i heart mondays

anniversary

2012-02-13T00:11:00.000-08:00

saturday was our 6th wedding anniversary, and we had the *BEST* day!

we usually don't make a huge deal about our anniversary.
maybe it was because for years, while james was touring in a band, we considered ourselves lucky if we were able to even spend our anniversary (or any special occasion) together.

but this year we decided to give each other a $25 spending limit on a gift, and i thought it would be neat for each of us to give a handmade gift as well (with any supplies needed having to come out of our mini budget).

we woke up, and i felt like a kid at christmas, wanting to open up gifts right away!

i love to store gift ideas in my mind throughout the previous months or weeks before special occasions, and so i am always excited to give gifts and see the reaction of the recipient. i bought james a book about a firefighter, and a fire-starter flint.

for my handmade gift: i made him 3 mixed cds with great songs from all of our favourite bands that we have listened to together over the past 11+ years.
i drew my own decal stickers for the top of the cds, and made my own case inserts as well.

i was BLOWN away by james' gifts for me!
he bought me the latest anthology magazine, which i reaaaaalllly wanted.

i was really anxious to see what he would make for me, and i think it is the coolest thing!
years ago, while sitting around a bonfire, he had carved me a heart out of a piece of wood.
for his handmade gift for me, he sanded it, stained it, drilled a hole in it, and turned it into a big, chunky, beautiful necklace!!
totally my style, and i LOVE that he made it!!

after exchanging gifts we went to Mount Seymour and snowshoed on all of the open trails.

we went to the theatre and saw the movie 'the vow' (SO good - total chick flick), and ate the most amazing lobster, crab and shrimp ravioli at the boathouse restaurant overlooking the ocean.

we topped off the night by munching on chips & dip, and watching some of our favourite shows :)

it was an amazing day!
our best anniversary yet!

fridayyyyy

2012-02-10T22:06:00.000-08:00

today i.....

read: nothing yet, but am about to crack open my brand new martha stewart magazine (i LOVE martha)

watched: top chef texas (restaurant wars episode)...this show makes me amazed at how creative chefs can be, with putting together different flavour combinations and ingredients. it is mind boggling to think of that even with the amount of chefs in the world, and restaurants, and books, that there are still new and original recipes to be created!

ate: wendy's! it has been months and months since we had wendy's, so after work, and a dentist appointment, wendy's was the perfect treat!

loved: taking the bus & skytrain with hubby this morning, on my way to work. he accompanied me, on his way into downtown to run errands.

visited: the dentist. call me crazy, but i love visiting the dentist and continuing to get a healthier, and whiter smile :)

looked forward to: our anniversary tomorrow!!! 6 whole years, and we are spending the whole day together! yippee!

today i...

2012-02-09T22:58:00.000-08:00

read: harry potter and the goblet of fire (finished it! yes! onto the next book)

watched: new girl (LOVE schmidt)

ate: leftover hot broccoli dip & some fresh blood oranges

chatted with: both of my parents on the phone

thought: 'when did i get to be an adult with tasks, bills, and all of those 'grown up' things?'

loved: spending time with my hubby

visited: the thrift store, amidst running errands, and found a great black blazer for only $6! score!

sloth love

2012-02-08T20:48:00.000-08:00

my husband informed me the other day that it had been officially 1 month since my last blog post.

january went by much too quickly, and with very little to show for it in terms of art projects, or exciting adventures.

it was a month of working, and getting 'caught up' with rest, reading & fav tv shows.
we also tried to start our year off by getting 'caught up' on appointments, including the dentist :)

after winding down from the busy preparations of the winter craft fair, and christmas, i am finally starting to get that 'creative urge' back again, and i am itching to start many little projects to freshen up our house for spring and summer!

and excuse the randomness, but i found this clip the other day, and i LOVE it :)

in the kitchen

2012-01-06T20:30:00.000-08:00

life has been busy lately, but never too busy to make & eat delicious foods!

check out the 2 food blog posts i did for the 'pig of the month' blog:

how to make a layered shrimp dip

how to make a hearty beef stew

happy eating!!

12 memories from 2011

2011-12-31T17:04:00.000-08:00

being that it is the last day of the 2011, i thought it would be fitting to share 12 of my most favourite memories from the past year:

1. cheering on the packers as they won the superbowl after years of being a cheesehead! go pack go!

2. finding out that my husband got his dream job as a career firefighter

3. being able to celebrate with family and close friends as my little brother married the best gf ever ;)

4. waking up in our new home for the first time, knowing that the possibilities for our new life here were endless

5. helping my (grown up) little sister get ready for grade 12 formal (prom)

6. overnight kayak trip across the lake & camping under the stars with my husband, dad and brother

7. holding my best friend's baby for the first time, and later in the year, attending my friend's wedding

8. making salsa with the annual salsa making crew

9. going back 'home' for my birthdaypalooza/belated thanksgiving dinner

10. attending my first craft fair as a vendor...so much hard work, but extremely rewarding, after years of dreaming of this!

11. date night twinkle tour with james

12. our whirlwind christmas weekend with the fam. 48 hours of amazing food, laughter, thoughtful gifts, and memory making!

can't wait to see what 2012 will bring!
happy new years!

holiday sweets buffet

2011-12-28T14:02:00.000-08:00

amidst the present buying, food preparing, gift wrapping and all of the other christmas related duties, i managed to put together a guest post for making a 'holiday sweets buffet'!

go here to check it out, and hopefully it can give you some inspiration for any upcoming holiday & new year's eve parties!

the 2nd & 3rd dates of christmas

2011-12-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

i know that some of you may have been thinking that i was a bit crazy, trying to plan and execute 12 dates by christmas.
could it actually be done?
and could all of these dates be fun, and memorable (without costing a lot of $$$)?

YES!!

in the past couple of days we had 2 more dates!

the other night we gathered all of our holiday decorations and put them out around our house.
while we were decorating our home, we each enjoyed a nice cold glass of eggnog, and listened to the movie 'the santa clause' in the background.
wanting to take my time decorating, we ended up having a whole movie marathon and watched the entire 'santa clause' trilogy!

and last night, we had date #3!
the annual twinkle tour!

years ago, my family started a tradition: the twinkle tour.
on an evening during the holiday season (mostly christmas eve), we would stop at a gas station and each purchase a cup of hot chocolate, and then we would drive around looking at all of the nicely decorated homes, adorned with many bright christmas lights.
this year, james and i decided to do our own twinkle tour, and so we each grabbed a hot chocolate and drove around for over an hour, weaving in and out of a ton of residential streets (and even some busy city streets) and admired the lights and all of the beautiful architecture.

12 dates of christmas

2011-12-04T20:45:00.000-08:00

having been so busy preparing for the craft fair, james and i haven't really gone on any dates, or spent much quality hangout time together, other than catching up on tv while working on crafts at the same time.

i was reading some blogs yesterday, and was inspired by naomi to begin a new tradition:
the 12 dates of christmas.

so, between now and christmas, (yes, i do realize that christmas is quickly approaching) we will have 12 dates.
they don't have to be big, and we don't have to be out & about spending money, but we do have to set aside that time to be together, and to not let the daily pressures & to-do lists get in the way!

last night we had our 1st date night!

we made homemade pachos (home fries topped with grated cheddar & chopped green onions), homemade honey mustard dipping sauce, and a huge garden salad, and we enjoyed our dinner while watching some of the final season of 'rescue me'.

i would say that was the perfect mellow way to begin our new tradition!!!

craft fair aftermath

2011-12-01T16:38:00.000-08:00

so, it is now days after the craft fair, and i am still trying to tie up any loose ends and catch up on sleep!

i had the day off of work today, and was able to tidy up the house (which you couldn't see the floor of, due to piles and bowls full of fabric, yarn, felt, buttons & other bits and pieces).
i fell asleep around dinnertime last night, and was able to nap today, and i think i am almost back to feeling normal.

