Can you tell that I’m already looking forward to Halloween? Can’t wait to decorate and start baking. I know, I know… it’s not even September yet, so I have a while to wait patiently. Until then, here are some Whimsically Wicked items from Etsy:
Month: August 2011
A Keyword Story
Week 19 and baby is the size of a mango!
Mango
Sliced
Cubed
Ripe
Juicy
Orange
Sweet flavor
Fresh
Summer
Detail
Indoors
Still life
Ingredient
Can you believe that we’re basically half way through this pregnancy?! Hubby had a bit of panic attack when a friend pointed that out to him the other day. I mean technically, the baby can be born safely any time after week 37. We already know that, unless our baby decides to come really early, we will be welcoming him/her into the world between weeks 38-39. So, for us, we are definitely half way there! I will be having a scheduled C-section probably about a week or so before my due date, which means several things: One, we will know the exact date of the birth well in advance, not too much of a surprise. Two, we won’t be sitting around past my due date wondering when this baby is finally going to show up (you know what I’m talking about Shauna). Three, we are hopefully choosing the safest possible birth option for our own circumstances.
I always thought that when we finally had children, I would of course try to have them more naturally. Heck, at one point, I was interested in water birthing. But things changed after dealing with my uterine fibroid issues. In fact, I started this blog while I was recovering from my surgery and wrote all about my fibroid saga. Since then, I’ve been getting used to the idea that if I got pregnant, then a C-section would be the safest option for us. Trust me, it does take getting used to, especially when you’ve always had a particular vision of what you want your labor to be like. Of course, after going through some even more challenging times following the fibroid surgery, I came to realize that I would just be thankful to become pregnant. And now, the method in which that baby comes out, is less of a concern. We just want a healthy child and mom in the end, so that’s what we’re focusing on. For every couple that means different things. It is becoming a truly amazing experience among my friends, as we each have such widely different birth experiences. The full range, from completely natural (no drugs, birth-center scenario) to healthy hospital birth to scheduled c-section. Thank goodness for options!
Excited to see our little mango-sized baby at our next ultrasound on Monday. Still not sure if I’ve felt the baby move or not. I have felt the occasional flutter that people keep equating the baby movements to, but not sure if that’s truly the baby or just gas or something. I’m trying not to be too impatient about feeling the baby move, but I would love to feel more bonded with the baby than I am now. One day, soon, I’m sure…
A Keyword Story
Week 18 and baby is the size of a sweet potato!
Sweet potato
Slices
Raw
Orange colour
Peeled
Preparing
Ingredient
Green
Plate
Indoors
Still life
Nobody
Viewed from above
I do love sweet potatoes almost as much as I love avocados. So many pregnancy books recommended ordering sweet potato fries over regular fries at restaurants, and I am happy to report that I have followed that advice. Okay, so maybe I was doing that even before I got pregnant, but it still counts. Here’s a couple of typical recipes that we use sweet potatoes in:
- Jamaica-Me-Crazy Chicken Tropicale (slow cooker), although they add dried cranberries and we usually just use raisins
- Tropical Sweet Potato Mash (from Elizabeth Ward’s “Expect the Best” book): Peel and boil sweet potatoes. Drain water. Mash with some orange juice. Stir in some some canned pineapple (drained), either crushed or chunks. Stir in chopped pecans or walnuts. Simple and yummy.
- And then there is the super traditional sweet potato dish served at family holiday dinners, Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows. Makes me feel like a kid again.
Sunshine, art, and dogs
Just now getting an opportunity to post about the Festival of the Arts event that we attended in Turner Valley last weekend. It was my first time as a vendor at an outdoor event. Thankfully I’d already purchased one of those big tent canopies (ordered mine on the Costco website), so it was just all the other fifty details that needed to be taken care of. I think it came together alright in the end. Definitely need to play around some more with displaying the product using the tent. Hubby and I had only practiced setting the tent up once (it’s pretty darn simple), but I hadn’t really thought too much about how to utilize the tent space fully for display purposes. Just so used to focusing on table display ideas, rather than a booth-like space; details more than the bigger picture… story of my life.
