Bliss Beyond Naptime

Thank you! Sniff...

Thank you everyone for your kind birthday greetings. I have to say I had the BEST day ever. The bowl above is part of the day's loot from my sweet, old, but young, friend Alia. Day started off with me and Edie sleeping in some, then while having breakfast together Craig comes sauntering up from his office downstairs. He's shirtless. Good morning present number one!

Sorry. Couldn't resist. I'm looking for shirtless shots of Craig and I all I could find was this. Edie giving him a purple nurple while they both sleep through it. So up he comes with nothing on but a smile, pants and panties poking out.  And in between his plumber's buttcheeks he has a piece of sweet smelling cardstock sticking out. Upon ripping it out of its cozy nest I see that it's a gift certificate for an aromatherpeutic massage from a local lady who's suppose to be amazing.

And then, Prince Charming took the littlest munchkin out on an excursion so that I can get some sewing time in. What a blissful afternoon. Upon leaving he says to me "we're going out for dinner at 5:15". That's specific. Something's up. I frantically try to finish up my mini-bubble dress but I was sew excited I just kept incorrectly sewing the same seam and ripping it out over and over again. The process was still satisfiying. Instead of sporting the bubble dress I just throw on some glitter eyeshadow to distract the locals from the fact I was wearing the same puffy stripey pirate shirt again.

Sure enough there was a surprise partay at the restuarant that evening. The whole place was filled with friends, old and new. I was so blown away. You can see by the bizarre look of my head I was ready to explode with emotion. It reminded me very much of my wedding day. I was so moved.

Here I am wishing for something I can't share outright with you lest it don't come true. Though I'll give you a hint: it's all positive and I'll share some with you.

100 Things About Me Part 2

It's about time to have a part two of my 100 things about me segment. Plus, there is a giant lurk poke that seems to be waving around blogland so, here I go. If you feel compelled, please leave an "amen" or something of that nature in the comments and, well, delurk!

The above picture is nod to number 9 of things about me. Kitty passed away this late summer. She is still greatly missed.

11. I have two brothers, Michael and Eric, really sweet guys by the way, and I seem to suffer fiercely from middle-child syndrome. Look at me, now! Damn it, you missed it.

12. I am a coffee snob. Organic, dark-roasted, fairly-traded shade grown, please!

13. Actually, I guess I'm a general consumption snob. I'm all over everything being organic, local or at least pesticide free/non-gmo going into my mouth (or any other orfice come to think of it) if at all possible.

14. I consider myself a lactivist. I hate how boobies have been so super-dupered sexualized in our culture to the point that breast-feeding in public has to be given a second thought. I was shy at first too but then I was like, damn it, this is what these are for, get use to it! People need more exposure to it, with some respect to the old bitties I guess. Anyways, off my soap box now. I feel the same way about natural childbirth, just like MB.

15. I wear my heart on my sleeve big time.

16. Luckily, I'm a happy person. I have so much to be grateful for including health, my beautful, amazing husband, my little treasure (that's what Edie means by the way) and living our dream out in our own little paradise.

17. Since I've gave birth I've been extremely indesicive.

18. I can't decide what to put here now.

19. I have a pretty loud laugh, I laugh alot, and the funny thing is, HAHAHA! I married the world's most soft spoken guy. HAR! HAR! HAR!

20. I am Aquarian. And, actually today is my birthday. As of today I am 36 years old. Yay, the new late twenties!

Still Snow, Man

Still snowing, but that's okay because that justifies me knitting me up some more sweaters! Poor Edie. I think she now gets it that if there's something on the needles there will be something on somebody's body within a couple of weeks (or months at least). Then she asks with her little 100,000 angels all chiming little bells at the same time-honey-sweet voice, "Sweater? For Didi?" and then I have to be truthful, "ahhhh. No. Sweater for Mama. So sorry!".

Man, mother's guilt. Must let it go. So, my new cardigan.

Don't mind the longjohns peeking out of my pants. Classy lady. So this is the mini-cardigan I spoke of from French Girl. It's called Fantine. I call this my Fantine See Land cardigan just because I am hooked on puns (and phonics too!).

And so I immediatly took my new cardigan for a latte. You know, because it's the french thing to do.

Don't mind the overbite. It's a weird habit I think I developed in my teens. So funny, excuse me as I pause for an Edie-says-the-darndest-things moment; whenever we come to this awesome coffee shop (which serves the best locally roasted coffee in the whole entire planet, Oso Negro. I actually use to have a soap made with that coffee in it and called it Oso Buzzed. Had to release it back to the Universe though. Smelled like silly putty after a while.) Edie points at that painting of the woman entering the bath tub behind me and goes in her trying to be deep, scary and bad ass voice "Big Bum" which makes all the locals laugh.

