obsessed with fabric

Kitchenaid stand mixer

2011-11-05T22:12:00.000-04:00

I would love to own one of these:

My employer has one at work and I have used it on a regular basis. And I LOVE it!! It is brilliant to have if you are doing any baking. The down side is the obvious cost, they are very expensive but worth every penny. I would love to start doing more baking at the weekend for me and my friends and this would help out alot. Plus if I had this mixer in MY kitchen it would make me want to bake more often :)
So I think I am going to start saving. But in the mean time I am going to enter as many giveaways that I can. So I did a google search for giveaways and there are alot! Apart from hoping I win, my only other thought is how do all these people get a FREE MIXER to giveaway?? Do they e-mail Kitchenaid about how much they love their mixer and that they would love to share this love with a giveaway? Or do Kitchenaid have a team of people reading blogs and whoever gives a fantastic review gets a free mixer? If I get lots of followers on this blog then will I get one? Maybe there is a secret mixer society and one day you just wake up and there is a mixer at your doorstep?
Who knows, all I know is that I would really, REALLY, REALLY like one...............a green one (they are fab Kitchenaid people........if you are listening)

bake sale

2011-10-29T11:11:00.000-04:00

Little J had a Halloween bash at school yesterday and they had a bake sale. I decided to sign up to bake something as I love to bake/cook. I made cupcakes and an 8" vanilla cake. I wish I had taken some photos of the cake, but was a little rushed in getting it finished. I recently bought two professional 8' cake pans and used them for the first time. Loved the way my finished cake looked nice and tall, like you would see in a shop! Here is a link to the cake I made:

http://obsessedwithfabric.blogspot.com/2011/08/vanilla-cake.html

I am sure I will make it again and I promise to take photos then :) Was a little worried that no one would buy my cake as I was the only one who make a whole cake! In Scotland when you have a bake sale most people make a cake, a pie, a tart or a loaf!? Anyway little J's dad got there early and saw that my cake was on sale for $10. When he went back a little later it was gone hurrah :) He also said someone got a deal with paying only $10 for my cake, good to know that someone thinks my cakes are worth more!!

Here are the cupcakes I made. I found a photo of monster cupcakes online and thought these would be perfect for Halloween. I also already had the piping tip needed to make these and I bought the candy eyes in the states a few weeks ago. I don't know how much these were going for, less than $10 tho as J's dad said my cake was the most expensive thing there! Another deal for the parents of Toronto!!

Feel free to contact me if you would like me to make you something!!

ghosties are done!!!

2011-10-29T10:41:00.000-04:00

My Halloween ceramic is finally done!! I actually finished it last Saturday, I got up early to go to ceramics class so I could have the tree stump ready for Halloween. I thought that the tree stump would take a few classes to finish but I had it done in two hours. The ghosts took three weeks to complete. Here are a few shots:

This is the stump before Saturday, first you paint it all black and then,

you dry-brush on some colour and hey presto you have a realistic looking tree stump :) I also made a sign that says "Happy Halloween" and hangs on one of the broken branches (photo of that another time)

And here is the reason I went back to ceramics. This was the piece that got "lost". When I was at ceramics this week I was looking at some of her photos and I saw this. This is the actual piece I painted. I had taken a photo and given it to Cathy. She says it is still available to get, so next year this is what I will be making or maybe I should just get it now! Would HATE to see it go and not be able to get it next year. Don't you LOVE it tho? I do

So now I am working on something for a special friend for Christmas:

I have until November 28th to get it done. That's 4 weeks. Will post a photo when it's all done.

ceramic update

2011-10-15T10:48:00.001-04:00

It is week three at my ceramics class and here is what my ghosts look like. It might not look like much after the third class, but I only have two hours to paint and the time really does fly! Last week all I did was dry brush them white, this week their waistcoats and ties were painted. Next week I should get them finished :) I just have to paint their eyes, nose buttons, add some sparkles (I love sparkles!!) and maybe add some dry brushing to the waistcoat for more depth. But that will depend on the time. Then I have to finish the tree stump they stand on. Fingers crossed I get that done before Halloween.

Look what I'm making

2011-09-30T22:38:00.000-04:00

When I first came to Canada I took ceramic classes. I find it quite relaxing, just concentrating on painting and nothing else. I have made quite a lot of pieces, most I have given away to people and a few pieces are in Scotland. I did keep one for myself (will post photos of it once I get it out of storage for Christmas) but I wanted to make a few Halloween items to replace ones that I had lost during a move with a family I used to work for. These will be for me :) So on Tuesday I went back to Cooksville Ceramics. Cathy, the owner, is lovely. She remembered me after nearly 3 years being away! She asked me what I was looking to paint and this is what I chose:

I know it doesn't look like much right now but in a few weeks it should look like this:

I can't wait to get it done!! After this piece maybe some more Halloween and then it's on to Christmas. Hurrah :) Will keep you updated on my progress in the coming weeks.

Thunderstorm

2011-09-02T20:26:00.000-04:00

Last week we had a major thunderstorm in Toronto. It was amazing!! The lightning was just bolt after bolt after bolt it was continuous. One crazy lightning show. There wasn't much thunder but when there was they were quite long rumbles. There was even a tornado warning in the burbs (so glad I live in Toronto now!)
I am fascinated with lightning, I don't know why I just am. I was babysitting that night and was eager to get back to my apartment on the 23rd floor to get a perfect view of the light show. But as usual by the time I got back home the lightning had subsided. I really wanted to get a photo of some lightning, I have tried in the past but either got bored waiting or the lightning had passed. I tried for 30 mins to get some good photos, alot of them were just of black sky, but i did manage to get these:

Every single time it hit the CN tower. I am very proud with the photos and all taken with my basic camera. Just think what I could have taken if i had a professional camera!

Vanilla cake

2011-08-12T20:37:00.007-04:00

All week I have been craving cake. Every now and then I love to have a slice of cake, just a slice. I can't justify making a whole cake for myself as then I would have to eat it all and that just ain't happening!! However my employers do love some cake :) And today was my 2 year anniversary with the them so a cake was in order.

A while ago someone on facebook posted a link to this cake, a rainbow doodle cake. The website is http://sweetapolita.com/

Would love to make this for little J's birthday next year.

I had read some of the posts and remembered that Rosie had some lovely cakes. I looked this morning and found a vanilla cake with vanilla frosting. I checked to see if we had all the ingredients and we did :) So little J and I got to work and made the cake. My employer doesn't bake so I didn't have two 8" cake pans but I did find two pans that i could use and I hoped for the best. She does however have a kitchen aid mixer, an integral part to this recipe.

So here it is, my cake.

I always worry when I try something new as a few times I have tried a new recipe and it tastes yucky. But this was delicious!! It was fluffy, light and not too sweet. I will defo be making this again. It wasn't too hard and Rosie gives very good instructions on every post. Here is the link if you would like to make one. I highly recommend you do.

http://sweetapolita.com/2011/07/fluffy-vanilla-cake-with-whipped-vanilla-bean-frosting/

My August long weekend

2011-08-07T19:36:00.007-04:00

Sorry there was no post last Sunday but I was away for the weekend. It was a Monday holiday here in Canada so I decided to go visit my friends in Webster. In 1994 I was an exchange student and went to high school in Webster for 10 months. I have managed to keep in touch with the family and try to visit a couple of times a year. I had a perfect weekend.

Friday the drive down was good. No traffic at the border and no problems with immigration.

Saturday I spent it with the girls. They are both in college now, I stayed with them when they were 4 and 2!! The weather was excellent and we did some shopping in Target. I LOVE Target you can get such good stuff there. I bought a nice blouse, a sleeve for my laptop, some socks, a tank top and snacks. Nothing was over $20!! Hopefully when Target comes to Canada next year we will get the same quality and brands. After some shopping we went to Taco Bell. For some reason it just tastes better in the States and I am partial to a burrito supreme. Plus they do a drink called mountain dew baja blast. Apparently you can't buy it in stores only at taco bell!

I loved regular mountain dew when I lived in the states. So when I have this it takes me back to simpler times when all I had to worry about was doing my homework and what to do at weekends!! And as Meghan says it really complements and brings out the flavours of the tacos/burritos. YUM. After taco bell we went back to the house and I had a lovely swim in their above ground pool. Then dinner which was very yummy as I didn't make it! For dessert we went out for frozen custard at Abbots. Another place that takes me back to when I was younger. You can sit outside on picnic benches enjoying the weather and food. To round off the day we watched "The Sting" which was on TV. One of my ultimate favourite movies, a perfect end to a perfect day.
Sunday we went sailing on their friends boat. Again the weather was great, not too sunny and not too hot. We did have one quite heavy shower but after it passed it was lovely.

This is an old photo but the boat has not changed.

On Monday Karen and I went mini golfing. It has been a few years since I last golfed and it took me a few holes to warm up. Half way through I was in the lead :) But then Karen managed to catch up and she won :( But to make me feel better she took me back to Abbotts for an ice cream lunch ;) Was great spending time with Karen and having a nice talk. Then unfortunately it was time for me to leave. I always hate leaving, their home is like my second home. I always have a nice relaxing time. Hope you all had as good a weekend as I did.

If I won the lottery

2011-07-26T19:43:00.005-04:00

A week ago my dad was telling me about a couple in Scotland that won the lottery. They won 160 million euros!!!! Their names are Colin and Chris Weir and here they are:

All I can say is NO FAIR!! Apparently they go to their local chip shop twice a week (you could never tell right!) and yes I am just jealous but this is my blog and I can say what i think RIGHT.

