Wordless Wednesday (Good Morning, Ladies)

From The Peterborough Folk Festival, With Love

Oh my word! I can hardly believe it's all over! What a whirlwind weekend!

After hosting my very 1st doula booth at the Peterborough Folk Festival this Saturday, I'm really excited about some new prenatal class opportunities and possible future clients. I met some really great folks -- including a midwife from Quebec --  and I'm so glad I opted for a booth this year. What a great day! And the weather couldn't have been more phenomenal!


Hello, pretty booth!


Had fun setting up all my goodies on the table.






The Peek Freans were a big hit. I'm trying not to eat the rest myself.




Marching kiddos & parents -- following Washboard Hank around the vendors.


Gretchen wasn't with me Saturday, so I borrowed my neighbour's youngest for some babywearing love.


A great night of music on the hill.


Downtown, later on, I stopped in to see my friend's fabulous band, Magpie. So damn good.
All in all? Saturday was superb. I had a great time chatting with new folks and seeing some friendly faces, including Apples With Honey & her husband!

I have such fond memories of attending the festival as a child, and it make me happy that 14 years after my first fest, I'm still just as excited. The only bummer about this year was the fact that Gretchen wasn't with me. I knew she'd be frustrated with a day of booth-sitting, but honestly, I missed her and was heartbroken without her by my side. I love my little sidekick.

But, there's always next year!

I'm now having some serious "end of the summer" feelings. To me, the festival marks the beginnings of fall. And honestly, it makes me so happy.

Peace, mes amis. Have a wonderful day.

PS. Want to see some cute Folk Fest pics from 2009 and 2010? So rad that it's held at the end of my street. I won't lie -- that was a big part of why I wanted to move to this house in the first place, over two years ago.
PPS. Don't forget to enter the UPrinting giveaway, ending August 31st. 
PPPS. Want to see Gretchen dancing up a storm?

The Burning Hell Loves Babies

This weekend has been all about music, and tonight's show was a great way to sign off. Saturday was the Peterborough Folk Fest -- a fabulous festival that I first attended when I was eleven. It was excellent. Details later this week, I promise.

Tonight, The Burning Hell played a family-friendly set, which meant that I let my little Fawn stay up past her bedtime to join in the fun.

I love that she's got her daddy's musical prowess. She's always singing something, humming tunes, dancing and making up songs. 

I think our friends were happy to see her rocking out in her pink jammies.

My favourite part of this video is where she grabs my pal Claire's hand and takes her to dance. Bold move! What a sweetheart.

Thanks again to The Burning Hell's Nick Ferrio, for the heads up about this show. Cheers, to many more like it. Fact: I'm a big fan of ALL ages shows, especially when ALL includes 2 1/2 year olds.

Goodnight for now mes amis. Folk Fest pics coming up this week!

A Sleepy Sunday Giveaway From UPrinting

I can feel fall today, mes amis. The House of Fawn is chilly, I'm wearing all things knit and I feel completely excellent. I love autumn. I love the leaves and the breeze and the pumpkin spice everything AND the idea of Christmas, rolling in just around the corner.

Perhaps some of you are cringing at the thought of Christmas (as it's still currently August), but I'm already thinking about it a lot. A lot, a lot. And in that spirit, I've got a sweet little giveaway from UPrinting. The prize? 100 one-sided, 5x7, postcards -- for whatever you wish. Christmas cards perhaps? Or party invites? A baby announcement or save the date card? Really, the choice is yours, but I've got St. Nick on the mind... I almost can't wait to see snow. Swoon!

To enter the giveaway, just let me know how you'd like to use your swanky new postcards -- that's all! Afterwards, if you'd like some extra entries, please feel free to do the following (leaving a new comment for each):

• Follow @sofawned on Twitter
• Like So Fawned on Facebook
• Subscribe to So Fawned
• Tweet, blog or spread the word on Facebook

Stipulations: Giveaway ends August 31 @ 12am, open to US residents only (apologies to the max!), winners must be 18+ and must not have won a UPrinting giveaway in the past six months. Bing, bang, boom.

This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting.com, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive postcards for hosting. See information about cheap postcard printing, available postcard size and free postcard templates on UPrinting.com.

Best wishes!

UPDATE: Our winner is Julie! Thanks so much, mes amis!

