c'est l'halloween

How many mini-chocolate bars equal a big chocolate bar?

Don't answer that question.

I tried to buy treats I am not a huge fan of, but then I realize I'll eat almost any treat if it is around. I should have just gotten the stuff I love!

Violet went to a Halloween birthday party this weekend. There really is nothing cuter than babies and toddlers in costumes. Well, pets in costumes are pretty darn cute too! Violet dressed up as a cupcake. When she was given a cupcake at the party her mind was basically blown, "Mummy, I am a cupcake eating a cupcake!". She then proceeded to tell that to every grown up who would listen.

I'll post pictures of the real deal tonight or tomorrow, but here are some cute ones from her weekend warm-up.

Thanks for the great party Sophia!

xo

Em

You know those days when you just can't get a good shot:

{no eye contact}

[slightly creepy expression}

{fake smile/no eye contact}

{sad cupcake}

{Vi got a carving set as a party favour -- cool idea huh?}

Vi and Em take on the weekend

I miss my husband -- but for now the CFA owns him -- until December it is the Violet and Emily show

Who wants to play?

{early morning smiles}

{shopping for birthday presents after dance class}

{Nana made us bunting -- one perk of a broken hip is a crafty Nana!}

{guess what we made?}

{the sous chef}

{chocolate covered pretzel pumpkins -- before we ran out of green m&ms}

{busted}

{I am so unmotivated to cook for two}

{Sweet Jeff did join us for his and hers boiled eggs on Sunday morning}

xo

Em

clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose

Mitt Romney stole my catch phrase!

Actually, Mitt Romney and I stole the phrase from Friday Night Lights (which I have never seen; I heard the phrase from my husband who was trying to inspire Violet during toddler indoor soccer). For some reason no one seemed to mind when I did it...

I kind of forgot about my weekly "things that make me happy post", but I figured now is as good a time as any to reserect the idea.

I've also added a few links for you at the end of the post. Some of my favourite blogs do this at the end of the week and I always look forward to it. Let me know if you like it or not.

xo

Em

{mini & maxi halloween inspired nails}

Some people would pause before painting their toddler's nails black. Those people probably balk at the idea of using a flat iron on a child or giving them sips of diet coke. I don't think those people would like me very much.

{red tights}

I asked Jeff to pick me up some tights at American Apparel this week. I tried the Joe Fresh variety a few weeks ago and they lastest exactly one day -- less if you take into account the fact the got a run in them the first morning I wore them.

Sweet Jeff didn't know the difference between tights and leggings (fair mistake, I do use the terms interchangeably). He came home with two pairs of overpriced leggings. Even though he returned them that night they wouldn't give him his money back. Isn't that brutal? I got new tights and now Jeff has an American Apparel gift card. I foresee a Christmas sock full of brightly colored cotton!

{ground turkey on a pizza}

What next hot dogs? I saw a recipe for pizza with ground turkey, roasted red peppers and goat cheese -- sounds good right. We invited my parents over and gave it a try. It was good -- sausage would have been better, but it wouldn't have been as healthy I suppose.

{feed me!}

Violet asked me to take this picture of her. I was trying to teach her to put her napkin on her lap when she ate. She did not think that was a good idea -- instead this was her suggestion...

Have a great weekend and check out these links:

Lena on Obama

I'm glad it is not just me (though I am short and I still can't do one)

this made me cry  

I'm for sure making this on the weekend

cutest ever pantry storage

come on in: living room

Come on in! 

Did I tell you about my living room? For the last year it has had a very wet wall. See that fireplace? It was surrounded by a peeling wet wall until about two weeks ago. From what I gather the moisture was from a chimney reno gone wrong -- yikes. The awesome thing about renting is that the work was done and there was nary a bill in sight! The crappy thing about renting is that the problem took, oh, almost a year to be dealt with. I may or may not have told my landlord Christmas would be ruined if the walled didn't get fixed. That is honestly how I felt!

Nothing if not dramatic...

So, what do you think? Would you like to have a coffee with me in this room? That is an actual invitation, not a hypothetical question by the way. Prefer a cocktail? We have a bar, but I want to paint it before I show you. (If you come over I won't hide if, but I don't want to put in online yet.)

