Sitting at the Window Seat

Bling

2009-10-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

Don't you love these? Forever 21 has the cutest jewelry at the best prices. I think I need to go back and get some more!

Opera

2009-10-12T09:45:00.000-07:00

I have definitely not been a good blogger since starting school in September, so this is my lame attempt at getting caught up on my blogging. So....opera. I am in love. It would be difficult for me to find something about opera I didn't like. With that in mind I am so grateful to The Met for broadcasting their amazing productions in HD across the world. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy Calgary Opera, but The Met provides a whole new level of great. On Saturday they had their opening production which was Tosca. It was divine. Plus with the HD productions you get all the behind-the-scenes action and interviews. It was all very cool. So here is to Puccini, Verdi, Saint-Saens, and many of the other composers that bring me great joy. Oh, and Marcel Alverez, my new favorite tenor.

The Greatest

2009-08-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

I am a huge sucker for cheezy romantic comedies, so I recently watched 17 Again. It was delightful. In fact it was so delightful, I watched it twice in one week. What I really loved though, was when Leslie Mann dances with Zac Efron. The song they dance to is called The Greatest by Cat Power. It is so beautiful.

Vancouver

2009-08-18T21:46:00.000-07:00

We're off to beautiful Vancouver, BC to visit much missed family members! Here's hoping that there's lots of sunshine at the beach, and lots of great deals at the outlets! (in Seattle)

Etsy Loves

2009-07-30T20:04:00.001-07:00

I love this Etsy shop! I want everything....and the nice thing is it's easy to apply and remove so you can be indecisive and decorative at the same time! Check it out: it's called sixunderatree you will love it too.

Great Ideas

2009-07-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of fun wedding reception ideas. I also love a good performance. Sometimes when these two things are put together it can be magic! I found this wedding reception performance a little awhile ago and just love it....also because it is the same dance found in one of my favorite Cosby Show episodes. Enjoy!

Beautiful Dresses

2009-06-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

There was a time in my life, that seems like a long time ago, when I loved getting all dressed up. These days I don't really have many glamorous events to attend but if I did, I would want to be in one of these dresses. Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Katherine Hepburn look amazing.

So sad

2009-06-09T14:42:00.001-07:00

So I haven't been on my blog for awhile because my laptop had to go in for repairs again. This means that I have had to share a computer with my sweet husband, who has a hard time giving it up in the evenings! With that said, all of my cute pictures and blog links were on my computer so I have not posted anything. Hopefully this will not last long. The last time I sent it in (only 5 months ago) it took them 2 1/2 months to get it back to me. Very sad indeed. Hopefully I'll be back soon!

I need some Spring!

2009-05-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

When I was younger I was a rebellious gardener. My mother loved it, and was always planting and weeding. I could never understand it and hated it when I was asked to help. Well, now I love it and want a HUGE garden. We have a very short growing season, but can usually produce some wonderful things. So I'm thinking this will be the year I actually do some growing. My mom would be very proud!

Living in Calgary, AB we don't usually have four seasons. It's winter and summer. But by May 20th I'm really tired of snow (which we had some of today!). On that note I've been on my favorite "idea" website and I've decided to just live vicariously through those who actually get to put these gardening and planting ideas to use. Although maybe once the weather turns I will too!

(photo curtesy realsimple.com/gardeners.com)

I love these self watering hanging planters, so cute and great for the forgetful waterers out there!

(photo curtesy realsimple.com)

I love the idea of a hanging garden. It's so beautiful and inviting. The plants used in this are called Cabaret White Calibrachoa, and I like how they've used an uneven grouping, very classy!

(photo curtesy of realsimple.com)
Who doesn't love a herb garden? Little garden patches work in my climate, so this was very appealing to me, and I also love cooking with fresh herbs, why not grow my own?

(photo curtesy of Alessi)

Don't you LOVE this watering can. I definitely need to start gardening so I can get me one of these!

Mother's Day

2009-05-09T22:21:00.000-07:00

Wishing all mothers a wonderful day on Sunday. Treat yourselves to something relaxing and of course yummy!

Photo via flikr

The sweetest!

2009-05-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

Well I haven't been doing a very good job at keeping up with my blogging, so I thought I would post something adorable for those who may actually read my blog on the weekend. My dad sent me this today and I love it.

Etsy Love

2009-04-13T19:08:00.000-07:00

My sweet sister Millie has allowed me to post this about one of her favorite Etsy sellers called Handmade Naturals. She recently bought the cutest little toque, but there are so many other cute things to choose from. This is what my adorable little niece Sophia looks like in the toque:

I also love Barking Bird Art. Such sweet simple prints for a young person, or a young-at-heart persons room! So cute.

Funny People

2009-04-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

I cannot wait to see this movie! It looks hilarious...especially when Eric Bana's accent is being "mocked". Definitely one I will actually see in the theaters!

Beautiful West Coast

2009-04-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

My family and I just took a trip to the beautiful West Coast and visited family in Vancouver as well as a shopping spree in Seattle. I adore both cities so it was easy to have a wonderful time. Nothing beats catching up with family members, who decided to abandon us for someplace warmer, and hitting a few of the touristy spots with them. Can't wait to go back.

