cinnamon & sugar

This past week hubby was gone for training so I had the bedroom (and kids) to myself. I thought it would be a brilliant time to redecorate our bedroom!

Over the last while I have been working on smaller redo projects for the bedroom, but still hadn’t taken the leap with the can of paint I had sitting downstairs. It all just seemed a daunting task!

So while the kids were at school (and Aiden occupied himself around the house) I got to work. Our room was repainted when we got the flooring put in years ago, but now it was outdated and definitely time for a change. Remember yellow walls?

Yup. We had them. Loved them then, but the colours are CLEARLY old!!!  LOL

And the mirror was used as a hanger for photos for craigslist ads….. oy!

Those brown curtains? Look what the sun did to them!

I am actually going to hang onto them because Alyssa thought they looked really cool, and in fact they could make some fun beanbag chairs for the rec room!

First up, I needed to prime the walls. I didn’t want the yellow giving the new paint yellow undertones. NOT what I was looking for!

I went with what I had, a darker grey tinted primer.

This part was quite exciting! And tedious…… and I got to sleep in the middle of my room that night while it dried.

Day two? The real paint! YAY!!!!!!

I really dislike edging, so to break it up I drew on the walls and then covered it up again. Yes, I get bored painting walls sometimes!

Day three the walls were all painted and the room was readied for the bed….. notice the sheers and new white backed curtains??? No more sunbleaching anything!

Now it was time to bring in the bed….

I was looking for my original photos of the bed in picasa, but couldn’t find them! I kept scrolling back…..and scrolling back……and scrolling back some more……oh look! I started working on it last September!!!!

We had bought a second hand, run of the mill, every day pine sleigh bed last year and it was my intention right away to paint it. Because I find these beds kind of boring in pine! At least in my room, anyways. So one fine day last September I hauled it outside and slapped on a coat of white primer…

But I wanted to paint it a dark colour, so during the winter I brought it out indoors and slapped on another tinted primer (the very same I used on the walls!).

Looking at it then it still seemed very plain to me, so I picked up some molding trim at Home Depot and glued it on after it was cut down to size!

I didn’t take a shot of the trim, and I was too lazy tired to get up and do that for this post, so this crop will have to do. It adds quite a nice touch to it!

The final paint:

The finished bedroom!

I was completely blown away by the difference in rooms….. I was so excited to sleep in my first real bed frame ever!!!!! Yes, sad but true. It has always been a metal bed frame until this past week.

My favourite things?

This beautiful dresser we picked up a while ago…. new to us, with gorgeous lines and finish. I knew it would look splendid in the new room!

Except for the gold hardware. Just a little glaring against a grey wall.

So off they came…

out came the spray paint, and the recycled drawer pulls!

I apologize for the first very blurry photo of the dresser…..it must have been from one of my lesser quality cameras…  :oP

My necklace hanger is on the wall!

And here is my earring holder I wanted to share with you!

It is an unused mirrored candle holder that has always been sitting on top of the dresser….one day I decided to hang earrings from it for something unusual, and I loved how it turned out!

And my perfume bottle holds my bracelets…..  :o)

My most favourite little thing in the room though has to be this shelf….

I have a little thing for birds this year it seems, and I bought the green bird specifically for this room because it matched my sheets perfectly!!!!

I love these two little birds……… they make me happy.  :o)

I still have a smaller black and white quilt in the works for on the bed, but I will share that another day! Or month….whenever it gets done. Finally.  :oP

Over the last while I have been changing my eating habits. Again.

Due to my food allergies I have already deleted many food items from my diet, and thought I had found an even keel. Until recently. I have been feeling bloated, blah, tired, suffering from big headaches again. A sure sign my body is reacting to something.

I realized that it was the sugar I was consuming that makes me feel this way. I do not have a lot of sugar in my diet because of my other food allergies, but sometimes I have gluten free baking. Or I eat Udi’s gluten free bread. Good for my allergies in every way, except they contain regular sugar.

So I started reading labels again. Tomato sauce with herbs that I use for spaghetti sauce? Sugar in it. Now I buy the plain crushed tomatoes and create my own masterpiece from scratch! I plan on growing scads of tomatoes in my gardens this year and making my own sauce…

Baking was a no brainer. I have been scouring the net looking for sugar free recipes, and have come across some pretty great ones!

Like these energy bites:

Or granola to be used for on top of yogurt (for the rest of the family), as snacks for school, or as a cereal I eat with almond milk. I haven’t had cereal in years!!!

