLR but i wanted something that could capture things ASAP.

So, we treated ourselves to this little number. I made it a top priority to make a case for it, as i already dropped it - it's that small! It takes amazing photos with really vibrant colours, and of course, i can now get my wee one doing cute things like laughing, talking, and rolling over! Mind you, i'm not quite a director, and Li'l C gets too distracted by the camera, but it is such a gift nonetheless!

Not Quite Canning, but Close

2009-10-28T20:04:00.005-04:00

I wish i had time to can all the great stuff that is in abundance in Ontario right now, but at least i canned some tomato sauce from the tomatoes we had - grown both in our garden and my parents. Remember this post?

I also made pumpkin bread pudding for Thanksgiving dinner with friends, from Hannah's great blog Bitter Sweet. It called for Fudge sauce, and since we had so much left over, i get to store it. I love Bonne Maman jars, and it looks so scrumptious with chocolatey goodness inside. Too bad i sneak a spoonful of it from time to time...too bad for my post-baby belly i mean!

A Quickie Antique-y Trip

2009-10-21T21:09:00.008-04:00

On our way to family Thanksgiving dinner recently, we took the opportunity of having a borrowed car - thanks again Mom and Dad - and went to my beloved Aberfoyle Antique Market. It truly never disappoints. We haven't been able to go yet this season (hmmmm...i wonder why!) and had just over an hour to speed-walk through the vendors.I always go with a list so that i don't forget all the things i'm looking for, and of course i don't just stay on the list, but i am very happy with our latest finds. We all walked away with something, cute 'butter' flower dishes for me, a rocking horse for Clem, and records for J. Oh, and some cool

Most exciting are the two new ceiling light fixtures we got to replace the old cheesy and broken ones. Makes me feel like our house is truly coming along. Though, the list of fix-it and reno work i do have is still rather lengthy.

From this: to this :
and from this broken fixture that broke during some especially brutal pile-driving for the new Go Train work (don't ask!):
to this lovely piece, circa before IKEA:

Cute Boys Clothes Do Exist

2009-10-16T11:31:00.002-04:00

It looks like i can find cute baby boys clothes, both used (usually vintage) and new. But of course, i still am committed to making some great outfits like this one, my second from Oliver +S's playsuit. This one is size 3-6 months. Baby C work it for my sister's wedding this past September.

I'm starting a Flickr set dedicated to this, as i want to showcase the goods i've found with y'all!

What I'm Thankful For

2009-10-12T19:12:00.002-04:00

As another Thanksgiving weekend comes to a close, i have a lot to be thankful for this year. It was a holiday that took me by surprise, as has a lot over these last 3 months.

Being a new mom has taught be a lot about patience, simplicity, priority, and love. I have my baby boy to thank for that. And, i have my partner to thank for helping me get through these last few months.

I love how we can look back at the whirlwind these last few months have been, to notice that summer flew by without us noticing too much, but also how amazing it is to have our baby be welcomed by our friends and family as he has. Thank you to all of you.

On another less mushy note, i also have our garden to thank - for a new kind of abundance and love of the Earth. Look at the squash we grew, by surprise i might add, in what we lovingly called Gumball's Garden - luckily his first solid food might be some of that lovely yellow Turban Squash. I didn't get to invest as much time and energy in the garden as i would have liked, but i admired it by the window and when getting a few minutes out back with Clem. Next year, i know we'll get more time there!

He Loves to Bathe

2009-09-30T09:56:00.001-04:00

My little ones loves bathtime - it's when he gets out that makes him upset. That's understandable - it's pretty cold outside of his bath. He cheers up pretty fast though because after bathtime is a massage...

Clem is asleep on me as i write this, but i just wanted to share this photo and send a quick hello...

Clem's Secret Garden Room

2009-09-03T15:16:00.014-04:00

Not knowing the sex of our baby made no real impact when i started to plan the baby room. I wanted something playful, whimsical, and quintessentially us. So garden decor it was. The room overlooks our backyard, which we find to be such a happy and bright place. Of course we also wish to encourage, if just a bit subtly, a love of dirt, gardening, nature, flowers, and veggies in our little one - hopefully over trucks and aggressive sports! I know, i know, we can't make them like what we like really, but...we can try!
My dad generously offered to help update and insulate the room, being the coldest in the house. So he and J took the two exterior walls down, insulated them, put in a new window, and J refinished the wooden floor. We then painted the walls an ice blue, and used some of our leftover vintage wallpaper for one wall. Then i stepped in with the trinkets and decor magic!

