We’ve got rats in the house…and we’ll never be the same…

My guess is that you thought 1 of 3 different things when you read the title of this post:

1.  ”Oh my god!  You have rats?!  Poor you!”
2.  ”Eeeewww, rats are so gross…with their gross rats tails and the gross diseases they carry…so sick”
3.  ”OMG you have rats?!  I LOVE rats!!  I just posted a video about my rats on youtube because they are so cute”

If you are looking for a lurid rat tale filled with rat nest locating, rat trap placing etc you can move on.  This isn’t that kind of post.  In fact it is more like a love story.  A rat love story.

Exhibit A:

How could we not fall into love with these two?  Becky is on the left and is a Dumbo rat.  She is such a sweet, snuggly and gentle girl.  Nori is the one on the right.  This pic is very Nori.  She has loads of curiosity and spunk.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” you say?  ”Are you talking about rats?” you ask?

Yes.  I am.  I kid you not.  It all started with the girls wanting a small pet they could snuggle.  Like a cat.  Their dad is allergic to cats.  This is upsetting to them to say the least.  Lil’S has been know to write songs about this topic including hits like “I have a choice: my dad or a cat”,  ”I’ll get a cat when I get my own apartment” and “Run, Kitty, Run”.  Since the cat is a no-go, we moved on to researching other small animals for pets.  The Missus was determined to get a hamster.  We read and researched and visited some hamsters at pet stores.  But hamsters are solitary animals and I had visions of fights over who could hold said hamster and possibility of “squishing” seemed high in that scenario.  Also they bite a lot.  We moved on to information gathering about gerbils.  You need to get at least two of those at a time.  We even found an animal rescue with some gerbils looking for homes.  Gerbils bite less than hamsters.  But they are jumpy and skittish.  Not a great cuddle factor rating.   I had images of the kids loving them for all of two seconds and getting bored or bitten.  I saw days of mama cleaning stinky pine shavings and of sad neglected rodents living in a cage….

I saw a rat in one of the pet stores.  It was in plastic hut with only its tail sticking out.  I thought to myself “ew, who in their right mind would have a rat as a pet?”.  The sales person had a soft spot for rats and gave me a pamphlet (only one gerbil in stock that day).  I got back in the car and read the pamphlet and was intrigued.  They are really smart.  They can learn to come when you call them by name.  THEY CAN BE POTTY TRAINED!!!  They can learn tricks.  They very rarely bite.  They don’t live very long (don’t think less of me…this is a new venture and I liked the idea of a short-lived foray into the world of rodents if it went badly).  I went from a visceral negative reaction to a pragmatic, rational response of “this pet option seems to best fit with my family’s needs”.

And look at this picture.  I mean really look at it.  She is in love!  And so am I.  And so is Becky.  Here is a picture of Becky grooming Lil’S.

I don’t know if you can tell, but Becky is licking her hand.  Lil’S can hold and pet Becky into an almost catatonic state!  We’ve had Becky and Nori for four weeks now and they are potty trained (mostly) and are starting to come when we call them.  The kids rush home to play with their rats.  The rats rush to the door of their well-appointed cage to be let out and play.  They are clean and easy to care for.  We used the purchase of these animals to teach the kids about budgeting and we price compared everything.  The kids are paying for their food and toys with their allowance.  They are quiet pets.  They are social and easy-going.  They are fun to watch.  We have plans for these rat girls of ours.  They’ve stimulated great discussions on stereotypes and prejudice.  ”Why do people hate rats so much mom?”, “why do people think they are gross (dirty, carry disease, stupid)?”,  ”why won’t people give rats a chance?”.  Given my own initial reaction to the idea of having rats I’ve had to examine my own strongly held beliefs.  Who knew?

We also have a rat guru in the form of an amazing 16-year-old girl who produced this video that I think you’ll enjoy.  I know the girls and I are looking forward to mastering these with our rat babies:

We’ve corresponded with her through her facebook page and she has amazingly insightful advice for the newbie rat owner.

