Recently (The Holidays Have Treated Us Beautifully)

Cozy Christmas Eve bonfires, air hockey champions, new traditions, sipping cider, family, friends, generosity & love.

So Much More Than A Bag

On Christmas morning, my mister took a note from one of my favourite movies, Love Actually, and wrapped up my gift exactly like the one in this scene.

The first two gifts I opened were...

Followed by...

He even included a sprig of holly. By far, the sweetest, most thoughtful gift I've ever received.

And inside?

A necklace he chose from my favourite jewelry line. This message holds a lot of significance for us & I'm honoured to be his partner.

To my fantastic mister, I adore you more than I can say. Thank you for being you. Thank you for everything. We are inseparable. My heart and your heart. I love you.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I promise to post more images from Gretchen's Christmas adventures. We had such a wonderful 2 1/2 days of joy & bliss together. And my heart just melts with the realization that she'll turn four at the end of next month.

Much love, mes amis. Take care & have a happy Saturday.

Merry Christmas Eve

Can you believe Christmas Day is tomorrow? I'm at my shop til 4pm this afternoon, to help any last minute shoppers, and I'm boggled by the fact that I'm more prepared and ready for this Christmas than I ever have been. My gifts were all wrapped up and sorted TWO nights ago. Unheard of! I'm excited to spend TWO whole days with my little girl, as we won't be opening Boxing Day, though our Boxing Week sales will rock out Dec 27th to 31st!

It's nutty to think that this is the end of my first holiday season as a new shop owner. It's been a busy time and I'm so grateful to be a part of a really welcoming community. Thanks to my downtown core neighbours and to everyone who has supported myself and other small businesses in Peterborough this time of year.

Tonight, post shop-closing, I'll be off to pick up G & then we're off to a Christmas Eve bonfire! Time to get cozy fireside and relax!

Happy Christmas to you and yours. Much love!

Holiday Tights, Sweaters & DIY Ideas

A few posts I've been working on over at Mom Spark! Happy Monday, mes amis!

• Style your favourite skirts with some cozy holiday leggings!
• Get your DIY on this Christmas!
• Fabulously festive sweaters... second from the bottom is my FAVOURITE!

Any big holiday plans this upcoming week?

The First Snow

Last night/this morning, our city was treated to its first dusting of powering snow. I get absolutely giddy about this... it means Christmas is coming. Part of me is itching to put up a tree, listen to carols, shop, bake & bust out the sewing machine.

This will be a very different sort of holiday season for me, as this is the first year I'll be a downtown business owner. I have worked retail downtown during Christmas, but it's a whole new experience to be Head Shopstress during this time. I have one fantastic employee helping at at the shop, and with things picking up, I may be on the hunt for a website intern. We shall see!

I added twinkle lights to my Autumn decor in our windows last week and soon it will be time to switch over to a wintry wonderland of sorts. I have so many fun ideas for sprucing up the windows (pardon my pun) and getting into the spirit of things! The next two months are such a wonderful time of year, and my fingers are crossed that we're seeing a lot more snow than last year. A bleak, mild Christmas is not what I have in mind.

I want fluffy snow and sunny, sparkling days!

(And new snow tires... thanks for the reminder.)

Hope you're all having a cozy Friday, snow or no snow!

PS. I have a question  dear hearts. How early is too early for holiday themed playlists at shops? Decorating? I know my US pals might say "after Thanksgiving" but we Canucks chowed down weeks ago, so I'm in full on holiday mode as of about 11.59pm on October 31st. Anyone further than North America want to chime in too? When do stores near you (forgetting the big box stores) start decorating and pumping out the holiday cheer? I'd love your input on favourite decorating ideas, best shop atmosphere and more. I love walking into a shop and feeling just like it's Christmas Eve 24/7. It's just such a wonderful sensation and I want to create that at Tango. Thanks, mes amis! Happy 1st snow!

Christmas With My Little Fawn

A morning with kin, five generations, gifts from so many who love her, smiles, twirling, brunch & a cozy nap with mama. Dinnertime with chosen family, good eats, lots of laughter, hugs and happiness.

