Snow Day: Part Deux

If you will remember about a week ago Vancouver got a skiff of snow- a light dusting if you will- Friday however was the really big show- snow: part deux if you will! In fact it could have been a bonafide snow day in the eyes of many Vancouverites- it was just that much snow! By now it will most likely have melted and become a distant memory to many of us- but I thought I would share Miss Lo's and my magical snow adventure-AKA how it took us almost three hours to get to Granville Island!

  
        We had a bit of last minute Christmas shopping to do and so we set out for Granville Island early on Friday morning- we walked over to the closets bus stop to wait for the direct bus to the island- we waited and Miss Lo frolicked in the snow- we waited and our mitts became sodden- we waited and our toes grew numb- the bus never came. Not to bore you with all the details but we ended up walking from the closest sky train station to our destination. Once again with much thanks to serendipity what was just a run of the mill day became magical.

       One of the things I love most about Vancouver is that as soon as the snow starts falling folks disappear- aside from a few intrepid souls Miss Lo and I had the streets to ourselves- down through the slopes of Fairview we wandered down to the sea wall. making snow balls and playing along the way- enjoying how the snow becomes the universal equalizer- making all spaces clean and white. Aside from the occasional whir of stuck tires and the shrieks of school children on recess the air was quiet with the falling snow.

       We made finally made it to Granville Island- had our hot chocolate- bought our books and caught a bus home. By the time you read this the snow will be melted and life in this coastal city will be back to normal- but for one day we had this winter magic- a gift- perhaps just what we needed!
       

Simple Family Friday:Stocking Stuffers

         In our family we love Christmas- but for us the best part about the whole day has always been about the stockings. My sister and I loved to get up early and dive into our stockings before breakfast- and we still do- our parents have always done really good stocking- that's where the good stuff like packs of gum and candy were to be found! So it is with this fond childhood memory of thoughtful goodies stuffed down into the toes of our stockings that I am turning my thoughts towards my own children's Christmas stockings- as well as their boots- which will be put out tonight for St. Nicolas of course!

          Trying to be mindful of what we bring into our home while still providing the Littles with the goodies they crave can be challenging- so I thought I would share my list of favourite stocking stuffers for the Littles- although I feel like almost anyone would enjoy any number of these treats! I'm keeping it simple as per usual- but simple doesn't mean thoughtless- a great deal of thought goes into keeping things simple!


- small edible goodies- this seems like a no-brainer but keep it local- hit the Farmer's Market for some yummy, sustainable chocolates, beef jerky or peperoni- or cave aged Greyer- cause who doesn't like cheese in their stocking!

- small pots of honey, jams or Nutella- yumm and perfect to eat immediately with breakfast!

- art supplies- a fresh pack of soy crayons, glue sticks, fancy pencil sharpener- tape- OK this might be a bit weird but The Boy is getting a roll of his own masking tape in his stocking- he is really into building stuff right now and keeps stealing my tape- so he's getting his own!

- colouring books and other creative activity books- our favourites are from a local company called Draw Me A Lion- this year they have come out with a DIY flag book- so fun!

- socks- this is my Mom's tradition- we always get socks in our stockings

-  seeds! Visit your local gardening centre and pick up some seeds to start in the window come March- we like Strathcona 1890 Urban Seeds or West Coast Seeds- keeping an eye out for Heritage, non- GMO seeds is key!

- beads- OK the parents may not like this but I don't know a gal who doesn't enjoy getting some new beads to make beautiful jewelry with!

- of course we always have a traditional orange in the toe

- books- we read chapter books as a family together and these fit nicely into stockings- this year Jacob Two Two and the Hooded Fang is going into the Boy's stocking!

- Hair pretties- new elastics, hair clips or hair bands are always good

- a tin mug for camping- hot chocolate packs snug inside- tea would also be good



      These are just some of my most recent ideas of what might go into our Little's stockings and boots- realistically there will also probably be Lego and stickers- but I think like most things in life a little balance is needed. I would love to hear some of your ideas for stocking stuffers! Does anyone else celebrate St. Nicolas? What's going in your child's boot?

      Friends it is Friday once again- this weekend will be filled with family and fun for us- my parents are on their way here right now- we will be gathering to celebrate the arrival of Lovely Cousin Laura's new baby- showering her with love. I hope your weekend is filled with warmth and joy- Happy Friday Friends!

DIY Gifts For Girls: Pinwheel Barrettes

        There is no body else I love crafting for than girls- little girls or my grown up girl friends- girls just get it- they love the sentiment behind a good handmade gift. So it's only natural that the next gift on my DIY gift extravaganza be for the little girls in my life! These cute little felt hair clips are a great way to use up scrap fabric in your stash and come together quick as a wink.

The Goods:

felt

scrap fabric

fusible interfacing

ribbon

hair clips

hot glue

needle and thread

The Dealio:

Step 1- with the hot glue cover the hair clip with a small piece of ribbon- just on the top side

Step 2- cut felt,fabric and fusible interfacing to the same size of 3" x 3" square- fuse the three items together with a hot iron to form one still piece of fabric- patterned on one side and felt on the other.

Step 3- starting at the corners cut towards the centre of the square but not quite the entire way across

 Step 4- taking one corner of the square- fold in towards centre- fold in all four corners and secure in the middle with a stitch- sew on button to cover the sewn centre- tie off thread on the back of the pinwheel

Step - again using the hot glue gun secure the fabric pinwheel to the front ribbon covered side of the barrette.

         Friends it is Friday again! This weekend I am so looking forward to my final craft market of the year- Maternal Creations - I think this will be the perfect place to start a little shopping of my own for Christmas! Happy Friday Friends!

