Browsing Tag

Oliver

Welcome home

Baby, Dogs, Personal February 8, 2018

When I brought home Oliver 10 years ago I was living alone in Toronto. I had a beautiful corner apartment on Eglinton Avenue with lovely old hardwood floors and black and white tiled bathroom. I had just broken up with my live-in boyfriend and was on my own. It wasn’t my first time living on my own in the city, but it was the first time I felt like I was really doing it on my own. I’m pretty proud of that time of my life.

Oliver very quickly became the absolute love of my life. How can you not fall in love with a little pug-baby? That squishy face is only topped by his hilarious personality. That dog went everywhere with me.

Oliver and I have been through so much together. We’ve been through really hard times… Really, really shitty things. We’ve also done really fun things. Road trips, hikes, camping trips (not his favourite), Christmas dinners, my wedding… He has just been the best companion.

Over the last year Oliver has really started to show his age. It breaks my heart to even consider the fact that one day I’m going to wake up and he’s not going to be there to greet me with a snort and a sneeze. That’s the worst part about dogs. You know that one day they won’t be able to be with you any more.

I now have to carry him up and down stairs, carry him outside to go pee, and follow him around the house looking for accidents since the poor guy can’t seem to control his hind end anymore. I don’t mind the extra work, but I hate to see his body failing. It breaks my heart.

Isabel turned 3 in October. I can’t believe she’ll be starting school in the fall. This is about the time most parents start thinking about adding a second child to their family. We think about it. I think about it a lot. The truth is, it took a long time for Isabel to come into this world, and although I wouldn’t say we’re “trying” (more like, “trying to not care about trying”) I’m skeptical that a second babe is in our future…

Kids aren’t something I thought I’d ever have. I always pictured myself independent, on my own, more of the “cool aunt” type. But Isabel is my life and I’m so glad I decided to give parenthood a try.  A second baby would be warmly welcomed but I’m also 100% happy with how life is now. More so, I feel concern for Isabel. Any parent, or prospective parent knows, the pressure you feel from the world, from unwanted advice, always makes you question your abilities and choices. I always hear, “You can’t only have one!” and “I know an only-child and she has so many issues!” (Full disclosure: the only-children I know are all wildly successful individuals who I really admire. My best friend growing up, my cousin who is like my sister, a friend of my husband who is a wicked mom and runs an art gallery…) Although I’m happy with Isabel, who is my life and my world, I worry that she’ll be missing out on having a sibling.

This leads me to Leah.

I had been wanting a puppy for a while and am always researching breeds and checking out shelters, but I was concerned about how a puppy would get on with Oliver, who has mobility issues and is generally a grump around other dogs.  But when we saw some Boston Terrier/Pug mix puppies come up locally we decided to jump at the opportunity.

Sure, a puppy isn’t a substitute for a sibling, but I know from experience that dogs are the best companion anyone could ask for. And I know that Olivers time is coming… maybe not for a while, but it’s on the horizon, and I’m not sure how I’d get out of bed if not for a little wet nose nudging me out for a walk.

So here she is! Little Leah. Isabel named her. She’s pretty sweet… 3/4 boston and 1/4 pug. She’s a lazy little thing who has quick bursts of energy. She’s funny, incredibly snuggly and loves to be carried. I’m looking forward to the bitey-puppy stage to come to an end, but I’m enjoying the puppy snuggles. Oliver is doing pretty good, although Leah really wishes he would play with her. I often catch them snuggling together during nap time. She’s a smart little thing and already knows how to “sit” though potty training is going a little slow… We start some training classes soon.

The puppy has made things a little extra busy around here but I’m fortunate enough to be home all day with her most days. She has settled in really well to our little family. I’m looking forward to spring and teaching her to run with me.

