Baby Shower

My mother-in-law and Eric's aunt threw me a lovely baby shower this weekend, and it was so much fun. We had it at my house, since I'm a bit of a control freak and love having people over to my house (and because I wanted to show off the nursery but it was still an awful mess of a storage room at this point so that didn't happen). They did a great job with the food and the games and things and I had a blast. It was also really nice to catch up with some lovely ladies I hadn't seen in a while - some of them in a very long while. On top of all of that everyone was very generous with their gifts, and helped me to really feel settled and ready and calmed. It was a lovely evening, and I am very grateful to all who made it so.

 Sad I missed a picture with Lena before she had to take off to take care of her own babe, but I caught everyone else before they took off.

Day 3: Top Two Things on my "Mom" List.

Hello Eric,
This morning Mom and I spent the whole first half of the day out doing research for her business. Come February, after the Christmas rush is done, Mom wants to start wholesaling the signs. She wants to find an easier, or cheaper, or faster way, or a way that someone can help her, to produce the signs and/or my canvases. We looked all over the metro area for screen printer or people with screen printing information, for wrapped canvas printers or people who could give us that information. We also went in to a really fun store called Wheaton's, which used to carry the signs of the woman who taught my mom how to do what she does now (since the other woman lives in Utah now). We also went to Fabricville. We found lots of good information, and a guy who will probably be able to help us. He wasn't in the office today, but he'll be back on Monday and Mom and Dad will go talk with him then.
Wheaton's and the fabric store gave me renewed excitement, appreciation and determination with my talents and artistic abilities. We came home and I decided that I wanted to start sewing my projects right away. I have a huge long list of them to get done before I come home, but have been kind of nervous to start. Just in case I find out I'm not as good of a sewer as anyone in my family, I was scared to even try. But tonight I tried, and I didn't do too badly. All we got to was the pinning and the cutting of the pattern, but that alone was #2 on my list of things to learn from my Mom while I'm here in Halifax. (I also learned #1, which was how to download new fonts, but duh! I don't own a PC and my mom doesn't know how to do it on a Mac. I'll have to relearn that one.)
This is my first sewing project that I am going to do entirely on my own (with my mom's voice in my ear telling me how). It's a shirt.

You know that I called Beautiful Bride today, and that they don't have space for me to come back to work right now. You know that I am disappointed that I didn't call sooner. You know that I hate job hunting, and am worried about what will happen next. You know these things that happened today, and yet you have faith that everything will work out, and so, so do I. I trust you, I love you, and I'm grateful for you.
I am also grateful for FaceTime that allowed me to see you again tonight. I love talking with you and Verona and Max in the evenings. It brightens my day each time! This short time for us to spend separately with our families is good for us I think. I feel good about not having to talk to you all the time, because I see you every evening. I love that I can see you, talk with you, and pray with you every night, and that you are my family.

Day 1: Last Market Day

Hello Eric,
When I woke up this morning, it felt like days since I'd seen you. It was weird though, because even though it felt like that, I knew it wasn't so and I didn't miss you yet. It's a relief to not miss you yet because, in reality it's only 8 days until I will see you again at home, and so I don't need to miss you yet.
I woke up at 5 something this morning and got ready for the market. I was so tired and slow and useless this morning. And so was the market. There wasn't a soul in sight until about 10am.
I love going to the market. It's something I get to do myself, for me (and us a little), and something I feel good about separate from you. Not that I don't love you and your opinions and your praise, cause you know I do, but it's nice that there are so many other people out there, who I've never even met before, who will do that for me in the market when they see my things.
Today I tried to make the canvases without painting the base ivory coat, which you know I HATE doing. Guess what! They turned out beautifully! I like them way better, and in comparison, I don't really like the other ones much anymore. Today all the canvases I sold were the white ones, until I only had one big one left (which was ivory) and a lady bought it. It always feels nice when a little less effort, reaps a little more benefit.

This week my mom also started a new line of old leather bags and purses. We went to the fabric store earlier this week and I picked out a fabric for her that I loved. She was uncertain, which made me uncertain, but I told her to take the risk, and it paid off today. She made a few new designs and patterns for the bags, and used one fabric and colour combination I suggested, and one that she liked as well. They were a huge success.

 My colours.

Mom's colours.

These fold over clutches were the biggest and quickest success. Two girls from the market got one each today. First Sarah bought the peach and brown one. She said she had somewhere to go last night and just had to have it to go out with. Then Kathy came over and the pink ones were gone, but she got a blue one. She said she just had to run and check with her husband, but hoped he'd say yes. Then she came back with her card. 

 (Sarah is from Vintage Pink Treasures. Her booth is across from Mom's at the market and I see and chat with her every week. This was her last week, and now she's on maternity leave. She's having a little boy in about 3 weeks.)

 (Kathy is from Made With Local, which makes these delicious granola bars, with 95% locally grown or produced ingredients. She was beside our booth about 3 or 4 weeks ago, and so we chatted with her a bit too. Her full name is Kathryn Elizabeth, which I thought was pretty cool. We traded her last 6 bars she had left on Saturday, for half the purse she bought.) 

I love being in the market. I love the atmosphere and I love the people. I want to find a market where I can do other things in Calgary as well!

***

I felt a little jealous of you being home with the kids today. I'm excited to see everyone, but I just cannot wait for these two! I almost died when you sent me these pictures. 

I love you and them so much, and can't wait to see you all soon (enough)!

