The Beach.

After all of those roller coasters I posted about yesterday, we were due for some rest and relaxation. What better place to do that then on the beach? It didn't turn out to be as restful as we had hoped due to the beach being extremely crowded (on our last vacation the beach was deserted most of the time), but it was still nice, especially during the sunsets.

Our hotel was two blocks from the beach. The quiet evening walks down to the beach and along the surf - his hand in mine, the waves breaking over our feet while the sun set beside us - were some of my favourite moments.

I also enjoyed playing in the giant waves and laying out in the sun, catching up on my reading during the day. Sand in my toes (and everywhere else, including the bottom of my bag), oversized striped towels, the smell of salt in the slight breeze, and the boats saling past...yes, I love the beach.

But I missed home too..

The Roller Coasters.

Here is a secret to those who don't know me well - I love roller coasters. Big ones, little ones, wood ones, steel ones, water ones, bobsled ones, looping ones, I love them all! Jer whisked me away to Florida for ten days (an anniversary gift to me) to visit several amusement parks and spend three days at the beach afterwards. It was wonderful! I had taken a break from coaster riding due to some medical issues, so it was nice to be back on those trains, flying around giant tracks.

Here is a little peek..

As much fun as I had, it is nice to be out of the crowds and the Florida heat, and back in the comfort of my home. I missed my pets dearly. I can't say I wouldn't go back in a heartbeat if given the chance though!

After I get through the 1000+ pictures I took (yes, that's not a typo, I did actually take over one thousand pictures), I will post pictures of my garden. It has grown so much!

Alice Bag.

A craft! It is nice to be posting a craft again! This one is a special bag (with pleats! I love the pleats) for a special cousin. She had asked me to make her a bag a while ago, but I had been so busy with school that I hadn't had the time. The fabric had been sitting by the sewing machine, waiting for me to get to it, and I finally had the chance today.

The Alice in Wonderland fabric comes from Superbuzzy. It has little gold accents, which are so sweet. Annette loves Alice, so it was the perfect fabric for her bag. The black fabric is just a cotton twill, and the inside is lined with a satiny black fabric which is perfect for Annette because she loves soft, satiny material. I combined and tweaked a few patterns from some books I had to create this one. It was my first time sewing a bag like this so it isn't perfect, but I hope she enjoys it anyway.

I made a little matching zip pocket inside for small things like her cellphone and lip gloss. I had been toying with the idea of using a ring of small black lace between the top of the bag and the pink Alice in Wonderland fabric, but I think I like it better without it.

It was nice to get a bit of sewing in today, especially since I'm going on vacation on Saturday and wont be back until the middle of the month! I hope to make several Jane Market Bags (Alicia Paulson's pattern) when I get back. I already have the fabric lined up!

The Pancake Bowl.

I have been spending much of my spare time studying, and because of that I feel that my blog is moving away from the original purpose I created it for - crafting. I haven't had much time to share the projects I have been working on, but I do hope to get back to that very soon. Final exams are taking place this coming week. Usually we would have been finished the semester long ago, but the strike that took place from November until February set us back. We are nearing the end though! I do have time for a quick update, though not related to crafting. This one is about a dear neighbour.

Al, my neighbour from three doors down, passed away last week. He was always very kind to us, and as the majority our neighbourhood has moved away from caring neighbourly relationships to closed off folk, he has been one of the ones who has stayed true. He was always up for a quick chat and a friendly wave. He had a cat that was easily mistaken for our Snowie. Sometimes we'd have to do a double take when we saw his girl running about the neighbourhood. Snowie is an indoor cat (except for the occasional supervised romp in the garden), so we'd worry she got out.

This morning his daughter was selling off some of the things they didn't want to keep, and I got this green Pyrex bowl.

It was his pancake bowl. It's scratched from the hundreds of batches of pancake batter mixed up inside - it was well loved. It reminds me of my mom's red bowl, and they are actually from the same set. Funny how each of them had only one bowl from the same set.

I am glad to have a little reminder of him, in the form of something I am fond of anyway. It is the perfect addition to my Pyrex collection, and the perfect memory of a dear neighbour.

In the Garden.

Things are growing around here, and now that the soil bee situation is solved (they don't sting, they enrich the soil, they can stay) there are more things preparing to grow. The weather has been a little off this year, the risk of frost is still present even though we're nearing the end of May, so extra care has been taken. Many a night have ended with the pitching of newspaper tents over frost senstive flowers.

The seeds have been sown in the warm soil of the 'bee bed'. This is where the beans and peas will grow. Until they do, I am enjoying the already flowering plants, both finishing and starting.

Tulips a little weathered from the rainstorms we've had.

Sweet little Forget Me Nots.

The Currant bush just starting to blossom.

It has also been nice to see others out enjoying the garden. This one has perked up quite a bit since she's been able to explore the backyard. Don't worry, she can't climb the fences.

And what dog doesn't love to roll around on warm grass? Many days to come will be spent outside watching things grow!

White Choral Bells.

Our favourite flowers - sometimes we just love the way they look and sometimes we have a story. This is mine.

We have a 'secret garden' of these Lily of the Valley behind the bushes infront of our home. My grandmother also had a garden of these hiding on the little walk beside her old house, among the moss and old garden stones. It's a little silly, but these flowers seem almost magical to me. The way the tiny, delicate bells sneak up in the hidden corners of gardens, hiding among tall green leaves. They were magical to me as a child, which was probably helped along by a campfire song we used to sing at Brownies...

White choral bells
Upon a slender stalk
Lily of the Valley
Deck my garden walk
Oh, don't you wish
That you could hear them ring
That will happen only when the fairies sing.

The little patch beside my grandmother's home was the perfect location for secret tea parties and pretend play. I wish I had a picture to share, but we seem to have photographs of every nook and cranny of her garden except for my favourite parts - the path beside her home where these flowers grew, the tree stump we'd use as a stage, the big rock in the very back, and the little path through the bushes to get to the pebble driveway. Her entire garden was magical to me back then, but the parts I loved the most are the ones I have only memories of. Sadly, all of her garden was torn out and replaced by a monster home.

It's not surprising that I'd want to keep these flowers close by while they're in season. I'd look more than a little silly crouching behind the front bushes, so a few stalks do me well. Of course I still stop to stare a little each time I pass in and out of my home.

Attempted Gardening.

I'm planting a vegetable garden this year. I haven't planted a vegetable garden since I was eight years old, so I was very excited to get my hands dirty again. I also like the idea of being more involved with the food I'm eating. Planting, caring for, picking, and preparing food all within a few metres. I don't have a large amount of land, so it really wont accomodate very much food, but it's a start. I've been waiting weeks for the weather to warm up, and for midterms to be over with to be able to start this project.

Most of the front and back yard had been cleaned up and weeded a few weeks ago, but the two plots I plan to use for my garden hadn't been touched yet. It was a glorious day today so when I got home from class I knew I had to spend it outside. The perfect time to prepare my little garden for planting! As soon as I started pulling, hundreds of tiny wasps swarmed around me. Eek! That was the end of the gardening plans. I'll give it another go once the wasp situation is dealt with. We think they're living in a wooden beam that outlines the little garden.

For now, I'm enjoying my Eggling, which has sprouted.

Wild Strawberry was a much better choice for someone who likes things to grow quickly. I did really like the cactus though. I had never seen a cactus grow from a tiny seed before, so it was neat seeing it happen. Maybe I will try again one day.

Right now I am excited to see the changes in this little guy.