A Podcast + Getting Personal

Uncategorized October 21, 2015
I get really nervous about the thought of actually talking to people, which is funny because I’m pretty much an open book. Not much is off limits with me… But once the initial jitters wear off, it can sometimes be hard to stop talking! A while back I had the opportunity to do an interview with Reyna Lay, for The Reyna Lay Designs Podcast. It was so much fun chatting with her, I could have gone on for hours! I’d love it if you had a listen to our discussion. I talk a bit about juggling business + baby, plans for the future, and some tips on sewing lingerie.  Reyna is also having a pattern give away and is offering a coupon code for my Pattern Shop… But you’ve got to visit her site for all of that info!
On the topic of Podcasts… Have I told you yet how obsessed I am with Podcasts? When Isabel was a few months old she was having some serious nap issues, so I would put her in the stroller or the carrier and I would walk her all around the city… To keep my very tired mind occupied I started listening to Podcasts. First, I got hooked on Skeptoid. I’m a bit of a science nerd and skeptic (but I also love the paranormal and Bigfoot), so I devoured every single episode. Then I binged on Skeptics Guide… Then onto Criminal, Quackcast, Stuff You Missed in History Class, Sawbones, Oh No Ross and Carrie (MY FAVOURITE! I LOVE THEM!), Limetown, Nightvale, Lore, Stuff Your Mother Never Told You, Grown Ups Read Things They Wrote as Kids… I am constantly listening.  If you follow me on twitter, you may know that I suffer from insomnia. Well, there’s a podcast for that. Ok, it doesn’t stop me from waking up at 2am, but Sleep With Me Podcast does actually get me to go to sleep most of the time (and even when it doesn’t, at least I get a good laugh). Anyone else listen to any of these? Podcasts have seriously saved my sanity. Being a mom involves a lot of not-exactly-exciting moments (I love you, Izzy). Podcasts are an excellent way to feel mentally stimulated while also tending to a drooling, biting, maniacal little human. I’m excited about Reyna’s Podcast, as there aren’t really a lot of sewing related podcasts.
Life as a whole has been extremely busy lately. Today is Isabel’s birthday (my little girl is one already!) and I’ve been planning a birthday and doing lots of crafting. We’ve been busy with lots of projects around the house, and business has been very good. To make life a little more challenging, we also decided to buy a house and sell ours, kind of impulsively. Things were going really smoothly at first, but we’ve run into a few bumps over the last few days that have me second guessing the whole thing…  I’m at that point where I’ve been going-going-going, and just reaching my breaking limit. As I’ve learned with our first foray into real estate,  there are a million things that can go wrong with a sale and purchase, so I’m trying to not count my chickens before they hatch.  But it’s hard.
One of the other things we managed to squeeze in was a family photoshoot. Dan surprised me for our anniversary by hiring a photographer to take some candid photos of us! It was such a nice surprise and I am so happy to have these momentos of this special time with Isabel. It really is true, the first year flies by. I saw a newborn baby while I was out with Isabel today, and I can hardly even remember what that was like. It’s like it goes by in the blink of an eye… now my girl is starting to walk, pointing at the dog and shouting “DOH!”, and giving big, wet kisses.  I want to give a big, heartfelt thanks to Naomi from Shutter Owl Photography for spending the afternoon with us and capturing us in all of our glory. Isn’t Oliver a ham? He loves to model.
Oliver is in the midst of “crazy pug” (if you have a pug you know exactly what I’m talking about).

Oliver strikes a pose.

My handsome man and beautiful daughter

My mini-me! The most important person in the world.

Welcome home Lydia!

Uncategorized July 11, 2012
Lydia has been with us for four days now and is adjusting pretty well.  She is the smallest cat I have ever had, and I think she must have been the runt of the litter.  
A week ago, we were notified that Lydia had a heart murmer, and the vet was concerned about putting her under for her spay.  She pulled through, and is happy in her new home.  Aside from the heart murmer, she has 1 cloudy eye, but in my opinion, it just gives her character.  It causes no pain, and she seems to see fine. They did warn me that sometimes cats with heart murmers will grow out of it, sometimes it can impact their longevity.  What ever happens, I am just happy she has a home.
She is not quite sure what to make of the dog.  She looks at him with great disdain, and he just wants her to chase him.  Overall, they are getting along quite well, and will even share the couch with one another.
Happy Family!

