sweet peas, etc.

Sweet peas. Ahh, they smell so sweet!

One of the types of clematis in bloom.

Echinacea, which Adam loves.

Roses climbing up a cedar tree.

My favourite August blooms - Black-eyed Susans.

fixing the street

I had to take this one sneakily... what's the ratio of people working vs. watching?

and, we're back!

It arrived this morning at 7:09. A bit early for my liking (I was jolted out of a dream about shovelling snow and washing a car with it), but it's very nice to be up and running again! I have a bunch of pictures and other goodies to write about so some more posts are on their way!

frenchy's update

I'm taking some of my limited computer time to update you on a couple of things I found at Frenchy's yesterday. It was a VERY good visit (mostly because the cashier charged me next to nothing) and I found some terrific things. A fabulous bag, a set of new Mega Bloks, (wood ones - they're great!) a few outfits for Phillip... it was a half-hour well spent. I'll post pictures when we're up and running again.

Our new computer was shipped today, yipeee! With a free iPod Nano, special promotion for teachers, yeeeee-haw! I'm very much looking forward to properly catching up on everyone's blogs and posting some pictures and such... the computer should arrive in a maximum of 8 days.

Oh internet, how I miss you. I like to think I can do without, but it's difficult!

thanks to a lighning storm...

there will be limited posts pending the arrival of our new baby, pictured above. Yipee, how exciting!

Our old computer fried in a fierce storm the other night. Really fried. So I'm sorry if I don't respond to comments quickly - it should arrive in about 10 days! I'm holding my breath. In the meantime, I'll have to go to the art gallery to check e-mails, so things could be pretty sporadic.

and speaking of cute...

I picked a whole bunch of these Roger Hargreaves books up at a yard sale a few years ago, and we just rediscovered them on a bookshelf yesterday. These four are the cutest, in my opinion. And even the story of how the series came about is cute. According to Wikipedia, "The first of the Mr. Men characters is reported to have been created when Adam (Hargreaves' son) asked his father what a tickle looked like: Hargreaves drew a figure with a round orange body and long, rubbery arms, which became Mr. Tickle." I hope Phillip likes them when we start reading them with him!

completed 'easy lap quilt'

It's done, washed, and I'm pretty happy with it! The display was inspired by this.

Edited to add: I was so excited it's done, I forgot to mention again that this is the 'Easy Lap Quilt' from Amy Karol's book 'Bend-the-Rules Sewing'.

owls

Oh my. Are these not the cutest owls you have ever seen? They're on a little outfit of Phillip's. I only looked closely at them yesterday, and I nearly passed out from cute overload.
Speaking of cute overload, I couldn't help posting this. That inquisitive expression is on the wee one's face pretty much all of the time when he's awake.

Quilt update: I am so very, very, almost done! I got some more of the border done, and I only have most of one side left! Hopefully it will be done today...

garden goodies

Adam took this pictures of some goodies from our garden, which he picked yesterday. Mmmmm!

paint job

Eeeeew, so 70's. Came with the house.
Ooooooh, so much better!

The quilt top is done and the border is attached. I just have to hand sew the rest all around the back, which will take a little while. In my humble opinion, it looks great! I'll be sure to post pics when it's done.

And this guy had his 2 month checkup this week! He weighs 14 lbs, 3 oz! Holy smokes, he's doubled in size! I'm starting to get more defined arms from picking him up. He's waking up right now, so I'm off to feed him.

august 7

sewn together

I got the strips done last night, and sewed them all together this morning while Phillip was napping. I'm hoping to get everything trimmed and at least ready to sew to the backing tonight; but there's really no hurry. I'm learning to enjoy the process more, and guess what? It's making for a better done quilt.

perplexing poppies

A whole bunch of poppies have popped up in the garden, and I'm not sure where they came from. I planted some standard red poppies, which there's no sign of, but this one, a purple one, and a tiny ornamental one appeared (those two lost their petals before I took pictures). Wherever they came from, they're welcome!

