The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Thirty

Johanna: This week I am reflecting on my feelings about being up here in the Yukon. Maybe it's that we have come up to our one month here or maybe it's because I have been talking to my friends and family back in Ontario, but I think I'm feeling a bit homesick right now. Sometimes I catch myself and it hits me...I am really really far from home. I know that this is all normal, but right now my trip back to Ottawa in December feels like a really long time away.

Desiree: I really enjoy my morning routine. It's not always exactly the same, but it usually consists of slowly waking & nursing Gretchen in bed, then we move downstairs & I put the kettle on. I'll start to make oatmeal while Gretchen snuggles on the couch with some toys or a book, and sometimes I'll put on an episode of a favourite show to watch while we nurse together a little more & enjoy some morning cuddles. Then the water will boil and I'll make tea, the oatmeal will be ready and we'll share a bowl together, with a tiny sprinkle of brown sugar and a splash of almond milk. I like our mornings to be peaceful and quiet, slow and warm. There's nothing less appealing than rushing around in the morning & so we take our time.

Because There Really Is A Lot Of Good Out There, You Just Have To Watch For It

Today was "one of those days".

And not just for me.

Today was a day of negativity. A day of hatemail, of rudeness, of inappropriate behaviour and beyond. From seeing unhappy friends taking to their blogs, and sad tweeters to their Twitter there were bad feelings all around and so I decided to do something about it. For the sake of my own mental health.

In order to counteract all the crappiness, I started thinking about all the GOOD things that are happening in life right now. And not just in MY life, in the lives of the people I love -- my chosen family.

I have friends who are expecting babies, friends that just got engaged and friends who just celebrated their first wedding anniversary. One is starting a new relationship, one is starting a new university program. One just opened a brand new business and two are writing their thesis. I have friends who are taking big steps and making bold moves. Friends who are buying houses, and making art, and making music and making things happen.

Thinking about all this has really helped me to put things in perspective today. I'm not saying that it's not okay to feel crappy when crappy things come to pass -- I'm all for validating emotions and giving them their due -- but the lesson I'm trying to teach myself is not to dwell.

Less dwelling and more reveling!

In life! In love! In friendship!

It's really hard to let go sometimes. To let the bad things pass you by without allowing them to crawl inside you and sit to rot. It's hard to shrug things off when they have the ability to weigh so heavily. It's hard, but it's ok. It's ok to take the time to think through these kinds of situations and to find your own way to come out on top.

And you will.

And I will.

Because I really do believe that negativity has no place at the top. It's just too heavy.

Daybook Love

Time for another entry in The Simple Woman's Daybook.

♥ Outside my window... there may be a slight breeze, but I know it's actually hot and humid. The last drops of summer are being squeezed out of the sky and I can feel Autumn just around the corner.

♥ I am thinking... about Halloween and Christmas. A lot.

♥ I am thankful for... the crisp Autumn air that's been creeping in our windows at night. It's delicious.

♥ From the kitchen... comes the wrath of the fruit flies. They have taken over, but we haven't given up. One by one they fall victim to our little traps (of wine & soap) and some have been sucked up out of midair me and my handheld Dyson.

♥ I am wearing... jeans and a black tank. Just like every other day.

♥ I am creating... to-do lists and book lists. Lists of all kinds.

♥ I am going... out for a sushi date with the boy (if he ever manages to get changed in time).

♥ I am reading... lots of home birth stories on blogs. I love hearing from mamas after they've welcomed their little ones.

♥ I am hoping... that Gretchen will continue to sleep through the night as she has for the last two nights. I dare not think about it too much.

♥ I am hearing... little birds and the sounds of laundry being pulled in from a neighbour's line. Squeak, squeak.

♥ Around the house... we've been doing lots of tidying. Especially this morning. Many bags of clothing have been packed up and soon they'll be off to new homes. Our hall closet is now 98% tidy.

♥ One of my favorite things... to do when I need to relax is to curl up on the couch with some tea and an old episode of (you guessed it) Gilmore Girls. There's something very comforting about knowing what is going to happen.

♥ A few plans for the rest of the week... lots of photo editing and reading.

♥ A photo for thought...

Nineteen Months

Yesterday we spent the afternoon enjoying one our city's most fabulous events -- the annual Folk Festival! You may remember me blogging about the festival last year, as Gretchen was turning seven months.

