Spring Breaking

        Happy Spring! We have had two halfway decent days of weather- and by halfway I mean one was outstandingly sunny but freezing cold and the other was over cast but not raining! Well the rain arrived last night- along with the wind- pounding sideways into our windows and waking us up at odd hours of the night- even if March did not come in like a lion Spring certainly made it's arrival spectacular!

     
      Of course we took full advantage of the non- rainy- halfway decent weather over the past few days- it is Spring Break for The Boy and so some sort of adventures were called for! First up on Monday morning was Crab Park over near the Port of Vancouver- not your most glamorous or easy to reach park but a little hidden gem in Vancouver's cap! It has a great playground that our Littles love to climb- as I nervously hover and try not to over react- as well as a beach perfect for digging and throwing rocks.

       Of course we have been sprinkling the fun park times liberally with treats- mainly as bribes as we are completely on foot this week- the goal is no stroller for Miss Lo. I have mixed feelings about this as she is my baby and I am not sure I am ready to sell the stroller- but at almost 3 feet tall she looks pretty ridiculous sitting in it! So we are starting out with small- close to home jaunts that are easily walkable for her- or in an emergency I can carry her home. So far so good- this kiddo just needs some running shes and she is ready to hit the pavement!

       Tuesday we headed over to the little park just by Science World- this is another of our favourites although I don't know the name of it! Located right at the tip of False Creek  on the Sea Wall this little park is very popular with preschools and with in minutes we were over run with tiny children. Still it was a nice walk through the neighbourhood- noticing what is new- checking out the progress of Soul Food- the giant urban farm set up in the parking lot across from Rodger's Arena.

       Spring is here- no trumpets and fan fair just lots of wind and rain- which continue still this morning- we are headed to an indoor activity today- Science World with a group of our friends- The Boy has been counting down the days! This afternoon we might have a small Springish project to get us into the swing of things to come out on the deck- yes we are going to plant some seeds to start indoors- seems like the thing to do in celebration of this new season- Spring we are happy to see you!

Evolution of A Tote Bag

       Some days when I get into the groove in the studio- and by studio I mean kitchen table- things just start to click and magic happens! Recently I have really gotten into making my own patterns- the play of colour against background- particularly natural linen- sigh I love it! There is something so different and satisfying when it comes to printing on different materials other than card stock- taking some of my favourite card prints and seeing them in a new light as they come to life on a real three dimensional object- like a tote bag!

       I tend to get lost in a bit of a feverish pitch as the patterns start to reveal themselves to me- positive and negative spaces emerging from a previously bare piece of fabric. I gotta say I love repetition- during my photography days I scouted pattern out- natural or man made the repetition was what I looked for.

      Now back to the fabric and screen printing- the other day in the studio it was pure magic happening- I printed two large pieces of linen with screen printing and I block printed a third- each piece of fabric was big enough to be sewn into something useful- like a tote bag! * Side note- if printing  pieces of fabric a great way to dry them is to hang them up on pants hangers in the shower- this way the fabric does not fold over on it's self and smudge your print! *

     Once my fabric was dry and heat set with a very hot iron I stepped back and just enjoyed the moment- this fabric is one of a kind and not to be spotted any where else- I imagine even if I try to reproduce it again things wont be the same. This Spring I am super inspired by bold colourways- very preppy considering some of my previous prints- grounded though with the honest natural linen back drop.

      Perhaps I am a tad biased but my favourite piece was the block printed fabric- I loved the rustic variations in the print from medallion to medallion. This fabric was destined to be paired with a set of lovely leather purse handles from Merchant and Mills of England! sewed up into a handy little tote this bag is perfect for heading out to a coffee shop with a magazine for a few quiet hours- yes I like to visualize and give life to the items I make! 

     This little tote is just the first in a series I have coming down the production line- currently it is listed for sale in my Etsy shop. I think I will have a tough time letting go of this one as I would love to keep it for myself but it is for sale! Hope you enjoyed the little sneak peek into my studio- AKA kitchen table- as I take an item from start to finish

   Thanks to the Mr. for snapping this shot of me yesterday in the glorious sunshine- now just imagine cute sandals instead of clunky rain boots!

Weekending

      Oh my- where on earth did this weekend go? It just sped by in the blink of an eye! This weekend we had some of our favourite people in town- my sister and her family- so obviously good fun was had by all- lots of giggles from Littles and their cousins as well as the big people- it was like one really long party- so fun! Friday evening my sister and I actually went out for a few glasses of wine ( from a bottle not box) and chatted for several hours- on. our. own- amazing and much needed!

 We all went our separate ways and did our own thing Saturday morning- meeting up once again in the afternoon for some family time. Both our kiddos could not wait to see their cousins- whom they had not played with since Christmas- thats a very long time in a kids life. So the Littles ran and screamed, wrestled and tickled, jumped on beds and played every game in the closet- did I mention it was raining? The men folk went out to buy beer and mysteriously were gone for several hours- turns out they went on a brewery tour of the new Powell Street Brewery- sneaky guys!

