Monday, October 29, 2007

Sara's first pumpkins

Yesterday Sara's aunt and I introduced her to the art of pumpkin carving - her role was to help scoop out the pumpkin guts! One is the pumpkin off our vine, which is tall and skinny... kind of like Bert, so it only seemed fitting to do a Bert and Ernie theme for our babe's first Halloween. Sara cautiously leaned in to touch the smooth, cold pumpkin that would become Ernie...
"What is this wet slimy stuff in my hands??"
The finished pumpkins! I added some of my paints to make the characters more 'obvious'.

Friday, October 26, 2007

friday photos

I haven't posted any pics of Sara this week, so here are some new ones to end the week. She looks so cute in this little cupcake shirt I just want to eat her up! The jeans, as you can see, are way too big though. They fell down when I was bouncing her on my knee.
And here she's wearing a dress I knit her, it has a ribbon tie at the back.
Have a great weekend! Tomorrow we're getting our new car seat checked by St. John Ambulance and visiting Sara's Grandpa for his birthday, and then Sunday is pumpkin carving day! I can't wait to see her get her hands (and likely mouth) into all the goo....

Thursday, October 25, 2007

in the bag

I've been having a love/hate relationship with my diaper bag. It's one of the essential items of toting around a baby/toddler and all her stuff (not to mention your own stuff), and few moms I've talked to really love theirs. Function and style hold equal weight with me. I love the look of my bag, and it's messenger style is great for slinging on, but... now that I'm carrying Sara in and out instead of using an infant car seat, a shorter stiffer handle set would be much easier to pick up (especially off the floor). And, the magnetic flap that once seemed so ingenious when everything I put in there was, well, smaller, now means I can't close the bag at all. Why? Because, I after I cram it full of diapers, wipes, toys, play blanket, bibs, jacket, hat, shoes, meals, etc.... it just doesn't close most of the time. I think I need something a bit bigger.

Anyway, along came Etsy... sigh. A girl can spend hours on Etsy, can't she? And I found some beautifully made ones with great fabric, like these... 2 from Pockets of Sage


from Bliss By Heather
And then I found these by Midnight Creations. Large totes for a good price that have a life after being a diaper bag, and they come in my favourite Chocolate Lollipop fabrics by Anna Maria Horner! Happiness! I've contacted her to see if she has some of the other CL fabrics for a large tote with a zipper top.

The changing pad that came with my bag is too small for Sara now, so I took a quick peek for one of those too, just for fun.... honestly, do change pad manufacturers think babies are toilet trained at 3 months when they're still short? I like this blue/green one, this polka dot/paisley one, and this pink squares pad. And, this one is a bit short at 20", but it's so lovely...
Some other cute Etsy finds are these felted nesting bowls, and this hat from the Portland Beanie Company. There are several colour combinations, and matching Mary Jane slippers. I know, this DOES have Sara's name written all over it, doesn't it?

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

decisions, decisions

Things have been busy around here lately, but after my friend introduced me to this blog and I found this post about 'creative self-control', I had to take a deep breath and smile. This blogger/artist does a great job of articulating what she feels is a problem with her art -- a total inability to settle upon and stick to a definitive "style". YES! I really GET IT. I too suffer from MSD (multiple style disorder) and it has always made me feel like I'm really lacking something. Like I'm not really good at any one thing, not really an "artist". The post, and comments afterwards, were to me like someone offering me a big bowl of Ben & Jerry's Half Baked ice cream, with extra brownies and fudge sauce on top. What a comfort and relief!

Witness exhibit A ... these are recent pieces. I've had a thing for birds lately.... and combos of pink/brown/red/rust/teal. Please ignore my crappy art photography, the flash so often reflects on the paint and distorts the colours. I can't figure out how to stop this from happening, and no flash usually makes everything blurry.
And here's exhibit B... This is actually only about 3/4 done, but it shows my expressive 'kid' style. It's going to be for Sara's room and I'm having a lot of fun with it! I'll try to get a better photo of it when it's done.
I also have an expressive 'adult' style... and people seem to like my paper/paint mixed media, which looks quite different again. But, I don't see this as a problem anymore. It seems to be a quirky creative trait that so many of us share. I have too many ideas and inspirations rattling around in my head to pick just one! And maybe I just wouldn't be me if I didn't always have a myriad of painting/mixed media/knitting/quilting/sewing projects in the wings. And let's face it, like the other blogger, I have trouble making decisions in general. Anyone who has been to a restaurant with me can attest to my inability to pick one dish off the menu... and even when I have it narrowed to two choices, after I order I feel better if someone else at the table ordered my other choice. Just so I can see it and possibly try some.

