Earlier this month my kids went on their annual vacation to Newfoundland.

My mom actually came up over the long weekend at the beginning of the month for a visit before taking the kids back to NL with her. It was great having her here, especially because G was working ridiculous hours and I came down with strep throat and could barely keep my eyes open, let alone have the ability to care for the two littles! Thankfully Mom was there and stepped right in.

And then they all left. G was at the office working and I was on the couch, too hot to sleep, to cold to warm up and it was just too quiet. Now there are a few things I am not used to:

1. Being so sick that I had to miss work
2. Being in a quiet house without and children
3. Sleeping for longer than a couple of hours at a time

I couldn't take the quiet and I was far too hot to get much sleep, so I turned to Netflix. I finished watching the Friends series and followed that with Pitch Perfect. I laughed so much I was in excruciating pain! But it was worth it.

And now I'm addicted to Nashville but without the time to binge watch, I'm going a little nuts trying to not look up online what happens next!

Gordon and I went on a date every night. It was refreshing to just be able to head out after work where ever tour mood took us. We had fun and reconnected and slept through the night. Gordon was even able to get a lot of work done on our kitchen and it is almost finished! 2 years and the end is in sight! I have cupboard doors!

It's a funny thing when you have little kids. You get in a place where everything else takes up every moment of your time- your kids, your work, the upkeep of the house..everything. And you crawl in bed at different times of night depending on when AA2 wakes up and how long it takes to get her to settle back down. And out of sheer exhaustion you realize that the only conversation you've had in two days was over daycare, lunches, what's for supper and a quick review of the day.

My parent's give us the most incredible gift every year. We have a full week to focus on each other. Nothing else needs out attention outside of work. It's amazing.

As much fun as it was to be DINKS, I really missed my kids and was happy to get on the flight to NL to see them. They greeted us at the airport with so much excitement, and it was just so great to grab onto them. Refreshed and ready for another 51 weeks!

Fairy Tale Friends make my girl's day! (Part 2)

After all the work that went into the invitations, food and decor, I knew that none of that would likely be remembered once the Royal guests of honour arrived. Little did Amelia know that when she told me she wanted to invite Anna and Elsa to her birthday party that it would actually happen.

Sure enough at 10am there was a knock on the door and in walked Anna and Elsa! The dancing and Frozen bean bag toss came to a halt as little girls rushed to meet the princesses. I was a little unsure of how Amelia would react. It was going to go one of two ways- She would love it and be all in OR she would run to me, grab my leg and hide behind me until they left.

Thankfully, she beamed with excitement and looked up in disbelief when Elsa showed her the invitation they had received from Amelia.

Anna and Elsa gathered the kids around and told their story. Each child was amazed and totally captivated by these princesses.

As they told the story, they would sing the songs with the kids.,. which lead to my favorite moment of the whole party- the signing of "Let it Go". 

You need to understand that my daughter is OBSESSED with "Let it Go". She sings in on a constant repeat, knows all of the words, actions and expressions. It was magical to watch. Amelia beamed and her smile quite literally went from ear to ear. It was that moment that every parent wants to see come true for their child- pure, unfiltered joy.

Anna and Elsa could really sing! They talked like the characters, sang like the characters and made each child feel special. They took the time to answer each little, even when it was an interruption to their story time. They asked questions and had little conversations, never breaking character. At the end of their story time and games, the ladies taught the kids how to be royal with curtseys, waves and bows. Then they held a mini coronation ceremony and everyone became a princess or prince.

I cannot thank these girls enough. Amelia and her friends talked about the party for weeks. Not sure how we'll top this and I'm not even sure I want to. It was such a special day.

Thank you Fairy Tale Friends for helping me make my little princess' dream come true!

Disclosure **I did not receive any compensation or a discount on the services provided by Fairy Tale Friends. The opinions reflected in this post are my own** 

The Frozen Extravaganza that was 4 (Part 1)

My baby is 4.