Anyway my dad asked me what would I do if I won that amount of money and it got me thinking.

First I would buy a BMW. Don't ask me which one as I have no idea and if I had that much money I could get any one I like! My employer has one and I love driving it, it is a nice ride.

Then I would go do some shopping. A pair of Brian Atwood maniac pumps, around $500.

Then a Gucci bag, this one is one of my favourites, around $800.
A pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, divine. Around $1000.

Of course I would have to have a Louis Vuitton bag, every rich person has one. Around $1,500.
I would obviously buy a lot more things but these are at the top of my list.

Of course I would buy a house in Toronto and a place in Edinburgh to be close to my parents and would probably buy a little mini to drive around in back home! Most other people might buy another place somewhere else, but not me. I would put money towards a private jet then I would be able to go anywhere I like and stay in fabulous hotels. You don't have to worry about cleaning/up keep of a house as you get maid service and you would always come back to a made bed.
First stop would be the Bahamas with all my friends
Then every where else in the world. My parents would be set and want for nothing. I would give a couple of million to my sister and she would probably quit her job and never work again! I would give a a few million to my closest friends who have been wonderful friends (they would have to earn it tho!!) I don't even have that money but it seems that just thinking about it can turn a nice person into a not so nice person.

So far I haven't spent that much, I would probably still have over 100 million to spend!! What would you do?

Oh and if you ever see me driving around in a BMW and it is not my employers then I might have just won the lottery..........I guess I should start playing, off to buy a ticket.

Happy Thursday

2011-07-21T20:24:00.003-04:00

Sorry I missed a week but I was away with the family I work for. We went up north to a resort called Taboo. We had a wonderful time and had great weather. So here is the things that have made me happy.

1. Maid service. We stayed in a cottage while away, but as it was part of the resort it got cleaned while we were out enjoying ourselves. Love coming back to a clean room and a made bed.

2. Lounging by the pool while drinking a margarita, bliss.

3. Having a small boy to look after as an excuse to go in the pool. I can't swim so I feel like a tool just standing around in a pool. If I had friends with me standing chatting would be no problem as "the real housewives of gravenhurst" showed me!!

4. Buying an air conditioner unit. I am in love with my unit. It has been very very hot the last few days. Today alone it was over 45 degrees with humidity and I live on the 23rd floor. Needless to say my apartment was very hot and stuffy. Now I love coming home once again and being able to sleep under my duvet.

5. Wanted to write one that wasn't to do with my time away. I love my headbands from Scotland and a store called accesorize. Every time I wear them most people want to know were I got them from which means they must look fabulous on my head.

Stay cool everyone, I know I am!!

A pet peeve about underwear.

2011-07-10T16:50:00.009-04:00

Before I came to Canada I worked in Marks and Spencer, in the lingerie department. During my time there I became a bra fitter. Many a day I would spend in the changing room measuring and trying to find the perfect bra for a lady. After a while I would be able just to look at a lady and guess her size, I got pretty good at it. Am a tad rusty these days but I'd like to think I still have the talent!! After dealing with underwear for at least 9 hours a day I have become a little obsessed with underwear (maybe I should change the title of my blog!)

During the winter months it doesn't really bother me as everyone is covered up, but as soon as it gets warmer out I get to see a lot of don'ts. Here is one that bugs me the most:

When a lady wears a racerback top and then a regular bra. To me it spoils the look of an outfit. The lady above looked nicely put together and then i see the back and it doesn't look so good. Also it seems that it is quite popular to wear a black bra under a white top judging by these two ladies! Another no no in my book. Anyway there is a solution and here it is................. a RACERBACK BRA!! The following one is by Victoria's secret.

They are not the only ones that sell them. PINK, La Senza (were i bought mine) and even Target ( only $12) sell them. So ladies you have no excuses.

There are other underwear issues I have but I need to get more photo evidence for you. You never know this could become a weekly post.

Also here's a tip about how your bra should fit. There are five ways a bra should fit you. The band that goes around your bust should be parallel. A perfect circle around your body. It SHOULD NOT ride up your back, like this lady on the right:

This means that her back size (the number in your bra) is too big and she needs to go down a size. This is what will give you saggy boobs when you are older as you aren't getting the support you need :)

Next time I will tell you another one of the tips. May your boobs be perky and supported.

WTF Sunday

2011-07-10T15:14:00.003-04:00

A few things that have annoyed me the last week.

While out for dinner my friend and I used their washroom's. Another lady and us walked into the washroom, a little old lady was on her way out and told us that there was no toilet paper in two of the stalls. We used other paper products and the other lady left. I waited for my friend and then we left together. On the way out we let a staff member know that there was no toilet paper in the ladies bathroom. What gets me is that TWO OTHER ladies had the chance to tell someone and they DIDN'T!!!!! How rude.

People that take up the whole sidewalk. I can understand it is the sidewalk is quite narrow, but when the sidewalk is large then i don't get it. Example: a group of maybe 7 boys taking up all sidewalk space or a family of 4 walking in a line. I should not have to go onto the road to get around these people!

The other day I went to little J's grandma's place to swim in the pool. There was a seven year old girl playing in the pool and a man doing lengths. A little while into playing we heard the grumpy old man tell the cute little girl not to swim in front of him. Now you may think he was right to say this, but it was his tone of voice that got me. He wasn't polite and he didn't ask her kindly. The girl's grandma was sitting at the side of the pool and she said nothing. If he had spoken to one of my kids that way there would have been trouble.

Normally I would defend lady drivers but lately I have had an issue with lady bus drivers. One day last week I had a lady driver on the way to work and on the way home. Both drivers seemed to have a problem breaking properly and smoothly!! It was really rather jerky, just glad my foot has healed and no longer bothering me as I had to stand and do some serious balance work that day.

Happy Thursday

2011-07-07T19:55:00.003-04:00

Had a great four days away in Ottawa, even though I had a sprained ankle and managed to get a cold too!! Glad my friend M managed to put up with me :) So here are my favourite things of the past week.

1. Seeing Will and Kate. I didn't think I would get too excited about seeing the royal couple, but once they passed in the carriage and I saw I had got this photo I was surprisingly thrilled that I managed see them (did have to zoom in a bit!)

2. All the good food we had while in Ottawa. Especially the beavertails, lime cupcake, bacon at breakfast and yummy thai tapas.

3. Being on CBC television at the end of the canada day celebrations. The camera was on the crowd and I started to wave like a maniac (my friend M will confirm) I checked online the next day and there I was on NATIONAL TELEVISION :) It is a tad like where's Waldo if you don't know where I am and it only lasts for a few seconds but I have e-mailed CBC to see if I can get a copy so i can show friends and family for years to come. Thank you M for getting me soooo close to the stage that I was on TV!!

4. Plants .v. zombies. I was introduced to this on some down time. It is highly addictive and wonderful. I highly recommend this game.

5. My bed when I am sick. Best nights sleep.

6. Pedicures. I love it when my feet are smooth, have fresh polish and just look lovely.

Enjoy your week.

Things i love Thursday

2011-06-30T09:21:00.003-04:00

Just a quick post today as am off to Ottawa today :) Going for 4 days and I can't wait!!

1. Vacation. Need some time away from work to recharge.

2. Food. Can't wait to try new restaurants and bakeries in Ottawa.

3. A little bake shop in Oakville called Black Forest pastry shop. These are my favourite, a chocolate cup filled with chocolate mousse, a little raspberry jam and lots of raspberries on top. Absolutely divine. http://www.blackforestpastryshop.ca/

4. Going out with friends, having some drinks and lots of laughs.

Off to get ready for Ottawa. Fingers crossed I get to see William and Kate. Hope you all have a wonderful Canada, I know I will.

Happy Thursday

2011-06-23T20:52:00.002-04:00

Was quite hard for me to think of things this week, but lay in bed last night and managed to think of these:

1. Wet paper towels. Odd you might think but this was the only thing that would calm bug bites on my legs, stop them itching and let me get some sleep.

2. Finally getting skinnygirl margarita and it is fab. (A proper review to follow soon)

3. Taking little J strawberry picking. It was his first time and he was very cute, wanted to hold the bucket the whole time and even picked a few himself. Also the berries were very sweet and tasty.

4. So you think you can dance (American) The dancing just makes me smile, the dancing and the music are always incredible. Especially love the group number on a Thursday.

5. Today I found out that i have been accepted as a volunteer at the Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF for short. Here's hoping I meet some nice new people :)

6. Tomorrow is FRIDAY.

city girl through and through

2011-06-20T20:23:00.004-04:00

On Saturday my friend M and I went on a day trip to visit an old friend in Bancroft. It was roughly 2 and 1/2 hours away from Toronto, quite a long way to go for the day but it was our friends birthday. We stopped in a pretty little place called Lakefield and had a delicious homemade burger for $4!! You would never find a good quality burger in Toronto for that price and our waitress was nice and friendly. We then headed on to Bancroft which is also very pretty and quiet. We went for a quick visit to a place called Eagles nest and here are some photos:

Beautiful isn't it? And I agree the scenery is lovely, but after being there for the day it made me love TO even more. I have always lived near a major city, just a short drive away and you are in the hustle and bustle of the city. It is wonderful being able to get to any major store in a short time and not having to drive 1 hour to get to the nearest Walmart. Also having many speciality clothing store and restaurants to choose from is perfect for me. I don't think i could stand everyone knowing who i am and what is going on in my life (which apparently is the case in Bancroft). But here is the biggest reason that I COULD NOT live in the country:

Yes those are bug bites. I wore leggings thinking that no bugs would bother me, boy was i wrong. This was after spending just 2 hours sitting outside round a bonfire! I have over 10 bites in all. Now I come from Scotland where we don't have any bugs that bite, so my body is probably not used to being bitten and that is why i get it bad. Yesterday I went out and bought afterbite and some benadryl and yet they itched like mad. I have not slept properly in two nights because they are just sooooo itchy. And yes I know that you get bugs in Toronto but at least there are fewer kinds that can get you. So if you see some one walking around the country wearing this:

It will probably be me................that is IF i go back.