I am learning to love honey, which I haven’t liked too much in the past…..I went to our local honeybee centre last week and did some honey tasting. While I like the regular stuff, I fell in love with our local wildflower honey!!!

Bonus is that the wildflower honey is supposed to help with hayfever. Yay!

The taste is deliciously mild, and I put it in my tea, in smoothies, and I especially love fresh strawberries drowned drizzled in it!!!

That was my ‘cereal’ this morning as I ran out of granola the other day!   :o)

But now on to the title of my post…..

I have been diving into the real food lifestyle lately, as in less processed, more fresh ingredients. Ditching the tinned food, margarine, sugars. In their place my shelves and fridge have been overflowing with fresh fruits and veggies, coconut oil, and honey, pure maple syrup or coconut sugar used as sweeteners.

This is where my final recipe share comes in………my most favourite dessert EVER. Even from my sugar dosed days! Nothing can surpass this chocolate love in a bowl……

So what’s in this pudding?

I was pretty skeptical at first, but I knew this special ingredient has a buttery consistency and flavour, so mixed with the honey, coconut oil, vanilla extract and cocoa would produce a pretty interesting pudding!

I whipped it up, and tentatively took my first bite……. an explosion of fresh delicious flavour! This special ingredient not only made it creamy, it added a subtle banana flavour, which I haven’t had in years! (Yes, allergies again) Oh how I savoured the flavour….. and it was even better the next day!!!!!!

It turned out to be more like a mousse consistency, and was very rich so you only need a very little bit. Then you can go back for seconds.  ;o)

The first time I made it I had no fruit on it, but thought it would taste amazing with fresh raspberries on it! The second time I also cooked up a strawberry and honey compote for on top. Even better! I can’t wait for our raspberries to bear fruit so I can try it with that…..

I bet you are dying to know what that secret ingredient is now…..

Avocado!!!!!

Your favourite guacamole base is now an amazing dessert base!!!

Find the recipe here and then run to your favourite grocery store….. make it for dessert tonight! And be sure to make enough for the next day too!

Man, now I need to go buy myself some more avocados…….

Today I got some craft on!

I had a few old drawer/ door knobs kicking around, and have seen many ideas for them on Pinterest. There was one I really loved to hold my necklaces that involved buying a wooden cutlery tray. It would have been really beautiful, and maybe one day I will actually do it, but at this point I didn’t want to have to go out and buy supplies.

I found a scrap of baseboard from when we redid the kitchen…..

I didn’t even need to trim it down!

I got out my fantastical Martha Stewart craft paints and painted ONE COAT of black. Even right over bright white one coat is all you need!

Hmmmmmm…..looking a little plain jane still. I wanted a bit of a pattern on the back so I ripped into my rubber stamping stash and found this gem!

I went to town with Martha Stewart’s lake fog paint. It is a white with a bit of a grey base….. really nice!

I sanded down the edges, bunged it up everywhere else, and drilled holes for the knobs. I added two hangers to the back to keep it straight with weight on the knobs, and here she is!

It was a half hour project from start to finish, mostly because I hate waiting for paint to dry properly  ;o)   but isn’t she pretty?

Cost? Nothing, as I already had it all in the house!

She is going to look really cute on my bedroom wall soon……. it is going to go great with my fun earring holder!

On this bright morning I put on my running gear and headed out in the warm(ish) sunshine for a long run (10 km). The sun was out, the birds were chirping and I watched them soar overhead as I ran. The first three kms felt fantastic — my lungs were good, my legs were fast, and I was churning up the flat pavement along 176th.

I turned onto Fraser hwy to go up the big hill, and decided to have a little walk first. Another runner sped past me and I trailed behind him. I experienced a moment of glory as I ran up the hill while he ditched at the bottom of it. Take that Mr. I Run So Fast The Quiet Air Blows My Hair Back!

I got two thirds up that hill when I hit my wall. It was a very big wall, three feet thick, built of impenetrable concrete. My lungs conked out and I had to walk. The birds soaring overhead were now vultures, waiting for me to take my final wheezes and collapse. I plodded on.

I got to the top of the hill and turned down 184th to head back to 60th. I managed to get a feeble run going on and off those blocks, but still did a fair amount of walking. Then I turned onto 60th, my favourite part of the run.

IT IS ALL DOWNHILL.

I thought to myself this is where I get to make up my time, and I raced down that hill……until I had to come to a complete stop at the bottom, because the entire right side of my torso seized up. I couldn’t breathe and had to stand still until the pain subsided. I then pathetically walked the rest of the way home.

