the barnacle is my totem

these past few days

2012-01-15T21:22:00.000-08:00

things made:

play dough in the aftercare

places visited:

Habit - I recommend the black bean burger

Day of the Dead at Ayden Gallery

Deep Cove - snow!!

Honey's Doughnuts in the Cove

Acme for pie

stuff done:

snowboarding lessons at Grouse

food prepared:

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup in the slowcooker

pad thai - yum!!

greeting cards for february 14th

2012-01-12T16:19:00.000-08:00

I discovered these beauties from Banquet just moments after I placed my card order from another place. Oh well, there is next year.

This is my favourite.

three days in...

2012-01-11T19:44:00.000-08:00

...and I feel like I'm verging on overwhelmed. In the past three days we have been back to two workplaces, commuting, school lunches, staff meetings, birthday celebrations, board meetings, volunteer projects, etc. etc. I've been trying to keep the pace with that while squeezing in a bit of exercise each day. I'm not complaining as it can be nice to be busy and I certainly am getting a lot done. It's just there never seems to be enough time for everything right?

busy days are here again

2012-01-10T06:27:00.000-08:00

Oh! Back to the grind yesterday. I substituted in the morning in the kindergarten and with about an hour break before coming back for aftercare. It was really great to see the kids though and I can't believe how much little ones grow in two weeks! I noticed that almost all of them had changed.

This afternoon we are celebrating a birthday. I usually just make vegan cupcakes but since I don't have the cookbook right now (it is the library's after all) I tried something else. These are from the latest issue of Everyday Food and they are vanilla cupcakes with fruit glaze. The secret ingredient? White beans. I did try one already sans glaze and must say that are pretty tasty.

This is the real untouched colour!! - (pretend you don't see the St. Patrick's Day cupcake liners)

I know I'm real late on this one but my friend made me CD for Christmas with this song. So danceable and really puts me in a good mood. I hope it works for you too!

Steveston Day

2012-01-09T06:54:00.000-08:00

Last week after a hospital visit we headed out to Brent's hometown, Steveston. Steveston used to be more of a coastal fishing village and now is an area of Richmond. It's also is the back drop for the TV show Once Upon a Time as parts of it are dressed to be the fictional town of Storybrooke. It's a fun show and also stars one of my favourite Scottish actors, Robert Carlyle. Who doesn't remember Begbie?

I believe this is the Transylvania Bread Company that's been temporary renamed during filming.

We ran into Uncle Keith (Brent's brother) and he took us on a little tour of the Pilot Boat he works on.

Steveston also has some really cute shops. One of my favourites is Nikaido where my sister-in-law, Mikiko works. It's full of beautiful soaps, stationary, tea and fine pens and gifts. My wishlist from there is long.

Coco, a Japanese/Canadian magazine recently did a write up on Keith & Mikiko. Here is a link to the article. It's very sweet from what I could glean using google translate.

late night

2012-01-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

Taking a break from posting today. More tomorrow. Enjoy what's left of your Sunday!

old photos

2012-01-07T06:08:00.000-08:00

Brent's mom is in the hospital and with that a few of us have been organizing and going through some of her old items, photos included. I'm the self-designated scanner, filer and sometime keeper of the family photographs. I'm finding a unique sense of perspective on my husband's family when going through their old family photos. I can see certain family dynamics and burgeoning personalities. I'm appreciating his mom, dad and siblings all the more when I look at their sweetness in childhood.

Brent's mom and older sister in 1959

Brent in the middle

love the hair in this shot - classic 70s

gorgeous

2012-01-06T19:44:00.000-08:00

I'm in love with these beautiful painted pebble mandalas. They would make sweet gifts.

gratitude friday

2012-01-06T06:21:00.000-08:00

This week I am grateful for:

- affordable housing (that's really saying something in this city)
- a new penpal
- the good health of my family - health is wealth
- crackers and cheese (especially these crackers and chèvre)
- my job(s) (I'm so lucky to work at two amazing educational institutions, both so different but inspiring in their own ways)
- my two grandmother's are both alive and relatively healthy (good genes!)
- the opportunity for a fresh start every day
- good friendships both old and new
- sweet giveaways from bloggers (find one from flourish design & style here)
- finding inspiration everywhere!

~happy weekend friends~

image found here

a little late today

2012-01-05T12:49:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to send out more mail and packages lately - not just for Christmas but in general. It's so nice receiving packages in the mail and letter writing really is an art. I wrote a letter to a friend a few months ago and it was as real awakening to see how horrible my handwriting is, I'm just so out of practice. The other day I received a letter (!) in the mail and a sweet handmade jug cozy. So fun!

I'm taking advantage of my last few half days to visit some out of the way thrift stores - a got a few things today. One being the Manhattan soundtrack on vinyl. I saw it the last time I was at the store but didn't get it and have been regretting it ever since. It was there today so I took that as a sign.

Finally, I picked up this Sweet Pea t-shirt for Aslan.

I wasn't sure he'd like it but he does and I'm happy because he looks pretty cute in it.

view from my window

2012-01-04T06:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I started back to work. Granted it's just back to job #1 so I don't have a commute to contend with yet but I was really getting used to the lazy holiday pace. The weatherman says it's supposed to rain solid until Sunday. Gray, gray, gray - that's the colour of Van City this time of year. Blech. This is from our bedroom. I sure wish that house across the street was sunshine yellow!

I found a bit of cheer in my latest thrifted finds

This month I plan on trying a few of these tasty looking "veganish" recipes from the NY Times but right now it's just that slow January feeling with not much happening except for Robbie Burns Day at the end of the month (not the most exciting holiday and we don't even get the day off work!)

