New year, blank book?

Someone I know (actually, I think it was three people) posted this clever little sign on their Facebook page about how the new year is like a blank book - you can write your own story. It finishes with the even more clever "write a good one".

Honestly, I love it. I love the saying and think it's fabulous.

And at it's core, it a great sentiment but it really isn't all that practical. I mean, really, who wouldn't want to start each year - any  day - with a blank slate. A chance to right our wrongs, a chance to paint a beautiful picture, an opportunity to make our lives exactly what we want them to be.

Except for bills. And money. And mortgages. And life.

My son is five (coming six) and his book is blank but even he's got school (2.75 hrs per day, 5 days per week - and piano on Tuesdays plus 20 minutes piano practice 5 days a week) and yanno, he's five so I make his bedtime and major life decisions for him.

I suppose if I don't take it too literally, I could see the benefits of looking at the new year as a blank slate. I can choose better and choose different. I can resolve to be kinder, think sweeter and to taking the high road more often.

But I'll think about that tomorrow. Welcome to 2014.

Menu Plan Monday: July 28 to August 3, 2013

Can someone please explain to me just HOW we got to the end of July? It's AUGUST on Thursday, that means we're only a month or two away from snow?!?!?

Family Picnic: 2003 (I'm not in the picture, so stop looking)

Every August Long Weekend since +/- 1948, my Dad's family got together for a barbecue. That weekend is my Dad's birthday (August 4) - I think it was an Aunt's birthday too... His immediate family always got together with the extended family (on my paternal grandfather's side, there were nine children) and celebrated. Being the good French Roman Catholic family that they were, you can begin to imagine the magnitude of this event... Anyway, up until a decade or so ago, the tradition carried on. As the 'first' generation got too old, some of the second tried to continue the tradition (but weren't particularly successful) and a few years ago, my brother and cousin tried but it's all but died now (we're the third generation).

However, I still like to celebrate my Dad's birthday so we've done a couple family bbq's since. I think the last one was when Dad turned 65 (sorry Dad) and that was two years ago so it seemed like it was time again. This time, unlike Dad's 65th, I gave my siblings a choice. :) Did I mention I'm the bossy one?

I can't begin to tell you how much I'm looking forward to chicken and ribs

Sunday: Lasagna (the one I was supposed to make the other night but didn't)
Monday: Chicken Fajitas (reminds me: I need to take chicken out)
Tuesday: Swiss Steak with egg noodles and frozen veg (Freezer meal)
Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Chicken Stirfry served over fried rice (I will use this sauce)
Thursday: Tacos
Friday: Taco Dip Supper served with tortilla chips
Saturday: Potluck Family BBQ! (we're doing Frog's BBQ Sauce Chicken and Baby Back Ribs)

*On links that take you back to my blog, scroll down to to find the recipes later in the blog post*

Linking up with the Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday. Thanks for stopping in and have a fantastic week!

Frog's BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup corn syrup
10 drops liquid smoke
7 drops Worcestershire Sauce
1/8 cup minced onion
Generous "sprinkles" of each of the following seasoning:
Parsley
Season Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder

The last hours of my 38th year...

Tomorrow, I will turn 39. As I've said for months, tomorrow, I will FINALLY be the age my husband was when I met him (15 yrs ago). This means I am now 'officially', old. I don't have age hangups, 39 is a number. The fact I remember both my mother's and father's 39th and 40th birthday causes me to pause but otherwise, I'm okay with it.

My niece and my Mom came in today to celebrate my birthday and I suspect my "E" (my nickname for my niece) and TroubleMaker are planning my party for tomorrow. They were working my studio part of the afternoon and evening making 'stuff'. I'm excited!

I'm not doing anything exciting tonight in preparation for turning 39 but I've been giving a lot of thought to what I want the next year to look like. Forty is half way to death so I think I should probably get my act together and figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.

I want to be more of a humanitarian; I want to do nice things for people and for the world! I'm not sure where to start so I should probably make a plan (and break it down into smaller chunks).

I don't want to turn 40 and still be 'unhealthy'; I'm happy with my body, don't get me wrong (I could lose a few dozen pounds), but I don't want to have to 1. shop in exclusive plus size stores or 2. get winded chasing my kid around the park.

