:: mon petit amour :: {canadian baby blog}

:: things i love tuesday ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:53:00 +0000

Is there anything better than watching a toddler spray himself with the hose? We enjoyed a lovely warm long weekend here in Calgary.

Some of my favourite things from the last little while.....

- manicures at Butter with a friend

- reading all my lovely canadian blog friends' blogs even when I suck at updating my own :)

(daffodil design, saige wisdom, pinksugarland, just bella, little house blog, rambling renovators, the domestic project, pretty little ivy.) Who is on your reading list?

- this map of the world at littlest mammoth, also the alphabirds

- my new nespresso machine. I love playing barista.

but best of all....my favourite thing of late is....waking up to "mommy, you're my favourite"

I love this little boy of mine :)

:: eating out with kids in calgary ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Wed, 02 May 2012 04:52:00 +0000

In our family, we love to eat. Luckily, H loves to eat too, and is a great little restaurant companion, probably due to how many he has visited in his little life! We tend to frequent interesting local restaurants as opposed to chains, and we have found a few gems in our experience dining out with a little one.

The picture above was taken at Wurst this afternoon. We've found that more trendy restaurants are less stressful when you visit during a quiet time, and we enjoyed a late lunch there in a relatively empty restaurant. The décor is beautiful and the food was delicious. We especially loved the duck-fat french fries and home-made smoked ketchup. H munched on prime rib, pickled onions, bratwurst & mashed potatoes from our plates, and loved sharing apple streudel and in-house made vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Here are our Top 4 Delicious and Kid-Friendly spots in Calgary.

1. Ichizen Sushi - the service is wonderful, the sushi delicious and the atmosphere is bright and clean. Hunter recommends the Udon soup :)

2. Famoso Pizza - neopolitan pizza, fiasco gelato and nutella lattes. Need I say more?

3. Oriental Phoenix Vietnamese - a lovely spot with beautifully presented food. We recommend the half portion pho for little guys!

4. Chianti's - We love to go on pasta nights. It's not the fanciest Italian place in town, but it is super kid-friendly and the service is great for a quick bite!

Honorable Mentions:

The Calgary Farmer's Market Food Court (especially the Fish Tacos)

Calgary Food Trucks (especially Alley Burger & NoodleBus)

Lina's Italian Market Cafe

What is your favourite Calgary spot to enjoy a meal with your kiddos? I would love some more recommendations! We still haven't found an awesome Indian place - any ideas for us?

:: spring has sprung - finally ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:56:00 +0000

Spring is here, and we are loving the warm weather for running around, and for practicing with my new-to-me camera. Evening light is the best :)

:: fair trade easter ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 22:22:00 +0000

The Easter Bunny buys fair-trade truffles from Choklat

One of the reasons I love being a teacher is because my students inspire me to be a lifelong learner.

I volunteer with our school's Humanitarian Outreach Group and at our weekly meetings we discuss how to make the world a better place for people. We volunteer our time locally, raise awareness about international human rights issues, and raise money at times to support humanitarian causes.

We work together to decide how to donate our money in our KIVA micro-credit account - which allows people in developing nations to acquire the funds to become entrepreneurs and break the cycle of poverty. This has inspired me to open my own Kiva account, where I chose a woman from South Sudan who is opening up a fish selling business in order to have the money to send her children to school. Once she pays back the loan, I can lend out the money to somebody else. (you can too, by clicking here. You will also be given $25 to loan out.)

Every year, in addition to our micro-finance project and local volunteer time, we pick an issue to investigate and take action on. This year, we decided to explore Fair Trade. It has been eye-opening and heartbreaking at times to realize how much slavery still exists in the world, especially when those slaves are children.

We watched the BBC documentary "Chocolate: The Bitter Truth" which documents the state of the cocoa industry in West Africa, and opened our eyes to the reality of child trafficking and slavery in producing much of the cocoa that goes into the chocolate we love to buy and eat around the holidays. I watched it around Christmas, and since then, I have tried to buy fair-trade chocolate and cocoa to ensure that our sweet treats are not contributing to child slavery in any way. Because fair-trade chocolate is so much more expensive, it's been good for my waistline as well.

Easter is the number one holiday for chocolate purchases, and I decided to buy our sweet treats from Calgary business Choklat, a unique chocolatier where you can create custom truffles, enjoy real drinking chocolate and savour the most rich and delicious chocolate desserts, all made from fair-trade cocoa beans which are roasted and ground in-house.

