what a hoot!

I love owls and owl-y things... especially crafty owl things. Yes, I know, owls are really really popular and there are thousands of pages of them on etsy, but how can I resist... they are so darn cute! On the weekend, my brother-in-law gave us this embroidered wall hanging he nabbed at a garage sale for 50¢! Isn't it a hoot?... what a steal! You can't tell from the picture, but it is about 1 ft' x 2 ft in size. Now I am on the hunt for wall space in our place to hang this awesome piece of owl-y kitschiness.... it might just make its appearance in Bun's room (which is still a work in progress).

clinging on

The rain storms here yesterday have washed away a lot of the small spring cherry blossoms... but there are still a few pockets here and there clinging on... resilient little fellas. I'll have to take a neighbourhood stroll when the clouds part and see what else is blossoming in the area. For being really allergic to all these sprouting floral things, I can't help but be infatuated with them.... I guess, that is me living dangerously... ha ha.

and the winner is...

It is a grey wet Monday morning here in Vancouver... blah... but to brighten up today... we have picked the giveaway winner!!! Wow... so many great children's books suggestions... thank you! I will definitely have to check out a a bunch of them to get a good kick start on Bun's library. So many of the titles I remember, but had totally forgot about until now.

Ok, so down to the nitty-gritty. The random draw was done this morning by my husband Roger, from the golden trophy cup. And the winner of the bookplate set is.... Jacqui from Mee a Bee! Hooray! And what are Jacqui's fave children's books?:

"As a girl I adored the Trixie Belden books. For my boys I am slowly gathering the whole set of Roald Dahl books and we are also big fans of The Famous Five. For really little ones you simply must have a beautiful Mother Goose hardcover, I recommend the one illustrated by Rosemary Wells. My First Mother Goose."

Thanks again to everyone who entered the giveaway... there were over 95 entries! Didn't win this time?... no worries... just stay tuned until next month's giveaway in April!

breakfast of champions

Yes, that's right... I had a chocolate brownie this morning; an ooey-gooey warm melty chocolate frosted brownie. Ok, so I didn't make it... it is from Whole Foods... but I am not too picky in the early morning hours. I had to start my Friday on a good note, and I think this was the perfect way.... a girl deserves a treat every now and then, right? Have a happy weekend!

ps. don't forget to enter the March giveaway!!! Last day to enter is Sunday and winner is announced this coming Monday!

stick me mom

You may have remembered late last year that I contributed to yaelfran's collaborative sticker book called Stick Me Number 4 (a sticker book full of artwork and illustrations from a handful of etsy artists). Well, there is a new one out this spring! Featuring 7 artists (including me!), the theme of this book is Mother's Day and is called Stick Me Mom. As a kid, I loved collecting stickers in my sticker book (the smelly stickers were my fave, followed by the puffy ones, the ones with the googly-eyes and the sparkly ones)... so when Yael asked me to contribute to this new book, I jumped at the chance. I should mention though, that my page of stickers aren't smelly stickers... or sparkly or puffy ... they are just regular stickers, plain and simple, but hopefully they will become someone's fave. Check them out in Yael's shop here.

ps. don't forget to enter the March giveaway!!!

for me?!?

Roger came home yesterday after work and surprised me with a big bright bouquet of flowers! (I am blushing and gushing like a giddy school girl as I write this... tee-hee). Some purples and pinks to brighten my day and hopefully your day too! Happy Wednesday! :)

baby shower fun

This past Saturday, my sister threw me a lovely baby shower. Yummy food was devoured, fun times had with the lady friends and games were played. You might be wondering where are all the pics?... well, as my charming sister loves to embarrass me at these types of things, I was dressed up as a Bartlett Pear for the entire event (imagine lime green tank top, giant fruit sticker on the Bun tummy, and even a lovely stem and leaf on a headband to top it off). I was a good sport and endured the outfit, but I do have limits... so the pear photos of me will not be online.

Oh yes, might I add, for my stagette a few years back, she made me dress like a bunch of grapes - purple tank top covered in purple balloons. (Our group of ladies was doing a series of wine tours, so I guess that's how that idea came about). Hmmm... little does she realize that that tables will turn when it is her turn and I get to plan these events!!! Mwahahahaha....

Anyhoo, one of the fun things everyone got to do was to personalize a blank onesie for Bun... such a cute and crafty idea! Here is shot of a few of them. Thanks to all the ladies who came and made it such a fun time!

