rip sweet hp (and hello summertime!)

So, after 5 years, my sweet sweet laptop has died.  My darling hubby is a bit of a mr-fixit, and I knew it was over when he suggested I start browsing the lappys and tablets next time I was at the store.  It's serious when even he doesn't think something's salvageable.  So I've stolen onto his system (which is much more tech-y and password protected and overwhelming than my cute little setup) for this little update, which is basically to say that while I'll try to keep things up to date, computer-type things are on tenuous ground for now.

 I'll keep on sewing (and knitting, and painting, and gardening, and camping, and kayaking, and having picnics on the beach, and perhaps this forced 'summer break' is not such a bad thing) though.

Have a brilliant summer!

*my children are oddly safety conscious; it was their idea to wear their life jackets in 6 inches of water, not mine.

beach time baby!

Happy Canada Day!

And while it's officially been summer for a week or so we are finally feeling it!  I've been wanting to make some of these up for a while, so I'm happy to finally have gotten a chance to do some up and take them for a test run.

Woohoo, beach ponchos!

Actually, I was thinking more of a pool poncho.  You see, after swim class, we normally warm up by sticking our toesies in the hot tub (my guys are too little to be jumping in entirely) and then I try and wrap them up in our towel as best I can.  The towel doesn't really stay on them well and always gets wet, so I made up some towel ponchos.  Unfortunately, Bugaboo got an ear infection so we missed the last swim class, however, these work just as well at the beach or waterpark.

Bugaboo wanted a dinosaur...

(he makes a pretty good dinosaur, stomping along the beach)

And for Little Bean, I decided a jellyfish (she's pretty easy going).

Hope they get lots of chances to use them this summer!

Roar!

things are growing in the garden

I am usually impressed by how fast things grow here (out west), but this is a new record.  The garden we planted mid-May is growing hearty and already making an appearance on our dinner plates!

Now, anyone who has grown radishes before probably would have known this, but I was amazed.  These ones are a variety that can grow up to the size of baseballs, but I don't really need that much radish in my life.  I'll probably let a few get that big, but just for the photos.

My little helpers are really loving it too.  They do most of the watering and some of the weeding/thinning out (mostly the thinning out where it doesn't necessarily need it, but oh well).

Marvelous, aren't they!

Also, our gnomes (who usually live in our garden, as glimpsed here, or behind us in the first photo) have suffered an accident (at the hands of Little Bean, she may be small, but is far from delicate).  While they're awaiting repair, we have a flamingo friend taking their place watching over the garden.  I'm calling him Havelock, the Predatory Flamingo.  This is Bugaboo's impression of him:

I have an unusual love for tacky garden ornaments.

sunshiney blues

It's a beautiful day, but we're stuck inside because I'm large, overheated, and out of breath. Being pregnant in the summertime is no fair for a two year old. However, it is Friday, and that means that daddy has a weekend, and maybe we can make better use of that time. I'll just have to endeavor to persevere with happier summer thoughts like this one:



I do have some other fun projects to share, but they can wait until next time. Have a wonderful weekend!

baby thoughts

I finished it! And with perfect timing on my part I might add. What you wonder? The BABY BLANKET! The one I started knitting for my brother-in-law's baby-to-be seven months ago. She is now almost two months old, so yeah, I'm a little late but, we are going to visit them (and the rest of our families; yay!) over the next two weeks, so yeah, squeaked it in just in time! Oh, also, having a fun summer sweater knit a long starting today might have been the extra motivation I needed. Either way, yay me!

Oh, and here it is:

It was an easy enough pattern, I just didn't realize how long it would take for me to get through it. Any experienced knitters could probably get it done in a few weeks, or a new knitter with more time for that matter. However, it's done, I'm finished yay!

Oh, and speaking of baby gifts, here's a thought: what are some fun, useful handmade gifts? Well, I've been to a friend's baby-shower a few weeks ago, and had a few of my own back when I was pregnant with Bugaboo, and feel that I am therefore qualified to offer you this list of some of my favourites (to make and receive)!