Had the pleasure of meeting one fellow Etsy team member, Freya Maclean of Bug & Bird. In fact, we were just across from each other, so we could chat frequently throughout the day. Freya makes some lovely natural, handmade toys and kits for babies and kids. We even did a little trade for some things. Freya is now the first proud owner of a Rain Cloud Purse and I scored a cute reusable snack bag, an animal tracks memory matching game, and a sweet wooden teething ring.
The weather was incredibly beautiful and hot. Couldn’t have asked for better conditions! Thankfully, the tent provided plenty of shade and Freya lucked out with a spot right under a big, shady tree, so we were all saved from bad sun burns and overheating. It felt like a pretty good turn out. Lots of artists and good variety of vendors. Local musicians played in the park gazebo and provided enjoyable background music.
Besides this being my first outdoor event, it was also the first time I’ve done a bit of fundraising at my table. I started including my mom’s quilted bookmark and coffee cozie creations at my craft tables this spring and summer. This time around, however, I offered an incentive for purchasing these items and will continue to do so at coming events. $5 from each purchase is being donated to the Alberta Cancer Foundation. Many thanks to the couple of individuals who purchased these items in Turner Valley! Bubblegum Sass can now donate $10 to the Alberta Cancer Foundation. It might not seem like a lot, but you can be sure that every bit helps.
You might be curious why I’ve chosen to pursue this particular type of fundraising, cause let’s face it, it’s not uncommon for people and businesses to do charitable fundraising. Everyone has their own reasons and mine stems from my mother’s current battle with cancer. Haven’t written much about it here, but it weighs heavy on my heart and mind. She’s now into her second cycle (or fifth week) of weekly chemo treatment. There’s not much any of us can do but pray for her health and recovery. I suppose that’s why I started doing a bit of fundraising through Bubblegum Sass, just so I could feel like I was DOING something, however small.
Treasury Love
One more treasury, just for good measure. We were having a blitz this weekend for the Etsy Alberta Street Team. Of the few I made, this is by far my fav, featuring five team members:
Double Treasury Love
Who could ever resist such yummy purples?! Thanks to TheWackyWindmill for including me!
And another great treasury feature! Thanks for featuring my one of my rain cloud purselettes, helby!
A Keyword Story
This week baby is the size of an onion!
Red onion
One
Whole
Purple
Roots
Peeling
Simplicity
Detail
Selective focus
Indoors
Still life
Nobody
Ingredient
Comparing baby to fruits and veggies is a touch confusing. Some weeks baby seems to get smaller than the previous week, but I just go with what I’m told. At week 17 the baby is anywhere from 5-6 ounces and roughly 5 inches (from crown to rump). My baby bump has made an appearance and I feel like I’m getting bigger each week now. The waist on some of my pants are getting too tight to wear, but thankfully my friend has let me borrow her Bellaband (a simple stretchy fabric band to wear over unbuttoned waistbands). So hopefully, I can get a few more weeks out of my pants before having to move onto true maternity clothes. Guess I should schedule in some shopping time soon.
I’ve also been hunting around for simple sewing tutorials and patterns for maternity clothes here, here, and here. I’d love to save a bit of money and make some of my own clothes. Goodness knows I’ve got plenty of fabric in my stash to whip some things up! But I’m not sure how realistic a goal that is. Keep it simple. Gotta remember that motto. And sometimes simple means buying some things instead of trying to make them all yourself.
In other maternity news, we’re all signed up for our main prenatal class, which doesn’t start until the beginning of December. It seems a long way off right now, but I have a feeling that the fall will go by quickly. There are some other classes we’re considering like CPR, baby safety, cloth diapering etc. There’s even one for preparing to introduce your pet to the new baby, which might be useful. Pretty sure that Chloe (our fur baby) will absolutely hate the baby, but we’re really not going to know how she’ll react until we bring baby home. Oh the joys of integrating a household!
