a slice of life

I love being a mamma - I truly do. I am so grateful that I am fortunate enough to have been blessed with two beautiful, healthy, daughters.
I also love having my own business.

As exhausted as I am at the end (and sometimes beginning) of each day - It's worth it.

I am doing my best to be an attentive mamma while striving to be a successful business woman - I don't think balance is possible, but I am working on integration.
Balance is unattainable, and I'd rather err on the side of my kids.

Integration is where it's at People.

To find a way to successfully blend my family with, what is essentially, a family business, is my goal.

For example, I have to do allot of traveling for my stores - (buying trips sound much more glamorous than they really are) but having my baby along makes it possible for me to blend my work life with my mothering life.

The fact that both, Tallulah Grace and Amalia Rose, are now wonderful little travelers, helps immensely.



To survive all the travel itself, I've had to devise how to do so with children in tow.
Most trips have been with Dutch Husband along, to wrangle the toddler while I'm in the appointment picking fashions for the shops.

The baby is content being worn and rocked as I go about my day buying and ordering.
So far, so good.



But as the Spring season gets underway, I need to head out more and more, and as fun as the adventure of hotel living can be, it wears thin.



The baby and I have been doing more of these trips as a duo of late and we have it down to a science. Everything from what I need from my hotel (breakfast included is a sanity saving must) rental car (pick up near hotel) and stroller (Snap & Go) to where I stop to change, feed and give me and my little companion a break (too numerous and varied to mention).



Having a routine to how I do things makes for a smoother trip, easier work day and happier children.

I feel lucky that I have the opportunity to do this.

How lucky am I to be able to do what I love, and bring my babies with me? (when necessary - I'm not sacrificing their childhood to be at work all day, People)

Having my family with me allows me to do what I do, be a loving mamma, and a modern business woman to boot.

The funny thing about luck?
It requires allot of planning, hard work and passion.



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what she wore

One of my favorite features on any blog I follow is the "what I wore" post. I guess being a boutique owner really is my calling, as I just love seeing what women are wearing and how they put it all together.

I had meant to do the same on this blog - a weekly feature of favorite outfits. Once I discovered I was pregnant, I thought I'd do some cute preggers outfits. Then once my baby was born I was going to do a feature on all the great clothes I had found/made for her.

Needless to say....it never happened.
I still want to do it but feel self conscious as I have allot of weight to lose still.

The fashion industry is a tough business in many ways; image being the trickiest to navigate.

Even the formidable Anna Wintour wears black most days - you cant go too far wrong in a sleek black outfit.

Finally, I've decided to do it anyway - post baby weight and all.
I don't have much to wear now that I'm in this weird limbo land of breastfeeding baby and chauffeuring my toddler everywhere ( having two stores full of beautiful clothing is great - when I'm my normal size. Not so much post baby ) but it will be fun to challenge myself and document this new baby/fashion terrain.



Had to ask Dutch Husband to snap a shot of me today with my iPhone - ugly weather didn't help but I managed to bravely ignore the rain and dress for Spring anyway.
Baby Tallulah Grace is peeking out from the carrier. Vintage slips I dyed and embellished a la Dottie Angel style are my go-to skirt these days, and my new Kork-ease clog sandals that I am obsessed with.



Amalia Rose in her Sunday finery. You'll see that I dress my children much more sensibly than myself - no bare legs and open toe sandals on her today!



She's growing up so fast - her little wool duffle coat is looking short on her. I think it's heading to the cleaners and then storage for it's next tour on Tallulah Grace. I love classic styles on kids - they really are timeless.




I knit the "February baby bonnet" for Tallulah Grace - a bit of Spring colour to brighten these grey days and keep her wee noggin cosy.


Saw this little bonnet on a customers baby last week and I had to run to Three Bags Full (my local yarn shop) for some wool and knit it immediately.
Easy, fun and cute!

Spring? Where are you?



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lessons learned

Managed a trip to the Fieldstone Vintage Market today!


So glad I made it happen as it was wonderful wandering the stalls of vintage goodness. Even herded the girls and Dutch Husband into a portrait shot - there was a 'photo booth' set up with lovely old chairs and fantastic decor.


Can't wait to see how it turns out (they email the shot). Tho I am prepared to see my three year old grimacing, the six year old blinking and me yawning. Such is the fate of any family shot these days.


Even got in a wee bit of shopping - purchased five vintage linen stockings for Christmas this year. I was planning on sewing new ones myself, out of my enormous linen stash, but let's face it - it's not gonna happen.
Not this year. Sigh.

I've really had to be firm with myself. Talked myself off the Christmas guilt ledge a few times so far, and it's only Dec 3rd...
I am having to be reasonable (not my strong suit) and accept the fact that I will not get everything done that I would like.
For example, I am participating in one of my favorite craft shows - Got Craft? and have had to swallow the bitter, bitter, pill of reality.
I will have some of my handmade jewelry for sale, but not all the other wonderful items I've been scheming to make.

Everything got a start but no finish.
I'm looking at a studio full of half made...everythings.
Those lost weeks with the baby being ill really hurt my production line.



So this year, I am learning the lesson of patience and temperance.

THAT, and I am SO going to steal the twinkle-lights-in-old-canning-jars idea...I think I can manage to put that together this year.

What lesson are you learning this Holiday Season?

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Christmas countdown

One month to Christmas.

Maybe you didn't hear me correctly. Let me repeat that....its ONE MONTH TO CHRISTMAS!

People, I am freaking out.
Where did November go?
And why am I only realizing this now? I should have been panicking weeks ago, not saving it up for the last minute.

