Like A Kid On Christmas Morning Or A Cat In A Tree

The husband and I have a problem. We're really bad at keeping presents in the house! I'm better at it than he is but that's not saying a lot! My birthday is in November and some years I receive my present as early as September or October! He buys me something he knows I'm going LOVE and then can't wait to give it to me! And he's allmooostt cracking! Every day he's getting a little closer to letting me open them early. We'll see if he (and I can!) wait till Christmas to exchange gifts. I mean really, how important is it to open presents Christmas morning?

And because my cat seems to have it out for me lately I'll end the post with a few pictures of his recent troublemaking.

(If you follow me on instagram you'll have already seen these photos but if you don't follow me you, you can find me at the username: carisle)

 He made it in and out of the tree without knocking any ornaments off the tree! Crazy cat! 

Our Kindness Date

Almost every week-end we spend a day in the nearby city. Usually we're running errands like picking up supplies for the shop or grocery shopping. Every week-end it seems the stores are getting busier and busier with christmas shoppers. Understandable! Tis the season! But every weekend everyone seemed to be getting more and more stressed and we found we were getting in worse moods too by the end of the day. So we decided to try to change that on our city trip this past weekend.

We drove through 3 Tim Hortons drive thrus and purchased gift cards. Then when they handed them to us we handed it back with a tip and asked that they keep the tip and use the card to buy people's coffees behind us. 

Then we picked the longest drive thru line-up we could find where we thought the people running the windows would be most stressed and grumpy. Mc Donalds won with a 15-20 minute wait. We had previously bought itunes gift cards so we were happy there were two different windows at this drive thru! We handed one to each of them as we paid for and received our bottled water. 

When we ate lunch at a restaurant we had such a friendly waitress! So we left a nice tip and I had previously wrapped up one of my favorite necklaces I make in my shop (leaving my shop name off everything). I hope it brightened her day a little!

We had SUCH a great day! We didn't feel any stress after when we braved the store lines! How could you when you've had such a fun day! The look on people's faces couldn't help but put you in a good mood! We went into the day with the hope that'd it'd be a fun date we could do together and it really was! It was nice to be "stuck" in a drive thru line with no where to rush off to or nothing immediate we had to do but sit there and talk! We both said that this date is something we'd like to do more often.

While we were in one of the lines we were across the street from a bowling alley so perhaps that will be our next date activity!

Playing Catch-Up!

How ironic! A month ago I write a post about being back and breaking from my blogging hiatus, and here we are... no posts since then! So to cover my butt so I don't lie again, I'm not going to say I'm back to blogging regularly again. We'll just have to see!

So what has happened in the past month?

 The past few weeks have been busy in the shop! I've been loving it! But I'm glad it has slowed down now so I can get all my own christmas things done! Besides the tree that is finally decorated, there isn't any other decorations up around the house yet! I think I have one or two christmas presents to wrap then I'm finished! These were the small "thank-you"s I dropped off for the post office ladies! They always go above and beyond their jobs to help us out!


I love package swaps! This year I participated in two! I took photos of the items I sent to them but it was late and dark so the photos aren't very good quality.

The first swap was 

I was paired up with Leslie from For the Love of Shoes!

I loved everything in it! This was my favorite item in it

Isn't it adorable!?!

The second swap I did was the

I participated in this one last year and loved it! So I was very excited to do it again! This year I was paired up with Jesa. A fellow BCian (is that what we're called?)

This girl has mad skills! She created a beautiful christmas book! I have my favorite page open in the photo. 

Speaking of books, this one has been on my reading stack. 

 It has some really hilarious parts! 

  

I've had this yarn just waiting to be made into something so I crocheted an oversize cowl. I originally thought I'd included it in a family gift exchange. But I love it so much, I might have to keep it for myself! 

I better save some things for my next post! Hopefully it'll be sooner than a month! 

Back To Normal?

I'm back! The craft fair is over and now I'm just focused on the christmas shop sales! I don't usually sleep a lot each night but I must have been tired because one evening I slept 11 hours! I haven't had much time to play around with my camera this past week so today's recap is just from cell photos.

Last week-end the husband and I went to town to run some errands. Seemed like a good time for a vehicle photo. 

  

When Jon's mother was in town I took her to a local tea room. It had delicious tea and goodies so I took Jon to it. Their sandwiches are so good! We also picked up some tea to make at home! 

  

  

I thought it might be a good idea to wear something a little more professional than my usual jeans and hoodies! I felt so dressed up in this! Guess I better switch up my usual clothes more often!

