life lately

Lately my days have been full of mini highs and lows. We are all just moving along in life, yet, I have an impatience that is taking up space in my mind.
Short words, feeling overwhelmed, worried. These are all  feelings that happen from time to time, especially when we go through big life changes ... like oh say, selling a house and an impending move across the country.
Our house in Whitehorse is on the market. I never knew that trying to sell a home could be so stressful. We are eager to have a quick sale, so that we can move forward with our transfer this summer. All the gurus say, to think positive, so that is what we are going to do! Sell house, sell!
But amongst the hard moments, there have been calm and reassuring ones too. Like saying I'm sorry, that's so important. Like cuddling in the afternoon (just Katia and I). Like open doors letting fresh Spring air in the house. Like forgiveness, understanding and grace.

...

Easter came to our home last weekend, and it was a weekend full of excitement and joy for Noah and Katia. We attended the tiny Catholic church here for a short service (the priest comes about 2 times a year to give the service), and then we for the rest of the weekend we crafted, baked and ate delicious food. We went for walks, played outside and the kids played with their new gifts that they received on Easter morning.
Over our time here in Beaver Creek, from the advice of friends, I have always looked forward to the next trip out or the next set of visitors coming to see us. This is the way that I've kept myself sane. To have something to look forward to makes the harder days go by more quickly.
In the next few weeks we have a school trip planned for Whitehorse and then at the end of May, Winslow's parents will be coming to the Yukon to visit us. For the first time in the 5 years that we've lived here! We're pretty excited.
And finally, a little something I made this week, a wire wrapped bird's nest pendant.
I have been especially drawn to bird's nests for a few years now (spoiler alert- this is going to be my next tattoo), and I has seen these nests before on Etsy and such.
A little unknown fact (for some) might be, that I worked at a bead store in Ottawa for years (highschool and after graduation), where we learned all kinds of neat jewelry making techniques. We would even make bridal jewelry. It was a really fun job. Anyways, I say that because, I still have some beading supplies that I hardly use and one day, I decided to whip one of these nests up.
I am so pleased with the results that I decided to buy some more wire and beads, and plan on making more for my close friends. It makes my heart happy to be making things once again.
And that is all for now. Happy Spring days my friends. I hope that the sun and warmer weather is making it's way to you, and breathing a feeling of renewal into your days.
xox

march break

I was trying to remember what  the March Breaks of my childhood were like.
To me, they've always held  a special spot in my memory, because I often got treated to special activities and outings.
Trips to nearby towns, going to the movie theatre, going out for a rare and special dinner at a restaurant. Going swimming, out for the first icecream cone of the season, playing outside on warm early Spring days. There was something so carefree and special about March Breaks.
This year, the thought of having Noah home for a whole week slightly panicked me. Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with my boy, and we know how to have fun together, it's just, there isn't much to do here in our little community and I was worried that we would get bored ... and end up ultimately being couch potatoes.
So my first plan to conquer the boredom blues was to head into Whitehorse for a few days. We spent about 5 days in Whitehorse, visiting with friends, having playdates, going out for treats and just doing fun "town" things. We had originally planned to go to visit friends in another community (Mayo), but Noah fell sick with an ear infection and I had a stomach bug, so we spared our friends from getting sick, and stayed put in Whitehorse.
Whitehorse was fun. Trips to the library, 3 sleepovers for the kids with Sunny and Evey, a night in a hotel, sushi for lunch and Sunny's birthday party. We all had our fix of friends and social time :)
After our fun in Whitehorse, our return to Beaver Creek, wasn't so hard. We felt refreshed and I came equipped with a few ideas up my sleeve to keep us occupied.
On the first morning of our March Break in Beaver Creek (which was a Wednesday), I wrote a note to Noah and Katia, and let them know that we would be filling our days with fun activities. I told them that they could choose 1-2 activities a day from the list that I made. Noah was beyond thrilled with this idea and hugged all of us, exclaiming that this was going to be the most amazing week ever. Oh how easily he is pleased :)
Some of the ideas on our "bucket list" included:

~ make elephant toothpaste (I scored some high potency hydrogen peroxide in Whitehorse)
~ make our own zen gardens
~ make egg head gardens
~ have a friend over
~ bake something yummy
~have a Winter's picnic

Add in lots if outdoor play, plenty of free art time, face painting and more, and I think we succeeded at having a nice March Break.

