The Tee Pee

This was a pinterest dream of mine for quite some time before I actually got the boost of determination to do it.  It took two double sheets from the thrift store, 5 dowels from the hardware store, some fabric I already had and a bit of t.v. watching from the boys to complete this project.

Probably one of the most fun things I've ever made.  A place to hang out, read books, cuddle and play make believe.  

This is my reward...

...oh and forgot to mention that it's also a place to eat cookies too.

...Quinoa Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies by the way (also from pinterest).

Warmth of Winter

One of the nice things about winter is getting cozy!  Here's how we've been cozying it up around here these days...

Hot Chocolate "Tea Parties"...

Casey

Chili for dinner...

Lots of blankets handy...

Socks...handmade socks at that!  Upcycled from the boys clothing that doesn't fit anymore.  (I'm kinda excited about these!!  The best part - if they loose one, I can just sew up another!)

Oh man, I wish this fire place was in our house!  Thoroughly enjoyed our time spent by it though while having appies at the Juniper hotel in Banff.

Stay warm out there!!

A Little of This, A Little of That

Here's what we've been up to on these colder days:

Painting cars and anything else that gets in the way...

Taking the baby out in the stroller...

...on second thought

Awww, what a good brother...

New "party pants" made by me...

Liam

Casey, pointing out the animals

Two satisfied customers

Reading some of my favs from when I was a kid...

A stack of new dishcloths just for me (made by me)...

Trying out some new recipes from this great site, like these cottage cheese pancakes (I added peaches to mine)...

...we also made the Spinach Muffins, Graham Crackers, and the Chocolate Zucchini Bread from that same site.  Good thing I've got my little helpers.

And of course we've been playing in the snow too...

Casey with their buddy Cody

Casey

Liam

Hmmm...what to do next?

Canmore Folk Fest Market

It had been over two years since I last put my sewing into a market.  Then, just out of the blue an opportunity came about that I couldn't refuse.  A week prior to the Canmore Folk Fest my friend Oriana scored a last minute space in the artisans market and asked me join her.  So, for a week straight I sewed my heart out (during the early morning hours, nap times and late at night, that is).  I basically turned my house into a one woman sweat shop leaving our house in shambles...

This is just one corner of the chaos.

 It was a lot of work but worth it to see my hats sitting pretty on the folkies heads.

Me and Oriana along with a gentleman that bought this lovely red hat made from a wool skirt.

It was so much fun, the weather was great and we had the perfect spot with a view of the main stage.

Plus it was nice to get out of my "sweat shop" and do some sewing in the sun...

 I had a few other goodies for sale as well including hand made fabric buttons, wall hangings and some felt mustaches.

 Couldn't put a price tag on these two though!

At the very end of the last day it poured rain on us while we tried to pack up.  The rain didn't last long though.  So when we were all done, Rob and the boys and I all got to sit and relax and watch Bruce Cockburn top off the evening.  It was the perfect way to end the festival.

Handmade Hats

For the longest time I've wanted to make the boys some cute hats.  I've seen people selling them before at outdoor markets or folk festivals and figured "I could make that".
On a side note, my Mom used to say those exact words to me when I was a kid.  She's a pro sewer and knitter, she does it all.  So you can imagine with skills like that, why over pay for something when you could just make it yourself for half the cost?  Well I didn't always see it that way and when I would ask for all the latest fashions that was often her response...it drove me crazy.  But now I can finally understand and appreciate her craftiness.
So back to the hats...the other day my friend who has a boy the same age as Liam and Casey had one of these hats that her friend made.  We tried it on Liam and that was the last straw, I was determined to make one (two actually).  I scoured the Internet for patterns and tutorials and ended up buying this pattern from etsy for only $6.00.  It was well worth the 6 bucks...

Summer Quilt

I have completed my little summer quilt that I started about a month ago...actually, I've been holding out on ya, I finished it a couple weeks ago, but didn't get a chance to do a proper photo shoot until now.  So without further ado, here it is...

Casey slept through the photo shoot, so Liam was my model...

I really like it and it's the perfect size to take along to the beach or the park.  I'm sure we'll get lots of use out of it this summer.

Lindsay