Monday, May 25, 2009

a little bowl of sunshine

sunshine
{frozen mangos & peaches}
a staple around here and a favourite breakfast treat or afternoon snack. my son eats it like it's going out of style.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

i.heart.gimp

lately i've spent a little of my spare time playing around on gimp and using tutorials to learn some new photo editing techniques. for being a free software i'm super impressed. i'm just breaking the ice in curves and presets and all those fun things. ok, so here is the photo i started with:
and here's what i ended up with:



{for anyone interested here are the tutes i used. a. b. c. d. }

Friday, May 22, 2009

coming soon

soon to be diapers
i've been busy cutting out some diapers for my daughter. i've had some of these fabrics stashed for quite a while, just waiting for the perfect project for them so i'm excited to be using them. i admittedly have a very hard time making that first cut into a beautiful fabric. to me fabric feels like art so i always feel a little guilty to just ruthlessly chop it up. i'm really excited to see the finished product of these though. stay tuned. hopefully i'll find a few moments to myself over the weekend to sew.
sneak peak

Thursday, May 21, 2009

more fun with felt

i was in the mood to create something this morning but needed a quick fix while my 4.5 month old was napping. so out came the felt and my handy snap press {which hasn't been used as much as it should be} and minutes later i had a couple finished objects to satisfy my creative itch.they are v e r y s i m p l e . just 2 layers of felt cut into a square and a pair of snaps for each corner and presto! a box to store loose change, cellphones, sunglasses, keys...pretty much anything you want.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

photo

i've been busy uploading some pics to my flickr and just had to share this pic.
{i'm completely in love with that vibrant chartreuse}
vibrant

nostalgia


, originally uploaded by TŠ°nya-B.

a good friend posted this photo of her sweet son splashing in a puddle and i was instantly transported back about 20 years. growing up in the pacific northwest, i spent many many hours happily playing in the rain. there is something comforting and magical about a rainy afternoon. her photo inspired me to make a mosaic of some of my fav rain inspired pics on flickr

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

oh where could it be...and a new project

we move. a LOT. somewhere during our last move my iron disappeared. now, i'm almost certain i've used it while we've been here (we have been here for just over a year after all.) but for the life of me i can't seem to find it. i started sewing a cute little boxy bag over the weekend but I really need my iron. a good pressing makes all the difference i feel and i can't tell you how frustrating it is not to have my iron. we are moving again at the end of next month so maybe the mysterious vanishing iron will resurface during all the packing and unpacking.

we had a long weekend here and i was inspired to start a sewing project that has been on the back burner for a few months. i've wanted a boxy little bag for quite a while to store knitting projects or DPN (double pointed needles) or whatever i need to tote from one place to another. i recently came across this tute and thought i'd give it a whirl. I've made a few modifications (like measurements, strap placement and the finishing of the lining, but i'll go more into that in another post. for now here's a little sneak peak at how the bag is shaping up.

new header

i felt like it was time for a little more colour on the blog so i made a new header this morning. whatcha think? in case you forgot what my previous banners have been they started as this:

blog banner

and then i had this one:

old blog banner

i just needed something a little more cheerful i think and i'm a bit restless when it comes to layout (as i'm sure you've noticed.) a fresh change is always a good source of inspiration.

Friday, May 15, 2009

f 141

my son is ALL boy. he's noisy and rambunctious and constantly playing some form of hockey. oh the hockey. he eat, sleeps and breathes hockey. he's been that way since he learned to walk. it's not an uncommon thing to find him dead asleep with his stick or a puck grasped tightly in his little fingers.

i tell you this only to come out with this truth....my son LOVES pink. if given the choice he will always pick pink, whether it's the pink straw or the pink juice or the pink cup. i like to think that it is because he was suddenly surrounded by PINK everything when his little sister arrive at the beginning of january (that's when he first started to show his preference) and that his love for the colour is a reflection of his love for her. in all honesty i have absolutely no problem with it. i mean, who wouldn't love pink. it's a very cheerful colour.

anyways, i've been working on his sweater (which he is super excited about, sweet boy) and yesterday afternoon we were chatting about it, i asked him what colour buttons he wanted on it. he paused for a moment and then brightly replied "PINK!"

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

woot woot

aahhh finally!!! my much anticipated, much awaited parcel made it's way to my doorstep this morning. and what might it be you wonder? here's a little peek.ok so that's a pretty big clue ;) but if you're not sure it's a set of knitpicks options. oh the possibilities! first up...a cardigan for my sweet big boy who will be 3 at the end of june *gasp* and a tamarind cowl in that delicious malabrigo i snagged up a couple weekends ago. ok and before i leave here's a pic of the complete set.

things I love about being a mom

most days i can hardly believe i'm a mom let alone a mom of two but when i really stop and reflect on it i feel very blessed by my kiddos. they are, by far, what i am most proud of. anyways as mother's day is just behind us i thought i would share a few of my favourite things about motherhood.
  1. i love seeing the relationship between my son and his little sister develop. he truely loves her and regularly showers her with kisses and affection. i think the feeling is pretty mutual. she has her eyes glued on him whenever he is around her and he was the first person she smiled at. i can imagine there friendship in the years to come and am just so excited to see how it grows.
  2. my son who is almost 3 is a little spitfire. he has a quick temper and very strong ideas on how he wants things but he is also one of the most affectionate little boys i know. he just feels things a little stronger then most i think and expresses exactly what he is feeling. one of my favourite things is when he wraps his arms tightly around my neck and says "i love you soooo much mommy" *melt*
  3. i love that my daughter (4 months) is so smiley in the morning. nothing better then a big gummy grin.
  4. being able to wear my babies not only allows me to have my hands free it lets me snuggle them those few extra moments. one thing if come to realize is that my kids will be little for such a short time and the time is going faster everyday. babywearing lets me forget that for a little while.
my family, may 9th 2009, mother's day weekend

Thursday, May 7, 2009

viva...

my husband was away this past weekend on a trip with some hockey buddies down to vegas for a hockey tournament. besides the gold medal he came home with, he also brought me back this kitschy mug. now i should have prefaced this by saying that i love a good mug and the tackier the better. i {heart} this new addition to my collection though. all other previously loved mugs have been shamefully neglected. my vegas mug is just the perfect size and shape and it was bought for me with a lot of thought which makes it even better. i can't get enough!

trying something new

i stumbled upon this tutorial on how to change your blog from the standard 2-column layout to 3 columns. just trying it out and playing around a bit so my blog may be switching up a bit until i get it just right. let me know what you think. i'd love the feedback.

and while you wait here's a recent pic of the promise of summer fruit

Sunday, May 3, 2009

yummy



this yarn is sooooo soft and dreamy. can't wait to knit it up. i'm still trying to pick the perfect project though....any suggestions?

*oops i just realized i completely forgot to spill the beans on what exactly this yarn is so incase you were wondering it's malabrigo yarn merino worsted in paris night. a perfectly dreamy colourway name for an equally dreamy yarn.