She was actually 4 at the beginning of June, and she wanted a Frozen party. What little girl wouldn't? My little girl just loves Anna and Elsa, they captivate her- and given that she didn't have much of a birthday celebration last year, Hubby and I decided that this would be her first big birthday party. It ended up being a little bigger that I initially planner, but it's all good!

Frozen was a given for the theme, Amelia kept telling everyone that Elsa was coming to her birthday. Well I couldn't disappoint her. When we did up her invitations she made sure she had one sent to Queen Elsa and Princess Anna along with her cousins and 10 littles from her school.

Invite printable found at: Homeketeers

I had some ideas and turned to Pinterest to turn her summer birthday into a winter wonderland

G help with the glueing and cutting and didn't complain about the glitter!

I kept the food simple but still had finishing touches to add the night before. A little princess was too excited about her birthday party and at midnight I looked up and saw her at the top of the stairs

"Mommy, I smell something."

After checking out the cookies and the cake and giving her approval, I got her back to bed and got back to work. We went pretty simple on the menu. The party was in the morning so we served:

• Olaf's nose (baby carrots)
• Anna and Elsa's Chocolates (2bite brownies)
• "4" snow covered cookies (recipes for the cookies and icing from Sweetopia)
• Sven's antlers (pretzels)
• Kristoph's Ice (jello)
• "Finish each other's sandwiches" Cheese and crackers
• Fruit
• Birthday cake

I used great printables for the banner and food cards, our Elsa Disney Infinity figure and a castle cutout as the cake topper.

Amelia was over to moon with what we had done. She couldn't believe it. Her friends all came and they were all dressed in their royal party dresses. We had the Frozen soundtrack playing and a little Princess ball was unfolding right in front of our eyes.

Little did they know what was to come...

11 years and counting~ July 10, 2015

On my wedding day, I "woke" up and cried in the shower because it was raining. Looking back that really was the least of my problems. It's funny how a sleepless night can blur the vision of the bigger picture. If I had only known what I was in for the rain really wouldn't have been such a big deal.

I love my life. Are there parts of it that are less enjoyable than other? Of course, but those parts are just the little bit of rain that must fall in order for the good things to grow. I've gotten much better at focus some of my time in personal development, thinking about my life and the lessons that I've learned and how I can share those with others. So when I was reliving our wedding day the morning of our anniversary (Yes I can still recall every detail from the skeptical looks when I handed out a scheduled breakdown of the day in 15 min increments- are you surprised?- to the fun the girls and I had getting ready, the moments before I walked down the aisle to finally getting kicked out of the party room and curling up with my new husband, to excited to sleep) I wanted to pass along a few things I wish I had known as I cried over that rain- it would have made it seem like such a small thing.

4 Lessons Learned in the Rain:

1. It's about the people not that 1 day. Despite the rain, our wedding day turned out to be spectacular! People followed my schedule (type A must do!) and things flowed well. But that wasn't what made it spectacular. It was spectacular because our friends and family came together and enjoyed each other's company. Most of those people are still in our lives and celebrate our ups and support our downs. The dance will end, your feet will hurt, the flowers will wilt and, eventually, those adorable fighting fish center pieces will die- but the memories of how absolutely epic that day was will be what stays with you.
   
2. Marry someone you really like, because some days you won't be in love with them. Seriously did I just say that?!. Yup. Not everyone has the type of relationship that is hot 24/7. You know why there aren't more divorces? Because both partners aren't out of love with the other at the same time. Don't mistake this to mean that G and I don't love each other because we do. Being in love and loving someone are different. When you love someone you can learn almost anything together. It's a choice you make everyday to be there for the other person (be it your husband, sister, friend). In love is all controlled by the pheromones and you have very little control over that. And, if you are lucky, there will be so many days that you have that "head over heels, luckiest person in the world" feeling and not so many days that you hear yourself saying to yourself "And that's when I killed him your Honour"....
   
