grown ups play make believe too

i've spent way too much time on the computer today. i discovered twitter, found a million knitting patterns and yarns i want, and quite a few other things that i have no business getting right now. allow me to share with you some discoveries.....

this coffee table is exactly what my family room neeeeeeeeds! and you can have your choice of it in 40 luscious colours from maine cottage. this necklace from foundling is so sweet and understated.

this photograph from charmaine olivia. so beautiful.

and saltwaters. i have loved these sandals for more than one summer, but have serious doubts that they are 'me'.

photo from here.

what are you loving right now?

handmade gifts

my sister julie celebrated her birthday last week. she's had quite a year bringing twins into this world while gracefully managing her 3 year old (not to mention her home, part time school and everything else she does). when i asked her what she wanted for this birthday, she politely asked for handmade gifts. i started with this pillow (times 2) which will sit in her entrance.and i just finished this tote bag. i made her another one a while ago, but she requested a second one because, you know....twins equal a lot more stuff to carry around.

i feel like i've made more tote bags than anything else for people, but that seems to be my go-to gift. it's been good, but i think i need to find my next go-to item.

time is a funny thing

in case you thought my little absence here was due to some exotic summer vacation, let me just inform you, it is not. i've been here, at home, enjoying the ridiculously mild summer weather and my time. and even though time is in abundance right now (and i am still pinching myself and foolishly grinning about it), the days are zipping by faster than i can believe. in the last couple weeks......

~ i finally started waking up before the boys to have my morning coffee, see glen off to work, and gain a little head start to my day. it's making a huge difference in 'starting my day as i mean to end it'.


~i've seen my best friends and their children after much too long. so much has happened in everyone's lives, including some new babies, yet we just seemed to pick up where we left off. i am so lucky to have them.


~i've been devouring the last 2 issues of gourmet magazine. they are incredibly good and have rekindled the love affair i have with my cookbooks and new recipes. august may be a very exciting food month around here.


~ i've been on a huge knitting kick lately (i only wish i could knit those long juliet rows a little faster as i have about 5 new projects i want to cast on for next).



i hope you are enjoying your time as much as possible.

campity campout

we took the boys on our first family campout last week. here are some of the highlights.....

the famous head squeeze/hair twirl from camden (a sure sign of his love)

collectingexperiencing a REAL s'moreshowing off battle scars from his first camping injury

making friend's in the nature centre (jamie loved the turtles)

camden had a favorite 'animal' in the nature centre also. he took a shine to a parasite which lives at the bottom of lakes and sucks the life out of innocent fish. he thought that was pretty cool. here is the disgusting sea lamprey which i've had to explain to camden we cannot have a pet.

stealing a brief moment together

i can't wait to go back.

a keeper

once in awhile, you come across one of those recipes that are so good and so easy, that you wonder why it took so long to find it. sour cream ice cream is one of those recipes. i've made it twice in one week, and it's found a home in my recipe card holder that only houses tried and true recipes.
the recipe is from gourmet magazine. i would purchase this magazine for that recipe alone, but in fact it has so many that look good. here is the recipe:


sour cream ice cream
from gourmet magazine (july 2009)

1 tub chilled sour cream
1 Cup Chilled Half & Half Cream (I used Light Cream and it was fine)
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Chilled Heavy Cream
2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Puree all ingredients with 1/8 tsp of salt in a blender until smooth. Put in your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions.

This is the perfect summer dessert. With pie would be even better, but alone is perfectly alright too.

around here...

after lots of sewing for other people, i felt the urge to make something for myself. i thought a new summer bag was in order with one of my absolute favorite fabric prints. i've been saving this one for awhile, never really wanting to cut into it. but after seeing a cute bag on this blog, which directed me to these patterns by ali foster, i just decided it was time. (i've been constantly inspired by Blair's blog and projects lately.)

i'm really happy with the outcome, it's the perfect size and actually was fun to make. minimum pieces, and i love sewing bias binding. it's also reversible!

now, onto my next project (more like obsession) sprucing up my home. i go in and out of phases like this, but since i am home full time now, i think i've caught the home dec bug again. first of all, my bedroom needs a serious sprucing up. we have some beautiful dark wood pieces we were lucky to inherit and find at super discount prices. but it feels pretty drab. i found this photo in elle decor (july/august 2009) and am completely inspired. i am now on the hunt for those night tables! and the lamps too.

the bedroom is from the home of monelle totah. the rest of her home is just as beautiful, take a look:i'm going to scour craigslist and hit the local home sense store this afternoon. i suspect there will be some upcoming posts on home updates very soon.