How to Make Your Own Zen Garden

~ a small box (we reused a stationary card box, it has a lid, perfect for when we put it away)
~ sand (we used salt, because it's what we had on hand)
~ a small rake ( I made ours of wire)
~ a chopstick for drawing with
~ rocks, stones, shells 

Pour the sand into the box. Carefully choose a few small stones, shells or rocks to put into the garden. Quietly spend time raking and arranging the stones in your garden. Let your thoughts go, practice quiet meditation, whisper mantras or simple words to yourself. 

It's amazing to watch Noah and Katia "tend" to their gardens. They quiet down really well, and focus on the simple task of raking and arranging. To show them what a zen garden is, we watched a few youtube videos.

Happy Spring days my friends.
xox

the need to create

Recently I've had a little resurgence in my desire to be creative and make things. In the matter of one week, I have completed 3 projects and I have been really happy with them. They are not for anything special, except for us to enjoy, which makes them even more special.
The first project I did was a set of little houses made of crayola air dry clay. I love this stuff because it gives immediate results and it doesn't need to be fired. I use this clay quite a bit with Noah, especially at Christmastime to make ornaments. It also works well for hand prints.
I had seen many of these types of houses on Pinterest and Etsy, and yes, I do believe in buying and supporting other artists, but I also believe that it is okay to be inspired and to make things for yourself. Would I go and sell these little houses on Etsy, when other artists do so? No. Would I sell them at craft sales here in the Yukon, when no one else makes them up here? Yes. For as long as art has existed, artists have found inspiration from other artists. I think as long as you give credit, don't try to take business from others, and don't pretend to be the original one, then it is okay.
I quite like how my little houses turned out and I think I might make some gnomes to go with them....or  some matryoshka dolls.
The second project I completed was a sundress for Katia, using some old pieces of fabric that I had on hand. I wanted it to be ready for our upcoming trip to Cuba, but I didn't use a pattern and unfortunately, it turned out to be way too big on her. I think come summer or fall it might fit her, and it would look cute with a long sleeved t-shirt under it.
And last, my favourite one of them all, a painting that I did of a matryoshka doll. I have a thing for matryoshka dolls. Yesterday, I got out my paints (and Noah's paints too), and we painted together. I haven't completed a painting for quite some time, and it felt so good to have the desire to do it. This painting was completed in just over 24 hrs. I went back to it a few times and would spend about a 2-3 hrs at a time at it. I used water colours for it and am happy with how she turned out.
And that is all for now. Who knows if I will continue with this creative streak (I hope so!) It would be nice to make up a few more paintings and clay houses. Sewing is not quite my forte, so I think I will take a little break from it for now.
Creating art and things to use is something that I just need to do. It is part of who I am. Since having children, I have found it very hard to find the motivation and attention that making art requires. I find myself often feeling scatterbrained and unfocussed, but lately it's been different. I really appreciate that making art is a gift that I can give myself. It's not for anyone else but me. It allows me to escape and focus on something. It feels right.
How about you? Have you felt the need to make lately?
xox

recently...

recently ...
the days have been long
we've been filling our time up with crafts
wooden spoon puppets have been made for 2 days straight now
bees wax candles have been rolled and enjoyed
little friends (Hailey and Robin) came over to play
walks outside have kept us sane
snow snow snow
I went on a date with my girl and boy at Starbucks ... it was surprisingly relaxed
the cold and sniffles are back in our house
a lot of one pot baked dishes have been being made ... so much more easy (baked pork chops with a salsa verde marinade, surrounded by tons of peppers and onions)
dreaming of the beach and heat
xox

a few details for baby

It seems to me that I haven't posted very much in the ways of details about what our baby's room will look like, so I thought I'd show a few details of her room and talk about a few things that I have picked up for her over the last few months.

