Oooh, This has some whine.

I always feel a bit sad when it's time to say goodbye to a year. This year is no exception. It's not been an easy one at times but it definitely has taught me that I am strong and I am capable and that I can do anything I choose if I turn my mind to it. I don't always get the results I want or as quick as I want them but I can see the lessons involved and the growth that is made.

Today I said goodbye to my kids as they will be with their Dad for the next few weeks. It's always hard to see them go and to not be a part of their day-to-day. On the same hand I have learned to appreciate the time I am given and take comfort that they are having a wonderful, safe, and treasured time with their Dad.

See, aren't I a big girl now?

And now, I have 16 days spread out in front of me... for 16 days my responsibilities as a mother are, more or less, gone. I haven't been just Karie in so long. I think for 16 days it will probably feel like I have misplaced my phone the whole time, or that I have left my bag somewhere. Not that I see my kids as much-needed accessories but I know that sense of misplacement that ensues. I'll let it come and I will let it go.

What to do? If I had the cash, I'd be in Vietnam. Part of why it is hard to say goodbye to this year is because next year I didn't live in HCMC, next year I will not have seen my friends since last year. And next year, I will have to say last year when I talk about them and there. I whine but I miss miss miss miss...

But I will wipe away those tears because I look around and I see so much that I am so grateful for. I have amazing and wonderful friends, I am starting to feel a connection with the crafting community here and I want to foster that relationship. I have my parents who are a backbone, never wavering in their support of what I choose to do. I look around and I see a beautiful and blessed life and I have no complaints. Ok, yeah, the weather is the shits.

Over the next 16 days I want to really think about the changes I want to happen in 2011 both externally and internally. I feel the opportunity to live the life that I have always wanted (there are actually a few of them, is that normal?). A new page, a clean slate. Rather silly really that a simple change in date can create this feeling. Each and everyone one of us have it in ourselves to be the person we want to be and do the things we want to do, any day and in every moment. I have to remember that.

So 2010, there are big chunks of you that I never wish to visit again but there is so much more to you that holds cherished memories and experiences. Thank you. And to 2011, bring it on! I look forward to what you hold.

I wish you a very Happy New Year and the very best of you! To my friends here in close proximity and to those spread over the world, you are always in my heart no matter what the year or how many have passed. I love you dearly.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

I'm checking out for a good week or so as I have alot of projects to finish up and baking to do. I have 4 more sleeps with my kids before they leave to spend Christmas with their dad who is visiting from India. Time is precious. And I really want my children to feel the magic of Christmas and have fond memories of a sane mother who participated in their lives rather than a stressed out woman who was trying so hard to make everything perfect for them that she did not stop to enjoy all those millions of moments of joy involved in sharing a life with them. That's fucked. So bye for now blog, and sorry there will be no Christmas card electronic or otherwise this year, and that I'm not baking 12 different types of cookies and sewing all my wrapping, or creating half the things I wanted to make for gifts, nor replacing our ghastly stockings with gorgeous handmade beauties, but that's OK, (actually it's driving me crazy but I'm breathing through it). What am I teaching my kids about the true meaning of Christmas if I am so caught up in the whirlwind of my self-constructed idea of having everything perfect? Inhale...exhale...inhale...

I leave you with a bit of a photo essay (if a photo essay can be 3 pics..!), of what the last few days have held. I wish you a safe a beautiful holiday. Be back next year (if I can stay away). Always love.

One down, so many to go

I happen to know that my mom and dad are giving Samia a much desired American Doll for Christmas. So after reading about doll carriers on From An Igloo, I checked out Dolly Outfitters for myself. I have to say with a great big list of things I want to make for Christmas, I was looking to buy the finished doll carrier. It appears business is good in the doll carrier sector however as there were no carriers left that would be ready for a pre-Christmas delivery. So, I got the pattern and I just finished it this afternoon. Christine has done a really good review on her blog so you should check it out if you are interested in making one yourself. I echo her words - super easy, very clear instructions. I don't have alot of patience if things get a bit harry in the sewing scene - I am a big bailer. I didn't bail. One doll carrier complete. It's not perfect (my mistakes, nothing to do with the pattern)) but it's finished and I know Sam will be very happy.