Ok, so 11 weeks to go... as well as another shower (the big family one) which in asian tradition will be held a month or two post-birth. It's now dawning on me that the little Bun is going to be here soon! Eeeeep!

march giveaway! - win a cabin + cub bookplate set

Hooray... spring is officially here! And to celebrate, my March giveaway starts today! One lucky winner this month will win a set of 8 peel-and-stick repostionable bookplates! I am also offering the option to have them customized with any name you would like too! How great would these be nestled in your personal library, or perhaps the library of your wee one, or as a great gift for a bookworm!

Enter to win by posting a comment telling me what your favourite children's book is.... is it classic Winnie the Pooh?... or maybe you were an advanced reader and loved War And Peace?... or maybe you liked Where's Waldo and are still trying to find him to this day. Oh so many great titles to choose from! And yes, if you haven't guessed, I am hoping to get some ideas from all your lovely comments/entries for building little Bun's library... so feel free to list more than one book if you like.... don't be shy!

There will be a random draw from the shiny trophy cup on Monday, March 29th... so check back to see if you won! Please remember to include some sort of contact info (etsy shop, blog, website, or e.mail address) and please only one entry per person. Good luck to everyone!

finally friday!

Hooray! It is finally Friday! This week felt like it was dragging by really slow, I thought I'd never see the weekend. So to celebrate today, without saying TGIF (ugh... I hate that expression, but I guess I just said it!) why not a fun collage... perhaps a one gun/one arrow salute. Hmm... not sure what it would sound like... maybe kapow, kapow, twang, twang? Ok, so sound effects are not my forte.

Anyhoo, also wanted to send thanks and hugs to some wonderful bloggers and blogs who have featured some of my items!

· to Casa Cullen for featuring my cork coaster set

· to Caren from buttercupped for featuring my little rainy day collage

· to she.likes.cute for featuring my baking-themed collage

· to kate and oli for featuring one of my little kite collages

· to Sarah from Koo & Poppet for the lovely feature

· to Free Time Crafts for passing on the Sunshine Blog Award and the Searched and Found for passing on the Happy 101 Award

ps. my March giveaway starts this coming Monday!!!

love love collage collage

Just wanted to share with you a cute little shop in town that has recently started carrying some of my little crafty things. Collage Collage (I know, isn't the name super cute?) offers an awesome collection of art and craft supplies, books, as well as limited edition art and craft objects. Just look at all those little jars of stuff!... I don't know why, but I get excited when I see jars of pipe cleaners, beads and glitter... I think because secretly, I want a craft room that looks and is organized as this in our place. And the best part?... they also offer art workshops for children 3-12! How fun is that. I already want to enrol our future little Bun in a class!... but until then, I think we'll definitely make a trip to start on a nice library.

Photos: Collage Collage

snowboard withdrawal

Yes, that's right. I am suffering from snowboard withdrawal this year. This is the first year in 12 years that I do not have a snowboard seasons pass.... reason being, of course, the little upcoming Bun. My mother gave me the great advise at the beginning of winter: "don't go snowboarding when you are pregnant... it is too dangerous"... hmm... well, that seems to be stating the obvious... I am surprised she didn't add in tackle football and sword fighting to the list of "don't's" as well. So, alas, I am a little jealous and envious when Roger comes home from his days of boarding and shows me pics like this. Until next year sweet snowy slopes!

up on the wall

Some arts fartsy-ness today. Every once in awhile, my hubby Roger trades some of his artwork with other artists from around the world... so, today, I thought I would share one of the newest additions to our home. We received this awesome print (blue one on bottom left) from Don Pendleton, best known for his skateboard designs for Alien Workshop. Oh, I guess I should mention the title... "Death Rattle". We have hung it with some of the other work in our house... bottom right is a silkscreen print from Michael Sieben , and above two are Roger's own photo prints of skate decks. My dream is to have more wall space to display more art... but until then, I think this is a good start.

beautiful blossoms

I am a little cranky this morning, now that we have sprung the time forward one hour AND it is raining and very grey outside. So as a little Monday morning pick me up, I am posting this pretty pic of cherry blossoms Roger and I captured last week - a bit of a rare view, since we were overtop of it viewing downwards. I hope all these blossoms are lasting through all this rainy weather! Hmmmmm... I think it is time for a cup of tea now to wake up. Happy Monday!