My other issue? Before having a baby, I painted with the intent of selling or giving them away except for a few pieces that were made for a certain spot in our house. Now, I want to give everything to Sara!

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

new projects

I decided that I want to make Sara's Xmas stocking myself, and my goal is to have it done for her first Xmas this year... I found these fun fabrics, and will be doing a patchwork quilted front with the red chenille (left) as the back. I couldn't find a free pattern online, so I'm going to try tracing my own stocking and adding a seam allowance.
I also picked up some felt to applique a circle in the middle with her initial, and some rick rack so that it will look like an ornament hanging in the center. I'm still in the "ambitious beginner" level of sewing, so wish me luck!

And here's a stash of fabric I've started, that's waiting to become a patchwork quilt for Sara's bed when she's out of her crib. It's ages away, but that's how long it will take me to do it! Here's the little pile so far...
It's funny to be thinking about her next room already (I even have a binder to collect ideas!), but it's really important to me that it be as unique and individual as she is. I don't want it to be all matchy and straight out of a store... I want to find different pieces and make what I can. There's a new canvas on my easel today that I'm quite excited about too.

In some ways it's really hard to find time to be creative with a little one, but in other ways I'm more inspired and productive than ever. It's the less time = do more stuff effect. Making things, especially things for Sara, is a necessity for me. And sometimes being creative just more important than having a spotless house!

Friday, October 12, 2007

the tooth and sitting up fairies

It was a big week of milestones as Sara turned 6 months old. She rolls around constantly and is sitting on her own now for several minutes at a time! I guess all of the back arching when I sat her down before was because she didn't feel steady or ready to sit independently, and now she does. It amazes me how one day babies aren't able to do something, and the next day they are. I still keep a pillow behind her for now, just in case! Here is my rock star baby, sitting down doing her best Jimmie Page impression.
And, after 3 months of drooling and chewing on anything in sight, plus 3 sleepless nights this week, I was overjoyed to rub my finger on Sara's bottom gum yesterday... and feel a sharp little tooth poking through! With all the buildup, you'd think I would have been prepared for a painful process, but no... so when our babe who has slept through the night so well since she was 2 1/2 months old had three sleepless nights in a row, it was not pretty. I won't lie, it was a tough week. She wasn't upset the first two nights so we weren't sure what was going on. She was just awake and 'talking' loudly in her crib. She also lost her appetite, which was concerning and almost landed us at the doctor's office. On the third night she was crying inconsolably, which made my heart break for her, and Ian rocked her in the chair while I tried cold teethers. Finally a dose of Tempra helped her for a few hours, and the next morning, there was the tooth! Her appetite came back today too, thankfully, and she seems just as relieved about the whole thing as we are.

The funniest new trick is that she has figured out how to play Peekaboo. She does it with the cloth book I made for her, by holding it and then bringing it down into her lap fast and laughing after we say "Where's Sara?...." The best part is that she doesn't always cover her face with the book... most of the time she holds it on top of her head like a hat, so we can actually see her face the whole time!!

Oh, and the best new development? Sara gives hugs. They are the best hugs in the world, and make me oh so happy to be a mom.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

the great pumpkin

We've been nurturing another baby this summer -- a pumpkin in our backyard -- and yesterday I introduced it to babe #1. I was simmering a pot of turkey stock on our stove with leftover turkey from the Thanksgiving dinner we hosted on Sunday (Sara's first big family holiday!), so we couldn't go far.... but after a rainy morning I still wanted to take her outside when the sun came out. So we sat on our front porch where I had proudly put our pumpkin on display, and I let her touch it. She immediately lurched forward in my lap and tried to eat it, like she does with everything these days! She was quite interested in this new smooth orange toy so we had a nice time outside listening to the birds and watching leaves fall from our trees. When we came back into the house we were greeted by the most awesome, warm turkey aromas from the kitchen. Finally, it's Fall!

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Zoo and Markham Fair

I'm a little behind in posting, but here are a few photos from the Zoo and Markham Fair last week while Ian was on vacation... Sara was interested in some animals at the zoo, but apparently this friendly gorilla couldn't even catch her eye by banging on the glass!
Sara and Sophie meet the real giraffes!

