In My Kitchen

Who: Me! Yes I actually thought this recipe up on my own!

What: Low Carb Turkey Burger

When: Just last week

Where: My kitchen

Why: I love a good burger but the carbs and fat in a regular burger were killing my healthy eating plan- OK yah it's my diet-I wanted to burger that I could eat and not go into a food coma after- so I looked for low carb alternatives to my usual bread crumb suspects

How:

1 packet ground turkey
1 cup frozen spinach- still frozen
as much oregano as you like
minced garlic
3 tablespoons ground flax
1 small egg
stone ground mustard- a tablespoon or so

- place all ingredients in a bowl and combine well- I find because there are no bread crumbs- form into palm sized patties- the mixture is a tad sloppy so it is best to place each patty between parchment paper and chill in the freezer for about 10 min. I cooked mine on an indoor grill which worked really well- I would suggest this as I haven't tried them on the BBQ yet.

  When paired with a kale & brussel sprout salad this was a very satisfying and filling meal- all the hall marks of a good recipe! I would also like to use the word diet very loosely- to me that word carries the connotations of an oppressive ruler over your body- disallowing you from getting any pleasure from your food. I like to think of my "diet" as more of a healthy eating plan- I am learning what fuels my body and makes it strong as opposed to filling it with sugar and making me crash.

    The other bonus is this burger is gluten free! So next time my gluten free friends come over for dinner this is what we are having- and maybe some yam fries, and a box of fine wine....

Macrame- My First Love

      Back in the day- which was a Wednesday- I made hemp necklaces and sold them- I did pretty well selling them on the beach in the summers - well enough that I didn't have to dip into my school money to pay for fun stuff- like beer. Truth be told I loved making  these macrame gems- laden with awesome beads and plenty of imagination- I was fortunate enough to have an outlet to sell them at a time well before the likes of Etsy or really any online store. The popularity of hemp necklaces started to wane but I held onto all my beads and jewelry making supplies and still dabbled now and again over the years.

      Recently there seems to be a resurgence of handmade wrap style jewelry- the friendship bracelet led the call a few years back and now fibre jewelry is popping up everywhere! One of my favourite artists are those behind the small objects and jewelry shop Object & Totem- based out of Philadelphia- Object & Totem offers a minimalist, rustic aesthetic that I totally dig. Click here to see my current design crush- on my wish list and not going anywhere- this is one beautiful necklace!

       Another example of fibre based jewelry can be found in this collaboration between the ladies at 3191 Miles Apart and Quince & Co- I spotted this lovely wool creation the other day and decided to give it a try- with my own twist of course! P.S. adorable blog and magazine- just fantastic!

        The beads on the above left are actually belly beads from Ghana- another treasure brought home by my cousin years ago when our first Little was born- these beads were the inspiration behind the creation of my new necklace on the right. The imperfection of this string of beads could not get any better- the dangling white cotton threads against the perfect line of beads- this was to be my jumping off point.

      This new fibre necklace may hearken back to my roots of hemp necklaces sold by the beach on a summer's day- but the fibre used is a little more sophisticated than the coarse hemp of my University enterprise! Linen and Silk yarn in variegated blues are punctuated by a single vintage glass bead- the wabi sabi simplicity is what I think makes this work.

    This little project was a great way to spend a day making things with my hands- so tactile and working with the linen yarn was a dream. While I do spend a great deal of time sewing and making- it was nice to free style it and just let my creativity loose on some yarn- a trip down memory lane that perhaps my hands should take more often!

Spring Sewing For My Miss

       We headed to the Waterfront Skytrain Station early on Monday- initially intent on running a few errands- as we were moving through the station Miss Lo declared it her "favourite building in all of Vancouver". It gave me pause to slow down and look around at the space we were sprinting through. It is indeed a beautiful old building- epic ceilings and windows with casings so deep one could (if security allowed it) curl up for a few hours with a good book.