I don't know if I could come up with a '40 before 40' list - not sure there are actually 40 (doable) things before I turn 40. Many of the lists I've seen other bloggers do start 10+ years in advance of their 40th birthdays. I've always been ahead of the curve so I'm sure I can complete this (probably not) before next year. Seriously though, I've got memory issues so I'll likely forget this plan by next Tuesday.

What was I talking about?

Thursday and other such ramblings...

I've got four posts in 'draft' (or can it still be draught?) but I'm too chicken to post two of them and the other two aren't done so today, I shall babble incessantly about nothing. Or maybe about something; I don't really know yet.

Let's talk Twitter first. I joined a while ago (like a month or two) and was initially trying to figure out exactly what it's purpose is. Although I'm not quite sure I know, you can follow me, if you so desire, it's kind of interesting to know what people are doing day to day, minute by minute - especially since so many people have a much more interesting life than I do (it feeds my voyeuristic tendencies - no, mothers of mine, I'm not 'weird' like that, I mean in a 'watch E news kind of way'). It kind of feels like a high school popularity contest and that bothers the crap out of me. I part because we're all adults, right? Yet, we find (as adults) new and even more tortuous ways to perpetuate the childish games we should have left behind. Or maybe that's just me and the coffee talking.

Here is me: Brennan's Mom

If you follow me, I'd love to follow you back and we can be Twitterpated with one another (again, not in a 'weird' way)!

What else should I talk about? Hmmmm...

I have a birthday coming up (Saturday) and although I typically keep my birthday low key and quiet (which is weird, because on the inside, I'd love skywriting and surprise parties and big announcements on the radio), this year I know my son wants to plan a party (yay! he's just like me when it comes to celebrating things). It got me thinking about presents...

Since 2005, my husband and I haven't exchanged gifts. It may have started before that, I'm old (and getting older) and I don't remember quite as well as I used too. Since TroubleMaker was born, we allow him to get us something at Christmas (we still don't exchange gifts) and sometimes birthdays. Typically, I have no idea what I want - because I don't really need anything.

This year, I've come up with a list of 8 things. In no particular order, they are:
1. Popcorn maker (Brennan got me one at Christmas and it always ran rough -  about a month ago, it died completely)
2. Ice cream maker (This isn't a need but a want - because in the summer, I see the BEST homemade ice cream recipes)
3. Drum kit (my husband says 'over his dead body' and did not find it hilarious when I said it could be arranged - I was, of course, joking - but he's really serious - eventually, our house will have one, don't worry)
4. Saxophone (I played for years but never owned my own. I'd love to take it up again and want one!)
5. Swimming pool (this is ridiculous request that will never be fulfilled unless it's another 5' kiddie pool)
6. Perfume (usually, I get this for Mother's Day - but I'm running low on the (only) one I wear)
7. Electric guitar & amp (again, I've played for years but my ex-partner sold mine (almost) 20 years ago)
8. Microphone (so I can sing and maybe start recording some of the stuff I've written lately)

I feel totally selfish and greedy for having a list so long. It's almost embarrassing.

But not as embarrassing as my 21st birthday when either my ex-partner or my (horrible) ex-step monster arranged for a 'surprise' at the restaurant when we were all out celebrating my birthday. I was 'forced, cajoled, coerced' into standing on the table while the restaurant patrons and staff sang me happy birthday. I've never forgiven anyone for perpetrating that and it is my only memory of that birthday.

In other news, I'm in the process (the long, tedious, frustrating, time consuming process) of editing my story. A month or so ago, I printed it off (I'm best at editing that way) and made changes, fixed, ect. As I blogged about before, I procrastinated my keister off. I designed the house the family lives in (three storey, obscenely big), wrote my outline (most of it), answered questions that were kind of open ended about the story and have begun the character biographies (most of this was a means to an end - my memory is terrible and I couldn't keep my facts straight - all of this was my way of being a continuity director). I am also now wrestling with the idea of letting my husband read it. He's read a couple other things I've written and he liked them (one he really liked). This (story) is totally different than the other two pieces but I've got to start somewhere and he said he'd be nice with his criticism.

