Shrink-ly dink-ly

Remember making these?  We heated up the pan over and over during a sleepover one night and discovered something magical.  When the pan was hot, it caused the shrinky dinks to curl up.  *Mila* chose to make this one and coloured her edges with a nice blue Sharpie marker.  It looks like a melted, warped piece of glass.  I adore it.

What do you need?

Shrinky dink plastic (we picked up some at the dollar store) - be sure that it's shiny

Oven heated to 350F

Sharpie markers

A cool pan lined with tin foil  (or hot - for the warped effect)

Bake your plastic goodies for a few short minutes.  Watch carefully as they curl, shrink and don't let them burn.  P-U!

signed, the willow

Post Easter Egg post

*Mila* made some eggs.  I blew some eggs.  Boy, do I ever feel the pain of the Ukrainians.  

She loved NY. 

I  love our largest Canadian version:  T dot (while *Steve* says I should call it HogTown).

signed, the willow

3 generations; same page

More often than not, my mother and I find ourselves doing/saying/thinking/dreaming the same things.  We think we're psychic.  Outsiders think we're psycho.  We don't care.

But get this, now my daughter, *Mila* is in on the act.

Last month, we all created art in our own ways.  Separately, yet simultaneously.

Beatles songs came forth.  Check us out.

Gramma [Golden Slumbers]

Willow [Hey, Bulldog!]

*Mila* [hybrid of Golden Slumbers]:

signed, the willow

8 years later and whole lotta chocolate

How the world has changed in 8 years.  My world has changed.

Happy birthday sunshine

signed, the willow

Our first sewing project

I'll have you know that I broke 3 sewing machine needles making this damn beach bag!  Why exactly am I making a beach bag in January?  I don't know.  But I'm NOT going to Mexico.

signed, the willow

The next dog will have a tail that hangs down

So, I'm about to tell you a rather embarrassing story.  

Let's begin with a diagram:

The dog was hanging around mooching chips from *Mila* with her big puffy tail in front of me.  I had to get up to squeeze some more food down my gullet, so I attempted to move the dog towards the potato chips and out of my way.  

This is where you can run and grab some anti-bacterial gel.  As I leaned forward on the laptop and reached around with my right hand, my index finger was inserted directly in Suma's chocolate starfish.  Her rusty bullet hole.  The dog's brown eye.  Rusty's rusty sherriff badge.  The on-ramp for the Hershey hi-way.  

Get the picture?

And where was *Steve*? Laughing of course.  Is he the only one in the family that hasn't stuck his finger up the dog's butt?

signed, the willow

Happy 2012

What the?

Happy new year.

signed, the willow

Christmas Eve with the Chickadees

And after....

signed, the willow

The Holidays 1

How were the holidays?  

We took some time to make a gingerbread house. Since "some" time equates to very little time, we bought a kit.  See above.

 This is how ours turned out.  Not sure that the icing is real icing as the instructions read "knead the frosting until it is the consistency of toothpaste."

It was an afternoon of giggles as we gave the gingerbread man and his snowman that lived in this humble abode some bulging eyes!


signed, the willow

Back to Work

My challenge this week has been to balance a new work life with home life.  Working full time for someone else hasn't happened for 8 years for me.  So, it's a bit of a stretch for me.

First, I'm tired.

Second, there's no time to exercise. Or, if there is, I'm sleeping due to the point above.

Third, I miss my little girl and feel like the few precious moments in the evening are spent demanding her to do things.

Fourth, I feel guilty because everyone has made accommodations so that I can work.

Fifth, I feel squeezed, incapable, and fragile.  I'm new at this, so I know that it will get better and no day will be easy or perfect.

signed, the willow

Bridge Dreams

It's funny because *Mila* and I decided to talk about dreams.  Oddly enough we have both dreamed that Mr. Weatherbee, from Archie comics, is a serial killer.  I know it sounds hilarious.  But it's not.  Why is there something so strangely creepy about Mr. Weatherbee?

Then we started to discuss a common dream we both have:  Driving over bridges with our fathers; Driving through water with our fathers.  We want them to rescue us, but quite often we have to drive through the puddles, get a little wet, even muddy sometimes.  So, why do we both have these dreams?  I think I may have already answered this question.  We encounter "puddles" and obstacles in life.  We find bridges to cross, cars to cross the puddles in.  Sometimes we get wet.  Sometimes we make mistakes.  Sometimes we are just plain scared.  So, who better to protect us than our dads.

I'm a grown woman and yet, I still need the comfort to know that my dad will carry me through some "puddles" in life.  I also find it very comforting that my daughter finds comfort with my husband, *Steve*, her dad.

As for Mr. Weatherbee....stay tuned.

signed, the willow

A Tree under the Sea

This year I've decided to do an Under the Sea Christmas Tree theme.

*Mila* said she'd make the Dolphin topper.  I'm making some blue whale ornaments from papier mache.  We're thinking of some other things to add to the tree, like:

some coral?

Source: zgallerie.com via Pinner on Pinterest

Instead of Gingerbread men and ladies, starfish sugar cookies

Source: cutestfood.com via The Sugar Tree on Pinterest

Source:  starfish garland  via brassbinnacle

perhaps a paper mache kraken?

Source: anthropologie.com via Teri on Pinterest

how can we take this from a necklace and turn it into a seaweed garland?

Source:  Vynn's Ravelings on etsy

I had trouble choosing on Petit Pan to pick which lamps to hang on the tree (seahorse? whale? sea tortoise? fishies?)

Source:  Seahorse lamp via Petit Pan

Et toi?  What are your theme ideas for your tree this year?  Or are you opting for the traditional choice?

signed, the willow

Oddly Quiet

Tonight (because it's so dark out) This Afternoon the house is oddly quiet.  It's never this quiet.  *Mila* is quietly drawing, colouring, writing, and I'm typing with the tv on mute.  It's nice.  I love being together just doing all sorts of quiet things.

Next week, this will change.  We're taking a turn in our lives.  The only one sacrificing will be *Mila*.  For the past 7 years, I've been there to pick her up from school and take care of her every need.  For 7 years.  Some mothers have been working since their babies were 7 months old, or even 7 weeks old.  We've been lucky and we've tried to provide her with the best push start into the world that we could.  But it's my turn to contribute and make up for lost time lost dollars.

It will be fine.  Tell me it will be okay.

signed, the willow

:)

Freshwater salmon

First of many chickadees

Shortly after this photo was taken, Suma had her back legs fall off the boardwalk and narrowly escape death.

The rather mangy and scruffy, but elusive cardinal

signed, the willow