The Bou-Lunns

The Classic Photo with Santa

2011-12-10T11:09:00.000-08:00

Fall 2011

2011-10-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

Embroidery for Avery

2011-09-17T06:36:00.000-07:00

Made by my Momma (I bought the pattern and thread and pulled on the ol' mommy guilt to encourage her to do this for Avery). Turned out so cute. Now to decide whether to frame it or make it

into a pillow. My mother used to be pretty crafty in the old days. I keep hoping she'll start some new projects. I might have to get her some patterns and fabric to get her sewing again. The Oliver and S book has SO many awesome projects.

Embroidery patterns can be found here: http://housewrenstudio.typepad.com/charlotte/

PS: I am SO digging this happy scrappy quilt: http://sewkatiedid.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/yeah-for-scrappy-sunshine/

First Day of School

2011-09-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

Happy First Birthday Avery!

2011-08-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

Happy first birthday Avery! We love you SO much!! xoxo

Happy Birthday Elo!

2011-07-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

A cute little skirt and matching bag (filled with Hello Kitty goodies) for a special little girl who's got a big crush on this little kitty. Happy 4th Birthday Elodie! We love you! xoxo (I had SO much fun making these!).

Avery's Quilt

2011-07-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

I finally finished hand-stitching the binding on Avery's quilt last night. I have to say that I'm a little in love with it. I'm so glad I followed everyone's advice and chose the red polka dot for the binding. I think it really 'makes' the quilt. The reason why it took me so long to finish it, is because I was really stuck on what to put on the back. While I was in Vancouver I found this gorgeous fabric shop where I finally found a fabric that works. There were so many beautiful fabrics to choose from (I could have stayed there for HOURS! -so thankful my friend was willing to sit in the car with our kids while I played!). I really enjoyed actually being able to touch and feel the fabric before buying (there just aren't any great fabric stores in Ottawa so I do most of my shopping online). I ended up having to add some width to the fabric so I pieced together a strip which showcases a few of the fabrics in the front. I have to say I'm not really in love with the back of the quilt (even though I really do love that fabric I found). I meant to put that little strip of fabric to the side and it ended up being kind of in the middle which I don't like. Generally though I do really love this quilt and I'm happy I put all of that time and effort into making something for Avery's first birthday. I hope she will love it as she grows up.

The underwear game.

2011-07-11T06:51:00.001-07:00

Avery's hoping to get a few toys for her birthday.

Like riding a bike...

2011-07-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

We bought Ian a bike for his 4th birthday. His very first 'big boy' bike. A few weeks ago he started begging me to take the training wheels off. My first reaction was: 'I think you're a little young for that yet. Let's wait a few years. You could fall and hurt yourself. It takes a lot of practice to learn how to ride a bike... etc.' After much pestering I finally thought, why not? He'll either learn how to ride it, or he'll ask us to put the training wheels back on. No harm done (hopefully). So we took them off. He refused to let us hold the back of the bike and help him out (you know, like in the movies how the parents hold the back of the bike). Today he started doing this:

Look at you Ian! Your Momma is so proud of you (and so very, very humbled!). From now on when you ask me to try something new I'll say: 'Sure why not! You can do anything you set your mind to!'

That boy of mine is sooo stubborn, now I see that maybe, that's quite a good thing.

Summer is here!

2011-07-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

You're going to be seeing less of me in this space over the next little while. Summer is here and I'm feeling a real need to enjoy every day of sunshine. Get outside with my kiddies and just BE.
I feel like the clock is ticking because in nine weeks - I'm going back to work full time, Ian will be starting school, and Avery will start daycare full time. Lots of BIG changes and transitions in the near future!

It's so hard to believe that my baby girl will be a year old in just a few short weeks. The year has flown by and I'm sure that the next nine weeks will too. How I feel about all of these changes is complicated. One thing's for sure. I will miss being at home with my kids.

I'll be posting here now and then but not as regularly as I was (still working on Avery's quilt! pics to come).

Enjoy your summer! xoxo

Rescued from the curb

2011-06-14T05:40:00.000-07:00

Do you see what I see? (a little bit of paint...).

Boy Bag

2011-06-13T05:48:00.000-07:00

I have Avery's quilt top finished and the binding has been made, but I can't figured out what to put on the back of the quilt. So I'm doing what any good quilter would do, procrastinating by sewing other things. This is a 'boy bag' for Ian (there are a few more for his friends) or maybe it's a 'murse' (man-purse) as Derek calls it.

Gifted

2011-06-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I found a little surprise in my mailbox. My sister bought it for me at a craft show she participated in. She said that when she saw it, it made her think of me and she just had to buy it.

Maybe because of this:

(I'm understanding a little more now where my mother got the inspiration for
my perpetual childhood haircut. In case you are wondering, inside that awesome box was one of these. Another cool gift from my Aunt Marie).

or this:


(I think I love these guys more than my kids ever will!).

Thanks Annie! I LOVE it!!! (and I love you! xoxo).

poke. a. dot.

2011-06-11T05:33:00.000-07:00

About a Dog Named Killer

2011-06-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

When I was three, my god-mother, my Aunt Marie, gifted me a sweet orange doggie for my birthday. I named him 'Killer' (no one knows why). I don't remember that birthday, but I also don't remember a time in my childhood when Killer wasn't there -right by my side. I am almost embarrassed now to say that I carried him with me wherever I went until I was about twelve maybe even thirteen. What was it, about this orange dog that captured my love so? I really don't know. But he was my very best friend. I dressed him up. I talked to him. He even had little puppies at some point. Oh! the fun we had Killer and I.

