Sweet Charity

As so many people do at the beginning of the year, we are sorting, organizing, and getting rid of everything we don't need.  This is a popular theme and you can join any number of challenges that walk you through varying degrees of vetting your house and attempting to make it  heaven instead of hell.

My home, errs on the side of burning flame...  It is a "swirling vortex of entropy" on any given day - many thanks to The Big Bang Theory for that phrase.  Particularly when you have short people running around stirring up anything you might have actually managed to put away or clean. 

So, back to the point.  Charity!
I got my favourite phone call yesterday... the Diabetes Society will have a truck in my area if I have anything to donate. 
Deadline - Next Thursday
Mission - go through as much as possible in my house and get rid of ANYTHING someone else might be able to use!

Now I have to be brutal.  This is a huge challenge for me.  I'm a WAHM so I love keeping things to use for crafts, tents, imagination games, crafts... 
To add to the challenge is my Stash.  Yes, it deserves to be capitalized.  It is that big.
With a posting to the States coming up fast I need to get rid of anything that I don't want to put on 'The List'.
Now there is the big difference - not just getting rid of things I don't need, but it is all about writing it down on 'The List'.  that should hlep me be brutal.

And the deadline is key for me...How many times have you started an organization project only to get distracted?  Well, for us, having someone come to get all this stuff instead of having to deliver it to the charity drop off is a huge incentive. 

Consider calling your local charity pick up and give it a try.  You'll be glad you did :)

Pizza...

What is it with Pizza?  All you have to do is see an ad and you want it.  Smell it in the food court.  Walk past a local pizza joint...and you may as well just give in because you will be craving it until you do.

That is what happened here when Kids in the Capital ran an article on pizza making at home.  Well, it is Friday...  Why not?

I get in to moods around here and over the course of the summer I got out of the habit of using my stand mixer to make breads and pizza dough.  So, after a brief visit to the counter during cookie making season before Christmas, it is back again.  Who knows how long it will last this time? 

Right now we are on our way through the freezer - trying to get the big basement freezer emptied out in preparation for the move this summer.  So tonight's pizza topping options include BBQ Chicken Breast, Italian Sausage, mushrooms, pineapple, kalamata olives, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and turkey bacon...

I know I should be cleaning and organizing instead of making homemade pizza dough this afternoon, but...

Seriously, what WAS I thinking?

So my last post was about how I was going to do the 21 Day organization challenge and I had such high hopes for my home.  Perhaps I should wait until I am not in the middle of major renovations and preparations for selling the home before I take on that kind of 'challenge'.

I thought (insert riotous laughter here) that I could use the challenge as a spring board to tackle some of my more troublesome 'hot spots'.  Which would have been a great idea had I not had to relocate everythign that was on the main floor to the upstairs and basement while the new wood floors were installed.

Thankfully - they went in without a hitch!

Now comes the challenge of getting things back in to the main part of the house, without bringing too much back in...  The kids have decided that this sparse, minimalist look is perfect because it is a huge amount of place to play!

Shopping Seasons

I am not a huge shopper...except at the yarn store ;)
So I am not the first in line for the newest stuff when they bring out the 'next season's clothing but I didn't realize that going to my favourite outdoor shop on the 6th of January meant I would be dragging the bottom when it came to stock for our ski lessons that start this week!
No long underwear!  Everything was either XS or Lg and being cleared out.  What's a mom to do?

New Year, New Resolutions...

So I have been following a few crafters seen a number of approaches to starting the year off right.  I have decided to embrace it - if a little late - and make some resolutions of my own.  Ok, I'm actually using a Bowl Full of Lemons as an inspiration point and making the foloowing resolutions.

1 - An Organized Life
2 - A Clean Home
3 - A Healthy Body

This could be a bumpy road but I am determined to try and stay on it.

Something Different

As the cooler weather set in I started thinking about keeping myself warm this fall, too.

And came up with a number of neckwarmers, cowls and capelettes.

Ok, I'll have to let you know how warm this keeps me but it is soo pretty and sinfully soft.

