i d l e w i f e

friday fixations: peony tulips

2012-05-25T09:09:00.001-06:00

If you're a peony lover like I am, plant peony tulips so you can experience the ruffle of a peony well before they actually bloom. These look so much like real peonies that I'm never planting regular tulips again. Also, if you happen to follow my twitter, you probably would have guessed that our basement flooded last night. Thankfully, we caught it early so the damage

DIY: crocheted rag rug part 2

2012-05-23T08:21:00.001-06:00

Now the fun part! Or the tricky explaining part if you're me! Grab one end of the sheet yarn and make a simple slip knot. This is going to be the centre of your rug. Insert your hook into the loop. Pick up the long end of the fabric and loop it once over your hook And pull that loop through the first loop (the slip knot loop) Pull it through to make a new loop.

friday fixations

2012-05-18T09:15:00.004-06:00

{feathers} Whenever Hermes loses a larger feather, I can't just throw it away. They're so pretty that I keep them around, stuck into plant pots. Last weekend, we repotted all of my inside plants, so all of Hermes' feathers ended up in one pot. I kinda like it. Do any of you with birds do this too? {tulips} I know I talk a big game about cutting flowers for inside the house, but in reality,

DIY: crocheted rag rug part 1

2012-05-16T10:23:00.001-06:00

After much thought (and many questions from readers), I've decided to attempt to do a tutorial for how I make my crocheted rag rugs. I was a little hesitant to do one because I think I rely more on feel when I make a rug and not so much on technique, and feelings are really hard to explain when it comes to producing a desired result for someone else. At any rate, I figured I'd try and if there

the gem and mineral show

2012-05-14T10:30:00.001-06:00

This weekend, we went to the Edmonton gem and mineral show. I thought it would be a good way to get my Drumheller fix without actually having to drive all the way to Drumheller. But it kinda backfired on me cuz now I want to go to Drumheller even more. We were kind of disappointed at how few Canadian gems and minerals were there. Stones were also really

DIY: mini notebooks

2012-05-10T12:30:00.001-06:00

I've recently noticed that mom's always looking for something to write a list on even though she's got an iPod (which I keep trying to tell her is great for keeping multiple lists). So for mom's day this year, I thought I'd make her a notepad that's small enough to fit into her iPod holder while providing her with an easy place to jot down her little lists (cuz old habits die hard). Step

may desktop calendar

2012-05-07T08:19:00.001-06:00

I took some pictures of my blooming hoya the other day and thought they'd be great as a desktop calendar. I hope you like it! 1920/1080 1920/1200 ipad ipod/iphone I also reposted my full page May calendars in flickr, too. So if you're looking for one of those, pictures from crafts, nature, and food are available!

friday fixations

2012-05-04T21:09:00.002-06:00

{modern diy supplies} I'm head over heels for these super modern paint-by-number kits! And that fabulous duct tape! When is Target coming to Edmonton already?! I can hardly wait! {domino quick fixes} I was obsessed with finding this magazine when I heard about it. Fortunately, I know someone who works at Chapters, so I had them pick it up for me the minute it arrived. Now that I've had a chance

carrot cake

2012-05-02T08:59:00.001-06:00

It was mom's birthday this weekend and for the first time in, I don't know how long, she was actually with us so I decided to make a cake. The fact that I've been having a terrible craving for carrot cake and cream cheese frosting had absolutely nothing to do with it. I swear. I only made a few alterations to this recipe. I cut some of the oil with whatever applesauce I had

update

2012-04-27T08:25:00.002-06:00

Sorry I've been a MIA this week! Things have been a little busy and hectic around here and I haven't really had the chance to work on anything creative. But I did get the opportunity to help mom clean out her garage, so we finally went through boxes we packed (not kidding) about 10 years ago. It was like discovering treasure! Here're some of the things I came home with: A couple antique

dream decorating project

2012-04-18T14:53:00.000-06:00

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it before, but my ultimate decorating fantasy (well, at the moment, anyway) is to redo Idle Husband's apartment in Athens. There's nothing inherently wrong with the apartment or the furnishings. It would be perfectly acceptable if one person stayed there but now that I'm around, that apartment has become the most uncomfortable place ever in the history of ever

diy: pixel art

2012-04-16T09:56:00.001-06:00

When I suggested space invaders, I didn't really think things would get so out of hand. It started as a suggestion for a painted bathroom wall decal which then turned into possible bathroom art which eventually turned into office art because I actually managed to make the darn thing too large. Finally, I think I am going to look into a professional, artistic space invaders poster for the

friday fixation: tsoureki

2012-04-13T16:38:00.001-06:00

I know it's strange, but this week is Greek Easter so on Monday we promptly (I have no idea how she manages to time the mail so well!) received our Greek Easter gifts. Among the treats, was a loaf of tsoureki (pronounced choo-wreck-ee). I'd never had it before and it fascinated me so much, I had to try some while Idle Husband was at work. He insisted he didn't like it and wouldn't even have a