preparing for and participating in the craft fair was much more work than i had ever thought it would be, but it turned out to be WAY more exciting and gratifying than i had imagined! the 2 days flew by so fast, and i left on sunday night feeling such a sense of accomplishment and creativity!

when i was younger, in elementary school, i used to hang out with friends and we would make beaded necklaces on the front lawns of our parent's houses, dreaming of selling them at the beach. when i was in high school, i began working for our family business, and was able to be a part of a business that my dad built from the ground up. i was aware of the hard work and long hours that it took to run a business, but felt a sense of pride to be part of something that i wanted to help change, grow & succeed. when i was in university, i was trained and pushed to think of new ideas, and to constantly question and be inspired from my surroundings.

this craft fair was years in the making. it has always been in the back of my mind: create an interesting & handmade product that other people would love to have, and that i love to make & use/wear myself.

and so, when i began this months ago, i set a small goal for myself: sell 1 item per day at the craft fair.
that would be my success.
it would mean that at least 1 person each day had liked an item, that i had created, enough to purchase it!

i am so thankful that i surpassed that goal, and want to thank all of the friends and craft fair-goers that stopped by my table to support me!

i would like to thank james for putting up with weeks of having a wife that had only 1 thing in mind: CRAFT CRAFT CRAFT!
thanks for building the sign, easel, and many many wood boxes, and for being my sounding board when coming up with new ideas.
thank you to my family as well, who gave honest opinions about pricing & products, over the wondrous technology of ichat!

my goal now is to post everything that i have made onto etsy, and to continue to create many more items to be enjoyed.
i was able to photograph some of my paintings today, and hope to photograph the brooches & hair accessories tomorrow, to be posted on etsy.

here are a bunch of photos from the craft fair!
hopefully these will give you a good glimpse into the crafty world of i heart mondays ;)

half done

2011-11-26T18:59:00.001-08:00

after a night of very little sleep (1.5 hours), and a full day at the craft fair, i am exhausted!

but i am super excited with how my booth turned out, and so happy that i was able to complete a dream that started as a small idea months ago.

if you are in vancouver tomorrow, come and check out my display!

it is the Urban Artisans Craft Fair @ the Roundhouse Community Centre.
181 Roundhouse Mews from 10am - 5pm

check back soon for more photos and a recap of my first craft fair experience!!

'round the clock

2011-11-24T11:05:00.000-08:00

i am still here - don't worry!
i have just been plugging away and working non-stop on prepping products & my display for my craft fair.
WHICH IS THIS WEEKEND!!!!
hundreds of products are complete, and the finishing touches are being put on the last bit of items.

i can't wait to share photos of what i have been working on!!!
and, i will be uploading items to my etsy soon as well!!

in honour of thanksgiving, which is being celebrated today by our american friends, check out this autumn themed breakfast i put together. these pumpkin waffles are by far the best waffles that we have ever eaten, and have all the flavours of this time of year!!

ok - back to watching football and crafting ;)

classic comforts

2011-11-08T20:57:00.000-08:00

the past few days have been rainy, windy, and cold.
it seems as though we are right in the thick of fall (even though it is november, and some parts of the country are receiving snow).

we have spent this week indulging in classic comforts:
-homemade macaroni & cheese
-lots and lots of mugs full of tea
-toast with homemade jam
-wool socks
-warm quilts
-cauliflower soup
-chick flick marathons
-many episodes of friends

i have also been crocheting like a mad woman in every spare, waking moment.
(and dreaming about my craft fair display in my non-waking moments)

the other day, on my day off from work, i barely budged from the couch, and ended up producing 240+ small crocheted components! wahoo!

it has helped that the days feel suuuuuuper long, and slow - almost like i am living multiple days in one!

alrighty - back to the grind!
the rest of my night will consist of crocheting, watching real housewives of NY, and reading harry potter before bed.

i will follow you into the dark

2011-11-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

a couple of weeks ago, we were fortunate enough to be gifted with tickets to see an AMAZING band in concert:
death cab for cutie.

we have loved them for years, and although we didn't know the newer songs as well, we were so pumped when they played some of our older favourites!

the band was soooo good live (we didn't expect any different), and we even saw a few familiar faces that night (friends traveled from the okanagan for the concert)!

here are a few photos from the night:

oktoberfest eats

2011-10-29T11:15:00.001-07:00

i guest posted today over at the pig of the month blog!
go on over, and check out how to make your own oktoberfest meal!

Fall Lists

2011-10-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

i have always loved lists.
i like writing things down, and being able to visually see what i need to do, or want to do.
and i love to check off items from my list, knowing they are complete!

this fall i stumbled across this neat Fall 2011 'Bucket List', and i have been mentally checking off things as we complete them!
i find that as fun as it is to be spontaneous, sometimes you have to be intentional and have a plan, in order to cram all of the fun things into life!

last weekend we went with a group of friends to a local farm and were able to accomplish quite a few of the items!
to get into the farm, you paid an admission fee which included:
-walking around and seeing the animals
-watching a musical band dressed up as veggies perform for the kids (which was hilarious)
-taking a hayride out to 2 pumpkin patches
-a corn maze
-getting to pick out and take home 1 pumpkin & 1 apple

falling for october

2011-10-17T15:37:00.000-07:00

so far, october has been a nice mix of busy busy busy days out and about, and mellow days at home.

i have spent the last couple of weeks:
-going back to the okanagan for a few days
-attending 2 weddings in 2 days
-starting a new job
-getting accepted to a holiday craft fair
-crocheting many many items
-starting a weekly tradition of watching x-factor with friends
-welcoming old friends that recently moved here
-chatting & texting with friends & fam on the phone
-watching football
-walking outside
-watching 'american pickers' with the hubby
-trying to get rid of even more processed foods from our diet, and eating as much homemade as possible
-watching kim kardashian's wedding on tv (SO luxurious!)

here are a few photos from our afternoon walk we took the other day along the seawall to granville island.
it was sunny, but the air was crisp and it was the perfect day for a walk.
and it was neat to come across a shop that we hadn't noticed before: a broom shop, filled with handmade brooms!
with the coloured leaves on the ground outside, and the brooms hanging in the shop window, it made me giddy for halloween!!!

momma a's corn avocado salsa

2011-10-08T01:05:00.000-07:00

i guest blogged about my new favourite recipe over here!!
check it out :)

somebody that i used to know

2011-10-03T16:36:00.000-07:00

i saw this video on a blog yesterday morning, and have since watched it at least 15 times.
super catchy, and the video is pretty neat too, so i had to share!

peaches & plums

2011-10-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

when i returned home from my visit in the okanagan last week, i also returned home with a TON of fresh fruit.

not wanting it to spoil, i knew i needed to spend some time chopping, freezing and canning, so that during the winter months we would be able to enjoy the delicious taste of summer.

i was inspired to make freezer jam for the first time after seeing it on holly-sarah's blog, and went to the store right away to purchase freezer jam jars & pectin (which were on sale, half off!! yahhh!)

i blanched, peeled and chopped all of the 20+ lbs of peaches, froze them on baking sheets (so they would not freeze in a giant lump) and put them into plastic freezer bags. I did the same with plums, except kept the skins on, and chopped them in halves, quarters & bite size squares - all ready for any recipe!

my freezer is now fully stocked!! it is definitely worth the effort now, to enjoy this seasonal fruit later!

homemade laundry detergent

2011-09-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

well, you may have noticed that i was gone for another week.
i arrived home a couple of days ago, and immediately made myself a to-do list of things to accomplish by the weekend.
along with unpacking and putting everything back in its place, i had quite a few 'homemaking' tasks to do!

i love to do anything domestic. i love to spend time in the kitchen, and find ways to be more organic/green, as well as to cut down on costs and be as thrifty as possible.

i have been most excited to try and make my own cleaning products, beginning with one of the most used & most expensive products: laundry detergent!

we went with this recipe, on a new blog that i found, and i am really enjoying reading back through all of the past posts, and gaining even more ideas!!
there are so many recipes to make cost effective products that not only do the job well, but don't involve lots of chemicals that are bad for us, and for the environment.

you can find variations of this recipe online to make a liquid detergent, but i think the dry one was faster/easier to make, and i was able to use a clean, recycled sour cream container to store it in, instead of buying a big bucket.

