101 Cute Outfits #4

So, Else is almost 1 year old (like, in 6 days!) How the time has flown. I will write a post about this later; right now we have Fashion to talk about!!

I bought Else a "garter belt", something I swore I would never do. I just don't like them! To each their own though. One day I was flipping through Etsy when I found this SWEET headband and had to buy it!! It is totally adorable. The shop, cranberriesandcapers is really really cute and affordable, you should go check her out!!

Anyways, on to the pictures:
(I should warn you that I got an iPhone so am pretty enamoured with the Hipstamatic app...)

on her way out, Else shows her standing skills

i can picture her when she's 10 giving me this face, the "yeah sure mom.. whatever"

close up of headband: yellow band, turquoise flower with black and white houdstooth button, and white flower

real colour so you can actually see (and check out the polka dot shoes too!)

checking out a pic of her friend Gia

So I think this is a pretty damned cute outfit!!! I like how the sweater matches the flower, and the black and white shoes match the button. Nothing wrong with matchy-matchy as long as you know how to do it well!

101 Cute Outfits #2 and #3

Second up is Else's cute red sweater dress. It is from Old Navy, it has that nice skating sweater look to it. Paired with brown striped leggings it is super duper adorable!

The next outfit is an example of why everyone thinks she is a boy. I think it's a pretty unisex outfit, the sweater is really cute and warm, though I guess with jeans it would be hard to pick what gender little Else is. I however don't care cause it looks like one of those vintage wool sweaters (which it isn't) and I like having some vintage clothes for my kid!

101 Cute Outfits

So I have a REALLY fun time dressing Else. I love to shop and now it's twice as fun! I spent a good part of my Christmas money on new clothes for her.. I can't help myself! She has had a full drawer of clothes since she was born. It doesn't seem like she's had too many clothes until I look at the closet where all her stuff is that she has outgrown... oh well! She is cute! And fashionable!
I decided to do this themed post cause I want to document Else in some of her REALLY cute outfits! I'm sure I will surpass 101 outfits but whatever.. you get the idea.

OUTFIT # 1

the pockets are flowerpots, and the flowers are growing out of them on chevron stems!

I bought this little sweater from a lady at a craft sale. She had some OK stuff, the usual knitted baby sweaters in pastels. But I spotted this particular one and fell in love! It's a very bright red, and has flowerpot pockets and little flower "plants" growing out of them! The nice thing about the sweater is, it is big for Else now but she can wear it like a tunic over pants (jeggings!) with a onesie underneath. And she has lots of room to grow in it, so it might even last until next Christmas! Toooooo cute!!

Facebook Status turned Blog Post

I had this great idea while writing to my dear friend Becky about how I never really update this blog, which is too bad because I had intended to keep it going to remind me of all the fun stuff Else is doing and my feelings about those things, plus some other random crap. Well, I tend to use Facebook a whole lot (some would say, too much) and that is where all my updating seems to happen.  Lucky for you and me, they came out with this app called "Status Statistics" so I thought I would go through all my Else statuses from 2010 and put them on a blog post, to keep them all organized. I thought it would be fun to read them all back to back and reminisce on the year past. Starting in:

January at the Bank, trying to look happy that someone is taking my pregnant picture.

JANUARY
- is excited to see the midwife tomorrow because maybe she can get a refferal for massage therapy... thanks TD health plan!
- put the crib and shelf together and the dressers all done, now the waiting begins (there will be many months of waiting)
- is going to a prenatal class tomorrow. Should be a hippy good time.
- learned how to attach a baby to her boob today. Now she will practise with the cats
- further to my previous post about icing not working, I would just like to say that eating an entire cake in 2 days is not a smart thing to do. And it's not because i'm pregnant... it's because I can.
- can't wait for 2 months cause that's when she can stop going to work and everybody'll be OK with that!

Valentines Day, a day I was feeling particularly cow-ish

FEBRUARY
- one shot in the ass down, one more to go! woooo hooooo!!! Damned negative bloodtype....
- it's hard to get off a couch when you're knocked up.
- midwife appt cancelled... stupid other people having babies... sheesh!
- will be stroller shopping today instead.
- well, there goes a puke-free pregnancy... eff. And just ONE DAY after gloating about never doing it. DOUBLE EFF.
- oh Red Lobster, why hast thou forsaken me???
- can't.... stop.... itching!
- the fun is over. Hopefully I dont REALLY have PUPPPS cause that will SUCK. Fuck. Maybe its just a temporary thing...
- diagnosis confirmed: Obstetric cholestasis. AWESOME *itch itch*

OK so I don't actually have any pictures from March but this is from the day we went into the hospital. Close enough.

