[DOLLS] Tick Tock

We're entering the last lap of preparing for the annual CSA Craft Fair - the pressure's on...so why don't I feel it?! Normally, at this stage of the game, I'm freaking out - what was I thinking...how am I ever going to finish...who wants my kids...but nope, not this year. I am loving every moment of creating these little personalities. I've never made dolls before, and I'm hooked...completely in love with this new found obsession (and yes...it's turning into that).

The goal is to have 40 dolls ready...I'm more than half way. Wish me luck!! And good luck to all you other crafters out there that are tackling the craft fair scene this season.

[EXPLORE] Fall Treats

FALL...glorious, glorious fall. Kids are back in school, warm sunshine mixed with crisp salty air, wood fires, fog horns and a sea of autumn leaves. This is my favourite time of year on our little island. Sure the long summers days are nice, but there is just something so magical about this seasonal change that awakens the natural hunter gatherer in us to prepare for the inevitable winter. Woodsheds are being filled, chimneys cleaned, gutters emptied, harvests preserved and every minute of our limited sunshine used to the best of our ability.

This was our first true fall morning, and we filled it to the brim with our friends.

Frog hunting, spider studies, fuzzy caterpillars and a lily pad filled lake started our day. Beautiful light, warm translucent reflections and skipping stones were on our agenda. Dense forest trails, holding hands, running, jumping and skipping the entire way - that's how we roll.

Lunch on the water, a walk on the dock, icecream and a new little addition to our windowsill.

Home to our happy chickens, clucking and scratching their way through the yard for bugs and other tasty treats. Admiring their beautiful colours in the sunlight and giving them a little cuddle before heading in to continue sewing my dolls for the annual Christmas craft fair. Perhaps one more outing before dinner...

[LIVING LAB] Tadpoles and Salamander Nymphs

Our tadpoles and salmanders are thriving in the 'little ponds' on our deck. We have been adding fresh pond water every week or so and new vegetation to ensure there is plenty of organisms in the water for our salamanders to eat. We had been feeding our tadpoles fish food and noticed that the few that had made their way into our salamander bowl (they had been taken for show and tell with a salamander nymph and we decided to keep them together) are almost twice the size as the fish food fed little guys (and no it's not because they've eaten the salmander nymphs). We think it may be because this bowl has a lot of pond vegetation and a larger swimming surface, whereas the other bowl was low on vegetation and has a smaller swimming surface, but is deeper. So we have added a lot of surface vegetation to the tadpole bowl, and we'll see what happens.

The salamander nymphs have doubled in size, and their front legs are now quite visible. We will need to adjust their habitat to a large container soon, so that we can have a gradual ascent from the water as they develop further. We are really enjoying them.

We have added a little cluster of mystery eggs to our lab that we found on a leaf from our pea shoots. Our guess is ladybug...we'll just have to wait and see. So fun!!

Next up...caterpillars.

[GLAMPING] Wanderlust

Look what we bought last night...on a total whim. We were on our way to sushi and decided to stop and take a peak at a little homemade camper that was advertised on our local Buy Sell + Trade Facebook site. I had my doubts, as the picture in the ad did not do it justice at all...and it was $150.00. Was it really worth dragging the hungry, grumpy kids to - YES!

The camper was handmade by a local carpenter to fit on the back of his truck when out on site. It's a bit boxy looking, but that just means it will be that much easier for me to paint!

The interior is in perfect condition. No signs of leaking, no rips, tears or even scuffs on the linoleum and countertop. It has a little icebox, which we'll replace with an electric unit and a little double stainless steel sink. All the light fixtures are clean and free of rust and it's even wired for a stereo system. The interior is finished in plywood which I think looks great.

It has a sleeping loft that will fit two people and we'll need to modify the table so it can slide down, and we can add a piece of plywood and an additional cushion to make another bed for two. It shouldn't be too hard...or so I've been told.

Is it weird that I LOVE these cushions?? So vintage and in perfect shape. The seat cushions are also pretty good, but I think I may recover them with a denim or canvas. Window coverings are a must, so pretty little curtains will soon be on the way.

We do not have a truck, however, we do have a trailer that will fit this perfectly that we can tow all over this beautiful province. Yee haw...'Glamping' Pinterest Board here I come!!

[FIELDNOTE] West Side Beaches

As soon as the sun makes an appearance, our lives seem to rev up and the days are full to capacity. All the beach visits, walks and go go go has caught up to me however, and I now find myself fighting a chest infection (yuck and ouch). But perhaps it's a blessing in disguise as I have no choice but to rest and get caught up on this lovely space.

Where to begin....perhaps a little compilation of our beach visits, as we have been exploring our intertidal shores non stop the past couple weeks on the west side of our rock.

Bowen Bay Beach has been spoiling us with beautiful starfish, sea slugs, chiton, blennies, sea worms, shore crabs and tidepool sculpins. We are learning so much and having a ton of fun in the process.