Here is the recipe:
1 bar of shaved bar soap (Ivory, ZOTE, Fels-Naptha)
*we used a cheaper no-name brand*
1 cup of borax
1 cup of washing soda

-grate the bar soap using a fine grater
-mix ingredients together in a bowl until well blended
-store in a container with a lid
-voila! done! SO EASY!!

we doubled the recipe, and it made 1500 mL. (we stored it in a 1 kg sour cream container & a 500 mL one)
use 1 tbsp per laundry load, and we estimate that this will last 100 loads (and we have plenty of ingredients left over to make about 4+ more batches!)

we did our first load of laundry using this detergent and the verdict:
SUCCESS!!!

the clothes came out fresh, clean and we were so excited knowing that the 3 ingredients we bought will probably last 6-12 months.

YAY! what a thrill!! :)
(it's the small things in life, right?)

comfort food

2011-09-17T20:05:00.000-07:00

well, with chilly weather moving in, and after a few weeks of busy busy busy, it is no surprise that hubby has come down with a cold, and i am feeling a bit under the weather myself.
but, i am trying to ward off any more sickness, so we spent today resting, napping, watching tv, & drinking orange juice and gingerale.

midway through the day, i felt a craving for a baked good, that would be both comforting & tasty.

i decided to make whole wheat banana muffins (from joyofbaking.com).
they were the perfect snack for this rainy, mellow day!

here is the recipe:

2 cups (260 grams) whole wheat pastry flour (can use unbleached all purpose flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/ 2 cups (360 ml) mashed banana (about 3 large ripe bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (120 ml) pure maple syrup (preferably Grade A dark amber)
1/2 cup (105 grams) light brown sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) milk
1/4 cup (60 ml) canola, corn, or safflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup (75 grams) walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped*****

Garnish: (Optional)
1 large banana, sliced or dried banana chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners, or you can butter or spray the muffin cups with a non stick vegetable spray.

In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon

In another large bowl combine the mashed bananas, lightly beaten eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. Fold in the chopped walnuts. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery muffins.) Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins and, if desired, place a slice of banana or dried banana chip on top of each muffin for garnish. Bake about 18 - 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for five minutes and then remove muffins from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 16 regular sized muffins. (or 9 jumbo ones)

*****instead of using nuts in my recipe, I actually substituted in chopped strawberries. I just pulled out some frozen strawberries, and chopped them up into bite size pieces, and added them in.

make yourself a cup of hot tea, and sit back and enjoy this tasty treat!
happy baking :)

london fashion

2011-09-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

just wanted to pop in and share this awesome video i found online!!
it is so neat looking at london fashion over the past 100 years, and i am in LOVE with some of the looks!

another...

2011-09-14T22:18:00.001-07:00

another 2 weeks have flown by!

we:
-have experienced a few days of overcast, gloomy weather....i think fall is almost here, and i also think that i will have to get used to a winter with very little snow and many days of this gloomy weather (that will be strange!)
-have also experienced a few scorching hot days! like, wearing tank tops & flip flops, hot!
-enjoyed a visit from my parents for 3 1/2 days!
-went to an antique mall and spent hours looking through old records (and found a mint condition beach boys record! score!)
-visited fort langley & panned for gold

i:
-burnt my arm on a lightbulb and have spent days icing it and have it all wrapped up (i will never ever try to turn a lamp off reaching down from the top again! soooo silly!)
-am so excited for all the new seasons of tv shows to start! SURVIVOR! PAN AM! NEW GIRL!!!
-have spent a lot of time crocheting and getting things ready to put in my etsy store again!!
-have also been planning on applying for different craft fairs *hopefully i get accepted to at least one*

and to wrap this up, i have some super exciting news!
i am now a guest food blogger at Pig of the Month BBQ blog!
My first post was 'how to pack the perfect picnic' and i had so much fun putting it together! i would love for you to check it out!!
it is such a neat experience to be able to write about one of my greatest loves - food!! (hehe)

okey dokey, i am off to watch real housewives of ny, read some of my orla kiely 'pattern' book, and snooze for the night!
ciao!

WAFFLE DAY!!!

2011-09-01T19:47:00.000-07:00

anyone who knows me can attest to this:

i am a girl who LOVES traditions!

i love looking forward to things, week after week, or year after year.
i don't expect them to be exactly the same, because i know that people change, and my parents have taught us to have an open mind and be flexible.
but you can bet that for every holiday, we have traditions.
for sporting events, we have traditions.
even for every season, we have traditions.

and now, a new tradition in my little household:
WAFFLE DAY!!!!

because my husband works shift work, his 'weekend' changes every week, and so i wanted to make a tradition that we could do on the first day of his weekend. something we could look forward to, and get excited about.

and it is quite obvious that around these parts, we get mighty excited for food.

so i mix the batter from scratch, and make each waffle using our waffle maker.
for toppings, i chop up different fruits, and let them simmer in a pot with a bit of water, until it all condenses down into a nice sauce. no need to add sugar - the fruits are so tasty on their own!
then, i use my hand blender to whip up fresh whipped cream.

we occasionally put a touch of syrup on our waffles, along with the fruit & whipped cream, too.

are you excited about the long weekend??
because i sure am!
our plan is to spend lots of time with loved ones, eating delicious food, and chillaxing!!!
yahoo!!!

last weekend of the summer

2011-08-31T17:12:00.000-07:00

well, it is the last day of august, and so i thought it would be fitting to show photos from our most recent trip to the beach!
so glad we were able to spend an ENTIRE day (like, 7 hours) at the beach last weekend with friends!
there were a ton of people at the beach, yet it didn't feel too crowded.
we chillaxed, enjoyed the sun, ate, chatted, played with our friend's kids (always nice to have an excuse to spend hours building things out of sand and collecting shells) and i spent some time working on a bracelet, which is almost done! yeehaw!

goodbye summer. you've gone by super super fast, but i am *really* excited for september and the turning of the season.

to me, autumn signifies coziness, an abundance of holidays & family time (hello birthdaypalooza!), football (YES! go pack!), and a fresh start. maybe i am still stuck in the mindset of a schoolkid, but i think the fall means the start of a new year!

so, hello september!
i've been waiting for you :)

last night...