MARCH
- 7 more days of work... go ahead.. count em. 7. yeessssssssss Also thank god for awesome midwives.
- trip to the diaper store = one 10 week trial of cloth diaper service!
- had her bump blessed by an old catholic lady... does that mean that I have to get it baptised now? Crap.
- St Patricks day and I can't even have a damned beer.... New Years was OK but this?? This.. this is something else!
- ripped out the vanity and cabinet in the bathroom tonight.. good riddance to ugly 80's rubbish!! Now to get a new 50's vanity.. the hunt is on!! Habitat Restore here I come!
- One more week til Baby Time! Got my first delivery of cloth diapers today... they are so small.... this is starting to freak me out!!

Happy day of birth!

APRIL
- you don't know how many mothers you have until you are going to be one yourself
- bought the biggest ham known to man today to cook for 5 sorry people. In other news, her ankles are swollen so much they resemble said ham. Beautiful.
- "a breast with a baby on it is one less breast that can be used to sell men beer." Amen.
- this whole "waiting" thing really SUCKS. Eff you, Monfort
- we're home now Yeay!! Welcome Else Marie Austen, born on Saturday at 8 lbs 6 oz
- is totally in love
- being the milk machine brings lots of responsibilities and not alot of sleep to go with them :)
- bought Else a pair of leopard print pants. Rock on little baby... rock on.

MAY
- happy 3 week birthiversary Else!
- Else is now a proud owner of a Cuddle wrap.. now mom has her two hands back!! Yeay! guess i have no excuse for dishes...
- happy one month birthaversary Else! Mommy will celebrate for you :)
- crap... Else is 9 lbs 14 oz... she is going to be a big girl!
- "Waking up when you got a baby, you feel like you drank a bottle of whiskey the night before, except the shit's in someone else's pants." - shit my dad says
- just bought her nipples some freedom. THANK YOU AVENT. I swore i'd never do it but hey... i can take it back.
- baby shower today! Can't wait to see everybody!

JUNE
- Else weighs a nice 11lbs 7 oz at 7.5 weeks and is 24.5 inches long! She will enjoy the middle of the back row in school pictures forever.
- Else got mobbed. By twenty old biddies at the church garage sale. It was the funniest thing I've seen since yesterday.
- went to the bank today, now Else can save up for college! No OSAP for this baby!! In other news, the rose is blooming and it's beautiful.
- Else got her first shots today and REALLY DIDN'T LIKE IT. At all. Poor baby.
- happy two month birthaversary, Else! It seems like forever ago....
- Else just smiled so hard she gagged herself and threw up. Such a cute moment.

cute little baby in a cute vintage romper! Dang July was hot.

JULY
- Else was totally mesmerized by the fireworks. I think she has gone into over-stimulation mode cause i can't get her to sleep and she keeps telling me stories about how big they were. What a human thing to do: throw shit into the air and blow it up.
- Else's first concert: Moody Blues and B-52's. Rock Lobster live was amazing. Else just slept through it all.
- it is official: Else is not a Rush fan.
- I love my baby... sleeping for 9 hours! Awesssooooome. Now having a nap... sweet. She likes to sleep like her mommy!
- what movie was Else's first movie?? 3D Sharks at the IMAX of course! Too bad they don't have 3D baby glasses.... ha ha ha Thanks for the good times, Steph and Scott!
- teething = awesome

Loving the Jolly Jumper in the nice cool basement

AUGUST
- baby's got some thrush, isn't that exciting. Now we get some drugs to rub on nips and gums.
- Happy 4 month birthaversary (yesterday) Else! She rolled all the way over for the first time to celebrate!
- Else got sick of chewing on her fingers so now she's moved on to her toes.

New toys are always a good time. Most of her hair was gone come September

SEPTEMBER
- up all night with the baby. I hate growth spurts. Else's going to try some pablum and we'll see if this waking up thing stops... hopefully....
- Else's second round of shots went way smoother, and there was way less crying for both of us.
- thinks there are teeth in her near future

crying on the floor, Else the Owl expresses her outrage with having to wear a ridiculous hat and feathery wings.