Lakeside - nearly the same spot - August 2012

Lakeside - July 2012

I'm also thinking about doing one of those lists - you know, the ones that allow you to quickly add up how inadequate you are at life? The 30 by 30 type thing, but of course, mine would be '40 by 40' (since I'm turning 39). I do not know, however, if I'm prepared to set myself up like that. I mean, my list would be simple but with my continued health issues, climbing Mount Edith Cavell (the back trail - see the link below - the glacier calved almost a year ago taking out part of the parking lot, road and creating a new 'creek' in the former creek bed - the pic of Brennan and his Pépére was take a mere 14 days before the collapse - we saw a large part calf the day were were there - it was a sight to see) or hiking to the top of Whistler's Mountain may be next to impossible. Although in my defense, last summer, we were with in 100' of the top of Whister's Mountain but we were all just too out of shape to continue in the high winds and chilly conditions (excuses, excuses).

I really like talking, in case you hadn't realized it, and sometimes, I just need to blab about nothing and not be deep or meaningful or insightful (okay, I have never actually been any of 'those' things on this blog but I think about it often because I am unique but I haven't found 'my voice' yet because I'm not sure exactly what direction I want my life to go in).

But this is the end of this little ditty (there could be more but I try not to swear too much).

Mount Edith Cavell - Ghost Glacier collapse

For fun - here are some pictures from Mount Edith from our trip and similar angles captured by Parks staff after the Ghost Glacier fell off the mountainside.

Lake side - before (July 2012)

Lake side - after (August 2012)

PS Sorry for the really, really bad text wrap - Blogger is being a cow today and I can't get anything to work!

Merry Christmas!

I want to wish everyone a very joyous and prosperous Christmas!

 

May your heart be filled with the spirit, generosity and kindness of the season.

I want to wish all my friends, family, readers and fellow bloggers a very joyous and prosperous Christmas! May the sun shine bright, your love be strong and your spirit filled with the generosity and kindness of the season.

The Little Philanthropist

I've got many reasons to be proud of my son (doesn't every mother?) but sometimes, if it's possible, he makes me more proud than usual. Before I get there, though, let me rewind the clock a bit...

A few weeks before last Christmas, we saw a television commercial for an aid agency that helped children in Africa. He turned and said to his father and I "Mommy, why don't they go to the store and buy food?". We explained to him that they didn't have money to buy food. With out missing a beat, he declared that we needed to help them get food. He didn't judge, he didn't say "get a job", he took it at face value and knew, deep in his heart, that the only thing to do was help another human being.

Help he has... With the help of his friends, he raised 19 kilograms of food at his 4th birthday party. His generosity continued through the year but with the Christmas season approaching again, his desire to help out came to the forefront.

He expressed his concern about helping out other kids this Christmas. We explained to him that not every family who wishes to celebrate Christmas could celebrate. We asked how he'd feel if he woke Christmas morning only to realize Mommy and Daddy couldn't afford to get him a present. He decided he had to help a family in need. We planned a Christmas dinner and decided to donate toys for a kid his age to the local Santa's Anonymous.

Today, we delivered our dinner to our local Food Bank and dropped the toys in the bin at the shopping centre. Just a fun fact; today, his donation weighed more than he did!

So yes, I am proud, enormously proud of him. Proud because he gets it, proud he understands he is part of the community, the province, the country, the world. Proud that he understands that it is his social responsibility to help out his fellow human beings. Proud that he understands that he can't have everything he wants. Proud that at his core, he is four years old and although he knows it is important to help, he's not above temper tantrums, stalling at bedtime and shoulder rides to bed.

This is my Merry Christmas and seeing the world through his eyes makes it the merriest one yet.

Our food bank was so happy to see a young friend, they tweeted his donation.

Bad Mommy... Happy birthday to the Wonder Schnauzer!

I realized as I was putting TroubleMaker to bed that December 13th passed with out a thought.

What does this mean? It means I forgot my first baby boy's 13th birthday. His GOLDEN birthday. I suck in an epic way.

The only relief is that baby boy #1 won't know I forgot and as per TroubleMaker's suggestion, we shall party tomorrow!

