Off the Shelf Book Challenge 2011

I decided to join just one more book challenge for 2011. Its the Off the Shelf challenge hosted by Bookish Ardour. I hoard books even more than a hoard fabric (hard to believe I know). I cannot walk into a book store without coming out with something and I have been buying faster than I can read them... so 2011 will be the year! I didn't want to take on too much so I'm entering at the "Trying" level meaning I will be attempting to read 15 books off my bookshelf that were purchased prior to the start of the year. Considering I'm already working on 30 library books and 20 e-books I think that's enough for now (lets not also forget I have a 2 and a 3 year old as well as 2 business that I run from home). So 65 books for 2011... we will see how that goes!

As usual I will add the link to this post in the side bar and will track my progress here.

1. The Womanly Art Of Breastfeeding by La Leche League Canada

2. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
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this moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Hosted by Soulemama

WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
Three Cups of Tea by  Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, The White Queen by Philppa Gregory, The Red Thread by Ann Hood (audio book - really not making much progress. I'm enjoying the story but can't get into the audio book format. I might just have to pick up a paper copy of the library)

• What did you recently finish reading?
The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares, Plan B by Charnan Simon (it was really bad), The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger


• What do you think you’ll read next?
The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick,


What about you? What is on your bookshelf right now? Please leave a comment or a link to your own WWW Wednesday, I would love to hear from you!

Work in Progress Week(s)

Over the last few years I have accumulated a lot of unfinished projects. Some are half done and some are just piles of fabric waiting for me to start in on them. These works-in-progress have literally started to take over my sewing room. There is no more room on my cutting table, or in my drawers for anything else, so I am giving myself a challenge. Over the next few weeks I will tackle these works in progress and make some room!

I am about to show you some pictures, and I warn you it is kind of scary. Actually I'm a little embarrassed to share it in this space, it feels a little like revealing a part of my life that only my husband and children should see. But sometimes public humiliation can be humbling and encouraging... so here it goes.

This is currently my work in progress table... I know.. its pretty bad. See all that Warm n' Natural quilt batting under it? That is the stuff I got for 66% off during that boxing week sale.

 First up is this table runner. I purchased the fabric ages ago... so long ago in fact that it used to match my home decor... now it really, really does not so when its finished it is going to my mom who upon seeing the fabric alluded to the fact that I should be making it for her!

And next after that is this pile of nursing covers for beebee buttercup. They were cut and 3/4 of the way sewn back in December... and then we got the stomach flu over and over again, so they sat... and sat.

Care to join in on my work in progress challenge? Leave a comment here with what you will be working on, or post a link to your own blog post about your works in progress... maybe we could encourage each other!

Sunday Sauce



Our favourite dinner, spaghetti and garlic bread!



Sunday supper has always been an integral part of our family life. It started when my parents would go to my grandparents house every Sunday for their main meal of the week, then when my brother and I came along Sunday "suppers" became the day to visit in the afternoon, have a wonderfully big meal, and then more often than not finish it up with my grandma's famous apple pie.

My dad's spaghetti sauce has always felt like Sunday to me because he would take the whole day to prepare it, simmering in on the stove all afternoon, slowly adding ingredients here and there to get the perfect flavour combinations. There is something about Sunday Sauce that just feels warm and cozy.

Sweetpea working on her dinner!

Usually when I make my own Sunday Sauce I make a quadruple batch and freeze a bunch for easy weeknight meals. Spaghetti is such a go-to meal for our family, partly because it is Nick's favourite, and partly because the girls will actually eat it (they are going through a wonderfully tricky eating stage right now).

What Sunday dinner is complete without pie (at least around here)?

What about you, what is your go-to, or favourite 'Sunday' meal? How do you store your sauce? Do you freeze it or can it... and if you can it do you really need a pressure canner for meat sauces?

this moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Hosted by Soulemama

Bread Bags (and warm bread to go in them)

This week seems to be about food... and I'm ok with that, especially when I can find a way to sew for my food. We love homemade bread around here (note, I said homemade, not handmade. I use a bread maker and I'm not ashamed. I am convinced that I don't have the skill for making bread by hand - although I would love it if I did) but I always struggle with how to store it. Usually we use a super large zip lock bag and it works well enough but by the end of the second day (provided that there is any bread left) the bread starts to get a little soggy and sticky - especially in the summer with the humidity.

