A lot more goes on around here than just sewing and I can’t even remotely claim to be the only one with old-fashioned domestic skills! In the last few days my multi-talented, software developer/database administrator/musician/handyman husband has made raspberry gin, peanut butter ice cream, coconut ice cream and butter! I think that is pretty impressive.

As it is the summer holidays and our children are still young enough that they like spending time with us, we set aside time to go on fun outings together on a regular basis. Generally we make the most of the many (free) family-friendly events and locations on our beautiful island, and this week was no exception. Early in the week we went to the amazing Barton & Leier Gallery. They have a lovely gallery/gift shop, but the highlight of the place for us is the incredible, quirky and inspiring garden that is open to the public. Here are some of my favourite shots:

We also had a picnic at Blue Heron Park and a lovely walk in Hemer Provincial Park.

Yesterday we took advantage of Philippa’s birthday gift – tickets to Butterfly World – and headed up to Coombs for the afternoon. I have to admit, we were prepared to be disappointed, but we had a wonderful time. There was plenty for us all to enjoy, from the 3 year old to Grandma and all of us in between.

In addition to butterflies, there were tortoises, turtles, koi, quail, spiders, insects, lizards, finches and some lovely garden areas outside.

My life isn’t just about sewing. Well, not entirely! We are enjoying our wonderful summer on the west coast of Canada, taking the girls to the huge variety of parks we have in Nanaimo, to the beach and to community events. There is so much to do here in the summer months, much of it geared to families with young children, which suits us perfectly. Even better, many of the events are free, so everyone can join in. If you are looking for a holiday destination, you can’t go far wrong with Vancouver Island. Here’s a teeny tiny sampling:

This photo was taken on July 1st, Canada Day, during the celebrations at Maffeo Sutton Park in downtown Nanaimo. It was a fabulous day, with a good turnout, despite the rain. We haven’t had rain since that day. We get so much during the winter months that the return of the sun, blue skies and heat is always welcome!

As you may know, I have decided to put my sewing work on a more official, business footing. As part of that transition, I have decided to separate my family and general home-related posts from my work-related posts. I will soon be moving all of the latter to the Pip ‘n’ Milly Creations website (www.pipnmilly.com) and the former will shift to http://thewinkingfrog.wordpress.com (family/home stuff).

The new Winking Frog blog is active now and that is where all new crafty, domestic, family, scenery, cookery posts will be. I might even do a giveaway in a few days…..

We are working on the move now and hope to have it all completed very soon. Please feel free to visit either or both. I would be grateful if you could leave a comment so I know you have found me!

Don’t forget to change your bookmarks and links!

Sorry for the long gap between posts. It has been a whirlwind of activity around here, between settling in to a new routine with the start of kindergarten, playschool, business, job-hunting (DH), puppy-sitting, enjoying the last warm days of summer, playdates, sewing and general home life! We have been getting the house and garden sorted out, ready for the winter months ahead. It tends to rain a lot here, so we don’t spend a lot of time in the garden over the winter, so we needed to create some new storage for the playthings. DH has been occupied with replacing the rotten steps leading to the garden (side effect of building with wood in a rain forest climate!), staining the fence, to protect it from the afore-mentioned moisture, making a gate for the archway he built earlier in the year (in order to keep the pesky deer out of our veggie patch and flower beds), picking up soil for a new flower bed, planting a hedge and generally tackling my “any chance you could do …. list”. He is a superstar.

It has been a very exciting time for my little business, too. The new placemat is a great little product and I am so happy that other people like it too. I am working on a number of new handbags, but I am keeping those under wraps until later in the month. I have an amazing retail opportunity coming up. I will definitely tell you more when it is all confirmed.

Halloween is fast approaching, so when I need a breather between sewing for others, I will be working on costumes for the girls. They have decided to be a witch and a cat this year, teaming up to go as a pair! Last year they were a super hero (OOAK, of course) and a one-eyed, one-horned flying purple people eater (remember the song?). I will, of course, be posting pics of the little cuties when the costumes are done. They both seem to have quite specific ideas of what they want, so I hope I can satisfy them!