   
   
   
   
3. Marriage is a business. Before you get all upset think about it. You have a house to run, bills to pay, upkeep to do, assets to control If you so choose you can create new divisions (aka the littles) and each little you add to the home creates the need for a new schedule, division of labour and finances. And if you don't pay attention to the details of your business it will all fall apart. You'll resent each other and you'll be in a terrible financial mess. So schedule meetings to review schedules, decide on activities and review your finances. You'll be happier with both partners knowing exactly what is going on with the money, the activities and the goals. And like any well organized business put your affairs in order so your children do not need to deal with a great big mess when you are gone. It's not fair to your family to leave them with the stress that comes with that.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Date night is important. When we first got married, G and I would go to the movies, out for dinner and on random adventures. Sometimes with friends, sometimes just by ourselves. It was so nice to get away from the day to day realities of work and managing the business of our marriage. Enter children and most couples forget date night. We don't do it as much as we should but now we are trying. We've found ourselves raising our littles and growing and changing in the process. If you don't date and keep talking and having fun you'll be strangers before you know it. This advice sticks around because time and time again it has been proven by people much more wise than we are. (FYI- If you happen to go on a dinner date on the Halifax waterfront beware that the pigeons have no fear and will dive the harbour side patio in search of your food...)

I love our life and how we challenge each other, understand each other and give each other space when needed. Most important decision you can make is to marry someone you want to grow old with, it makes all the difference.

Happy Anniversary G!

WIP Wednesday: DIY Mermaid blanket

I had seen some adorable mermaid blankets on pinterest. They were mostly knitted or fleece ones. I'm not a huge fan of sewing with fleece and flannel for blankets. I usually use it as a lining because I really like working with cottons. I had the idea to make Amelia a pink tail blanket for daycare and couldn't decide on a shade so I decided to give in the the ombre craze and use all her favorite shades of pink!

You'll need:

1-2 meters of fabric depending on how long you want your tail to be.

1-2 meters of flannel to line the blanket

Sewing pen

coordinating thread

Sorry for the lack of pictures...


Step 1: I sewed together four strips of various shades going light to dark. For Amelia's blanket I used the following measurements:

Fabric 1:  8 inches (WOF)
Fabric 2:  10 inches (WOF)
Fabric 3:  14 inches (WOF)
Fabric 4:  18 inches (WOF)

Step 2: Fold the fabric in half widthwise and draw the desired shape. I found a tailfin template to use as a guide but ended up freehanding the tail design.

Step 3: Lay the cut out tail on the flannel and cut 2 pieces to line the blanket

Step 4: With right sides together sew the top of outer pierce 1 and lining piece 1 together. Turn right side out and iron the seam.

Step 5: Pin the fabric together and sew/serge around the edge.

Step 6: Repeat for second piece of fabric and lining.

Step 7: Using a sewing ink pen draw gill pattern on the blanket. I chose to only quilt one side. For the tail I replicated the lines that occur in a fishtail at the bottom of the fin. I used a thread that coordinated with the  darkest shade of pink. and quilted along the lines using a straight stitch.

Step 8: Place both pieces right side together. sew/serge down the sides. You may want to sew and zigzag along the bottom of the tail to get the right silhouette.  Use a straight stitch along the top edge to top stitch the opening of the blanket.

Step 9: Give to your little and let her slip into her new mermaid tail blanket! Washing the blanket gives the fabric a bit of a crinkled look and makes it even more "mermaidy" At least according to A2.

Linked up at Freshly Pieced!

Easter baking

Another long weekend has come and gone- and what a shock we got more snow! Honestly a green Christmas and a white Easter were not exactly what I had in mind this year :/

Normally we are out skipping rope, drawing with chalk and blowing bubbles Easter weekend. This year we took advantage of the bit of sun we had to go for a walk and do a little drawing but then we had to find some indoor activities to occupy our time.