I still can’t believe I’m writing about rats.  I still can’t believe I OWN rats.  Most importantly I can’t believe how easily they wiggled their way into our hearts.  We may even join the crazy rat lovers out there and one day produce a “look how cute my rats are” video ourselves.

Peace out!

For those of you looking for more rat owning information start here (we did):

The Ratty Rat
Discover Pet Rats
Abby R. Rat Training Facebook Page

Mama’s got a brand new…door.

The first day of Spring found us still under a blanket of snow outside.  So what is a mama to do but add some colour inside?  We are slowly making progress on the kitchen.  The wallpaper is down, walls scrubbed, repaired and painted (Benjamin Moore Woodlawn blue if you are wondering).  We decided to use the same colour in the hall, up the stairs and into the hall upstairs.  The tile backsplash will be painted and so far with only one coat of primer it is looking fantastic.  Jamie of The Painted Pear is coming next week to prep and spray lacquer our tired, old cabinets – I am so excited about this part!!

Before I play show and tell with a few pics of the kitchen in progress and my “new” front door, I have to show you this new trick I learned!!

See this?  This is what the hardware in my kitchen looks like right now.  They been painted over multiple times and they are not so pretty to look at.  What to do, what to do.  I have found an amazing and easy solution!

First I went to VV and bought a crock pot for $5.  Then I added water, Nellie’s Washing Soda (which I buy locally at Go Green Baby) and my painted hinges.  I covered it with the lid and left them for 1/2 an hour.  When I came back the paint slid right off!  Amazing.  They are still not the prettiest hinges ever but I’m keeping with my “make it do” mantra so they stay.

They are so very shiny and new looking now after all.  This method of cleaning old hardware got me to thinking about all the old and paint splattered doorknobs and hinges around here.  So I took the hardware off my front door too and cleaned those too…

The inside knob…

The outside knob…

They cleaned up okay using this method but they still needed some scrubbing with a toothbrush and some brass cleaner.  And since I had the hardware off I should probably paint the door finally with some Chalk Paint in Emperor’s Silk Red (of course I should)…

The before…

The afters…see the gleaming “new” hardware???  Can you even believe it was THAT dirty?  Sort of embarrassing really…and now (also embarrassingly) I need to touch up the trim which the painters tape ripped off : (.

I love my entryway now!  This is a Sarah Jane print that stays up all year (so I’ll always have a little bit of winter nearby)…

I found these adorable hooks a few years ago at Kilborn’s my favourite store to get lost in…

There are still a few finishes that need to happen in this front hall, namely taking the old worn out linoleum floor (which has old asbestos backed linoleum underneath which means getting some professionals in here) and thrifting a table for the bottom of the stairs.  Good thing yard sale season is starting soon!

Here is a peek at the colour in the kitchen.  You can see the sorry cupboards in the corner waiting for their turn to be transformed.  In this pick the hallway is still the old taupe/pink/brown colour that I’ve hated since we moved in.  The colour has made such a difference already.  The kitchen is brighter and the white appliances looks so much better.

I found a surprise under some old contact paper on the corner shelves…bright yellow, old school formica.  I love it!

So cupboards, flooring, and painting trim still to do…but it is all coming along.  I can’t wait until Jamie works his magic next week.  I promise to get the finished photos up as soon as it is finished.

What do you think so far?

Love list from last week…

Life has been a blur lately.  My love lists are my way of remembering these little gems…

This week I loved…

1.  listening to my daughter whistle, sing and um, caw (oh my!) at the birds on our walk to school.  She told me it is not hard to talk to birds. One need only make their voice a little more “birdish” than usual.  She also confided that she is not 100% certain what she is saying to them but she is just as certain that they understand what she means.  Sometimes it is like my heart will burst…

2.  how much my girls enjoyed discovering Billy Joel as a musician.  Specifically and especially they seem to love “Uptown girl”.  There may even be a plan for the girls to dress as Christy Brinkley for Hallowe’en while their dad dresses up as Billy Joel the mechanic from the video.  I guess I’ll just hold the bags of candy, as three Christy Brinkleys would surely be too much.

3.  our evening family walks and snowball fights.

