A day in the life of Mama Stone

swell

2009-02-28T11:40:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love most about my daughter is that she is always singing some little song, be it one she's learned or made up on the fly. Everything she says is a song.

It's been a while...

2009-02-06T10:34:00.000-08:00

and it will be a while longer. I just thought I'd let any readers out there know that I am alive. :P Some pretty big changes have happened in my life over the past couple of months.

- I am now a single mom.
- The kids and I have moved to North Delta
- I begin classes at Kwantlen in Richmond on Tuesday, February 10. Just upgrading for now, but hopefully I will be enrolled in a nursing program come this summer, or September at the latest!
- I don't have a computer! Well, I do... but I'm having a hard time getting windows running properly.

We are doing alright, though. Starting to get out in the new area... meeting people, and such. :)

Commitment!!

2008-12-27T21:23:00.000-08:00

http://www.sweetearthsoaps.com

This is a testiment, in my opinion, of my commitment to Sweet Earth Soaps. It just directs to my etsy shop right now, but I'm hoping that by the end of next month I'll have a fully functioning website :) I'll likely be moving my blog somewhere on to the site as well, at some point. We shall see! :D

Fingerless Frankenstein.

2008-12-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

I knit my handspun yarns seen in this post. It is a lone fingerless mitten. I don't have any of the green yarn left, and thus can not make a matching mitten... but I'm pleased with it. It's an ugly little loner, but it was far more satisfying to knit my own yarn than yarn I had simply purchased. I'm afraid I might really be bitten by the spinning bug now that I've actually knit the yarn.

Oh joy!

2008-11-30T17:08:00.001-08:00

I made my very first etsy sale! Oh joy, oh happiness! What a colossal ocassion!
While I have been selling for years, I've only recently started really trying on etsy in the last few months. Finally, it pays off.

http://www.etsy.com/shop_sold.php?user_id=5171113

This collaboration between Beneath the Rowan Tree (a very talented Canadian mama, btw. check her out!) and myself sold Saturday night.

Spin, spin, spin...

2008-11-30T13:25:00.000-08:00

Recently, I was pleased to discover a large package on my doorstep. My mod swap gift from a fellow hyenacart forum moderator. Inside was such a wealth of goodies! A wonderful purse in my all-time favorite fabric, some funny knitting themed bumper stickers, a drop spindle and some lovely roving. Even a little sample of tussah silk - divine!

I broke in to one of the rovings right away, following a video on youtube for instruction. In a matter of two hours, or so, I'd turned a little pile of roving into a beautiful, relatively even bulky yarn. (stopping once to stop keilyn from cutting the other roving more than she already had and usher the kids off to bed *blush* lesson learned, I shouldn't be trying to learn a new craft when the kids are awake)

The next day, I busted into the next roving... which had been cut in to 5 sections by my little sweet pea. This definately increased the difficulty and the time required to make this yarn. it did not turn out nearly as even as the first yarn, but there are some very interesting colour changes.

Like I needed another craft :P

Crafty Goodness...

2008-11-28T16:12:00.000-08:00

So of course, Maternal Creations was a blast. :) I love getting to meet other local mama crafters. There is such a wealth of talented women here!

I chose a modest little table near the entrance, it worked out quite nicely. It was a great spot to oogle all of the passing babies :)

Some of Friday night's other amazingly talented mamas:

Big Ocean, Little Fish

Bungalow 968

Owl & Pussycat and Roza - human-made things

I also ventured out with the kids to show the Saturday vendors some love. The usual suspects were there, and some new as well. The lighting was a little better for photo taking, being during the day instead of the evening.

One of a Handful, Little Bird Designs, Astarte Designs, and ?? (i missed the name)

Maternal Creations

2008-11-21T07:18:00.000-08:00

You can catch me at Maternal Creations tonight! I am so excited! I had a great time last year, met some very cool people and I have actually been looking forward to this craft fair all year. I just wish I were better prepared! I feel as though we're quite lacking in the knits area. Soap - not so much :P
Here is a sneak peak at what will be on the table.

I can't stress how amazing this craft fair will be! All items made by moms in the community, what a wonderful chance to support handmade, give more meaningful gifts and support local families at the same time?
There will be so much awe inspiring talent in this one little space, it's worth a visit even if you are done your Holiday gift shopping.

And, if you arrive early, maybe you'll catch one of the free 1/4 oz soap samples I'm offering :D

Soapy Goodness...

2008-11-14T13:38:00.001-08:00

Over the past 6 months or so, I've developed a little bit of an obsession.... with handcrafted soap.
When we (Brandon & I) realized that in a few short months I had overfilled my top dresser drawer with yummy smelling, pretty cold processed soaps by various wahms and etsy sellers... it was suggested that I just try it myself.
So I did. A chance to try a new hobby? Not something I'd turn down.
So since my first batch late in October, here is what I've cranked out :P

Peppermint & Sweet Birch 100% Olive Oil

Cloven Fruit (Sweet Orange & Clove)

Peppermint Patty (Peppermint & Vanilla EOs, with cocoa powder)

Lavanilla (Lavender Vanilla)
Deep Dark (Anise with a hint of Lavender - full slab shown, pre cutting)

I've also made a really yummy Beer soap with a scrubby organic cane sugar layer on top. It's just a basic soap, with beer instead of the water. It very very faintly smells of hops, but mostly it's unscented. I'm told that the grains in beer are really beneficial for the skin. Brandon quite likes it :P

I soo dropped the ball!

2008-11-13T20:10:00.000-08:00

But it's (way past) time for me to announce my "If you feed a caterpillar" giveaway! (see here?)

Congratulations, Angela! I'll be emailing shortly for your mailing address, and you'll have a snake headed towards your house sometime before the mouth of November is out :D

Election Canada: 2008

2008-10-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sure every Canadian knows that today is election day. And I know many canadians are still undecided and may very well not vote. Or maybe they just think their vote doesn't matter. Or maybe they just don't care - how? I don't know.
How can you not care about human rights, the rising cost of EVERYTHING, the fact that more than half of Canadians can't find a family doctor, that the minimum wage in most provinces is not enough to support a single person, let alone a family?

I give a damn. This year, I am voting. I'm voting for the first time ever because I know something has to be done. Our rich are thriving while the poor and middle class get poorer. The gap grows exponentially each year that passes.
And what do the two major parties in Canada want to do? Continue to widen that gap.
So I am voting for Canada's New Democratic Party. The NDP. The party that stands to do something FOR the little guy.
Jack Layton wants to raise Canada's minimum wage to $10 per hour (I think the current high is $8.50 per hour, in Nunavut). He wants to give us better access to perscription drugs and post secondary schooling. He wants to make sure we get more family doctors into the system. Create new jobs to be filled by Canadians, put all of Employment Insurance taxes into EI payouts, stop giving companies huge tax cuts.
Jack Layton is doing it for the little guy.

I'm voting for Ann Chambers and Jack Layton, and I hope that even one person who reads this will go out and vote NDP, because every last vote makes a difference. EVERY vote.

If you find a caterpillar, feed him apple juice (Giveaway!)

2008-10-03T23:41:00.000-07:00

but if you find a rattlesnake, turn him loose!

I`ve recently taught myself how to make these super fun little snake toys, and figured I`d give one away! Just post a comment here, for one entry. For an additional two, blog about this giveaway! (3 total!)
Contest ends on October 19th at 9:00pm EST - entrants will have their names tossed into a hat, and chosen by one of my sweet children.
Your snake may or may not be the same as the one shown in the above picture - you could get something entirely different -my choice from my yarn stash - it`s a suprise! Will measure 10 to 15 inches in length, and be made out of 100% wool yarn.

The last taste of summer...

2008-10-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

We've experienced a few suprisingly warm days here in Vancouver this week. Mother Nature is just teasing us with a last taste of Summer before we decend into months of rain and a little bit of snow.

Keilyn and I have spent these lovely warm days lounging in the park while Corbin goes to school. I'm afraid there won't be many more days in the park under big oak trees this year, unless we want soggy bottoms. The leaves are slowly turning and falling from their branches, and you can feel the crispness of Fall in the air.
Gone are the days of playing at the beach or simply in the hose outside. It was fun while it lasted, though.

