Heart Garland

Inspired by the heart garlands over at house on hill road, I got to work and made one.   My intent would be to make a gazillion, but time hasn't been on my side.   It's on my to-do list for now.  May this serve as a reminder.  To be honest, this little string of hearts only took a few minutes, but I made it a lot longer by gluing sheets of scrapbook wrong sides together so that the hearts were patterned on both sides.  Next time, I plan to embrace the white (wrong) sides, and save myself an hour of gluing and drying.   It really is as simple as cutting heart shapes free-hand and stitching them together with the sewing machine, and hanging it with tape.

Valentine's Day Decorating Music Mix:

• Comme des Enfants - Coeur de Pirate
• Flowers in the Window - Travis
• Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
• Nantes - Beirut
• Ce Jeu - Yelle
• I Feel it All - Feist
• Migrations - Christine Fellows
• Heartbeats - Jose Gonzalez
• Paperweight - Joshua Radin & Schuyler Fisk
• No Myth - Michael Penn
• Two Hearts - Jayhawks
• Ice Cream - Sarah McLachlan

Air hugs,
N

A Teenager's Sanctuary

There is one room in this house in which we rarely step inside.  It's kept tidy for the most part.  I sneak in every few weeks and feather dust it to freshen it up a bit.   I never stay long.  I bet it's a treasure trove of teenage angst and drama.  I'd rather not find out as I am certain it would probably keep me up at night.  There is also a large collection of monkeys, and their stares are a bit unnerving.  Terrifying, really.  However, I am enamoured by her wall of art.  There are a few paintings that she has painted, but my favourite is this portrait that her best friend/boyfriend painted of her for Christmas.  He absolutely adores her, and I know that he spent so much time perfecting it.  I love it!  She spent an equal amount of time knitting him a super long navy scarf, and he wears it every time he steps outside which is more than I can say of Mr. J who has wore the Cobblestone I knit him once in two years.  They're so cute and cool and sensitive.

Happy Saturday!  I'm going to hunker down and get some knitting finished.  I'm excited about dinner - hummus, pitas, and fresh veggies.  It's a nosh kind of night.

N

January

The house has been stripped of Christmas, and I can feel the rhythm of our everydays return again.  It's quiet.  It's warm.  It's bright.  My face is stuck on smile.   The busyness of school and work makes us appreciate our weekends more.  A roast is cooking slowly, the sun is shining, and my feet are up.  The knitting needles are clicking, and I'm coaxing Mr. J to leave his comfy spot on the couch to fetch me a cup of hot apple cider with no luck.   That's fine.  It's time to stretch my legs.  But if I'm getting up, I'm going to make it worthwhile.  I should start a new batch of bread dough.  That'll take five minutes tops.  Ooh, and there's a princess puzzle in progress on the dining room table that I can hit on my way back to the couch.   This is the life.

N

Bread & Butter with a Little Dill

Christmas has been a success on all fronts.  We gave and received plenty.  Silly bandz have been sorted by colour.  Turkey was scarfed down.  The house is surprisingly tidy.  Knitting continues.  Five full-length family movies have been watched.  Pyjamas need to be laundered.   It's time to get dressed and step outside. :)

Peace and joy to everyone!  I need to make a pickle tray.  I googled it already, and there's no way to kick this one up.  Any ideas?

Cheers!
N

Friday Morning

Tomorrow, I'm sleeping in. At the very least, I will stay under the covers until 8 a.m.   I'll be back, pillows and duvet.  Do not fear.   Until then, stay warm and cozy please.

N

Snow Days

We're on a second snow day here in southwestern Ontario.  No one is complaining.  There's been baking, playdates, cleaning, laundry, knitting, lots of shovelling, building snow forts, pyjamas, hot chocolate, movies, and lots of relaxing.  It's been a gift.

On the other hand, I'm very cognizant of the work piling up on my desk in the office, but it will have to wait.  The weather has other plans. :)

Cheers!
N

What's in Your Fridge?

During the week, I am the last person home each day, and for the most part, dinner is usually being put on the table as I walk in the door.  This is an absolute blessing.  For the most part.  Mr. J is very skilled in cooking tuna noodle casseroles (after many years of mishaps), warming up frozen dinners, and slow-cooking roasts in the crock pot.  He is a lover of rice and convenience.  And he is the king of the barbeque.  The girls are more than pleased with what he has to offer.   But every now and then, I will rush home a bit early before he wakes up, and I will start dinner from scratch.  I'll root through the fridge and dig up all the vegetables and place them on the counter.  I'll pull out a grapefruit-sized lump of bread dough and throw it on the stone to rise.  I'll heat up the oven, and chop veggies to my heart's content.  Sometimes, I'll end up with a salad.  Other times, an omelette.  More often than not, a soup.  Today it was cheese omelettes for three of us, noodles for the littlest, a romaine salad with all the goodies above, and a potato leek soup for tomorrow's dinner.  I find so much satisfaction from these impromptu cooking extravaganzas.  I also appreciate that my little family doesn't rely on them happening consistently. :)   'Cause sometimes I come home pooped!   Now if only getting homework completed was just as easy . . .