A complete and utterly dismal failure of a run in any runner’s eyes.

BUT

It was the best run ever.

This morning I ran for Boston.

On this run I gave thanks every footfall that I have two legs to run on. That even though I had an exceptionally lousy run, that there is going to be a next one. And that next run could only be better than that one.

I want to still be running when I am 73. I want to run a half marathon, and maybe a full marathon one day. I want to be able to run without worries of such tragic happenings occurring again….

I know my run was so bad because all I could do was replay all the images and news I have seen and heard in my mind as I ran. But that’s okay.

This run was dedicated to all those affected by the tragedy in Boston, and my prayer for them is that they will all find healing — physical, emotional, and spiritual. That they will be able to carry on…..

In the meantime, I will just run on, while keeping the runners and the spectators in my thoughts and heart……we are a big community and a very determined bunch!

Will you continue to run on?

Over the last while we have enjoyed some warmer temperatures, and spring like weather. We do still have our cooler days, but it looks like the frost may be gone. Crossing my fingers!

Here are some photos from outside in our backyard:

A couple weeks ago Darryl built a tiered planter for our strawberries!

Where it is situated in our backyard (if you know what it looks like)

Full of strawberry plants!

Our raspberry plants are starting to fill in!

And our chives and oregano are coming back! I didn’t know oregano did that….

Our rhubarb patch…… hope we get tons and tons!!!

Our grape hyacinths are in full bloom and look so cute with their pop of purple!

Our lilac trees are leafing and getting ready to bloom…..can’t wait for that heavenly scent!

Our veggie garden is being readied for planting……. potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, beans, carrots……. who knows what else?

Any suggestions?

We have separate beds for the beans and tomatoes, so we have lots of room in the big garden!

Spring has definitely been knocking on our door recently, along with all the joys — and allergies — it brings!  ;o)

I wanted to add a bit of spring to my kitchen, to cheer me while I while the hours away in there. I know I could do that by cleaning my kitchen from top to bottom, but this way is so much less time consuming, and way more fun!

I have seen boxwood wreaths all over the internet lately, and have wanted to make one for a while. I have been waiting and waiting for the right sale at Michael’s so I could snag one of these:

Yesterday they were half price! Yay!!!

I started by grabbing a hanger. Yes, the ordinary, run of the mill, clog up your closet kind of hanger!

I shaped it into a circle…. well as good a circle as I could. It doesn’t really matter because the garland will hide any imperfections….

I started tying the boxwood garland to the hanger in strategic places. This is what it looked like finished. Off to a good start!

It needs a little more…..

And what says spring more than a bird?

I picked this cutie up with another 50 % off coupon, so score!

But he looked a little plain, so I got out the paints. he went from this:

To this!

As the paint was drying I got to work on the ribbon. I wanted to use burlap, and even thought about buying burlap ribbon at Michael’s, until I remembered that I had this at home (my inlaws will recognize it!)

I cut the top off, and cut the bag into a ribbon to use…. for free!

The colour was a little light for me, so I soaked it for a bit in old coffee and hung it out to dry.

The finished cuteness!

I had originally wanted to make a bigger wreath to hang on my front door, but that would have required two garlands, which just wasn’t in my budget. So I went with a smaller wreath and it is hanging on my kitchen door instead!

Bonus for me because now I can see it lots and lots!

It really does make me smile…..   :o)

As does this!

I went out to Potters and got some baby herb plants! I still have to pot them properly, but I am looking forward to wonderful fresh flavours coming from my kitchen shelf!!! 

This original artwork sits on my sewing table. It was created for me by a good friend, just because.  :o)

I put it in a 5 x 7 frame, and this was the only one I had available. A little boring, is it not? Doesn’t do much for the artwork either….

I had a few 4 x 6 frames sitting in my closet, which haven’t been in use for ages. I love this one, but who really gets 4 x 6 prints anymore? It is usually straight to shutterfly or digital photo frames…. .or just left on the computer. Like in this house…. SHHHHHHHHHH

It is a metal frame, not plastic, and it fit beautifully inside the 5 x 7 frame opening! I took it apart, unscrewed the nibs on the back, and on my first attempt stuck some sticky tabs on the back. I didn’t think it would last long, but I was too lazy to plug in my glue gun….

Flipped it over, placed the frame, and applied pressure, and TA-DA!!!

She’s pretty now!!!

It does cover my friend’s signature, but the artwork is still intact. If I ever take it apart, I will see it again!  ;o)

After a while gracing my desk, the frame did come loose, so I had to go find my glue gun and reattach it a bit more permanently. I did not want to use gorilla glue to attach the metal frame just in case I wanted to use it by itself again. Now all I have to do is pull it apart and go!

