Urban Homesteader On The Eighth Floor

             One of my favourite spots to visit in the Okanagan is Swan Lake Nursary- they are also a fruit and vegetable stand as well- but my main interest is usually whats going on outside- especially at this time of year! This past weekend we paid a quick visit to stock up on a few essentials- mainly strawberries- but also a few herbs that caught my eye and some bamboo poles for our beans. I was happily surprised at the number of organic seedlings Swan Lake had on offer- I managed to score the last dozen organic Strawberry plants- apparently they are quite the hot commodity! Score one for our mini Urban Homestead!

        I feel like our little garden is slowly starting to come together- we have our seedlings gong strong in our window- it's still a bit cool at night to transplant them all outside- but hardier plants like the Strawberries, beans and kale are all snug in their homes outside. Living in the city it can be tricky figuring out what food grows well and what doesn't- we have lived in our current apartment for just over three years and it has taken me this long to establish that tomatoes do not do well on our deck. So our little homestead in the city has a lot of herbs, leafy greens and the aforementioned Strawberries! This year we are also trying Fava beans and onions which I have never grown in a container before- it will be exciting to see how they turn out!.

        With in my body beats the heart of a country girl through and through- I long for a piece of land to call my own- but until that day comes I just have to try my best and make due where I can- loosely termed Urban Homesteading. Its interesting to me how this moniker Urban Homesteader  has become such a buzz word over the past year or so- referring to anyone who participates in traditional activities relating to the home- growing food, raising chickens, making yogurt, baking bread. I love the groundswell of this movement- how more and more people desire to live in a more environmentally friendly manner. What started out not too long ago as a return to understanding our food source has evolved into something beautiful that we all benefit from- weather we chose to participate or not.

      I used to get so frustrated that we were unable to grow the majority of our food- I was frustrated that we didn't have land- these feelings very much prevented me from seeing what our potential was. Living in the city it's easy to have a pot of herbs sitting in the window sill- clipping fresh thyme or rosemary year round instead of buying a plastic clam shell of herbs from the grocery store saves resources and provides a feeling of satisfaction in having grown something. Weather a family does a little or a lot is up to each family- no one can judge- everyone wins. So from my mini Urban Homestead on the eighth floor I will try and remember it's the little drops that all add up to form an ocean- and an ocean of change is exactly what this world needs!

It's Spring

        This winter has been so long and grey I will be the first to say that I am happy to see Spring! Over the weekend I feel like the air changed- everything became a bit softer- the colour, the feel, the weight of the air. As I looked around our apartment and more specifically at my clothes I realized there is still a tonne of darkness lingering and something needs to be done about that!

      So starting today I am summerizing our family- yes this may jinx the whole nice weather thing but it's a chance I need to take- I am packing away all the heavy woolly things and bringing forward the light and colourful goodies. While we do have a lot of white and neutral happening in our home I am going to inject spots of colour with stacks of beautiful books, textiles and more plants!

            The stack of lovely fabric in the first picture is destined to become Miss Lo's summer wardrobe- I am going through my fabric stash and using up what I have on hand. Kid's Clothing Week is fast approaching and I am getting ready with a game plan- an hour of sewing a day- totally doable! Last Spring I got a bit carried away with the whole idea and sewed a garment a day- it was a lot of work but in the end I came away with five fresh items for the Littles! I'm also starting to think about my own warm weather wardrobe- what styles and colours to go for this year.

         We live so close to the ocean it's hard not to be influenced by the ever changing shades of blues and greys- I think my favourite combo is cobalt blue, tan and white- pulled directly from the edge of the beach- where the land meets the sea. Fresh and powerful I think this may be my pallet for this year. So this morning you can find my curled up with a second cup of coffee- one eye on that pile of fabrics - perusing through stacks of design books- searching for some inspiration- cause Spring is like that- full of desire for change!

Spring Breaking

        School days are hard- routine is hard- for us anyways- and so I may or may not have jumped for joy last Thursday afternoon as we picked The Boy up from school for the last time before Spring Break! I am that Mom who struggles to get the kids dressed, fed and out the door with an actual balanced lunch. I am that Mom who would much rather sleep in and lounge around in jammies until our friends knock on the door to come and play. School really cramps my style!*

       This week of Spring Break has been wonderful- sleeping in till a much more civilized hour of 8:00 has been Heavenly- I am loving letting the kids eat whatever cereal they want- who cares if it's Lucky Charms*? Spring Break is like one giant weekend! This break is well deserved by all parents- not just the kiddos! I'm feeling a real holiday vibe running through our lives right now and I can guarantee that we are not wasting any time this week.

      With that said our most recent adventure was yesterday- the first official day of Spring! Boy oh boy Mother Nature did not disappoint- the sun was out and it was glorious- if only the tiniest bit windy down by the water. One of our favourite local spots is Sunset Beach on the banks of False Creek- it's with in walking distance and fairly central to the homes of our friends- so we often meet up for a play here. Of course lots of the usual collecting went on- rocks, sticks and shells- of course many sandcastles were built and destroyed.