Happy birthday, Cortaillod High River Maximilian Finnegan! I love you (even if I forgot your birthday)!

Why people with memory problems (shouldn't be allowed to shop by themselves)!

As I may or may not have mentioned, one of the medications I'm on for managing the pain from the compressed discs in my neck causes "reduced mental acuity . More or less, I forget stuff easily, I know I know something but can't remember it, I get pretty muddled sometimes and I get confused pretty easily.

This could also easily be confused with "Pregnant brain" or "Mommy brain" or "old age" but let me blame the medication, it's easier for me to cope (and subsequently forget about).

Some of you, who are closer to me, know that I've recently discovered I've purchased duplicates and triplicates of some things (rice, croutons, kid's snack foods, pasta) but I truly outdid myself this time.

With Christmas approaching, I've been unearthing all my Christmas stuff... Which I dutifully cataloged when I packed it up last year. I knew exactly what I had (and where, which is even a bigger miracle). Pinterest has led me to a plethora of new (and cooler) projects to tackle this year so back in early November, I took advantage of a 30% off coupon and shopped Michael's early on a Sunday morning.

Having raffled off all the Perfect Bows I've made in a fund raiser for TroublerMaker's old preschool, I knew I needed to make new bows for my banister  So... I picked a nice plaid, wired ribbon, identical to the previous bows (as I really liked it).

So today, as I finally unpacked all the stuff I bought nearly a month ago, I discovered the ribbon. And found the ribbon I packed last year... Then I found the other new spool I bought at Costco during our annual Christmas Shop in November to Avoid the Insanity of December.

How much plaid ribbon do I have? 100 yards. Which is 300 feet (91.4 metres).

That's a lot of ribbon. Plus I bought the gold and the pine cone for bows too.

So I've figured out my new business venture... Handmade Christmas bows in plaid or pine cone... ;)

This is why people with memory problems shouldn't be allowed to shop alone! This is also why I baked my husband cookies and made him promise to love me forever.

Happy Birthday to my Amazing "Other Mother"

Today marks the birth of my "other mother"... My step mom is having her &$ birthday today and although we've got thousands of miles between us, I wanted to extend my heartfelt wishes to her!

I think I've been very fortunate to have been blessed with an amazing woman as my step mom. She's just like another mother and sometimes, we are so alike, I forget that she actually didn't give birth to me!

Happy birthday, Mémere, we love you and miss you!

Christmas Countdown Day 1: Christmas Magic

December 2007, I was 28 weeks pregnant with TroubleMaker... How do I remember that? I don't think there is a moment since we decided to have a child that I don't remember when it comes to my pregnancy, his birth and the first three and half years of his life.

What is Christmas Magic? Well, for me, the magic is my son. Christmas, as a child, was a wondrous and amazing time. I remember the anticipation, the excitement and the traditions my parents built for us kids. What I never expected was how becoming a parent would exceed every single moment of Christmas magic I remembered. Seeing his face, his joy and his excitement (and oh, is he excited) is my magic.

Today, while zipping around trying to get everything I think I should be doing done, my husband brought up NORAD's Santa Tracker - it's been running all day. This is his family tradition. As the son of an air force corporal, knowing Santa's exact position was expected growing up on the base... For me, Christmas was my Mom's pate, my Dad's meat pies and my Grandmother's buns.

I don't know all the traditions we'll build for our son, but today, it was gingerbread houses, making reindeer food and a long, lovely walk through the historic neighbourhood's looking at Christmas lights, followed by hot chocolate and his Gran reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas"

What ever your traditions - simple or complex, I wish you all a heartfelt Merry Christmas and I hope the magic finds you too!

Christmas Countdown Day 2: Have yourself an Appy Lil' Christmas!

I will apologize now for my cheesy title... I just couldn't resist!

What would Christmas be without more good food? I love appetizers and often (well, before TroubleMaker) my husband and I would often make a meal out of a bottle of red wine and a couple of appetizers... Growing up, my mom had a couple of tried and true appetizers that always made an appearance at Christmas time (or New Year's). One was a cheese log - and although I do remember liking it, it just wouldn't get eaten around here - the other was Salmon Pate. I don't recall where or when my Mom got the recipe but I loved it! It is light, tasty and a great way to get my husband and son to eat fish!

