the after bag

I am calling this my "after bag"

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I made this after work,

after I took the babysitter home,

after I made supper,

after I cleaned up the kitchen,

after I tucked the kids into bed,

after I put out the garbage,

after I tidied up the family room,

after I started a load of laundry,

after I checked my emails

After all those things it was only ten o'clock and I wasn't quite ready to go to bed.

I was really only going to cut it out, but one thing lead to another and then I just couldn't stop. Today I am so glad I did! Even though I was bleary eyed this morning.

The actual pattern is called "Gilly Bag" and I got it free from the quilt store on Salt Spring Island when I purchased a package of fat quarters.

This is my second project finished from the project lineup

Graduation quilt

I am quite excited that this quilt is done!
I completely winged it on the pattern (ie. I didn`t have one). I have seen other people make similar quilts and really liked the simplicity of it, especially the way the white sets of the colours of the squares. The fabric for the top and binding is all scraps/stash and the all the white (1.4 m) was donated by a friend for $5. How can you go wrong with that.
As i was trying to get a picture, Jesse decided he would check out the quilt and get in the picture.

I absolutely love the way it turned out. I`m happy because I am usually a follow the pattern girl and surprised myself by `winging it`! You can only see four of the five rows in this picture but get a good idea of what it looks like.

Doesn`t it look comfy enough to cuddle up in. It isn`t quite a twin size, more like a large lap. I really like the size and weight, perfect for snuggling up in.

Since I was taking pictures Papaya thought she needed to get into the limelight too!

And here is our wonderful friend, violin teacher, babysitter that has been such a positive influence on my girls lives. At first we thought she was going away to school next year. Now though she is going to stay at home and work for a year. So we will still see her and possibly have her as a violin teacher for one last year!

This project is my first completed in the project lineup!

Aside: my question mark key isn`t giving me a question mark but this É, why would that beÉ

yes i am!

Yes, this was my birthday week! And yes, I turned 40! I remember my Mom being 40 and I thought she was old! I don't know what happened, but I don't feel old!

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Anyways, despite my protests that I just wanted it to be quiet, I landed up having three parties and three cakes. That definately doesn't happen every year, so heh, I guess you just need to embrace it and go with the flow. My husband was really wonderful about ensuring that he made a big deal about it. We won't tell anyone that 2 years ago he positively forgot about it altogether and even invited out of town friends over and guess who was the one who served them then!


Ahem! I digress!

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Thoughts about 40? Hmm they might be too many!


30 years ago I was in grade 5 and had a crush on Tommy! It was my first year in a new school called Neil Campbell. I never kissed him but wanted too. I kissed my first boy in grade 4 but didn't like him or the kiss. Just wanted to know what all the hype was about. The Bee Gees have several #1 hits in 1979.


25 years ago I was entering grade 10 at huge public high school. It was a huge shock with over 1200 students. I think those were survival years. Really, who goes through high school unaffected? It was 1984 and Michael Jackson was making waves.


20 years ago I was 20 and in a bible college in the middle of the prairies. I went for 4 years and received a Bachelor of Christian Education. Madonna and Sean Penn divorce in 1989.


15 years ago I was 25! I was engaged, finished college, working as a nanny and planning a wedding for March of '95.


10 years ago I was 30. My husband and I had moved 2700 kms 3 years previously. I was working at a small local airline. I did various jobs from reception to inventory to AP and AR. I was pregnant for most of 30th year with our first girl. It was 1999 and tons of people were worried about Y2K.


5 years ago! Wow that doesn't seem very long ago! I turn 35 and am 4 months pregnant with our youngest daughter. We move to a new house when I am 6 months. It was my husband's busy season and I single-handedly packed the entire house and garage. By the time I have unpacked the new house I have a baby girl! Lance Armstrong wins his 6th Tour de France.


4 years ago (2005) my oldest started kindergarden and the company my husband was working for closes it doors. We start our own business. I get a job doing payables and receivables.


3 years ago (2006) I have one child in grade one, one in preschool and a toddler. Life is busy! My parents come for Christmas and I am re-introduced to knitting.


