5 Things I Did This Year

December 31, 2014
I did a lot of things this year that I am really excited about and proud of:

The first was working with my sister and my dad to set-up a surprise 60th birthday party for my mom. I created the invitations, and the photobooth and table arrangements for the party.

The second was bringing the experience of the symphony to the children that I work with. We called it Symphony Day, and did everything we could to get the children prepared to answer questions and experience music in a way that they never have before -- with the musicians and instruments within arms reach. It was a wonderful day.

The third was applying for my first handmade market experience through Flock & Gather. I did it on a whim with a lot of fear and uneasiness. I had never done a market before and was afraid of what it would entail, and also what kind of experiences it would bring. I ended up having a lot of fun and meeting a lot of amazing people -- both customers and some fellow makers.



The fourth was living my girlish teenage dream of seeing The Backstreet Boys live. It was everything I had ever imagined, and more. Who knew that I could still scream that loud.

The fifth was taking our son on his very first major vacation. We took a week and visited friends of ours in another city, and then traveled around to a couple of other places to experience the mountains and a massive waterpark. We had a lot of fun and can't wait to take him on an even bigger adventure in 2015.



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Listen, Look, Love: December

December 29, 2014
Listen

My son has really gotten into music recently. We heard this song on the radio and he requested that I add it to his playlist on Rdio. I also added it to my playlist. It is such a chill song.




Look

This is such a beautiful and delicate photograph that speaks for itself. Alert animals in a winter scene...breath-taking.




Love

I absolutely love this idea. I thought it was so much fun, and such a clever play on the well known Le Chat Noir poster. I must get one!






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5 Good Books for Preschoolers

December 22, 2014
If you are looking for a great last-minute gift for your preschooler, a good book is always an excellent option. Reading books daily with your child is one of the first steps to building a solid foundation of learning, and it helps them blossom into avid readers that thirst for information or a good story. These five books are a few that I have picked up lately to read with my son. They are quickly becoming favourites, and I think that they would be a welcome addition to your own child's library of books. Get reading!


1.  Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert  2.  Please Bring Balloons by Lindsay Ward
3.  The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein  4.  Miss Lina's Ballerina's by Grace Maccarone
5.  Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers


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5 Ways To Wrap A Gift

December 19, 2014
I love sitting down to wrap gifts -- be they Christmas gifts, wedding gifts, birthday gifts, or baby gifts. I love putting time into creating a package that is just begging to be opened. Although it doesn't take long for all of my hard work to be quickly torn apart, I feel proud when I make something beautiful that people can't wait to open. There are a lot of great ideas out there for wrapping gifts, but here are five of the ways that I am inspired to wrap gifts this year. The wonderful thing is that you can mix all of them up and use the different ideas together. Have fun!



1. Wrap your gift with beautifully stenciled parcel paper. You can also create a beautiful effect yourself using a stamp and ink, or paint. Domaine has some beautiful inspirations for creating a gift wrapped just like the one in the photograph, but maybe with your own little twist.

2. If you can find your own cute little box in a shop, or create your own template, it's always fun to give a gift in a container that's almost designed especially for the person that you are giving it to. La Fabrique a Fantaisie has templates for all three of the little boxes you see in the photograph. The website is in French so make sure you click on the links -- n1, n2, n3 -- just above the second photograph and you will be taken to the templates.

3. Boxwood Clippings has some incredibly beautiful ideas for wrapping gifts. I was drawn to the little package in the photo above because of it's simplicity, and I really like the idea of using an object like a small ornament to decorate the gift along with a beautiful fabric bow.

4. I have been meaning to make my own gift bag for the longest time using the tutorial from Hello Sandwich. I really like the idea of being able to use scraps of extra wrapping paper that maybe don't fit any box or other gifts that you have, and could be used to make a gift bag instead of being thrown into the recycling bin.

5. The little gift in this photograph screams simplicity, and I absolutely love it. It's so easy to just wrap up a box with some twine, and then attach a gift tag with a mini clothes pin. You can paint it like they did on Beyond the Grey, or you can give it a little pop with some washi tape that has been cut down to size.



Télécharger vos jolis gabarits ici
Télécharger vos jolis gabarits ici : n°1, n°2 et n°3 - See more at: http://www.despetitshauts.com/fr/blog/les-boites-maison-par-lucille-michieli/#sthash.3ZiHi8rs.dpuf
Télécharger vos jolis gabarits ici : n°1, n°2 et n°3 - See more at: http://www.despetitshauts.com/fr/blog/les-boites-maison-par-lucille-michieli/#sthash.3ZiHi8rs.dpuf
Télécharger vos jolis gabarits ici : n°1, n°2 et n°3 - See more at: http://www.despetitshauts.com/fr/blog/les-boites-maison-par-lucille-michieli/#sthash.3ZiHi8rs.dpuf
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Family Game Night: Memory Builder

December 15, 2014
My son was given a really great game on his 3rd birthday, but we only just opened it up to play it for the first time a few nights ago. The game is called Mega Bloks Memory Builder, and we had a lot of fun playing it together. My son and I beat the pants off of my husband -- who only won the last game.