WTf Sunday

2011-06-19T15:27:00.002-04:00

Here we go again.

1. Taxi drivers. Do they think that there are special rules for them on the road? That they are allowed to drive in the middle of two lanes and that they don't need to indicate?

2. Bugs that bite. Why do bugs love me? I hate bug bites, it is taking so much will power not to scratch and that is after taking benadryl and after bite!

3. Why is it if I want to buy something, like skinny margarita's, shoes or clothing it is soooo hard for me to find them. I always have to spend time going from store to store to find it.

Happy Thursday on a Friday

2011-06-17T20:23:00.004-04:00

I know I am a day late but I was working late last night. Anyways here are the things that have made me happy this week.

1. My brand new Macbook. I love, love, love it!

2. Saving money. Then I can go and buy lovely things, like my macbook.

3. My macbook. I love the 13" screen, the keys are wonderful to type on and they don't stick like my old computer.

4. Showers. Especially after getting sunscreen and sweaty at the zoo.

5. Did I mention my macbook? It is just fabulous and very quick.

6. The people at yogurt spoon, for giving my friend M and a free yogurt!

And I shall leave you with this, angels are singing in my head every time I look at it :)

Are you kidding me?!!

2011-06-17T20:08:00.004-04:00

So I was watching BT this morning, as I do every morning and I had a jaw dropping moment. They were doing a segment about body building and had a lady who was competing. Here she is (she is the one on the left!)

You may think she looks quite nice, not too muscly and I agree. That was not my dropping moment. It was when Dina asked what she did for a living, can you guess what she does? Can you? Well she is a NANNY!!!! Can you believe it? My thinking is that you must be very secure in your marriage to hire this lady to look after your kids. You may be thinking that i am just jealous of her pretty looks and toned body and you might be right but unfortunately this is the way i think.

wtf Sunday

2011-06-12T19:27:00.004-04:00

I hate to say it but i can't think of anything that has annoyed me this week. I have been thinking and thinking but nothing seems to come to mind. I know some of you might think this is odd but somethings i just can't write about.

Will do a general wtf moment (something that annoys me on a regular basis) soon. I just need to collect some photographic evidence a la my friend M!! You can see what I mean here http://thankgodimperfect.blogspot.com/

Happy Thursday

2011-06-09T20:23:00.002-04:00

Every week seems to go by faster and faster! Another Thursday has come so here is my list.

1. Dishwashers. The one at work broke so had to wash every dish for a few days. Now I don't mind washing my own dishes in my apartment as it is just me and i never have that many to do. So it is not much fun with three other people, the dishes never seemed to end!!

2. The fan above my bed for keeping me cool in this hot hot weather.

3. Penrose fish and chips, absolutley divine.

4. My mum's recipie for chocolate sauce. I love making it then dipping fruit in it. Yummy.

5. My friend telling me that Skiiny girl margarita will be available in Canada very soon. I'll drink to that.....................well when i can buy it

WTF Sunday

2011-06-05T17:44:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday it was 40 degrees outside with humidity, walked to the bus stop after work and was looking forward to cooling off on an air conditioned bus..........but what do i find? The driver DOES NOT have it on!!!

Driving downtown with a friend to a fitness class when all of a sudden the car next to us and luckily ahead of us just stops. Then i notice a shopping cart, then a little old man!!! Soooo glad the brakes on the car are in tip top condition. This man just decided to cross the road when he choose to and not walk a little ways to the pedestrian crossing. WTF

What is the point of having a full serve gas station if you need to get out of the car to pay by debit? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

Happy Thursday

2011-06-04T15:44:00.002-04:00

I know it is now Saturday but I have been sick with a cold :(
Anyway here is my list

1. Johnny Depp. Went to see Pirates 4 last weekend and was worried it might not be that good. But then again anything with Johnny is always good.

2. Architecture that i find appealing and beautiful.

3. Lychee poppers. These things are amazing on frozen yogurt! You might think me strange but i really enjoyed squishing and popping them in my mouth. Please don't judge me!

4. Getting to spin at the end of a Jukari fitness class. I do get dizzy but for some reason I think it is fun.

5. Clean bed sheets.

A perfect Sunday

2011-05-29T20:57:00.011-04:00

So on Sunday I had a great day. My friend and I went on the doors open tour of Toronto. This is where buildings normally closed to the public let you wander round inside and see wonderful things. Unfortunately we only managed to get to three buildings. But I would definitely recommend going and next year I will be doing it again ( i will do more research into buildings i MUST see!)
Our first stop was CITY TV. We got to see were breakfast television is filmed and we got to sit in were Kevin and Dina sit!! I enjoyed pretending to be Dina for a few seconds :) Here is one photo from the news room:

I did have another photo, I did download it but now I have lost it. My friend did take some other photos of me posing at BT. Will post them when I get them.
After BT we went to St. Micheal's hospital, sorry no photos.......forgot. Then it was onto the Native family services building. I had seen a picture on the doors open website and it looked intriguing, it was of this room:
This building did not disappoint. It is absolutely wonderful inside and has an amazing rooftop garden. Also I found it peaceful and calming, both while sitting in the garden and walking around all the floors. (the photos are in a random order as had trouble moving them to were I wanted them to be!)

Even the front desk is beautiful.

They have glass panels like this on every floor with different animals.

The next two photos are of the rooftop garden. Again had more but don't know where they have gone.

After quite some walking my friend and I were hungry so we went for some yummy Thai food and on the way we past a frozen yogurt shop. we decided that was going to be dessert. If you would like to know more of our experience visit my friends blog http://www.thankgodimperfect.blogspot.com/ You get to serve yourself the yogurt, toppings and sauce.

Here is the finished product. Mine is the one on the right. I tried to make mine semi-healthy with strawberries! It was delicious and highly recommend going.

Now I hope you are all craving frozen yogurt......I know I am :)

Weekly WTF!

2011-05-29T18:42:00.002-04:00

Old navy plastic bag dying my hand blue.

People who do not say thank you for holding a door open. When did politeness die?

Buying new flip flops and then while walking ONE of them starts squeaking

People who keep backpacks on their pack while riding on a very very busy subway.

Going to the dentist and still being in slight pain 3 days later.

Every time I wear flip flops my friend Melissa ALWAYS manages to step on the back of them ;) (still love ya M!)

Things I love Thursday

2011-05-26T19:54:00.003-04:00

Where I post a list of the things that have made happy over the past week.

A long weekend

Thunderstorms. For some reason I am fascinated by lightning and love watching it.

My parents for paying for my dental work.

Getting packages in the mail. This week I got stickers for little J and some very cute cupcake cases, sprinkles and sugar decorations.

Watching the last Oprah show, not because it was the last show, far from it. But what she said: "Don't wait for someone else to complete you"

"Because that is what a calling is. It lights you up and it lets you know that you are exactly where you're supposed to be, doing exactly what your supposed to be doing. And that is what I want for all of you and hope that you will take from this show. To live from the heart of yourself. You have to make a living, I understand that, but you also have to know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world"
I don't LOVE my job and what I do, so Oprah has made me determined to find out what I love and pursue that.

So You Think You Can Dance back on the telly! and Bethanny. Thursdays is a fab tv night.

weekly wtf

2011-05-22T19:29:00.002-04:00

So i have two friends that are doing this so I thought I would join the fun. Once a week I will post a list of the things that have made me a tad annoyed!!

1. Why don't people in Canada know how to line up for buses. Was going to Fallsview Casino with a good friend on a coach and once it arrived the people just swarmed around the door. You have to make reservations for the bus so they ALL would have a got a seat.

2. My employer correcting my spelling on the grocery list I wrote.

3. Everyone around me winning at the casino and I get NOTHING.

4. Why is skinny girl margarita made/bottled in Montreal and yet you can't buy it in Canada?

5. See below and post "Why?"

Chocolate.......yum

2011-05-16T20:21:00.004-04:00

As you can see from my previous post i am feeling a little annoyed and the only thing that can help me through this is chocolate. My mum is a wonderful lady and sent me alot of these:This has been my favourite so far. They do so many other flavours and you can look at them all here, enjoy drooling over all the delicious flavours.

www.thorntons.co.uk/c/Chocolate+Collections_Chocolate+Blocks.html hope the link works, if not there are lots of other lovely things to look at at http://www.thorntons.co.uk/ :)

Off to try this one and calm down.

Why!!??

2011-05-16T19:23:00.002-04:00

So if you have a friend who drains the life out of you, who makes you feel frustrated/annoyed and that you have to have a few drinks to make it through your time together, should you still be friends with her or be nice and put up with her?

