How to Dress: Style Inspiration from the Little Ones for the Big People

1. Always have a great jacket. 

It can be thrown over whatever else you're wearing, especially if it's running errands, and can make the simplest of outfits feel pull together.

2. Cute shoes

Always have a pair of cute shoes to go with your great jacket. The accessories can often make an outfit and don't require a huge closet or budget. Color pop, fashion trends, and seasonal statements are all easily achieved with what you're wearing on your shoes. Think ballet flats, boots, and red heels. 

3. Never underestimate a good hat. 

It can be a blah day, no time for a shower day, or changes in humidity. Choose a hat you like and looks good on you and don't be afraid to wear it! The British do it all the time and look fabulous. 

4. Go for a co-ordinated look. 

Jeans, hoodie, and runners can look super cute, sporty, and practical. For those days when you just need to wear something or you're outdoors or need some more practical clothes. Wear them and wear them on purpose. Throw your hair up in a ponytail, add a splash of color with a headband and go rock the playground/library/grocery store with a spring in your step. 

5. Invest in some quality clothes. 

The initial output may slow you down but if it's a pair of good shoes or nice jeans or good jacket (or glasses in my case, here) and you wear it every day, the price is averaged out and it makes a great buy. For example, I had a pair of jeans that I wore a lot. I wore them till they had holes. Price per wear: pennies. Totally worth the investment. 

6. Mix and match

Don't be afraid to try something new. Play around with combinations in your closet to create new outfits, be inspired by others and then re-create your own version. It doesn't have to be costly or brand name or just like anyone else, it is you and your style. Wear it with confidence. 

7. "Happiest girls are the prettiest." 

Audrey Hepburn said this, she is one of my style inspirations but I appreciate this truth probably more then any outfit she wore. People remember a smile long after they've forgotten what you wore. 

What inspires you?

Less is More (no, really it is!)

I've been thinking a lot about the concept of stuff lately. It probably helps that I'm in a major de-junk, purge, and organize mood. I've been in it before but this time I'm in attack mode. 

I am pretty much ruthless in my method. I say pretty much because at my heart, I'm a packrat. I hold onto little random stuff because of the sentimental value to me. Growing up, I always had a full closet because I could never bear to get rid of my clothes, they all had so many memories attached to them. 

But I can't afford to be that sentimental anymore. 

We've moved a lot since getting married 3 1/2 years ago. We've lived in a lot of different places.  And we've accumulated stuff. Stuff we keep moving around with us.

We're most likely going to be moving again in the future, our little hobbit hole basement suite is only so big. I don't want to move stuff around just because it has memories attached to it. So I've been going through everything, taking bins of stuff to the thrift store and posting ads on kijiji.

It has been so freeing. Our souls aren't so weighed down by stuff. We're free to just be and enjoy what we do have.

We have more space.

I got rid of a change table and an exersaucer. I was only using the change table as storage and Khaira was quite done with the exersaucer. There's so much more space in the girls' room for them to dump their teddies and tea set all over the floor  play. 

The house can be really fast to tidy up.

The girls have three baskets in their room of assorted toys, teddies and books. They also have a little shelf in the living room. It can look like a total disaster but I can clean it up in five minutes making me feel like Mary Poppins. I just need some sort of trick for the laundry now.

I've gotten rid of all kinds of things that I was saving for a rainy day or oodles of spare time.

-A wicker picnic basket with a broken handle, it would probably be an easy fix but I haven't fixed it and it's been two years. I'm not going to be fixing it. 

 -Random knick-knacks that I will never display again and have just collected dust in my hopechest. My style and taste has changed a lot since I was 16 and there's no need to store stuff for no reason.

-A cupcake storage and transport container. I have never used it. And despite my fascination with cupcakes, I'm not keeping it for that 'just in case moment'. When I make cupcakes, I'll be creative and use something I already have to store them.  

I saved the memories and got rid of the stuff. 

 I know what I have and why I have it.

I haven't been completely cold-hearted and cut throat. I saved my tea cups and silver tea service. I have two little girls and I forsee lots of tea parties with real china in our future. I also saved four tupperware parfait glasses. I have never used them. I have four cut glass parfait glasses that are a lot prettier. But the tupperware ones are quirky and retro and I have so many memories of my Nana serving up her famous chocolate pudding in parfait cups identical to mine. I'm keeping them to create new memories for little people in my house.

Are you a pack rat as well? What's your secret to keeping stuff organized?

P.S. These pictures were taken on Mother's Day, I got the girls matching outfits last fall and love that they can wear them now. And I seriously wish they came in my size!

   

Following the Spark

After last week, I was quite ready for a different sort of week when it came to be Monday. We had the loveliest of weekends and I felt refreshed and ready to handle whatever might happen. But I also knew for my own sanity and for the girls' sake that I would set the rhythm for the week a little different then our normal routine.

We would follow the spark. 

We would take advantage of the beautiful weather and let it dictate our days a little more. 

 We would eat lunch at the park and then blow bubbles. Because it is beautiful out. And sunshine does wonders for restoring one's soul.

