In anticipation of summer, we are bottling ginger beer.  The bug has been growing on the window sill for a week now. Each morning we feed the yeasty mud with some more sugar and ginger.  Despite the sound of it, it is downright fascinating watching it bubble away. The first batch is bottled.  Tasting should be in a week, when summer finally arrives. ...

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  It is all about the little moments.  The calendar has turned, the decorations are coming out and we are counting down to Christmas.  We have a nightly tradition of advent calendar and Christmas stories before bed.  The candle is new for us.  We pop up between stories to check how far it has burnt, with a little line for each day. We...

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  Little snowflakes are finding their way into our house.  The pretty little snowflake decorations turned out to be just the thing to entertain a seven year old when confined to the house.  They are made with Hama beads (similar to Perler), laid out on a grid and then gently ironed.  Together, we searched for patterns and began to sort out our bucket...

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 3 Little girls, one light house, 258 steps and the adventure begins.   The Cape Palliser Lighthouse is a place that has always been special to me.  It is at the cusp of oceans and situated so far south that you don't realise that you have slowly turned around to find yourself facing north again. Between this grand dame, and the beloved book...

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This little pair of foxes was group effort. Mother stitching the big fox and daughter stitching the little one. It was the kind of project that had me pulling fabrics, aching over choices and generally remembering why making softies can be simultaneously a frustration and pleasure. In one of those moments of frustration, I suggested that E make the presents for her friend. ...

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There has been stitching, crafting and oh so many adventures.  I couldn't possibly leave them in the depths of a forgotten camera memory card. This little mermaid is the result of a girl who believes her mother can make miracles.  The night before the party, she asked for a mermaid, for her friend.  Of course miracles are abound here, especially when one sets...

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  Winter means winter coats.  I have been stitching away, with these coats just waiting for it to get cold enough to wear.  Of course, this doesn't mean that everything else the children wear is seasonally appropriate.  Check out those bare knees!! The girls promptly told me that they are elf coats, not pixie coats.  Apparently, elves are cooler.  I think we can...

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Thrifting has been following a theme lately. There are some things that I already have and treasure, and then - I find more.  The second Mr Weeble is case and point. Sometimes there is a fine line between treasuring and hoarding.  For now, I'd like to think I'm still on the treasured side. ...

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  I am gradually reclaiming my sewing space.  It had been taken over by marauding artists and overpriced pop up shops. Six year olds can be very tenacious shop keepers. Consider the shot of my cotton to be a sample of the general mayhem that had taken over. I'm getting down to making winter coats and started with trying to find the right...

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This little quilt started well before the winter olympics.  As we watched, the more we saw of the costumes and wonderful patterns below. The more we saw, the more this little quilt had to be finished.  Sochi Olympic pattern from - http://www.graphicart-news.com It was made with the help of my Monday night quilting friends.  Each person made the triangles for a different colour,...

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  There is a growing collection of mismatched cups on my windowsill.  I love the colours, just a little murky and so cheerful.  They are waiting for me to get started on giving them new life.  You see, each one is a little broken.  Some chips are obvious, some cracks only show up when the cup is full of hot water.  I could...

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Every spring I start looking at my vegetable garden.  The needles get put down in favour for spades, hoses and time outdoors. Sometimes it hold my attention, other times things get a little despondent by the end of January - lack of water (or watering), white fly and plants bolting to seed.  This is not one of those years.  So far we have...

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This painting just had to come home with me.  The muted colors have me wanting to paint the walls to match.  I love the distant peaks and water front houses.  It feels so very sound of music.  I almost want to rip down the curtains and make playsuits for the children - so much easier when you have 2 rather than a Von...

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January is great time to embark on epic projects.  My friend Christine is one for epic projects and last year was no different.  Christine has just finished showcasing her 2013 project - 365 3x3 inch squares of embellished goodness.  Then at the end of the year she packaged them up and gave them away to a friend - one to open for every...

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Our garden was taken over by the Great Mystery Hunt yesterday.  5 little works of art were hidden around the place.  Each one had a clue or activity to keep little minds thinking. Adults were on hand to help with the reading and some of the clues did not have right or wrong answers.  The graffiti knitting reappeared, promoting the kids to choose...

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Sometimes creativity is a force to be reckoned with.  H helped her self to a buch of flowers from the garden and told me we were about to hammer some flowers like they did on Sticky TV.  I can only be thankful that the hammers are kept well out of reach or she wouldn't have waited for help. To make you own flower...

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To celebrate the end of the end of the festive season, we made galette des rois.  While the galette baked, we broke down the Christmas tree and boxed up decorations.  We celebrated a few days early this year to avoid a clash with first day back to work blues.  Great food and company made a fantastic end to our Christmas celebrations. Unlike last...

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For a brief moment there was a fantail on my couch. I meet up with friends every Monday to sew.  They keep me sane.  Every year we have a Christmas swap and this year it was cushions.  This little chap only just made it to the party.  I was stitching until the minute I left the house. He's now sitting on the couch...

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