For now, I try not to worry about all those things and just focus on keeping healthy and rested. Baby still has lots of growing to do after all.
Tent city in a small town
Of course, these tents aren’t for sleeping under… nope, we’re talking about an outdoor market. Just took the plunge and finally applied for two different outdoor venues, one in Calgary and one in Turner Valley. The Turner Valley one is actually this Saturday. Cutting it a touch close, but pulling it all together with the help of family (who saved me from a table nightmare). Note to self: must purchase folding tables ASAP to have on hand for just such occasions! I’ve mostly got my routine down for set-up and display when it comes to indoor craft shows, but trying to think of all the additional bits & pieces required for an outdoor venue has been interesting. Got to remember to weigh things down in case of wind, from the tent canopy to the tablecloths to light-weight product & business cards. Another note to self: purchase little business card holders. The to-do list is still growing even as I check some things off.
Anywho, besides the little bit of nervousness that comes with trying something new, I’m looking forward to the day. The market is part of the Turner Valley Festival of Arts, Crafts & Music. The action takes place at the Royalite Millennium Park. The festival runs from 10am – 4pm. Should be a lovely, lovely day! If you’re up for a little adventure and a bit of a drive through the Alberta countryside, then come on out to the Town of Turner Valley on Saturday!
Coyotes and bears, oh my!
Hubby and I set off for another camping adventure this weekend. It was fairly uneventful compared to our last trip to the mountains. This was a good thing, since our last camping trip involved a drive to the Canmore General Hospital so hubby could get stitches. I like uneventful trips. They’re relaxing. We once again stayed at the Lower Lake campground in Kananaskis, despite our attempts to stay somewhere new in the area. We got out there around 2pm on Thursday afternoon and some campgrounds were already full, including the one we thought we’d camp at. But we scored a lovely spot at Lower Lake and all was good.
Weather was great while we were out there! Sunny and warm during the day, with the occasional rain during the night while we were tucked in the tent. We spent the days wondering the campground loops and walking by the lakes or sitting & reading by the creek. And of course there was the daily ritual of walking to the Boulton Creek Trading Post for an ice cream cone. Evenings were spent sitting around the fire talking about baby names and just pondering an assortment of stuff.
Animal sightings included a juvenile black bear on the drive into Kananaskis and a coyote which came wondering through the campground. In fact, we’d heard a coyote yipping at the moon the evening before. Such interesting noises they make. We also heard the bear gun fired frequently every day/night while we were out there. Whether they were chasing off the coyote or a bear, I’m not sure. They were plenty of pathways closed due to bear activity so it could have been both types of curious critters keeping the park folks busy. Anyway, we thankfully did not have any scary animal encounters.
All in all, a lovely escape from the city! As we sat around the camp fire, it occurred to us, that it might very well be the last camping trip we take just the two of us. Next summer we will have a little one in our lives. Now, whether we are brave enough to bring a six month old tent camping or nicely ask our parents to take baby for a weekend, who knows. Our next camping trip might be another real adventure!! Babies, coyotes, and bears, oh my!
A Keyword Story
Week 16 already! Baby is the size of an avocado!
Avocado
Ripe
One
Whole
Yellow
Plate
Green
Bumpy
Close-up
Viewed from above
Indoors
Nobody
Ingredient
Oh, avocados! How I do love thee! Let me count the ways:
- guacamole (we just squish up avocados with some sour cream and salsa)
- simply cut into wedges with a dash of salt
- in any salad (my fav combo is spinach with chunks of avocado & oranges, slices of red onion & bits of green olives served with a simple vinaigrette dressing)
- chunks in a burrito
- blended with plain yogurt & little bit of orange juice for a yummy smoothie (this may only appeal to those die-hard avocado lovers out there)
- on the list of things to try: Avocado Lime Pie, Bacon-Stuffed Avocados, Avocado Quick Bread
How do you enjoy avocados?