Hand-Made Tablecloth Weights

After my oilcloth tablecloth blew off the table a couple of times already, i realized it was time to do something about it. Thinking oilcloth was heavy just didn't do the job! So, i got a little creative and used what i have.

Since i have a large collection of buttons, new and old, i looked for some that were 'picnic-like' and found some cute ones that had a red and white gingham look, as well as some ladybugs and strawberries. I attached them to an old clip with wire, but this wasn't heavy enough.

So, i found some old plastic animals that i used for craft projects in the past and found some that are barn animals - a cow, sheep, donkey, and dog. After securing them to the wire, i looped it through the buttons and voila - weights that work!

A Green Long Weekend

Victoria Day long weekend has come and gone - it seemed a bit early this year, and cold. We busied ourselves in the city, and spent the bulk of the day today in the garden. Supposedly, this first long weekend of the summer is associated with the first real bulk of garden work. Being new to gardening, and accompanied by such cold weather, i'm not sure if this was the best weekend to start! That said, i can't wait for my first batch of peonies to blossom (picture above).

So, i busied myself with other green things too:
I made this yummy Tofu Florentine from the Veganomicon. Tasty! I don't think i've ever had the 'real thing,' and while i know this isn't actually like it, i don't need it to be. The fresh green spinach added such a nice touch, as this wonderful photo taken by J!
Not quite for this weekend, but i made my mom this bulletin board for Mother's Day. It's green (her favourite colour). First, i sewed some pockets on to the fabric, and then i used a new cookie sheet with a lip, and used fabric adhesive to put this lovely vintage fabric on. Since it's magnetic, i also got a great collection of magnets too!

This old classic, first printed in the late 1880s seems to be a distant grandmother to these new books being printed today. The title may be hard to see, but it's called House and Home: A Complete House-Wife's Guide. My mom found it on the side of the road. I think this edition was printed in the 1940s or so, but it could be older. With chapters on "the Etiquette of Family Life," "Licensed Beggar or Business Partner" (a chapter on marriage), and a whole section on menu-making, i'm sure this book was the prize gift for any new bride. It's been fun reading this 'classic.' It's been fun reading it this weekend! Here's a quote:

One must, in mental and spiritual stature, get her head well
above the dust of conceit and the fogs of ignorance before
she can appreciate the dignity of true womanhood.

Call Me Ms. Staple Gun

I think i may have found a new part-time job, or at least new hobby - i have been re-upholstering a lot of things lately. I just love the sound of the staple gun against my project, i guess! It is good, though, to be able to look past something old, ugly, and/or ruined and be able to rejuvenate it. A good example of restructuring and re-using for sure!

Here are two recent projects. The first is a vanity chair i wanted to use for my backyard patio. I took of the faux fur seat cover, and replaced it with a fun fabric that i then covered with plastic, so that when i forget to leave it out in the rain, it won't get soaking wet.
The second project is a laundry bin my parents passed on to me. The seat cushion was a bit ruined (stains, tears), so i cleaned it up, removed what needed to be gone, and replaced it with this lovely blue fabric. It looks perfect in our bedroom, and now our cat can enjoy yet another new place to see and look outdoors!

A (new to me) Vegetarian Greasy Spoon

I met a friend at Body Blitz yesterday and took this time to finally go to Sadie's Diner, a completely vegetarian greasy spoon in downtown Toronto. Don't ask me why i haven't been yet, especially because i used to work LITERALLY right around the corner. But i'm so glad i finally went.

There are quite a few vegan options, like a vegan BLT, a club, pancakes, burritos, and some great juices and smoothies. I had the club, which came with big slices of grilled tofu and 'veggie pealmeal bacon.' It was delicious and got just the spot in my tummy that was missing for so long. I couldn't believe how excited i was to find a cheap ($17 for two!) and totally veg greasy spoon. I saw 'greasy spoon' with love, because it also reflects the homage to 50's diner and comfort food, whereas so many veggie restos here are either Asian fare or 'gourmet' vegan. All of which i love, of course. The fun and kitschy decor helps too, especially the awesome collection of vintage salt and pepper shakers!

