In the Dovecote

Gathered Car Seat Cover

2012-01-31T13:07:00.001-06:00

I recently completed this car seat cover- just in time for a few very cold days! It is perfect for keeping Arabella protected from the winds, or to keep the light out if she falls asleep. I used the tutorial from Sew Much Ado:
http://www.sew-much-ado.com/2011/11/gathered-car-seat-canopy-tutorial.html

but I only used one type of fabric instead of two as she does.

Arabella enjoying her new cover:

Leaf Lace Slippers

2012-01-19T10:51:00.000-06:00

These are sized 9 months, but I can't imagine Bella's feet will be that big at 9 months!From the book 60 Quick Baby Knits

Superbaby!

2012-01-07T19:53:00.000-06:00

New Blog Design

2012-01-04T11:32:00.001-06:00

Many thanks to Brianna of http://bytheway-nana.blogspot.com/ for my new blog design. I love it!!

Recent Projects

2011-12-22T12:08:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I posted anything- which is a good thing I suppose, it means I've been busy enjoying our little sweet pea, sewing, cooking, knitting, playing piano, having tea parties... etc.

Here are a few recent projects:

This hat is supposed to fit 6-12 months but I think it ended up a little too big! Guess it will fit in a couple of years ;o)

And my beautiful apple cranberry pie- at least it was beautiful until I dropped it in the oven- I managed to put everything back it so it still tasted fine but did not look as pretty!

6 weeks

2011-10-31T11:02:00.000-06:00

I've recently started using my wrap with Arabella, it is great for nursing in and she likes to sit in it afterwards and help me with the laundry or housework. She can stay awake a little longer now and loves to look at things, especially the ceiling ;o). I always take her out for naptime though as she sleep longer and better when she falls asleep on her own in her bassinet or crib. My back needs a break too!

Arabella's Smile

2011-10-28T13:21:00.000-06:00

Mama and Papa love to see your beautiful smile Arabella, it lights up our day everytime!

We finally saw our midwife yesterday- Bella is doing great. She is 10 lb 13 1/2 oz, 58 cm (22.8 in) and a smiley happy girl. She has slept from about 9:30 pm-4:30am for three nights now, which is really nice!

Last night she was so tired she fell asleep on my chest right after her feed, and Duchess came to join us!

And a few nights ago Daddy was holding her and they both fell asleep together, with Duke for company.

Four weeks old

2011-10-17T10:14:00.000-06:00

Arabella was four weeks old on Saturday- I can't believe how her first month just flew by! She has already brought us so much joy. I can see how she has grown- this little outfit from her Great Uncle and Auntie in Texas barely fits her!

We are seeing our midwife on Wednesday so I'm excited to see how much she has grown!

Yesterday I had her down for tummy time and she was lifting her head so high! When we hold her she looks all around and is getting interested in everything around her. Everyone comments on how happy, strong and alert she is and I think she is starting to recognize us. I went in to wake her for her 1 pm feed and she was already awake looking around. When she saw me she gave a big grin and then she smiled and cooed at us for 15 minutes. It was 'too cute'.

Arabella

2011-10-12T09:55:00.001-06:00

I can't believe Arabella is already 3 weeks and 4 days old! She has grown and changed already. I wish she could stay a little newborn forever, but on the other hand I am looking forward to watching her grow (and giving her some brothers and sisters to play with!)

Here we are 5 min after our home birth

And Bella at about 18 hrs old

9 days old

2 weeks and talking to Grandma on the phone

3 weeks and enjoying her first stroll in her new stroller from 4 of her great-grandparents

Cuddles with Papa

Tummy time!

In her ComfyRumps cloth diaper- we started her in cloth at about 2 weeks old. Before that her legs were a bit too small and they leaked out the side. Arabella was 9 lbs at birth and 9 lb 3 oz when we started her in the cloth, so that is why she fit into them rather quickly. And yes, she is smiling, she first smiled at 4 days old!

Her baby shower was on Monday evening and she was so good, everyone held her and she was happy to just cuddle and doze off.

She has been sleeping longer and longer stretches at night and the past two nights has slept from 11:30pm-5:30am straight. A big difference from when she was first born and wanted to sleep all day and stay up all night!

Spring Rolls

2011-09-07T11:26:00.000-06:00

I have been wanting to make Spring Rolls for a while, so finally I decided to create my own recipe based on a few I had read. Sam declared them better than a restaurant!

1 package 7 in. Spring Roll wrappers (275g/9.7 oz)
4 cups shredded cabbage
2 large carrots, shredded
3/4 lb ground chicken (we don't eat pork, but it would be an option as well)
3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, grated
4 green onions, minced
2 tsp salt
Hot sauce, to taste
Oil for cooking
Olive oil

Remove wrappers from fridge/freezer and cover with a wet towel.
Gently cook cabbage in oil (we use coconut) about 5 min, until softened. Add carrot and chicken, breaking up chicken as it cooks. Stir in ginger, garlic, onions and remove from heat.

Keeping the wrappers covered with a wet towel as you work, lay out one wrapper with a corner pointed toward you. Place about a 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the cabbage, carrot and chicken mixture on paper and fold corner up over the mixture. Fold left and right corners toward the center and continue to roll.

Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Brush rolls with olive oil and bake at 425 f 20 min turning halfway. You can broil the tops for a minute or two at the end to crisp them up (just don't catch the parchment on fire like I did!) We liked ours with plum sauce.

Makes 20 rolls. I was hoping to freeze at least half for a yummy treat after baby arrives, but Sam ate most of them! We only had 6 left :o)

More '48 Vintage Dresses

2011-09-01T13:38:00.000-06:00

Simple dress:

With a coat to go overtop:

And another newborn sized dress:

I did a bit of shopping on Monday and couldn't resist this sweet little outfit. I love the Peter Rabbit books and have already been reading them to our little one, so I hope she will love them as well!

Bouncer Chair Cover

2011-08-26T11:25:00.000-06:00

Our friends gave us this bouncy seat:

and I decided to make a new cover for it- something more girly and in line with the style of our home:

Maria gave it a test run:

I made most of the cover last night while Sam set up the nursery. It is almost done- finally! I can't believe our little one is due in just about 2 weeks!

The diapers washed nicely and here they are hung out to dry:

ComfyRumps cloth diapers

2011-08-25T15:30:00.000-06:00

Our order of ComfyRumps cloth diapers just arrived- so adorable! We bought 29 diapers in total and I love all of the colours- have to say the pink is my favourite.

Here is one on the smallest setting (7 lb+):

And the largest:

They are pocket diapers which means they have an insert (or more) that you can remove, which makes them easier to wash and dry, compared to all-in-ones.

With the insert:

The diapers are lined with micro fleece and so soft!! The site claims they absorb one cup of liquid so I tried it out and they were right- it absorbed at least a cup. We plan on using Elimination Communication (Diaper Free Baby) so I'm not too worried about a great deal of absorption but it's nice to have back up.

I also got three extra bamboo inserts:

A small wetbag for going out:

And a large one for home- just put the diapers in it and then throw everything into the washer every few days.

I've decided to try making detergent- we already use homemade detergent on our regular laundry but it has soap in it which can cause build up on the diapers, so I'm going to pick up some Oxyclean tomorrow and make our detergent and then give the diapers a good wash and hang in the sun!

From what I've read, most cloth diapers (aside from prefolds) don't fit newborns too well until they are a couple of weeks old (depending on the size of the baby) so we also picked up a pack of PC green disposables to use until our little one grows into the ComfyRumps (which hopefully won't be too long- I can't wait to try them out on her!)

Vintage Red Dress

2011-08-16T12:02:00.000-06:00

I love this simple and sweet dress from a 1948 baby pattern- in fact I am going to make a few more!

Hedgehog Dress

2011-08-08T10:57:00.000-06:00

I just love this adorable Hedgehog fabric!

I was happy to have enough fabric left to make a large receiving blanket as well

And a little yellow dress I finished a while ago:

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2011-07-27T11:30:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I tried making a pizza from Tammy's Recipes:

BBQ Chicken Pizza

It turned out delicious! I really liked the crust- light and not too doughy. Next time I will try using half whole wheat flour.

For dessert we had fresh raspberries from our bush- these ones ripened overnight and still lots more to come! They are so sweet and delicious.

Pineapple Smoothie

2011-07-22T11:35:00.000-06:00

I had to write out the recipe for this yummy smoothie before I forgot how I made it!

3 slices canned pineapple and juice

Handful frozen blueberries

3/4 c plain yogurt (homemade)

2 tbsp coconut milk

1 ice cube

Blend and enjoy!

Looks like we will be having a nice harvest of raspberries soon- our bush is massive and full of fruit! We've tried a few already and they are so sweet and delicious.

Our Vegetable Garden

2011-06-30T10:33:00.000-06:00

Now that our vacation is over I've finally had a chance to do some planting in the raised garden bed Sam made for our anniversary.

Basil and a beefsteak tomato plant. It has been very hot (34 c. yesterday!) and the basil is already growing so many new leaves.

This morning I also planted 6 Roma tomatoes, hopefully we will have a nice harvest in the fall and I can freeze them. I also have a row each of Romaine and leaf lettuce.

Our raspberry bush has grown huge this summer!

Soon we will have yummy raspberries (if all of the birds don't get them first!)

Strawberry Cream Cake

2011-06-30T10:23:00.000-06:00

I wanted to make a light dessert using all of the delicious strawberries that are in season, so I made up this cake, and it was quite good! It is a light white cake layered with whipped cream, slightly sweetened and flavoured with almond extract. Toasted coconut sprinkled on top and of course lots of strawberries! We had ours with extra berries on the side.

Pink Butterfly Dress

2011-05-27T11:26:00.000-06:00

This little dress is from a vintage 1950's pattern- lots of detail work that took some time to complete!

My puppy Cuddles kindly modeled the bonnet :o)

Freezer Lasagna

2011-05-25T11:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I started our first set of freezer meals- a triple batch of lasagna! My goal is to have 30 meals frozen by the beginning of September, that way we won't have to cook much for a month after baby arrives.

Cottage cheese and mozzerella cheese:

Homemade tomato sauce with naturally raised, grass fed ground beef- yummy!