I love the light in this room, and the floors and the rad couch we got on kijiji. It isn't mid-century style it is actually from the middle of the last century! We bought it from a very old lady deep in the South End. It's from Denmark, you can imagine my delight.

I seem to gravitate toward blue when it comes to home decor.What colour do you think I should add as an accent? I think yellow maybe, but I haven't found anything yellow that would suit yet.

As always, advice is welcome.

xo

Em

ps -- seriously, when are you coming over?

{slowly rebuilding my (our) library}

{cute couch for a kijiji find no?}

only words can express

{it was a no-photo kind of day}

This morning as I was getting ready for work, I poured myself a bowl of cereal just like any other day. I turned around to refill my coffee cup and "pouf" the milk was gone. I looked everywhere, but I could not find the milk. This is impossible, I thought to myself. How can you lose 4 litres of milk. Minutes later (I don't know how long, but an absurd amount of time) I found the milk. It was on top of the fridge. 

And the rest of the day went something like that.

It wasn't a bad day, just an off day.

I should have known not to try something new for dinner, but we have so many vegetables in our crisper and these broccoli and potato nuggets looked so good. I started off well. I prepped all the veggies, I even took pictures of my work in the last of the day's natural light. I was excited to have a nutrious meal to serve my family and a new recipe to share with you. Then I heard Violet.

"Mum, is my tongue orange?"

"No, why? Did you have something special for a snack at Susie's?"

"No..."

Then I saw the ink pad. 

Last weekend I showed Violet how to make different things with her finger prints -- you know, a catterpiller or a snowman. She loved it.

"Violet, did you lick the ink?"

"No, I was just doing a tongue print."

There was orange drool all over her latest work of art.

I scanned the label -- non toxic. Probably not the best before dinner snack nonetheless.

By the time I cleaned up the little and prepped the rest of the meal, my beautiful light was gone. I can't get a decent picture with the lighting in my house -- everything looks orange, not unlike my daughters mouth.

I miss June with its promise of summer and 10:00 sunsets. 

xo

Em

the weekend Violet wore striped leggings and forgot her manners

{who me?}

What a weekend. I swear there was something in the water because Violet was a complete imp morning, noon and night. She didn't listen or cooperate without being threatened within in inch of her life (read: without being warned she would lose one of her bedtime stories). Holy frustrating batman.

I'm pretty sure she was doing on purpose, just to test me. I think I saw a twinkle in her eye whenever my blood pressure began to rise.

My mother reminded me that this too shall pass. I glared at her, which basically disproved what she said.

In other news I decided to dress Violet in stripes all weekend. I love stripes and I thought if I focused on the stripes instead of the child we may get along better. It didn't work, but she sure looked cute (just don't tell her that*).

xo

Em

*thanks for recommending this article Shelia!

{in a snit}

{romance novel cover for tots}

{she's cute, but don't tell her}

indulge

{books then bed -- kiddos do it right}

Violet is asleep, Jeff is off studying and there are, as always, a million things I could be doing with my time. I have marking to do, chores that are unfinished and a best friend who I owe a phone call to, but I have decided to be completely indulgent. It is 8:11, I am in my nightie and I have my book beside me. I will read and then sleep. It will be glorious. To do lists be damned.

I seem to always be overcomitting myself and then running around a bit like a chicken with its head cut off. I'm not the most self-aware person in the world, but even I can recognize that deep down I must like being busy. Either that or I must not like being idle. Why else would I agree to do so much and then try to bake cookies on top of it?

I guess if my hyperactivity comes from a healthy place it is probably fine. My friend Keira and I were talking about character traits the other week and she pointed out that "good traits" can come from unhealthy places and vice versa (I am totally paraphrasing, this was one of our hallway conversions so don't hold Keira to this). For example, say I really like being around people, is that because I am super social (healthy place) or because I can't be alone (unhealthy)?

Interesting. I hadn't really thought of it that way before.

I think that sometimes my propensity to buzz around comes from an unhealthy place. Why can't I just rest, be quiet, relax and indulge in the bliss that is doing nothing? I don't have an answer to that, but I do have a good book and a pile of dirty laundry I am basically giving the finger to.

What can I say, I am doing it for my mental health.

xo

Em