two!

The single greatest moment of our lives....

and now our little love is two!

I love her fearlessness....

her sense of wonder.....

her thirst for adventure....

her sweet giggle....

watching her have fun with her friends...

her crazy hair....

her sense of humour...

I love it all, every moment shared, every single ounce of her. Happy 2nd birthday sweetheart! xoxo

last minute gift ideas for the ladies on your list.....

for the woman on the go: how about a stylish carry on bag, like this Michael Kors tote for her Macbook:

for the avid reader: how about a positive messaged mug, like this one from Indigo, paired up with her favourite tea/coffee and a gift card to her local bookstore.

for the gal who is always telling you she's freezing her ass off: how about a cozy throw blanket or a beautiful soft scarf, these cozy smartwool socks, or knit covered hot water bottles.

for the bedazzler: a statement necklace. Something that punches up any outfit about 10 notches, like this collection at Stella and Dot. Want a more subtle approach? How about individual pendants with the first letter in each of her children's names?

for the health conscious: What about trying a new fitness band to track steps taken, calories burned, eating & sleeping patterns, steering you towards better life choices.

For the foodie: How about this slate cheeseboard, complete with soapstone for writing paired with a great bottle of wine.

Happy Shopping friends!! xoxo

a fairy fun afternoon...

These sweet little souls play together every week, so us mommas conspired to throw them a fairy tea party in celebration of their combined birthdays. I hijacked our living room furniture and set up a little fairyland in its place. I'm not a crafty woman by any means (I'm usually the one sipping a glass of wine and chatting whilst others around me are making crafts), but for this, I was really excited to make it as magical as I could for these amazing little friends. (Click here for the how to video to make the tissue poms). There is still a part of me that would love to rock a pair of wings and a tutu all day long, but I think it might be frowned upon at the office. Tricia made a delicious feast for the girls and brought them crowns, wings and magical wands and Leah whipped up the most beautiful cake (of which for such a feat, I too would need a magical wand). It makes my heart so incredibly happy to see my daughter have so much fun with her little buddies. 

Little White House & Co., Fort Langley

Hi friends! We celebrated mom's 70th at this amazing little find in Fort Langley called the Little White House. It's decor is rustic mixed with French, and we all fell in love with the place. We had their high tea and perused all their rooms which are loaded up with amazing clothes/gifts. 

They gave us a private space for our group, which was so gorgeous - especially with the snow falling in the backdrop. My aunt came up with a great idea of one by one, going around the table, and sharing something about my mom that we all love. Needless to say, there were a lot of tears. But I think it's so wonderful to tell the people we love, what we love about them, while they are living/breathing, right before us. 

I can't say enough about my mom, but it was summed up, that she is the most giving, generous soul we know. I wish I could give her the world, because that is what she deserves. xoxo

Gravity

Hello friends! How is your Christmas season going? Tonight we met up with some dear friends to see the movie Gravity. If you haven't seen Gravity yet, and it is something on your list to see, you definitely have to catch it while it is still on the big screen (in 3D). The cinematography is a shoe in for an oscar - Mother Earth has never looked so breathtaking. Sandra Bullock will surely get a nomination for her role as Dr. Ryan Stone, a medical engineer on her first mission in space aboard the Explorer space shuttle. Her accomplished counterpart is veteran astronaut George Clooney, who is assisting her in repairs to the Hubble telescope. Satellite Debris, from a Russian missile strike, is heading their way and mission control wants them to abort their mission. When high speed debris strikes their operation, Dr. Stone is detached from the shuttle and is tossed into space.

This is a classic story of a character trying to reach within to find the strength to overcome horrendous circumstances, to call upon their greatest measure of resilience, even when their future looks bleak. I cried several times in this film, it is moving on so many levels: learning how to live after our loved ones are gone, staring down our own demise, digging deep to find our strongest survival skills.

I'm not surprised to find out the film was directed by Alfonso Cuaron and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezski, the masterminds behind Children of Men, one of the most visually stunning films I have seen. I love their style of shooting long, uninterrupted shots, so you can really feel the movement - I remember they used that technique in a spinning car sequence in Children of Men and their uninterrupted shots work especially well at capturing the audience's anxiety as we watch Dr. Stone struggle to survive. The film also reminds me that I'm glad my feet are firmly planted on this planet of ours. I'll leave space travel to the experts.

I'd give Gravity a 9/10. 

bathroom before and after.....

Before......

and after.....

When we moved in, we always wanted to update the bathroom. (Not that I don't love a good fake marble wall). But with it being the only bathroom in the house, it was never easy to time a reno (we tend to enjoy having a functioning toilet). With my parents away for a few weeks, we set up camp in their home (toilets and showers!) and tore apart our little space. We did it all on a shoestring budget (under $2000). My hubby and father-in-law ripped everything out and started from scratch. They did all the dirty work: installations/plumbing/electrical/drywalling.  We bought the toilet/light fixture/tub/tiles/flooring/ showerhead and mirror from Home Depot and the sink is from Ikea. We raised the lighting and tiled the tub up to the ceiling. We put the showerhead at a height that makes sense( our old one used to hit my hubby dead center in the chest). It's amazing how much taller the space feels because of these little adjustments. From our little home to yours, goodnight! xo

Happy December!!

Hello friends! Welcome to December! Are you ready for it? I was just filling in our calendar and started to have heart palpitations: seven birthdays, four christmas parties, dinners, brunches, not to mention The Main Event itself, which is an entity of its own. Have you ever been to Disneyland? December is kind of like you're riding Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, but for a month straight - a neverending road of near misses and exploding barrels. It's no wonder that when January comes, and everything comes to a screeching halt, we all kind of collapse into ourselves, into a shaking mess, like we're going through crack withdrawal.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining - I love all the visiting, all the merriment, (god I love the merriment), the festivus, the inexplicable giddiness that falls upon me every Dec. 24th evening.....but I just stare at this calendar and wonder, am I organized enough to pull all of this off? The decorating, the baking, the donating & gift giving, (and if you are one of those people who has finished all of your christmas shopping, like a month ago, you best not tell me such a piece of news, or I just may have to really lean into the slap I give you before I give you my warmest regards.)
So bon chance to us all as we board the biPolar Express, navigating us through this month ahead.
What are you most looking forward to?
Honestly, for me it's all of the get togethers with friends/family, evening walks to look at all the lights, the Stanley Park train, Van Dusen gardens, the switch to red wine, the Christmas shows, the smell of the Christmas tree, the traditions (& starting new ones as a family).
Put on your seatbelts, the ride is about to begin!