Quick Update: My darling daughter's visit!

I know I promised I'd post photos from my daughter's visit and I have full intentions to do that, just not quite yet. I need to go through all the photos and pick which ones I want to use. I also realised to my dismay that I did not take very many photos and too much video. Bleh! Maybe I can get my darling husband to (not sure how it's done) grab photos from the videos. So I will be back soon with photos!

I do have a few that I did get with my camera.

These are the hot pads, dishcloths and coasters along with a super cute dish washing liquid bottle cover up. The dishcloths have already graduated from the kitchen to the bathroom. She absolutely loves how nice they feel. She was also super happy with the coasters since she'd been looking for some.

Dish cloths, Coasters & Hot Pads

The Caribbean Topper, from the back.

The Caribbean topper that I finished back in August. She finally got to model it! It's an absolute perfect fit! and she loves the buttons I made. One set was used to close the front and one set went to tailor the back. Very pretty.

The Caribbean Topper. A perfect fit!

A super cute jacket I found @ a 2nd hand store

This really cute black velveteen top with a frilled bottom was also a huge success. I came across it at a 2nd hand store and just could not walk away without it. I am so glad I did get it. I was worried it might not have fit but it's a perfect tailor made fit.

Blown up doily throw

Not even quite sure what to call it LOL a top, a short dress, a jacket... I guess it all depends how and where you wear it. So many possibilities and knowing my darling daughter, she will try every mix :)

Blown up doily wrap

She also knew she was getting a nice throw but this was the first time she'd seen it. As you can see by the huge grin, she's loving it. This pattern came from Crochet Soiree, I blew up the Starlight doily into a fantastic looking throw or wrap depending on the mood. Gorgeous color for her too!

She also received some very original cosplay hats. Photos will eventually come to my blog once I publish the patterns.

There were a few more items that again, I won't be posting photos until they are published.

And last but not least, an awesome piece of news. Most of you know I was recently diagnosed with FMS. I did my best to keep up with the chores and errands but as the months went by, things just piled up and I couldn't keep up. I'm still figuring out how to pace myself! My darling daughter after discussing it with her husband has told me she will be coming over to help me every 4 to 6 weeks! That to me is the absolutely bestest news I could have received. Thanks to my beautiful darling daughter :)

Happy Birthday to my darling daughter!!!

My dear sweet little baby girl. 

How the years have flown

Time has gone by

You have grown

But always young

You are always near

In my heart

In my thoughts

You never stray far

A breath of fresh air

A gift that I am proud of

You my daughter have my heart and my everlasting love

May this day of your birth bring you happiness

Love always,

Mom

Cat bus compliments of a fantastic movie: My Neighbor Totoro

Did I forget to say "I LOVE Mondays!"

Yes ladies and gents. Another Monday has come and gone.

My sister soul came to town and we had fun! Well, after this lady forgot where we were to meet that is.... I blame the fibromyalgia also known as fibrofog. We've decided that I'm writing on my hand where we're going to meet next time LOL

We got to show off our projects from the past few weeks. Gave feedback and intelligent suggestions :) and shared knowledge. That to me is my favorite part; sharing the knowledge we've gathered over the years.

I can't put up photos of my finished projects yet since a certain young lady is coming over on Wednesday! 

And yes Sammsis you can tease her some more LOL She can take it although I'm sure she's getting close to blowing up like a helium balloon from sheer anticipation LOL

Let's say the pile is growing since I added your presents to the list :) And I'm nooo'ttt telling!

We had lunch at the persian restaurant again, Delicious as always! Absolutely love the stewed eggplant and the chicken and mushrooms in yogurt sauce and the mound of delicious rice with mung beans! and the fresh green salad with tomatoes & cucumbers. A very healthy meal and low glycemic as well. That's always a bonus! I had to bring some back home for hubby, he loves it just as much as I do! I honestly think that if this was the only food we could have for the rest of our lives, we'd be happy. Toss in some fresh fruit, water, and we'd be set :)

I also ran by the Vietnamese market to pick up some much needed meat. Came home with a 10 lbs bag of onions for a whopping $1.99! Some beautiful local fresh broccoli heads for .99 a lb.  Baby cucumbers a dozen came to less than $2. A double handful of fresh picked spinach for .99.  Picked up a bag of longans at 1.99 a lbs. Those are some of the best fruits I've ever eaten. They are not too sweet, full of vitamins and easy to take along with you for snacking. Got some humongous deboned, deskinned chicken breasts, 3 breasts large enough to be turned into 7 meals! and the cost, $12.50. Also got extra lean beef mince at a $1.99 a lb., a pork loin for $12.63 that will be turned into 5 maybe 6 meals and 20 chicken wings for $5.75. The chicken wings will be used for Karen's special by request dish, my curried chicken wings! for her birthday celebration when she's here.

Then on Wednesday my darling daughter is coming with me to get the staples at No Frills. The stuff I only get once a month, sometimes longer between trips. It's a long trip, requires 2 buses to get there and with the fibro, I'm not too courageous stepping out on my own these days. So this will be perfect. We come home and it will be present opening time! and yes, I will take photos :) and hopefully a movie or two. 

It should be a really fun day and I'm really looking forward to it. Can you tell!?! :)

Progress Report

No worries folks, I'm still here.