Also in garden news, I was eating my breakfast yesterday, and a ruby throated hummingbird appeared outside the window and stayed for several minutes, feeding at the nasturtiums. For me, hummingbirds are like amaryllis bulbs at Christmas. Putting out hummingbird feeders and having hummingbirds arrive is supposed to be a foolproof sort of thing. Growing amaryllis bulbs which are guaranteed to bloom is also supposed to be foolproof. Neither of those things seem to work for me, although much more complicated things do. Alas, at least I had one hummingbird sighting and some surprise poppies!

new profile pic

productivity

My quit plans have changed, since seeing Amy Karol's new book, "Bend-the-Rules Sewing". And as you can see, I've started! And what a mess I've made of the living room. I decided that I would probably get tired of tiny squares in the 'West Hill' quilt I posted about a couple days ago. Maybe I'll tackle it someday. I was visiting Ingrid the other day and had a peek at the her copy of Bend-the-rules, and ta-da! The 'Easy Lap Quilt' called my name. So I scooted off to Frenchy's yesterday to find some fabrics, and following a summer theme, this is what I've come up with. Some pieces were curtains, there's a sheet in there, even a chopped up Ralph Lauren pillowcase. I cut the strips last night while Phillip was sleeping, and I'm hoping to get the top put together today. Adam helped me with the layout - I hadn't thought of how much like composing a picture composing a quilt is, until yesterday. He was super helpful, and I love how it looks. Thanks, love!

Each fabric reminds me of summer in one way or another. The combination of blues, beiges, and whites is the beach - sand, water, sky, clouds. The striped ticking fabric pattern is what was on the old school mattresses at summer camp, the flower pattern reminds me of outdoor chair cushions at a friend's house, and the beige linen is, well, linen. What fabric says 'summer' more than linen?

I should warn anyone who might find the pattern and decide to make the quilt that there are three significant typos in the materials list - where it's supposed to say '14cm' it says '14m' (pretty obvious one) and twice where it says '144"' it should read '44"' (also obvious, but good to know). I'll keep you posted on how it's going.
Yay, the first raspberries have arrived! And holy smokes, check out the size of this one!
Ingrid made this hat for Phillip, and I adore it! Thanks, Ingrid! I think she called it an 'umbilical cord hat'. Cute! And the cotton is the perfect green. I admire Ingrid's knitting because she is so particular and makes things perfectly. I don't think I have the patience for nice knitting. Maybe that's why I prefer sewing - much quicker, and the machine makes the stitches nice and even.
And lastly, also when I was at Frenchy's yesterday, I found this shirt for Phillip, with the tags still on! It cost $1.10. Not bad at all, and the cutest thing is that pretty much Adam's entire shirt collection is this style, so they can match. Heh heh heh!

groggy goose

I'm having a good time this afternoon while Phillip is napping, discovering some new blogs (which I'm excited to catch up on) and learning a few things about my own. Such as how to post videos - I thought the grandparents especially would enjoy this feature! This is the only clip I had saved (it's about a month old), and I haven't figured out how to edit it yet, so feel free to skip to about 20 seconds in - I love the wee one's stretches as he's waking up! It shows off his double chin, too. Thanks for bearing with me as I learn these new tricks!

swimming and summer treats

We went back to Ellenwood Park yesterday, and since it was so hot (29 here by the ocean - that's extremely hot for these parts!) we thought Phillip might like to be like his dad and dip his toes in the water. Well, we were wrong. The pout appeared on the way to the lake's edge, and things only got more distressing from there. "And get this stupid hat out of my eyes!" Turns out he had a wet diaper, which for him is the end of the world. Maybe he'll enjoy it more next time.
I have recently discovered the wonders of Chapman's frozen yogurt, and feel obligated to share some cool good tidings on a hot day. It tastes just like ice cream (so creamy!), but has 2.5 grams of fat per serving! Now, I'm not a dieter and never have been by any stretch of the imagination, but I know that's a whole lot better than regular ice cream. The two best things about it? 1) It doesn't leave you with that icky heavy ice cream belly feeling and 2) the flavour options! Caramel pecan crunch, caramel chocolate chunk, cappuccino, mandarin fusion... mmmm. A tad pricey, though - $4.99. But Adam can eat it, so it's A-OK with me.