She does annoy me but I feel guilty if i don't include her in my life (get it from my mum!) I have known her for quite a few years now and she was ok, but the last couple of months it seems to have gotten worse. The thing that bugs me is that she doesn't seem to have any ideas of her own and I feel that i am her activity organiser, sure ask me what i am doing on a weekend but it seems that i come up with things we should do!! PLEASE BRING SOMETHING TO THE TABLE, come up with some ideas of things we can do. Ontario is a big place and it has lots to offer, so do some research. Oh what to do?

Chocolate on chocolate cupcakes

2011-03-12T09:58:00.002-05:00

Two weekends ago I was having friends over for dinner so for dessert I made chocolate on chocolate cupcakes. They were easy to make and were absolutely delicious!! Not too sweet and the dark/milk chocolate mixed ganache on top is perfect. Been thinking about them since so I made more last night.............all for me :) Did put half in the freezer so they are there if and when I need them. If you would like the recipe let me know, I highly recommend them.

My etsy store

2011-03-12T09:53:00.002-05:00

So my store is finally set up, here is the link

www.etsy.com/shop/scotlandchips

Hope you like what you see and let everyone know that I make fabulous quilts!! Keeping my fingers crossed that even just one will sell. Any suggestions on were else I could sell them would be greatly appreciated (just in case!).

Selling some quilts

2011-03-06T21:35:00.007-05:00

So I have decided to sell a few of my quilts. Would like for them to be used and loved rather than sit in a closet. If I had a big house they would be in any bedrooms I have but unfortunately I live in a bachelor apartment!!
Below are three of my quilts and I have another two that I need to take photos of. Then I will post them on here for you to see. Will also post the measurements of each quilt. The photos below were taken on a double bed, the first quilt is a little smaller than the bed but would be great as a lap quilt.
Will probably be setting up an etsy store in the next few days aswell. If you would like to buy one let me know (haven't decided prices yet!) or please pass my information on to anyone you can think of. Thanks and will be back tomorrow with measurments!

Niagara Falls

2011-02-19T09:50:00.003-05:00

Had a great time in Niagara Falls. Here was the view from our hotel, had a great view of the American side:

Was quite cool. We did plan on going for a walk down to the Canadian falls but we walked out of the hotel went round a corner and it was very very cold!!! Freeze your face cold! And it is not exactly a short walk to get to the falls, so we decided to go back inside :) Spent our time just relaxing, swimming in the pool, getting to know baby N and of course playing in the casino. Rita and I also went to see a show. The group was called Human Nature, didn't know what to expect as had never heard of them. They are an all male group from Australia and they were fantastic, the whole show was of Motown songs and so me and Rita had a great time singing and dancing along! They also did a few songs acapella which was amazing. After the show we went to the casino and I won nearly $200!! I was very excited as normally i don't win anything :) But the best part was spending time with baby N and making her smile. She's just sooooo cute.

Quick post

2011-02-08T12:06:00.002-05:00

I have the week off work. My employers have gone to Florida to visit family. So today I am off to Niagara Falls with my friends Rita and Andy and their little girl Nicole :) Looking forward to it. Will tell you about it when I get back on Thursday. And fingers crossed I win some money!!

My apartment

2011-02-08T10:56:00.004-05:00

Last September I moved apartments. I was in a one bedroom but my rent was going up and I wasn't able to save any money as it was so i decided to move to a bachelor. And I love it!! Yes I have less floor space but I don't have much furniture and everything fits perfectly. Also for some reason I feel more at home here. Anyway here are a few photos.

This was the basis for my new colour scheme. This was a thrift store find. I wish i had taken a before photo, but i didn't :( It was a brown colour and had old brass handles, so i sanded it, painted it and added new handles and viola, a fabulous dresser.

When I moved I needed to get a smaller sofa (my three seater was not going to fit, plus it only cost $20 from craigslist so had no reservations about getting rid!) I liked a love seat from IKEA as it was a good price. But I didn't like the cream colour, I hate it when things get all dirty and didn't want to see it get grayer and grayer as time went on. So I googled slipcovers for IKEA love seats and I found a company that made this:

The colours were perfect as had a lime green in it, I was overjoyed! Here is were I got it from
www.marlenesurbanbliss.com plus it is an Amy Butler fabric and I love her designs. Then I had to find a navy blue bed set to go with the love seat. This was quite hard, no navy blue duvet covers in Canada, so ended up getting one from Marks and Spencer. Yes they now deliver to Canada!! And they do a flat rate shipping fee so it doesn't end up being too expensive. Here it is:

A while ago I had done a block swap on the Internet and this was the finished result, which amazingly has the same colours as my sofa. I had started the block swap WAY before I was thinking of moving, was meant to be I guess! It has pinks and greens in it.

This is my fab new TV and my cubes filled with all my cute nicknacks. My mum and I collect momiji dolls and most of them are in these cubes. Might do a blog on all the ones I have. I am a sucker for anything cute!

And finally my photo wall. I love having photos up, reminds me of all the good times in my life. So decided to do this: Will be adding more as time goes by!

And there you have it, my wonderful apartment. Hope you like it, I know I do :)

My Scotland shopping haul

2011-01-22T11:18:00.006-05:00

So here are the clothes that I bought while home. I really like shopping when in Scotland as I know no-one else will have the same things as me in Canada!
This sweater is from River Island, loved the bird detail and you can't see it in the photo but it is sparkly. Could were it both for day and night :)

The cardigan is from Top Shop. Would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it if Top Shop came to Canada. The t-shirt underneath is from New Look.

This next t-shirt is from River Island. The necklace came attached to the shirt and i really liked the lace detail at the back. Can't wait to wear this in summer with a tank top underneath and a pair of shorts. Roll on summer!!

This sweater is from Top Shop, perfect to go with leggings.

As you can see so far there is not much colour but that was the in trend back home. Then I saw this:

This is one of my colours, I love it as it brings out my blue eyes. Plus the added detail at the back is lovely. Again great for summer.

A pair of skinny cargo's from New Look. They fit great.

And a pair of black leggings from River Island. They might just look like a pair of plain black leggings but they have nice details down the side and around the knee. Plus they are thicker than other leggings I have which is a bonus.

Finally a pair of boots from River Island. Really like that the heel is not too high and love the fake sheepskin detail.

So there you have it. As you can see I really only shopped in 3 different stores but these are my go to places when i am home. They all do fashionable stuff, at decent prices and are good quality items. Hope you like them as much as I do.

IT"S 2011!!!!

2011-01-18T12:51:00.006-05:00

A new year a new me!!

So I was away on vacation for Christmas, the annual trip home to Scotland. I love it. Two weeks is not enough. I used to think it was but now that I am a little older (and turning into my mum!) it seems that it takes me longer to relax. The first few days I am already worried about how much stuff I will be able to fit into my suitcase, as now you are only allowed ONE suitcase and it has to weigh only 20kg. Which is highly unfair considering most suitcases are 5kg when empty!! I have done my research so this is true! Anyway also this year I was worried about the weather as it had been quite snowy and cold so i was worried that I might not be able to go anywhere and get my all important shopping done ;) After a few days i did finally relax and enjoyed my time home, but then a few days before i left I started to worry about how much i would have to pay coming back and general unhappy feelings about going back to work. So all in all I think I now need to have 3 weeks off to have a relaxing holiday!
Didn't do much at home. Would shop one day then stay home having a pj day the next which i absolutely love. My mum thought it was to save on washing clothing as i didn't take many clothes home, I needed any extra room I could get to buy more things!! Was lovely to have my mum's cooking. She is a wonderful cook and it is also just nice not to be doing the cooking for a change. I am a nanny and I cook Monday to Friday for the family (and myself) so it can get a bit repetitive and boring. Can't make too many new things as a 2 year old will only eat certain things and rather he was fed than going hungry!
I will do another blog soon and show you all the lovely things I bought, mainly clothing. Will have to take photos and need to do that in daylight :)

One of my Christmas presents was a cupcake/muffin book that my mum gave me.

So last Saturday I decided to do some baking. It was going to snow that day so it gave me something to do other than watch tv. On Thursday I went out to Bulk Barn and bought my supplies. I decided to make rocky road muffins. I haven't baked at all in my new apartment so wasn't sure how my oven was going to be, I think every oven is different and until you use it a few times then you will know how long and at what temp to bake at. So the first batch went in at the temp the book said, i decided to air on the side of caution when it came to time and left them for 15mins instead of 20. When i look them out they were slightly burnt on top, so that batch was all for me!! I turned down the heat and the rest came out great. Although all the marshmallows inside had seemed to disappear! Will certainly make these again they are yummy and not too sweet. And here they are:

Not the best looking muffins but they do taste good. So am thinking that I will bake a recipe from this book once a month. Next is coconut lime muffins, already looking forward to February :)

NEW BLOG

2010-11-09T13:53:00.007-05:00

So I have decided to give blogging one last try. Every now and then I write for a little while, then I write nothing for months. At the start this was going to be a blog about any crafts I made but I moved into an apartment, money was tight and I haven't done much crafting for a while :(

Then I started to read the Pioneer Woman's blog and she did a wonderful blog on blogging!! So I am taking her advise and writing about my life and things that happen in it. Here is her blog if you are interested (and you should), she is very funny and has some fabulous recipes. http://thepioneerwoman.com/
I have made a few and they have all been wonderful, in the future will let you know what i cook and if the recipes are any good.