        Curious as to why my little Miss would pick this old train station as her "favourite building in all of Vancouver" I asked why- "because it's pink Momma"- of course how obvious! So we paused for an impromptu photo session- luckily she had her book du jour along for the ride- and as  mentioned the light was perfect -filtering through the grey sky and in through those huge windows- it was serendipitous!       

   

    While the weather is any thing but balmy out there right now we all know spring is on it's way- when it finally arrives I have no wish to be at my sewing machine- best get this business out of the way during the rainy season! This is exactly what happened Sunday afternoon when the Mr. took our kiddos into the office for a few hours- this Momma got busy and this outfit was born.

      The details of Miss Lo's outfit are a little sketchy as the dress is cobbled together from my slim knowledge of pattern drafting- it's not too tricky and yet there is no pattern I just made it up- but the fabric is from Lotta Jansdotter's 2012 line and it is a lovely soft cotton- the dress is lined with yellow cotton gingham which was scrap from another project. The awesome pants- which will now be referred to as MC Hammer pants (the kids have no idea what I'm talking about) are a Burda pattern #9493- a pair of my old jeans were re-invented into the softest pair of spring weight pants ever.

   These Littles seem to have grown each and every time we turn around- the vast majority of their closets are filled with Momma made or thrifted items. So much in this world is "marketed" towards us- kids in particular are susceptible to the latest character trends- we try and keep their clothing logo free, easy to put on, soft and simple. That's not to say you won't find any Batman shirts or pants or hats or paraphernalia in their room- it's just that we try to balance that out with quieter items- cause life is all about balance even in your closet!

p.s- brace yourself for more sewing posts in the coming weeks- I'm really excited by the discovery of some great new patterns and I want to share! If you have any sewing questions please feel free to ask- I will do my best to answer!

p.s.s- did you know you can follow Lotta Jansdotter on Facebook? Lots of inspiration and ideas to be found here!

The Story of Sunday

        February was put on the calender for one thing and one thing only- to give people and the earth a chance to rest- to relax and catch up on sleep- in my totally scientific opinion that is what February is for. That and Birthdays- but Birthday month is technically drawing to a close! Sunday in Vancouver this week was wet and the perfect day to spend indoors- relaxing. So the Mr. and I grabbed a second latte and settled in to watch the weekend news while the Littles played one of their favourite games and munched on P.B. & J sandis- a perfectly relaxing Sunday morning.

      While last weekend was all about connecting with friends and community this weekend was spent fairly close to home- just relaxing- not really doing anything at all. After lunch on Sunday we tried to get some fresh air with a walk through the neighbourhood and as you can see it was  pretty damp. The Littles went with the Mr. over to his office and I strolled home for some much needed quiet Momma time.

     Being kid free does not happen too often for me- I usually have at least one of them with me- so I took full advantage of the situation and stopped into a few favourite shops on my way home- Community Thrift is seriously the best thrift store in our neighbourhood- really well curated- fresh stuff all the time. I scored this adorable embroidered dresser scarf that I am going to sew up into a summer top for Miss Lo. There are two Community Thrifts- one of Cordova for men and one on Carrall St for women- they also carry a small selection of children's clothes- really unique and interesting finds.

     I also could not pass up the opportunity to stop in for a gander at our neighbourhood yarn shop- Wool Is Not Enough- between Carrall and Columbia on Cordova St. This shop is a super cool space and the owner is really an interesting lady to chat with- lets not even talk about the friendly cat who lives there and can often be seen chillin in the window display. I found some gorgeous linen and silk yarns that I am excited to try out in a project later this week- not your regular knitted item- stay tuned!

     Now this lovely chunky Merino wool will pair nicely with this over sized wood button (picked up on Saturday) - either I'm going to knit a cowl for me or another pom pom hat for Miss Lo. I think the successful domination over my tunic pattern last week has spurred me into creative mode- all I want to do is sew and make things!

