walker, decor-ranger

Washi tape manicure

2012-01-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

One thing that I like to do weekly is paint my nails. Setting that time aside allows me an hour every week where I can just relax and do nothing while I literally wait for paint to dry. Usually I just pick one colour and go for it - changing it up based on season or mood. Lately though I've been intrigued by all the fun manicures on Pinterest and then, inspired by Kyla's post on washi tape manicures, I thought I'd give it a try.

I'm going to warn you right now - I don't have the steadiest hand so yes, I have nail polish on my cuticles. And speaking of cuticles, yikes! Disgraceful I know - picking them is a bad habit that I need to break.

Last week I tried out a manicure that starts with a tan base-coat (in this case San Tan-Tonio by OPI) and then adds fun pastely neon tips {Pinterest inspiration found here}. I chose a variety of colours from several different brands (from left to right: Revlon, Joe Fresh, Essie, Wet N Wild and Sally Hansen).

This week I went with a two-toned look (with sparkles!) and I'm loving it. I used two colours by Joe Fresh - teal and hunter - and I'm surprised by the quality. Each bottle is only $4 and two coats gave me just as much coverage as some of the more expensive brands. The sparkle polish is from Nicole by OPI. {See the original inspiration on Pinterest.}

Even if you are an amateur manicurist (like me!) I urge you to try a washi tape manicure. Super easy, super fun, and best of all, M. loves it. She always strokes my nails and says, "I like your polish nails, Mommy!" Can it get better than that?

Have you given yourself a fun manicure?

Mushroom arugula pizza

2012-01-18T08:09:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was at home with M. (for a variety of reasons, not least of which it was -30 C without wind chill!) and needed something quick and relatively healthy for lunch. I'm a big fan of the white mushroom pizzas from places like Without Papers, Una, and Double Zero but I didn't want to make dough, don't have truffle oil, and oh yeah, I don't have a pizza oven in my kitchen. So, in the spirit of using what I have, here is what I came up with.

Mushroom Arugula Pizza

1 plain naan or thick pita shell
Olive Oil
Black truffle salt
Mushrooms, chopped
8 year aged cheddar
Arugula

Preheat oven to 350. Place naan on a cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil on your naan, brush all the way to the edges and sprinkle some black truffle salt on top. Put a couple slices of 8 year aged cheddar down and then sprinkle your chopped mushrooms on. Slide into the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. Broil for a couple minutes to get some colour on the cheese. Toss some arugula on the pizza and let sit for a couple minutes. Enjoy!

The aged cheddar is quite strong so if you aren't a fan of the flavour, use a milder cheese. However, because the pizza as a whole is pretty mild, the cheese really adds some kick.

What is your favourite homemade pizza?

Rullupylsa & Molasses Brown Bread

2012-01-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

Every Christmas for as long as I can remember, my Amma made two things that were essential to the Walker family Christmas - rullupylsa and molasses brown bread. Rullupylsa is an Icelandic cured meat dish that is traditionally made with lamb flank (we use beef flank and always have). It is seasoned and tenderized and then left to cure in the fridge for a week. You then boil it for several hours and store it in the fridge. It will last for weeks - if it doesn't get eaten first.

My Amma passed away in 2003 so the responsibility for making this traditional food went to my Dad. My sister learned to make it a couple of years ago but strangely, it took until this past Christmas for me to learn (and cross an item off my life list!). Aside from loving to eat rullupylsa, I'm really happy that I can now carry on this tradition and introduce my own family to the delights of rullupylsa.

At the beginning of December we went out to my Dad's for a lesson and marathon assembly session (I think we made 11 total). I took some pictures to show the basic process and will also include the recipes for anyone wanting to try their hand at making it.

Rullupylsa

2 lb. flank steak, beef or lamb
3Tbsp Morton's Tender Quick meat cure salt
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp black pepper
1 medium onion, chopped fine (almost pulverized)

Heavy thread
Heavy duty needle
Kitchen string
Plastic wrap
Tin foil

Lay the flank out flat. There is a thin membrane on one side of the flank - lay that side down so that when you roll the flank it is easier to sew closed. Mix the salt and spices and rub 3/4 of the mixture all over the flank. Spread chopped onion over 3/4 of the flank.

Roll the flank up starting from the end with onions - rolling will push the onions over the whole flank. Using the heavy thread and needle start sewing from the middle down to one end. Tie it off and return to the middle to sew the other side. Rub the remaining spices over the outside of the flank. Wrap your cylindrical flank tightly with kitchen string.

Wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 5 to 7 days, turning daily.

Boil for 4-6 hours, continually replenishing the water to keep the flank covered. Press with a pile of books or other heavy objects until cooled. Wrap with plastic and tin foil and freeze until needed.

Brown Bread

Makes 3 medium sized loaves

1 Tbsp yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water and 1 tsp sugar
6 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 to 2 Tbsp cooking oil
1/2 cup cooking or blackstrap molasses (NOT fancy)
3 cups warm water
4 to 5 cups white flour
4 to 5 cups whole wheat flour

Place the liquid in a large bowl with the sugar, salt, oil and molasses. Stir in 2 cups of flour and beat to form a smooth batter. Stir the yeast mixture well and stir into batter. Beat until mixture is very smooth and elastic. Work in remaining flour and knead until smooth and springy. Cover and let rise to double its size. Knead and let rise again. Shape into 3 medium sized loaves, dust tops with flour, cut slits in the tops and let rise. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Turn temperature down to 325 and bake for another 30 minutes, depending on size of loaves.

This is quite a dense bread with the nice molasses flavour. Cut off a slice, butter it and serve with a slice or rullupylsa on top. (We ate all the rullupylsa before I remembered to take a picture.)

Enjoy!

Is there something your family eats every Christmas?

Picking Paint

2012-01-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

We are at the point in our bedroom beautification process where I have convinced A. that painting the room would be a good idea and we've taped many swatches on the wall to try and narrow down a colour. I've been tracking down inspiration photos that use paint in my favourite colours and now I'm having a hard time narrowing it down.

Here are the front-runners.

Source: thesamplesstore.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Source: westelm.com via Courtney on Pinterest

This bedroom from West Elm is painted in Benjamin Moore's Marine Blue.

Source: passport2design.com via Courtney on Pinterest

This fun space uses Benjamin Moore's Newburg Green.

Source: creategirl.blogspot.com via Courtney on Pinterest

I'm diggin' the drama of Benjamin Moore's Old Navy.

Source: thisposhhouse.blogspot.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Source: viveredrayton.blogspot.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Another one that's captured my eye is Benjamin Moore's Twilight. Admittedly, I've only seen the Benjamin Moore colours online. I still need to go to our local store to pick up some paint chips.

Finally, we have two that have been living on our walls for a week and I'm liking them both.

Source: homedepot.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Observatory by Behr

Source: lowes.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Admiral Blue by Olympic

We will need to pare it down to two or three colours and then get test pots for the final comparison.

Which one is your favourite?

I'm loving... cozy grey bedrooms

2012-01-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

Our master bedroom is large. It's not huge but it's definitely bigger than we are used to and the empty corners tend to be black holes for crap. When we built the house we chose a buttery cream colour hoping that it would be a nice neutral but it's kind of turning our bedroom into a big blah box. We have a TON of natural light in the room (three southwest facing windows) which I think would lend itself well to having a darker colour on the walls. A while ago I did up an inspiration board and sent it off to A. He liked it but doesn't want to spend money on new furniture since we just bought ours when we moved back to Calgary in 2008. I'm hating the matchy-matchyness of the set but in the spirit of using what we have, I think I've come up with a plan.

Here is the inspiration board I came up with awhile ago. Forgive the shoddy quality - I created this using Microsoft Word. Ha!

Source: flickr.com via Courtney on Pinterest

I am obsessed with the Colette bed from Crate & Barrel but since that's not in the cards I am going to swap our bed with the LEIRVIK bed we currently have downstairs in the guest room. (The bed in the photo is actually a more affordable version of the Colette called the Beaconsfield from Sears.) While it was living in the guest room I had plans of painting the frame yellow but against a dark grey wall, I think the white frame will look quite nice. Perhaps something similar to this blue room seen on Design*Sponge.

I wanted to keep the big pieces pretty neutral and bring colour in in the form of seating and accessories. I think two slipper chairs would be perfect under our large south-facing window and in my corner of the room, a fun coat rack would be a great place to hang clothes we intend to wear again.

I have plans to make three map art pieces inspired by a photo seen on Pinterest and I'd like to hack the Ikea RAST 3-drawer chest so that we can split up our current matching side tables.

Source: everythingfab.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Source: aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.com via Courtney on Pinterest

We are going to keep our big dresser but I would like a fun new (king sized! We tend to fight over the covers) duvet cover like this Lucia duvet cover from Crate & Barrel. A gift card I received for Christmas will go a long way in off-setting this cost. (Thanks Elaine!)

Maybe one day we can bring in a small writing desk to place under the window and change out the lamps, but for now I think this is a pretty good start to making our bedroom feel like a sanctuary. Here are a few rooms that are fueling the inspiration.

Source: srgambrel.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Source: day-lab.blogspot.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Have you painted any rooms in your house lately? Yearning for a change?

Healthy, wealthy, and wise

2012-01-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year all! I hope you had an excellent Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus and that 2012 brings great things.