N

NOTE: Those wack-a-doodle carrots were yanked out of my friend's garden on the weekend, and they are perhaps the sweetest carrots I've ever had the pleasure of tasting.  I ate half that bowl raw.  I wonder if she needs me to visit this weekend coming up.  Hmm . . .

Pictures of a Picture

I can't believe the amount of work that went into this picture.  When I saw it at the bottom of a Goodwill heap, there was no question in my mind that it was meant to be mine.  I love those little golden knots and every single whipstitch on this loosely woven canvas.   Unfortunately it isn't framed, but I can fix that, or maybe I'll just tighten it up on a new board as it's gotten a little saggy.  I was picturing it hung up in my craft nook, but visitors would have to descend into the basement to admire it.  :)  And I think this sort of stuff needs to be oohed and ah-ed tout le temps.  Perhaps I will incorporate it into my autumnal decorating of the mantle.  I confessed to friends over the weekend that I had a whole dresser drawer full of branches, pods and pinecones from last year, so I'm pretty much all set.  I hope that came off as normal behaviour.

N

Procrastination Pays Off

It only took five years, but I finally hung up some of my pictures.  We eyeballed it and took about twenty minutes tops as only we do.   The three on the bottom are from Australia and the talented Inkberry Blue.  The abstract on top is a Christmas tree painted by the littlest when she was four.  She also drew the family portrait on the left.  You can't see the middle picture, but my sister brought it back from San Francisco, and it's very lovely.  And the two pictures on the far right were from a yard sale in Ailsa Craig, but I think they're paintings of Old Quebec.  The flowers are from El's grade 8 grad last week.  Each day I wake up and pass the bouquet, and it looks better than the day before.   Sweet!

Speaking of happiness, I finally got my hands on This Emotional Life.  I just need six hours.  And a grande vanilla latte.

N

Post Gathering on the Green

I added another piece of sweet art to my Cara Simpson collection at the Gathering on the Green this year.  It is entirely made of fabric - half quilted and half embroidered.  I wish I was half as talented.   I should round up all my pieces and stage a little collage.  Add that to my to-dos.

Knitting has been non-existent this week.  We've been busy.  One night was spent watching the oldest play Helena in her class's rendition of A Midsummer's Night Dream in which family and friends were seated cabaret-style.  That was pretty neat. And hilarious.  The kids in her class are koo-koo for cocoa puffs.  To give you an idea of what I mean, do you know the part where Oberon doses the sleeping Lysander with magic?  Well he did it while dancing to Thriller. :)  What else did we do?  Soccer practice, board meetings, a baseball game, and a movie.  Craziness.  I think we'll just sit back and take it easy this weekend.  I'm going to finish the dress for the Bumblebee,  bake some of these cookies, hang out in the backyard, and knit.  Bliss.

What's on your plate this weekend?

N

At My Kitchen Window

Sometimes when you are scrubbing a cheddar omelette off the skillet and the spatula, and the smell of cooked egg and cheese is making you gag a little, it's nice to look up and see some pretty flowers.

I finished the sweater on Saturday, and I put phoney seams down the sides and weaved 3/4 of the bajillion ends in.  When I get the other 1/4 of the bajillion ends weaved in and the sweater blocked, I will proudly show it off to you.   It fits!  And I am so happy that I could seriously marry it.  Just saying.

N

Friday Night Sights

I need to swatch for my EZ Project #4, but while I get my butt in gear swatching, I have been slowly working a row here and a row there on my Lacy Baktus.  I am using Knitpicks Palette from the stash in a nude colour.  I love how it is super squishy and drapey and light - perfect for warmer weather that is bound to arrive shortly.   And it has occurred to me that our Easter decorations have not been unearthed from the basement yet.  I will add that to the list for this weekend.

Happy Friday night!

N

Paranoid

About two years ago, expiry date tags came up in conversation three times in one week, and I took it as a sign that I should never throw one out ever again.  Up until recently, I had been throwing them into a kitchen drawer.  Over Christmas, I cleaned out a bunch of drawers, and I was thrilled with my tag stash.   They are now being displayed in a pretty bowl.  And that's why I am dangerously close to becoming a hoarder.  Ironically I think I was cleaning out the drawers because I had stayed up late the night before watching that dang show, and I was scared silly when I looked away from the television, and my eyes were met with piles of knitting, crayons, polly pockets, books, blankets, and cereal.  Okay, maybe my house doesn't stink of rotten food yet, but these things take time.   I am clinging on to little pieces of pastel plastic!!!  Oh dear.  I'd say I've lost my marbles, but there's a whole 'nother bowl for those.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy

It's 2 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon, and we've just gotten dressed for reals, and the Bumblebee is doing the mambo or some kind of salsa all over the living room.  So far we've beaded, drawn thumbprint animals, knit, and embroidered.  The paperwhites are blooming, and they're definitely 'fragrant'.  :)   I'll kill it with some chili in the slow cooker 'cause tonight is field hockey practice, and we'll want to eat as soon as we walk in the door.   'Til then, I'ma gonna go back to the comfy couch and curl up with my sock knitting, a cup of tea, and a silly book.

