Happy Holidays!

Just a quick post to wish you all a very Merry Christmas... only hours away here... and before my family literally arrives from the airport! Our first holiday together in Toronto. If I don't get a chance to blog again before the New Year, Happy 2011 to you too!

Hello... December!

Wow! Is it December already? Where does the time go?

Office Sneak Peek

My mother-in-law recently reminded me that I haven't updated my website in a while... ahem, like since January. Or at least certain pages on it, like my bio, ie. not mentioning anything about Whitney.

Well, like Stacey, life (ie. looking after a little rugrat 12+ hours a day, running my business, screenprinting for others, cooking - on occasion, cleaning - ugh!, quality time with hubby, alone time for me - what's that?, tlc for the kitties - um, need to work on that!, moving, etc.) has got in the way of regular website and blog updates this year... there's always next year. I haven't really made or followed New Year's resolutions in some time, but I think 2011 deserves at least a few.

But I'm getting ahead of myself already. It's still 2010! And Christmas is still a few weeks away, so there's still time to pick up a few stocking stuffers from my shop.

Like these:

Bad Kitty Undies

Or these:

Owl and Pussycats Stickers

And these, added to the shop today:

Horoscope Girls Sticker Set

Check the shop tomorrow for a last-minute holiday item.

Off to bed now. Good night!

Getting into Holiday Mode

I love me some pretty etsy treasuries... especially when someone is sweet enough to include one of my items.

Festive Felines

Back in the shop for another holiday season are these cards . I am vowing here and now to make some new holiday designs for next year, though...

Six years in a row is a little much, no?

I am so looking forward to the holidays this year, as it will be Whitney's first Christmas and my family will be flying out here, too. But we'll have to figure out a different solution for the tree and presents, I think. She is still in that everything-must-go-into her mouth mode.

And speaking of firsts, I think she said her first word the other week.

What do you think it was?

"CAT!"
(of course)

In other news, I will be part of a group art show this weekend. A rather last minute invitation, and the piece in the show is an old one (below), but it should be a good show.

It's been a Whirlwind

Literally!
It was so windy one night last week that the neighbour's gazebo was picked up and dropped in our backyard.

And I spend much of my day picking up after Whitney.

I never really understood the whole "picking up after their kids" phrase... until now.

Our house is coming together, though. The boxes have all been moved to their respective locations. And I moved my office downstairs - even though I love the room originally designated as Matt's and my shared office space (pictured below in its former state) - as that is where Whitney and I are most of the day.

I will share photos of our personalized spaces in the coming weeks, as we complete each room. So crazy that Halloween has come and gone already this year and Christmas will be here soon! Best get my butt in gear for the holidays.

Oh, and if you're wanting to find out a little more about me and my business, here's an interview I did a while back, that was just posted last week on a cute site.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and your extra hour (for those with daylight savings ending)! Fingers crossed that Whitney does not wake early tomorrow, but we'll just have to wait and see.

Not Much Time for Sleeping or Blogging

It's hard to believe that it's only been 2 weeks since we moved into our new home. Feels like forever and a day ago, with all the non-stop work that we've been doing. Well, it was mostly Matt doing the majority of house-related work, while I looked after Whitney.

Moving day was a bit of a disaster. We were not prepared for it, as we had never moved with a baby before. Needless to say, it's a day we'd all like to forget about. And I don't think we will be moving anytime soon, unless we came into some big money and were able to hire all the help we needed.

We are still surrounded by boxes on the main floor, but a lot less than there were the first week or so. Matt's parents came up on Thanksgiving weekend and helped us out here and at our old place, as we had to finish moving stuff and do some major cleaning to stage it for selling. Even though we still managed to make time for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, I felt like it sort of came and went without a proper acknowledgment for all that I'm thankful for.

So a big, big thank you to my dear parents-in-law and to my dear, sweet, hard-working love!

We would not be where we are today, if not for all of your time and effort. Just take a look at some of the pictures of our sparkling clean and staged loft.





Pictures of the new home are coming. My camera was m.i.a. until a few days ago. And I've been busy running after an ever-curious and mobile 9 month old, so it's not easy to get much unpacking done, much less anything else.

Toodles for now.

Packing and More Packing...

Almost all the shop orders have been packaged and mailed out.


Now to tackle packing for our move!
Matt has done most of it so far.

Hopefully the kitties will love their new digs. This will be the third move for Dex and the sixth for Suki!

I would gladly trade places with Dex right now. But there will be time to sleep after the move...

I hope.

Feeling the Love... Seriously, Thank You!

I came home from the vet's yesterday - Suki needed a booster shot as her annual vaccination was done in 2 parts - and found a pleasant surprise in my inbox: a couple of sales in my shop and a feature in yesterday's Etsy Finds!

Seriously, the timing could not have been better. After slow sales had me questioning the future of my business - whether or not I wanted to keep doing it, that is - this little bit of exposure certainly reminded me why I do what I do. Not that I do it for the sales. But every time I make a sale, it makes me giddy to think that someone out there likes what I've made and wants it.