Now we get to jump in piles of leaves, instead, and break out the warm woolies - hats, scarves and mitts.
Speaking of scarves - Corbin asked me to make him one! How cute. I didn't even know he knew what a scarf was :P SO he will be getting a scarf/mitt set sometime in the near future, once I clear up all my customs.

Look what's in my hyenacart shop right now - isn't this one absolutely TDF set? A playsilk by Beneath The Rowan Tree, soft shoes by Z to A Baby, the raglan is by Katydid Creations and the yarn (to be knit by me) is Small Farm Yarn by G-Button Baby.
This is just one of the awesome collaborations I have up in my shop in celebration of my 3rd year anniversary on Hyenacart!
There are also several guest items, from some of Hyenacart's fabulous vendors. Check out the fat sheep bulky merino Hexe longies by Just Sheepy! The current bid is only 46.00 - what a steal for such expertly knit longies!
This Pumpkin Patch 3pc baby set by The Cherub's Closet would be simply darling on any infant.
ALl the items are just amazing, and worth checking out even if you're not buying! Hyenacart has such a weath of talented moms!

How creative!

2008-10-02T09:25:00.000-07:00

I'm just in awe with mamakopp, and etsy seller. I came across this blog give away for the most creative piece of wood work I've ever seen. It's a pregnant mama, with an exchangable belly piece, so your mama's belly can grow as baby does! This would be a great item for a mama to explain what's happening inside her to a soon to be older brother or sister.

Go enter that contest!!

Meeting the Teacher

2008-09-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

Today was our "Meet the Teacher" day for Corbin's preschool. We went in and he got a little bit familliar with the surroundings. I got the paperwork required and the basic rundown of what happens during the school day. The teachers seem nice, and it sounds like a good fit for my monster.
I can't believe Corbin is starting PRESCHOOL on Monday! Wow!

While we were there, Corbin built himself a couple of "cranes like Daddy's work!" with these really cool blocks. How proud Daddy must be!

I still can't believe that he will now be at school for 2 hours 3 days a week! My baby's sure grown up!

Adventures in Central Park

2008-09-02T22:40:00.000-07:00

Burnaby's Central Park, anyways :P Daddy took the evening off for some quality family time. He grew up nearby, so had lots of stories to share with us while we explored the paths. It's really a gorgeous park, featuring a lovely forest filled with tall redwoods and lush ferns. A little Oasis in the middle of the city. This is the way a park in BC should be!

We saw a ton of squirrels, many of them brave enough to come within a few feet of us. Some even chose to follow us along our travels, hoping for a little snack. Any time one got close, Keilyn would shriek and run in the other direction. I understand, they freak me out too! It was neat to see some of them hanging upside down off the tiniest twigs in the trees, however. We also saw a massive slug, which was pretty darn gross. Brandon kept telling Keilyn to pick it up, but mama said NO WAY!

It was an awsome afternoon! We were all tired, happy and ready to eat when we got home, and were happy to chow down on some mama made cheeseburgers. Yum!
Yet, Somehow Corbin still managed to stay up way past bedtime. What a little spitfire he is.

A birthday of another sort....

2008-08-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm letting the cat out of the bag here! September is the month that marks our third year of doing business on hyenacart, certainly a moment to celebrate! Mama Stone Creations is having a party to celebrate this birthday on September 30th.
Some very special guests are coming to stock and collaborate with us including Alphabette Zoope, Beneath the Rowan Tree, G-Button Baby, and Katydid Creations - just to name a few :)

Come join in the fun, see you there! :D

Happy Birthday, Corbin!

2008-08-15T14:25:00.000-07:00

Today is Corbin's 4th birthday! I can't believe we've 'had him' for 4 years! Four wonder filled, amazing years. Happy Birthday, Corbin!

We're having a party for him on Sunday, so most of his gifts will be given then. He got a couple this morning. One being this outfit, custom made by Katydid Creations. It is *PERFECT* in all ways - stitching, fit, fabric... it suits him so well :)

Art in Chocolate

2008-08-13T21:11:00.001-07:00

Could there ever be a more true statement? I don't think so. There is a chocolate out there for everybody!

Today, we took a trip down Commercial Drive for the Daddy's favorite pizza. While he and Corbin sat waiting for the pizza, I walked up and down the street with Keilyn on my back. We happened upon a rather large sign stating "Handmade Chocolate."
Of course, this called to me and we had to go in. Dutch Girl Chocolates.

The glass display was covered with a table cloth, which I soon found was because the heat outside was too much for the sweet little lovlies. I browsed the rest of the shop, and asked a few questions - can't go seeming *too* desperate, now can we :P
Once that table cloth had been lifted from the chocolate's glass confines... I was pleasantly suprised to find the most beautiful chocolates I had ever laid eyes on. Little pieces of chocolate artwork.
I quickly selected 8 little beauties, not to expose the others to the sun's hot rays. They were packed into a little box, and came home with me. Mango Delight, Pomegranate, Dutch Brandy, Fireball Truffle, Organic Matcha Green Tea, Pistachio and 2 Mojito.

Thus far, I've only sampled one of the Mojito flavours. It was heavenly, and I know the other 6 types will be just as simply divine.... if I can bring myself to eat them. They're just oh so pretty!

What makes it worth it.

2008-08-06T02:10:00.001-07:00

Last night, while I was putting him to bed, Corbin told me "I am so proud of you, muma. I love you"

It seems like such a simple thing, but it made my eyes water and my heart melt to know my son really does think the world of me. I know sometimes we upset each other greatly, but we love each other to bits when it comes down to it.

Today he was registered for preschool (omg. I'm sure the 3 short hours 3 times per week of 1 on 1 time with Kiki will be a blessing, but it's a little scary to me!) In only 9 sleeps, he will be a 4 year old.

He's getting so big.

I used to be a tattoo virgin.

2008-07-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

I'm glad I'm not anymore :P I've been drooling over, researching and planning for my tattoos since before I can remember. I have always been drawn to them, and now I finally have one.
On Saturday night, I got my first tattoo done by Erin of Addictive Ink. (Edson, AB) She was great and patient with me. In total, this took somewhere around 1.5 hours to complete.

It was one heck of an experience, to say the least.
Some myths have been dispelled for me, personally. The outline does NOT hurt the most. I actually had to laugh at how much it did not hurt and how scared I had been over this.
The colouring was the most painful part, because the needles goes over the same area over and over and over again. This was also the longest part for me.
I did not go numb as the work continued, just increasingly sensitive. Maybe I was just unfortunate.
I bled a fair bit, but I had expected that. I bleed very easily (tell that to any doctor who's tried to take my blood and they'd laugh at you :P Rolly veins.)
I did experience a little bit of shock afterwards - I was shivering and cold for a while, despite multiple coats being on. That, and the majority of my soreness, was gone within an hour after.
Now, two days later, I rarely feel pain, unless I raise my arm above my head. I think this is due to the skin tightness caused by the wound.

It is a swallow, to encourage me to travel the world - something I've always dreamed about.
I have at least two other (rather large) tattoos planned, though I think I'll wait a little while to get another. At least until the memory of the pain fades :P (Like having babies, right? lol)

I am entirely pleased with my tattoo. It hurt a LOT, I won't lie, but now I have a beautiful piece of art right on my body. Completely worth it. I smile every time I look at it. Here is my finished piece the morning after.

My (almost) 4 year old's first haircut

2008-07-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

I used to say we would get Corbin's haircut when he turned 3, because 2 year olds need to have crazy hair. But then we grew to love his curly whirly mop, as did he, and couldn't do it.
We waffled back and forth about cutting his hair forever only because of the huge fight it caused everyday... apparently young boys don't enjoy washing and brushing their hair.

At just over a month to his fourth birthday.. it was most certainly time.

So on July 11th, we took him to Beaner's in Red Deer, AB (Did I mention we're on another visit wit my parents?), much to his chagrin. It was an event full of mixed emotions, but the kid-friendly amosphere made it much easier. A ballpit, ride-on machines for chairs and plasma TVs playing disney movies at all the cutting stations.

Choosing his new hairstyle was difficult, but eventually I settled upon what the stylist called a "ceasar," to be styled into a faux hawk or in messy spikes.

It is certainly different. I do like it, but I miss my little man's curls.

Welcome, Baby Ascher!

