Here's Looking at You

Our home was built in the mid-80's and has big, blank mirrors in every bathroom. I like their size, but they needed something to bring them into the 21st century. I asked my husband (he's so talented and accommodating) to make simple black frames for them. You can see that the frame (made from molding) really defines the mirror and punches up the space. This main bathroom is already black and red and cream so it really fits in well.

Our master bath is soft blue, but I still like the black frame around the mirror. You'll notice, too, that the light fixture is black. It is original to the house and used to be the bronzey-gold tone. Tim took it down, cleaned it well, and sprayed it black. And I've seen NEW fixtures exactly like it - in black. My jewelry is hanging on what used to be a rose drying rack - from the 80's as well when we all had tons of dried flowers around the house. Until recently my jewelry was in drawers and hard to organize. I like this idea much better.

My hydrangeas are still blooming. I just love their blowsy form and soft colours. The colour is waning, just like the sun, but these are still glorious days to enjoy. I hope your September day is full of small pleasures to treasure.

Warm and Woolly

These are some pillows I made over the weekend using thrifted wool sweaters. I washed them in hot water and dried them in the dryer to felt them and refashioned them into cozy winter pillows. Isn't this argyle fun?

Fair Isle patterns are so pretty. I'm hoping to make more of these to sell at a local craft sale at the end of October. I used to do craft fairs, but they seem to have not been as successful as they once were. However, I've seen more interest and perhaps there's a resurgence. I'm going to give one a try. I have lots of ideas and projects - but I'm trying to stay focused on recycled items, or what I have on hand.

During the week I need to study, but Saturdays and some evenings I can stitch and craft. I'm looking forward to it. Crafting with a purpose!

It's Pen to Paper

I have kept a journal for many years. It's not a diary of my daily deeds, or of what's going on in my world. I don't feel compelled to write everyday. Sometimes I write just a few lines, sometimes I write pages. I find writing very cathartic - it's my go-to place when I am confused, frustrated or pensive. I usually come away from writing feeling calmer and more directed in my thoughts.

I recently took some books out of the library on book binding. And as a beginning project I hand stitched this little journal. The covers are pieces of thin chipboard that were saved from something. I glued on a scrap of paper, stamped a couple of leaves and found the word to glue onto the front cover.

I hand stitched the binding using linen thread. I made three signatures of four sheets each - a combination of drawing paper and some other paper I had lying around. The entire project took a very short time and I'm pretty pleased with it for a first effort. I'd like to make some using old book covers now. I like the look of the exposed stitching, and I love the fact that the book lies flat - great for drawing and collaging. I think there will be more handmade journals in my future.

What about you? Do you confide your thoughts to a journal? Do you collect quotations and poems? What do you collect them in?

Hanging On

When times are uncertain, I have to remember that God's love never ends. I'm hanging on to his promise of love these days. This blog is, for me, a place to connect with other wonderful bloggers and to share the beauty of the world I live in - the world created by God, and the world in which I can create beauty. But blogging these past few months has been a bit of a struggle.

My husband lost his job at the end of May - just one week before my long-planned trip to Europe with my mom and sister. I debated staying home, but everything was paid for and we decided that I should go. The summer was long - it felt like we were suspended in uncertainty. We are certain that God has plans and purposes for us, but completely uncertain about what they are. I'm studying full-time, working on getting my French degree so that I can go back to teaching. Any job leads Tim has had have turned into dust that drifts away in front of us.

Uncertainty and waiting - hard stuff. I know we're not alone in this, I hear of many who are worse off. We have much for which to be thankful - our children are doing well both personally and career-wise, we have savings, we have health, we have each other. But another job dissolved into dust just yesterday - after two interviews, numerous reference checks and a month of waiting they decided to make an offer to the other candidate.

And so, today, I'm holding onto God's promises of love and faithfulness which we've so often seen in the past. Daily grace for daily needs. Today.