(Bagel, Killer's distant cousin)

I had a really big fear of fire as a kid. I vividly remember lying in my bed at night, worried that the house might catch fire. I don't know where this fear of fire came from. Maybe it was because my Dad was a volunteer firefighter, or maybe, it was because once when I went downstairs late at night my dad was watching the movie 'Towering Inferno' or maybe it was just a part of my anxious mind, in any case I was REALLY scared of fires. So I would lay in bed as a little kid hatching my escape route. In my mind I was the hero. My very first act of bravery would be to save Killer by throwing him out the window (I figured a fall from a 2nd story window was better than being burned alive). Once Killer was safe and sound, I would save my parents and then my siblings (read into that order what you will!). It's funny 'how' kids think and 'what' they think. I never once told my parents about my fear of fire. Not even when I started having pretty scary and recurring dreams about it. That's how I know that children have all kinds of different things going on in their heads that they don't share with the adults around them.

I still have Killer (I think I want him to be cremated with me when the time comes, I just can't stand the idea of him rotting in a dump someday... is that weird?). He's safely tucked away in Ian's closet. He comes out to play sometimes. But he's old (yet still feisty). Almost 33 years old... He's had more 'operations' than you can count. In fact, just recently I had to stitch his leg back onto his body. What I love the most about Killer now is that he wears this full body two toned orange suit that my 'Memere Boudreau' knit him (presumably because he was really kind of falling apart near the end). I love that body-suit and I especially loved the woman who knit it for me.

Right around his fourth birthday, the 'sleep-fairies' gifted Ian with his own orange doggie. He named him 'Fluffy'. I had him specially made by The Craggy Moor Store (I had one made for Avery too...saving it until the right moment to gift it to her). The 'sleep-fairies' is my desperate attempt to encourage Ian to sleep through the night (hey... after four years I'm willing to try anything!). I'm happy to say that he really seems to love Fluffy. So much so that he requested that I make him his very own collar and leash (I had so much fun making those!). Here's my little guy with his very own 'Killer'.

Welcome to the family Fluffy! I hope you and Ian will be the best of friends.

Dear Mister,

2011-06-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Mister,

Almost ten years ago I met you in a crowded, dingy bar. I noticed you right away. That beautiful bald head beckoned me. I can’t believe it’s been almost ten years. In some ways it’s like you’ve been in my life forever (and always). When I think about all that we have lived in those years: Long distance love, a young couple in love in their very first apartment, a sweet (and crazy dog), a degree in Hamilton, beautiful wedding (a day of love), a pretty house (made ours alone), two beautiful children (unique all their own). We’ve lived a lot in those ten years -it seems like it’s been longer (in a good way). I hardly remember our lives apart.

A girl grows up, she thinks often about the man she will marry. What will he look like? What kind of person will he be? Will he make her laugh? Will he be kind? Loving? Considerate? Will he be a good father?

You. Are. That man. I always dreamed of. Maybe, even more.

I love you. Now, more than ever. I hope you know that. But more importantly, I hope you feel that. You are my best friend. My love. My partner. I can’t imagine a life without you. I’m proud of us. This little life, that we’ve carved out for ourselves. I’m ever grateful, I get to share it with you.

xoxo

White.

2011-06-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

16+4=20!

2011-06-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

I think these four might just be my favorites... look at those little cars.

Thoughts on Avery's quilt

2011-06-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before the quilt I'm working on right now was inspired by a quilt I thrifted (for $3) a while back. I love the tiny little squares and how each big square tells a story. As you look at the quilt you discover new bits and pieces of colors and prints you didn't notice before. I love that. I also had many different fabric scraps that I absolutely loved and wanted to 'preserve' in a special quilt that would stay with us (instead of being gifted away). I also have been meaning to make a quilt for my sweet Avery for a while now. Goodness she is sweet and I could just eat her up she is so lovely. So she is also my inspiration for this quilt, her little giggles (which always surprise me because she is mostly very quiet), her brand new two front teeth, her teeny tiny little toes, and her big brown eyes (I feel nothing but gratitude when I look at her).

Just like the thrifted quilt, each block has 25 mini blocks that measure 2 inches by 2 inches (once they are sewn up they only measure about 1.5 inches). They are mostly pieced at random save for each block has two pieces of the red and white polka dot and two solid pink pieces (the theme in this quilt being mostly red and pink which are my two favorite colors... which is why most of my fabric scraps happen to be this color). The other thing I focused on when sewing my blocks is that I wanted a contrast between the 'light' and 'dark' fabrics. So I pieced the small blocks alternating between the two. I also added in some fabric that I 'fussy cut' so that specific images would be showcased like the owls, the bunnies and the flowers etc.

When I started the quilt I knew that I would piece it all together using white (I read somewhere -probably on a blog, that you should use a lot of white in your quilts because it makes your colors 'pop'). I haven't used any white in my quilts to date and I think this one is the right one. Now here is where I'm hesitating. All along I thought I would bind the quilt using the red and white polka dots. I just love that fabric and I'm inspired by Nettie and how she seems to mostly use stripes etc on her bindings and I love the look. Last night I took a few planning shots and now I'm not really sure about the binding. I'm sorta leaning more towards just a plain pink instead. I find the red brings out too much of the orange and red, when what I really want to emphasize is the pink and red (Avery's room is mostly pink, predictable but true). I also thought I would 'frame' each of the blocks with pink but I'm also not sure about that either. Maybe I should just leave the blocks as they are (I love those blocks!).

And here's why I'm being extra careful about these decisions, each of those blocks took 35-40 minutes to make (that's 800 minutes. 13.5 hours -and that's not including the time it took to cut the fabric).... I want this baby to be 'just right'. I want to LOVE this quilt when I'm done with it.

