Happy New Year!

Howdy!

Did you have a good Christmas? We sure did. A visit to the city to spend a few days with my family after the mad rush of Christmas making. Eating, laughing, loving. Yep, 'twas good.

We had our annual New Year's raclette tonight. So good. 

I got some things for Christmas that I'd like to share, but I haven't been in a picture taking mood. Maybe once the kids get back to school and some routine and focused thinking time are available.

I plan on doing a deep house cleaning in January. And maybe even finally repainting this place. Neve keeps calling January the "magical month" because I say I'll find all the lost things when I clean the place. There are a few iPods, sunglasses and other treasures missing. I sure hope they are indeed here to be found. 

See, no pictures to show you. I think my husband may have taken a few. I'll check another time.

Well, that's it for now. Couldn't let this occasion to go by without thanking you for visiting.

Blessings for 2014!!

Amanda

1st Snow Day of the school year.

Unbeknownst to this household and maybe many more in this area.. this happened overnight.

 They are predicting a big snow dump on Sunday. 

 So this, Day 3 of snow in a row, was a surprise.

 A no school day surprise.

A "Guess I won't be driving to the city today", surprise.

But the best part..

 Oh, and this...

Chicken in the crock pot with homemade BBQ sauce, and chicken in the soup pot for lunch. 

Going to try this lemony chicken recipe.

Have a good one.

Amanda

Happenings

G'day.

How is it where you are?

This is what we woke up to.

Nice isn't it?

This kind of snow is what I call "movie snow".

It means it's warm enough to play in.

This year, the spirit of Christmas is being sponsored by my 7 year old daughter, Neve.

 She created this little display. Cute.

The kids are wearing their fuzzy Santa hats everywhere. She is singing Christmas carols constantly and is learning a few on the piano.

 Secrets are being whispered to the elves. The kids were disappointed one day when the elves were suspended from a disco ball in the living room. They couldn't touch them and the elves were too high to talk to.

 I got some socks made to donate to the kids' school for a raffle.

 

Sadly, there weren't enough ugly Christmas sweaters in my travels this year. 

Guess they've caught on for all those "Ugly Christmas Sweater" parties.

If you're local or in town, pop over to the Gallery 138 shop on Water street, next to the Bistro 138.

Some nice stuff there for someone on your shopping list.

And one of my favourite small town moments..

 Mail for the kids without any address on it. 

It was a thank you for them playing the bells, tictoc blocks and whip in the Hand bell Choir selections at a concert. I don't think I have a picture. hmm, just a video. It was our 2nd year participating and it was lovely.

Today, there is no school, Parent-teacher interviews. 

There is fresh snow, sunshine, kids who are self entertained- at the moment- and a sewing list that has to be addressed. 

Looking forward to a slower paced day.

Cheers,

Amanda

of things burlap-ed

I'm in a decorating mood. A Christmas decorating mood.

But in orange. No reds or greens here. 

I'm decorating the brewery in burlap, doilies, silver and orange. Lots of orange.

These jars will hold tea lights.

 Stairs wrapped in burlap, silver ribbon and glitter balls. 

The stockings are made from grain sacks. 

That's only a little example of other plans I have for grain sacks. Can't wait to have time to do them.

 And on the tree..

Burlap wrapped balls... white Linen wrapped balls and orange too.

 Snowflake wool hearts... burlap and orange ones too.

 Burlap and doily stars

Oh, I forgot to show the burlap bunting. 

But more pics will follow. With a proper camera, in proper light. When it's all done. 

A few more touches and it will be good.

I also made this little canvas for an art auction at the art centre.

It's a great, fun fundraiser.

How it works: 

You buy 2 canvasses for $10.

Decorate them as you wish.

Once they are displayed, they are for sale for $25 each. the artist gets $10 back and the centre gets $15.

Ones unsold are returned to the owner.

It was a lot of fun to do and to see all the canvasses, trying to guess who painted what.

Various levels of talent and various mediums.

That's it for now,

Cheers,

Amanda

chickens in the snow.... or not.

We had our first snowfall yesterday. 

A surprise to all, we were expecting rain with nary a cloud in the sky at bedtime.

Since the chickens were hatched in June, this is their first snowfall too!

 They were not impressed.

They didn't venture into the run all day until the snow on the edges melted.