2011-08-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

last night was a fantastic way to spend an evening!
hubby and i chillaxed on the couch watching the last few episodes of dexter, season 5.
(we are SO excited for the new season to begin!!!!)

i spontaneously suggested going for a walk along the water, to get out of the house and get some fresh air.
we walked for over an hour and i was able to snap some cool shots.

and then we came home to watch the BEST episode of friends (the thanksgiving episode guest starring brad pitt), stuff our faces with popcorn, and i caught up on reading some fav blogs.

this weekend will be for:
-sunshine
-hanging with friends
-eating tasty food
-enjoying the last weekend of summer (HOW DID THAT HAPPEN SO FAST??)

gyotaku

2011-08-26T12:14:00.000-07:00

last month i was trying to brainstorm ideas for activities that would allow us to explore our new city, and keep things on a budget.

it is definitely easy to dine at restaurants, go to exhibits, the movies, and concerts, and feel like you are getting involved in 'the scene'. but with a little bit of effort and research, there are tons of interesting activities that can be done that are just as exciting as anything that you would spend tons of money to do! (do i sound like i am on a tourist board? ha!)

i came across the beaty biodiversity museum from a blog that i had stumbled on.
i searched their website and found a free (by donation) lecture and workshop for gyotaku with a master fishprinter.

gyotaku is a traditional japanese method of fish-printing. from the lecture, we learned that it is a valued art, because it is both artistic and scientific! fish-printers are able to print fish & various animals, after they have died, but before they are turned over to scientists for research. the prints turn out visually appealing with fantastic colours, and a way for those fish to be recorded accurately in scale (pardon the pun :)) and shape.

in the workshop, we were each allowed to print our own scallop shell. we rubbed a bit of rice glue over the surface of the shell, then laid an extremely thin white silk square overtop. we then used silk covered, cotton balls (on a stick) to dab paint onto the silk, and the shape of the shell began to show through.

in between the lecture and workshop, we were able to explore the biodiversity museum, and it was AMAZING! my favourite feature was the sampling of feathers from different bird species. oh, and i couldn't help but think of pumba as we passed by that warthog!

it was such a fun, quirky way to spend an evening! we are so glad that we tried something new, and now we have our own fish-prints to frame and hang on the wall!

paint the roses red

2011-08-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

no, this post doesn't involve painting, or roses, or painting of roses, but that is one of my all-time favourite parts from the movie 'alice in wonderland'
flowers are such a simple way to bring beauty into your life.
i love picking flowers and arranging artful displays to look at, and enjoy for days.

when i was back home a couple weeks ago, i was able to spend part of an afternoon flower-picking at a local garden/fruit stand.
i have a few friends from art school that i still keep in touch with, and whenever possible we try to go on mini-adventures.
sort of 'tourist in your own town' type things:
beekeeping, farmer's market, visiting local farms, etc.

we originally planned to go to an orchard and pick fruit, but that didn't work out, and so we ended up visiting the farmer's market. then, as we were driving, we came across this produce stand surrounded by fields, that i have noticed for years, but had not yet visited. we saw a sign for flower picking, and quickly pulled a u-turn, and drove right into the gravel parking lot.

the cost was $5 for 15 stems (better than the supermarket bouquets!) and there were so many varieties to choose from!
it was so fun to be out in the sun, picking flowers with a friend, while listening to the quiet buzzing of the bees.

three weeks

2011-08-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

are you wondering where i disappeared to for the last 3 weeks?

i went back home to the okanagan (hubby was able to come for a bit), and filled my time with:

-working during the days
-taking care of my parent's house, yard and business while they were on vacay
-visiting my best friend in the hospital, hours after she had her baby boy
-working out on the elliptical
-trying to eat less (still eating yummy foods, just not stuffing my face as much :))
-playing croquet in the park with good friends
-family dinners
-overnight kayak trip, sleeping under the stars
-kayaking after work
-matinee movie date with my momma (seeing 'the help'- so good!)
-bridal shower for a friend
-catching up at the shower with all the ladies/friends from church
-family sports night (playing badminton, croquet, basketball and doing random athletic competitions, just for fun!)
-hanging out with a friend, chatting for hours
-crocheting

yesterday was my first day back on the coast, and i spent the entire day on the couch.
i feel pretty exhausted from the past few weeks, and know that it will take a few days to adjust to being back.
so my plan for today is to:
-unpack
-eat yummy food
-catch up on more tv shows (LOVING the glee project, and can't wait for the finale!)

what's on the menu?

2011-07-30T21:29:00.000-07:00

just thought i would pop in to share some foodie photos i have taken lately of all of the home cookin' we have been doing!
last weekend we hit up 2 farmers markets to stock up on fruit & veggies, and have been enjoying some laid back, summertime meals!

ok, well, i am off to enjoy the rest of my evening, which has already been quite enjoyable.
crocheting, eating nachos, and watching (don't laugh at me!) 'nick and vanessa's dream wedding' on tlc.
booyah.

quarter life crisis

2011-07-28T15:36:00.000-07:00

i'm gonna be honest here-this week has been hard.
i think all of the emotions, and the excitement, and the weight of this year and so many changes hit me this week.

i am not writing this to cause alarm, or to have others take pity on me.
and i am thankful for so many things. this week it was just harder to focus on those things and easier to be mopey, and grumpy and blah.

this past year, james and i have done and been through so much. we have had multiple jobs, and spent a lot of time with those we love. friends and family travelled to visit. our cat passed away. my brother got married. my sister graduated high school. my husband got his dream job, and we moved hours away from family. i now commute for a few weeks at a time to our hometown to finish working my last season for our family business, which i have worked at for over a decade.

that's a lot for anyone to deal with. but cram it all together over a short period of time, and it seems like, whoa!

and i am left feeling a bit confused about who i am right now, without the normal (and sometimes crazy un-normal) busyness of life. i like making new friends, but i miss the ease of seeing all of my friends that i have had for years. i like living closer to family that i rarely get to see, but i miss seeing my immediate family all the time. i like the anonymity of this big city, but i miss the familiarity of our smaller hometown. i like that i have all of this free time, that i have been wanting for years, but now i find myself questioning what i am doing with my life, and what my next step should be.

i think i am having a quarter life crisis.

so what does one do if they are having a similar crisis?

what any normal adult would do, of course.

build a fort in the middle of the living room, make snacks, and watch hours of gilmore girls* while hiding out in the fort.
declare the fort is no-boys-allowed, but then make an exception for an extremely nice husband.
sleep in this fort and then wake up in the middle of the night with a stiff back and thank god that there is a comfy mattress in the next room. (take blanket and husband and retreat to comfy bed).
awake the next morning and return to fort. continue watching episodes of gilmore girls.*

*note* during the gilmore girl episode watching, relate to everything that rory is going through, during a similar quarter-life crisis. also relate to the episode entitled 'the big stink' in which a pickle train derails near the town and a horrible stench fills the town air. (the air surrounding our neighbourhood seriously smelled like a pickle train detoured through here, and it was horrendous. all windows were kept shut).

it took about 24 hours, but yesterday afternoon i started to feel a bit better. i took down my fort.
i remembered about this blog post by one of my favourite bloggers, and realized that i am not the first person to feel this way, nor am i the last.
i listened to this song.

(notice i am not posting the official video for that song, but instead, an nfl commercial. it seems more homey to me.)

i made some food and took some photos. i read some magazines, and blogs and watched some tv. i texted with friends and emailed with family.
and thought some more. i swear all i do is think lately, but i feel like i am getting somewhere.

and i found a bit of comfort and relativity in these quotes:

'change is the only constant' -heraclitus

'life is a journey, not a destination' ralph waldo emerson

'to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven' ecclesiastes 3:1

change is a tricky thing.
but i know that with a bit of time i will embrace these changes and begin to make this my new home.

our first visitors

2011-07-23T22:22:00.000-07:00

it has been a few months since moving into our new home, in our new city.

we have been back and forth a couple times to our hometown, but had not hosted any visitors yet, until last weekend!
my sister and her boyfriend stayed with us for a few days, which we managed to fill with many activities, good food, and lots of episodes of friends & ny ink :)

the first night they arrived, the three of us took the skytrain downtown to walk around, listen to some live outdoor music (a street festival was happening that weekend, which was a nice surprise), and peruse through some shops while james worked.

i made a roast chicken dinner the following day (for the first time ever....somehow, stuffing a chicken made me feel like a grown up), and we hopped on the skytrain again. this time it was to see owl city, live in concert! it was held in an unbelievably cool theatre, and one of the opening acts, mat kearney, was amazing!!

our 'outing' for the following day was seeing the newest, and final, harry potter movie in 3d.
it was sad to watch and know that this was the end of the movie series, but i am really excited to begin reading the books (i waited all these years to start them!), and one day, visit the wizarding world of harry potter!

and the movie? IT WAS AMAZING!

cupcakes & scones

2011-07-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

so i saw on twitter that one of my favourite cast members from the mtv show '1 girl 5 gays' requested some drawings of cupcakes for a possible future tattoo.
not one to pass up a creative opportunity, i took out my sketchbook, art pens & pencil crayons, and drew a couple designs.

also, today i made some scones! i used whole wheat flour instead of white, and they turned out soooo yummy. they had a nice crunchy exterior, but smooth and cake-like inside. a perfect afternoon snack, paired with a glass of milk!

get me some galette!

