Thankful

This week I’m especially thankful for air conditioning. I know that sounds spoiled and shallow, but with a three-day migraine (Sunday to Tuesday), it was really tough to tolerate the heat outside.

That being said, I’m thankful for the sunshine and the incredible rate at which our garden is growing. We’ve enjoyed salads every night for weeks with our garden providing herbs, lettuce, spinach, carrots and tomatoes so far.

I’m thankful for plenty of water during these hot days and realize how privileged we are to have it easily at hand without having to worry where the next drink will come from.

I’m thankful for the incredible bloggers that I follow and the creative inspiration I find online. However, signing up for two online courses this week was probably overextending myself considering what I already have on my plate. But these are creative courses, so they’ll feed my spirit and that’s important.

I’m thankful for the trails, gorges, rivers, lakes, ocean and mountains that have been a part of our July. What an amazing country, both near to home and far away.

And finally, I’m thankful for my small little family and the simple pleasures we’ve had together recently. Camping, cycling, hiking, exploring…..we do love our time together. 

Do have yourself a fantastic mid-summer weekend!

Inspired

When we take time to relax and get away, we find sources of inspiration everywhere. My recent vacation to the East Coast is a good example. Also inspired by Karen's post of Marzipan Road, I thought I would share some of those inspiring shots with you today. 

And moments like this made all the planning and all the driving worthwhile. The pure joy of a kid enjoying the ocean. aaaahhh. 

#6in2015

So what was previously project # 6 has been demoted, and this now becomes #6. Confused yet? I certainly am. 

I decided that I wanted a lighter look to my kitchen window treatment for summertime...perhaps for more than just summer time. And I also had a cotton print that I thought would be ideal. Fits with my unfounded love for roosters. I've had this fabric for quite some time, saving it as fabric hoarders do. No, actually, that's not fair. I'm not a fabric hoarder. I've seen what some people keep and I don't hold a candle to them. 

On with the show...... Exhibit A; previously purchased valance being used for kitchen window. 

Exhibit B: available fabric with aforementioned roosters. 

The process. I've made many a very simple curtain before, so I used rudimentary skills and design to whip something up. 

And apparently all the "in progress" photos are gone....so here is the final product. Difficult to see the colours, but you can see that more light is let in without actually blinding the dishwasher with the setting sun in the summer months. 

Ta-da! 

#5in2015

My mom always knit the same baby sweater for anyone she knew that was having a baby. If she didn't even know you but knew of you, you got one (like people that worked with my dad, or someone in the community). If you were a close family relative, you got four! All the same sweater, but in different colours. She even usually kept a few neutral coloured sweaters on hand to have at the ready, just in case. She knit this same pattern for babies for decades. It was a simple cozy sweater that could take a lot of wear. People seemed to love them. 

The irony? By the time I had my own baby, she had quit knitting and my own child never had the pleasure of wearing a sweater knit by granny. I still have the pattern she used to use, but haven't made one myself. Someday.....

I have my own tradition, started many years back now. If I know you and you're having a baby....you get an I Spy quilt. Smidgie was given one by a couple of quilting friends, and she still sleeps with it regularly. 

So, I present to you #5in2015 fibre projects..... an I Spy quilt for a classmate of mine expecting in October. Yes, it's shocking, I've completed it with much time to spare. That's because there are two more in the pipeline required for September. Logic seems backwards, I assure you it's not. 

Behold, the I Spy for Baby I. 

Can' wait until you arrive, Baby I! 

Aaaaaah.....summer!

The Rocketman, Smidge and I were away recently....this is my summary. 

4,857 kilometres driven;

11 days; 

3 provinces and 1 state; 

2 islands and 1 peninsula; 

8 whales, a handful of porpoises, a couple dozen seals, and too many lobsters, crabs and mussels to count; 

beach after beach after beach; 

3 different boats and 4 boat trips; 

2 amazing travelling buddies; 

1 fantastically beautiful country!!

I should add that Rocketman is now known as Slingshot for the way he drove the switchbacks on mountains in Québec. Suffice it to say that I made sure to do at least half of the driving. ;)

And one more figure....780 photos!