Naturally we made Easter cookies. We decided to send these to Amelia's teachers because they are clearly not on the 21 Day Fix program ;)  

We made the sugar cookie and royal icing recipes from Sweetopia.  I love her blog, so many great ideas, tutorials and recipes. I used the cupcake cookie cutter from Cheapcookiecutters.com (a favorite shop of mine). 

Amelia decorated her cookies like this:

I loved her concentration. She was so cute!

I really wanted to try making the lamps like the Flour Box Bakery tutorial on Facebook. I must have watched the video about 15 times before I was happy with the results. The gray was a little too dark for my liking but it is what it is they are still cute.

I have a lot of practicing to do before the big tea party in June if I want my Anna and Elsa cookies to look as good as the ones the Flour Box Bakery or Sweetopia make!

*Disclaimer: I received no money or products from the blogs/companies I linked to in this post. I just like them and shared.

WIP Wednesday- Triangles Baby!!

You got a sneak peak at this one a few weeks and now it is done!!

This gorgeous quilt was created using the See Kate Sew pattern and tutorial. I do not have pointy triangles but I think it still works. Kate just released a revised pattern piece (after I had my fabric cut) and I'll use that for my next triangle quilt...we all know there will be another!

This quilt took me a little bit of time because I didn't just use straight lines.I quilted one side of the triangle which created a diamond pattern on the back. I really like how it looks on the navy backing. I also like that it works as a crib blanket, floor blanket, toddler nap blanket, kid cuddle blanket and grown up lap quilt. The colours should work regardless of the decor of A's room.

 

This one has been mailed to a very special little guy who has already stolen my heart. Kills me that I won't get to snuggle him until May! I can't wait to share a photo of him all snuggled up in it.

 

This post is being shared over on Freshly Pieced.

Focus 35: 21 Day Fix- Day 21

I finished the 21 Day Fix!

Finished is the right word because I am still doing it. It's not a diet as in a short term solution- it's a lifestyle evolution. I say evolution because it's true. Over the past year, our family has been changing the way we eat. I have always liked to cook and loved cooking all those awesome Giada DeLaurentis, The Pioneer Woman and Barefoot Contessa recipes featured on Food Network.

Some friends introduced us to the Whole30 and paleo. While our family hasn't gone completely gluten free, I am amazed at the amount of carbs we no longer eat. I make every attempt to make meals with whole foods, cut back the refined sugars and grains, and choose organic and grain fed whenever possible. Thanks to meal planning, eating real food, buying local and in bulk when possible our grocery budget comes in around $5.80/person/day. 

So why, with all those changes, was I not reaching my goals? 

Commitment and making time for myself are the biggest obstacles for me. I remember when I was a stay at home mom for a few months and doing the T25 workouts, I was getting results and loving how I felt. Then I started working full time again and carving out time for me went to the wayside. It's just so easy to get lost in the thick of working and making time for the kids, household maintenance and all the family activities that we have on the go.

I did Weight Watchers for awhile after each of my kids were born. I counted my points and stayed "on plan" everyday but still didn't lose. Part of that was a medication I was taking but the other, bigger, part was that I was eating boxed and processed foods. I don't knock WW. It has worked for so many people- it just wasn't right for me.

With the 21 Day Fix I have been re-learning portion control. It's amazing how much food you can eat when you eat whole, unprocessed foods and uses the macro ratio 40:30:30 for protein/fats/carbs.

Is my diet perfect? Nope. But it takes time to change.

Today is day 21. I have lost 3lbs and 5.5 inches. I am thrilled. Considering I had a stomach flu and didn't work out for a week, I'm pretty happy with those results.  Also the scale and the measuring tape have seemed to have been on a permanent plateau for awhile so it's great to see results!

On April 6 I am joining in a new fitness challenge group. Back to T25 workouts (Bonus Shawn T is adorable!) and still following the 21 Day Fix eating plan. Only 2 months until little Sister's graduation!

Friday Update: Focus 35

You need to want your future more than you want the moment. 