The bag is also lined in the purple which is an old pillow case.

Ideally you would use a double printed quilted fabric but I had none. I used the designer's suggestion of ironing interfacing between the two cottons and it holds its shape nicely.

Next in line, Grandma.

Gratitude Wednesday: I am very grateful to have my mom's car for the hols - will make all the running around that needs to be done much, much easier! Samia is grateful for her Bindi the Jungle Girl videos she was given by dear friends. Jackson is grateful for his gogos and Lego. I feel the need to mention that not too long ago there was a time when my children were grateful for farmers, and the sun, and the good earth. Just so you know...

Handmade Christmas Tutorials

Had to share this great and generous post from MADE. I am suddenly feeling like I have things under control again! Enjoy your Saturday...

In My Backyard

As I scramble to come up with ideas for family and friends for Christmas, all my best intentions for making gifts with my two hands are proving unrealistic. As Christmas approaches, (can you believe it is two weeks away?), I have realized that I need help. I'm a strong believer in handmade and it has been an easy decision to accept that if I'm not going to make it, I'm happy to invest in someone who can.

So buy handmade. Great. Love it. But I think I can do better. Over the last few months since moving back to Canada, I have had the opportunity to start exploring the crafting/creating scene here in Ottawa and I am loving what I am finding. There are so many talented people that are putting their heart and soul into their creations. As a friend pointed out to me the other day, we are not Toronto, or Montreal, or Vancouver where the movement is much more visible. But Ottawa has what's going on - you just need to dig a little deeper to find it.

And although I am specifically speaking about Ottawa, I believe there are fantastic things happening just about wherever you are in this big beautiful world. It's now very easy to shop locally on Etsy and support your local artisans in whatever town you live in. Once you are on their homepage scroll down until you you see "Ways to Shop" on the left hand column. Select "Shop Local." I promise you, you will be amazed but what you find.

So back to my local, Ottawa. I am really excited that I have been able to connect with some local artisans and I want to share them and their creations with you. So here are a few of my local favourites for your enjoyment...

For upcycled children's clothing, Wave Kaia is superfun. All Laura's creations are made almost exclusively from repurposed material and upcycled clothing. She sells the funkiest hats, leggings and trousers but I really adore the versatility of her dress shirt dresses for girls. These are great because when they becomes too short for a dress you can pair them with leggings. High on cute, comfort, and style. Check out Wave Kaia for all the kiddos on your list. Laura also blogs here.

Haley of HaleyByHand is a wonderful sewer who currently is featuring a gorgeous line of owl softies. And when I say soft I mean oooozing softness. Her choices in fabrics and attention to detail in every piece she makes ensures that anyone who is gifted with one of these beauties will have a friend for life. Haley makes stunning things, check out her handmade goodness here and her blog here. You can also find Haley at the Shang Winter Craft Sale this Sunday Dec. 12th from 10-3 (Shanghai Restaurant on Somerset).

I spent a lot of time browsing through Urbanite Jewelry's Etsy Shop yesterday trying to select a couple of photos to show you that reflected the quality and workmanship as well as the style and gorgeousness of Krista's pieces. After much mulling I choose the following three but you really must check her stuff out yourself - it's awesome. Krista is also very active in the crafting community and is co-founder of the Craft Co-Op which is an amazing source of info for all those interested in the subject. Coming next for Krista is Wed By Hand. But first...her killer jewelry:

And if you have ever read my blog before you know of my love for Annie Bananie. Friend, felter, kindred spirit, teacher, day care provider, kundalini instructor. She rocks the free world. For the purpose of this post, I will focus on what she sells - lovely, soul nourishing felting kits that are appropriate for those aged 5 to timeless. She offers several different kits but the ones I particularly love are her ball kits - great for beginners or experienced felters looking to create simple beauty. All of her kits are complete with everything you need and detailed, clear instructions with photos. Annie's Etsy shop is coming soon so follow her blog to keep current of her projects and amazing workshops - joining community through creative expression.

