Happy Halloween

Pat and I have a standing tradition of carving pumpkins for Halloween (mostly for the seeds, but having them lit for trick-or-treaters is a bonus now that we actually get them!). Here are our masterpieces this year:

The Lego man is Pat's, the haunted house is mine. I'm actually really proud of mine this year - I sketched it free-hand based on a design I found online and it turned out perfectly. This is the first time I was able to "half-carve" out some sections (the windows) effectively. Yay!

And of course - the liquid gold reward:

Here's hoping we don't run out of candy this year - we have 6 big bowls full (up from 4 last year)!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Pregnancy: Week 26-28

I'm so glad I'm taking these bi-weekly photos - I didn't think I'd gotten much bigger until I looked back at the last photos we took, at week 22:

And here I am at week 26 (+4 days):

Pretty big difference! It's obvious I'm now in my third trimester, that's for sure!

And here I am today, at week 28 (+ 2 days):

Not a big change in size, just shape. I've noticed lately that the shape of my belly changes (depending on how little man is sitting). Today, my bump almost looks pointy. Often, he'll be more on the right side of my belly button. So funny!

And, just for my mom, here's my naked belly today (don't mind my sleepy face.. I may have just woken up from a nap...):

I have to say - I've been really enjoying being pregnant. I love my belly. I love feeling him moving around in there, kicking and prodding and rolling. I've also been incredibly lucky in having a very easy pregnancy. Let's hope the next 12 weeks go by just as easily!

We've finally started the big project that is the nursery. We started painting last week - Pat's putting on the second coat of blue paint this weekend. We picked up a lovely, soft grey rug last weekend. We've pretty much decided on our crib (just need to order it). Everything is coming along.. I just want it done. I'll feel so much better once that room is finished! I'll be sure to share photos once it is!

2016 Goals: September

The months just continue to fly by! I want October to slow down - it's one of my favourite months and I would like to enjoy it to the fullest!

16 GOALS FOR 2016:

1. Read 30 books. 31/30 (YES!) 
2. Try 16 new Ottolenghi recipes. 5/16
3. Try 16 new (loose-leaf) teas. 16/16 
4. Put up shelves and organize craft room. Make it inspiring. (There's still some organizing to do, but this is mostly complete. Our rowing machine has been moved down here and it doesn't feel cluttered, so I consider that a win.)
5. Finish Amber art book - this year I WILL! (Only a few pages left!)
6. Work in sketchbook daily. (Not daily, but at least weekly.)
7. Blog weekly. (A slump compared to August, but hopefully cooler weather will help inspire me to cozy up under the laptop)
8. Finish 2 cross-stitch samplers. (My goal for this month is to finish November and start on December.)
9. Travel somewhere new. (Eastern Canada)
10. Sign up for and pass my SOCRA certification.
11. Make an inventory of all my books. (This has been on my to-do list for so long.. I really want to get it done this year!)
12. Wake up earlier and practice yoga every morning evening. (I started a 30min daily routine last week and so far so good!)
13. Make a weekly meal plan and prep veggies on the weekend. (Keeping up with this one pretty consistently.)
14. Get rid of junk we never use (i.e. downsize our "things") and organize storage and spare spaces. (Step one: wardrobe (half done at this point). Step two: under-the-stairs storage.)
15. Work on making the backyard nicer (plant flowers, landscape, garden). (At this point, this goal is pretty low priority..)
16. Set reminders in my phone to make me check in on my goals at least monthly (and blog about it). (8/12 monthly reviews - missed June.)

This month I will continue to work on #8 & #14 and put a dent into #2.

What goals have you crossed off your list lately?

Pregnancy: Our Gender Reveal

As I think I've mentioned, I didn't want to do anything big for our gender reveal - I really just wanted to tell our parents in a special way. In that end, there are no pictures from the reveal (though I do wish I had snapped a photo of my mom's face! Haha!) - but I did take some photos of the cards I made.

So here is our reveal:

BOY!

I'm so so so excited - I couldn't be happier! I didn't have any special feeling or inclination either way, so I am over the moon and cannot wait to hold our little boy!

That being said, there were quite a few shocked grandparents! My mom was SO convinced I was having a girl - SO convinced she swayed Pat's mom, sisters and my sister-in-law into thinking the same thing. Ha! Surprise!!! Obviously, it didn't matter either way, but the shock-factor was on point. I loved it.