I try not to do resolutions per se (not a fan of the word), BUT I do have a few goals for the new year. Well, it's really just one time worn phrase but I think it fits well with the way I envision 2012 - to be healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Healthy

Emotionally, mentally, and physically. This means better foods (unprocessed as much as possible) and continuing with the two activities I really enjoy - swimming and Ukrainian dancing. I'm planning on growing a vegetable garden for the first time ever and can't wait to see what it will yield. I need to take care of me so that I can take care of my family.

This means being content with my lot in life (more on that in the "Wise" portion) and showering the important people in my life with happiness and love.

Wealthy

A. and I do have savings and retirement plans in place but we could be doing better. One of our priorities is to travel and we plan to save more to make that happen. We also need to stick to a budget and spend waaay less on food. Going to the grocery store every day for meal specific ingredients is not a way to save money. With any luck, our vegetable garden will be a big help on this front in the summer.

Wise

While I may not be going back to school any time soon, I intend to read about and research topics that interest me. I took an International Relations course when I lived in Vancouver and really liked it. Have I done any reading on the subject since then? Not really.

I need to realize my limitations and focus on what I excel at. There are so many incredible and inspiring people doing amazing things that it's difficult not to compare my achievements with theirs. The thing is, those are THEIR achievements and I'm sure there are things I've accomplished that many people haven't (eg. working in Afghanistan!). Am I a good cook? I like to think so. DIY? Maybe not so much. I will continue to try new things (lord knows I have enough projects on Pinterest) but I'm going to try really hard not to beat myself up if I don't get something perfect.

A. and I both have cases of "the grass is greener" and I plan on concentrating on and being happy with what we have RIGHT NOW. We miss Vancouver, want to live in Ontario, our house is too big, our yard is a mud pit. Maybe I can be happy with living in Calgary (close the the majority of both of our families) and the fact that we have a beautiful new home. It may not be magazine worthy but it is ours and it works for our family.

There was a great post on Apartment Therapy about Pinterest fatigue and loving the space you are in and I completely agree. It helps that we are finally starting to personalize the space (after a year!) by hanging art and it was great to get back to our own home after our Christmas holiday. It was a nice feeling, walking in the door and realizing how much I love our home. Absence does make the heart grow fonder.

Do you have any goals for 2012?

2011 Elf Yourself

2011-12-22T13:43:00.000-07:00

Merry Christmas from our house to yours!!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

2011 Gift Tag Round-Up

2011-12-16T10:44:00.000-07:00

Okay folks, only one week left until the jolly old elf slides down your chimney bearing toys and Christmas joy. That means you only have 8 days to get everything wrapped and under the tree. My favourite part of wrapping gifts is the tag and with so many awesome (and free!) options being offered, there is no need to spend your money on the sticky labels from a big box store.

Here are some of my favourites that I came across in my searches. Any of these can be printed on card stock or full sheet labels and cut out.

Chevron Tags from Marry This

Bookmark gift tag by A House Full of Moxie
{download at Simply Modern Mom}

Blush Printables can always be counted on to have beautiful gift tags.

These traditionally coloured tags are this year's offering.

These round tags using the Skunkling font are also from Blush Printables.

These modern gold and purple tags are another Blush Printables design.

{download at The Sweetest Occasion}

Modern red and green tags from domestifluff.

Feminine gift tags by Hello!Lucky.
{download at How About Orange}

These tags from Jones Design Company are available
in five different colourways.

Finally, if you are making any gifts or doing any canning, Frugal Living has various canning labels available for download. I particularly like these traditional ones.

Are there any labels you've come across that I missed?

Merry Christmas and happy wrapping!

Making an Advent calendar

2011-12-05T08:30:00.002-07:00

Growing up we never had Advent calendars. I don't think it was for any particular reason, they just weren't a part of our Christmas tradition. When A. and I started living together we bought the cheap $3 calendars from Wal-Mart with the waxy chocolates that we stopped eating after day six. As M. gets older and understands more about Christmas I wanted to make something that would be meaningful and that would allow us to track which activities we did over the years. I pinned several different inspiration photos to Pinterest but the one that ultimately stole my heart was this library cards & pockets Advent calendar from Not on the High Street.

Source: notonthehighstreet.com via Courtney on Pinterest

I used this picture as an inspiration for my own project. I used materials that were readily accessible and purchased what I needed (sturdy scrapbooking paper, vinyl stick-on numbers, and mini clothespins) from Michael's. My book pockets have an adhesive back so I cut the scrapbook paper to size and attached the pockets to the paper.

True to my library nerd nature I looked up the Library of Congress call number for Advent calendars (GT 4988.5 if you care) and created a Cutter number (signifies the author) for our last name. My brilliant co-worker (a crafting whiz in her own right) suggested the phrase "On the {number} day of Advent" as the title proper (fancy cataloging term) for each card.

I mapped out our activities on a calendar beforehand (some items had to be placed on weekends) and then wrote them out on the borrower line of the book card. This way we are easily able to see what we did year after year since each year will have its own line on the card.

I strung everything up on a heavy twine and each day we pick out the card as a family. I'm really loving it so far and hope it can turn into an annual tradition!

When I was trying to come up with 24 different activities I searched around and found some great lists like this one from Jordan Ferney and this one from Kim McCrary. I took a few ideas from them and came up some more that suited our family and arrived at the following list. Borrow at will!

Hang the wreath
Pick out a book for the Birth & Babies exchange
Make a tree topper
Decorate the tree
Hang stockings
Make a popcorn garland
Pick an item from the World Vision catalog
Listen to Christmas music
Pancakes for dinner
Go tobogganing
Make cookies
Make a Christmas craft
Hot chocolate in front of the fire
Drive around the neighbourhood to look at lights
Make snow angels
Hang yearly ornament (Tradition #1: M. gets a new ornament every year. She will then have a starter collection for when she has her own home.)
Go skating
Visit Santa
Pick a Christmas treat
Watch Mickey's Christmas Carol
Snowball fight
Unwrap a new book to read tonight
Christmas PJs (Tradition #2: New pajamas every year at Christmas)
Read "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (Tradition #3: We read from the same copy A. had as a child)

Do you have an Advent calendar every year? Have you ever made one?

2012 calendar round-up

2011-11-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! Your December is full of Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, and family dinners and friends are already sending you invitations for January. Time to find somewhere to collect all of these dates. Enter the 2012 calendar.

Last year I featured a calendar a day but I decided to do things a little different this year. I explored pages and pages of results on Etsy and pinned my favourites to my "calendars" board on Pinterest.

Calendars pin board

The focus this year is on poster calendars; that is, the year at a glance all on one page. There are some really great options out there and these are just a few that caught my eye. To see all 39 calendars, click through to Pinterest.

Source: etsy.com via Courtney on Pinterest

{Such a unique idea - I love it!}

Source: etsy.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Source: riflepaperco.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Courtney on Pinterest

I hope you find something that you will love for the whole year!

Are there any that I'm missing? Have you found a calendar that knocks your socks off?

Things I Learned in the US

2011-11-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a week in Palm Springs opening up my grandparents’ trailer (which came with its own set of issues) and these are some things I learned in the Unites States.

Montana doesn’t have sales tax. Woohoo to guilt-free shopping at Target! Check out the Missoni for Target items I picked up on CLEARANCE!! The Target in Great Falls doesn’t carry Dwell Studio though so my mission wasn’t a complete success.

The ketchup tastes different. Can’t pinpoint it - more sugar or vinegar? - but it was a definite difference.
Traveling with a two-year-old is not my cup of tea. This past week has been an exercise in patience for everyone (and patience is not something toddler’s excel at). It was nice to get away but man, I am exhausted! M. is a generally charming child and I had people tell me she did quite well (travel is hard on adults too!) but that aside she missed naps, was off her schedule, didn’t have her toys and was cranky. I think future trips - until she stops taking afternoon naps and learns better listening skills - will be road trips. There are lots of places within driving distance that we love to visit (Vancouver! Winnipeg!) so we are good with that. Also, we need a vacation sans kid. It would be nice to not have someone demanding my iPod every 5 minutes and wanting to watch Dora the Explorer. It would be nice to be able to go out in the evening to a show or a nice restaurant where we don’t have to worry about our child throwing a temper tantrum. It would be nice to sit peacefully on an airplane without being hit or scratched by a whiny toddler and embarrassed because we have one of *those* kids. Don’t get me wrong, I love my daughter to pieces and want to show her the world but I think those explorations can wait until she’s a little older.
When you ask an American how far something is you’ll get an answer in miles not minutes.
Looking for guaranteed free wifi? Find your nearest Starbucks. The same can be said for Canada but Starbucks was a life-saver this week when I was waiting for an email and the RV park didn’t have internet. One of us would drive in to Desert Hot Springs every morning to pick up coffee (for A. ) and tea (for me) and update our emails.
It gets dark in the desert FAST! Daylight savings really messed with us this trip because it was dark (pitch black) by 5pm. The desert is also very quite and peaceful. We took a couple walks outside the gates of the RV park and A. is now convinced that he would like to retire in Palm Springs. He was also fascinated by the wind farms.

Date shakes are delicious! We went out to Shields Date Garden and I was able to cross an item off of my life list.

Being able to buy wine in a grocery store rocks. I always knew grocery stores sold liquor but when you like some wine with dinner it’s really nice not to have to go to a separate store.
I would definitely stay at the Ayres Hotel Manhattan Beach again. It’s right off the freeway but not at all noisy, is in a good location to access the sites, the rooms are big and nicely decorated (traditional European? French?), and the service was impeccable.

