myriad of possibilities

Needle Books and Embroidery

2013-02-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

I have been setting up individual sewing kits for the kids as they are showing an interest in embroidery lately. To organize their kits, I thought the addition of a needle book would be a great idea. I have pinned a few cute ones on pinterest.

I had to make two and I used this great tutorial. The cute fruit fabric was scored from a friend who was doing a major destash of her fabric and craft supplies. Woo hoo!

Now that they have their own organized sewing kit, they can work on their embroidered tea towels without hassling mom for supplies all the time. And I don't have to worry about needles poking out of pin cushions and floating loose in their kits.

I predict there will be lots of cat and dog motifs as they are all the rage with the kids right now.

Three Little Bears Bento

2012-10-01T11:25:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

It is the first day of October and I can't seem to believe it. The weather has been exceptionally nice here on the west coast and I am still in a summer frame of mind. Our vegetable garden is still producing and I have strawberries that are ripening in October?!!

And we have had some black bear excitement over the last couple of weeks with a few sightings in the back lane and front yard. So... in honour of our neighbourhood bear, let me share with you the girls' school lunches today. Three little bears onigiri with fruit and veg lunch packed in a stackable bento box.

The bears' faces were made with seaweed and black sesame seeds. And the rice was shaped using a bear onigiri mould.

Have a wonderful day!

Midsummer Fete

2012-07-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

It is time to celebrate outdoors and take part in the local festivals around town. We absolutely loved attending Midsummers Fete at Colony Farm last year and loved it again this year.

There was a lovely knitting station with cute knitted bees buzzing around the trees, and the trees themselves were adorned with knitted decorations.

My daughter's highlight of the festival was learning both the one and four finger knitting techniques. I even had a quick lesson with the knitting needles. How cool is learning how to knit at an outdoor festival on a sunny day!

There was just so much going on at Colony Farm ranging from a tap dancing chickadee, the bee queen, milkmaids, a tea party, hula hoops, scarecrow making, grass weaving, a lively band playing music, a community mandala and much more...

We had lots of fun and look forward to next year's event. Are there any special festivals in your community that you love to attend?

linky party fun at: Debbiedoos

Monday's Inspiration: Quote #3

2012-07-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Monday's Inspirational Quote #2

2012-06-25T18:20:00.000-07:00

Monday's Inspirational Quote #1

2012-06-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Rainbow Dreamcatcher

2012-06-13T10:39:00.001-07:00

My daughter has been asking for a dreamcatcher. So I thought I would try to make one and since her favourite colour right now is rainbow, I decided to use an assortment of colourful ribbons and beads for the rainbow effect.

There are tons of tutorials out there on how to make one so I am not going to go into those details.

The supplies I used to make the dream catcher included bakers twine for the web, ribbons, beads, glue and a wooden ring (part of an embroidery hoop).

I have never made a dreamcatcher before, so I did have to re-string it a couple of times to get the tension correct for the web.

I have read the web catches the bad dreams and the centre hole lets the good ones pass.

She asked me if her dreamcatcher would get heavier as it caught more dreams.

linking to :
making the world cuter, 773blog, fireflies&jellybeans, c.r.a.f.t., craftomaniac, debbiedoos

Lil' Red in the Garden

2012-05-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

I was lucky a little while ago when I won a pattern from Gingermelon Dolls. She makes and sells the cutest little dolls, patterns, and kits.

I have had the pieces cut out since Spring Break so I finally told myself I need sit down and sew her. It didn't take too long to make her. And I am sure some of my stitches are a little wonky. But overall I think she turned out good.

Here is Lil' Red resting against a rock gnome home in our garden.

We had a great week of hot weather and it has been very summer-like. The kids have been playing in our little pool and running through the sprinkler. Even though today was another sunny day, the temperature is dropping and it felt like a normal May day.

Luckily, there are no big bad wolves in our garden!

Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!

linking to: debbiedoos craftomaniac c.r.a.f.t. making the world cuter

Bunny Bento

2012-05-08T22:16:00.000-07:00

Using our largest laptop lunch container and a small square container, this bento held half a PB and honey sandwich, cheese bunnies, carrot sticks, strawberry and cucumber skewers and a home made granola bar.