Kitchen Reno

Over the summer my husband gave me a new kitchen. We didn't change much but wow, what a difference. The kitchen is your basic U-shape, quite small. On one long arm of the U, there were the standard upper cabinets and a counter with base cabinets dividing the kitchen from the breakfast table. I was always ducking my head to peer under the cabinets to talk to anyone who was sitting at the table. So Tim removed all those uppers. At the end he installed these open shelves which I love. I keep my everyday glasses there, my recipes boxes (also made by Tim), some pottery, and my beloved French-inspired clock sits above.

This is a detail of the metal brackets holding the shelves - I love their intricacy. There are still a few finishing touches Tim wants to put on, like painting the screws black so they are less noticeable.
On a random note, I was watching, on PBS the other day, an old Julia Child cooking show and noticed that she had the very same glass tumblers that are sitting on my shelf there. Mine are not very old, so it's a design that seems to have lasted for a long time. Anyway...back to the kitchen.

We replaced the old, stained, pale blue arborite (formica) with porcelain tiles that resemble slate. The back splash is composed of creamy ceramic square tiles with a border of black rectangular tiles with a scroll design in them. He finished the edge with strips of the same wood he used for the shelving.

This picture is over exposed, but shows the peninsula between the kitchen and the breakfast area. We widened the space by 12 inches which gives me a wonderful working space, and is also great for anyone wanting to help in the kitchen. Two people, on either side of the countertop can each have ample space.

 Then, on the other side of the counter he built cabinets, also finished in wood. There are two closed cabinets, one drawer, a book shelf where I keep my cookbooks (some of them), and a shallow top shelf where I keep my cloth napkins and placemats. Should someone, if we move away, want to have a bar here instead of these cabinets, Tim made them easily removable. But I really like, and need, the extra cabinet space and I'm not as fond of eating at a bar side by side as I am at our breakfast table where we can look at each other with ease.

I'm so proud of my husband and the work he does. Another thing we would like to do is replace the gold knobs. I think dark knobs would look much better, but everything just takes time (and money.) So I'll be patient and wait until the time is right.

Meanwhile, I am enjoying the open feeling of my kitchen! It's wonderful!

Experimenting

I've noticed some bloggers have wonderfully large photos on their blogs and I've wondered how to do it. Susan, from Between Naps on the Porch, gave some ideas, and I'm trying them out. So far I've had no luck, but I'll keep trying.

Meanwhile, for experimenting, since my daughter has my camera on her camping/spelunking trip, I chose this photo from my trip to Europe in June - a stone cottage in Switzerland. I love the textures and the durability of it.

edited to add - Yay! I figured it out. Thanks, Susan! Now I have to figure out my header/banner at the top.

Square by square

I recently organized my fabric stash. It took awhile, but now I enjoy looking at the piles of fabrics, all sorted by colour. Then I visited my sister-in-law in Alberta. Her living room is painted pale grey and she has dark leather sofas. Pale blue-green pillows accented them. She told me that for fall and winter, she changes the pale pillows to red. When I got home I was inspired to make this little pillow for her. I went through the red fabrics and chose a variety. There's a remnant of a skirt I made my daughter, a blouse, and a few odds and ends I picked up. Fifteen 3 1/2 inch squares combined to make a pillow I hate to give away. But I will.

Sewing is the leisure activity that is a constant in my life. Others may come and go, but sewing remains. Now with the shorter days and cooler temperatures, thoughts of sewing projects fill my mind.

This weekend, though, will probably be filled with canning/roasting/saucing tomatoes. We have a bumper crop this year and I'm loving it!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Labour Day weekend (in North America).

Late Summer Dining

See how long the shadows are? Evenings are becoming shorter and here on Canada's Vancouver Island we're trying to squeeze the last bit of warmth and enjoyment from summertime.

A dinner on the patio with the table dressed in cool blues and greens while we soaked up the late sunshine.