I remembered reading this post about using vintage linen tea towels as bread bags, and just happened to have a scrap of linen the perfect size. I whipped up this bag in just a few minutes while the bread maker was doing its magic and voila here is fresh bread and a new bag to keep it that way.

Swoon...

What about you, do you make homemade bread? What about handmade bread? And how to YOU store your bread ? Please leave a comment - I love to hear from you.

Queensland Flood Appeal Auctions

I am sure by now you have heard of the devastating flood and the many, many Queensland Flood Appeal auctions and donation sites. It is so easy to donate, and quite touching to see how the handmade/crafting community is trying to help in their own way.

I wanted to draw your attention to this auction at the Mother Huddle starting today, as well as this master list of auctions and raffles.

Please donate if you can, and if you cannot please help to spread the word on your facebook, blog or twitter.

WWW Wednesday's

WWW Wednesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares, The Red Thread by Ann Hood (audio book)

• What did you recently finish reading?The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International, Harvesting the Heart by Jody Picoult

• What do you think you’ll read next?The White Queen by Philppa Gregory, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick,

What about you? What is on your bookshelf right now? Please leave a comment or a link to your own WWW Wednesday, I would love to hear from you!

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

I recently finished the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (the revised and updated 8th edition) by La Leche League International for the second time and enjoyed it as much as the first time I read it. The first time I picked up this book I was pregnant with my first child and reading it as an expectant mom who had no previous knowledge of, or experience with, breastfeeding - I found it immensely helpful. Not only for the 'technical' aspects of breastfeeding, but also for things like what I can expect in terms of how often and how long my baby will eat for, emotionally how will breastfeeding make me feel, and what to do about nursing in public.

This time around I read it more critically as a Childbirth Educator for a book club that I am a part of. What struck me during this reading was the balance between the mechanics of breastfeeding (which it does an excellent job of explaining) and the emotional benefits to breastfeeding for both mother and child. I also found re-reading the sections on nursing older children, and weaning to be particularly interesting. I think that the first time I read the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding I was focusing so much on my newborn that nursing an older baby didn't really resonate with me.

Another thing that I love about this book is that it includes an appendix called the "Tear-Sheet Toolkit" (this information is also so helpful and essential that LLLI provides a pdf copy free on their website - I linked to it but I highly suggest picking up and reading the book in its entirety, not just the toolkit). In the toolkit you will find information about hand expressing milk and milk storage guidelines, hunger cues, and problem solving to name a few.

I highly recommend this book to any expecting or nursing parent, or anyone who will be coming in direct contact with new moms (health care providers, doulas, childbirth educators, grandparents, etc.).

Some Sweets to Share

I didn't participate in a Christmas Cookie exchange this year, and I feel like I need to share some treats so I would like to share with you my absolute favourite cookie recipes!


Ginger Snaps


This has become my number one favourite cookie to eat and give (partly because this is the cookie most often requested).

¾ cup butter 4 cups flour
¾ cup shortening 2 tspn. Baking soda
2 cups white sugar 2 tspn. Cinnamon
2 eggs 2 tspn. Ginger
½ cup molasses 2 tspn. Cloves

Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, eggs and molasses, then slowly add in flower and spices. Mix well. Cool in refrigerator about 1 hours. Roll into balls and dip in sugar. Do not press with a fork. Bake a t 350 for 10 min.

Oatmeal

I love a soft, chewy oatmeal cookie and this one fits the bill. Sometimes I try to convince myself that it counts as a breakfast food because of the oats... I'll keep trying!

¾ cup butter softened 1 cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
2 tbspn. Water
2 tspn. vanilla

2/3 cup all purpose flour
3 cups Oatmeal
¾ tspn. Baking soda
1 tspn. Cinnamon
1 ½ cups raisins or chocolate chips (optional)

Beat the first 6 ingredients with mixer until creamy. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well. Drop dough by tablespoon onto greased baking sheets. Press flat for crispy cookies or leave mounded for chewy.
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden (check after 8 minutes).


