one more sleep

Happy Christmas Eve!

A few borrowed words to mark the occasion:

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

And Mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,

Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave lustre of mid-day to objects below.

When, what to my wandering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer...

- Clement Moore

Cardigan - Urban Outfitters (old)

Embellished top - Lady Dutch (gift from last Christmas)

Earrings - homemade

Star ring - (old)

my wishlist

1. Nigella Lawson's Nigella Christmas cookbook

I adore Nigella Bites so I can't wait to pour over this tome.

2. Emma Bridgewater's Union Jack teapot

The Queen's Jubilee is next year and this'll be great for teaparties

3. Tempera Journal by Christian Lacroix

4. Hawaiian Host Chocolate Macadamia Nuts

Chocolate kryptonite!

5. Anya Hindmarch's Valorie clutch

Love at first sight, and then I saw the name! As if it were made just for me!

6. Feist's new Metals album

no mere mortal can resist

I hope everyone had a super Halloween!

Mine was pretty low-key (though not when it came to eating candy...)

I filled the house with candles, handed out candy and watched Antichrist.

Here's Before/Semi-After shots of my Minnie Mouse dress that I thrifted and altered.

The top photo is when it's 90% complete, and I was just doing a fitting (hence no makeup).

I can see a couple of pins sticking out that I had forgotten. 

With the copious scraps I made a bow.

I admit I went a little overboard with the pumpkin carving, staying up the whole night before.

(I can't claim originality for this design, however. It's based off of a picture I found online).

not so long way (to long beach)

I'm sorry to say the last gasps of summer are upon us.

It was a beautiful dream, but sadly we're back to reality in just a few days.

I hope everyone had a refreshing summer!

My day was spent in Long Beach, my family's very first time actually in Tofino.

Just to prove how perfect this day was: although it was cold and dreary, overcast and damp,

just as we arrived at the beach, the sun appeared in all its glory.

Bottle this memory.

floating weeds

Cooling off at the Sooke Potholes.

Managed to look semi-cool/normal for all of five seconds, then BAM! What a dweeb.

Help! September's coming too soon!

Chevron swimsuit - Joe Fresh (old)

Photos by Bonnie

i'm a mountain

Photos from our annual trek to the BC Interior.

As a bonus, this year we went up to Kelowna, and the Columbia Icefields for the first time in 5 years.

The weather was beautiful all the way, although it was colder than I remembered near the Glacier.

The second photo from top is from Field, where we had a picnic lunch.

The third photo is the view driving up to Kicking Horse resort in Golden.

You can't tell that there's a town down there.

Plus, the view's even better from the top.

On my Roadtrip Playlist: 

Sarah Harmer - Will He Be Waiting For Me?

Fleet Foxes - Tiger Mountain Peasant Song

Marilyn Monroe - River of No Return

Gordon Lightfoot - Mountains and Maryann, Harmony

Joni Mitchell - Come In From The Cold

Alison Krauss - The Scarlet Tide

(yep, lots of mountain/bluegrass songs)

athabasca

More photos of our roadtrip, mostly from or the way to the Columbia Icefields.

It may be mid-July, but it being a windy day all the cold was blown down from the Athabasca Glacier.

I'm actually wearing wool socks and my winter coat, a far cry from only hours earlier in Field (top photo).

All photos, excluding second from top, by Bonnie