Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween!


Happy Halloween!
What are your plans?

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Pumpkins!

We carved a pumpkin today!

It was the first Kevin and I have done together and Kevin thinks the first he's actually carved. We opted to go pretty beginner with our design for that reason.

However step 1, is always to get the guts out.

Zac liked the first handful but then decided he was done...
Eli did the rest.
He stayed extremely clean, and serious, through out the entire process which shocked me more then I can write! Not a single smile crossed his chubby little cheeks and a shirt change was not need after the project was done... both things very rare!

Zac with our finished project!


I've been crafting away the last few days and will show pictures eventually I'm sure! I keep running out of things I need to completely finish a project, which is enough to make me want to pull my hair out every time!
I will get my act together shorty though! This week has been madness, but hubby is on a stretch of 4 days off so things should come back to normal and I should be able to think complete thoughts soon. Which means I will have completed projects... soon!

Friday, October 29, 2010

I laughed

I'm assuming that most of the world has seen this video at this point, but I had to share on the off chance that you hadn't.

I laughed freakishly hard while watching this!!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Ouchy fingers

Not much to say tonight I'm afraid!
And sadly, no pictures...
I've decided to embroider all the faces on my little dolls for Etsy, which means my fingers are sore... and the tips of my fingers even more so...
it hurts to take pictures...
it hurts to type...
but I'm so happy with how they look compared to when I painted the faces.
Painting's not my thing I'm sad to say!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Bowl of Yarn

Today I stuck a bunch of yarn that I've been working with in one of my favorite bowls and I think it looks too adorable.

I had it down on one of the side tables in our living room thinking it would be a fantastic "potpourri bowl" substitute. I was, however, being completely foolish forgetting that I have two little boys running around now with a bowl their level containing knitting needles...

yah, I felt like a horrible person when I realized the reality of the situation. And after I had an epic battle with Eli over the crochet hook I thought it best to lift this lovely bowl where they can't get it...

I'm super bummed about it though... so the minute they are old enough, this bowl WILL be sitting beside me while I flip through the channels on my tv in the daylight hours!!

Monday, October 25, 2010

So many projects, So little time!

I have so many projects on the go right now.

And I LOOOVE it!

Hubby and I have decided to open up an Etsy shop where I can sell my dolls and other fun creations. That being said, it means that I have to become a busy little worker bee and get my buns in gear making things and getting them ready for my "Grand Opening".
I also have one quilt I so desperately want to finish in addition to another quilt I have cut, and want to get sewing.
I have two blankets cut and pinned (or will be pinned tonight) and ready to hit the sewing machine.
I have a croched hat to finish, and 3 pictures to embroider.
Not to mention 3 years worth of scrap booking to catch up on!

That's not including all the laundry to wash, fold and put away.
The nasty state of my kitchen that needs to be handled and general cleaning involved in having 2 boys under 3 in the same house...

"Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's off to work I go..."

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Anna Templeton Centre

I am so excited about discovering the Anna Templeton Centre!!

atc

SO excited!
I'm actually loosing sleep I'm so excited!

The Anna Templeton Centre is a school/centre for craft, art and design.
They offer classes in quilting, embroidery, sewing, weaving, drawing etc, etc, etc!
They even have kids programs for children starting at age 3 all the way up to 17! That, in my mind, makes it even more amazing!

As I've said before St John's is 3.5 hours away from the town we currently dwell in, but hubby said we can try and figure out how to get me to some classes.

The classes are roughly once a week and in the evening, so we're thinking we'll just go up once a week and spend two days (one night) in St John's!

SERIOUSLY!
I'm THRILLED!!
**picture taken from the Anna Templeton Centre's website**

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Burnt Caramel and Embroidered Pictures


Today I burnt caramel.

It's something I've never done before, and can honestly say it IS as horrible as they say... I couldn't get rid of the taste of burnt sugar in my mouth for a good 30-45 minutes after!
I'll be honest I was really annoyed, with myself, that I let it happen. I've made caramel before, a few times actually, and I've never burnt it...until tonight...
We're going to a pot luck tomorrow night at one of my husband's co-workers so I've been baking most of the day.
It's good though, with our new "healthier" lifestyle coming into effect, it's helping me get rid of some ingredients that will tempt me into making cookies and eating them in one night to hide the evidence!


I made these pictures for Zac's room a while back, before he had a real interest in anything specific.
There wasn't much to making them, I just cut some animal silhouettes out of fabric and glued them down to paper and then stuck those into frames once they were dry.

Tonight I'm going to start working on an "updated" version of these pictures and I'm pretty excited to see the finished product! Zac has taken a fondness to dinosaurs, so I've drawn up a few and I'm planning to embroider them in some fun colours. I'm hoping it doesn't take me too long to finish them!

We also have plans to watch the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" tonight.
I love that movie!
So if I can convince my hubby to actually watch a movie with the lights on I'm going to get to work on Zac's new pictures...
Wish me luck!

Friday, October 22, 2010

An eventful week

Last week was such an awesome week and I can't believe how horrible I've been at sharing all my excitement!

My parents came for an 8 day visit, which alone is fantastically exciting. Mom and I went on an overnight shopping trip, on our own, away from the boys... for an ENTIRE night... my hunnie and I celebrated 5 years of marriage and on top of all that I got 2 lovely packages in the mail I was waiting patiently for!

I'm so excited about these headbands I got for my nieces for Christmas from Prettylicious.

AND on the same day I also got this highly anticipated necklace!!!

I was giddy when I opened the package!!!

It's from Violet Bella, and I think it's the first of many orders I will be putting in with her!
I so love to read Laura's (the lady behind Violet Bella) blog, I love her almost "hippy", comfortable lifestyle.