All cooked up- I slightly undercooked the smaller ones (for freezing) so that they hopefully won't be overdone when we reheat them. I put them in the freezer in the pans and this morning popped them out of the pans and into freezer bags.

We're having a little... GIRL!!!

2011-05-05T10:38:00.000-06:00

Here is our sweet pea:

I love this one of her cute little leg- her kicks are so strong already! Maybe she will be a ballerina or gynmast!

She measured a bit ahead of schedule- 22 wks and 1.1 lb. I don't know how accurate the scans are at this stage though.

We bought this sweet little outfit a while ago. I kept thinking of the baby as a girl and even dreaming that she was a girl. Then Sam thought baby was a girl too, so our intuition was actually right!

New dress for Felicity and Elizabeth

2011-05-04T11:31:00.000-06:00

My new Husqvarna sewing machine:

Dress and bonnet for Felicity (sorry about the poor quality pics, this was with the broken camera)

New pics of Duke and Duchess

2011-04-29T13:53:00.000-06:00

They love to hinder- I mean, 'help' - me sew!

These pictures are from last weekend taken with our new camera which we love!

Flooding in Regina

2011-04-26T11:47:00.000-06:00

According to Sam, this year Regina has experienced the worst flooding since 1974! We went out for a walk yesterday to take a few pictures.

The water is actually flowing backwards- it is supposed to be going towards the city, not away from it!

Underneath all of that water are walking and cycling trails!

This little muskrat seems to be enjoying all of the water!

Out in the Country

2010-12-29T13:36:00.000-06:00

On Saturday morning we were invited to brunch at a friend's house. They live out in the country and we haven't been there before, so we got a wee bit lost (the subdivision is new and not even on a map yet!) I had the opportunity to take some lovely pictures of the snow covered prairie landscape:

I love how the morning sun peaks through the trees and makes long shadows on the snow. The days here are very short in the winter!

After brunch a group of us went skating. We had the rink to ourselves which was nice. Sam did very well skating with the hockey stick- a little more practice and he'll be a pro!

Driving home and the beginnings of a beautiful sunset.

Princess Duchess

2010-12-29T13:24:00.000-06:00

Duchess loves lounging in her bed (which was really Duke's but he never used it). Doesn't she look like a little lady?

Duchess is a Bird

2010-12-15T12:04:00.000-06:00

Duchess seems to think she is a bird:

She went in the cage first and then Rex hopped in to join her!

Now Duchess is being a little monkey.

And a video I took yesterday of Duke playing hide-and-seek:

Our First Roast Turkey

2010-11-17T16:07:00.000-06:00

Sam wanted me to take some pictures of our first whole roasted turkey- I've made thighs, breast and ground before but never a whole one at once! It just seemed like way too much meat for just the two of us. Well, we have LOTS of leftovers! Good thing we love turkey.

Sam requested to carve it- here he is concentrating on that important task ;o)

And stuffing of course- arguably the best part of a turkey dinner!

Duke and Duchess liked their little treats of turkey too. In fact Duchess sat under the counter waiting for any juices to drip down and then licked them eagerly off the floor. She ended up with drippings all over her head and back and smelled like a little turkey. I gave her a bath of course, though Duke did his best to lick her off!

Going to go now and get our Turkey Brunswick stew started for dinner.

Our Aquarium

2010-11-10T14:38:00.000-06:00

We have our aquarium set up and bought a few more fish for it:

Dojo Loach, he likes to swim on the floor and occasionally buries himself in the sand (Sam calls him Mr. Dragon)

One male and four female Rosy Barbs: (it was hard to get a good picture of them)

And another sucker (the first two died sadly, it got too cold in the nights and they didn't make it) He is a different colouring from the first and will be a pretty yellow spotted colour when he grows up.

Sam built a nice stand for the 75 gallon tank out of cedar which is very strong and sturdy! He loves the aquarium, he has been talking about getting one ever since we got married, so I'm happy that he is happy about it. We are still adding/changing things but here it is at the moment:

And a cute picture of Duke and Duchess sharing the window seat :o)

Cranberry-Apple Pie

2010-11-02T14:32:00.000-06:00

Sam did VERY well on his review at work, so I wanted to surprise him with something special. He loves apple pie, but I didn't want to make an ordinary apple pie, so I thought I would give this recipe a try. It was delicious!

Cranberry-Apple Pie

Pastry for double crust pie
1 1/3 c sugar (less if your apples are sweet)
1/4 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon
3 c peeled and sliced baking apples
2 c fresh of frozen and thawed cranberries
2 tbsp butter or margerine.

Mix sugar, cinnamon and flour. Alternate layers of apples, cranberries and sugar mixture in a pastry lined pie plate, beginning and ending with apples. Cut butter into small peices; sprinkle over apples. Cover with top pastry that has slits cut in it; seal and flute. Bake 40-50 min at 425 f, covering crust with foil if it browns too quickly. Allow to cool at least two hours before cutting.

Our First snowstorm in Saskatchewan

2010-10-27T15:36:00.000-06:00

Our first snow in SK came in with a fury! It snowed all day and night, which was very surprising as last Thursday I walked to the mall in only short sleeves! Sam's workmates say we will be in for a very snowy winter, based on the amount of snow we had and how early it came. I hope they are right!

