End of Year Gift for my Little Ones

I know, I know, I'm way early but I had a student leaving to India at the End of April so I figured I'd get these out of the way. I'm also moving back to Windsor on June 30th, so I thought I'd get these out of the way!

Since my little ones live in a very urban area I know they have access to sidewalks. Who doesn't like colourful sidewalks in the summer?

My supplies! I bought everything except for my stapler (not seen here) and my markers (not seen here) at Dollarama. I also forgot to photograph the card stock I used to display their names. Please see below

I found these great little baggies in the craft section at Dollarama. I was so happy because they fit the chalk pretty well.

I couldn't help myself. I love colours! 

You can buy a pack of this multicoloured cardstock in the craft area in Dollarama. I have folded them in half and and coloured them with some PITT artist pens.

I forgot that I don't own a proper stapler so I put my chalk and little name cards into an old bag.

I folded the paper cards over the end of the sealed bag and stapled once at both ends. I think they will love them! If they don't I had a great time making them!

Wishing you a creative day! 

-Jocelyne

Melissa Etheridge Quilt

I wanted to thank my wonderful massage therapist, Geneviève Nolet, who has helped me discover my creative spirit. So, when I found out her dream was to have her Melissa Etheridge concert tees made into a quilt I just had to do it. I was planing on making her a quilt anyway so now it's extra special! I thought I'd share some pictures with everyone. I don't have a real pattern and just went crazy with the colours.

I won't do a tute or anything since I'm kind of a scatter brain but I'll let you know some things I did. I'm sure some of these will be obvious but here goes:

1. Use your seam ripper to undo seams so you can use the other parts of the t-shirt.
2. Figure out which shirt has the biggest design on it that you want to have in your quilt. This is only if you are planning on have same sized squares.
3. Some shirts have the sleeves starting closer in than others. If you look below at the brown shirt I had to put two strips of material on either side to make it coincide with the other squares.
4, It's a t-shirt quilt, it's not supposed to be classy. Have fun!

Please don't mind the mess in the background. I'm doing a bunch on projects at once from my one bedroom apartment.

 Wishing you a creative and inspirational Sunday!

Let me know if you have any questions.

I thought I'd add a link to my massage therapist's blog, if you're interested.

Patates écrasé avec des oeufs

This is one of my favourite comfort foods. My grandma from the countryside in New Brunswick fed it to my mom, my mom fed it to me and I still make it for myself. I find that those foods your mom made you are the ones that can make you feel close to home when you're feeling a little home sick.

So here goes!  First I wash my potatoes then I cut them into similar size pieces. and I boil them.

This is the first time I tried the wooden spoon on the pot to make sure it doesn't boil over and it works!

I usually boil my potatoes around 20-30 minutes, checking with a fork periodically to see if they are soft enough.

Add some butter.

Add some milk. Less is more in this situation. You can always add more if you need it but is hard to take it out.

Get mashing!

So here is our mashed potato base.

Fry up either one or two eggs. You can make it as pretty or as "rustic" as you'd like it. Throw your egg on top.

I like to add some ketchup because I just love my ketchup. It is good with tomato paste too. My mom likes to eat it just as is so that is an option too.

I know this looks gross but it's not, trust me! You mix it and up and eat it up!

Let me know what you think. I have never met anyone else, outside of my family, who has eaten or heard of this before so if you have please let me know

I hope you have a wonderful day. I have seen some beautiful bids lately and I hope you take time to appreciate those little things that make our world so marvelous.

P.S. I just finished a huge (to me) t-shirt quilt. Pics to come soon!

Dresser I want to transform

I'm moving in about 11 weeks ( a friend back home keeps me updated), so when I saw this dresser on the side of the road, just dying to be transformed, I had to leave it. I did take a picture as a reminder of furniture transformations to come. You see I'll live with my mom until a get a contract and then I'll buy myself a house in Windsor, ON.

Once I do buy my house my plan is to rescue furniture orphans like this one or from garage sales and make them my own. Who needs furniture stores when I can take old and create something new and unique!

How cute! Dinosaur book!

I just found this very cute dinosaur book that would be good for a boy or girl. It's free. I printed it out cut it out and used self laminating sheets from Dollarama to laminate it. It took me no time at all! Now, all I have to do is cut it out from the laminate, punch holes and buy a binder clip.

Since I don't have kids I'm planning on giving it to one of my friend's boys. I think he'll love it!

Have a wonderfully creative day! Off to Zumba!

Yum! Sweet potato quinoa burgers!

I'm not vegan or vegetarian by any means but that doesn't mean I can't try some no meat meals from time to time. Like almost everyone else, I too, have been trying to eat more quinoa. I recently found this recipe for sweet potato quinoa burgers and I am hooked. 


At first I was a little weary because I know some ingredients (i.e. almond flour) can get expensive. However, I found some solutions: 1) I bought my spices in bulk from Tutti Fruti in Kensingtom Market ( I will mist this place when I move) and 2) I made my own almond flour by attaching my immersion blender to the mini food processor attachment and using that to grind it up. One thing I would mention is that you have to stop before the oils in the almonds start coming out or else you'll end up with almond butter.

Frying up one of my frozen burgers.

Probably not the healthiest way to eat the burger but me and my mom had just had a nice day in the sun at St. Jacobs and we felt like a beer was in order. There goes my one beer for the month!

I also like to had some cheese to my burger but it's because I'm a cheese addict. 

Wishing you a wonderful day full of inspiration. 

Raspberry Lemon Muffins

I think it was at the age of 18 when I started collecting recipes in one of those old workbooks. I would cut and glue whenever I found a new recipe. Here is one of my favourite muffin recipes for muffins that scream spring/summer.

The original recipe.

Mmmm! Can't you smell them?

The dry and the wet ingredients. I ended up mixing my ingredients and putting them in the fridge. I added the frozen raspberries and baked them the following day.

The lovely breakfast for my mom's visit.

Recipe

Ingredients

2 c all-purpose flour

1 c quick cooking oats (and a bit to sprinkle on top)

1 c brown sugar

1 tbsp grated lemon rind

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt 

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups buttermilk ( I usually do 1 cup of regular milk and 1/4 cup of lemon juice that i get from the lemon whose rind I've grated.)

1/3 c vegetable oil

1tsp vanilla

3/4 frozen raspberries

• In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients.
• In separate bowl beat eggs; blend in buttermilk, oil and and vanilla. Pour over dry ingredients. Sprinkle with raspberries: stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.
• Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups.
• Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes.
• Makes 12 average sized muffins.

I wish I knew which magazine this recipe came from so I could properly source it. Sorry.

Hope you are having a wonderful day with lots of sunshine. If not, make some muffins and think of sunny days. Happy Easter! 

Beautiful Flowers

So I just got back from a wonderful trip to St. Jacobs Farmers market with my mom. Since my mom is in the shower I thought I'd share these pics of the flowers I picked up. There were only 3 bunches for $10. Living in Toronto close to a Loblaws where flowers are crazy expensive, I just couldn't resist. Here are my beautiful ten dollar flowers.

The original three bouquets.

A big piece that would not fit in with the other flowers. 

I wish I knew what it was called.

A different angle.

My arrangement with normal light.

I brought out the Instagram for this picture.

I used Instargram here too.

I forget which option I used for the both of them.

Wishing you a wonderful day filled with a the little things that are so beautiful. Soon, I'll be sharing the recipe for the raspberry muffins I made for my mom's visit.