2011-07-19T13:11:00.000-07:00

after catching up on household chores & laundry yesterday, and watching many episodes of seinfeld & friends with james, i decided to make a dessert that i had seen weeks before on this wonderful food blog.

a galette is a free form pastry, and can be filled with various sweet or savoury things. i have never made one before, and was really excited to try a new recipe, and use up ingredients i already had at home!

the verdict: this was a super easy dessert to make, and really tasty! i loved the simple & beautiful way that this pastry looked, and i think it would be a definite crowd pleaser for a party with friends or a family dinner. and if i had a summer cottage, this galette would be the perfect end to a day at the beach, hanging out on the dock, soaking in the sunshine and fresh summer breeze.

notes:
-i didn't have all purpose flour, so i used whole wheat. it was a fine alternative, but i would probably have preferred the taste of white flour.
-i didn't have turbinado sugar, so used organic cane sugar to top the galette. after looking up turbinado sugar online, it seems like the cane sugar i used is similar, and it tasted and looked great to me!
-the pate brisee was not as sweet as we imagined it would be (probably due to equal amounts of salt & sugar). i would add some more sugar into the dough to make it sweet enough.
-i used all frozen berries i had on hand
-i baked mine on a baking stone. we typically bake/cook all of our baked goods (pizza, chicken, desserts, etc) on baking stones. they produce fantastically tasting, evenly cooked foods, and allow us to go through less parchment paper.
-i don't own a food processor, and so i used the old school method of a pastry cutter mixed with pure woman strength :)

some more reasons to 'heart mondays'!

2011-07-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

so i originally titled my blog 'i heart mondays' because i had mondays off of work every week.
it was my day to be creative....to paint, crochet, sew, etc!

although i do work some mondays, i still love going to bed sunday night knowing that when i awake, it is the start of a new week. a fresh start to anything i am doing, or thinking about. a new week is on the horizon, and the possibilities are endless!

this monday is not even halfway over, and it has already been incredibly exciting for 2 reasons!

1. early this morning, my sister and her bf jory left, after staying with us for a fun packed weekend (more on that later :)). i finally finished our living room art wall that i have dreamed about for months, and was able to photograph it this morning!!

anyone who knows me knows that i have a very eclectic design style. my philosophy for design falls in line with this quote from william morris: “have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.”

when picking out accessories and art, i don't really think about how things will go together. i know that if i think it is beautiful, or quirky, or tells an amazing story, then i can work it together into a cool vignette that makes me feel excited to be at home.

and so i had this idea, to put together an 'art collage wall', full of art and photos that i have collected over the years. there are metal peacocks picked up for a few dollars from value village, hanging with a limited edition screenprint from my screenprinting professor. a photo with a piece of our childhood jungle gym (my dad put together this 'shadowbox' style photo for me), some random letters, and a cross stitch i made in honour of my husband (featuring kelly clarkson lyrics), and more.
i am SO excited with how it came out and glad i can share the photos of our living/dining room with you!!!

2. to describe this next awesome part of my morning, all i can say is WAHOOOOOOO!!!
let's start from the beginning:

as an avid reality tv watcher & interior design lover, i was immediately captured by jillian harris, who was one of the ladies vying for the bachelor, a few years back. fast forward a bit, and jillian was the featured bachelorette on the following season! so exciting! i loved her personality, her style, and it was neat during the 2 seasons to see her bring some of the guys to my hometown, in the okanagan, and my (new) home on the coast! after the shows aired, i have tried to follow her (in a non-creepy way ;)) as she has been featured in different magazines, and now on extreme home makeover! she is a real style icon to me! she is always fashionable, and i love the way that she designs interiors! and how cool is it that she is now a successful designer (dream job!) after coming from a small canadian town?

awhile ago, i came across a contest on her website to design a hardhat for her to possibly wear on extreme home makeover. so, while staying with my parents in the okanagan for a couple weeks, i worked during the days, and filled my nights with visiting friends, and enjoying the beautiful summer weather. this contest was still in my mind, and one day i decided to devote that whole night to designing hard hats. i made a template, went to the store and got paint swatches to cut into squares for colour palettes, and spent hours drawing, cutting & pasting. i submitted the designs, and that was that.

fast forward to this morning. i receive an email from jillian's website (i am on the mailing list) saying that the hard hat winners were posted.

AND I WAS ONE OF THE THEM!

here is my design:

phew, what an amazing start to my day! i am so excited to see the design come to life, and see a style icon wear it on tv! what an honour! lovin' this monday!!! :)

small town girl in a big city

2011-06-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

well, i know that my blog has quickly turned into a food blog...ha!
i love food, and presenting it in an appealing way, and lately, my meals have been some of the most exciting parts of my days.
the last few weeks have been spent totally relaxing, and also setting up our new home. unpacking, sorting, and trying to make our place organized, practical and beautiful. it is not yet done, but getting close, and when it is complete, i will share some photos! the next few days will be spent hanging art, and placing decorative things around our home-my favourite part!!!

any outings around town exploring this new (to me) city, have been spent with my husband, and friends.

so when an opportunity presented itself to me on saturday to step out of my comfort zone, and have a big city adventure, i jumped to the chance (with some nudging from james)! NOTE: i have kept this a secret for days now, waiting for the photos to be posted online, so i could post on here!

on friday night before bed, i was online and checking into my twitter account. on twitter i follow a handful of celebrities and favourite bloggers, who post updates and links that i usually find really interesting. one celebrity i follow is bethenny frankel, who became famous as a housewife on the real housewives of new york, and now has her own reality show about her life, and has written 3 best selling books, and created a wildly popular margarita beverage.

anyways, she tweeted that she would be in our city the following day to promote her skinnygirl margarita coming to canada.
i googled a route, and tried to figure out how long it would take me to get there by car. i didn't know if i would actually go, but i went to bed dreaming of how neat it would be. i woke up to discover that james had taken our car to work, instead of his bike, because it was raining. i decided i would stay at home and have another day around the house, unpacking.

a bit of time went by and i realized that i would be missing out if i didn't go, and needed to figure out a way to get myself into town to meet bethenny! so i quickly got dressed and ready, and briskly walked to the nearest skytrain station. i have only been on the skytrain once before, years ago, and never alone. i bought my ticket, and boarded by myself, figuring out what station to get out at. i needed to walk a few blocks to a chapters, so i could buy bethenny's book to get signed! then, i had to walk multiple blocks to get to the liquor store she was at. (all of this in the rain, by the way). as i am jogging on the sidewalks, umbrella overhead, the liquor store comes into view and i see a HUGE lineup, wrapped around the building! i get into the end of line, and people start lining up behind me as well. i end up chatting with the gal behind me, who was alone as well. we both bonded over bethenny talk, and the fact that this was such an unusual, awesome experience! we ended up hanging together at the signing and took the skytrain together, to different stops.

so, to get to the point: I MET BETHENNY!!!!!!

it was short, but sweet, and will forever be a memory for me! i navigated this new, big city on my own, took the skytrain by myself for the first time, met a new friend, and also met a celebrity whose work ethic and personality i admire! WOW!

lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

2011-06-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

the title of this post comes from a nat king cole post.
but i know it from an episode of gilmore girls.....and now i can't get that song out of my head :)

i realized this week that i hadn't watched any gilmore girls since being in our new place. GASP!
don't worry-that changed quickly.

so, last sunday, james and i went to a nearby city to join my nana on a trip through the local farmer's market.
it was MASSIVE!!! streets were shut down, and vendors filled both sides of the streets, with a ton of people walking through in between. vendors were selling everything from canned/prepared food (olives, salsa, curry), to plants for the garden, craft items, and much more! we were only interested in some fresh produce, and any plants that could be planted in our small pots we purchased for our patio.

under one of the tents was a utility trailer, filled to the brim with freshly picked peppers! orange, yellow, red and green! i grabbed one of the provided plastic bags and put a few in, and gave to my husband to go pay. james came back and let me know that each bag filled was $4! they were not weighing the bags, or charging per pepper. it was $4 for AS MANY AS YOU COULD STUFF IN EACH BAG!!!!!

so, i emptied out the few peppers and started again, this time being strategic in the size and placement of the peppers. I managed to squeeze 7 peppers in, and realizing how fast we go through peppers (they are one of our mutually favourite veggies), decided to fill another one! so let's do the math: 2 bags, 14 peppers total, $8!!! only $8!! we were pretty pumped :)
we also purchased a small basil plant and some mini yellow tomatoes.

this week we enjoyed some relaxing days of lounging, and other days full of errands, or exploring around town. we went to the main library in our new city, and it was the BIGGEST library i have ever been in! 7 floors of books, with escalators in between! wow! we signed up for new library cards and then spent an hour riding from floor to floor and grabbing books to sign out. it was hard to think of books on the spot (i hadn't made a list prior), but found some goodies, including 'wichcraft' by chef tom collichio.

i built another ikea bookcase yesterday, as the first bookcase didn't house all of our books. little areas of our house are slowly coming together. next up is finishing unpacking and setting up the spare room. oh! and yesterday we were able to score a sofa bed frame off craigslist for $15 for our spare room!!! woot woot!!!!

oh, and of course we ate a lot more delicious food this week too :)

me love food!!

2011-06-12T22:21:00.001-07:00

okay, so anyone that knows me well knows that i love food.

i mean, LOVE food.

if you were to look at my top 5 priorities in life, food is on that list.
i think about food all the time, and sometimes think about the next meal, even if i am not done eating yet :)
am i sounding a little crazy yet? ha! i can't help it!
my mom is the best cook/baker, and i grew up watching cooking shows, as they were always appropriate and educational.
even in elementary school, i remember that while other girls talked about wanting to meet certain celebrities, which included the usual 'hottie' actors and singers....

...i wanted to meet emeril lagasse. (you know, the chef that says 'BAM!')

anyways, now that i have shared a bit about my food obsession, i am gonna share some photos i took of some of the tasty meals i ate this week. (another obsession: taking photos of/looking at photos of food.....but this one runs in the family ;))

a little bit of this, a little bit of that

2011-06-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

the past few days have included:
-2 trips to ikea
-one visit to the movies to see 'the hangover 2' (pretty raunchy, and not as good as the first one)
-grocery shopping & loading up on lots of fruit & veggies
-a delicious chicken fajita meal prepared by james
-an afternoon jaunt around a local artsy neighbourhood
-a walk to a store to buy a basketball, and then continuing our walk to a nearby high school to shoot some hoops. i also enjoyed the sunny weather, and relaxed on a blanket reading magazines
-james worked and i spent that time building our ikea purchases (outdoor table & chair set, and bookshelf)
-birthday eve meal of pasta with homemade tomato sauce & caesar salad for james
-birthday lunch at our fav restaurant, boston pizza
-watching the canucks/bruins game at a friends
-loving the weather here (nice and sunny at times, and cool and refreshing at other times)

hApPy BiRtHdAy!!!!

2011-06-04T19:22:00.000-07:00

today is a very special day for a very special person!
although he has to work night shift tonight at the firehall, i am so glad we got to share a nice birthday lunch together.
we have celebrated birthdays for over a decade together (and with my family), and today was the first milestone we have shared just the two of us, without a large family birthday celebration, or family movie night. a little weird, but hearing from family members on the phone, having the sun shine all day, and eating at our favourite restaurant hopefully made this day special.

i thought today would be a fitting day to share a few of the things i love about james, in no particular order:

1. he is by far the funniest person i know
2. he supports me and encourages me in everything i do
3. he is very personable, and can get along with anyone
4. he likes to cook (and it is always delicious!)
5. he loves my family and considers them his family
6. he is able to share his thoughts and feelings easily
7. he will protect me like no other
8. he is so musically talented (he could probably be a 1 man band)
9. he is very determined (to do his best, and try to provide for us)
10. he is actually so smart! (that might sound like i am surprised, but he has transformed from a non-motivated high school student to a college graduate, who excelled, and was on the dean's list!!)
11. he loves sports and athletic activities
12. he loves to watch/go to sporting events with me (go pack go!)
13. he loves food as much as i do
14. he is trustworthy
15. he accompanies me to art events & shows
16. he is hot ;)
17. he has big dreams, and always has
18. he has toured all over north america with his best friends
19. he is adventurous
20. he has a very caring heart
21. he loves being a firefighter, and looks forward to work
22. he enjoys a balance between busy days and lazy days
23. his ideal date is great food, hanging out on the couch watching a fav. dvd series with wifey :)
24. he knows how to fix almost anything
25. he takes the time to plan neat things for birthdays & events (which i LOVE)
26. he is my best friend

we promised each other when we were 15 that we would never let our life be boring. so here is to another year full of happiness, adventure, and non-boringness ;)

what day is it again?

2011-06-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

so far, the past few days have been full of:

-hanging with hubby (when he isn't at work)
-lots of homemade food
-chatting with my fam on the phone
-catching up on my tv shows that i missed for a few weeks
-reading many of my fav fashion, craft & food blogs for inspiration

a lot of the same everyday, and my schedule is so relaxed that i keep forgetting what day it is :)
i am still adjusting to life in this new city, away from my family and close friends, and have a feeling that it will take a lot longer than i think for it to feel normal here. so by filling my days with the things i listed above, it makes me feel a bit more normal, and a bit more 'at home'.

yesterday i woke up with a bit of the blues and barely any motivation to do anything (plus, my husband dropped my house key down the elevator shaft by accident so i am on house arrest...hehe), and decided that even if i don't get to my to-do list (unpacking more, working on various photo albums, etc) then i should at least freshen myself up to feel more lively.

showering, painting nails, eating a yummy lunch of leftover homemade curry and rice, and watching more real housewives is definitely the remedy to feeling 'blah' and sluggish.

and so is doing a mini photoshoot to show off my newly painted nails.
precious.

i'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

2011-06-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

i started this blog quite awhile ago, posted a bit, and then stopped. i had just started an online etsy store, and had the best intentions to build that up, and to blog consistently to promote my business....