Onto my life. Today is my 34th birthday!!! Love my birthday and getting presents, so far I have got a sweater from my parents:

From NEXT in Scotland,
and some money which I think i am going to buy this with it.

A nice cosy lambswool sweater from tna.
I also got a spa gift card to the Elmwood spa in Toronto from my lovely employers. Not sure yet when I will go, might leave it till the new year when it is yucky out and I need a boost :) At the weekend some friends are taking me to Niagara Falls to a show, then who knows what else, but will be sure to tell you all about it next week.

Keep your fingers crossed that I can keep this up. This is the new and improved blog, a blog about a 34 year old single girl, living in Toronto who loves cooking, shopping, crafting and anything else I can think to write about!!

Winter boots

2010-01-20T19:53:00.005-05:00

I have ugg boots that I love. I have had them for at least 4 years and have pretty much worn them all winter, every winter and as you know Canadian winters are quite long!! They keep my toes toasty warm and dry even in deep snow. But last week while walking around i noticed my a hole in the side of my boot :( Oh what to do?? Should I get them repaired? Should I buy a new pair, even though I have no money, but everyone loves a new pair of shoes right?? Or should I try my luck an win a pair?? So I'm trying my luck and entering a competition to win a pair of Whooga boots, keep your fingers crossed and here's hoping i win so my toes can stay toasty warm.
Wouldn't these look good on my feet?

I'm back!! Again!!

2010-01-20T14:11:00.002-05:00

So i have been away for a very long time but as you know in August last year I moved into my own apartment in Toronto. It was a very exciting time but i didn't realise how difficult it would be money wise :( I didn't have a computer of my own so had to use the one at work and i didn't feel comfortable updating my blog on their computer and uploading photos. Anyway I went home for Christmas, had some money left over, came back to Canada, saw shops were having a sale on computers and bought myself a little netbook!! Was sooooo happy to finally be able to browse the web anytime I wanted!! So now you should expect more regular updates on what I'm up to. Will be writing shortly. Bye for now.

A week off

2009-07-05T10:49:00.003-04:00

This past week i was lucky to have off work so i thought the best thing to do would be to catch up on all the sewing i wanted to get done.
As you may or may not know I am currently a live-in nanny, but in the near future i shall be moving out to my own apartment!! I am quite excited as this will be my first apartment, I shared with someone a few years ago but it ended badly. Anywho now i am moving out on my own and i can't wait. I already have my colour scheme picked out for my rooms, i have done for a few months!! And when my friend and i bought some chenille squares to make a quilt i thought I would get some to make pillows. I really like yellow and lilac at the moment so decided that would be for my living room and here they are:

Will keep you up-to date on moving.

Next I made something for a swap i am taking part in. It is called a little fabric, a little chocolate swap and you can find it over at flickr. I had taken part in it a few months last year but had taken a break. Then I was browsing a while ago and i saw that it had been a year since it had started and since i had taken part in the very beginning i could not say no!!! My partner had left a note on my flickr page saying she liked this fabric so thought i would make her a bag. I just love the sayings on the fabric, it is made by an Australian designer called Aunty Cookie and you can find her here www.auntycookie.com.

Then i wanted to finish a quilt. A long long time ago i was an exchange student in the States. I stayed with an American family and attended senior year at high school. I had an amazing time and still keep in touch with the family. At the time their two girls where 4 and 2 and now the oldest is going to college in the fall!! Time really does fly! So for a graduation/going to college gift i thought i would make here a quilt. I have been reading Oh, Frannson's blog for a while and loved the quilt along that she had done. I also liked the idea of using primary colours as you can't go wrong with someone elses taste is you have every colour in the quilt!! I think it came out very well an i am quite proud of it. Now i just have to figure out what i'm going to put on the back!? Any suggestions would be great. She is having a party in a few weeks so don't think i will get it all finished for then, but think i will show her the top just so she knows i got her something. Plus i love seeing peoples reactions when i give them things and don't think i could wait!!

Oh forgot that on Wednesday it was Canada Day so me and some friends went to the states and did some shopping, very patriotic!!! We had a great time and had some excellent food. We went to a Japanese Hibachi restaurant, the food was excellent and it was very entertaining. All in all a good week. Will be back soon with an update on Sheridan's block swap.

The Workroom

2009-06-04T15:26:00.003-04:00

Thought i would share with you some lovely fabric that i just bought a few days ago. There was a shop i had been wanting to go to for a while, it is called "the workroom" and it is in Toronto. I had planned to meet a friend on the Sunday in Toronto but unfortunately she got sick and we could not meet. So on the spur of the moment i decided to go to The Workroom. I am sooooo glad i did, it is now one of my favourite stores (only have one other favourite store and that is in Niagara on the lake) Look at all the lovely fabric i bought and they also had some Heather Ross fabric so now i have the backing done for my Heather Ross quilt!!!:

So so so lovely. Here is there web address if anyone would like to go and i would highly recommend it www.theworkroom.ca.

Will be back soon so you can see the back of my quilt.

the other two winners are!!

2009-06-01T14:40:00.006-04:00

Here are the two other runners up, they will get two fat quaters from my stash and some other little things:

Here are your random numbers:238
Timestamp: 2009-06-01 18:41:44 UTC
Ahfat was the first runner up

Here are your random numbers:198
Timestamp: 2009-06-01 18:42:29 UTC
And Tanya was the second

Well done ladies. I will be in touch shortly. I wish i could send a little something to everyone that entered but i just can't :( I do have to say that i was a great load of fun and i am sure i will take part again.

Oh and I should have asked for people to leave an e-mail address so that i can get in touch as i can't seem to find a way to get in touch with the winner. Afraenia if you are out there please get in touch so i can send you your goodies.

and the winners are

2009-06-01T13:27:00.003-04:00

So i had the idea that i would put every ones name into a hat and then get the children i look after to pick out a name, but that was when i thought i would only get a few entries!! I have gotten 422!!! Can you believe it, I can't!!!! Thought it might take me a few days to write every ones name on a piece of paper and i know you all want to know if you won, so then found a good idea on another blog where she copied and pasted every ones name and then printed it off, but trying to be as environmentally aware as possible and didn't want to waste paper. Then i decided to use the random generator, i have seen it used on a few other blogs so thought that would be the best way. After a little while of trying to figure out how to use it here is what number it gave me:

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:114
Timestamp: 2009-06-01 17:36:05 UTC

I didn't know how to get the exact image up so i just copied and pasted it. So the winner is:

Afraenia
"wow that is some really cool stuff. Love the fabric colors, I haven't seen reversible fabric around here."

Congratulations!! Will be in touch to get your mailing address.

Will be back later today with the two other winners. This is taking longer than i thought and the kids i look after are desperate for attention. So will be back once i have finished work.

update on giveaway

2009-05-28T10:20:00.003-04:00

I have become quite overwhelmed at the number of comments i have received for my giveaway!!! And they have all been soooo nice. It felt like i was on the computer all day yesterday entering giveaways, leaving comments and moderating my own!! Hopefully by the end of the week my fingers won't have stuck in a typing position!!
So i have decided to have two runners up prizes. Not sure what they will be yet but i'm sure i will think of something!!! So that is three prizes up for grabs, enjoy.

Will be back later with some other giveaways that are going on in blogland (this way you get more entries and so more chances to win!!!)

Other may day giveaways!

2009-05-27T16:02:00.007-04:00

As promised here are a few other lovely giveaways that are going on. The first one is from Brooke. I love the tank top just wish it came in my size!! I had one when i was small and i remember it being one of my favourites, I am sure i will find someone who will fit into it. At least if i win i can keep the necklace and brooch for myself. If you would like to enter go here:

http://www.theartofindecisionblog.blogspot.com/

Next is Cheryl, she is giving away an Anna Maria Horner basket filled with lovely goodies, to see more photos and to enter go here:

http://thestitchinchicken.com/

Then there is Amy, a fellow Canadian blogger. She has a wonderful purse to give away and other things that she will adding over the next few days. Again go here to enter.

http://www.craftydame.blogspot.com/

I have entered quite a few giveaways and i haven't been to every ones blog on the list yet!!! Hopefully i will get to them all over the next few days, there are just too many wonderful blogs to read! Well good luck to everyone and here's hoping we all win something!

Mayday Giveaway!!!!!!

2009-05-26T19:29:00.006-04:00

It is a day early but doubt i will have the time to write this tomorrow so doing it now!!!

So here it is the big giveaway day!!!! I'm quite excited and hope that i get a few comments from people that would like to win my items!! So here they are: the first thing is a set of fat quarters, a range of browns, blues and greens:

The second things are two fat quarters. Trefle by Kokka, they are super super soft and wait for it...... reversible!! French writing on one side (must be a recipe but for what i do not know!)

And on the other side some ladybugs, some flowers and some letters,

And finally a small basket i made from a tutorial i got from Pink Penguin, http://www.ayumills.blogspot.com/ I love this fabric and what it says "Everyone has a pleasant weekend".