leftover easter

2012-04-11T08:48:00.000-06:00

We never decorate eggs for Easter. Mostly because I feel like there's really no point to it. This year, however, I kinda wanted a little colour in my fridge so I coloured up the rest of our eggs old school. (You're not going to find any fancy tie-dyes or leaf prints around here.) All you need is some hot water, food colouring, and a teaspoon of vinegar per colour. The floral printed

friday fixations

2012-04-06T18:09:00.001-06:00

{michelle tanner} She's so right. {aziz ansari's 50 cent grapefruit story} Surprisingly, this doesn't surprise me at all. Source: canadiangardening.com via idle on Pinterest {flower beds without removing grass} This problem was on the back of my mind until I learned of a friend's disheartening struggle to install flower beds in her backyard (also a newer build with about

one summer, I painted everything we owned

2012-04-04T11:33:00.003-06:00

I love painting! Maybe not every day as, like, a job or something, but I really do feel this weird craving, this need to paint something at least once a year. I'm kind of weird in that I really enjoy that manual labour stuff. Manual labour and repetitive assembly line work. Yup. I could do that stuff all day every day and I'd enjoy the hell out of every minute. Painting's one of those things

april desktop

2012-03-30T13:32:00.000-06:00

I haven't made a desktop picture for a while, so I thought April would be a great month to do just that. Also, if you still need a printable calendar, the April calendar options from my three calendar series are still available on Flickr. 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1200 ipad iphone

wish list

2012-03-28T09:27:00.001-06:00

It's my birthday tomorrow! birthday wish list by idlewife on polyvore.com Clockwise from top left: Tiny budgie necklace from Lulubug Jewelry (the most perfect signature necklace for me, even if I get it later than my birthday -- hint hint!; macarons from Duchess Bakeshop (and maybe a cheese pie for breakfast since we'll be in the area); I finally got the paint mixed for the main floor

a garden plan

2012-03-26T08:26:00.001-06:00

I read an article in last year's July issue of Real Simple magazine about flower arranging. It was kind of the typical flower arranging 101 article, but I really loved the way they described a simple bouquet. "Create a foundation; add large face flowers; weave in wispy elements." I thought this was the most perfect way to go about planning a garden. Especially if, like me, you

friday fixations: n.e.e.t. the book

2012-03-23T11:50:00.001-06:00

The other day, I finally received my N.E.E.T. magazine book! Back during Christmas, I entered a giveaway and won my choice of book cover! Hurrah! N.E.E.T. magazine was the first online magazine I ever religiously read, so it's very exciting to actually hold something published by them. I've been lingering on every page since! I love Gemma Correll's art so that's the cover I chose. Is it

spring seeds

2012-03-19T09:28:00.001-06:00

I was trying to come up with some Easter gift ideas for the Greek parents, but this year, I didn't really want to do the standard candy, bunnies, and chicks. I've done that already and how many stuffed bunnies do people really need, anyway? So since Greek mom likes to garden, I thought it might be nice to send some of my favourite seeds and create more of a spring package instead of one

friday fixations: joan

2012-03-16T09:46:00.001-06:00

This is something a little different as I don't usually talk about fashion but with St. Patrick's day looming, I have had zip ideas for the day. Actually, no, I had one idea but some other blog "stole" it from me, so I had to move on (I'm sure her's are better than mine would have been. I can make a lot of things but I've always had difficulty with those). I've also been struggling to put

marinated mushrooms

2012-03-14T12:31:00.000-06:00

A while back, I had some marinated mushrooms from the store and wondered why the heck I'd been living my life so long without having them on a daily basis. So one shopping trip, I found myself craving marinated mushrooms but the store didn't have any. So that got me thinking about making my own and now any time I see mushrooms on clearance, I make marinated mushrooms. Because we love

sofa king

2012-03-12T11:57:00.001-06:00

This weekend, we spent some time looking for a new sofa. The sofa we have on the main floor right now has recently been causing a majority of back related problems for both of us and it's just a little too small and a little too uncomfortable. I didn't realize we would use that room for as much tv viewing as we do, so even though I had planned to take my time looking for a sofa, it's gotten to

friday favourites

2012-03-09T12:52:00.002-07:00

{fridge candy dispenser} How cute is this? It kinda makes me rethink my hatred towards ice dispensing fridges. {hanksy} I've always been a big Hanksy fan (a street artist who uses Banksy as inspiration for Tom Hanks inspired pieces), but these are probably my new favourite works: You had me at Jello and Ted Dancin'. {honesty} I really like and believe in the sentiment expressed in this post