Today the little miss turns nineteen months and it's incredible to look back at photos & videos from this time last year -- she was so different. This year she's my amazing, independent, busy, super-smart little lady. She's adventurous and curious, friendly and loving.

I can't even imagine who she'll be at this time next year.

So yes, the Folk Festival is just one of the many perks of our gorgeous neighbourhood and it's located about a block from our front door. It's perfect. I love knowing that this will be a tradition for our family, just like it was with my mother and I when I was small. I've been coming to this festival since I was eight years old -- not every year, but nearly every year -- and I want it to be something that Gretchen will always remember as a beautiful way to finish out the summer.

I think that special traditions like this are incredibly important in a child's life. I actually think a lot about creating memories for her that will last throughout her life. I look forward to the festival all year round -- it's something I can count on, and something I've always enjoyed. I hope Gretchen will feel the same way.

Have you started any traditions for your family? Or have you worked to preserve traditions from your own childhood? I'd love to hear what special moments and memories you are passing down to the next generation.

Four Simple Goals (Before 2011)

If you're an avid reader of Elsie's blog, A Beautiful Mess, then you probably saw her simple goals post a little while ago. Well, I have decided to play along. It is my hope that by posting these goals for all to see, you'll all hold me to them -- accountability is key, after all.

01. Purge my wardrobe of items which I don't/won't/shouldn't wear. If you know me, then you know I generally wear the same sort of thing over and over -- variations on a theme of jeans, tanks, tees and sweaters. I may not be an expert when it comes to fashion, but I know what I'm comfortable in and occasionally, what might get me a compliment or two. However, my closet/dressed/hallway cupboard are packed with an obscene amount of clothing, most of which I never wear and it all just ends up being washed and folded, forgotten about or tossed about and so on. I'd really like to whittle my wardrobe down to the piece I wear often, a few nice outfits and some accessories to spruce things up. Simple. Classic. Easy. I'd also like to do the same for Gretchen's clothing, though with hers I more or less just need to move the small sizes out to make room for next batch. It's a bit of a blessing in disguise that baby G is so tiny -- her clothing lasts much longer the age on the tag.

02. Dye my hair dark again. Not a lofty aspiration at all, but I miss it. After a year with these lightish locks I'm bored and want my dark stands back. (Note: Let it be known that I've done nothing to my hair, aside from trim my bangs myself, since last August.)

03. Complete my doula training. Ideally this will happen by October 14th. The date is somewhat arbitrary, but I like to have a deadline on the horizon. I'm a bit of a student at heart. I've been working at a rather leisurely rate so far, but have decided to give myself a more rigorous schedule so that I don't lose momentum. It's so easy to get tied up in other things. I've thrown my soul into this training & as the date of my first certifying birth gets closer I am so eager to make this transformation.

04. Visit someplace out of province. This is a little vague, but since purchasing a car last week I've decided it needs to be christened with a road trip (most likely in the fall). There's a good chance we'll head to Quebec, or perhaps a little further to the east coast. None of us have our passports yet, so we won't be heading stateside this year, but in the future, most definitely.

There you have it, mes amis! I hope you'll join in (if you haven't already) and share your own four simple goals! Please share in the comments, or leave a link so I can take a peek.

Fawned Friday

01. The perfect cake topper.

02. I am dying to make one of these.

03. I'm in awe of this capture.

04. I used to own two mugs just like these.

05. My teabags would have such a lovely sleep in here.

06. Handmade bubble wand brilliance.

05. A brilliant piece of advice.

07. Amazing shadow art.

08. B is for breakfast.

09. The coziest kitty hat.

10. Sweet little sleepy buddies.

11. This is such a blast from the past.

12. Urban art lust.

13. This is incredibly adorable.

14. For pun lovers & Star Wars enthusiasts.

15. So in love with these gorgeous pups.

Wordless Wednesday (My Girl)

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Twenty Nine

Johanna: On Sunday after church and after a simple lunch at a diner, Winslow, Noah and I took a walk at Long Lake. Going around the lake is an easy trail that allows you to stop and walk down to the shore of the lake, it was such a relaxing way to enjoy the afternoon, just walking and taking in our surroundings.

Desiree: My entire world is swimming with wedding excitement. Four friends have exchanged vows in the past month, another two celebrated their one year anniversary yesterday, and two more just announced their engagement. It's been wonderful to share in their celebrations of love & hope. To witness them making those promises. To see them wearing their rings proudly. And now, more than ever, I find myself wondering... will that ever be me?

