No Charlie Brown tree here....

We went and cut down our christmas tree this weekend. There is a little old man and he has some property just outside Cambridge, that he lets trees grow wild on. He has all different kinds and you go and cut the one you like.
So after some searching and weaving through trees, we found the perfect one.

Jay hacked it down and back to the car we went with it.
Fit on top of the vibe no problem. And surprisingly we were the only car driving home that had a tree on top of their car. Usually when we go to get our tree, we see lots of travelling trees. Not this time though. Maybe people weren't out picking their perfect trees.

All set up and looking good. Now time to decorate it and the house. So many decorations, not enough room for everything. lol. I think we are going to do a little purge on some unused christmas items.

First Santa Parade

Another milestone down, Audra's first Santa Parade. We met Uncle Matt and Aunt Charlotte and walked over to downtown Waterdown for their annual parade. It was a little chilly but we keep warm with drinks and dancing around.


Matt enjoying a warm drink. Yum, nothing better then warm hot chocolate on a cold night.

We were at the beginning of the parade route, and we were a little disappointed with Santa. His float zoomed past before we could even get a picture of him. But we did see him and wave!

First Santa Pictures

The first picture of Audra and Santa. She wasn't too sure about him at all. There thankfully were no tears, but you can see her hand at his beard, and I think she really wanted to give it a pull!

Gingerbread Factory

This is what my dining room table looked the other day. It was a mini gingerbread factory! lol. I baked, iced and packaged all these guys and gals to make a fun advent countdown.

Each day, depending on whether it's a guy or gal gingerbread, the various family members get to eat a cookie and count one day closer to christmas.
It's a fun idea, and I believe I saw it on homemadebyjill, but I have seen other forms of this idea.
All the gingerbreads got bagged and tied, then attached to a ribbon so they could be hung up.
I think they turned out pretty well, and family members definitely liked them!
A new christmas tradition to start, and probably continue, although I guess we will have to see how much time I have once I am back to work!

Mazowsze

Mazowsze, for those who aren't Polish inclined, is a famous Polish folk group named after the Mazowse region. They are a state folk group of song and dance. Established back in 1948, this folk group was created to maintain regional artistic traditions, with songs, dances and costumes of the Masovian countryside.
Last week my mom, my godmother and I went down to Hamilton Place to see them. It was a fantastic show, the costumes were incredible, and the singing, even though I didn't understand a word of it, sounded great.
The ensemble consists of ballet, choir and orchestra. The group has given out already 6.5 thousand concerts during over 200 tournée around the world and performed in almost 200 places of Poland. The melodies used by Mazowsze come from approximately 40 ethnic parts of Poland. 100 dancers and singers and over 1500 costume changes, make for a wonderful performance.

Best Chicken Soup

Some great chicken soup was made last week. As the weather keeps getting colder, I love having homemade soup. And I love making it. There is something very comforting about making soup. You can throw pretty much anything into it, and it will turn out.
From leftover chicken, I made some pretty incredible stock. It reminded me of cooking school and having stock contests, and seeing who could make the best one. It was so flavourful and the next day it had solidified. Perfect for scraping the fat off, and putting into the soup.

Looks a little gelatin"ish", doesn't it? But once added to all the veg and chicken,
the soup quickly took shape, simmered and was fantastic for dinner.

A Birthday Bag

For my bestest's birthday, I made her an infinity scarf in black and wanted to make a bag to put it in. I actually found a great pattern that I wanted to try and thought it would be perfect.
It is reinforced, so great for books or anything that might be heavier. I love the material I used for it. It has a funky blend to it. And I added some little fabric flowers that you can take on and off if wanted.

Baby Shower Cake

Yay, finally get to post my towel cake. I really like how it turned out and I think the new mom liked it as well. Baby Amelia is using cloth diapers, so I thought instead of a diaper cake, why not some useful goodies like receiving blankets, sheets, burp cloths and things like that. I wish more of the items were hand made, but maybe for the next cake.
It was fun putting together and seeing the final result. The whole cake is sitting on a little taggie that I made too, so there is some homemadeness (don't think that's a word! lol)





And here is the new mom opening the presents.

My first baby

My poor first baby has gotten the boot in terms of love and affection, since the human baby arrived. (I feel that has a very Tori Spelling "ish" vibe. I seem to remember her saying her fur baby and her human baby!)
So I thought I would post a little picture, to say Gwen, we still love you.
Even if you think that stealing her toys now is fun. Why now? You used to never steal the toys. Is it lack of attention? Really? Come on! You have your own toys no more swiping them!!!!!

A little random

Random I think is what best describes my sewing style. There are so many great projects and when I happen across some of them, I think, wow, I could probably make that, and low and behold, I go downstairs and make it. Or maybe the next day. But the idea lingers and stews in my brain, and it's almost a compulsion I fear.
I wish I had the patience for certain things, but patterns aren't really that interesting for me. I have patterns and I am sure I could figure them out, but they don't seem to draw me in.

