I'm An Auntie!

I'm an auntie! Finally! Little Zed was born to my friend Malia last night. Just in the nick of time for a 2012 tax break! Although I have not seen him yet, he looks HUGE! I am so thankful everything went ok with his birth.

Happy Christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I managed to finish my eyeball dress at literally the eleventh hour Christmas eve. It's Butterick B5603, which seemed easy enough, especially looking at Roisin's dress. BUT when I tried it on, the underbust seam was on top of my bust! The pattern seems to have no allowance for any bust projection whatsoever. I even cut a larger size than normal, and added an inch to both the skirt and bodice - to allow for my height. In the end I had to cut the straps off and re-sew new and different ones.

Max playing with his gift from my father.  - Giving my aunt a "facelift" after Christmas dinner.

Seeing the King Tut exhibit in Seattle. They wouldn't allow pictures inside :(

My grandmother was in hospital Christmas day. I brought in lights, presents, crackers and dessert, but it was still depressing. One night in the bed across from her was a a druggie who had OD'd and talked to himself and Jesus all night. The next day a woman replaced him and then died. Fortunately my grandmother is doing better and I bet will be out by Wednesday or so.

My mum and I went to see the bright nights train ride in Stanley Park on boxing day. It is so corny, yet so wonderful.

Christmas Baking

A happy almost Christmas to you! This is how I spent the weekend, baking, baking... and more baking.  Saturday I baked 15 different kinds of cookies for 10 hours straight. The bags on the right are but three of the 22 bags that my mum and I are are giving or sending. I preprinted the little labels at OfficeMax which helped immensely.Some are Edward Gorey, some are a Scottish Santa with bagpipes.
Sunday I packaged everything and made the babka. I used this recipe, but have changed it quite a bit over the years. The round babka is the result of lending my mum my third loaf pan and her giving it away. Nice. I didn't swear too much when I found that out. If you've never had babka, you need to! It's like a slice of a cinnamon roll with chocolate mixed in. I used to buy it at Canters when I lived in LA. A friend brought back some from Zabars in New York for me, but it was so gross I couldn't even swallow it. My boyfriend thought it tasted like a "hospital".

Cookies baked:

1. chocolate chip shortbread

2. plain shortbread

3. mint chocolate chip

4. chocolate florentines

5. orange chocolate

6. nutella & hazelnut rugelach

7. peanut butter rugelach

8. ginger with lemon icing

9. oatmeal hazelnut chocolate chip

10. peanut butter

11. snickerdoodles

12. chocolate walnut biscotti

13. lemon almond biscotti

14. peppermint cream cheese brownie

15. chocolate hazelnut sliced cookies

Orpheum + Vancouver Sympony + Christmas + Barenaked Ladies?

Friday night my mum and I went to see the Barenaked Ladies with the Vancouver Symphony at the Orpheum. I know, I know... the Barenaked Ladies? But they were awesome! This is the third time I've seen them, and they are just as good as they were 12 years ago even though Steven Page & his voice are not with them anymore. They sounded great with the symphony and did several Christmas songs mixed in.

The Orpheum is a wonderful place to visit no matter the show. Being there one cannot help but think of The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, we even parked at the library - which is also in the movie.

Before the show I got to go to Dressew, The Spaghetti Factory & The Bay. The basement at the Bay was packed with Christmas stuff, I got some crackers for Christmas Day. Much to my surprise there is a Topshop in the Bay taking up a whole floor! I only got to look for a minute because we ran out of time.

I have been accused many times of only liking the Barenaked Ladies because they are Canadian. (always by Americans!) When you listed to Canadian radio, there is a certain amount of Canadian Content that is required to be played, so you hear songs you wouldn't normally hear on American radio. Thinking about it I have seen many "Canadian Content" bands - and liked them!

Here is a top of my head list, but don't judge me too harshly, I was forced to see some of these!

Great Big Sea x2

k.d. lang x5

Thr Tragically Hip x2

Stompin Tom Conners

Hedley

Hot Hot Heat x2

 Anne Murray

Nickleback

Michael Buble

Avril Lavinge

Daniel Lanois x2

The Tea Party

Neil Young

Alanis Morisette

Marie Mai

The Kids In The Hall x2

Garou

54-40

Tim Hus

Paul Brandt

Monthly Theme Post - Maxi Skirts

 

Hmmm... maxi skirts.... Knee length skirts and I are friends, but maxi skirts an I are not really friends. The only skirt I have that could qualify for this theme post is the skirt to my half mourning 1880's costume. There is a  matching veiled hat, corset and jet jewelry that goes along with it as well. I made it 4 years ago for my mum's big Halloween party. She hired a magician to perform, who tied me up with ropes that fell apart - magically! 

Anyway... back to maxi skirts. One reason I don't like to wear them is that there is an extreme religious group in my area that subjugates women in a depressing way. They are unschooled, unable to go out alone and have to wear these awful skirts. Of course the men are not subject to any of these regulations. They make me sad when I see them, therefore when I think of maxi skirts I think of them.

New Boots!

I bought some new leather boots on black Friday. My mum and I got up around 5am to go shopping this black Friday. Neither of us was after much, just random things that were really on sale. I shopped most for xmas gifts for my Grandmother to give away. At 11am we were mostly dead, but couldn't pass up a consignment store on the way home. I saw these the moment I walked in, and they are my actual true shoe size 7 1/2WW! They were $15.00, but I had a credit at the store, so they were free! I've been wearing them every day since then.

Baby Shower & Edward Gorey Baby Book

It was my friend Malia's baby shower this weekend.

I've been working for months getting things together, ever since she told me she was pregnant!

As you can probably tell from her blue mohawk, Malia is not your average person - in a very good way! Baby pastels and frou frou are not her, and are not for her baby. I decided to go with a lime green & monster theme, which I feel worked out well. Most everthing in the left photo I bought, while I made everything in the right photo. Yes, that gray onesie I embroidered says "Redrum". The sock monkey plays a song that scared my cat so bad, he would not come near me for a whole evening!

I wrapped everything in lime green & black to keep the theme going. The onesie at the right I finished embroidering the night before!

All the baby books out there were so smarmy and well, not Malia. In fiddling around with vintage images, I started think more and more about Edward Gorey. He has a drawing for every category I could imagine, and it worked out SO perfectly. I bound the book in some gray/green card stock that looked like and old library book.

Remembrance Day

This remembrance day I thought quite a bit about my great grandfather, Walter John Thomson. He played the bagpipes into brutal battle in WW1 France. Apparently the fighting was so awful, he signed my grandfather up as essential farm labour at the beginning of WW2. My grandfather did not speak to him for several years because of this, but likely saved his life! Today I wore British, Canadian and American poppies, as well as a vintage thistle pin.

Vintage Stockings Collection Part 2

Part 2 of my vintage stockings. This is the other half of a tub of seamless stockings. I think my favourite
package is the Lerner one with the peach stripes.