  

  Then it was time for the craft fair! I was sharing a table with a friend who also runs an etsy shop. We did not too bad for our first show! It was definitely a good experience! Perhaps next year I'll try a different one. 

Alright, my coffee cup is empty so back to work I go! 

Snowy Days And Crafting

Usually around these parts, Mother Nature teases us with snow starting the beginning of October. We'll get a few skiffs of it but it'll melt. Or not enough to really cover the grass. But this year we didn't receive any teasing. She waited till last week-end when she dumped snow on us for three days straight.

Kudjo, he didn't mind. He's got his winter coat and he's good to go. He doesn't have to plow the driveway so it doesn't bother him any! 

  

Butch, he's a little less excited about the snow. He enjoys his pillow in front of the wood stove. After not too long he's had enough outside and complains his paws are cold.  

   

   

  

 He was determined to play frisbee even though the snow was so deep and heavy it made it so much harder for him. 

   

  

  

Snow can make even dried up berries look pretty

  

  

While it snowed like crazy outside, I spent time building more stock for the craft fair next weekend! Seems like it's coming up fast and I'm quickly running out of time to get prepared!!

   

   

  

It's starting to come together! 

   

  

It looked so pretty when it was snowing! 

  

  

But I was definitely happy when I looked out and saw the blue skies!!

   

  

This is how we measure snow around here. It seems accurate enough! 

   

  

  

Time to cuddle up with this one by the fire. I've got a few more things to crochet before next week-end! Have a great week-end everyone!

It's Cold! Thank Goodness for Furbabies

Brrr! It's getting cold outside! Not January temperatures by no means but -12C. I was in denial that winter was coming but now I think I'm convinced. If you follow me on instagram (username: carisle) you probably already saw this picture yesterday morning when I posted it. But I took this on our morning walk (sans make-up. Just keepin it real) it was pretty cold out. I had already busted out the mitts and hat but it wasn't quite enough. This morning I went all the way with leggings under my pants and the winter layer of my coat. The wind was still cold but the rest of me was warm!

 

 

Kudjo and I walk almost every morning with the neighbor and her dog. He loves seeing his girlfriend and in the photo is anxiously watching down the road for the first glimpse of her.

 

 And what kind of crazy pet lady would I be if I didn't post a photo of each animal? 

This was going on when I was writing yesterday's blog post. He decided he had to cuddle while I was in the middle of typing.

  

  

The cat is so mischievious. He's been knocking his food off the counter and the dogs clean it up. I think it's starting to be a game. Yesterday's food landed in the dog's water pail. This little guy had to clean up every last kibble. Even if it meant being up to his eyes in water. Now his face is clean! 

Well off to throw another log on the fire! 

The Days Fly By When You're Having Fun

It seems the busier you are the faster time flies! We're almost at the end of October already! It's crazy! I've been working lots on building stock up for my shops and the craft fair I'm participating in, in November.

These are a couple of the newest necklaces I've made and listed 

  

Pretties for the ears! 

  

My etsy shop has been getting busier and busier with christmas sales! This is my packaging area. It only looks this organized and neat when all the orders of the day have been packaged. 

  

My yarn stack seems to be growing faster than I can crochet! 

Scarves! Gloves! Hats! Oh My! 

  

This week-end was the first in 6 weeks where we haven't been busy with something! So we made the most of it and went to the city. You know it's love when even a day of errands together can make your heart smile. 

Fill In The Blank Friday

Gosh! Where did this week go?! It's friday again already! Fill In The Blanks time!!

Head over to Lauren's to play along! 

1.  One thing I plan on doing to relax this weekend is   go on a date with the husband. It feels like we've both been busy and have a lot going on right now so it'll be nice to get away from the phones and emails for a bit and have some quality time.

2.  A big pet peeve of mine is  when people are bad drivers! Don't pass me then slow down! Don't speed up in passing lanes so I can't pass you! Don't spend 5 minutes parking. Don't go 20 under the speed limit. Gah! *End Frustration*

3.  I am really loving   crocheting lately. I'm not the best. I can't seem to figure out patterns all the time. But I'm enjoying the process and creating things.

4. The rain is   really dreary and cold looking. Makes me want to huddle under the blankets a little longer this morning.

5. My favorite girly indulgence is  make-up. I love buying make-up, wearing make-up, hoarding make-up. 

6. A song I always get stuck in my head is  lately it's Gangnam Style. It seems to be playing everywhere these days so I get it out of my head and then I hear it again. Hey Sexy Laaayyddy

7.  The best cure for stress is exercise; specifically running. If I'm feeling super stressed I throw on the running shoes and take my emotions out on the miles. 