2008-06-30T23:49:00.000-07:00

On June 29, 2008, one of my oldest and dearest friends birthed her 5th son. I am thrilled! It sounds like a beautiful birth. He was born free at home, into the hands of his father. A very sucessful UC, an experience of pure love. Ascher entered the world at 11:53 AM, approximately 50 minutes after labour began, weighing a whopping 10lb 11oz!

I am so incredibly proud, and happy! I wish I could have been there... we are both in agreement that I will be making the trip out to Indiana for the birth fo their next baby, in 2 years or so. :D

I have seen photos, but i won't be sharing any until I can get permission from Kandi. Maybe one of him in the Polar Morn set I knit for him? :P We shall see!

Daddy's Girl

2008-06-24T10:37:00.001-07:00

Daddy's Girl
Originally uploaded by lemamastone

After a quick romp in the water park at Steveston, Kiki cuddles up to Daddy to get cozy. Who needs a towel when you have Daddy?

A Corbin Update

2008-05-31T22:55:00.001-07:00

Monkey
Originally uploaded by lemamastone

Corbin's 4th birthday is quickly approaching. Only 2 and a half more months until the big day, August 15. It's hard to believe that the September after this upcoming one, he'll be going to Kindergarten!

He's really starting to use his imagination. I am so glad it's finally coming out, I was worried that he may never use it. But he does! He makes up stories with his toys, and even tells *me* stories at bed time. It's adorable, and just melts my heart.

He's finally learned to pee standing up, now we're just getting the 'aiming while standing up' issue under control. I am excitedly awaiting the day where I don't have to scrub my bathroom floor daily ;P

His hair is out of control! It's so wild, but so sweet - it suits him perfectly. He makes taking care of it such a huge chore for both of us, though. I'm so on the fence about getting him his first haircut, or just leaving it. What do you think?

A Keilyn Update

2008-05-31T22:49:00.001-07:00

Keilyn rocking a goodmama
Originally uploaded by lemamastone

Keilyn is getting to the age where she enjoys choosing her own clothes. This includes diapers. I swear, she goes for the goodmamas every time. I guess she likes them. That's OK, because I do too :)

She's sure getting big now, it's amazing. She talks so much, and even has 3 molars. That makes a total of 11 teeth, with one more molar coming in. She has enough hair for me to pull into a tiny pigtail at the back. She always tears them out within an hour, though. Today I braided it, but she managed to knot up a bunch of her hair to the point where I had to snip a knot out.

She is still all about shoes... boy, are we in trouble.

Suddenly, summer!

2008-05-25T23:01:00.001-07:00

I know it is technically still spring, but weather wise it is certainly summertime! Barely two weeks ago it was pants and long sleeves to go outside - even raincoats! Now we've tossed aside the tights and jeans - it's time for shorts and dresses, baby! Heck - It's about time for swimming suits and Granville Island water park! I'm so excited :) I don't know why more fo the water parks don't open in May. It's too hot, already!

We've been spending a lot more time in our backyard. It's weird because it doesn't really feel like ours, as we share it with two other families. However, neither of them use it much. We'd might as well, right? The owners, upstairs, actually took my potted Mother's day plants and planted them in their garden when I had set them outside for some sunlight,probably thinking another in the household had purchased them. I feel like it's my garden too, now.

In some business news, I've joined a congo! Mama Stone Creations will now be stocking graphics - shop templates & the like - at Creatively Serene on the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month. My first stocking with this group of wonderful women will be on June 2!

I've also com up with a few cute little things, toy-wise. Here we have a tooth fairy pillow, shaped like a tooth! There is a little 2x2-ish pocket on the back for the big exchange. I have to credit my friend Jessie with the idea - this one was for her daughter. I'll be refining this pattern and hopefully stocking these cuties in June!

And mini cupcakes! Just like my full-sized cupcakes, but loaded with 10 times the cuteness!

Ah, for the love of graphics :)

2008-05-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

I love making graphics. Especially my own. It is so easy to capture exactly what I am imagining in digital. I enjoy doing it for other people as well, it's just not as easy to get exactly what they want. Here is the banner i worked up for my hyenacart shop this morning. SO pretty. I am loving green this year. You can't get much more earthy than green.

And I've recently enjoyed making these ones for other HC mamas:

Feeling refreshed

2008-05-14T12:08:00.000-07:00

Business wise, anyways. :) Yesterday I redesigned my hyenacart, and began previewing my knits from the last 7 weeks, or so. It looks fresh, new and full right now. I am so pleased!
Tomorrow at noon, my hyenacart will stock with some lovely, lovely summer woolies. Each item is made with W A H M dyed yarns, which makes it even more rewarding for me.
Not only have I met a personal goal, but I've helped support some awesome mamas.

New goal: Buy more unisex and boyish colourways. Being that I have a daughter in diapers, I tend to be drawn to knitting up the more feminine colours as shorties. I don't mean to, it just happens! Bad wahm, bad!

In other news, there is a icky cold passing through the Stone household. Brandon had it and Corbin has it right now. I feel awful, his voice is so hoarse and I know it must hurt. Gives me an excuse, however, to get some extra snuggles in :)
The cold is creeping up on me, and of course Keilyn will get it last. Hopefully she builds up an immunity to it first via nursing, and skips it all together! The wonders, right?

I'd also like to show off my amazing new baby carrier. This is a No-Tie Mei Tai by Hibiscus Baby. I had to go with the Joel Dewberry aviary print - isn't it gorgeous?! Joline is an amazing seamstress - every last detail is PERFECT! She was even happy to widen and lengthen the straps for me, making it a perfect fit (now that I've figured out how to wear it correctly ;P)

I need a better photo! (Oh, did I mention I got a haircut in April? I love it!) That was taken less than an hour after I tore open my package ;) Here's one to show you the MT in better detail:
So pretty :) Sometimes I just look at it because I am *SO IN LOVE* with this carrier!

Space Invasion!

2008-05-04T15:47:00.000-07:00

Two new things. Firstly, I knit something for my man. Secondly... it involved a brand new technique. Fair isle knitting.
Introducing, the Space Invaders flap hat, sans flaps. Also worked in sport weight yarn (Louet Gems, charcoal and green fern). Ooh la la!

Whoa, think big! Seriously, I would consider myself a beginner knitter because I very rarely venture outside of my known areas. Which is basically knit, purl, increase and decrease. I hate color changes because it requires extra work and weaving in ends. But I went for it, because he wanted it
However, this knitting story doesn't end so well. As I changed colors, I have my strands a little tug, hence tightening them. Not the greatest asset in a hat. This made the hat too small for DH's head. He can get it on, but it creeps up and up and up. So my only option is to frog the hat. :( I'd just make a second one, but there is not enough remaining yarn and no way would he let me invert the colors. For now, the 'finished' hat has been retired to my project graveyard until I can get up the gall to frog something I worked so diligently on.

In better knitting news, I bought myself a ball winder at Wool and Wicker in Richmond. Hubby convinced me of it, I was just going to try some bamboo yarn! Anyhow, I love that thing and I don't know how I lived without it before! I do, however, need to rig up some sort of a swift. I'm going to try to make one out of the kids' Tinker Toys :P

I've also recently found myself addicted to Dance Dance Revolution, if you can call it an addiction when it's only been two days. I could play it all day long if the kids didn't need so much caring for! (I kid, I do love them ;P)

Hyena Spotlight : Esteem Kids

2008-04-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

Esteem Kids Chic Boutique is an online baby and children's store based in Powell River, British Columbia, and run by the wonderful Jennifer Dodd. Check out the website! I swear it has the cutest graphics I've ever seen on a boutique :) Jennifer is the mom to one sweet little girl, Avari.

Esteem Kids carries a huge variety of products, from books to cloth diapers. Even room decor for your little one! I think my favorite products are the PEPPA dolls, Portland Beanie Company beanies and the Fairy Wings and Pixi Things, which are handmade in Powell River. These beautiful earthtone ones, especially!
Visit Jen on her website, and at her blog!

So long, friend.

2008-04-28T21:57:00.000-07:00

On April 4, 2008... my parents' dog, Duke, was hit by a car and passed away. This came just a few hours after we had booked a flight to visit April 9th.

I won't dwell on his death, but the joy he brought us all during his short life. He was a good dog when it all boils down to it. I'll miss him curling up on the bed with us during our visits, and the way he loved cucumber.