Fawned Friday

01. I want to be here.

02. Lucky little girls!

03. This is what I want for breakfast.

04. Stripey shirt love.

05. Let's all play the Blinking Game.

06. Loving this gal's tats.

07. Swoony McSwoon!

08. Cussing.

09. I ought to make some of these, perhaps.

10. I Can Fly... Gretchen adores this book.

Guest Post: 6 Instant Ways to Stress Less and Smile More With Life & Beauty Weekly's Catherine Ryan

After the way August has been kicking my butt, I figured I was just about due for a little treat this morning. I hope you enjoy these great tips from the lovely ladies over at Life & Beauty Weekly. Tea time!

You can’t completely eliminate stress from your life, but you can learn to deal with it in a healthy way. And since stress is associated with all sorts of negative health effects like high blood pressure and a weakened immune system, taking a few minutes a day to fight stress keeps you not only happy and smiling, but healthy too.

“Daily hassles and annoyances can get to anyone, but small changes make a big difference,” explains Judy Saltzberg, who holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and teaches at the University of Pennsylvania’s Masters of Applied Positive Psychology program. Here’s how to keep smiling:

1. Take it outside.
“The first intervention I advise is physical activity,” says Saltzberg. Even if you don’t have time for a full workout, you can still boost your happiness. A study from the University of Essex found that just five minutes of walking, biking or even gardening outdoors can lift your mood and improve self-esteem.

Health bonus: Aside from melting away stress, you’ll melt calories too!

2. Find time for tea.
Sipping a few cups of tea may make you more resilient to stress, according to research from the University College of London. Study participants who drank four cups of black tea a day had less of the stress hormone cortisol in their body after completing a challenging task than did those who didn’t drink tea.

Health bonus: Tea’s antioxidants may ward off some cancers, improve heart health and decrease risk of stroke.

3. Pop a piece of gum.
Under pressure? Chewing gum could help, say experts at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia. Researchers found that people who chewed while multitasking reported feeling less anxious and less stressed than their gum-free peers. They also felt more alert and performed twice as well on stressful tasks.

Health bonus: Chewing sugarless gum after meals will not only reduce stress, but it can also help fight bacteria that cause cavities.

4. Indulge in dark chocolate.
Dessert probably puts a smile on your face already, but now there’s proof of chocolate’s joy-boosting benefits. German researchers found that people who ate 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate a day for two weeks had significantly lower levels of anxiety- and stress-related hormones in their system.

Health bonus: Dark chocolate may also contribute to lower blood pressure and reduce your risk of stroke or heart attack by 39 percent, suggests a study in the European Heart Journal.

5. Stop and smell the flowers.
Sniff your way to serenity and fight off sickness by keeping a bouquet of roses on your desk, wearing citrus-scented lotion or getting a whiff of cinnamon. Stress can wreak havoc on your immune system, but Japanese scientists found that when people inhaled a scent compound common in flowers, herbs and spices, their systems kept functioning normally in spite of the stress.

Health bonus: Smelling lavender before bed can help you sleep better, according to a study in Complementary Therapies in Nursing and Midwifery.

6. Flip your perspective.
Focusing on the positive in a stressful situation can help keep you smiling, says Saltzberg. Instead of stewing on a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam, for example, think of it as an opportunity to call an old friend. “Tuning into your thinking and challenging doomsday thoughts can put a situation in perspective,” says Saltzberg. And that defuses the tension.

Health bonus: A glass-half-full approach has been linked to faster recovery from injury and illness, according to research in the Journal of Personality.

After a few weeks of practicing these techniques, you’ll not only feel happier, but you can rest easy knowing you’re healthier too -- which is one less thing for you to stress about!



Photo source.

Congrats To...

Kelly of ... And Baby Makes Five!

You are the winner of the cloth dipe giveaway -- and I'll be sending you and email ASAP.

And if it wasn't your lucky day today -- I promise there's another cloth diaper giveaway coming up soon. Stay tuned, dear friends!

Also, if you're dying to get your hands on one of the dipes from this giveaway, be sure to check out their respective sites: BabyKicks, itti bitti & Thirsties!

Thank you again to these fabulous companies for participating in our #HauteGreen party at BlogHer'11. Merci, merci!

