Sleeping Beauties

I proudly planted tulip bulbs for the first time. Every spring when I see gardens full of flowers, I always kick myself for not thinking about planting some of my own and so this year, I took advantage of a few coupons and purchased two new pots at GardenWorks. (Very beautiful and inspiring, but very expensive, so look for coupons or go on their customer appreciation day) You might also try to go to Wing Wong's (I like saying Wing Wong lots, Wing Wong!) just a few doors down on Marine Drive going East. They have amazing fruits and veggies, plus really reasonably priced plants.

 

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've wanted to seek out more Wabi Sabi, so I purchased this beautiful warped pot for some "Pied a Terre" bulbs. Can't wait til Spring!

The Play Kitchen

I'm not sure if this is the case with all moms, but when it's time to take care of myself I get itchy and impatient. I have this thing with using my hands and letting my creative juices come out. This needs to happen on a regular basis otherwise my head gets filled with ideas and I start to feel dizzy. So it's extremely important for me to carve out time for my hands to move.

I got this idea to build a play kitchen for my son out of an old bedside table I've had for ages. "How clever!" I thought. Plus it went well with my "don't let Ikea into the house" vibe I've been on, so after looking at all the other clever builders' play kitchens on the web, I was ready to tackle this project. Never mind that I know next to nothing about woodworking.


First I collected tools from various friends and neighbors and powered the batteries. Then I went to the hardware store at least 4 times to get screws, knobs, primer and other "kitchen components". I'm not good with measurements, and the guy at the store has been super patient with me.

"1 and 3/8th?" he asked.
"Yes, you know, a bit longer than an inch plus two little lines." I replied with a smile thinking (please don't leave, I still have 8 other questions to ask.)

"So, you wanna work on the play kitchen?" I asked my husband for the 4th time because I was too nervous to use the skill saw to cut out the sink. Wanna? Wanna? Wanna? We cut out the sink and screwed on the back splash and then we ran into problems. So I went back to the hardware store. And the same guy was there.

"Can I have screws that are longer than this one and shorter than this one? I asked him with a really wide smile.

At this time I've managed to screw on 3 "gas knobs", to re-cut the oven door (12 inches and 4 little lines was not the right measurement the first time around) and to sand the whole thing. "It's a long term project." my husband said before he left on business. It's a long term project, it's a long term project, I say to myself every time I go back to the hardware store for advice and supplies.

And you know what?  I'm loving it! I'm making a play kitchen for my son with wood!! My hands are moving, my mind is quieted, my creativity is flowing and I'm happy. And that's how I take care of myself.

First Words

I really want to capture Babe's first words. Not in any particular order.

Maman
Daddy
Encore
Agua
Douille (nouilles)
A car
Googie (cookie)
Booboo (mommy's milk)
Doodoo (mattress to jump on)
Done
wee-oo-ee-oo (firetruck)
cheese
ma-ma-ma (grand-maman)

Isn't that all you really need?

Add a little Wabi Sabi

I'm going to add more Wabi Sabi to my life. The Zen Buddhist philosophy of Wabi Sabi; Wabi meaning simplicity, and Sabi meaning the beauty of age and wear, celebrates beauty in what's natural, flaws and all.

When I think of simple things that become beautiful with time and wear, I think of gardens, leather, paint, wood, paper, books, fabrics, skin, pottery, long loving relationships, homemade food, space, objects which hold stories, flowers, and photographs.

Instinctively I've noticed that the more I seek these things, the more I relax. It seems that there is a trend back to more natural, long-lasting, handmade things and sometimes it appears to be more costly, but in the end, it's a lot easier to love the mismatched silver forks your grandma gave you than the "wow, we have that Ikea" cutlery. It's easier to wear those super comfy leather boots you've had resoled three times than the "but they were on sale" faux pleather leather shoes.

I can think of many examples in my life where Wabi Sabi lives. Every once in a while my husband buys me flowers, and I get just as much joy looking at them when they are perky and new as when they start to droop and dry out.

Today I went to the pool and I was grateful for seeing all the naked ladies there. It made me feel beautiful because I could see so clearly how we are so different in shapes, size, lumps and bumps that all that difference is so "imperfectly, naturally" beautiful.

I go for walks with my son, and inevitably I bring home a bit of nature: a handful of pine cones, a feather, a stick, a brick... I've noticed that I care less about imperfection in natural things than in things made to look "perfectly fabricated." I don't want to see any more particle board, polyester carpet, and plastic containers. I want tasty, juicy, dirty, mangled veggies, clutter free surfaces, and cotton underwear!


Leonard Cohen poetically said "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." And that's what I'm going to look for.

No Fun Zone

 

I came upon this sign at the Olympic Village. I couldn't help but laugh. This is the kind of thing that brands Vancouver a "no fun" city. What about this instead?

If this park is fun for you, come again!

Bring your family and friends.

Be nice to the other kids while you're playing.

Leave your pet at home so you can play more freely.

If it's raining, play carefully.

Leave the park cleaner than you found it.

Enjoy!

Giving Thanks

What springs to mind easily is to be thankful for family, friends and good health, but upon a bit of reflection, I'd also like to take a moment to be thankful for:

1. My son's laughter which springs up like bubbles in the air. Because it's funny to throw things and throw yourself off the furniture!
2. My husband's hugs, always present, always loving, and reassuring. They lift the accumulation of crud off of my shoulders. You know, crud: worries, stress, boredom, etc...
3. My neighbors who share food, ideas, time, and conversation.
4. My car. Yup. I am thankful for having a car. To drive to the aquarium, to the library or to a friend's house when it's nasty out and I don't want to share public transportation with wet people.
5. Speaking of libraries. I am thankful for libraries. It's free! What's free nowadays?
6. Nature. These days, I'm admiring my neighbors' apples. I want to eat one, but I won't 'cause it's not neighborly, but I want to.
7. Music. 'Cause it makes me dance.
8. Brunch. Who doesn't love brunch with friends?
9. Coffee, chocolate, and cheese.
10. Sleep.

Stay-at-home styling

Honey? Wouldn't it be nice if we could knock down this wall, paint the doors bright orange, redo the floors, plant a patio garden, make new curtains and paint a mural in the living room?

I'm not sure if this is the case with all stay-at-home moms, but for me, the longer I stay indoors the more my inner interior decorator wants to get very crafty. "Crafty" beyond my abilities (and budget). A few weeks ago, I revisited www.apartmenttherapy.com and I can say I've caught the interior design flu. I've booked marked at least 30 pages of ideas I want to steal. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Yummify your boring Ikea dressers with Overlays
2. The craziest most beautiful wallpaper.
3. Get organized in style.
4. Painted floors that make you want to rip your carpets out today.

If any of these ideas materialize, that remains to be seen. I might have to settle for just re-arranging the furniture.