             What I love best about the beach is the freedom it affords our Littles- they can run and play and have a certain amount of freedom that doesn't exist too many places in the city. This is a place for us all to relax- the Moms can just hang out and chat with a coffee keeping one eye on the Littlest- making sure she doesn't go in the water! 

                 Coming from a small town I have always associated the first day of Spring with being outside- celebrating the change of seasons with time spent in Nature. Now that we live in the city I think it is conscious effort on my part to seek out nature on what is surely one of my favourite days! Longer days are finally here- I can sense warmer days are right around the corner- shorts, bare feet and ice cream for dinner- surely that is a reason to celebrate!

         It is Friday again dear Friends- this week went by so fast as often does when one is on vacation! This weekend will hopefully prove to be a bit more gentle on us- no travelling just plenty on hiking! Happy Friday Friends- much love to you all!

*by style I mean I am lazy and like to sleep in
** we only occasionally allow sugar cereal like Lucky Charms as a treat- I was just being flip about it!

Welcome Fair Maid!

The Snowdrop

Many, many welcomes,

February fair-maid!

Ever as of old time,

Solitary firstling,

Coming in the cold time,

Prophet of the gay time,

Prophet of the May time,

Prophet of the roses,

Many, many welcomes,

February fair-maid!

Lord Tennyson

Bonus Post on a Friday

     Hi Friends- I know I already said "Happy Friday" in my post earlier today- but I wrote that post before even venturing outside this morning! The girlies and I were on our own today- The Boy had his Introduction to Kindergarten that he went to with the Mr. So sans boys we headed over to Robson park for a bit of spring time fun- and errr some fabric from Spool of Thread! 

    I'm walking along- girlies in the double stroller telling jokes and giggling, my back pack is full of fabric and dandelions, my jacket is off and the air is swirling with Cherry Blossoms- magic! We walked all over the fair East side of this city today- ending our journey with a visit to our favourite thrift shop- Community Thrift and Vintage- even more magic was to be found there!

    Digging through the children's drawer I came across this beautiful, soft fabric in vibrant green and purple- initially thinking it could be sewn up into something else I pulled it out- only to discover an amazing vintage maxi skirt- although I'm sure it is meant for an older girl- it is a maxi skirt on Miss Lo! We also scored a beautiful embroidered white on white tunic/ apron top for her as well- the nice thing about vintage is you can interpret it into what ever you want really!

       I have been scouring Etsy for a vintage Mexican top just like this one for months now- sturdy fabric with vibrant coloured embroidery! Every top I came across was way over the top- I was looking for something more simple-  and this little number at $9 fit the bill and me perfectly!

      Some days the planets line up just right and everything in the universe just seems to click- today was one of those days- nothing extravagant- just the magic of Spring! Happy Friday Friends- I hope you find some magic today!

Some Scrappy Spring Sewing

       Good Morning Friends! Today I thought I would bring you a sunny bit of easy Spring sewing on a gloomy Friday morning! I will admit that I am a bit of a fabric hoarder- I mean really what home sewist isn't! My scrap bin is full of pieces that are being saved for a quilt that I may or may not make "one of these days"!

      Most of those scraps are too small to be made into anything substantial- except for a few good sized ones- and I stumbled across such a scrap just the other day- perfect I thought to myself for a little Spring accessory for Miss Lo! What gal doesn't love a good scarf?

      I used a pattern from one of my favourite little pattern books- Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing For Baby- not much from this book fits either of my Littles any more- but I thought this Kerchief was just the ticket for a young gal on the go.

       As you can see this little Kerchief can be worn in a number of different styles- as a head cover, bandit scarf, jaunty tie! In my opinion mega cute and I sort of wish I could get away dressing like this! Using not much more than a fat quarter this is a great way to use up a little scrap from my bin and add a pop of- well more- colour to Miss Lo's outfits!

       Friday again Friends- the weather is not looking too promising in our neck of the woods- but as per our usual rainy day attitude we will be heading outside for some fun time with cousins again this weekend! So whatever you have planned and what ever the weather- may your weekend be full of laughter and love!

Celebrating Spring!

     These days we have been consuming a lot of eggs- like every day pretty much for breakfast- they are the new- old favourite around these parts- especially when topped with salsa and avocado- maybe a smattering of feta- delish and now I am faintly hungry. Needless to say we have several empty egg cartons loitering around the recycling station just waiting to be returned to the egg vendors at the Farmer's Market- the thing is- said recycling station is also in our studio- AKA craft room- so I see those egg cartons a lot and they were begging to be used in a craft!

    Hearkening back to my own Spring days in the old school house- which is way too long ago so we won't say how far back we are hearkening to- I had a vague recollection of Spring flowers made from egg cartons! Eureka! Surely I am the only mother to think of this since the 1980's! I clearly must be some sort of  craft genius!

