Bits and pieces

Here’s what’s been going on around here lately…

The Twins celebrated their 6th birthday!  We had a donut themed party with their buddies in the afternoon followed by a family supper at Amigos.

September means back to school and we’ve got a new bus stop this year.  School is going well so far, at least I think so.

Extra curricular activities have also begun (hockey, soccer and gymnastics not shown).  Life is about to get extra busy around here.

I bought myself this clutch at the Saskatoon Farmer’s Market.  Check out Aladdin’s Crafts on Facebook or head down the market to see for yourself.  There are more colors and sizes, a vibrant assortment of leather shoes as well as moroccan poufs (currently on my wishlist).

I finally bought myself this book (which means maybe I shouldn’t have bought a new purse?).

I’m really hoping it helps me deal with this constant mess.

Last saturday the weather was perfection!  We stole a few hours of sun and savoured the last bit of summer out at Fred Heale boat launch with friends.  It’s so great to have such a stunning beach 20 min away.  And how cute are all these kids??!

DIY: Jewelry holder

For months now (or a couple of years maybe?) I’ve had this plan to make a jewelry holder using a piece of driftwood.  Last week while my house was a total mess it seemed like perfect timing to tackle this project.   Apparently feeding my kids or cleaning up could wait.   Maybe I thought I’d feel better if I accomplished one task that day?  Anyhow, it took all of 10 minutes so the kids didn’t starve but the mess is still pretty much the same.  I’m not sure what held me back for so long to make this; I am thrilled with how it turned out.

If you’re interested in making your own, here’s what you  will need:

-A piece of driftwood (or branch or whatever you like)

-finishing nails (an uneven number)

-string or twine

-a hammer

-a lot of nice jewelry (I’m still working on that).

The piece of driftwood came from the beach at Tobin Lake.  We are headed back there today for the long weekend with our good friends.   Here are a few throw back photos from last year.  The highlight was cliff diving into soft sand.  It was a lot warmer last September compared to what we’re headed into this weekend.  My raincoat, parka and bailey’s are packed and ready to go.

Back to my project now.  I simply eyeballed where the nails would go and tapped them in, tied twine around the ends and that was it!  I love it and it’s way better than trying to untangle my necklaces moments before heading out the door.

The other thing I love about this little *vignette is my clutch.  It was a Mother’s Day gift from Shamus, one that I had picked out online.  I don’t use it often (more GNO’s needed) but it’s too pretty to keep hidden away.

Also dear to me is my bottle of Nuxe oil.  This ‘Huile Prodigieuse’ was given to me by a friend I met in Uzès.  It smells so good, makes my skin feel silky and reminds me of her and of France.  Oh yeah, and my new sunglasses… one can never have too many pairs of Ray-Bans.

If driftwood isn’t your thing, here is the link to another nature inspired option (with a much more impressive jewelry collection) that is beautiful.  Check out Feed And Dress under Hillbilly Modern: A DIY Project.

So no matter how messy my room gets, I like to keep this little ‘vignette’ tidy and pretty cause it just makes me happy.

Have a great long weekend everyone!!!

*The word vignette comes from the French for ‘little vine’.  It is also frequently used in fancy decorating magazines refering to a cluster of objects that makes your dresser or shelves or coffee table look casually styled.

*GNO=Girl’s night out