Wordless Wednesday (Working On Something For Saturday)

Bancroft, Ontario

Carefully stacked woodpiles, sweet green cottages, pine, sap, brisk lakes, tiptoeing on docks and dipping legs in chilly waters, wide eyes, stone steps, wistful glances & "Eskimo kisses", hugs in the sunlight, dreaming dreams, sky high, cucumber crunchers, bountiful gardens, happy pups, barefoot down the lane, radishes the size of apples, fuzzy friends asleep between the weeds, cozy larvae, pulling weeds and dirty fingernails, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, lettuce, marigolds, row by row, putting things together, wondering, planning, good vibes & happy sighs. Plaid and woolen lace, smiling tears, a touch of grace.

To The Fabulous Readers Of So Fawned

With the hopes of getting to know my overall readership a little better, I'd LOVE if you could all take a quick moment to fill out my 1st ever reader demographic survey. I promise it'll only take a minute or so out of your day & my gratitude will be endless!

Thank you so much!

August Sponsor Love

Good morning, pretties! I trust you're all getting your Sundays off to a delightful start? (With a cup of tea, perhaps?) While you sip, please take a wee moment to meet my fabulous August sponsors. I'm honoured to have these ladies by my side!

Hello, chickadees! My name is Caren and you can find me over at Tea & Chickadees, a blog about the little things. More often than not you'll see me with camera in hand, a dog (Grace, my partner in crime) at my side, and a bevy of cats (but only one is mine, Strongpaw the Mighty). I find great joy in seeing the small things that surround me, in nature, in my neighbourhood (where you'll find Désirée!), in vintage things, and the world around me. I like the simple things in life - friendship, tea, reading a book, collecting happy memories. I really dislike vacuuming.

I also own The Vintage Apartment, a little Etsy shop filled with vintage goodness.
I've been known to Tweet, Pin, and Flickr my way around the internet, too.

I'm thrilled to be a sponsor of So Fawned, my first blog crush and it's still going strong! I'm very lucky to live next door to this lovely fawn & her little fawn Gretchen. They often find their way onto my blog pages. :)

...

I am a stay at home, soon to be, homeschooling mama.
I am a wife. A daughter. A writer. A photographer. A dreamer. A star gazer. A homesteader wannabe.
Our little family has big plans of creating community and becoming self sustained in our 103 year old cabin in the woods of Gooderham, Ontario.
All items are handmade labours of love and my words are true and sincere.
I share bits and pieces of our days and journey at Apples With Honey.

To see more of my handmade fare be sure to stop by my booth at the Peterborough Folk Festival and say "hello."
Etsy shop {coming this autumn} and other local shows will be announced on the blog.

...

Kim Corrigan-Oliver is a first time mom. She is a certified holistic nutritionist specializing in nutrition for mom, baby and toddler. She loves good food. She loves to cook. And she loves to share her passion for all of the above with those interested in learning more about feeding their babies and raising healthy happy children.

You can find out more about Kim and the workshops and services she offers through her website, Your Green Baby.

And be sure to follow @YourGreenBaby for daily tips on raising happy healthy children.

...

Heidi is a work-at-home mom of two young boys, living on a farm in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. She began The Conscious Perspective with the hope of creating an inviting space where readers can learn, grow, question, and connect with others who have the desire to nourish their minds, bodies, and souls.

Follow Heidi on Twitter & Facebook.

...

She is powered by coffee and driven by passion. Her interests lie in all things related to pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, natural parenting, frugal & green living, crafting and veganism. Take those categories of interest, and throw in some books, and endless internet hours, fellow friends and mentors, and you are left with Birth Routes.

Follow Amber on Twitter & Facebook.

...

I hope you've enjoyed getting to know these gals a little better. What sweet souls!

Interested in sponsoring So Fawned for September? Affordable rates available for indie biz owners, bloggers & all manner of excellent folk. Please email desireefawn at gmail dot com, or click here for more information. Peace.

My Gilmore Girl

Good morning! It's a busy day at the House of Fawn... in just a short while, I'll be running about, hauling out goods for the yardsale! My lovely neighbour & I (plus a few friends!) are holding a sale in our joint driveway. Come one come all -- there'll even be a little charity lemonade stand run by two of Gretchen's besties, to benefit our neighbourhood association's latest project.

So, while I'm buzzing around, enjoy this sweet little video of my singing sweetheart.

She's definitely her mama's girl.

How are you spending your Saturday?