4. how angry Mrs. Iverson was on the morning of March 1st when she looked out the window and saw that there was still snow covering her grass.  Apparently she had been explicitly told at school that spring started in March and in the spring there would be grass…repeat this scene the morning of March 2nd.  Can’t wait for tomorrow.

5.  growing into my role as mama to someone who is not so very little anymore.  While I still feel like I have no idea if what I’m saying and doing is the right thing or not, I’m pretty excited (and relieved) to see what a kind, understanding and insightful young person she is growing into.

Sigh, life is busy and shows no signs of stopping for the next little while…I’ll take theses moments when I can get them : )

10 things I’m in love with right now…

1. Needing to shut off the light in her microscope every night for the past 4 nights when checking in on Lil’S before I head to bed.

2.  Sipping hot chocolate rink-side with Mrs. Iverson and having her turn to me and say “mama,  I love everything!” (she is not one to limit her love to a mere 10 things).

3.  Listening to cousins play together, especially when the 11-year-old is just as into it as the 4 year olds.

4.  Meandering through vintage shops and architectural salvage haunts picking up needed bits to finish off the kitchen.

5.  Listening as my daughter composes a song on the piano that she is working hard to have sound like “morning, birds and joy”.

6.  Watching the Missus channel Robert Munch himself as she read “50 below zero” to her newest cousin during his visit.

7.  Surprise visits from metropolitan uncles.

8.  Walking to school in snowstorms.

9.  Skiing at night with a really great bunch of women.

10.  Joining in spontaneous singing of Ho! Hey! by the Lumineers ,with the rest of the patrons at the coffee shop while my children danced.

the make it do or do without kitchen un-reno

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”

When I find myself getting caught up in the societal trend to buy things, renovate or endlessly redecorate, I repeat these words.  It is a great litmus test to determine if something is truly a need or is simply a want.  Which category does a kitchen makeover fall into?  Probably a want.  Okay, for sure it is a want.  I could leave my kitchen the way it is and we’d all be fine.  And indeed I’ve left it the way I found it when we moved in and we’ve all survived.  If I am being very honest I left it alone because 1. the to-do list was long when we moved in 2. money was short 3. having experienced wallpaper removal of epic proportions in the old house I wasn’t up for it after the move to the new house 4. this kitchen has…er, ‘quirks’ and I thought I should live in the space before making any adjustments…

Fast forward a year and I’ve started to experience intense itching upon entering my kitchen.  I’d look at the handyman special of a cabinet beside my awkwardly placed stove and feel my face twitch.  I swallowed hard when I had to reach for my dinner plates, stored not in the upper cabinets (because they are too narrow to fit plates), but in the lower, afore-mentioned handy man special of a cabinet.  My eyes would protest when they looked upon the brown wallpaper with orange flowers and the brown “dead leaf” pattern on my ceramic backsplash…tension was building.

It seems everyone around me has recently renovated  their kitchen or they have plans to.  I have found myself dreaming of a complete gut job after letting my hands spend too much time fondling someone else’s brand new faucet, or offering to cut up the vegetables just to find an excuse to get closer to the rustic yet modern butcher block counter top, or complaining of thirst so that I could procure myself a glass of water at the elegantly appointed apron front sink…must resist!

“This backsplash is perfectly functional” I’d tell myself.  ”These cupboards have been here since this house was built.  You don’t get that kind of quality anymore” I’d say.  ”No one has noticed that you hung your pictures up on the random nails and hooks that were already in the wall” I’d lie.  Blarghhhhh!!!!!!!!

The truth is I kind of like my kitchen.  I want to give it a new life without buying more stuff or sending perfectly good cupboards to the landfill.  I like the idea of putting my money towards other things my family would enjoy.  There are bigger problems in this world than an outdated kitchen.  But I don’t want to be ridiculous either.  There is work to be done.  And I have some ideas.  If you want to hear about them keep reading.  If you think you might have some awkward space solutions, take a look at my photos and suggest away!  The placement of appliances is the hardest bit and solutions might be possible but will likely have to wait for a more serious reno with more cash behind it, but I’m open to and welcome all input.

