Our Friend Turns Three

     I have a girl, a very girly girl and her friends are all fairly girly- they all really seam to like pink. I have always had a bit of an aversion or really a lifelong allergy to pink, my sister was the one who loved pink- I loved bikes, building forts and kissing the boys. So when faced with a pink girly girl in my life I paused for a minute-my feminist hackles rising- was this going to harm her in any way? Would this be encouraging precocious behaviour of an age she has not yet reached? Would this cause her years of therapy down the line? I took a deep breath and decided- no at this point she just likes pink and flowers and ferries and I will support her colour preferences!

 
     With the removal of gender specific toy departments from stores such as Harrods of London gender neutral seams to be the current way to encourage your child to be all they can possibly be- no stereotypes  in attendance. I happen to have a girl who likes to wear pink, play with dolls and dress up clothes. I wonder if society is so overly concerned about boxing our children, particularly our daughters, into gender specific roles what happens to those girls who happen to love being a girl?

      There will be pink in these girl's lives and so why not celebrate it?  With this is mind I crafted this cute little crown and wand number for Miss Dee's third birthday which we celebrated last Saturday. I rarely brag about my own work- perhaps it is a marketing flaw but I chalk it up to my Puritan background- pride comes before fall and all that stuff. At any rate I was really excited about this project, even I have to admit I loved the pink when combined with neon green and turquoise- and apparently so does the birthday girl! This fun crown and wand set can be brought out for special occasions or in everyday dress up rotation.

    Miss Dee's mom- my friend Caro went above and beyond with this adorable party- she really set the bar high for the rest of us moms with upcoming birthday parties of our own! Everything from the yummy snacks to the park setting was perfect,  I think she may have even organized perfect weather for the day!

     All the kids were up and dancing around uncontrollably when Will Stroet- children's entertainer and friend of Miss Dee's picked up his guitar and sang a few well recognized songs. It might have been the sugar from those cupcakes kicking in because after a few minutes none of these kids were sitting down!

    To top everything off and because Caro is insanely talented- the kids "Goody Bags" were these cute little crayon rolls that she spent all week sewing. Ingeniously finished off with a hair elastic and a button as the closure these are sure to make our car rides a lot more tidy and quiet. These would be what I consider a perfect "gender neutral" party gift!

  I like to think that one day Miss Lo and her friends will outgrow the pink stage- one day I imagine a pack of teen girls dressed all in black tees and denim bantering witty remarks back at their doddering mothers who can only sigh and remember back to one very pink girly birthday party.

Took a walk in my neighbourhood...

        When ever I go for a walk in our neighbourhood I have The Junkie Song by The Be Good Tanyas running through my head. It's off their album Chinatown. I love that it starts out "took a walk in my neighbourhood, it was two in the morning, by the skytrain station" 

     I feel the Be Good Tanyas have walked down these streets before- in fact I am pretty sure they have- Hey wait don't they live around here?Anyways like them I know that behind the word junkie and homeless there is so much more- a person with a story. You can't live in this neighbourhood and not know that.

     Since moving to Vancouver 10 years ago I always felt something was lacking, a sense of community and acceptance where ever we lived. The Mr. and I tried several areas of town and even ventured out to the burbs for what felt like the longest year lease ever! It wasn't until we moved into one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Canada that I started feeling that sense of being welcome and accepted.

      It is with this soul-full song and this amazing feeling we explore our neighbourhood; the one where our children's friends live, the one where we meet people we know on the side walk, the one where we buy yarn for knitting and art supplies for creating, every day.The neighbourhood we are a part of. This neighbourhood of ours is changing every day, yoga studios are popping up, a posh baby store, a little less gritty but still beautiful.

     This is where Vancouver started, glimpses of the past abound- Gassy Jack is just up the street. And while Florists and boutiques are taking over the tourist shops and rug stores, a current of independence and freedom is easily paliable. A distinct creative spirit that is all encompassing and welcoming- I feel I have wondered long enough and have finally found my neighbourhood.