Every person who has made a change in their life remembers a specific point in time where something just clicked and they knew this was the moment to change. Forget what happened yesterday and focus on the daily changes you can make that will bring you closer to your goal. The first, and biggest obstacle, changing the way you think and talk to yourself. 

"It's too hard"- yes it's hard. Hard things are usually worth doing and are more likely to lead to long term success and happiness than the quick fix.

"I'm too tired"- I'm tired too. My daughter still wakes up at night. I don't remember the last time I had a full night of uninterrupted sleep. Life is crazy hectic- but that isn't going to change so what are you going to do about it?

"I don't have time"- yes you do. You can make 30 minutes a day to workout and 1 hour a weekend to prep your food, What would take longer- scheduling 30 minutes a day for your health or being dead 24/7?

I want each of you to remember this - post it somewhere you can see it daily -

Source

I'm tired.
I'm sore.
I'm not giving up.

This is a hard battle. For me it seems like it's been a life long battle. When I look back at pictures from 2004 I just want to cry. I want that me back. I want to feel that good and be that confident again.

It's day 5 of the Fix and I am feeling healthier. I've had non scale victories this week that I haven't had in a very long time. I was at a meeting and did not devour the plate of muffins in front of me despite the fact I had rushed out of the house without breakfast and forgot my shake. I went into a coffee shop for the first time this week this morning. I did not order the oatcake which is by far my absolute favorite. I got a coffee and only a coffee. And I was just as happy without the food. I had a few extra minutes to connect with Gordon and proved to myself that I can go into a coffee shop and resist temptation.

I'm not perfect and I'm trying to change that inner voice that says to just give up because this is a lot of work. I will make mistakes and I will mess up. But this time I will not make excuses. I will not quit. I know what quitting feels like. I want to find out what the opposite feels like.

Monday will come with measurements and weigh ins and for a change I am not dreading it or avoiding it. It will be what it is and I'm not expecting specific numbers and will be proud of the work I've done and will keep going. 

Have a great weekend!

Day 1: 21 Day Fix

Yes again....

I spent a hour or so last night measuring out a week's worth of snacks and lunches. I also did some up for Ozzy and G so that I have even less work to do in the evening around supper. I kept the meal plan pretty simple this week.

I had my alarm set for 5am to get my workout in before the day started but my body thought it was 4am and refused to wake up. Workout will happen when we get home while G makes supper (don't worry it's all planned he just has to follow the recipe which he can do really well).

Honestly....why do we do daylight savings time? The kids were a mess this morning. I got a glimpse of what my threenager will look like after a night on the town and experienced trying to wake up a teenager who is only 6 years old. My kids clung to the beds, grunting, whining that they were still tired.

 Can't we just split the difference add or take away 30 minutes and then just live with it? Or better yet just keep the clock as is and deal.

But I digress...

A new week, a new round of 21 Day fix and a house full of exhausted tiny humans. It's going to be a good week!

Focus 35: Update

I am committing to making the Focus 35 update weekly.

I have been doing a 21 Day Fix challenge since the beginning of January. Round 2 was a wash as I have been dealing with bronchitis and it's been severely limiting my lunch capacity. I have only made it through 1 modified workout without losing a lung in the past 3 weeks. But I keep trying. It's getting better, just slower than I would like.

I gave up all processed sugar for lent. It's a move I needed to make in my lifestyle overhaul and lent was a good motivator to do so. It gave me a time frame and a start date. I am 7 days in and am feeling better.

Withdrawal is real!!!  The first 5 days I had headaches, crazy anxiety and my hands shook. I thought I was imagining it but after several days it was clear to me that those things were occurring because I was no longer putting any processed sugar in my body.

Since January I am down 6lbs and 4 inches. Considering I've spent 2 weeks sick and had a least one week of gain I think I'm doing okay. I can do better.

The fact that I am still trying means my heart isn't giving up. I've got a goal and I can't give up.

Makeover Monday: The living room reveal!