Fawned Friday

01. For keeps.

02. Neato mug from Italy.

03. This is such a rad concept.

04. Yum, yum.

05. I'm 1/2 in love with this shirt (and 1/2 in love with the model).

06. These photos are amazing.

07. How much do I love these shoes?

08. One of these, and one of these, please.

09. J'adore cette vaisselle.

10. Powerful words.

11. Beautiful.

12. Just me & my roomie. 

Small Style No. 18

This girl's so happy when she's on her bike. Despite the frequent crashes and spills, she's mastered the pedaling and steering, and only runs over my toes every so often. Usually I sit on our front porch, sipping tea, enjoying the sight of my independent little kady, heading north and south on the sidewalk. Amazing.

Leggings: Gap
Shirt: Hand-me-down from a lovely local mama
Shoes: Seriously, she wears these nearly everyday... I give in
Tutu: Found at Chapters, years ago
Helmet: Lazer

Linking up with Mama Loves Papa for this week's edition of Small Style. (Just under the wire.)

Happy Thursday!

Have a fabulous day -- from one cheeky little lass.

20SB Blog Swap: Summertime

Today I'm participating in the big blog swap hosted by some fine folks over at 20 Something Bloggers. Please enjoy this lovely snippet (and tasty recipe!) from my partner Alexandra, over at The Little Crumbs. Also be sure to visit her site today for my guest post as well. Happy Wednesday!

...

Hello, So Fawned readers! It is my great pleasure to have been selected as the guest writer on this blog! I thought I should start with a quick bio of myself:

I currently own my own catering business with my mom and sister. I am an opera singer, I play piano and also teach piano. I was raised in a Christian home and am very active in my church. My mother’s love for entertaining and cooking for our family and others, has rubbed off on me completely! I have been in the kitchen for as far back as I can remember, and loved every minute of it. I started my blog, The Little Crumbs, about three year ago. Writing was never something I thought I was very good at, but I wanted to share with people the foods I loved, and I have always wanted people to enjoy them with me!

The subject of this post is supposed to be about my summer. And I have been racking my brain with some witty stories to tell you, or just an amazing event that made my summer complete. Well, I don't have one! It's not that my summer was boring, or that it didn't contain memorable things. I was just looking back over the summer and realized it’s just been pure relaxation.

I swam almost every day (in 115 degree weather!!), spent time with family and friends, and just enjoyed myself. So even though it wasn't filled with a European cruise, it was great!

During this summer it seemed like my sister and I were always whipping something up in the kitchen. Whether it was for ourselves, a church event, or a party we were throwing, when one of us was in the kitchen baking away, the other was going through cookbooks to find our next creation.

This dessert was found by my sister and was made for my darling little cousin’s 6th birthday party. This dessert fit that occasion perfectly!

Rich chocolate cake, combined with a raspberry infused icing and some fresh raspberries on top! To me that is a perfect summer dessert!

Elegant Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Icing

CHOCOLATE CAKE

*3 cups flour

*3 cups sugar

*1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

*1/4 teaspoon salt

*3 large eggs

*3/4 cup sour cream

*2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

*1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter

*3/4 cup cocoa powder

*1 1/2 cups hot water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake sheet pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the eggs and mix in the sour cream, and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, mixing until just combined.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and stir in the cocoa powder, and hot water. Bring the mixture to a boil and then remove from the heat. Cool slightly, and incorporate the cocoa mixture with the dry ingredients, mixing just until blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

RASPBERRY SAUCE

*1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

*12 oz of raspberries fresh or frozen

*1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

*3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

*Pinch of salt

*1-2 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature

*Fresh raspberries for the top

Put raspberries in a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat, stirring with a spoon until they break down the sauce. Pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer to take out seeds. And then put the seedless sauce back in the pot and simmer until it reduces to a 1/4 cup of a very concentrated raspberry sauce.

Set aside to cool. When raspberry sauce is at room temperature, cream the butter in the bowl of a standing mixer, using a paddle attachment. Then add about 2 cups of powdered sugar, then raspberry sauce 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Process until smooth. Add another 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and continue to mix until it is spreading consistency, adding the milk to make it less stiff.

Now taste the frosting, if you like it as is, then you’re done. If you would like it to be sweeter, add additional powdered sugar and milk to get to the flavor you want.

Top with fresh raspberries and Enjoy!

**I would like to thank Desiree for allowing me to share my little crumbs with you!
Please check out my blog for more recipes, that you and your family will thoroughly enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday (Downtown)