And so without further ado, I give you…my kitchen…

We’ll start the tour with the view from the doorway to the dining room.  Here you will notice the previously mentioned “awkwardly placed stove” ($200 on kijiji BTW).  It has been “joined” to the rest of the cabinets by a homemade cupboard with a tiled top.  This cabinet is in front of the real face of the original cabinets.  When you get real close you can see the drawer and the cabinet door that it is in front of – not exactly a seamless placement.   This is now to be known as “conundrum #1″.  If I remove it the original cabinets will look the way they were intended to look, but then there would be a stove in front of them…still awkwardly placed.  It can’t be worse than having this cabinet there though can it?

What else can we see?  Hmmmm, the terrible state of the flooring (conundrum #2).  Its okay I’m aware.  It is tired and worn and oozing nothing close to vintage cool.  There is the wallpaper I mentioned and the backsplash (#3 and #4).  I’ve kept quiet up until now about the hideous colour of my cupboards but, well, there it is (#5).

Following along, we can now reveal the ill placed pictures that I hung on the already existing wall nails.  The fridge was not located here when we moved in, it was beside the door to the backyard all by itself (see next photo).  It is better here but it does look like a happy gathering of all appliances in one cramped corner don’t you think?  The dishwasher is the rolling, hook it up to the sink kind (which we are forever grateful for Karen and Jason!!!!).  I’d love a built-in, but where to put it?  Also, in the future  an above the fridge cabinet would be nice…yes?  no?  I need your thoughts.

Moving right along, we have come to “the corner”.  This is where the fridge used to be.  I have big plans for this corner.  One day I’d love a metal door with a long window in it to let in light.  For now I’ll get rid of the thread bare curtains with holes in them and maybe paint the door.  I’ve already removed the wallpaper.  I’m searching for a table, maybe an enamel topped one (if I can find one small enough) with tall skinny legs so I can put our rubber boots or “house shoes” under it so trips out to the garden are made easy.  I’ll need some hooks for our aprons (and a sweater or two to grab on the way out to the garden I think).  We’ve found a lovely piece of board in the garage to make into open shelves to display our dinner plates (remember they won’t fit anywhere else), small plates, bowls and glasses. Conundrum #7 is finding acceptable brackets…so far all searching has yielded decidedly uncool hardware.  I think I’ll need a receptacle for my herb scissors and garden twine…maybe a wire herb drying rack hanging from the ceiling….yes, I think I’ll like this space eventually…it looks better already.  It used to look like this:

You can understand now can’t you.  Who could resist pulling down the wallpaper with those seams and edges pleading to be pulled!!  The rubbermaid pantry is already gone.  Thanks Kijiji!  Getting rid of it meant making the other cupboards really work.  After we reorganized things a bit we realized that we probably never needed this pantry to begin with and when you have more space you just end up with more stuff.

And here is a good look at the hideousness that was the wallpaper.  Wanna know what is worse?

This.  Look. At. How. Dirty.  Just look at it.  Oh dear.  Why didn’t I take this down when I moved in again?  Right, I had been scarred by wallpaper removal in the old place.  Turns out this stuff had been on so long there really wasn’t anything holding it on anymore so removal (with water and vinegar) was a breeze.  And an equally unappealing mushroom colour paint job was revealed.  Fun thing is the paint under that paint is probably the colour I’ll paint the walls…I know right?  Wait long enough and anything will come back into fashion.

So there is it.  Hit me with your suggestions.  I already have an idea of where I am going with this but all help is welcome.  Taking down the wallpaper was kind of nice actually.  I kept thinking of Flora, the woman who lived in this house since it was built and raised her family here…she likely pick the wallpaper and had someone make the handyman cabinet to solve the problem of the awkward stove issue.  Under the wall paper I found other nail holes that made me wonder how this room might have been arranged before…might a calendar have hung in that spot? Was there a breakfast table here?  Kitchens are the heart of the home after all.  We spend enough time here and I can’t wait to give it new life and make it our own.

I’ll add updates here as we go!

Yuletide Greetings!

