Better Late Than Never

My cousin had a baby in July and I've had "make a baby gift and mail it" on my to-do list for months.  I'm not usually a terrible procrastinator so I can't really explain why I was this time.  Do other people suffer from selective procrastination?  She also has a 6 year old so I picked up a Halloween book for the 6 year old and I knit the baby some Halloween socks. In some ways this is kind of more fun than the normal baby coloured anything....I'm grasping at straws to explain my tardiness...anyone buying it?  I was busy...I had jam to make, a bathroom to renovate...what can I say.  In any case, my point is that it truly is better late than never.  I'm sure my cousin will get a kick out of them and will forgive me for not being in touch sooner than this.  Sometimes we let things drag on and think it's too late but it's never too late to tell someone that you were thinking of them.  

Witchy Baa tried them on and they fit perfectly.  

All About Autumn

I know I'm not alone in thinking that Fall is the best time of year.  The colours are breathtaking.  Is there anything more comforting than a hot cider or a meal made in the slow cooker on a cool day?  How about pulling out your hand knit sweaters and feeling that snuggle you remember so well.  I know that the season immediately following this one is not going to be that much fun but for these few glorious weeks of spectacular colour there is no other season.

What is your Gratitude?

Mine is -------  Healthy children, my own health, my faith, family-especially my parents, friends, pets, job, living in Canada, books, music, my apple laptop and my iPod (thank you Steve Jobs), my table saw and drill, my home, my vehicle, coffee, yarn, fresh fruit, HGTV, fall colours, the hard times that have shaped me ...... and so much more!

Paige's Perfect Pizza

My daughter is a creative cook.  She's able to root around in the fridge and come up with a great meal when it seems like the cupboards are bare.  My mom is the same way.  I'm more of a 'follow the recipe' kind of cook and I really admire cooks who just wing it.  She came up with this super simple, super fast and super healthy pizza.  She uses a tortilla wrap, spreads pizza sauce on it, sprinkles on her toppings - tonight we had garlic, ham, mushrooms, red peppers, broccoli and cheese.  Then she bakes it right on the rack at 375 or 400 for about 8 minutes. 

Yummyliscious!

A little modern art to go with the pizza

This blob of knitting will eventually be a Harvest Moon sweater.  

Pattern by Heidi Kirrmaier available on Ravely.

When Life Isn't a Bowl of Cherries....Fill Your Own Fruit Bowl

I LOVE fruit!  I was turned onto a market called H&W about a year ago.  The prices are amazing.  Every time I walk out of the store I feel like yelling "start the car" just like that crazy lady in the Ikea commercial.  The only problem is I'm the one driving.  

I got a heaping bin of fruit and veggies for $22 bucks today (yes I realize the $ symbol and the word bucks is redundant but I think it deserves repeating).  I think it's hard to eat healthy on a budget.  A lot of junk foods are a lot cheaper than fresh produce.  Typically the amount of food that I buy at H&W would run about $50-$60 in a regular grocery store and I've never spent more than $28 and can barely carry the bags they are so full.  I'm just so glad that there is a place like this for people who want to eat healthy but need to stretch their grocery dollar.  

I wash everything as soon as I get home.  Just put everything in the sink, spray with a fruit and veggie wash, fill the sink with water, take the fruit out after soaking for a few minutes and set on a tea towel to dry then fill up the fruit bowl.  I also make up a bowl of fruit salad typically with some melon, mango, kiwi, and throw in some canned oranges or pineapple or both.  I like strawberries and watermelon but add those on a daily basis as they can get a bit too soggy by Friday.  I take a bowl of that to work for a mid-morning snack.  I peel carrots and wash other veggies and cut things up so that I can grab something healthy instead of something not so healthy.  If it's ready it's a lot easier to stick to eating healthy.  When it's not ready and you have to clean, cut and chop it is far easier to grab a handful of crackers, or chips (I know they all start with a c - I'm partial to the letter C) and I do have a huge weakness for chips.  So much so, that I rarely buy them because I can't stop eating them.  Fortunately (and please don't hate me) I've never had cravings for chocolate.  I don't dislike chocolate but it's just not my go to for foods that one would crave.  If I did crave something sweet, it would be butterscotch or caramel.  

