Kanzashi in Bloom

I attempted my first Kanzashi flower yesterday. I am pretty happy with how it turned out, but I find it is a bit too big and bulgy at the back to put in Amaris' hair. I think perhaps it would would better on an adult, or as a shirt or purse adornment.

I also had never heard of Kanzashi until yesterday! Kanzashi is a type of fabric flower first used in Japan, they become popular in the Edo period when the women began wearing their hair up in elaborate styles and would decorate with combs and fancy silk flowers (such as the Geisha). There are only 12 (ish I think) known Kanzashi masters left in the world, you used to have to apprentice to learn the art. Isn't it amazing, APPRENTICE to become a MASTER at making fabric flowers! I love how seriously they take such things, it's an art form!

I got the book "Kanzashi in Bloom" out of the library, it was most helpful! I did find a tutorial though here:

http://www.jenminnis.com/kanzashi.html

Winter Things

My little darling turned three this January. THREE. When I started this blog she wasn't even ONE. Isn't she the most beautiful three year old you have ever seen? I can say this because I'm totally biased. But seriously.
We had a pink birthday, pink cake, pink balloons, pink hats, the whole house exploded into pink. The above picture is of her actual birthday day, not her party. I'll post those photos later, but beware your computer may glow pink when you open the page.

(My Mom and Jamison enjoying the white cold stuff)

We also got our first snowfall. Oh Victoria, how I love thee. We got about 4 inches and it stuck around for two days. I have had everyone on the island's worth of snow and cold so I am pleased as punch to say WE NEVER GET SNOW HERE. Well, once a year. Heck, it was like -5 for like, three hours one day. Crazzzzzzzzy.

Everybody knows on the island that when it snows - YOU GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY. Schools are cancelled after three inches for petey sake. I am not kidding my Saskatchewan and Albertan friends.

All in all, this winter has been pretty good. It sure is beautiful here in paradise.

(Our view from the dining room table)

Every Parent in the World

I came across an article I firmly believe every mom (and dad) in the world should read. It really is exactly how I feel every single day in my parenting.

Please check it out by clicking right HERE. :)

My adorable children, worth "the climb" of parenting's Mount Everest everyday!

Beautiful can be Simple

Found a site I like. It's full of pictures collected from different places of simple, earthy touches, beautiful baked goods, awe inspiring patterns, and dwellings that inspire a big "sigh" and thoughts of peaceful occupancy.

I think beautiful can be items reclaimed and used for different purposes. I think beautiful can be a former ugly with a coat of spray paint (I usually lean towards white). I think beautiful can be a handful of monochromatic flowers from you garden. I think beautiful can be spending time to set the table instead of eating in front of the TV. Beautiful can be simple, it just takes more time! :)

More Stuff

Christmas is a wonderful time of year. For me, I have realized it is so much more than one day. It is at least a month! It's the one time of year people step out of their narrow focus of Me-World and try to share joy.
I'm also really feeling convicted lately about the lengths of our joy sharing. We aren't going far enough. We are getting so caught up with giving STUFF to each other (seriously, how many of us already have too much stuff?) that we are not helping the truly helpless. I even catch myself running through the mall getting last minute gifts, walking past the World Vision booth with it's orange-hatted volunteers, "too busy" or "too on budget" to stop. Horrible. I feel so convicted about this. If we put all of our billions of dollars we spend buying more stuff towards the truly needed, think about how the world would change.

A good article that got me thinking is here. Read it in it's entirety or don't read it at all. It's not that long.

I read a quote once (I can't find it now) and it was along the lines of, "If I stop buying things today, I could never possibly use up all the stuff I have right now." If you never bought another piece of clothing, could you wear out your clothes, all of them, until they were unwearable? Sheesh we have our priorities so messed up here, and it seems almost impossible to get out of the mindset of entitlement.

Here's to working on a change of heart, when the other part of me is thinking that I don't want to think about it!!

Jamison's Birthday Bash

My little guy is officially one! And I'm officially amazed it's been a year already. We had a heck of a bash! Lots of family and friends and yummy food. We did a potluck style dinner, I made sure we had a few basics, like big pots of chili, buns, and the plates and cups and drinks. Then everyone else brought amazing things and we ATE! I wish I had a picture of the spread.

I did a dessert table that had brown paper bags (I have a thing for brown paper bags) with colourful ties on them, cake pops, marshmallow pops, cupcakes, and chocolate moustaches. I had lots of fun!

The ties on the goodie bags actually were very handy for organizing them, I did purple ties for the girly bags, yellow ties for gender neutral, green ties for little boy and blue ties for older boy.

We did the party at David's grandparents church basement, which has a full kitchen, lots of space and benches and tables, perfect! I also set up a bunch of my toys from home to do a children's play area that I enclosed (not totally successfully) with benches to contain. And I also set up a table with sugar cookies I made, and plates and candy and icing for the older kids to decorate.

Jamison actually loved opening all his presents, it was too cute. Can't beat this enthusiasm!

One of my favorite parts of the party, my chocolate moustaches! Jade and I totally have the best movember 'stache!

Welcome Fall!

Well I have conceded. It's no longer summer.

We welcome fall in our house by going to our old road and hunting for chestnuts. It's like an Easter egg hunt, but without the chocolate.

Amaris has developed a rather interesting 'camera smile'. Yes, it's this little gem here:

Hmmmm. What can I say about that. She smiles like this almost every time I ask her to smile for the camera. Hilarious!