I haven't posted much about anything I've been knitting/crocheting in the last few weeks and there's a very good reason for that. My dearest daughter's birthday is the 26th and I didn't want her to see what I've been up to. I know she reads my blog faithfully so I had to be quiet ;)

But soon I will be able to post photos since she will be getting her gifts on Wednesday! And I'll make sure to take photos of her with what I've been doing :) So until then, Mum's the word!

Oh and since I have photos, here's some gratuitous kitty porn and some cute stuff and funny stuff too!

Now tell me, who can resist that?

Just one of those things...

I agree with her, who's got a problem? uh? uh? not me! LOL

His favorite perch in the summer

Doesn't he just look as comfy as a cat can be?

PS. I can hardly wait to see the look on her face!

Dirty Jobs - Mike Rowe, my hero!

I'm sure most of you have turned on the TV and caught a Discovery Channel favorite, Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. The talk he gave for TED tv presents an insight on those "dirty" jobs that will make you think and reevaluate the importance of those jobs.

There are times that you may think he is poking fun at the jobs, but judging from this talk, he has learned a lot about the importance of those jobs that we'd rather not think of.

Kirby's Epic Yarn

My husband emailed this link to me and told me to make sure to watch it.

OMG This is the perfect Wii game for anyone who does crafts, knits or crochets!

If you haven't seen this game yet, watch the video. It lasts 20 minutes but I can guarantee that by the time you're done watching, you'll want to run out and buy this game for hours of endless fun!

Note *some of the language from the two adult male players can be a bit colourful... as in, there's the odd swear word because they can't believe how much fun they are having collecting beads, unravelling yarn monsters, unzipping buildings, gathering fabric and swimming through fabric water. They actually sqweed with joy when one of them would get a piece of yarn furniture for their house! LOL And Kirby is irresistible all made out of yarn, he looks squishy and bouncy.

What you need to know about toxics in your cosmetic products

Earlier this year, the David Suzuki Foundation invited Canadians to pull back the shower curtain and participate in an online survey about toxic ingredients in common personal care products like soaps, shampoos and cosmetics. Here are the key findings from the survey and recommendations for cleaning up these products and strengthening Canada's laws to better protect human health and the environment.

I am so glad I don't use makeup!

The few things I do use like shampoo, deodorant, mouthwash, hand cream, body mist, body wash are all exempt of the dirty dozen. Thank goodness for Yves Rocher!

Click the above link to see all the information gathered. I believe this one since it is from the Dr. Suzuki Foundation. If it was any other organization, I would take the results with a large grain of sand. Dr. Suzuki doesn't stand to gain or lose anything by showing these results since he has no vested interest in the making of beauty products unlike let's say a funded private company study.  There, you never quite know if they are being honest or representing the "needed" results so women will buy the products thinking they are safe.

School kills creativity

A friend pointed this talk out to me. I watched, I laughed, I nodded in agreement.

I always believed that children should be allowed to express their creativity freely as long as it doesn't put anyone or themselves in danger.

I remember when my daughter was in kindergarten, the teacher pointing out to me that she was not using the "right" colours in her pictures. She showed me the picture and I didn't see anything wrong with it and said as much. She pointed to a beautiful sky filled with green clouds, a teal lake, blue trees with yellow trunks and orange grass. That all those were not "proper" colors. I asked her what she thought were proper colors and she responded in the expected manner, blue sky, green grass, blah blah.. so I asked her "what if this is the colours she sees?" are we supposed to retrain her brain to see only those colors in relation to the object? To me that is killing creativity at it's most fundamental. 

What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving Canadian style!

Every year, I look back and see what has been good, what has been bad and what I've learned since the last Thanksgiving. This year is no different than other years except that I learned to appreciate a lot more than in previous years.

These are the things I'm thankful for:

My darling husband
A man who suffers daily from kidney stone pain. He does his best to remain cheerful and to be here for me despite the pain and exhaustion. I have only to look at my loving man when I think I can't stand another day of pain and know that I can carry on.

My loving daughter
Despite the stumbling blocks that life has handed my beautiful daughter, she always as a smile and a hug for everyone, to help everyone around her and make others feel better. She works hard every day, has some days that are tough to go through, but knows who to turn to for strength.

My son who moves to the beat of a different drummer.
He may have been born with severe developmental delays but with each passing day, he is maturing and seeing the world through his eyes makes me appreciate what I have.

My sistersoul
Who has a shoulder and a strong arm for me when I need it the most. For her understanding, her quiet strength, her wisdom. For the laughter that she brings into my life and brightens my day. For a second chance at having a sister to love and cherish. And I dearly hope she knows I am here for her as well.

The people in my life.
From each one I gather wisdom, experience, support and strength. They touch my life in small and big ways that I may not realise at the time but become part of me.

Gambit
For always knowing when I need a purring kitty cheer up on my lap or a bump on my leg asking to be picked up and loved. For those beautiful green eyes, full of love and trust.

My health, be such as it is.
I get reminded daily that life is to be appreciated, that family and friends do matter. That caring about each other should always be first on the list of things to do.

The ability to walk
You only realise how much it means to be able to walk when you find that you can't take another step because you're racked with pain.

The soft breezes, the warm autumn days that make me hurt less.

A good night's sleep.

A pain free day.

My hands
I use to knit and crochet and make someone else's day brighter with the things I create.

That I can share a smile irregardless...

On that note, I ask you my readers and friends, What are you thankful for this year?