Thrifted Thursday!

       For me thrifting isn't about individual scores any longer- its still about the thrill of the hunt but over the last little while I have been refining my entire wardrobe. So it only follows that instead of thrifting willy nilly I now thrift with a keen eye to my over all look- I am creating a capsule wardrobe with in my own closet. Paring things down to a look or aesthetic has really helped with impulse purchases that end up just heading back to the thrift shop- saving me money- time and most of all emotional energy.

      This entire outfit- except for the socks which I stole from my son and the pin which is from Dress sew- is thrifted. The fantastic heavy knit vintage cardigan was found on Gabriola Island by a friend of mine at the recycling depot- it has been my go- to staple since she gifted it to me- the perfect weight for this time of year and its a wonderful shape. The little brown bag I blogged about last summer- again this is one of those pieces that is always in use. The linen dress and Birkenstock clogs- those are my newly thrifted treasures from over the weekend!

       Someone said to me yesterday that I must have a thrifting fairy sitting on my shoulder- I think she was right. These clogs are possibly my best score of the year- they were something I was going to buy new anyways but just hadn't gotten around to it yet- then into my life the land! That's the best part about thrifting- you never know what your going to come home with!

Year Of Making

        My year of making is marching on- so many projects and so little time! Often I will finish a project and it won't even make and appearance here because I am faced with a decision- blog or make more things- so these days blogging is losing out! At any rate I thought I would offer an update on the sweater I started knitting back at the beginning of February- yes I have been knitting this for almost three entire months- turns out I am an extremely slow knitter- and also all the other projects are just getting in the way!

         Currently I have the back panel finished and the front panel approaching the halfway mark- as mentioned I am a very slow knitter- or perhaps I am easily distracted- squirrel- but every time I sit down to knit even a coupe of rows I can see the final garment- I can see the end! The end might be sometime this summer- I may be wearing this sweater next fall ad I am OK with that- this is definitely a garment from the slow fashion movement.

        Last fall I had a very specific sweater in mind that I wanted- but every where I looked were cheap items made over seas. The beautiful ethically made sweaters were priced way out of my budget- and I understand why- hand knitted sweaters are worth every penny. For me this ethical dilemma was what drove me to start my first large scale knitting project- and happily even if I just look at my basket sitting by the couch I feel like I am part of the solution. So while our days might be warming up I know one day soon this sweater will be finished and worn every single chilly day possible!

       And also how could I not add these beauties at the end- we are at the tail end of the blossom season here in Vancouver but these are just so glorious! Our school yard looks like a magical floral land with trees bursting with colour- of course this also means that my girl needs to stop and collect all the flowers on our walk home.

PS also can I just say that friends who special deliver yarn are theeee best! Thank you Andrea!

Notes To My Child

You were once 

wild here-

Don't let

them tame you

                                                             Isadora Duncan  

Life Lemons

With the amazing weather we have been enjoying in Vancouver these days we are slipping into our Summer routines early. Every day we walk home from school in the sunshine- dreaming of cold treats and ways to chill out and relax. It was during one of these strolls home that memories of lemonade at the farmer's market last summer were brought to surface- plans were made and our own lemonade created!

In a blender combine the juice of six lemons- 1/4 cup of sugar or to taste- two cups of water and around four cups of ice cubes. Flip the switch and let 'er fly! Aside from all the juicing this slushy beverage is as close as we got to farmer's market lemonade- once the kiddos have and their fill this is the perfect base for gin or vodka- an excellent hot weather cocktail!

Best enjoyed with one's feet up on a Friday afternoon!

Rhythm of the Weekend

 As predicted our family is slowly starting to find a rhythm or grove if you will to the days that shape our weeks and months. With Momma working full time our weeks have had a lot less ease to them- a bit of uncertainty as to who would be picking up whom from where and a constant need to communicate the basic goings on of our days. There has been a lot of driving and not a lot of walking. There has been a lot of guilty donuts bought en route home from school!

         

With our weekdays starting to shape up into something of a routine again it only follows that our weekends are following suit- the Littles have started soccer on Saturdays in which somewhat of a forced routine will follow. We are falling back into habit- that dropped off last fall- of shopping the farmers markets again which is oh so good! Just in time to see the winter market wrapping up all the good things are just starting to come into season again- amongst them our all time favourite rhubarb- just in time for making the syrup and squares that we love so much!

         After not attending the markets for some time it is so refreshing to see new vendors joining the line up- wine and spirit purveyors are amongst the new merchants. We are looking forward to a kraft brewery joining the crowd- which would make our marketing all the more a pleasure! The winter market is wrapping up it's season over at Riley park- which is where for so many years it was held. Heading back to that spot under beautiful old trees reminded me so much of shopping there with The Boy as a wee babe- walking over in the heat of the summer and loading up the stroller with so many flats of blueberries I had to carry him home!