Easy Peanut Butter Cookies


I am sure that there are better, more complicated cookie recipes but this one meets all my requirements: super peanut buttery, soft and chewy.

In a large bowl, beat together until smooth: 1 (300 ml) can Sweetened Condensed Milk, 3/4 cup Peanut Butter. Add 2 cups Tea Bisk and 1 tspn vanilla. Mix well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet. Flatten with fork. Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned.

What is your favourite cookie recipe? Feel free to leave it in the comments, or leave a link to a post about your favourite recipe from your blog. I love to read your comments so please leave one!

Support Your Local Library Book Challenge

So I decided to join another book challenge for 2011, it is the Support Your Local Library Book Challenge hosted by Book Junkies Bookshelf. I signed up for --The Mini – Check out and read 30 library books. -- I figured that in addition to the 20 e-book challenge that I already signed up for this will be more than enough to work towards this year!

I added a link to my 2011 Read, and Currently-Reading Goodreads bookshelves on the right side and if you are so inclined you can check them out. Just as with the E-Reading challenge I will be updating my books read on this post, rather than creating new posts every time I finish a book.

1. My Name is Memory - Ann Brashares
2. The White Queen - Philippa Gregory
3. Virgin River - Robyn Carr
4. The Last Time I Saw You - Elizabeth Berg
5. Her Mother's Hope - Francine Rivers
6. A Gift of Grace - Amy Clipston
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Tie On Kitchen Towels

Around here we are big fans of the hanging kitchen towel. Maybe that is because our girls are big fans of stealing the kitchen towels (not to mention the dish cloths but I think that we have covered that subject already). Sadly, I have but one hanging kitchen towel, it is a crocheted one that Nick's aunt made a few years ago and well - it looks like it has been in rotation for a few years.

See the sad looking, well used, old green towel? Vast improvement I'd say!

When I did the overhaul on the washcloth drawer, I started to think that I should probably do the same with the towel drawer and that is when I stumbled upon this tutorial by Trey and Lucy. So simple but so fabulous! Why didn't I think of that sooner? I made one up a few in no time while the girls pulled 'played' in thier rooms and am in the process of making a full collection for the kitchen, but its going to have to wait for the weekend as this is what happens when I try to work during the day!

I love to read your comments! Do you have any favourite simple tutorials you would like to share?

WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International, The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger and Harvesting the Heart by Jody Picoult

• What did you recently finish reading?

Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill, My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

• What do you think you’ll read next?

The White Queen by Philppa Gregory, The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Ann Brashares

It seems as though all my my E-Library holds came in at once

What about you? What is on your bookshelf right now? Please leave a comment or a link to your own WWW Wednesday, I would love to hear from you!

Fabric Wish List

I'm sure you have one, and the newest collection on mine is Greenfield Hill by Denyse Schmidt - in all colourways. I don't know of any local shops that have it, but I am scoping out a few different etsy shops (unfortunatley all in the US so shipping is a bit high) and am trying to decide on fat quarters of the entire collection, 1/2 yards or full yards.

I have a few projects in mind that would be beautiful with this fabric. What would you do with it? And hey, if you have a shop in Canada and have this collection leave me a comment with a link please!

Kids Art :: Making Books

You might be wondering why the sudden shift to all this book related content? This was primarily a creative blog - so whats with all the literature right? Well for me reading goes hand in hand with creativity. My earliest creative pursuits were making my own books, even before I could write. My favourite school project ever was in grade 1 or 2 when we spent the whole year writing books. The classroom moms made book covers for us out of recycled cereal boxes covered with wallpaper samples and then "bound" them by sewing them together. I was in heaven.

Over the weekend I thought that the girls might like to try their hands at making a few books. When they are older I will have them write the stories themselves (even if I have to do the actual writing part at first) but for now I found this great website with all sorts printable children books. These print outs make a fabulous last minute art project as there really isn't much prep at all.

When we have a little more time I would like to make the girls some books a la this post from Soulemama (these books are also a little more reminiscent of the books I made as a child).

What are your favourite kids art projects? Do you and your kids make books? If so how? Please leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!

Giveaway at :: Always With a Book

You still have a chance to win a copy of A Royal Likeness by Christine Trent over at Always With a Book. Click here to go directly to the contest entry page. You have until 6pm January 15 to enter and will have 4 chances to win!