I can't help but smile every time that I walk into my living room these days. I have had a vision for that room since we purchased our home. Sure over the years we've made it a nice cozy space, but it always felt as if the room was in transition. It never felt finished, just a transition space where we sat down and looked at flyers and fed babies. Christmas was the only time I really felt that the living room was worth living in and even then the aging furniture did the room a major disservice. Thankfully the tree and holiday lights created just the right ambiance and made it  more comfortable.

Don't get me wrong I was happy with what I had done to make the room ours, but it wasn't my dream space.

In August (I won't say what year...) we started a simple kitchen update. Next thing I know, my awesome husband and his amazing brother start tossing around ideas and BAM! the wall to the upstairs was cut in half, the doorway to the kitchen was gone and so was the doorway to the living room.  I was thrilled with how open the space turned out. The light flowed through the space and it was instantly more appealing and inviting (even with drywall dust all over the place). I tried about 10 different shades of gray before settling on one that I really liked. Not too dark, not too light, cozy not cold.

The living room is finally done and I can say I am more than happy with how it turned out! You don't need to spend a ton of money to upgrade your home. Paint and a few accessories can go a long way. We lucked out as the furniture was a Christmas gift from my amazing parents. Given a budget and Kijiji you can find great stuff to help you get more for every dollar. This particular set was in a "for show" living room, it is only a couple of years old and is in brand new condition because the room was barely ever used.

The rug was also a gift- if you come in under budget, you can use the rest of your allocated funds for another piece! I realize that the rug is slightly undersized for the space however because of how small the living room/ dining room is, the next size up would have been too large for the space.

Drum roll please!........

Voila!

Details:
Main wall colour: Nimbus by Benjamin Moore
Accent wall colour: Thunderbird by Benjamin Moore- they have updated some of their colours. I went with the old colour for thunderbird. The new colour isn't as light and airy.
Trim: Polar White by Behr
Sofa and chair: The Bay
Blue throw pillows: Threshold by Target
Beige thrown pillow: Joe Fresh (many years ago...it was in our bedroom but looked just right on the chair)
Rug: Threshold by Target
Curtains: Threshold by Target
Art in entry: Local graphic artist
Accessories: Scentsy, Target

Clearly I have a thing for the Target home section. I'm so sad they are closing. The upside is that I have no choice but to pick up the items on  my must have list before they are gone.

Dining room reveal will be hitting to blog in March and I've got a goal of revealing our kitchen by May!

Valentine's Day Countdown

We got our craft on this weekend!

Austin and I had a mommy/son date Saturday afternoon. We hit up Target's Dollar Spot and got a few things to make a Countdown to Kisses calendar. Normally we tape some kisses to cardstock and call it a day. This year I wanted to make something a little more crafty and tidy :)

Here are the supplies:

1 bag of Hershey Kisses
Metallic Sharpies
3 pks Heart containers ($1 for 6)
Valentines ribbon (2yrds for $1)
glue stick
tissue paper
Stiff cardboard for the backing (I used the back of a Fridge calendar that we just finished up.)

Cover the cardboard with glue and apply the tissue paper. (This tissue paper is pretty thick and I'm going to need to buy out all of Target's stock before they close )

Attach ribbon, stickers, glitter- whatever you want. Number the containers with the sharpies.

Fill the hearts with kisses. I used 2 kisses per heart (and both of them are the same colour because fighting over who gets what colour is kinda counter productive when you are counting down to a day that celebrates love).

Arrange the hearts on the backing until you are happy with how they look. Then have your lovely assistant slather the back of each heart with glue and stick it in place.

(Those little chocolate lips are a dead giveaway that someone was sneaking the kisses...)

Print a pretty header, attach it and Voila!

WIP- Triangle quilt

Guilty! I found a quilt pattern that I love and made another one. T

his time for a very special baby boy. I used a mix of Kona solids and Kaufman Spot on Circle in Aqua and Navy.

Please excuse the photo...it isn't finished yet and this was the quilt laid out over my ironing table while I tried to figure out which way to quilt it. I'm pretty happy with my decision but you'll need to wait to see the finished product to know what I did!