Keep on keeping on.

Oh but looky here - Martha Stewart office supplies?! Cool.

i just gotta say

2012-01-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

This man is adorable.

images via GQ

needle felted tapestry

2012-01-03T06:41:00.000-08:00

On new years day I had to wake up early (7:30!) and go off to work (!) for an all day needle felting workshop. Now that really sounds a lot worse than what it was - a chance to create something beautiful on the first day of the year with some wonderful people (and water my poor plant that surely would have died in the classroom before January 9th!).

Suzanne Down from Juniper Tree Puppets came to our school and taught a lucky few of us the art of needle felted tapestry. I took one of her workshops back in 2009 and really enjoyed it.

My boys are pretty much past the stage where I would make one of these sweet pictures for their rooms so I made one for our Sunflower classroom.

Wool roving was felted onto 1/2" sheets of industrial felt - this is about a third of the way done.

The finished product - a field of sunflowers!

One last thing, have you seen this amazing portfolio of elderly animals? So beautiful.

tangerine tango

2012-01-02T07:31:00.000-08:00

Pantone has named this the colour of 2012.

This is very close to being "my" colour. Love it. It won't be hard to get more of it. I'll start with this:

and this would work too I think:

Cara Cara Peasant dress from Anthro

I love this post from Garance Doré explaining the difference between "granola", "rock n roll" and "hipster". Haha!

welcome 2012

2012-01-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! This year our celebrations were a little more low key than usual - just the four of us ringing it in quietly at home. Brent's mom has been in the hospital so we didn't feel super festive but had a special night anyway.

Our treat for the day was seeing Tintin and it was amazing! The animation was incredible and they did an excellent job of bringing one of our favourite heros to life. When we got home the boys and I hastily made a little decoration for the night.

The boys chose dinner - buffalo burgers and oven fries, followed by ice cream sundaes.

and games

I'm off to a workshop all day today. Enjoy the day off everyone!

year ending

2011-12-31T11:10:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a great time visiting friends. There was good conversation, excellent food (we were treated to authentic Mexican flautas and fish tacos), tequila, wine, beer (!) and poker.

I brought dessert - a pavlova. They are one of my most favourite desserts and this one was pretty good made with orange curd instead of the usual mix of fruits. (Sorry for the dark photos - it's dark around here!!)

recipe found in December 2011 Everyday Food

Now off to prep some little New Year's Eve surprises! Stay safe everyone.

currently obsessed with

2011-12-30T07:40:00.000-08:00

this blog

I have to go back to fulltime work in 10 days and am dreading the time away from my nest. This website looks like it will help me ALOT with freeing up some after work downtime before dinner. The recipes are beautifully organized and there is a whole "meatless" section. Love!

a handmade christmas - ha!

2011-12-29T07:18:00.000-08:00

I didn't really make a whole lot this year but at the 11th hour was able to whip up a couple of things that we will have to carry over from year to year.

I got this idea for a felt garland from Ella. It was very, very easy and I was so glad to use some of the numerous scraps of felt I have. It was the first time I used my sewing machine in months and it was fun to make something instantly gratifying.

Here is one of our many paper stars ~ I can't take credit for this as one of the boys made it at school.

I love these.

Brent has always had stockings that weren't really his but just random extras so this year I decided to sew him one. I go the idea from Martha Stewart and since I knew we had some tartan left over from his kilt I thought it would be perfect. It's a little smaller than he I would have liked but it does the job nicely. Note to self - chocolate bars fit better than yoga mats.

What We Ate

2011-12-28T07:02:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm so much food and I'm still suffering the after effects and continued gluttony due to so many leftovers and more baking and sweets than one family could ever consume.

Satsumas, pomegranates, various chocolates, tourtière, roast goose, numerous vegetable sides, bread sauce (note to self - never again), flaming pudding (sadly no photo this year), bûche noel, butter tarts of course, salmon ball, shortbread, rum balls and more bottles of wine and spirits than I care to mention.

Our fridge is still packed and I won't have to go grocery shopping for a few more days at least! We are very grateful.

christmas knits

2011-12-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

I didn't make a whole lot of gifts this year but there were a few.

This cozy bandana cowl ended up going to my mama. She lives in a cooler clime so hopefully this will be put to good use.

Last month I started on a couple of teacher gifts. The two Mr.'s were gifted them on the last day of school.

Details can be found on my ravelry page.

It's Boxing Day (or What We Got)

2011-12-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays Folks! Today we are fuzzy headed and full but nicely relaxing at home. We had an exciting day yesterday commencing of course with present opening at 7 am! Here is a smattering of the lovely gifts we received.

for me:

a sweet cardigan from anthro

an awesome vintage copy of this book

beautiful hot water bottle and cozy made by a dear friend

these awesome old caps that belonged to my dearly departed Grandpa Bergot and his older brother my favourite Uncle Johnny

for Brent:

this beautiful sign handmade by Hamish - the best present ever! He is learning Roman history in school and "spes" means "hope" in latin

the Camano Coffee Mill purchased here

for Hamish:

Beastie Boys record

for Aslan:

a handsewn felt hamburger from his bro (and a monogrammed bathrobe from M & D)

for Fidel:

a new scratchie pad with cat nip - yeeehooo!

and so much more books, scarfs, treats, toys, games, gift cards for dinners out, etc. etc.

We are feeling so blessed and fortunate.

~Wishing all the happiest of holidays!~

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:33:00.000-08:00

Wham - Last Christmas by hushhush112

From me to you - the best Christmas video ever.