One of the reasons that I haven't posted about her room is that it currently acts as the guest room and will be staying that way until after December. We have visitors coming to se us once she is born, like my mom who is coming all the way from PEI to be with us (in just a few days!!! weeee!!!) and my sister Sarah and my sweet baby nephew Bowan. So for us, we needed to keep that room ready for our guests.

The second reason why I haven't done a lot in terms of making it into a nursery is because we know that she will be sleeping in a basinet in our room for the first while and then will most likely join us in our bed when she is a bit bigger. We co-slept with Noah and expect to do the same with her, unless she happens to be a really good sleeper on her own. So really, her room will be used as a quiet space to nurse her, a place to change her, and a place to play and read quietly.

But a few of the details that I have been working on are hanging some fun and colourful items on her wall, like this framed alphabet print that I had hanging in Noah's nursery when he was a baby and these metal silhouette birds that Winslow and I picked up when we were first married.

I also hung up a small print of a lady in a large hat. I think this is a famous image, but I've never known who the artist is or what the title is. It was something that my mom had hanging in my childhood home and its one of the very few things that I have left of our old home, so I wanted to hang it. Plus, I've always found it to be pretty and feminine.

The other project I have been working on is a display of pretty fabrics in embroidery hoops. This is something I had seen done many times on Pinterest, and when I found out we were having a girl, I knew right away that I wanted to do this. I think it lends itself a feminine feel (artsy and crafty) without being too over the top girly.

A few other little goodies that I have picked up along the way....

This beautiful custom made Waldorf doll. I ordered her back in October and hoped that she would arrive in time for Christmas. Obviously the baby won't care about her yet, but I have always wanted a Waldorf doll because they are well made and something that can be passed down again and again. This doll was made by Atelier-Blueberrie, a Waldorf making doll duo out of France. I just received her in the mail today and am so pleased with how she turned out. I was even allowed to choose the colours, prints on her dress, skin colour ect. I wanted her to reflect what my daughter will most likely look like (half Asian), so I chose a bit of a tanned skin colour and black hair. Please check out their Etsy shop.

I have a few other dolls that will be displayed in our little one's room, like these three adorable Russian Matryoshka dolls that I got off of Etsy and these other little baby Waldorf dolls that I have been collecting for a few years.

For her coming home from the hospital clothes, this is what I have chosen and packed away in my hospital bag. When I was down South this past summer, I went a little bit nuts at the children's second hand clothing shops. Where else can you find adorable brand name clothes for just a few dollars? So I picked up this sweet little one piece white knit romper (baby Gap) for just a few dollars. The brown and white hat was Noah's and I still love it, so it is packed away in my hospital bag. I also had my friend, Lindsay, who lives in Ontario knit this adorable sleeping owl hat for me and will definitely be putting it on her when we take her outside to go home as it is so very cold here and of course little babies need to be kept warm. Please check out her Facebook business page if you are interested in ordering a hat from her. She makes gorgeous custom made hats.

And finally a little sneak of where the baby will be resting her head for the first few weeks of her life. This is the basinet that we had for Noah when he was a baby and this is where she will be sleeping too. Right next to me in her little Moses basket. I just can't wait for her to be here now ... oh I'm getting excited. And so that is it for now. Just playing the waiting game and hoping that she makes her debut soon.

When I see all these details together I am kind of happy with the amount of handmade and thrifted items that I have picked up for her. It's a nice feeling to know that she will be surrounded by quality items that were made by hand and made with love or by items that have been given a second chance.

Thank you all so much for all the kind wishes and prayers being sent our way. I appreciate all your comments and love. I am a little bit nervous about the birth because this will be my first time delivering a baby naturally. Noah was an emergency c-section and his labour was very hard and exhausting on me. But the good news is that I am in a really good head space. I have talked with my doctor (who I really like by the way) about all the different scenarios that could play out. I know that I really want to be able to have a successful VBAC and will do everything in my power to make it happen, but at the same time, I am accepting that if it doesn't work out I will be at peace with knowing that a second c-section was what was meant to be.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend dear friends. Be back soon! Hopefully with a baby in my arms while I am typing!

xox