Sweet Dreams

I hope you're all have a wonderfully relaxing Sunday evening. Today we got a lot done around the house. Many dishes were washed, many floors were swept. My office has been made spic and span while the boy finally tidied his office to make a permanent home for all his fancy guitar equipment. The outside of our home is getting a bit of a makeover too as our lovely landlord hired someone to come and hack away at our jungle. I miss it a little though (and I'll have to post some photos to compare). Now when I step out the door I can be seen instead of being able to hide behind the Spiraea and sip my tea. But that's alright -- I still have my backyard for hidden tea sipping. If only the foliage would last all year round so I could have a little haven from season to season. I absolutely adore Autumn, but as soon as the leaves turn our entire backyard is exposed to neighbours on both sides and at the back. It's not as thought we're up to something which we're trying to keep on the down low, but really, doesn't everyone enjoy a little privacy? Perhaps this is why I long to live in country, with nothing for miles but livestock and grass. But I suppose that will happen someday, as soon as it's mean to be.

And on that note, I shall retire to my comfy new couch with a book in hand and some digestive cookies to snack upon.

Goodnight.

Photo taken by the lovely Emily of Thoughts & Biro Sketches.

Josh & Dan: A Sneak Peek

Last night's wedding was so incredibly beautiful. You could literally feel the love that went into every single little detail. From the landscaping on the family farm to the decorations, to the lighting & cake -- it was phenomenal! They also had the world's best MC who had us in stitches the entire night. I was definitely in tears from laughter!

All in all, I feel completely honoured to have be a part of their oh so special day.

My gosh these boys are fabulous! Their love is one that will LAST AND LAST.

Undoubtedly.

More images to come, of course, but I couldn't resist sharing just a few this morning.

Peace.

Twas The Night Before

I always get these excited little butterflies in my stomach the night before I shoot a wedding.

Tomorrow I will have the honour of capturing a very special day in the lives of these two fabulous lads. The entire event is being held at a family farm and I just know it's going to be a beautiful evening!

(I'll barely be able to sleep tonight!)

Click here for their engagement shoot.

Fawned Friday

01. This home is simple gorgeous.

02. Turn your old paperbacks into delightful hardcovers.

03. This shot is hauntingly beautiful.

04. I've always liked pigeons, actually.

05. A rainbow of carrots.

06. My most favourite creature & story, together at last.

07. A mini course in tying your vintage scarves.

08. The sweetest bunny scarf.

09. Stitched quote love.

10. Been there, scratched that.

11. A girl & her cat.

12. A rather unique idea for engagement ring photos.

13. I know the very feeling.

Cottage Life

I firmly believe that life at the cottage is all about relaxation.

But it might also be about yelling at your mother because she put you in a tree.

Congrats!

With the help of random.org, the winner of my Two Whole Years Of Fawning Giveaway has been chosen:

Congratulations to Amy!

Thank you SO much to everyone who entered and visited all those lovely blogs. You guys are fantastic.

And to Amy, please email your mailing address & I shall ship your goodies ASAP!

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Twenty Eight

Desiree: Last night I returned from a mini vacation at a friend's cottage where I relaxed, went to bed early and ate a lot of ice cream. With two mamas and two adorable babes, we spent two days enjoying each other's company and not worrying about the outside world as we sipped our tea, sat on the porch and watched the little one's playing in their pool. It was too windy to swim in the lake, but it didn't matter. It was exactly what we needed. At exactly the right time.

Johanna: This week has been all about exploring our new surroundings. Whitehorse and the surrounding area has so many beautiful spots to go and explore. Whether you like biking on trails, hiking, swimming or are just looking for a spot to go and chill out, you are bound to find a spot closer than half an hour away. This particular photo was taken at Miles Canyon, a particular spot on the Yukon River where the water rushes very quickly. Winslow, Noah and I had decided to go and see this place that we had heard somuch about and couldn't believe how beautiful it was there. The colours were so vibrant and alive!

PS. Apologies for our tardiness!

Love List

♥ My overwhelming collection of mugs
♥ Movies starring Meg Ryan
♥ Slow dancing to Sinatra
♥ Rearranging my furniture
♥ Sleeping in
♥ Not wearing a bra
♥ Going to bed early
♥ Drinking lots of water
♥ Two deep purple eggplants growing in my garden
♥ Reciting movies, word for word
♥ Setting goals
♥ Ina May Gaskin
♥ Being a Canadian

On The Nightstand

I am completely immersed in my doula reading & I can't get enough.