It whips together in a flash and it is actually made of stuff most of us (who cook) have on hand anyway! I've made it for Christmas, New Year's, showers (baby and wedding) and it always gets rave reviews and recipe requests. From start to finish, it only takes 20 minutes to put together and although you are supposed to chill it, it is just as good fresh out of the bowl as it is chilled.

Salmon Pate


7-3/4 oz Salmon
8 oz cream cheese
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp horse radish
1 tbsp onion, minced
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Mix all ingredients well. Chill and serve.

My awesome husband, who often does the shopping, found boneless and skinless salmon. This was the most ingenious find EVER! No longer am I (grossly) deboning and deskinning the canned salmon and then washing my hands repeatedly in lemon juice so the cat will quit following me around!

The Finished Product!



It is so good! And not fishy, in case you were wondering. I always forget just how much I love this pate until I make it and then I think "I should make this all year!" It's like lox but without the slimy fish! ;) Not that good lox is slimy, but it's super kid friendly and tastes great with crackers (Melba toast is the perfect partner) or a rice cracker but is nice with celery sticks or carrots too.

The other appetizer I tried tonight was a new one for me. I had some fresh spinach I wanted to use. We love spinach dips but I didn't have all the ingredients on hand that I need for the one I make so I got Googling! I like simple and this recipe fit the bill!

Baked Spinach Parmesan Dip from My Recipes! It was a hit! My husband loved it - TroubleMaker wasn't as convinced but he was so busy easy the Salmon Pate, that it didn't matter to me! Fish or spinach - both are good for him.

It was quick and easy to put together and I just used my fresh spinach - I just washed it and coarsely chopped it. Delicious! 

Need a few other ideas? I've got a few more that I use often for us and when I entertain and everyone always loves them! I hope you enjoy them too and can use them to spread a little cheer! Come back tomorrow for our last day and a little Christmas magic!

More yummy appetizers!

Hummus

Sun-dried Tomato & Garlic Dip

Hot Artichoke Dip

Christmas Countdown Day 3: Pretty Little Packages!

Have you always wanted your presents to be ones of envy - not necessarily because of what was inside, but because of the beautiful wrapping! I always envy store displays with bounds of curl ribbon and bouncing bows but have the Yowly One around but a permanent ban on everything curly.

The hot "bow" item this year are toys affixed to the package. In theory, I think this is an okay idea, but knowing my own son's propensity for stopping at the box, I'm not sure we'd ever open the actual present if I put a toy on the outside! I like the idea of putting little Christmas touches on the packages - baubles or ornaments that can be saved and hung on the tree for the next holiday season.

First, I took a simple piece of ribbon, tied it to the present and tied on a floral stem of holiday berries. It adds some interest by breaking up the linear line of the package. It also is likely more economical than store bought ribbon or bows - if you hit a big box craft store at the moment, all the Christmas floral stems are 70% off - stock up now and use them next year as present toppers!

Sometimes you get an odd shaped package - this one was perfectly square so wrapping it was challenging because just how much paper did I need? Well, I had too much! So I used a roll of tulle I had left over from a wedding project and tied a length around the present. Not only is it "cat" friendly, but it hides the not so lovely wrapping job! Attach a pretty ornament and you've got a gift that gives again next year.

I love bows - that is no secret so I love wrapping up a present and topping it with a beautiful bow! I love looping some ribbon around a box and topping it with my perfect bow. I also like the simplicity of the gold bow on my glass boxes - just take a meter or so of ribbon and wrap it over itself, tie with another short length of ribbon and in seconds, you have a nice bow that adds a lovely touch to any package!

Sometimes, we don't have all the lovely ribbon or embellishments, so why not a pinwheel bow on a child's gift? If you had a scrapbook brad, a hole punch and stick, you could turn your bow into another great toy for the kids! Here is a great instruction for making a pinwheel bow from MelangerieNYC!

Candy canes, pine cones from a tree or a few cookies wrapped with cling wrap and a length of ribbon all make interesting and thoughtful gift toppers. Look around your house and what do you see that might liven up those presents?