What do you think? Do I frame each block in pink or leave them as they are? Do I bind in red polka dots or just plain pink? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think (even if you don't sew I want to hear your thoughts). You can click on the pictures to get a better view, sorry about the bad lighting.

(it's between polka dot on the bottom left corner and the pink on the right, ignore the other fabrics)

To frame or not to frame?

I've got some time to mull this over... I've got four more of those blocks still to go.

Avery our one tooth wonder.

2011-06-04T09:48:00.001-07:00

T-shirt Nightgowns

2011-06-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

I super-love this idea ('super-love' kinda catchy... go on try it....kinda rolls of the tongue hey?). Annie and Karie I'm thinking Zoe and Sam would love some of these. Easy and cheap!

Avery's ideal t-shirt nightgown would be made out of a vintage Kenny Rogers t-shirt. Oh Kenny. How I heart thee. And for a little extra fun here's one of my favourite Kenny songs (old school Kenny pre-face lift -swoon). I always thought it was 'four hundred children' as a kid instead of 'four hungry children' (where did they all sleep I wondered?).

and then there were 16.

2011-06-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

Avery had a record breaking monster nap today. About 3 hours... Wow! So while she napped, I sewed and sewed these little blocks for her quilt. Sixteen done, only four to go. I've enjoyed sewing these up, but now I'm feeling ready to move on to the next stage of this quilt. It's going to be a nice size. Biggest one yet. I love these little blocks... and I love biscuits too! Biscuits... anyone?

This is interesting.

2011-05-31T20:09:00.001-07:00

Check this out (if you are into quilting). What a great resource for quilt blogs! All 600+ of them! The concept is pretty neat too. I spent a bit of time today thinking about and planning out the quilt that I'm working on. It is interesting to me how my quilts come together. They never end up looking exactly how I think they will when I first start out... they sort of take a life of their own as I get quilting, adding fabric from my stash here and there. Avery's quilt is coming together nicely. I have 10 blocks done and have 10 more to go. Once I'm done the 'inner blocks' I'm going to add a bit of pink (love the pink!) to 'frame' the squares... it's all very exciting and keeping my creative juices flowing. SO FUN!

http://r0ssie.blogspot.com/2010/05/process-pledge.html

Love this song:

2011-05-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

Movie Time

2011-05-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to the movies. By myself (I love going to the movies by myself, actually I just love going to the movies). It was a really great break. I really needed to get out of the house. I had plans to go out with a friend but plans changed and instead of staying home, I thought why not just go anyway? I saw the movie 'Bridesmaids'..... and it was HILARIOUS. If you are in need of a good laugh I highly recommend it. It was exactly what I needed. The trailers don't do this movie justice. Damn that was a good movie!

and then there were 8 (and only 12 more to go)

2011-05-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

The bunnies are multiplying.

2011-05-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

This quilt is gonna take a while...

2011-05-22T05:55:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by the quilt I thrifted a while back to use up some of my fabric scraps to make a quilt for Avery. Most of my scraps are pinks, oranges and reds and I love how they all come together. A little bit of Heather Ross, a little bit of Anna Maria Horner and of course lots and lots of polka dots! I've only added in one 'non scrappy' fabric, the bunny one. I bought it here: This and that from Japan.You just have to love those Japanese fabrics! I'm really enjoying this project. I'm taking it one block at a time, really enjoying making each block instead of feeling rushed to finish the entire quilt. The other nice part of this project is that I know it will be staying here. I love making gifts for friends, but it's also nice to work hard on something and then get to enjoy it yourself. I really love that bunny... and his double decker bus!

The Baby Barnes Quilt

2011-05-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

This is a rock n' roll quilt for a special friend who loves to play guitar and hug trees! xoxo

We've been busy....

2011-05-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Ian's 4th Birthday

Discovering we love to swing!

Picnicing on our favourite new thrifted blanket.

Getting our new Summer 'do

Enjoying Vietnamese treats.


Riding around on our brand new 'big boy' bike (even in the grocery store!).

What's been keeping you busy?

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

Thrifted

2011-04-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

I nearly fainted when I saw this:

Granny square pillow (front and back)

Over 100 quilt blocks (some vintage).

Vintage and entirely hand-quilted, no stains, no tears (click on the picture for a better view).

More Fun with Vintage Fabrics and super cutie pies!

2011-04-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

Studio Envy

2011-04-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

Check out Nikole's studio over at A Happy Nest. SOOOOOOOO jealous! It is stunning. Every single inch of that space is gorgeous. I can't decide which parts I love the most. I am suffering from MAJOR studio envy. Good for you Nikole! Wow!

Open for Business!

2011-04-07T17:23:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a little something:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MaddyBoud75?ref=si_shop

Lots more to come... my camera and I have been struggling to find the right lighting for pictures!

Thrifty Thursday - Ian's loot

2011-04-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

1. I thrifted Ian's chair-desk a few weeks ago. It cost me less than $20. When I saw it, I slowwwed right down and had a real good lonnnng look (kind of like what I imagine someone looks like when they see a big lake in the middle of the desert). I looked around in disbelief (anyone else see this gem? Can you believe it?), but there was no one around me. I debated about buying it for a while. I just stood there trying decide whether I could find room for it in our 'cozy' house.... (wondered whether Derek would tolerate it in our space). In the end I thought it was way too awesome to pass up, and I knew Ian would LOVE it!). Which he does! As I was walking out of the store a man stopped me and said he had one just like it at home. Apparently (I can't find anything on the web to confirm this) the desk is made out of world war 2 planes. In any case I love the lines of this desk. It needs to be sanded and re-stained but even as is, it's pretty awesome. It has a scandanavian feel to it. Derek was ok with it, though I do get teased about it on a regular basis (my world war 2 desk). This was the best picture of it that I could get... I've got others but 'underwear Ian' is in them.