I can't even express in words how utterly awesome George Michael is in this. Classic.

two more days

2011-12-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

I'm absolutely loving Christmas prep this year! It may have been because I decided to play hookey for this last week of work and just stay home ~ in hindsite I don't know how I could finished everything otherwise.

Today we assembled and decorated gingerbread houses

Tarts, cookies, and rum balls are made and presents are all wrapped and hiding.

Tomorrow it all begins!

pouffe

2011-12-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

I used to have a real authentic Morrocan "pouffe". I didn't know it was a pouffe back then - I think I called it a hassock. It was given to me by an old lady, an ex's granny who befriended me. At the time I got it it was filled with old fabric of some kind and was flattened out. I saved my pennies and took it to an upholsterer who properly filled it. It was my first real piece of furniture, if you can call it that. It was pretty old and the leather was dry. I didn't care for it and I think it required some care. One day years later another ex flopped down on it and it ripped all the way up the side seam. I was devastated. The leather was rotting and there was no way it could be saved. They are so all the rage now and have been for awhile. I wish I still had my old one. I wouldn't buy a new one now - it just wouldn't have any character.

image via Moon to Moon

currently obsessed with

2011-12-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

over and over and over and over

(the kids love it too)

currently obsessed with

2011-11-14T07:19:00.000-08:00

Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks.

These are good. Very, very good.

Donuts!

2011-11-13T14:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I made actual real deep fried donuts for the first time. Deep frying really makes me nervous and this time I'm sure the oil was too hot because these cooked so fast and were brown in about 10 seconds. Tasty though. I'm still using up pumpkin from the aftercare jack-o-lantern and these were apple pumpkin spice donuts from Vegan Dad's recipe. I love his recipes as they are written in a very simple and straight forward way and everything just sounds so good! And it's vegan!

my helper

my taste tester

currently obsessed with

2011-11-13T11:51:00.000-08:00

These shoes that I will never have. I first spotted them in August and have lusted after them ever since. I keep seeing them in fashion magazines and blogs and it makes me so sad! Not only are they very expensive but they would just make me toooo tall. I don't know where I would wear them but I am still irrationally in love. Something about the heel just calls to me.

image via net-a-porter

novels and films

2011-11-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

This book was killer. I'm just watching the movie right now and like to most movie adaptations it doesn't compare but it's still a beautiful story - one for best friends and sisters alike. For the record the best book to movie adaptation I've ever seen was Beloved. The movie didn't really make sense on its own but if you read the book first it was perfectly done.

I was feeling under the weather today. Feeling a bit better now and thankful for Floradix.

chanterelles

2011-11-03T20:31:00.000-07:00

My stepdad loves to pick mushrooms and every fall he goes into the woods and just gathers them. He surprised us by mailing us three pounds of chanterelles. Three pounds is a lot of mushrooms and we're really running out of things to do with them before they go bad. Pasta sauce to the rescue.

currently obsessed with

2011-11-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Long Island Medium

I don't know what to say about this except that it gives me comfort. Theresa Caputo and the entire show just seems so legit. I'm hooked.

mad couple

2011-11-03T09:25:00.000-07:00

These Save the Date cards are really cute.

I'm not sure how they will seem ten or so years from now though.

via Lotus Events

from pumpkin to pie

2011-11-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

cleaned

carved

jack - peeled and chunked

cooked

blended, mixed and poured

baked

devoured.

There are a couple of children in the class who don't eat eggs so I found a really easy and delicious vegan recipe online. It was just a matter of blending some silken tofu and adding the pumpkin, sugar and spices.

Oh, and we roasted these too.

I think I might add some of the puree to macaroni and cheese for tomorrow's aftercare lunch. It was so fun to use every little bit of our jack o'lantern this year. I washed and dried a few seeds as well so hopefully we can find a space to plant them in the spring and then harvest our own pumpkins next year. The kids would love it.

I need to get this

2011-11-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

Does anyone know if you can pick up issues at Anthropologie in store?

World Vegan Day

2011-11-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

Today is World Vegan Day. I'm not exactly sure what that means but I am more than happy to celebrate all things vegan. Dinner tonight was a complete vegan meal and it was delish.

Mmmm brussels sprouts - I can't get enough of these

Field Roast sausages - I recently discovered they were carrying these at a local market on our side of town and I was soooooo excited. They taste amazing.

The final product - roasted brussels sprouts, boiled nugget potatoes and apple sage field roast. With a little earth balance melted on the veggies it was perfect.

currently obsessed with

2011-11-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

Platinum Blonde

Nothing helps bring you back to your thirteen year old self like music. I downloaded their greatest hits album yesterday and can't stop listening to it. I never did get to see them play at Kelowna Memorial Arena like some of my friends but their songs were still on high rotation on my ghetto blaster back in the mid-eighties. I've played the songs for my boys and they love them. I never would have thought that Platinum Blonde's music would transcend generations but I think it may have.

October in a pumpkin shell

2011-10-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving

Birthday

Pumpkin Patch

First fire in the hearth

jack o'lanterns

Trick-or-Treat!

Farewell Jack

2011-08-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

This week Canada lost one of it's most beloved leaders, Jack Layton, Leader of the New Democratic Party, Official Opposition in the House of Commons. (I hope that's the correct title).