We went this morning and created 5 truffles - we chose the fillings, and the toppings that they are rolled in and now they are sitting all wrapped up in brightly coloured foil, tempting me as Hunter naps!

Fair Trade, and reducing my Human Slavery Footprint has become something I think about more often lately. Maybe it's being a mother that makes me so much more conscious about the effects of my actions on the lives of children and their families around the world?

I'm certainly not perfect, but I've tried to be more thoughtful about my purchases in the last few months, especially when buying any of the Top 13 Unfairly Traded Goods, some of which were very surprising! (click to read about them on FairTrade Canada)

Our school Humanitarian Group hopes to put out a Fair Trade shopping directory for Calgary by the end of the school year, and I have been helping create an online directory too. I hope to share both on the blog soon. Until then, I really really love browsing on Canadian site Ethical Ocean (did you see them on Dragon's Den?) to find great companies to support.

I know issues like these are quite a bit heavier than the topics I usually blog about, but I have been wanting to write this post for months. I hope you'll do some research on Fair Trade in your city, and hopefully make a few small changes to make the world a better place for families all over the globe.

p.s If you are wanting to buy some fair-trade chocolate for your Easter baskets, try Canadian company Cocoa Camino, which is widely available across Canada. Click here to find a store that sells this brand. Happy Easter!

:: 30 before 30 ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 03:29:00 +0000

So...I started a 30 before 30 list last year and the deadline is quickly approaching - I turn 30 on Easter Sunday. Most of the time, I still think I'm in my mid-twenties, and when I am at school teaching, I don't feel much older than the high school students.

I'm not dreading turning 30, if anything I think I am happier now than I was at any other age. I am much more comfortable and confident in myself, and I have a beautiful family, a wonderful job and so much to be thankful for.

I haven't checked off everything on my list, but I have accomplished a few notable things:

- finally paid off my student loans (yay!)
- gave our master bedroom a makeover (in progress)
- learned to sew (not an expert yet, but I have made a few cute things!)
- painted a piece of furniture (our $20 kijiji armoire)
- made my own tomato sauce (smitten kitchen's easy one)
- ate brunch at the banff springs hotel (a treat for our 5th anniversary)
- found a red lipstick that I love (as well as the confidence to wear it!)

I'm going to transfer the rest of the list onto my Life List (Jen at Rambling Renovators inspired me!) which I might share with all of you in the future.

This list is similar to the one Laura Vanderkam talks about in her book 168 Hours, though she calls it the list of 100 dreams. It's purpose is to keep you on track to pursuing the things that you have "always wanted to do" in the time that you have right now.

I think I am going to like my thirties, and I see many of the things in my list of dreams coming true in this decade. At the very least, I really want to get to Hawaii for a vacation at some point. Somebody tell my hubby that is at the top of my list....there's still time to surprise me before Sunday!

:: on repeat - everything at once {lenka} ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Everything At Once - promo video from LenkaMusic on Vimeo.

Stealing a page from Andrea's book with the post title today. I love her whole blog, but especially her "on repeat" posts for finding new music :)

My husband saw this ad on our Lion King DVD, he knew I would love the song, and downloaded Lenka's CD, which I am really enjoying lately. Everything at Once is such a fun and cheerful song....and it is too cute to hear Hunter sing along!

p.s check out Lenka's site to hear her singing the song with fan lyrics - what dedication! Can't wait to hear about her new addition coming very soon. Also, I think I want to be her best friend, check out what she tweeted that she was making during a crafternoon. A girl after my own heart!

:: toddlers & haircuts ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 03:39:00 +0000

Hunter loves to practice his hair cutting skills with Toca Boca Hair Salon {love the bow placement}

His hair had gotten pretty long of late, and since it was making a pretty mean bathtime mohawk, we knew it was time for a trim.

I wasn't ready to cut off too much length...mostly because I love nothing more than a cute bedheaded boy :)

But...Daddy got carried away with the clippers, and now we have a clean-cut little faux-hawk instead of a Bieber-do. I don't think he could ever not look cute {I am his mommy after all}

His smart new haircut hasn't dimished his mischeviousness though. He really enjoyed rolling his "bumba-bee" into his new blocks today.

Do you cut your child's hair? Ever botched it like we did with too-short clippers?

:: what i've been up to lately - eating & enjoying life with my sweet boy ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:48:00 +0000

I've really missed blogging the past month. I've got loads of ideas and inspiration to blog about, but I've been busy focusing on a few personal goals I have, including spending more time making healthy and more adventurous foods, exercising (doing the 30 day shred with my amazing & supportive hubby!), and just enjoying time with my sweet little boy.

