Mum's gift.

SO. The Christmas crafting bonanza has come to its timely end. I didn't end up doing any more decorating after all. Well. Besides re-decorating the tree after it fell over!

No sir. I was totally consumed with crafting Christmas gifts and simply didn't have the time to be messing with silly decorations. Our living room was a pig sty for about two weeks. Things got pretty hairy. I don't know why I always leave stuff so late...

The good news is, though, I finished all of the gifts I wanted to finish, and the recipients seemed pleased with the fruits of my frenzied labor. I took pictures of most of what I made. But of course!

Here's what I gave my mother.

I took a glass canister I already had but wasn't using, and made a label, glued on some vintage buttons and tied some pretty yarn around the lid. Then stuffed the whole thing full of - you guessed right - assorted teas!

The back label:

Some of the teas came from a variety pack I bought. Others, from my own personal stash, which I packaged up and made labels for.



So that's that.

I also made her some earrings! Yep. I've been getting really into making jewelry lately. I'll blog about that later. It's so much fun!!

Unfortunately, I'm a dough head and forgot to take a picture of the actual earrings I gave mum for Christmas. Here's a photo of a "prototype"...

.... "prototype" because they were the first earrings I ever made, and once I figured out how to do it I ran out and bought more, different coloured beads. So she ended up with the light blue ones in the centre of the card, a red pair, and a green pair.

And that's what I gave my mum for Christmas. I think she really liked the gifts. I had a blast crafting them!

Deck the Halls!

Well. I've been crafting like a crazy asshole lately. It's the Christmas Season, and I get extremely crafty around this time of year. Now that I'm an adult, I think it's a big reason why I love the Holidays so much. Gets those crafty juices flowing all over the damn place.

Why haven't I been blogging my brains out, then? Because a lot of my recent doings will be given away as Christmas gifts! And since I'm not sure who's reading this blog and who isn't these days, I really can't take the risk...

But don't worry. Christmas decorations are totally blog-safe. So here's how I've decked our halls thus far:

Our tree!

The popcorn took me two days and a whole lotta mess to string... but it was worth it!

We ended up trimming a few limbs from the bottom of the tree to even it out a little... I've actually worked shearing Christmas trees a summer or two (or three!) in the past, and am stupidly picky when it comes to our own tree.

So I saved the limbs we trimmed... had some popcorn left over and a string of beads I bought LAST year that never made it to the tree... and whipped this up.

I wish I had some more brush for the other doorway! Living in the city, unfortunately, that would mean buying some? Pft. Screw that!

And. A chain of paper gingerbread men I made last night and hung on our tv stand. I think it's kinda cute!

And that, my friends, is a little snippet of what I've been up to lately. I'll be sure to let y'all know of any more halls deckage that may go on here in the next couple of weeks!

Christmas! YAY!! :)

Well, I wanted snow...

and I got it!!


Wheeeeee!!! :D

Great morning!

I've been going on about wanting cinnamon toast quite a lot lately. It's been forever since I had some. Bruce makes an amazing cinnamon toast, so I've really been putting the questions to him lately about his method. I wanted to make sure I got it just right.

Well I didn't end up having to put the info to work after all... I woke up this morning to some freshly made cinnamon toast and a cold glass of orange juice! Breakfast in bed, baby! It was realllly nice and thoughtful and earned Bruce some serious brownie points. Really, though... the cinnamon toast was absolutely everything I could hope for... freakin' delicious!

AND THEN. About five minutes after leaving the house for work, Bruce called. Look out the window, he said.

It was snowing!!!! And it's STILL snowing. It's pretty and Christmassy... I'm excited!

So, my morning got off to a pretty spectacular start, I must say.


And there's MORE. I also finished up my rainbow socks! I'm pleased with the result.

I even made a couple more gift tags.

Which, as it happens, ended up making me think of this post... the times I've sat my glass right NEXT to a coaster...

You know. Finally designating a specific spot and then not using it. Yup. My art nook just isn't large enough to accommodate the messyness that is involved in making these things...

Ha ha!! YIKES!

And I even cleaned up soon as I was done.

It's been a great morning!! :D

Snow!

I decided to check the Weather Network website last night to see what it's supposed to be like the rest of the week. They're calling for "light snow" on Wednesday. Well I got quite excited by this forecast, so I immediately delivered the news to Bruce.

He just kind of looked at me.

Okay, so I understand that not everyone is the same way. And sure... I'll chime right in and curse the stuff come March along with everybody else. Hell. I'll probably be whining by the end of January.

