goodbye california )-:

Well, the movers took away our belongings this morning...We had our last California dinner at Fenton's Creamery, visited with three sets of friends, said goodbye *sniff*, cleaned the empty, echoey apartment, and now it is time for much-needed sleep. Bright and early tomorrow morning we are off to the San Fransisco airport...I'll be flying to Toronto with a 9-year old, a one-year old, three cats, one bunny, a carseat and a bunch of luggage.
Needless to say, it is a busy time. an emotional time.. I think I'll stay away from the computer for a bit until we all get settled (: So enjoy your summer and I'll pop back in when I can! Happy times (:

xo

Happy birthday Jude!!!

^__^    One year old!!!   ^__^

dancing light and shadow

I notice the little bits of beauty that live we alongside, such as the way the light changes on my favourite wall throughout the day. This photo was only taken a couple days ago, but now the wall is bare; the picture has been taken down and packed away in preparation for another wall, another life, another home (:

tea party time (:

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

In the spirit of A Fanciful Twist's Mad Hatter Tea Party, I held a small tea celebration of my own (: It was a simple ritual really; A slightly more glorified partaking of tea than my usual method...Having packed away nearly every material possession in a cardboard box in readiment for our big move to Canada in just four days, I creatively ~ in a minimalist fashion ~ put together a pretty arrangement of treasures yet unpacked and brewed some fresh and delicious mint tea (:

 

As I did so, I realized that I was creating a tribute to my four years spent here in California. A heart-shaped rock; one of many many many I have found and collected since moving here, a large piece of abalone, a pretty tile I found on one of my lovely walks around the neighbourhood, and a sand-dollar from Stinson beach. I of course added Isabella's four vintage silver doll-sized teacups as a lovingly fond remembrance of the countless tea parties we have shared over the course of her nine years on this planet, and a bowl of water with floating candles (: I love candles. They are so pretty and create a mood of reverence, romance, or both (:

Baby Jude was napping, as were all three cats and Mabel the bunny. Isabella was at a friend's slumber party and Jason was off rockhounding in the desert, so I looked around to see who else might like to attend my little tea party. Luckily, there are always lots of friends on the patio! This is who happened to stop by (:

I love REAL mint tea made from fresh mint leaves, straight from the earth. The smell and taste of such a brew transports me directly back to my blissfully joyous gardening days when I drank cup after cup of mint tea all day long. Mint that I had lovingly grown myself (: ♥♥♥

It's nice to do special things for yourself. Like hosting a sweet little tea party, just because. (: Near the end of the festivities, Jude woke from his nap and thought he might like to contribute to the goodness of the afternoon by giving Blue a nice big hug. The very best of entertainment ♥

♥♥♥

♥^__^♥

this moment

{this moment}

wash wednesday

...Cloth diapers yet again!  They always seem to be drying on our patio ~ ^__^
Oh, but aren't they a beautiful sight? (I think so!!)

For more wash wednesday loveliness, visit Garden Mama (:

Mabel and the new red rug.

With all the baby news going on around here, you might not even think that we do, in fact, have an adorable, snuggly, pretty, brown Mabel~bunny! It has been a loooooong time since I last made a post about her, and I figured it was time to do just that (: Mabel...the sweetest bunny in the world (:

Our neighbours got a funky new rug for their apartment recently so we took in their older one. It's a funny time to do such a thing considering the fact that we are moving in just ONE WEEK! We have been trying to eliminate clutter as much as possible, and bringing home something new is a bit odd, but still...