Laura is Engaged

Laura used to live here in Halifax, and that's how I know her. We used to go to church together in the YSA branch when I we were just a young things. Now we are old women because I am married and Laura is very close to being so herself.
Tonight was her bridal shower, at her mom's place in Halifax. Her colours are pink and grey, like mine were, and she has a theme that I am very into right now. Backyard; mason jars, burlap and lace. That's actually the plan and scheme I had for my collection for the market. I like her taste. So I had some creative things roll around in my mind when she told me she was having a shower here in Halifax, and that I was invited. They turned out even better than I thought they would. In fact, the entire time I was making them my mom and Victoria and Abby sat at the table next to me and had to continuously stroke my ego as I felt they were turning into a disaster.
Here's what did come of it though, and I am quite pleased.

 Good advice on the cake.

I always love the chance to put a little extra effort into a gift, when I know the person will appreciate. I felt like Laura would be one of those people. She's been working hard to make just about everything for her wedding. I didn't know what she'd do with these, but I still knew she'd like them. She said she may use them on the back of her and Jeremy's chairs at the reception. I would be honoured.
Congratulations Laura. I'm certain your wedding will be wonderful, and that you'll make a beautiful bride, and a lovely wife!

Wolfville Farmers' Market Round II

Tonight I went to the market again to see what it was like, and I'm a little sad that I won't see it on Saturdays. Tonight I got a jar of cinnamon apple jelly and it was so delicious. I had a huge craving for chocolate and went home without it. I made some toast with this jam and then my craving was gone. It was that good. I also got some corn on the cob to go with dinner.

 

It was gay pride day at the market. I don't really know what that means, but they had flags everywhere and a woman belly dancing while everyone was eating dinner. That was kind of weird.
I like my Halifax Market though, and I'm very excited to be back there this weekend!

Wolfville Farmers' Market

Is closed at 1pm on Saturdays. Did you know? Me neither, obviously because I ventured outside when my phone read 29 degrees plus humidity and walked all the way there this afternoon, only to get there an hour and half after everyone had packed up.
It's also open from 4-7pm on Wednesdays so I went there this past Wednesday to look for a few minutes, then realised I didn't have any cash. I left to get that and then found the bookstore I told you about, and never made it back. So basically I don't know very much about this market. What I did see on Wednesday was not very much, but I'm going to give them the benifit of the doubt because it was late and it was the weekday. Saturdays are supposed to be a lot busier with twice as many vendors. I'm just sad I have to wait a whole week to see them. I won't make that mistake again, I hope.

Not a soul in sight. I do love a good chalk drawing though, so at least they had one of those for me to enjoy for a minute or two.

I'm being a big baby though and missing my Halifax market today. I wonder how my Mom or Dad is doing there today, and if people liked my new colours I chose, and if Sarah liked the she ordered for her studio that she's picking up today. I'll be sad when I go back to Calgary and winter comes and I have no farmers' market or reason to constantly paint canvases. I like doing them. I hope today is a good day in Halifax!

Lately I've been on Instagram

I am basically dying without the Internet, and am so unimpressed with the company. They've been booked for two appointments already since we moved and cancelled one and then didn't show up for the other, but tried to say they did. Claimed that he was banging on all the windows and doors and no one answered. Ummm hello, but there are 7 people living in the house who are each anxiously awaiting your arrival, no one saw you. Ugh.
Anyway, I have an awful confession to make. Knowing that I've been unable to blog for like two whole weeks has made me a little awful using my camera. I don't take it out as much as I should.
Good news: Instagram! This has maybe saved me from my camera laziness, and presented to me a whole new photographic issue. I think I take pictures of dumb things. Confession #2. I had no idea how to work it til like two weeks ago and used it mainly just because it made some pictures on my phone look cool and then I used them as backgrounds. I just realised that @ tags someone in it, and still really don't understand the # concept. I also with there was a way to edit posts you've already made. But now that I've absent from here, and just dreading this massive recap post I have to do, I've been a little obsessed with using Instagram to keep a running tab on everything I would want to include here.
So here it is: what I am able to remember of the last couple weeks because I kept up on Instagram.

(1) I went to the Farmers' Market last Saturday with some new things. These beautiful new decorative jar lids are a hit. I think they're the cutest. 

(2) This skirt was one of my favourite recent thrift store finds. It used to be ankle length on me, but mamma shortened it for me. 

(3) Sunday was a tough day for me. Eric and I sat out on the trampoline, not for very long, but enjoyed the gorgeous evening and had a really good talk.

(4) Then we played a couple of fun card and dice games with my family, and that lightened everything up just enough.

(5) Monday, I got new paints! They were on sale this week so I went and picked up a couple of fun new colours, and then some of the good classics. Then I painted a few canvases for tomorrow's market.

(6) Tuesday morning Eric and I had the first spoon of homemade strawberry jam on toast.

(7) Lots of time spent in the pool and catching some sun.

(8) I got a new necklace from Vintage Pink Treasure at the market on Saturday. Sarah is leaving soon for maternity leave, so tomorrow is her last day there!

(9) Tuesday we also went with my mom to a store called Wild Lilly here in Wolfville. My very favourite treasure was this big floor mat with a couple lines of the alphabet in different fonts. 

(10) Wednesday the kids came for a visit while my mom presented at Youth Conference here. We swam in the pool a lot, and then played some games and ate pizza. 

(11) Wednesday night, while I was stuck in the little bookstore, I decided I need to read more. I started that. 

(12) When I haven't been doing different fun little things, I've been in the sun. The sun is my best friend these days, and keeps me company while Eric is at work in the afternoons. I'm having a hot affair with the sun!

***

I love a week when there is something nice to say about everyday. Today is Friday the 13th, so it's a good thing I've already had a really good morning with Eric. Whatever happens now can't ruin that. We slept in a little, then had a good workout at the gym, then swam and read scriptures, and just had a really good pasta lunch before he took off for the doors. Good Luck today Love. I'll see you tonight!