    I am by nature a very quiet person- as in I like to be quiet and be in quiet- I enjoy meditating and just listening- I was so grateful for the opportunity to do just that for a few hours Sunday afternoon. A few hours to sit and sew- I didn't even turn the radio on- although I may have talked to myself a bit! I think like a baby my senses get over stimulated by the busyness around me and I can get out of sorts- a few hours of quiet is balm for the soul- the whir of the sewing machine and the rain outside was music enough for me- plotting and planning what to do with that wool!

Seam Allowance

     I have had this yummy, organic, gingham check yardage from Merchant & Mills in England sitting in the studio for more than a few weeks now- earmarked to become something Springish for this Momma. Of course there was birthday week, school and all the other business of life- so there that fabric sat- and sat- and sat- until finally I decided to put aside sewing for others and make something for myself! Spring is coming you know!

     If you are a regular here to this little space you might remember a blue chambray shirt dress I sewed for myself last fall- I decided to use this same Merchant & Mills pattern but hack it slightly. I shortened the dress into more of a tunic (perfect for wearing with shorts), I raised the "bib" up about 3" and added handy pockets- you know for my chap stick and coffee money- the necessities. The thing about hacking something is that you need to be flexible for when the pieces do not fit together properly- hence I became pretty intimate with my seam ripper.

    

     I love this pattern but seriously almost pulled my hair out several times over the past few days- my lack of attention may have something to do with not enough carbs but that is a story for an all together different post. Needless to say when I sewed the sleeve on inside out - twice- I was ready to throw the entire project off the deck! The pockets proved challenging on their own and I almost scrapped the idea of them- but the thought of those cute little bows kept me moving forward- lets just say that there will be no close up shots of the button holes!

    It is so easy to find examples of beautifully finished projects- and it is easy to get frustrated with the constant perfectness of Pinterest taunting your every malformed button hole or inside out sleeve. As someone pointed out to me last weekend blog envy is a real thing- I had not thought about it before because surely readers know my life is far from perfect! I wanted to share that although I love to sew sometimes it does not just happen perfectly- I struggle- I throw things on the floor- I also have a basket of shame- full of unfinished projects!

    So since it is Friday again- Spring is in the air and as of Saturday evening I can eat carbs again- life is good! I hope whatever you get up to this weekend it is fun and filled with friends and delicious bread! Happy Friday Friends!

In My Kitchen

Who: Pinned from a friend on Pinterest

What: Marinated Mushrooms

When: just last night

Where: on the BBQ out on the deck! Yup it's staying lighter out longer each day!

Why: last fall I was going through some health stuff and started on a path to better nutrition- recently I got even more serious about it- I am kick starting my metabolism post babies and incorporating more vege- like a lot more vege into my diet! In an effort not to get bored I am searching out new and interesting recipes mainly to replace the rice on my plate!

How: This could not be easier! Since our kiddos don't eat mushrooms I thought there would be plenty of leftovers but no- the Mr. and I ate them all- so good!

1/2 tablespoon harissa
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
a few pinches of oregano
2 cups mushrooms


- whisk together harissa ( the star of this recipe- caution spicy!), olive oil, balsamic and oregano in a bowl- clean and slice mushrooms in half- I used white mushrooms as that's what I had on hand but Portobello or Brown mushrooms would also be great! Add mushrooms to marinade, toss to coat and let stand for a half hour.

- preheat over to 350 degrees or heat up grill- roast in over for about 10 minutes or grill on BBQ for about 5 min per side

Seriously try this- so easy and so, so yummy! The Mr. who is not as big of a mushroom fan as I am even had seconds- this recipe is a sure fire winner!