.....aaaaaand then life happened :)

with a full time job, a husband, and household duties to take care of (on top of other things: being involved in church activities, helping with events/weddings, hanging with friends, etc), i had very little time or energy to put into a business and blog. and to be honest, my goals for both were not focused enough to be successful. don't get me wrong, i think that it is great to have a wide range of skills, talents, and likes, but i just didn't know where i wanted my business to go, and hadn't thought it through enough. and i am definitely not into being one of those bloggers that post for a week, stop for a few months, post an apology full of excuses and promises to post more frequently, and then stop again for months. nope, sorry. it's either all or nothing with me.

so, over a year has passed since my last blog post and i have decided to keep this blog as an online journal for myself, and my family (and of course, anybody else that reads this :)). my husband and i have recently moved from the interior of b.c. (canada), to the coast, and this will be a great way for my family to share in our day to day life.

i have a few guidelines in mind for myself this time 'round though:

-i am blogging for my family, so that they can see photos and hear regularly about my life. that said, i might not post exact specifics (names of people, or places we go, etc.). they know that info, and i do need some privacy from the online world :)
-i will post whenever i want to, and not feel pressured by the amount of posting other bloggers do
-i won't stress out if photos aren't perfect, or if posts are a mish-mash of thoughts
-lastly, i hate capital letters so don't be surprised if you see very little of them here. and i love reality tv, so don't be surprised if you read a lot about that here.

good? good!

moving on.

after working and staying with family for a few weeks, on sunday i returned here, to my new 'home' on the coast. my hubby welcomed me home with a nice bouquet of flowers :)

i feel like i haven't stopped going, going, going in months, so my plan for awhile is to relax (and catch up on my pvr-who am i kidding? :p), and to enjoy and explore this new city with james!
it is only wednesday morning, but so far this week has been great!!! full of adventure, but also full of chillaxin'!
we went for a 4-5km hike through a beautiful park, and were able to enjoy the smell of the ocean and the sights of skyscrapers, boats both near and far, and lush plants all around. we ate some tasty homecooked food (hot broccoli dip-yes mom, i ate more :) ha! potato salad, fried smokies, and veggies with dip. and then some homemade cookies with smarties and cut up bounty bar! yummmmmmmmm.

yesterday we went to a park, full of hiking trails and a suspension bridge! seriously-freaky! i am not the greatest with heights, so looking straight down almost 200 ft, while walking on a shaking bridge that is narrow enough for only 2 people to pass, was a tad scary, but very exhilarating!

the hiking trails were awesome, and the neverending stairs made me feel like i was in the movie 'the labyrinth'. i felt like david bowie was going to flip up from underneath them at anytime!! (i guess that only happens in my dreams...ha!)

ok, hopefully you are still awake after reading this novel, and not deleting me off your google reader or bookmark bar already!
i'm off now...to spend some time reconnecting with the real housewives of beverly hills!
ciao!

technology is mindboggling!!

2010-03-13T22:48:00.000-08:00

this is amazing.
i saw this on Leigh-Ann's blog....this would be the greatest tool for anything creative!! :)

doritos contest :)

2010-03-13T19:55:00.000-08:00

hey everyone,
Help my brother Daniel get Doritos to name their new Flavor "Mythical Charge". Watch this short commercial he made, and then send it to everyone you know!!! The winner has to have the most views!
thank youuuuuu :)

even more oscar love!!

2010-03-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

a lovely reader, anna, informed me that the oversized beading on carey mulligan's dress was beading, and objects, like scissors, etc. i love it even more now!! :)

and the oscar goes to....

2010-03-11T19:06:00.000-08:00

my fam and i watched the academy awards this past sunday, and i really enjoyed them this year!
i thought they were so well done, from the hosts (funny but not too crude or rude), to the amazing set design which felt very 'old hollywood' to me.
being a lover of all things pop culture, one of my favourite things about award shows is the red carpet, and seeing the beautiful dresses, suits, accessories, hairstyles, etc! so, i thought i would show you my top fav red carpet outfits:

loved these pale, and elegant beauties :)

even though i don't really enjoy k.stew as an actress, i thought she chose well with this dark gown.

the oversized beading on carey mulligans dress was so hip, and gorgeous!

the colours of these dresses were stunning, and i loved the boldness of vera farmiga's dress!

i think my absolute favs this year were the patterned dresses that rachel mcadams and maggie gyllenhaal wore. the fabric/prints were quite unique for a glamourous awards show, where most of the time celebs choose solid, or jewel encrusted gowns. i thought the slightly laidback flair of these dresses fit the california awards show well.

and lastly, if i were a man, and attending an awards show, i would want to look like zac efron or tom ford (i loved his faux flower boutonniere!!)...just sayin :)

i don't know about you, but all this glamour makes me want to whip out some nice fabric, my sewing machine and get busy making a red carpet worthy dress!!

quiltathon!!

2010-03-03T20:37:00.000-08:00

this past weekend my mom and i participated in a quiltathon!
it was sooo much fun!
there were 93 participants who spent either a half day or full day at the quiltathon, which was held at a local middle school.
the event was timed, from 9am to 5pm, so that we could establish a record for amount of quilters participating, and amount of quilts made.

these beautiful quilts were hanging all throughout the school, and in the large gym we were working in.

we ended up finishing 124 quilts!! wahoo!!!! they were smaller lap-quilts, made of 5 rows of strips, each consisting of 7 squares. the quilts will all be sent to an organization working in africa, which was coordinated by the middle school. what a great cause, and a fun event!! as a beginner quilter, it was so cool to be able to work alongside women of all different skill levels and learn new tips and tricks, and of course it was awesome to be able to spend the day crafting with my momma :)

love love love

2010-02-11T22:15:00.000-08:00

today is our 4th wedding anniversary :)
we are having a mellow day, eating comfort food (stew and cake) and watching great movies and survivor! the perfect mellow anniversary!
the past 3 years we have been away (for work, or james touring with his band), so we are just stoked to be together, and in our hometown!
here are some photos from that special day, 4 years ago:

and here is a video featuring the song that i walked down the aisle to. if you close your eyes, you can really feel the emotion behind the music....so beautiful! we had a large wedding of over 300 people at our ceremony, and our wedding party walked down the aisle to the quiet melody at the beginning of the song. when the instruments kick in louder was when the doors opened, and my dad and i began to walk down. magical! :)

what are your special plans for this valentines weekend?? my plans include working, vintage/thrift store shopping with a good friend, going and seeing the movie 'valentine's day' with james, aaaaaaaand watching as much olympics as possible!!!! (wearing the awesome red canada mittens my hubby got me :))
sweet dreams!
xo

a little bit of loveliness....

2010-01-15T22:25:00.001-08:00

i wanted to share with you this video of a beautiful song.
seeing him live was one of the most magical concert experiences i have ever had.
outside on a summer's night, with coloured umbrellas and twinkly lights strung from the trees....
pure magic.
xo

merry christmas!

2009-12-25T15:33:00.000-08:00

i hope everyone is having a magical christmas!
xo

Granny Stars

2009-11-07T22:32:00.001-08:00

Granny Stars
Originally uploaded by sarah london textiles

OMG these are amaaazing!
and i think this will add to my granny square obsession....
i need to learn to make these like, now!

hihi

2009-10-29T23:22:00.001-07:00

(photo credit)

i've been out of town for work, and it's been a bit hard to blog, but i am going to try to make it routine while away on work to blog blog blog!!
i head home tomorrow and am looking forward to a movie marathon on halloween, and a harvest hoedown on sunday, complete with square dancing and carnival games!! yay!
what are your plans for halloween??

i've got a song in my head....

2009-10-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

and this is it! check out this catchy song by our friends (and the nicest guys you will ever meet), Ten Second Epic, featuring Lights:

sweet dreams!
xo

i've been a busy bee!

2009-10-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

so these past 2 weeks have been veryyyy busy and exciting!!!
first, my dad and i made salsa!!! something my family used to make every year, and my dad and i decided to do it again this year! we used lots of garden fresh organic produce and it is sure tasty!

i finished and hung my last painting that belongs to a grouping i did for a local hair salon! i love seeing all the paintings together!

and this past weekend, i did makeup for a friend's wedding (makeup for the bride, her mother, and bridesmaids) and then decorated both the ceremony and reception! it is truly a passion of mine to decorate and help at various events, like weddings! events like these bring together all of my favourite things: decorating, crafts, design, food, music, etc! here are some photos i took of the reception hall.

the photos are dim, but i wanted to just use the candlelight in the photos, to show the ambience that was created. we made those huge tissue paper flowers that i have seen on many crafty blogs, and martha!

oh and every spare minute lately has been spent crocheting granny squares!!! i am an avid knitter, and have tried many times to crochet, and been very unsuccessful! i followed this tutorial a couple weeks ago, and it is now so easy!!! i am so excited, and am making tons of squares in different colours, and will put them together into an afgan! i think i have about 45 done so far! yay!!!!

happy monday loves <3

why, hello you!