painting panels

The weather here has taken a bit of a turn, and the rain has come for a visit... a few perfect days to stay inside and get some craft production done... well, since heading outside would mean get very soggy and wet. Here is a sneak peek of some of my craft production yesterday. I have been busy painting some little wooden panels... these will soon be woodburned with images of little birds and wee forest friends.... will take some pics of that and share soon! You can see some finished panels up in my etsy shop here though, if you are dying of curiosity and can't wait. Hope you are having a happy crafting day!

super sandwich

Another food post this week, since quite frankly I constantly have food on the brain now that I'm preggo. And for those of you looking at the pic and thinking, "I can't believe she is blogging about a sandwich." Believe me... it's an awesome sandwich, and you would blog about it too if it touched your lips. It's from one of my fave cafés here in Vancouver, Finch's Tea & Coffee House. All their sandwiches come wrapped in butcher paper and tied with brown string (the blue brie and prosciutto is my fave, but I had the applewood cheddar the last time which was just as yummy). I also love the vintage decor in the cozy place too! Hmmm... all this food talk is making me hungry now...

magnificent magnolia

Things are blooming like crazy over here in Vancouver... so much so, that I actually got seasonal allergy symptoms over the weekend... in March!! Huh? I don't think I have seen and smelled so many blossoms so early in the year. I am prepared this year though... I got my prescription nasal spray yesterday, so am planning to enjoy these blooming beauties with clear eyes (and clear nasal passages)... so bring it on magnificent magnolia, bring it on!

chocoholic dream

How much chocolate-y goodness can you eat in one evening? Well, this was the test Roger and I took when we attended a friend's birthday at The Sutton Place Hotel's Chocoholic Buffet on the weekend. Yes, you read right... an all-you-can-eat chocolate themed buffet. After sampling everything from chocolate mouse, fondue, small pieces of cake, crepes and the chocolate croissant bread pudding (which was easily my fave - see pic above), I must admit I had to tap out after two and a half trips fearing of diabetic shock/sugar hyper overload. And I say two and a half trips, because the last trip up resulted in an unfinished plate of chocolate dipped strawberries and torte. I think I will be cleansing from chocolate for the next little while.

Photos: The Best Damn Food Blog There Is

lost little owl

I often discover something new or strange on my walks around the neighbourhood.... most of the time, I always think... "Argh! If only I had my camera with me!" Behold, this time I actually had the camera! Sitting on the trunk of an old tree, I spotted this cute little owl-y guy. A lost little pouch perched up and looking longingly for its owner. I felt compelled to leave it there, in case someone did come back for it... hopefully they were reunited. Hoot hoot and happy weekend!!

crooked walker custom kicks

I admit... I have a huge shoe and bag thing... I have tried to make an effort to transition one pair out of the closet, if a new pair comes in... that doesn't always prove too successful though. So imagine my delight when my husband Roger (aka Crooked Walker) was asked to design artwork for some Pro Keds for Artsprojekt. His mix tape illustrations look pretty sweet gracing these babies, if I do say so myself . The additional cool thing is that you can customize the shoes when you order them (hi top or lo top), including shoelace color, stitching color and eyelet color. Check them out here and here!

how n.e.e.t.

A little press clipping to share with you today. One of my collage illustrations is in the latest March issue of N.E.E.T Magazine! (that's it right there on page 217). N.E.E.T is a quarterly online magazine that showcases grassroots creativity... everything from tons of fashion, independent designers, to awesome craftiness. Oh yes... and it's free! Check it out here for some awesome articles and lots and lots of eye candy... it will make your fashionista side want to start shopping.

morning tea with barbapapa

Nothing like a milky tea sweetened with honey in one of my favourite mugs to start off the morning. I got this cute mug from my sister this past Christmas, since she knows I love the Barbapapas and love to collect barba-stuff. Now I use it almost everyday... I think it makes my tea taste even sweeter.

oh canada!

Well, the day has finally come... yesterday was the last official day of the 2010 Olympic games. Oh and what a grand ending... hmmm... perhaps you may have heard that our little 'ol men's hockey team beat Team USA in overtime 3 - 2 to take the gold medal? Woooooooooohooooooooooooo! And yes, it is a huge deal since hockey is pretty such a religion in this country... seriously. We took to the streets after watching the game on TV and were surrounded by a sea of people in their Canadian red, cars honking and voices cheering... there was a fantastic spirit and energy pulsating through this city!

Anyhoo... just wanted to congratulate all the countries and medal winners... (Canada got 26!...14 of which are gold). Hooray! Ok, now I can take a break from watching any type of sporting event for the next year or so... I think I got my quota in for the entire year this past couple of weeks. ;)