inspiration

I've been changing little things around the house over the past few days, and it feels great! I've made curtains and rearranged things... I found these letters at a dollar store almost two months ago and loved them. Only in the middle of the night as I was up with the wee one did I think of the perfect place to put them! Sorry the pics are so dim - Phillip was sleeping and I didn't want to disturb him.

I also found a pattern for my next big crafty project - a quilt. There are tons more free patterns here. I think I'm going to make this one just for me, as a trial run for one for Phillip. The idea is that I'm going to make in in true traditional quilt fashion - from scraps and remnants. Yay for recycling things into useful things! For now I love the bazillions of little squares - I may change my tune as I'm making it. The pattern makes a quilt about 4 feet by 4 feet - perfect for a cuddling blanket for reading a good book.

boggles, the boy who wore goggles

Ever heard of 'Doggles'? Well here's boggles, the boy who wore goggles.

breastfeeding

Every day, I realize more and more how fabulous breastfeeding is. Not only is it the best possible food for Phillip, but after the initial discomfort and getting used to it, it is SO convenient! The 'getting used to it' thing is more of a process for some than others - at the beginning it definitely can be hard and is certainly uncomfortable. I'm so thankful for all of the nurses at the hospital who had such excellent advice and gave us a good start, and I'm glad that I didn't hesitate to ask for help. We can be at the park, the beach, a friend's house, and I have everything with me and ready when Phillip wants to eat. He's getting antibodies and boosts to his immune system, it's great time spent together, and it's the most natural thing in the world. And if I do need to be away from him during feeding time, I can pump and have milk ready and waiting.

The icon above is mothering.com's international breastfeeding icon. You can order stickers or download the file from their website. There's also an excellent article on breastfeeding in their sample digital issue. Just click on 'contents' and 'A quiet place: becoming breastfeeding friendly'. Happy feeding!

Edited to add: And it's FREE!

oh mr sun, sun, mr golden sun

Diapers before... although they're thoroughly washed in hot water, there are stains. :(

The same diapers after a day in the sun - no trace of the stains, yipeeeeeeeeeeee! I was totally amazed when this happened yesterday, which is why I took the pictures today.
And can you believe that these roses were in our garden and we didn't know until today? I thought they might be a nicer note to leave off on than a story of stained diapers.

and the green glass grew all around...

I've been thinking of all of the 'green' things that we do (and were doing before it was the 'in' thing) and since seeing African Kelli's Green Week last week (which I missed, since I just discovered her blog this week) I thought I would try to list a few of them, so perhaps some of you readers out there might be inspired, or be able to suggest other things that we can be doing.

In no particular order, here are 7 small things which popped to mind (I'm a believer that small things do make a difference!)... I'll try to keep it brief.

1. Reducing plastic use: Plastics are pretty nasty for a variety of reasons, and I try to avoid them whenever possible. I store items in the pantry in glass jars, never put plastic in the microwave, and although I still use a Nalgene water bottle, I'm planning on ordering a Sigg one in the near future. Bisphenol A, which is essentially a hormone disruptor, is released from many plastics as they're used (like water bottles and baby bottles) and that just doesn't sound good to me. Things that are made from other materials (glass, wood, etc.) just seem more real to me, and their production is generally better for the environment than the manufacturing of plastics. I had been looking everywhere for glass baby bottles, and now I seem to have an abundance. I ordered some online when I was unable to find them anywhere else, and a wonderful friend of mine just found some at 'Grandma's Collectibles' for me. I try to avoid plastic wrap (especially in the microwave - try wax paper, which can be composted afterward) and take canvas totes to the grocery store. Oooh, that was a rambly one - I'll try to keep the rest shorter and less all-over-the-place.