So that is it, I hope you like what you see and that you will enter. I will probably add a few more little things by the end of the week so when you get your package it will be an extra surprise. So just leave a comment below and you will be entered!! Then I will pick out a name from a hat on the 31st of May (will leave it open until 9pm Toronto time) I'm an international girl and so will ship to anywhere in the world. Thank you soooooo much for stopping by and reading my blog. Good luck and i'm off to enter some giveaways myself.

sneak peak and block swap update

2009-05-22T18:22:00.003-04:00

As promised a peak at what you could win next week!! Bought this set a while ago but I don't really know what to do with them. There will be other things to win as well, but you will have to wait until next Wednesday!!

This week i received one of a few packages that the lovely Sheridan has sent to me. This one was the third set of fabrics for the block swap. Now i just have to go away and rummage through my stash for hours on end and find the right fabric to go with them!! Oh what fabric to choose...........

Will hopefully show you the results sometime this weekend. The other two packages are ones that i'm soooooooo excited about getting. Some squares of Heather Ross fabric for the backing of my quilt and a package of fat quarters for the vintage sheet swap. Every day i'm running to the mail box hoping there will be a package waiting for me!!! Will show you everything when it arrives. I'm fairly impatient when it comes to packages and seem to forget how far some of them have to come, but it's well worth it in the end.
Hope you all have a great weekend.

My first ever giveaway!!!!

2009-05-19T21:31:00.003-04:00

Sew mama sew is hosting a giveaway day in May. For one day blogs all over blogland will be giving things away!!! It will be held on the 27th and the draw will be on the 31st so you will have a few days to enter all of them if you wish!!! Anyone is welcome to join and here is the link if you are interested www.sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=805

They had one in December and i entered some of the giveaways, it is a great way to find new blogs to read and to win something in the process!! I have some fabric that i would like to give and will make something as well plus knowing me some other bits and pieces. Will take some photos tomorrow to give you a sneak peak of the fabrics, you will have to wait and see what i make tho as have to go and make it!!!! Talk to you tomorrow.

Heather Ross quilt

2009-05-14T15:15:00.003-04:00

As promised here is the quilt top that i have been working on. I bought the 5" fabric squares on etsy and didn't want to cut them up any further so this is the design i made up. I just love the fabric, it is so soft and very cute. I just have to get a backing, which i will hopefully get at the Guelph quilt store as they have some other Heather Ross fabric. Then me and a friend are taking a long arm quilting class so hopefully i will be able to even quilt it myself!!!

My favourite prints, the fish, the gnomes and the camper vans, love, love, love.

I know it is a tad childish, but hopefully one day i will have kids of my own and this will belong to them.

some new fabric

2009-05-10T12:55:00.005-04:00

I know i have been away for a while but as you might have read been having some problems with the computers in this house! Won't go into it as it is a tad frustrating and don't want to talk about it! So lets talk about something that will make me happy...... fabric! Thought i would share with you what i have bought in the last few months.

Bought some chenille from ebay, takes me back to my childhood! My Grandparents both had chenille bedspreads and i loved them then aswell. I chose a purple and yellow set am thinking that i will save them until i have a place of my own and then maybe make some cushions.

The next lots of fabric are from a fab new quilting store i have found http://www.greenwoodquiltery.com/ it is located in Guelph. A friend and me saw them at t quilt show a few weeks ago and i went a little crazy at their booth!! We are going to the actual store this Saturday so who knows what i'll come back with! Might have to go with a limit.
(I know this photo is upside down but didn't have the patience to change it!) Don't have enough solids in my statsh so had to get these and they are sooo soft.

Two Japanese prints, lovely fabric and just loved the colours.

Some of Heather Bailey's new range, again love the bright colours.

And lastly some random prints, love brown fabric especially dark chocolate brown so had to get the circles, the chickens were just adorable and had been reading about Heather Ross so when i was told this was one of hers i thought i should get it and it is incredibley soft!! They have some other Heather Ross at the store so hoping to get some, will let you know how i get on.

I seem to find out about fabrics through blogland so when Sheridan talked about her love of Heather Ross and her fabrics i thought i would try and find some, especially the lightning bugs and other mysteries range, and i did!! Will show you what i've made in my next blog. Feels like i have been buying alot of fabric and not doing anything with it, so it feels good to actually make something.

Oh and make sure you check out the post below about pay it forward, would love to make something for someone.

Pay it forward

2009-05-04T10:21:00.003-04:00

I hope this works! If the "here" part doesn't work i got this from http://www.beckyetal.blogspot.com/

I really hope i get three comments!!

From HERE
I will make a handmade gift for the first 3 interested people who comment on this post. I have 365 days to do it in…What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise!
The catch is that you must participate as well: you must have a blog and before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Just cut and paste this one if you like, which I did.

Computers are annoying!!!

2009-04-27T22:15:00.002-04:00

So I finally thought i would have some time today to sit down and let you know what i've been up to for the last two weeks. I have lots of photos for you to see and uploaded them onto my bosses computer, I should then be able to acess my photos on my laptop but this did not seem to work! So I could not upload them here. I then managed to load them to flickr but could not figure out how to get them onto my blog! Was then adding descriptions to the photos when my window closed all by itself!!! Friging annoying!!!! So hopefully tomorrow things will work out and i will be able to write a proper blog, keep your fingers crossed!!! If you are desparate to see the photos then pop on ocer to my flickr site although they are not full complete still have to write a few more things about them again hopefully tomorrow. It's getting late and i want to go to bed. Nite nite everyone.

first block swap blocks!

2009-04-05T20:25:00.003-04:00

As promised here are a few photos of the block I've made. The first ones were made for Sheridan, the organizer of the swap

The next ones are for Becca at www.beckyetal.blogspot.com. The first one has fabric that was left over after cutting up a sheet for the vintage sheet swap. The second one has Anna marie horner fabric that was in my scrap box, was surprised and very happy that it went together so well as was getting a tad nervous that i wouldn't find anything to match!

This next one is for Bronwyn at www.whippetgoodwhippet.blogspot.com This one wasn't that hard to chose fabric for. Had fun choosing fabric for all the blocks and sewing them. This is only round one, can't wait for the next lot of fabrics to arrive!

That's all for now. Going away again next weekend. Visiting friends in the states for Easter. Hope everyone has a great Easter and that you don't eat too much chocolate!!

cottage weekend

2009-04-05T11:01:00.005-04:00

So last weekend me and my friends went to a cottage up north. Would have written last week but got back late last Sunday and was too tired to write and last week was busy sewing and cutting, but more of that later.

The cottage was lovely, it had TWO fire places, one on the main level and one in the basement. Also there was lovely views of the lake, don't ask me what the name of the lake is cause i don't know!! All I know is that we were in the town of Port Sydney!! So most of the weekend we were looking at this:

And views like these

Saturday we had fabulous weather, sunny and a little bit warm. We just relaxed, sat by the lake, played card games, the girls played ping pong and the boys played foose ball in the basement, trying to play twister and lots of chatting and some drinks!! Oh and wonderful food made by me and Christina!!! It was earth hour on Saturday so when we had dinner we turned off all the lights and had dinner by candle light. Here's a photo, don't know if you'll see anything but at least you will know I'm not lying!!!

When you live in another country away from your family your friends become your family and i love spending time with my closest friends. We had to leave on Sunday but we could have stayed for the rest of the week.

At the beginning i mentioned the rest of the week was spent cutting and sewing. My vintage sheets are now cut, folded and ready to go to Sheridan. Sign ups are open till the 17th of April so you still have time, run over to chaletgirl.wordpress.com for all the info. The sewing was also to do with Sheridan and her block swap. Was pretty quick to sew them up it was just the choosing of the fabrics that too quite a while!! Will have to show you them later. Seems that blogger won't let me upload any more photos or my computer is acting up! Either way will post them later to day or tomorrow. Can't wait for the next batch of fabrics.

vintage and new

2009-03-22T18:20:00.005-04:00

Have quite a few photos to show you this week!!
The lovely Sheridan at http://www.chaletgirl.wordpress.com/ would like to do a vintage sheet swap and how could I refuse, especially after she tempted me with some very pretty photos. Oh, Fransson, http://www.ohfransson.com/, had organized one a while back and Sheridan had missed it. So now she is wanted to host a similar swap. I said i would be interested but would have to see if there was anything worthwhile buying in my local thrift stores. And look what i found, I just had to buy them as I didn't want to come back and they'd be gone. The first one was only $2. Love the idea of using old sheets to make something new.

Love the bright colours of the next two.

And then the best find of the day........some pink chenille!!!! I love chenille fabric and had bought some squares on ebay this week, thought i would have a look at the thrift store to see if there was any and i found this!! Looks like a double as well, all for $5. I have seen a few at antique store and they were charging $60 up so i was so happy when i saw this!! So if you take part in Sheridan's swap you could be getting a piece of all these fabrics!!!

So on Saturday me and my friends went to Kitchener. We went to check out a market that is going to be hosting a craft show in April. Me and my friend are going to have a stall there selling quilts and things so we wanted to find out where it would be and what the vibe of the place is like. Looks like it will be a good show, will let you know how it goes. After that we went to a quilting shop nearby and i bought some solid fabrics. Was inspired after reading oh, Fransson's post on colour and would like to make a quilt using bright colours. Just need to get some patterned fabric to co-ordinate, any excuse to shop for more fabric!!!!

Next weekend going to a cottage with my friends so should have lost of photos of scenery to share with you all. Hope you all have a great week!