We learned all about waiting your turn while other people take their turns, and we learned about matching the correct piece to your game board. Even the dog got in on the action. Little Boy has asked to play it several times since, and I can't wait to have more family game nights with him. When was the last time you had a family game night?


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5 Good Books for Babies & Toddlers

December 10, 2014
Books are such an important part of life, and childhood development. They are a great gift to give any time of the year, especially at Christmastime. My son loved reading the following five books when he was a baby and toddler, and they are still favourites of his today. All of them are interactive in some way either with a good rhythm, flaps to lift, or a fun story with different voices to use. They are also in board book form which is perfect for letting little hands turn the pages. Get reading!

 



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My Finds: Flock & Gather Winter Wonders 2014

December 08, 2014
Flock & Gather is a handmade market that happens twice a year, and since it finished in April -- when I had a table -- I have been eagerly awaiting the 2014 Winter Wonders market. I love being able to do some Christmas shopping for those on my list, and, of course, for myself -- it is always so hard to resist. Here are some of the goodies that I found this year!



1. Earrings - Jessica Wynne Designs
2. Mug - Small Shapes Pottery
3. Mittens - Something From Nothing
4. Card - Elizabeth Burritt
5. Coin Purse - The Maker of it All
6. Shirt - Salgado Fenwick


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Building a Fort

December 05, 2014


We have since gained a lot more snow for our fort, but about a week ago my husband and son began work on building a quinzhee. The shelter is one that my husband has enjoyed making ever since he was a boy, and it's time to pass on the tradition. The child loves going for rides on the big shovel and then getting dumped onto the pile of snow. What are some of your favourite things to do when the snow falls?


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2014 Etsy Christmas Gift Guide: Gifts for Dad

December 03, 2014
Etsy can be a great place to find fantastic handcrafted gifts for men. It takes a little bit of extra looking compared to finding something for a child, or a woman, but it can really be worth it and it will show the men in your life -- be it your dad, husband, boyfriend, brother -- that you took some time to find something really special for him. If you're anything like me, then the men in your life are usually at the bottom of your list. But I know any one of these gifts will show how much you appreciate each of them.


1. cardigan  2. phone case  3. mitts  4. wallet  5. watch



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Shop Update: Black Fri. through Cyber Mon. Sale

November 28, 2014
Here it is! The Black Friday through Cyber Monday sale is now a go in the shop. Today, and right through until Monday, if you by 2 cards then you can pick another one out for free. Mhmm, I said FREE! All you need to do is purchase 2 cards and then write which one you would like for free in the "Message to Seller" box. Happy Shopping!


image courtesy of October Afternoon under the Holiday Style line


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Listen, Look, Love: November

November 26, 2014
Listen

Don't get me started on this song. I heard only a little bit of it while driving one day, and as soon as I reached my destination I Googled it to figure out what it was called. I loved it instantly, and I hope you do too!



Look

This photo gets me in the mood for Christmas festivities. It is now less than one month until the big day is here, and each year I get more and more excited as my son starts to understand, and enjoy, the day even more. I love the quiet, the lights, and the love that surround Christmas. It is such a warm feeling that envelopes you, and that is exactly how this photograph makes me feel.



Love

I  am in love with this vest from Utanum -- a lable from Iceland. It looks so cozy, and would be perfect for curling up with a cup of tea.





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Bake It: Delicious Flaky Biscuits

November 24, 2014
These biscuits are absolutely delicious. They are so dense, yet light and flaky, and perfect for a Sunday morning breakfast with the family. They also really nice warmed up for the next couple of days after baking. I always love eating mine fresh out of the oven with a smear of peanut butter that melts perfectly on the warm biscuit.



What you need:

1 3/4 cup Margarine
8 cups Flour
4 tbsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
approx. 2 1/2 cups Milk

Roll out dough on a floured surface and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Cut with a round cookie cutter, or any desired shape. Bake at 400 F for approximately 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Makes about 2 dozen large, round biscuits.




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2014 Etsy Christmas Gift Guide: Gifts for Mom

November 21, 2014
Etsy is a great place to find a lot of wonderful handmade goods, and I love looking around for the perfect Christmas gift -- and a little something for myself. While I would love a lot of these items for myself, as some of them did come from my favourites list, these items are perfect for a mother of any age -- you don't have to be a young mom to enjoy a kimono cardigan or a chunky, crochet scarf. What have you found for your mom this year?





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Shop Update: New Brooches

November 19, 2014
Back in June I revealed to you my new hand-drawn brooches, and today I am sharing with you a new set of brooches that I have created for the shop. They are quite simple in design, and are made with DAS air-hardening modelling material. I picked up a package of the modelling material a little while ago for a DIY project that I was working on, and decided to start carving out some shapes and imprinting them with different materials with the left over pieces that I had from the project I was working on.