My four year old had fun and helped out with making the cheese bunnies. She couldn't wait to eat her lunch. And polished off all the cheese bits and broken bunnies before I had time to save them for dinner's mac and cheese sauce.

Black sesame seeds work great for little eyes and noses.

The kids eat so much cucumber and carrots that I am surprised they have not tired of eating them.
I can't wait for all the summer fruit and veg to come into season to add some more variety to our lunches.

linking to: bentolunch craftomaniac c.r.a.f.t. debbiedoos

Homemade Granola

2012-05-03T18:13:00.002-07:00

Homemade granola.

There are a lot of different granola recipes out there but once you find the one you like, there is no going back.

It is easy to customize each recipe. Want it a little nuttier? Add some toasted cashews. Throw in a few sunflower seeds. Do you like maple syrup? Use maple syrup instead of honey. Like coconut? Add a bit in. Toss in some dried fruit - cranberries, apricots, cherries or blueberries. The combinations are endless.

I did a combo from two different recipes - I used oats, sliced almonds, shredded coconut, maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, vanilla but eliminated the dried fruit and added nutmeg and cinnamon.
It was super easy to mix up and bake in the oven.

Even my nut hating child ate a whole bowl full of granola.

I think packaging up some homemade granola in a decorated jar would make a great little addition to a gift basket of homemade goodies.

Updated: Here is the recipe if anyone is interested.

Granola - recipe adpated from Jumbo Vegetarian Cookbook by Phillips and Glossop

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup maple syrup or liquid honey

1 tsp vanilla

Mix together and spread mixture out on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake at 300 F for 35 minutes.

Optional:

1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries

Add dried fruit after cooked.

linking to: debbiedoos craftomaniac c.r.a.f.t.

Two Simple Snack Bentos

2012-04-25T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here are two different bentos packed with snacks to keep away the growlies. Something healthy for the kids.

We have carrot and celery sticks, sliced strawberries, pumpkin bread and some laughing cow cheese (or en francais, la vache qui rire.) I remember that laughing cow was a staple when I was travelling in Europe living off of bread and cheese.

I did end up taking out the cheese as I found out that is is only edible on crackers (according to the four year old).

I don't have a picture of the backside of the pig pick but it has a little curly tail. Then I had to check out all the other animal picks and yes... they all have tails on them.

Here is the second bento - this container is decorated with a bear in a basket with balloons. Love the brown bear's little buddy! However, they don't look too happy being up in the balloon.

This bento was filled with some of our favourite fruit and veg - strawberries and cukes. A whole wheat tortilla cheese wrap was added too. With the kids' bland taste in sandwich wraps, preparing them is so easy.

I do not have a bear pick so the lion was put in this time. If I had a tiger pick to add, I could have called this bento "Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!"

Now that I been taking a little extra time to make more bentos, I want get out to Daiso to pick up a few more items. And I have been eyeing those nori punches too!

linking to: bentolunch craftomaniac c.r.a.f.t. debbiedoos

Camellias and Tulips in the Garden

2012-04-21T11:54:00.001-07:00

Our garden is starting to show some life and our Camellia plant is in full bloom. I hope you enjoy looking at some of the pretty pink blooms below.

And our tulips are showing their beautiful colours too! We wanted to bring in some of the loveliness indoors. Our bouquet of 5 tulips looks quite full by placing it front of a mirror.

Have a happy spring day and enjoy the weekend!!

participating in the following linky parties: debbie-doos, c.r.a.f.t.

Pumpkin Bread

2012-04-18T09:46:00.001-07:00

Are you looking for a delicious Pumpkin Bread? I am not a big pumpkin pie fan but I really like this loaf recipe! The recipe made 3 mini loaves and 2 large loaves. I do find it sweet so maybe next time I will cut down on some of the sugar.

A friend of my was recovering from surgery so I decided to package up some as a get well soon gift.

I spotted a lovely little bird and flower image at The Graphics Fairy and I made a simple wrap around label for the pumpkin bread.

I packaged it up and sent it over. I hope her family enjoyed it!

participating in the following linky parties: debbie-doos, c.r.a.f.t.

Sweet Strawberry Stackable Bento Box

2012-04-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by today.

I have been trying to make lunch a little more interesting for the kids these days. And trying to make use of the different bento containers in the cupboard.

