For a sophisticated baby

An itty bitty handknit sweater for a sweet baby boy. Lovely Baby Sophisticate pattern by Linden Heflin. This sweater's recipient lives far away, and I cannot wait to meet him and see how cute he looks all cosied up in his new duds.

Éclair de lune

Check out these sweet treats, made by my kitchen-crafty boyfriend.

Delish!

Summer lovin'

Happy Solstice!

One favourite moment of this longest day of the year was my bike commute home after 9pm with the sun still shining.  Another favourite moment was catching up with a dear friend on a coast-to-coast phone call.  How did you spend your first day of summer?

In honour of this lovely season, for new seasons are all about making changes, and in an effort to keep money in our pockets, we are on a homemade baking kick.  Making our own bread, cookies, and other assorted treats is hugely satisfying and delicious!  So far we have not bought any baked goods for two weeks, with the hopes of carrying on this tradition for many weeks to come.  Tomorrow I will share some of the tasty creations made by my kitchen ninja boyfriend (he's got some mad cooking skills, watch out!).

Ahoy captain!

Yesterday was a very special day, for it was both Father's Day and my dearest dad's birthday as well!  He spent much of the weekend out on the water enjoying the role of Captain of his new boat.  Mom happily joined his as First Mate.  They are simply the sweetest couple.

I'm hoping to visit them in July for our family reunion, so that I too can become a member of the crew! 

In honour of such a special day and because I did not get to celebrate with them, I'm dedicating this week's posts to my dear dad, the summer solstice, and all things nautical!

Popeye the sailor man with his darling Olive (image courtesy of Popeye's website).

Hope springs eternal...

... for my deck garden, thanks to the kindness of a stranger.

I've been so proud of my meagre but hardy garden. This motley assortment of veggies and herbs have suffered wild winds and lack of sunshine.

Notice that pretty tomato in the right corner of the above photo (her name is Betty). Violent winds snapped her stem last night and Betty has not lived to tell the tale (see sad photo of her wilted corpse below).

I told our sad tale to a kind employee at our local garden centre. They did not have an exact replacement, as Betty was bought on sale for 99 cents. Our choice was limited to a tiny 5-inch plant or a solid flowering tomato that was more expensive than we were eager to pay. After hearing our story and taking pity on us, we were generously given this rugged and much more solid-looking beauty:

Her name is Penny, and isn't she gorgeous! Look that those sweet flowers, that will hopefully bear tasty fruit! Thank you stranger for this simple kindness and for renewing my hope for a bountiful garden.
There is so much goodness in the world and much to be thankful for. What small act of kindness have you recently given or received?

Sweet giveaways

Freckled Nest is having an amazing sponsor giveaway. So many adorable things!

One of her sponsors, Lillibee Studio is also hosting a giveaway.

Endless fun and cuteness!

Amazing puppetry

I adore this music video. "The Curse" by Josh Ritter. String puppets are magical.

10 things

Following SouleMama's lead, here are 10 things that make me happy at this very moment:

1. The brand new veggie garden on our deck!
2. So much sunshine this week (in this typically foggy city) was lovely for bike riding.
3. Some much needed rain today to water my plant babies.
4. The library books on gardening that I picked up today (so excited about The Backyard Homestead edited by Carleen Madigan). I cannot wait to have a plot of earth to play with!
5. The surprise belated birthday present that arrived in the mail.
6. Upcoming visit with family in NY (hurray for alpacas, boat rides, and family fun!).
7. Almost finished knitted gift for the new addition to our extended family. Welcome baby boy!
8. Last weekend's homemade food: gnocchi, bread, cupcakes, & glory bowls.
9. Frisbee on Tuesdays.
10. The upcoming summer solstice! What are you planning to do to welcome the new season?

What 10 things make you happy today?

A timid mouse steps into the world of blogging...

Hello big world out there! I have followed and admired many bloggers for years and am excited to begin this journey for myself. Please be patient as I slowly stumble through this new adventure.

My goal for starting this blog is to share experiences, stories, ideas, and fun with family and friends who live so very far away.

Thank you for joining me!