It was a lot of fun because I never went into the project thinking that I would create something for the shop. I started out making something for someone else, and it evolved into an adventure with a new material -- a material that I hadn't worked with since my high school days. It was fun to get my hands dirty, and, in the end, create something that I was really pleased with.



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2014 Etsy Christmas Gift Guide: Gifts For A Little Boy

November 12, 2014
I always love going to browse shops on Etsy, and within the Items I Love, for gift ideas -- especially around Christmastime. Right now my son is into dinosaurs and penguins. He loves to run around the house and roar like a dinosaur, and he loves drinking hot chocolate milk out of mugs made just his size. He also really loves art; drawing, painting, gluing and stamping are among his favourite things to do. When he's not busy being rowdy, he likes to play quietly with his stuffed animals, and a custom doll that looks just like him would be an instant hit. He also loves to express himself through his clothing. Pin-back buttons have always been a favourite accessory of his. The beauty of these items is that they would be a great gift for anyone -- boy or girl.


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Shop Update: 2014 Christmas Cards

Today I am so excited to share with you the 2014 Christmas Cards. In the last few months I have started experimenting with a different style of writing, and have entered the world of typography -- thanks to a lovely fellow business owner I met a Flock & Gather. This year's cards were inspired by Christmas Carols -- my favourite Christmas card inspiration -- and a shirt that I saw a young girl wearing at a park my son and I were at. Inspiration can come from the most interesting places.






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Across the Ferry

November 10, 2014
My son and I went on quite the adventure this past weekend when we took our dog to get a haircut. The groomer moved to a new home outside of the city and we ended up having to take a ferry across the river to get there. Little Boy enjoyed it at lot and kept asking to go on it again. We ended up taking the ferry a total of four times -- two for drop-off, and two for pick-up.




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Halloween 2014

October 31, 2014
As you know, I enjoy doing couples type costumes with my son -- here -- and this year was no different. I thought it would be fun for us to dress up like Elsa and Olaf, and, with a lot of help from my mom and a good neighbour, we made it happen.



I picked up the dress from Value Village and my mom and her friend altered it, and, using the design of the monkey costume that Little Boy wore last year, they were able to make a very cute Olaf costume that he loves wearing. I'd say we built a pretty adorable snowman.



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Pumpkin Carving 2014

October 29, 2014
This Halloween was the first year that I got to carve the Jack-o-Lantern with Little Boy and he actually understood what was going on. This is the first time that he helped me, and he was so excited. He did not want to touch the insides of the pumpkin with his hands, but he did grab a spoon and help me dig out a little bit of the gooey stuff.


 

As we planned the face of our pumpkin, he grabbed his notebook and a marker and started planning out the face while I drew different mouths, eyes and noses for him to choose from. He became quite excited when I cut out the first eye and popped it out of the pumpkin to reveal the eye hole, and he became more excited still when I lit a candle, popped it under the pumpkin, and asked him to turn out the lights so we could see our Jack-o-Lantern glow. He asked if it is now time to go Trick-or-Treating...soon enough!



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5 Things: Guilty Pleasures

October 27, 2014


1. Ice cream became a guilty pleasure after I found out that I am lactose intolerant to the degree that I can't even eat something with margarine on it. Luckily, I can eat it sometimes when I take a pill that helps me digest the lactose properly.

2. I can't tell you why, but I have so many striped shirts in my collection of clothing. And every time I go shopping for new clothing, I am drawn towards the striped shirts. I try to remind myself that I already have a lot of striped shirts and I don't need anymore, but my mind seems to block that out and buys another one anyway.

3. Lindt Chocolate is my absolute favourite kind of chocolate. I love when Christmas time rolls around and I can eat the little white chocolate truffle balls. Why am I able to eat chocolate when I am lactose intolerant, you ask? I don't know, but it makes me question the "milk" content in milk chocolate.

4. I have an obsession with beautiful, cute, unique -- you name it -- brooches. I can't get enough of them, and always seems to be drawn towards them like the striped shirts.

5. I think it's been well established by now that I am a fan of Celine Dion, but for some reason, despite how well she has done for herself, she is still one of those artists that a lot of people are afraid to admit that they love, making listening to her one of my guilty pleasures.



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Listen, Look, Love: October

October 24, 2014
Listen

I discovered Papaoutai by Stromae during a regular old exploring of YouTube moment, and I loved it almost instantly. Since then I have had it on repeat on my Rdio while driving in the car, and while I am working on the computer. The video is a little on the bizarre side when you first watch it, but I love the dancing and the message behind the whole thing. It's a very clever idea. While I have no idea what is being said it is still such a wonderful song, and I love the emotion in it.



Look

I was really excited when I saw this image of Picasso and his little dog Lump -- I love that name -- because it immediately reminded me of my own dog and the little image that I drew of him -- and became my shop logo. Not that I'm comparing my work to Picasso -- maybe I am -- but I thought it was interesting that we both drew simple drawings of our little dogs.


 source

Love

This dress from the F/W 2014 Ralph Lauren Collection is to die for. What a stunning piece of art and design. I would never have anywhere to wear this dress, but I would totally buy it and just walk around my house in it.


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