Surviving the Christmas Crazies

    Friends it is Friday once again and I for one am looking forward to a weekend spent nesting and readying myself for our Christmas vacation which is only weeks away at this point. Most years we try to get home to our families- we are so lucky to have such a beautiful place to go home to! The logistics of a Christmas spent away can be daunting though- gifts to be finished off, wrapped and passed out before we leave, trying to get visits in with our adopted family here in the city, baking to finish, bags to be packed with every manner of clothing from bathing suits to snow gear- my list is seriously runething over!

    I know that I tend to be a bit of a control freak and so with that in mind I am turning towards a handy wellness guide- picked up at my Chiropractor's office. My Chiropractor- Dr Stephanie Bonn of Coco Chiropractic is a lifesaver- she helped me managed to work through both pregnancies almost till the end- easing my sore back and numb hands. Once again on my path to wellness she has become a key player- going to see her every few weeks is becoming a bit of a ritual- a time out for Momma if you will!

    Dr. Bonn has put together a comprehensive guide to having a gentle and stress free holiday season- I know I will be following a few of these tips for myself! She suggests making a list of the five most important things that you personally want to accomplish in the month of December - projects like writing Christmas cards, having a Wrapping party and Purging your home in preparation of the incoming gifts. Of course not to be missed out is one essential tip that will be for front in my mind- Balanced Holiday eating- trying to eat well balanced meals through out the week because you know that on the weekend you might over indulge! Uh yup- just maybe!

My Holiday "To Do" List

1) Plenty of family time- it is the most important thing on my list right now- I feel like this is "the year" where our kids still believe in magic and Christmas and they are still sort of little. I just want to soak it all in and spend as much time doing what our kids want- if that is tobogganing then off we go- if it is Lego than in we stay. What ever they want to do I am in!

2) Baking for my friends and family- I know, I know, I am supposed to be watching what I eat- but I love to bake! I am going to take this opportunity to do as much baking for other people as I can!

3) Shopping the Farmer's Market- I know I always talk about the Vancouver Farmer's Market- we do most of our marketing there every weekend- but it is so much fun! The hustle and bustle, the musicians, the coffee and being outside- this is my idea of community and what a better place to spend my Holiday dollars!

4) Visiting- we are going to try so hard to get a visit in with all our friends and family here before we head off for twelve days! We do see each and everyone of our friends often so to me this isn't a guilt item on my list- this is a fun thing to do- lets get together and eat something delicious!

5) Christmas Cards- last but not least my one big "To Do" is to get that stack of cards that is fermenting in the studio out to all our loved ones across the world- how shameful to have a card company and not mail any out!

   Thank you Dr. Bonn for getting me started narrowing down my Holiday goals- a lot of things fell by the wayside when I had to think about my top five important goals- which to me indicates they were not all that important to begin with!

    So friends this weekend you will find me relaxing with a latte while my girl dances her heart out, followed by a trip to the Farmer's Market - of course cause that's just how I roll! May your mugs be full and your feet be dry!

BOO!

 
     Our decorations are up, the costumes are made and the pumpkins- planted by wee hands last spring- are ready to be carved into fierce or funny faces. Halloween we are ready! The Littles are really into the whole Halloween thing this year- obviously they are really excited about Trick or Treating- since we live in a building full of families this is a really fun night of the year. Many parents in our building are like my Mr. and I- we grew up in smaller towns where Halloween meant running willy nilly all over the neighbourhood collecting candy. The older kids were a bit more savvy and knew which neighbourhood had the best candy- once you were old enough you too could venture to the legendary neighbourhoods that handed out full candy bars!

       As a community we come together and organize Trick or Treating with in the building- it is a much safer version of what we did as kids- floor to floor instead of street to street. Families  who wish to participate decorate their doors and put out the carved Jack-O- Lanterns and then at around three P.M. the candy fueled madness kicks in. This is just one of the many ways that an apartment building in the city has found a sense of community and a bit of small town feeling. Of course- because as many would like to accuse I like to take the fun out of things- I decided to hand out an alternative to candy this year. I still think the wee ones will enjoy the mini bubble wands that I found at a craft store- a bit healthier and a tad bit longer lasting than tiny bars of chocolate.

       The final touches were put on The Boy's costume this weekend- it is very elaborate and I am impressed the Mr. is doing such a great job- I don't want to give too much away but lets just say his costume rhymes with "Eggo". Pictures of course to come - after the big reveal to all his buddies! Miss Lo is going to be adorable and is really excited about her costume as well- she picked it out weeks ago on a shopping expedition with Oma- it came with a wand- I think some wand training will be needed before the big day.

      I love Halloween- the true end of the harvest- saying goodnight as the earth goes to sleep for the winter season- the sun from now on is much softer and watery when it makes an occasional appearance. I also tend to jump directly into Holiday mode after Halloween- as I have mentioned before our family celebrates many different Holidays- Solstice, St.Nicolas and Christmas- my parents also celebrate Serbian Christmas which is something I would like to introduce to our Littles this year as well. Celebrating so many holidays might sound extravagant but it need not be so- most of our gifts are hand made and mostly the celebration is about the meal and the candles and being together on a special evening.

       Another thing that I love- especially at this time of year is sending and receiving mail- it is this personal touch sent by the hand of a friend or loved one that led me into creating Plain Jane Designs so many years ago. I have to brag a tad and mention that I feel this season is shaping up to be my personal favourite- the line this year is simple and clean but still with oodles of personality and quirkiness!

      This pleasant little juniper branch with bright red berries that pop out happened in my studio today- the Littles were otherwise engaged in a game that involved all their dress up clothes and the pop up beach tent- so I had a little time to sit and sketch. These beauties are tiny but statement making-
 2.5"x 3.75" in size with matching envelopes. Packages of six are available for $12 plus shipping- either message me or wait till they pop up on Etsy next week.