I loved making things for this room, from
- the crib bumper and skirt (for when he eventually sleeps there, right now we just play there)
to
-the birds on the branch and birdhouse i already mentioned here
and
- the curtains from this fabulous line

I can't wait until li'l c is big enough to design his room and that we can make things for it together!

a crafty vegan's Guide to the Junction

2009-08-26T15:01:00.007-04:00

Since i've done some posts about other cities, i thought it was about time i did one about my own neighbourhood, especially because i haven't (and won't be anytime soon) gone anywhere as of late. When we moved here 1 1/2 years ago, we didn't realize just how lucky we were to move into this neighbourhood. West of most of the city core of Toronto, and in its own little pocket, the Junction has both some amazing history as well as current specialness. It is still a mix of what has remained and things that are new and slowly gentrifying the area. A good mix i think, especially as a new parent - wow have my needs changed!

There are many great articles already about my 'hood, including one from the New York Times (well, not the best more up-to-date info, but i guess we've 'made it' now!) so i'll keep my post to what i love and find great for us vegans. Now that i stroll around with baby Clem a lot, we'll falling in love with other parts of our area too.

Here's a selection of yummy places to eat and some other treats while here.

1) Cool Hand of a Girl - an amazing lunch and brunch spot that has one officially vegan item - the Braised Tofu Sandwich. All their sandwiches are made with a vegan mayo and the soups are vegan too. But this 'wich is what i come back for so much - one of the best i've ever had. Simple but delectable. The resto is also just an awesome spot to hang out and i love that it's my local brunch spot!

2) The Beet - another great treasure with really health-conscious food. Not all vegan but most vegetarian and organic, local fare. The Tofu Burger is the best i've ever had. Anywhere. Nuff said.

3) Delight - a fair trade, organic chocolatier, made right on the premises. They have some amazing dark chocolate barks, about 3 vegan truffles (the coconut one is divine), and make sorbet while in season. I had the raspberry one recently - my fave sorbet - and it was like eating fresh raspberries that had melted in my mouth - very rich for sorbet.

4) Crema Coffee - i love a Good coffee place, one that is gourmet and yes, trendy. But when good coffee is made, i love it even more that it's also in my nabe and a lovely walk for us. Serving me direct trade coffee made into a decaf soy latte: this girl is in heaven. They usually have some vegan cookies or cupcakes too.

5) Rawlicious - vegan, raw food goodness.

6) Curry Twist and Indian Kiss - while there are other good restos too in the area that aren't as vegan friendly, i had to at least mention these 2 great Indian restos. Curry Twist has an amazing knack for making their dishes with the freshest spices and have a good selection of veggie dishes (though i'm not sure what are ghee free) and Indian Kiss is a take-out only spot with the freshest dishes made to order.

While you're here:
7) Smash -the coolest decor store with amazing finds like vintage Italian wallpaper. Like mine. As well as cool chairs, tables, tiles, desks....
8) Little Bird Fly - now that i'm a mom, i have to mention this spot. A new store that sells used kids clothing, but really good stuff at amazing prices
9) Pandemonium - a great used book store with a great selection of records too, just ask my honey!
10) Sweet Potato -our local organic grocery store with a great selection of all the 'health food' goodies we rely on. They don't sell supplements or bulk though but another new store just opened up that does, though i can' remember the name.

If you're here after dark:
11) Come to Margret - the coolest, hippest bar i know. The decor is pretty special with funky art and non-art on the walls. They host movie nights and theme nights - oh so fun! I feel cool whenever i go and can't wait to go again, when Clem isn't attached to me as much.

Other great places to go include Post and Bean (another great home decor spot if you're looking for doors or neat artifacts), Big Daddy's movie rental (just to support a local place), and True Blue Vintage (for some sweet finds).

If you're around in September and want to check out the strip, come on on these days! Sept 9-13 is the Junction Arts Festival, and Sept 19 is a Mom to Mom Rummage Sale. Not that you need an excuse to come!