A flickering candle set on a pile of collected sea glass that reminds us of days spent wandering the beaches. A jug full of fresh rosemary provides texture and fragrance. And an iron bird stopped by to chirp a friendly hello. Leisurely conversation and good company made this dinner for two special.

Wonderful tablescapes can be found at Between Naps on the Porch where Susan hosts a weekly Thursday Tablescape. Thanks so much, Susan.

20 Little Things to Love about Fall

Although the calendar still has a few weeks until fall, the beginning of September marks the start of fall for me. Here are 20 little fall pleasures that I enjoy:

1. a changing focus - from outdoors to indoors
2. apples - apple crisp, applesauce, baked apples, apple pie
3. candles - flickering on the breakfast table, or in the evening
4. birthday season for our family - 3 in Sept, 1 in Oct, 2 in Nov
5. the second weekend in October - Thanksgiving for Canadians
6. building fires in the fireplace

7. listening to the rain fall during the night
8. roasted vegetables
9. snuggling under a warm duvet
10. scuffling my feet through crisp leaves
11. dahlias
12. stitching or knitting in the evening
13. fat pumpkins
14. family dinners around the dining room table
15. wearing socks

16. homemade soup
17. sweaters
18. changing colours in the garden
19. sewing
20. blue, blue skies and crisp air

Melissa at Inspired Home is hosting a fall inspiration link. There's sure to be some fabulous ideas there.

Sparkly Dangles

Bloggers are the most generous people EVER! A few months ago I helped Joy from Cupids Charm translate a document from French to English. She oh, so generously sent me a beautiful Marie Antoinette necklace in return. I was privileged to wear the necklace at Versailles this past summer, where Marie danced and charmed the court and loved her family and friends. Upon my return I sent a few pictures to Joy, showing her where her necklace traveled, and in turn...she sent me these gorgeous earrings.

I just love them. I put them on immediately and they sparkled and danced while I did my housework. I didn't want to take them off - ever. But I did, promptly photographed them and here they are. Thank you, Joy!

And the fleur de lis ribbon - ooh la la! You really should just pop over to Joy's site and see her jewelry. It's all beautifully done.

Tomato Season!

It seems like I wait for months for the first ripe tomatoes from my garden. I start thinking about them in January, buy seeds in February, start the plants inside in March, set the seedlings in bigger containers in April, finally plant outdoors in late May, stake them in June, prune them in July and then...August comes and I am rewarded for my efforts. This year is a bumper crop and I'm delighted. I plan on canning them, drying them, making sauce from them, and of course, eating them fresh with basil and mozzarella cheese on fresh bread. The best lunch ever!
This platter of tomatoes is what's left from yesterday's picking. The remainder I roasted.

Roasted tomatoes are so good! I just core them, cut them in half, sprinkle on salt, fresh thyme, fresh oregano, a grind of pepper on each one, a generous drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of chopped onion. I roast them at 300 degrees for about 4 hours, or until they are collapsed and just starting to caramelize.

What to do with a roasted tomato? Tonight I'm going to combine them with pasta, capers, leftover salmon and some fresh basil. I'm going to freeze some in batches of 6-8 halves. Combined with sauteed onions and garlic and chicken or vegetable broth, they make a wonderful soup for chillier days. I just simmer everything, then puree the mixture and add a little cream. The best tomato soup ever!

What do you do with a ripe tomato?

Traveling Tablescape

There are no elegant dishes on this table, no heirloom linens, no shiny flatware. But it was one of the best meals I can remember. When my husband and I were in Paris, we shopped for our evening meal a couple of times. We found plastic wine glasses that come apart for packing, a small corkscrew and those were all the implements needed.

Peering at the food in the nearby store, we picked up some cold ham, lettuce, and tomatoes. We tucked a half litre of wine into our shopping basket, went by the boulangerie/patisserie for a baguette, a slice of apple tarte and a slice of strawberry tarte, then to the fromagerie for some cheese. We set it all out on a placemat fashioned from the wrapping of the baguette. Our plates were nothing more than the plastic containers the meat came in. The cashier at the Monoprix was happy to give us a couple of plastic forks and knives, and voilà, une picnique à la française!