Thank you maggie

2009-03-16T15:34:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to say a quick thank you to Maggie for helping me get the new background for my blog. I just love it! She has her own blog, www.adairplusmaggieplusbaby.blogspot.com she has just had her first baby and he is adorable. Bye for now.

weekend away and pyrex

2009-03-16T14:57:00.006-04:00

Told you I'd try and stick with it! So here i am. I have today and tomorrow off work, it is March break here in Canada and so the family i work for have gone away for a few days. Was nice to catch up on my sleep as stayed up a tad late at the weekend. It was my best friends birthday on Friday so we went to our friends house in Waterloo and stayed there for the weekend. Friday we had cake and presents and lots of merriment was had. Then on Saturday we went out to St Jacobs. It is a small town that has a large indoor/outdoor market. I would have photos but i forgot my camera (will have to remember it more if I'm going to keep writing!) We had a coffee and a muffin then wondered round the town. There was a few quilting stores so will have to go back with my quilting buddy Christina when we have more time. We saw a few hand-quilted quilts and they were amazing, the stitching was perfect and the patterns were quite complex. Wish i had the time and patience to do hand-quilting. Then we headed to the market. Was interesting. I was expecting more handmade items, but most of the stalls were selling everyday things like clothing, electrical goods and beauty supplies. The best part was the food market. Fresh baking, fresh vegetables and meat. Love the idea of buying local produce and if I lived in Waterloo i would definitely go there every week to buy my food. Found one diamond in the ruff tho. It was a little stall called Bygone Reflections and she had lots of wonderful things. Lots of old tins and vintage pyrex dishes. Had never really thought about pyrex dishes till i saw how pretty they were on Sheridan's blog. Then i remembered that my mum has some and how she has had them for ever and how useful they are so i bought two. Here they are:

I don't have a kitchen of my own. If you don't already know i'm a live in nanny, so all i have is a room in the basement. But one day i will, hopefully sometime this year i will and it will be the prettiest kitchen of them all!! Plus i know that i will have these for ever, why would i ever want to get rid of them and they will last a lifetime. So for now they will sit on a shelf in my bedroom looking pretty. As my friend Christina has said "you buy things just because they are cute" I say why not, everyone should have things that when they look at them they make them happy. Now i have fabric and pyrex!!

Going to go and do some sewing now. Will post some photos tomorrow of what i'm making and you can let me know what you think.

I'm back!!!

2009-03-08T13:17:00.004-04:00

I know i'm not very good at this. I start something new and only ever keep it up for a few months. I love reading other peoples blogs but i get too distracted and never think of writing on my own blog, so here i am trying to turn over a new leaf. Am going to try an write every Sunday, if i start to do this then hopefully it will be become part of my routine. Keep your fingers crossed! Although am away next weekend for a friend's birthday, oh no i'm making excuses already!
Won't bore you with everything that has happened between November and now, but i did go home for Christmas. It was fantastic. Love seeing my parents obviously and it was very relaxing. Didn't do much, just hung out with my parents and my sister and did a ton of shopping. Love to shop for clothes, shoes and toiletries when i'm home. Stuff is so diffrent there. Oh and loved my mum's home cooking. She is a wonderful cook/baker, have learned alot from here.

I am taking part in one swap. Sheridan from chaletgirl.wordpress.com is hosting a Block swap find all the info here http://www.flickr.com/groups/1068643@N22/. I have said it before but i will say it again i love Sheridan's blog, she has the best fabric and i get alot of ideas from her plus she has the cutest kids! Will let you know how i am getting on.

One more thing before i go. Me and my friends are going to Myrtle beach in August for our summer vacation. We will be driving down at night time and then taking a few days to drive back to Canada and see the sites! If anyone out there has any suggestions of where to go or what to see i would love to hear about them. Hopefully this is what i will see when i'm there!
Thanks and i will be writing soon.....i promise! If I'm not feel free to leave a comment and that will spur me on to write again!

It's my birthday!!!!!

2008-11-09T11:48:00.002-05:00

Oh how i love it when it's my birthday! I just love to get pressies the one time of the year when it's all about me, does that sound selfish and self centred!! Oh well i get to be for one day of the year!!! I am grateful tho that i have such good friends here is Canada that make my day soooo good. I've already had a friends party on Friday night and tonight i am having dinner with my employers and their family, they have truly made me feel like one of the family.

It's been a while since i posted so i have a few things to tell you about. Will try and do that later as i have to go get dressed and be ready for my day!! Oh and i will be trying to get a little cotton rabbit, will tell you the web address later as i have been trying to get one for months and they sell really quickly. Hoping that the gods are looking down on me as it is my birthday!!! Wish me luck and here is a photo so you can see how cute they are.

date is wrong

2008-09-23T20:47:00.002-04:00

Just noticed that the date should be the Tuesday. Started writing it on the saturday then remembered didn't have photos on the computer i was working on so saved it and finished it tonight. Just wanted to let you all know that i don't have physic abilities and can't see in to the future!!

new fabrics

2008-09-20T11:18:00.007-04:00

Here is the fabric that I've been promising to show you. I bought Sandi Henderson's new line from the fat quarter shop. They had 5 different colour ways was hard to chose so bought 3 of them!!! Love orange, the green goes with orange and just had to have the cherry fabric in the red pack. You probably can't see the patterns from my photos but they are all lovely.

Don't know what I'll do with them yet, might use the same pattern of the quilt that is at the very top of my blog. The next set of fabrics i bought from http://www.patchworkoncentralpark.com.au/. All the way from Australia!! I have liked these fabrics for a while and decided to give in and buy them, only took two weeks to get all the way from Australia!

Again don't know what I'll do with the skipping girls fabric, might make a bag. But with the orange hearts i made this:

I made this from a softies book, originally published in yup Australia ( i really want to go there someday they seem to have really good fabric, shops and general good stuff). I had given up on getting it when one evening browsing round a book store i found it!!! She was quite easy to make and i gave her to my lucky swap partner in the crafty girls f.q and recipe swap. Also made another one for my swap partner in the f.q and chocolate swap.

Also wanted to tell you what i did at the weekend. On Saturday i went for a massage. I only go twice a year and that is because i get a special deal. Twice a year there is something called spa week and certain spas in North America have services for just $50!! If you get a chance you should go i love getting massages but dislike that they are soooo expensive. Here is the link if you want to find out if they do it in your area. http://www.spaweek.org/.

Then on Sunday we went to see New Kids on the Block. Oh my they were fantastic one of the best concerts i have ever been to. Was of course a huge fan in my youth so was amazing to see them. I have never been to a concert were the screams were sooo loud!! They really did put on a good show, great songs, great dancing, fantastic audience participation (love when we have a turn to sing!!!) plus the guys look great if you don't belive me look at this:

All i can say is haven't they all aged well and yum!! On that note i think I'll go to bed and dream of the guys.

Oh before i forget might be taking a learn to machine quilting class tomorrow. I say might because the shop got their dates mixed up and i thought it started on a Wednesday but turns out it is on a Tuesday night and i do yoga on Tuesdays! Will let you know the outcome soon. Anyway off to think about the guys.

Sorry i've taken soo long to post

2008-09-08T11:24:00.002-04:00

Sorry i'v been away for a while. I find it difficult to find the time these days. Obviously i have a full time job and only have a few hours free time before i go to bed (during the week i try to get to bed around 10, I need my sleep!!!). These last few weeks have been hectic. I had a very close friend here in Canada and she decided to move back to her home in England, so me and my friends wanted to use every weekend to go on trips with her. Plus we decided to have a surprise leaving party for her and make a scrapbook of her 10 years in Canada.
Also I have signed up for 4 swaps!! I know i'm a tad crazy, but i do love them so! I'm doing the strawberry swap (it's nearly finished just have to make some strawberries), a crafty girls fat quarter and recipie swap, a little fabric a little chocolate swap and the 6" mini quilt swap. Couldn't resist the mini quilt swap as this month it is to do with mushrooms or owls and i just so happen to have a few fabrics with mushrooms on!
So most of my evenings have been spent making things for these swaps, or scrapbooking, or planning a party.
I have decided this week to try and have a t.v free week. My downfall is that i turn the t.v on sit down and it takes me a while to get back up! Hopefully i will get more things done and then i can blog more.
Also have some lovely new fabrics to show you all. I have some of Sandi Hendersons new fabric Farmers Market and some fabric all the way from Australia. Someday i would love to go there as they seem to have wonderful designers and stores. Will try and post them in the next few days.

Back from vacation

2008-08-10T13:57:00.008-04:00

Have been back from my holidays for a week now and was back at work on Tuesday. No one likes going back to work but it has to be done. I had a wonderful time in the states with my friends, hadn't seen them for a year so it is great to catch up with them. Didn't do much just relaxed, my perfect holiday! On the Sunday we went out on lake Ontario on a friends boat, was a gorgeous day.

Me chillin' on the boat.

The wonderful scenery and the boat.

I came back on Thursday and had a few packages waiting for me. One was from my 6' mini quilt swap and she was also my scrappy quilt partner! I didn't realize i had the same lady until i was printing her label on the computer! Here is what she sent me.

Wish i had a better camera so i could show you Kathy's quilting. It is fabulous, she is what i aspire to become in years to come. Thank you Kathy and is was good swapping with someone else in Canada. Another package that arrived was from Julianne, this was the chocolate and fat quarter swap.