* I purchased my harissa at La Marche St George
* the original recipe is from the blog Dinner & Dreams

On My Nightstand

    There are certain traits, loves or passions to every person that are constant through out their lives- for example I love coffee, sunshine and reading- I am passionate about these three things and aside from the coffee always have been. Reading informs who a person becomes- it fosters imagination and creativity- I would not be the person I am today with out the books I have read. My Mr. likes to read as well although our tastes differ immensely in literature- he really is into sci-fi escapism type books- I am really into non- fiction right now even though I do love a good novel! One thing we can always agree on is getting our kiddos involved in reading- not just bed time stories but an independent love of books- and so with out further delay is our picks for this month- AKA what's on our nightstands!

 Momma:
-Vancouver A History in Photographs by Aynsley Vogel & Dana Wyse- a photographic look at the constant changing face of our city- full of wonderful historical images and stories.
- Homegrown & Handmade by Deborah Niemann- this one is a constant reference guide for me weather I am planning seedlings or how to cast off a knitting project- basic and handy
-Handmade Home by Mark & Sally Bailey- a beautiful photo essay on living with handmade objects- a recent birthday gift full of inspiration
- Mother Earth News- an old favourite quarterly publication- chock full of practical advice an dreams of the country side

The Mr:
- The Vinyl Cafe Notebooks  by Stuart McLean- selections from fifteen years of radio show broadcasts- meditations on life to lighthearted opinions

Miss Lo:
-Mimi and Maty to the Rescue! Book 1- Rodger the Rat is on the Loose! by Brooke Smith- this is our bed time story right now- the one we are heading to her- the story is about a clever gal pet detective and her sidekick Maty the dog.
-Millie Fierce- by Jane Manning- Miss Lo's pick and her current fave about a quiet girl who longs to be noticed

The Boy:
- The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart- this is our bed time pick- about a gang of intrepid kids who must decipher clues to unravel a nefarious plot engulfing their town
- An Awesome Book! by Dallas Clayton- The Boy's current fave as it was read at his birthday party and is full of improbabilities and seemingly ridiculous scenarios- like owning matching silver ware- how crazy!

    I know I am not the only one who is fanatical about my reading- many of my friends are also book crazy- so what are you reading these days Friends? What is on your nightstand?

Gardening In February

       Ever since I caught the gardening bug a few years ago February always makes me antsy to get outside and start digging around- something I have surely inherited from my Grandmother and Mother. I remember sitting by the wood stove with my Mom around this time of year- she would have her plant books out- scraps of paper tagging seemingly random pages- a piece of lined school paper at her elbow as she mapped out the yard and her planting plan for the coming Spring. 

      I get that now as I poke around at my container garden assessing the situation weekly- seeing what has started sprouting- the garlic and my rose bush- checking to see what made it through the winter- our strawberry plants, rosemary and lavender are all hanging on. We have very limited space but for downtown in the heart of the city our patio is a luxury and we try to use it to it's fullest potential- we have some big plans for this coming planting season! 

     Although bulbs are starting to poke through the soil and branches are blushing red with flowing sap it is not time to plant any fragile seeds as yet- Luckily for me I have this nifty little indoor mushroom garden to try out- a birthday gift from friends this past weekend. I started it this morning and can't wait to see the results in a couple of weeks!

    Also at the for front of my mind right now is our composting situation- we are pretty fortunate to have organics composting in our building- the program is through the city of Vancouver and makes composting a breeze. The kitchen scraps get taken out to a giant composting site ( I think in Richmond) and once the compost is turned into soil it is slated to nourish the trees and gardens of our city and the off gasses will eventually be harnessed for power. Our family has a lot of kitchen scraps- thanks to all the veg we eat we have buckets of compost a week- I look at my garden and think wouldn't it be nice to have some of that compost for myself? 

     I am considering our own composting set up out on our deck- we have the space and thanks to our friend Kate we have the inspiration to make the leap- check out her You Tube videos on composting with kids- click here and here for Part 1 and Part 2! A quick trip to Lee Valley Tools should get us set up with a decent sized rolling compost system. Lets be honest there is no such thing as a quick or cheap trip to Lee Valley- on my wish list this year is the portable Potato growing system- perfect for deck gardening although it is a seasonal item and not in store yet- the cedar potting bench, a handful of these beautiful copper dishes for under my smaller pots and finally I am loving these flower towers which I think would make a great compact home for our strawberries which currently take up a lot of real estate!

