these boots are made for winter walkin'

When I make a purchase, I don't just buy something. I hem, I haw and I worry. Yesterday I pondered and researched an online boot purchase for most of the day, wasting valuable time. It was stupid. Anyway, this morning I plonked down my credit card and bought the two boots above. Some lined rubber boots by Tretorn and some warm winter waterproof boots by Sorel off the Canadian Zappos site. Let's hope my online shoe shopping experience is a happy one...because my feet need some winter boot love.

bright lights & coy santas

It's really feeling a lot like Christmas now. Everything kind of crept up on me this month and now I'm in panic mode. I haven't mailed off my gifts to my parents and brother back in Ontario yet. In fact, I'm still finishing up baking things that will go in their packages. Yikes! Things aren't looking up, time-wise. Anyway, at least I have a ton of work to keep me occupied and keeping my pockets full which is very much needed now.

The photo above was taken at Stanley Park a few nights ago. I've never gone before to see all the lights and it was pretty amazing! What's more it's free (as long as you don't ride the train). We rode the train and it was fun. Hooray for holiday lights and silly santas.

cozy up with knits!

photo from modern acorn

I wish I could knit more than just a scarf (and I haven't even done that in over 2 years), cuz I would definitely make these Maine Morning Mits from Modern Acorn. Love them!! They'd be perfect for bike riding because I like having total control over my shifters and breaks without a clump of bulky fabric around my fingers messing things up for me.Plus, they're long so I could do without my wrist warmers (which really are just my old pair of striped socks cut off at the foot).

photo by smallest bones

Or I'd knit this fabulous cardigan spotted in October on my Flickr stream by the very talented Jen. Isn't it the cutest?

photo from tea with toast

Then there's this cowl made by etsy seller Tea with Toast. There's also a very nice striped version here. Again perfect for cozier bike riding or just looking stylish while staying warm. It's not very cold here yet, but I can definitely see it being useful soon! Rumour has it that there might be snow this weekend. Even if it only falls on the mountains, at least it will feel a bit more like winter!

And in other wintery news, I finally updated the mp3 hit list to the right with some sweet Christmas tunes. Enjoy! And last night, we finally put up our pretty silver tinsel Christmas tree. Photos sure to come.

six random things

I was tagged by the always lovely Camilla and while I rarely do memes, I'll do this just cuz she is so nice. And I've met her in person. The above image is from her etsy shop.

Six random things about me
i twiddle my thumbs
i like to sing along to guitar/sax/flute/bass/triangle/trumpet/cowbell solos
i've never liked jello
i don't really like jelly-textured things
i peed my pants in grade one during the lord's prayer (how embarrassing. i'm also an atheist. coincidence? i think not.)
numbers scare me

Yup, that's me in a nutshell. I'm not going to tag anyone, but please feel free to write 6 random things about yourself on your blog.

craft fair madness & a little giveaway

I'm all craft fair worn out. It was a hugely successful 3 days of fairs, but man, I was beat up by it all. The last few hours of hawking my wares left me babbling and just a little crazy. I was plum tuckered out. Luckily, my husband made everything better by drawing me a hot bath, watching the last 2 episodes of Mad Men season 2, and picking up some nice Thai food take-out. A strong vodka and oj helped things too!

I'm listening to a John Fahey Christmas album and feeling almost normal again. While I rest up, why not head over to one of my favorite illustration blogs, Pikaland and enter to win their PikaPackage for this month. Some of my cards are included along with a ton of other great artists. Leave a comment over at Pikaland and good luck!

holy craft fair weekend, batman!

There's a lot going on this weekend in Vancouver, but if you aren't in this city, don't worry, you can see what I'm up to on my etsy shop! Take a look at The Beautiful Project for super cute Dutch-themed birthday calendars, holiday cards, gift tags and general greeting card perfection! Order now for the holidays and beyond!

On Friday night (6 - 9 pm) and Saturday afternoon (11 - 5 pm) I'll be at Toque, a fund-raising craft sale event for the Western Front Gallery (303 East 8th Ave.) Friday night will be a bit of a party atmosphere, so come on by either Friday night or Saturday afternoon and get your holiday shopping done from great local artisans!

And because I love craft fairs, this Sunday I'll also have a table for Got Craft at the Royal Canadian Legion (2205 Commercial Drive) from 11 - 6 pm. There will be a ton of local crafters out at this event and it should be a lot of fun. Plus, the first 30 people will receive a swag bag filled with goodies! What's not to love about that?

Don't wait until the very last moment to get all your shopping done! C'mon by to either fair and say hello. I'd love to meet you!