The word “solstice” comes from the Latin sol, meaning sun, and sistere, meaning to stand. At Solstice the sun appears to stand still, to pause, before continuing on its path.  We’ve been celebrating Solstice as a family for over a decade.  No matter where we have found ourselves over years, on a tropical island, out west, up north, in the city or in the forest, no matter what has been happening in our lives, this time of year reminds us to pause, and to reflect.  Our celebrations have been simple (especially when it was just the two of us) and some have  been elaborate gatherings full of family and friends.  Decorations are natural and are designed to end up in the compost heap rather than in storage or the landfill.  The greenery reminding us of the coming spring.  The candles reminding us of the returning light.

When we first started celebrating Solstice we were met with many questions and confused looks and some people were even dismissive.  It was a little isolating.  And so starting nine years ago we began sending out what we called our “Cool Yule Cards”.  They were conversation starters for sure, just look at our first one:

Yes, I put a dress on my dog.  Mad Men was not a show back then either…we were just before our time I suppose : ).

In the beginning we always tried to inject a little bit of humour to try to keep it light-hearted.

This is one of my favourites…Sostice in the forest with a wood stove inside…so dreamy.

This one did look more “Christmas-y” but Cool Yule wishes remained the same…

I think last year’s card was my favourite so far.  Such a great vintage photo of J’s great-grandmother!

Our 2013 Cool Yule greeting card will be revealed to family and friends tomorrow (that is if I can get a great shot of the girls on their lantern walk).  Today, I’m wrapping our handmade solstice gifts to put under the tree and finishing up the preparations for our Annual Solstice Party.  Back by popular demand will be our lantern walk which the children loved a few years ago.  After dinner we make our lanterns and set off to carol our way through the neighbourhood.  If it is not raining we will gather around the bonfire outside to sing, drink and generally be merry and, if we remember, we mark the actual moment of Solstice.   Tomorrow we’ll open our gifts, make pine cone bird feeders and decorated our outdoor tree for our animal friends.  And as always we are busy reading our favourite winter and Solstice books.

I mentioned our celebrations to a neighbour a few weeks ago and they commented that more and more people seemed to be celebrating solstice.  I’m so glad to hear it.  Solstice also means “turning point”.  Our world could use a reminder to pause and slow down, a reminder that light follows darkness, and to reestablish a relationship with Mother Earth.

This morning we woke up to find a soft blanket of snow covering the ground.  The girls rushed to the windows and squealed with delight.  Mrs. Iverson declared that it was Solstice magic that made it happen.  I think the smile on this proud mama’s face should last all day…

Wishing you all a Cool Yule, peace and joy for the New Year!

Things are coming together…

Have you ever had a feeling of uncontrollable giddiness as you came to the end of making something?  I had that feeling a little bit when I was making my French Press Slippers this summer.  The feeling was overwhelming when I was making a fox mask for Mrs.Iverson’s birthday (it was borderline euphoric!).  And last night, as I finished another gift for the Mrs., I felt my heart pick up the pace a little, a satisfied grin spread across my face…I had to tell myself to slow it down so I didn’t make any mistakes but really wanted to see how it had turned out now!!!

I think this project had been in my head for so many years that that alone contributed my buoyant mood, to that feeling of anticipation.  I had saved this plain grey, wool sweater for almost 8 eight years with this project in mind.  It felt so good to finally make the first cut.  I loosely followed the Cozy Winter Hat pattern in this gem of a book, Little Things to Sew:

It was a really easy pattern and sewing with an old wool sweater didn’t cause any issues thank goodness.

Once I had cut out the wool pieces, I ironed some of this on the “wrong” side near the sides of the cheeks to add some stability while I did some embroidery work.

I used a tiny bit of the embroidery pattern meant for these mitts from Scandinavian Needlecraft:

Once that was done,  I cut out the lining pieces.  I sewed the wool pieces together and added the ribbon.  Then I sewed the lining pieces together.  Next was sewing both the wool and the lining together.  I was incredibly nervous at this point and I was sure I would make a mistake so I read and reread the pattern…but then I did end up making a mistake and so I made my own “stamp” on the piece and it didn’t turn out too badly.