I'm devouring the pages, savouring each & every chapter.

What have you been reading lately?

Time For A Mini Vacay

The happy little miss and I are heading to a friend's cottage this morning and shall return tomorrow night, fully recharged and rejuvenated. We'll be sans internet (which I think will be good for my psyche) so I have scheduled a few little posts until my return.

Wishing you all a fabulous couple of days!

PS. I will be announcing the giveaway winner on Wednesday.

PPS. I will be posting pics of cottage life to Twitter via my phoneamajig, so feel free to check in.

A Little Spinoza In The Morning

A favourite quote, from my favourite philosopher.

I hope you're all enjoying your Sunday.

Magnfico

I hope the driver of this car is a magician of some sort. Or perhaps they just have very high self esteem. Either way, I'm loving it.

PS. You might be wondering what happened with my road test yesterday. Well, in true Friday the 13th fashion, I arrived at the test centre only to find that the rear side break lights weren't working on the car that I had borrowed for the occasion. Who knew?? So, long story short, they won't let you do your test unless everything is ship shape, so after a $20 fee (for wasting their time?) I was on my way home. Lesson learned.

Let's Be Kind

After a not-so-happy day, I'm off to bed with this message in mind: It takes far less energy to be happy than to be judgmental and grim, mes amis. Holding grudges, speaking poorly of fellow human beings and criticizing for the sake of criticizing are all things we should strive to strike from our lives. Let's not argue, let's not be mean spirited. Let's not patronize, let's not be harsh.

Let's love, let's be kind. Let's be supportive, and gentle and soft.

Goodnight, dear hearts.

Sweet dreams, and best wishes.

Fawned Friday

Hello, mes amis. If you could all send a few "best wishes" toward me today so that I may pass my road test that would be fantastic. I'm not especially nervous now, but once I'm in the car with the examiner, I'll feel a little freaked out. They always have the ability to make me feel like some kind of criminal and I start second guessing the things I'm doing. Yikes. I should stop talking about it now before I psych myself out.

Anyhow, happy Friday! Cross your fingers for me and I'll let you know how it all goes this evening.

01. I think I'd like to spend some time here.

02. I can't wait til Gretchen's old enough for skirts like this one.

02. I'm very much in love with this blog's design.

04. This skirt looks insanely comfortable.

05. A fabulous place for your camera to snooze.

06. Soon I'll be sharing my 4 Simple Goals as well.

07. This entire set of photos is mouthwateringly delightful.

08. Happy baby wishes for this soon-to-be mom-of-two.

09. Her posts just make me sing, especially when she's in the kitchen.

10. I would definitely live in one of these.

11. No use crying.

12. If a girl falls in the forest.

13. There are a lot of fabulous things happening in this image.

PS. What was I thinking booking my road test for 4.40pm on Friday the 13th?? Oh lordy.

Recently

To Kayce, With Love

A beautiful thing happened today.

Today I saw people reaching out. Today people made a difference.

Kayce (@heartsandhandss) is an amazing woman, who after the loss of her baby boy Tyrion Caelith at just 13 weeks and 4 days, has decided to pump and donate her breastmilk to babies in need.

This has to be one of the most selfless acts of kindness and love that I have ever witnessed.

However, after hearing that she was armed with only a single pump (which isn't ideal for full time pumping) a dear friend, Amber (@BirthRoutes) began to raise funds for a hospital grade double pump.

All day long the donations have been pouring in for this awe inspiring woman, but she will need ongoing support for other supplies as well, to help her along her journey.

To see such support coming from the blogging/Twitter community is simply incredible, and I thank each and every one of you who has come forward with a donation.

If you'd like to make a donation of your own, simply click here.

To read Amber's beautiful post, please visit Birth Routes.

She Is Her Mother's Daughter

It doesn't get much better than this.

Wordless Wednesday (Moments In The Park)

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Twenty Seven

Johanna: I never in a million years would've imagined that I'd ever get a chance to visit Alaska. It wasn't until looked at a road sign and learned that Skagway was just 2 hrs away from us that I realized that we could actually go there. And so we made a little family day trip out of it. Now I can say I've been there. One thing checked off my Northern to-do list.