Gretchen had a fantastic day. Oh my, the things she says and does. A constant source of brilliance and amusement. She keeps me on my toes. She keeps me grounded just the same.

Grateful for our wonderfully mellow Christmas.

Wishing you all the best, mes amis. I hope your day was everything you'd hoped for and more.

Goodnight, Christmas Eve

Gifts have been placed, the lights are aglow, tea's been sipped & all is still. A lovely, quiet night at the House of Fawn, and soon mama will be off to bed too.

In the morning, family will arrive... breakfast, quiche, treats & more. Christmas evening the little one and I will be off to spend time with her godfather & fam. Best friends and so much love.

A mellow Christmas. A happy Christmas.

Goodnight, on Christmas Eve.

Fawned Friday

Late again? This time due to the death of my modem. (May it rest in peace.) Thank you neighbour-Caren for letting me annex your wifi!



01. The Plume's 4th Annual Christmas Tree Contest has begun!

02. Pile my plate high, please.

03. Terrariums and tiny people.

04. Flirting with babies.

05. I'm such a nerd. I read this blog all the time.

06. If you're a parent, you need to read this.

07. Enjoy this lovely blogger's shop before it closes up!

PS. My lovely friend Erin has joined in with her own Fawned Friday posts... if you'd like to play along, I'll soon be posting a wee button in the sidebar so you can link back! I'd love to see what you're all fawning after, mes amis.

Goodnight Rain

Today was stormy, but the clouds brought more rain. I'm typing this just after midnight, ten days til Christmas, and it's 5° outside.

Sigh.

Maybe I should have grabbed a new raincoat for Gretchen, instead of worrying about whether her snowsuit would still fit. (It does.)

PS. Anyone ever have cellulitis?

Dreaming Of A White Christmas (With A Side of Knitting & Antibiotics)

Want to hear something bizarre? We STILL don't have any snow. In fact, today it just rained a whole bunch... rain on the 14th of December. In Ontario. I'm just shaking my head at this one.

I've been hoping for fluffy flakes and blustery storms. I want to wake up and see a world covered in white. I want to build snowmen with Gretchen and create trails of footprints in fresh snow in the park. I want the river to freeze and to see the temperature dip below zero. I want to crave blankets and hot chocolate, egg nog lattes and gingerbread.

Tonight, with the entire house to myself, I'm snuggled up on the couch with tea, trail mix, my knitting and the last two Harry Potter movies. Everything is still and calm. I'm even feeling alright, despite the mondo dose of antibiotics I've been put on after last night's bizarro trip to the after hours clinic. However, I suppose once I'm on them for a few days THAT'S when the miserable feeling might kick in. Ick. Bring on the acidophilus! (Also, don't worry... the doc isn't 100% sure what's wrong with me, but I'm not panicking yet, haha.)

For now, would you like to see the hat I've been working on?

This is my second attempt at this pattern. My first turned out much messier than it should be, but I'm getting the hang of it. I first learned to knit when I was about seven years old, but I'm still stuck in the basics of it all. However, I promise that's all changing. I've even been attending a few little knitting get togethers at the local yarn shop. So many knitty ladies! And I love them!

I hope you're all having a nice, peaceful Wednesday night as well. Ciao til next time.

PS. Let's be Ravelry friends, okay? I'm desireefawn over there.

...

Want to see what I've been posting elsewhere?

• Swooning over handspun yarn
• Craving winter like you wouldn't believe
• Are you a boot cuff kind of gal?

Love List

♥ Buttery new yarn, bamboo circular needles, a cowl in progress, Christmastime downtown, big mugs of coffee, blogging with friends, unwavering support, silly songs on repeat, dancing with my daughter, tights, tights, tights, kettle chips, chai lattes, power bars, heavy credenzas, balancing, breathing, candlelit showers, peppermint essential oils and heather grey socks.

Rapping Paper

You guys KNOW I live for a good pun, right?

This stuff reminds me of last year's Present Wrapping & Egg Nog Party, when I couldn't stopping giggling (with a belly full of homemade grown up egg nog) about how it was our "Rapping Party"... probably while trying to Christmas-up some Run DMC. (Sometimes I think I'm a lot more hilarious than I actually am.)