Here is Sam shovelling our first snow for the first time in our very own home! Doesn't he look happy!

Duke and Duchess watching at the window:

This morning we had even more snow:

Isn't it so pretty? It is supposed to warm up on the weekend so I hope it doesn't all melt. Although then we'll have the excitement of a first snowfall all over again!

Duke and Duchess Cuddling

2010-10-26T11:24:00.000-06:00

I caught Duke and Duchess cuddling last week- I don't think Duke even realized he was using Duchess as a pillow, he just felt something soft and warm! It was really cute.

Duchess loves to curl up on my lap and sleep, which is different from Duke, who prefers to curl up next to us.

And I tried taking some pictures of all of us together. (Rex is on my shoulder although you can't see him!) It was difficult because they wriggle around a lot, but I love holding both of them at once.

Hiking in Echo Valley

2010-10-18T10:20:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we went hiking in Echo Valley, about 40 minutes NE of Regina. It was quite hot (25c) and very peaceful and beautiful overlooking the lakes. Overlooking Pasqua lake:

I was quite surprised that all of the trees had shed their leaves, as here in the city they were still golden and yellow. It will be nice to go back in the spring and early summer when everything is green.

As we were walking along a flock of chickadees started flying very close to us. We thought at first that they were trying to scare us off, but then Sam held his hand out and they landed on it! They were looking for food, so next time we will bring some seed for them.

Further down we also had a White-Breasted Nuthatch looking for handouts:

We also saw a Hairy Woodpecker which I was not able to get a good picture of.

Crunching through the fallen leaves- a perfect autumn day!

Duke and Duchess

2010-10-13T12:12:00.000-06:00

Duke and Duchess are getting along quite well now. We introduced them last week and Duke was a bit hostile towards Duchess at first, hissing and growling occasionally. Duchess didn't seem to notice and pounced on and chased him. Of course he couldn't resist and soon they were playing together. They aren't the best of friends yet but they enjoy each others company and Duke sometimes licks Duchess.

Duke: All of this playing makes me tired, but I can't resist trying to get a swipe at Duchess!

Duchess is very curious about Rex, she wants to sniff him, which he doesn't mind, but she moves very quickly, unlike Duke, and this startles Rex. He has fluttered away a few times and Duchess tries to chase him but we are teaching her not to and she is getting better. I'll try and get some more pictures of them together.

Duchesses Second Day

2010-10-06T15:34:00.000-06:00

Duchess is settling in well, she seems to be perfectly at home now. She is NOT pleased about being stuck in our room all by herself, so last night we put Duke in the basement and let her explore the house. She had lots of fun bouncing around and chasing balls and just about anything that moves! At night she snuggled in next to me, purring madly, and slept with her head on my shoulder. I don't think I moved the whole night for fear of crushing her!

Here she is yesterday playing in our room:

Duke seems to be reacting better to her today. He cuddled and purred with me this morning, and while he still growls a bit at Duchess under the door, he is also getting curious about her. He will sit

outside the room while I am in with her and even put his paws under the door. Hopefully we'll be able to introduce them by the end of the week. We are giving Duke a lot of attention and love whenever we are not with Duchess, so he won't feel left out.

I took Duchess out while I was trying to make a soup for lunch (Duke was in the basement trying to scare off the neighbours cat!) and it was quite an ordeal! She wants to constantly be petted, cuddled, and played with. It is very difficult not to step on her as she is always clinging to my leg! She is so loving and affectionate though that I don't mind, you can't help loving her. Sam says he has fallen in love with her already :o).

Here she is this afternoon, sleeping against my arm while I was reading:

Duchess is here!

2010-10-05T11:02:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we picked up our new kitten Duchess from the airport. She is a seal bi-colour Ragdoll and just over twelve weeks old. She is so tiny, compared to when we got Duke! Here we are at the airport.

We took her to our room at home. She immediately came out and started purring and rubbing her face on us. Then she went to play and explore. It was hard to get a good picture of her as she is a little whirlwind!

Mama's hair elastic makes a good toy!

She also started playing with poor Duke's favourite string. Duke hasn't been too pleased with her arrival, so we haven't brought them together yet. Duchess is very upset about being stuck in one room and when I leave puts her little paws under the door and meows so plaintively.

I will try to get some better pictures of her today. She has been climbing on my lap and cuddling so hopefully I can get her to sit still for a few seconds! She is very affectionate so I think she will be a cuddly girl. Going to go play with her now!

Peace Reigns in the Diogo Family

2010-10-04T11:05:00.000-06:00

Who says a bird and cat can't be friends?

Duke: Carrying this little bird around does get tiring!

Rex clicking his beak which he does when he is happy and excited.

These are from last year but I thought they were cute. Rex jumped into the window on his own and Duke was happy to share the view.

Pink Sweater

2010-09-28T07:32:00.000-06:00

All done:

We didn't get many good pictures as the sun was so bright! It was a very hot day, I actually found the sweater much too warm. But I'm pleased with how it turned out...

Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher

2010-09-27T11:01:00.000-06:00

Firstly, I am determined to post more often, as I LOVE to write (and take pictures) and having just re-read all of my entries so far, it was really fun to remember some of the things that have happened in the past few months. So I am resolved to find the time to write more :o).

On Saturday we were in the front garden rebuilding the porch when suddenly we heard a big bang and saw a little bird fall onto the porch and flutter about helplessly. He had flown right into our big clear front window. Sam picked him up and he seemed to be alright, just stunned. His poor little head was going round in circles and he couldn't stand. Here is he just after the crash:

Sam held him for a while, and after he seemed to be recovered, I held him. He wasn't frightened at all and I think he was just comfortable and cosy sitting in my palm! I tried to nudge him off but he cling on quite persistently and had a little nap. He finally flew away about an hour later, as the neighbours cat scared him. He flew high off into the elm trees, so I am sure he was alright.

Peter Rabbit and other delights

2010-09-24T14:22:00.000-06:00

Some sweet new Peter Rabbit plates for our collection- perfect for dessert or toast.

As my family and friends know, I have a huge weakness for anything to do with Beatrix Potter, so I couldn't resist this adorable book I found a few weeks ago. There is not much to read, as it is a board book, but the illustrations are gorgeous and it's fun to lift the flaps!

My weakness extends to anything cute (especially animals) so I had to get this little book as well:

This is a gorgeous book for ladies of any age who love dolls, doll houses or past eras.

There are two other books in the series- The Enchanted Dolls House, and The Enchanted Dolls House Theatre. Each book features the same group of dolls who take you through life in Edwardian, Victorian and Regency times. I bought the Dolls House and Wedding books for my mother when she came down with the shingles and she loves them too. Hopefully I can get the other two books soon.

To finish off, here is a favourite quote of mine: (it is also featured on the Enchanted Dolls House webpage)

'We don’t stop playing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop playing.' George Bernard Shaw.

I certainly hope I'll ever be too 'old' to play! Won't you join me?

Dragonfly

2010-08-26T13:19:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I happened to see a poor dragonfly caught in a spiderweb. I managed to detach him with a net, and left him out on the patio to recover. He stayed there the entire afternoon, as he seemed to be struggling to fly. I put Rex's cage over him to protect him from any curious birds or cats.

Isn't he gorgeous? We have lots of big ones like these buzzing around our garden.

When Sam got home Dragonfly was still alive, so Sam immediately picked him up! I think they are beautiful but I wasn't brave enough to pick him up. Sam pulled some of the cobwebs off him and gave him a little pep talk ;o).

We left Mr. Dragonfly on a rock by the pond and later on he was gone, so I do hope he flew away safely.

Our raspberry bush has a few fruits, very late in the season as it is in too shady of a location. Hopefully we can move it next spring.

And my drawing of Mr. Jeremy Fisher:

More Jewellery

2010-08-20T11:30:00.000-06:00

Earrings I made for Mama and mailed to her as a surprise:

(I only took this one picture, not sure why! The AB crystals are gorgeous, I am tempted to make a pair for myself!)

Necklace and watch I did on commission:

And earrings for myself, they will be lovely for autumn:

And the sweater I am working on, I'm really pleased with how much I have done! I was hoping it would be a quick project:

Homeschooling in Sweden

2010-08-18T13:54:00.000-06:00

Did you know that things are made very difficult for families who wish to homeschool in Sweden? (even worse, it is illegal in some countries such as Germany and Brazil!).

I didn't, until I read an article about it in Home Education Magazine. There are only about 50 homeschooling families in the country, and many families move to other places in order to pursue home education.
Here is a bit of info I copied off the Swedish Home Education Organization website:

'The Swedish Parliament passed a new school law on Tuesday, June 22, 2010.

This is the first completely re-written school law since 1985 and it is about 1500 pages long. Two or three of these pages concern ”completing the school obligation in other ways”, or in other words homeschooling. The new law even further restricts an already highly restrictive policy on homeschooling in Sweden, making it pretty much illegal. Here is the story.

What does the new law on homeschooling say?
The writing on homeschooling in the new law is basically the same as in the old law. The law requires a fully satisfactory alternative to school and that the authorities can look into the homeschooling. However, the new law adds a third requirement: "there must be exceptional circumstances". Lawyers have told us that “exceptional circumstances” in a Swedish juridical context means as close to a definite "no" as you can get, regardless of the circumstances.

Also in the motivational text of the law, which explains how the new law on homeschooling is to be interpreted, the following can be read (my translation):
"Current school conventions make it clear that the education in school shall be comprehensive and objective, and thereby be created so that all pupils can participate, no matter what religious or philosophical views the pupil or its legal guardian/s may have. In accordance with this it is the opinion of the Government that there is no need of a law to make possible homeschooling based on the religious of philosophical views of the family."

Page 523 in Prop. 2009/10:165 (Swedish Government proposition)
This means that religious or philosophical convictions are no longer valid reasons for homeschooling under the new school law.'

You can read the rest of the article here:
http://rohus.nu/en/?English_information

There is also a petition you can sign, to preserve the right to Home Education (and human rights in general, as you will see if you read the rest of the article). Rohus is politically and religiously un-affiliated.