I hope this post has inspired you to shop local handmade this Christmas and throughout the year. Keep watching these women, they are constantly churning out new products and designing amazing awesome things! They are passionate about what they do and everything they create is from love. Now who can resist that??

Would You Prefer...

It probably started close to a year ago. Jack came home from school with this new game, "Would You Prefer..." We played it at least, daily and it has now become part of our bedtime ritual around here. We go back and forth asking the other questions about what the other would prefer. Samia has gotten into as well now. I wish I had kept a record of all the prefers since its inception. They are almost always pretty hysterical, sometimes insightful, occasionally wildly rude and disgusting, and always entertaining. Sam's tonight were "Would you prefer to have a robber come in and steal all the presents or have 150 presents?" Tough. And the other, "Would you rather have your armpit under your arm or behind your ear?" Hers are always spoken with absolute earnestness too and in a whisper (it is bedtime).

Jackson's are lately of the "Would you prefer a laser gun that shoots 71,895 laser rays a minute or a stealth fighter that can turn invisible?" variety. Again, tough. Oh hell, I wasn't going to write the disgusting one from tonight but I will..."Would you rather eat a spoonful of a stranger's pus or two spoonfuls of a stranger's sweat?" I think my son often mistakes me for an eight year old boy.

On another note, (and to quickly get the above contemplation out of your head), I have started sorting through my HUGE bucket of wooden beads and have put some bead bags together along with a couple of metres of cord each. Not to play into the whole "pink is for girls" thing, but I have bags that are perhaps more lumberjack like than the others? I am selling them for $5.

Also, I have some handpainted dragonflies for sale. They are made of reed (ie. somewhat delicate for the under 4 crowd), and appear to fly as they balance on the very tip of your finger. I am selling them for $5 too.

If you are interested and living in the Ottawa area, send me an email karieford@gmail.com or post a comment. Thanks!

Pride and Joy

Just a quickie. Samia had her first ballet recital today. She was a flower. She was awesome and gorgeous and very proud. Something about watching kids perform - their honesty and fearlessness, (or trepidation depending on the kid). They seem at the same time so vulnerable and so strong. Watching Samia today, I had one of those rare and precious moments where I feel like I was granted a glimpse of who she will be. Maybe it takes looking at your kids as a bit of a spectator every so often rather than a harried immersed mom to see the growth of your children. Maybe I need to get a life.

Here she is waiting for her dance. Sorry for the blur. Clearly I find it very difficult to remember to change the camera focus from manual to automatic.

workermade: Holiday Workshop

I'm really excited to tell you about my upcoming workshop Wednesday, December 15th. I will be promoting and teaching alternative wrapping techniques for holiday gifts and beyond! Participants will learn various techniques and make their own upcycled festive wrappings. I read today that in the U.S alone over 5 million tonnes of waste is generated during the merry season; 4 million tonnes of that crap is attributed to wrapping paper and shopping bags. I would love to see you on the 15th. Please RSVP by December 10th.

Alternative Wrapping Workshop

And even though it's not Hump Wednesday, I'm gonna shake things up a little bit over here and tell you all what I'm grateful for today. My friend Annie. I know I talk about her alot and because of that, some might even think she's my only friend! (don't worry, I am soo blessed with many fabulous, generous, awesome, and gorgeous women in my life whom I am a thankful for every day). Annie is my crafting kick-in-the-pants and cheerleader and she has offered me her workshop space so that I can hold this workshop and I love her dearly for it.

AND...I have such a big head right now. I can not believe I just got this invite posted in my blog. I feel like a technological wizard which is 180 degrees (see I don't even know how to find that little degrees sign), from what I actually am. Ask me anything, go on...