If you want to learn more about Sadie's, here's a link to their myspace. Their complete menu is featured there too. The image above is from there too.

When at Home Sick....

I was at home sick most of the week, and after a few days of lying in bed and getting bored, i made a point to try and be creative. Strangely enough, i didn't have the desire to read or watch TV, but really felt productive after making a few things. Here is a bit of a recap for you:
I wanted to play around with some new jewelry ideas and since i love brooches and pins these days, i looked at my fabrics to see if i could make some fabric badges. I found about a dozen lovely fabrics that would do the job. For instance, here is a little pooch who is proudly displayed on my jacket. I embroidered a bit of flair to give the image depth, and just used mattress stitch to finish it off. This was my prototype, and i've already made several others since!

My mom came by recently and gave me even more goodies to play with. This old plastic belt from the 80s turned into some great earrings.I have learned to love to re-upholster. We inherited these amazing chairs but the cushions and fabric have seen better days. So, after going through my favourite barkcloths, i found an amazing choice with birds and flower details. It took a team effort, but i am so happy with the new look!

First BBQ of the Season

J and i bought a fun charcoal BBQ with an added smoker feature recently. We were excited to test it out and did so over the weekend, when the weather was still teasing us with warm hints of summer. I was hungry for something Indian and J wanted to grill our cauliflower, so i thought we could try making a Tandoori Cauliflower recipe that i found on-line. I just used vegan plain yoghurt and readymade tandoori spice mix and it was the easiest tandoori dish to make. And, very tasty i might add. The recipe was pretty straightforward otherwise, and the BBQ worked well, though i'm sure an actual tandoori overn is that much better and more authentic.I also made a lovely Saag Paneer curry (spinach and cheese) where i used Sunergia's Indian Masala Tofu as the paneer. It was lovely. For this dish, i followed a recipe from an old vegetarian Indian cookbook i had. Because i had some leftover tandoori sauce, i incorporated that in too. I'm sure you can find many recipes on line for this dish, but i highly recommend finding this great tofu to use instead of paneer as well as basic tofu. It has a great combination of spices as well as texture that added to the curry in ways regular tofu doesn't.

To compliment the dish, we grilled some asparagus on the BBQ too. Of course, we made Basmati rice to complete the meal too.

Our Backyard Kitchen

I love finding things on the side of the road, and even more so when i walk by one time and debate about picking something up, only to say no. But, when i walk by a second time and the object of desire is still there, then i know for sure i need to grab it.

Even if it's a bit awkward to carry.

So, i just loved this cute little play stove/oven. I think it will be a great addition to our backyard. J has always wanted an outdoor kitchen a la Jaime Oliver, and this will have to suffice for now. We're planning to store patio stuff inside. The back of it says 'parenting' so i'm assuming the original home of the toy kitchen appliance was a school.
We have been busy gardening all week and hope to finish the bulk of it this weekend with planting seeds and some further flowers. Since i'm a full-on lover of daffodils, i'm so happy that my parents could donate some to us - aren't they lovely? My very own (my very first) daffodils...

How to Jazz Up an Apron

A friend of mine got me a lovely apron as a thank-you gift a while back, and as i'm a believer of actually using aprons when i cook, i ended up having an unfortunate accident with said apron. So, instead of tossing it aside as it is so lovely, i decided i needed to just hide the oil stains that just can't come out.What better way to hide them but with some cupcake cross-stitch from the lovely book Sublime Stitching: Hundres of Hip Embroidery Patterns and How-to (coincidently also a gift from another lovely friend!). I am not an avid cross-stitcher but i do enjoy the process of it. It's quite relaxing and peaceful, so i hope to start doing it more. Of course, i did do the bulk of it while watching The Wire, so maybe anything that keeps me distracted from the violence seems peaceful?

So, now that i have discovered how to hide (somewhat) a stain, i'm going to look through my stash of other bits of clothing with marks and tears and see what i can stitch onto them!