52 Books: Gene Zion's Harry the Dirty Dog

I purchased Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion long before my son was even a thought in my mind -- I have always enjoyed children's books -- but as book number seven on our 52 Books journey, it has quickly become a favourite. If you are tired of taking baths, and want to follow along on an adventure with the cutest little dog, then this book might become your favourite too -- but you're allowed to change your mind about the baths.

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What I Wore: My Handmade Shirt from Pakistan

I am a lucky girl. A little while ago, a lady I work with went back home for a visit in Pakistan. She offered to have some shirts made for me by her tailor. And so she asked for my measurements, took one of my shirts with her as a pattern for the tailor, and I eagerly awaited her to return.

When she came back, she gave me three beautiful shirts that had been handmade from the most amazing fabric. She said that she had picked out fabrics that she would enjoy wearing, and what I ended up getting was the most wonderful fabric that feels like you are not wearing anything. It is so soft and floats away from my body in the most breathable fashion. 

I am told that it is the summer fabric that is used on the tunics and clothing that is worn during the hottest part of Pakistan's year, and I know that it is going to be perfect for our hot days here.

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Shop Update: Cards for Honorary Moms

Because You've Helped Me Grow  -  My Chosen Mom

This year I've made the card that I made for my own mom last Mother's Day available -- Because You've Helped Me Grow -- and included another card for all of the women in our lives that aren't our mothers, but hold a special place in our hearts. I chose to make a card like this -- My Chosen Mom - because I thought of all of the people out there that don't have a mom, or necessarily have a good relationship with their mother, that would like to acknowledge the ladies that have taken over that roll...for our honorary moms!

 

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52 Books: Christopher Franceschelli's Alpha Block

The sixth book in the 52 Books series is one of my favourite alphabet books. Alpha Block by Christopher Franceschelli is simple and follows the formula of "A is for...B is for..." but the illustrations are fantastic, and it's almost like a lit-the-flap book in that you need to turn the page of the giant letter cutout to see what "A" is really for. I was sucked in by the sheer size of the book during a visit to the book store. Though it's not very tall or wide, it is very thick paper, like a board book, making for a rather large book. I really like the seemingly interactive quality it has, as well. A few of the letter spawned a learning session, and we watched some videos of a violin because of it.

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Shop Update: 100% Cotton Canvas Block-Printed Tote Bags

I am so pleased to announce our new product line to you today. With the help of my wonderful mom and dad, we have created these 100% Cotton Canvas tote bags with block printed images on them -- our logo and the POP-cicle print. I think they are so cute!

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52 Books: Steve Antony's The Queen's Hat

Book number five in the 52 Books series was a fun find at the bookstore last year -- you might remember it from one of the 52 Weeks portraits. We love reading this book because it takes us around London, England to different tourist sites -- and a little bit further, too -- following the Queen and her men, with the help of one of her Corgis, as they chase after one of her beloved hats. But I won't spoil the ending for you, as it's rather delightful and you need to find out for yourself.

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Bake It: Mini Vegan Cupcakes with Chocolate Glaze

We celebrated my son's 5th birthday on Friday, and so he and I decided we needed to take some cupcakes to school to let his friends in on the celebrations. We made these delicious vegan cupcakes from A Beautiful Mess, and added a delicious chocolate glaze on top instead of icing. What's nice about the glaze is that it is a more subtle hint of sweet rather than the over-powering sweetness that traditional icing can sometimes have. We also made them mini because bite-size is nice for smaller people -- they are less likely to waste them, too. We cut the cooking time roughly in half and let them bake for 10-13 minutes.

What you will need:

1/4 cup Cocoa

3 tablespoons Water

2 tablespoons Margarine (I used vegetarian)

2 tablespoons Corn Syrup

2 cups Icing Sugar (confectioners sugar)

1/4 teaspoon Vanilla

What you need to do:

Stir the cocoa, water, syrup and margarine in a sauce pan until smooth, melted and heated. Remove from heat and beat in vanilla and icing sugar. More water or icing sugar might have to be added depending on desired thickness. Drizzle over a cake or spread on cupcakes.

Store the cupcakes in the fridge to avoid the glaze melting all over the place. It also makes the cupcakes a little firmer, and I think that makes them even more delicious :)

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