A great swap, love the fabric, the chocolate, the nicknaks and the beautiful pendant she made for me. I really do love swaps!!!! Also had a private swap with pinktrees, her package arrived this week. Will take some photos and will show you what she sent me. Also i bought a doll from http://www.imagingermonkey.blogspot.com/ will also take a photo of her, she is very cute. Once i was back i was off again this time to North Bay. It is about 4 and half hours away from Burlington. Was again a very relaxing weekend. For most of the weekend we did this:

My friend Christina brought a 2000 piece puzzle for us to do, she loves puzzles!! Unfortunately we didn't get in completed so she is going to start over again. We were so close to finishing it but we gave ourselves a deadline and plus we had to leave the bed and breakfast before other people arrived!!

We did find time tho to go into North Bay and visit 2 quilt stores. Both are very nice and the ladies there are very nice.

This one is Quilts and other Comforts.

And this one is Homestead Stitches. Both have websites and i thoroughly recommend you go to North Bay, stay at Heathers bed and breakfast and visit these shops. Well that was my vacation week, was quite busy really. The next vacation i will have will be at Christmas when i go home to Scotland for two weeks, can't wait!! Only 5 months to go!!!!!

This weekend my friends and i went to the Fergus Highland Games, will write about that later, am a tad tired from last nights festivities so think i will go for a lie down. Hope you all had a great weekend (i did ;-) ) and i will write soon.

Away on vacation

2008-07-26T09:33:00.003-04:00

So today i'm on vacation for just over a week, yippee!!! Going to go to Rochester, NY for a few days. I was an exchange student a long time ago and going to visit with the family I stayed with for a year. They are like my other family. Haven't seen them for a year so will be great to see them. When i was living with them the girls were 2 and 4 and now they are nearly finishing high school!! Does make me feel old!!! Going to have a lovely time not doing much, relaxing, reading and some shopping. (My other favourite pastime apart from quilting is shopping!)

I come back on Thursday then on Friday I will be heading up to North Bay. We are staying at a lovely bed and breakfast www.graysloghouse.com . Heather makes the most excellent breakfasts and she is a very nice and friendly person. Me and my friends went there last year and had a wonderful time, very relaxing. The reason we went there was that there is a great quilting store there! Can't wait to go back and do some fabric shopping. Will make sure i take lots of photos to show you. Hope everyone has a great week!

mini quilts and packages.

2008-07-13T19:24:00.006-04:00

So I have finished two of my mini quilts and have finished the top of another today. Here they are:

This one is for the triangles group for the 6" - 12" mini quilt swap. Every month you get a new theme or you can do a plain jane quilt which is anything you want. I chose to do both this month. Was worried about triangles at first but everyone gave links for patterns and ideas on the flickr group so once i found a pattern i was set! This next one is for the plain jane group:

Had fun using the yo-yo makers on this quilt, was hard to find buttons to match but eventually found them in a scrap booking store! Didn't think it through tho as had attached the yo-yo's to the quilt then thought that i should have put the buttons on before hand so glued them on, hope that my swap partner doesn't mind or notice. Here is the third and final mini quilt. This one is a scrappy swap.

Every strip is different and scraps from other quilts i have made. This is a swap organized by http://www.scraphappyquilts.blogspot.com/. We have to use scraps from our scrap box and also send our partner 50 2" squares from our scrap box. I think it is fair to say that i have caught the mini quilt bug. I do like having things to make but might take a break this month to get some larger quilts done.

Also decided to add some embroidery for the doll quilt swap, here is a sneak preview,

This week i got some packages in the mail. I LOVE getting packages in the post! The first one came from Gigiminor's shop called Pinks and Needles on Etsy. She makes the most beautiful pin toppers and they came lovingly packaged.

The photos aren't that great i have a Kodak digital camera and it doesn't like taking photos of things too close. I bought quite a few of them and might put them in the quilt swaps as and extra treat. Another package came all the way from Australia, took 2 weeks to get here but was well worth the wait. It was a bundle of vintage chenille squares, they came from http://www.sarah-london.blogspot.com/.

The photos don't do them justice but if you head over to her blog you will get better pictures. They are very soft and will make an excellent quilt, when i can find the time to make it! Thank you to http://www.chaletgirl.wordpress.com/. If i hadn't started reading your blog i wouldn't have found out about Sarah or the mini quilt swaps. She has an excellent blog and i get alot of ideas and see new fabrics to buy!!

Well that's all for now. My friend bought a new sewing machine and it can quilt so i am planning on quilting the scrappy top this week so i will let you know how that goes.

What I did with two extra days

2008-07-05T10:58:00.007-04:00

So as you know i had two extra days off work this week which was lovely. Could get used to working a 3 day week! Didn't do much on the weekend, me and my friend Christina did some sewing and we had friends over for a barbeque. I made cherry cola ribs. They were delicious but it did take quite a while to make them. Then on Monday I went to Georgetown to go to a quilting store.

It is called the Hobby Horse and it is in the nicest location, has wonderful views of the country. Bought a few fat quaters, then we headed into Georgetown for a wander and something to eat.

Had some nice shops, although not all of them were open what with it being a holiday weekend. Love the murals that towns do on the side of buildings, there is quite alot in the small towns of Canada. Hopefully will get to see some more over the summer.

On Tuesday, Canada Day!, we went to a place called Port Credit, it is a nice place to walk around and it is on the lake. It was a gorgeous day as you can see from the photos.

Can you see the CN tower? Had a lovely day being with my friends just walking around and eating lunch on the patio and drinking virgin margarita's :-( This was the only down point of the day, love my margarita's but i was the driver so had to stick with virgin ones! This is one of the reasons i love Canada, sorry to any Scottish readers but you really wouldn't be able to do this in Scotland, well you wouldn't get the hot weather.

This week I have been very busy quilting. I have three, yes i said three, mini quilts to make and also both my parents turned 60 in May and June so am making a quilt for them. Will take photos of them all and will post them soon.

Have a great weekend!

I have photos to show!

2008-06-30T09:46:00.006-04:00

So i have finally managed to get photos on to the computer. My boss had got rid of the main computer and now we have a fancy laptop, so while they are away i thought i would try and put my photos on his laptop and it worked!!! Yippee now i can show you what i have been working on.

This is the lovely mini quilt that i received from milliemorgan. It is fantastic, the front is perfect and the back is just as nice. I also had an extra present included, she was soo thoughtful and i am so glad that i have joined these swap groups. The people are very nice and friendly.

Here is my work in progress for doll quilt swap 4.I really hope my partner likes it. She was specific in the colours that she wanted, i have had some very nice feedback form my flickr site so will keep my fingers crossed. Still have to cut the batting and the backing, then quilt it. Have a few ideas what to do but i still have a few weeks before it has to be finished. Will post photos when it is done.

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!!

2008-06-27T22:45:00.003-04:00

This weekend is a long weekend, yipee! It is Canada Day on July the 1st (Tuesday) but will be off monday and tuesday an extra long weekend. I do love it here in Canada have made some wonderful friends and prefer my life here to Scotland. Don't get me wrong i still love Scotland, get homesick and will always consider myself scottish but Canada has just so much more to offer me craft wise than home.

Sorry that there are no photos up, have a lot i want to show you. Took photos of my doll quilt that i'm working on and a few other things, but still no main computer and this lap top will not register my camera so can't download ANYTHING!!!! Having a barbeque tomorrow and will take a few photos and hopefully by middle of next week my boss can show me how to get photos on this machine.

Have a fantastic weekend!

6" - 12" mini quilt swap

2008-06-24T15:49:00.003-04:00

My swap partner received her quilt from me today and here it is....

I am so glad she liked it. This was my very first swap and was a bit nervous that it might not be good enough!! Now I am hooked on swaps. Will work on the doll quilt tomorrow night after work and hopefully the main computer will be up and running and i can post some photos. Have yoga tonight so no sewing today!

quilt swaps

2008-06-23T19:25:00.000-04:00

I have been reading chaletgirl13's blog for a while and loved reading about the doll quilt swaps she was doing and admiring the photos of the quilts. I wrote her a note to ask how you get involved and she told me about the two swaps that are at the side of my blog. At first i thought that flickr was just a website where people post their photos but it is sooo much more than that. There are lots of different groups and so far everyone that i have met has been really nice.

I have already sent a 6"-12" quilt to my swap partner and looking forward to next months swap. Will try and post a photo of it tomorrow. At the moment i am writing on a laptop and i can't transfer my photos from my camera to this computer. We have a normal computer but my boss is downloading things and so i can't use it at the mo.

Working on the doll quilt swap and might also post a photo, but with this swap you must keep your partner a secret and i am worried that my partner will see it and know what she is getting!!

I guess i should have introduced myself first! I am originally from Scotland and now i am living and working in Canada as a live in nanny, hence the "my boss has a computer" quote. I have been living here for two years now, although this is my third time doing the nanny in canada thing. Third time lucky right. This is where i want to make my home and also love the fact that i can quilt and buy lots and lots of fabric!!! Well thats all for now. Talk to you all soon.

welcome

2008-06-23T13:52:00.000-04:00

Hello there everyone. So i have been reading other people's blogs for a while and have been thinking that maybe i should start one, but then i thought that i wouldn't have much to write about. Then again i don't have to write everyday, do i? So here goes, hopefully there will be a few people out there that will read my blog and not just friends and family!!

Will probably write about fabric, quilting that i am working on and things that i do with my friends. Might write about my job, am a nanny and what with the summer holidays coming up we will be planning lots of outings ( but if my employers read this then i might stop)!!