Welcome December

I can't stop making these little flower thingys that I found via a sweet blog I follow, How About Orange. The tutorial, by the wildly talented Alisa Burke, is for a "Recycled Roses Wreath" but I've been pumping these puppies out for a little crafting experiment of my own. Not prepared to disclose too much at this point because it is currently walking the very fine line between bust and bonanza (that's a tad strong). You'll know its outcome in the next few days by either reading about it ad nauseum, or never hearing about it again. That's my style.

It being December 1st. the Christmas tree has been erected and adorned with all the treasures amassed through the years. I managed to get the kids advent calendars up and presents wrapped for when they came in the door from school. Check check. Over the next few days we will slowly go through the boxes and finish decorating the house for the season. What is it about the change from November to December that puts a little bounce in my step? It's a matter of a few hours and I am much the merrier for it. It's my Christmas freakness come to life.

Wednesday's gratitude was somewhat unanimous. Samia is thankful for the Christmas tree and her baby Christmas ornament, Jackson is thankful for gogos and the Christmas tree and I am thankful for a wonderful evening spent decorating the tree with my gorgeous kids, breaking new ground and embracing life as a family of three. Love.

I Love My Mitts

As I write this I realize that my life is in a strange place when I can be this happy over something so rather unimpactful. I feel the need to tone down my rapture over my mitts but then I think, no, I LOVE my mitts! Why should I whisper?

And you know they are so very flawed. Not little flaws that someone would never notice, but flawed in huge Karie-like fashion. I mean the thumb on one of the gloves is on inside out and you can see the sharpie outline (it's permanent you know), on the right side (which is wrong). But like most of my flaws, I'm OK with them. I see them for what they are.

I have been freezing my ass off for a few months now and generally moaning about it to whomever would listen. It occurred to me yesterday when I was on the hunt for some nice new mitts at Idle Hands (and I found some beauts), that I could bloody well make some. I mean I have been hoarding wool sweaters since returning to Canada, felting them, and stockpiling them for some reason? So today after I took Sam to school, I rushed home and whipped up a pair of mitts in just enough time before heading back to grab the kids from school.

The mitts are made from a felted wool sweater and I just traced my hand for the pattern. After I had sewn them up I was going to applique something on and then I remembered that I had some nice roving courtesy of a great kit I bought from my friend Annie so I needle felted instead. I tend to really heavily on my circa kindergarten flower when I need to illustrate something and I did it again, this time with a vow that I have to give the flower a rest - it's been a pillar for so many decades. The next mitt, I needle felted a sun, which I am rather disappointed in as it does not look like the glorious sun I had envisioned (see what happens when I stray from the flower) but rather like my morning sickness puke when I was with child.

And (has anyone ever gone on so long about mittens before), here is why they make me happy. They make me happy because when I am wearing my mitts I am cold. When I look down at my mitts I see a flower and it is like a promise that they exist and when I look at my other mitt, I see the sun (after I think of puking), and I remember that it IS warm and it WILL shine again and I will be warm again, at some point, 5 or so months down the road. I believe my winter blues may be behind me. Love.

The Dream and the Reality

Just got home from today's craft sale at McNabb. It was....good for my legs? I stood almost the whole time and I did read somewhere sometime ago that standing (even without movement), actually burns calories and works muscles - so yeah, now my legs are beefcake-like, thank you McNabb Community Centre.

See how well I'm doing at putting positive spins on what life dishes out? I had fantasies of selling enough to take care of what I have budgeted for the whole Christmas affair this year. It was not an unrealistic sum. But alas, that did not happen. The pace in the first hour was totally on and than it died and the remaining 5 hours was a rather slow trickle of browsers.

My friend Annie, www.anniebananietheclown.blogspot.com who was selling at a different craft show down the road called me mid-day. The following is a soundbite from our conversation:

Annie: You know how stressed out you get before a show? "I need more product. I don't have enough of these. I really wanted to make this but I don't have any time."

Karie: Yeah, totally. I was so disappointed that I didn't get a chance to make a bunch of things I planned on making.

Annie: I want you to remind me next time not to do that.

Karie: Yeah, me too.