So long, Dukie. You are still very much loved and missed. *belly rubs*

I'm a bad blogger.

2008-04-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting the 'me' aspect of this blog all month! For shame, Ashley, for shame! I really do have plenty to post about, but I'm just lacking the time. I hope I find it soon, I really do.
I leave you with some family photos taken by a local photographer in March, delivered in April :) I wish I had a link, but my MIL has all the info! Another bad blogger moment!

On another note... Corbin calls pistachios mustachios. It makes me say 'aww!" every time. :)

Hyena Spotlight: Blue Lake Baby

2008-04-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

Today I bring to you Blue Lake Baby, another fabulous hyenacart wahp bringing beautiful nursing covers, changing pads and burp cloths to the table.
Areka is a stay at home wahp to one little girl, with a bachelor's degree in Marketing. Two years after her daughter's birth, Blue Lake Baby was born out of the desire to put her college education to good use.

From Areka's about page, because sometimes it comes best straight from the source. "My goal for Blue Lake Baby is to be able to use my creativity and love for fashionable goodies to advocate my greatest passion: natural parenting! I am a huge advocate of breastfeeding, babywearing, cosleeping, and most recently - cloth diapering. I'm all for all things natural and I practice these beliefs everyday"

You can visit Areka at her blog, homepage and hyenacart. :)

Hyena Spotlight: Blue Goose Designs

2008-04-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

The wahm behind Blue Goose Designs is Andrea, a mom of three and wife to a very supportive husband. (Always a plus!)
She has been knitting for 6 years, and began her business in 2005. Blue Goose Designs offers a wide variety of products, from hand knit children's items to wickless candles. She even carries some bath and body! However, knits are really Andrea's specialty area.

Andrea also runs Wild Child Yarn, a haven of hand dyed lovelies. I'm seeing many drool worthy colour ways on ultra pet-able yarns. How I'd love to visit Andrea's studio ;P The past year and a half of dying experience has definitely paid off. Just look at these!

You can visit Andrea's blog here, and her shops are here and here. :)

Hyena Spotlight : Beneath the Rowan Tree

2008-04-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

In today's hyena spotlight, a Canadian mama is dying up a storm! Lori is the hand dying, hand painting, wool felting mommy of a sweet 2 year old girl names Rowan. She must be the obvious inspiration for their business name, Beneath the Rowan Tree! :P
BTRT is also based in my homeland, Canada! As you know, it's always exciting for me to blog about fellow Canadians. More specifically, BTRT is in Ontario.

BTRT was born out of the desire to supply her daughter with comfortable, natural, quality clothing and toys which were not readily available in their area. This lead to Lori creating clothing and playsilks gallore, and from it - Beneath the Rowan tree was sprouted. (Ok, sorry! I had to!)

I have to admit, Lori's talent awes me! She is incredibly creative and talented, and of course this shines through in her work. I'm not the only one who has noticed. After a craft fair this past weekend, many shops local are knocking on Lori's door with the desire to showcase her work in their stores! Rock on, Lori!

Now I'm going to let Lori's beautiful products speak for themselves! Visit her at http://www.beneaththerowantree.com, her hyenacart and blog. Lori also participated in a few congos - Take Off Your Shoes and In Their Hands (which is on hiatus until September)!

Knit knit knitting. + SOCKS!

2008-03-31T05:44:00.000-07:00

I finally finished a pair of shorties for Kiki! They were completed Saturday night before Easter. It's been at least a year since I have knit her a diaper cover - it's just been too busy! I am quite pleased with how these turned out. The pooling is incredible. I have to admit, I LOVE pooling. I rarely alternate skeins throughout a project, and prefer to let the yarn tell me it's story. I only frog in the most extreme cases, but most of the time I love it.

I've named these ones "Spring in Vancouver" because they remind me of the various cherry blossom types we have blooming here. I swear they has popped up over night. One day the trees were bare, entirely bud less. The next morning, amazement, shades of pale and deep pink framethe streets of Vancouver.

And boy, does Kiki ever rock them :)

I just finished grafting the crotch seams and weaving in the ends of an adorable little pair of NB shorties. Three Irish Girls (formerly Irish Baby Knits) yarns are wonderful. I used 'Curran' on Galenas Merino. So yummy and soft, perfect for a wee one! Again, I am thrilled with the pooling on this one. It's almost as if it was self-striping. This one will be stocking sometime in May/June - whenever I feel I've built up enough stock. :P

On a spur of the moment trip to my favorite yarn shop, Three Bags Full, I decided to try something new. I picked up some Cherry Tree Hill super sock, and teeny tiny Crystal Palace bamboo dpn's....

plus = SOCKS!

Yep, I'm going to try knitting socks for myself! I tried toddler socks once... in worsted weight acrylic yarn. It wasn't so great. But that was one of my first projects. This should prove much more successful.
However, I'm having a hard time finding patterns for size 1 needles (the size suggested by the saleslady) and a size 8.5 wide/9 shoe size. I don't want to put a ton of work into beautiful socks that I can't wear. Darn these obscenely huge feet and thick ankles!
Does anyone have a suggestion? I don't want just plain socks, but it can't be too difficult because really, this is a first for me :) Thanks in advance!

Hyena Spotlight : A Ray of Stitches

2008-03-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

Today on the Hyena Spotlight, Jessica of A Ray of Stitches! Jessica is the maker of some really great handmade toys and games. All of those toy recalls over the past year inspired her to create safe to play with toys. No parent wants to have to think about the "what if's" while watching their child love and become attached to a toy.

Personally, I've had my eye on Jessica's memory games for a while now. What a neat idea! I remember playing memory games as a child, and they never lasted too long with younger siblings in the house. The solution? make them wooden!
Aside from the memory games, Jessica offers a huge variety of fun stuff! From dolly diapers, to tic-tac-toe... even money counting sets. Great for learning, and for playing!

You can find Jessica all over the place! Here are her website, instock cart and blog. make sure to check out the available customs in her cart!

Hyena Spotlight : Wrapped Up In Love

2008-03-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Raeanne is the wonderful wahp behind Wrapped up in Love, a company striving to supply affordable, quality baby carriers and diapering products. She is a single mama to one super cute little boy, Noah. The company started out as a joint effort between Raeanne, her sister and mother, but became a solo effort once Noah was born in 2006.

As a single parent, one of the foremost things on her mind is affordability in all aspects of her business. From the Widdle Weedles to the baby carriers... she is constantly working and reworking her patterns to ensure the most cost effective, yet fully functioning product. You're sure to find high quality items at very reasonable prices when you shop at Wrapped up in Love.

$300 diaper, anyone?

2008-03-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

This is the hot topic in the diapering world right now.. the $300 goodmama diaper. This Goodmama diaper, dyed by Sweetiebums, was auctioned off for $296 USD yesterday evening. Exactly 300 if you add in the shipping.
Goodmamas are the big time hyena diaper right now. I admit, they have a nice fit and are so squishy soft... but I don't get it. People are auctioning these things off used for profit. Big profit. (It's not uncommon for people to pay upwards of $50 on these things. Don't believe me? Just check out Spot's Corner!)
Goodmama stockings on HC crash the server, hundreds upon hundreds of hyenas refresh like mad trying to get one of these things.

In a 6 diaper stocking, not a single diaper sold for under $100. The lowest winning bid was $130. Amazing!

Whether you would or you wouldn't... big props to Suzanne, her seamstresses, and all the bidders. Especially to Amanda for turning these $33 diapers into sought after works of diaper art.

Welcome, Spring! Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! With the welcoming of Spring on Friday and the Easter Bunny making his rounds on Sunday, we had a great one. My camera lense spent most of Sunday morning smudged, thus ruining most of my photos. Hopefully some editing will fix them up well enough, if not.. cest la vie.

I did learn that my baby will eat chocolates before they are unwrapped. Babies do not lend themselves too well to chocolate egg hunts, especially sneaky ones that re-hide things they find so they can get them later once mommy and daddy say no more treats. I'm not normally a fan of mess-faced baby pictures... but this one makes me giggle because I know the story.

Eggs!