The Cheesecake Factory is way fancier than The Cheesecake Cafe here in Calgary, had valet parking, and hosted a wedding reception! These things may only apply to the Redondo Beach location but that's the only one I've been to.

All in all, it was nice to get away but this is definitely a case of needing a vacation from our vacation. :)

Have you had a vacation end up being not quite what you expected?

Pinterest Challenge : Autumn edition

2011-11-02T10:51:00.002-06:00

A lot of the projects that I've worked on around the house lately have been inspired by Pinterest, but the things I had planned to do this past weekend coincided perfectly with the second Pinterest Challenge that was hosted by Sherry, Katie, Ana, and Erin. Check out their projects - they are pretty awesome!

Since it was Halloween on Monday it was the perfect chance to try out some of the pumpkin designs I had pinned. My sister and I took M. to the Calgary Corn Maze over Thanksgiving and we picked out four lovely pumpkins. A. was in charge of two of them (M. coloured on one and then we carved a design) and I took the other two. The designs that peaked my interest the most were the pumpkin village {original source: Disney Family Fun} and the drilled holes {original source: Martha Stewart}. A. make a happy face using some cut out parts and we carved a monogram on M's coloured pumpkin.

I think they turned out pretty great although I should have stuck with one chevron row and used a bigger drill bit so more light got through. As it was, I had to leave the lid off on the little one so enough oxygen got in for the candle to burn.

The pumpkins were the main project I had planned for this challenge, but as luck would have it, we completed two others as well.

With winter fast approaching and snow in the forecast, we really needed to get some raised garden beds built so that I could plant my garlic, winter onions, and chives. I had pinned many different raised bed ideas (like this, this, and this) but the design A. decided he liked the best was this cedar raised bed {original source: Sunset}.

I wanted two beds so we went with 6' x 4' so that it was easy to cut on a 12' board. Now, cedar isn't cheap so we could have done this project for less money if we had gone with pressure treated wood, but cedar is naturally rot resistant and we didn't want to run the risk of any of the chemicals from pressure treated boards leaching into our soil. Plus, cedar is beautiful and smells amazing!

A. built two 6' x 4' boxes in the garage in about an hour. It took another hour to dig trenches in our rock hard ground to settle the beds in to and about another hour to fill them with black garden soil. (I ordered a Big Yellow Bag from Eagle Lake Turf here in Calgary.) We did the digging and filling after M. went to bed. Now we are the weird neighbours who garden in the dark! All told we spent about $300 for the two beds - the cedar and supplies were about $150 and the bag of soil was $150 delivered. Seems expensive but the amount of money we will save on produce during the summer (fingers crossed) will pay off the beds in no time.

Last, but not least, I made these cranberry granola balls {original source: Sweet Potato Chronicles} for a Birth & Babies Halloween gathering we hosted on Sunday.

They were really easy to make and taste delicious! Sunflower seed butter is great if there are any nut allergies in the group and has a nice flavour but you could substitute any nut butter you want.

Did you complete a project recently that was inspired by Pinterest?

Rainbows!!

2011-10-14T08:36:00.000-06:00

When I was a kid, my Mom made the best birthday cakes. I have strong memories of a Hickory Dickory Dock cake in particular and I want to be able to create these kinds memories for M. So, like any good Pinterest addict and parent, I have taken note of the trends that are big in kids birthday parties this year. The one that I thought would be fun for M's second birthday (and the easiest to run with) was rainbows! Specifically, I really wanted to make a rainbow cake. I was looking forward to seeing the looks of surprise on everyone's faces when I cut into it and who doesn't love bright colours on a summer's day?!

First, came the invitations. I loved these fun striped invitations by Chickabug on Etsy so I ordered the printable PDF file and easily printed them on my own. Unfortunately, the Canada Post strike foiled my plans of mailing all of them but luckily, since it was a PDF, I was able to email copies. Crisis averted!

Next, I decided that I wanted to start a new birthday tradition with a fabric "Happy Birthday" banner. Since the theme was rainbows this year I tried to find one that would work and would also be gender neutral (fun for the whole family!). This rainbow owls celebration pennant from stichinginsocks fit the bill perfectly.

I decided on an easy menu of BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, spinach salad and fruit skewers. These rainbow fruit skewers that I saw on Pinterest were a big hit!

| Original source: Quick Dish |

Finally, the star of the show (aside from the birthday girl, of course), was the cake. I looked at several different recipes but since I didn't want to buy additional types of flour that wouldn't get a lot of use, I decided on this beautiful cake by Kitchen Corners.

It was easy to make - I did three layers instead of six; two colours per layer - and most importantly, it tasted amazing! I think we only had a small sliver left at the end of the day which I call a success. Here is my finished cake complete with a cake-topper inspired by this one I saw on Pinterest. I simply created some diamonds in Word (no fancy Photoshop for this girl), cut them out and glued them onto a piece of shipping string.

What are some of your best birthday memories?

DIY play kitchen

2011-10-13T10:14:00.001-06:00

M. turned two in July and I decided that I really wanted to build a play kitchen for her. I had seen all sorts of great examples on the web and settled on this kitchen that I saw on Pinterest.

| Seen on Pinterest |

| Original source: Bits Of Becky |

Like a lot of DIY play kitchens out there, this one uses the RAST nightstand from IKEA as the base. So, off to Ikea I went to purchase two nightstands and various other bits and bobs like a towel rack, handles and knobs. I picked up a cheap faucet and mixing bowl at Wal-Mart and purchased all of the hinges, fasteners and wood from Rona. I ended up stealing one of my Mom's smaller mixing bowls when I discovered that the one I purchased was too big around. (Don't worry, I gave her my new one!)

My step-dad was a huge help in the building process seeing as how the last time I used power tools was in grade 8 industrial ed. when I built a birdhouse. Bits of Becky provides great instructions including all of the cut dimensions so it was fairly straight forward. It took us about 5 solid hours of work and then another couple of hours by my step-dad to finish things off (apparently the oven door was a bit of a pain) and re-sand all of the edges. I should have started this project way before M's birthday but I'm a bit of a procrastinator. We did have it finished and ready to go for her birthday party though so I met my self-imposed deadline.

There are still a couple of things I need to do like add legs to the fridge (at least), sew a curtain for under the sink and possibly paint the whole thing. I might even add a backsplash with some of our left-over glass tile.

All in all, it was a success and I hope it stands the test of time so that one day our grandchildren can play with it.

Here it is loaded with all of the play food and the Green Toys kitchen set that she received as gifts.

Have you DIYed any birthday gifts recently?

Library : work in progress

2011-06-27T22:49:00.001-06:00

About a month ago I saw the bookshelf below on Pinterest and fell in love.

We needed to buy new bookshelves for our basement library anyway so I decided that four Billy shelves from Ikea would do the trick and that I would paint the backs yellow. We stopped by our brand new, friendly neighbourhood Lowe's and purchased a test pot of Olympic No VOC paint in their Bumblebee colour. I sanded all of the backs (the two smaller ones were a chip board type material but the two larger ones where paper so they took more paint) and crouched on my hands and knees this past Sunday and got painting. They turned out really well and only took one $5 test pot of paint!

We finished putting together the bookshelves tonight and lined them all up and I am so happy with how they turned out. I can't wait to FINALLY unpack all of our books and knick knacks! It's going to be such a bright, happy space.

Sunday pancakes

2011-06-26T11:33:00.000-06:00

Growing up, pancakes on Sunday mornings were something of a tradition. Every Sunday morning I would get up with my dad and help make pancakes. Plain, banana, berry or cheese - we liked them all! When my Dad moved to Yellowknife ahead of us to find a house and start his job I took over the pancake making role at the ripe old age of ten. There was a period of time in my teens when I went off pancakes. I'd simply had too many of them and was sick of pancakes. Now that I have my own family, pancakes are making a comeback as a Sunday tradition. And, without fail, my husband requests cheese pancakes. Cheese pancakes may sound weird, but I promise you, they are the perfect blend of sweet and savoury.

The recipe that I have been faithfully following for the past 20+ years comes from my Mom's old Five Roses cookbook. It produces a flavourful and, most importantly, fluffy pancake.

Click to see the larger image.

Some pancake cooking tips:

make sure your baking powder is fresh. You should hear a fizzing sound when you mix the wet ingredients into the dry. If you don't, your baking powder is too old and the pancakes won't be light and fluffy.
I reduce the sugar by 1 tablespoon. I don't like overly sweet pancakes. Plus, if you add fruit that will make up for the missing sugar.
Flip the pancakes when bubbles stop forming on the surface and when the edges are starting to solidify and look cooked. After 20 years I can also tell they are ready to flip by smell. They smell like cooked pancakes. :)
Without a doubt, I have had best results using my electric frying pan. I get consistent heat and know what the product will end up like every. single. time. I set mine to 350 F and always get perfect pancakes.
To make cheese pancakes I add a good handful of grated old cheddar - about 1 cup.

Bubbles have stopped forming and the edges are looking cooked. Ready to flip!

Deeeelicious!

My favourite part of being designated pancake cook? Chef's choice! I always reserve the last bit of batter to make a pancake of my choosing. Today I made several mini pancakes.

Enjoy!!