Jack was a man of and for the people. I don't know much about his years as a Toronto city councillor but I have been following him closely ever since he became the leader of the NDP. He inspired people and made them feel like he really cared. He worked tirelessly never wavering from his purpose - to do what is best for working Canadians. He worked at protecting public healthcare and education, the environment and social justice. Weeks ago when I saw how sick he had become I was shocked. Most people thought he wouldn't make it after seeing him looking so wan and weak but when I heard the news early Monday morning I just couldn't believe it. Hearing the news was just a blow to my heart. I've never cried for a politician before or any public figure for that matter but once the news registered the tears just began to flow. Jack represented so much to us, mainly hope.

I'm so tired of people who are constantly stressing the economy this, the economy that, blah blah blah. When will people realize that it's love that makes the work go round not money. The less we focus on money the more love will come into the world.

Maybe Jack is with the angels now and in some way it feels nice to know there is a spirit in the universe that is on our side.

"My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world." - Jack Layton 2011

not much to report

2011-08-18T20:23:00.000-07:00

Except that I have discovered the most amazing series of cookbooks! Nothing can make one appreciate being a vegetarian more being a vegan for two months first. Since we've eased up a bit on restricting the dairy, egg (and some seafood) part it's like we are eating like kings. I really, really believe in veganism and I hope to return to it full force again someday but what's working for our family now is a bit more flexibility.

I've known of the Moosewood Restaurant Cookbooks for ages but being a meat eater they never really appealed to me. I got a couple out of the library and I am completely crazy about them! There are a lot of vegan recipes in them that don't even seem vegan (lemon coconut tapioca pudding, anyone?) and the one I've been cooking the most out of, Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers, has loads of appealing recipes and menu ideas. I really like when cookbooks give suggestions for sides, etc. and it does this with every recipe.

The second book I've got is Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates. This one has menus for special days organized by season. I've really enjoyed browsing through this and planning some meals to come. There are two Thanksgiving options one vegetarian and one vegan and both sound incredible.

My belly is happy and satisfied right now so I couldn't wait to share.

Best wishes for a sunny weekend!

oh hi blog

2011-08-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

Mmm this blog is really starting to feel like the diaries I tried to keep to religiously all my life and failed miserably at. Oh well, no mind. Today is the day after my 39th birthday. We had a lovely sunny day that I took off from work and spent relaxing. It's always this time of year that I start to feel like I've completely unwound from the school year and can start tackling stuff around the house. But there really is only a week or so window before I must start prepping for the start of school.

Summer was busy starting with a visit to Disneyland (super fun and way better than I thought it would be). The weather in Vancouver was atrocious for most of July. We had a very wet Folk Fest followed by two weeks of visitors. We've had a few nice pool and beach days in August but the weather is already changing and beginning to feel a teeny bit fall-ish.

This summer we stopped eating meat and most other animal products for a good two months. We are now starting to loosen up a bit adding the odd bit of dairy or eggs. It's been challenging to say the least. My poor boy-folk have felt hungry and have ate a lot of toast! Now I'm focusing on mindful eating and especially purchasing as well as getting more involved in animal welfare. Seeing the movie Earthlings in June really started the whole thing rolling for us. I recommend it to everyone. It's very hard to watch and something I purposely avoided watching for many years. It's really about facing issues and reality head on. There is no point in burying your head in the sand but I can't really preach about it since I did the same. This is good book to read as well.

My birthday is always an exciting time for me. I'm looking forward to what my 40th (gulp) year will bring! Best wishes everyone and enjoy the last few blissful weeks of summer!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-09T10:50:00.000-07:00

I hope that all the mom's had a great day yesterday. Mine was good but I must admit I have really been wishing for some more sun and warmth! Brent made me the best breakfast ever and it was delivered to me in bed with two huge vases of flowers and two beautiful handmade cards. I love my boys!

Oh goodness, and do excuse the haircuts - they let their dad take the scissors to it and this is what we were left with. A trip to the barbers in on the agenda for this week!

Family Portrait

2011-05-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

After years of debating we finally decided to splurge on a custom drawn family portrait. The idea of getting professional photos didn't really appeal to us but I really wanted something to mark the age of our kids and our family all together. So this spring I contact Ashley Goldberg and she created this masterpiece which will be a family keepsake forever.

Beltaine 2011

2011-05-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

As we've done for the past six years we got up bright and early to see the Morris Dancers at Trimble Park to welcome in the springtime, to welcome in the May-o. Unfortunately we arrived just as the final song and dance was ending! It was a gorgeous sunny morning though so the boys had fun playing in the park for awhile before we headed off for breakfast. So here are the precious few shots we got this morning. More Morris Dancer photos can be found in my previous posts here and here. Merry Beltane to all!

***

P.S.We rented the Wizard of Oz for the boys. They've never seen it! It's such a huge part of the collective consciousness we forgot to actually show it to them assuming they'd already seen it. What a great movie - so magical. And I really adore these shoes!

the last days of our break

2011-04-23T23:09:00.000-07:00

I'm so sad that spring break is coming to an end. Today the weather finally began to get warm which is really making me look forward. There is only a month and half of school left though and then we have two and a half months of glorious summer so I can't really complain.

This week was busy with several stops to help the Easter Bunny pick up some favourite treats.

Nottes Bon Ton

Butter Baked Goods

The boys tried yoga for the first time ever and absolutely loved it - especially Aslan. We will try to make it a regular thing for them. Coincidentally there is a hatha yoga class offered at the same time as the children's class so that may be enough incentive for Brent and I to get our butts into a class as well.

Today after the Farmers Market we went to check out this excellent playhouse. It is based on the iconic Vancouver Special and as the artist who made it said the closest some of us will ever get to owning one of these (once affordable) houses in Vancouver. So fun if you have little ones and space for a playhouse.