2. Reduce, reuse, recycle: Reduce is the first one for a reason. If we reduce our consumption of goods, we're 'treading more lightly on the planet' (so many new catch phrases) and it just makes sense. Ask anyone you know, and chances are, they'll say they already have too much stuff. Reuse: I love buying previously owned things, because by doing so, I haven't supported the manufacture of another new thing and the use of new materials. And the stuff usually has more character, too. Cloth diapers are another way that we reuse rather than throw away. One other example is the reusable sandwich wrap I made for Adam so we don't use plastic wrap when he takes sandwiches to work. Recycle: We have an awesome recycling program here in Nova Scotia, so that part's easy - they pick up all of our recycling (glass, plastics, aluminum, paper) as well as compost at the curb.

3. Household cleaning:I now use primarily baking soda and vinegar for cleaning. When I use prepackaged products, I usually buy Nature Clean, which are unscented and are made from pronounceable ingredients. I use peroxide bleach rather than chlorine bleach, and wash laundry with biodegradable, unscented laundry detergent on sunny days when possible so it can be hung on the clothesline to dry. I use rags rather than paper towels and buy unbleached paper products when they're available.

4. Car: Now that I'm on maternity leave, our car sits in the driveway most days, and we walk when possible. Unfortunately, my job entails a lot of driving, so things are a bit different when I'm back at work. We have a compact car which is very fuel efficient, and we keep it well maintained so it stays that way.

7. Tools: We use a reel lawn mower, and none of our yard tools are gas or electric - they're all manual. As well as not polluting, they're generally a lot more safe to use, too!

Comments, anyone? I'm all typed out for now.

Edited to add: Check out this plastics chart to help you choose the best types when you're shopping.

peas

Does anyone else notice the similarities?

nice things

We ate at Rudder's, a local brew pub and restaurant, last night for supper with Adam's folks. It was delicious (I highly recommend the Captain's Fish Burger on focaccia), and I took a couple of pictures of decorate-y things I love. One is these wooden shutters, painted a perfect green with cream walls. Very pleasing. Another is this light fixture - my dream house will have one like it.
These popped up in the garden this week (I forget what they're called, but they're lovely).
And there's kind of a neat story behind these little flowers (which grow on very big stalks). Last summer when Adam's grandparents were here, we went to the wharf in the community where I grew up, and I saw this huge mass of these weeds. So I picked some and plunked them in a flower bed where they would be contained, and lo and behold, they came up and are flowering this year. I love the colours in the blossoms!

catching up

We discovered that the thorny 'weed' growing with one of our rosebushes is blackberries! Mmmmm, my favourites, even if they're seedy in one's teeth. Not too much longer to wait!
I enjoy these twiggy placemats with the iron lantern very, very much.
Hydrangeas are here!
Peas, please!
Here today, gone tomorrow (they are daylilies, after all).
Raspberries very soon!

There are so very many things I have thought about posting, but time is cut into much shorter chunks these days. Feed Phillip, play for a bit, put him to sleep, catch up on laundry, eat, nap, etc., and repeat. It's also more difficult to snag the computer if Adam's home, since he's busy with his photography projects. Also, our computer died for a couple days, but Adam was able to resurrect it (phew!). A nasty blue screen of death came up which informed us that the internal memory had been dumped. Adam ended up reformatting, which did the trick, and we're up and running. Thankfully, all of his pictures are on an external hard drive, which he also has backed up, so nothing was lost. My things are on there too, so it was no big deal - we just had some minor withdrawal symptoms for a few days. Anyway, I've been catching up on a bit of blog reading as Phillip is napping, and was inspired by some great projects and new-to-me blogs so here's my catch-up post.

Making things: I haven't been making too many things these days, aside from the odd card. I saw a very cool sewn card (I forget where, sorry!) that inspired me, so I'm hoping to create at least one of those in the next little while. Now who has the next birthday?