Today, I used a stackable bento box that has 2 main compartments and a thin top one which is held together with a bento box elastic. I picked up this cute strawberry box a couple of years ago at Daiso.

I was able to fit in bite sized home made pizza (leftovers from last night's dinner), sliced strawberries, cantaloupe tulips, butterfly cucumbers, baby carrot sticks and a granola bar.

My 4 year old ate it all and a banana too! She has a very healthy appetite!!

participating in the following linky parties: debbie-doos, craftomaniac, c.r.a.f.t., making the world cuter, bentolunch

Easter Basket Cupcakes

2012-04-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter!!

Today we had a some friends over to make some Easter treats.

Check out these Easter basket cupcakes.

The cupcakes are decorated with buttercream icing, coloured shredded coconut, chocolate eggs, jelly beans, and liquorice.

I think that is enough sugar to get you hopping like the bunny!

linking to these parties: c.r.a.f.t., debbie-doos, making the world cuter, craftomaniac

Spring Flower Bento

2012-04-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

With the spring flowers starting to make their appearance, I thought a flowery bento would be the perfect lunch today.

Cucumber flowers, cantaloupe tulips, peanut butter and honey daisies, strawberry slices and carrot sticks.

We like adding some colourful flower picks to make eating those bite sized morsels fun.

Using cute food picks has been a solution to get our youngest to eat food she normally doesn't. For example, somehow meatballs taste better using food picks. However, if the same meal was served with a fork, those little meatballs would be feeling lonely left on her plate.

So, what did you have for lunch today?

linking to;
craft-o-maniac
bentolunch
making the world cuter
Bento Blog Network

Cookies and Flowers

2012-04-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

Hello and Happy April!!
I was in the mood to bake something this afternoon so I tried a new cookie recipe.

These cookies were fantastic! YUM!! It was the first time I have made this Peanut Butter Cookie recipe from the book Barefoot Contessa Parties by Ina Garten.

I halved the recipe so there would not be an overabundance of temptation around. These cookies are a hit with the kids and they are really tasty so we will see how long they will last in the pantry. My guess they will not last once my husband tries them.

Even though it is not that warm outside today, the kids spread some towels out on the deck for a picnic. We ate our cookies outside. They added a few "floral" arrangements of some freshly picked weed-like vegetation.... I was told they are "be-ooooooo-tiful flowers".

Cookies and Flowers. It was a good afternoon!

linking to:
C.R.A.F.T.
skip to my lou
craftomaniac
motivate me mondays

Stuffed Animal Bling - Making A Collar

2012-03-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

What did I do last night you might ask?

Well... instead of sleeping, catching up on some reading, or watching some "T and some V" as the kids call it... I made some pet collars for the girls' newest stuffies. I don't even remember why or when this idea appeared and became a priority in my daughter's life but after a few days of nagging, I broke down and made them.

So let me introduce Lickety, Cherie, Moto and Molly:

Here are the finished collars:

After I made the first red felt ones, I came across some cute ribbon and decided to add a monogrammed tag to the collars. (I think I spent more time looking for my felt glue to make the tag than sewing the ribbon, felt and velcro together.)

And here they are with their new collars:

What a smart looking crew!

linking to

C.R.A.F.T.
Debbiedoos
making the world cuter

Egg Heads

2012-03-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

Spring is almost here! But why is it snowing during Spring Break?!! We have been disappointed with the cold weather.

But overall the sun is starting to shine more, the grass is starting to grow, and Easter is approaching. The sun, grass and eggs remind me of a craft the kids did last year. I am not sure what you would call it but here are the steps for this egg-cellent craft for kids. I guess it is a DIY version of a Chia Pet.

Collect some egg shells with just the top off (rinse out and air dry)
Draw a face with a permanent marker
Fill with dirt
Add some grass seeds
Water
And watch the "hair" grow

The egg stand was just a strip of craft paper that was rolled up into a ring and taped together. The 'hair' started to grow after a few days.

linking to:
skip to my lou
Debbiedoos
keeping it simple

Making Lunch Fun Bento Style

2012-03-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

Tired of the same boring sandwich for lunch. Here are some ideas that will make lunch fun!!

Adorable animal food picks can perk up a lunch! The kids love using them to eat bite sized morsels.