In this picture you get an idea of what the lining fabric looks like.

And here is the finished product!  It is too bad I couldn’t put it on a child so you could see what it looks like on.  After Solstice I’ll post one of the Mrs. wearing it I promise.  I keep going to sneak a peek at this one.  I’m so excited to have made it and I can’t wait to see her face when she opens it!

When Handmade is not your thing…

I get it.  Handmade may not be you “thing”.  Maybe you lack the space, the time, the talent (although I doubt it)…my goal is certainly not to make everything I give and so sometimes it feels right to give something someone else has made.  This city I live in has no shortage of fantastic artisans and craft fairs.  With the rise of Etsy, there is a whole world of handmade at your fingertips!  Here are some of my favourite handmade things that I didn’t have to find time to make myself:

1.   Handcrafted knitting needles:

 I picked these gorgeous needles up at the Squam Art Fair in NH this summer and they are destined for a very special knitter in my life.  You can find more treasures made by the maker Cynthis Ellis at Wood By C.

2.  A whimsical print by Fig Design:

This one caught my eye as the perfect gift for my new nephew.  It captures a dreamy sort of boyhood adventure one might have especially if you’re a boy growing up in Newfoundland.

3.  These endearing and quirky lockets from the Black Apple:

I bought these last year for my girls (if anyone remembers Lil’S and her “bat/mask” phase, you’ll know which one was hers).

4. Hammered Feather Cuff Bangle:

These beauties are handmade with love – it says so right on the website!  I was lucky enough to receive the brass bangle as a gift and I do love wearing it.  Check out Salvage Jewelry Co. to find more gems made from deconstructed vintage jewelry that have been reinvented by designer Brandy Olley, to create inspired, modern pieces.

5.  A vintage inspired headband or hair piece:

Mrs. Iverson was the lucky one to receive a headband by Jasmin and Olive for her birthday.  These hair adornments and headbands look fantastic on people of any age.  Simple and gorgeous.

Where are you favourite places to shop for handmade gifts?

My favourite handmades

I love handmade things, I do.  And so I thought I’d share some of my favourite gifts to make in case someone out there needed some inspiration.

1.  A fishing basket:

This one is as easy as drawing a fish template and tracing it onto some scraps of felt.  I embroidered some details on these ones and then decided to also make them “counting fish”.  Notice the orange one has one bead, the purple has two, the green has three etc.  Next, find a stick, tie some garden twine to it and secure a round magnet to the other end.  Each fish has a metal washer in its “mouth”.  Super easy and fun.  Then find a basket and some blue fabric for the water and pack them up!

2.  Wee Wonderful Dolls:

This one I made for Lil’S a few Solstices ago.  We called her Lumina and still can’t get over her hair!  I love it!

This one I named Joy and she was destined for my my niece on the east coast.  I actually made her outfit and shoes whereas with Lumina I stole the clothing off of another doll’s back (there wasn’t enough time!).  Making these dolls was so simple.  I really barely knew what to do with my sewing machine at the time.  I ordered and then downloaded a PDF from Wee Wonderfuls which included instructions for three darling dolls and their clothes for only $15.

3. French Press Slippers

Now these little lovelies I must confess I did not gift…they were for me!  Oh and how I adore them!  Actually I still can’t believe that I made these.  You can download the PDF pattern here.  And for $7.50 it is a steal.  I’ve been knitting up a number of these in some pretty funky colours for Christmas presents.  Now all I need is a trip to the laundromat to felt them in a top loader…

4.  A Scandinavian Inspired Felt bag:

This will probably be the hardest gift for me to wrap up and give.  I have wanted one for myself ever since I saw it on the cover of Scandinavian Needlecraft.  It took me forever to source the thicker felt.  In the end I bought the synthetic felt from Fabricland but I would have loved real wool felt.  One day I’ll find a source (and if you have one that ships to Canada please let me know!).  The bag was super easy to make but it did put a sizable dent into my embroidery thread stash.