2. Popcorn maker. Remember when you had to wait to make popcorn? The sound of that machine. The taste of real homemade popcorn? I've been wanting to buy one of these for a while. Found one for $4 and the machine works just fine. I love the ritual of making popcorn (as opposed to just shoving a bag in the microwave). My Dad LOVES popcorn. We heard that 'pop, pop, pop' a lot growing up as kids.

3. Pretty vintage linens for Momma.

Doll quilts - done!

2011-03-29T18:40:00.000-07:00

I'm headed out of town for a week. See you then! xoxo

Fun with Vintage fabrics

2011-03-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

Makes my heart sing. I used this technique by Elizabeth from Oh, Fransson! to make the blocks. Ingenious! (her cat's name is George-Michael... cute!).

A touch of Pilli Pilli in my day, keeps the blues away

2011-03-26T16:33:00.000-07:00

Thrifty Thursdays

2011-03-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

Recently I started thrifting... and as in everything with me it has become a sort of obsession (one that I am thoroughly enjoying....maybe a little too much, but who can argue with something that makes a gal happy?). There is something about thrifting that is SOOOO much fun. It can be very exciting to find neat things amongst all of that crap. I have been mostly looking for vintage linens and notions (zippers, buttons, binding, trim and ribbon) for sewing and crafting. Sometimes I find things that I'm not actually looking for, but can't resist buying because 1. we can actually use it or 2. it's way too awesome to pass up.

This week I found the following:

Remember Holly Hobby? My sister and I were really into her. Today I found this vintage hand embroidered wall art. I swear my heart skipped a beat when I saw this (what's wrong with me?). The colors are perfect for Avery's room, plus it's vintage, handmade and, well, it's Holly! This must have taken a LOT of time to make. The stitching is perfect. Now that I've started making things myself I realize just how much work and love goes into these handmade things. When I saw this I nearly tripped over my feet to snag it and put it in my basket (as I did this I looked around furtively to make sure no one else had their eyes on it)..... Can anyone else relate to this thrifting madness? On top of all of this awesomeness it only cost $5.50!

I'm thinking of painting the frame white... what do you think? (it's actually plastic and not wood so I wouldn't feel bad about painting it).

I also found tiny little handmade mittens, a sweet vintage summer dress and an awesome poncho for when Ave gets a little bigger.

I found a few things for Ian too that I will blog about next week. Oh happy day! xoxo

Home Sweet Home

2011-03-21T10:55:00.000-07:00

We are back from the hospital. Avery is back to her old smiley self. Resting comfortably in her grandma's arms (she is wrapped in one of my favorite blankets -my grandma made me this when I was a baby).xoxo

For Japan with Love

2011-03-19T08:28:00.000-07:00

http://forjapanwithlove.com/

Déja Vu

2011-03-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

I'm writing from the Children's hospital again. Avery was admitted yesterday afternoon. She has a respiratory virus (apparently the no. 1 cause of hospitalizations in children under 1). She is doing much better now than she was yesterday. They are taking good care of her and her breathing has improved. Might be here for a few days. Feeling very grateful to be getting such good care for our sweet baby girl. She's not smiling as much as she normally does. Looking forward to seeing that perky smile again soon. xoxo

Cute Tut

2011-03-16T20:01:00.001-07:00

'Doll House' potholder: http://fredashive.blogspot.com/2009/01/doll-house-potholder-tutorial.html

Rounded corners on a quilt

2011-03-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

Have just finished machine stitching bindings on three doll quilts (damn those mitered corners!). By chance I happened upon this post just now.... brilliant! Rounded corners... I wouldn't have thought of that... which is what I love about the blogosphere. So much inspiration and so many good ideas!

Now that I've started sewing again, I realized how much I've missed it. I think it actually makes me a better mom. I'm happier and more relaxed when I have sewing projects on the go.

I just ordered a few fabrics from fabricworm. I'm planning a special quilt for Ian for his 4th birthday and a baby quilt for a very good friend who is expecting a boy. The stars of these quilts will be these sweet organic fabrics (with lots of blues, oranges, greens and browns thrown in).

Sewing aside, my heart has been very heavy these last few days thinking of the people of Japan. I just cannot fathom what they are going through. I had nightmares about it last night. It seems very surreal.

I pray for the people of Japan and for mother earth.

Doll Quilt Fun

2011-03-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's post by Ashley over at Film in the Fridge inspired me to get out my fabric scraps and make up a few doll quilts tops (I had some Heather Ross scraps like the ones in her quilt that have long needed to be freed from my scrap bin). I love making these types of quilts. They appeal to my 'goal oriented' personality (they don't take forever to whip up) and I love that you can be creative while also using up scraps. More importantly I love the idea of a child having a beautiful, handmade blanket for their special softie or doll. My grandmother knitted me a beautiful blanket for my dolls that I still have (will need to take a picture and show you). It has stripes like this (only knit) and these stripe quilts remind me of it.

It's been a long time since I've felt like sewing. Not that I didn't feel like it, but more that I had NO energy. For the last four months Avery has been waking up every 1.5 hours-ish (I wish I was exaggerating). A few weeks ago she finally started sleeping better. She only wakes up 2-3 times a night now... which is such a relief and a blessing (hopefully it sticks). All of a sudden I feel lighter and happier and it feels GOOD! Sleep is SO important to a person's well being.

Sleep tight! xoxo

Makin' me happy.

2011-03-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

Making homemade baby food.

Learning a new craft.

Spring birthday flowers from my darling friend.

Jolly jumpin' moves.

Making and playing the 'here fishy fishy' game.