     We woke up Sunday with a sink full of dirty dishes from our most excellent dinner and sunshine- so after we met the cousins for breakfast and sent them on their way back over the mountains we headed out to Steveston- obviously to get some fresh seafood! Steveston as many local readers will know is perched on the edge of British Columbia- just minutes outside Vancouver- once a vibrant fishing village now it caters more to the tourist trade- but the docks at Steveston are still the place to go for fresh sea food!

     So we went for a little wander on the docks- checking things out like these amazing looking sea urchins, prawns and weird looking fish! Miss Lo kept insisting on peering over the edge of the docks into the murky river below and they did not so much care for the looks of the rock cod!

    Now I am not normally one of those bloggers who take pictures of their food and write about it- however as we sat out on the patio in the weak March sunshine- all bundled up in coats and scarves still I could not help but take a picture of our table! Steveston is such a cute little town- yes it is also quite famous  right now- as the backdrop for the tv show Once Upon A Time- and it does indeed look like something out of a storybook!

    Sitting here on Monday morning- looking back at the images of our weekend I am filled with gratitude- for family, sunshine, fun times and yes a bit of thrifting as well! I know I always talk about how much I love our weekends- but it's true! We always have so much fun as a family- all four of us together in the sun by the sea!

A Hoppy Easter Project

     Our Littles are very excited about Easter this year- this is the first year Momma does not have to work and we will all be heading to the Okanagan for the long weekend- together as a family. Easter in the Okanagan is iffy at best- from what my sources tell me there is still snow on the ground- it is possible the weather will be cold and wet- or we could all be surprised with a hot spell. 

     The issue therefor lies in the treat situation during the Easter Egg Hunt- yes we are going to have a real- full on egg hunt for these Littles in their Oma's back yard- we need to ensure the treats are dry and clean and not stolen by those rascal Whiskey Jacks (birds). Yes we could just run out and buy a bunch of those plastic eggs to stash the treats in- however I don't really like them. Environmentally they are a nightmare- totally unnecessary plastic that is surely destined for the landfill because come this time next month I will have had enough of tonnes of plastic eggs floating around our apartment and throw them away.

      A delightful solution is found in these sweet little felt eggs- found last year on the Lusa Organics blog- Clean- and stashed away in my idea bank for this year. This idea really resonated with me- an all natural replacement for those plastic eggs was just what I was looking for! These are the perfect little pockets to stash a treat in as a gift for a friend or for the Egg hunt- bonus is that they only require small amounts of material so you can use up some of those scraps!

Step 1- create a paper template so all your felt eggs will be the same size- cut out egg shapes from 100% wool felt- with regular straight scissors.

Step 2- with pinking shears trim the edge of the top egg so it is slightly smaller- revealing the contrasting colour underneath- this step is optional as I realize not everyone has pinking shears. 

Step 3- cut top egg across in the upper half of the egg- this will create the pocket for treats

Step 4- select contrasting trim and sew on top portion of the egg- trim any excess

Step 5- take your decorated top egg and line it up with the contrasting bottom egg- line up the two cut portions so they match and sew with a straight stitch all pieces together- making sure to stay inside the pinked (zig zagged) edge of the top egg

    When you have sewn all pieces together double check for holes (wouldn't want any treats falling out!) and if satisfied will with all sorts of tiny goodies! We found these adorable tiny wooden chicks from Holztiger at Dilly Dally Kids on Commercial Drive here in Vancouver- they are also carrying a yummy selection of Daniel Le Chocolat Belge- local and delicious!

  

        Of course it would not be Easter with out the return of Plain Jane's most popular bunny cards and note books! I have a small selection over in my Etsy store- packages of six medium sized cards and envelopes for $12 and Mole Skin notebooks for $8- bright and fresh- just right to celebrate Spring and Easter with! I also have some great gift tags and soon to be posted tote bags for Mommas- or big kids!

        This is a fairly easy sewing project but I know not all my lovely friends are sewers- if you are wishing to purchase some of these lovely felt treat eggs feel free to contact me via my Plain Jane Face book page! These little gems can be brought out year after year for the egg hunt and store nice and flat- unlike their neon plastic counter parts that take up a lot of room!

      Every year our family is making new traditions- every year old traditions are evolving- this year along with celebrating Easter we will be celebrating several birthdays as well as possibly a birth- fingers crossed the new Little arrives when we are near by- I can't wait to get my hands on her for a snuggle! Easter chicks, eggs, Spring, babies, home- yup life is good!

   

P.S. Here is an additional post over at Apartment Therapy on alternatives to the plastic Easter egg- lots of great ideas- we may try the polka dot papier mache eggs next week for fun!

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?