2 years ago (2007) I start kickboxing and homeschooling. Really there is no coorelation! No more diapers or cribs. Someone falls through our cieling while shingling the roof (no joke his feet were hanging in the family room!)


Last year (2008) We travel to Hawaii for holidays, two nephews work for us in the same year, my brother and his daughter come for their very first visit! I start this blog!


2009 my brain is tired from remembering! I think that I want to live life less worrying about others and more being true to myself and who God made me to be. I want to enjoy the small moments of joy that children bring, the things that would be past over if they didn't make us stop and really see.

arriving soon

My niece is coming in only 19 days! Last year I took her and these sneakers all over the place on little adventures and I am looking forward to more!

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Also I have a little aside. Tonight I realized that when I make supper I need to clean the kitchen up first! Is that wierd? Does anyone else find it hard to cook in a messy kitchen?

little secret

I posted my little secret on my blog somewhere! The truth that I have been wanting to avoid for days, maybe even weeks!

Can you find it?

Are you shocked?

I would love it if you are, but please be truthful!

i don't want to be

"Mommy, I wouldn't want to be a barbie!"
"Why's that?"
"Because it wouldn't be fun to be stuffed in a box"

Can you guess which of my three girls said that?

i've lost my children

Today we set up a tent in our backyard! Everyone needed a change of pace as we have been in summer holiday mode for quite a while. The first part of the afternoon was great. There was a little rain but nothing much. For most of the afternoon they played very happily while they coloured and read.

Jesse, our dog, stayed close to the tent all afternoon but never went in!

All of a sudden the weather turned. Okay, I saw the storm coming over the mountains but I thought it was just rain! Our dog rain for cover and then things got a little ugly!

It was kind of like a good prairie storm with the wind whipping through and a good ole downpour! However, the downpour turned to hail in a blink of an eye. It got so loud outside I had to yell to see if the kids were okay.

They were! Boo-boo said "It was the funniest day ever!" So what do I know? Here I was a little worried they would be stressed because they were caught in the storm and they weren't at all!

Now all is peaceful again and I am left with little reminders of the storm that passed! Kind of like life is sometimes!

booga bag 2

Here is the second booga bag I have made. You can see my first one here, please pardon the blurry photo. I used the pattern from Blacksheepbags. The best thing is that it is free and very straight forward.

I really like the earthy tones of this bag. I used Noro Kureyon and Berroco Peruvia. They are both lovely yarns that are very easy to work with!

I made one small change to this bag and knit the bottom with two strands of wool. I thought it might be a little more sturdy that way! You know, hold the wallet, keys and other things we throw into our bags without stretching!

This was my second of two Pay it Forwards from back in January! The idea being that you make something handmade for a fellow blogger and/or friend and then they get to make something handmade for their fellow bloggers and/or friends. So you are keeping a "kindness or bit of love" moving forward to others.

Now I am all done! It was fun! I learned how to felt and tried a new pattern. Both good things!

This bag made its way over to Michele at Laundromat. Stop on over and check it out!

off the presses

Last night I finished the last seam of my quilt top that I was working on here
Today I got the backing and batting! Soon I hope to sandwich it all together and start quilting!
Here's a sneak peek. All the fabrics are scraps and the off white is from a friend.
I love re-using fabric! So fun to give it another purpose!

Naughty elves

This weekend Boo-boo is in a ballet recital at our local theatre

The recital showcases ballet, tap, jazz, modern and musical theatre

My daughter's group are naughty elves that splash paint around a painter's studio

The painter then tricks them by pouring glue into their paint tins,

and then their feet and hands get stuck

The audience was roaring with laughter tonight because two girls were wrestling over a paint tin! Apparently one of them had gone to the wrong mat and the other couldn't convince her to go back!

Luckily the tussle was over quickly and all ended well!

Hair and make-up done!

Looking at pictures of themselves!

