It's Been a Long Time in Coming

...and it's going to be short! Just popped in to post some pics from Samia's birthday - she turned 6 a few days ago. Simply unbelievable. I adore that kid. She is sunshine and thunder and I marvel at her fire and beauty every single day. I love you boobear.

Here are a few pics of the cake I made her just so you know I haven't been completely unproductive these last few weeks (could it be?). In a previous life my friend and I had a small cake decorating business in Ho Chi Minh City - not alot of competition!

I'll keep you on the edge of your seats for pics of her party and her actual birthday which will follow shortly. That's right, we Fords do Birthday Week like nobody's business. Over and out.

Happy Momma's Day

Happy Mother's Day to everyone. I had a wonderful, (and very well-deserved I might add), sleep-in), breakfast in bed - Jackson made me special cereal which, in case you want the recipe, consisted of blue corn tortilla chips, fish crackers, blueberries and milk. An acquired taste I think. Lots of morning cuddles, cute cards and gorgeous paintings - to add to my stash of treasures. After an early afternoon retreat to everyone's respective rooms, (It's Mother's Day afterall, not Miracle Day), I managed to talk Jack and Sam into biking to the Tulip Festival, which turned into a wonderful afternoon with olympic tag and lots of laughs. Thanks kiddos. To the moon.

And I have to give a shout out to the person who gets my vote for best mom in the world, that'd be mine! My mom is the world to me. Yesterday she showed up out of the blue at Handmade Harvest just to see how I was doing and she made my day. She's the best. I love you mom!!

Here are a few photos from Handmade Harvest. The first photo is of my table and the second is of Annie and her table (her dolls are gggggorgeous). A fun day and great sale!

Hello Handmade Harvest and a Felted Flower Magnet Tutorial

Welcome Handmade Harvesters! and you too! Was that not a great craft show? (yes, I am writing this Friday night and pretending that I'm not, clever, no?) Here is the tutorial that I prepared as part of the rehash contribution to the swag for Handmade Harvest. If you were one of the first 50 people in the door on Saturday - well done!! and I hope you like all your goodies. For everybody else, rehash contributed a circle of felted sweater and a magnet as well as a link to this tutorial on how to turn these items into a felted flower magnet - magic I tell you.

Here's the tutorial...and happy felted flower magnet making! and super big thanks for supporting the handmade movement, for that alone, I heart you.

If It's Not On The List, It Doesn't Exist

The list is long and getting longer. Do your lists do that too? No matter how many things I manage to check off in a day, they just lead to other tasks to complete.

Can not believe it is 9 days until Handmade Harvest! Annie, Samia and I took a mini road trio out to Almonte yesterday to drop off our swag. The dropoff was at Blackbird which is owned by one of the organizer's. We were in and out in a jiffy as Annie's daughter was in a protest on Parliament Hill (Zoe, age 9, activist extraordinaire), and Sam had kindy, but I have to tell you - that's a shop I need to get back to. Front to back, floor to ceiling gorgeousity. (I'm getting on that making-up-my-own-words bandwagon..my favourite is requenching. That totally should be a word.)

Both Annie and I forgot to take our cameras with us so no photos of the road trip, Blackbird or Colleen (a sweetheart and the other half of the hardworking Handmade Harvest twosome). I had some photos on my phone but do you think I can get them to send to my email? No I can not.

So my list is definitely not getting any shorter by blogging. I leave you with a few snaps of what's brewing in the rehash product line for Handmade Harvest, Saturday May 7th. You don't want to miss this show if you are in the Ottawa area - awesome artisans, great swag and raffle prizes. A great opener to the spring/summer craftshow season. Love.

Felted bags awaiting embellishment...

Hoops for my Stitch Bytes line...

One of the many buntings awaiting assembly...

Slow Down. You Move Too Fast.

My son. He is 8 and he makes me so proud. He is growing up so fast and I am enjoying this big boy he is becoming but I want it all to slow down. Alot. This haircut does not help matters.

BEFORE

AFTER

I have never seen him with hair this short. He basically went from a bald baby, to a fuzzy headed two year old, to a kid with a mound of long blonde curls. Doesn't he look so much older? Slow down Jack. I need a little more time to savour all these fleeting moments that are whizzing by. I guess that's life - you spend half of it in anticipation of what is coming next and the other half applying the brakes, willing time to slowwww down and take it easy.

We're off to a good start!

Mondays aren't usually one of my favourites but this one is doing alright! Checking lots of boxes on my to-do list, got some business happening in my etsy store, my floors are clean, my homework is done, business cards at the printer, and I just got the news that I was awarded a busary for school! Life is good!

Had a wonderful birthday week with my kiddos, lots of cake, and lots of small and precious moments. Friday night I was out with my girls and had a great time - slept in until 11am on Saturday. Oh yeah.

Here are a few pics of my birthday cake baked by me, decorated by my monkeys.

The masterpiece. Jackson was distraught over Samia's toothpick accents.

They each had a very different vision suffice to say.

Oh. I almost forgot... did a little thrifting on the way to my cousin's birthday on Sunday, (I am 33 years older than her). Here's my haul...

I love those shoes, the need a bit of polish and they'll be right as rain. I'm even thinking of painting them cornflower blue. And I guess stripes are catching my eye these days. The striped fabric in the back is a man's shirt and I will be making Sam an Easter dress out of it in the next few days. I will post the finished product.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

On the Cusp of 40

The last photo of me as a woman in her 30s

An introspection: I've really struggled with this 40 business, thought about staying 39 for a few more years. I know it is just a number but it's a big one for me. For whatever reason however, in the past few months I have begun to change my thinking. I scan my body and it is fit, healthy, and strong. I look in the mirror and I see a woman who is growing and accepting, sometimes struggling but always learning.

So 30s. I look back at you and I see all these blessings. I turned 30 in Kathmandu on the Nepalese New Year - a huge celebration. My 30s brought me motherhood, and a marriage. It brought me great adventures overseas - a dream come true. It gave me beautiful friendships and taught me who I am and how to honour that person. When I think back on the past 10 years it gives me goosebumps to think of how very fortunate I am. So goodbye 30s, you were fantastic and you taught me so much. You will always hold memories of the sweetest kind, bring a smile to my face and the occasional shake of my head. But I'm ready, I release you and embrace all that is ahead. Love.