PETITION

On a more cheerful note, here is a lovely site by a homeschooled Swedish young lady, all about Jane Austen!

The Secret Dreamworld of a Jane Austen Addict

Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan

2010-08-17T10:54:00.000-06:00

Sam took Friday off and we went to Saskatoon for Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan. We saw:

It was hilarious! They substituted Saskatchewan place names for the original names and when Mr. Ford disguised himself as Brook he put on a cowboy hat and Western accent.

Here is the Saskatchewan river:

I love this picture I snapped of my wonderful hubby, he looks quite like a dashing modern day Mr. Darcy or Mr. Knightley.

Gorgeous sunset:

A lovely notecard set, I have a few already and have been looking out for more

Pretty box which will go perfectly in our room or the spare room... I have a weakness for pretty boxes!!

And lastly the sweater I am working on... I had only started it two evenings ago so I was quite pleased with the progress.

A Frog For Our Pond

2010-08-11T14:04:00.000-06:00

My husband found a little frog at his worksite, and since the frog's habitat is being destroyed, he brought him home.

Here is Mr. Frog (Jeremy Fisher shall we say?) eager to escape from the cup!

Happily swimming in the water

Doesn't he resemble Mr. Fisher? I can just see him with his fishing rod trying to catch one of our huge (compared to him!) goldfish! Of course he hops back into the water as soon as we come out, so we never catch him in the act! I wonder if he wears goloshes...

Rex loves to come out in the garden too:

And lastly two videos of Rexy serenading my feet...

Handmade Jewellery

2010-08-10T14:43:00.000-06:00

Here are some of my newest creations:

A watch done on commission- gold plated- findings (except the watch face) and Swarovski crystals:

These I made in the Spring, also on commission:

Necklace and earring set for myself:

And these earrings, also for myself, that I just completed- sterling silver findings and Swarovski crystals:

More to come soon!

Our Piano

2010-08-06T12:07:00.001-06:00

Here is our beloved piano settled into our new home:

My grandparents bought it for me 20 years ago, when I was just six! I have been learning to play on it ever since. (my first instrument was a little keyboard which I started on at age 3!) It is a Yamaha U3.

It has travelled from Calgary to Edmonton, to Mississauga, to Milton, to downtown Toronto, to an apartment in Regina, and finally to our own home in Regina. Who knows where it will go next! Or maybe it will just decide to take a break from travelling and stay put for a while.

We love music and had a lovely musical evening yesterday. It started out by my playing music from 'Pride and Prejudice' while my dear hubby sat on the back steps listening. Then he came in and requested old favourites such as 'Strangers in the Night' and 'Moon River'. I played and we sang together.

Then Sam asked me to play the Brahms Rhapsody -gulp- it is QUITE difficult and I am still working on it. He likes it because of the low loud chords (a guy thing I think!) and asked me to learn more chord-y music. I think I'll have to brush up on the Beethoven Pathetique Sonata!

Here is an amazing recording of the Brahms:

Off I go to practice!

Blueberry Cottage Pudding

2010-07-30T14:45:00.000-06:00

This is an easy dessert and perfect if you don't have quite enough berries for a pie.

Cake Batter:

1 1/3 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup shortening

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine milk and egg and beat lightly. Add liquid all at once to dry ingredients and mix just until all ingredients are moistened.

Blueberry Topping

2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

Combine lemon, blueberries, and sugar and place in a greased 8 or 9 in. square baking dish. Spread cake batter over top.

Bake at 350 f for 45-50 minutes (mine was done in 42 min.) Serve warm with cream or ice cream.

And to finish off, a picture of Duke sleeping in one of his hilarious positions... I don't know how he doesn't end up with a backache!

Rex being his usual cute self:

More Fish For Our Pond

2010-07-27T13:37:00.000-06:00

Our first two fishies are doing well so we decided to add three more. This time we named them after favourite poets:

Lord Byron, because he is the biggest fish of all- (in a very posh English accent) 'Oh, what a lovely pond, my good sir. Quite fitting for a Lord of my stature. I do like the spaciousness and I daresay the two ponds will be quite enough space for my family. The footbridge gives it a very distinguished air and I hear there are two servants to do the cleaning? Quite right, we'll take it!'

SHE walks in beauty, like the night

Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that 's best of dark and bright

Meet in her aspect and her eyes:

Thus mellow'd to that tender light

Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

Had half impair'd the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

Or softly lightens o'er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express

How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,

So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below,

A heart whose love is innocent!

Next is Keats, our only solid orange fish:

O SOLITUDE! if I must with thee dwell,

Let it not be among the jumbled heap

Of murky buildings; climb with me the steep,-

Nature’s observatory - whence the dell,

Its flowery slopes, its river’s crystal swell,

May seem a span; let me thy vigils keep

’Mongst boughs pavillion’d, where the deer’s swift leap

Startles the wild bee from the fox-glove bell.

But though I’ll gladly trace these scenes with thee,

Yet the sweet converse of an innocent mind,

Whose words are images of thoughts refin’d,

Is my soul’s pleasure; and it sure must be

Almost the highest bliss of human-kind,

When to thy haunts two kindred spirits flee.