5. A Knitted Snake:

The snake you see on the right is one I made for Solstice a few years back. “Snakey” as he is known has been well loved as you can see.  The skinny unfinished guy on the left will be gifted away this season.  The pattern can be found in the book, Knitted Toys.  I love this book and have made a number of their knitted dolls and animals.

6.  Even more slippers:

I love these slippers and they turned out even better than I expected.  They are another project from the Scandinavian Needlecraft book I mentioned the other day.  I used Sulky Solvy to trace the embroidery design on, laid it over the felt and pinned it in place.  Once you’re done embroidering you simply run it under water and the Sulky Solvy dissolves!

These baby slippers are from the same book.  The fleece on the inside is sooo soft.  I love them but I admit, they were not as easy to make due to their size.  They are en route right now to my new nephew in NFDL!

7. A Headband:

I based this headband on this tutorial at Heidi and Finn.  I covered my elastic in fabric and made the band itself a little wider.  I’m still tweeking this as I’d like the band to be longer but the standard sheets of felt are too short.  I also had a hard time sourcing the pre-cut felt flowers.  Instead I used felt embellishments that were intended for use in scrapbooking from Michael’s.  I simply took off the sticker on the back, did a little hand sewing to reinforce them and sewed them onto the felt.  I’m using up my scraps from past projects for the fabric backing.  Lil’S has had many compliments on hers already.

8.  Felt Animal Masks:

I made these for Mrs. Iverson’s birthday party this year.  Instead of loot bags the guest were able to bring home a mask.  I keep meaning to post a tutorial…one day…

9.  Alphabet Magnets

Lil’S made these for Mrs. Iverson a few years ago and they are still a huge hit.  Click on the link to find out how to make your own.

10. Homemade Playdough

This is always a favourite and it is super simple to make as well.  I’ve used this as an add on to many gifts over the years.  Click on the link and you’ll find my favourite recipe.

When Handmade goes wrong

I quite like making things to give as gifts.  It is always a delicate art.  First you must be sure you want to invest the time and that the final product will turn out well.  Second you must think carefully about who you are giving it to.  There is nothing more awkward than getting the feeling that the recipient doesn’t actually like the gift because a solid drawback to handmade is that you can’t return it.

This is a story about a handmade gift that the recipient, my father-in-law, liked just fine.  The problem was, I had made a really big mistake when putting this gift together.  Let’s see if you can spot it:

What is it you ask?  Why it is a log carrier of course!  An absolutely chic log carrier if I do say so myself.

This embroidery took FOREVER!  In the end I just couldn’t do it on my machine and off I went to my friend Rebecca’s for help.  Man did it turn out great or what?  I was ever so pleased.

Then there are the little details like this cute tag.  I was in love with this present and I couldn’t wait to give it.  Have you spotted my error yet?  Keep looking.

And just why did I love this thing so much?  Well I thought it looked pretty great and it was made out of recycled materials.  In the picture above you can see that it is lined with denim from an old pair of jeans.  The cream coloured fabric on the front was left over from a couch slipcover I had made.  The thread was leftover from my bridesmaids dresses (13 years ago!!).  And finally the twill tape for the handles was from a grab bag at Value Village.  I was in recycled gift heaven.

Can you tell now what is wrong?  Yep.  As beautiful as it turned out, it was utterly useless for carrying wood.  I had made it long and skinny.  It would likely only fit one or two logs (super long ones at that).  Sigh.  It was supposed to be folded the other way so that it was deeper and shorter.  I was entirely horrified and with no time left before the family gift exchange to fix it, I did what I had to do…I gave it to him and then took it right back offering promises to “fix it soon”.

This is the way it was supposed to go.  Which means the embroidery is going the wrong way and so are the straps.  Not such as easy fix after all.   And do you know what is worse?  I still haven’t fixed it.  I’m going to do it tonight and give it to him again before Christmas so at least I don’t have to say it took me a year to fix it.  Wish me luck!

Oh and by the way, I found this project in this book.  I’ve now made a number of the projects in here and all of them have turned out so wonderfully!  I’ll share a few in the coming days.

What are some of your DYI disasters?