We watched Season 1 of this show. It is hilarious. I can't wait to see Season 2.

dying eggs

2011-04-18T21:24:00.000-07:00

On Palm Sunday we dyed some Easter eggs. I don't know if there is any significance to that at all but it is nice to have some eggs around the house for a week or so before Easter. We first blew out a dozen which seemed like a lot but once they're done it doesn't really seem like much at all. We may be inspired to dye some more before the date.

West Kootenays

2011-04-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

The last part of our trip was to head back north through the town of Nelson and then the village of Nakusp. Nelson has been one of our favourite little BC towns for years and there is a store that we stop at everytime we visit. Maplerose used to be owned by a Swiss family whose children attended the local Waldorf school. It's had new owners for the past several years but they've managed to retain the beauty that the store had originally.

The original owners still run an online shop shipping items to Canada.

In Naksup we enjoyed a cool (and snowy!) afternoon in the warm and therapeutic hotsprings.

It was nice to get away but good to be home!

west to east

2011-04-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

I was so surprised by the varied landscape just travelling across Washington State from Seattle to Spokane. We took a northern route through the small tourist town of Leavenworth. It's been a Bavarian-style village for over fifty years. It seemed to have it's fair share of tourists for a Tuesday in April.

For this part of the drive I felt like I was in My Own Private Idaho.

coyote roadkill

collecting sagebrush

Seattle

2011-04-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from our little journey. I was originally going to do a post on all of Washington State but there are quite a few from Seattle I'd like to share.

Room with a view (if you looked in the right direction)

Pike Place Market hasn't changed at all since the early 90's when I used to come down quite often. I was always hoping then to see Kim Thayil which never happened but I did see the Spoonman. Not this trip though.

$10 bouquets!

Karl's 75th Birthday

2011-04-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

This week we were able to celebrate the 75th birthday of my stepdad.

He was born in Vienna, Austria during the war in 1936 and came to Canada by himself when he was 19.

He took the train across the country and ended up in Vancouver and his mom and little brother followed.

I found out this weekend that they used to live two blocks away from where we live now. I go by their old house everyday.

Happy Birthday Karli!

School Etsy Store

2011-04-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

We had some leftover handmade items after our Spring Market. I've got the items up for sale on our Etsy shop, Carved and Spun. Most items are spring-themed and would be nice treats for Easter baskets.

photo by Ella Pedersen

away away

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

I wish I could say that we were headed off some exotic locale for Spring Break but alas it will just be a short road trip through our province and the state below. It will be nice to get away, to spend some time in another city and some smaller towns too. Fingers crossed for sun!

photo courtesy of design sponge

more knits

2011-04-10T16:18:00.000-07:00

So many babies - birthdays and births! An old friend just had a little girl - her first after two boys. I wanted to make her something quick and girly that the baby could wear right now. So using this same book I made the Cabled Booties. I would have liked to make them pink and coordinate the yarn with the buttons better but I just used materials I had on hand. At least there is a bit of pink!

Oh and here is Aaron, brother of Moses.

We got to see him in action on Friday in The Story of Moses, a play at the boys' school. It was great.

baby knits & easter buns

2011-04-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a crazy day at the Spring Market. We were so busy! It was fantastic. The school table did well and I hope a lot of the community vendors did well too. Many people really stepped up to the plate and help make this event great. We are already talking about another one in September...

This morning I took it easy and finished up a birthday present I've been working for a sweet little one-year old. I was gifted this great pattern book and this was the first time I got to use it. Such lovely patterns and so hard to choose!

Baby Bolero

you can find me on ravelry here

Today in the aftercare we had a little early Easter celebration with some yummy hotcross buns from Uprising Bakery. The kids loved them so we may have to get more before the week is out!

tomorrow my friends!

2011-04-02T22:46:00.001-07:00

tomorrow my friends!, originally uploaded by Ella Pedersen.

The Spring Market at our school is tomorrow at 10:00 am. If you are local, please come and visit us.

april fools

2011-04-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

I tried to fool the boys this morning by switching their underwear but Hamish just saw all of Aslan's in his drawer and switched them back thinking someone just put the laundry in the wrong place - no big deal. Oh well, my trick for the aftercare worked like a charm.

While we were at the snack table I told the kids that I felt we just weren't eating enough vegetables in aftercare, that we needed to start eating more leafy greens, more live food, more plants! Then I brought them out each one of these and placed it before them.

There were a couple that were suspicious and one who was on to me but for the most part they were fooled. I got looks of astonishment and then horror when one child dug in with a spoon and the comment, "You're eating dirt?!?!" Hahaha I laughed. It was funny.

These are made with chocolate mousse (3 packages silken tofu and 1 package melted chocolate chips pureed in the blender), Oreo cookie crumbs and mint sprigs.

Please excuse the poor photo - it was taken in the pantry as I sneakily assembled the treats.
Idea credit: Martha Stewart Living.

earth hour

2011-03-26T22:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight we commemorated Earth Hour. I almost didn't mention it to the boys since Brent was playing hockey and they usually are in bed before 8:30 anyhow but then I thought if I was by myself what would I do in the dark for an hour other than sleep or read by candlelight? So, we ended up making it an occassion with ginger ale, some candy (that may or may not have been hiding in the cupboard since the week after Hallowe'en) and games. I'm glad I made they effort because they had a great time.

The playlist was off Brent's ipod and included Wilco and Bob Dylan - nice.