Thanks for stopping by today - only two more days until Christmas Eve! Tomorrow, I'll share a couple of tried and true holiday appetizer recipes and then on Christmas eve, I'll share a little Christmas Magic for the kids!

Christmas Countdown Day 4: A little outdoor decor!

In the day of the inflatable Christmas lawn ornament, I'd like to open your mind to a bit of an alternative... These lawn ornaments were again inspired by my husband's time spent in Arizona over Christmas.

The second year in our house, we decided to make a couple of wood silhouettes for ornamentation in our front flower beds. We got several sheets of oriented strand-board from my former place of work and I got to work with our jigsaw, drill and staple gun! I laid the sheet out on our two saw horses and used a set square to draw out the design. I then cut it out with the jigsaw. In order to mount the lights, I drilled holes, spaced relatively evenly along the perimeter of the tree shape. I picked up some outdoor paint (and I actually got this green at a miss tint price because the clerk couldn't get the shade right) and painted it with three coats.  I used LED Christmas lights and put the bulb through the predrilled hole and used our staple gun to staple the cord in place. I cut out a support piece for the back and affixed it to the tree with three large hinges. We've since added grooves to the support and we thread twine through and tie them down on garden stakes... Between the wind and the neigbour's cats, we've had to restring both the tree and the snowman twice (to replace broken bulbs)!

I made the snowman in a similar fashion, but measured out the circles of his body with a pencil tied to a string. His hat is a foam sheet cut out and cemented to a piece of cardboard! After six years, his hat is a little weathered but it keeps the snow off his head!

With a simple string of incandescent bulbs along our house, our simple little bungalow comes alive with a little bit Christmas cheer!

Thanks for stopping by today - hope to see you tomorrow for Day Three!

Christmas Countdown: Day 5 Baked Delights!

I love to bake... Some of my best childhood memories surround baking and the homemade cookies that were in my lunch kit daily. Christmas meant cookies at our house - and homemade chocolates. When I was six, my mom worked part time in a craft store so cake decorating, chocolate making and Christmas crafts were part of the fantastic memory building every child needs! Some might say I go a little overboard... Considering I didn't actually start making cookies until I met my husband (I decided cookies were far too much effort for such a small reward), I have gotten rather efficient at making them! Over the years, I've narrowed down my Christmas baking to a few key things... Whipped shortbread, Pippakarka and Ginger Sparklers are the top "must haves" in our house... Although I'm quite certain that my husband would not protest if I only made ginger sparklers... I don't know when I first made them for him - I think it was after we moved to our house (maybe that first Christmas here) but he ate himself silly on them. They are his favourite cookie (after my chocolate chocolate chip cookie) but because I only make them at Christmas, they get scooped up quickly! Pippakarka is Swedish for gingerbread - it is a traditional recipe from my maternal grandmother. Although it really isn't anyone's favourite, it just doesn't seem like Christmas to me if I don't make a batch! The whipped shortbread was a recipe I got from a dear friend. My husband likes shortbread but prefers a buttery one instead of the lighter, cookier version I grew up making. I'm excited to share these with you - I hope you and your family enjoy them just as much as we do!

Whipped Shortbread
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Add all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixed until well blended. Continue to beat for five minutes. Roll into small balls and depress with 1/2 a maraschino cherry or depress slightly with fork tines and sprinkle with coloured sugar. Bake at 375 degrees Farhenheit for 10 minutes or until golden.

Pippakarka
1 cup white or brown sugar
1 cup margarine
1 cup Roger's Golden Syrup
2 eggs
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 cups flour

Mix well and cover. Let stand over night. Roll on lightly floured surface and cut with cutters or glass. Bake at 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 10 minutes or less.

Ginger Sparklers
3/4 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves

Beat first four ingredients until light and fluffy. Blend in remaining ingredients. Shape into small balls and roll in granulated sugar. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.


Thank you for stopping in today - we'll see you again tomorrow for Day 4!

Christmas Countdown: Day 6 - Mantle or entryway decor!