 I  would say yes to a spontaneous invitation to spend the day with a friend and her little girls. Honestly, she mentioned popsicles and sitting in the sun and talking and I was all over it.I got a lovely tan burn to show just how long we sat and talked while our girls slept. 

We would do necessary errands timed so that we get in a visit with cousins. And I was refreshed again by chatting with my sister in law and sharing all sorts of life stuff with her. 

And it has been a different sort of week, filled with all sorts of lovely and a few not-so-lovely bits too. I'll be honest, there were more messes then I care to admit and the floor's needed washing all week. I don't live in a strawberry cream patch, I just like to dwell on the nice bits and let the other stuff go.

What do you do to 'follow the spark'?

The Tarte Tatin That Wasn't

I have been all kinds of inspired lately. And a lot of it has to do with browsing Pinterest and reading. I've been discovering the library again, requesting all sorts of books and working my way through them as I have time. Trying to open a book just as often, if not more, then having screen time. 

My latest delicious read was David Lebovitz's The Sweet Life in Paris. At the end of every chapter, he includes a recipe or two.  And after reading about tarte tatin, I decided that I really, really should start knocking off those food items on my 'to make' list. 

Tarte Tatin has long been on my list to make. And so this weekend, I did. Sort of. I don't have a cast iron pan, yet, so the key element of making the tart was not really there. So I just made up my own version based on David's recipe. And it was good. Very good. 

I used David's pastry recipe but really you could use your favorite recipe and it would be great!

The apples were picked last fall and then frozen, I've been slowly working my way through all the bounty in my freezer and the apples turned out really well. Because you caramelize them, it's okay that they get a little soft. 

If you have any leftover apple filling, it would make a wonderful topping to pancakes or oatmeal. It also makes a lovely snack while waiting for your husband to get home from his rehearsal, not that I would know or anything. 

Free-form Apple Tart
(inspired by David Lebovitz's Caramelized Apple Tart)

For the dough:

3/4 c flour
1/4 t coarse salt
1 1/2 t granulated sugar
2 T unsalted butter
3 T ice-cold water

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in a bowl. Cut the butter in and mix until the butter is in pea-sized chunks. Stir in the water and mix just until the dough holds together. Shape into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Store in fridge until ready to use (up to 3 days).

For the apples:
8 cups, sliced apples, (I used frozen Jonagold apples)
1 T lemon juice, to toss with fresh apples, if using fresh
1 T butter
1/2 c packed brown sugar

Melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and apples. Cook on low to medium heat for 20 minutes (or so), stirring to coat apples with butter mixture.

Roll out dough on flour dusted counter into a 12 inch (or so) circle, you may need to sprinkle dough with flour several times to keep it from sticking to your rolling pin and so that it lifts off the counter smoothly. Place pastry in pie pan or on a baking sheet. Fill the centre with the apples, leaving a couple inches to fold back towards the centre.
Brush the pastry with an egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden.

The tart is best served warm with a dollop of whipped cream and piping hot cup of tea.

Do you have a list of foods that you want to make? 

Paper Mache Spring Eggs: A Pinterest Inspired Project

I was inspired by the colors, the hope of spring, and the fact that I could actually make them. I pinned them to my 'spring' board way back in the middle of the winter and last week, on the first day of spring, I made them. In fact, I decided that we would make a tradition of celebrating spring day in some form every year. 
One needs a little party when winter lingers on.
We got a dump of snow the next day and resorted to wearing our winter woolies again but it was springtime inside the house. 
These came together simply and are the perfect activity to keep a toddler and baby busy and occupied. 

What you'll need:

Plastic Eggs
Tissue Paper
Blue and Green Food Coloring
Black Tea Bags
Beans, Rice or other grain to fill the eggs (or not)
Time

I combined a couple different ideas for these eggs. I love the idea of coloring eggs but I also wanted to do something that would last beyond just this spring and would make a good activity to do with Kilmeny.

I followed this fabulous tutorial for the eggs. Because I was dying the eggs, I went with all white tissue paper.
I let the girls play with the eggs and got Kilmeny to fill the eggs with some black beans while I made the paper mache mixture.
I divided the mixture into two bowls, adding 4 tea bags to one bowl and a couple drops of blue and green food coloring to the other bowl. Go easy on the food coloring, a little goes a long ways and you want the eggs to be light-colored. At least I did.
While the mixture cooled, I cut the tissue paper into strips and helped Kilmeny fill the remainder of the eggs. And then we taped those little guys all up.
 I also showed her how very cool it was that the eggs made noise when you shook them.

Then the dipping and covering of the eggs began. I didn't let the eggs dry between layers, I just kept dipping and wrapping and dipping and wrapping until the egg was all covered. I then made sure it was somewhat smooth and put it on a tea towel to start drying.
Once the eggs were all done, I left them on a cooling rack overnight. They took at least that long to fully dry. 

And we cleaned up. You may or may not have beans everywhere when you're done.