Bird Feeders

2011-03-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

This week our activity in the aftercare has been making bird feeders. The weather has been cold and even snowy and I've been noticing the birds near our house coming around more often in search of food. These bird feeders are easy and fun to make. I'm looking forward to making one for myself so I can see them in action.

The ingredients: 1/2 c peanut butter, 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (or suet), 1 cup oats, 1 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup flour

Melt the peanut butter and fat (ew).

Add the dry ingredients and mix all together.

Pour the sloppy mixture into two paper cups (I doubled the recipe) and let harden in the fridge.

Peel off the cup and place into a mesh bag (from onions, oranges, etc.)

All finished a ready to hand outside on a tree.

links to love

2011-03-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

Instead of filling my facebook wall with some wonderful links I've found I've decided to share them here. Enjoy!

I absolutely cannot wait to see this!
I certain these homes have been featured in my dreams before.
Wouldn't mind a little vacay here.
I loved these as a kid so I think I may have to try this decidedly healthier version.
After that Oscar speech last Sunday I may have to check the winner out.
Awesome!! And so necessary in our house.

Happy Weekend!

pantry clearing

2011-02-24T11:32:00.000-08:00

I've had a bit more time at home than usual this week since the school has had the week off. I've either been home for the morning or the afternoon and it's been nice to have some time for puttering around. I felt like doing a bit of baking and there is nothing I love more than being able to create "something from nothing" and make something good from stuff that's being sitting around for ages. I had some Bird's Custard Powder that's been in my cupboard for far too long from a Christmas ages ago (I'm almost afraid to figure out how long it's been). My Irish brother-in-law made his family's trifle and I've had no use for the custard powder since. So yesterday I decided to use up some of it making one of the recipes on the back - Nanaimo Bars.

These are the supplies I started out with. Lots of opened packages with little bits here and there.

This is the finished product. They tasted surprisingly authentic and pretty good considering all ofthe subsitutions and other fiddling with the recipe. I always figured Nanaimo Bars would be kind of tricky to make but of course they were super simple and I'm glad I finally made them since they are a Canadian specialty.

the big day in january

2011-01-25T18:47:00.000-08:00

This was about the extent of our Robbie Burns Day celebrations this year - some lovely new nail polish I found here. And if today wasn't the perfect excuse to purchase it I don't know what is! This is a horrible picture by the way. I really like the colour, it's called "Black Tartan" and the nailpolish is all natural. (Have I mentioned I hate my new camera? Everything is always fuzzy and yellow. Maybe it's me).

Well, that wasn't all. We did have Scotch Broth for supper, and tonight when Brent gets home from class we will have a "wee dram" while watching this. Definitely more subdued than some years - no haggis, no whiskey trifle. Actually, I just realized we haven't had a big to do since I started blogging. Brent isn't here for supper to read some poems but Hamish volunteered and he says his accent is as good as his dads.

Here's an old video from several years back:

Mid-January

2011-01-16T12:13:00.000-08:00

In spite of this murky, grey weather January has been pretty nice so far. We have been much more social than usual and as a result feel so much more connected with old and new friends.

Aslan has done a few firsts - snowboarding and playing "Stick & Puck" at the university rink with his dad and big brother.

We had our first Dia de los Reyes celebration with some delicious Spanish and Mexican food.

It's been a month of organization, of meetings. of tying up lose ends and looking after things that have been neglected during the past few busy months.

I continue to find so much inspiration from the blogging community. I'm inspired by mainly by images. For the past while I've been sharing some on my tumblr blog. It's such an easier way for me to blog because it's simple and I think I can express myself in photos much better than I can in words.

On the agenda today: a visit with my new nephew and lots of food prep for next week. Even though I've heard this show is completely fixed I will probably watch tonight. Colin Firth is going to be there right? Plus with Robert De Niro receiving the Cecil B. DeMille award there should be a great montage of his work and some good barbs by his pals.

Have a wonderful week!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T16:44:00.000-08:00

i'm crazy about this idea

2010-12-08T08:39:00.000-08:00

via designsponge

Stir-Up Sunday (one week late)

2010-11-28T20:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Advent everyone! Today we had our eight-year-old's Advent Spiral at school and now I'm beginning to get into the spirit. I also made my second ever Christmas Pudding and it is steaming as we speak. Technically it is my first because the one I made last year wasn't really a traditional one and I think I made it the day before Christmas. This is the kind that has plenty of booze in it and will keep until it is steamed again for three hours on Christmas Day. Last Sunday was the real Stir-Up Sunday and my original plan was to have the pudding ready then but life and two unexpected cases of chicken pox got in the way.

When the boys figured out it was the first day of advent they where excited to begin the creation of their "Christmas Scene" - decorating that they do in one of their rooms each year. Here it is so far. They used a white sheet for snow and then paper for snow on the roof and they cut out little icicles. This photo was taken by Hamish (one of about 20).

Oh I just saw the commercial on tv for this. I would never buy that for any child of mine but I can tell you that it I was a little girl I would want that soooooo much.

hamming for the camera

2010-11-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

I took this picture of the boys today trying on clothes at H & M

The way Hamish looks reminded me of this video:

amazing redo

2010-11-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

I saw this excellent before and after post on design sponge and wanted to share it in case you haven't seen.