Cute Boys Clothing is Hard to Come By

2009-08-17T14:46:00.005-04:00

Having a boy and being someone who loves clothes aren't the most compatible couplings. Boys clothing can be just so boring! Luckily, i both sew and love Etsy where others sew. As i also don't shop at the big box and brand stores, i have to both watch my non-working budget (hello, adorable boutique and indie clothing makers!) as well as finding items that are not stereotypical boys motifs. I'm not someone who believes that boys innately like trucks and sports, so we'll see what this next year brings to my little Clem..

Of course, i will be the first to admit that i will be encouraging things that i like, such as birds, garden stuff, lots of colours, bikes, and dancing. Most importantly, i just want him to discover stuff on his own, instead of me feeling like he's push by his parents to like them because we think he should. Now, if only i could get others in his life to see that too! Boys are more than cars and soccer, ya know.
I think i will be making this cute playsuit for each of the 4 sizes offered in the pattern, made by Oliver + S. So far, i have 2 of them. Here's his wee one, something he is growing out of quickly as he's already 11.7+ and just a week 7 weeks old! I am already compiling other cute patterns but if anyone has a favourite pattern or store to recommend, please do so!

The Lovely Side of Cottony Goodness

2009-08-10T18:17:00.008-04:00

Things are coming along with this new family of three. Far from being an expert, i do find that i am getting a good handle on things and can actually share my opinion on some baby-related topics!

For instance, i love that we are using cloth diapers here. We have had a good selection of clothy goodness to choose from and while the verdict is still out on what is our ultimate favourite, Motherease and Apple Cheeks are in the lead for tops. Little Clem does not seem to have a preference, but it looks like both of these absorb well and do not have the same spillage and size issues as other diapers we have tried. Both are made in Canada and the Apple Cheeks have the cutest colours - plus they are not as bulky as they are all-in-ones.

And really, the clean-up process is not that bad at all.We also all love baby-carrying. Clem especially loves his Ergo Carrier and i love that i made a wrap similar to the Moby. There are lots of great sites to get free of for-purchase patterns to make your own carriers, so i suggest checking them out! Here are a couple. Clem snuggles up inside nicely and it is our secret tool to get him to sleep which he has yet to learn to do so on his own. There is nothing quite like the time when he is sleeping all cozy on me. Now, if only i can get him to sleep off me....

Zucchini Blossom Goodness

2009-08-04T18:01:00.004-04:00

We have been busy here getting to know baby, but fortunately we were lucky enough to create a lovely dinner with friends recently. Better still, some of the items for our dinner came right from our garden.

We are growing all kinds of veggies - squash, zucchini, and cucumbers - that love to crawl. So, since we had a lovely supply of zucchini blossoms, we recalled recipes that existed where we could get a taste of the lovely yellow flowers. There are oodles of recipes on-line, and my non-vegan friends really enjoyed this one. I made a vegan cream cheeze with dill/chili pepper cream that was lovely too. We also did a simple batter of spelt flour, club soda and salt instead of the more elaborate one. With the left over batter, we made onion rings and yummy (i swear!) deep fried bananas with chocolate chips!

Homemade Thanks

2009-07-20T16:29:00.005-04:00

"A little bird told us...our son is lucky to have you in his life!
A big thanks goes out to you!"

We are still too busy to write anything detailed here - i don't know how other blog moms do it! - but wanted to surface and say hello. Clem is sleeping here with me, and i have to say i love babywearing (and thankfully so does he!). J loves to wear the Ergo Carrier and i have been using a Moby-inspired sheet of fabric i made - an easy peasy pattern of 6 metres of jersey cotton.

Anyway, i digress. I just wanted to post a thank-you to all our loved ones for being so great to us over these last few weeks, and to share some tips to any expecting new parents on what help can help you in the first month of being a parent!

For instance:
* if someone offers you to clean your house or pay for someone to, take them up on it!
* get people to bring your prepared food instead of gifts or flowers - homemade dinners especially - or they can bring requested restaurant food or make you a meal at your place - and clean the dishes for you. Beloved friends can even make you several dishes and freeze them for you
* have someone watch your pet maybe for the first day or so. We didn't but i know our cat Shuma felt a bit neglected over the first 3 days
* do your laundry and light cleaning
* have folks pick up groceries and make other 1-item trips to stores for you
* get movies/shows on DVD or burned. They can come in handy when breastfeeding or in between feeds
* have visitors stay only for an hour or less
* if visitors stay longer (i.e. grandparents) they can watch babe while you nap, shower, or do an errand (i.e fill out SIN card application or other gov't forms)
* have someone change your sheets or make your bed - you will lie in it a lot and it feels good to have clean sheets
* if you live in Toronto like me, and are in the midst of a city strike, get out of town guests to take your garbage home with them! We are doing disposible diapers at night for now, and they add up!
* work in the garden for you - weeding, pruning, watering

