made and gifted with love :: handmade christmas 2016

This past Christmas, I found myself challenged with a limited budget for gifts. At first I felt stressed out and worried, that I wouldn't be able to give nice gifts to friends, or to the kids for that matter, but after discussing these challenges with friends, I realized that I just needed to find the inspiration to make my gifts.
In the past, I have always enjoyed making gifts for family and friends, so I decided to take a look through some old pins on my Pinterest boards and get inspired.
These really cute and simple wooden houses came to mind, so I asked Winslow to cut some up for me and I made up some simple villages and Christmas tree ornaments.
My second challenge was that I really wanted to buy this play campfire for the kids, but couldn't justify the price. On top of the exchange rate, I'd have to pay shipping, duties and taxes. So I just couldn't afford it. My friend sent me this pin, so I took a look at it and adapted it to my liking.
In the end, I am very pleased with the play campfire I came up with, and love how it promotes open ended play (camping, storytime, ect). Also, it was made with love, by me. I hope the kids know that it was made especially for them.
A few other simple gifts I made and gave this year (no pictures sorry), were homemade potpourri bags like these (for neighbours) and some peppermint bark (to give to Scouts/Sparks leaders and bus drivers).
Hope this inspires you to make and give some handmade gifts!
xox

widdershins

Last weekend, I had the lovely opportunity to escape to Whitehorse (on my own) and partake in a very unique and intimate art show. It was so good for my soul.
A few months ago, Leanne, dreamed up the idea of doing a Springtime arts show in her home, where  a number of artists would set up their creations for display and sale. We had done something similar back in 2010, and 5 years later, we did it again.
She named the show Widdershins, which means:  to go counter-clockwise, to go anti-clockwise, or to go lefthandwise, or to walk around an object by always keeping it on the left. i.e. literally, it means to take a course opposite the apparent motion of the sun viewed from the Arctic Circle. Leanne asked all of the artists to challenge themselves and try something out of their normal comfort zone, an action that was fitting with the name of the show. 
For me, it had been such a long time since I had made much of anything, let alone paint, so much of what I made was new to me. Some of my work included painted signs, that I did on reclaimed wood. I had been inspired by many signs that I saw in Hawaiian gift shops (signs that were mass produced). I liked those signs, but wanted to make my own that were one of a kind and with favourite quotes. I also made picture/card holders out of birch wood and wire. These were fun to make and look so pretty with a post card or photo displayed in it.
A few of the other items that I made were recycled paper postcards, with my images and words put together. These images and words are meant to serve as mantras or simple meditations. Something to display and look at, that hopefully brings a bit of peace and pause to one's day. All in all, I am so happy that I was asked to participate in this wonderful show. It helped me to become motivated to make once again, and to spend my time doing something that is productive and meaningful to me.
I do have some left overs from this show and can also do custom orders for anyone interested.
xox 

handmade holidays 2014

A few pictures of this year's handmade gifts.

In past years, I would often make one type of gift and give it to many people, but this year, I was drawn back to my painting and did a few individual and unique paintings for just a small selection of family and friends. I painted a few mini canvases (of course, birds!) and made them into magnets.
I also felt drawn towards quotes and inspirational sayings/mantras. I painted a vintage looking sign that said, "Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound" for my sister Katie, but did not get a photo of it.
For my sister Sarah, I decided to paint a chalkboard looking "In our home" style painting. They are very outdoorsy and adventurous, so I tried to come up with some mantras that would fit their family lifestyle.The "You are my Sunshine" painting is gonna be kept for me. A gift from me to me.
For the kids, they got in on painting picture frames (that I picked up at a garage sale in the summer). We then put their school pictures in them and made them into magnets. These were sent  off to the Grandparents.
We also made many ornaments this year, some with Crayola airdry clay (Santa handprints) and some with fabric (drawings on fabric with fabric markers). I really like how the fabric ones turned out (I stuffed and sewed them up).
A few other treats were made up and given. We made cranberry orange loaves,, as well as spicy and sweet pecans- so easy and so tasty.
And that's it for my handmade edition of this year. I have to say, I am very inspired at this moment to keep on making and giving handmade gifts. One of my goals this year is to remain creative and to make creativity a weekly practice for me.

Merry Christmas friends.

xox

winter days: nesting, crafting, cozying up

We are well into winter here.
This past week, gave us cold temperatures of - 30. It was the type of weather, where we could not get out for our daily walks,so instead we stayed in, played, listened to Christmas music, read our Winter books, and tidied the house. When we did get out of the house, we made our way over to the Community Club via truck (it was way too cold to walk), and spent time there, visiting with friends, cooking lunch and crafting. I'm glad that we have the Club when the days are so darn cold. It gives us a place to go.
Right now I have crafting and Christmas on my mind. With us being so far from family, and not near any stores, we really have to think ahead and get our crafting done soon.
I've been making my list, planning out my baking, and am trying to get the kids to make a bunch of gifts to send to our far away family.
Our Christmas lights are up, and next week (hoping the weather isn't too cold), we will go out into the bush to cut down our very own little Yukon tree.
For some reason, time seems to be just speeding along for me. The month of December is full of activities, and deep down, I feel this sense of rush and loss of time. I just want to slow down and find quiet, deliberate moments in the month of December.
And speaking of deliberate, I haven't been to church in such a long time.  I do feel like it is a missing piece of the puzzle for me. Church gives me such a feeling of peace and calm. My church in Whitehorse was the first church I had ever truly felt comfortable and accepted at, and I miss it there, especially during this Advent season. But for now, I will just have to look for ways to feed that part of my mental/spiritual health.
I came across one of those pictures that gets shared around Facebook, but this one actually stuck with me. It was about Self Care, and how we truly need  to be our own advocates. Here it is in point form.