It's been just over a month since we lost our second baby, and having a few goals to work on has really helped me put our situation into perspective. We are so blessed with so many things....most of all, our cute, hilarious and all around wonderful little boy. I'm looking forward to welcoming spring weather with a fresh outlook on life.

If you follow me on instagram, you've probably already seen all these photos, but they sum up what we have been up to the last little while!

H was sick last month, but this tray of goodies helped him get his appetite back. Thanks to Pinterest for the creative idea!

I just love my job as a teacher-librarin {and the "homework"}

Roasted veggies are a favourite around here. This balsamic roasted cauliflower recipe did not disappoint.

I had fun crafting a few things for my nieces' birthdays. I loved this apron since it hid my less than stellar sewing skills :)

Such a quick craft - and got the Hubs off my back for saving so many jars!

I love taking H to work with me. Such a fun environment for him - and the students treat him like a celebrity!

These kale chips are super tasty thanks to the tahini based dressing. Recipe here.

Smitten Kitchen never disappoints. I was shocked when the Hubs preferred the lentil & sweet potato curry to the butter chicken!

I love reading Chatelaine magazine - especially the recipe section. I modified these crostini by using goat cheese and adding the arugula on top. The avocado pasta from Canadian blog Oh She Glows! was so yummy - almost like a cream sauce....almost.

wow. yum. omg. who knew brussel sprouts could taste so good? The aioli was equally yummy. I cut the fat by using 0% greek yogurt. It was great with raw veggies the next day.

Did some spring shopping at H&M - love the coloured pants, and their cardigans for boys are always so cute...it's one of the only places I can find things I like for boys. No trucks or dinosaurs on everything!

I keep thinking he can't get any cuter/funnier/enjoyable and then he wakes up and it's a new, even more wonderful day. I am so so lucky.

p.s I am also so lucky to have such amazing and supportive readers. Thank you all so much for your encouraging messages following our loss. Much love to you all.

:: doing dishes - 30 minutes later ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 18:19:00 +0000

:: snowy day toddler fun - washing dishes ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 17:12:00 +0000

:: pinterest-inspired pantry makeover ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:31:00 +0000

I've been on a "Pinned it & Did it" roll this weekend! After the exciting Saturday night of baking banana bread, I decided I was sick and tired of my disorganized pantry with it's piles of bags of baking supplies, pastas, rice, beans and all sorts of other things, and that I needed to make a trip to Ikea to buy a few new things to get it in order. I had a sheet of sticky chalkboard paper from a decal I had bought at Winners for a previous project and decided I would use that to cut out labels for all my new glass jars. I love how it turned out!

the new and improved pantry

dollar store buckets for onions & garlic (repurposed from our laundry room)

ikea baskets to organize bags of pasta, rice and beans (that used to drive me crazy in a messy pile!)

ikea jars, along with repurposed mason jars & bonne maman jam jars for all our dry goods.

I always keep the plastic containers from our spinach/mixed greens/produce. They are in organizational use all over our house, in bathroom drawers, cabinets and now, in the pantry to organize tea :)

these dollar store buckets house our snacks (we have a chip addiction at our house), crackers, cereals, and bags of flour. We also have a space for lunch snacks and for potatoes and other root veggies. The space behind the cereal and flour holds the huge bags of rice, oats, and other things that still had leftovers when I moved them into the Ikea jars.

It's certainly not as perfect looking as some of the ones on Pinterest, but this is our REAL pantry with all the stuff we really eat. I was tempted to leave some things out for the pictures, but I wanted to be honest with all of you!

I noticed many of the prettiest ones on pinterest are filled with beautiful coloured bottles of sparkling water, and Duggar-sized amounts of canned goods, and they don't look all that realistic to me. Nonetheless, they provided the inspiration to get our pantry in order, and I am in love with it. For $35 worth of Ikea jars/baskets and a little bit of creativity repurposing some things I already had - I think it is a great improvement on the previous mess :) I keep opening the door just to peek inside again, and hopefully that is going to inspire some new and exciting meals at our house.

:: pinned it and did it {yay me!} ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 18:10:00 +0000

I've been on Pinterest for a while now, and my best description for it is inspiration overload. I love pinning all the wonderful ideas on there, but I wasn't getting around to making many of them (mostly because I was too busy pinning MORE ideas!)