My Little Model

2009-07-06T13:21:00.003-04:00

Still to pre-occupied to write more so here are some photos of Clem in the goodies i've been making him. Good thing i brought the booties to the hospital, they just fit him! I actually started embroidering onesies while in labour. But, as you can imagine, i didn't get very far and i still have some more to do - clearly not a priority right now.

If only i had the energy and time and focus to make some Li'l Squirt Covers (aka pee pee tee pees) as i need some! Maybe if i make them in baby steps, no pun intended

Our Little One

2009-07-04T00:21:00.005-04:00

So our newest family member has joined us - just one day after his due date!

Please allow me to introduce you to Clem Baldwin S. He was born on Sunday, June 28 at 1:43pm and weighed 8.8 lbs. He's a little gem but we're still recovering from the birth and trying to get on top of breast feeding and sleeping. I will write more later, when energy returns or when i can take my hands off him, whichever comes first.

One thing i can share is that i love my little boy was born on Toronto's big annual Pride festival. About hours before his birth, we even witnessed a rainbow outside our window!

Not Your Everyday Dress

2009-06-22T11:49:00.007-04:00

I wanted to spend some time doing things that weren't focused on the baby. So, i set out to make a long overdue project for our clothespins. We have a clothesline that i can't wait to hang our cloth diapers from, but the container that holds the pins gets gunk in it every time it rains. Real gunk that leaves marks on our freshly washed clothes. Defeats the whole purpose, right?
So, i went to my favourite local Value Village in search of the perfect dress to hold them. Yes, i said dress and i went shopping in the baby section not for my baby but for clothespins! I was inspired by other similar projects i've seen in craft and design books, as well as at various blogs - these pin holders were especially popular during the 1930s and 40s, and have such a lovely whimsical feel.

Instead of making one from scratch, i found the perfect dress - one with buttons on the back, so that our hands can reach inside. I just love restructuring things! I then sewed a small pouch to fit inside and hold the pins. I inserted it into the dress, careful to not sew the dress closed or distort its shape. The pouch turned out looking like bloomers - an even cuter addition! I reinforced the stitches to make sure they hold the weight of the pins.

Now i just have to store it inside so that this cute number never gets dirty and weight. Good thing it looks so cute in my kitchen with all my aprons, as the back door to the laundry line is just outside the kitchen!

Tofu Burgers

2009-06-17T09:22:00.000-04:00

After our recent garden party, i had quite a bit of extra firm tofu left over. Since we didn't just want to make scrambled tofu all the time, i looked at creating some other tasty dishes. Here's one i loosely based from the cookbook Everyday Vegan. I made it my own mainly because i didn't have all their ingredients, but also because it was fun to experiment!

The burgers came out nice and plump, and quite light - not as dense as i expected. I'm happy to report that a tofu-based burger, one that is pureed even, is quite nice!

Tofu Burgers

1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp Braggs
1 package extra firm tofu
1/2 cup beans in tomatoes
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp fresh dill
1 tbsp Braggs
2 tsp stone ground Mustard
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp chili powder

1) Saute onions in oil, over medium heat. Season with s/p and add carrots. Saute both until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, pepper and Braggs. Continue to cook until all softened and combined well. Remove from heat.
2) Break tofu into chunks, and then place in food processor. Puree until mashed.
3) Place all above ingredients into large bowl, and stir to combine with spatula. Then add remaining ingredients, making sure to mix well.
4) If not moist and/or sticking together well, add more breadcrumbs and/or sauce from beans.
5) Scoop mixture into hand, or alternatively a ice cream scoop, and form patties. Using the same pan, coat with more oil. Fry patties over medium for about 5-6 minutes, or until browned.

We made these into sandwiches, and since it made a lot, also over salad as leftovers!

