party x 2 /  by jen geigley

Our house has been a party house lately. Check these two out, doing the birthday party thing x 2. Their birthdays are both in February, so we had a family party for both of them on the same day.
 Bowie's first birthday cake was Vespa/scooter themed. Which is no surprise if you know our family.
I found a scooter cookie cutter here and made little fondant cut-outs for the top of his cake. I used Wilton rolled fondant for all of the shapes and layered them on top of buttercream icing.
Lo's cake and cupcake theme was LaLaLoopsy, once again. (Check out this post if you want to see her other LaLaLoopsy party with her friends.) I sort of attempted a 'his and hers' cupcake stand.
Lo's pink/chocolate cupcakes had striped paper straws with LaLaLoopsy pencil toppers on top. So easy and super cute.
Bowie's cupcakes were topped with the same striped straws and little paper flags.
This simple felt 'happy birthday' banner from the Spritz party supply line at Target. I can see myself using this for years to come – the bright colors will go with any party theme!
I made a quick garland out of painted clothespins and Bowie's monthly pics from his first year and hung them over our fireplace.
And just like that ... they're both a year older. Happy birthday to my babies. I love having these parties for you (and I hope you love them, too.)

one. /  by jen geigley

Today, my baby boy turns one. Can we just freeze time for a sec? I know, I know ... I just posted about Lo turning six. My babies have birthdays exactly two weeks apart. My good friend, Yana, took these photos of our family when Bowie was about six months old. I cannot for the life of me comprehend how it has been a whole year since Bowie was born. This has been the fastest year of my entire life.

This baby is quite possibly the happiest baby you have ever seen. He will greet you with a giant smile, every single time. He is a joy. He is rambunctious. He bangs on things. He rolls ... everywhere. Around our whole house. He babbles at us and does funny little tricks. He has four teeth. He gives slobbery kisses and says 'dada' and 'this' and 'that' and does baby-sign. Sometimes he's up late at night but I know those rough patches will pass. He smells so good. He is a super snuggler and will lean in and snuggle himself into my face or shoulder. I think you would call it 'nuzzling.' He nuzzles. And when he does that I hold him close and enjoy it. I try to preserve every single precious second into my brain. (Don't we all do that?) He is the sweetest thing. And today, he is one year old. Oh, my little baby, do not rush through this life. I'm being totally selfish here, but just hold on.

Having a baby one day and a one-year-old the next is a funny thing. It's a wonderfully fun and happy time, but totally bittersweet. It makes me think of a letter I read by Jill Krause (that she wrote to her future self.) It sums up motherhood and the passing of time beautifully. 

"Even though you were tired and challenged, exasperated and overwhelmed, you knew then that you would miss these days... most of them, at least. It was a truth that was hard to live with, and most of the time you ignored it because there was nothing you could do about the passing of time. If you spent your days mourning the ones that had gone by, you'd miss out on the days you were living in.
You knew you were on a light rail, moving at speeds you couldn't comprehend. You had no control over the ride that brought you to where you are today, but believe me when I say you searched so very hard to find the emergency brake.

Please know, please remember that you tried to savor that time. Be at peace, knowing you spent late afternoons curled up with them on the couch, that sometimes you just sat and watched them move and run, that occasionally you took inventory of all the things they'd learned in the last week, and that you appreciated your time with them the best you knew how. Know that despite your very best efforts, there was no way to freeze time.

I promise you, you tried."

Yup. I'm on a light rail that's moving at speeds I can't comprehend. But I'm content knowing that I've been as present as I could be with this little one ... I've watched him and observed him and marveled at him and loved him. Every minute that was humanly possible.

Happy birthday to my boy. And happy birthday to the other moms out there. Is your baby turning one, too? You made it. Congratulations. That first year is a big one and you did it. Happy birthday to your little one ... happy birthday to you, too.

xo.

timestamp: a look back /  by jen geigley

One last look at this baby's first year of life; photos of him on the 16th of each month for one year (since he was born on the 16th.) Here you go. Watch Bowie grow from a newborn into a one-year-old.
 
Wow. In the blink of an eye. He turns one this Saturday. (Want to see how much my kids look alike? Here are some of Lo's monthly pics from back in the day.)