My Boys

2009-03-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

My 22 year-old brother just moved to Vancouver, and left behind a few of his Calvin and Hobbes comic strip books. I had forgotten how much I loved these insightful and funny strips. Also, my husband and I have had a great time reading through them and laughing about how much Calvin reminds us of our sons.

These two particular comic strips gave us quite a chuckle. They are both so much like our 7 year old we couldn't believe it (Calvin was a lot like my brother as well. We're all happy he grew out of it!) Enjoy!

2009-02-22T19:36:00.001-08:00

In honor of Oscar night, my mom made pies from the movie The Waitress. Now I don't think the movie won many awards the pies should have. They were so much fun to eat - so I thought I'd post the recipe for one of my favorites:

I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie

1 pie crust
4 Tbs. butter
3 slices ham
8 green onions
1 C. brie cheese
1 C. parmesan cheese, grated
4 eggs
2 C. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover pie crust with foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 minutes more. Remove crust and reduce heat to 325 degrees.
2. Julienne ham. Chop green onions.
3. In skillet, saute ham until brown. Remove and set aside.
4. Saute onion until tender. Remove with slotted spoon and combine with ham.
5. Spread on bottom of pie crust. Spread brie over ham mixture and sprinkle with parmesan. Combine eggs, cream and nutmeg; pour over cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until set. Cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 8.

(picture courtesy of masak-masak.blogspot.com)

2009-02-17T21:48:00.001-08:00

So....I disappeared for awhile, and now I'm back! I'm hoping I can be forgiven for my long absence and have some fun blogging again. With that said, some favorite things I fell in love with while I was away.

Amazing book. Couldn't put it down, some hard parts to read but definitely worth it.

Found this and wish I had bought it when I was at Urban Outfitters. I guess I'll just have to go back!

And I really just want to own this from art.com:

First Snowfall

2008-11-25T14:56:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to post this for awhile, but just got way to busy! A couple of weeks ago we got our first real snowfall, and there was a lot of it. My sweet little boys thought it was the greatest thing to ever happen to them. There were snowball fights, and my 6 year old decided to teach my 3 year old how to build a snowman. It was so successful that they built five! Here are a few photos of their lovely afternoon in the snow.

Gap Holiday Ads

2008-11-18T15:39:00.000-08:00

So I had to do a shout out for the Gap ads this year. I have a serious crush on Jason Bateman so it was way too fun to see him with his daughter (that's why he gets two pictures on my blog). I also adore John Hamm and his very beautiful wife. The SNL guys got a place on here because they crack me up.

(ads via www.gap.com)

Writing on the Wall Wednesdays

2008-11-12T19:51:00.001-08:00

Favorites

There's nothing like reading these favorite books of mine to my boys. I've read them so many times now that they can repeat the last line on almost all of the pages! To me it's like comfort food. No matter how crazy the day is these books feel great.

Writing on the Wall Wednesdays

2008-11-05T21:17:00.000-08:00

A little while back I read a series of books by Deborah Ellis. She began writing the Parvana books, about a young girl living in Afghanistan, after visiting refugee camps in Pakistan. All of the royalties from the sale of the books are donated to Women for Women in Afghanistan to support educational projects for Afghan girls in refugee camps in Pakistan. The Breadwinner is the first in the series and it hooked me. I read the next two in quick succession after the first and loved them just as much. They were Parvana's Journey and Mud City. There is another book called Shauzia, but I have yet to read that one. They are written for about a grade 5 - 6 level but the stories are so touching and poignant during this day and age. She has also written some teen fiction and a few adult fiction books. (Pictures via McNally Robinson.com)

A Merry Unbirthday...

2008-11-03T19:35:00.001-08:00

I love themed parties. I love planning them, finding decorations, and hosting them! I stumbled across some really cute ideas in Canadian Family magazine. My favorite is hosting a Merry Unbirthday party, all of which is inspired by Lewis Carrolls' Alice in Wonderland. Such great ideas for invitations, food, and parting gifts. (The book is a copy of J. Otto Siebold’s gorgeous pop-up Alice in Wonderland, Orchard Books)

Wellies

2008-10-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

This season I've been trying to find a cute, comfortable and durable pair of wellies! Actually what I really need is time to shop and actually find some in a store. But since I can't do that I am happy to go online and drool over the ones I find at these great sites!

Boots curtesy of J Crew, Rainco, The Welly Shop

Letters everywhere!

2008-10-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

Now that I have decided to do my little Noah's room in "alphabet designs", I seem to find fun things everywhere! Today on Etsy I found these adorable single letter prints. I think I'm going to have to get one for every member of the family. The seller is called Font Supply, such great stuff!