  Of course no visit to the farmer''s market is complete without a visits to the food trucks- this week's lineup did not fail to disappoint- my favourite Le Tigre (awesome because that is what we used to call our stroller back in the day- which was most decidedly a Wednesday). So anyways Le Tigre was there serving up their famous Crack Salad- shown below- sounds weird and looks full of kale but seriously if you ever get the chance try this salad! It is amazing- like mic drop amazing! Boom! That just happened amazing!

The Stars

"I'm restless.

Things are calling 

me away. My hair

is being pulled by

the stars again."

Anais Nin

Away We Go

           The long wait is over- our Summer travel season has officially started- last weekend we hit the road in our fully loaded van- headed to the Okanagan for an Easter visit with our family- mostly though it was a weekend for the Grandparents. The stretch of time between Christmas and Easter was so long- I know everyone felt the pull of family- missing each other- missing the connections we have- the need of parents to hug their children.

           And I have missed my mountains- my dear rolling hills with the lake nestled at the bottom of the valley- I have missed seeing the moon come up and traverse across the inky Okanagan skies. My heart will always be there- I never feel complete if I am away overly long. Even after thirteen years a person can be home sick

       The weekend was full of cousins and laughter- hot dogs on the campfire and all the fresh air one could possibly ask for.  Trees were climbed and the park across the street from Oma and Opa's visited a few times. We dug in the dirt- readying the planters for when we return- plans were made and lists mentally started. The Littles have some big plans for their Oma's garden- they have seeds already started in little pots on our window sill- we will bring our city plants all the way to the Okanagan and watch them grow all Summer long.

         Last weekend was just a taste of the Summer season to come- all the way home we chatted and planned out all the places we wish to explore this year. A lengthy list with lots of trips home to be balanced out by lots of camping on the Coast- so many places we have yet to go! My wanderlust is kicking in- I am wanting to just throw my gear in a backpack and go- head on out the door for whatever comes our way!

Dear Friends it is Friday- I have no idea where the days are flying away to- I am hoping to settle into a more regular blogging routine once again but for now please bear with me until I get things figured out! For now my weekend wish for you is a cold glass of wine fresh from the old cask and sunshine in your heart! Happy Friday Friends!

In the Studio

         Since returning to work full time it has become abundantly clear that there are not enough hours in the day to fit in all the things I love to do- sitting around coffee shops scarfing back buttery pastries while knitting and chatting for hours on end is a rare occurrence these days! I am becoming much more mindful of how I spend my downtime- the hours after school becoming my favourite part of our day. Long walks home in the sunshine or short dashes through the rain- as long as I have one Little on each of my paws I am a happy Momma! These afternoon hours are becoming sacred to me- to us.

          Of course a part of me would be missing if a portion of my day was not spent being creative and making things- since my time is tight I have taken to spending and hour here or there working in my sketch book. Spurred on by the Opus Daily Practice in February I have kept going- or should I say we have kept going because painting right along side me is my girl. We have started painting together in what has rapidly become another family sketch book- which is great fun- my girl on one side and I on the other- elbow to elbow- passing the brushes and paints back and forth.

 
            It is such a treat to work beside her- a language of colour and shape happening where no words are necessary. In the sunshine- out on the deck we sit- our portable studio- ready at a moment's notice. After a fast and furious day at work slowing down and just being is just the thing I need- filling my soul up- the exhale of breath that has been held all day. My girly at my side.

Year of Making:Ceramics Part 2

          A few weeks ago I wrote about the ceramics class I have been taking- I showed a sneak peek at some things I was working on- those things are now glazed- fired and in daily rotation. Our class has drawn to an end and after much practice and a few successes I have decided to continue on with my adventures in clay. Once I got the hang of things throwing things on the wheel became quite addictive- I love that something that started out as a clump of clay was turned into a functional object- by my own hands. I am now a member of the clay studio- much excitement!

            Over the past month I have learned to slow down- that creating in all mediums does not need to come naturally- some things need to be learned. There were many times in the beginning when I truly thought of throwing in the towel- not going back to class- I was intimidated and didn't want to fail- once I got over myself and just relaxed thing started to work. For me starting a new job this month was pretty intense and so being able to sit down at the wheel and just kind of zone out really helped. Some people jog- I apparently make vessels out of clay!

          Going forward I am excited to start replacing mugs and bowls that have no meaning to me- big box store items that were bought in a moment of necessity- are no longer needed. My plan to fill our home with meaningful- hard working- beautiful objects looks like it is actually obtainable. Slowing down and curating our space in a world that often feels out of control in something I need right now- focusing on the beauty of imperfection- made by my own hand.