Does your family have a Sunday breakfast tradition?

Rawr! I'm a turtle!

2011-06-16T12:10:00.000-06:00

I have been woefully inactive here in recent months. I said at the new year that I wasn't going to try so hard to "be a blogger" and then just kind of gave up. I have thought about what to post and have certainly been inspired by people on t'internet but it always seemed like a lot of effort to come over here and write something. I certainly haven't been totally absent from the social media world. I've been Tweeting and Pinning to my heart's content. In lieu of a long post, here are some of my favourite things I've come across on Pinterest recently.

| The feeling of flight |

| Play kitchen |

I really want to make something similar for M's birthday but I'm having trouble finding a suitable night stand.

| Always remember... |

| Chevron shirt |

I can't find this on Old Navy Canada sadly.

| Rawr! I'm a turtle! |

| Camping? In a yurt? In France? Yes, please! |

Hopefully summer will arrive in the Canadian prairies soon and we can go do some camping close to home. :)

Have you come across anything wonderful lately?

Rumour has it

2011-03-25T08:45:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday! It's the 5th day of spring and I'm still holding out hope that it will arrive in the Prairies one day soon.

We are obsessed with Adele right now and this is my favourite song from her album "21." Enjoy!

Dining room dreaming

2011-01-31T14:12:00.001-07:00

If I could I'd have a giant dining room table like this beauty from Crate & Barrel

| Pacifica 87" dining table |

and a Wegner Wishbone chair in every colour!

| Image from Jamie Meares |

What a happy dining room that would be!

Ode to Pinterest

2011-01-27T12:16:00.001-07:00

If you are an avid blog-reading, internet-surfing, Twittering ~~fool~~ ~~nerd~~ person you probably come across several items of interest a day that you want to save for future reference. Recipes, products, photos, book reviews, design tips - I love them all! If you are at all like me you probably have a massive list of starred items in your RSS reader, a links folder in your email, photos saved on your hard drive or a Google document with a list of your most coveted items. Half the time you forget what you've actually saved or you know you bookmarked something, you just have no idea where. You've probably wished that you could gather all of these items in one place that not only lists a link to the item but a picture! and a price! and any other information you care to add! Oh, what joy that would bring! Luckily for you, such a place exists and it's called Pinterest.

I've heard Pinterest mentioned on several of the blogs I read and recently, thanks to a kind invitation, I've been able to try it for myself. And let me tell you, I'm in love! Pinterest has made "pinning" items for the future so much easier! All I had to do was add a little bookmarklet to my toolbar in Firefox and any time I come across something I like (as long as there is an image to pin) I can add it to one of my Pinterest boards. Neat and organized with everything categorized and in plain view.

Here are a few of the items I've pinned recently.

Source: spiritbeautylounge.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Source: jonathanadler.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Source: locallemons.com via Courtney on Pinterest

Source: notcot.org via Courtney on Pinterest

Follow me on Pinterest!

The Gruffalo

2011-01-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Nominations for the 2011 Academy Awards were announced this morning (see the full list here) and there was one nomination in the Best Short Film (Animated) category that caught my eye - The Gruffalo!

M. received this book from our good friend Emma when she was born and it has since become a favourite of our whole family. Everything about this book is wonderful - the rhyming, the illustration, the story - and the follow-up, The Gruffalo's Child, is just as delightful.

You can view the trailer on YouTube and hopefully I'll be able to track down a copy on DVD.

Vancouver dreaming

2011-01-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

A's cousin called last night asking for Vancouver hotel and restaurant recommendations - he and his wife are going to be there for 3 days while the wife interviews for her medical residency. As I was writing the email, recalling all of our favourite places, it was brought back to me just how much I love that city. It was the first place I truly forged out on my own and built a life for myself. It was the first place that A. & I lived together and it was the first place A. & I left together. I doubt we will ever live there again, real estate prices being what they are, but we will return again and again to visit. How could you not love a city this beautiful?

| eric flexyourhead |

| tilo driessen |
The Lion's Den Cafe - our favourite local breakfast spot.

| ~ tanguero ~ |

| kennymatic |

| ecstaticist |

| ben west |

Happy New Year

2011-01-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 2011 everyone. I hope you had a fantastic holiday season and spent time with all of the people that are important to you. Our Christmas was great if a little overwhelming. We hosted for the first time ever so not only did we have to feed 10 people for two days but M. was in sensory overload from all the attention and stuck to my side the whole time which made cooking interesting. However, dinner turned out amazingly well and everyone was satiated and happy. We decided not to go with turkey this year and so cooked prime rib with yorkshire pudding, Brussels sprouts with maple buttered pecans (a big hit!), scalloped sweet potatoes, and pan-fried carrots & parsnips.

New Year's Eve was a fairly laid-back affair spent at home with good friends, wine and cheese. Is there a better combination?

I decided not to make any resolutions this year because 9 times out of 10 I end up not keeping them but I do have several goals I'd like to work towards.

1. This really needs to be the year that I get my health in hand. A. and I are signing up for the Calgary Herald Health Club at Home Challenge and I am restarting my Ukrainian dance class next week. I've also started going to a Zumba class at work and I'd like to do the Couch to 5k podcast again and finish it this time. If we ever decide to have a second child I'd like to be at a lower weight when I get pregnant and I also don't want M. to EVER feel ashamed to have overweight parents.

2. I taught myself how to do some basic crocheting over the Christmas break and I'd like to improve on that. I'd really like to crochet a ripple afghan for our family to cuddle under.

3. I'm not going to try so hard on this here blog. There are soooo many talented bloggers out there that I read and admire and I was kind of hoping to join their ranks but I've realized just how much commitment that takes. For now, I'm just going to post when something peaks my interest or I have something to say and hope that someone out there reads it.

That's it. Did you make any resolutions or set any goals for yourself?

Wowza

2011-01-07T08:51:00.000-07:00

This turquoise chandelier is STUNNING! What a statement piece for a large dining room.

Images from Tobi Fairley Interior Design.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas...

2010-12-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

Christmas mantles

2010-12-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

So here's the thing. I LOVE Christmas. I love the festive spirit, I love gathering with family, I love watching the faces of my loved ones as they open gifts, I love holiday TV specials and I love decorated mantles. My mantle? Not decorated (aside from stockings). *sigh* In order to get my fix, I went searching Flickr. Here are some of the pretty pictures I found.

| boxwoodcottage |

| megrje |

| boopsie.daisy |

| PollyPainting |

| bancroft&ivy |

Is your mantle decorated? Post a link to a picture!

Merry Christmas!!

Joy, peace and love

2010-12-15T13:28:00.003-07:00

If you read any of the more popular personal blogs out there you'll know that there are a ton of inspiring people out there doing amazing things. Today I am beyond inspired by the generosity and spirit of Jenny aka The Bloggess. Today on her blog she offered up $30 Amazon gift cards to the first 20 commenters who were in need. She also put the call out to other bloggers feeling fortunate this holiday season to help in any way they can.

I've had a pretty good year. Sure, we have financial worries like anyone but my husband and I are lucky enough to own a home and have a healthy family. I donate to charities I care about and take canned goods to the food bank but there is honestly nothing I love more than making someone happy.

So here's what I'm going to do. Leave me a comment telling me how a $25 gift card from Chapters (limited to Canadians) could make a difference to your family this holiday season and I'll use random.org tomorrow evening to pick a winner. If you feel that you don't need the gift card but know someone who does, nominate them instead! Or, if you win and you'd rather have the money go to charity, let me know who you'd like the $25 to benefit and I'll donate it in your name. I really wish I could offer more than one gift card but we all do what we can. The only thing I'm hoping to gain from this is making someone smile and to make their Christmas a little brighter.

And if you are feeling particularly inspired this Christmas, spread the joy!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Emma! I've made a $25 donation to the Winnipeg Christmas Cheer Board in her name.

Friday finds ...family...

2010-12-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

For me, there is no better gift than a lovely piece of art. Yes, art is highly personal and subjective, so this is a gift best given to someone very close to you. Whether you are looking for a unique take on a family tree for your sister, or a print to show your mother, aunt or partner how much they mean to you, or just want to find something for your favourite cousin who loves hedgehogs (and really, who doesn't?) there are many options on Etsy that symbolize

...family...

| cozyblue |

| Ashley G |

| Tush Tush |

| Matte Stephens |

| living with art |

Printable gift tags

2010-12-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

So you've picked out the perfect gift for everyone on your list, you have the wrapping paper and ribbon but you are stuck on the gift tag. You'd really rather not use the cheesy Christmas gift tags found in department stores and don't have the time to make your own. Why not download some awesome gift tags from your favourite artists for free?! You'd be amazed at the great options out there. Some come out with a new set every year but some of my favourites are several years old and standing the test of time.

Just choose your favourite and print on either card stock (punch a hole and attach with ribbon) or a whole page label and cut them out.

West Elm has four different patterns available including this cute animal suite.

Their gift tags can be downloaded here.

These whimsical gift tags from A Fanciful Twist are available to download as a PDF here.

Crafty Carnival has baking labels and gift tags available. You can find the PDF for the gift tags here.

Camilla Engman offered gift tags in 2006 & 2007 and again this year.
The 2010 gift tags can be found here.

Bucklette is another place that you can find gift tags in various patterns. See them all here.

These cute tags from The Black Apple can be found here.

I love these bird tags from Creature Comforts. The PDF can be found here.