This is my favourite spot on my desk right now, aside from the exact place where my sewing machine sits….

By the way, the artwork is a linograph of a girl sewing a doll…… perfect for my sewing space!   :o)

This was a custom request from a crafting friend. Melissa wanted me to come up with some stretch belts to sell along with her crocheted hats at her next craft fair. You can find her fantastic work here !

So I did some searching online (I had never even heard of them before!) and got to work.

I started with this:

and cut it all up. I ended up doubling the layers of elastic because I didn’t feel the belts would be strong enough otherwise. I sewed two complementary layers together to get this:

Next I went snap happy!!!

I wish I had more colours from kamsnaps, but oh well. I worked with the vast supply I already have…..

Here is Aiden modelling one of the finished products!

Before with his droopy drawers….. I must admit I was a bit skeptical about these belts. I didn’t know if they would work or not. I was hoping they would get rid of that gap at the back when Aiden bends over…. you know the one where they are sitting on the floor, or leaning forward and their pants ride down so low you can see crack?

After with his superman inspired stretch belt!!! I made this special for him. Yellow snaps, red and blue elastic. I figured it might be easier for him to accept the belt on his pants. But no fear! He thought the belt was cool without any explanation! lol

And guess what?????? They WORKED!!!!!! The back is nice and snug against his skin without being tight, and they hold his pants up when he bends over! Brilliant, who ever invented these!

These belts are also reversible, so you can wear it the above way if you want the red and blue to show, or you can turn it around and snap it under the loops to get just blue!

The craft fair is tomorrow, and I finished the belts last night. A while ago I came up with these cute little package designs and made one up, keeping it on my computer to print up at a later date….

I went to print them up this morning but my printer is screwed up and won’t feed the papers through properly! So I had to get creative and come up with a new way to display them…. quickly.

This is what I came up with:

It is a Melissa & Doug box Lauren has some magnetic dolls in (which will be returned to her after the sale….. I borrowed it lol). I added the signs on the front, put the belts in the compartments, and used the one packaged belt as a display model! I painted two clothes pins purple and glued them to the side of the box to hold it. Simple!

There was even a little compartment perfect for putting my mini business cards….. :o)

Anyone interested in a belt of their own? Contact me…..

I think I need to try make them in a larger size and see if they will hold up Lauren’s pants…… why do they make only low rise jeans for eight year olds????

Now that Aiden is coming up with artwork cute enough to display, I wanted a place to hang it all. Since we have no wall space in the kitchen where most parents like to keep it, I decided to hang it up in his own bedroom.

Instead of the old nail, string and paper clip idea I used last time I did this for my older kids, I wanted to make something a little more pleasing to the eye.

I remembered I had a few small wooden boards and a couple doorknobs in the house, so after I found them (don’t ask how long it took me to find it all!) I got to work.

The boards were just cheap pine ones I found at Michael’s which I had originally bought for another project. They ended up being the wrong size, so they sat around waiting for the perfect use. Until today!

First I painted the boards a lovely moss green, then attached the white knob.

I added a hook to the back for a nail, and hot glued a button to the front of the knob so is wasn’t so plain.

I hung the boards on Aiden’s bedroom wall, and secured the bottoms with a 3M poster sticky. I then strung a ribbon between the two knobs, keeping the ribbon as tight as I could. Using mini clothes pegs to hang up the artwork ties it all together.

Much classier than my original one years ago! LOL

And if the artwork eventually covers Aiden’s coveted Cars poster on the wall, I would be fine with that.  ;o)

The last day of school before spring break our elementary grade kids put on a spring concert. I wanted to make Lauren a new skirt for the occasion, so this is what I came up with:

I got the tutorial from a magazine, which was so easy with a bunch of rectangle shaped material and some gathering!

When I was looking through Lauren’s dresser to find her tights, I came across this cute corduroy coat:

I thought she could wear it with her skirt for a fresh look, but the butterfly applique was not looking very nice anymore…..neither did it match!

So I pulled off the butterfly, cut out a flower from an extra piece of material, and ironed it on to the back. I finished it up with a straight stitch and added a couple buttons to get this:

Pretty cute huh?

The finished look…..

See the necklace? I thought her plain brown shirt needed a little bling. So I made it for her…

I upcycled two old necklaces and added a fabric flower…. easy peasy!

The concert was really great and Lauren got a new outfit for the occasion! Happy her, happy me!  :o)