Happy Sunday!

N

A New Year

Happy 2010, everyone! 

We've spent all morning staring out the window at the snow swirling around and making everything a little lighter and whiter.  We've also been keeping an eye on the bird feeders we made yesterday with pinecones, birdseed and lard.  So far, all we've managed to catch is a bright red and very plump cardinal pecking away at the pinecones.

All this work requires another cup of tea. 

N

The tree decorating is out of control.  Some of it has gotta give.

N

An Ode to the Middle of December

We're 3/4 dressed for the holidays.  We're waiting for the tree to accustom to being in the house, and then it, too, will be 'dressed'.   Lights, ribbons, balls, snowflakes, icicles, acorns and the occassional monkey or My Little Pony.   I was going for simple and classy, but then they excitedly brought home disco ball ornaments and gorillas.   A block of butter is making its way to room temp on the counter for several batches of snowballs.  I've wrapped four gifts, and already I am tired of wrapping.  This inevitably happens every year.  It's tradition.    These are just my random thoughts from one half glass of white zinfadel.  Call it my ode to the middle of December.   I need to buy egg nog.   One litre should be sufficient.  I usually get over-zealous and buy two litres and one will eventually rot, and when I pour it down the drain, I will gag and swear off egg nog forever until next December.  I will say to everyone I converse with from now until the 25th that we MUST get together before the holidays, and I will consequently slap myself for dangerously overbooking my social calendar.   If I ever complain of loneliness, hit me over the head.   The holidays are for connecting and being grateful and GIVING.  Must remember to love a bit more.  Smile and think productive and positive thoughts.   I need to get the skates sharpened.   I think this is the year that the Bumblebee must learn to step away from the wall.  I shall entice her with chicken nuggets all wrapped up under the tree.  That kid loves meat.  I'm also planning my second turkey dinner which excites me to no end.   I'm going to have to make room in the fridge.  Could this post be more random??? 

Cheers!
N

Sweet Surrender

Yesterday afternoon while Mr. J hung up the xmas lights in the front yard, the littlest and I tried our hand at salt dough ornaments. It wasn't easy. I had to climb a small step-ladder and stand over the rolling pin and put all my weight into flattening the dough. After that small feat, we stuck our freshly cut ornaments into the microwave where they bubbled up really strangely. I will have to go out at some point this week and buy some acrylic paints to finish them up, but just because I don't want all this effort lost. I burnt my fingers on these puppies. She had fun though, and that's what matters.

Then she woke up this morning complaining that her tummy hurt. She had half a bagel for breakfast. The bagel was promptly chuffed, and all liquids since. We've been to the doctor, and there's nothing to do but keep her hydrated with popsicles and ginger ale. Poor kid. So that's been our weekend. Doughy tea biscuits, crunchy split pea soup, watered-down coffee, and puke buckets. It's been a bust. But there's always next week. Please let there be edible meals that remain in our bellies.

N

Brown

I'm digging the brown today. The kids are watching Ghostbusters much too loud, and I have soup simmering for a work gig.

N

Best Costume To Date

Every year we argue about costumes. This year was no different. I wanted to make a jellyfish costume to showcase my creative skills, and the littlest insisted that a fish was in no way scary. Nothing but scary would do for this one. So I relented, and as is the case each time I relent, it is a success. Man, I hate to admit that.

So the oldest went to work finding black garments, and then she made a list of what was still needed. I drove to the store with the list and managed very well to pick up each item even though last-minute Halloween shoppers were swarming the seasonal aisles. I returned home to sew some twill tape to the sides of the hat to tie in a bow under her chin while the oldest applied make-up and finished the transformation. Actually the cherry on top has to be the Converse high-top sneakers, but who's counting? A perfect team effort!

I'm always amazed that this little sprite is so filled to the brim with excitement with each holiday. In all of her 13 years, the oldest has never been thrilled to see Halloween arrive while the littlest counted down the days. No, really. Every single morning before I had time to pour the cereal, she noted the number of remaining days. She started this two weeks ago. And while I dreaded it, she begged her dad to bring up the decorations from the basement. She dusted off each skeleton and hung up each ghost and bat in the box. She found some tattoos and made me apply them all over her arm. She planned out all the candy and made special treat bags for her friends. It was insane. And it was contagious. Us adults and teenager couldn't help but smile and enjoy ourselves. Dang kid.

N