The points aren't sharpe. See Kate Sew released a revised pattern to get those nice sharp points- two days after I cut a bazillion triangles. I'll use it the next time around because there are more babies coming (not mine) and this is the perfect baby, toddler quilt and then it makes a great lap quilt.

I'm linking this up over at Freshly Pieced! I love seeing all the different projects people have going. Lots of inspiration for sure!

Friday Favorites

I really only have one favorite this week but I'm not free to share just yet- not my news so I need to get the green light!

While these favorites can't hold a candle to this week's REAL favorite, I still think these are very awesome.

1. Health is a major focus of mine this year. After Christmas I bought Against All Grain by Danielle Walker. I LOVE this book. It gives you 8 weeks of meal plans and the shopping lists needed. It has been making my meal planning so much easier. The work is more or less done for me.

2. KONA solids. I love this fabric. I'm making a new quilt and am using a number of fabrics from the collection. They have a nice weight and wash really nicely.

3. My new Capri Pouch from Stella & Dot. I love it. Makes switching purses and keeping the mommy items separate and easy to find from the kid things in my purse.

4. 21 Day Fix. I started a challenge group on January 5th and will be starting round two this coming Monday. I am liking the workouts more than the last time that I did the program. I've lost 3lbs this round BUT I was sick the last few days so I haven't gotten my workouts in. I expect better results in the coming round. I'm thrilled with the loss because I've been holding a plateau for a while now.

5. My new Union Square scarf. Dress up, dress down- I love this scarf!

What are your favorites this week?

Make it Monday

I really hope the weather is nicer wherever you are reading this than it is here where I wrote it! It is a blah, gray day AND a Monday. That has to be the worst combination of weather/weekday there is.

While I haven't been sewing for my business recently, I have been sewing for gifts.

I was so thrilled when our friends welcomed their little boy this past summer. Shaun and Julie are two of the most kind and laid back people I have ever met. They are both incredible photographers (Check his daddy's work out HERE) and I instantly knew I wanted to make Little D a camera onesie with funky fabric and a vintage flare. I loved how it turned out but had forgotten to take a picture of it when it was completed. Just yesterday afternoon his mom posted this:

Credit: Julie Marshall

This little guy has some incredible giggles. My day is better already just from sharing this little guy's smile and stylin' onesie with you.  For this onesie I traced a vintage camera clip art and then cut the fabric. I was out of heat bond so I used a spray adhesive for sewing to keep each layer in place while I stitched around it. I probably could have made the camera smaller but I was really happy with it and, from the smile on that face, I think he is too!

Homemade Holidays- The Wrap Up

Sewing like a mad woman, I completed the majority of the gifts the week before Christmas. I was still sewing up a couple of pieces Christmas Eve and I abandoned 2 Christmas quilts that I just didn't have the time or energy to finish. I do have the fabric for the borders cut and once I sew those on the quilt tops will be finished. A couple of outfits for Baby Stella also got put on hold. Christmas was going to come whither Baby Stella had new clothes or not, so I decided not to feel bad about it and to feel good about all the gifts I did get made.

Here is what I made:

*12 Pairs of pj pants (Heidi and Finn All you need Jammies Pattern)
*10 trays of Cinnamon Rolls (Pioneer Woman you never lead me astray)
*8 Make Up bags (No Guts Boxy Pouch Free PDF pattern from So Chick)
*6 personalized pillow cases (Thanks to my incredibly talented friend Nadja for the embroidery)
*2 Pocket pillow covers
*1 batch Peanut Butter Balls
*1 Nightgown
*1 Hockey Nan blanket
*1 Herringbone Quilt (Fabric from Ella's Cottage based out of PEI)

I loved the quilt (and coincidentally so did my parents!). I top stitched the quilt top along the white herringbone sections and then did a simple straight line quilting down each column and around the outer borders. The 2 pillow covers went with the quilt. I love how comfy cozy it is and I can't wait to visit my parents to take a turn curled up with it!