 There was a bit of hanging out in here.

I was pleasantly surprised with an extra egg yesterday! 

And a speckled one at that. 

BUT...

 Novice chicken farmer lesson #1...

Don't put the eggs in your pocket.

The new shell was soft. The other egg layer has nice thick shells now.

Fresh eggs are great. When you put them in the pan, they make a little hill. The whites don't run. 

The yolks are nice and orange.

This picture is going out to you Jen, my Toronto neighbour. Are we back on yet?  HAR HAR

(sorry, inside joke over dark and stormys. or is the stormies? Who cares after 2?)

 I couldn't resist this basket today. 

40% off the red tag sale price.

Doesn't matter that it is a candle holder, I'll use the glass part for something else.

 Right now, it's the perfect holder for my eggs.

Do you see three in there?

Yep, one warm one this morning and 2 more before lunch! 

I can't see a chicken laying more than 1 egg a day... 

so the math says... 

3 egg layers! 

Yippeeeeee.

It will soon be time to have breakfast for supper.

And my rooster hook has a purpose too.

thanks Braggie.

Have a good one,

Amanda

craft show bonanza!

umm, hello.... 

is anybody out there?

When the blog is quiet, life is not.

Last week, i got to return to my old neighbourhood in Toronto.

What a great whirlwind visit, despite a raging cold I got whilst there.

So glad to see everyone and to do all that was on my list.

Thanks to all.

So this week, I did two craft shows with my co-hort.. Barb.

The table on the left holds my woolen bits

 On the right, from the Glass Gallery 138

 My sweater shopping in Toronto did not disappoint.

 But can I just ask, "where are all the stripped sweaters?" 

Guess they weren't trendy last year. People haven't shrunk them yet.:}

This basket of mittens is only the outers. I still had linings to make at this point. It was Friday. A day where the kids had no school and 2 craft fairs on the weekend kind of day. STRESS.

Don't they look purdy? But now, they're all gone! Save for about 3 pairs uncompleted.

Thanks to those who bought. Enjoy. I enjoy seeing my mittens about town on other people's hands. :}

hmm, let's see. in the glass world...

Was inspired by some new white glass and happy coloured glass.

the cut glass, she go in...

 And then she come out....

all nice and smooth.

Notice the little blobby bits in the corners. Now scroll back up and see how they started out.

you're back.

Isn't that the coolest thing! 

 Glass cut into pieces willy nilly with tile cutters come out as cute blobs.

I used previous blobs as the centres of the square tiles.

Well, that's seems like enough tales today.

Stay tuned tomorrow...

A full review of the chicken's first experience with SNOW!

Oh, and it seems we now have 2 egg layers. :}

Have a good one.

Amanda

Proud mama

This is my girl just over a year ago.

It was around this time that she decided to grow her hair so that she could donate it to Locks of Love.

I don't know where she heard of it or what made her think of doing it herself, but she did. 

All on her own.

This was my girl last Friday.

She did it!

Locks of Love calls for 10 inches. It was a bit of a great decision to make. To cut it for 10 inches would mean it would be to her chin. Too short for our comfort. 

And we couldn't let it grow another two inches.

 It was getting dreadfully difficult to manage. 

I had read that they accept 8 inches and sell it to other companies as revenue. Which they need.

Hey, that sounded like a good deed to us. So we went for the 8 inches.

It looks longer in the picture above, but as we thought with her previously curly hair, it shrunk up a bit and rests on her shoulders now.

Along the journey of hair growing, her babysitter decided that she would join the road to good deeds too. They booked the appointment together and supported each other for this big event.

The sitter donated 11 inches! 

So proud of both of them and love that they did it together.

Warms the heart.

Thanks for that.

And now, I must show you the obligatory Halloween pictures for my record keeping..

Dorothy (the day before the big haircut)

and Cool Dude.

 Best part.. I didn't have to make anything.

 And they didn't mind about that.

Yes, the weather was mild enough to go out like this for the evening. 

In fact, I think it actually warmed up.

 We met up with friends and had a magical evening. (after this mama badly transitioned from a quiet house to the running around of excited children. A little stressed out. But came round soon enough)

To quote Rafael,

"That was the best Halloween I ever had in my whole life!"

Hope yours was swell.

Amanda