      We get all set up- adding a few things like colourful tiny cup cake holders for variegation in texture- along with the basic paints and pipe cleaners- the great thing is this is all stuff we have in the house! We are happily painting away and I am basking in my ingenuity when The Boy pipes up "oh yeah we all ready made these at school last week". Totally nonchalant like in an off handed manner that reveals he clearly is unaware that my world as most clever mom is crumbling!

     The Littles continue to happily make a giant mess paint as I ponder this new information- we finish up the painting and I mop down the walls before assembling the flowers onto the pipe cleaners and adding crepe paper leaves- OK I added the crepe paper leaves because at this point two out of three crafters have moved on to better things- Miss Lo is the last crafter standing.

    So although a few kiddos were not so into this craft and my world was shattered at least Miss Lo had a great time- especially after she put together her bouquet and started re-enacting her role as flower girl from her older cousin's wedding last summer. This is the perfect craft for a girly- girl who is into flowers and pink- not so great for boys who really just want to paint all of their flowers black and brown!

      Just to let you know I googled egg carton flowers after we were all done our own project- and there is a plethora of really lovely designs out there- I was shocked that grown women with no toddlers in sight have devoted what seems like a fair amount of time and energy to crafting with egg cartons! I am impressed and humbled at how far this beloved school days craft has evolved- it might be old hat on the interwebs but it was brand new and totally awesome to one crafty gal on a rainy Spring day- and that is good enough for me!

When In Rome...

      Some days a person just has to give into the Universe and go with the flow- which is exactly what we did on Wednesday- a grey day turned bright by a bit of puddle splashing and nature observation. Of course there was also the accompanying toddler meltdown but that is what rests on the stoop are for- and the stroller! A random wander through the neighbourhood on our way home revealed loads of Spring goodness and enough puddles for optimal splashing.

     I love how Community Gardens bring neighbourhoods together- people express their creativity in a number of ways- this feel good message was found in a soon to be planted plot in Vancouver's West End- something we all need these days is a little bit of extra love! Bulbs planted last fall are up and are starting to bloom- adding pops of colour to these late winter days- the shy snowdrops are finishing off now and the daffodils are starting to show off.

      As an adult I find myself always pushing forward needing to get to the next place or activity- our children's natural inclination to stop and explore and check things out often results in a much slower pace than we would like. Some days though it needs to be done- my days right now are about getting from point a to point b with them- if it takes us an hour then so be it- when in Rome do as the Romans do! I think these Littles are onto something here- how else would we catch the fleeting last days of those snowdrops? Or see the Rhododendron's full buds just about to bloom? Or notice the bright pink petals scattered all over a set of stairs? When I slow myself down I see things I would have otherwise missed- I look through artist's eyes at the world again- enjoying all around me- yes even in the pouring rain!

      The rain it's self has changed from the cold driving mean rains of winter to a softer more gentler rain of Spring- the Robins are out looking for goodies and everything just feels lighter- perhaps it is the time change but I feel like my back is straighter and the mental fog is lifting.  That extra hour of daylight is really helped me out this week- although we are eating dinner later and I can't be bothered with the laundry- oh wait is that actually due to the time change or just because I'm super lazy?!
   

    Anyways if you need me this week or for that matter any clean underwear- tough beans- I am outside splashing in some puddles with my kiddos! How are you getting through these rainy days with your Littles? Are you more of an inside family or do you take it outside any chance you get? Also does anyone want to do my laundry?

Signs of Spring

      Signs of Spring are popping up everywhere in our beautiful city- and this weekend was so sunny we enjoyed every second we could outside! The Littles were spoiled rotten with lots of love, hugs and candy from their Oma who came to stay with us- they loved every second and did not want her to go home! All this sunshine and love over the weekend has filled up my happy cup till it runeth over- fortifying us all for the coming week.

       A wander through Stanley Park yielded delicate Snowdrops and Crocuses coming into bloom in sunny little hollows- the Daffodils and Tulips are still getting ready for the really big show in the coming weeks. Snowdrops are one of my favourite flowers- reminding me of when I was a Little myself- time spent in the forest building forts and nests.

       The ducklings are not hatching yet- usually we see chicks around Easter- so I would imagine next week we should see flotillas of floating yellow puff balls following their mommas! Meanwhile the Littles had a fun time feeding those completely domesticated ducks at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park.

      Nothing says Spring like shedding the rain coats and swinging on the swings- letting the cool breeze hit you in the face as you go higher and higher- the swings are most definitely Miss Lo's favourite part of the park. For me the first day it is warm enough to take off your socks and shoes- letting your toes bury into the warm then cool sand is the true harbinger of the changing of season- my favourite part of the park!

      Sandcastles, Snowdrops, bare feet, swings- shedding of layers including the gloom that can hang around during those endless days of rain- yup Spring is on it's way! While these sunny days are few and far between I just keep reminding myself that all the rain is making things grow again- making our city green. As my Mom says "just put a knot in the end of your rope and hang on" - with days like this- a full day of warm sunshine it is much easier to hang on- warmers days are on their way!

PS- sorry I am a tad late posting today- the true start of Spring- Daylight Saving Time- has me running an hour behind this morning- oh time!

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!