Those old entertainment units are everywhere and this is the absolute best redo of one I've ever seen. How inspiring! And what a great reuse of something so ugly.

a week of "everyday food"

2010-11-07T19:38:00.000-08:00

I love Everyday Food Magazine and have had every single issue. Each month I try to make as many of the recipes as possible. Most are delicious. Here is my diary of meals this week:

Tuesday

black beans and sausage

Wednesday

herb-roasted chicken and vegetables

Thursday

butternut squash baked risotto

Friday

one-pot pasta with broccoli and bacon

Saturday

Sharp & Savoury Roasted Cauliflower

(from Whole Living)

Sunday

pecan-chocolate chip pie

As I was putting this post together I realized I didn't take a photo of Monday. Oops! For the record it was Roast Beef with Cabbage, Squash and Carrots. Here's to another week of yummy eating!

Another 2011 Calendar

2010-11-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

This year our school parent council worked on creating our very first school calendar. We were inspired by the Chicago Waldorf School and had in fact bought their calendars to sell at our Christmas Fair for the past few years. We thought it would be nice to have our own calendar with drawings from children at our school and a short description on each page of the drawing.

The calendar is available here or by contacting our school.

the man can convey a lot with one word

2010-11-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

2011 calendar

2010-11-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

Check out this adorable calendar. It would be perfect for any Elsa Beskow fan.

available here

putting things in perspective

2010-11-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

via treehugger

last weekend in October

2010-10-31T21:32:00.000-07:00

Parisian hotdogs from here

raking leaves in the yard

a hike in the woods

and of course a little trick-or-treating!

pretty pencils

2010-10-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

I really love these.

late nights

2010-10-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

I was up late on Monday sewing napkins. Recently I got my sewing machine back from servicing and so I've had to the chance to work on what has become a long term project. About a year ago the goal was to make napkins for the Aftercare representing the colours of the day. I was all gung-ho and made 10 purple napkins that we have used every Monday for the past twelve months or so. On the weekend I pulled out my stash of fabrics and realized I have everything I need at home to complete a whole set of 50 napkins for Monday thru Friday. It was late Sunday afternoon when I realized I didn't have enough red thread. So Monday after work I headed up to our local quilting store and picked up some. Monday night I was busy.

Finished!

one of my favourite meals

2010-10-26T06:36:00.000-07:00

Is a Chicken Parm from Nat's. Brent and I usually split one. Otherwise it's just too greedy.

Monday is Rice Day

2010-10-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

In the Aftercare I like to incorporate the Grain of Day as taught in Anthroposophy. The grain for Monday is rice and I make Nori Rolls for the children. The recipe I use is adapted from Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners.

I use toasted nori sheets and lay them shiny side down on a sushi rolling mat. You don't have to use the mat - I didn't for a long time but using one does help you roll it up tighter.

The rice is prepared as normal. I don't use special sushi rice but plain white basmati. After the rice has cooked and is still warm I add the juice of half a lemon and about 2 - 3 tablespoons of brown rice syrup. It gets mixed in and then the rice sits until it is room temperature or a little wamer.

The rice goes on the nori and then with damp hands you press it on and spread it to the edges leaving at least an inch at the top free of rice.

Next, I add the filling. Since I made these the night before I can't put in avocado which I'd like to. Kids are fussy so I keep it simple with strips of cucumber and a spinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

Roll it up using the mat and seal at the end with a bit of water on the nori then press.

Slice into six pieces with a clean knife and serve with tamari or Braggs.

Saturday was

2010-10-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

brainstorming Hallowe'en costumes (that are free)
pumpkins - in a bacon & bean stew and in a cake (yummy!)
visiting with our favourite Feile
checking out ideas for floors and closet organizers
a viola performance
a new read

I hope yours was cozy too!

Finally - we get to see what Bill Weasley looks like!

2010-10-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

factory

2010-10-22T20:18:00.000-07:00

I don't think I entirely understand the concept of J. Crew Factory. Is it J. Crew style made more cheaply with lesser quality or is it something like seconds that don't make the cut for regular J. Crew..? I went to one of the factory outlet stores this summer and ended picking up some jewellery which was really pretty and affordable. The clothes definitely seemed less luxe than what I saw in the J. Crew stores in Portland and Seattle. They only sell Factory clothes online on the weekend and there generally isn't much that appeals to me other than the outwear but today I saw this dress. I really love the black sash.

pretty mugs

2010-10-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

I haven't put much effort into my coffee mug collection. We have a cupboard full of mismatched and mostly ugly ones that we've held onto through the years. I still have the cat mug my aunt gave me when I was about thirteen. I love it. It's "my" mug and I get oddly possessive if someone else dares to use it. But these are so cute. I think I'd cheat on my cat mug if we had one or maybe two of these ones.

seen here

hallowe'en cupcake idea

2010-10-21T19:01:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh I just saw these and had to post about it. Aren't these the awesomist cupcakes? I think I might have to try it out - chocolate icing, oreo eyes with m&m pupils and beak.

as seen on a little sussy

Book of the Week

2010-09-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

Last year I purchased this an old beat up copy of this charming book. I love the sweet, basic illustrations. The feeling of autumn is conveyed so well in the clean drawings with just a few colours. I can't wait to read this to the kids again.

enjoyable read

2010-09-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

I used to read Sassy religiously as a young teen. The premiere issue was bought for me by my now ex-stepmom #1 when I asked her to pick up a Teen for me and she came home with Sassy instead (big thanks to you Claudia). At fourteen years years old it was probably my first introduction to anything semi counter-culture. Anyway, flash forward to present and one of the founder, editor, writers of Sassy has her own blog. She doesn't post a lot but what she does post is funny and I'm really enjoying it. Her name is Christina Kelly and here is the link: Fallen Princess

Book of the Week

2010-09-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Right before rest time each day it's storytime in the Aftercare (Red Rose Kindergarten's afternoon program). I like to stick with one story for each week. The children thrive on the repetition and rythm and since they only see the same book once a year they are usually excited to have it read again and again.

