rose hip

cotton candy...

 

...I've been spending some of my time lately revisiting my flower square crochet pattern; I'm slowly filling up a basket with a whole new batch of these colorful squares. This time, however, I'm dipping into my cotton/cotton blend reserves instead of my woolly yarns to make them.

   

 

I've been using my cotton or cotton-like yarns because I have so many single balls and skeins lying around that I decided it was high time to use them up. Why so many singles? Most probably because I'm always looking for new yarn to trim my pillowcases (I'm always searching for more colors...), end up buying a single ball or skein, and by the time I find that it works with a certain pillowcase I just made up, it's been discontinued and I can no longer use it because a single ball/skein only goes as far as making 3 or 4 pillowcases... Grrrrrrr! Doesn't discontinued yarn and fabric drive you nuts?! It seems to me that the turnover in yarn and fabric design is much too fast... Don't you?

 

 

Anyhow, coming back to my floral squares... What am I planning to make with them? Well, I had this idea and I only need about a handful more to start crocheting them together to try out this idea of mine. I will share it all with you as soon as it's all done and I know that my idea is a good one!

However, whether my idea works or not is all fine by me because I simply love making these floral squares! I've dumped all my singles into a big bag which I lay beside me as I make myself comfortable on the sofa -- hopefully by a nice fire while the weather outside is November-like and very stormy -- I dip into my bag full of yummy colors, get my hook going, and end up with what is pure cotton candy to me! 'Hope you've also been relishing your November by taking the time to do the things you love... Thanks for the visit and I'll be back hopefully very soon with some more goodies...

 

look what I got!...

 

 

...I've been meaning to post about this book for the longest time now, but in my usual delinquent way, I just haven't gotten around to it! After all, I've had the book up in my sidebar forever now, saying that my pillowcases are featured in it, and I haven't even written a post about it... So, if you haven't seen the book yet, you'd have every reason to think I'm pulling your leg about the pillowcase feature!

Well, I will come to the proof that my pillowcases are actually in the book, but first let me tell you just a little about  Selina Lake's Homespun Style: it is simply GORGEOUS! If you're at all like me in that you love looking at inspiring spaces filled with charming flea market finds and accessorized with lovingly crafted objects, this book is for you. If you can't get enough of looking at pretty piles of fabric and lovely baskets full of yummy yarn, this book is definitely for you! I had an impossible time trying to select the pages I wanted to share with you because Selina's styling and Debi Treloar's photos make each page a visual treat.

I have to say that this book holds a special place for me because it is all about embracing artists and crafty entrepreneurs who, with the help of the internet, have brought back the importance of that which is "handmade" and "recycled" into our consumer-mad society. Selina's book encourages each one of us to tap into our crafty sides and create ourselves cozy living spaces stamped with our own personal styles. I think Selina should be applauded for conceiving a home decor book from this angle in such a beautiful way and I therefore encourage you to take a look at it at your local library or bookstore if you haven't seen it already... I have a feeling that you'll have a hard time putting it down! Here's a small sampling of the many gorgeous photos you will find in the book:

 

 

 

And as for my pillowcases, here we go...

 

 

Isn't it all so beautifully styled?! And when I look at the book's sources, I have to pinch myself!...

 

Happily for us, Selina is a very busy lady as she has a new book coming out in March 2013, Pretty Pastel Style, which I can't wait to get my hands on! This week she revealed the book cover for this new book on her blog and I was tickled pink when I saw her post...

 

Thank you, sweet Selina for all the homespun loveliness!...

 

 

 

 

P.S. Wow, I've amazed myself this week -- I've posted twice in 5 days!

 

poppy red...

 

 

...after battling with my computer for the last little while and finally giving in by purchasing a new one, I'm online again and I'd like to rewind back to August when I discovered a lovely color of spray paint called "Poppy Red" at our lake house... I wanted to spruce up some garden furniture so I went out and bought a few cans of spray paint in different colours. I tried them all and immediately fell in love with the can of "Poppy Red"! I had to use this shade on more than garden furniture, definitely on some interior stuff... I've been itching to change the colour of my Lillesand Ikea bed which you can also spot in the mosaic in this post; wrought iron black just doesn't work for me these days... So one beautiful August afternoon later, my dull black bed became my happy poppy red bed! What do you think?!...

 

...or with my favourite vintage eiderdown...

 

In case you're wondering, I also painted those cool little retro night tables and the painting... well, the painting is one of my all-time favourite thrift shop finds -- at the sweet price of  $12.95!

The crochet-trimmed cushions I made back here and the pillowcase to the right is the most precious item in the photo as my 12-year-old daughter, Eva, made it for me for my birthday in August. Here's a better shot of my very sweet handmade gift:

Isn't it just perfect?! As far as my crochet-trimmed pillowcases go, some of you have sent me notes wondering if I'm still making them... YES, I am because I've missed making them so very much! I will be slowly re-stocking my shop as of this week with some old favourites and, a little later on, with some new styles -- can't wait! While a lot of my time in October was eaten up by working on a project I can't tell you about quite yet, I have new things I will be starting on and sharing with you very soon. Oh, I'm so very happy to be back and thank you so much for coming back to visit despite my long absence!

 

computer pains...

 

 

...'Just a little note to tell you that I've been having lots of computer issues this month and have been offline for most of the month... Ugh! I've finally had to toss my computer and purchase a new one which I will be installing shortly and I should be back by the end of the week. 'Talk to you then!...

 

before and after...

