A year ago today: we set off on an adventure

Aw, look, we were just pups!

I remember barely sleeping the night before (or really, the night of) our flight. Waking up with my heart in my throat: excited, anxious, nervous, jittery... Eyes wide as we took one last look around the house, so quiet and empty without the cats and most of our stuff packed away... Hoisted our stiff, pristine packs, full of our carefully thought-out things we thought we would need... Locked the door, to be opened in a few days by our tenant who would be moving in... Leaving the known, and setting off into the unknown in the pre-dawn darkness... Tears of excitement and disbelief pouring down my cheeks on the cab ride to the airport... The day had finally arrived! Mind racing through all the possible scenarios that awaited us... Flying west-ward and passing the edge of Canada, the farthest west I'd ever been in my life.

And then being thrust into the intensity of Bangkok. Eyes wide at everything... trying to navigate our way around... Getting suckered at every turn (and oh, we were suckers...). Our first tuk-tuk ride... Our first dish that was too spicy to eat, and we didn't know how to ask for it any other way... Seeing more Buddhas in one day than possibly my entire life up until that point... So many colours, and sights, and sounds, and scents! And oh, the heat! I remember being so overwhelmed... everything was so new and unexpected and in-your-face... It was incredible, and I would do it all again, but I'm still happy to be home, and excited for the first good snowfall to arrive.

I haven't had a good snow for over a year and a half...

Leaving O'Hare after appropriately dosing up on Gravol as I failed to do for the first leg. (Lesson learned.)

The only way to get around! Ottawa could use some tuk-tuks.

Quilt update: a sea of colour

While visiting with a good friend recently for a few days, I took advantage of her cat-free, king-sized bed, and her incredible colour sense, to lay out the hexagons for the second half of The Quilt. I laid out the first half when we were in Massachussetts last May, back when I only had two rows finished. And now I have twelve! (Plus, I had a bit of a break in there, so really, I'm making good progress!)

It was actually quite an exciting process to lay out all the rows, trying to distribute each fabric evenly to avoid ending up with only one pattern in the end. As it was, I did, but after some eye-squinting and re-jigging, we managed to get everything looking balanced without too many attention-heavy "holes." And now that all the rows are planned out, I can just work row at a time, and I'll be finished all thirty before I know it, right? ...Right?

The carless have caved

I pass this epically awesome antique barn so often, and finally stopped to grab a pic of it.

Turns out I'm a fair weather carless person... As long as I can bike, not having a car is not a problem. But now that the cold November rains and early snows are upon us, bringing bitter winds and slippery roads, it is entirely unpleasant, uncomfortable, and inconvenient to not have a set of wheels in the driveway.

My parents have very kindly offered to rent/lend their car to us for the next few months, mostly to help us, but also to see how they fare with just one car. It might be basic, without power windows, power locks, power mirrors, a CD player, iPod hookup or all the new-fangled gadgetry, but it is 4-wheeled freedom, and we are very grateful and appreciative to have a car once again. Plus, it's standard, which I love driving, and the very best part of all, is the tape (yes, tape) of vintage Janet, circa 1989, in the cassette player. Turns out I still remember all the words.

Another view along the drive to my parents that I've been meaning to photograph.

I am quite ashamed to say how glad I am to have a car again. It feels like a certain sense of freedom and opportunity has returned, because let's face it, for the months we didn't have a car, we hiked less, ran out of groceries more frequently, didn't bother going to movies as much, and so on. But we did end up doing a lot more things nearby, and we saved money, and saved the earth a little bit too. I don't regret the decision in the slightest, and I would do it again... during the fair weather months from April to October.

Here is a run-down with commentary, of the car-alternatives we used:

Fab fabric finds

This past weekend I attended an event I am very ashamed to say I didn't even know existed. How it hasn't been on my radar is mind-boggling, because it is totally my kind of thing: The Original Fabric Flea Market. People from all over the Ottawa area bring their unwanted fabric and sewing related notions and sell it to raise funds for a local public school. We're talking new/used/vintage unused and upcycled fabric, textiles, buttons, lace, yarn... the works. One table even had millinery supplies. Another had gorgeous, fancy beaded appliqués. And one of my favourite local groups was there, Eco-Equitable, featuring their amazing fill-a-bag-for-$10 sale, but I didn't even make it that far, I had my head stuck in the fill-a-bag-for-$5 bins... 

It was busy and crowded and kind of intense, but I scored some beautiful and cozy flannels, wools, and cottons, and left with my bike basket and paniers loaded to the gills. As I was scouring the bins and tables, colour schemes started developing and have inspired ideas for a few new houses. I think I have enough fabric now to create several villages of wee fabric houses... Not a bad problem to have.

Now it's head-down-and-get-to-work in preparation for my show on December 14th!

Deliciously soft wools and flannels... so in love.

Now I see patterns and think "ooh, that would make neat wallpaper."

Laura Ashley swatch samples — I think that's a theme for a new house right there. Pretty, pretty, pretty.

Perhaps the roof for another cottage-style house?

Have no idea how I'll use this piece, but it was just too funky to leave behind.

Urban Craft Market: December 14, 2013

Great news! I've just been selected as a vendor for the Holiday Edition of Ottawa's Urban Craft Market. I've been to their past shows (never as a vendor though, so this is very exciting), and it's a fantastic show, featuring some incredibly talented artisans and makers. I am so thrilled and tickled-pink to be a part of this next edition!

So come on out, Saturday, December 14, from 10am to 3pm at the Glebe Community Centre and support local, independent artists. I'll have my wee fabric houses, plus some new little hand-puppets, embroidered note-cards, and other hand-made goodies!

Spread the word! And I hope to see you there!

Buy hand-made this Christmas! (And all-year-round!)
Graphic from Little Things Studio

Friendsgiving, local meat, and my 300th post!

Now the green conifers stand out in a sea of gold

And suddenly, it was fall. Full-on. Trees are aflame with vibrant colours, fluttering to the ground, painting trails with rusty gold. It seems that the trees were green just yesterday, with only a tinge of the colours to come, but now they're suddenly scarlet orange.

To celebrate this (sadly) brief, but oh-so-wonderful time of year, we had some good friends over for a potluck feast of epic proportions, but not before a lovely hike in Gatineau Park together to fully soak in the delicious colours and that unmistakable scent of fall — what is that? Is it the fallen leaves? The earth readying itself for its winter slumber? Anyway, it's an incredible smell, that makes you happy and content with each deep breath.

What's more glorious than walking through a sunny forest in Autumn?

And we have grapes!

Since Mark planted the seed when we moved in four years ago, our little grape plant has grown and flourished (taking over the trellis and fence entirely, and starting to encroach upon the neighbouring tomatoes... ahem...), and this year for the very first time, it produced grapes. Four little bunches of beautiful concord grapes. Perfect little orbs of divine, juicy deliciousness. It's entirely true that things grown in your own yard taste so much better, isn't it?