Available over here.

Fawned Friday

Good morning, mes amis! This morning I'm holding down the fort at the shop, sipping coffee and listening to a lot of Burl Ives. A pretty nice way to spend a Saturday, if you ask me!

But I digress... you may have noticed that yesterday's Fawned Friday post never happened... because I'm uber forgetful? Forgot what day it was? I ended up spending my Friday blogging and cleaning like crazy for my playdate potluck last night (more on this soon!) and it must have slipped my mind.

Either way, I'm making it up to you now! Enjoy!

01. Crossdressing kitsch Santas? Now that's my kind of Christmas.

02. What a cute little cuckoo ornament!

03. My kitties need this, right?

04. Super cute peanut ornaments.

05. A little advent love.

06. This couple is all kinds of cute.

07. Fellow nerds will love this.

08. A simple sewn ornament.

09. Globe snowmen!

10. I snorted so loud when I saw this.

11. Pattern love.

O Tannenbaum & Tradition

There are two Christmas trees in our living room. One green and big, one white and small. The little one has been claimed by Gretchen, and she's decorated it oh so sweetly. Mama added in a heart garland (made by the lovely Nicole) and a new set of multi-coloured lights, as our previous lights had given up the ghost.

Remember my hopes of finding a tree topper on that last thrifting trip? Success! I found this beauty for just $2.99. I'm hoping to find another one for the grand ol' tree before Christmas is upon us. I also nabbed a set of old wooden ornaments, still in their original packaging... and I swear they are exactly the same as the ones my mother had for our tree when I was growing up. Hello, nostalgia! I love gathering bits and bobs for our ornament collection, and I hope Gretchen will remember each special piece, just as I did as a little girl. In fact, I still have a few ornaments from my childhood tree. Most notably, two rather fragile bell dolls, with dangling feet. (You can spy one in the hands of G in that third last image.) They make a delightful noise when gently rang. (Gently, Gretchen. Please be gentle.) I'm actually shocked that they made it this long! Fingers crossed we can keep them intact for years to come.

Decorating the trees this year was such a pleasure. Now that's she's almost three, G is very interested in everything holiday related. It's an absolute blast sharing it all with her!

Other traditions at our house? Opening the advent calendars, watching old Christmas specials like Frosty and Rudolph and Charlie Brown, making crafts, reading holiday stories... the list goes on. My only wish is that some snow would fall and stay. This morning's snow was gorgeous and lasted all of .06 seconds, but it was delightful to watch the fluffiest of flakes falling. Gretchen's face just lights up when she sees the stuff! She was insanely happy to walk in it a bit before the sunshine did it's duty.

Here's dreaming of a white Christmas, mes amis! Let it snow!

Do you have a home full of holiday traditions? Any new ones this year? Old ones? Do share!

Handmade Christmas At The House Of Fawn

Handmade Christmas 2011 is in full swing at the House of Fawn... although, perhaps I should change that to Handmade/Downtown Christmas, since I've bought a few things, but only from local shops. I've also visited two craft fairs in the last two weeks where I've picked up goodies from the likes of Twenty Six Mermaids and Lucky Jackson.

Gretchen's little holiday stash of gifts is growing in its hiding and my list of "things to make" is happily full & oh so busy. Want to see what I've been working on?

Last week I started on a pair of pants from Carefree Clothes for Girls, and I've also made her a scrap fabric tutu using a vintage sheet and some other material from my stash.

I've been collecting lots of links to lovely DIYs for more gift inspiration, so I thought I'd share some of my favourites below.

1. I-Spy Bottle: Gretchen will adore this. She's such a detail oriented gal... I can picture her moving the rice around to find each little toy and treasure. I bet this'll be a bit of a saviour on boring car trips.

2. Simple Bubble Skirt: Despite my generally tomboyish ways, I have raised a rather feminine little lass who adores all things dressy and sweet. I think she'll love to twirl around in a little dress like this (with some super cute tights, of course).

3. Painted Block Puzzle: When we visit our favourite cafe, there are these puzzle blocks that Gretchen LOVES putting together. I'm hoping I can make her up some wooden ones, with a different design on each side. They double as tiny caste builders too!

