ccccccold

I've got a serious case of the winter blechs. Usually in March we pack up the kiddos and head south for a little well deserved sunshine. This year, however, we ventured to a different vacation destination much closer to home. We headed to White Point Beach Resort right here in wintery Nova Scotia. It was lovely but ccccccold.

This week our brothers, sisters and parents all head to warmer climes and we are left to count the days until spring melts the ice from the sidewalk and rains away all the ugly black snow. Boo hoo.

New beginnings

A New Year is upon us. As with every year before I set new goals to be more organized and to strive for balance between looking after myself and doing all those things required of me.
I am at my sewing machine daily working to make cute things to sell and occasionally a little treat for myself. Alas, I have killed many a pincushion in my pursuits. After toying with the idea of buying a beautiful handcrafted one instead of the cheapo tomatoes available at the fabric store I decided to make my own.

I decided to fill it with emery which are fine metal shavings which help keep your pins sharp. FYI, this is the substance inside the mysterious strawberry attached to your standard factory made tomato pincushion. I sent away for a bag of it from dottyral and foraged my scrap pile of fabric for the pieces of my cube. I made a cube of equal dimensions out of cotton muslin and filled it with emery,sewing shut the small hole after the emery went inside.

I made a cube from my fabric pieces , but left off the top. Lastly, I popped the muslin cube inside the fabric cube and handstitched the top on.

Happy Canada Day!

I had a nice Canada Day surprise today. This little hat worn by my lovely son was featured in a treasury on the Etsy front page. Hooray. I hope my model doesn't get wise and ask for a raise.

A Happy Anniversary

This weekend Paul and I celebrated our sixteenth Wedding anniversary. We stayed in a cottage owned by my Aunt and Uncle in Queensland a stone's throw from the beach. The weather was amazing, the scenery fantastic and the company as charming as always.

We really enjoyed visiting the Hubbards Farmers Market on Saturday. So many incredible vendors and tasty baked goods. I am already planning to go back. We drove to Lunenburg on Sunday and had an incredible meal at an amazing Italian restaurant. Lunenburg is such a beautiful town with so many interesting shops and restaurants. We had a great time.

Halifax Spring Hobby Show

I had the pleasure of visiting the Spring Hobby Show on the weekend. Barbie enthusiasts, miniatures of all kinds, model trains and military models aplenty.
What fun to see the hobbies of Halifax on display. There was a whole room dedicated to lego displays. My boys were thrilled. They scooped up some very cool ( and somewhat labor intensive) army sets. Ah.. I love the smell of model glue in the afternoon....

Off to the races

My fearless husband, being a alumni of the Canadian cub scout movement, decided to enroll our boys (and himself) in the program this year. There have been winter camping trips, fundraising ventures, skating parties and, of course, weekly meetings. Last weekend we attended the much anticipated KUB KAR RALLY.


The rally was held in a warehouse with lots of room for multiple tracks and a large group of anxious cub scouts. Each boy (and his pit crew parents) had put hours of love and creativity into building the perfect design. There were tanks, police cars, race cars, bobsleds and even a hot dog car.



All cars needed to be weighed prior to racing. They could weigh no more than five ounces. The right weight, coupled with the right design could result in victory. Fishing weights, coins and washers helped provide extra weight. After an exhaustive prepping of the track by the cub leaders, we were ready to begin.

Three by three they raced to the finish line in endless heats. After a mere two hours the winners were awarded gigantic trophies and plaques. The defeated racers left (some with tear stained faces)filled with schemes to secure victory next year.

A taste of sunshine

I have returned from a lovely Florida holiday. It was wonderful to see the sun and all the lovely colors that come along with it. Palm trees, flowers and happy faces. Delicious.

Now we are home. It is snowing. It is brown and muddy. The sun is nowhere in sight. Please tell me the winter will soon come to an end.

HELLO Dolly!

So, here is my first tentative foray into dollyville... When I heard about the Dollies for Haiti campaign from the lovely(and very talented doll making team) ladies at Third Street Handcrafters I knew I wanted to join in.

Being a stay at home mom and therefore a woman of very modest means I have been wondering how I could make any contribution to the massive needs of a country so decimated by disaster. My hand sewing skills are very undeveloped( I am a slave to my machine), but I do bring something else to the table. I have two crafty hands and a heart full of love.

I hope that she will bring companionship to someone in need of it. Her arms are stretched wide. She is ready to give the hug I am too far away to deliver myself. Safe journey little friend.

SNOW DAY!!!

After months of waiting, my kids were rewarded with the most coveted of winter happenings.. the first snow day of the season! What a joy it is to see a sleepy school morning face transformed into the euphoric "school is cancelled" face.

Many hours were spent frolicking in the sizable dumping of snow. There were tunnels and snowmen and many pairs of wet mittens and snotty noses.

Jiao zi

Before I fell in love with my sewing machine, I found my creative expression in the kitchen. This weekend, being Chinese New Years, I thought I would pull myself away from sewing projects long enough to make something to contribute to my family's epic Chinese New Years feast.

I cracked open my latest issue of Fine Cooking and decided that Chinese dumplings would be the perfect thing. Chinese New Year traditions are all about starting off the New Year with good luck and all of the food and celebrations are filled with things symbolic of good health and wealth. Long noodles for long life, red colors and loud fireworks to burn or scare away all the bad spirits. Any food that has a Chinese name that brings to mind money, gold or wealth is considered good luck. Jiao Zi (Chinese dumplings) means "money" in Mandarin. Here is a whole heap of good luck to start the year off....

Kawaii cuteness

I have been obsessed for some time now with Japanese fabric. One particular sort is referred to as "kawaii" which encompasses a wide assortment of adorable prints. Little deer, mushrooms, bunnies, dolls and all manner of cuteness abound in the kawaii category.