Then, of course, there are these colourful tags from Martha Stewart. The PDF can be found here.

These graphic tags from Paper Crave come in three different colourways. The PDF for the red and teal tags shown above can be found here.

These festive tags from Delight.com can be found here.

Last, but certainly not least, come these adorable tags from one of my personal favourites, Ashley G. She has two different sets available and the PDF for the set shown above can be found here.

Happy wrapping!

Calendar : My Owl Barn

2010-12-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, one last calendar. :)

If you are an owl lover and are looking for a small calendar to hang on your office wall or keep in your purse, this is exactly what you are looking for.

Not only is it FREE! to download, there are 30 different images to pick from so you can customize your calendar with your favourites.

Shivani, who is the author of My Owl Barn, wanted to create a custom calendar for owl lover's and put out the call to some of her favourite artists. These are just a few of my favourites.

Download your own Owl Lover 2011 Calendar at My Owl Barn.

Calendar month wrap-up

2010-12-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

I missed finishing off the month yesterday because of a variety of factors, so here is a round-up of some of the calendars I didn't get a chance to feature. Happy shopping!

| behappynow |

| Michelle Brusegaard |

| Sycamore Street Press |

| Wolfie and the Sneak |

| Nella Designs |

| Freya Art & Design |

| English Muffin Shop |

| Pistachio Press |

| Flora Douville |

| Creative Thursday |

Friday finds ...Black Friday...

2010-11-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

There are a ton of Etsy stores that are having sales so I've rounded up a few of my favourites for

...Black Friday...

| Perry Finalia | All items are 10% off and she is offering free shipping.

| vol25 | Offering 40% off with code SAVE40

| Dimmalimm | Items already discounted 17-20% and get free shipping.

| Oh Dier | 15% off all purchases with code ohdierthanks

| Little Bow Teek | Get 10% off with coupon code BlackFriday2010

Calendar : JHill Design

2010-11-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

Because, with this crazy winter cold snap, I'd rather be anywhere but here.

Available for purchase (in desk and wall size) from JHill Design.

Calendar : Capilano University

2010-11-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

When I lived in Vancouver I always purchased the new calendar put out by Capilano University's IDEA (Illustration/Design; Elements & Applications) program every year. I loved the paintings and the Vancouver imagry and I liked supporting talented student artists. Funny thing is, I had completely forgotten about the Reflections Vancouver calendars until Emma reminded me of them. So with that reminder how could I not include it in my calendar month?

Available for purchase from Reflections Vancouver.

Friday finds ...comfy, cozy...

2010-11-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a cold week here in Calgary. It's difficult going from relatively nice fall weather to a deep-freeze overnight and still having to get up and go to work, when all you want to do is hunker down at home. With the weekend here (yay!) I think that is exactly what I will be doing - staying

...comfy, cozy...

| 1. |

| 2. |

| 3. |

| 4. |

| 5. |

Calendar : Michelle Smith

2010-11-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

Because, with the winter weather this week, all I've wanted to do is curl up at home with my family.

Available for purchase (in several different colours) from Michelle Smith.

Spotlight on: Elle Design

2010-11-18T09:39:00.000-07:00

Today I am shining the spotlight on another extremely talented interior designer from Calgary. LeAnne Bunnell is the principle designer at Elle Design and says she has been designing since she was a little girl! I'll let LeAnne tell you about herself in her own words.

"My design training has been mostly self taught and in hands on work through many personal renovations and work for friends. I did take the certificate program at MRC (when it was MRC back in the day) before I launched my business, but I have been ‘designing’ for years. I recently ran across drawings for my bedroom that I designed from the IKEA catalogue when I was 10. I even had a spec sheet and all the details for the installation worked out in the plan. I have apparently been into project management for a looong time!

My particular style when I complete projects for clients? Hmmm. I always try to use my clients as my muse (of course), but I would say I have a clean and classic filter through which my client’s personality shines through.

I love working with fabrics, and merging finishes in kitchen and bath projects, although I am hesitant to say it is a specialty.

The best thing about what I do is that is a completely different job every day, from hour to hour, and from client to client. And I have the best clients. Eventually, through the progression of a project, I think of them all as friends."

I find it so exciting to see all of this fantastic talent in my city. I personally think that LeAnne has an incredible future ahead of her!

All photos courtesy of LeAnne Bunnell.

Calendar : 1canoe2

2010-11-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

M. and I went away for the weekend and I forgot to schedule posts so there goes NaBloPoMo. Oh well, we had a great time in Winnipeg visiting with Emma and her family and meeting blog friend Kyla for the first time (who, by the way, is totally lovely).

I have some great stuff planned for this week - photos from the antique market at The Forks and a spotlight on Calgary interior designer LeAnne Bunnell - so check back throughout the week.

Today's calendar is in honour of my visit to Winnipeg, friends old and new, and my own Prairie history. Happy Monday!

Available for purchase from 1canoe2.

Real estate stalking : Eagle Ridge

2010-11-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

Even though I've lived in Calgary since the early 90s (minus 5 years in Vancouver and 6 months in Afghanistan), I sometimes forget that little enclaves like Eagle Ridge exist. Eagle Ridge is easy to miss. The only access is a little side road near the Rockyview General Hospital and the houses are on the far side of expensive. Luxurious and opulent are two words that could easily describe Eagle Ridge. That being said, it's always nice to dream and looking at a house like the one below on a sunny day, you could easily believe you were in Beverly Hills.

So, do you have $4,875,000 to spend? Then this 6000 sq. ft. stunner is for you.

Check out the crown light fixture!

I just wish that the realtor had uploaded higher res images. They are quite blurry in the large size.

Calendar : Green Island Studios

2010-11-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

Another dreamy photo calendar today.

Available for purchase from Green Island Studios.

Calendar : life through the lens photography

2010-11-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

Today's calendar features more lovely photography. I particularly love September's stack of books. Go figure. :)

Available for purchase from life through the lens photography.

Calendar : Renaissance Studios

2010-11-07T14:38:00.001-07:00

The images in this calendar are so sweet (it's like the adult version of those little kids kissing calendars) and the proceeds go to a great cause!

Available for purchase from Renaissance Studios.

Calendar : Chelsea Victoria Photography

2010-11-06T22:34:00.000-06:00

Love the dreamy quality of this one. Perfect for drifting away during the work day.

Available for purchase from Chelsea Victoria Photography.

Calendar : Cicada Studio

2010-11-05T10:12:00.002-06:00

Today's calendar is a little different from the traditional options but I absolutely adore it. So pretty!

Available for purchase from Cicada Studio.

Calendar : Claudia Pearson

2010-11-04T10:01:00.000-06:00

This Buy Local calendar by Claudia Pearson features a different fruit or vegetable illustration every month and gives you a handy guide as to what is in season during that particular month. (Obviously our growing season is a little different than Brooklyn's.) Perfect in the kitchen!

Calendar : Camilla Engman

2010-11-03T10:26:00.000-06:00

Today's calendar pick comes from one of my favourite artists, Camilla Engman. I love her style, I love her colours, I love pretty much everything about her illustrations.

Available for purchase from GATE38.

Calendar month

2010-11-02T15:00:00.000-06:00

I've decided to take part in National Blog Posting Month again this year (NaBloPoMo for those in the know) and, while I don't generally have something to say everyday, I figured that a theme would be easy enough to stick to. So this November (minus yesterday - but at least I posted something!) will be dedicated to 2011 calendars. I LOVE calendars and would probably have one in every room of the house if A. let me so this will be my fix for the year. Hopefully you will find something to fill that empty space in your house.

First up is Jonathan Adler's 2011 wall calendar. Each month is a shot of happy colour with one of his signature illustrations.

Found at Paper Source.

Gifted magazine

2010-11-01T14:16:00.000-06:00

Looking for inspiration for a holiday project or just the right gift? ('It's never too early to start' is my motto!) Check out Gifted Magazine published by Creature Comforts Blog. It's a lovely little slice of Christmas heaven.

I particularly like the project ideas, like the one for fabric twist ties seen below, and their gift guides are spot on. You should be able to find something for everyone on your list!

Seen on Poppytalk.

Friday finds ...masks...

2010-10-29T11:19:00.000-06:00

I'm not a big costume person and I usually just end up wearing some sort of mask. Sometimes they are creepy, sometimes strange and sometimes cute. Here are some picks for your own Halloween

...masks...

| 1. |

| 2. |

| 3. |

| 4. | I wore one of these two years ago and really creeped people out.

| 5. |

Spotlight on: Linda Trenholm Design

2010-10-28T08:41:00.000-06:00

Next up in my Calgary designer spotlight is Linda Trenholm Design.

Linda Trenholm, a graduate of Mount Royal's Interior Design Program (can I just say that the MR program seems to be giving Calgary some serious design talent?!), has been creating inspired spaces for clients for the past 10 years. While she calls her own style "contemporary with an Asian feel, very organic" she's designed spaces covering a wide range of styles and enjoys traditional design with a contemporary twist.

Love, love, love the blue in the above two images!

All images courtesy of Linda Trenholm Design.

Local designers donate services to non-profits

2010-10-27T10:59:00.000-06:00

I picked up the October issue of Avenue Calgary yesterday and came across an article about some local companies and designers that donated their time in order to renovate three local non-profit spaces.

The renovated "spa room" at Hospice Calgary made a huge impact on the comfort of residents.