And Miss Bronte, named after Charlotte, Emily and Anne (who were marvelous poets as well as novelists)

Lines Composed in a Wood on a Windy Day (by Anne Bronte)

My soul is awakened, my spirit is soaring

And carried aloft on the wings of the breeze;

For above and around me the wild wind is roaring,

Arousing to rapture the earth and the seas.

The long withered grass in the sunshine is glancing,

The bare trees are tossing their branches on high;

The dead leaves beneath them are merrily dancing,

The white clouds are scudding across the blue sky

I wish I could see how the ocean is lashing

The foam of its billows to whirlwinds of spray;

I wish I could see how its proud waves are dashing,

And hear the wild roar of their thunder to-day!

Here are Bronte and Rosalind getting acquainted- they became fast friends.

Keats trying to work up the courage to cross the stream

And our Ragdoll Duke wanting to join in on the fun!

Our Garden Pond

2010-07-26T14:38:00.001-06:00

Our recently purchased home came with an extensive pond. We were going to take most of it out, as it takes up a lot of room in our back garden, but having lived in our house for over a week we really like the pond, so we are going to keep it all!

We just bought two goldfish for the pond- we wanted to start out with two and see how they do. Here they are:

The front on is mine, named Rosalind, and the back one (orange on top) was named Roxy by Sam.

They seem to be doing well, they like to swim around together between the ponds and groom each other. They spend the heat of the day under the rock bridges Sam made for them, and swim around in the early morning and evening.

Here are a few pictures of our garden- although you can't tell, there are a lot of weeds which we will need to clear out, and I am already making plans for all of the lovely shurbs and flowers I want to plant.

We also bought a couple of sucker fish to eat the algae. They are very small now but will grow to 20 inches. We haven't seen them since we put them in the pond as they blend in so well and hide in the rocks.

This morning I found a gorgeous dragonfly floating in the pond. I fished him out and left him in the sun to dry and 10 minutes later he had flown away.

Lemon Rhubarb Loaf

2010-07-07T11:08:00.003-06:00

Baking with rhubarb always says to me that the lovely warm days of spring and summer are finally here! We've been buying lots of fresh rhubarb every week at our local Farmer's Market. My husband loves it too, and every time we see some he wants to buy it! Here is one of our favourite recipes:

Lemon Rhubarb Loaf

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 1/2 cup chopped rhubarb (thawed and drained frozen rhubarb can be used as well)

1/2 cup brown suger

2 tbsp water
1 tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Glaze:
1 1/4 cups icing sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp softened butter

Grease a large 9x5 loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350f. Stir flour with baking powder and salt. Reserve.

Stir milk with lemon juice, let stand for 5 minutes. Combine rhubarb, brown sugar, water and corn starch in a sauce pan. Simmer for 3-5 min until rhubarb is softened. Puree.

Beat butter with sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Alternately beat in flour and milk in two additions. Spoon one third of batter into loaf pan. Top with half the rhubarb mixture. Repeat. Top with remaining batter. Swirl a knife through the batter a smooth top.

Bake for about 60 min, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out with just a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan on a rack.

Glaze:
Stir sugar with lemon juice and butter until smooth. Drizzle over cooled loaf. Makes 12 servings.

And a cute little video of our cockatiel Rex singing his heart out- Daddy taught him to sing like this:

A New Dress for Kathryn

2010-07-06T10:35:00.000-06:00

Poor Kathryn only has two dresses- her grey orphan dress and her yellow pinafore. She felt a little sad when she saw the pretty spring dresses my other girls have, so I decided to try hand sewing a dress for her (since I don't have a sewing machine yet, it had to be done by hand).

It takes a LOT of patience, especially when one is used to the speed and ease of a machine! But it was well worth it when I saw how happy Kathryn was to have a pretty new dress.

The basic pattern is from Ginger Brook Hollow, but I made the sleeves shorter, inspired by the movie 'Emma' with Gwyneth Paltrow.

For more pictures of Kathryn's dress please visit my album:

Kathryn's New Dress

Never knit your man a sweater....

2010-05-26T10:48:00.000-06:00

Unless you've got the ring! is a really fun and cute knitting book. My first project from it is a hat for my husband which I made him as an anniversary gift. He insisted he didn't need anything, and with the move and everything else going on I didn't even have time to go shopping, so a hand knitted project was the perfect solution.

Here it is in progress:

I've never knitted in the round before but once I had it figured out it was quite easy and fun.

Here is the finished product:

It is made from 100% merino wool so it will be warm and cosy for a harsh prairie winter!

The book 'Never knit your Man a Sweater...Unless you've got the ring' has a lot of cute patterns, starting with simple projects to make when you are first dating, down to a gorgeous sweater that can be completed as an anniversary present! I'm eager to try out some more of the patterns.

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

2010-05-12T11:11:00.001-06:00

These cupcakes make a lovely springtime dessert. I wanted to bring them to a get together on Sunday, so I thought I should give the recipe a trial first! We really liked them, and I'll definitely make them again for Sunday. The recipe can be found here:

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

I havled the recipe as 30 cupcakes is rather a lot for just the two of us!