Here is my latest "snazz" offering to use some of my Kawaii stash. Japanese fabric is more expensive because of its quality and the fact that it is imported so I try to use it mostly for smaller projects. I have been using it recently to make wallets as well. So many possibilities....

Tragic Beauty

I love to find beauty in those things and people that are just a little different. Perfection is not as appealing to me as slightly flawed.

I knew this was the tomato for me as soon as I saw it. Field fresh and beautiful and just a little weird. I thought the strange appendage looked like a nose but others in my family saw it differently. Degenerates all of them.

He(definitely a he) was a good tomato. Juicy and flavorful and the perfect ingredient in a mouthwatering B.L.T.

Wake up and smell the Craft Show

Okay..I know it has been some time since my last entry. Suffice to say I had a lovely summer surrounded by friends and family and now it is autumn..

I was very excited to participate in a local craft show this past weekend. It was hosted by the ladies of Vervain Designs. It was a grand afternoon of schmoozing with like minded people and snacking on possibly the best bowl of chicken noodle soup I have ever tasted.

The crowds were not what we all hoped for but I did manage a few sales and even got a custom order from one of my fellow vendors to make a tote bag for her paintings. I also bought a gorgeous necklace for my sis in law's b day.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable day and a great experience. I love the crafty folk. They are some good people.

Happy (foggy)(belated) Canada Day!

I love a parade! Sounds of drums and bagpipes tromping down the street are among my favorite summer sounds. We feted the country with a parade, some cake and a visit to Citadel Hill. Now, if only the sun would make an appearance it might really feel like summer....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA!!!

Disconnect and Reconnect

Well...we wanted to celebrate our Fifteenth Anniversary in Italy but financial realites did not cooperate. Instead we climbed in the car, leaving the kiddos happily tucked in with family and drove for about 40 minutes. We had rented a beautiful seaside cottage in Indian Harbour, N.S. for two delicious nights of rest and relaxation. The view was spectacular and literally dripping with atmosphere being cloaked in a blanket of fog. We played the part of tourists in our own province. We climbed the rocks at Peggy's Cove and snapped photos like mad. We enjoyed each other's company without the distractions of telephone, internet and children. We watched in rapt attention as nature unfolded its beautiful tapestries and performed symphanies of sight and sound. Ahhhhh......

One for me

Sometimes (especially when you are a mom) you forget to do nice things for yourself. I love to sew and I love having one of a kind handmade stuff. It stands to reason that I should be my best provider of hand made stuff right? Not so much. I pick out fabric that I love, turn it into stuff that someone like me would buy and then...I put it in my etsy shop. Yoink!

I bought this fun Alexander Henry fabric when I visited Florida last year. I have been trying to figure out something "snazzy" to do with it all year. Finally I realized that the perfect recipient of this custom order was ME!! I ordered myself a tunic, I made it and I love it.

Nice work if you can get it...

Free room and board. Early morning snuggles. Maid and chauffering services. These are the perks of a model here at snazz inc. Your requirements include looking enthusiastic when the camera is pointed at you and negotiating for a higher salary when the blackflies are biting.

Lessons from Mom

As I grow more experienced in Mom hood I begin to realize all the gifts my mother gave to me as a child. Not the least of which is how to be a goofball. This is not to say that she is not also a voice of discipline and self control. She is no pushover.

I remember the absolute glee I felt as a child when my strict and serious mom would pull a face or say something silly and decidedly "unmomlike". This reminded me that my mom was more than just a mom. She was a mysterious figure with a completely different face that was sometimes hidden from me. The promise of a momentary slip of the "mom" mask was a secret that I cherished.

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Coming Clean- Confessions of a Soap a holic

Okay, I admit it. I am a little obssessed with handmade soap right now. Shampoo bars, soap, bubble bath, scrubs, butters, cream perfumes and lip balms all made with love in small batches in the homes of talented people.

I love the salt and sugar scrub from the shop of bovinebubbles It has a wonderful exfoliating texture which glides on your skin effortlessly, leaving a wonderful sheen and fantstic aroma.

I love the amazing fragrance left behind on my skin in the body butter fromcarmel soaps

I love the delicious flavors and cool slide tins of lip balms sold by shannon's irish bliss

I recently brought my kids into my soap circle when I ordered them some bubble bath fromdennis anderson soaps

I have also ordered from the etsy seller pixie soaps

I vowed that, after ammassing such a large stash that I would resist the urge to buy more soap...That is when the soap gods reached out to me. I participated in a craft show on the weekend which was also attended by a local soap vendor. I bought one soap. Just one. Its important to support the local economy you know. But then...
She offered a trade. One of my hats for eight bars of soap. The rest of the story is soap history.

Gong hei fat choi!

I am very fortunate to have married into a very wonderful and generous family. They have taught me much about the value of sharing time and many wonderful meals in the company of those you love. From my father in law comes a wealth of wonderful traditions from his Chinese heritage.

Every year we come together to celebrate the Lunar New Year. As any good celebration, this one culminates with a feast shared with the extended family. The New Year is a celebration of good fortune and prosperity which is reflected in the dishes served. There are usually long noodles which represent long life. There are dishes with elements that bring to mind wealth or prosperity sometimes just because of their name or appearance.

This year we had Cantonese Chow Mein , Shrimp stuffed Tofu, Braised pork shoulder with dried oyster,mushroom and fat choi, duck with Chinese yams, chicken, white rice and tea steeped eggs. We also had sweet and sour pork to appease the white people at the table. Those white folk love their red sauces ;)

The children and unmarried people are given a red pocket of lucky money and everyone goes home with a clementine.

More important than all the food and decorations is undoubtedly a leisurely meal spent enjoying the company of family who wish each other a healthy, happy and prosperous new year.