Well, it has turned out to be a brilliant rug! Mabel LOVES it! She is a very good 'trained' bunny, which means that she knows her cage is her home and spends lots of time in there, even though we leave the door open all day long. She has a litter box and uses it ~ she is a very well-mannered bunny (: But she has a small problem which is that, unlike dogs or cats, she has soft, furry feet bottoms which cannot get any traction on slippery wooden floors! She doesn't like to slip and slide on the floor so she doesn't come out of her cage very much at all )-: This probably also has a bit to do with the fact that our three cats think it's a fun game to chase her when she is hopping about, skittering and skating, poor girl. Soooo, we took in this rug and she immediately hopped out of her cage and jumped all over the rug and was the happiest I have seen her in over a year! She even did a couple 'binkies' today! (If you are unfamiliar with the term, you can read about/see it here). She is a very jolly bunny and that brings me so much joy (-: Rabbits are subtle, but I know Mabel well and can read her really good now ~ I could tell that she wasn't as happy as she was before Jude was born, for obvious reasons: 1. He gets loads of attention and she gets less than she used to. 2. We have to keep her 'bunny wall' up or else Jude bothers her waaaayyy too much and she thinks he's scary. 3. The cats are mean to her when she comes out of her cage and try to chase her back in.

Needless to say, things are much, much better for Mabel right now, thanks to this wonderful, unexpected gift of a simple rug (: I let her enjoy her freedom whenever Jude takes a nap and after he goes to bed at night, and the cats seem to understand that she is not to be 'play-prey'. If they get ridiculous, at least I am nearby to shut them in the bathroom for a time so that Mabel can hop freely (-:

I hope she can remember how happy she felt hopping on the red rug when she is traveling across the country in the cargo department of a plane one week from now...

 

 

 

1. Mabel posing on the red rug

2. Lying on Jason's lap after her nail trim

3. Reading my book

4. Hopping around my feet

5. Kissing my leg

^__^

Father's day!

This Father's day I wish to say to my love Jason ~ You are so loved (:

xoxo

this moment

{{this moment}}

raw vegan 'n such (:

These are just a few of the delicious vegan dishes that we have been eating lately. With a large amount of our daily meals and snacks dedicated to raw foods, we are slowly shaping our eating patterns and becoming more healthy (: In an attempt to stay focused I have been photographing each beautiful dish, giving me a sense of purpose that goes beyond the initial quest for health and longevity ;-)

From the top:

~ spring mix salad with nasturtiums, dried cranberries, clementines, slivered almonds and my own homemade vinaigrette

~ banana-strawberry smoothie

~ mango-orange-spinach smoothie

~ spring mix salad with raspberries, dried apple pieces and homemade vinaigrette

~ strawberry-banana-chard smoothie and german rye toast with raw almond butter, slivered apples and cinnamon

~ muesli with rice milk and bananas

~ vegan quesadillas (soy cheese) and homemade pico de gallo (cherry tomatoes, onion, cucumber, salt and pepper

~ Kale smoothie, german rye toast with raw almond butter and banana slices, and mango-cucumber-cilantro-avacado-lime salad (:

~ Vietnamese-style spring rolls with loads of veggies and spicy raw almond sauce

~ toast with apples and almond butter again, and a couple medjool dates

~ fruit and chard smoothie, salad with tomatoes, bell peppers and sprouts, and vegan mashed potatoes

~ raw vegan sushi rolls and green tea

~ raw vegan sushi rolls, a lettuce leaf with veggies and dressing on top, and a fruit salad of bananas and berries

~ the makings for sushi rolls (:

~ sprouted grain cereal with berries and rice milk

~ banana-strawberry-blueberry-peach salad with a touch of agave nectar

~ mango and slivered almond salad

~ mango-almond-dried fig salad

I cannot say enough how wonderful I feel when most of what I consume in a day is whole, raw, vegan food. I have more energy, I have lost weight and my skin looks healthier...I have to be honest though; It has been pretty hard to stay on this path lately, what with all the packing, cleaning and preparing, plus the extreme exhaustion due to inadequate sleep, it's all to easy to break down and order pizza! I cannot wait for some peace, or at the very least, the end of all this packing of boxes. It's a very intense time. Isabella is really sad to leave her friends. Jason and I are so busy that we hardly even 'see' one another ~ I mean that in the spiritual sense. Hmmmm...deep breath (: Jude is finally asleep. I will have some fruit and water and indulge in some quiet time.

^__^