Under The Weather

      Good Morning Friends- After a very busy weekend I woke up this morning with a killer head cold- so I am a bit late in posting- in fact I considered not posting at all this morning- but that didn't feel right. So just a short hello this morning before I curl up on the couch with my girlie to indulge in some kid's television programing- nothing is better for the common cold than some Adventure Time With Finn and Jake!

      Of course as the Momma I am always so busy taking care of everyone else that I am sure to cross paths with a sneeze or two- well sure enough in a gross Mommy moment The Boy sneezed into my mouth the other day- I knew instantly the exact moment of contamination from patient zero. Now non parents or new parents might find this insanely disgusting- but veteran parent's of young kids know this is our reality- having another human sneeze into your mouth really does happen. No matter what preventative measure parents take- washing your hands so much they become raw and cracked, setting out to get lots of rest only to be distracted by just one more episode of Elementary or Bones, taking your daily multi vitamins when you remember and eating lots of healthy meals that allegedly boost the immune system- it is inevitable that just at the most inconvenient time you will get sneezed in the mouth.

     Once this happens you know- you just know- how sick you are going to get- and you will pause for a beat and think "I don't have time to get sick"! The next few hours are crucial- get what you need to get done now and fast before your body crashes- because when Momma's crash they crash hard and are down and out. My approach for surviving today is anything but conventional considering my normal routine- I am going to head this thing off at the pass- I am going to get lots of rest now- forget about the laundry and dishes- this Momma is going back to bed- OK well the couch!

The Smallest Parts

        It's often the smallest parts of our days that are the most magical- the little things that add up to make our days complete. If I were to have written My Favourite Things for The Sound Of Music it would probably have involved coffee- in fact it most likely would have been a song solely about lattes! I love my morning latte- in fact for me the act of making my coffee has in itself become my morning ritual.

     I like to get up before the others- while the air is still cool and still- I get out my little jar of freshly ground Saltspring Island beans- tap a scoop into the espresso basket and then put last nights dishes away while my machine whooshes away- into my favourite apple mug it goes with a frothy topping of milk. Walking through the still sleeping apartment I step out onto the deck- big delivery trucks rumble by and the Seagulls call- the sounds of the city waking up. After about fifteen minutes or so one sleepy baby or other joins me- curled up under their blankies- hatching- still so sweet and quiet.

     Its these twenty or so minutes each morning that often get me through my day- I look forward to them when I wake up in the morning- before life gets too crazy or empty tummies need to be filled. This is time just for Momma to enjoy the quiet- the quiet that I crave come 4pm when life turns upside down in the heat of the day! It's often the smallest parts of our days that are the most magical- you just need to look.

       Friends it is Friday again! We are headed to the pool with a group of friends today- how fun- I am looking forward to immersing myself in cool water for the better part of the day! I'm also looking forward to visiting with some dear friends who are coming to town this weekend- girls who know all my secrets- we are going to have some good times! I hope your weekend finds you with a cool drink in your cup and laughter in your heart! Happy Friday Friends!

Movies For Mommas

        I am loving this summer- warm sultry weather and endless days- makes me feel like a teenagers. These last few weeks my friend Alison and I have been joining hundreds of other folks in Stanley Park for free Summer movies- last night was the 90's classic Clueless- helping to add to that youthful feeling- like Whatever!

        Movies in The park are so much fun- the movie starts at dusk and feels like a giant slumber party- everyone has their spaces staked out with pillows and blankets. Yummy snacks are always a must- as are decadent bevies- spiked idea tea and mojitos- so good! This year there are food trucks- White Spot and Mini Donuts- but I think part of the fun is bringing your own snacks!

      If I am really honest one of the best parts of these movie nights are the lack of children- my own children- as much as I love them this Momma and all Mommas sometimes need a night out- a chance to breath and laugh and perhaps make inappropriate jokes! This parenting gig is tough- rewarding but really tough- and being able to get away for a few hours is ever so good!

     The line up for movies in the park is pretty fantastic- I am so sad that I will be away for Breakfast Club next week- but am stoked for Momma Mia the following week! Fresh Air movie nights are getting super popular these days- here in Vancouver movies are every Tuesday night at the meadow at Second Beach- movies start at dusk- click here for the line up from Fresh Air Cinema.

Light: Colour

       We have spent almost every minute outdoors this week- yesterday was no exception- the Littles and I took our paints and coffee out to the deck for a bit of quiet creative time- OK I was the only one drinking coffee- relax! It is so fun for the three of us to work together- one of them suggested I mix coffee grounds with my water colours- sure lets give it a try- see what happens. Love how they think!

    I pulled the old oil sticks out for a bit of mixed media (for me- not them) which yielded some surprisingly interesting results when combined with water colours and coffee grounds! I found a few blank pages in an old journal- hand made Tibetan paper which was light and airy to paint on- the fibres sucking up the pigment as soon as brush hit paper.

   With days like this I have to ask myself is Mother's Day really this Sunday or is it every day? Quiet moments, loud moments, hard moments and silly moments- each day I spend home with them is Mother's Day. I don't need a gift or a thing to tell me how special this is- although lattes in bed after 8 am will be greatly appreciated this coming Sunday! 

      Friends it is Friday again- the start of the precious weekend- two whole days to play together as a family- what adventures do you have planned? We are hoping to hit the opening day at the Trout Lake Farmer's market on Saturday- so excited to see whats in stock! Wherever your adventures take you I hope it's outside- full of laughter and lattes- Happy Mother's Day Mommas!

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!

Seam Allowance

     All too often this Momma's sewing gets passed over ( by herself admittedly) for smaller, cuter and easier garments. Not so the case this week- I made the time for myself- yah it's something new I'm trying out- this making time for myself. The boy was temporarily put out that the three pairs of pants he has so patiently been waiting for were put on hold while his Momma sewed something that made her heart sing.

    If you remember last Wednesday's post where in I totally nerded out over some organic chambray that I had ordered from Merchant & Mills- well I wasn't sure what I was going to sew with it. Then I received a pattern - also from Merchant & Mills- that I didn't think I would be seeing for a few weeks- The Dress Shirt pattern. Sigh- this looked to be the perfect pattern- simplicity and ease at it's best- with details pulled from classic men's shirting. This would be the pattern to use with my lovely chambray.

      And so the wild rumpas began- my Mr. had to work late one evening so I popped some corn and threw on a movie for the Littles- they were ecstatic over having a movie night mid week! I layed out the pattern and took that first snip into the yardage- then hours just fell away. This dress seriously only took about three hours from layout to try on- it was that easy!

 
     I love everything about this dress- the casual ease- the delicate gathering across the back yolk, the unexpected subtle detail of the bib front with a few tucks and gathers and best of all - three quarter length sleeves- I am forever rolling sleeves up to wash dishes or tackle some other messy bit of life.

    I am giving this pattern two  enthusiastic thumbs up- I will most definitely be making this dress again- perhaps in a more summer weight voile to sport over a slip. When I started my Seam Allowance project I had every intention of sewing up tonnes of beautiful frocks for myself- time however is the ultimate enemy- never enough time. I have to start taking myself and the the projects that fill my heart with joy off the back burner more often- my goal for the coming year is to do more for me- I'm starting that now- Hello November 14, 2012- I am taking time for myself today!