This week we are reading Christopher's Harvest Time by Elsa Beskow. This is sweet story about a little boy who meets all of the fruits and vegetables that have been growing in his garden all summer. It's bit long but by the time it's over everyone is ready to lie down on their mats for a little rest.

For the words to "Song of Autumn" from this book, see my blog post on the story last year.

miracle cure

2010-09-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I got a wicked second degree burn when I spilled boiling water from a pot onto my wrist. It was the awful kind of burn that you have to keep cold on for hours or else the pain is excruciating. I was treating it with vitamin e but yesterday my husband urged me to go to our awesome neighborhood herb store where I received some amazing advice.

Lavender essential oil is apparently excellent for burns. The aromatherapist put some on my burn right there and then and it immediately stopped hurting. I put on a bit more before I went to bed and when I woke up the redness had significantly faded and it appears to be healing a much faster rate. I've googled home remedies for burns before and never saw any reference to lavender oil but I must tell you - it works wonders!

this moment

2010-08-13T14:15:00.000-07:00

inspired by soulemama

Summer Holiday Part 2 - Portland

2010-08-03T20:13:00.000-07:00

Oh Portland we love you! What a wonderful city. I'm so happy I had a chance to explore it a bit but only wish I had a couple of more days at least. There are a few things I didn't do that I wish I had:

1) coffee at Stumptown (I don't know how this slipped through my fingers)
2) more time at the Art Museum (note to self: do this without kids)
3) stay at the Ace (this was the original plan until I realized it wouldn't be much fun for the kids without a pool)
4) more time at Powell's (could you ever have enough time?)
5) ride the rapid transit
6) visit the Alberta district
7) eat at Kenny and Zukes

some Powell's love

street food!

Hawthorne neighbourhood

Bijou Cafe - best breakfast EVER

Weird, four person bike thing. The kids loved it.

Pretty darn good as far as doughnuts go. It was worth the 45 minute wait.

Summer Holiday Part 1

2010-08-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos of the first part of our trip. These were taken in Washington and northern Oregon.

It was chilly.

this moment

2010-07-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

a friday ritual inspired by soulemama. one picture, no words, capturing a moment from the week. please share links to yours if you feel so inclined.

wip wednesday on thursday

2010-07-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to finally have a wip after all this time and then I forgot to post it yesterday! So here it is, a little late. I saw some beautiful yarn for sale up the block then went home to check on ravelry to see what I could make with it before heading back out to purchase it. I'm so excited to be making a Shalom! I think this will be perfect for late August (and at this rate that's when this will be done).

the week in pictures

2010-06-27T10:54:00.000-07:00

Father's Day

Lynn Creek

Grade Four End of Year Gathering - turning dads into mummys

orange-almond cupcakes

wine with friends

croquet

co-op potluck

this moment

2010-06-18T23:07:00.000-07:00

a friday ritual inspired by soulemama. one picture, no words, capturing a moment from the week. please share links to yours if you feel so inclined.

wip wednesday

2010-06-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

This is it for today. Not as much as I would have liked but what can I say. We've been super busy with the last week of school stuff and not to mention someone's upcoming 8th birthday and Father's Day too. It's been full and fun but we're still waiting for the real summer to arrive - with warm temperatures and sun (oh please!).

Look at this beautiful cake by Twig and Toadstool. It's so amazing and would be perfect for a solstice celebration. Isn't that next week? Oy!

stacy recommends...

2010-06-15T21:08:00.000-07:00

This book was sitting in the free bin at my mother-in-law's apartment building. The books there are usually the Harlequin romance types so when I see something with a current cover I usually snag it and take it home to read. I would probably never seek out a novel that takes place in ancient China and I wasn't even sure if I would find it all that interesting but this book has opened up a whole new world to me. It was amazing. I loved it and I'm now on a mission to read all of Lisa See's critically aclaimed bestsellers (she has quite a few).

If anyone has read this or does end up reading it please let me know. I would love to know what you think.

this moment

2010-06-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

a friday ritual inspired by soulemama. one picture, no words, capturing a moment from the week. please share links to yours if you feel so inclined.

Friday Snack in Aftercare

2010-06-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

Colour: Green
Grain: Oats

Honeydew melon, green grapes and oat flake kugeln.

Oat Flake Kugeln (from Cooking with Grains by Emma Graf)

200 ml cream
3 T cocoa powder
3 T sugarbeet syrup
1 t vanilla
1 t butter
200 g oat flakes

Heat the cream in a saucepan, stir in butter, syrup and cocoa, add oats and let cool. Before the batter hardens, form little balls and chill on waxed paper until hard.

this moment

2010-06-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

a friday ritual inspired by soulemama. one picture, no words, capturing a moment from the week. please share links to yours if you feel so inclined.

I haven't taken many picture this week so it was either Fidel or a food shot ; )

wip wednesday

2010-06-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well this is it. Pretty vague I know but I'm not ready to show anything just yet...

I made this tonight. It was pretty good. I had neither wine nor vermouth but used mostly chicken broth in place of the water. The only zucchini I had were a couple of tiny ones and the onion was red but all together mighty tasty.

Note to self:
Do not grab handle of pot with bare hand after removing said pot from 350 degree oven where it has been for 25 minutes.

loving this right now

2010-06-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

via desire to inspire

back up for grabs

2010-05-31T08:52:00.000-07:00

Lady Solstice

Midsummer Maiden

Pretty on a seasonal table. Found here.