t-shirt recycling

As soon as we knew our baby was a boy, Jay handed me some t-shirts to turn into onesies (to be fair, I had suggested the idea to him but the whole "boy" thing made it an instant good idea). I've been having a hard time getting into the sewing room, but over at least six 10-15 minute sessions, I finally got one done.

This t-shirt had already been cut down into the graphics from the front and back so I had to use other jersey to make the shorts and edging. I left the connection at the waist rough because it seemed to suit the shirt's style. And I tried to maximize the "Groo" graphics as much as I could, working some into a sleeve too. The onesie fits Milo really well and I agree with Jay - it's totally his coolest outfit. Now, only 3 more t-shirts to go!

road tripping

It wasn't anything like our vacation last summer, but road trips are always fun. And I can say this even with an 8 week-old and a car that seems no bigger than a Radio Flyer wagon.

For 3 days and 2 nights we covered a lot of Ontario ground, though it's pretty funny where we spent our nights. Yes, we live in Toronto, and yes, we stayed at a hotel in Kitchener. But they had an awesome saltwater pool and in-room movies, plus we didn't have to clean up after ourselves...which helped with the whole faux-vacation vibe.

As for the ground we covered: we checked out the Aberfoyle Market near Guelph, the undeveloped beaches and Heritage Main Street in Bayfield, the Bayfield Berry Farm, the manicured beaches and hexagon-shaped downtown of Goderich, the amazing Farmer's Market in St. Jacobs, the covered bridge in West Montrose, and we drove through the cute towns of Elmira, Elora and Fergus. We stopped at a few thrift stores, random antique shops and made the one stop that sent us on this journey in the first place - Elmira Stoveworks (we wanted to check out the retro fridge we've been debating for over a year). With all these stops it felt like we'd been gone for days.

Oh, and don't let the photo fool you - both kids had a great time. I think.

underachieving

Eight weeks has already gone by and like every mother before me, I wonder where the time has gone. Milo is wearing 6 month size clothes and is a solid, happy guy. Sadie is home with us full time and I'm slowly learning how to manage Milo's naps. But somehow this is all that I do, if you throw in a load of laundry a day and making sure we're all fed. Nothing else is getting done and I'm really itching to be creative.

Don't get me wrong - I'm savouring every moment of this babyhood, and I'm so much more relaxed this time around. And I love the funny little moments with a baby, like when Milo finishes eating and uses my boob as a pillow (officially the best use of a boob, second only to actually feeding offspring). I haven't had blue days or any sleep anxiety, I simply wish I could knit a little more. Sew a bit. Read something. Write thank you cards. That sort of thing.

Admittedly a tiny bit of knitting is happening, thanks to some car rides. The proof is in the final photo, and I really hope to have this cardigan finished tomorrow. I don't intend for the blog to become all about my kids (oh my god, I have "kids") so a finished project would be nice. As an added bonus, it also means I get to start something new.

market loot

Thanks to a post over at the lovely Needlebook blog, Jay and I were reminded of the Sunday St. Lawrence Antiques Market here in Toronto (funny how you forget the things that are the closest to you). With a small break in the torrential downpour last weekend, we finally made it down there, and were we ever glad we did, even though the rain caught us right at the end.

Sadie and I spent most of our time at one jewelry and button booth...I seem to have acquired a real soft spot for buttons these days.  But the booth had so many great picks, and I had a hard time stopping myself. By far my favourite are the enamel coated W.L.H.B. buttons - besides the great colours, the abrreviation stands for "Women's League of Healthy Babies". How very British, and how very wonderful, plus I think they could be used to make a great little series of...something. The red-headed doll is from the 60's.  We saw her from afar and just loved her colour and style, and the seller gave us a real deal for her and a pine chest from 1874 which is now housing all of our extra shoes. And by deal I mean $45 for a wooden chest, and that's right here in the city. Somehow we keep thinking we need to leave the city for those prices, but that's what is so great about finding the market again. Jay even grabbed a flip calendar to add to his collection, so he's so stoked by the market we're probably going again today. It's stroller friendly and a great outing. And seeing as I'm up with Milo at 6:38am, we could use an outing to look forward to.