2008-03-22T15:27:00.000-07:00

Dying eggs with Corbin for the first time was quite the experience! Most eggs got dyed over multiple times because we ran out of 'blank' eggs to dye. (I should have bought more than 1 dozen! Live and learn!).
Some got painted with glow in the dark paints, and others plastered with stickers. But it was most certainly a blast. And we came out of it with bright, beautiful eggs :)

Hyena Spotlight : Whiffy Bean Bags

2008-03-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

You may have caught a little bit about Leah of Whiffy Bean Bags in my trades post last week, but here is a post, all her own!

Leah is a mom of 2 from Napa, California. She offers a large variety of scented beanbag products, from regular Whiffys to the Whiffy Ice, the See-It to the Smoo. Even little keychain sized Whiffys so that Mama can have something yummy to smell while carting children around all day :P

For scents, there are natural herb blends, essential oils or fragrance oils... what your Whiffy smells like is all up to you!
I personally enjoy the Blackberry Sage and Bamboo scents. They both feel very cozy to me!

The see-it and regular whiffys will provide hours upon hours of fun for kids of all ages. My normally rambunctious son settles in once a day to play with his see-it. He enjoys finding the animals inside. Such a welcome break!

You can find Leah blogging here, and selling her wares here and here. Check her out!

Hyena Spotlight : Tush

2008-03-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

Tush is another great Canadian cloth diaper biz, supplying eco-friendly diapers made with yummy bamboo and organic cotton. She offers two styles of diaper, the basic fitted and the Tush Nocturne fitted (pictured to the left). The Tush Nocturne is a nighttime diaper with 11 layers of absorbancy - no more night time changing needed!

Here is a little bit from Robin's About Me page:
"I see using cloth diapers as an extension of my own Attachment Parenting practices. I want to pamper my baby in every way and putting soft cozy natural fibres against her skin is part of this. I want her to feel comfortable and to have an awareness of her natural rhythms. To me, using and selling cloth diapers is about parenting the WHOLE baby with an appreciation of and respect for their body and the world they live in."

Recently, Robin had an all newborn stocking with some pretty amazing guest vendors. The collaboration auctions are still running and in full swing. She joined forces with Genevieve of the Cloth Canoe, Amy of Crankypants and Berrie of Moonchild Handwork Studio to create two awesome collaborations. Click each image to visit these amazing sets.

Props to her for thinking up such awesome sets and approaching the other amazing wahms to join her. Go Robin!

You can find Robin at her hyenacart shop, the Venus Vanguard congo, her main site and blog. Be sure to browse through her wonderful products and blog!

One giant leap out of my box

2008-03-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, things around here change in a big way. A HUGE way.

Tomorrow is the day I start my new job.

Yes, I got a job. I haven't worked outside of my home since I was like 16, not counting school. The past 3.5 years I have been a stay at home mommy, and before that a student.
I am going to have to leave my beautiful children home with their Daddy for a huge chunk of the day. I will no longer be the one who puts them to bed at night. They are not going to like that and Daddy is going to have his work cut out for him. (Corbin is already insisting I not go. "No, Mommy, you're mine!")
Keilyn has never gone to bed at night without nursing to sleep, and she does not stay asleep.

But this will be good for all of us, we will all learn and grow from this experience.

Hyena Spotlight : Elemental Muse\The Muses' Guide

2008-03-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

First of all, Michelle of Elemental Muse and The Muses' Guide is completely awesome! Both her sites offer some amazing resources for work-at-home parents. Wether you are a seasoned artisan seller, or just starting out... visit Michelle's websites and you're bound to learn something you can use!
At Elemental Muse, she offers affordable and reliable domain registration and website hosting. You don't have to worry about your hosting company selling your domain name to the highest bidder when you register with Michelle. She offers packages for everyone from the hobby seller to the big time server-crashing hyenas, priced accordingly.
At The Muses' Guide, you'll find a ton of amazing seller resources. Michelle has put together a fabulous library of how-tos, workshops and tips for sellers on hyenacart and the like. It is definitely worth looking at no matter what lever seller you are. Michelle's guides will help you improve your business.
That is just the beginning! Michelle really has a full plate. This woman runs a hyenacart store where she offers graphic and cart design, and FREEBIES for improving your business! She also runs Hyenacart.info, which features more tips and interviews Hyenacart WAHPs. Pretty cool, if I do say so myself!

You can find Michelle at all of the above linked sites, as well as her blog at http://wahspirations.com/

Trading goodies

2008-03-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

I have recently discovered the wonderful world of trading products with other work at home parents. And seriously, it rocks. I've obtained some wonderful items that I otherwise would never have tried in exchange for graphics and my own handmade items. I am absolutely thrilled that I've finally opened myself up to this.

Check out some of the goodies I've received! Here we have two absolutely lovely custom made outfits for Keilyn. Nikki of Tadpoles 'n' Butterflies on Hyenacart created these. I can't even begin to tell you have PERFECT they are. There is not a single flaw in the construction of these garments. Nikki is amazing! I think Keilyn rocks that songbird fabric really well! :)

Leah of Whiffy Bean Bags sent us some yummy smelling bean bags, as well as a scented I-spy game, the Whiffy See-it. Keilyn loves to sniff her Whiffys and the see-it provides plenty of quiet-time entertainment for Corbin. It's awesome for car rides, especially ones where we have to wait in the car at Imperial Hobbies while Daddy shops for WarMachine minis or D&D books.

I have a few other fabulous trades on the way for Easter. Lisa from Patchy Pants is making something special for Corbin, but it's a secret! Lili of lili lutu made Keilyn a baby to bride bracelet and Lori of Baby Go Green is sending some Melissa and Doug toys. I've traded with Lori before, and se is awesome!

Speaking of Easter... I bought some wooden toys from Grow With The Grain. Keilyn will have her own 'cell phone' and Corbin is getting a mini coupe. I am excited to be finally having a mostly hand-made holiday. If I'm buying into this commercialization of holidays thing, I might as well be supporting the wonderful WAHPs out there, instead of bloodsucking big businesses!

Coming to an end

2008-02-29T19:51:00.000-08:00

Our visit will be over in only 2 short days. It's been nice, though. We played in the snow, the kids went sledding for the first time, caught up with old friends, done crafts, had my first waxing experience (eyebrows - so pretty), had lots of all around fun. We even made it to the swimming pool for this visit! It always is fun, but I am still always happy to go home. I miss my hubby! :P

Our most mischievous little girl got a new car seat! A late birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa H. I'm suprised they found such a pretty one! Who doesn't love the combo of pink and brown? The best part is that it's a 3 in 1, birth to 80lbs. Should we decide to expand out family - we're totally set :P

I've completed a few projects while visiting, but still have three more. My mom and I are sewing adorable little dresses for baby girl. It started out as one dress, but turned into three upon a visit to Fabricland. Our stack of fabric is huge! :p We haven't even begun, but have the rest of tonight and a fair bit of tomorrow to focus on them. We'll have to do it assembly line style, which sucks... but that's what happens when you procrastinate! I hope we can get them done!

Here is a sneek peek at one of my finished projects, before they were finished - something to be stocked on March 10th. I haven't decided between hyenacart and etsy yet, so that will be a suprise!

The only downside to this trip is that I have caught an icky cold. My throat and ears ache, I cough so hard my throat is raw and sneeze so much my nsoe is as well. Not to mention my ears pop and crackle like rice krispies! And if I have it, hubby will get it, and most likely the kids too. The next couple weeks may not be fun ones in our house!

Happy Leap Day, everyone. I hope you've made good use of your extra day! :) I know *I* needed it! :P

In Alberta!

2008-02-21T19:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the kids and I hopped on an airplane at 7am to visit my family in Alberta. We just sat there for a half an hour, which is most definitely not an easy feat with small children. This was not our regularly scheduled trip (Normally April) but we got an awesome deal from west jet in celebration of 2008. Who can turn down a $20.08 seat on an airplane? The plane was delayed a good half hour, but of course nobody told us this until we'd boarded. We just sat there for a half an hour, which is most definitely not an easy feat with small children. But we're here now, and having a blast. :)

Today we helped my sister pick out a cat to adopt. Well, Corbin did. I insisted she go for an adult cat, but Corbin wanted the little orange one. So, the little orange tabby it was! His name is Seth, and he is rather adorable. A bundle of playful energy. He tolerates the kids well, but we have a long ways to go with Duke, the dog. I think they will become friends, though.
I'm happy to welcome him as a new addition to my family :)

NB Polar Morn set

2008-02-14T16:35:00.001-08:00

NB Polar Morn set
Originally uploaded by lemamastone

Finally done! Well, almost. All that is left to do it a pair of scratch mits.
This is the last pair of shorties for my dear friend, Kandi. I feel like I have been working on her stuff forever :P Probably because I have. Never, ever tell me to take my time!
The photo shows the shorts and hat before blocking. I was too excited to show Kandi, I had to do it before hand!