So the sweater pattern calls for Rowan Big Wool and I instead went with doubled up Brown Sheep Bulky (thank you to Miss Kitten for the guidance there. I bought just enough thank you very much). Such a quick knit using 12 mm needles. I may have to make a short sleeved, Mandarin collar version for the spring. Perhaps with some handspun? I'm taking a spinning class on Sundays these days which has been so much fun - though I think I'm the slowest to learn in that class too.  Ah, well. Mon dieu, what can you do? Au revoir, mes amis! Ah, toot sweet!

X-treme Weaners

It's still snowing. This is our first winter here and we are loving it! The beauty is that there's tonnes of snow but it's lacking that biting cold that is usually part of the winter wonderland deal back where we came from.

So Craig went snowboarding with two friends of ours this weekend. Hmmmm... how to tie this into knitting or crafting somehow... Harmony, with the red  board, is part of my knitting circle that hooks up Wednesday nights. Yes!

Had to share this picture Craig captured. Two birds were hanging out at the shrine devoted to a local who perished on the hill. People go there to collect and expand their thoughts throughout the day.

So, that's the X-treme section of my post, as for the weaner, this weekend was the beginning of our grand experiment. For those of you without children, you may want to catch up instead on some celebrity gossip. Baby talk is kind of like knitting talk. Unless you have it in your life, it's kind of boring to the point of painful.

So, we've been practicing an attachment parenting approach with Edie with much success. She really is the most secure, easy going, happy kid around. Nature versus nurture debates aside, I think the AP has contributed at least partially to this. The AP principles basically encompass co-sleeping, breastfeeding, babywearing, etc.

Don't mind the baby baby Edie pics. This experiment has made me a nostalgic pile of goo all weekend. Generally, attachment parenting advocates having your babe with you alot kinda like a baby kangaroo Joey in the pouch (still kind of embryo like until she is fully ready to leave "the womb"). So, until this weekend, the only way I've tried getting her asleep was by going to bed with her, nursing her down. It's never been an issue until lately with me missing my Mommy time (when I would usually post here) in the morning and figured we would like to have Craig try the honours of getting her to sleep for a change.

He did awesome, although Friday night she cried till 2:00 am, while I compressed into a fetal postition myself in the basement trying not to go upstairs, but Saturday night she was more cooperative - plus, I found out watching chickflix with the headphones on helps. Anyways, my point is I'll hopefully have more time to tend to my creative pursuits now that I have a couple of hours free in the evening. She's still her happy, silly self in the day so that's the barametor I'm using for analyizing the experiements success. All is good. Phew! Thanks for listening!

Horsies and Dollies

Look at this little guy. He's Iclandic. I think his name is Bjork.

These two sweet other-worldly beings are the newest additions to the family that Edie hangs with on Wednesday. These little horses are almost too cute to be for real. Like they just popped out of a Tolkien tale.

And look at this little gingerbread house they live in! The woman who watches Edie on Wednesday lives here with her two young daughters who she homeschools with a Waldorf approach. Her house is so peaceful and magical. I'm so blessed that Edie can hang here for a couple hours each week while I trek into town like a crazy woman rushing to get errands done. So oxymoronic.

This house is a strawbale and that's what we're going to build starting in the spring. The strawbale insulation adds such an etheral, Bjork-y cosiness to the dwelling. And look at the sweet little doll house peeping out of the oldest girl's bedroom window!

Knock, knock! It's been a running theme this week - dollhouses.  It was our special friend Ricardo's birthday on Monday (happy birthday, Your Majesty Mayor) and with full on production of clearing the room theatrics and sorcerer's hat, he pulled out his doll house for Edie.

Somebody was super blissed out but then hating Mama when she informed her it was time to go home.

It was nice to know that she's digging the minature digs because my mom actually kept mine from when I was a kid (thank you for not letting me hawk it for back to school clothes in grade nine!).

Mack 'n Macaroons

Mmmmmmmm. Macaroons. Have I told you yet how much I love Orangette? Recipe for these extremely delicous delicacies can be found here.
Everything time I read her blog posts I drool and then Craig gets mad that I'm wrecking the laptop. And it takes a lot eyecandy lately to get me drooling (I need to drink more water Ithink). Every recipe is simple yet complex. And the stories that go along with them - wow. Feast for the eyes, tummy and ... ears? Inner ears?

I made these scrumptious scrunchies Saturday night and by morning  there were only three little scared tidbits shaking in the corner of the empty yogurt container. Poor little critters - they didn't stand much of a chance in the house of THE TOOTH and his offspring. Speaking of Orangette, she announced, along with a bunch of other legendary bloggers out there (including Soulemama, Angry Chicken someone else I can't remember right now. I'm just too delirious that Edie's finally napping to remember much) that she's coming out with a book this year! Congratulations to all of these amazing women - including my sweet friend Amy whose due for yet another book to be published this spring! All you Creative Goddesses, published or not, are so inspiring!