Anyway, here are a few more detailed shots of the cards:

To make these cards, I started by designing the card to fit my idea, then I measured and cut out three of them from watercolour paper. I made one for my parents, one for Pat's parents and one for my gramma. After taping the front flaps off, I achieved a watercolour effect with watercolours and gelatos in either blue or pink. I used a salt resist for some texture. Next, I added more layers with a splatter of acrylic paint, again in pinks, blues and white. Once the fronts were done, I repeated the same steps for the inside heart - using only blue this time! Finally, it was a simple matter to add the lettering and fold them back up for the big reveal.

I'm so happy with how these turned out! Next crafty project: painting the nursery!

Pregnancy: Week 20-22

I'm trying to take photos every 2 weeks - it's hard to see any changes in my belly day-to-day, so these really help me see some progress. Plus, there are some excited grandparents that don't get to see us very often..

That being said, there's definitely not a huge difference in the last 2 weeks:

week 20 (above) + week 22 (below)

Maybe side-by-side will make it more obvious?

Maybe a small growth?

Over the last 2 weeks, I've been feeling movement more and more, to the point where it's daily now. I just wish Pat could feel it - but as soon as he puts his hand on my belly, all movements stop! Hopefully soon!

2016 Goals: August

I can't believe it's the end of August! Where did the summer go? While I am looking forward to cooler temperatures, it would be nice if things slowed down a bit. I have so much to do before the end of the year!

16 GOALS FOR 2016:

1. Read 30 books. 26/30 (August was by far my most prolific reading month so far! I'm going to crush this goal!) 
2. Try 16 new Ottolenghi recipes. 5/16
3. Try 16 new (loose-leaf) teas. 16/16 
4. Put up shelves and organize craft room. Make it inspiring. (Organization ongoing - need to kick this in gear to make more room.)
5. Finish Amber art book - this year I WILL! (Only a few pages left!)
6. Work in sketchbook daily. (Not daily, but I definitely dabbled in there more this month than the first half of the year.)
7. Blog weekly. (Best month yet on this front!)
8. Finish 2 cross-stitch samplers. (Finished the September square of the woodland sampler & started November. I will finish this before the end of the year as I want to frame it for the nursery.)
9. Travel somewhere new. (Eastern Canada)
10. Sign up for and pass my SOCRA certification.
11. Make an inventory of all my books. (This has been on my to-do list for so long.. I really want to get it done this year!)
12. Wake up earlier and practice yoga every morning evening. (Nope. Too hot after walking home in the sun... fingers crossed for cooler weather soon!)
13. Make a weekly meal plan and prep veggies on the weekend. (Keeping up with this one pretty consistently.)
14. Get rid of junk we never use (i.e. downsize our "things") and organize storage and spare spaces. (Need to get on this one...)
15. Work on making the backyard nicer (plant flowers, landscape, garden). (My garden is growing like mad! Still need to work on the rest, probably in the fall.)
16. Set reminders in my phone to make me check in on my goals at least monthly (and blog about it). (7/12 monthly reviews - missed June.)

This month I will tackle numbers 4, 8, and 14.

What goals have you crossed off your list lately?

Collections: Royal Doulton Dolls

For my 30th birthday, my mom gifted me with the newest addition to my collection of Royal Doulton dolls: Nicola. The name isn't significant for our family; she was just too lovely to pass up. Like all my other dolls (except for the small white one, Amanda), she is a vintage doll. Delicately hand-painted, the vintage girls are just so much prettier, with finer details, than the new ones.

I think she looks perfect with the rest of my collection - the flowers are a similar shape to the one's on Victoria's dress and the yellow/green colours match perfect with The Last Waltz. They are a bit crowded all on the top shelf though - I may have to do some rearranging in my cabinet!

Thanks mom! I love her (and that little dove! So cute!)! The perfect addition to my girls!

18 Weeks

First, the bump. For the best comparison, here I am at week 5:

And at week 16, the last photo I shared:

And now, at week 18 + 3 days (taken on my birthday in the same skirt):

Not a huge change, but definitely some growth! It is so much fun comparing these photos - I just don't notice the day-to-day changes.

A few days later, we had a different kind of photoshoot:

Feet!

This was our anatomy ultrasound - scheduled between the 18-20 weeks recommended by our doctor.... except, the technician said that the baby should be at least 20 weeks. Also, our peanut was measuring in at just over 17 weeks, so everything (like the chambers of the heart) was just a bit too small to have reliable measurements. All this to say - we get to go back on September 10th for another go at it! So excited I get to see our baby again!

As I mentioned yesterday, we also found out the baby's sex. This made it all that much more real for me - I can really start picturing myself with our little one, planning the room and picking a name. I'm SO excited! I can't wait for the (not too elaborate) gender reveal! Once I have the card designed and made (and delivered to the intended recipients), I'll share it here.

Based on these photos though, what do you think we're having? Boy or girl?