I hit the jackpot tonight.  My daughter cooked dinner when she came home from work.  She BBQ'd chicken and corn and served it with steamed veggies and salad.  She is such a good cook, so much better than I was at her age.  We often work out a deal where she does the cooking and I do the cleaning.  I was (heavy emphasis on the 'was') the mom who cooked dinner every single night but as the kids got older and moved out, came back, worked shift jobs and weren't around to eat a meal I'd cooked, I got to the point where I stopped trying to plan meals and was quite content to figure out what I was going to eat when I got home.  It's so much easier to cook for one because you don't feel obligated to put all the food groups on the table every single night.  If I want a salad and a piece of toast, that's what I have.  If I want cereal, I balance it later with ice-cream.... I'm nothing if not well balanced.  I guess what I'm trying to say is I got tired of being the chief cook and bottle washer.  I think if I hadn't had a break from it I would have just continued to do it, but once I got a taste of freedom there was no going back.   It almost makes me want to stay single for the rest of my life.  I almost mean that too.

Well I hope you find your bowl of cherries full to the brim this week.  If you don't, just substitute other fruit.  Contrary to the popular saying, life is not always a bowl of cherries, so make up your own mix!

I'm ready for my close up!

My mom took me to the beauty parlour.

Do these bows make my butt look big?

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

I have been on holidays for the past two weeks. I've knocked off a wack of to-do's on the list. Wack-a-do's done!

I also fit in a trip to my hometown with my son to visit my parents for a few days and it was a really nice break. They live at a beautiful lake in Saskatchewan and my mom has created an amazing oasis with all of her flowers and decorating.  She spoiled us rotten as she always does.  The weather was spectacular and it was a wonderfully relaxing time. Unfortunately my daughter had to stay behind and work which was disappointing.  Growing up sucks.

The bathroom is finished!

I love the way it turned out.  In fact, I think this might be my favorite reno I've ever done. Not in process, but in finished look.

I finally got the mirror on Wed. They told me it had been cut for a while but they couldn't figure out who it belonged to because the note taped to it had fallen off. Considering I had called 3 times 2 weeks prior to see if it was ready it sounded strange to me. I kept thinking they might have broken it, but couldn't understand why they wouldn't just tell me that. I was just so happy that they actually cut the holes in it that my exasperation did not last. Besides, it's pointless to get twisted about the small things in life. These minor inconveniences add interest to the day and are certainly not real problems. My son came over Thur to help me install it. Definitely a two person project. I can't quite believe it actually happened considering the earlier disappointments in the cost overrun, the run around at the glass shop and the possibility of breaking it during the install. I love love love the look of the lights on top of the mirror.

Friday I installed the faucet. I've done this once before quite a few years ago and all I can say is upon reading 'drop stopper into drain body and insert ball rod into opening' I'm grateful to the person who invented diagrams. I don't think I'll be applying for any plumber jobs anytime soon. The one thing that always frustrates me is my limited physical strength. It's harder for me to get fittings apart and so on but I persevere and having a locking vise-grip makes the impossible possible.

I made some folding tables that I will post later with instructions on how to make them.  

I made a jewelry case using a store bought picture.  

I finished a pair of socks (1 was about 2/3 done on the trip to Saskatchewan...10 hours each way in the car is a lotta knit time.  I love having grown up children who can drive!!!!  .

This picture which is now hanging in the bathroom was something that I had made previously.  I bought the frame in the As Is at Ikea for $5.  I cut the brown mat board for the back and then I used double sided adhesive and cut it to size and then sprinkled sand on top and then glued the shells on.  I bought the starfish at a cute little shop on the California coast.  I love having things around me that are meaningful from travels or handed down from family.

And THAT is how I spent my vacation.  Got lots done (even cleaned out the garage).  Had a great break.  Oh and I finished reading The Help and then went to the movie.  Both were very good and I highly recommend them.  The book was better, but I've never been to a movie that was better than a book.