OCTOBER
- looking for a babysitter for saturday night! sweeet. Alright, who wants it? :)
- happy 6 month birthaversary, Else. It's like you've been here for forever but you're still so little!
- Else and I had a sweet 3.5 hour nap today. I am so happy i got to have that. Also cuddling for 3 hours is lovely :)
- has made Else the cutest hat in the history of cute hats. But you will all have to wait til Halloween to see it (if you know what I am dressing her up as, please don;t tell, it's a surprise!)
- not to brag, but my kid is pretty smart! she's calling the kitties over by hitting her hand on the ground just like I do... weird.
- the first tooth has left the gum! Go toof go!
- sooooo tired.. up all night.... baby wouldn't sleep..... playtime's at 3 am now I guess. Awesome.

November marked the full-out appearance of Else's first tooth and the reappearance of her hair!

NOVEMBER
- only one wake-up last night and slept til 9... I think we're coming back to normal (after only what... 2 months!)
- back from first mommy meet up, it was fun! Else made some new boy friends.
- always thought it was hilarious when ppl dressed up their pets to look like a different animal, and now can appreciate the same on baby Humans. My Favourite? The Little Lamb. But Lobster is also good.
- Else's shots today, always fun. Little girl is sleeping... THANK THE LORD now can I have a nap?? No. Thanks Tim Hortons XL steeped tea :(
- going to the grocery store, and Else can sit in the cart like a big girl! (not sure why i am excited about this, many years of longing for infant carseat ease-of-travel will ensue!)
- thrush is a mofo. #4 treatment courtesy of my dr better work....
- gah.. kids clothes from Anthropologie? Why must you TEMPT ME????!!!!

Someone is rockin their jeggings!!

DECEMBER
- of course the night I need to bake is the night the baby won't go to sleep. FML.
- loves 1 hour massages that turn into 1.5 hour ones. Sweet baby jesus.
- did I mention that Else is growing fangs? Well, Else is growing fangs. She doesn't have the top front teeth but the top side ones are coming in nicely. It's too bad Twilight doesn't involve any vampire babies, otherwise I'd fly out to Van for a movie audition. Maybe I will have to make my OWN Vampire Baby movie...
- Grocery Disaster!!! Screaming Baby: Check. Spending too much money: Check. Self serve scanner breaking down when you have 5 items left: Check. Big line of scowling people: Check. Nice Loblaws lady and a good Samaritan helping to re-scan everything and bag it: thank god for you!!!!! OMG that sucked.


 Some observations that I made while compiling this list include my misconception that all I ever change my statuses to are things about the baby. There are far more un-baby related posts by me. So that was a nice discovery!
I also swear too much. But that can't be helped :)

one week old. so little.

A Letter to Else, aged 7 months

Else, my daughter, my little baby, you are so wonderful. I cannot believe how much you have grown in these past months. It boggles my mind, really. You've gone from being a little tiny, mewling newborn into a baby with a tooth (just one for now!), who can talk in your own way, and throw your hands in the air when you're happy, and sit on the floor, and play with toys by yourself, and eat real people food (I think you like yoghurt and applesauce and avocado the best) and laugh when something is funny, and cry when something is bothering you. I have been reading alot of other blogs lately, reading other mothers who can write more eloquently than I, about how they mourn the loss of their little babies as they grow older and turn into kids but who are so excited to see how they will turn out and what tomorrow holds. I must admit that I too feel this way, though because you are still so little, you have so many new things to discover, and the weight of all of those things pulls me down until I want to cry. I want to cry because I am excited for you to learn what the world has in store for you, to see how you will see the world, to see how you will interact with the things inside it. I want to cry because I can imagine the day when you won't let me kiss that little spot on your temple, or the bridge of your nose, because you'll be too big for that kind of thing, and not want mommy smothering you. I remember feeling that way about my own mother, and I know you will come to this point and I will have my memories of you as your younger self but it won't soothe the ache in my heart. I want to cry in anticipation of the moment when you realize that there are things out there that can hurt you, because that day will represent your innocence being lost and I want to keep each day that your have it close to me, and to you.
That being said, I had intended this blog to keep track of your growth and my reflections on it (well some other random things too) but I find myself treating this much like a diary, which I was never very good at keeping at any time in my life. So you will have to take these entries as they come, sporadic at best, and remember that the reason I didn't write more is because you've kept me so busy! You are such an active and alert child, you don't miss a thing. And it's not that you keep me running all day; it's that I watch you all day and think of these things that I want to write down but can never remember when the time comes to do so. Tonight you didn't want to go to bed so I spent the better part of an hour nursing you and singing to you, then rocking you to sleep. You finally stayed that way and gave me a few moments to write about you and I hope that when you are 5, or 10, or 24, that you won't be embarrassed that I thought it a good idea to lay bare your little life for others to read!
Speaking of sleep I am going to leave this for now and get some rest because I know you will be up a few times in the night. Teething has been a trial for me, because I do miss my sleep. A lot. But it has been worse for you... obviously.