Crafting Up the Baby Room

2009-06-13T15:08:00.010-04:00

We've been working on making our own art for the baby's room. I think i'm done now, after making stuff for the last 3 months! Some projects were extra fun as J and i did them together - not something that we do often enough! Here's a photo gallery for you to check out. I've posted some more photos on my Flickr page as well. Stay tuned for photos of the actual room too!Can you tell i have a bit of a theme? Wait till you see more photos of the room, but i am definitely going for a certain feel! I found some of the projects in books and on-line and others we just created ourselves. For instance, i'm sure you've seen the cloth birds around - they've definitely made their way around blogland! But, they are so simple and quick to make, so they make the perfect wall art/mobile! The green leaf pillow (of which i made 2 in different sizes) comes from Simple Gifts to Stitch - i just love that vibrant green.

Thing i made from scratch - 1) the fun storybook blocks. I found images (agan in the same theme) and modge podged them onto blocks of wood. I then added some fun details, to make a simple collage of sorts. To see the details, click here and here. 2) J also has been really into crafting these days, and is especially into screen work and stenciling. So, we decided to work together on making these lovely fabric art pieces, complete with the appropriate black and white art that newborns can actually see. We placed the 5 pieces above the crib, but as babe will be co-sleeping with us most of the time, this will be something to be enjoyed a bit later on. 3) J and i also collaborated on the birdhouse. Growing up, this was a project my parents did together, so it is only fitting that now J and i are - my dad would build the house and my mom would paint it in her folk art glory! We changed it up a bit - J made an alpine-inspired house, and i decorated in some of my favourite vintage green fabrics.

I guess you can call making crafts for the baby's room my take on this whole 'nesting' phase. I have 2 weeks to go today, and am very excited. The room and our home is pretty much ready, and i'm now focusing on preparing myself physically for the birth and mentally for the labour and what comes after!

It's Raining Baby Showers!

2009-06-07T15:46:00.007-04:00

I'm 37 weeks now, which is very exciting as the midwife said that means the baby is term. Not that i should expect to give birth this week or anything, but at least i can be reassured that Gumball is ready enough inside to come out without too much complication. Very exciting indeed!

I just have a couple of days left of work and my body is starting to resent the added pressure of leaving the comforts of my home, and more specifically, my bed. I'm getting tired easily and my poor feet are unrecognizable at times! Thankfully, it's summer so i can wear flip flops and sandals that fit.We had a lovely baby party yesterday with friends. The weather cooperated so we were able to to have it in our backyard as we hoped. We decided to make it an 'open house' potluck so that it was easier to chat with folks instead of having everyone come at once. It also allowed me to have a mellow energy. Friends organized this for us, for the most part, and it reminded me how much we're loved and how wonderful of a community Gumball has already. We also didn't really want too much of traditional shower so the only things that reminded us all (besides my ever-present belly!) were a few decorations i placed around the backyard.I wanted to make my all-time favourite appetizer treat, the Devilled Tofu dish that i think is perfect for a summer backyard party/shower. I also created a lovely drink that had goodies fresh from our garden. Here's the recipe, as requested by some friends present at the party:
Rhubarb Mint Lemonade

1 1/2 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped
3 lemons, organic preferrable
4 cups water, or to taste

1) Place rhubarb, sugar, and water in pot and boil. Turn to simmer and cook for 15-20 more minutes or so, or until bright red in colour. Add mint in last 5 minutes or so. Let cool.
2) Strain rhubarb and mint with a fine sieve into pitcher.
3) Squeeze juice of 2 1/2 lemons and pour into pitcher. Add water to taste - this can be quite a sweet drink otherwise! With 1/2 lemon left, slice and place into pitcher for added flair.Our amazing friends also brought some great dishes and gifts - very generous indeed. We received some lovely things, and some precious handmade goodies, both by our friends themselves and by local artists (see photo above of the wonderful quilt by our friend Suzanne, the retro cloth wet bag, wooden box puzzle, and a month-long dinner service by our friends Mo and Ben! Of course, we got some other amazing, practical, and exciting other gifts too. I wish i had the space to feature them all. But, for some more photos, go to the Flickr set here. Not only did the gifts but also the energy yesterday solidify how much our friends know us, quirks and all! We had a lovely time and having the party this weekend really helped me jump over the hurdle that in only a few weeks time, we'll have Gumball in our arms! Wow! Thank you everyone.

Our Own Community Garden

2009-05-25T15:25:00.012-04:00

We decided this year to extend our backyard space to friends who live close by, don't have an outdoor area, and who love gardening and fresh food like us. Though it's stretching the concept of community garden a wee bit, it's our own personal interpretation of it.