Have A Great Week-end Everyone!

Fill In The Blank Friday

Happy Friday Everyone!  It's Fill in the Blank Friday time! Head over to Lauren's to play along!

1.  My favorite flower is    pink lilies, pink roses, pink gerber daisies (see a pattern here?) 

2.  You should never talk about  politics with my father in-law. Doesn't even have to be his country and he's passionate and firm about what he thinks.

3.  My favorite discovery as of late is  wanelo. I've been on it for a few months now but lately it's been my new pinterest. Definitely going to be dangerous for the wallet!

4. This fall you will probably find me wearing    a scarf and a cozy sweater. Maybe bust out a couple pairs of fingerless gloves and a cute hat.

5. I wish I were  ??? I'm not sure! I can't seem to think of something right now that I wish I were! Maybe more energetic? I'd love to be able to go and go and go.

6. My favorite TV show currently is   Hart of Dixie, New Girl, Modern Family, Big Bang Theory, and Guys with Kids. I just recently discovered Rules of Engagement so I've been slowly working through the seasons. Ok so maybe I watch a bit of tv ;)

7.  This weekend I want to be very productive and get a lot on my list checked off. 

Have a great week-end everyone!! P.S. Don't forget to Enter to win $15 credit from my shop! 

About Our Family Of Two

Since the very beginning,  Jon and I have been in the agreement that if we ever had kids it would be because we both felt we really wanted to. When asked, we're careful about how we explain our decision about not having kids. Some people can get very passionate about it. We try to never say "we're never having kids", as sometimes people change their minds or you find yourself pregnant and you realize it's meant to be. We know that if we found ourselves pregnant we would be overjoyed. But we've maintained the premise that if it happened, it happened; but we're not trying for a baby.

Me and my dollies

It's not that we hate kids. Sometimes that's the second question after "When are you having kids?".

We haven't not had kids because we are selfish. Another comment we sometimes get. We don't know if we'd actually make very good parents.

We may wake up one day and regret being all alone. But is that really a deciding factor in having a baby?

You've clearly not thought this through or know what you're thinking. We have talked about this for years. For hours. Perhaps even thought about it to the point of too much.

Yesterday we received another criticism for our child-free marriage. And although it came from Jon's dementia suffering Nana, every time someone questions us it makes me rethink it. Not that I think "Oh no what if we're wrong?" But just re-evaluating what we think.

Looking back from where were 7 years ago when we first started dating, we've come a long way. And I think there are some moments when we're waiting for the stick to change that for a few seconds there's a tiny part of us that hopes it's positive.

Perhaps one day in the next few years all our anxieties over having kids will be put to rest and we'll want to add to our family. But for now we're enjoying being just the two of us.

Week-end Recap And Northern Lights

Happy Monday Tuesday! It was a rough start this morning but I've had my coffee and the afternoon is going great! We had a wonderful weekend of relaxation and turkey! And today is this handsome fellow's birthday!

He has to work today so we decided to have his cake and presents over the weekend. He's mentioned numerous times he wants to learn more in depth about beers. I found this notebook set that walks a person through defining the different characteristics in a beer. He picked a bunch of weird unique beers out to try. Looks like he's enjoying his present!



If you've been reading this blog for a while you might remember that I love taking photos of the sky, specifically Northern Lights.  Last night while I was letting Kudjo out for one last washroom break before bed I noticed the sky was so bright with the lights flickering across the sky. I won't bombard you with photos of them but here are a couple of my favorites.

I never get tired of watching them flicker and dance! 

P.S. Want to win some really cool stuff? Head over to the girl with the blue bow and enter the huge giveaway! It's open to everyone so enter today!!

Currently

Currently...

crocheting: fingerless gloves for the craft fair in November

watching: Gilmore Girl episodes. I love sticking a tv series in while I crochet!

smelling:  pumpkin pie and tarts fresh from the oven

stuffed: from a delicious turkey dinner

drinking: my current favorite drink... Skinny Girl Cosmos

thankful for: my life. I've blessed with food, a roof, and a wonderful husband

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian friends!

Fill in the Blank Friday

I love Fill in the Blank Friday! If you want to participate too, head over to Lauren's!  Last week was all about "firsts" so this week is all about "lasts".