And 100% vegan :)

A Field of Vampires

As we transition to fall my little man and I spend a LOT of time at our local orchard; it's less than a mile from home...we are so lucky.
Yesterday we went and enjoyed the crisp air, the sunny skies, and the marvelous cortlands that are now in season.  As we were heading back towards the front the little man asked if he could pick some apples from the field of Vampires...  (Empires are what he was asking about :)

I couldn't stop smiling and tried so hard not to laugh because he said it with such earnestness.  And at 5 he really doesn't know what a vampires is, has just heard the word more than Empire.

Moments like this make it amazing to be a mom.

And here's a little glimpse of what I have been doing, along with a bunch of custom orders.

The Dark Side of Crafting...

When you spend as much time as I do sitting and making beautiful and fun accessories, you can sometimes forget to get up and MOVE!

My husband, E, started the P90X program a month ago and has seen some serious results...  Me, jealous? nooooo.....

So yesterday as he was trying to cool down after an hour long weights workout and I was shifting in my seat (as I had been working on the polka-dot challenge hat for that hour) I realized that it was time to strike a balance.

(It stands up on its own - how cute is that??)

My little guy, W, is in SK this fall so I have the time in the morning to get a lot of stitching done!  But yesterday I realized I also need to make time to exercise, too. 
Sedentary crafting can lead to sore lower backs, hunched shoulders, and pants that are just a wee bit tighter than when we put them in the closet a few months ago.

And so I began the P90X Lean today!  My end date will be 22 December - what a Christmas present!
And now no guilt over the endless housrs I get to spend making gifts!

Apple Picking Time

I spent a good part of the weekend with my son tackling the bushel of apples from our local orchard and was inspired.

My stems are removable so the hats will last more than one season.

The Great Pumpkin

Now that the days have started to get a little cooler and the days are shorter we get to start thinking about cozy hats. 

First comes the pumpkin, by request.  Apples to follow shortly for those of you who don't love orange quite as much as some.

Stay tuned for more Halloween, too!

Soon to come - Monsters, Pirates, Jack Skellington...and any other ideas you folks throw my way.

If your little ones trick or treat in a cold climate consider one of my cartoon hats.

Added Bonus - your little one can keep wearing it after Halloween!

Little Boys Love the Cheeky Little Thomas the Tank Engine Hat

For Backyardigans Fans

I'm still working on some good antlers for Tyrone.

In The Night Garden

Upsy Daisy Coming Soon

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas??

Well, maybe not outside but the custom orders have started me working on the Christmas line.  Starting with the cutest little elf and pixie hats...

Cloud Cotton - Organic Colours

July was busy

I got on a bit of a striped beanie roll for a while...and there are more to come.

But I had a chance to make a few little girl hats too!

I love this one.  Little blue diamonds of a cashmere cotton blend. 

So wonderfully soft and girly.

Pretty summer hat with a matching purse.

Fuzz

Unbelievably soft chenille hat with amazing texture for photos.

Shown in a simple beanie here but can be used for any style.

Soft Spun

Raspberry and Lime

Blueberry and Kiwi

Lovely wool spun thick and thin.  Perfect for little heads in photographs.

Can be lined in fleece for everyday wear by little people.

Forest Elf

One day I will figure out why Blogger does this to my pictures...

A fantastically fun hat in lovely forest-inspired colours.

Bamboo Bear

So Sweet, So Soft

Shown here in Wicker, the yarn comes in pale green, pink, baby blue, cream, white, and yellow.

So silky to the touch the babies love to wear them.

Organic Cotton Colours

Eco colours - Organic Cotton and Naturally Dyed

These are the selection of cottons from which I generally make my spring and summer hats.  This super soft cotton yarn is as good to the earth as it is to your skin.

Gold Beanie with Ribbon Trim

This beanie is part of the newborn photography prop collection.

It is heavenly soft and the ribbon edge is a special ribbon yarn that is equally soft on baby's sensitive skin.

It is easily made larger for bigger girls.

The yarn is kid mohair and acrylic.

Handwash in cool water and lay flat to dry to maintain shape.

All of my props are knit to allow for different size baby heads and can be stretched in either direction for the best fit. 

Thomas the Tank Engine

A cheeky little engine ready to impress little boys everywhere.

$25

His smokestack stands up for maximum smiles.