not quite the debate of the century, but.....

....it may not be the most important debate as of late, nonetheless it has sparked some fun back and forth thoughts at my flickr page...(thank you for all of your wonderful insight)


...to hat or not to hat?


... a "simple" question that was causing me to pull out my hair due to an inability to ever make up my mind. It's amazing how this little piece of brown felt has managed to cause such a stir... (and to make it even more complicated, my boys were split down the middle......)

...I have a feeling this debate may be lasting forever, as I have already managed to change my mind thrice since writing this post!

nothing beats it.....

french toast, originally uploaded by mummysam.

.... a few rough nights dealing with big A's asthma warranted a necessary treat for everyone Sunday morning. A mild obsession with baking challah bread this weekend enabled us to make a massive amount of french toast the next day. (somehow I managed to make four loaves Saturday...thanks to that ADD urge to go full out when you become interested in something...)

...sometimes those compulsive behaviors can be a good thing, right?

if the shoes sort of fit.....

...if the shoes sort of fit, then by all means get yourself dolled up for an "oh, too rare" date without the kids. ( Nothing like shoving some tissues into the toes to help keep the heels from constantly popping out. There's a reason this image is a plan view, otherwise I am afraid it looks like I am sporting skis.)

..grab your favourite bag (thanks Ruby for making such a lovely one!)....
( Just make sure to face your bag out the right way. No one needs to see the big black stain from a marker that one of your children returned without it's cap on. again. )

..adorn a lovely dress from Target that needs to be taken in about 3 inches on either side at the bust line, because that extra small is still not small enough at the top...

...enjoy a much needed dinner out with a couple of glasses of wine, and tell yourself that you need to do this more often than a few times a year ( and I am being generous when I say "few")

...make sure to wear shoes that actually fit next time, because in the end you come home exhausted from trying desperately to keep your feet in your shoes all night. Tissue only works for so long. (but for these ones, I'll take the discomfort....I just love the yellow colour. And besides, I am only doing this a few times a year, right? )

ahhh, the wellies kept me out of the rain!

aha! I must have just needed a good pair of wellies to protect me from this creative wet puddle I have been soaking in for way too long.....


...I cannot thank you enough, dear wellies, as this morning brought about the most wonderful creating experience I have had in quite some time. Your bright boots kept me cheerful and hopeful, as I continued to go with the rhythm. A sewing/painting process that went without hitch, and has now got me wanting more.

...hmmm....are we on a wellie kick now?

doodle me some mac n cheese....

This past week of warmth brought about a couple glorious days of just being outside. Gardens received a good dose of cleaning, boys got dirty, and dinner was devoured at the patio table. The quick return to cold weather prompted also a return to the comfort food that fits it so.....(even if I wasn't quite ready to admit that the cold had come back....)

With baked macaroni and cheese being a staple in this house, I have spent the past few years coming up with a recipe that suits the boys perfectly. (Oh how different there taste buds are.....and I find it even more interesting that the picky eater was the one that was only fed homemade baby food. All of those days of pureeing and ice cube tray storing apparently didn't do much, as the child fed on baby jars eats anything you give him...hmmm.....)

anyway, I thought it would be fun to doodle up a kid-friendly recipe full of yummy goodness!
just click on the images to get a larger view, print, and bake away :)

just what I needed.....

...just in time....


...in the midst of my creative struggles comes something that makes me sing....


....some lovely samples of my upcoming fabric line with Robert Kaufman! The launch date has been set for this summer, with availability in fabric shops by August. I cannot tell you how exciting it is to see my drawings become ever so tactile.....so tactile in fact, that I cannot seem to put them down.

...can adults get attached to blankets at 35? apparently so, as I woke up to find myself still clutching on to them with no intention of letting go. I still can't believe it!!!

not to worry.....this time....

...oh how thankful this little piece must be, as it has managed to escape my recent habit of hurling frustrated pieces across the room (well, more like slamming them down on the mattress before succumbing to the sheets to wallow for a bit.....)

...it has been a frustrating time as of late, and one I recognize all to well. I have become accustomed to the tell-tale signs since my days as a painter: sudden bouts of self-doubt, feeling completely empty of ideas, trying new things each time to no avail, and yes....hurling pieces across the room.

..I know I have to go through this if I want to grow, and will frequently remind myself that this is a good thing. Hard, but oh so necessary. Yes, pieces are going to fail.... and isn't it funny how they often do so in a continuous stream? (enough to drive you absolutely bonkers...)
And just when you have successfully destroyed five pieces through extreme frustration with every intention of giving it all up for good, a piece comes along that reminds you why you will never actually follow through with it. You can't. As much as you want to sometimes, you just can't stop. Deep down inside you know that a piece will eventually come along that feels ever so good. So good in fact, that you throw yourself into a massive period of creativity. Ideas keep flowing, and you can't keep up. Pieces come together beautifully with such ease, and wonderful state of euphoria emerges.

...until you wake up the next day and hurl a piece across the living room and collapse in despair.

...must be time to grow again.

and the winner is......

...before I give the big "reveal" on my print giveaway, I wanted to share with you a sneak peak of the next issue of Uppercase magazine.....and guess what? My red foxes print will be featured in their "foxy" spread within their incredible pages. (Oh I cannot wait to see it!) This was definitely unexpected and I cannot begin to tell you how elated I am....I just have to stop running to the mailbox ten times a day in anticipation!

...and who won the little giveaway? Why, woollie wanderings, that's who! Please e-mail me your address so that your lovely print can be on it's way. Thanks again so much for entering, as it gave me a great opportunity to browse through some wonderful new blogs, and thus get to learn a bit more about my readers!....

some little birdies told me....

....coming this April.....

...a lovely little book that I was honoured to be a part of. A bird of mine sits in the company of many other cute birds, and I cannot wait for it to arrive. Published by C&T Publishing, this book will be one of the first to be released under their new Stash imprint. (an imprint geared towards the younger reader, with a fresh and sophisticated look)

...you can pre-order a copy through C&T or amazon, and I cannot wait to share more once I receive my copies!

*** I will reveal the giveaway winner in the next post! ****

despite her red boots.....

...oh that Mildred, always crashing the party just as I find someone interesting to talk to...




...look at her with those bright red boots, always making sure she gets all of the attention!




... let's just hope I have done enough to keep this one interested :)

oh, how good it feels to finally accomplish a piece that just worked perfectly from start to finish! I should be used to this cycle by now, where one can often find themselves in struggle upon struggle as one continues to work. Three pieces full of labour and anguish finally gave way to a work that caused nothing but peace and happiness. Just when you are ready to hang in the towel, the perfect one comes along to get you right back on track!!! yes, indeed....this felt good.

...so good, in fact, that I may just have to pick up that towel again and take a nice soothing bath as a little reward.

****Don't forget about the print GIVEAWAY! the deadline ends at 10:30pm tonight, so make sure to get your name in! (see post below) *******

giveaway time perhaps?????

... so, what do you say to a lovely little giveaway?
....it's about time, don't you think?
... hmmm....this perfect letterpress print made with the amazing pistachio press should do the trick!
...just leave a comment below, and if you link the giveaway on your blog, send me the link and count yourself in for two votes!
..good luck my dears!!

(giveaway will close this Friday at 10pm EST)