woodlands

finally as i am ready to depart from this house i have some finished pictures of my decorated home. my absolute favorite room to decorate and the first to be done was o's. it was inspired by woodland creatures and included lots vintage bits and pieces.

in the new house we will say good bye to the crib and hello to a new big boy bed. and i am sure i will make a few other changes just to mix it up.

images: me

wild

i am a little behind the times and am just getting around to seeing this adorable movie. O and i found some time and watched it (minus the first 16 mins which are a bit too crazy for a not yet 3 year old).

he even came up to me with his tongue out and licked me like one character does in the movie. i had to laugh, hope he doesnt do that at play school.

sushi

it seems both O and i are officially sushi obsessed. he could possibly eat it every meal of the day but it is his constant request and is often fulfilled because i share in his desire.

image: slow industries

eggs

i had every intention of getting into the easter spirit and making some eggs with O but with just general craziness happening around here i am not going to be able to find the time to do this neat project that i came across a few weeks ago for silk tie dyed eggs. this idea is so fantastic and produces some really beautiful results. martha stewart has the instructions on her site. there are a heap of amazing examples of eggs that could be created at the june brides flickr account.

next year i will definitely be more organized and do this for O. plus i have a whole year to op shop and find the vintage ties, i just love this concept.

images: ediblecrafts.com

boy belt

the celebrate boy month at madebyrae that i spoke about in my previous post has produced some pretty great boy items.

but this one by elsie marley would have to be at the top of my list as O definitely has a tendency to loose his pants quite often. these belts are so cute and funky. i want one of each (for O of course not me).

images: elsie marley

my boy

the wonderful lisa at parallel botany sent me an email to inform me of a fantastic project that two lovely blogs madebyrae and made have put together. and for the whole month of February they will be celebrating the boy and crafting projects related to the little men in our lives since they seem to get lost in the world of crafting for little girls.

i am excited to see what they come up with because as you may have noticed i am always on the search for handmade goodies for o and when i find the time to undergo a few myself.

image: madebyrae

growing

we have been busy. along with the house the yard has also receive some attention in the form of a veggie garden. we have had lovely crops of mostly tomatoes and zucchini but also cucumber and an endless supply of any herb i could put in the ground. O is fascinated by being able to pick the fruit off the plants and popping them right in his month. and i have enjoyed cooking up amazing meals using mostly the bounty from our little backyard. the best one so far has been the baked zucchini fritters from fresh365.

and this is what we harvested just today.

the greatest gift of the garden is the restoration of the five senses. ~hanna rion

images: fresh365 & me

kindred

i just adore this new kindred site that i have discovered. it is a great Australian based natural parenting magazine and site that contains some very informative articles from international sources. i cannot seem educate myself enough about the different methods of parenting and there are so many useful pieces on the website. 


there really is an article about anything for both parents with some difficult topics as well. and there is a new website to come soon. 

images: kindred

O's bedroom

the first room that i wanted to get completely finished was always O's and it is almost done. just two more little things to work on which should be in the next week and i will be ready to show the little space i have created for my little man.

for now i just have two more sneaks into the bits and pieces that are included in his space. isnt the squirrel too cute!

images: sleepyking & vintagemagpie.

canine companion

we've been busy. and to add to all the new things we have going on we have a new addition to our family.

this is India and she is O's best friend. she is a beautiful two year old beagle that was looking for a new home and we couldnt resist her sweet face so she joined us over a month ago now.

earth

this is the most wonderful book that i have picked up in a long time. it contains so many useful ways to create a peaceful and rhythmic family home and is based on the waldorf philosophy. author sharifa oppenheimer also has a website with more information and reviews about the book.

my favorite part of the book so far are evening meal blessings to say with your children, it is a simple ritual that i have overlooked because i wasnt sure how to do it without it being based on a religious tradition.

it has also helped me with some more ideas with a bedtime routine. O has always gone to bed without too much fuss but i always hoped for something even calmer and very rhythmic. making a few minor adjustments is already making a difference and that will only get better when he has his new space in our new home. with all the changes that have gone on lately he has done so well with very few hiccups, children are resilient but i cannot help be a little amazed with my little guy.

image: amazon

teepee

O has always been one to hide behind curtains and spots in the house.

i think he would really enjoy a little space just for himself and this teepee that i found is such a great option.

of course i want to attempt to make one myself and i found a pattern that i plan to work from. mine will be a somewhat simplified version but fun for him just the same.

image: apartment therapy & old entrance teepees

corners

the idea for the felted acorns goes along with the nature table that i want to create in our home for things that we find on little walks and such. the nature table is a waldorf home essential that it typically changed seasonally.

on my search for some inspirational tables i also discovered the blog of soule mama who has her nature table in the front entry of her home. i think it is a wonderful idea to have it right at the entrance to the home so that it can collect wonderful bits of the outside. the blogs keeper is amanda blake soule who had two fabulous books both of which are on my list to get. with some many things to look at online i never get the chance to look further into little things that i find inspire me until it jumps onto my screen as amanda's blog did today. just never enough time to read about what everyone is doing when you have your own life to live but this blog was a welcome break today as i took a little look into her life as an author and mother of four.

image: soulemama

little boys

one thing that i have been doing for O is planning out his new bedroom, i am sure the decor element is not as appreciated at his age but some day perhaps. either way i thought i would share some of the elements for his room that i have purchased and am waiting to receive. i wanted to do a sort of theme but something that he can grow with. and of course the other focus will be handmade by me or others.

i have purchased the birch tree fabric from ink & spindle for some pillows. the horned owl pillows are from lolley land and i got the one in baby blue.