1. baby towel - a friend gave us one, all it was was a regular towel with a ribbon of hot-air ballons along the edges, and it's lovely. There are a lot of other ways to snazz up a towel too, adding a hood, and monogramming are other suggestions. Very useful either way.



2. top-knot hats



3. blankets or quilts



4. baby-bottle-cozy - you know, something to keep the bottle warm.



5. diaper clutch - think teeny-tiny diaper bag. Basically, any cute purse just big enough for a few diapers and wipes.



6. change pad



7. receiving blanket/burp cloths



8. soother clips



9. baby clothes/diaper cover



10. teddy or doll

If you're wondering, I made my friend's little one a dress. Sadly, I never took any pictures but I found the pattern here on Made by Rae and it was wonderful, although I might adjust the lining a little bit to cover some of the seams on the inside more if I make it again.

Oh, also, no matter the gift, the best way to wrap it is in a receiving blanket. Just one of the cheap gerber ones from Walmart that come in three-packs (or more apparently). You can just never have enough of those things (whereas we still have a box of once-used baby gift bags that we are slowly giving away).

Well, with that I'm signing off for a while. My little boy is growing up more everyday and I need to spend some serious summer-time fun with him! More crafts in a few weeks! (well, maybe a blip in the meantime).

Celebrate The Summer Boy: Day 5 - Shorts!

Ok, so I'm a day late, but whatever. We went camping! First time with the little guy and it was a blast.

Back on topic; DAY 5! I have successfully created something summery for my little man for every day of this mini-summer-edition of Celebrate the boy, and man, am I pleased with my self! For day 5, I give you shorts, but not just any shorts, Flat Fronted Shorts with Pockets!

The pattern is by Dana of Made, the co-genius behind celebrate the boy. The pattern was a little odd to follow because it was an addition to an addition, the pockets to the shorts to the flat fronted pants which were a new version of the basic pants. However, if you have access to the interwebs, it's all simple enough. Also, my cheapy-cheapy theme (or it could be my reduce-reuse-recycle-theme) continues as these were made from a ladies flannel shirt I got from a clothes swap earlier this week. Boo-yah!

The little bum pockets were already on the shirt, and I sewed them shut so they wouldn't fill up with sand/rocks when he's playing. They're comfy-cozy soft because they're flannel, and they are nice and cool because they're cotton. Oh, and they look awesome!

Well, I hope to have at least one post this week, but I'm definitely feeling a bit sewed-out, so I'm taking a break. Yay summer!

Celebrate The Summer Boy: Day 1 – Picnic Pack

Wheeeeee! I'm so excited that Dana of Made and Rae of Made by Rae have decided to throw an extra little dash of their super awesome Celebrate the Boy series into the summer. Honestly, that's what got me into blogging in the first place. And while I was more than willing to wait until next March to join in the fun, a summer mini-series=woohoo!

So for my marvy little man, I've got 5 fun sunny new projects! Here's the first, which I will admit I did up a few weeks ago, but it is for my boy and it is for the summer, so it totally fits the bill.

Basically, here's what it is. They have in the last month opened three new parks in our subdivision (we are lucky, I know). Anyhow, I've noticed a little hole in our lives which could be filled with a sewing project (oh joy of joys!). Having a almost 2 year old boy, snacks are what make the world go round. But the park isn't really an easy place to let a little guy eat, because he like to put things down and tip containers over etc. Sadly, our Loopa bowl was loved to death (still planning on ordering a new one), so we needed something. For a while now I've been wanting to make one of these:

It's a toy pack that folds out to be a playmat. Made by Amy of Sweet Magoo's genius sister.

Well, why can't it be a snack pack that doubled as a picnic cloth? It can! I simply added a layer of waterproof material between the cotton inside and outside (so and spills don't leak out, or any yucky from the ground gets in) and voila!

And he loves it! He brings it everywhere we go, and wants to wear it all the time.

