Tweet, Tweet!

Good morning!

I believe I'm following a good lot of you on Twitter already, but just in case, could you all do me the honour of leaving a little "hello!" message, along with your tweety name so that I can be sure I'm not missing a single lovely soul? Merci, merci!

Also, if you'd like to follow me, I'm @sofawned (and I'm a Twitterholic).

Have a beautiful day!

Source.

Fawned Friday

It's barely Friday anymore, but I couldn't leave you without a little dose of fawning for the weekend! For those who celebrate Halloween, I'd love to hear what your little ones' costumes will be this year -- or, indeed, what YOU'LL be dressed as! The boy & I haven't quite decided on our own costumes, but Gretchen's Yoda costume is very near completion. (If only she'd stand still long enough for me to pin the robe!) Currently our house is full of Halloween candy, which is a little dangerous since we have two days of possibly snacking time before handing it out Sunday night... hopefully there will be some left by then! (Chocolate, candy corn, Tootsie Rolls, FYI.)

Have a wonderful weekend, mes amis!

01. Adorable woodland pumpkin diorama.

01. This is absolutely gorgeous.

02. The neatest travel mug I've ever seen.

03. This post is going to stay with me for a very long time.

04. A little horsing around (reminds me of my childhood).

05. Never lose your phone again.

06. I adore this display case (and the jewelry within).

07. A little spooky inspiration.

08. Feel incredibly inspired by this post on unjobbing.

09. Fantastic vintage library bookshelf.

10. A pretty little kiss.

11. This is mouthwatering.

Knitting Pattern Love

My knitting skills are limited at best, but my gosh, I'd love to be able to make these beauties from Tiny Owl's Magic Attic!

Swoon! That Fawn poncho has my heart all a'flutter... and I absolutely adore the shop name!

Sources: 1, 2, & 3.

Wordless Wednesday (The House Guest)

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Thirty Six

Desiree: Each night before bed I plunk baby G in the tub for a little mellowing out time. Sometimes we scrub and wash, sometimes she just sits with her toys, sometimes there's a lot of splashing and laughs. I love this tradition and she always sleeps better on nights when she's had a tubby. What a wonderful way to end the day.

Johanna: The seasons are changing in these parts. The days are getting colder, the nights even more so. It stays dark until nearly 9 in the morning and we are feeling the need to slow down.
Despite the cold, we still try to get out everyday when the sun is up and out. Little walks in the neighbourhood, trips to the park, the air is cold but so fresh and it feels good to get out of the house. Good winter coats are a necessity.

Sundays Are For Your Spirit

In light of my Flylady routine, which I've been following for just over a month now, Sundays have been named "Renew Your Spirit Day".

I suppose Sundays have always had this vibe to them, but it means more to me when I've written it down & have been thinking about it consciously.

Today, to "renew our spirits" we visited Chappies for a little treat (the boy, the babe & I), before driving around town to look at the leaves & the beautiful houses in the old west end. It was a wonderful drive -- slowly weaving through canopied streets, lined with oranges, reds & yellows. Gretchen pointed at all of the pumpkins ("Pun-keen-ahs!") while Ryan snapped a few pics for me to share.

We were cozy all the way home, despite the rain, and for dinner I made mac & cheese (from scratch) which I've never done before. It was a beautiful way to spend a Sunday.

And yes, our spirits have been renewed.

How did you spend your Sunday, mes amis?

The Frugal Fawn

I was once asked if my finances were what kept me thrifting & saving, scrimping & searching for deals, sales and so forth, but honestly, I think that even if I was incredibly wealthy, I would still enjoy doing all those things.

I like old things.

I like shopping at Value Village or the Sally Ann.

I like items with stories, with quirks, with oddities.

I like being frugal.

The reality is, I've inherited my mother's unparalleled ability to SAVE. Mentally, I have an incredibly difficult time purchasing anything for full price. I shop second hand when possible, I almost never buy new clothing for myself unless it is on sale, I buy my groceries at the least "fancy" stores, I very rarely purchase brand name anything, I buy bulk & if I know I can find something locally/handmade I will hold out for it instead of buying new/imported. All of these things have been ingrained into me since childhood. A childhood where money was quite tight.

I get an extreme amount of pleasure when I save on a purchase. It fills me with a sort of triumphant feeling instead of the guilt I feel when I pay full price or feel as though I've been gouged.

I realize that some things can't be compromised when it comes to price, but saving on so many of my other purchases makes some of the bigger ticket items seem a little less daunting. I also believe in supporting local/small businesses, and so spending my money there makes me happy, rather than stressed or uncomfortable.

