Amelia turns 3!

We are planning on having a birthday party for Amelia with our friends and neighbors later this month, but decided have a family celebration on her actual birthday since Nathaniel's Grandma is here with us. I prefer small, intimate gatherings to large parties, but I am looking forward to doing party bags and a fun rainbow fruit tray for the bigger event. I'm thinking there will be a "rainbow theme".



When I asked Amelia what kind of cake she wanted she requested a "blue one". We made some chocolate devil's food cake and "blue" cream cheese frosting. Amelia's favorite part of baking is licking the spoons and beaters.



We had some leftover candy and we decided to make a rainbow.





Amelia's presents lined up on the top of the fridge. I just got her a few simple things. Crayons, glow in the dark stars for her room, her favorite movie "Rio" and some little stuffed animals. Her big present was a big girl bike with training wheels.





Chatting with Grandma Judy while she blew out her candles. We made her party hat from some scrapbooking paper and a recycled bow.







Daddy was showing her how to hold up three fingers



A very special moment that I managed to capture since I was already holding my camera. Hurray for shutter speed!



I am not the sort of mom that cries on her children's birthdays (I've realized), and that is perfectly okay with me. For the longest time I never understood when women lamented the transition from infancy to toddlerhood, but since Claire has come along, that is beginning to change. Perhaps it is because I am enjoying the "baby stage" a little more this time around, or perhaps it is because we are still on the fence about whether or not we are going to have a third child. In any case, I am learning to enjoy each stage of my children's lives rather than longing for the next milestone.

This past year has been a challenging one for Amelia and I, but I am confident that it WILL get better. I still anticipate a lot of battles (as she is only three, fiercely independent and strong willed) but I also look forward to all the fun we are going to have as well. She is becoming incredibly articulate, capable, helpful and creative.

Project 365 (March 1st-13th)

Check out those claws!



Enjoying some delicious vegetarian pizza while in town with a friend.



Nathaniel and Amelia have been reading a lot of Dr. Seuss these days, so he decided to make her some "green eggs" for breakfast one morning. She was a bit skeptical, but eventually gobbled them up.



We enjoyed some dinner with friends in an incredibly picturesque community called Tatlayoko.



I'm ready to bust out my shorts- hurry up summer! My pale, pasty legs need some sun!



Getting to know my new neighbor and her little man.



I was incredibly bored and since I couldn't move my furniture around (due to space constraints), I decided to re-arrange my bookshelf. I'm pretty happy with the result.



A little bit of color and inspiration on my fridge. I want to inject some of these colors into my living room this spring. I'm looking forward to painting my couches and purchasing/sewing some new pillows.



My friend brought me me some lovely scented candles from her recent trip to the big city. They all smell SO yummy!



We attended our local rod and gun club dinner tonight and enjoyed some moose, cougar, local beef and in Amelia's case, cake.



Tulips bring me such joy.



Spent the evening watching the season's finale of "the bachelor" and celebrating a friend's 31st birthday.



Took a delightful walk with a group of friends and their babies under a bright blue Chilcotin sky.

Dreaming of Paris..

My girlfriend and I have talked about traveling to France for a couple years now and I am certain that one day we will. Until then I will just daydream about

the clothes I will wear......

trip to paris by jocelyn-lord featuring a sheer shawl

the postcards I will send..



the insightful and delightful things I will journal about....



the delicious things I will dine on...





the views that will drink in...



the narrow streets and villages I will explore....


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My girlfriend and I are hoping to ride our bikes through the French countryside and stay at rambling cottages along the way. I loved this quote from an online cycling brochure.

"Ever dream of cycling through beautiful countryside on roads so small and devoid of cars they seem like bike paths? Or combining cycling with viewing unique historical sites? Or just having a great green vacation talking with friendly hosts and tasting great food and wine? Then you should consider cycle touring in the Dordogne and Lot area of Southwest France. Just four hours from Paris by trains that transport your bike with you, it is easy to access and a world of its own. Even though it abounds with interesting sites and beautiful villages and countryside, it is one of the least developed areas in France and remains fairly inexpensive to visit. Your cycling day typically starts with fresh French bread, cheese and lots of great coffee, and ends with a tasty supper and French wine. In between you will cycle along rivers, over hilltops with marvelous views, along ancient towpaths and through walnut groves. You can visit historic castles, fortified towns, prehistoric caves, bustling markets and of course wineries – the choice is yours." - Murray Hendren

Here is another dreamy description..

"Provence, a region in southeastern France renowned for its beautiful villages and glorious countryside is a cyclist’s dream come true. This part of France takes you on mostly quiet roads over old Roman bridges that are still in use today, past sleepy villages, through flower filled countryside and on past vineyards and olive groves. Stop in small villages for a bowl of the famous pistou soup – made with garlic, fresh basil and olive oil."



Now I just need to start saving all my pennies...

Playing dress up.....

soft cream and turquoise by jocelyn-lord featuring a short blue skirt

I really, REALLY enjoy playing "dress up"! It is something I have enjoyed since I was a little girl. My sister and I used to spend hours trying on dresses and draping ourselves with fabric from my mom's sewing room. Usually, when I feel like dressing up these days, I pull out all my neglected heels, pretty scarves and purses try and come up with outfits. Sometimes when I come up with an outfit I take pictures so that I remember which ones worked and which ones didn't. These are a few shots I took the other day. (I can't believe I am sharing these....) EEEK



I can't tell you how thrilled I was to fit into my navy blue polka dot shorts. They were a hand me down from my dearest friend Cristina (who is incredibly tiny but doesn't like tight clothing)and I have been looking forward to wearing them again. For the past year they had been residing in a rubber maid tote in my basement labeled
"skinny clothes".

