Finishing up

I (finally) finished hooking this piece. I think that the hoop is a 10" hoop....just to give you an idea of the size. I just need to steam it and then turn the edges under to hem it. I think that I'll hang it on the kitchen wall....
I really enjoy rug hooking. But I don't think that hooking with yarn is very great for a beginners class. The yarn is hard to grab and it splits. Lots of frustration (Lauren isn't finished hers yet.....) But I like it enough to continue doing it.....

fun with friends

I spent some time yesterday at Colette's with Susan and Jocelyn. Colette gave a workshop on backgrounds. We all made fabulous backgrounds (go to Colette's blog to see what she did with hers.
Here are mine. I'm hoping to have some time to add some foreground before I go to Phoenix!


Next up at Colette's -- Carving your own stamps! If you don't know already, Colette has a line of stamps that has been put out by Stampington. I love them! (I have most of them). Anyway -- I'll let you know when Colette is doing her next workshop -- please join us :)

small trip

Please excuse my lack of posting.... I was off on a little trip to North Bay by train. Yes, I looked just like this....

to thine own self be true

Still playing with stitching. I'm liking this very much......

free motion stitching

I found a link to the Simple Woman's Daybook somewhere out the in blogland...
And we all know how much I love lists.... Here is the list for today:

FOR TODAY
Outside my window... children playing
I am thinking... do I sew or do I paint now?
I am thankful for... the cool breeze
From the kitchen... fresh fruit
I am wearing... new shorts! (haven't bought short in years!)
I am creating... tags
I am going... downtown to the apple store. Again. grrr.
I am reading... Echo in the Bone (I catch up on Jamie and Clare every summer)
I am hoping... that the Apple people give me some compensation for the 3 trips I've made downtown this week! (to fix a computer that arrived broken!)
I am hearing... laughter
Around the house... doggy tumbleweeds
One of my favourite things... solitude
A few plans for the rest of the week: making a bike basket liner -- with ruffles :); heading north
Here is picture for thought I am sharing...
Go here and make your own list!
http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Today is about water...

Ray and I went kayaking! It is the first time that I have been in about 12 years. It felt good. This summer I have been running and swimming almost every day. And I've been riding my new bike everywhere!
Current goal: make my journal pages more complex...... maybe......

today is about inspiration

(today's journal page features some wonderful artists -- clockwise from the top left: Michelle Purchase; Alice Jarry; Gillian Farnsworth; Lizz Aston; Beverley Hawksley; Kelly Grace)
(the images in my journal are from the artist's business cards, moo cards and postcards -- the images below are from their blogs or websites)

Today Mr. B and I went to the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition. It is my favourite art show and sale of the year. This year I saw so much that I wanted to buy! But we are on a tight budget right now, so I could only be inspired.... But what inspiration it was!

My favourites:
*in brackets is the booth number if you plan on going on Sunday!*
** click on their names to see their websites**

Gillian Farnsworth (Green 352)(I really wanted a piece by Gillian)
Michelle Purchase (Green 332)
Alice Jarry and Jason Cantoro (Yellow 663)
Kelly Grace (Orange 416)
Beverley Hawksley (Turquoise 451)
Sheila Norgate (White 24)

Summer vacation! WooHoo!

Finally -- it's here! Today is the first real day of y vacation (real means that the others in the house have gone back to work-- I'm alone.......)
But the list of things to do is building up.
Here's how my summer is looking:
- make polar fleece mittens for next year's kids (40 pair)
- make felt food for my dramatic play centre
- organize phys ed lessons
- do my Reggio readings (have almost a dozen books)
- make baby gifts for J
- assemble my Christmas themed tip in book -- the last pages are here!
- mount the white 3x3 swap squares (they were in Sew Somerset -- the swap was over a year ago)
- prepare for week at the cottage
- prepare for 2 weeks in Phoenix
- organize the art studio (I could likely do this every weekend for the rest of my life)
- cut the dogs hair
- make some zombie dolls for some certain deserving people
- paint the trim in the bedroom (waiting 2 years)
- finish painting the basement (I started last summer)
- tackle the removal of 100 years of wallpaper and paint off the front hall walls
- battle the slugs!
- buy a new bike and ride to the beach almost every day :)

Today I'm making thank you cards. It's about 10 billion degrees here today. Okay, perhaps I exaggerate a bit. It feels like 10 billion degrees today..... I've also done my income taxes today (yes, I'm a few months late.....) and I did Lauren's taxes too.... and I ordered some school supplies for the fall....

Tomorrow I shall ride my new bike to the swimming pool and swim a mile...... I love summer :)

Canada Day!

If it's July 1, then I'm at the Dominion Day Regatta here in Toronto on the island! It's the third time I've been.
Lauren's first race was the Women's Double.
They won First Place! She got to take home a silver cup (well, plated anyway :)

(That is Lauren on the right)

Then her next race was the Women's coxed Four. They won too! Congratulations to Lauren and her teammates. She races again next weekend in St Catharines!Could I be more proud? Well, yes I could be -- because a few weeks ago Lauren graduated from University (on Tuesday June 15, 2010). She graduated with distinction with an Honours Bachelor of Science. (Her degree is a double major in Forestry and French Literature).

You can see the webcast here. I couldn't get the link to work, but maybe you can (I'm talking to my relatives here, I don't seriously believe that anyone else would want to sit through that ceremony)(Lauren is standing to the left with her back towards us, waiting to go up the stairs)
(Laurence Hill is seated to our left of the Chancellor -- David Peterson)

Lawrence Hill -- the author of The Book of Negroes was the honoured graduand and speaker. That was extra exciting for me -- because coincidentally I was half way through the book! (I have since finished it -- it was wonderful)
Here are some photos of our memorable day (my mom and I attended)



So, my baby is all growed up (that's what the Kindergarten kids say). But she'll always be my baby :)