after yoga

to alleviate some teen stress

i registered both my teenagers in a yoga class.

last night was their first full session

and guess what...they loved it!!!

it took a little bit of coaxing (ok...a lot)

and a little bit of bribing (the bubble tea reward really worked)

but i got them there in their yoga pants and yoga mats.

 the yoga den was located in the heart of victoria's china town

so ian and i were able to walk the waterfront while they were in session.

it was a gorgeous evening

with lots of copper and gold to accent the day.

f.y.i.  that was the copper dragon 
made of a thousand canadian pennies at the bubble tea place

erica

xoxo

thrifted threads: purple mussels

welcome to 'what i wore' wednesday.

today, i'm linking up with lindsey and the ladies for some fashion inspiration.

we spent the family day long weekend at qualicum, 

a beautiful little town located a couple of hours north of victoria.

the beaches were covered with these purple mussels...aren't they gorgeous?!?!

i have always been energized by colour

and i will wear (if inspired) almost any shade of any colour on the spectrum.

purple and brown....

it works!!!

this thrifted brown shirt is pure silk and so comfortable.

everytime i wear silk i'm still amazed at how such 

lightweight material can keep me so warm.

the purple cardigan was thrifted too (surprise...surprise!!!)

and so were my purple wooden beads.

yesterday was a busy and productive day for me.

the sun shone brightly all day...boosting everyone's energy.

today...i'm scheduling more of the same (plus some laundry to dry out on the line).

wishing you all a beautiful wednesday!!

erica

xoxo

fun stuff: growing blue

here is the blue scrap blanket hiding in my blue glass collection.

i started this blue blanket because i found the 

perfect royal blue yarn for it at the thrift store. 

the yarn actually came from an old thrifted sweater, 

i found hanging on the dollar rack, that i've unravelled.

this is my tenth scrap blanket 
and with the rate of new colour combinations firing through my brain, 
there doesn't seem to be an end in sight to this obsession of mine.

the little green birdie was a present from my mother-in-love.

i'm almost through john lanchester's capital.

it is a great read, the characters are great, 

the story lines are funny yet very analytical of modern society...

but it's not ending too happy.  

i can't wait to watch the bbc version of the book.  

i also picked up twyla tharp's the creative habit.

just what i need...more disciplining of my days !!!

what are you knitting? reading?

care to share?

erica

xoxo

joining frontier dreams and small things

just when i need it the most

i have lived on this island for over twenty years...

and every time,

just when i need it the most 

(it has been a tough week - finding myself brooding too much while knitting),

i discover yet another beautiful spot 

i've never been to before.

there is nothing like being out in nature

to lift one's spirits, to clear the brain and get some fresh perspective.

it is a double bonus when we are gifted

something totally new and unexplored.

(this estuary is new to me - my biologist husband has worked on this site several times and

 has kept this jewel a secret from me for i don't know how long)

it was a day of:

extra large, extra hot, creamy, coffee,

plenty of tweeting wildlife,

lots of sunshine between cloud zones,

long, winding trails for easy walking and talking,

singing along with seventies folk rock on the fm,

and too much sugar !!!

happy weekend folks !!!

erica

xoxo

thrifted threads: blue

welcome to another 'what i wore' wednesday.

today, i link up with lindsey and the ladies for a bit of fashion fun.

if you read my previous post...

you already know the story of the bluetiful glass necklaces if found (on the dollar rack !?!)

the necklaces were such a colour inspiration,

i pulled out a few of my thrifted blue shaded sweaters to wear with them.

here they are up close...

showcasing my silver strands !

it has been so wet and rainy over here (for days now)...but luckily,
 the sun decided to come out yesterday so i could take these grainy indoor photos.  

we are back to rain today...for my son's eighteenth and some calamari (his new favourite) and cheese cake (his old favourite) and celebration.

wishing you all a bluetiful wednesday!!!

erica

xoxo

fun stuff: blue inspiration

you probably already know that i'm obsessed with blue glass.

my house is filled with it.

well...i found some beautiful glass necklaces 

(on the dollar rack - if you can believe it !?!)

while we were up island on a bit of a holiday a couple of weekends ago.

they were priced so low (onliwandolla!!) - i bought all three (and thank goodness there were only three left to buy or my will power would have really been tested LOL)

to make a long story short,

the blue glass inspired a blue scrap blanket...which is now on the needles!!

i finished andre alexis' fifteen dogs (it was a great read...if you're into greek mythology and/or furry canines you will have to read this thought provoking novel)

i'm still reading john lanchester's capital.  i'm halfway through and i'm not so in a rush to finish because one of my friends accidentally spoiled the ending for me.

in the meantime...i've picked up pico iyer's the art of stillness. it is a very short and beautiful read about staycations of a deeper kind.  i'm on my second run of it.

and for springtime dreaming...i signed out gayla trail's grow great grub.  
i'm definitely doing this folks !! (fingers and green thumbs crossed)

what are you knitting? reading?

care to share

erica

xoxo

joining frontier dreams and small things

weekending

smell the sea and feel the sky

let your soul and spirit fly

                                                                   - van morrison

our west coast weekend was dark, cloudy, and very, very wet but remarkably mild.
perrrrrrfect for a soccer match !!!

my daughter's soccer team won their game on saturday.
in two weeks they play to win the island title and the chance to qualify for the provincials.

of course...she was soaked through and through.
and yes... she was chilled to the bone (especially after the celebratory milkshake after the game)
our hot water tank emptied into that bathtub so many times (we really should invest in a hot tub!!!)

the rest of the weekend was spent:
eating valentines chocolate
making valentines cupcakes
browsing through used bookstores
visiting with grandma
coffee-ing with timbits (it's roll-up the rim time...did you know?)
knitting
journaling

and taking photos of the seagulls coasting by the shore.

happy monday every one !!!

erica

xoxo

joining karen

day of hearts

 we loved with a

love that was more

than love.

                                                                                                -edgar allan poe

wishing you all lots of love 

(and chocolates)

on this day of hearts !!!

erica

xoxo

graffiti game

                              you may paint 

                              over me,

                              but i will

                              still be

                              here

                                           - anonymous

if we only had the secret code,
it would all (the graffiti, life, teens, etc.) make sense.

but then that would be too easy (wouldn't it?)

for sure it's a game of thinking outside of the box (my favourite !)
but even after years and years of thinking outside of the box...i still don't get it (ugh?!?)

maybe not getting it, maybe not having it all figured out is the point (AHA!!)

maybe being comfortable with the messiness, the uncertainties, 
the curve balls, the ugliness, the graffiti of life is the game... 
and that it's best to remember that there are no set rules.

living with teenagers...

and surviving !!!

erica

xoxo

life is bluetiful...

we spent 

the long weekend

in a cabin 

by the ocean.

we were having such a good time

we added on an extra day.

 (why not? right?)

the sky, 

the water and 

the mountains 

were bluer than blue.

 life is bluetiful !!!

erica

xoxo

p.s.  belated happy family day everyone.

grow you food dude...

we come from the earth,

we return to the earth,

and in between

we garden.

                 - anonymous

i pick up a lot of inspiration during my walks...
especially around the colourful neighbourhoods near our home.

with the rising costs of grocery items (have you seen the price of celery lately ???)
this summer will definitely be my year of growing some grub !!!!

this has been on my new year's resolution list for decades now.
and i have had a few failed attempts in the past (mostly due to travel plans interrupting watering schedules).
but i'm determined this year...even if it means harvesting just a couple of tomatoes to make some mango salsa !!!

wishing you all a very lovely friday

erica

xoxo
p.s.  just because karen wants to know ...