So thank you to all who stopped by my shop and added me to your favorites. And thank you to my latest customers. And thank you to those who take the time to include me in your treasuries, like these great ones.


I've been packing orders as much as I can in the last 24 hours and just started to pack for our move today, too. So much to do but I'm trying not to freak out. I will be closing my shop for at least a week starting September 30, though possibly sooner.

Anyways, Happy Sunday night! Will post again in the coming week.

We're Moving!

I'm so excited!

We got the house we put an offer on a few weeks ago and will be moving in t minus 3 weeks. Now we just have to pack, pack and then pack. And tend to all the business that is involved with moving. Yuck!

Our place right now is such a mess and I'm feeling a little jumbled as well, so I like to look at the photos of our new place to calm myself. That's a peek of our new kitchen above.

Isn't it adorable?

Although I had dreamed of an all white modern kitchen, this one has such charm to it, that we couldn't help but feel at home in it. And that was our take on the whole house, really. After months of house hunting, this was the first one that we could picture ourselves and Whitney growing up in.

A few more photos...



Funny enough, we didn't see any photos of it beforehand - the seller's real estate agent was a bit lazy, I'm told - so we weren't expecting much when we went for the viewing. But it certainly worked in our favour, because we did not have to contend with other offers - phew! - and have a bidding war.

I am forever indebted to my parents who again helped us get this house... we would be renting for many more years in Toronto, if not for them. Their only worry - and ours somewhat - is that the house will be a money pit, as it is most likely a century old - but fingers crossed that it isn't. The previous owner supposedly got a better job offer - though in Montreal - so I think that's a good sign of house luck.


Anyways, I am eager to decorate. While we are pretty happy with most of the paint colours, the bedrooms require a more personal touch. Whitney's room awaits!

Whitney's Nursery Basics

I swear, this post has taken ages to put together, but the past week and a half I've battled a cold and we are in the process of securing a house which we saw on Sunday and made an offer on on Monday. By the end of this week, we may have a new place to move to at the end of the month. Anyways, I digress.

I am terribly fond of white interiors and white decor. And although it may not be the most sensible colour choice for baby furniture/dexor, there is something so calming to me about it that it almost makes perfect sense.

As mentioned previously, I wanted to share more about the things in Whitney's nursery. From the image above (click to enlarge), you can see that we are true Ikea connoisseurs. With the exception of the rocking chair and a few other things not pictured, Ikea was our go-to store for an affordable nursery.

Here's a breakdown of the basics:

Crib: HENSVIK, Ikea
Dresser: MALM, Ikea
Chairs: LEKSVIK children's chair, Ikea; SLEEPYTIME ROCKER in ecru, Nurseryworks
Rug: HAMPEN, Ikea
Accessories: EKBY HENSVIK shelf, RIBBA frames, FÖRSIKTIG children's stool, Ikea

I have to rave about the rocking chair and the service from this awesome online store. Even though it was a bit of a splurge, it was money well spent - plus, I felt it was a well deserved anniversary/birthday gift from Matt. I only wish I'd asked for it sooner.

After 6 months of nursing Whitney on either our bed, the couch or this now discontinued Ikea rocker (which I bought and eventually sold through craigslist), my back was ready for a proper rocking chair. And since we were moving Whitney into her own room, it was all the more reason to invest in this piece of furniture.

Not owning a car though has its drawbacks and with not a lot of time to spare to go to stores to actually try this rocking chair out, I had to rely on online reviews as well as the word of the Babybot salesperson - who was super helpful with her firsthand experience of using/owning the chair - I was dealing with. While I found some rave online reviews, this one in particular, there were also a lot of less than stellar ones. So I was a bit nervous that I would agree with the latter camp upon receiving and trying out the chair. But nearly 2 months later, I am loving this chair more and more each day, with every use. And trust me, I am in that chair about 7 or 8 times a day, if not more, for up to 3 hours a day!

Yes, Whitney is an eating machine.

Although it looks very similar to the Ikea Lillberg rocker, it is a hundred times more comfortable for both Whitney and me because of the padded arms and the rocking motion is much better too. Paired with the little footstool, it is a dream to sit on. At first, I didn't care for the little pillow that came with it, but it actually seems to have conformed to my body or vice versa.

Anyways, I say if you are going to splurge on anything for a nursery, go out (or go online) and buy a great (looking) nursing chair. I love that the Sleepytime Rocker will look as good in our living room as in Whitney's room.

And I can't wait to really dive into doing up her new room, among others, in our new (old) house in the coming months. Fingers crossed everything works out with the home inspection, etc. I will share more when it is all settled!

New Print in the Shop!

Finally...
a new print is in the shop!

Other colours are available, but this has to be one of my faves. A nice soothing robin's egg/eggshell blue.

