So..... 2013 Happened!

And I pretty much blogged about none of it!  Woops, sorry about that.

I expect 2014 to be much of the same sadly.  Especially because this is set to arrive in June...

And this little one will be 2 years old in a few weeks!

 
And this furry one will be 1 year old in a few weeks!

Wowzers, life just flies by!

I actually did a fair amount of sewing in 2013, I just didn't have time to take photos or to blog about it. Maybe I just need to do quick little posts with lots of photos via Instagram?  Peut etre.  I'll try and do better for 2014, ha!

This and That

So much for my 2013 goal of being a more consistent blogger!  I blame it partially on this little munchkin who has recently started walking (!!!):

 And also THIS little furball who we have added to our family:

The Dressy Raincoat or Disappointing Minoru

Here on the wet West Coast of British Columbia, Canada we get a lot of rain.  Like...  a LOT.  I feel like there is a rainfall warning at least once a week.  At least during the winter months anyway...  I wanted a nice, somewhat dressy waterproof jacket that I could wear during the monsoon weather here in Squamish.

The First BC Family Day (Project 52:7)

Family Day has been a stat holiday in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan (maybe Ontario?  I don't know, I don't really pay attention to "out east".  Except Newfoundland.  I can't get enough!).  Poor old British Columbia was feeling left out.  Hmph!  Forgetting about us, stuck over here on the other side of the Rocky Mountains...  Harrumph!  So in 2013 the provincial government gave BC a Family Day statutory holiday.  A paid day off to spend time with your family.  Yay!
 

I actually didn't know the holiday existed until a few days before, when I went into work and saw a sign on the door saying we were going to be closed for the holiday.  Cue fist pump!

Happy Birthday to our Little Miss! (Project 52:3)

Well, I can hardly believe it - the Little Miss will be turning one tomorrow.  One (!!!).

Project 52 (52:1&2)

In an attempt to be a better blogger, I'm copying my fellow blogger and real-life friend Lani over at Squamish Baby by participating in Project 52.  Just in case you've never heard of it - and I hadn't until I started following Lani's blog - it's an online project to take one photo per week to document our lives. 

Holiday Gratitude

Autumn walk in Squamish, BC, Canada

I am a very blessed woman.  I mean it.  I have a wonderful husband who I adore, and who loves me more than I deserve.  Together, we are lucky to have our beautiful 11-month-old daughter.  She is healthy and happy (most days... she is teething, ha!).  We live in the beautiful community of Squamish, and we both have good jobs that we enjoy.

I really feel like sometimes I need to sit back and remind myself of these things and be grateful.  In light of the appalling events that took place last week in the U.S., it's important to be thankful for what we have and appreciate the fragility of life.  Our hearts and prayers go out to all those affected by this tragedy, including the families of the gunmen as that cannot be an easy cross to bear...

Try not to get caught up in the frenzy of the season... spend less money, but give more of your time.  Make memories with your loved ones and enjoy the things you do have, instead of lusting for the things you don't.  Sending love and light to everyone during this holiday season.

View from First Peak, The Chief, Squamish

Happy Monday!
xxx
Caramia

End of Summer...

It's that time of year again here in Canada... the crisp chill in the air, days are getting shorter, the leaves are beginning to change colour.  Autumn is on it's way!  My husband brews his own beer from scratch, and is quite good at it.  He planted hops at his parents house a few years ago, and it was harvest time while were in the Okanagan for the Labour Day long weekend (Sept 1st)...

The "Enjoy It While It Fits" Bonnet

We're going to a wedding this weekend in Salmon Arm.  It's supposed to be very hot and sunny, and apparently there will be little to no shade during the outdoor ceremony.

So the Little Miss needed a fancy hat to wear!

Adventures in the U.S. of Eh!

Well it's certainly been awhile since my last post... not surprising considering the Little Miss is now 6 months old (!!!) and has decided that she no longer wants to nap during the day... sigh...  But I thought I'd check in with you guys and update you on the goings-on around these parts.

Viewpoint near Manzanita, Oregon Coast

We just returned home last night after a wonderful 9-day vacation to the Oregon Coast (and beyond!).  N and I enjoy travelling and we're always up for a road trip so that we can stop along the way if we want to check something out.  Travelling with a 6-month-old is MUCH different than travelling alone with your spouse, ha ha ha.  Little Miss pretty much dictated our entire trip... if she was sleeping in the car, we didn't dare stop.  But if she was awake and fussy, we would stop ASAP.

So Many Babies, So Little Time!

As the second half of 2012 is almost upon us, I'm frantically trying to finish 6 (!!!) diaper bags for my girlfriends expecting babies in the latter half of this year.  Including 2 sets of twins - yahoo!  Both sets of twins are due in late Sept, but could come a bit earlier, obvi.  Otherwise the timeline for the other babes is: late June, late August, late Sept (x 2 - or 4!), late Oct, and late Dec.  I've got my work cut out for me.  I'm planning to use the same diaper bag pattern and tutorial that I used for our bag.

Procrastination... doesn't make it happen

I promise I'm working on projects, it's just that this adorable little stinker takes up most of my time... She's worth it though.