I know there are many of you who don't even begin to think about the Holidays till well after American Thanksgiving. I've even been told some wait for December to begin.
Personally, I've always been more of a "Oh-it's-September-the-leaves-are-falling-OMG!!!-Christmas-is-practically-here!" kind of hysteric.
What can i say? ...it's served me well over the years.




You see, I love Christmas and all it entails - I love the music, the decor, the tree, the hustle and bustle of those city sidewalks...I love everything about it with such a passion that my panic in its being only a month away is more about the running out of "Christmas magic time" than any fear of not finding a gift for all the names on my list.
I want my Christmas to stretch out before me in a heart warming lineup of parties, cookie baking, wine by the fire and assorted Holiday flavored activities.
I don't want one day.
I want my Christmas to last all month long, and with only a few weeks to go, I'm down to the wire of getting the aforementioned activities started.

There lies my panic.
I am way behind.




I know how quickly these next few weeks will pass and I don't want to have it all end with just one day - I want to savor it each and every day - and so should you.

Its the small gestures and quiet moments that make Christmas special for me.


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It's been awhile...

So much has happened while I've been away. I don't even know where, or how, to begin.

Let's make it easy:

- I got pregnant!
After two unsuccessful years
trying, we finally made it happen. ( I don't discount the power of "giving up" and selling off all baby items. Had just sold off the last of the nursery furniture when I found out )

- It was a drama filled pregnancy.
Had originally set out to 'enjoy the process' this time ( I was so nervous when I was carrying Mia, it's all a blur ) So having complications threw a wrench in my 'enjoy being pregnant' plans.

Between competitive growing fibroids, a suddenly overactive thyroid condition and receiving a 50/50 chance for Downs Syndrome - it was an emotional roller coaster 9 months. Fortunately, everything worked out just fine.


- I gave birth to a super cute baby girl!
Named her Tallulah Grace and she is the sweetest little bun ever.


- 6 week old Tallulah Grace suddenly has a fever and we rush to hospital.
It's Meningitis.
I'm devastated.
Cue forward a week, to today, and she is doing great and we will be heading home tomorrow.
Sighs of relief all around.


There you have it. Some of the events of the last year. Well, baby specific events of the last year.
Lots of other interesting non-baby things occurred too but they would require more time (and coffee) for me to recount today.

This is just me saying "Hello, I'm back".

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Tummy troubles have struck the household. I would have thought that there was a rule, written somewhere, that when the parents are deathly ill, the children have no business falling ill as well. Am I right? Can I get an "amen"?

Rules were broken in my home and all four of us were feeling the effects of the stomach flu these past couple of days. So not pretty.

So I would have to say that today I am grateful for....minor illness, and how it gives you a little reality check to how wonderful good health really is. I'm grateful for it's swift arrival and departure.

I'm also grateful for my wonderful staff without whom I would not have the peace of mind that I am able to enjoy when forced to stay home, ill, at the busiest time of the year as a retailer. Thank you ladies!

Also grateful to old friends who pick up where you last left off - making me even more acutely aware of how much I love, admire and miss them. 2011's first resolution is to keep in better contact with old and dear friends and my wonderful family.

I'm also super grateful for second chances. Aren't you?

choosing to be happy

I have had, what could very well be, the WORST. DAY. EVER.

Now having said that, and upon retrospect, it's not the worst day ever - it's just been a bit of an emotional roller coaster day with lots of' 'busy' thrown in and lots of driving hither and yon.
I think it's more that I gave into the sad feelings and the overwhelming-ness of everything that made it such a terribly bad day.
Being sick doesn't help and well...it's been crappity crap all around (with a nod to Dottie Angel on that one)

I've read, more than once, that to be happy one must choose to be happy.
Apparently, it really is your choice.
Amazing isn't it? That if you stop for just a second and make that choice - to choose to be happy, to choose to change the direction of your day, it will change your week, your month, your life.
I believe it.
I truly do.

Doesn't mean I practice it as much as I should.  Or could, but I am about to change that.

Consider this.

The top 5 regrets of the dying are:

1. Wish I'd had the courage to live my life true to myself and not the life others expected of me

2. Wish I hadn't worked so hard

3. Wish I had the courage to express my feelings

4.  Wish I had stayed in touch with my friends

5. Wish I had let myself  be happier

Read that again.
Seriously. Read it...again.

Powerful stuff. Found that tonight and I have to say, it's shaken me up a wee bit.

Numbers 1 and 3?  I live them already.
Sometimes it's a struggle but I'm there for the most part.

It's those numbers 2, 4 and 5 that have got me shook up. Yikes.

I'm doing some serious thinking about those...and making changes.

My sweet child deserves a happier mom - heck, I deserve a happier self.
I consider myself to be a happy person but with all the busy in my life, and demands on my time and energy - I can't say that I'm always at my happy best.
I've lost touch with friends and I know I work too much and too hard.

Most days, I think about what I am grateful for, and that seems to get me on the right track.
I've not tried keeping a Gratitude Journal...yet  (we just got some in the shops for Christmas so it's been on my mind lately).
 The people I know who do keep such journals, have felt a real change within themselves and their outlook.

I like that.
I like that such a simple, quiet, sweet task can have such a profound effect.

We all have blue days, we all have troubles and regardless, we all have so much to be grateful for.

A gentle reminder of that is good.

I'm going to start right now.

Tonight, I am so very grateful for...
- the strangely comforting sound of the falling rain against my windowpane
- my healthy little girl
- delivery pizza that my daughter will eat cuz I'm too sick and tired to cook dinner
- the comforting light of candles
- and cold white wine

What are you grateful for?