The next afternoon we splattered the eggs. I used about a tablespoon of brown craft paint and diluted it with water until I was able to get an even splatter with the toothbrush. You want to avoid too much paint on your brush otherwise it tends to make big spots which is okay if you like that sort of thing.
I let the eggs dry again, overnight, but really just a few hours is all that is needed.

And they were done. I love them. And so does Kilmeny.

Happy Spring!!

Peaches and Cream and Enjoying the Simple Things

Sometimes when we go away it's all about the food. We take ingredients to make some of our favorite special meals, we plan out menus complete with appetizers and desserts. We make time to create delicious food and memories together. And then sometimes we don't. We eat simply, we nibble throughout the day, and we make do with what we have. 

On our recent trip to the mountains, it was all about simplicity. Even the kitchen was simple, outfitted with the very basic of dishes and utensils. There was a kettle and pretty plates and two mugs, the perfect shape for wrapping our hands around after a brisk walk. 

Time was our friend and so we decided to have a leisurely brunch of pancakes, freshly whipped cream, peaches and eggs. And coffee, of course. 

 The pancakes came together quickly with the homemade mix.

The peaches came from a jar, sealed in the heat of summer and tasting of the sunshine that we will see again, soon, I hope. 

And the cream, it was whipped by hand by my awesome husband. He's the kind of guy who believes that there is a solution to every problem. You just might have to work a little harder and dig a little deeper but the answer is always there. I flipped pancakes, set the table, and ground coffee while he whipped cream. It was worth it. Totally worth it. 

Tips for  creating your own special breakfast:

Work with what you have- use a big pot to mix up pancake batter if there's only one bowl.

Make it a good experience  for everyone- let the toddler nibble on pancake while you bustle around making everything else. Especially when she's already been awake for several hours.
 

Enjoy the details- fresh coffee in mismatched mugs, tiny table crowded with good food, sunlight streaming in through windows that give an incredible view of the mountains.

Make it pretty- take a few extra minutes to plate the food or sprinkle cinnamon on your coffee.

 A simple breakfast but made so much more enjoyable but slowing down, enjoying the whole process and savoring each bit.

What do you do to make meal time special?

A Little Mid-Winter Decorating

I've been doing a little decorating, a little re-purposing, and a little organizing lately.
This is the first house we've lived in where there's been an actual room to decorate and accessorize for Kilmeny and I've been quite excited about doing it. I like most peoplefind tremendous fulfillment in seeing an idea come to fruition.

Part of my purpose in doing this was that I wanted to get rid of the random baskets where I was storing her books, toys, blocks etc. Inspired by Pinterest I wanted to create a little nook for her to read and play. A place to spark her creativity and make her room an inviting place to spend time. As well as making it a little easier to keep tidy. 

The thrift store was the next stop where I got these three big pillows, intending to re-cover them at home. But that didn't really happen. They sat against the wall for a few days while I played around with different ideas. And then it was back to the thrift store I went to see what fabric I could find to cover them. I didn't find anything except a pair of pillowcases in the color I wanted. So I bought them.

Here's what I did:

Sorted through all the toys and books, putting some of the toys away in the closet and shelving some of the books.
Michaels was having a sale on baskets so I got three that would store the books, toys, etc nicely and that didn't scream 'kids room'.
I thrifted the pillows and the fabric. The ribbon is from my stash, I  had literal yards of the pink polka-dotted ribbon and have used it for everything. I used one of the pillow cases to cover a pillow, the other one sits forlornly waiting for another purpose.
I made the flowers one morning with Kilmeny 'helping' me which involved her emptying my fabric bin and thread and Khaira lying on the floor taking it all in.

Just to keep it all real, moments after these pictures were taken, the book basket was emptied, the cushions were in the middle of the room and both girls were quite ready to eat and have a nap. =)


Any projects on the go around your home?

Flowers and Tea Parties

We made some flowers this week. It's been frigid cold, too cold to go outside for any length of time so the girls and I created our own fun inside. I've seen these flowers all over Pinterest and decided this would be the week to make them. I used several different tutorials to get ideas from and then created my flowers based on the fabric and embellishments I had here at home. I was so pleased with how they turned out! I left them all just as flowers with room for a bobby pin or hair clip or safety pin so I can use them in a variety of ways.

The brown flower with the wooden beads is the same white fabric as the other flowers, I just dyed it with tea! I soaked the circles of fabric with several tea bags for about 24 hours and got a very nice brown.

The blue plaid flower is cotton flannel. And the floral white pattern flower and the green flower are cotton as well. All the others are tulle and white sheer, leftovers from my wedding dress. I made 14 flowers all told, and they really did come together rather quickly.

The tutorials I used:

Fabric Rosettes

Using Sheer Fabric

And just for fun, some more inspiration!

Ribbon Headband

And some creative uses for all the flowers!

  It's been a week long project but I've had so much fun and so have the girls. Khaira's been on my lap while I sewed or sleeping. Kilmeny has emptied the entire contents of my fabric, counted the beads, drawn on everything including her dolly with the permanent marker, and has decided what flowers belong to whom. And we have drunk tea. Lots of tea. And maybe had a bit of chocolate too.

Are you staying warm and creative?