Retro Hairstyle

I was looking through the latest Anthropologie catalog . . . which is always a glimpse into a favorite store of one of my girls . . . when I was stopped short . . .
what about that hairstyle?
 

The same model kept showing up . . . and I had to go find an old familiar photo to see . . .

I'm sure her hair loosend up a bit after a few hours . . . circa 1954.
Who would have thought she'd fit in here?

My mom is wearing braids that are wrapped around her head . . .
Can you tell by how I said that, just what I've thought of it?
Looking at her now, I see more.
She is beautiful!

And . . . sigh . . .  when I was little
I took her thick braid which she had cut off by that time
(keeping it in a special place)
and held it against my ear . . . trying to imagine long  hair like that.
It's a photo of my vanity - even  as a five year old -
only in my memory.
 

The Lego Boy

We have had a lot of Birthdays to celebrate this summer!
Actually the number has not changed . . .
it's just that all those birthday people were home . . . giving us an excuse
 for a lot of parties.

 

Julene and I talked about ideas for Paeton's birthday cake and it was easy to come up with a Lego theme. He is the best Lego assembler for his age that I have seen! After checking out some options I realized that I happened to have just the right candles and offered to look for the  Lego guys to hold up those candles. I did not find such a package, so we decided to use them from his stash.

 

On the day I went to help her, it was one of the hottest days of the summer. As I was trying to show her how easy it is to frost the cake, the frosting kept sliding down. At first I thought it was because I was using an unfamiliar recipe. Finally I blurted out,

 

 "It's just so HOT in here!"  . . .

 to which she replied, "It is?" You could tell what she is used to!
 So . . . for the first time since living here she went and turned on the A/C
that the house - they are renting from her brother - comes with.
He'd most likely just shake his head.

 

After the house and this mp Grammy cooled down a bit . . . and I had totally scraped off the icing, I started all over again. We snipped off the wicks on the Happy candles and placed them. Then she placed the Lego guys . . . eight of them . . . the perfect number to hold the Birthday candles. She finished it off with lego candy and the smile we got was worth it all.

 

What fun to see you blow out those candles, Paet!
 

Words About a Saturday Date

 

I slept in and when I got up he was making pancakes - with Aunt Jemima's help. After a late breakfast he went to the office for a bit while I ironed. Have I said that I like ironing?  When he returned, the warmth of the sun drew him to sit in the backyard and I took our sandwiches out there.

In the afternoon we drove to check out a fairly new mall that we had only stopped off at shortly a while back . . . Morgan Crossing. On this beautiful late summer day it felt like we'd been plunked right into a holiday destination - seeing an open mall like this is usually visited while away from home. We looked into some store windows and entered others. He patiently looked through a kitchen store with me as well as a fun home decor place. At the Children's Store we looked for a gift and at a unisex clothing store we each spent a bit of time trying things on.

We got back into the car and drove to Langley for dinner and then pulled out three movie gift cards to see what they added up to. There was more than enough. One of us was leaning towards Bourne Legacy the other . . . The Words . . . but it did not really matter. We sat down with lots of time to watch previews and commercials. How did this happen?

The movie we ended up seeing has a number of angles to view it from . . . but in essence the main story . . . the one stolen by an aspiring young writer . . . is about a young man who in later years came to realize that he lost the love of his life because he loved words more than the one who inspired him to write those words. It's a love story that sadly repeats itself in the life of a desperate writer whose lie shapes the life he has chosen.

The Words . . . is a reminder of how life happens, and how one choice can shape our entire destiny.
It's a sad tale of how we can desire something so badly that, when we finally aspire to it, we find we have lost what is most dear.

On this Saturday it was a good reminder to acknowledge and cherish what we have and to be careful what we wish for.

Personal Jeweller at Work

About a year and a half ago I was the lucky winner of a jewelry draw put on by a company called Vintaj Brass. It turned out the necklace and the earrings came in pieces, in need  to be assembled. At the time I wrote about it here and put the envelope away . . . seeing I did not have the tools or the know how on putting it together.

Wouldn't you know it? Kathy thought about it when she was packing for their trip out here (in July) and tucked some tools into her suitcase.

On their final morning in our home, she laid everything out on my kitchen counter, made a few little cuts and twists

and it all took shape in no time. It was fun to watch!



Vintage Brass pendant earrings with, what looks like, a red agate bead . . .

 

and a very uniquely designed necklace with a colored glass crystal
 and a very pretty marbled bead that I will not pretend to recognize . . .
but I do feel like a winner now.

Seeing a jeweller at work makes one appreciate the details
and the thought that goes into each piece of art.

Since her visit to the West Coast, she has been featured in a beading magazine.
You can read about it on her blog Artful Accents.

. . . and although you can't observe her in person,
you are welcome to go ahead and take a peek into her shop.
Back at home she will be hosting an open house next week
and I wish her all the best in that!

Playhouse Time in Saskatoon - Part 2

While the important things, such as naps, bath times and bedtime stories, continued



and the freezer got filled with food for colder days to come . . .

 

the view from the kitchen area, going upstairs . . . was changing.
 

It was becoming clear what the hustle and noise was all about.
 

On the day that we were about to leave . . . and Teddy was napping . . .
Lacey got to check it all out.



I followed her up the stairs to the loft . . . the favorite spot.

Her smile says it all . . .

 

I think Momma is hoping for many happy hours spent here
when walks to the park may not be an option. 

 

With a father/son team, it is a house that went up in record time.

 

Thank you, Ben and Kari for the privilege of spending this memorable time in your home.



When the wind blows and the snow comes . . .
may there be warmth and happiness in this little house on the prairie.

Playhouse Time in Saskatoon- Part 1

This time around we found out just how quickly we could be there. The drive that took about 18 hours last Spring was done with a hop and skip, landing us there within four hours of leaving home. Seeing as we had given the wrong time for the pick up, we saved them the waiting at the airport. It was all good, we got to see the sign as the truck came to a halt beside us on the pick up curb.

We are still here as I'm keying in these words . . . it's wonderful to be here for a fun packed weekend of playing, reading stories, baking buns and cuddling.

The playhouse we brought . . .  was a hit. We spent a lot of time matching keys to the appropriate doors . . .

unlocking them . . . and then locking them again.

ringing the doorbell and taking the appropriate dolls in and out of their cubicles.

 It was perfect!

  

However, the purpose for the trip would not have been accomplished, had we not been willing to listen to a lot of noisy tools being used in the other room. 

While the women kept busy in the kitchen area, the men ran from the garage to the upstairs playroom . . . measured . . .  ran back and cut . . . over and over again.

By the end of this day everything should be in place and we will be tucking ourselves into our own bed again.