So I'm gonna make up a few more in different colours and trying different types of waterproofing. We'll see how it works out. Also, while some might notice the potential for gender neutrality here, let me tell you how hard it is to dig up some 'boy' fabric in our local 'little-old-lady' fabric store. I'm very excited that my #2 (still under construction) might be a girl, because the floral and cute vintage-type fabrics are bountiful, however it's slim-pickings for them boys. Well, this is what I call a success, and am sewing away on a few more.

Well, with 5 projects on the go (not to mention the Summer Sweater Knit Along starting up soon; gotta finish that baby-blanket first!), I have some serious sewing to dive into!

PS I'm listening to Newton Faulkner right now, and he's wonderful. If you enjoy Jack Johnson at all, or just appreciate some snazzy guitar playing, I highly recommend him.

Outside!

It's growing! My garden, the one that my little man and I planted, it's got green in it! It's hard to understand my excitement if you're a seasoned horticulturist, but for me, who has a good track record with indoor cactus (as long as I only have one at a time), a garden is a wildly adventurous thing. Our peas are up and looking hearty, our tomatoes have survived transplantation and now we're getting signs of life from our onions and squash! Yes, I know these are all beginner type plants, but still, they're alive (muahahahaha!). My watermelon are the only ones awaiting slightly warmer nights before they too join the group. They have a little while before they outgrow their little pots anyways, so they can enjoy the warm morning sun on the windowsill for a few more weeks. I've dreamt of a garden for many years, with various windowsill and counter top attempts (and subsequent failures) I am absolutely thrilled to finally be showing some green! It only makes it better that it's a garden built by my husband and that Bugaboo helped plant it; it's been a family project and we don't have many of those. Thoroughly pleased I am!

And with that, here's part two. I wish I had a better name than simply a 'list', but it's irrelevant.

A Dozen or So Things to Do With a Toddler Outside!

1. Nature Walk (grab a bucket and find all the exciting rocks and sticks along the way)


2. Garden; not a great one day activity, but a fun project from spring to summer.


3. City Walk (again, grab a bucket and maybe a piece of chalk, or just wander down a street stopping in the occasional toy store to play)


4. Go on a Picnic; fun with friends, or all by yourselves


5. Go to a Provincial Park / trail / beach / farm etc. There's only a little searching required to find awesome public gems in your community.


6. Take pictures. Especially fun if you have an older camera the little one can hold. Head out to the yard and have a photo shoot.


7. Blow Bubbles. Never not fun. The new coloured bubbles are a neat outdoor toy, and they're strong, so they don't pop when they land on the grass, but they're practically ink, so be ready.


8. Play in a sprinkler. Or better yet, if you live by a water park, they can be very exciting.


9. Play ball! Soccer, football, baseball, beach ball, toddlers love 'em and can surprise you with how well they can handle them at a very young age.


10. Enjoy a messy snack. Take advantage of not having to scrub the floors or wipe sticky off the walls and grab a Popsicle or dive into a watermelon. They're better when they're messy anyways.


11. Park play date. Or, if you're lucky like us and have a few parks in a small subdivision, go for a park-crawl. This one will wear them out for sure.


12. Bug Safari. Head off to the woods or a field and start searching. In fact, according to retired biologist Jennifer Owen, the best place to discover new species of bugs is right in your own back yard!


13. Watch clouds. Not for every busy little one, but for some, it's a new world of floating shapes!


14. Watch a construction site. Not too close mind you, but heavy machinery in real life is pretty impressive.


15. Go for a bus ride. You don't have to actually go anywhere, just a little adventure on a big bus.


16. Have a conversation. Have your little one tell you all about the things they can see, and you can tell them all about them too.


17. Watch planes take off/land. To some a trip to the airport is a lengthy drive, but we can see the airport from our yard (not always great) and Bugaboo loves watching the planes ("Airmapes" he calls them).


18. And last but not least, as I previously mentioned, Chalk! Makes a mess and washes off easy. Just keep them away from the cars.
    

Well what do you think of that, eh? As it's the cusp of June, yeah, these are all summer ideas. Maybe I'll do a part three in the fall/winter. Wait and see.

However, as my hubby is away this week, nap time is stretched a little thin by the things I want to get done around the house, so I'd best get to work.