Do any of you have an insatiable need to save? To thrift? To surround yourself with these sorts of treasures? Do your spending habits mimic that of your parents or the rest of your family? (I don't want to pry into your individual financial situations, of course, I'm merely curious if anyone else loves the thrift hunt as much as I do.)

PS. I should add a funny little note to this post: The boy hates it when I buy no name or store brand food at the grocery store. If he did the groceries we would be eating all of the most expensive items in the store and I would have a heart attack.

Source.

Fawned Friday

01. Spiderweb light loveliness.

02. The inked to-do list.

03. I'm very much in love with this set of photos.

04. These won't fit me, but they are absolutely gorgeous.

06. This numbers print is so neat.

07. I've posted similar ones before, but these are fantastic.

08. The sweetest little shrug.

09. Retro ornament love.

10. Super cute DIY painted pumpkins.

11. Love this little cookie muncher.

12. Hunter boot love.

13. Crafty excellence.

3 ½ Seconds About Life

Three and a Half Seconds About Life from Eran Hilleli on Vimeo.

Wordless Wednesday (Jackson Park)

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Thirty Five

Desiree: Can you feel that? The weather is getting cooler here, though some days are still being treated to sunny afternoons. I think the snows will reach us soon, but first, I can't wait for Halloween. This will be Gretchen's first year of trick-or-treating and I know she's going to get a kick out of walking all around with the other kiddos, dressed up in their fun costumes. This mama's also looking forward to nibbling on some peanut butter cups.

Johanna: Over the past 3 days I have taken some photography workshops and have been having quite a lot of fun with it. I'm just starting to really delve into the technical exploration of photography and am getting really hooked on all the neat stuff that can be done with it.
For this photo we all went out a dusk and were trying to take twilight photos. It was getting pretty dark, so I put my camera on a tripod, exposed the picture for about 20-30 seconds used a 22 fstop and put my ISO at 200. The effect that I was trying to achieve was a smooth, milky looking water with multiple images of myself in the picture.

On A Monday Morning

Good morning!

Hello, friends! Life has been a blur lately! A happy, busy, crazy, nutso, blur!

I'm actually loving this "oh my goodness up in the air" feeling that seems to be floating about. I can feel great change in the air. Maybe it's the season, or maybe it's just life -- but whatever it is, I'm excited.

My doula work has been going great. I'm currently working on my website, getting lots of reading done & I'm on call for my first mama!

So yes, this is why I haven't been quite so chatty lately. This, and the fact that my office is much too cold to work in right now (freezing fingers are no good for typing) and I usually do my blogging on my desktop, not my netbook (which I'm using now). (And now that I'm going on and on about typing I realize that my nails could use a bit of a trim because it's hard to type with long nails.) (Also, I need to buy a new space heater. Add to list.)

I hope you've all been well lately -- enjoying the cooler weather (or warmer weather for those far, far away). I'm so in love with this time of year -- everything is so crisp and beautiful. There was frost on the plants and my car this morning & I've heard a rumour that we may see snow in the near future. I'm not quite ready for winter, but if it comes with twinkle lights and egg nog BRING IT ON!

Anyhow, I hope you all have a wonderful Monday morning! (Have I ever told you how much I love Mondays?? Always feels like a new start, a beautiful new beginning.)

Peace, mes amis & LOTS of love!

Poncho Love

I normally wouldn't spent $20 on an item of thrifted clothing, but this beaut just had to be mine.

The perfect piece of autumn apparel.

(I also wore it to the pumpkin patch last weekend.)

What are you wearing this fall?

Good Morning!

Happy Saturday, from my littlest pumpkin!

Have a fabulous weekend, mes amis!!

Fawned Friday

01. You make me weak in the knee socks!

02. I'm definitely going to try this cute petal tee tutorial.

03. Spiral staircase meets wine cellar. I'm in heaven.

04. I am fascinated by this woman's photography.

05. I wish I knew how to braid my own hair like this.

06. This sweater is adorable.

07. Pretty duo-toned earrings.

08. Definitely enjoying this cute & simple bracelet.

09. These mugs look magical to me.

So Thankful

It might be Wednesday already, but I think I'm still full from our two fabulous Thanksgiving weekend dinners. My gosh.

I am thankful for good food, great friends, time with family & lots of laughs. For orange leaves, pumpkin spiced beverages, cozy ponchos & drives through the country. For my gorgeous daughter & my handsome partner. For love, for life, for everything that makes us smile.

I barely remembered to pull my camera out for either of our big meals -- one at a friend's home and one at my mother's -- but I did remember to snap lots of pics on our trip to the pumpkin patch.

I spy my gorgeous BabyEtte sling, slung just so.
My baby holster, if you will.

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to visit the patch.

Mama's who stare at goats...