1.  The last thing I ate was    vegetable stir-fry and sweet and sour chicken for dinner. It was delicious! 

2.  The last time I went to the beach was  in April for my good friend's wedding!

3.  My last vacation was   to Panama in April! I had such a great time!

4. The last place I drove was    to a friend's house for some girl time! Love it! 

5. The last song I listened to was  hmmm.... probably Lady Percy by King Charles I seriously listen to this guy on repeat.

6. The last thing I watched on TV was   Rules of Engagement. We just discovered this show and are slowly catching up when we can.

7.  The last time I said "I love you" was about an hour ago when the husband went to bed.

Fall Busyness

Gosh! Where do the days go? We're in October already! That seems crazy! I've been spending the sunny times outside in the leaves with the dogs. And the rainy days I've been inside packaging orders for my shop! People are slowly starting to Christmas shop!

 

We've been working at getting all our things in from the garden and greenhouse as the evenings are getting colder and colder! There was actually frost on the vehicles the past couple mornings. We have a few things left to harvest but other than that our cellar and freezers are looking nice and full!

 


 

I never have any luck growing carrots. They either don't grow or are measly little things. This year we had an really good carrot crop! They were huge! So a few days ago I made a batch of delicious carrot muffins with cream cheese icing. They were so good!

 

This week-end is Thanksgiving and Jon's birthday or as it is also known around here by Jon as "better-than-Christmas". He gets turkey dinners AND a day just for him that involves presents. I ordered part of his present back in August already and I've been SO good about not letting it slip what it is! Only a few more days.... I can do it.

Fill In The Blank Friday

Fill in the blank time! Today's blanks were inspired by Fern's first plane ride! So head over to Lauren's blog and talk about your firsts! 

1.  My first memory is     from when I was 3. My sister was just a baby and was laying on the floor. I did something to her to make her cry and I heard my mom in the other room. I didn't want to get in trouble so I made a funny face and my sister laughed. It's a weird first memory. 

2.  My first love was  my husband.I didn't have a whole lot of super serious relationships before him. None where I thought I was in love anyways. 

3.  My very first favorite color was    blue. It's been my favorite for a long time. 

4. The first time I really felt like a "grown-up" was when    I moved to Saskatchewan for college. I was 17 hours from home and didn't know anyone. I moved to Ontario that summer and felt very grown up. 

5. The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is  open my eyes and seeing a purring cat in my face. Then I get up and grab a cup of coffee and enjoy it while I let the dogs outside. 

6. The first CD (cassette tape, record, etc...) I ever bought was   DC Talk? 

7.  My first car was a 1979 toyota tercel it was so loud you had to yell just to talk to the passanger and it next to no heat in the winter. I had a different car before I got my license. I used it to bomb around on the farm, but it died before I got my drivers.  The tercel was my first car I insured and drove around town.  Funny story about it... it had manual steering (so old school) for those who don't know, that means the steering is a lot tougher. We had just had a terrible storm the night before and the roads were really bad as the ploughs hadn't been out yet.  I was quickly driving to the tire shop to get my tire tightened minutes before my shift at work. The steering was particularly hard that morning but I just thought it was because the roads were so bad. I drive as fast as I could to the tire shop as I was almost late for work.  
I get there and say "I need..." the guy interrupts me and says "Oh it's clear what you need!"

 I say "Really? didn't know it'd be that clear from inside." He looks at me funny and says "Let's go outside." 

We get out there and I see this smoke coming from my tire area. I had gotten a flat and drove on it highway speed for 15 minutes. There wasn't much of the tire left and there was a bunch of smoke pouring out.  Opps! I've been paranoid about flats ever since!


Happy Weekend Everyone!

The Day The Bear Came To Visit

Did you read my post on Monday about enjoying the moment? Well yesterday I discovered someone else in the neighborhood who is enjoying the area.

This big guy is back! From the area that we live it is expected that we'll come across bears. He's roaming the neighborhood looking for crabapple trees. 

He's eyeing ours up. We had asked the landlords about getting rid of them two weeks ago but they wanted to pick a bunch first. They still haven't picked them and so away they go. As soon as the bear realizes they are gone, he'll move on to somewhere else. But until then he'll keep doing his rounds. 

He's been around for the past two days. Two times yesterday I was outside with the dogs and turned around and he was right there slowly sauntering through our yard or already in the garden. He seems to know we're not going to harm him as he just sits there and watches us. He's not acting threatened, but more annoyed that we won't let him near the tree. He looks so massive and powerful! There is something incredible about watching this creature wandering up and down the neighbors' driveways just doing what comes natural to him. Hopefully everyone removes their apples soon and he can move on safely.