 

 

...aren't before and after photos the best?! I love when bloggers post them because they really show the dramatic change that comes about when one becomes inspired to alter the look of something. So, I thought I'd show you a before and after of my own in this post. At our lake house, the need to locate a spectic field left us with this very ugly and very visible scar on part of the property. Over the last year, I've been greening it, bit by bit, by throwing lawn alternative seeds which have resulted in mostly clovers, little daisies and pansies, and by planting shrubs, trees, and perennials on the perimeter as you can't plant anything of substance right on top of the septic field. Take a look at the result...

 before:

after:

I'm thrilled that I found the first photo which I took almost exactly year ago because it puts a huge smile on my face when I look at the second one which I took very recently. I think that it's such a good idea to take photos throughout the stages of a major project, such as building a house, laying out a new garden, or renovating a space, because you really see the progress you made and it is so very rewarding to see that after all the work you've put into it! If I hadn't taken the photo of our septic field last year, I'm pretty sure I would not have remembered how barren this space looked only a year ago. (I find it so exciting to see how the butterfly bush in the forefront filled out over this summer... Wow!) This green space of mine is still a work in progress, but it's amazing to already see how green it's become in only a year and looking at the two photos above definitely inspires me to keep working on it. (It drove me so crazy last year whenever I looked at it, and because of the way it sticks out as it's on top of a hill and is somewhat rounded, a friend called it our helipad!)

 

 

Do you have any good before and after's to share? (Please leave a note in the comments if you do.)

Talk to you soon...

 

goodbye lake...

 

...hello city! We are back in Vancouver, the children are back in school and I am back in my basement sorting through my fabric and organizing my work area. This summer, while sitting on that dock you see in the photo above, I vowed to myself that I would get all my basement work done in September upon my return to the city. OK, well, maybe vow is too strong a word...Whatever the case is, I want to get my basement organized and cleaned ASAP so that I can get back to making things and blogging more regularly... Oh, I can't wait!! So, this is a short little post as I have to run back down to my basement and I leave you with these photos of the lake house (I do have more to show you but I still have to sort through them...). Anyhow, thanks for dropping by and talk to you soon!

 

sweet corner...

 

...at the lake house for which we made this little desk using wood from the crates in which our chimney stone was transported as well as these great IKEA legs... What do you think? Here's a closer look:

 

 

And why not just throw in a crochet-trimmed cushion to make the chair a bit more comfy while blogging?!...

As you can see, the floors still need to be done, the windows trimmed and, for the most part, paintings are not hung on the walls because everything still needs to be painted... But who really cares when you can sit at a desk with a lovely view of the lake, listening to all the "happy sounds" coming from there! And might I add what a simple pleasure it is to be able to quickly run out into a wildflower patch and make dainty bouquets to sweeten little corners of the house!... 

 

 

Before parting, I'd just like to thank all of you who kept visiting my blog this summer despite my long absences and send out a special thanks to the authors of all the sweet comments and emails I received throughout the summer! I should be back very soon with more glimpses of our lake cottage...

 

 

 

at the lake...

 

 

...pretty much all the time since my last post, but in the last week, with a bit of a difference as we figured out how to connect to the internet (trying to get some Olympic viewing in was a big motivator!}... So, big Hello! from the lake as I post for the first time from here and I do hope I'm catching you enjoying a glorious month of August wherever you may be! 

 

 

So what have I been up to? Mostly soaking in the gorgeous summer sunshine by the lake (and definitely in the lake!) with my family as well as with good friends who have come by to visit us. The children are having a blast and I have to say that I am in no great hurry to get back to Vancouver; I am definitely in deep denial that it is already mid-August and soon enough the school time grind will be upon us... Ugh! 

 

 

I have also dabbled a bit in the garden, although not a lot as it has become too hot to do any real planting; a trim here and a tuck there is all I've done and I find myself mostly sitting around in it, marvelling at all the busy creatures (bees, butterflies and a ton of hyper hummingbirds to name a few,,.) packets of wildflower seeds can attract!

 

 

And on what have I been doing all this sitting around?... on the garden bench in the photos, of course! While I purchased it at the end of July (always such a great time to purchase outdoor furniture as it is all being cleared!), it didn't quite look like as it does in the photos; it was painted in a antique-look greenish beige color and the cushion was a solid beige color which altogether made it look a bit sad and drab! So, out came the spray paint in a lovely shade called fairytale pink and... instant magic!

Now, the beige cushion cover wouldn't do anymore with the fairytale pink makeover so what to do given that I don't really have any fabric here?!... Well, during my big basement cleanup in Vancouver, I re-discovered and re-organized a ton of fabric squares I had cut in the past to make patchwork blankets and I decided to bring them to the cottage so that my kids could put together their own patchwork blankets; they've started on these and have had lots of fun doing so but I think we need some rainy days so that they can continue working on them!. While looking at their patchwork projects, it dawned on me that I could also make use of these squares to make a cover for the bench cushion... and so I did!

 

Since buying the bench, I found two more matching chairs which I bought and I plan on rescuing them from their beige drabbiness in the next few days. As soon as I do so, I will share the makeovers with you because, well, I am now connected at the lake! So, happy to be in touch with you again and I hope you come back and visit soon!...

 

  

 

off again....

 

...to the lake after a brief stay in Vancouver -- summer is in full swing here and the lake is the place to be! I wish I could post from the cottage but at the moment our internet connection there is a bit tenuous... I will be back soon enough though and I do hope you are all enjoying a lovely month of July!

 

off to the cottage...

 

...for the next couple of weeks or so because summer seems to have finally arrived (fingers crossed..!) in Vancouver. I don't have any photos of the new kitchen at the cottage to show you as promised because it isn't finished yet (grumble, grumble...), so you will have to be contented with a few bloom snaps that I took over the last weekend when I was there. Anyhow, I should be back soon enough to show you what we've been up to at the cottage (for one, my kids and some of their friends who have come with us to the cottage have started putting together some patchwork blankets for themselves from a bunch of fabric squares I cut a while ago... so much fun!). 'Hope your month of July has started off swimmingly!...