Cousins

2011-03-07T13:26:00.000-08:00

We've been watching my sister's kids while she is traveling in Thailand (we have them for one week and their Dad has them for the other two). There's been a whole lot of 'naked super heroes' around here (I think the highlight of the week so far has been when they all came downstairs naked save for pull-ups on their heads). I hope they will remember this time with us when they are older. Hope you're having fun Annie. We are taking good care of the kids. xoxo

Ingenious tutorial for a superhero cape

2011-03-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

If you are a mom of boys I hope you are following Made's 'Celebrate the Boy' month. As a mom of a boy I'm always looking for fun projects to make for him.There is a real lack of projects that appeals to boys out there.

Ian is very much into superheros these days. Sometime ago we watched Toy Story 2. Since then he's been 'Buzz obsessed'. In fact every day for months now shortly after breakfast he strips down to his underwear and assumes his 'Buzz-superhero' persona. In his mind his underwear are his special superhero costume (ever notice how most superheros have belts?). That's mostly why you see so few pictures of him on this blog lately... he's always mostly naked (and I know better than to post almost naked pictures of my boy online). In fact I think this particular year home with my children will be forever burned into my psyche as 'the underwear year'... or the 'superhero phase' (it's awfully sweet actually... and certainly cuts down on the laundry!). There is nothing cuter than 3 year old still chubby legs running around being super.

When I saw this tutorial I knew I had to make one of these for Ian. It is ingenious really. It took me all of 15 minutes to make this cape and he loves it. I used adhesive velcro so no glue gun or sewing needed. Seriously soooooo easy. I ended up using one of my own t-shirts and it was the perfect length. I want to make one of these for all of the kids I know... because I'm obsessive that way and I can never have or make 'just one'... and when you think of it... girls are into superheros too...SO fun!

He is so sweet that boy of mine. Even his elbows still have that 'baby chub'... it will be a sad day when all of that baby chub is gone forever. xoxo

Love me some pilli pilli

2011-03-01T06:35:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of awesome giveaways in the blogosphere. Recently I entered a contest to win two beautiful handmade doilies from abitofpillipilli. Her blog is full of inspiration (the photography is amazing) and I love that she's in Italy! I just found out I won! I'm so excited. I LOVE the red ones, they are so pretty.

Recently I bought this beautiful artwork for Avery's room from her etsy shop (there are some really cute ones on there now). I put it up on her wall the other day and when I'm nursing Avery I look at it and it makes me so happy. It's just SO sweet and I love the colors.

Thanks for the giveaway! Can't wait to get my red doilies! xoxo

Magnetic Play set and Elements of softies design

2011-02-24T16:57:00.001-08:00

LOVE this: http://www.made-by-rae.com/2011/02/guest-tutorial-magnetic-superhero.html

and this: http://whileshenaps.typepad.com/whileshenaps/2011/01/elements-of-soft-toy-design.html

Carnival 2011

2011-02-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

Every year at this time we pack up the car and drive four hours north to my parents' place for carnival. Local families play in a hockey and broomball tournament. We see 'Bonhomme' and try to guess who he or she might be. We eat a pancake breakfast and spaghetti dinner. We sit and talk with family and friends that we haven't seen since the last carnival. We watch LOTS of hockey and cheer for the Boudreaus (we won again this year, yay!). The kids run around the arena and have fun. We have been going to carnival since I was just little. All of this takes place in the arena that my father managed for 25 years. With funding from the government they recently renovated it. It looks great and as a very special surprise they named the hall after my father. It is so wonderful to see his years of hard work and the contributions he made to his community being recognized this way. All of this is especially meaningful and bittersweet as his health has slowly been declining in recent years.

What a wonderful weekend! Feeling especially grateful for family traditions.

Things that are making me happy.

2011-02-17T07:32:00.000-08:00

Weekend visits from family.

Clean hardwood floors, crisp new paint colors and handmade goodies.

Flowers from my love.

Ian and Ave playing together.

Watching Avery's hair grow in.

Teaching Ian how to skate.

Crafting with my Googley-Bear.

I AM very sleepy....

2011-02-16T05:16:00.001-08:00

Thinking of getting two of these. One for each.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/60126864/subliminal-baby-letterpress-poster

Owl Love... tutorial!

2011-02-15T16:16:00.000-08:00

http://hammerandthread.blogspot.com/2010/07/owl-stuffies-tutorial.html

Seriously though... how awesome is a free tutorial to make your own owl??!!!

Did I mention I REALLY want to learn how to crochet? These little amiguruami guys just kill me.

Free Pattern:
http://bethsco.blogspot.com/2011/01/carrot-bunny.html

This is neat.

2011-02-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2011/01/how-to_make_a_perpetual_button.html

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T16:21:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrated valentine's day by resting our sick little souls (Ian has the flu). But we did find time to craft a little bit. Ian made some Valentine's bags for the family which we later filled with treats and opened after dinner time. The one in the center of this picture is Avery's.

Me: 'Ian do you want me to write Avery's name on it?'
Ian: 'No, I will'. (He squiggles a small line and then a longer one beside it).

The short line is her name because 'She has a little name right Momma?' and then the longer line says (in case you can't read squiggle: 'Avery is my sister and I love her very much and care for her'.

That was indeed the best Valentine's present ever.

Avery almost 7 months

2011-02-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

Wreath makeover

2011-02-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

Batman meets natural wool

2011-02-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

Mug Rug

2011-02-11T09:47:00.000-08:00

Love this idea over at http://whipup.net/ with an easy tutorial:

http://whipup.net/2011/02/11/guest-blogger-series-valentine-mug-rug/

Put a bird on it.