I do not have a mantle and neither do I have a formal entrance way but I do have a cedar chest that I like to dress up and although this year, I've got TroubleMaker's Countdown calendar housed there, I'm thinking today's feature might look very nice sitting at the foot of the unit... For this quick and easy craft, you'll need a few things... Ribbon, craft glass blocks, some sparkly netting and lights. Please note, if you are using lights inside the glass block, please ensure that you use LED's. I started off planning to do this for a demo with the incandescent mini lights pictured but I changed my mind as I started to work!

I started with removing the netting from the package. The studio is now covered with sparkles so be prepared for a mess... I cut it in half and stuffed it inside the glass bock.

I then made a simple bow - I took a length of ribbon (about 1 metre) and looped it round and round. I then took another piece and tied it around the centre. I fanned it out and fluffed the loops and viola! Easy, easy bow! I hot glued it to the block. I made two but I decided it was a lot of block and no colour. To add some interest and colour, I decided to put a couple of large balls in a cylinder and layered in a few jingle bells.

Thanks for stopping by today - we're on the homestretch now! Come back tomorrow for some yummy baked treats!

Christmas Countdown: Day 7 - Simple and pretty decorating!

Welcome! Today I'm excited to be sharing with you a simple, elegant decorating idea that you can put together in an afternoon and for under $20 - less if you've got a stash of Christmas and craft stuff like me. In years previous, I've decorated our main floor as well as our family area in the garden level, however, because we are building the photo studio on the main floor, I no longer had space for the second tree and with TroubleMaker's toys being relocated to his new "play area", I could no longer decorate the banister (as seen below).



I was okay with the idea of not decorating anything on the main floor but as Christmas is approaching and knowing we will be spending lots of time in the kitchen, I had a change of heart. It's now a week until Christmas day and I have no desire to venture anywhere near a store so what could I do that would be quick, simple and tasteful? Why not at a little greenery and some visual interest in what tends to be the focal point of my kitchen? Sounds great!

The pine garland I had on hand (as I stockpiled a few of them a couple years ago) but I know they are on sale at our local big box craft store for around $4. The ornaments are ones I also had on hand - some were purchased to be used as decor (50 balls for $9.99) and the others were purchased to replace some of the really old ones we have on our tree (again, 50 ornaments for $18.99) but for this craft, you could borrow a couple from your tree! The ribbon - on hand again, but seriously, after a little shopping around this year. You cannot beat Costco for ribbon... Fifty yards for $8! I just about fell over when I saw it... I also had to stop myself from buying one of every style they had! A few floral picks (or, if you'd rather and have a pine tree handy, some pine cones) and you're set!

We screwed a few eyelet screws into the cabinetry and away we went! I wanted something simple and visually appealing. The colours work well with the warm pine and cherry woods used in our cabinetry. I would love to use "fresh" cedar boughs however, we had to hack our cedars back in the fall so I didn't have the heart to butcher them anymore for a little craft like this! The ornaments are shiny without being too bright and I hung them high enough that neither my husband or I will bonk our heads on them! It also breaks up the horrible white blind that hangs over our kitchen sink (it is on the 'Must go in 2012' list).

I am thinking of adding a bit more upstairs but I promised my lovely husband I wasn't going to go "overboard"... So how about adding a little bit of Christmas to your kitchen? What kind of space do you have and could you add just a touch of festive to it? Thanks for stopping by and come back tomorrow as we get into the last six days of our countdown!

Christmas Countdown: Day 8 - The Perfect Bow!

I love ribbon. I love making bows with ribbon. To me, decorating with bows are simple and easy and oh so elegant! Below is a helpful guide so you too can decorate with bows! Add them to your tree, banister, wreaths, presents!















Materials:
Wired ribbon (I used 12’ (about 3 metres) of ribbon to make the bow illustrated)
Florists wire (24 gauge) on paddle
Scissors
Wire snips









Cutting your bow
1.Decide how big/full you want your bow

2.Snip this length, allowing ½ to 1” extra for overlap

3.Cut three of this length (illustration used 20” for this)

4.Cut two more – one inch (1”) shorter (2 @ 19”)


5.Cut one more – one inch (1”) shorter than the previous (18”)

6.Cut nosing – 4 to 7” (depends on how you wrap it)

7.Cut tails – decide on how much hang you want on one side, cut 2x (leave one long piece)



Putting it all together

1.Pick up first long loop, overlap and fold loop in half to mark centre point. Pinch centre point in with overlap (accordion the pinch).