But really, I love snow around this time of year, leading up to Christmas. It gets me all excited. I love the Christmas season. As it happens, I had started a little Christmas craft earlier that very afternoon...

I decided to crack out the ol' craft supplies and recycle some old greeting cards I've received into tags to use on Christmas gifts this year! Here's what I've made so far:

Fun, huh? Gotta love recycling and using materials you've already got! I've been having a BLAST!

Here's hoping some snow falls on Wednesday! Woo hoo!!!

It's been a while.

It's been a while since I mentioned my beloved charity yard sale, hasn't it? Well don't you worry. I'm still sniffing out fabulous finds pretty regularly. Here, let me show you a couple of recent gems.

Decorative dried corn! Woo-hoo! Got it just last week. My parents had something like this hanging on the living room wall for a while when I was a kid. Hadn't thought of that in years but I always liked it when I was little. So you can probably imagine how excited I was when I saw this... being the ridiculously nostalgic person that I am and all. I haven't decided yet if I want to hang it in the living room, or the kitchen. We'll see.

Tea cup and saucer! Have I mentioned that I've really gotten to love tea over the past year or so? Well, I have. I'm really into tea, especially when it's chilly outside. And tea just tastes better somehow when you're drinking it out of something like this. Pretty, huh?

I broke the handle about a month ago, unfortunately, and I keep forgetting to buy some super glue to fix it. D'oh!

See the purple glass ashtray draped in dried Gerbera blooms that my Mary Poppins jar is sitting in? I mentioned it in my recent post about my desk. Found it a couple of months ago... and again. My parents had one just like it when I was a kid. I was pretty excited when I found this one, too.

Annnnd.... two of these ceramic wall hanging bird things. They are so ridiculous and I LOVE them. They hang in the bathroom and make me grin like a fool everytime I look at them. Not sure what Bruce thinks when HE looks at them... that I'm a nutcase, no doubt. HA!!


So yup. There ya go.

Moral? Fabulous yard sale finds. Gotta love em!! :D

Adventures in houseplanting.

I LOVE having plants in the house. They're pretty and they liven the place up and just plain make me happy.

Trouble is, keeping the things alive seems to be a bit of an issue. I'm trying, and I think I'm learning... but damn. Is it just me, or is successful houseplanting a little tough to "get the hang of"? Sheesh. The aloe vera I blogged about back in March has long since perished. Same with this beast. Killed them with kindness, I guess... I'm pretty sure I ended up over-watering both.

So I bought some new plants, and plant food, and am trying my hardest to only water them when I think they need it. Which honestly is still a bit of a puzzle... short of shoving my finger in the soil and busting the roots all to hell, how exactly do I know for sure that a plant NEEDS water, anyway?

But, I do think I'm making progress. My new plants, for the most part, seem to be doing okay. I've started watering them from a basin beneath the pot instead of from the top, which appears to be working well. I can even see that the plants have grown... that's gotta be a good sign, right?

Anyway, let me introduce them to you.

First, a big leafy number I saved from Wal-mart. Saved. They had a whole bunch of them marked way down because they were clearly on the brink of death. This guy is looking MUCH better these days than he once did, that's for sure...

Next, my African Violet, which I also saved from Wal-mart. The blooms on it are pretty well spent. It's grown a little in width since I got it, so I'm pretty confident I'm not killing the poor thing. Someday I'm gonna get brave and try to start a new violet plant from one of its leaves. I've read it's quite easy to do.

Next up is a "Gerbera" I got at the Stupid Store. It had really pretty daisy-like blossoms when I bought it, which later wilted... normal, or so I've read. This plant was growing like CRAZY, until last week I noticed that the roots were growing out from the holes in the bottom of the pot and it looked ready to tip over at any moment! So -- get this -- I REPLANTED the sucker into a bigger pot last weekend! I have no idea whether or not it'll live... I guess we'll see. Unforunately, it isn't much to look at when there aren't any flowers...

Which brings us, finally, to the plant that currently has me absolutely puzzled. It's a "Calandiva" apparently, which I picked up a few weeks ago at Sobey's. The thing didn't look too hot when I bought it in the first place, so I saw it as a bit of a challenge I suppose. Honestly, I have no idea whether it's dying, or thriving!

Check out the big leaves on the left. They don't look good at all... yellowish and turning brown and obviously withering away. But look at what I noticed today....

All kinds of new, baby leaves! And buds that weren't there before! Certainly encouraging, but what the hell is going on with the rest of the plant?? I'm thinking those lower leaves should be removed? Or, should I just let them go and see what happens? A puzzle indeed. Suggestions are welcome!