2011-02-10T05:33:00.001-08:00

http://www.putabirdonit.com/

Thanks Annie! So funny.

Googley Felt Heart Magnets

2011-02-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

Lovey love love

2011-02-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

Love this idea for Valentine's day (the wordless tutorial is also very cute).

//abitofpillipilli.blogspot.com/2011/01/sweet-hearts-another-wordless-tutorial.html

Here's a little shout out to some bunny love (from her etsy shop):

Serenity. Found.

2011-02-05T12:59:00.000-08:00

Four hours north at my parents' place. The renos continue...Day 25.

More owl love...

2011-01-26T11:59:00.000-08:00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/59829440/hootie-mc-cutie-woodland-walk

http://www.etsy.com/listing/61870778/brown-plush-owl

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65996699/stuffed-toy-owl-pillow-black-white-dots

http://www.etsy.com/listing/65642050/owl-softie

http://www.etsy.com/listing/55720237/bess-the-owl-fabric-wall-art

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66336995/olivia-the-owl-baby-pink-and-taupe

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66158595/wool-owl

http://www.etsy.com/listing/64874902/cutesie-owl?ref=em

Tee hee hee

2011-01-25T17:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60012362/print-no-eight-5-x-7-personalized-fine

These made me laugh! I love these little people.

Day 14 - Serenity Now!

2011-01-25T15:45:00.000-08:00

It is day 14 of eating, sleeping and living in our 'condo' (the space I've nicknamed our living room-dining room during the renos). To say that I am incredibly excited and anxious to reclaim our bedrooms is an understatement.... SERENITY NOW would best describe my mental state at this point! We are at the painting stage and Derek is doing it solo since someone has to be watching the kids. So it is slow and steady. There is one bedroom done. Ours. We chose a light blue-grey. The pictures here really don't capture the color very well. It is so peaceful and clean. I LOVE the color we chose. It makes me happy. The original color of our bedroom was a chalky green which I never really liked (it was chosen by the previous owners of the house). This blue is very 'light and airy' which is what I wanted for our space. I'm loving the new black knobs too! I can't stress how excited and anxious I am to set up our furniture back in this room and sleep in my bed again. Gosh, I love my bed. Could still be another few days.

Yesterday between the kids and the dog we were woken up every hour... my nerves are shot, I need the calmness of that new space pronto!! I have a deep understanding of how sleep deprivation is a form of torture. To all of you parents out there who are chronically sleep deprived just know that you are not alone!

Day 8 - Moulding and doors are in... now the painting begins!

2011-01-20T09:01:00.000-08:00

Almost there. There is A LOT of painting to do but there is an end in sight!

Day 7 - Still 'mouldy' but also very cute!

2011-01-18T08:12:00.000-08:00

Day 6

2011-01-17T07:44:00.000-08:00

Crown moulding going up.

Renovations - Day 5

2011-01-16T15:26:00.000-08:00

Floors are done! They need a really good wash but they look amazing. Tomorrow, crown moulding and closets and then painting the rest of the week.... Can't wait to see these rooms finished.

Owl Love

2011-01-15T17:56:00.000-08:00

http://www.etsy.com/people/PinkBunnyPatterns?ref=ls_profile

Check out this gorgeous wreath. LOVE!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/hemccoy?ref=seller_info

Trolling Etsy is so addictive! So many imaginative people creating such beautiful things!

Renovations - Day 4

2011-01-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

Only one more room to go! Then it's the crown moulding, closet doors, new knobs and painting...

Renovations - Day 3

2011-01-14T12:12:00.000-08:00

Hallway and one bedroom done. Two rooms to go!

Renovations

2011-01-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

The renos are underway. At this very moment there is a large, bald Czechoslovakian man laying down hardwood flooring in our bedrooms (I love that he calls me 'Maria' and every time he sees the baby he says 'Angel' and some Czech words I don't know -actually I don't know any). It is exciting to see the transformation of these rooms take shape. This reno has been a long time coming. I have bad allergies to dust and dustmites. Rugs make my allergies and asthma worst... we've been talking about doing this for a long time. Finally we got into action and made it happen. Even though we are tired as hell, I'm happy we found a little bit of motivation to get this started. Can't wait to see how it will all turn out!!

New Year but same ol'

2011-01-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

It's a new year but it's feeling a lot like the same ol' stuff around here. The kids are waking me up every few hours. I am TIRED. Emotionally and physically tired. I miss sleep. God, how I love sleep. I am a person who needs a lot of sleep in general and it feels a little like these last few years of sleepless nights are finally catching up with me. It's hard to be patient and happy when every cell in your body feels like it's pulled an all nighter for weeks on end. Maybe it's just a case of the January blues. Whatever it is I hope things lighten up soon. Feels a little crazy in the head these days.

On a fun note 2011 starts with a remodel of our bedrooms (this may be adding to that feeling of being extra tired at the moment). We are finally ripping up all of that disgusting and stained carpeting and replacing it with a beautiful dark chocolate hardwood floor. We're also adding crown molding and replacing the closet doors in the kids' rooms and finally putting in some closet organizers. I spent all of last week going through each of our bedrooms, de-cluttering, sorting through our junk, deciding what to keep and what to donate. I've stored a lot of things in our basement and labeled all of the bins. It always feels so good to get rid of stuff we don't need and get organized. I finally feel like having our house well organized is within my grasp. It's a good feeling. Starting this Wednesday the four of us will be camping out in our living room until they are finished installing the floors and painting etc. Should be an interesting experiment. I don't see any sleep in my near future... but those dark chocolate floors will be worth it!

Happy 2011!

2011-01-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

2010-12-20T17:10:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and yours a very lovely Christmas and a wonderful new year!