Lining up to go on stage, Boo-boo is third from left

Foot stuck in glue! Oh no! Tomorrow it is all done! And this Mommy is glad!

fairy-sized watering can

My oldest, who is quite creative, made me a fairy-sized watering can. I think it is absolutely adorable and positively love it! I put the quarter beside it so you would have an idea of the size. As well, you can realize the detail she put into such a tiny can.

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It has found a happy home on my kitchen window sill.

Spring SOOC

We have had a lovely morning! Boo-boo had great fun blowing dandelions!
Have you ever seen anyone try with such puffed cheeks? She is positively turning red!

bugsy's observations

Today while we were out Bugsy asked "Mom, why are teenagers so wierd?"
I asked what she meant. She said "Well, why do they dress so funny and act wierd?"
I replied that I didn't really know but it seemed to happen to some teenagers. A moment later I asked "Are you going to do that when you become a teenager?"
Her reply "Most definately not! I am not going to dress or act like that!"
I smiled inside and thought 'I wish I could hold her to that proclamation!' Hopefully her hormones don't make her do or say things that she thinks are crazy now. If they do however, I can always remind her of her nine-year-old assessment! Couldn't they stay this age forever though?

project line-up

My daughter told me today that she couldn't vacuum my sewing room

because it was too crowded (she meant cluttered) and I am afraid that I am guilty as charged!

So, I went upstairs this evening for just a little bit to organize and claim some space back again. Here's some of the projects that are on the line up, in no specific order

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First, here is what is evolving from the pile of yellow and green fabrics I pulled a while back. With all our hot weather, I haven't touched the sewing machine much at all lately. I prefer to grab the sun when I can because it might not last long!

Second, I have some a nice little stash of fat quarters from Kaffe Fassett that I want to do something with but I am not entirely sure what! Any ideas? Purse? (Sorry for the blur)

Third, Busgy wants to turn this, which is actually a nine patch, into a pillow or something for the top of her dresser

Fourth, the girls want to sew skirts (fabric on top that they picked)

to match the t-shirts underneath!

Fifth, I have a few beautiful balls of sock yarn that I would like to make into socks. Thinking that is on the burner for Christmas

P.S. Note to self: This list can change or self-destruct at a moment's notice pending other project interest!

an afternoon at the beach

We decided to head out of town to the beach today
It was a great day, not too hot and definately not too cold
Nice to get away from home for awhile!
Just before heading home we played at the park for a while
I didn't get any pictures while we were swimming because I was just too busy relaxing!

true confessions again

Okay I may be almost 40! I didn't just say that out loud did I?
But I have found that some of my taste bud's may be changing.
See I have always been a tea kind of girl.
Sounds boring? Not at all...there is chai, iced, black, green, herbal!
Need I go on?
However, my husband is a coffee drinker. I have resisted his ways for many years. Many, many years actually! But I think I am slowly being swung over to the dark side! How sad is that?
It all started with frappucino's! Mmm, yummy! Coffee, milk, caramel and ice blended together? Then came mocha's, hot or cold, they are equally as delicious.
The real down hill slide came when he started making me lattes in the morning. How sweet is that? Well, I think he knew what he was doing!
Yesterday at a friend's house she asked if I had time to stay for a coffee, and I said sure as long as it was sweet and had room for milk. She made it in her french press and it was delicious!
Oh so sad! I was a perfectly happy tea drinker and now this...

Heard from the backseat

My Mom and Dad buy magazines for the girls. They all love getting them and reading them. Today two came in the mail. The first for Bugsy (Kids) and the second for Papaya (Club House). Boo-Boo got her Chirp magazine about two weeks ago.

After I went to the post office, I got in the van and passed the magazines back to the girls. A moment later I heard Boo-Boo mutter to no one in particular, "That's not fair, they get squirrels" (she doesn't know the difference), "and alligators"
"and all I get is Tweety Bird",

"Tweety Bird,"

Tweety Bird!"

what's keeping me up

I thought I would felt the booga bag I just finished tonight!

However, it is taking longer than I thought it would to felt.

You will have to wait for finished pictures for another day.

silly faces

what can i say? this is my life!