    So while the rain pours down outside my window I start to dream of a lush, green container garden growing right out my door- providing us with treats, salads, herbs and this year lots of kale- so much kale! While I may not have a wood stove to cozy up to and the Internet is my guide book I feel connected to my Mom sitting in February planning and dreaming- a connection that spans the mountains!


P.S. if you live in Vancouver you can purchase a backyard composter through the city- check it out!

A Peek at Our Weekend

       This weekend was all about connections for us- connecting to our friends and to our community. Friday night was the tale end of birthday week and luckily for us the beginning of the Lunar New Year festivities - the obvious thing to do was head on over to the Vancouver Art Gallery for the Dumpling Festival. Delicious dumplings for our Friday night dinner followed by a wander through the amazing Lantern Jungle.

       Saturday found us at another birthday party for an awesome five year old out in the suburbs- we all had a super time catching up with our friends and getting super messy with paint in our hair- and eyes and ears and armpits. Once the party wound down we found our way back downtown and to  
Red Fish Kids Clothing on Hornby St- we love this store! The perfect combination of well curated kids books, toys and objects with their own amazing brand of clothing- Miss Lo is a big fan!

       Red Fish has just launched it's brand new kid's book club- purchase ten books and the eleventh is on them! The selection of story books is fantastic- we love scouting around for interesting and special books that engage not only our Littles but Mum and Dad as well- after all right now we are the ones reading the same book over and over! Saturday was marked with a celebration that included yummy treats like caramel corn & pink lemon aid as well as readings by designer Lorraine Kitsos- lots of caramel corn was eaten and a new story book purchased- as always we enjoyed our time spent there!

       Sunday was a much quieter affair- this Momma went out on the town Saturday night with a hand full of good friends- possibly had way too much fun and stayed up way too late! Needless to say I don't do that sort of thing often- some would argue I don't do that sort of thing often enough- at any rate I needed sleep and so the Mr. took our Littles to the Chinese New Year parade- with all the dancing lions and Poppers  reports of the best parade ever are still being issued!

       I love that this weekend was all about fun- as most of our weekends generally are but this one was full of parties and celebrations, friends and cake- all topped off with a much warmer breeze stirring through the air! I think for me the best part of my weekend was connecting with friends- I think for myself anyways it is so easy to get caught up in my daily life- the blinders get put on and I just focus on the tasks at hand. Being around other like minded creative people takes those blinders off and fresh ideas or points of view are put out on the table to consider- it widens up my world view which often gets quite small.

    In response to my rather cranky post on Friday this was exactly the remedy I needed- a reminder that we are indeed all rowing along together in the same boat- we just need to look up and connect with those around us in order to make the rowing a little easier! Thank you friends- that was the best birthday gift ever!

On Aging

                  

       It was my birthday this week- I am a product of the late 70's- I have been told I look a lot younger- and not to brag but I was recently carded at the liquor store- to be fair I was wearing a hat and sunglasses so the grey hairs and wrinkles were not visible. My bones though know how old I actually am and my knees in particular creak that little secret out often!

    My birth story is pretty incredible- or at least the story of how we got home is- My parents lived in a very remote town- Ocean Falls- and had to take a float plane to a larger city in order to give birth in a hospital- or did they take the mail boat? I can't remember I wasn't there for the first part of that journey- I do know the story of our journey home though as it is pretty epic. I have  been told  the story so often that it is part of my memory- pre- memory if you will- I was born after my mom ate a large dinner and watched Old Yeller- I bet she was crying and that is what started the contractions.