I've really been enjoying Jen's BlogTalk series on her blog, and this quote from Pinterest founder Ben Silberman really resonated with me:

I've created a new board called "pinned it & did it" to keep me accountable to actually getting out and doing some of the things I am pinning. If you don't see it growing regularly, feel free to kick me in the butt to get moving on some projects! I've already got quite a few on there, and a few more in the works, since I am planning a Pinterest crafternoon with some friends to check off some of the crafts we've had on our boards for a long time!

My latest "pinned it and did it" project was an exciting Saturday night Battle of the Banana Breads - I had pinned two new recipes, one super healthy one with no sugar or oil, and one moderately healthy one with reduced butter and the addition of yogurt. I tested them against the Joy of Cooking's Banana Bread Cockaigne, and had the Hubs and little H taste test them for me.

Battle of the Banana Breads

Dinner with Julie's banana bread with yogurt (I added a few fair-trade chocolate chips & walnuts too)

Joy of Cooking's Banana Bread Cockaigne with walnuts

Pinterest-inspired healthy whole wheat Banana bread without oil or sugar (used honey & applesauce)

The winner was..... Dinner with Julie's recipe! don't think any of her recipes have ever failed me. The super healthy one was surprisingly good too, but needs some butter/peanut butter/cream cheese/nutella spread on it to give it some more taste. The Joy of Cooking one was super sweet in comparison to the other two; definitely more of a banana cake than a banana bread that you would eat with breakfast.

It was a fun project, and I now have a new go-to recipe for a family favourite :)

Are you on Pinterest? How do you balance pinning beautiful things, and actually sitting down and making them?

:: happy love day ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:17:00 +0000

Source: Uploaded by user via coochicoos on Pinterest

Feeling so grateful for my boys today. Happy Valentine's day to you and yours.

:: taking back good news ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:41:00 +0000

How do you take back your good news online?

Will it be enough that I will no longer be tweeting with the hashtag #pregnancycravings?

Or that I'll stop posting belly pics and blogging about maternity clothes?

We received some heartbreaking news today, that our much loved, eagerly awaited and dreamed about second baby had stopped growing at 11 weeks and no longer showed a heartbeat. I should be celebrating 15 weeks in pregnancy number two....but instead I'm trying to hide my tears from my sweet, concerned and sympathetic toddler, and trying to figure out how I'll get through the sad weeks ahead.

I announced my pregnancy right around the 12 week mark on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and, of course, here on my blog. What can I say? I was proud and excited and wanted to shout from the rooftops how happy we were to be expecting a sibling for our little boy. It never crossed my mind that how hard it would be to feel the need to want to erase all those happy posts and responses, but here I am.

Although it's hard to have to take back our good news, the support we have already received from our friends, both in real life and online is amazing. We are sad, but hopeful that one day we will have a healthy little baby to add to our family.

I might be a little quiet on the blog for a while. See you when I am feeling better.....

- Morgan

:: taking time to snap the everyday moments ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:41:00 +0000

waking up face

jumping like a monkey

my favourite scrunched up smiley face

"i'm a yion, rawr!"

I was organizing my photos on my computer recently and found that I averaged 400-800 photos a month since Hunter was born. Lately I have really been slacking in the mamarazzi department. It's been a while since I broke out the real camera to snap some shots on a regular day. I rely on my iPhone way too much, and though I love some of the pictures I've taken on there (Instagram always makes them look better too!) it's just not as sharp as the real thing.

I am always so inspired by Andrea of Pink Sugar photography and the beauty she finds in the everyday moments with her clients, and her own beautiful kids so I am determined to learn more about my camera this year. {have you visited her new blog yet? It's all kinds of awesome}

I took these of Hunter as he woke up from his nap today, wearing his favourite "hockey shirt".....I love when he wakes up in a silly, giddy, animal-imitating mood!

:: happy new year - words & wishes ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:49:00 +0000

via (original source)

I have so much to be excited about in 2012, and so much to share with you in the coming weeks.

I've started the year with a big purge of our basement and I'm dreaming of how we'll organize the space and create a play area for H and a crafty/DIY area for moi. I'm sure I'll be ~~wasting~~ researching many hours on Pinterest for ideas on how to beautify an unfinished basement on a dime. I'm going to live vicariously through Jen as she embarks on her basement reno!

Do you find that organizing begets more organizing? I was on such a high after purging and organizing our basement that I couldn't wait to tackle my wardrobe and our home office. I love getting in these "Morganization" moods :)

My new mantra for our home is:

I hope that 2012 has been off to a good start at chez vous. Any big projects on the go with your January resolution energy?