I had forgotten how low maintenance cats are.  She spends most of her day in the window, bird watching, in between naps in the closet and trips downstairs for food and water.  She’s pretty sweet and snuggley.  Oliver gets a little jealous when I pick her up, put other than that, he doesn’t pay her much attention.

A Sunny Sunday Game of Fetch…

Uncategorized February 19, 2012

I love my dog so much. He is the most precious thing in the world to me. I love how his ears flap when he runs – this picture captures it perfectly!

Watching my dog play fetch is watching 100% Pure Joy in action.

Cookies and Hair Colour…

Uncategorized March 16, 2011
Yesterday was a busy day… I haven’t even sat down in front of my sewing machine in about a week. Today I will try to finish up all of my orders (they come in bunches!).
However, I got alot of “at home” stuff done. I made 2 loaves of bread, 2 dozen of my Grandmas cookies (check out her chicken scratch writing – makes cooking from her recipe cards like
cryptography), cleaned out my closet and donated a ton of stuff to Goodwill, took Oliver for a nice walk along the ice-covered lake, then took him to the vet in the afternoon.
The cookie recipe is a recipe that has been passed down through 3 generations! My grandma made them, my Mom made them, and now I am making them (however, with much less sugar!). Does anyone else have any recipes that have been passed down like that? They are so yummy, and the perfect cookie to make when you can’t decide what kind of cookie you want. They have peanut butter, coconut, chocolate chips, oats, and they should have rice crispies, but I was all out.
As for Oliver, I must say, I am so happy with the vet I found here, she is the first vet that I have had that seems to really care about the animals and our attachments to them. Oliver got his nails trimmed, his yearly vaccinations, a quick check up and some medicine for an on-going ear problem he has been having.
While we were there I noticed 2 very solemn faced guys in the waiting room who left without a dog… they either were having to put an animal down or had a dog that was pretty sick. I’ve been so lucky to have a very healthy Oliver, and I can’t even think about the day that I might have to make a decision like that. Oliver is such a huge part of my life, he sleeps all snuggled up to me at night, sits by me on the couch, on my lap in the car, by my feet as I cook, and right now is sleeping with his head on my laptop as I type. I’m not sure what I’d do without my monster, 32lbs pug.

In other news, exciting news. I changed my hair colour. I’ve been blonde for years, for far too many years. My hair was getting pretty brittle and dry and flat and paired with my pale skin, it just wasn’t doing anything for me. So, I dyed it back to my natural colour and I love it! I might actually go a tad more red….

French Knickers…

Uncategorized August 14, 2010

I had the best day I’ve had in a long time today. I got up early, picked up Oliver from my parents and visited with my dad for a little bit, came home and made Dan bacon and eggs before he had to head out to work. I did pulled pork in the slow cooker, and have started two new pairs of chiffon french knickers, each in slightly different styles.
I also pulled out my mom’s rolled hem foot, and I am in love. I want everything in chiffon! French seams and rolled hems!
After dinner Dan and I took Oliver out for a walk around the block, the weather was perfect, my day was perfect, everything was pretty perfect.
I thought I was having a hard time adjusting to being in a new town, even though technically it’s an old town for me… today made me remember why I made the leap… now if only I didn’t have to return to my day job tomorrow!
I even managed to fit in a two hour nap with Oliver this afternoon… I can’t think of a better way to spend a day.

Head Tilt?

Uncategorized March 16, 2010

I caught Oliver in a near perfect head tilt last night.

I finished sewing a little dress, which I should be getting into instead of doing this right now… but I don’t have my priorities straight.

This dress was a nightmare, by the end I had ripped out the zipper three times, never got the fit quite right, and burned a hole in the back with my iron. Oh well, some dresses just weren’t meant to be.

I’m still going to wear it though; I’m going to wear it out of spite.