We were a little disappointed to see that the petting zoo which we enjoyed so much last year, was no longer there, but we were able to say hello to some goats and baby piggies through the fence. (There was also a gorgeous little brown calf that I really wanted to take home for a snuggle.)

All in all, our day at the patch was wonderful and now our two bright orange pumpkins sit proudly along our front walkway, waiting for the day they'll be turned into lovely jack-o's! Which reminds me that I've got to get started on Gretchen's costume!

To all of my Canadian friends, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And to my American amis, I'm sure we'll be joining in next month for round no. 2 (since the boy used to live in the states and likes to celebrate BOTH days of Thanks -- and who can argue with that?)

And for now, I'm off to sip my Peace Tea, read a little & fall into a pre-bed stupor on the couch with lots and lots of blankets.

Goodnight!

PS. Here are some photos from last year's trip to the pumpkin patch. Gretchen's grown so much -- I can hardly believe it.

Into The Woods

Last Sunday we hiked in Burnham's Woods, though perhaps the term "hike" makes our adventure sound much more athletic than it actually was.

We took off down the well beaten path to admire Ontario's autumn beauty at its most glorious. Just looking at these photos again -- I can smell that cool, crisp air, each fallen leaf. I can feel each footstep.

The palette of autumn fills me with something incredible. I want to bottle this feeling so that I may keep it on hand for those dark wintry nights when I feel as though the sun has gone forever & the cold has taken up residence in my bones.

This place has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. The most beautiful thing about living in the same place for your entire existence is the memories, the reminiscent quality to your surroundings and the ability to retrace your steps should it feel right to do so.

My mother used to bring me to these woods as a child, and eventually, when we lived in a house on a parallel road, I would hike on my own for hours, discovering hiding places and cozy reading nooks. I'd pack only a book in my little bag and off I'd go. I'd walk past the paths until I was sure I'd found a new spot -- a place just for me where I wouldn't be disturbed. I'd read for hours, or at least until dinnertime, before packing up and finding my way back to the road.

These woods feel like a time capsule to me. My childhood clings to rocks and trees like the lichen and soft moss.

I feel at peace here.

And I'm so grateful to be able to share this with my daughter.

Where do you feel at peace, friends?

Do the woods ever speak to you too?

Fawned Friday

01. Autumn is by far my favourite season.

02. I adore this coat.

03. This washing machine's got serious talent.

04. The hanging globes are genius.

05. These flowers just make me smile.

06. I could definitely see this woven beauty on our porch.

07. So gorgeous in glass.

08. What a dreamy moment.

09. Oh my word, I want some bus chickens.

10. This year I want to make my first pumpkin pie.

11. If only I'd been this cool when I was her age.

12. In awe of his dice collection.

13. Lots of love for this simple play kitchen.

14. I find this chap to be particularly handsome.

15. Famous mamas in all their glory.

16. A heavenly getaway.

17. Absolutely apple love.

From The Waldorf School Book of Soups

I recently purchased a fabulous new cookbook titled The Waldorf School Book of Soups and earlier this week I tried out one of the recipes for the first time. It turned out so well that I wanted to share it with you!

Isn't the cover just so sweet?

I had meant to type this all out, but sheer laziness took over tonight (my gosh, it's nearly midnight already!) and so I snapped a few quick pics instead:

I cooked our soup on high for about 6-7 hours in order for all of the yummy carrots to be tender enough. If you cut yours into smaller bits it might not take quite so long. I also added a few extras (leftovers) from the fridge, ie. some lentils and tomatoes, so I didn't have enough room for the entire 6 cups of water that the recipe calls for, however, I fit about 2 in and it was fine and dandy. For the chicken I used two whole thighs, skinned.

Mmm! Our house smelled so incredibly fantastic as this recipe simmered away. There's nothing more satisfying than a simple crock pot meal. Minimal effort, maximum results! That's my kind of meal!

I'm not entirely sure how much soup this makes, but I can tell you we ate it for three days and Gretchen absolutely loved it. She was happy to eat it over and over again, sip, sip, slurp.

Happy slow cooking! If you happen to give this recipe a try, let me know how you liked it!

Peace & goodnight.

Wordless Wednesday (Sir Winston Hendrix)

On An Autumn Evening

We've been spending most of our evenings outside lately, enjoying the cool air & the crunchy leaves. It's hard to keep her from running across our (incredibly quiet) street, because our neighbours happen to have a much bigger leaf pile than we do.

Tonight I'm off to bed nice and early so that I'll be happy and rested for my driver's test in the morning. Cross your fingers for me! Let's hope things turn our better than last time.

PS. A few days ago, my dear friend Karen & I took Gretchen for a hike in Burnham's Woods. Each step filled us with awe for this gorgeous park. It was magnificent in every way. I promise to share more from our experience very soon.