We ate in front of our window overlooking the streets of Paris. Tablescapes don't have to take time or expense - the most important thing is to nourish both body and soul at the table.

For more Tablescapes, visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. She does a wonderful job of hosting every week.

Late Summer Pleasures

Sweet ripe strawberries, damp with morning dew

Zucchini gratin with garlic and cheese

Nasturiums glowing in mottled shade and light

Bright cosmos that never seem to stop blooming

Many signs point to the fast-approaching end of summer. Last night we went for a walk on the breakwater and down by the water the chilly wind made me glad I'd remembered my fleece jacket. Tomatoes are ripening quickly, warmed by the daytime sun and made sweeter by the cooler nights.

My husband and I went blackberry picking a couple of days ago and I have the scratches to prove it. The air had that warmth particular to late summer when the heat rises up from the ground and smells hot and earthy.

Projects include making pickles, finishing up the jam making and filling the freezer to the top with berries for the winter. We use them for cereal toppings, cobblers, muffins, sauces and more. They provide a taste of summer in the dark dreary days that will come.

And I want to cram in as much of summer as I can. Bouquets of flowers adorn my home, salads are a big part of every meal and I want to use the outside grill, not the oven. The ripening apples, the faint yellow tinge on the very tops of trees and the fading roses all seem to whisper, hurry, hurry...enjoy us now.

Back from Vacation

We've been gone for just over two weeks and arrived home last night. Today was busy with laundry and catching up with the garden - I picked cucumbers, tomatoes and strawberries. I need to get to the raspberries tomorrow. I was too busy to take photos of the bounty, but these are a few from our trip. We visited friends in Nampa, Idaho and Spokane, Washington, then drove north to visit family in the Red Deer area of Alberta before wending our way home through the Rockies and seeing more family in the Fraser Valley before catching the ferry home last night.
The photo is of the Spokane River, just behind our friends' home. We took tubes and floated down the river - was it ever COLD! We had wet suits on and I was still shivering after an hour in the water. But it was a lot of fun after the first set of rapids when I fell off my tube and was tumbled about in the water.

Evening sunset, also taken near the river. The pinky purple sky and glowing sun - just magical.

I've started a couple more courses and I have lots of catching up to do in the house and garden, but I hope to reply to your lovely blog comments soon. It's good to travel, and always good to come home.

Sunset at Winter Cove

I just love the name Winter Cove - I think of some sailor who hunkered there in a quiet anchorage over the winter and named it. We were there on a hot August night (last summer). I took this photo and the one below from our sailboat, looking different directions.

Both are beautiful, but it's important to look in every direction to get a complete picture. And beauty can be found in the sensational warm and bright colours of the sun, or the quieter tones of the shadows. I just need to recognize it.

Waiting

Waiting is something everyone has to do at various points in life. I know that I don't enjoy waiting at all. I know it's character-building and builds patience and perseverance, but it's HARD. And I'm learning that I can wait badly - stomping around, being grouchy, getting impatient, or choose to wait well.

Waiting well - that's been my goal for this summer and maybe into the fall.

More of Butchart Gardens

Doesn't this look like a cool, shady place to sit with a good book and a glass of ice cold lemonade? Too bad it's just for looks. Butchart Gardens does have places to sit and enjoy the shade and the grass, but other places are off limits.

The sound of water is always relaxing and there are benches here to sit and gaze for as long as you like.

Oh, the colour!

I do love blueberries

And it's that wonderful time of year again - blueberry season! These squares are so good! I make them with frozen berries as well so they are not just a summer pleasure. A bit of lemon, some oat-y goodness and sweet bursts of blueberries.

For the recipe, click here.

More Art Journal

I've enjoyed playing a little more this summer - playing with pens and pencils, brushes and paint. And glue, of course. Here's another page.