2009-10-04T15:04:00.001-07:00

my, it's been awhile!
since i last posted, summer left us and autumn has arrived, and i am sooo glad for that!
i welcomed this new season by enjoying the crisp air, making fruit crumble (with apples, pears, apricots and sour cherries) and making some of my brooches into hair clips! fun!

i had to work yesterday, so i am spending today in comfy clothes, hanging on the couch knitting a scarf, watching tv, listening to some great tunes and crocheting GRANNY SQUARES!!!! i am soooo excited! i followed the amazing tutorial by katja and was successful right away!!! i am now on my third square!
enjoy the rest of your sunday lovelies!
xo

oh project runway...i <3 you

2009-09-26T19:48:00.000-07:00

project runway is such an inspiring show that instantly makes me want to be a fashion designer.....i want to jump up from the couch, buy a bust form, and run to my sewing machine and start whipping up amazing creations like they do! here are some of my fav past contestants:

season 3 winner & badboy jeffrey sebelia who runs his own clothing company 'cosa nostra'

also loved alison kelly from season 3!

she recently started her own etsy shop and was even featured in this storque article! here are some of her designs:

christian siriano, winner of season 4, has such a distinct style, and i was inspired that he is so driven and successful in the fashion world at such a young age.

even one of my fav actresses wore his fashions lately!

the final 3 contestants of season 5 were all so talented, but so diverse in their taste and fashion styles.

kenley collins, who had a signature style with bright red lipstick, pinup hair, and meticulously crafted vintage inspired clothing.

kortu momolu, a young hip mother, who created pieces that fit & flattered women so so well! and she isn't afraid of using vibrant coloured fabrics, which makes for such a bold exciting runway show!

and leanne marshall, winner of season 5, and a west coast girl from oregon! she was all about using organic shapes and quality construction to create simple, classic and chic designs.

do you all watch/like project runway?? are you as inspired as i am??

and speaking of fashion, is anyone else excited to see this movie? i hope it comes to a theatre near me!!

night night!
xo

it's friday night & the mood is right....

2009-09-25T16:11:00.001-07:00

gonna have some fun, show you how it's done,
TGIF!!!!

anyone else remember that little jingle??
my family and i used to spend every friday night watching the classic shows on ABC, such as family matters, boy meets world, step by step, full house, sabrina the teenage witch, you wish, & teen angel.

it was such a fun tradition that we looked forward to every week! oh, and the best part was eating the junk food that my parents would buy as a treat :) chips, dip & pop....yummy!!!

i think the hubby and i are going to grab some food and have a date night <3
enjoy your friday night and be sure to check out this super amazing video of the beatles, playing on a rooftop in london, 1969.

eye*candy

2009-09-24T21:57:00.001-07:00

i can't remember where i found these photos (sorry!!), as they have been saved in my 'inspiration' folders for awhile, but here is a bit of inspiration before bed :)

wahoo! yippee!

2009-09-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

well i am a bit late, but that was an adventure to list items on etsy for my first time! :)
i listed 15 brooches on my etsy!
here are some of them:

and here is my favourite clip from one of the greatest movies ever made, the labyrinth:

eeeeeeek!

2009-09-20T09:23:00.001-07:00

ok i am so excited!
i am actually doing my first ever shop update today!!!

i have been knitting brooches like CRAZY and have a few paintings to put in the shop as well!
things will be in the shop by 8pm CST so check back :)

now i am off to do some makeup for an upcoming sci-fi short film by Icepick Productions!!
wanna sneak peek??

remember to check the shop later, and check back here too!
i am going to do a post showing you my amazing findings from Pier 1 yesterday....i love that place!
xo

tgifffff

2009-09-18T21:28:00.000-07:00

this has been a long week, and i haven't been feeling the greatest, so i am sooo glad it is friday!
some great things that happened this week:
james and i went to a new aquatic centre in town this week. it was so fun to go on waterslides and in the wave pool!

and the show that got me hooked on reality tv started its billionth season....ok ok exaggerating, but really, it has been on throughout my middle school, high school, and university years, and i look forward to every season! :)

we had a band, the latency, stay with us this week as well. my cousin-in-law is in the band, and they stay with us when they tour through here. check out their music! their cd just recently came out, and it's been awhile since they have been here. it is always nice to see them :)

anyways, i must go to bed as it is a busy busy weekend ahead! my momma and i are going shopping and to a movie tomorrow :)
sweet dreams
xo

monday loves :)

2009-09-14T17:42:00.001-07:00

whoa...another week has flown by!
i spent today hanging out on the couch, knitting, drinking tea, reading blogs, and watching the best show ever:

here is a painting i have been working on and finished this past week:

i have spent time this week looking through photos by this amazing photographer, sarah maren!! so good! i love her style, and her photos make you wish you were there!
here are a few photos from a 'day after' session (taken the day following this couple's wedding):

i originally discovered this photographer through princess lasertron's blog, which is one of my favs!
she makes beautifully crafted bouquets and accessories from felt and vintage buttons, and is such an inspiration as a young, successful female entreprenuer!

tonight my plans are to do more crafting & painting, and to watch:

and catch up on last night's episode of mad men.
happy monday!
xo

autumn is here!

2009-09-07T20:05:00.000-07:00

i spent today decorating my house with autumn decorations and painted like crazy!
i have so many paintings on the go right now, i love seeing ideas from my head come to life on a canvas. it's magical.
here are some photos of a group of paintings that i was commissioned to do & finished on saturday:

on sunday i went to the fair with my husband, james, and some friends. there was so much to see and do!

this week i am super excited for the season of glee to start! their version of 'don't stop believing' by journey is amazing!

i'm also really pumped for the football season to get underway!!!!!! woot woot!

happy monday!
xo

i loveeeeeeeee...

2009-09-05T23:19:00.000-07:00

QUEEN!
i have a new found love for them, especially this live performance of 'killer queen'

and if this is playing at a theatre near you, DO NOT miss out on seeing this gem:

sooooo good! but then again, zooey deschanel can do no wrong in my books :)
i am so inspired by the characters she plays, and her personal style!

i had to get a few technical things worked out before posting on etsy, so the update will now happen this upcoming week, but it's gonna be great! xo

sneak peek...

2009-09-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

i have been busy busy tonight working on some knitted brooches to put on etsy this week, beginning tomorrow!!!

wanna see??

and here is one of the paintings i will be putting up as well:

i'm getting sleepy so i think i am going to read a bit of one of my favourite books (soooo inspiring!!!) & go to bed :)

night night! xo

hiiiiiii

2009-08-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

hi everyone!
welcome to my new blog! it will be my little place to share bits and pieces of my everyday life with you, especially anything artsy & crafty.

a huuuuuuuge thank you to leigh-ann, who designed my blog! she is so fantastic to work with, and amazingly creative!

'i heart mondays' has a special meaning to me. most people get really bummed out about mondays, but i am so fortunate to have mondays off of work and i look really forward to each monday. i get to spend the entire day being creative and making pretty things for my house, or for my friends. annnnnd soon, you can check out my etsy store to see and purchase some of my creations! i am sooooo excited :)

i can't wait to start to share my life with you.
happy monday!
xo.

p.s. check back tomorrow for a sneak peek of wednesday's shop update!!