I have all these ideas and projects started for Audra's birthday. The banner is done. Cake topper is in progress. I have 12 pictures for her picture banner. Awesome cake is ordered. Tutu is bought, tye dye is bought for the onesie, to eventually match the tutu. I want to do some appliquing (why doesn't that word look right?) on it. I made some cute little kimono shoes/slippers the other day, too bad they both look like left shoes! But I think a pair would be great for Audra's bday outfit.

Then there is the list, that just keeps growing. I fear I may run out of bookmark tabs on my computer one of these days! I need to stop finding so many creative, crafty people, and all their wonderful ideas and tutorials! Personally, I blame Jamie. He figured I would get lots of use out of a new computer, and see the monster it has created?! Monster I tell you. A big, crazy crafty monster!

Ok, enough ranting. I am sure there is something I could be sewing. lol.

Cup Cozy

There are so many of these cup cozies out in blogland, and it has been on the to-do list for some time now. So I quickly, and I mean quickly whipped this one up. I love the fabric, as it all came from the same yard, but it all blends into different colours. After looking at various other patterns and tips from everyone, I put some batting inbetween. It keeps its shape pretty well and fit over a tall, no problem, and will probably keep my grande nice and warm too! lol

Monkeying Around

Due to the little monkey getting into everything now, the pack and play has been set back up again in the living room. (just when I thought it was going to resemble a normal living room again! lol)
She loves monkeying around, and you fill it with toys and she is a happy baby. She loves putting her mouth on the mesh and blowing bubbles, silly monkey. She pulls herself up, stands and bangs on the wall, throws toys out, but the best part? She is contained and not causing trouble elsewhere. I know that not all kids are happy penned up, so I will take it as long as I can!

Invitations

This is what my outgoing mail has looked like recently. I am proud to say that all birthday invitations and shower invitations are done and mailed. Yay. Both sets were homemade with lots of love and turned out rather well if I do say so myself. lol

This is the bridal shower invitation, paper dress with ribbon and bow details. The poem is mine, with some help from Jamie. As long as the bride liked it, that's all that matters. (and she did!)

Audra's first birthday invites. They really turned out great. Jamie did all the computer work with the monkeys I wanted and then I touched them up with some fabric flowers. They are so cute and will fit the monkey theme perfectly!
And Jamie felt that the cards needed a signature, so on the back, he created:

Sleeping Soundly

As big as she's getting, Audra still enjoys cuddling with Jamie. It's so cute. She is on the go and doesn't stop so it's rare to see her asleep and snuggling.

Wean Green Cubes

One of our old favourites, homemade soup, paired with one of our new favourites, wean green cubes.
Awhile back Melissa sent us our very own set, and after swooning a bit over the great colours and perfect size, we put them to the test. They have held up great, from fridge to freezer to even microwave. They are great for throwing in the diaper bag, filled with various food, and there have been no spills! Yay! They even work well for snacks.
Audra has bashed around one or two of them and they have definitely held up.
They are fun, and it's nice knowing they are made of durable glass.
It's always feels good that we are being a little more environmentally conscious, and the containers are safe for both my baby girl and the food we put into them.
Thanks Melissa!

Menu Planning Monday-Nov 1st

Another week, another Monday, another menu.
With Jamie on vacation, it is going to be a low key kinda week. Some work around the house, a few outings and some family time.

This week we are going to have:
Monday: dinner at the Miller's for Jamie's bday
Tuesday: Tuscan bean soup and stuffing egg quiche
Wednesday: meatloaf and mashed potatoes
Thursday: slow cooker beef stew
Friday: slow cooker chilli and cornbread
Saturday: dinner out with friends
Sunday: leftover day!

Yum. A good week. Going to make some big batches of soup and start freezing. It's getting to be that time of year where I start stocking up the freezer with soup and easy meals. Lots of sauces, and the slow cooker starts to make regular appearances on the counter. I think the bread machine will also be making some appearances.

Makka Pakka in Pumpkin form

Our pumpkin, Makka Pakka!!!
Jamie is a great pumpkin carver and Audra was all smiles when she saw his creation.
Our neighbours made Upsy Daisy and Iggle Piggle, so Makka Pakka fit in perfectly!
We snuck him onto their porch and it was great to see all of them together. (really should have taken a pic of the three of them, but oh well.)

We went down to the Cadbury factory in Stoney Creek where they were hosting a haunted house and giving out huge bags of candy!!! Jamie was in heaven!
Donations went to the United Way and even though the line was long and the weather a little chilly, it was a great time.
We went and did some trick or treating with the little monkey, showing her off. Everyone loved seeing her in her costume. She was so cute!

Happy halloween til next year.
Time to start planning a birthday party and christmas. (and maybe start thinking about going back to work, or not really! lol)

Pumpkin Patch

We visited Frootogo Farms the other day and picked out our pumpkins. Audra loved riding around in the little red wagon. They have a small area for animals, goats, ducks, chickens and bunnies, which all intrigued the little monkey. She loves animals. We picked our pumpkins and got some yummy homemade goodies to snack on.
The farm is a working farm up in Waterdown. They have a huge pumpkin patch and a fair size orchard for apples. They have a huge fenced in area for kids to play with various outdoor equipment, and is a great family spot. We know where we will be getting some pumpkins and apples next year!