We have also been exploring King Edward Bay and finding lots of Frilled Dogwinkle shells to take home and clean. I never tire of these beauties - I love the hidden colours that come through after having a good scrub, soak and oiling.

Cape Roger Curtis is another favourite spot. It seems that each little sheltered cove along the shores of the Cape, has it's own beachcombers delight. Last week, we visited a little beach mid way along the 'Sea Walk' and found quite a few dried sea stars, interesting seaweed and small, deep tide pools in the rocks, filled with limpets, barnacles, hermit crabs, shore crabs and sculpins. We used clear plastic cups that I had left over from one event or another, and caught crabs and sculpins to study a little closer.

Tunstall Bay Beach is a beautiful, long and pebbly beach on the west side of our island. It has lots of tidepools and big rocks to turn over and explore. On one evening visit, we found a very feisty crab hiding under a rock. Upon further investigation, we discovered she had a large cluster of eggs on the underside of her belly that she was protecting. No wonder she was in such a hurry to get away!

Now that's just a few of the beach visits...there has been other fun things happening here as well. Let me take another puff of my puffer, have a nap and write more later...

[FIELDNOTE] Nature Table

We are collectors - me, my kids...even my husband has been known to slip a pretty seashell or pebble into his pocket to take home and admire. Although it's nice to bring these bits and pieces home with us, they tend to get out of hand pretty fast. I decided to take the time this year, and set up a proper nature table. I love it...

The far left box is a bamboo extendable cutlery organizer that I picked up at Canadian Tire, along with the long narrow container. The basket is from the dollar store and the vintage cigar box and muffin tin is from my own collection. I pulled out our favourite nature books for reference and have started a journal with the kids to keep track of our outings and living lab.

Back in September, our family went on a mini vacation to Ucluelet and Tofino on the outermost coast of Vancouver Island (nothing between us and Japan!). We beachcombed, hiked, whale watched and dined on fresh crab. It was incredible!

I carted home a bag of shells from that trip that has been sitting on our balcony ever since. I dug them out, gave them a good scrub, soak and oiled the ones that needed the colour to shine, and displayed them in the muffin tin. Our next job will be to identify them (with my new shell identification book I asked for, for Mother's Day...nerd alert!!).

There is still lots of room left for our summer finds, and I like that this set up forces us to be a bit more selective with the goods we bring home. It takes up little room, and creates endless opportunities to learn and marvel at nature's one of a kind treasures.

Here's some ideas to create your own.

Storage:

Egg Carton

Muffin Tins

Mason Jars

Baskets and Boxes

Ice Cube Trays

Cutlery Organizers

Create your display on a windowsill, shelf or sidetable - ENJOY!!

[CHICKENS] Graduation Day

Well, it's been an exciting week for the chicks and chickens - the little girlies are on day two of life outdoors - they love it! The big girls (and boy) are very curious of this new addition and quite peeved that the've been kicked out of the front coop and now have to pile into the wyandottes home (it's definitely VERY cozy).

We hooked the heat lamp up inside the coop for the evening and added wood chips to every surface to make it dry and cozy. They look so teensy in their new home, and are getting acquainted with their big sisters on the other side of the pen.

Our entire coop and chicken run is covered in wire to keep our feathered friends safe from overhead predators, as well, we have added a large covered area between the coops to house the food and water. The entire area is expanding and changing all the time with our ever growing flock.

[FAMILY] Woodland Fairy Garden Party

I LOVE party planning - LOVE IT!! I put weeks and weeks of pinning, planning and dreaming up my littles big day - it's my gift to them. This years theme for Chloe was Woodland Fairy Garden (not sure what happened to mermaids...). We had fairy houses and wands to decorate, potted flower treat bags, toadstool sandwiches, chipmunk snacks and whimsical metal frogs on real moss covered logs standing guard at the entrance to the magical fairy princess' home.

What made this party so sweet, was certainly all the little details - vintage plastic doilies, mason glass cups with daisy lids and birch bark printed paper straws, silk flowers tied with twine, tulle butterflies, oversized tissue flowers and wood inspired plastic plates.

The food was simple and fun. Sandwiches cut with toadstool and heart cookie cutters, skewers of fruit (fairy wands), caramel popcorn (fairy clouds), hickory stick chips (fairy twigs), cheddar sunchips (tree bark), Babybell cheese half opened (ladybugs), banana chips (chipmunk snacks) and pink lemonade (nectar). For desert, there was pretty cupcakes, poppyseed lemon cake and chocolate pudding topped with oreo crumbs and a pretty silk flower popsicle stick (fairy garden).

In lieu of treat bags, every little fairy went home with a pretty potted flower, complete with a silk butterfly and a vintage inspired white eyelet pot.

Now onto planning my boys party....zombies. Time to switch gears...!