the rainbow oak

Paper princess

Crown or no crown? I'm tempted to add a spider hanging off her ladder-opinions? This picture is absolutely terrible, but it is all handcut and 3-dimensional. I hope to have access to a decent camera and then take a picture once it's framed. It's true what they say about practice-it's so discouraging to sit down to do something and have this grand vision for it, and then come face to face with horrible-ness (a word? I say yes). For now, I'm happy that my morning was spent doing something I love, and really, who could ask for more? I will continue to think positively and believe that I can do this. I think I can, I think I can.....and crown or no crown? Humpf.

A summer sketch

I did another picture today. Quite a frustrating morning, actually, despite the lovely results. But I just work like that-maybe instead of fighting how I work, I should embrace it. So many grand ideas, and if I work a little more everyday, then it will all fall into place. Right now, I want to go outside and do some of that.....

Today

Today, I actually worked! And not only worked, but finished something! More to come!

...And it was still hot.

*sigh*. Via Roadside Projects, I was illuminated to the wonderfully wonderful trailer for the movie "Where the Wild Things Are". Oh, this book! To know that in all your bad behavior, insensitive words, testing of love from your parents, you can go in your bed in a year and day, come back to your room, and mama will still have supper waiting for you, and it will still be hot (with cake, no less!). Could it get any better? Oh yes it can-it has Arcade Fire (from Montreal-yeehaw!) as the soundtrack! Enjoy!

Working on #8.....

Well, as usual, trying to accomplish just one thing, morphs into something else much much larger. So I've wanted to learn how to felt for awhile now, and I've played a bit with the soap and water method (didn't really get, and I don't know if I liked being wet for that long). So bless the internet click on one thing and end up somewhere else, I was looking for some links on how to re-cover my sofa and ended on a link with a gorgeous felted bunny. When I thought about Easter, it never occurred to me about the little animals of springtime. Well!
Look at those little bunny bums!
I could make all of us and put them on our Easter tree or in a basket

And come on! A ninja bunny?! And at that a girl ninja bunny-with a hairbow?! Too much....love it.
And of course the complete irony is that I finally found something to fiddle with and now I have to leave to go get Max! And I can't find my felting needles! *sigh* back to the yarn store I go....

Oh my.....

I was reading my favourite blogs this morning over coffee, and came across this post from the little brown pen, and my word! I have really really really been struggling with my eating habits, trying to re-train my brain to crave wonderful, wholesome real foods as apposed to the beige boxed foods that it usually does. When I imagine living in Europe, I imagine going to the market everyday with my basket, picking whole foods that resemble something that grew in a garden and if it was made, had only ingredients that I could pronounce without effort and expired after a few days because it has no preservatives. SO when I read this blog entry that spoke of a local store in Paris that sold American food (I'm Canadian, so pretty darn close-still Walmart culture), it just confirmed everything I have been struggling with.

When I fall back on foods in a pinch, it always tends to be these pre-fab foods, that even after years of sitting ona shelf, are still edible. Tell me, what do you struggle with?

31 things

After reading this ridiculously inspiring post from this ridiculously inspiring lady, I decided that although I'm a bit late (and weirdly rebellious) about New Year's resolutions, this might be just the thing to give my year some direction and have some fun, dreaming of the lovely things to come. So without further ado, heregoes:

1. Go to New York
2. Bring Emma to the American Girl store (commercial, I know, but come on!)
3. Make a real office for myself
4. Lose 20 pounds (for my health, not some Weight Watchers stupidity)
5. Do Yoga at least 4 times a week
6.Put a birdfeeder closer to my window so I can see all variety of birds up close that visit our land juuust too far for me to see up close
7. Set up and take actual care of an aquarium
8. Felt Easter eggs
9. Recover the sofa
10. Go to see the butterflies at the Botanical Gardens with the kids
11. Finish mine and Ahmad's closet
12. Get a babysitter
13. Get Greenlight off the ground with Jen
14. Go to the scrapbook weekend with Nathalie
15. Cook and like (?) beets
16. Bring the kids to see Robert Munsch's show
17. Get braces
18. Get my own socks
19. Teach the kids how to ride bikes
20. Tremblant with Jen
21. Go to church on a non-holiday
22. Make a photo wall on the brick wall in the kitchen
23. Go away at least 3 weekends with Ahmad and babies this summer
24. Make homemade raviolis
25. Figure out a system for the laundry that finally makes sense!
26. Make lemon squares
27. Start a doll collection with Emma
28. Take out each kid once alone and give them a dream-come-true day
29. Go biking this summer as a family
30. Watch the meteor shower this August
31. Learn how to gocco print

I miss you, blogging world

Boy oh boy, I never can get back here, can I? Well, I hope that this is a new beginning between you and I blogging world. I have been a busy little beaver, making all kinds of things, but alas, never taking the time to take a picture or document the wonderfulness here. Today I would like to share a hat I knit for my oldest. Boy was this hard! She had a long list, and I am such a perfectionist that not just any pattern would do. Bless you Ravelry-since I have discovered thee I fear that I may never get out of my armchair. I used a pattern that had bobbles, but didn't have the time to learn it now as it's very cold outside and it's been 3 weeks that she's waiting for her hat. But I love how it turned out, and really? who cares what I think-she loves it! See you tomorrow dear blog! CHristmas stuff next!

Hi ho, hi ho,......

...it's off to work I go, or at least I'm trying, darn it! If anyone can let me know how they can work with 3 small children at home, boy would I be in your debt. Been working on some new bags (I've finally had some time and inspiration at the same time!)

This bag has been haunting me for months and months-that gorgeous profile is my middle child, my Shawn. And he's reading, not just running around lol!

And this one is done with wool herringbone, and the gingerbread man is a brooch that can go anywhere! (I could pinch those cheeks, I really could...or eat him.)

I have such a long list that all I can do is curl up in the fetal position and read. I'll post again tomorrow with some more stuff, hopefully some Christmas stuff! (fingers crossed really tight!)

Insert crafty title here

So while sitting here listening to the sweet sounds of Barney the dinosaur (they should send you a pair of earplugs for the parents when this show is on-blecchhh), I thought I would share some new stuff I've been working on. I really started blogging because i loved loved the crafty community I was spying on and wanted to be a part of that, and then low and behold, no one told me i actually had to be interesting and post stuff all the time! Such pressure, especially if you read any of the ladies on my left here....gosh. So where have I been?? Trying to clean my office so I can find my crafty-stuff...trying to decide on one project and actually have the courage to finish it....and starting a business with my mom (that's a biggie). You can find more info on our site: www.ecochicmonde.com. this has been a long time in the making, and I'm starting to feel comfortable enough with it's progress that I am willing to start sharing. Here are some pics and I'm off to start some new stuff in my clean office!