The almost-nine year old in the house came up with this whimsical scene and photographed it himself. I love the way he told a story in pictures. Who knew a little plasticine robot man could look so triumphant or that older kids could still be interested in simple wooden toys?

This time it was New York, perhaps next time it will be Tokyo.

I’m always struck by the air in North Van. So clean and clear. It just feels nourishing somehow.

And the little beach at the end of the path would be perfect for small-scale sailing. Just sayin’. . .

I’m a little late to the washi tape craze. Paralyzed by indecision, I just couldn’t commit to a whole roll of one pattern. I must not be the only one with this problem because this little shop has come up with a solution. Washi tape by the foot! These super teeny tiny (about as big as a large thumb) spools arrived in the mail today. Each spool has two feet of tape. Perfect for a gal that likes variety!

I’ve been playing with wool roving. In need of some pin cushions I quickly made these with a combination of wet and needle felting. I wanted a very smooth surface and this technique gave me just that! The white one was looking a little bit like a dumpling though so I added a bit of a brown stripe. Now I think they both look more like stones which was the intention. I love having one for needles and one for pins.

I have plans for that pine cone too! More to come.

Happy New Year!

I didn’t intend to be away for so long but things have a way of getting busy this time of year. We all fell ill, healed and recovered, celebrated, recovered again and so on .  . . I am learning to simplify but the traditions we have set up are such a part of our family that it feels mean to reign them in. So very often I end up pushing myself farther than I really should.

Still the handmade presents are finished, the baking is done, advent calendar activities came and then were taken away for a few days while we all calmed down a bit. And now we are at the culmination of all this excitement. We have had many talks about how Santa knows just the right things to bring and that even though our first feeling might be disappointment there is surely going to be something under the tree that we will lead to a new discovery and excitement.

Today there was also talk about paying Santa money since he works so hard. Despite assurances that our good behaviour is all he needs, we needed to leave something besides cookies and milk behind to show our appreciation. So it was decided that a simple note would do. Just the words “good work”. It makes me think we could all hear those words spoken more often.

Thanks to a lot of planning and hard work we are ready to spend a full week relaxing at home, without deadlines, events or anything planned at all. Maybe we will find ourselves up a mountain looking for a bit of snow, maybe we will end up at the pottery studio or maybe we will just sit around in our pajamas playing piano or board games. Whatever it is, I know we will have our tantrums and our cuddles and I’m grateful for all of it.

I hope the holiday season brings you all the very best of each other. Good work!

While I was at the show my boys got to hang out with these fellas. I’m a bit sad I missed out on the snowy fun. Always so many things going on this time of year.

If you didn’t get a chance to come by, I’ll be at the Vancouver Farmer’s Market Holiday Market on Saturday, December 17. This will be my last market for the year.

Here’s a coupon for a dollar off admission. Hope to see you there!

Got plans this weekend? Ready to get started on some holiday shopping? This is the place to be. I’ll be there with new seasonal DIY kits and holiday stockings and ornaments as well as the ever popular boat kits and some special holiday give aways.

Plus you can make your own cute little bow tie with Spool of Thread and eat yummy gluten free treats (one of my faves).

Full vendor list here.