Mini animal sandwich cutters (which also double as cookie cutters) make the cutest finger foods. Egg molds add a little interest to a boiled egg. Mini cookies cutters are great to make shapes out of fruit, vegetable or cheese.

Bento boxes work well for creating a litterless lunch.

Wouldn't you enjoy a bento lunch?

linking to

C.R.A.F.T.
Debbiedoos
making the world cuter
bentolunch
bentoblognetwork

Little Bird Heating Pads

2012-03-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

A heating pad or warmed bean bag at bedtime is a must have item for my daughter. We used her Warm Buddy stuffed bear for awhile and then just ended up using the bean bag. After the bean bag's life was up, we implemented a quick fix and "The Sock" was born - a rice filled sock with a knot on the end! The Sock is on its last legs and I had been thinking of making a new heating pad.

I took a quick look the other day for some ideas and came across these lovely little "Chick-sicles" from Just Another Hang up.

I picked out a few fabrics from a stash of old clothes I have kept for upcycling into other projects (most of these clothes seem to have mysterious little holes that I swear are caused by my washing machine). I followed the patterns and instructions on Suzanne's blog, and created my versions of these little cuties:

My daughter just said, "Thank you for making us these birds." I am so glad she likes them.

Note: I just realized the button eyes might not be the best option in the microwave. I will have to remove the buttons and embroider them instead if it is going to be used as a heating pad.

linking to

making the world cuter

C.R.A.F.T.

Fresh Baked Bread

2012-02-29T21:59:00.000-08:00

Is there anything better than the smell of baking bread? Maybe biting into the first slice that is spread with butter and your favorite jam. Yum!

I am starting to venture into the world of bread baking since home made bread puts most store bought breads to shame. I still buy bread from our favorite bakery when I don't have a chance to make it at home.

I have been trying a couple of different recipes from one printed on the back of the Rogers flour bag to a basic good bread recipe out of a Canadian Living cookbook. And as far as kneading the dough, well... I let my kitchen aid mixer do all that hard work. If I had to knead bread by hand, I know I would not be making it at all. But it might give me a good workout.

PS. That big black blob in the background of one of the photos is our dog basking in the sunshine. It is a nice change to have the sun out again.

Just do it!

2012-02-21T19:13:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share my latest facebook status: "Had a great night at Ladies Night on Seymour. Took a few runs to get my snow legs back but overall not bad since its been 8 years. Why did I wait so long to go again?!"

So as I was snowboarding last night and having a blast, I was wondering why it took me so long to get back onto the slopes after having kids. Well, it has got me thinking... time to make a to do list and get back to enjoying all those activities that have been sitting on the back burner.

Having fun last night was a great reminder to just get out and do it!

Heart Cookie Sandwiches

2012-02-10T21:46:00.000-08:00

I used my favorite rolled cookie recipe to make these scrumptious little valentine bites.

This time when I was mixing up the cookie dough, I was wondering why the dough was not coming together and then I realized I added an extra cup of flour. Oops! After correcting my measuring error, we ended up with twice the cookie dough which is not a bad thing. There were so many cookies that we decided to sandwich some of the hearts together with pink butter icing.

What darling little cookie sandwiches, a perfect sweet for a Valentine treat.

And I made my first animated gif inspired by Centsational Girl's post. I am slowly learning what I can do using photoshop elements. My daughter pointed out that it only took me four bites to polish this cookie off. :-)

linking to following parties: debbiedoos and C.R.A.F.T.

❤ Cute Personalized Valentine Day Cards ❤

2012-02-02T21:30:00.000-08:00

For this year's school Valentine card exchange, we decided to make some personalized photo cards instead of the usual standard store bought princess and fairy valentines.

I found some great free templates for mini wallet cards at The Album Cafe. You must have photoshop to use them and instructions on how to use the templates were provided. I needed them! I spend too much time fumbling my way around photoshop elements but I am finally starting to learn.

I put 2 pictures on a 4x6 print. Making these personalized valentine cards were just as cost effective as buying the box of cards from the store - I actually think it was cheaper. I spent $5.20 and ended up with 58 wallet sized cards. Enough for both school classes and a few extras for family.

These cards are unique and a perfect size for the classroom valentine exchange.

linking to

C.R.A.F.T.
Debbidoos