So there you go, my latest adventures in houseplanting. Quite a challenge, as it turns out... but definitely a fun one. Wish me continued luck!

Speaking of surroundings...

Up until last month, I was crafting here, there, and everywhere: sometimes while sitting on the living room floor with newspaper spread across the rug... other times, the kitchen counter served as a good work surface. And while this here-there-everywhere approach did work, it often left little piles of half-finished projects and materials, well... here, there, and everywhere! Most crafts take some time to complete, you see. Such little piles are pretty much inevitable.

So over Thanksgiving weekend Bruce went camping and I had the place to myself. Ahhhh....

I decided to take the opportunity to get some heavy-duty cleaning done. I tackled the kitchen and cleaned and organized it from top to bottom. It was great.

I also set myself up a little art nook in the space beside the fridge and in front of a window!

This is where I craft now. I'm a bit of a neat freak and having a specific spot for my half finished projects and stuff is really nice! It kind of gets the creative juices flowing too, everything I need is right there!

Moral of this story? Get yourself a nook, a spot that's yours to do whatever it is you love. It does the spirit good!

And see what you can do about setting yourself up with a better view...

Hey, I can see the sun shining.... hear pitter-patters on rainy days.... and if I crane my neck enough, a little slice of mother nature too. So I guess this story has two morals, actually...


Sometimes ya just gotta work with what you've got! :P

My desk. Again.

Well it's been 6 months, so I'd say it's about damn time I blogged about my desk again.

Yup. I just love my desk. I do love to decorate it. Maybe a little too much, actually.... I'm constantly adding new crap, re-arranging the crap that's already on there.... so sure. It looks like a cluttered mess, but what can I say? I guess I like clutter. Clutter has its place. Like on my desk.

Here's what the thing is looking like these days, for those of you who can't take the suspense of all this.


A closer look, you say?

It's the apple head doll! my kick-ass collection of rocks and shells I've picked up, and a photo of my parents' home where I grew up.

And on the right? The Mary Poppins jar I painted filled with dried flowers I picked last summer, sitting in an ashtray just like one my parents had when I was a kid. More shells. Old-assed dictionaries.

It's Anne!
Books I've read lately, in order with most recent at far right, because I'm anal.

And. A postcard Bruce found in a scrap car at work.

As well as a bird's nest my Dad found in the woods, and a couple of scented candles, which I don't have photos of so you'll just have to use your imagination.

SO the moral of this story is: I'm a nosy individual, and I think most other individuals are nosy like me. Don't you feel a little bit better now knowing my surroundings as I write?


HA! The End.

Happy Squirrel Day!

By now you might find yourself wondering "what the f**k is Squirrel Day?"

WELL.

A few weeks ago I decided to start squirreling away a little bit of money. For what, precisely? I still haven't really decided! I'm thinking it'll end up getting spent on Christmas presents. After that I might decide on some expensive item (a new tv, maybe) to start squirreling towards.

So once I decided to start squirreling away a little bit of money, I figured I should have some special spot to squirrel it in to. Since we don't have any hollow trees in our apartment, I figured a painted jar would be the next best thing.

I did a Google image search and found a cartoon drawing of an extremely neurotic looking squirrel. Ha! Perfect! Took a clean jar from under the kitchen sink where I keep them, my varied assortment of Dollar Store acrylic paints and brushes, and got busy.

THE SQUIRREL JAR, for squirreling away extra spending money that would have otherwise been squandered on random unnecessary JUNK.

Which finally brings us to SQUIRREL DAY, celebrated in our household every Friday for the past few weeks. Simply put, it is the day I put some money in the Squirrel Jar. No coinage allowed! Bills only.

I've squirreled a nice bit of money so far, and it's only been a little while! It feels kinda good!

Happy Squirrel Day, everybody! :D

What the hell?

Two posts in two days? What the hell? Maybe there's hope for this blog yet. Take off your coat. Stay a spell!

I haven't been blogging lately... but definitely still crafting! I've got myself a nice little back-log of doings to write about, actually. For now, though, let's talk about my latest undertaking:

KNITTING SOCKS.

So back in March I attempted mittens, using a couple of online guides and a free pattern. I did learn the basics of using the double point needles, but the "mitten" (which I actually finished) ended up looking like a vaguely mitten-shaped pile of shit. It was too small and there were holes in it and... yeah. It was pretty bad.