i adore this new growth print from ground work. it fits in perfectly to concept for the bedroom plus i love faux bois. one of my other favorite elements that helped inspire the room is a olive green knitted blanket than O's auntie made him for his first christmas. it is wonderfully thick and cozy which is much needed at night without the central heat.

some other crafty projects for me will include a bird mobile using the spool bird pattern. and some felted acorns using these cute acorn caps. needless to say i am excited to get into the house so i can start putting together O's room, it is the first thing on my list to do as far as decorating. now i just need to find some furniture for him as well.

cake

not much to report over the last week or so but we have had a few birthdays. well mine yesterday and O's today. i cant believe my little baby is no longer so little.

i am more than disappointed with myself as far as party planning because i have nothing planned. we are having our little family celebration, just the three of us tonight and then tomorrow something with a few more friends and family. i have stuck to my promise which was making O his birthday cake every year. it is nothing like the rocket ship wonder that i did last year but none the less i think it is special because i am taking the time to make it for him. i will excuse myself this year from having a real party for him but will have to make it up next year with a neat theme and all the fun to go with it.

image: chakrapennywhistle

six.

today i moved the balance of my things to my parents home from my house. i have until monday and then it is no longer mine. i have been so busy preparing for the move and all the goes along with it that i havent had an opportunity to think about how sad it is that i am leaving the home that O and i shared together. it was the place he was born and his home for the last two years.

as last night was the last time we would sleep there and the house was virtaully empty it seemed a little strange. i am glad to be in a house with furniture again (my parents) and so i begin to daydream about decorating a new home. only fun times ahead.

images: design*sponge

seven.

mixed in with all the sadness of leaving those i love and joy in joining another that i love is also a little bit of fear. and it is only because of how vastly my path is going to change.

i have had the role of a single working mother and that has been some what time consuming so there has been little time left for me. as i move forward into my new life which will include having my partner by my side on a day to day basis things i imagine will change. also my role as Os mother will become even more full time because i will be able to stay home with him. i hope to find a better balance in the new slightly different roles that i will be in and with that i am able to rediscover some thing s about myself that i may have forgotten. i think many women and especially mothers strive to find that balance.

whenever i need some inspiration it always come my way. a few days ago i discovered a beautiful blog and her journey that she shares. denise lynette andrade is so brave in what she puts out there. in each of her posts there is nothing but complete honestly and the story of her path that she has so graciously shared with the world has been a difficult one. i would strongly recommend checking out her blog as she is also an amazing photographer.

image: boho photography

early to bed, early to rise

i mentioned this blog before and i was reading this post which i really enjoyed. i have always attempted to put O to bed and it has worked until recently. he has boundless energy so even by bedtime he still wants to keep on going, i am sure that this is nothing new for most parents. there are so many parenting books that i want to get right now but i think this one may go on the list as well “The 7-o’ clock Bedtime: Early to bed, early to rise, makes a child healthy, playful and wise”  by Inda Schaenen. 

the portion of the post that i really enjoyed was that carrie tells of how her and the children put the house to bed and sometimes sing it a lullaby. that is just the sweetest thing that i have heard in awhile because i can imagine O as he is getting more and more chatty saying good night to things around the house. 

or maybe he just needs a new bedroom, one with things on the walls and furniture. perhaps i purged too soon.

images: ohdeedoh

sixteen days

M arrives on the 25th and will be spending a week in calgary before we head back together. i cant say enough about the fact that he is coming here to bring me home with him. besides being completely romantic its going to be wonderful to have help with the almost two year old O on the way back.

i am having one of those days where i am day dreaming a bit more than normal. i believe it must coping mechanism as my to do list seems to be getting longer but really its not long now and this list will be a thing on the past. 

image: irene suchoki

world environment day

this article from the dalai lama was written many years ago and yet we still face the same problems through out the world. at times it seems like people are more aware and the green movement has be come more popular but we still have alot of work to do. the future is only borrowed from our children and future generations as they are the ones that will continue to live in it after we are gone.

An Ethical Approach to Environmental Protection

Peace and the survival of life on earth as we know it are threaten by human activities which lack a commitment to humanitarian values. Destruction of nature and nature resources results from ignorance, greed and lack of respect for the earth's living things.

This lack of respect extends even to earth's human descendants, the future generations who will inherit a vastly degraded planet if world peace does not become a reality, and destruction of the natural environment continues at the present rate.

Our ancestors viewed the' earth as rich and bountiful, which it is. Many people in the past also saw nature as inexhaustibly sustainable, which we now know is the case only if we care for it.

It is not difficult to forgive destruction in the past, which resulted from ignorance. Today, however, we have access to more information, and it is essential that we re-examine ethically what we have inherited, what we are responsible for, and what we will pass on to coming generations. Clearly this is a pivotal generation. Global communication is possible, yet confrontations take place more often than meaningful dialogues for peace.

Our marvels of science and technology are matched if not out-weighed by many current tragedies, including human starvation in some parts of the world, and extinction of other life forms.

Exploration of outer space takes place at the same time as the earth's own oceans, seas, and freshwater areas grow increasingly polluted, and their life forms are largely unknown or misunderstood.

Many of the earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects, and even microorganisms that we know of as rare or endangered, may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capacity, and the responsibility. We must act before it is too late.

This message, dated June 5, 1986, marks World Environment Day, and that year's theme, Peace and the Environment. Reprinted from Tree of Life: Buddhism and Protection of Nature, 1987

resources: world enviroment day website & more

image: istockphoto