That Kinda Day

     We woke up quite early for a school day today- and yet we are still running behind- it is just that kinda day! I dress the Littles - trying to find some clean clothes and having to settle on shorts with long johns underneath for The Boy- he's OK with that- he thinks it's a cool look! Dressing this kid is on par to dressing a cat- which I do have some experience with- it is tricky task and requires large amounts of cajoling but less scratching than with said cat- meanwhile Miss Lo is dressed and twirling around us like a tornado- dancing and letting us know she got dressed "all by myself"- thanks. It is just that kinda day.

    As The Mr. tries to get the kiddos to agree on some form of breakfast food- red peppers for both- bacon for The Boy- egg for Miss Lo- everyone wants something different this morning. I am sitting amidst the chaos trying to write something thoughtful when I remember that The Boy's backpack must be found and healthy snack procured for the day- backpack is located with Monday's leftover apple wedges squished in the bottom. It is just that kinda day.

     I managed a glance out the window as I pulled up the blinds this morning- windy and rainy again today- apparently March is a Lion today- again. I am not looking forward to school pick up in the pouring rain- organizing everyone into rain gear for the walk home- but it is what it is and we live in Vancouver so I am resigned to the situation. I have a sneaking suspicion that if I let it today will get away from me and I won't get to do my Yoga- I'm thinking I have to ignore the mess in the kitchen and sneak in at least a half hour- these days Yoga and meditation is all that is keeping me sane! It is just that kinda day.

If It Makes You Happy...

      Lately so many friends and family are bummed out- down, blue, in the dumps, depressed and just so tiered- I can relate because I am often in that head space as well. Every time I check Facebook some one (ahem- maybe me) is complaining about the rain or the snow (ahem- maybe friend Michelle) and everyone is talking about how excited they are that Spring- is- coming! We are all looking for the signs- see yesterday's post for me grasping at straws- and we are all desperately longing for those live long days of sunshine and summer!

     I would like to let you all in on a little secret- I am an optimist- yup one of those annoying glass three quarters full type people- I can find a silver lining to any cloud given half a chance- the alternative does not appeal to me. I am not sure who I inherited this unsinkable attitude from but it has held me in good stead over the years- and it has helped pull me through the dark days of Winter this year. Now I am not claiming to be perfect or happy all the time- that would be lying- which is just too much work- no what gets me through is a number of age old adages and strategies that I have packed away in my oversizes purse that gives me a sore neck- so I'm dumping that purse out on the table and sharing with you all.

#1- take care of yourself- sleep, eat well, get plenty of fresh air, exercise and stop to smell the flowers- simple and pretty straight forward this actually works- love life and embrace the Joie de vivre!

#2- do not over commit- learn to say no or schedule for the following week- now this could just be my laziness rearing it's adorable head but I learned a long time ago what my limits are and I like to have plenty of time to get where I am going- I also really like being alone so I make time for that too.

#3- be present- no matter what you are doing show up and be present in the moment- not worrying about all the other things that are not being done- by being present you will be more relaxed and able to give your full attention to what you are doing.

#4- everything happens for a reason- yes I read The Celestine Prophecy and I may be quoting from it- but if you pause and look at the situation you are facing it happened for a number of reasons- to teach you something- even in really terrible times I find comfort in seeking the lesson- and I have had my fair share of terrible things- even if that lesson is just grace or patience the lesson is there if it is sought after.

#5- tomorrow is a different day- every day you get to wake up and make a choice about your attitude- you can choose to be grateful for the things you have, you can chose to be happy for those goals you are working towards, you can chose to be miserable- you set the tone for your day

#6- this is a big one for all the ladies cause we have all been there at one time or another- find your happiness not in someone else but in yourself- it is easy to find your happiness and sense of self in a beautiful baby but that baby is a separate individual and they can not make you happy- find what makes you happy for you- find your bliss

#7- on a material note- clear the clutter- we all have way too much stuff- live simply- live well- buy things that will do the job and last a long time- leave the shopping malls people- you will not find happiness there- trust me I looked in every shoe store and happiness was not there!

#8- Fill your cup- with fine boxed wine- or what ever else tickles your fancy- surround yourself with positivity and love- friends and laughter- nature and beauty- music and dancing-ditch the negativity and differences and just accept people for who they are and what they offer up.

     This seems like a lengthy to-do list but this is what works for me- this grey and miserable weather won't last forever- neither will the toddler temper tantrum or any current situation- good or bad- life is always in a constant state of change- embrace the change. Now this is in no way medical advice- I am a painter not a psychiatrist and these steps will not solve any problems only perhaps help your load  be easier to bare.

     I love you all- you wild and crazy bunch of Friends- there is something good coming just around the corner- there always is- Spring, new life, health, love- whatever you are looking for is out there. Make room in your life by getting rid of the negative and creating space for new good- send out an invitation to the universe who knows what will come back? OK now I sound like Oprah!
 

p.s.- this post is for two special ladies in my life that are really struggling right now- you know who you are- I love you and things can only get better- plus I will be home soon- we will then drink fine boxed wine-xox