I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus….

It's Christmas Eve. The kids are busting with excitement, 'The Empire Strikes Back" is on and I am baking. Word on the street is that Santa really likes Monster cookies.

Bright Copper Kettles and Warm Woolen Mittens...

There are a handful of movies that were on regular rotation growing up. "Fiddler on the Roof", "The Gods Must be Crazy" and "The Sound of Music" were right up there at the top of the list. The trailers for the Broadway Musical had me stoked to see how they would handle this classic.  Carrie Underwood as Maria?!?! This could be great! 

….Epic fail. I have no words for how awful it was to sit through the entire show. I wish I could say I turned it off. It was three hours of my life that I will never get back. It did however, inspire the networks to air the original (redemption perhaps?) and even Glen was feeling Christmas-y enough to sit through it. All of those warm fuzzies got me thinking of MY favourite things at this moment. This list is not exhaustive and I'm sure with some effort I could come up with a list of philosophical or sentimental favourites. That sounds like work, so you get this. Enjoy. 

David's Tea

Beaded Bags - Craft Fair Sneak Peek

Like it? Get your butt to the Kings Guild craft fair tomorrow from 10-3.  Grab a coffee and take in all the crafty goodness.  What are we fundraising for? See this post!

Paper Bead Crochet at King's Guild Christmas Gift Sale

Ugandan paper beads - beautiful jewelry made from scraps of paper and bits of glue, handcrafted by people living in a world which contrasts starkly against the reality of our own. Every market day, every necklace sold means another opportunity to provide for a family. To eat. To live.

Crafting through a Minion Uprising

My minions have been keeping me busy, Little Miss minion in particular.  At three, she definitely has a mind of her own and has since the moment she started showing personality. She is spunky, adventurous, exasperating and hilarious. She has insatiable curiousity, and rarely gets into the same troublemaking situation twice. She goes and goes and goes.  Some days I have the mental fortitude to remember that on the other side of this phase, these qualities will serve her well, she will be an amazing and autonomous human being. But most days it is all I can do to keep myself from dressing her in goggles and blue overalls.  In one particular moment of weakness,  I turned the super fun game of "Simon Says" into the slightly less fun version known as "Yes, Mom." Touch your nose - YES, MOM! Stand on one foot - YES, MOM! I think there could be a market niche for this game. Obedient children, no snippy backtalk? YES, PLEASE!

Sh%t My Kids Ruined: Kitchen Chair Edition

I was once a non-parent. It wasn't even that long ago in the grand scheme of things, only seven years. We were newlyweds, regulars at the neighborhood pub and on a first name basis with Tom, the bartender. Everything we owned fit in two VW Jetta's and we regularly packed our belongings into the trunks and left town to follow the next flying contract.

There are many different types of people with as many perfectly valid reasons for not being parents. In the years before we started our little family, I was firmly planted in the "baby fever but husband not on board" group. We had decided that we weren't ready to start a family but that it could definitely be in our near future. We bought our first home, had plans on staying in one place for the next few years and were feeling like grown ups for the first time since we'd gotten married. It was at this point that we became slightly delusional.

Fall is here, and it brought back Pumpkin Spice!

Tomorrow is the first day of Fall, 2013. Fall absolutely rocks my socks. Almost as much as ...

...this Pumpkin Spice Latte Cheesecake. The recipe is here at Sprinkle Bakes.  Really. Eat this. Thank me later. I take no responsibility for the damage done to your waistline as a result of this post. If you top this with espresso whip cream your guests will beg you to keep the recipe a secret. 

***Do not feed to the toddler who is already up past his bedtime. Espresso and babies don't mix, I know you are shocked. Be warned. ***

Weekend Work in Progress

There is something about fall and school being back in session that makes me really appreciate lazy weekends. Caleb just started Grade 1 this year and as much as he loves school, it has been a huge wakeup call. Driving home last week, our chatter went like this:

"Mom, can we go to drop-in gymnastics on Friday?" 

"No, you have school."

"Well, when can we go again?"

"Hmm...in approximately 12 years. Sorry buddy." 

For a kid who heads outside to ride his bike before breakfast, who would choose to eat every meal in his "sniper den" and smells like a combination of cut grass, fresh air and dirty dog, this 5 days/week school is a bit hard to swallow. I have let bed times slide a little bit while the days are still long because we are heading straight into a long, cold, Northern Alberta winter. Our noisy chaotic, kid filled street will be a barren wasteland until March...ish. When I asked the kids what they wanted to do this weekend, it was unanimous. Ride our bikes. Such simple pleasures. Why ever would I run myself ragged trying to plan and schedule when all they want, all they need, is to play outside.

A Boy and His Dog

12 years ago I bought my dad a puppy for Father's day. I taught her all the tricks she knew, hiked mountains and swam in glacier creeks with her. She loved to pull me on rollerblades but hated coming along while we were cliff jumping. She was convinced that it wasn't safe and would howl and cry every time I jumped. I loved that dog and when she lived with us for a year, she was Caleb's best friend. My babies curled up in the warmth of her fur.

My name is Julie, and I am an addict...

I left for church this morning without even a few sips of cold coffee. Some days I kid myself into thinking that I am not truly a caffeine addict, that I can function just fine without it. It was abundantly clear today, that I can not.

Learn to Crochet

I was maybe 13 years old when my Grandma tried to teach me to knit. It didn't take. I had much better things to do with my time like attempting to record the latest song from my radio onto cassette. It was all about perfect timing. You finally had everything set up, radio close enough to the cassette recorder but not too close, you pushed record at just the right moment and then... the DJ would interrupt with something not nearly interesting enough to justify screwing up your mix tape!  Kids these days have no clue how rough we had it!

Twenty years later I am feeling pretty confident that I can figure out this crochet thing. I opened up Google and started my search for any website that would get me started.

Paint Your Countertop: Giani Granite Countertop Paint

The next phase of my diy kitchen makeover project is a countertop update. If you missed the first step, you can catch up by reading through Fugly Kitchen: Phase 1. The glossy black/brown cabinets make my heart very happy!

Brass Ceiling Fan Makeover: Sophisticated Finishes, Blackened Bronze

Think 1995 - dusty rose and forest green.  Pink counters, pink linoleum and pink vertical blinds. Hand painted ivy on every possible surface, including the blades of the ceiling fan in my kitchen. Kill.Me.Now.

Success: Camera strap cover with pockets

Handmade goodies are starting to show up at this house!! So far I have attempted fabric coasters, a cover for my recently acquired sewing machine and a mat for under my Keurig. Blah. None of them terrible, but decidedly un-awesome. 

With so many new skills to learn this year, Pinterest has become my new best friend. The endless pages of easy projects and beginner friendly tutorials call my name and have me completely addicted. In one of my pinning frenzies, I came across this camera strap tutorial by Diary of a Mad Crafter and knew that I had to try it. 

Update Oak Cabinets: Old Masters Gel Stain, Spanish Oak

My kitchen transformation has been a work in progress since we first stepped foot in this house. The previous owners really had a thing for ivy. Oak and ivy, everywhere. Each wall was builder's white, every countertop cotton candy pink. I'd say that it wasn't really my style, but truly it was awful.

The National Post on Hipster Housewives

According to the National Post there is a new trend towards "New Domesticity" or "Hipster Housewives".  Women who are embracing all those tasks that were viewed as such a burden only a couple generations ago. Simple, handmade, housewife. These words no longer sting as they once did.