Shortly after taking this (and a few other) photos, my camera decided it was going to give me a lens error. Something I was expecting, as the lens cover has been jammed open since January 5, but hoping to avoid as long as possible.
So of course, I was rather upset. I loved my little camera, despite all the heck it has given me. (Canon Powershot a540) I'd assume this would be the death of my camera, a belief reinforced by reading responses to "Help me!" posts.
In a slough of hopeless posts, I came across this:
"I had this error show, visited various websites including Canon who recommended I send it for service but were not optimistic about the chances of repair. I felt I had nothing to lose, so I switched it on and before the error shut it down I gave it a good sharp tap against a soft wooden surface. It worked instantly. Good luck."

While thinking to myself that I must be crazy for even considering this... I said what the heck and smacked my camera down on my desk. VOILA! Working camera! Who would have thought?

Hyena Spotlight : The Felted Sheep

2008-02-10T10:33:00.001-08:00

Yarn. I love yarn. Wool yarn the most. I want to hug and pet it, I wish I could sleep on a bed of soft, squishy skeins of wool yarn. That is how much I love wool yarn.

Kelsey at The Felted Sheep has tons of wool! In big fat braids of roving and a huge variety of yarns. All beautifully hand-dyed and delicious. Even handspun! Yum, yum! I've had a difficult time chosing photos to showcase Kelsey's amazing work. I love it all so much! You really must have a look for yourself, but in the meantime I've chosen these lovlies.

Kelsey and I have a little something in common, too. Our sons share a name! A mighty fine name, too, If I do say so myself. High 5's for Corbins!
Not only do our sons share a name with each other, but also with this lovely colourway! Here It is in a fingering weight blend of superwash and nylon. Corbin socks, anyone? :PAnd again, but in a beautiful handspun targhee. Isn't it amazing how different fibers take dye in such different ways.
So if you are a yarn lover, like myself, you will find yourself in a heaven of woolly goodness when you visit The Felted Sheep's shops. The Felted Sheep graces both Hyenacart and Etsy with her presence. You can read Kelsey's blog here. Enjoy your yarny dreamland!

Hyena Spotlight : The Enchanted Nursery

2008-02-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

This Hyena Spotlight, we have Teri of The Enchanted Nursery. Teri stocks a large variety of products, from cloth diapers to children's clothing to organic playing dough.

The Enchanted Nursery is home of Night Owls, an incredibly trim and absorbant wool-in-two diaper.
From Teri's night owl listings:
"By utilizing the super absorbent properties of wool, Night Owls will hold your baby through the night, without soaking the sheets. There are two layers of wool in the body, with a 3 la
yer hidden wool soaker. To add extra absorbency, there is a lay-in doubler that is made with another 3 layers of wool and is completely separate of the body and the cotton soaker. To complete the set, you need to choose your snap in soaker, listed separately. These layers of wool, along with the soaker, give you a trim; yet super absorbent wool in two."

Cute! Aside from Night Owls, Teri has fitted diapers in all sorts of yummy prints and even hand-dyed, squishy bamboo velour. Check out these cute diapers!

I am quite in awe of Terri. She manages to keep her stores well stocked while managing her "Pack of wild monkeys!" Maybe I ought to take a few pointers! ;P

You can find Terri many places! Her products are stocked on her Hyenacart, Necessitae, and Yinia. You can find her blog here!

Hyena Spotlight : The Cloth Canoe

2008-01-30T08:02:00.000-08:00

I really love when I get to blog about fellow Canadians, especially diaper making ones. Enter Geneviève of The Cloth Canoe. Geneviève offers an assortment of cloth diapers and cloth pads. They are not just ordinary diapers, though. You really MUST see the detail put into these beautiful things!

Fabulous, isn't it? Decorative top stitching on diapers, embroidered business name. Oh so beautiful. Not to mention those delicious organic fabrics. Yummy! My lust for fitted diapers is going berserk right now. Geneviève also does all-in-ones, gorgeous bamboo velour prefolds and printed fitteds too.

Huge cheers for another fantastic Canadian wahp! You can find Geneviève on hyenacart here and here, as well as on her own blog, here.

Snow, glorious snow!

2008-01-29T17:36:00.001-08:00

Last night we caught a few inches of snow here in Vancouver, and then a bit more late this morning.

I'm finally starting to catch the novelty of snow here. I grew up getting snow dropped on me for at least half of the year in Alberta. When we moved here, one of the biggest pros on my list was NO SNOW! Now I get a little excited when we see some of the white stuff, especially if it sticks.

So we enjoyed a short hour in the snow. Keilyn spent most of it standing in one spot, afraid to move, until we got some of the snow off the ground. Where did we put it? Into a snowman and snowbaby! Our first ones of the year. Any other time we'd had snow, it melted away before we got to play or it was in Alberta and too dry to even make a snowball. Corbin picked out all the rocks and helped roll the top two tiers of the snowman.

Later tonight we'll have to go on a walk in search of sticks and get carrots for the noses, then search through the house for some extra snow clothes to keep our snowbuddies warm through the night.

Fluffymail!

2008-01-28T20:57:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've gotten anything in the mail, a good two months. Goodies in the mail are one of those things that really brighten someone's day.

While fluffymail isn't exactly for me, it is when I get to finally see the fruits of my labour. I spend days, even weeks, looking for cute cloth diapers. Once the perfect fluff is caught, I spend a few more weeks stalking the mailman. Then one day, the package is in my hands! The excitement of tearing open a big squishy envelope is almost payment enough! I ooh and ahh over the wondrous poop-catcher that had previously resided inside, and insist that my hubby look at and pet them before prepping them for wear.
Then the next time a diaper is dirtied, I get to lovingly select one of the new guys and see how it fits and performs. See how cute it looks on my little sweetheart.
If I have to change stinky, smelly diapers... I might as well have something cute to look at!

This week three fitteds joined the team. A Patchwork Pixie Elfin Under owls print, Spooky Kitty Collective in the anime girls print and an Unnamed WAHM-made fitted. All three of them are already being well loved! Kiki tends to reach for the SKC when given the choice, but *I* like the owls on the PWP.

And lucky me! Soon a few more, and some various other handmade goods will be making their way to my house. What fun!

Bon Voyage

2008-01-27T23:37:00.000-08:00

Today we went to a Farewell dinner for our friend, Aimee. After spending the past 5 months living in Canada, she is returning to Australia tomorrow. I am very sad to see her go, especially when we had only recently found something to bond over. (A shared love of scrapbooking.) Hopefully we manage to stay in touch via the internet, but sometimes that is hard. At least now I have someone to visit in Australia one day! :)

Happy travels to Aimee!

Hyena Spotlight: Pumpkin Pie Baby

2008-01-22T13:23:00.000-08:00

Angela of Pumpkin Pie Baby offers both knit and crochet woolen diaper covers. You can never have enough wool, right? :)

Angela has been crocheting for 10 now, and decided to put her hooks to good use when she discovered cloth diapering. She now carries a license for the Ladybugz Peppermint Soakers and Morning Glory Longies. Also, Angela has recently began to sell knit shorties and longies under the Belladonna Designs pattern. You'll even find the odd crochet toy!

Check out this sweet crochet soaker instock right now. Who doesn't love organic? Angela also has plenty of semi-customs and Your-Yarn-My-Hook slots available right now.
For the rest of this month, Hyenacart Forum goers can use their accumulated "HyenaCash" towards shipping on products at Pumpkin Pie Baby!

You can find Angela on Hyenacart here and here, as well as at her own blog, here! Make sure you take a peek!

