Old Photos: Kids

Mom & her siblings, eastern Queens county / west Kings county, 1950s

Homemade Gifts: Upcycled Sweater Hat

Every year for Christmas, I find myself over-buying for people, stressed out about whether I've gotten enough things for enough people - holiday performance anxiety! This year, I decided to get ahead of the game, starting early in November to plan gifts, and bought materials to even try making some presents. I made some candles (another post), some pocket warmers (on the right in this photo), and experimented making a hat for my sister.

It was really simple - simple enough for ME to make, after all. The best sweaters will be a little slouchy, and have a bit of stretch around the bottom (the ribbed hem on the sweater I chose is the perfect amount of snugness). Also, you want a fine knit - too loose and it'll get tricky to keep sewn together. I liked this one too because of the requisite trendy minty-blue colour, and the soft acrylic texture. Just lay the sweater flat, use a favourite hat with a fit you like as your stencil, cut out (with a little bit of extra room), sew up inside out, and voila, an upcycled sweater hat!

Obviously there are much fancier ways of doing this, but it's a beginner level craft that's easy to do and produces a fun, cute accessory. Enjoy!

Christmas List

Here you go, Mom, siblings, other friends and family - as comprehensive a list as I can muster on a  Friday after a long week!

- Frame for my degree

- Frame for our Toronto neighbourhoods poster

- Sewing machine

- Liquor / wine

- Shoe rack

- Garbage can

- Diorshow Mascara (black)

- Aveda pressed mineral powder (Aster)

- Locally made soap (Moonsnail or The Soap Drawer at Emmett & Ellie's)

- Reasonable quality camera

- Domestic stuff (spices, EV olive oils [like from Liquid Gold downtown], nice tea, fancy sugar, Epsom salts, etc.)

- "Coupons" for borrowing the car *wink*

- Shearling mittens (maybe from Northern Watters if they have 'em)

- Stanley Pottery tree mugs

Kitchen stuff

- Cast iron pan

- Wok

- Slowcooker

- Wine glasses

- Garlic press

- Bread boards

- Other utensils I wouldn't think to buy myself

For my Etsy shop

- Padded envelopes

- Ribbon

- Bubble wrap

- Stamps

Gift Cards

- Superstore

- Value Village

- The Body Shop

- Drink places (Starbucks, Timothy's, David's Tea)

- Shoppers Drug Mart

- Nakai

Old Photos of the Week: Family

More fun old pictures. Nanni, Papa, my mom & her sibs.

For Papa, lest we forget

This post is for my grandfather, George Sauer, who was drafted into the German forces in the Second World War at age 16. He was shot in the back shortly before the war was over, on duty in then-Czechoslovakia. He was rounded up with other wounded soldiers, and rather than being brought back to his home or even a city, he and the others were dumped on the side of a railway, only to be picked up by Russian soldiers and taken to a Prisoner of War camp, where he spent nine months before being released to return to Germany.

 Not long after the war, he immigrated to Canada, followed by my grandmother, and decided to settle in Prince Edward Island, where "no one will ever fight a war."

Old Photos of the Week: Nanni & Papa take Montreal

I love these photos of my grandparents, back when they had first immigrated to Canada in the 1950's. This was prior to them moving to Prince Edward Island, where they eventually settled and had my mom, aunt, and uncles. I hope I can recreate these someday!

Old Photos Of The Week

Nanni & Papa's wedding pictures, mid-1950's, Montreal.

Old Photo of the Week: Nanni & Friends

Love this vintage picture of my grandmother (far left) and her friends. Style!