The experience kept me away from the double point needles up until a few weeks ago. I'd knitted a couple of scarves in the interim, and was feeling more confident in my knitting skills. So I figured I'd give the needles a try again. Socks. No stupid thumb to mess with.

I actually made out ok! The socks certainly aren't perfect, but they're no pile of crap either. It was my first try and I'm pleased! They're super warm and I've been wearing them pretty much constantly.

Crazy, huh? They actually LOOK like socks! And since practice makes perfect, I've gone ahead and started a second pair, this time with ribbing on the top of the foot. Working on sock #2 at the moment...

It's so much fun! Knitting = win. Maybe I'm not a lost cause after all.... I might just have to give mittens another go sometime soon. I'm on a roll, baby!!

New look?

Okay, we'll start off by stating the obvious here -- more did not come soon as promised. What's the big hold up? Well, I dunno. Laziness, I s'pose.

And well -- again, the obvious -- I've made some changes to the look of this blog. Maybe it'll inspire me to start posting again? I guess we'll see...

SO. The photo at the top of this page: the inspiration for the change in hopes of inspiration! Pretty picture, huh? I really love it. And I can't even take credit for it... Bruce took it at Hopewell Cape. We went to look at the Rocks again with a couple of friends last weekend.

Turns out he's a decent little photographer! Who'da thunk? Here's some more he took....



And what's a Bruce without some silliness? Like shit without stink, really: it just ain't right. So here's what happened when he wasn't paying attention to where he was stepping.

Ha ha ha! Oops!

Aaaannd thus concludes my come-back special, aren't you glad you stopped by? Next time I might even see about mustering some fresh material! ;) Here's hoping Bruce's Hopewell photos are just the inspiration I've been looking for!

My camera's fixed!

Well hello there, Internets. It's been a while.

My camera's fixed! Woo hoo. I've actually had it back for a few weeks now. Sent 'er away to FujiFilm and would ya believe the bastards repaired it for free?!

I'm tickled pink.

So here's a craft project I worked on this weekend which ~I've taken a photo of~ and will post to mark this happy occasion.

That's right. I discovered something truly magnificent this summer, dear readers. I discovered Modge Podge.

One or two of you just might remember the green tea container I painted blue and white with googly eyes last February. Was keeping it on the bathroom sink filled with this and that due to utter lack of counter space. Well a couple days ago I decided it was time for a change. It was time to break out the Modge Podge, baby.

I took another tea container I had saved, slapped some green and yellow paint on it, and then découpaged (ooh la la) some flowers I picked and dried earlier this summer. Then varnished the whole damn thing.

And so there you have it. My camera's fixed. I love Modge Podge.

More to come soon!

~ Smel

My camera broke!

As I'm sure the faithful reader can well imagine, this is a pretty big deal.

So I was taking a picture of the empty green corduroy chair for my last post (the chair's still empty, by the way!) when the camera slipped out of my hand. I didn't drop it though - I saved it before it hit the floor. Phew.

Only I guess I didn't save it after all! I kinda caught it by the zoom lens and apparently it broke. Bah! I'm hoping I'll be able to get an exchange or something on it..... I've only had it for like 5 months!

It'll still take pictures, though. So all is not lost, for the time being at least.


That said, I got a new plant last night!!

Neat, huh? SuperStore jobby. The little tag that came stuck in the soil just says "Dracaena Collection" - I'd say it's a Red Edged Dracaena, from what I've looked up online. I just think it's the bees knees. Not sure where it'll end up permanently, yet.... for now it's sitting on the tv stand next to the window.

I'm really getting into houseplants. They add a lot to the place. Smelanie: blossoming horticulturist. Who'da thunk!

Now if I can just manage to keep the things alive, we'll be all set.

A return to peace.

Maybe the faithful reader remembers me having reported a rare sight a couple of weeks ago: to my surprise, the cat left his station at the green corduroy chair for a few hours one afternoon, opting instead to perch on the window sill. Could this signal a turning of the tides, I wondered?

As you can see, the green corduroy chair is empty. It's been empty for the past two days! This is definitely an encouraging development - a final return to peace in our household. I hope it lasts.
Aww. Seems he's taken up residence at the foot of the bed. And he's more than welcome to set up camp there all he likes. There will be no cat fights between the two of us over the foot of the bed, let me tell you. Have at 'er, buddy. It's all yours.

So it's looking like we've reached the end of an epoch. A return to peace. Ahhhhhhhh. Bruce, you'd best keep your ass outta that green corduroy chair........ I call dibs!!!