2.Using florists wire, wrap 2x around pinch, pulling very snug to secure (DO NOT CUT WIRE)

3.Repeat step #1 with next 20” piece, place immediately below first wrapped loop and wrap 1x snuggly with wire

4.Repeat with final 20” piece and place below second wrapped loop and wrap 1x snuggly. Wrap all three loops once or twice and pull tight. DO NOT CUT WIRE









5.Pick up first medium loop (19” piece) and repeat step one. Lay this pinch atop the foundation bow layer. Wrap wire around 1x.





6.Repeat with second medium loop and wrap 2x around, pulling snugly.







7.Pick up small loop piece (18” piece) and repeat step one. Lay this pinch atop the middle layer. Wrap 2x to secure.







8.Pick up tails and fold in half. Place below all loop and secure.






9.Cut about 8” of wire from florist wire paddle and set paddle aside.






10. Take nosing and loop around middle of bow. Leave it loose and overlap at back of bow.









Using wire, loop around and secure nosing. Form a loop in the wire and secure to itself (for the hanger)









11. Fluff up the bow and viola! The perfect bow!





With a little practice, you'll be whipping up bows like a pro - and the best part, no special machine or special ribbon needed! Enjoy and happy crafting! Don't forget to come back tomorrow for Day 7!


All images used with permission. All images copyright Blackstone Images

Christmas Countdown: Day 9 - Quick and Easy Gift Ideas!

'Twas a week before Christmas and all through the shops, people were running and searching for props; the perfect gift for a mom or a dad, all were searching, searching like mad!


Today, I've got a guest post! Chris Lee works as an online researcher alongside his undergrad study, and has written this festive on behalf of Vistaprint. Take it away, Chris!
So, Christmas is nearly upon us. If (like me) you haven’t started your Christmas shopping yet, hopefully this post will give you a few ideas!

The Classics:
Wine and/or chocolate. I was tempted to call this section “fallback options” because these can seem like last resort gifts, but, as with any gift, if you put in the thought and match the gift to the personality and tastes of the recipient, they will be well received and appreciated. Try to figure out what cuisine the recipient enjoys eating and use the taste guide to select an appropriate wine, for example.

Gizmos and gadgets:
Ideal for a teenage audience, but also applicable elsewhere. Most gadget sites will have a “gift finder” or similar service which will allow you to enter variables such as recipients age, desired budget, whether or not to include mature gifts, etc. This can be a great way to find gifts you may otherwise not have considered, although try not to get too distracted and end up buying a selection of fun-but-useless gadgets for yourself!

Home-made gifts:
An old favourite. There’s perhaps nothing better than receiving a hand-crafted gift from a friend or relative. Knowing that they spent time planning and making a unique gift for you is a truly delightful feeling. This is especially fun for children, as they will take great pride in the items they make. Though this category can include almost anything, a few popular suggestions are home-made chocolates, mulled wine, photo frames, storage containers, and ornaments.

Personalised gifts:
Similar to the above, except someone else makes them for you! These days the internet is brimming with sites allowing you to make personalised mugs, calendars, t-shirts, mouse mats, etc. The personal touch on these traditional gifts will be popular whatever the occasion, but Christmas is the perfect time. Seeing a precious memory captured and printed onto an everyday item will lift the spirits of the recipient every time they see the gift.

Thanks for sharing, Chris! One thing I'd like you to know is we've actually been Vistaprint Canada customers for the past three years. We do an annual calendar of TroubleMaker (the pictures are from calendar's past) and the past three, we've ordered from Vistaprint! I was so happy when I was approached to host this post because I can honestly say Vistaprint products and customer service are fantastic!




Need another idea? How about tapping in to that "home made gift" idea? Have 10 minutes, a sewing machine and some fabric? Why not whip up one of these cozy, fuzzy pillow cases! I'll have more pictures and a bit of a tutorial later in the week! Thanks for stopping by and thank you Chris and Vistaprint for sharing some great Christmas gift ideas!