So that is my lesson. I will not work myself to the bone preparing for another show. I will work hard and be focused but I'm not going to kill myself over it. I will coordinate the activities of crafting my ass off, preparing nutritious dinners for my beloveds, and maintaining a tidy (for me, which is not that tidy), house. Never again will my dog come up with dustbunnies stuck to his whiskers every time he sniffs the floor or will my children thank me for frozen pizza two nights in a row during a crafting blitz. Having things a bit more balanced, me thinks.

I love making stuff. It makes me happy. I will find venues appropriate for the products I make. I will find customers who appreciate the handmade goodness of what they hold AND will pay for it. I believe this. I'm following my heart and it feels good, wished it paid a little better but all in good time.

And I don't have a single picture of my booth. So I will leave you with a couple pictures of what my kids made me cause they knew I would be sad (!) this weekend while they were at their nanny and grandpa's. Samia's is a picture of her and Jackson and the 1,2,3, is representative of the three days we will be apart! The lovehearts are all the love and kisses she will give me when I see her again. Jackson made me lego. He apologized that it had guns on it and said he would take them off if I wanted. I told him not to touch a thing. I love those little stinkers.

Wah

I'd like to share this youtube video about reader feeds. It's all brand new stuff to me but after watching this I am now very happy to have a direct feed to my favourite blogs (different than "following" a blog). It's super easy and I love it when things work because sometimes it does feel like nothing ever does. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU

And that is all. I felt the need to blog as I enjoy it. But I'm in a shit mood and I have a head cold and all the other paragraphs that I just deleted were whiny and grumpy and who the hell needs that? So, I am going to bed with Sam and Jack tonight and I am going to do absolutely nothing but get a good night's rest and be a chipper, productive, joyous and refreshed being tomorrow.

SEW...what else is new?

Feels like that is about all I'm doing these last few days. Flaglines, flaglines and more flaglines. I'm pumping it out this week preparing for the McNab Craft Sale on the 27th. Annie just asked me to do another craft sale on the 4th of December. I think I will despite the fact that I wasn't going to take anything on in December as I want to get my own stuff accomplished (make stuff for kids, bake, enjoy the hols!). I think it will be a good one though - it's at the Waldorf school and they are also having their winter festival so the kids will have a good time too.

Eager to put aside the flaglines and start on some other things I'd like to start selling. I have some dress-up kits for kids that I still have to finish off. The themes I have are: scientist (lab coat, safety googles, supergoop, badge), cowboy/cowgirl (vest, bandana, cowboy hat), asian princess (au dai, beaded slippers, fan), princess (tulle skirt, beaded slippers, tiara), superhero (cape, mask, superhero vitamins, power cuff), chef (apron, hair band for girls, bandana for boys, wooden spoon, chef's towel, recipe book), tea party (tea set, fancy hat, boa). They require a bit more thought and a bit of sewing and they will be finished!! The thought requred is how to package them? I'm drawing a bit of a blank - would love it to be reuasble, (or at least not environmentally horrid), cute, inexpensive and/or easy to make...hmmmm.

As for what the kids and I are grateful for (Wednesday), I am grateful for a lovely morning tea with Samia at Wild Oat yesterday plus the added bonus of running into the gorgeous and positively good-for-the-soul, Annie. Love. Samia is grateful for her new ballet skirt she just got for her upcoming recital.

Jackson is grateful for his new library book.

Road trip and laying down the law...

Headed off to my parents Thursday after I picked the kids up from school for a long weekend in Prince Edward County. My dad's 65th birthday was Friday so I was glad to be there to celebrate with him and my mom. Gorgeous weather all three days. Heard on the radio on the way up that this would be the last of it and to get all your outside work done because by the end of this week it would be below zero and to expect snow. Jerk.

Sewed my little heart out on my mom's jazzy machine. It's like butter to margarine when you compare hers with mine. Got heaps done and as always the more you I get done the more it seems there is to do. I am focused now and feeling a bit more disciplined about setting some time aside to work every day. Slowly slowly catchy monkey (don't ask me what that means).