I am planning to make a few new outfits to wear on our upcoming summer holidays to the Oregon Coast (very very excited!).

Happy Wednesday everyone!
xxx
Caramia

It's A Girl!!!

We welcomed our sweet little girl Nova Rayanne at 11:10pm on Wednesday January 18th at the hospital here in Squamish.  She was 6lbs 5oz and we are absolutely in love with her.  There's just something about little girls that makes everyone melt, isn't there?

Happy Sunday everyone!
xxx
Caramia (and Nova!)

Easter Greetings!

I am home in Saskatoon for a few days visiting my family here.  The weather has been really lovely: sunny (with a bit of wind) and warm temps...  It was 15C today - gorgeous!  I have eaten far too much food, drank far too much wine (and rye, ha!), and had countless hours of good, deep belly-laughter with my friends and family.

Enjoying the springtime prairie crocuses

Snail Mail, Coffee, and Skype Dates...

Today was a rather bleak and grey November day...  I've been off work for a week now, so I'm trying to keep busy.  We don't have TV so at least I don't spend the days wasting away in front of the tube.  I've been trying to take advantage of this time to sew, and cook and clean, and just generally do things I don't normally have time to do.

I'm thinking about entering Burdastyle's "Party Through the Decades" International Competition, so I've been busy working on my entry for that.  It's nice they opened it up to folks outside of the U.S. and I can't wait to see what people come up with.  I've chosen to do an early 60's inspired look and am hoping to wear it to my husband's staff Christmas party this year.

While I was busy cutting out the fabric this morning, I received a Skype call from my very best friend (and her 3-month-old son) and had a very lovely chat.  It completely made my day!  I miss her a lot; it sucks that British Columbia and Newfoundland are on the complete opposite sides of the country! 

After being considerably cheered up by the Skype chat, I went and got the mail only to find that the 2 Colette patterns I ordered came in!  I've seen tons of great creations on the web, and decided to order the Chantilly and Crepe dress patterns.

(both images from http://www.colettepatterns.com/)

I love their vintage inspired looks and have heard nothing but great things about the patterns and the instructions.  My cousin asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding next summer and it's going to have a 1940's theme.  I showed her the Crepe dress as a possible bridesmaid dress, and she really liked it.  So I guess we shall see!  I like it well enough that I will probably make myself a few dresses anyways.  The Chantilly dress is so pretty and feminine, plus judging by the Flickr group, I can see that it looks great on a variety of body types.  I've been wanting to make something for my mom for quite awhile now and I think Chantilly will be just the ticket!



My husband sent me a link to this fable the other day.  It's become a bit of a daily mantra for me when things seem bleak.  I hope it will comfort and inspire you as well...

A farmer had only one horse. One day, his horse ran away.


All the neighbors came by saying, “I'm so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said, “We'll see.”

A few days later, his horse came back with twenty wild horses. The man and his son corraled all 21 horses.

All the neighbors came by saying, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!” The man just said, “We'll see.”
One of the wild horses kicked the man's only son, breaking both his legs.

All the neighbors came by saying, “I'm so sorry. This is such bad news. You must be so upset.” The man just said, “We'll see.”

The country went to war, and every able-bodied young man was drafted to fight. The war was terrible and killed every young man, but the farmer's son was spared, since his broken legs prevented him from being drafted.

All the neighbors came by saying, “Congratulations! This is such good news. You must be so happy!” The man just said, “We'll see.”

Here's hoping that if life gives you lemons, you can make lemonade!
xxx

Autumn in the Prairies

We drove as far as Calgary the first day and stayed overnight with some friends and had a great visit, sharing some laughs over my hubby's (amazing) homemade beer. The next morning we got up and went to Ikea for the $1 breakfast and purchased 2 new office / desk chairs since I gave away our old table and chairs to the thrift store after purchasing this amazing antique set!

We continued on our way to my beautiful hometown of Saskatoon, just in time for rush hour traffic gridlock on Circle Drive... ugh.... Saskatoon is growing way too fast and the infrastructure cannot support it. It's only going to get worse before it gets better I'm afraid...

The next morning we hopped into the vehicle with my parents and drove out to Kenton, Manitoba where my grandparents' farm is. It was a nice weekend, full of visiting with lots of relatives that I don't get to see very often (being 3 provinces away doesn't help things!).

I also made a wrap-cardigan that I wore during the dinner and family photos. I used Simplicity 2603 (view A) and some blend-knit fabric in a bright purple... I don't know what it is, but I seem to be wearing a lot of purple these days! It was a pretty simple, straight-forward pattern that I was able to whip up fairly quickly... The fabric was soooo slippery though! I wore my favourite buffalo brooch, lovingly crafted by my friend (in real life, as well as the blogosphere) Jillian at The Noisy Plume as the buffalo is a symbol of Manitoba.

Here is a photo of me with my grandparents; incidentally this is the grandmother who taught me to sew. She also made pretty much all of my clothing for me as a small child.

Coming up sewing projects include Christmas gifts, finishing touches on a few things, as well as my first attempt at a jacket (as well as one for N!).

Happy weekend everyone!