We all have met and discussed what veggies, fruit, and flowers we'd like to grow, as well as where and how to grow them. It's been great learning both from our friends' knowledge of gardening as well as they good books we now have in our ever-growing library.

Here are some great books that helped us get started:
* Garden Anywhere by Alys Fowler
* All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
* You Grow Girl by Gayle Trail
* A Year on the Garden Path: A 52-Week Organic Gardening Guide by Carolyn Herriot
* Compost by the publishers of Rodale Organic Gardening Basics m agazine

This past weekend, we made a huge dent in the garden. A beautiful day perfect for gardening allowed us to fill container boxes with soil and some actual goods! J and a wonderful friend made the boxes a couple of weeks ago - and we made one especially for Gumball! (our baby to be, not our lovely cat, who also loves the outdoors!)Now we just have to stay on top of watering the little lovelies. Already, there are some great things growing in the garden (from last year) like Laurel, Chives, Mint, Raspberries, Marigolds, Currants, Sorel, Rhubarb, Green Onions, Garlic, and more. This past weekend, we planted veggies like zucchini, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, more herbs (basil, lavendar thyme), as well as some great flowers like sweet peas, zinnias, cosmos, coneflowers, and hollyhock.

We're on a tight budget as well as trying to stay organic. Not always things that work together well. We also have to cover the lovely work so that the stray cats and other outdoor critters don't just jump in. When we can, we'll take away the barricade, and put cayenne pepper done - humans 1, stray cats 0! I also love how none of us have a car, but we managed just fine carting stuff around - with quite the handy contraption, i'd say. Speaking of handiness, don't you just love the reused NDP sign used as a wall for Gumball's garden?

We have a lot more to do, but after this week and the great teamwork with our friends, we're pretty optimistic. We're all already dreaming about community dinners focused around our bounty - dishes made solely from our garden like Tomato and Basil Tarts, gazpacho soup, garlic salads, zucchini fries...mmm! Thanks for all the great teamwork everyone!

A Quiet Long Weekend

2009-05-17T12:43:00.006-04:00

We're having our first long weekend of the summer here - okay, not quite summer but i always associate Victoria Day long weekend with summer. Maybe because in years past, it was spent going camping with friends, and now it's a perfect weekend to start real gardening work.

Not that i'm doing much gardening myself. I feel like the foreman or executive chef these days, commanding my honey to do stuff that i think needs to get done. Key part of that last sentence what 'i think' needs to get done, but really i know i run a tight ship and have high expectations. Even that i'm can't fulfill myself. Getting pregnant has been a wonderful lesson of learning to let go of needing stuff done (and now!), as well as always being on top of things that really aren't that important.Anyway, enough soul talk. We've had a lovely and quiet long weekend here. Went to a craft fair full of local Etsy sellers and bought these lovely vintage tin cupcake holders for $5 total from the lovely woman at Nesting Emily who makes the sweetest pottery pieces.Our little honey is also enjoying the long weekend. I caught him snoring in bed when i went up to change the sheets on our bed. I couldn't disturb him, now could i? Don't you just love to catch a cat snoring and being so relaxed he couldn't have cared i was there? Lovely!

Knitting for Baby

2009-05-11T10:29:00.005-04:00

I knit a few little goodies for the little one. I think i am going to take a break from knitting and concentrate on the many sewing projects i still have to do. But, i'm pretty happy with the finished goods. I'm hoping that the baby will wear the wee hat and booties i just finished for him/her on their first day with us on Mother Earth.
Who knew knitting accessories for a newborn could be so much fun and detailed? I love too that my wee one already has his/her first pair of shoes - just like mommy! The booties are from the book Knitting Pretty and took no time at all. And, the hat is from One Skein. It was my forth one (the first for me, the rest were gifts for other bebes), and it was the first one that i made without any mistakes in the details around the border. Whew, now i know it's possible!

I also made this great kicking bag for baby to sleep in. I loved seeing Soule Mama's and found the pattern via Ravelry. It took a few months, but was a lovely project to work on in the car and watching TV. I used remnants of soft cotton yarn, but i'm happy with the patchwork it creates.

Now i can go back to sewing burp cloths, a mei tai wrap, bloomers, and a baby quilt!