    My mom and I stayed with my Grandparents in Westbank B.C. for the next few weeks- after my dad went back up the coast to work- I apparently slept in a dresser drawer in the closet in the back bedroom overlooking the garden- but it was February so everything was hidden under layers of snow. When it came time for the return trip my Grandmother accompanied myself and my Mom onto a boat bound for Norther shores. The exciting bit of the story is that once we were at sea a great storm came up- waves crashing over the haul and sloshing around on the deck- my Grandmother was very ill and my Mom was sure we were going to sink. The crew of the Princess of the North were throwing any extra weight overboard- the plight of the ship's china is always lamented when this story is told.

      Spoiler alert- we survived- barely- but the three of us are still here- the ship found a calm bay to ride out the remainder of the storm in and then limped up the coast onto Ocean Falls where we disembarked. My mom does not like boats. I on the other hand feel like I belong on the water- ocean or lake- and perhaps there is something to be said for pre-memory because nothing thrills me more than the rawness of the wind and waves when one is on the water in a storm. 

        So I am another year older - and yes I am going to talk about myself this entire post- it is my birthday week after all- anyways I am feeling a bit like a ship with loose moorings. Bouncing around a bit and at loose ends- just to use one more sailing analogy- I am adrift. I know I am doing important work here with my Littles and I love it but sometimes I wonder is this it? They are growing fast and while we have loads of fun and learning centred mainly around them sometimes I feel I am getting lost- one day soon they wont need me as much. What do I want to do next?

    I look around our home and see piles of laundry and stacks of dirty dishes, there was a time when none of that mattered to me- I didn't see it- now I get overwhelmed by it. Sometimes I feel like a very over educated cleaning woman! I feel like one day when I was 24- I blinked and found myself here. You know that part of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood where Ashley Judd's character runs away and sleeps for like 3 days? I want to do that- just the clean hotel room and the sleeping alone in a giant bed bit- not the pills or the booze- just the sleeping!

   Obviously I am just being moody and reflective because I am another year older- more grey hairs and my neck really hurts more often than not- my Chiropractor is a lifesaver. And can someone please tell me why the heck I am always awake at 3 a.m? I am well aware all the little weird things that are happening to my body- aging sucks- I don't know if I am going to be able to do this gracefully- I think it will be kicking and screaming!

     OK so pity party aside I am shocked to have even made it this far- years of a pretty adventurous lifestyle have been hard on the old knees- yet still I stand- and on occasion run- I probably shouldn't wake board any more though. I am a lucky lady- I have great kids, a super Mr. by my side and awesome friends- something that was reminded to me in my mail box this week! Really I should be ever so grateful to the universe for serving me up such unconditional love and cuteness- these pictures are from our Valentine's day and it was ever so sweet- even though I cut out more penguins than I care to mention!

    I think that wave loving water baby is still inside me there just biding her time- waiting for my brain to say hey wake up and do something for you! I want to get outside this year- I want to sleep under the stars and wake up to a cold fire pit- I want to run- I want to own less stuff- I want to be more true- I want to take a mid -night canoe ride over to Rattlesnake Island and make out with my sweetie! I think for my 37th year on this planet that is an attainable list- I'm not asking for diamonds, cars or even really cute shoes (although if you want to buy me some feel free)!

      Friends it is Friday again- thank you for being along for the ride with me today- I sat down at the laptop in a pretty foul mood- I wrote some nasty stuff- I acknowledged it and then let it go- it's not worth the space. I am getting up from my desk a much lighter and happier person- so thanks for listening and being patient! I hope you all have a super free weekend- maybe cross something off your own list- just for fun because we are all worth our own love!

P.S.- thank you to my sister in law for sending some adorable photos of my Mr. when he was wee like our Boy- so cute!