Needle Felting - My new love

2010-12-19T09:12:00.000-08:00

Meet Mr. Bunny-Wunny. With the use of a felting needle, raw wool and a kitchen sponge I was able to sculpt this little guy in just a few hours. It was a LOT of fun! My sister who is the queen of felting sold me all of the supplies I needed. This is such a fun and inexpensive craft. I think I am addicted. While sewing will always be my first love, needle felting is now way up there too. What's great about needle felting is that it is a very 'parenting of small children friendly' craft. Unlike sewing where there is quite a bit of time in setting up your workspace before you get started (oh to have my own sewing studio!). You can easily take your supplies with you from room to room, or put it down if you need to run and say prevent your preschooler from flushing your toothbrush down the toilet etc. You could easily needle felt in a waiting room, as a passenger in a car etc. It's very meditative and it really is exactly like sculpting. These would make great gifts and they are 100% eco-friendly since it's only wool. You could make beautiful Christmas ornaments, woolies for children etc. the possibilities are really endless. All of the materials plus a great deal of wool in a variety of beautiful colors only cost me $30 and will likely last me a long, long time. What makes me especially happy is that needle felting will satisfy my desire to create until I am able to spend longer periods of time at my sewing machine. What's great is even Ian could easily needle felt a ball and he's been felting along side with me, playing with the wool etc. If you'd like to buy some needle felting supplies just email my sister Annie Bananie (there are beautiful examples of things she's made there) at anniebdr@gmail.com. She ships worldwide.

What's in the pot?

2010-12-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned I love my crock-pot? Before going out today I threw the following ingredients into the crock-pot and came home to a really nice chili. This is the first time I've made this recipe. Next time I make it I will, use milder chili powder so that Ian can eat it, I will only put a splash of the broth (I reduced it to a quarter cup but I think even less would be better since very little moisture seeps out of crock-pots making for a bit of a soupy chili). I also omitted the salt. The chocolate really gave it a neat and subtle flavor. I didn't actually put any beans in it... I sort of forgot, and it was still good! It would also have been good topped with a little blue cheese and a sprinkle of green onion and served with brown rice, quinoa, your favorite pasta, or toasted pita bread.

Crocky-Pot

2010-12-16T09:23:00.000-08:00

Until recently this is a site I've resisted seeing in my kitchen:

I'm not exactly sure why I've resisted it so much. Perhaps because I've had SO many people tell me I should get one (even as an adult I don't like being told what to do). Also I think because I enjoy the process of cooking. But a wise friend gifted us one for Christmas, sort of as a joke, but not really. The box could have said 'Dude, would you just use it already'. So here it is... and I like it! I used it for the first time yesterday. Before going out shopping I quickly threw in some ingredients for a curry and when I got home:

A healthy meal all ready to eat. I'm REALLY going to like this. Thanks T!

Wee Wonderfuls

2010-12-12T17:22:00.000-08:00

I just recently purchased the following patterns:

One for Ian: http://www.weewonderfuls.com/store/put-together-2.html

One for Avery: http://www.weewonderfuls.com/store/put-together-2.html

I can't wait to get started! SO CUTE!

Handmade gifts

2010-12-11T17:56:00.000-08:00

I have been drooling over all of the gorgeous handmade things being made in the blogosphere as of late (have a stroll through the blogs listed on the left of this blog). I yearn for uninterrupted time to create. Alas, that's not in the cards for me for a little while yet. I did get around to sewing a little something the other day (a gift for a family friend)... Avery on my lap, Avery crying in her chair, Avery on my lap, Avery in the sling etc. It wasn't the meditative sewing I like -in fact it was a little bit stressful... but I did manage to create something cute which was fun.

Sooo until things settle down around here, I am happy to buy handmade gifts when possible. In addition to the baby quilt, Santa is also bringing Avery a cute banner to hang above her bed. I asked Karie over at workermade to make it for me. Her workmanship is amazing (which you can't really see in this picture unfortunately). I'm so happy with how it turned out, and I can't wait until Christmas day so that I can hang it above her crib (it's going to look awesome with that quilt). Thanks Karie!

Film in the Fridge Baby Quilt

2010-12-11T10:17:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited for Avery. Santa's bringing her a special quilt for Christmas. The one I'm in the process of making her is a twin size... and realistically it may not be done until she moves into her big girl bed. I love this quilt! It reminds me of vintage bed sheets.

'Tis the season to be grateful.

2010-12-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season is upon us. This year I am especially grateful to have our little girl celebrating the season with us. She is a sweet, precious, angel clearly gifted to us from the heavens. I am SO SO grateful that she is here and in good health. Such a happy, smiley baby and I'm so proud to be her Momma. She's only been with us four and a half months but I can't imagine our lives without her. It feels like she's always been here, part of our family. Ian loves her too. He calls her 'his baby' and gives her too tight hugs and big kisses.

I feel so blessed. Wishing you and yours the best of the holiday season. xoxo

Ian and Ave

2010-12-02T07:34:00.001-08:00

Avery 4 months

2010-11-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

Bad day - good day

2010-11-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

I've been crafting this post in my head these last few days (ok, maybe weeks). About how hard life can be. How difficult mothering is at times. How TIRED I feel most days. Yesterday was a BAD day. I was not the best of mothers yesterday for many reasons. By the end of the day I was in complete and utter despair ... and yet, today was a much, much better day. Just like that -from dark and bleak to light and hopeful (probably something to do with not allowing the consumption of any Halloween candy today). Then I read this blog post: http://thehappiestmom.com/?p=898 (via Soule Momma blog) and it rang true for me.

I have been giving a lot of thought to what makes people positive vs. negative (genetics? upbringing? can you change yourself if you're a half empty kind of person? If yes, how?). I'm reading a book right now call the optimistic child. It talks about how to inoculate children from depression. I've only just started reading it but it is interesting.