I was so excited to bring her to Markham Fair, it's amazing to bring her to something I've attended every year since I was 8... first for the animals and rides, then for the beer tent, now with our daughter. Amazing! My diet for the day was coffee, apple cider, Tiny Tom donuts, fudge, and fries with gravy. Mmm.
like mother, like daughter...


These outings were the perfect kick-off to fall. I'm counting down the minutes to turkey, stuffing, gravy, and pumpkin pie... happy Thanksgiving everyone! I think it's obvious what I am most grateful for this year!

fun with baby food

So far Sara is loving her food - she leans to the spoon and squeals in between bites for more - and I really enjoy making her produce. There's something very rewarding about selecting local produce from a farm, preparing it and watching her happy face as she takes her first bites. She loves the rice and oatmeal cereals now, and sweet potatoes are a big hit.

Now we're trying butternut squash. I bought a BIG squash at the Markham Fair, and after cutting it (which is an art, and at some points I wished I had a saw) I quickly realized that it would make about 30 servings of baby food.... so, since I was making a casserole for dinner anyway, I came up with this recipe that would feed us and our babe. I was quite impressed with my domestic ingenuity :)

Roasted Vegetable Pasta and Butternut Squash Puree

1 large butternut squash
1 large red pepper
1 large yellow pepper
20-25 large cremini mushrooms
2 cups dried pasta (any medium pasta will do, I used macaroni)
Olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pkg Goat cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Peel and chop up the butternut squash. Reserve about 1/3 for the casserole, and start steaming the rest (takes 15-20 minutes in the steamer).

3. Cook pasta, until just al dente. It will soften further during baking.

4. Chop the other veggies into chunks, and place in bowl with reserved squash. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Spread veggies on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, until slightly golden. Stir once or twice during roasting.

5. When the squash is cooked, reserve the steamer water in a measuring cup and place squash in food processor. Puree until smooth, adding cooking water as needed.

6. Fill baby food containers with puree, and let cool. I filled 8 2tbsp containers for freezing, plus one serving in a dish. Let cool before freezing.

7. Place pasta and vegetables in a large baking dish. Pour the remaining squash puree over top and stir.

8. I put the casserole in the fridge at this point, to bake just before supper at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, covered with foil. Remove foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes to brown the top. Otherwise, bake immediately for about 20 minutes at the same temperature.

9. Serve with goat cheese on top (I like a lot of goat cheese)... Yum!

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

read to me

We have a gift certificate on the way from Chapters for $100, and I've been trying to contain my excitement about buying up a big pile of children's books for Sara. This kind of shopping opportunity requires some research and planning, and although we already have a good selection of books, I've had no trouble compiling a list! I just haven't added up the cost... (and yes, I realize these links are to Amazon... I just like their site.)

1. Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee. This is a Canadian essential kids' book!

2. Picture This by Alison Jay. With vibrant folk-art inspired paintings and a simple large-type word format, this picture book makes an ideal first-word book. Each turn of the page reveals a new perspective on what has come before and gives a hint of what's to come.

3. Who Lives Here? by Tanya Roitman. Vertically stepped pages create the architecture of the tall, tall house, and die cuts hide and reveal each of the animals in this gentle story about friendship and learning to share. Rich, traditional folk art accompanies this retelling loosely drawn from a Russian folktale the author enjoyed as a child.

4. Count the Birdies by Matthew Porter. Based on Japanese woodcuts, this beautifully designed and crafted board book that not only helps children learn to count, but to recognize colors as well.

5. The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle. The author of "The Hungry Caterpillar"'s eloquent text and brilliant collages turn the simple life cycle of a plant into an exciting story, a nature lesson, and an inspiring message of the importance of perseverance.

6. Counting Kisses by Karen Katz. We have her 'Daddy Kisses' book and love her style!

7. The Wheels on the Bus by Paul O. Zelinsky. This is Sara's favourite song and the book is beautifully illustrated.

8. Petit Connoisseur: Art by Karen Salmansohn. A good way to introduce little ones early on to the beautiful and amazing world of art.

9. The Balloon Tree by Phoebe Gilman. Another Canadian classic for little girls with big imaginations.

10. Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton. It's about sheep with an illustration style I love. What other reasons do I need?