Thursday 28 July 2011

On The Shelf

I love poking around in thrift and second hand stores and I picked up this funny little shelf in a used furniture shop for about $12 a couple of weeks ago. It looked like it had potential but it was in rough shape with layers of drippy brown paint and a few dings and scratches.

I ended up spending more than twice that amount in paint stripper, sandpaper, stain and varathane finish, but I think it was worth it.

Now it's home to the caribou carvings from Labrador (click here to read their story). The smooth beach pebbles are from Middle Cove Beach in Newfoundland and the rock is citrine... my birthstone.

Monday 25 July 2011

The Beach Boys

When the weather gets hot, the boys go to the beach for a picnic.

Tuesday 19 July 2011

Sew Sew Sew

A couple of months ago I got my faithful Singer sewing machine out of the cupboard where it had been gathering dust for a while, chose some colourful fabrics, found my quilting tools and started designing a baby quilt. The last quilt I made was for Isaac's arrival two years ago.

It's the sort of project that I love. My own design, my own choice of colours, and I can take as long as I want to make it. Here's the final design, photographed on my bedroom floor, while I stood on the bed.

And then I decided to make another one, this time in autumn colors. Again, photographed on my bedroom floor, you can see the toe of my not-so-elegant slipper!

The quilts were finally finished last week. They consist of the pieced top, a layer of soft cotton quilt batting, and the back of the quilt is a layer of one of the fabrics used in the quilt top. And to hold it all together, I machine quilted the three layers together.

The edge binding is sewn by machine on the front and then finished by hand on the back. The whole binding could be sewn by machine but I think the hand stitching is so much neater.

And there was a finishing touch that was made to the edge of each quilt.... well... not quite finished, a little bit more to add, but that will have to wait for a few more days....

Any guesses why I've been so busy? And why did I make TWO quilts? Hmmm....

Saturday 16 July 2011

Sum Math 4 U

Take the last two digits of your year of birth, add the age that you will be this year on your 2011 birthday, and the result will be 111.... but as always, there are a couple of exceptions to the rule.

This only works if you were born between 1900 - 1999, that includes most of us, but for kids born in 2000 or later, the result will be 11, and for the real oldies out there.... if you were born between 1800 - 1899, your result will be 211.

Don't ask me how it works, I'm clueless, I scraped by my math exams by the skin of my teeth.

Wednesday 13 July 2011

Oh, Those Teachers....

Callum will be going to nursery school in September and I was reading through the many pages of rules and regulations....

.... and I found this statement a bit surprising.
You'll probably have to click on the pic to read it. And then smile.

Surprise, surprise.... Hilary has awarded me a POTW Award.... thanks so much, Hilary! And many thanks to the staff at the Tottenham Community Nursery School for giving us all a good giggle, even though it was unintentional.

Sunday 10 July 2011

In a Canadian Country Garden

Have you ever been on a garden tour?
I had the opportunity to visit seven beautiful gardens and an artist's studio in the nearby village of Claremont this weekend.

Each garden was different. Some were formal and pristine, with each plant named and in it's proper place in the flower bed. Some were a wild profusion of colour and texture, as if the garden had just happened on it's own, without any human intervention.
Some were cool and shady with ancient trees and acres of green velvety lawn, and others were bathed in sunshine.

Unfortunately my camera battery died after the first three pictures, or you might have to plough through many more photos of flowers.

The tour ended with buttered scones and strawberry jam, and cups of tea served in delicate bone china teacups. Proceeds are going to Breast Cancer Research.
I'm not a very lucky person and whenever I buy a raffle ticket, I never expect to win, but guess what.... this time I won a prize! A lovely ceramic planter filled with nasturtiums, peppers, basil, chives and a mini cucumber vine.
A truly delightful afternoon.

Thursday 7 July 2011

S'mores!

S'mores..... the perfect food for munching round the campfire after a BBQ.

First, go off into the bushes to find some nice pointed sticks. When you have found the perfect stick, impale a large marshmallow on the end and toast in the embers until soft and gooey and perhaps just a little bit singed around the edges.





We love S'mores and we want s'more!
















Prepare your S'more by sandwiching a large piece of chocolate (dark or milk chocolate, it doesn't matter, it's all good) between two graham crackers, and when the marshmallow has reached just the right consistency of gooiness, plonk it on top of the chocolate and gently squeeze the graham crackers together.

The heat of the marshmallow will melt the chocolate just enough to ooze out of the middle of the S'more along with the melty marshamallow.

I think you'll agree this provides all the food groups necessary for survival in the back yard after a hearty Canada Day BBQ.

Saturday 2 July 2011

Isaac goes for a bike ride



You may not have time to watch Isaac zipping around the neighbourhood for the full six and a half minutes, but you have to admit, he's so cute!

Friday 1 July 2011

Canada's Birthday


HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA!

Canada is 144 years old today!

I'll be heading to OlderSon's "country estate" to enjoy a family gathering. There'll be 5 children, 8 adults, and a crazy dog. We'll be BBQing, watching the kids fight over who rides the Gator, playing baseball in the front yard, catching up with family news, having a bonfire and letting off fireworks when it gets dark. And eating and drinking, of course.

My mission this morning is to make a blueberry and apple pie as my contribution to the feast, so I'd better get on with it.