:: see kai run smaller shoes - winner! ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 03:27:00 +0000

I can't believe I forgot to announce the See Kai Run winner on Saturday! My brain must have been extra scattered because of the birthday party.

Without further ado....

Winner is commenter #5 - Leanne B!

Congratulations! I will put you in touch with Fulton Sales to collect your prize!

:: hunter's eric carle themed 2nd birthday ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:49:00 +0000

Brown Bear cake toppers by Canadian Etsy shop Frost & Fete

Rainbow fruit skewers being swiped by the birthday boy.

my Pinterest inspired photo collage

blowing out the candles.

playing with his Schleich animals - his favourite toys!

Eating with his animals.

Loot bags with crayola wood free pencil crayons and sketchpads, felt bows for the girls and a racecar for the boys.

My Eric Carle inspired letters.

He'll really turn 2 on Monday, but we celebrated our sweet little boy today with friends and family with a colourful Eric Carle themed party. I had so much fun decorating....especially using the library books as decor (yay for being a teacher librarian!)

Hunter enjoyed the rainbow fruit skewers, red velvet cupcakes and our breakfast themed meal with quiche, sausages and bacon and a waffle station stocked with nutella, strawberries, bananas, whipped cream and maple syrup.

Hope you are having a great weekend! I'm off to finish up my cookies for a cookie swap this evening....looks to be a very sugar filled day for moi!

:: see kai run review ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Hunter is a bit obsessed with shoes. He loves to try on my high heels as I get ready for work in the morning (which makes for great videos to play at his future wedding) and he has recently mastered putting on his own boots in order to entice me to take him outside!

We were sent a pair of See Kai Run shoes a while back, and I think they look so cute with his skinny jeans. They are a black leather/suede combo (Rafael) and I think they will get a lot of wear this Christmas season.....they will look great with his bow tie!

I love See Kai Run shoes because the designs are so fashion forward without being too busy. The boys shoes mirror what we see out there for Daddy, and the minimalistic designs mean they will match with lots of outfits. Nothing makes me more crazy than busy clothing or shoes....especially for boys. If it has dinosaurs or trucks all over it, we aren't buying it :P

Fulton Sales is the distributor for a number of fabulous baby brands and they will be giving away of See Kai Run smaller shoes to one lucky Mon Petit Amour reader.

All you have to do is:

1. Like Fulton Sales on Facebook

2. Leave a comment on this post telling me your favourite brand that they represent

*hint: their welcome page has them all listed underneath the cute baby picture!

Contest closes Friday, December 2nd at midnight. I will announce the winner on Saturday. Best of luck!

:: canvaspop and printstagram - bringing your instagram pictures off your phone and into your home ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:56:00 +0000

If you are an Instagram addict like me, you probably have a bunch of great vintage-y looking pictures of your littles stuck in your iphone.

I read on twitter today that CanvasPop (proudly Canadian company) is now able to print your Instagram photos onto square canvas. If you follow me on there (@monpetitamour) be warned that I am about to go on a filter kick getting some of my favourite photos instagrammed so I can order a few ($29.95 for a 12x12)

I also found a U.S based website that ships internationally (yay!) called Printstagram, where you can print matte cardstock prints, make tiny photobooks, and create large posters of your Instagram pictures. I think I might order a few prints to create this display at Hunter's birthday. We are going to make a big 2 on the wall with all the cutest pics of him from the last year (inspiration via pinterest)

Are you good at printing out your pictures? Or do you live in fear of your computer dying and losing 20 000 + precious shots like I do?

The Littlest Mammoth - whimsical art prints for children

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 20:13:00 +0000

Accordion Sea by Brooke Weber

Flower Pattern by Carolyn Loebbert

Cupcake Tree by Yu Hsuan Huang

Hunter was up at 4:30 am this morning (thanks time change!) and I really should be napping while he sleeps, but instead I am browsing The Littlest Mammoth, a beautiful and Canadian-based website featuring some of the most gorgeous art prints for babies and children. These whimsical prints would be right at home in your nursery, toddler room, play room.....or really any room where your children play.

Watch for a giveaway from The Littlest Mammoth soon!

:: things i love friday ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

{dangerously simple dessert alert}

2 minute chocolate mug brownies with ~~your toddler's~~ leftover halloween bars

via Babble/Julie Van Rosendaal

These quick microwave brownie cakes may not be healthy, but they are definitely delicious. I highly recommend the Reese Peanut Butter cup version for the perfect late night snack:)

To balance out treats like these, I have been trying new recipes from Julie van Rosendaal's newest cookbook Spilling the Beans. If you have ever made her famous Breakfast Bean Cookies, you know that beans can find an unlikely home in many of your favourite dishes. I have tabbed many recipes to try over the next few weeks, including lots of baked goods, grainy salads and pastas.