So that's it. No ranting and raving today. Just quiet gratitude for a good day.

Halloween is in the air!

2010-10-16T18:00:00.000-07:00

Parenting

2010-10-15T18:37:00.000-07:00

Being at home with Ian full time has been eye opening. Spending time with him 24-7 is fun, tiring, and many times incredibly challenging. I have been reading a lot of books on discipline lately. Mostly out of desperation because frankly, I have been really struggling in the last few months to find an effective way to get his cooperation. The best books to date have been:

1. Secrets of discipline by Ronald G. Morrish. This book is very easy to read and very practical. It explains in a very clear way why rewards and bribery etc don't work. This book made me realize that I should not have to beg, plead or brib my child to listen to me. I am the parent, the adult and that is reason enough for him to listen to me (as long as my requests are reasonable).

2. 'How to talk so children listen and listen so children talk' and 'Liberated Parents, Liberated Children' by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish. These two books were very, very powerful. I wish all parents would read these books.

I've noticed that since reading these books things have slowly been getting better. I find myself enjoying my time with Ian more. That's a really great feeling because there is nothing worst than the feeling of not wanting to be around your own child.

10 weeks

2010-10-07T17:54:00.000-07:00

I have a lot to say about how the last 10 weeks have changed me. Changed my family. How spending 24-7 with little people has taught me so much about myself and my kids. But there isn't much time these days to type. So for now there are pictures.

8 weeks

2010-09-24T18:16:00.000-07:00

siblings

2010-09-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

5 weeks

2010-09-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

Family Ring

2010-08-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

A new take on the 'family ring'. Available here: http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/

Pretty Baby

2010-08-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

Four weeks

2010-08-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot of things swirling in my mind the last little while. It has been a difficult few weeks. Seeing my little girl in hospital being poked and prodded, worrying about her health. Staying in hospital for 5 days away from Ian, worrying about him and how he was coping with his mommy being away during a time when he was already dealing with the adjustment of having a new baby in the house. I'm feeling a little numb these days. Trying to process these last four weeks. A lot of bottled up emotion that doesn't want to come out.

It turns out Avery had viral meningitis AND a bladder infection... how the hell did she get so sick? Though she seems to be doing well now she will be monitored for some time to make sure that the meningitis did not affect her heart or cause any neurological issues. She's also on antibiotics for the next 10 days. She seems to be doing really well though and that helps me get through the days. I feel so grateful she's home with us now and seems to have gotten through this without any long term effects.

I am still pumping after every feed and despite help from a lactation specialist Avery is not doing any better at the breast. Her latch is fine but she mostly just sleeps at the breast... (but will happily gulp a bottle of expressed breast milk!). This whole breastfeeding thing has really surprised me. Because things went so well with Ian (it was SO easy!) I never expected that I wouldn't have the same experience with Avery. I guess success at the breast has a lot to do with the baby, not just the mom and the milk supply. This has added a whole other layer of stress we could have done without. I WANT to breastfeed my baby. I know it's what's best for her. I breastfed Ian for 16 months, I feel like Avery deserves the same. It doesn't seem fair to her not to breastfeed, plus she is sick, so breast milk just feels right. On the other hand, I'm not sure how much longer I can keep pumping after every feed. The only reason I've been able to do it this long is because Ian is still in daycare. Friday is suppose to be his last day. Being the incredibly active, curious and willful child that he is, there is no way I'll be able to pump this often when he is home with me. I was looking forward to being home with both of my kids, but now it's turned into this stressful deadline... and I am sort of scared (how will I be able to give them both what they need?). But I don't want to give up. On the other hand, I am exhausted and feeding Avery has become an hour long thing for each feed (feed at breast, pump, give bottle) and this takes away from time with me that Ian needs too. Plus I'm just not sure she's going to get any better at the breast. Because she lost so much weight before (and never cried to tell me she wasn't getting enough) I don't really trust her on the breast alone... how will I know she's getting what she needs? It is hard not to feel stressed out about all of this.

My sister says there is some 'magic' that happens at the six week mark... that if I can just stick it out until then it should be ok. I guess we'll see.

Throughout all of this I've felt incredibly grateful for surprise visits at the hospital from family and friends with magazines, snacks, vermicelli salad, a good book and drop offs at our house with stew and carrot cake and my mom taking a six hour bus ride to stay at our house and provide extra support to Ian and Derek (coming home to a clean house was SO nice). But mostly I'm grateful that my baby girl is home with us and so far seems to be healthy.

Discharged today

2010-08-21T14:25:00.000-07:00

We were finally discharged from the hospital today. It's been a crazy few weeks. Will update when I get my head together. Feels good to home and to have our family back together again.

Three weeks

2010-08-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

I'm writing from the Children's hospital. Avery was admitted yesterday morning with a fever. Today we found out that she has viral meningitis. Her fever is down now and she seems to be doing better. They will keep her here another few days, probably until Thursday or Friday to monitor her and make sure she is ok. We are staying positive. Hoping things continue to be ok. We are still waiting for some test results and there is the possibility that she isn't out of the woods yet. I can't believe my little punkin' is in hospital. She has been poked and prodded every few hours since we've been here. They have taken blood, suctioned her nose, put in a catheter for urine, and did a spinal tap. She has been really good through it all. She is so strong and laid back that little girl of mine. Like Derek said 'so much for not worrying about her once she was out of utero'. These past few weeks haven't been easy with the breastfeeding issues and her weight loss and healing from birth etc. Still trying to stay positive and be grateful. You don't have to look far in a children's hospital to find things to be grateful for.