The three organizations that were highlighted are Hospice Calgary, Aspen, and Highbanks Society. One of the designers that donated her time was Jacqueline Corea who I recently featured here.

What a fantastic cause and use of local talent!

Read the whole article in the October issue of Avenue or on their website.

Spotlight on: Corea Sotropa

2010-10-25T10:37:00.000-06:00

If I had a touch more talent, education and drive there are two careers that have long peaked my interest, the first being chef and the second being interior designer. I am truly in awe of those that can look at the bones of a room and instantly have a vision and the means to execute it. On that note, I decided to spotlight four Calgary interior designers/firms.

Up first is Corea Sotropa Interior Design. Lead by principal designer's Jacqueline Corea and Reena Sotropa, both graduates of Mount Royal's Interior Design program, they take on projects as large as full home renovations and as small as furniture placement. Judging by their portfolio, these are two incredibly talented ladies!

All images courtesy of Corea Sotropa Interior Design.

Friday finds ...rosy...

2010-10-22T13:37:00.000-06:00

I chopped my hair off recently (and am thinking about going even shorter) so I've been looking for cute hair clips and headbands and have fallen in love with fabric and paper rosettes. Here are some Etsy picks to make your Friday a little more

...rosy...

| 1. |

| 2. |

| 3. |

| 4. |

| 5. |

Drowning in bedding

2010-10-20T10:20:00.000-06:00

Now that we have two guest bedrooms to furnish and dress I have been on the hunt for bedding. There are some amazing options out there and, of course, most of what I like is way out of my price range and will remain firmly on my wish list. If you, however, are willing to shell out more for a duvet cover than I am, here are some lovely choices.

I will forever be in love with this Draper stripe in ash set from DwellStudio.

Persian bedding collection from John Robshaw Textiles. Hand printed in India!

This flower blossom duvet cover by Orla Kiely is another favourite.

This Kew Green duvet set is just one beautiful offering from Blissliving Home.

Friday finds ...go, go kitchen gadgets...

2010-10-15T19:05:00.000-06:00

I recently discovered the wonderful invention known as the French butter keeper or butter bell. How did I not know this existed before? We keep a small amount of butter in a dish in the pantry but even at room temperature, it's not soft enough to spread easily. I think the butter bell will solve all of my hard butter woes. Here are some other gadgets that I find indispensable in the kitchen.

...go, go kitchen gadgets...

| 1. |

| 2. | I love that these vintage Pyrex mixing bowls have a little pouring spout. Makes life much easier!

| 3. | This Kuhn Rikon serrated tomato knife is AWESOME. I found mine at Winner's in hot pink and I use it everyday. Their non-stick paring knives are also fantastic.

| 4. | I make a lot of soups and my immersion blender is my best friend. There are others with more attachments but this little guy will do exactly what you need it to do.

| 5. | A good fine grater (Microplane or generic) will make you wonder why you ever tried using a box grater for citrus zest and ginger.

Dexter posters

2010-10-09T19:48:00.000-06:00

So a case of bronchitis knocked me on my ass this week which forced me to skip Friday Finds this week.

Anyway, I've been seeing mentions of these Dexter inspired posters everywhere (@makingitlovely and @younghouselove specifically) and I LOVE them. We are obsessed with Dexter and I think they perfectly capture each season. I think Season 4 is my favourite.

Check the rest out at Mattson Creative.

E-Magazine round-up

2010-10-07T11:26:00.000-06:00

The number of quality e-magazines out there is getting larger everyday. Here are a few that I have been enjoying.

Covet Garden (Canadian!!)

Kate Spade : Twirl

2010-10-05T10:37:00.001-06:00

Loving these items from Kate Spade. The outfit was inspired by the new Twirl perfume.

Galleria Bette dress (Love the colour, the bow, the silhouette!)

Chariot shoe (I'm a sucker for cute animal print shoes.)

Twirl Margie bag (Sparkle! Perfect for a night out.)

Friday finds ... foxy...

2010-10-02T10:23:00.004-06:00

A sick little girl at home yesterday means that Friday finds are Saturday finds this week. Oh well, such is life.

This week's theme is

...foxes...

They seem to be everywhere lately - maybe even usurping owls??

| 1. |

| 2. |
| 3. |

| 4. |

| 5. |

Bev Hisey

2010-09-28T08:52:00.003-06:00

I first saw Bev Hisey's work on an episode of Pure Design on HGTV and I fell in love with her colourful felt cushions.

All of her products are hand-made with great attention to detail. The "In The Woods" series of carpets are particularly stunning. Bev is based in Toronto.

All images from bevhisey.com

Real estate stalking

2010-09-27T10:31:00.003-06:00

Even though we are getting settled into our dream home, I will always appreciate a nice house and I routinely search realtor.ca to see what is available in the city. Here are a couple that stood out to me.

This unique home is an art lovers dream. With neutral walls, open spaces and picture ledges to display your art, this house is truly a showpiece.

I never expected the interior of this home to look like it does. What a surprise!

Friday finds ...sunshine...

2010-09-24T20:17:00.003-06:00

The sun has reappeared in my fair city and to celebrate, this week's theme is

...sunshine...

| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. |

Friday finds ...chevrons...

2010-09-17T10:57:00.006-06:00

Fall is in the air (although I swear Calgary seems to have gone straight to winter) which has me thinking about change. Right now, for me, this means trying to be a better blogger which means coming up with more content for this here space. I think I tend to get caught up in the idea that I need to write paragraph after paragraph (which terrifies me) when really, an image of something that inspires me would be just as good.

So, on that note, I am jumping on the Friday Finds bandwagon with the idea that at least I will have one consistent thing to post. The theme for this week is

... chevrons ...

| 1. | 2. | 3. | 4. | 5. | 6. | 7. |

How can you tell I'm really into blue and green right now? :)

PS. This is new for me so if you have any suggestions please let me know.

Lonny decorates

2010-09-16T09:26:00.004-06:00

Lonny Magazine (one of my favourite e-mags) recently revamped their website and one of the new features is their decorate pages. You can search for inspiration by room and there are some stunning photos included in the galleries.

I'm loving...

2010-09-15T10:31:00.009-06:00

Lately I've been a little obsessed with crochet. I need a new hobby that I can learn at home and will still allow me to watch and play with M. and I'm thinking crocheting fits the bill. I'm not going to get too ambitious, maybe just a few granny squares to begin with, but all of the beautiful examples I've found on Flickr are making me drool.

Sources: (clockwise from top left) Lauri Springer, HandMaid Liset, MiA Inspiration, Umzavi

Anthology : print is not dead

2010-09-14T21:27:00.004-06:00

In this day and age when more magazines are folding than starting (farewell Paste) there is a bright spot on the horizon in the form of Anthology.

Anthology is a quarterly shelter and lifestyle magazine focused on decor, travel, design, entertaining and culture. I can't wait to see the first issue!

Check out their cute stop motion video.

Print Is Not Dead from Anthology Magazine on Vimeo.

Canisters

2010-09-03T11:17:00.007-06:00

As our possession date draws closer I am starting to think about how to accessorize the new kitchen.

Here is a picture of the cabinet colour, countertops and our beloved glass backsplash.

I already have a teal blue wire fruit bowl and I have always dreamed of finding a vintage set of teal canisters but I don't know if that will be too much blue. Here is a set I found on Etsy.

From The Vintage Cabin

Another option is going with green or clear glass canisters like these from Sydg's shop:

Or these from Atty's Vintage:

I'm sure there are other options that I'm not even thinking about. Thoughts?

I'm loving...

2010-07-29T10:59:00.006-06:00

These Hibiscus Stay On Coasters from Dimmalimm. I think these will make great Christmas gifts. (Yes, I'm already thinking about Christmas.)

The Serena drum chandelier from Oly. When we were picking out lighting for the new house I fell in love with this chandelier. I thought it would just the right amount of sparkle and romance to the dining nook. Too bad it was waaaaay outside my price range. Damn, good lighting is expensive! I also love this Round Old Silver iron pendant. It was more affordable at $500 but I couldn't find anyone that supplied it to the lighting store we were working with.

When we get into our new house I hope to do an art wall featuring all of the places A. and I have traveled and this DC Love print by Art Shark Designs would be the perfect addition.

I'm in the middle of reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and it has been transforming. I've been thinking more about what we feed our family and have been especially wary of conventionally grown produce. With this in mind, we purchased a half-share with Oxyoke Farms. I don't think I've eaten so many salads in my life but, it has been fantastic and I would gladly eat garden lettuce all year if I could!

Birthday girl

2010-07-13T14:57:00.004-06:00

I can't believe an entire year has passed since my darling baby M. was born. It has been an incredible ride, being a Mom. I truly never knew that I would enjoy motherhood as much as I do. She delights me every day, makes me laugh, makes me cry, makes me marvel at the miracle that is human life. It still seems surreal that such a perfect little person was created simply from a couple of cells. That DNA from A. and I combined to form a special little girl just for us.

She changes and blossoms each and every day and I feel so lucky to have spent this last year with her. There have certainly been frustrating moments and sleepless nights but in the grand scheme of things, they don't seem to matter much. I daydream about what she will be like when she's older - about all of the possibilities and opportunities that will be available to her. I want to work my hardest to give her the best possible life and tell her everyday just how much we love her. I will tell her to be unique, to be herself, to show respect and love, and to use her creativity in the way that she most enjoys. I hope that she enjoys music and books, art and film, sport and science but above all, I hope that she's happy.

