meet my new housemates

it feels longer, but we moved in to this house only one and half week ago.

we'd been pretty busy painting the walls and putting stuff away(and still it's work in progress).

but it feels very grounded having our own space back!

so, I'd love for you guys to meet our new housemates!

they're a lovely family of three with four goats and several(fourteen to be specific) chickens!

oh oh! and a bunch of bees(tiny dots you can see in the pic below), too!!

we had been looking for a place pretty intensively ever since we came down to Portland for almost a month and half.

but it was really hard to find a 'workable' place with a child and cat...

so it took us a little more than we expected to find it,

but it was worth it and this place is so perfect!

my daughter loves the kids and animals, and there is a nice park/playground not even a block away!!

well,,, you may think this is somewhere in the country,

but it is right in the city of Portland!

Portland allows you to have up to three domestic animals without any permit.

and a lot of people do have chickens in their back yard.

it doesn't seem that hard to get a permit(for bigger animals/more number of animals) either.

pretty cool!

we're loving Portland and it feels really good to be here :)

life in transition + little announcement

my life is still somewhat crazy and unsettled.

well, not there just yet.

we moved into a new place two weekends ago,

and had been painting the room and bathroom for the entire first week!

the walls and sealing were cracking and peeling, which was original old paint.

took us a while to get ready to paint and actual painting part was an experience,too,

because we used all natural/non-toxic paint, called lime paint.

anyhow, it's all done and finally we moved our stuff to the room,

and slept on our own bed first time for the past THREE months!

{{crazy}}

still need some organizing and more furnitures(which my husband will be making soon, I hope!),

but it feels really good, and relieved to settling in!

I have to introduce this unique household/members to you guys,

but I will save it for another post for sometime this week ;)

before I say goodbye for the day, I have a little but exciting announcement to make!

many of you who are also a member of Burdastyle community might already know about this book project.

I am super excited about the book and to be a part of it!

there will be 60 different artists/seamstresses/designers making a variation of the five different patterns(blouse, skirt, dress, coat, and accessory) that are included in the book.

I will be making a coat!

is any of you also participating?? what are you going to make??

would love to know who is participating!

sunshine love

ah!

we finally found a 'home' here in Portland!

we moved most of our stuff yesterday and we'll be living there by the weekend :)

we haven't had a 'home' for way too long,,,

I am so excited and looking forward to having our own space and start living again!!

meanwhile,

I will post pics of a couple of thing I made for my daughter during our transition...

pants

pattern was from the book I borrowed from my friend.

made with leftover sport fleece and Amy Butler for pocket and hem.

hat

my daughter needed a new hat for the summer.

I used a pattern from Japanese sewing magazine, but forgot the name of it...

I had this fabric saved for sometime, and it was perfect for the hat, I think!

I made this hat while we're staying at my friends'.

my friend and I held a couple craft nights after the kids went to sleep.

it was lots of fun having someone to share the creative time with.

blueberry face :)

it seems like the summer is finally here(skipped spring)!

it had been really rainy and cold.(of course today is one of those days again!)

we're so ready for some sunshine and summer fun!!

I will post some pics of our new home once we settle in :)

I'm here.

a sweet short film by Spike Jonze.

I have to admit,,,

I cried...

you can watch a full version here.

my kind of drink

since we got in Portland, my husband and I've been drinking this tea called "kombucha".

we had been a regular drinker of it until we moved back to Canada two years ago,

but the price in Canada was so much higher and there was only one kind sold at the organic grocery store we used to go to...

now, we're back in the States and definitely enjoying the variety and the cost that they offer here!

yesterday, I discovered another favorite one!

SYNERGY Guava Goddess

sorry it is an empty bottle :P

sometimes you can't taste the 'flavors' because Kombucha is so strong,

which kind of tastes like carbonated apple cider vinegar.

but this one was really fruity and very yummy :)

just in case you've never heard of kombucha...

KOMBUCHA (kom-BOO-cha)

is a handmade Chinese tea that is delicately cultured for 30 days. During this time, essential nutrients from like: Active Enzymes, Viable Probiotics, Amino Acids, Antioxidants, and Polyphenols. All of these combine to create an elixir that immediately works with the body to restore balance and vitality.

KOMBUCHA SUPPORTS:

digestion, metabolism, immune system, appetite control, weight control,

liver function, body alkalinity, anti-aging, cell integrity, healthy skin & hair.

(description/info from the SYNERGY bottle,

and here is their website.)

okay, there has been a little question on my mind...

I am a little confused and wondering why it is Chinese tea, but the name is Japanese?

is this one of those thing that got all mixed up and thrown together just because it is close enough in region,

or is the name really chinese??

does anyone know????

it seems like there are a quite few Portlanders who brew their own Kombucha!

I'd love to try brewing my own, too, once we settle in!!

happy birthday to..

me :)!

today was my birthday!!

it was rather mellow and quiet.

my hubby went back to Canada last Sunday for a week worth of work left up there.

so, I am all by myself here in Portland on my birthday :(

well,,, at least my little girl is with me!

I got a lot of messages from family and friends.

so that was very sweet.

oh, and I got an unexpected raspberry tart and card from our friend's family who we're staying with right now.

it was very sweet of them.

I was going to share the raspberries with little L, but she didn't really dig and tried a little bite on one.

and,,,

we're still 'home' hunting in Portland...

it's been pretty hard to find a family/kid-friendly place for rent that suites us.

although, this family is really nice to us and offering a place to crash,

it been pretty stressful(for me anyway)...

trying to stay positive!