Sick

2008-01-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

We're all ill around here. Except for Kirstyn, but that's ok. Brandon and I have simple, managable colds, but the kids seem to have developed fevers overnight. Corbin was tossing and turning all night, even talking during his sleep. None too fun :(
Kiki has spent most of the day snoozing and Corbin gave out at 6:30pm. Keilyn's had a bit of Infant Tylenol, but it hasn't done much - she is still very unhappy while awake.
It is sad to see them not feeling well, but I am most certainly enjoying the cuddles I am getting out of my busy little girl.

Here fishy, fishy

2008-01-18T16:17:00.000-08:00

Was yesterday ever busy for us! We braved the yucky weather in favor of a trip to Stanley Park with Auntie Kirstyn. She's visiting until Sunday, which makes for very happy children in my house, and a very happy mommy.

After a very long, crowded bus trip,
we met a friend of Kirstyn's at the park and spent the first hour and a half strolling along, taking in the sights. Corbin was not too thrilled with this, as he had been expecting to play when he heard the word "park," not walk.
Luckily, I had the insight to tow along the stroller as well as the sling. No arms were left aching :)

We saw a ship come in to the port. Keilyn almost woke up when the horn blew. I pointed out the orange cranes unloading cans after can, and Corbin yammered on about how Daddy works on the big ships.

We walked around for a long time while Kirstyn and her friend shot photo after photo. Shortly after Keilyn finally woke and Corbin had decided he'd walked far enough, we decided that it was far too chilly to be outside any longer and opted for a tour of the Vancouver Aquarium.

I'd not been to the aquarium in a good 8 years, so I was a little surprised. I'd forgotten that there was more to the aquarium than just fish. We saw snakes, caimans, a sloth, various birds and even two marmosets. Our favorite exhibits were the various jellyfish, sharks, and the caiman environment. Keilyn even put up protest when we began to leave the jellyfish, so we lingered for a while longer.

After one last romp in Clown Fish Cove, we headed for the bus. It was starting to get dark and both kids were exhausted. Corbin dozed off during our travels while Keilyn wooed all the other passengers. :)

Hyena Spotlight : Pirate Booty Baby!

2008-01-09T15:21:00.000-08:00

Pirate Booty Baby is a relatively new shop on the Hyenacart scene, but a definite goodie!

Karma, now a mama of twins, developed the shop as part of an assignment in her post-secodary schooling, and developed it throughout her time at Columbus College of Art and Design. After graduating with highest honors and BFA in Fashion Design, she went on to open Pirate Booty Baby in October of 07. Way to follow through, mama ;D

Pirate Booty Baby carries a great line of baby and children's clothing, including the very creative "Underwool," a wool undershirt and soaker combined into one awesome baby item!

Now before I head on to the showcase item... help me chant. "I'm on the wagon, I'm on the wagon!" I'm having a hard time resisting this one!
This AppleFairy Princess Dress is currently sitting in stock at hyenacart. I can't believe it hasn't been snatched up, with that rich chocolate corduroy, and sweet apple print. It's a multi-layer dress that would be perfect for all seasons. I might have to fall off the wagon here!!

Karma is destined to be an asset to the hyenacart community. You can find her at her website, on hyenacart, or writing her own blog!

Hyena Spotlight : Painted Patootie and Fishnoodles

2008-01-06T12:15:00.001-08:00

One big addition to my blog for the new year is the Hyena WAHP Spotlight. Once or twice a week I will be blogging about one of Hyenacart's fabulous Work-at-home-parents. Diapers to clothes to toys and everything in between!

This week, the spotlight is on Painted Patootie/Fishnoodles!

Sometimes those of us in the cloth diapering world get a little bored of solid color and print pocket diapers and are looking for something different. Dawn of Painted Patootie and Fishnoodles offers just what the name states - hand painted diapers! Something totally different, how often do you find painted diapers? Especially painted diapers that will stand up to the heavy duty washing that cloth dipes go through? Not often! Each diaper is tested and the paint is to last the reasonable life of the diaper - very cool!

Dawn offers a variety of custom painted and sewn pocket diapers and diaper covers, as well as Fishnoodles - Dawn's own line of hand-painted tee's!

Shiver-me-timbers!! The pirate-lover in me adores her super awesome skully and cross rattles design.

With these handpainted diapers and t-shirts, your sweetheart can be dressed in original hand-painted works of art!

You can find Dawn on Hyenacart, her site and at her own blog!

First Keilyn, now my turn.

2008-01-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

"No wise man ever wished to be younger."

-Johnathan Smith

Yesterday was my own birthday, but that portion of the day was relatively low key. Now that I have my own children, I tend to take a back seat most of the time even on "my day." That's ok, though, as I take great joy in their day-to-day lives.

We celebrated both Keilyn and my own birthday with family - he small birthday party I'd mentioned in my previous post. My mom and dad drove 12 hours just to be here for it. It was fantastic. Mar and Aimee had decorated and everything, there were pink balloons everywhere! I hadn't expected any decorating, so walking in to that was really amazing.

My mom and I had made a yummy lunch for everyone. Roast beef au jus sandwiches. We sliced into the (very large) roast before cooking, inserting cloves of garlic all over. No added salts, just fresh garlic. The garlic roasting inside the meat smelled wonderful. We sliced the meat without removing the garlic - a tasty treat for the garlic lovers in our family. The rest of the meat had a perfect, smooth taste. Wonderful! This was served along side an assortment of raw veggies and a curry dip. The dip made for one very happy baby, Keilyn wanted to eat it alone but settled for dipped broccolis.

Opening gifts was fun. Corbin got right in there and helped. I think he is still in Christmas mode and Keilyn was a little on the sleepy side by this point. The boxes were the most fun for her, anyways! Isn't that always the truth? Babies and boxes go hand in hand.

Oh and cake! I tend to forget about cake until the last minute. I was placing calls to bakeries at 10am, desperate for a 8" cake suitable for a first birthday. I finally found one that agreed to make a fresh cake, and decorate it especially for Keilyn. What luck! It was an adorable little cake. Far more sugary than I'd hoped, (I had originally planned on making my own baby-friendly cake, but our time was so limited!) but still good. Once in a while very sweet treats are alright :) Especially when instead of eating it, it's more-so bathed in!

I didn't intend on this party being for me at all, but our loving families all thought I deserved a little appreciation on my birthday and made it so. My parents even found a special, more grown-up Tiramisu cake for me. A yummy treat for all the adults present, and a nice surprise for me.

After a great time surrounded by our loving families, my parents took us out for a lovely sushi dinner. Sushi is my favorite food, needless to say I was thrilled.
Then we spent the rest of our evening enjoying some movies and playing with the kiddies. It was very nice day and made me incredibly happy.

My baby girl is 1.

2008-01-02T23:53:00.000-08:00

Yep, today. Today my daughter is one year old. I'm a little heartbroken about it, but still happy. I just missed out on a lot of enjoying her as a baby. That's part of having an older child, I assume. She may very well be my last baby ever, and I feel like I missed it. I guess it's just different, you enjoy a second (or third, or fourth, or beyond) child in new and different ways than a first.

Yesterday I was pulling dresses out of her closet. Ones that were passed on to us by various people very shortly after she was born. I remember hanging them up one by one thinking about how she'll be wearing them around her first birthday, picking one out for her to wear on her birthday or for her 'party.'
... They were so huge back then.
Yesterday I pulled one out and asked her if she "wanted to try the pretties?" To which she nodded her sweet little fuzzy head "Yes."
It fits her so perfectly now. She will be wearing it on Saturday when we have a tiny birthday celebration for her. Just family, it will be nice not to have the pressure of a big party. Do they really need that for a first birthday anyways?

I can't believe it's already been a whole year.

About time.

2007-12-31T13:45:00.001-08:00

I finally got around to listing a fair chunk of my left over craft fair goodies on the Etsy shop. And I'm having a little sale, hoping to clear it all out. All the items are marked down a few dollars. Today was supposed to be the last day, but I may just extend it until my birthday, this coming Saturday. Wish me luck! :P

Here's me wishing everyone a very safe and happy New Years Eve! And especially hoping that any small children staying up to ring in the year aren't too cranky for New Years Day! :P
Let's all have an awesome time in 2008!

Starting in the New Year, I'll be doing a weekly (maybe bi-weekly, depending on how I feel) feature post on fellow blogging Hyenacart sellers. Keep an eye out for these posts, there are some extremely talented mamas out there! :D

We survived.