Desiree: It's hard to believe that the beginning of Autumn is just a month and a half away. During one of our walks through the park this week, we spotted the first signs of cooler weather on one particular maple tree, which in previous years has always been the first to change from green to orange and red. This particular tree sits right beside the footbridge as you enter our park from the west side, standing guard, marking the seasons for passersby.

On A Rainy Sunday

Yesterday we took to the street to play in puddles and splash and run. The little one wanted to hold my umbrella, so I gave in and she was delighted. Our house is at the bottom of a very slight hill, so all of the water pools into nice, big puddles right at the end of our driveway.

A perfect place for babies to stomp.

She didn't even mind that her pink rain boots are one size too big. (And she only fell down once.)

How did you spend your Sunday afternoon, dear hearts?

Was there rain, or sunshine, or a little of both?

Because We're Geeks

Sometimes we get dressed in the morning only to realize that we are matching like a couple of serious dweebs. Then we have to rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock to see which one of us has to change.

PS. Shirts are from TeeFury. I think we might be keeping them in business.

PPS. Please note the bacon being cooked, my camera's new ruffles and the chairs which we have to keep on the table so that Gretchen doesn't climb the entire house.

Baby Signing With The Little Fawn

Let's ignore the first part of the video where she spits a choking hazard into my hands and concentrate on the important part: baby G has becoming a signing maven! So far, she can sign milk, cat, bird, mama, daddy, ball, more, outside, book, read, water, eat, play, friend, train, help, thank you, sorry, yes, no... and I think might be a few more which escape me at the moment. You can see that not all of her signs are spot on, and that some look very similar to one another, but I'm surprised at how hard she's trying to move her hands like I do, and to make her fingers form like mine. It's brilliant to watch her concentrate when we learn new signs. I can't believe how many she's learned just in this past month! I can't wait to see what she'll pick up on next.

Did you teach your babies to sign? Are any of you fluent in sign language?

And All The Best To Your And Your Nurslings

To wrap up World Breastfeeding Week, I'd just like to share with you a few of my previous posts about my nursing relationship with Gretchen.

Wishing You All The Breast

Breastfeeding, La Leche & The Coming Of Spring

Sticking With It: Our Breastfeeding Story

Because A Hungry Baby Can Happen Anytime & Anywhere

Cosleeping, Cribs & Doing What Feels Right

You Can't Phase Me

Have a fabulous Saturday, mes amis!

Fawned Friday

Oh my good golly.

Fridays have honestly started to sneak up on me! I feel like every time I look at the calendar it's Friday afternoon again -- how does this happen? I suppose it isn't actually a bad thing, since weekends are so highly covered, however, today also happens to be the last day that Gretchen will be at daycare until September, which means you might notice me going a bit nutty over the next three weeks, but at least you'll be expecting it. This might also be my silent plea in case friends or family are reading and wanted to help me out until we're back to a normal schedule.

Hmm, reading over that last paragraph I feel like I'm just whining at you a little, so I'll stop now and share some fawned bits from this week. You'll notice I've changed up the format a tad -- this is so I can include more posts of interest, and sometimes post sans photos. It also makes things a little easier on me and hopefully entices you to visit these lovely folks/shops/what have you!

I do hope you're all having a great Friday. I've been rather productive already today and I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be able to this energy into the weekend with me! Happy end o' the week, mes amis! Enjoy it!

And so, on to the fawning.

01. A nifty vintage test tube display.

02. One tiny owl locket, please.

03. I wish we had playgrounds like these in Canada.

04. On account of the wee fawn.

05. Was feeling rather inspired by this post earlier in the week.

06. This photo makes giggle (like a geek).

07. I'm definitely a fan of photos with frames.

08. This tasty snack would go over really well in my household.

09. Prudent advice, indeed.

10. In celebration of summer.

11. What languages do you speak?

12. This bookshelf makes me smile.

Much love, mes amis.

Grey & Yellow Ruffle Love

My camera's all dolled up.

I can't wait to take her to our next wedding shoot!

PS. Made by Eclectic Whatnot.

PPS. Thank you Steph!

Friday's Wedding: Part 3 Of 3

At last, the final installment of Friday's beautiful wedding.

Congrats again, to the happy couple! I hope you guys are having a fabulous time on your honeymoon!

Since my job was shared with another photographer who did the formals and whatnot, I got a chance to take some silly pics with friends after the ceremony. We're a pretty good looking bunch if I do say so myself!

PS. You can see more of my wedding photos on my Flickr. Peace!