In addition to all that it's my hunnie's birthday tomorrow and he's decided to celebrate the day by "starting a new, healthier lifestyle". That being said, tonight is his last horrah with "forbidden" foods...

It should be a delicious evening!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Baking with Nana

Some of the fondest memories I have of my childhood are baking with my mom and Grandma...

Now that Zac is taking an interest in helping with any baking that we do I was super excited when my mom mentioned that she'd like to make cookies with him while here on their visit.

A friend had shared this really simple recipe a while ago that I had stashed away with the intent of doing it with the boys so I got that out and let mom take over.

They had a blast!

Although it may not have caused forever memories, this time, I can't help but hope that someday my boys will look back on pictures like this and be able to conjure up similar memories.

And it made for a tasty snack!


Friday, October 15, 2010

5 Years!

My sweetie and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary yesterday!
5 whole years!!!!
CRAZINESS!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Home Ec Project #1 & Visitors!

I'm taking a "home ec" e-course that I'm quite thrilled about.



As I've said before, I'm mostly a self taught sewer, and am slightly self conscious about my skill. I've been searching for sewing classes in my area that I would be able to attend to improve my skill or learn things I may not think up to teach myself. Unfortunately the only classes I've been able to locate have been about 3.5 hours away, and well... that's just a bit unrealistic, even for me! So I've turned to books and e-courses.

The first project I've completed is napkins! And I think they're super cute!

I had some extra fabric laying around and my mom sent me a little stash of randoms a while ago, for sewing, so I had some green ric rac around as well. Combine the two and viola!

My parents arrive today for an 8 day visit and I'm super excited! Mom and I are planning an overnight Christmas shopping trip into St John's, NL, and I am counting down the hours! This will be the first time I'll have been away from both boys overnight (not counting my hospital time while having Eli as time away from Zac... because that was HARDLY a vacation!).

This week is shaping up to be quite enjoyable!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Paper Dolls

I am so excited...SOOO excited!
I printed off these fantabulous paper dolls tonight and can-not-wait to cut them out.

Originally I wanted these little babies so I could stick them on some magnetic paper and give them to my nieces for Christmas, but as soon as the printer spit them out and I was able to see them in my greedy little hands I fell in love.

Head over heals in love!

I don't know what I'm going to do with them yet... I'm thinking putting them on my cork board in my sewing room and making them part of my daily ritual, but I'm still slightly undecided... I'll keep you informed though!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

I Love

I love that Zac loves being creative!
I love that he has the time of his life making a styrofoam picture (with a bit of my help).

I love that he enjoys posing for the camera.

I love that he likes helping me bake a cake.

It makes me feel like I'm doing something right when he would rather spend that time with me then Max and Ruby!

I love that Eli could colour and draw and play with crayons for hours.

I love when he pretends to be a pirate...

and a cowboy...

I love when he sleeps

I love when they play together (even if Zac isn't wearing any pants)!

I just love my little guys!!


Wednesday, October 6, 2010

To Do Book

I am a "To Do" list junky.


I make them in the morning, I make them in the afternoon, and I make them in the evening. And then I loose them, almost the instant it seems, after I complete them...

I have always wanted to sew paper on my sewing machine, but have been terrified. I was convinced it would ruin my machine... make it smoke uncontrollably and then explode from the mass of noted thread throughout the insides while the motor over heated.

Tonight I decided to concur one of my fears while dealing with my issue of To Do list loosing...

I had an old spiral bound book sitting around that needed a good dose of beautifying so I pulled out the scrapbook paper and set myself up to sew paper... on my machine...

It all worked out! No exploding machine, no tangled thread!
It worked, it worked, it worked!!!


I also love the look of the book! (not the best pictures I'm afraid, something about taking pictures at night...I'll post more later) I can't wait to start my lists and know where they are!
I can feel the productivity rising already!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Printing & Organizing

Zachary is almost 3 years old and Eli is 1.5... in that time, we have not printed a single picture...
until today!


For some time now I have wanted to do up a scrapbook for each of them. I want the first year of their lives to be documented month by month and then after their first birthday I had no set goals, just to continue on randomly or with special events.

Because we were printing 323 pictures I was really hoping the order wouldn't be messed up in the processing and that they'd all come to me in the order I submitted them in... but they didn't! I have spent my evening sorting through all of them, dating them and writing the age of the boys on the back. I sorted them into piles for each boy, each month of their lives and family events.


Then I stacked them all up again and put them back in the box with dividers...


I could not be happier that that's finally done!
Tomorrow, let the scrapbooking begin!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Quilt

I made my first quilt a while ago now and just realized I never made mention of it on here!
It was very exciting!
Because it was my first quilt I opted to try a rag quilt. I'd heard they are easier and a little more forgiving, so I hoped onto Etsy and got a pattern from Sweet Baby Jamie.
It was excellent! She was very clear in her instructions and it came out to be the perfect size for a throw on the couch. I love it!

I've been working on my second since the day after I finished my first. It's taking a little longer then I had originally expected. The pattern turned out a bit smaller then I liked so I've added panels to both ends and sides making it a better cuddle up with a movie blanket.

I'm in the finishing stages now, but I'm learning quickly that with quilting, each of the stages takes a loooonggg time!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Test Cookies

I'm making cookies next summer for my brother-in-law's wedding. We're going to package them with the guest's names on them along with a heart cookie with the happy couple's monogram.

Tonight was my first test run of a few recipes...

I was kind of disappointed with these ones to be honest... they looked wonderful, but not exactly a recipe worth sharing...

That being said, slap a little left over icing on it and they were fantastic!

And then I ran out of cocoa so tomorrow night, recipe #2 will be tested...

my waistline is not going to forgive me for this I don't think!!