Last night after supper sat the kids down to lay out the house rules. This is something I have been meaning to do for ages as I feel that once we have them down, they will be easier to enforce? Jack was really into it. Here they are and I have added the name of the person who came up with the rule:

HOUSE RULES

1) No waking up Bodhi when he is sleeping (Samia)

2) No eating after last call (me: my kids snack until their eyes close and it drives me kookoo)

3)Treating the memebers of this family with kindness and respect (me)

4) Treating others/guests with kindness and respect (Samia: she can be quite the cow on a playdate)

5)No gross jokes, sounds, words (me: if this sounds uptight try listening to my kids talk about poop and peep all day)

6)No biting, kicking, punching, hitting, spitting, or scratching (me: is this sad that this needs to be a rule?)

7) use your words when you have a problem (me: just to further solidify #6 in some heads)

8) sit properly on furniture (Samia)

9) no tattling (me)

10) no naughty words (Jack)

11) clean up after yourself (me)

12) turn off lights when you leave a room (Samia)

This week we will be working together to establish individual responsibilities and consequences when responsibilities are not met. I feel a bit micro-managerial but I think it may just keep me sane. Please let it keep me sane. Love saneness.

Hump Day Gratitude

I have tried over the years, and, at times, been very good at stopping, taking a look around, breathing deeply and reflecting on the things, people, and events that I am grateful for. But lately I have not allowed myself the time to do this and I can feel its effects. My body is tense these days and I am packing in so much that I have neglected to appreciate all that surrounds me. I have been following Nikki over at http://whimsy-girl.blogspot.com Nikki and her family are doing a daily gratitude list for the month of November and she has inspired me to kick our gratitude into gear. Once a week, on Hump day, I will share my family's gratitude list for the day. I want to teach my kids to notice and appreciate the small, the wondrous, the simple. I want them to take the time to acknowledge kindness, beauty, and joy. I want their brains to process occurrences rather than just snowballing through life as we all so easily can. As I so often do.

What I am grateful for today: allowing myself the time to stop and write this blog and take a step in the right direction.

Jackson is grateful for his Bakugans. Samia is grateful for her dog.

Oh!! And by golly! I am very grateful for the fact that I just figured out how to place my photos more or less where I want them. Thanks for the tip AB. Love.

Done, Done, and Just Begun

Phhhhewww. I finally finished the advent calendar I have been working on for a friend of a friend. Thought I was done last week but it turns out the thing was huge (I don't know what I was thinking), so I started over again and designed a much more manageable winter solstice advent calendar coming in at 2.1 metres instead of close to 4!! Working on this project reminded me how time consuming creating is and how behind the ball I am on making things for the upcoming McNabb Craft Sale and for my babes and family. Wow. A little overwhelmed.

And because I never did post any photos of the kids for Halloween, here they are now...Took a ton but hardly have any as I have been trying to improve my photography skills by taking photos on Manual instead of Automatic. The problem is, I can never remember to turn my camera back to automatic after I've left it on manual so when the kids are running out the door and I'm trying to snap a few pics I am taking them on manual when what I want is automatic. I don't realize my error until later when I go to look at my photos and they are blurry and shitty. Hot damn!

If anyone can tell me how to place the photos that I import onto my blog that would be appreciated. And by anyone, that means you Annie!!!!! Any thoughts...Love.

Puppy, Pumpkins, Party

It's been a busy couple of days in the Ford household. The main event being the addition of a puppy to our crazy lives. I do question my sanity. Seems like as soon as things are settling and life is going smoothly and merrily I like to shake things up a bit. Bodhi's the name and he's damn cute and as we all know, it's a good thing puppies and kids are cute cause they sure do rock your world. Samia is over the moon in love and Jack is very fond but also somewhat nonchalant about the whole thing which I think is good because nonchalance in Jack is a rare and treasured thing!