While my wardrobe and budget are limited, I am always surprised what I can come up with. My makeshift wardrobe of clothing definitely consists of an odd assortment of colors, stripes, hippie skirts, lots of rainbow colored sweaters from thrift stores, bridesmaids dresses, "mom attire" (long sleeved cotton shirts and jeans), skirts I rarely wear, a pair of cutoff shorts I bought in grade eight and still wear, and a suit I purchased after I started working for a publishing company in my second year of University. My style has certainly evolved over the past couple of years. In elementary school I wore awful neon shirts, purple corduroys, and a jean jacket. In high school I wore combat pants and overhauls, and in University I embraced my inner hippie. After I started working as a recruiter, in my second year of University, I started to wear button down shirts, shirts, high heels, make-up and tailored jackets. I don't really know how to describe my style now, but this is the sort of look that I am aiming for:

delicious pinks by jocelyn-lord featuring long earrings

I am still a hippie at heart, but my taste in clothing has grown up. While I think fashion is trivial, I am fascinated by its ability to transform ones image, boost confidence and convey information about its wearer. Right now I need to focus on editing my wardrobe and purchase more "basics", pieces that are flexible like white shirts, cardigans, classy jeans, and scarves. I would still like to buy a nice tan trench, some flat riding boots, jeggings, and more ethnic inspired jewelry. Those that know my well know that I am not always very practical and would rather buy a pretty accessory than a pair of socks. Here are a few boards I created of my favorite kinds of jewelry and clothing using a great site called polyvore. I am a little addicted at the moment.

pink, orange and gold jewelry by jocelyn-lord featuring stone rings

Blue and green jewelry by jocelyn-lord featuring an enamel bangle

orange and navy blue by jocelyn-lord featuring michael kors jewelry

casual cute by jocelyn-lord featuring flower hair accessories

Soft and Tough by jocelyn-lord featuring leather tote bags

What is your "style"?

A day about town with a girlfriend

A couple of days ago I went to town with a girlfriend and spent the day grocery shopping, perusing a local book store, sipping Starbucks, picking out magazines and enjoying hours of undisturbed adult conversation. In other wards, it was pure *bliss*. What made it particularly enjoyable, was the fact that I didn't have any of my children with me. Usually when I go into town, I bring Claire. In fact, I have not been away from her for more than thirty minutes, during the day, since she was born. Needless to say, I struggled with whether or not to leave her home with Nathaniel, but in the end, decided that it was time. We were gone for nearly seven glorious hours, and I cannot begin to tell you how refreshed I felt when I finally arrived back home. Nathaniel managed the girls beautifully and Claire was sound asleep by the time I walked in the front door. It was a huge relief to know everything had gone smoothly while I had been away.

Me and my sugar free, fat free, caffeine free cinnamon Dulce latte.



One of our favorite places to shop is the small section of Joe fresh clothes at the Superstore in town. We love shopping for our girls and we rarely leave without an item or two. Today I had my eyes on this adorable nautical white and blue striped shirt and white skinny jeans for my almost three year old.



Tulips: One of my favorite spring flowers.



Just before we headed home we picked up some pizza at an incredible pizzeria called Red Tomato Pie.



The most delicious vegetarian pizza I have ever had. This one had garlic, sundried tomatoes, artichocks, olives, spinach, feta, and crushed salt. DEVINE!

Catching up.... Feb 22 - 29th

Feb 22nd: I made a sheet cake with this recipe and used it to make a DELICIOUS chocolate, strawberry trifle.



Feb 23rd: Finally finished pinning all the places I have visited on my world map.



Feb 24th: This has been one of the most challenging weeks I have ever had with Claire. She is cutting three teeth right now and is MISERABLE. She has pretty much stopped sleeping at night, has decided to stop eating and resorted to only breastfeeding. Oh, and she wants to be held ALL the time. It has been rough for both of us.



Feb 25th: Still love her to bits!!!!!



We met up with some other families and went ice skating at our local outdoor rink. The weather was beautiful and our children had a blast.



Feb 26th: I had a friend over for some tea today and I was shocked at how much tea I have accumulated. My favorites are peppermint and chocolate chai tea, but I am always trying new flavors. The plate of goodies on the side are called peanut butter and chocolate haystacks and they are SOOOOOO addictive. I am so happy I that I didn't eat even any. I included the recipe if you want to deal with the temptation.



Chocolate and peanut butter haystacks

1/2 cup butter 1 and 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
4 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (regular pb works fine, too)
3 and 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon vanilla

In a medium sized saucepan, mix together the first five ingredients and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Add in remaining ingredients and then use a teaspoon to drop the mixture onto cookie sheets lined with waxed paper. Chill until set. Keep in refrigerator.

Feb 28th: I have been enjoying eating papayas and mangos as they are low on the glycemic index. Amelia was very eager to spoon the seeds out of this papaya, but not nearly as keen to try a bite.



Feb 29th: Last year I attended boot camp until I gave birth to my second daughter Claire. One of the local teachers organizes it and does a great job. I am finally allowed to work out now that I am in the "maintenance" part of my diet. I a still hoping to loose another 10 - 15 pounds, but I would like to see if I can maintain my weight for a month or so first.

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