Road trippin'

2010-06-29T15:49:00.005-06:00

Our road-trip out to Vancouver Island was fantastic! M. was the perfect little traveler and while we did way too much driving, we managed to catch up with good friends and do pretty much everything we wanted. Here are some pictures.

Walking around in Lake Louise.

I've always loved this little house and I finally managed to take a picture of it.

This is the view from The Living Forest Campground - where we stayed in Nanaimo.

Stopped for dinner in Qualicum Beach.

Went to Organic Fair in Cobble Hill where we bought some amazing chocolate bars and ate homemade organic ice cream outside in the sun.

When we left the Island we spent a few days in Vancouver with the Golbeck family and then headed to the Okanagan. We stayed at Banbury Greens campground on the shores of Skaha Lake and this was the view from the door of our tent.

We were very impressed by Nk'Mip Cellars. Our favourite wine that we tasted!

The evenings were glorious!

Mission Hill was stunning!

We had lunch at Mission Hill (their restaurant has been rated one of the top 6 winery restaurants in the world!) and were suitably blown away by the food. YUM!

We had a great first family vacation!

And we bought a lot of wine(and cider)!

Vintage Printable

2010-06-08T15:46:00.004-06:00

I discovered this site through an office makeover featured on Young House Love.

Vintage Printable is a collection of vintage illustrations that are in the public domain and free for download and printing. What a fantastic place to go for free artwork! Definitely a resource I will be making use of when decorating the guest room in our new house.

They Might Be Giants

2010-06-08T15:11:00.005-06:00

Now this is kids music I can get behind. I'm hoping to pick up their album "Here Comes Science" for our road-trip. Maybe I can turn M. onto science AND good music! All in good time.

It's like coming home

2010-06-03T12:39:00.003-06:00

While living in Vancouver, A. and I discovered the most wonderful (and tasty!) invention thanks to my sister. Canned Thai curries! B. found them while house-sitting for me and when I returned from working overseas she promised me they were delicious. At first I turned my nose up because my sister is not known for her cooking skills and will generally just find something quick and easy (love you B.!) but when I tried it, I was in love!

Aroy-D makes several different varieties of canned, ready-to-eat curry but our favourite is the green curry. (It's especially tasty with pineapple, cilantro and pistachios, served on basmati rice - a rip-off of the green curry at Earl's.) We usually add an extra can of bamboo shoots because really, who doesn't love extra bamboo shoots?

Unfortunately, when we moved to Calgary we discovered that Aroy-D curry was one of the items we couldn't find here, despite Calgary being a culturally-diverse city. However, the Thai curry gods smiled on us when A. spied the familiar cans on the shelf at our newly converted Wal-Mart Supercentre. Now we don't have to bring a case of the stuff back with us from Vancouver! I don't think we've ever been happier to see a specific food item.

I'm loving...

2010-05-23T11:11:00.006-06:00

The simple, classic styling of the Marshmallow Fluff jars.

Also, Fluff and cream cheese makes an AWESOME fruit dip!

This roasted cherry tomato tart.

I changed it a bit by spreading goat cheese on the crust before I added the tomatoes and I forgot to add the basil the first time. When we reheated the rest I added fresh basil and some cooked turkey bacon. YUM!

My little container garden. I've already snipped some chives for baked potatoes and I can't wait to make the tomato tart again when I've grown my own cherry tomatoes.

And last, but certainly not least, my darling baby girl. She really does light up my life!!

Thai Chicken Pizza

2010-05-18T10:08:00.013-06:00

So, in order to generate more content, I decided to take pictures and post the recipe for one of A's favourite dinners. As you will see, I need to practice taking pictures for recipes, but here is what I have. :)

Thai Chicken Pizza

This is adapted from a pizza served in a Vancouver restaurant. Emma and Laurel first introduced me to it and I have since adopted it as my own.

What you need:
- Chicken, diced (My rule of thumb is approx. 1/2 breast per person. 2 breasts is enough for 4 pita bread rounds. If I'm making a big pizza, I'll try to use three breasts. We like a lot of chicken. I usually use fresh chicken breasts but I was lazy this time and used the pre-cooked chicken. I really like the Grillhouse strips.)
- Peanut sauce (I use Asian Family Satay Peanut Sauce, it's nice and spicy.)
- Peanut butter (Optional. A. likes it mixed with the peanut sauce for the base.)
- Mozzarella (Fresh is best.)
- Bell pepper (Whichever colour you like.)
- Bean sprouts
- Cilantro
- Pizza crust (I like the recipe for basic pizza crust from The Pioneer Woman.) or whole wheat pita shells
- Sheet pan aka cookie sheet
- Olive oil
- Kosher or sea salt
- Sriracha (Optional. This is a HOT chili sauce. Use sparingly! Unless you want to sear off all of your taste buds.)

What to do:
1. Preheat over to 375 degrees F.
2. Make your crust ahead of time or use a store bought crust. We also use whole wheat pita bread for individual pizzas.
3. Cook your chicken and toss with some of the peanut sauce.

4. Drizzle some olive oil onto your sheet pan and spread around. Roll or stretch out your dough and put on pan. Lightly sprinkle some salt on the dough.
5. Slather your peanut sauce/peanut butter concoction on the dough as your base.

6. Put your mozza on top of the sauce base.

7. Toss on your bell pepper, bean sprouts and cooked chicken. Finally top off with your chopped cilantro.
8. Put in your preheated oven and bake for 15-17 minutes until the crust is golden brown.

9. Drizzle on the Sriracha and enjoy! Have a cold drink handy.

Two years later...

2010-04-12T12:27:00.009-06:00

Wow! I can't believe it has been two years since my last post! A lot of big events have happened since April 2008 and I've come back many times wanting to write about them but haven't been able to find the right words. Perhaps that is a sign that I should shut this thing down for good but, for now, I will update in point form.

The move to Calgary went well aside from the crazy ice storm we drove through.
A. and I got married on August 30, 2008 in my Mom and Step-Dad's backyard and it was awesome. Unfortunately, it rained but it held off long enough for us to have the ceremony in the yard.

After the wedding we took a minimoon to Kimberley, BC and then a 7-day Western Caribbean cruise. Both were fantastic and on the cruise we fell in love with Isla Roatan, Honduras. Hopefully we can go back one day.

In November 2008 we bought a two bedroom condo in SE Calgary. We were very excited to finally have a guest room but about one week later we found out that the guest room would actually be a nursery because I was pregnant!
Our precious baby girl M. was born on July 13th, 2009 and has been filling our lives with joy and delight since then! I am reallllly not looking forward to the day I have to return to work.

That brings us up to date. You'd think we'd be perfectly happy with life as it is but, if you know us, you know that's never the case. :)

After living in our condo with an infant for nine months we decided that our place is way too small for our growing family so we've decided to build! We are staying in the same community because we like the amenities and we have friends here so it won't be a hard move. It has been an incredibly fun process so far - I've always wanted to design and decorate my own home - and we get excited every time there is a change to our lot. We should be moving in October.

As for this summer, it should be a little less hectic than the last two. We are planning on taking a two week road-trip, M.'s first, out to BC to visit friends and taste wine. I can't wait!

The times, they are a-changin'

2008-04-11T15:27:00.003-06:00

I apologize for letting the posting fall off but things around here have been insanely busy. There are many new, exciting and scary things going on right now and most of them are occurring simultaneously.

#1. I resigned from my position at CILS. As much as A. and I love Vancouver and as loathe as we are to leave our friends, we had been thinking for quite a while about leaving the city and moving closer to family. A.'s family is in Kingston and we investigated the job market around Toronto but weren't able to get any interest so we turned to Calgary. 5 years ago when I left I swore that I would never return but 5 years is a long time and people tend to change. Needless to say, I'm not the same person now that I was at 23 and being so isolated from family was starting to take it's toll.

I sent out a few resumes, had a few interviews and ultimately accepted a library technician position at the National Energy Board. I start in my new job on April 21st so A. and I, along with the help of my mom and step-dad, are packing up and driving over the mountains on the 17th.

#2. Leaving Vancouver also means that we are in the midst of selling our condo. At various points in the past two years we had discussed selling and getting a bigger place but always decided that we liked our current home too much. However, with the move and seeing as we didn't want to be landlords, we didn't have much choice but to sell. I must say that signing my name to that contract was harder than I ever thought it would be. I bought that place on my own at the age of 23 and it was the first place that A. and I lived together. A lot of memories are wrapped up in 527 sq. ft. and it will be hard to leave it behind.

#3. I am also finishing up the International Relations course that I have been taking at Langara and am dealing with all the stress that course work brings. Writing my term paper was an exercise in itself and I still have a final exam to study for.

#4. As you saw in the previous post, A. and I got engaged on March 26. We were driving back to Vancouver from Calgary and because we had left Revelstoke so early in the morning we hit the Fraser Valley at about 1:30pm. It was a gorgeous day and we had been driving for so long that we wanted to stop somewhere and go for a walk to stretch our legs. I saw the sign for Harrison Hot Springs and suggested it because I had never been but always wanted to. I told A. that we would head in that direction and if it was too far we would turn around and come back. (Turns out he had been looking for a nice place to stop all day.) We parked near the lake and took a short walk on the path to see the source of the hot springs. On the way back I had stopped to take some pictures of a lovely moss covered stream and when I turned around A. was on one knee in the mud with the ring box open. I had thought that I was prepared and ready for the proposal but I was still completely blown away. I nodded yes, we both started crying and the rest is history.