If it feels wrong, don't do it. Say exactly what you mean. Don't be a people pleaser. Trust your instincts. Never speak badly about yourself. Never give up one your dreams. Don't be afraid to say "no". Don't be afraid to say "yes". Be kind to yourself. Let go of what you can't control. Stay away from drama and negativity. LOVE. 

Something to try to do more of.
Happy winter days dear friends.
xox

two roads project :: comfort

comfort

Sarah (left): What brings me comfort? Warmth, familiarity, ritual. As the season turns and I begin to look ahead to a time of preparation, I return to some traditions of comfort. As I noticed the first inklings of cooler nights and crisp mornings, I have slowly begun welcoming warm comfort foods back into our meal rotation. This week, Abby suggested we use some of our tomatoes to make Johanna's famous tomato soup. I jumped at the chance to use some of our garden bounty, and we had a jar of homemade chicken broth in the fridge waiting for just such an occasion. Abby helped me pick some ripe tomatoes, and that evening I blanched, peeled and crushed them for the soup. I picked some basil from our plants, and spent a quiet evening listening to a podcast of CBC's Tapestry while I diced onion, crushed garlic and stirred simmering soup. The next day at lunch, we made some grilled cheese sandwiches, and poured everyone a bowl of soup. I think it was the first time the twins had ever been served soup, as the idea of the mess daunted me last winter! Rich enjoyed his in a stone chowder mug I picked up for him in Maine, because he likes best to sip his soup. Abby, of course, informed me she didn't care for tomatoes and didn't want any, but she relinquished eventually, tried some, and finished her bowl. Hmm.

Johanna (right): With Noah now in school for the afternoons, Katia and I get to spend some special time together, just the two of us. 
Yesterday we tried our hand at a delicious tomato basil bread recipe. 
The scent of the basil (fresh from the garden) as we chopped it up was so delicious. 
The feeling of kneading the dough was comforting and rhythmic. 
The warmth from the oven, the coziness of the kitchen. 
There is something so comforting about homemade bread. 
I used to think that bread was one of those impossibly difficult things to make.  But after a few lessons and a very good everyday whole wheat bread recipe thanks to Sarah, we now enjoy homemade bread every week.

The well-known poem by Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken ends, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

Two women, who became friends via the magic of the Internet, were both living life on roads less traveled by. Circumstance had them both live in Whitehorse for a short time, where they became best friends. Life's map has them currently in differing geographic locations, but their connection and camaraderie continue as they continue on paths of motherhood, friendship, creativity and discovery. The Two Roads Project is our effort to reconnect with each other and our inner artists on a weekly basis, each Friday. (Or thereabouts. We don't always know which day of the week it is).
Sarah writes here. 

time for self care

It is 10pm and as I look outside my window, the sun is slowly beginning it's decent. Slowly, very slowly, I am feeling that the summer is beginning to pull away from us.

In spots I have noticed leaves changing colours, and every year, I say - this is way too early. But by late August, we will have our first frost (if not sooner, it went down to about 4 degrees last night), and so, I'm not wrong in saying that Autumn is closer than we think. But for now I will hang onto summer. I will soak it in and try to enjoy our lazy days.

The thing is though, that our days have not been exactly lazy. I'm not sure what it is. Bored kids? A bored mama? But for me, the days have been a bit hard and long.

Without going into too much detail, I think I have decided that I am a bit lonely here.

I found so much comfort when living in Hamilton and Whitehorse, because I had a circle of mamas that I could go to for support and friendship. I had friends who were going through the same things as I, at the same time. And the best were the playdates. Those so called playdates, that were just as much for us mothers, as they were for the kids. Coffee, sitting around chatting, and the kids playing together. A nice break for everyone.

But here, it is different. Due to situational circumstances, I find myself alone a lot of the time during the dau. At the park alone. At the pool alone. At the community center alone. And always with 5-10 kids following me. And it's not that I don't enjoy spending time with the kids here, I do, it's just it can get quite lonely when I do it on my own so often. I miss my circle of mama friends. I miss the adult interaction. The kind that you get from a fellow mama.
Last weekend while in Whitehorse, I had the opportunity to escape my current situation, and go back to a life that I used to know. And it was so nice.
Leanne held a women's craft night at her house. We worked on wet felting, and I made a landscape, with mountains and fireweed.
It was a creative evening. Time to be with fellow mamas. No kids, no one to need me, no on to take care of but myself. And it felt good.
I've been giving this "me time" a lot of thought lately.
Living here in an isolated post, doesn't allow me to get much time away or for myself. But more and more, I am realizing that I need breaks, and that I deserve them too. I am a mother, teacher, entertainer, cook, cleaner, dog walker and caretaker almost 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week... and even thought we may live a fairly stress free life, I still need a break, or I feel there will be some burnout.

I'm still trying to find creative ways to take care of this need, but am making a conscious effort to do it in small ways, when ever I can. Phone calls to friends, crafting, lighting a nice smelling candle, taking a walk with Ryder alone, making a cup of herbal tea. Small but much needed steps towards a more balanced me. 

Hope you are carving out time for self care too.
xox