Warm and Cozy

2008-10-24T19:21:00.001-07:00

I am officially addicted to Starbucks Carmel Apple Spice Cider (with whipcream of course!) Every fall I think I can live without it, and then I'll be out with a friend, decide hmmmm....just one Caramel Apple Spice (Grande) won't hurt. And that's it. I'm hooked. If you haven't had it, try it. Maybe then you'll understand what I'm talking about. Also here are my Etsy loves this week. Happiknits...perfect name for adorable stuff!

Writing on the Wall Wednesdays

2008-10-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

My sister (shimmy shake) introduced me to another wonderful author/illustrator. Oliver Jeffers' childrens books are clever and a lot of fun to read. My boys love the illustrations, and I think I love them because they remind me of my boys! Some favorites are: Lost and Found, and How to Catch a Star. If you get a chance check out his website www.oliverjeffers.com and click on picture books. You'll want to own all of them!

I also wanted to post about another great author, but for once it's not a childrens author. I am a huge fan of Mary Lawson. She was born and raised in a small farming community in Northern Ontario and her writing reflects that. The two that I've read are Crow Lake, and The Other Side of the Bridge. Both are beautifully written and make you feel as if you've known the characters your whole life! I highly recommend checking them out...you won't be disappointed.

Writing on the Wall Wednesdays

2008-10-15T20:10:00.000-07:00

Okay lets try again...I haven't been very good at a frequent Wednesday thing, so here we go. I was introduced this year to a wonderful childrens book author by my good friend and cousin-in-law Lisa. The authors name is Emily Gravett. I love all of her stuff. Her most recent book is called Meerkat Mail, but all her others are just as entertaining! I love Wolves, The Odd Egg, and Little Mouse's Biggest Book of Fears just to name a few! If you get a chance check out her official website www.emilygravett.com. Take a look I'm sure you'll enjoy...

Mmmmmm......

2008-10-10T21:08:00.000-07:00

I am looking forward to a weekend full of food, family and fun. I love it when everyone gets together to eat delicious food, and catch up after many busy months apart! I am in charge of homemade rolls, and a couple of the pies. I'm thinking a pumpkin and some chocolate pies will do the trick. Bring on the whip cream!

Vintage Etsy

2008-10-07T21:23:00.001-07:00

Oh how I love Etsy! My sister has me seriously hooked...there is definitely no turning back now. These vintage items caught my eye today.

New Things

2008-10-06T19:47:00.000-07:00

So my shopping spree to Urban Outfitters was not as successful as I had hoped. Apparently the Canadian version of the store does not carry all of the same stuff that's online (that's not to say they don't have awesome stuff!)... with that said I did not come home empty handed! (and now I'll just have to do some online ordering!)

These are my fun new things:

On another note...I discovered these adorable decals at Ikea last week, and have been trying to find a room in which to put them.

I Love

2008-10-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be hitting an Urban Outfitters this weekend. Here's to wishing that I lived closer to one, and my husband loving the fact that I don't! A few things I would like to arrive home with after a day of shopping...

Fall

2008-09-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

I love fall, everything looks so beautiful this time of year. I wish I had a better camera to capture all the beautiful things I see everyday. It only lasts a very short time here in Calgary, so I'm soaking up all that I can, with excursions out with the boys on a regular basis. Today will be a trip to the river to throw rocks.

Going to the zoo this time of year is great too, because it's not as busy. We're also experiencing a brief Indian Summer and it is nice and hot out. The boys love it, and ask to go almost everyday!

2008-09-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

I went to the Uppercase Gallery today where they were doing an exhibit called Old School. I loved everything! I bought a few items one of which was this print:

If you love this as much as me check out their website: www.paperedtogether.com. Believe me you will want everything!

There were other beautiful pieces of artwork and "old school" items that were hard to leave behind at the Uppercase Gallery. If you live in Calgary go check it out before it's too late!

Beautiful

2008-09-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

My husband recently moved to a new office which is in dire need of a makeover. In his search for some art he came across the coolest sites for cheap beautiful art. I found a favorite amongst the group: Shira Sela. I just love her stuff. Can't wait to buy some for myself - oh and for the office!

The Alphabet

2008-09-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

My little three year has informed me that he no longer wants his room decorated in "classic Pooh" because he is a "big boy" now. Needless to say it threw me for a loop because he doesn't seem big to me at all! So I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with something he'll like and I'll like too! I finally decided on an Alphabet theme. I only have a few things so far and I will post pictures when I finish the room, but until then my sister put me on to the site www.binth.com and I LOVE it...

Writing on the Wall Wednesdays

2008-09-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd try this out and post some of my favorite authors and books once a week, although it may happen more often than that depending on how much great stuff I find!

Sally Hunter is one of my favorite children's book authors. Her main character is an adorable Elephant named Humphrey who has a simple way of looking at things in the world. My boys love these books, and the website has all sorts of fun things to do as a family.

My first blog!

2008-09-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

I have finally succumbed to the blogging world! After my sister created her blog and I became addicted to it - I realized it was such a great way to use as a creative outlet and a way to keep in touch with friends and family. So I decided to start my own. I'm hoping this will provide enjoyment for those who love family, children, writing, traveling, reading, relaxing and all things I will dub as "my favorite things" (which may be many). Well here goes...