And that brings us to the planning for the wedding...

I said yes...

2008-03-26T19:46:00.000-06:00

Dream house

2008-03-04T13:30:00.003-07:00

I recently started reading Nicole Balch's Making it Lovely blog and I have fallen in love with her house. (A complete set of photos can be seen via her Flickr account.

Everything about it is perfect, from the colours to the flooring to the furniture, and how I would love my future home to look like.

Best Star Wars synopsis ever!

2008-03-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

I think my ovaries just exploded.

Pure poetry

2008-02-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

And now for something completely different. Snail love...

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T10:49:00.002-07:00

Map My Run

2008-02-07T19:08:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of moving more I walked home from work today. I wanted to see how long my route is so I signed up for mapmyrun.com and added the first walk to my training log. Woohoo! I like interactive tools so maybe this will help me to get off my butt more often. I even got in a little window shopping on Main.

Walk home from work
Find more Walks in Vancouver, British Columbia

WW Part II

2008-02-06T13:45:00.001-07:00

When I was in the hospital and then recovering from surgery in July I missed 4 weeks of Weight Watchers which meant that I had to rejoin. I figured I had been doing it for 3 months and doing well so why couldn't I do it at home on my own? Turns out that's not the case. Doing it on my own I not only didn't lose any additional weight but I gained back a few of the pounds I lost so I decided I needed to go back. This past Saturday was my first weigh-in.

I've discovered that the key to my weight loss is accountability. I need to step on the scale in front of a stranger and have them either congratulate me or ask what I did differently this week. I need to have a reason, besides myself apparently, to want to watch what I eat throughout the week. I need the shame factor. I've also added a weight ticker to the right side of the blog so that's an additional incentive for me. Now everyone can track my progress along with me.

Throughout this journey to become lean, svelte and sexy (as Emma and I used to say) I have found that the most difficult thing for me is the exercise. Strange since I was incredibly active in my younger years. There were few things I got more enjoyment out of than sports but unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case any longer. You would be amazed at the long list of excuses I can come up with for not exercising. I'm too tired, I don't feel well, I have a headache, my feet hurt, there is something I want to watch on TV, it's too late, etc, etc. I've looked into activities that I think I would enjoy such as kick boxing but they are sooo expensive. I've tried dropping in at the Y next to the college but I'm just not a gym person. I downloaded the Couch to 5k podcasts but frankly, I just don't like distance running. I've thought about joining a women's rec soccer team but it's been so long since I played I'd be embarrassed. And on it goes.

Some people I know are insanely fit and active. (You know who you are.) Where do they find the motivation? Any tips and tricks? This seems to be the major hurdle in me losing the kind of weight I would like to.

I'm loving...

2008-02-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

In other music news, the Juno nominations are out and one of my favourite artists, Serena Ryder, is nominated for New Artist of the Year.

Please, just go away...

2008-02-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

Higher by Heidi Montag

I think my ears are bleeding and I am definitely stupider for having watched that.

First books of '08

2008-01-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

#1: The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith continues the tradition of entertainment that was started with The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I enjoyed this one just as much as the first three and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

#2: Wild Fire by Nelson DeMille. I gave Andrew this book for Christmas and we started reading it at the same time so we traded it back and forth while I read another book. This newest one from DeMille focuses on a plot by a group of rich civilians and high ranking US government employees to launch a (fictional?) mutually assured destruction-type counterattack called "Wild Fire." An entertaining read.

#3. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. A Christmas gift from Andrew. This story revolves around the interconnecting lives of Miriam and Laila and their stories are told in heartbreaking detail. The books takes us through the traumatic events of Afghanistan's recent history and how it impacts the main characters. Although reading this book was a different experience that reading The Kite Runner (which I read in my tent in Kabul), I think I enjoyed this story more. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

#4. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman is book no. 2 in the His Dark Materials series. I found this book more suspenseful and not as confusing as The Golden Compass and I enjoyed it more. Anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter would probably like these books.

*****

I have started an Intro to International Relations course at the college so I am also reading a large number of political and economic articles and am getting more and more articulate in my debates with A. It's nice being able to hold my own for once. :)

I'm gonna be a supermodel...

2008-01-29T09:42:00.001-07:00

From magmypic.com

PS. Thing #1028 I love about Vancouver - snow days!

2007 LTAIG Salary Survey results

2008-01-25T09:43:00.000-07:00

At long last the results of the 2007 LTAIG Salary Survey are available on our website!

We'd like to thank everyone who took time to complete our survey - without your help it would be difficult to get an accurate picture of the current employment situation for library support staff in British Columbia.

If you have any questions or comments on the survey please contact the LTAIG committee at ltaig@bcla.bc.ca

I'm loving...

2008-01-15T13:38:00.001-07:00

Here's a round-up of things I'm currently coveting.

Sunburst mirror from The Cross Design

Chocolate jug by Bodum from peekkeep.com

Campfire Tealight from The Curiosity Shoppe

Po-Zu slippers available at Lark on Main

Porcelain dishes from Mud Australia

4-pack of prints by Camilla Engman

Knitware Vase by Alyssa Ettinger

We bought a ticket on the Millionaire Home Lottery and I am completely in love with the Grand Prize home. The 4300 sq. ft. home is in White Rock, was designed by Sarah Richardson and is spectacular!

Dining room

Office

Master bedroom

Bacon...

2008-01-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

food of the Gods! One question though - fat back, what the heck is that?

Seen on Dooce.

Who let Celine out?

2008-01-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

As someone who has never been a big fan of Celine Dion I thought this post at fourfour and the included video was hilarious! Who knew she was so delightfully strange?

Year in Review

2007-12-31T17:49:00.000-07:00

What did I accomplish this year? Let's take a look back.

Took a lot of day trips: Belcarra, Leavenworth, Whistler, Seattle, Buntzen Lake, Steveston, Victoria
Went to Washington, DC
Joined Weight Watchers and lost 20lbs
Had gallbladder surgery
Went camping & wine tasting on the Island and went camping at Alice Lake
Discovered Facebook and reconnected with old friends
Bought a car
Participated in my first AIDS walk
Attended the weddings of Rob & Jen and Brody & Nichole (and unfortunately missed two weddings because of surgery)
Posted every day in the month of November
Became obsessed with Etsy and more interested in home design
Attended the International Friendly between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the LA Galaxy in which David Beckham played
Celebrated my 2nd anniversary with A.
Read 30 books
Had great fun with good friends

Here's to more of the same in 2008! Have a happy and safe new year!

Read in 2007

2007-12-31T17:38:00.000-07:00

30. Tears of the Giraffe
29. The Golden Compass
28. The Great Gatsby
27. Runaway
26. Atonement
25. Secrets from the Vinyl Cafe
24. In Cold Blood
23. A Long Way Gone
22. The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette
21. Night
20. First Among Sequels
19. Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures
18. Mr. Maybe
17. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
16. Bookends
15. Summer Sisters
14. She's Come Undone
13. Shopaholic Takes Manhattan
12. Confessions of a Shopaholic
11. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
9. The Coffee Trader
8. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
7. A Spot of Bother
6. Wonder Boys
5. The Lovely Bones
4. Monster: the Autobiography of an LA Gang Member
3. The Accidental
2. Danny: The Champion of the World
1. A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali

Final books

2007-12-31T17:15:00.000-07:00

Here are the final two books of 2007. I did better this year than last so maybe the trend will continue in 2008.

Book 29 was The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. We sent to see the movie with some friends before I read the book but unfortunately, the theatre was really hot and I fell asleep so I can't tell you what I thought of it. The book though was quite interesting and I got into it in the same way as I got into the Harry Potter books. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

And finally, book 30 was Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith. This is the second book in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and was just as good as books 1 & 3 which I had already read. I really want to go to Botswana to discover the country so lovingly described in the books and I also look forward to seeing the movie based on the first book.

I'm loving...

2007-12-31T17:04:00.000-07:00

Vancouver designer Martha Sturdy and her line of fantastic resin home accessories. Perhaps I will try and save for a bowl.

2007-12-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

As well as a newly discovered interest in mid-century modern furniture I've recently become fascinated with owls.

This cast iron owl paperweight from The Curiosity Shoppe would make a great addition to a clean desk or sideboard.

I also really like this owl giclee print from boygirlparty.com

And there are 281 pages of "owl" results on Etsy.

I'm loving

2007-12-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

I've become addicted to browsing through Etsy and have found quite a few items that would make good gifts or that I would love to own myself.

Here are just a few of the items:

JOY tiny text bowl by paloma's nest

Dude bunny by spidercamp

Owl with pear print by Pistachio Press

Small pool earrings by esdesigns

Other items from around the web:

Out of Circulation - One by Jillian Ditner at Keep Calm

Baby elephant ring holder from Red Envelope. Unfortunately, on backorder until February.

Diana+ camera from the Lomography Shop

HA!

2007-12-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

From xkcd.

Etsy n00b

2007-12-06T15:03:00.000-07:00

I've been browsing through different Etsy shops for a while but haven't purchased anything until now.

I can't wait until my print by midcenturyjo arrives!