Valentine's Day & A Promise of Spring

       As much as January was dreary and tough for us to get through- a bit of a long haul- February has the exact opposite effect on me! So full of love and promise- P.S. Happy Valentine's Day!  One of my favourite holidays-we are planning an old fashioned Valentine exchange today- remember those envelopes that teachers would stick to your desk? Today to encourage random acts of love we have made our own little envelopes to stuff full of surprises- we are also delivering some secret admirer messages to friends in our building- pretty sure they will know who it's from!

    The promise that I find in February is the one of longer, warmer days- for us in Vancouver- Spring is right around the corner! Proof exists everywhere these days- today I spotted our garlic sprouting up in our garden- this is my first year plating garlic and it is super exciting to see those little green tips poking through the earth! Not to even mention how happy we all are about the days staying lighter longer- thank goodness things are starting to wake up again!

     Inspired by thoughts of warmer days I finished this cute little party dress yesterday- Miss Lo calls it a Princess Dress- but I think it is something much finer than that! The fantastic fabric was brought to me by my cousin from Ghana- she travels there regularly for work with Engineers Without Boarders- she brings back the most amazing finds! 100% cotton batik in two contrasting fabrics- loving the geometric pattern on the bodice- guaranteed to be a one of a kind dress on any playground!

    I still have to find some buttons to compliment the fabric- there are nine buttons that will be running up the back- decorative and functional- this is a size 3-4 with a very generous hem to be let down as the kiddo grows. Once the finishing touches are done I will be posting this  little gem up on my Etsy site! I have loads more in store for Spring 2013- including some goodies for the Mommas and the house- I can't wait to share!

   I wish you all a very lovey Valentine's day today- full of snuggles from Littles and lots of Fair Trade Chocolate- cause one can never have enough chocolate!

An Awesome Party

     As was much discussed last week our boy turned five- he is officially five years old now-with that great age comes great responsibility- like choosing what to do for your birthday party. The Boy thought that his friends might like an art party and so we headed over to our favourite little art studio Collage Collage on a grey Vancouver afternoon and jumped into an awesome world of colour and creativity.

     We have done loads of drop in classes at Collage Collage but never a party- we were so delighted with what we ended up doing. Just like a drop in class our party started off with a bit of warm up colouring while we waited for everyone to arrive, then we all settled in for story time- An Awesome Book by Dallas Clayton was our inspiration for the art project we were about to embark on.

      Once the story wrapped up we all gathered around the great wood tables and started working on our Rocket Powered Unicorns- which was a pretty awesome thing! One might ask what a Rocket Powered Unicorn is- well obviously it is just as it sounds- Unicorns with rocket packs! Dreaming big and believing in the fantastic is what this book is all about- sharing ideas and positivity- anything can happen if you believe it can- including but not limited to Unicorns with rocket packs!

      The Littles were all really receptive and open to this fun project especially when Erin brought out the glitter glue- which also got a few of us mommas all excited- hello neon yellow glitter glue! I want some! We used pastels, paint, the aforementioned glitter, glue, multi coloured yarn and a whole lot of imagination to create nine very different but equally awesome unicorns all zooming around on roller skates, skateboards or one Unicorn who was on a scooter!

      Even Poppa and Momo came to town for the big event - Poppa got in on the action getting his hands dirty and helping out Miss Lo with her Unicorn. We do a lot of art in our house but even this Momma needs inspiration or direction from outside sources- coming to Collage Collage is just the ticket- we always leave feeling inspired and filled up creatively.

    Of course no party is complete with out a treat of some sort and so after our projects were wrapped up all the Littles feasted on juice and chocolate cupcakes- with blue icing of course. Once the cupcakes were eaten it was as though a switch was flipped- the sugar kicked in and suddenly the room was filled with crazy kids- but that was fine since it was time to go home- parents you are more than welcome!

       A big huge thank you to all of our family and friends- who are like family- for helping us make The Boy's big birthday so very special! Thank you to the Gals at Collage Collage for being super awesome and accommodating- this was by far one of best parties yet! We have some awesome new art on our walls, a new story to talk about and some happy kiddos- I don't think that a party gets better than that!