I didn't make the given icing, instead I made a Lemon Buttercream which is quite easy, here are the directions:

Lemon Buttercream Icing

2 cups icing sugar

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp grated lemon peel

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp milk (optional, only use if needed, I didn't need it)

Yellow food colouring, if desired

Mix butter and 1 cup icing sugar thoroughly. Mix in lemon peel, juice and remaining sugar. Beat mixture and add milk slowly if it still seems too thick.

That's it! Enjoy!

Drawings

2010-05-03T13:58:00.002-06:00

Here is a sketch of a little lop eared bunny I did last week in pencil crayon.

And a couple of water colours my husband found yesterday when we were unpacking. I did them three years ago after our trip to Texas. I wanted to do a little collection of all the wildlife we saw on the trip but never had a chance to complete it. Unfortunately my swallowtail got a bit smudged.

Ginger Brook Hollow

2010-04-28T12:14:00.000-06:00

A nice little surprise arrived yesterday:

Not only did I receive a catalogue:

But there were other surprises as well. There was a sweet little doll sized card making kit:

A news letter

And four little books- a recipe book, paper dolls, and two about the girls and cat:

You can browse the web page and order your own set here:
Ginger Brook Hollow
The catalogue says 'the stories are about the people who live in this valley and are set in the Victorian Era during the last half of the 1800's. They portray the gentle sweetness and values of that time...' and 'the dolls are made with poseability, individual artist sculpts, and high grade materials... and are best suited for collectors of all ages who value heirloom quality.'

Also 'the original outfit for each of our dolls was designed to encourage simple sewing projects'. Sounds just like my cup of tea!

Off I go to read my little books and choose which doll I'd like to get first!

Chicken Potpie

2010-04-26T13:02:00.008-06:00

I remember once, years ago, the mother of my piano students was making Chicken Pot Pie while I was teaching her daughters, and it smelled delicious. I've wanted to give it a try ever since. I got the recipe from Thibeault's Table but made a few modifications to suit what I had one hand.

You can get the recipe here: Chicken Potpie

I made 1 1/2 of the given crust recipe, and used dried thyme. It turned out lovely, flaky and light. Instead of using chicken breast, I used leftover roasted chicken meat, and boiled the leftover bones for stock. I used an 8x8 pan, and milk in the sauce instead of cream.

Here it is before baking- I was shocked that the filling fit exactly!! Usually I'd end up with too much or little.

After baking- and I would recommend that you put a baking sheet or something under the pan to catch the drippings, especially if your pie is as full as mine!

I don't know if my pie was as good as my student's mother's, but we liked it!

Pecan Pie

2010-04-23T12:57:00.010-06:00

Wednesday was my first attempt at a Pecan Pie-it was actually quite easy. Here it is before baking:

I was a little nervous as the filling seemed a bit scant, but during baking it puffed up beautifully. It deflated a little as it cooled but still ended up looking good:

My husband asked for seconds so he liked it!
For more mouth watering desserts please check my friend's page:
http://oliviasfavourites.blogspot.com/
She and her sister inspired me to make a webpage of my own.
Her sister's site is here:
http://thehkstudio.blogspot.com/
She is an amazing artist, and they are both very talented young ladies.

Felicity's Spa Day

2010-04-22T10:38:00.017-06:00

I've had Felicity since I was 10, and in all those 15 years have never washed her hair. I didn't know it could be done until I came across this site:

http://www.justmagicdolls.com/articles/article_index.htm

It is a great site by a woman who is a fellow doll enthusiast.

I always took excellent care of Felicity, but her hair was a little dry at the ends after many years of play, so I thought I'd give her a 'deep condition'.

Here she is soaking:

Now for an hour long soak in fabric softener!

Since her hair was wet anyways, I decided to give her some lovely curls. She was getting rather bored sitting around for so long so Elizabeth came to keep her company. Here they are reading one of their favourite books, 'Dolly in Town.
'

Duke wanted to keep them company but ended up falling asleep!

Before and after:

Felicity was my first American Girls doll- I saved up to buy her myself, took me two years! Elizabeth was a gift from my parents a few years ago. Both dolls are very special to me and I look forward to adding more to my collection.
For more pictures please visit my album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/Twodoves08

Hand Sewing

2010-04-19T12:06:00.010-06:00

I have never done much hand sewing, just bits here and there for a nice finish, but I just had a chance to give it a try. My mother was making a lovely top for me (she is a fantastic seamstress) but she didn't have a chance to complete it before we moved. I don't have a sewing machine yet, so the finishing must be done by hand.

Here is the yoke, the front was already sewn on but I hand sewed the facing with a backstitch, which is the closest to a machine stitch, and tacked it down.

Here is the hem, you can't see any stitching from the good side:

And all done:

Here is how it looks on:

That was in A E Wilson park, which connects with many other parks that go all the way through the city of Regina. We also saw a gorgeous Northern Flicker, she was on a garbage bin drumming away and calling for her mate.

I would say that hand sewing was much more enjoyable than I expected it to be. I wouldn't do it for an entire garment, as it would take too long and probably not be strong enough, but it is nice to do for a little project or crafting endeavour.