{i love} following my bliss.

follow your bliss print from magalerie

i've had this post written for nearly a month now.  i've been on the fence whether to publish it... or follow through in a new direction of a blog redesign and change focus of my little design biz.  the latter will come, but for now, i am taking a wee little break.

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this blog has had it's ups and downs.
i do wish somedays i had more time for it.
but then, i put myself in check and realize that is a silly, silly desire.
that "extra" time i'm hoping for, i'd rather spill into a craft, bake a special dessert, keep fit, complete a little detail for my baby's birthday party, or a project around our home.. things i absolutely love to do. for me and for my family.

i do love to blog. i love sharing my creativity, ideas and design work with others. my blog is a creative outlet and platform for my design business.  and now, thanks to pinterest, i have thousands of visitors each week.  as a result, i feel obligation to keep my content fresh.  most weeks, that's nearly impossible.

so with that, for now, i will put my fourth baby, this blog and design business, on hold.  i want to come back into my business with a clear vision and goal, and have pure honest time to invest into it.

someday...

maybe i'll start an etsy shop for printables and party decor
maybe i'll become a party planner
maybe i'll design nurseries and children's rooms

but for now,

i'll be a mom.
the best job and time sucker there is anyway.

ps. those of you who follow or are new to my blog, thank you and welcome.  enjoy browsing my past posts and making use of my adorable freebies.  you can always follow me on pinterest where i'll be pinning my favourite projects, recipes, crafts and other beautiful things!

see you again soon.

{i love} things i love sunday.

it's been a long, long... long while but i'm finally getting back to the gym. i'm determined to get my pre-baby body back. the one i had before my first born. i've fallen in love with a workout routine all over again.  rejuvenated. so far so good.

my hazel can no longer squeeze into baby girl clothing... but i'm tempted to stuff all of her into THE most adorable swimsuit i came across earlier this afternoon.  i want one in my size too!

loving this idea of creating a bubble station for backyard bbq's or summer parties.  a lemonade jar with spigot and all the fixin's.

add this diy to your honey-do list this spring.  chevron planter boxes with reclaimed or scrap wood and trim... or on a sunny afternoon, neon colour block an inexpensive plant pot...  what's not to love?

we ate these for breaky this morning.  yum.

i was lucky enough to stroll through michaels this past week on a date with hank.  it reminded me how much i adore martha's acrylic paint collection... best of all, her chalkboard paints come in an adorable shade of green and blue.

my next late night craft will be a bouquet of these spring-y pom pom flowers.  they look adorable tucked into a glass milk bottle, an old mason jar, or even a classic coke bottle.  here's a good tutorial on how to make a yarn pom pom.

need a pick me up? browse this pinboard.

{oh baby} life with hank. month two.

what a difference a month makes. hank the tank is a good nickname for this boy.  his evening feeds are astounding these days and we still can't figure out where it's all going.  spring has finally sprung and we've made it around the pond a few times -  i can't wait to enjoy this sun coming our way this weekend. 

month two and currently loving...

his smiles. still. he is a happy, content baby most of the time. and always has a smile for mama and big sister.

his bottom lip. and when he's unhappy, he has an enormous pout that is probably one of the most adorable things i've seen.

bubbles and coos. he loves to hear silly sounds we make and his rebuttal are adorable coos and blowing bubbles.

sleeping.  after polishing off a good 8 ounces before bed, hank's down for the count.  we're up to sneaking 6 hours of blissful straight sleep from him on occasion this past week.

his hair. obsessed.  i have one with braids, one with ringlet curls, and one with a faux hawk.  awesome.

accomplishment.  i admit that this transition for me was definitely a tough one.  i've had good days and bad. but ultimately, i feel accomplished that i've developed a routine and sunk into a good groove with these babes of mine.

see: month 1.

instagram of the week.

we like to be busy.

but sometimes it's tough to get out. 

we have more home days since hank arrived.

and, i've had to be creative with including more independent activities for Hannah.

thank goodness for Pinterest.

this simple little activity was a true boredom buster.

it chewed up over an hour of the afternoon while hazel & hank napped, and i attempted my first go at my mom's homemade chicken dumpling soup.

a colorful full of fizzle experiment.

what you'll need...

a muffin tin or mini loaf pan.

large baking sheet or cake pan.

food colouring or koolaid packs {i haven't been able to find them here}

vinegar. $1.47 at walmart

baking soda. $1 per box at dollarama

a large dropper. $1 at walmart

an apron or old t-shirt. things can get messy.
napkins or paper towel.

placemat or table cloth.

what you do...

cover your table... and your child.
mix your vinegar and food colouring in each muffin tin.

pour half to a full box of baking soda into your large baking sheet or cake pan.
demonstrate how the experiment works by dropping a few drops of colour onto the baking soda.
now, it's their turn!

we split our box in half so i could refill our pan twice.  she enjoyed mixing colours together, and drawing pictures with droplets.
she was fascinated and the soup was delicious!

{i decorate} room for two. source list.

i've had an overwhelming response to my post yesterday of the mini tour of my littles' shared room reveal. thank you so very much!  below i've prepared a detailed source list for the room to answer your comments and emails as best I can.  if you have any additional questions, feel free to leave a comment!

view mini tour here

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beds - millbrook iron bed in vintage white, restoration baby & child
pinwheel bedding - restoration baby & child
pink houndstooth quilt - linen & thread
yellow & white suzani pillows - made by grandma

nightstand - homesense

window bench - IKEA LACK shelf turned sideways, 2 CAPITA leg kits
window bench cushion - made by me; 3 inch foam camping mattress trimmed and batted with cotton, sewn cover
storage baskets - homesense
pink suitcases - homesense
striped pink, white felt, felted kite, ruffled parade pillow - made by me
green chevron pillow - made by grandma
knit dollies - pottery barn kids, no longer available
polka dot sheers - restoration baby & child clearance
silver ball drapery rod - walmart

monogram H - - restoration baby & child
book ledges - IKEA RIBBA photo ledges
large frames - IKEA VIRSERUM
wall night lights - IKEA ARSTID wall light

stuffy storage bin - dwell studio paper doll collection, raspberry kids
stuffies shown - monster factory collection, babybot

tissue poms - etsy

collection display shelf - winners clearance
knit stuffies {owls and birds} pottery barn kids, no longer available
stuff doll on book ledge and collection display shelf - warm sugar, etsy

embroidery hoop button monogram - made by me, pinterest
embroidery hoop pin board - made by me

bubble gum blowing contest canvas - homesense, a long, long time ago

photos of the girls - photographed by me, printed at www.posterjack.ca
photo backdrops - quilts from linen & thread

paint color - dishwater, general paints {# unknown}


fabrics.

window bench cushion - taza tarika in yellow by dena designs
parade pillow and pink polka dot ruffle - sarah jane
green chevron - premier prints
yellow suzani - premier prints
pink stripe - premier prints
kite pillow- scrap linen and wool felt