epitome of summer

Happy first of September!  It's hard to believe that autumn weather is just around the corner, particularly with the heat wave we're experiencing. 

A few weekends ago Mr. Owl (my night owl boyfriend, aka Mr. Kitchen-Crafty) and I spent an idyllic summer weekend visiting family and friends. It was a weekend filled to the brim with good food, wonderful company, and some craftiness too (hurray!).

The weekend schedule was as follows:

1. A long bus ride made fun with knitting and audiobooks (the local library is a great source of roadtrip fun).

Working on my Shalom cardigan.

2. Crepes with fresh blackberry jam and maple syrup.

(photo from weheartit)

3. Picking the last of Mr. Owl's mum's basil and making pesto! It's my favourite!  Honestly so simple to make.

dill beans love posing with pesto

4. Extreme croquet (crocket as it's been nicknamed) in the woods - trees, logs and rocks made for interesting obstacles.

Scared to look. Did I make the shot?

5. Visit to the beaver pond, which turned into one of my top canadian wildlife moments ever: baby beaver hanging out only a meter or two away, chewing on a log and sticking it's tongue out at us!  I only regret not having my camera with me, but I doubt that I would have had sense enough to actually use it. That beaver was mesmerizing!

(photo from weheartit)

6. Blackberry picking from a wild patch.  Now to decide what to make: jam, pie, juice...

(picture from weheartit)

7. Handmade body butter and body bars, which we named Baby Beaver Body Butter after our fabulous encounter.

Recipes for pesto and body butter and balm coming up!  Stay tuned!

Hope you're enjoying the final days of summer!

lighting up the night

Last weekend we celebrated the New Brunswick Day long weekend at the camps/cottages of friends.  Our adventure included swimming, BBQing, campfires, and a sweet summer wedding.  Such wonderful times spent with friends and family, which after the craziness of the past few weeks, was much appreciated.   

And much to my delight, there was an incredible firework show (as mentioned previously, I LOVE these things)!  One of the most spectacular shows I've seen.  Here are a few photos of the beauties, taken by my kitchen crafty (and camera crafty!) boyfriend.

on pause

Sorry for the blog silence.  This week has been filled with much needed quiet, as we have been coping with the loss of a dear loved one.  Thanks to all my lovely friends and family who have given nothing but love and kindness.

Not being much in the snap happy mood, I don't have much in the way of photos to share with you.  I will share however, some sweet photos sent to me by a friend who knew that the sight of my rapidly growing baby tomatoes would make me smile. 

When times are difficult, what cheers you up?

Summer bounty

Happy Canada Day and Independence Day!  Two fun ways to celebrate the beginning of July.  Any event that includes fireworks is at the top of my list.

Our recent roadtrip to Long Island for my boyfriend's family reunion was wonderful.  I adore his family; they are such welcoming and lovely people. The gorgeous weather and delicious eats made for a perfect weekend.

During our visit I got to stop by the Hamlet Organic Garden (HOG) to admire their harvest.

Tasty fruit...

...onions too...

...even kiwi! (although these were not fruiting at the time, apparently they are crazy delicious)...

...and highbush blueberries (yum!).

A clever and efficient way to wash produce: old bathtubs set up on stands.

And some exciting veggie news from closer to home (from our small deck garden in fact!)... our tomato plant has produced it's first fruit! It's tiny but oh so glorious.

Hope you're enjoying a lovely and fruitful start to summer too!

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.

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).

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?