2007-12-29T23:28:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas, but I'm so glad to say it's over for this year.

When the kids and I arrived home from Alberta, it was like a non-stop circus. We ended up shopping for Christmas gifts every night. Only 6 people to get gifts for, and it took us 5 days of useless browsing (and being bumped about by other mall goers) before we even started to figure out what would work.

I'm glad we had saved ourselves some shopping by hand-crafting my side of the family's gifts. And I have more pictures! My sister Kirstyn got the adorable monster shown a few posts down, and the two younger girls received beaded items. Here is what I made for my parents:

A scrapbook page for my dad. He'd made himself some digital ones of Corbin and himself before Keilyn was born. They hang in his office at work. I know he's always enjoyed my scrapbook pages, so I thought I do something with a little more depth and both grandchildren. I framed it in a simple black frame, and now it is in his office as well.
I sure made a mess doing it, though!

Fingerless mitties and an extra tall neckwarmer for Mom. The mitts were an last-minute experiment based on my mom heading back to nursing school. (Who wants cold hands while they write their essays?) They fit comfortably enough, but I think next time I will add a little more length after the ribbing. I adore the button... no idea what kind of material it is, but I really love the look.

Next year, I am hand-making and shopping online for all our gifts. Anything I'd need to buy in a shop, I can get online, right? Everything for the kids will be handmade and natural if I get my way!!

We spent our very first Christmas morning alone as a family this year. Years past we've been with my family or Brandon's "Chosen" family. This time we put out cookies in our own home, slept in our own family bed, awoke to our own lovely tree and had just a quiet, laid back morning. It was really beautiful. Funny how the simple things like just being in your own place make the holidays so special.

The afternoon and evening were spent with Brandon's "Chosen" family. We opened a whole slough of gifts, ate yummy food, and then had a party.
We brought along my brand new Nintendo Wii, and the whole crew had a blast with it. From the oldest attendee, to the 4th youngest (a five year old). Way to get video gaming to a new level, Nintendo! Gone are the days of sitting on your behind blankly staring at the game, and here are the days of MOVING while to play. It's so much fun for everyone, and easy too.

Now there is a new task at hand. Keilyn's first birthday on January 2nd. (But that's a whole post of it's own!) Following closely behind that is my own birthday. My family isn't quite resting yet!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T02:08:00.000-08:00

Never stopping!

2007-12-11T23:03:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how busy it feels here! We're always doing something, be it playing with Aunties or running around working on holiday shopping. While I am making most of my gifts, my family members are not. :P I do enjoy accompanying them though. The holiday scenery, scents and sounds are pleasing to the kids and myself. The malls are kind of nice when you don't have to worry about the shopping!

It has been a fun filled couple of days, and there are a few more in the future. We've played in the snow, with all kinds of interesting toys, seen Santa, done crafts, assembled an artificial tree and visited family and friends. It's been great. Busy, but thoroughly enjoyable!

Away on a jet plane

2007-12-07T08:14:00.000-08:00

Finally, a break! On Wednesday we took a short flight high above the clouds, and landed in a powdered winter wonderland. We touched down in Calgary, Alberta at 4:20 pm, a little later than expected.

Here we got our REAL first taste of winter. Boy, oh boy! I forgot how COLD it gets here! I haven't spent a December at home since 2004. It was -9 degrees Celcius when we landed, and droped to -19 by the time we arrived at my parents' house. (a hour and a half-ish drive from the airport) Unbelievable! They had to bring me a suitable coat!

Luckily, the kids had warm enough gear for traveling. Corbin does, however, still need snow boots so we can play outside!His hat was just finished in before we got on the plane - it hadn't been blocked yet, hence the wonkiness.

We've all been having a great time. It's nice to have 5 extra sets of hands around to help out with the kids. I feel so relaxed! Most of the day I am still all alone with them, but I can actually have uninterrupted alone time. The kids are too busy to wonder where Mommy is when I need a bit to myself. It is beautiful! :P

We have some big plans while we are here! The day we arrived was my Mom's birthday. We had cake, singing and gave her the lovely Grandmother's Bracelet I made to the right.
Tonight, I am going to a Van Halen concert with my parents and some family friends., the kids will be at my Aunt and Uncle's house. Corbin and my cousin, Harry, are but 4 months apart in age. The will have a blast playing. Harry has the most amazing play kitchen, I bet they spend the whole evening playing in it... again!
Tomorrow is a Children's Christmas party for Corbin, and on Sunday we might just head to the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Corbin is starting to get interested in dinosaurs, so it's sure to be a big hit!

I always enjoy my trips to Alberta, it's great to see my family again while getting a little bit of a vacation from real life. The rest I get here leaves me refreshed and ready to start again with the kids. I can read and play with my kids again without feeling burnt out or over-worked when it's done.

And that is a very, very good thing.

Is it really December already?

2007-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

And even more shocking... it's snowing! And it's actually sticking. It snowed for bout 5 minutes earlier this week, melting immediately as it fell on the (still green) grass. But today it's sticking! So after Keilyn went for her first nap, Corbin and I went outside for a quick run in the snow.

So. Much. Cute.
It was incredibly adorable seeing him play in the little bit of snow we have. I've never been a big fan of the snow, but his joy over the white stuff has given me a new appreciation for it.
He caught snowflakes on his tounge, made footprints in the fresh powder, and pointed out all the places that were covered in it.
"Snow dogs! Can you hear it?" with his hand cupped around his ear, listening intently. It was actually a bird, but I'm happy to let him imagine.

December brings the need to craft. Many people this year are receiving handmade Christmas gifts, something I haven't done since I was a kid. I'm excited and hopeful. Handmade gifts are so much more personal. Not only do they carry thought, but effort and love. I hope they go over as well as I am imagining.
The adorable little monster pictures to the left is for one of my sisters, K. Knit with wool, gently stuffed with wool. All around yumminess. I'm making similar ones for the kids. I started Corbin's back in August. It was originally meant as a birthday gift but wasn't completed in time. It is still incomplete. Upon seeing the plans, K gushed about how adorable it was and mentioned wanting one for herself. Taa-da!

Maternal creations arts&craft fair

2007-11-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

Wow. After a few busy weeks of preparation, the Maternal Creations Arts&Craft show was this past weekend. My very first craft fair, my first time selling my gear anywhere off of the internet and my first time away from Keilyn for a lengthy period of time on day 2.

The whole thing was quite the experience. I went in just looking to learn a little and hoping to sell just one wool cover. I met my goal, a wool cover was sold, as well as a few other things. My felted wool balls did especially well. One woman snatched up 6 in a variety of colours. I've learned a lot about craft shows, what local parents are looking for and gained a few tips from other crafters (ie: create a blog *wink*). I've met some wonderful crafty mama's, though I did not really get to connect with them as well as I'd hoped. There is always online!

(A few shots of my table. You can see Jess' cards next to the adorable matryoshka dolls by Little Red Caboose on the right. On the left you see one of the adorable pairs of baby socks knit by my other neighbor. Did anyone catch her web address? I lost it!)

It was quite a twist for the clinic... I've only ever seen it as a calm, relaxing place. This weekend it was a bustling market filled with amazing works of art, creative yumminess, and of course - the constant parade of babies! Big ones, small ones, even brand new ones. Noisy ones, quiet ones, sleeping ones... ahh babies. All of those cuties have staved off my unfounded baby lust for the week.

I regret not budgeting in some money to spend on the beautiful crafts at the fair. I think Corbin may have been into the silk streamers, crowns, play slings. Keilyn could have used her own special quilt, footies, yet another hat, or a "buddha baby" t-shirt :P Luckily, I can always try contacting these mamas again, as they are local. Hooray for buying local! I was, however, gifted one of those sweet matryoshka ornaments. She is beautiful, and currently dangling off my refrigerator where I can see her all the time.

I can't wait until next year, I am so stoked up to try again. Thank you to Lehe for putting together such an amazing event!

A new day begins.

2007-11-26T09:03:00.001-08:00

I've done this before, but not for a while. It shouldn't take me long to get this blog up and running. I think I'm nearly finished already, actually.
All I have yet to do is download photos from my camera, so I can provide a real entry. I certainly have plenty to write about after a busy weekend at my very first craft fair!

So for now, I say adieu. :)