I have all of her books and read her blog faithfully. Love this local Calgary chef/author/radio personality. I have already made a few recipes....my favourite being the roasted beet salad (with wild rice, toasted pecans, goat's cheese & kale) which was the perfect lunch last week!

A few other things I love this week:

- Movember goods on Etsy. Is your husband growing a stache? I bought this necklace from Canadian shop Buysomelove to support the teachers at school raising money for Movember. I'm a mo'sister :) You can see all my Movember favourites here.

- Posterjack large poster prints. Ours looks so good in our huge Odby frame from Ikea! Yay for great Canadian companies!

A few great reads around the web:

- Suri's Burn Book. Funniest blog ever for those that read the celeb mags.

- A refreshingly different take on Halloween candy consumption from one of my favourite blogs - It's Not about Nutrition

- are you planning next year's costumes and Halloween decor already. Take a peek at Pink Sugar Photography's amazing decorations and sweet Lila's costume this year.

- If you are ready to start your Christmas shopping and DIY decorating, you have to check out The Holiday Guide by Emily Henderson (thanks Shannon for posting about this on Facebook!). It features the best of the best from your favourite bloggers and web-based businesses, and some great free printables too! I spotted an ad in there from my friend Lindsay of Penny Paper Co and Little House Blog!

:: diy embroidery hoop art ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Here's a peek at what I made yesterday afternoon with my thrifted linen fabric, embroidery hoops and vintage doilies. I think these will look great on our wall for Christmas. {total cost - less than $5}

Embroidery hoops are so much fun and so incredibly quick and easy to use. These ones are no-sew too. I just pinned the doilies/lace/ribbon on the fabric with straight pins. Since they will be on the wall you they won't be a safety hazard. I should probably stitch them on, but I like the idea of unpinning them and trying new ideas with the versatile oatmeal coloured linen. Maybe a felt monogram, or a ribbon bow, or a cute little bunting? The possibilities are endless!

:: wordless wednesday - thrifting date ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:27:00 +0000

{this isn't going to be wordless after all - need to tell you about my awesome finds!}

My friend Sarah (of Daffodil Design) and I went on a thrifting date yesterday. We headed to the MCC store here in Calgary and found loads of inspiring vintage and crafty items.

My favourite finds were:

-the rustic stool made of branches (just needs a coat of paint to cover the teddy bear painting)

-the embroidery hoops for creating some DIY Christmas art (using those doilies, linen fabric and lace)

-the little family of deer that we will be using on our fireplace. thinking of painting them white....

-the vintage Rudolph golden book to add to H's collection.

And.....a milk glass Bonne Maman jar. I love these, they remind me of my days living in Switzerland and eating copious amounts of bread and jam, and chocolate, and cheese.....

Grand Total: $33.50

Thrifting is becoming much more hip lately thanks to many wonderful blogs, and Nate Berkus' show. Do you thrift? Any tips for the best places to go in your city? What has been your best find so far? Mine was a brand new Ergo carrier (like tags attached never been used...) for $5. I was really excited about that one!

:: you will be my friend ::

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 03:14:00 +0000

YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND!

If you are looking for a hilarious book to give as a Christmas gift, you have to check out Peter Brown's "YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND!". It had me laughing out loud at the bookstore (have I told you lately how much I love my job? Spending the day at the bookstore....browsing, reading and loading up a shopping cart full of books....best day ever!) last week and I have really enjoyed sharing it with my students. You can watch a book trailer here, featuring the author being interviewed by the enthusiastic main character, Lucy.

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site

If you are looking for the perfect bedtime book for your tractor-obsessed little boy, you must pick up "Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site" by Sherry Duskey Rinker & Tom Lichtenheld. This rhyming book follows all the big equipment as they power down for the night and go to sleep. Hunter is just loving it, and we love the sweet illustrations (blankie on a big tractor- cute!) in this boyish take on the nighttime read.

Sorry for being so sporadic with posting lately. I feel like I am typing that on every post lately.....hopefully you will still be my friend :)

p.s I added a new section to my Amazon store with all of my favourite book picks for Fall 2011. You might find some great new titles for your library borrowing list, or Christmas shopping list by clicking here. There are picture books, novels and a few graphic novels too, and they are kid-tested and approved! I would love to know if you have discovered any great new books lately!