I'm planning on making a silkscreen for this too. So look for tees and totes with this design in the coming weeks. Yay!


Etsy has also changed our shop view to a wider format. Not sure if I like it as much or any better.

But here's to new things at any rate.

Working on more new stuff for the shop - prints, freebies, etc. - so will share with you as I finish them.

Seven Months Old

I swear, this blog and my life is all about Whitney these days!
She is 7 months old today...

and is certainly a far cry from the skinny babe we brought home with us back in January.


Finally, some after photos of her room, though not at all "styled", unless you count baby styling, and maybe the last photo.

Since we are hunting for new digs, I figure we can wait to really do up Whitney's room. Plus, it's just a challenge to do much with her on the go now. No wonder most people get the nursery ready before the baby arrives!

We moved the couch into her room simply because there was nowhere else to put it, but quite fittingly, the fabric is called "Whitney", so what better place for it to go? A friend jokingly said we can tell her that we named her after the couch when she's older.

I will share more about the things in the nursery soon. Whitney is waking from her morning nap, so I must go.

Sneak Peek

Our shared bedroom went through a few different configurations in the last couple of months. This was the most recent before we moved Whitney into her own room, which was basically our former shared space.

Whitney's side

Our side

Not the greatest photos, as we don't get a lot of natural light on the lower level of our loft, but then "before" shots are usually not as nice as the "after" ones.

I haven't managed to put the finishing touches in Whitney's room - artwork still needs to be hung, hooks moved and some decor is on its way in the mail - or our room either, so the after pictures are still coming.

But here's a peek at part of Whitney's room and what's keeping me busy these days.

Our little girl has started to crawl! We are proud parents, but it means we have to babyproof our place pronto.

Back with some more pictures hopefully by the weekend.

Nursery in the Works

Well, last week got away from me, so our bedroom update was put on hold.

bedroom before

And then this past weekend, Whitney was going through "a little existential crisis", as Matt put it, as we think she is now discovering that she is her own person... which can lead to separation anxiety.

That, or she has an ear infection...
or is teething again...
or she's just really hungry and needs to start solids...
or she wants to stay up to practice crawling.

Oh, the joy of solving the mystery of your baby's cries. And the joy of watching your baby growing up!

Speaking of which, rather than rearranging our bedroom, we've decided to move Whitney into her own room, despite her possible separation anxiety. She will be right in the next "room", as there will only be our sliding shoji doors between us, but hopefully this will help us all sleep a little better. I swear, Whitney has the most sensitive ears... Matt shifting in bed will cause her to wake/stir. But then, she is a baby, so her ear drums have not been damaged yet.

Anyways, all this means I will finally get to decorate a nursery for our little girl! I have been seriously obsessing over nurseries the past several weeks, months even, looking up hundreds of inspiration images online.

This has to be one of my favourite nurseries, for its simplicity and colour palette.

You can see more photos here.

And this is another favourite. More photos here.


The big bedroom change is planned for this weekend. Hopefully it goes well and I will have some after photos to share with you next week.

Allô...

Bonjour!

Some of my kitties are on their way to Paris, France as I have a new online retailer there. I'm excited to see the shop once it is up and running. Hopefully one day, I will get to go to Paris too, with Matt and Whitney.

On the home front, we finally took some family photos a few weekends ago at the request of one of Matt's sisters. This was one of the best of the bunch, though Whitney looks like she could be smoking a cigar.

Yes, I am sporting a "mom" cut, though it was meant to be a pixie cut - totally not conducive to my hair texture. It is now in that weird growing out stage and it'll probably be another 10 years or so before I have my hair this short again (it'll take me that long to forget how much I didn't like this haircut). Although Whitney is still very much into grabbing my hair - one of the reasons why I got it chopped off - I will endure the pain for my vanity.

This past weekend Matt and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary, though celebrations began the middle of last week since Matt brought cake home then. Two, actually! No photos though, as we promptly dug into them. You could say we were eating Whitney's share, as she turned 6 months old on Sunday.

Whit in "airplane" mode

Time has definitely flown by and Whitney is growing like a "wee weed", in Matt's words. She is 28 inches and almost 20 pounds!!!

We went to Ikea for the first time since she was born and picked up a soccer ball for our future soccer star - she was a kicking maniac in my belly.

enjoying the World Cup final with daddy

A trip to Ikea, means I've got the home decorating bug again. My latest obsession is with rearranging/perfecting our bedroom. Since we share it with Whitney and she is getting older, I'm trying to divide the room so she has her own space. A little tricky when you're working with a limited amount of it. I will share pictures and more in another post, hopefully later this week, as the room is not yet complete.

So until then. Have a great week!

A New Giveaway & Kitten Love

Just a quick post today to let you know that I've got a new giveaway courtesy of one sweet blogger. All the details are here. The clever kitty tee (pictured above) is up for grabs.

And another sweet blogger mentioned my clever pussycat onesie, amongst some other mighty cute kitties, right here.