The pj pants were a big hit. The cousins got matching hockey pj pants and then a few pairs for other kids were made in fabric that matched personalities and favorite things at the moment.

Boxy Bags were stuffed full of goodies before being sent off to their intended. We played on the "MistleTOES" for these gifts. I added a very special iphone case to my sisters but it didn't fit! So I'm on the lookout for another place to make one for her. The kids were so excited to have selected pictures and even told me what to have printed on it. Anyone know a great supplier where I can attempt to remark this for a reasonable price?

LESSONS LEARNED:

1) Start sewing earlier and build a gift stash. It never hurts to have a few boxy bags, hand warmers and eye pillows on hand for last minute gifts.

2) Start sewing earlier

3) Start sewing earlier

I really enjoyed making gifts for people. I went slightly over budget on supplies BUT I think I would have spent more had I purchased something from the stores. All but 3 meters of fabric come from local sources (Frozen fabric is a hot commodity!). When I did buy gifts, I tried to select items from local artisans and mompreneurs to support local as much as possible. One of my favorite artisan purchased gifts is this Breastfeeding Mummer made by Danielle Designs in Newfoundland.

A portion of proceeds benefited the La Leche League in St. John's. My boss is a huge advocate and is involved with National initiatives for supportive practice. Needless to say this is right up her alley and she loved it! (She is also from Newfoundland- across the street from my grandparents! Small world).

Happy New Year!!!

A new year, another chance to get it right. I'm excited to keep writing our story.

Thanks for joining me on this journey.

CHARGE on for Noah

On my second night in residence at MSVU, I went out on the town with the girls on my floor. For the most part they all knew each other having lived in res the previous year and I was the new kid. I had an amazing time, totally hit on a floor mate's best guy friend, danced until 3am and was feeling the effects of the night before the morning after.

Laura came into my room the next day and we chatted for hours. Turns out we liked a lot of the same things and had a lot of the same interests. 2 weddings, 1 move to Alberta and 5 kids later we are as close as we have ever been. Laura is one of those amazing people who can overcome anything and I've learned so much from her and depended on her so many times over the years.

When her second little guy was born, he was fighting for his life. .Within weeks of Noah's birth he was diagnosed with CHARGE Syndrome. Noah has many challenges that make his growth and development more difficult but seeing this little warrior overcome the smallest of obstacles brings overwhelming joy and happiness. He is one of the strongest, happies,  stubborn and determined little guys I've ever known. He is just as amazing as his momma.

Noah was born with bilateral optic nerve colobomas, severe to moderate hearing loss, unilateral facial palsy, cranial nerve malformation, laryngomalacia, a critical airway, small semi-circular canals (which affects balance), sleep apnea, a heart and a bladder defect, and he is fed by a gtube. These are just some of Noah's diagnoses. 

(It pains me that they dress these poor children in the blue and white...

black and gold would be so much cooler! lol)

As you might imagine hearing this news as parents was devastating. It felt like all the hopes and dreams that they had for their beautiful boy were slowly being removed with every doctor visit and hospital stay.  Over time these setbacks became just that, setbacks. It was a very difficult time but Laura and John met the challenges head on and  are doing everything they can to make life "normal" and exceptional for their little guy.

Laura and John have been very active in the CHARGE community and are planning to attend a conference in the spring to help them learn more and help Noah reach his full potential.

Just last month, Laura lost her mother and the unexpected trip home to say goodbye to a beloved mother and grandmother has put a dent in the funds they had set aside to attend the conference. They are really hoping to get the whole family to the conference but it might just not be possible to get us all there without some support.

Christmas is a time for giving. They have given so much to me and to so many others and I want to help them get to the conference. I'm hoping that a few of you will want to help too. Please visit their gofundme page and make a donation. I know how much it will mean to them. 

http://www.gofundme.com/charge-on-for-noah