Machine Quilting for Ladybug

I started machine quilting Ladybug's quilt this week. This is the first time that I have quilted anything this size on my home machine (my previous lap quilt was quilted on a family friend's long arm, and I don't know that rag quilts really count as quilting - at least not in this sense) and this is the first time that I have quilted anything on my new machine so there is a bit of a learning curve. So far I have managed to have only a few puckers and just a little bit of bunching so we will see how things look after I am finished. I am hoping that when I wash and dry this quilt the crinkle effect will hide any, shall we say imperfections. (I am wondering if this crinkles/bunching were because I didn't have things laid out quite right when I was basting??)

I am doing simple straight line quilting using my walking foot for the majority of the quilt and I am stippling in the large side boarders. So far I think its coming along nicely. I haven't had as much time to work on it the last few days but I am hoping to have the quilting part finished early next week and then I can bind it (my least favourite part of making anything quilted) and put it into use.

Do you have any machine quilting tips or tricks for avoiding bunching? Any suggestions? Please leave a comment because I would love to hear from you and your tips would be much appreciated!

2011 E-book Reading Challenge

I came across this e-reading challenge at the perfect time. 1) Its only January 5 so I'm really not starting late at all, and 2) I had hoped to read more in 2011. Reading has always been an escape, an outlet and a way for me to recharge and I didn't do as much of that as I should have/would have liked in 2010.

I am going to enter in at the Obsessed level which means that I need to read 20 e-books in 2011. I am going to track my books through this blog post (rather than creating new posts for every book) so I will be updating and editing this post throughout the year.

1. Wicked Girls - Stephanie Hemphill
2. Harvesting the Heart - Jody Picoult
3. The Last Summer (of you and me) - Ann Brashares
4. Plan B - Charnan Simon (really bad)
5. Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortensen
6. The Heretic's Daughter - Kathleen Kent
7. The Postmistress - Sarah Blake
8. Seek Me With All Your Heart - Beth Wiseman
9. An Amish Christmas - Cynthia Keller
10. If I Stay - Gayle Forman
11. Sarah's Garden - Kelly Long
12. Lilly's Wedding Quilt - Kelly Long
13. The Help - Kathryn Stockett
14. The Storyteller - Sharon Tillotson
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What about you? Do you love to read? What are you reading right now? Please post a comment, I would love to hear from you.

Boxing Week Sale Clean Up

Last week my mom treated me to my annual New-Year's-Eve-Morning-Without-Babies. This started when Sweetpea had just turned 1, I was almost 6 months pregnant with Ladybug and exhausted and it just kind of stuck. I had a few errands, and a little shopping to day and on a whim I decided to pop into the fabric store on my way home (which is in the next town over so its kind of a big deal for me to actually be able to go). All I can say is that everything was 50% off, except for the Warm n' Natural quilt batting which was 66% off! Can you even believe it? I am still shocked.

Here is a little peak at what I came home with. Soon these will be receiving blankets, Multi-Bags, and I am using the batting for a quilt that I will tell you about soon.

Flannels for receiving blankets and a quilt or two

More sweet flannels

Cotton prints for multi-bags, tea totes and a few other projects

Did you pick up any great fabrics over the holidays or start any new projects? Please leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!

Mail Bag

I was asked by a dear family friend to make a mail bag for her father-in-law. He is in a nursing home and she wanted a bag for his door to serve the function of collecting mail, but also to triple as a bit of decoration and also a name plate.


I used the tutorial in One Yard Wonders. I made a slight modification in size because I didn't have quite enough fabric to use the authors measurements (I think the shape was cut 10.5 x 13" and I can't remember what I did for the hang loops). The fabric is a woven Nova Scotia tartan (Carl's favourite colour is blue) and it is lined with a pale yellow cotton. I used a simple block letter embroidery for the name, again on yellow cotton, and love how it turned out. I added a little Velcro to the middle of the bag to hold it closed when it is empty, because when it hung open it was a little difficult to read the name.

I'm really happy with how this turned out and will be making a few more projects from this book soon - so I promise to share when they are finished.

What do you think? Have you made anything from this book? Please leave a comment, I would love to hear from you!