Remembering Trent: Architecturally

I was at the National Art Gallery the other day with my friend Jen. We were walking through a corridor that was made of smooth concrete. In fact, alot of the halls were made of smooth concrete. It made me think of the architecture of Trent University, where I spent 5 years of academic life. There were definitely years where I spent more time on campus than others, as my transcript will prove, however, I always loved walking around the space and finding new and exciting nooks to appreciate. Much of the university was made of concrete, some of it smooth, some of it looking like someone threw rocks at the wall while it was drying.

In any case, I really liked this style. I think it may have introduced me to another way of thinking about space and material. For instance, take the Bata Library photo courtesy of http://www.flickriver.com/photos/richmann/tags/water/:  

  It was built between 1967 ans 1969 by Ron Thom, who pretty much designed the entire original Symons campus. I love the way the building sits on the river, literally, and the juxtaposition of the vertical and horizontal lines of window and concrete. The library has a real vinatge feel to it, something that no interior renovation can really take away. I really like this picture of students in the library. What year do you think it is from? 

It is from 1988. Cool, eh? It looks like the early years of the library to me! I found this link that looks at the chairs of the library:  http://trentu.ca/admin/library/archives/ztjacobs.htm Who knew someone researched that. Neato.

In any case, the Bata Library was one of the first real places that made me visualize myself as living in a different decade. Sometimes that is a game I play with myself, and for some reason, as much as I love the 50's, the Mod style of the 60's really gets me. The stairs are so big and made of wood and carpet, it's like the biggest awesome staircase I've ever had the pleasure of walking up and down. I love how the stairs are short so you can run down them really fast if you want, and it is way easier to go up them. 

  

Anyways, I think I am through waxing poetic about the library. All that concrete made me think of it, and how I wish I could sit on the stairs beside Bata and dangle my feet in the river while watching the fishing boats go by, looking for the big musky in the canal.

PS thanks to the Bata Library archives for the pictures.

ROAD RAGE! First Post!

OK. So I know I promised to write about my ROAD RAGE, or rather, How To Drive by Sara D. I wanted to start off my first post by using this disclaimer: I am in no way a traffic or traffic law expert. What I am going to suggest may contravene existing laws governing speed and signaling. If you get a ticket, or into an accident, because you were following my advice, it is by no means my fault :)
So. Where to start?
I think we shall start with my most hated of all Road Rage instigators: driving under the limit on a 400 series highway.
SERIOUSLY. SEEERIOUSLY.
There is nothing that ticks me off more than someone going 80 down the 417 at 10 in the morning when there is no traffic. Especially when I get into said lane because I have to exit the highway shortly. IF YOU CANNOT DRIVE THE SPEED LIMIT DO NOT DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. I know that 100 is the maximum speed, technically, by law. HOWEVER, you must also follow the flow of traffic. Traffic is usually around 100 in the "slow lane". If I have to brake and slow down by 20 km/hr you are guaranteed to get a middle finger, or a shaken fist, or at least me swearing at you in my car and while you may not be able to hear me... my anger shall travel the wavelengths over to your car and make you have a really bad day.

Further to this, DO NOT DRIVE UNDER 100 IN THE MIDDLE LANE EVER EVER EVER
How many times have I been driving at the speed limit in the middle lane, when some asshole in a Dodge Caravan is driving 90 in the middle of the highway????? THAT IS WHAT THE SLOW LANE IS FOR. AND DON"T DRIVE UNDER THE SPEED LIMIT THERE  EITHER!!! I think that this problem is potentially worse than the first. WHY are you driving there??? Why??? I think it is just to piss me off.

If this were in Toronto you would be run off the road. I hate you.