Yesterday after school the kids carved their pumpkins with our dear friends Billie and Lydia. It's been a long time since we have carved a pumpkin for Hallowe'en as pumpkins are pretty scarce in Asia. I do carve a fine watermelon. A pumpkin is much more difficult - all that scraping? You just don't have to do that with a watermelon. I roasted pumpkin seeds after which Jack and Sam have never tried. We each had a (note the singular), handful and I remembered that they really aren't to my liking but I will forget that again next Hallowe'en when I next have my single handful. I love the idea and you just have to do it and when they are hot they are good but when they are not, they are wood chips which Bodhi loves and I do not.

Today is my day off. Thursdays Samia has been going to a friend's house from school first thing in the morning until I pick Jack up from school. Tuesdays we have her friend at our place so we two moms each have a whole 6 hours of doing whatever the heck we feel like doing. I love it. I wish I didn't love it so much but I swoon for Thursday mornings when I drop my little girl off and run home and try and do everything I haven't been able to do all week, in my 6 hours of bliss. Today I cleaned the house, made cupcakes for Samia's class tomorrow (Hallowe'en), took Bodhi for a long walk, (around the block but it takes about 40mins.), and now I am finally getting to post something in this here blog which I've been wanting to do for days. I have just over an hour before I get the kids and I will just be a much better mom, and human being for these most of precious 6 hours.

On the crafting front...what's new? Well, I am slowly but surely working on a friend's winter solstice calendar (think advent calendar but for 21 days). I am really enjoying doing it but the one part I am not so fond of is cutting out all the numbers from felt. That, my friend, I find tedious. But I am almost done and then I can sew it up and start on the next one. I really want to do a bunch of really nice bunting style advent calendars to sell. I really love them and I think it's such a nice way to get the kids all cranked up for Christmas. Like they need help. Seriously though, they are a really beautiful way to celebrate the coming of Christmas and all that that may mean for your family. And I love the idea of filling all those pockets with treasures, it doesn't have to be commercial right? Or, hell yeah! If that's your thing. A special note, a drawing, toboggan trip outing, or movie night token can stuff those pockets as easily as anything else. Why not make it mean something. It took me four attempts to spell "toboggan" right. This winter thing and all that is associated is freaking me out.

Also, I have some quilts in at 3 Little Monkeys here in Ottawa which I am very excited about. They have taken four quilts on consignment to suss out how they will do. I am keeping my fingers crossed as that would just be a fabulous thing if it works out. If you have never been to 3 Little Monkeys, it's an amazing children's store with two locations - one in Westboro and one in Ottawa South. Everything in the store and I mean everything has been chosen with care - the products are gorgeous and really engaging for kids. The owner is very supportive of handicrafters and small business and well, you should just go check it out. http://www.3littlemonkeysottawa.com/

One hour left in my six...I think I may do some guilt-free reading. Love.

Dear You, it's Me

I set this blog up about 2 weeks ago and I’ve been looking at it ever since thinking – hmmm, I should probably write something! Afterall that is the idea, right? But where to start? I have contemplated so many different first entries my head is hurting. I have told many people that I have a blog but when they say, "how do I find you?” it's very awkward. "Uhhh, well, um, so, I like have a blog, but,..., yeah, no, I haven’t written anything yet. It's pretty though.” I have seriously spent waaaay to much time thinking about my first words. I mean, how do you just… start? This is how:

I woke up this morning and realized that if I didn’t write anything soon than I wouldn’t ever write anything and there was no better way to start than now. So here I am. I am very excited about this process, amazed and overwhelmed at the whole blogger community – they’re all just so darn generous with ideas and friendly beyond belief. I don’t know that I fit in. I do know that a blog will be a great tool for me to get the stuff that is in my head - out 1) by writing about it 2) by doing it (ie. Creating– which is the ultimate goal).

So, how does it feel now that I have my first words out there(I keep hearing echoes)? Well, I like talking to myself, so, not too bad at all. But I think I will leave off with a little snap of my score from this weekend’s fabric sale at the Glebe Community Centre here in Ottawa or I think I just might ramble on endlessly. Love.