Tag a Long

I got tags! I got them through Etsy at Jennifer's Jewels. Whole buncha lables for only 12 bucks! I don't know how truthful the lables are though - Edie's not much of a napper these days. It's already 5:00, she's had a big day at her friends' house and no nap in sight. Sigh. Oh well, this too shall pass.

I plan on sewing up a storm the next couple of weeks. I got my sewing mojo back on and Mama needs two tops and a pair of pants. I went to town today, by myself (let's just say time flew in hyperspeed mode - I had too much fun) and frolicked through the fabric store and picked me up some more flannel for that same Built by Wendy top, some eggplant cotton to make a micro bubble dress and more corduroy for some comfy pants.

Alright, on my way to the Thread's Guild meeting - where I'll be working on my Faceplant socks and asking them a big favour. Let you know how it goes.

Face Plant

Because it's been like this...

...and this around here, I went snowboarding yesterday. This was my first time out since Craigy knocked me up almost three years ago and what an amazing day to dive back into it. The powder was deep but exhausting for this still living in La La land Mama.

Also, I had a nagging feeling I on the way out I forgot something crucial and on the third run I remembered what it was. Normally I like to wear a cut off sock to protect my left shin bone. This is especially needed on powdery days because of leaning back so much more on my back leg  and if I don't wear some fabric there the boot cuts into my shin bone and it kills, giving me a bruise and I just hurt myself falling in no time.

So, I remembered this just as I was approaching the chairlift again and as soon as the sentence was completed with that sultry "inside Kathy's head voice" - ah, shit, I forgot my sock - I did a wicked faceplant. Fortunately, as was the beauty of the day, tonnes of powder made it mildly funny, but I got an instant headache and called it a day.

So, you know, loving Apres Ski, I told my girlfriend Eden go have fun but I'm calling it a day, I tromped to the bar and ordered a pint of the local brew "Faceplant", and got busy knitting up my first pair of socks.

I got tipsy in about two sips and kept noticing I was drenching this beautiful, handpainted Socks that Rock yarn (called Terra Firma by the way. Not making that part up.) with the puddles of beer on the table (I'm a cheap date by the way). All the while, I kept bumping into people I haven't seen in years and there I am, knitting. Drunk. On two sips. Saying, "I"m so blissed out right now!". These will be my Faceplant socks.

Such Fetching Fetchings

I made some Fetchings from Knitty for Edie's babysitter, Gina. She's so sweet and Edie loves her so. All week long she's like, "Gina?" and I'm like, "she's at home with her Mama". And she's like, "napping?". And I'm like, "yes, napping". Sorry, too much info, just a thing we do alot for some reason.

So I made these puppies with Lousia Harding's Impression "a super fine kid mohair wrapped around a soft and thin multi colour ribbon creating a wonderful texture and interesting colour range." - a quote from www.angelyarn.com

How's this for some sophisticated art direction; "Make it look like you're about to strangle Edie"?  I love how these gloves turned out with this yarn. And the beauty is I made them a little longer as suggested by a bunch of people (added a cable on the bottom) and still it only took a ball. That means I still have a ball left to make myself a pair.

These balls I've had around forever - I think even one of the very first yarns I bought. I had plans to make legwarmers from them, changed my mind, didn't want to get them dirty, then started making pillow covers, which took forever, frogged it and now this is perfect!

Now must get on with my Mommy day. Gina's here, Dada's snowboarding, I rented a chick flick and will knit. Have a nice winter-y weekend!

Built by Kathy

I made pants! I now own four pairs of pants! I followed the pattern and instructions from the Built By Wendy book you see over there in the margin. Love that booK! Explains everything so clearly step by step. I made the pants out of a heavy corduroy and stuck an "om" patch on the back pocket - which, unfortunately thwacks against the back of my knee when I walk. Sorry that this photo is kind of hurtin' for certain. Hard to get a self-butt-portrait.

I used some leftover fabric from some hemp yoga pants I made Craig for the bias on the pockets. As you can see the pants are a touch roomy  up top. I made a prototype out of muslin to begin with that came out too small (according to the sizing chart I'm a size 0 at the hips and the largest size at the waist. God love us apple-shaped girls) so I up-ed it to size 4 and I guess because of the stretchy nature of corduroy it's got too big after five minutes on my body. Next time, size two.

So, now I have pants, I still need more pants. And more tops. But first, I need a pair of unitards. God love my obi, my kidneys are still cold.