4. Embellished Hooded Towel: My little girl is ALL about the baths, and she's quite finicky about being wrapped up just right after she's through. I think a special hooded towel just for her will be a hit.

5. Sweaterific Woolen Mittens: I've got to hit the thrift shops for some sweaters to recycle! There are lots of things to be made with lovely old woolies. My sewing machine & I are close pals these days.

6. A Doily Embellished Top: It's only appropriate that Gretchen be adorned with doilies, just like her mama.

7. A Crotchet Rug: This particular one is made from vintage sheets, torn up and tied together. Time to find a great big crotchet hook and one of my talented friends to teach me the art! Oh yes.

8. Mind Jar: Have you spied these on Pinterest yet? It's a way to help children settle their minds when upset, or frustrated. (And I bet it might work on a stressed out mom or two.) The idea is to shake it up, and have your child watch the glitter settle to the bottom. So happy, so mellow.

So many ideas! And actually, I've been setting up a new creative area in the back of my living room... I promise to show it off soon. It'll be the home of my sewing machine and all sorts of fabric storage, and space for Gretchen to colour and craft along with me. At the moment, it's all a bit of a jumbly mess.

Peace!

Mondays Are For Cozy Sweaters & Coffee

A new week, a new start. Today, I'll be hanging out at Glow, chatting with mamas and watching the Christmas excitement downtown. I also plan on making a list of all the things I'd like to get sewn up before the big day. Finances and frugality may have dictated a low key Christmas this year anyhow, but to be honest, I'd much rather cozy up with my sewing machine and patterns, than head out to the mall. Any purchased gifts will a) books, b) handmade items by my crafty friends or c) items found in the downtown core. Live local, shop local, support small business.

Have you been crafting this holiday season? I hope you'll share below. I'm also always looking for new patterns to sew up for Gretchen as well, so feel free to comment with link to your favourite tutorials!

Wishing you a lovely (warm) Monday, dear hearts. Peace.

Image source.

Day 26: Something I'm Looking Forward To

Christmas this year, mes amis, that's what I'm looking forward to. I can't wait to be watching vintage holiday specials with Gretchen, sipping homemade egg nog, making gifts for my daughter, decorating the tree and the rest of our home. I'm looking forward to snow, and the Santa Claus parade, and baking, and time spent with family & friends.

This morning we're heading to the farmer's market, and afterward, there's a local craft show that I think we'll check out. So many talented folks in my hometown. I think we'll also get our tree up this weekend sometime... that always sets the tone for the season. Gretchen has a tiny tree in her room right now, and she's been asking about "the big tree". So glad she's excited!

The Tuesday Diptych Project: Week Forty Three

Johanna: Meet Star-Paco (named by my niece and nephew) the amazing hairless cat. She's the newest family member to my sister's family. She's quite the character if I do say so myself and can definitely stand her own.

Desiree: Christmas might be over, but we're still celebrating... with sights and scents and holiday spirit. New Year's Eve is right around the corner, as is Gretchen's 2nd (gasp!) birthday. January will be a wonderful month!

The Christmas Day Love List

♥ Waking extra early with a babe who was excited, despite not fully understand why she should be excited
♥ Sipping tea while waiting for the rest of the Christmas morning crew to wake up/arrive
♥ Seeing her take in all of the gifts under the tree & being amazed when she left them be, only to snuggle up with me on the couch
♥ Opening gifts with family while Gretchen chose to spend most of her morning sitting inside a box, emptying and filling one little gift bag over and over again
♥ A breakfast of quiche (which the boy made from scratch), fruit, crescent rolls, coffee & Bailey's
♥ Shrieks of laughter from one very happy baby/Jedi-in-training
♥ Gretchen falling asleep within two minutes of latching onto the boob after her busy, busy morning
♥ Happy nursing babies, sleepy eyes and soft, soft cheeks
♥ Wonderfully thoughtful presents from my boy... raw amber earrings... tasty chocolates... and the sexiest crock pot imaginable (yes sexy, and yes, I asked for one!)
♥ A wonderful holiday season, a peaceful day & the least stressful Christmas imaginable