The garden: Wow, what a wild, wild, jungle! The phlox have come and gone, the raspberries are little green bunches of potential, the sugar snap peas are deeeeeee-licious, and the nasturtiums have ridiculous numbers of blooms. It's very, very wild, but very enjoyable.

Cooking: I haven't tried too many new recipes, but I made one of my favourites when our friends were here to visit for a few days. It's super easy and also deeeeeee-licious. Unfortunately, I didn't dare eat any, since beans seem to send their gassy vibes right through my breastmilk and make Phillip a very uncomfortable fellow (won't try that again!) but everyone else enjoyed it very much. It's very flexible, but goes something like this:

a couple cans of black beans
a can of corn niblets (I loooove the word 'niblet'. Also 'giblet' and 'riblet'.)
a few canned jalapenos, cut into bits, along with a tablespoon or two of the juice they're in
a bunch of grated cheese, either mozzarella or monterey jack
I discovered that rice is also a nice addition

Mix it all together and wrap in pitas or flat wraps for a yummy lunch. Mmmmmmm! Red peppers would also be tasty chopped up in it.

Frenchy's: Phillip has been to Frenchy's three times (yay!) And I've been to Frenchy's three times since he's been born. Mostly I've found some baby things, but I'm really eager to look through the bedding and curtains and see if there's some neat material there. I did find a great duvet cover which we're using as a bed spread (sans duvet inside) and it makes me glad every time I make the bed.

Baby-ness: As much as I don't want to be one of those people who talk incessantly about their kids, people keep wanting pictures and stories about Phillip. And since he is such a huge part of my life, the following are things I've been thinking about which relate to my very new role as mum. I do realize that the last several posts have been pretty much about him, and I'm trying to be a bit more well-rounded which also makes me feel much better and more like myself. That happens when I'm making things and out in the garden and cooking and doing all of the other things I love. Anyhoo, here are some things which I have found SO helpful for the first little while, and I feel obligated to share the joy and maybe save another mom some sleepless nights!

The Baby Whisperer: I can't recommend these books highly enough. There are also discussions on the website (click on 'message boards') with all sorts of helpful information on dealing with sleep, eating, and behaviour issues with babies. I've read two of the three books, and they have been invaluable for these first seven weeks of being a mum. I really can't recommend them highly enough, and Phillip's turning out pretty well! I had them recommended to me by a sane mum of four happy kids, so I thought I'd better read at least one. I borrowed the first one, "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby", from the library, and was very impressed. The second book, which I haven't read is "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers". I bought the third one, "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems : Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior--Beyond the Basics from Infancy Through Toddlerhood" and have been using it ridiculously often. The third one is a summary of the first two. Although each topic is not as in-depth, I would recommend buying this one if you only buy one, since it does cover a lot more ground. These books have helped us to get through this first little bit with our sanity intact and confident in what we're doing. They offer practical, clear, straightforward information about how to get your baby to nap, eat, and sleep well, what to expect, what's normal, etc. But they're better than any other books I've seen. I don't feel like I can do the books justice - borrow them from the library and see for yourself!

The Miracle Blanket / swaddling: I am definitely a swaddling junkie - it calms Phillip down and keeps him from flailing around and scaring himself as he sleeps, as well as helping him to feel safe and secure when he's along in his crib. The problem is that he wiggles around and comes unswaddled sometimes, and needs to be re-wrapped pretty often. I came across the Miracle Blanket, and VERY quickly made a funny looking version of my own, which needs modification, but keeps him in! I would definitely recommend that any new mom either make one, buy one, or ask for one as a gift - you will be glad you did!

Mothering.com: I haven't been spending too much time here lately, but there are discussion forums on every possible aspect of natural living and mothering. TONS of natural recipes for everything you can imagine, tips for cloth diapering and positive parenting, green living, and on and on and on. You'll spend an afternoon browsing around, so get a cup of tea!