Lo's LaLaLoopsy birthday party /  by jen geigley

Last weekend, we celebrated this sweet girl's birthday with a LaLaLoopsy party. It was way fun.
We had her party at Menchie's Frozen Yogurt, one of her favorite spots in town.
And what a fantastic spot to have a party! Everything was set up so nicely for us in the party room, and I love the awesome wall mural. We brought some of Lo's LaLaLoopsy dolls to use as decorations. Want to see some of our LaLaLoopsy party ideas? Here's what we did.
My new favorite party supply is striped paper straws. These made fantastically easy and colorful cupcake toppers. We used these paper punch-out circles on cupcakes for Lo's party at school.
And then I used paper straws again for her party with these LaLaLoopsy pencil toppers.
The pencil toppers fit perfectly on the straws and looked super cute on top of the cupcakes.
I also used a few of the little animals on these spools that I wound with yarn as table decorations.
 For party favors, we made a bunch of beaded necklaces out of the Loopsy pencil topper heads. 
These were a cinch to make. I bought a couple of packages of tiny screw eyes at the hardware store and screwed them into the top of each LaLaLoopsy head to make them stringable. And voilà.
The striped party favor bags are from the Spritz party supply line at Target. I stapled the bags shut with bright-colored pieces of ribbon and covered the staples with big plastic buttons.
And the cake! Oh wow. Let me just say that I didn't even really have a plan for this cake. Lo asked me months ago for a big LaLaLoopsy head on her cake. And up until the night before the party, I really had no idea how I was going to do that. So this was an experiment that with a little luck ended up looking pretty okay! I made a cake in a round 8" pan and frosted it with regular blue buttercream frosting. And then I got to work with the fondant. This part always scares me (and maybe fondant intimidates you, too) but it's a lot like play-doh. I used Wilton ready-to-use fondant in a variety of colors, a cutting board and a knife. With some patience and Lo's doll sitting next to me on the counter for reference, I cut and molded the shapes I needed and pieced them together on top of the blue buttercream. It was a labor of love.
I found this Wilton fondant/gum paste mold and it was perfect for making the ribbon, rick-rack and button trim for this cake.
Anyway, back to these sweet girls at Menchie's. They had fun.
 And Menchie even made an appearance! So cool.
Of course, this was the whole point of having the party at a frozen yogurt shop. What little girl doesn't like to pick out her own toppings?
The Menchie's staff was so awesome to us.
Not only were they super nice and helpful, but they hooked us up with coloring pages, balloons, yogurt swirl hats and all kinds of cool stuff.
 Make a wish!
Serious fun.

Party details: 
•  party dress - MishaLulu
•  beads - Michaels, Hobby Lobby and Sprinkled Pink on Etsy
•  LaLaLoopsy pencil topper set (for necklaces and cupcake toppers) - Amazon
•  doll stands - Michaels
•  cupcake topper 2" circle printables - LaLaHeaven on Etsy
•  party favor bags - Spritz party supplies at Target
•  striped paper straws - Spritz party supplies at Target
•  buttons and ribbon - Michaels and JoAnn Fabrics
•  fondant for cake - Wilton
•  fondant mold – Wilton
•  party held at Menchie's Frozen Yogurt shop

around the house, part 2: the mess /  by jen geigley

Yesterday, I posted some photos of my house. The clean and nice-looking parts of my house. And then I had a bunch of people email and comment saying 'Oh! Your house is so clean! But, you have little kids!' And then I realized I was sort of being one of those bloggers that you see on Pinterest or wherever who posts photos that are not very realistic. Right? And while I do usually try to keep most of my house picked-up, I am by no means a great housekeeper. Bo is super good at keeping our lives uncluttered. I will admit that I have become a little bit better with not letting things get out of hand in recent years, only because it makes me feel really overwhelmed when my surroundings are crazy and messy. I hate that feeling ... but it happens. Right now, I have a pile of laundry that has been waiting to be folded for at least three days. So, for everyone who asked for it, here are some photos of ... THE MESSES.
This is the mail pile that sometimes grows up to twelve inches high before we go through everything. Plus Hello Kitty temporary tattoos.
This is our junk drawer area that has migrated to the counter top. We have a lot of pairs of scissors.
This girl likes to make art projects every 15 minutes. She leaves blobs of paint/glitter/glue wherever she goes. (But I'm cool with that.)
 She also likes to eat snacks in every room in the house and always leaves a trail of crumbs in her wake.
There are always three million baby toys within arms' reach. Under the couches. All over the living room. But this is okay, too. Baby needs to play! Just watch your step.
I usually have two or three knitting project bags sitting around. And right now, our house is full of Girl Scout cookie boxes.
Magnets. Lists. Box tops for education.
 There are always various toy/clothing explosions in each of the kids' rooms.
 There's usually a decent-sized stack of knitting magazines and notebooks on the nightstand.
And this is Lo's art supply shelf.
 Bowie is my little book re-arranger.
 And my sweet potato spitter.
And Cheerio thrower.

So, of course I wish I lived in a Dwell magazine photo spread, too. Don't inspect my baseboards or check under furniture for dust bunnies. My 'around the house' pics from yesterday? Sometimes I clean my house and it stays that way for a little while. The rest of the time? Well, you know. Our house is lived-in. Some rooms are clean and some look like they've been vandalized. With piles of laundry and toys and crumbs on the floor. It's normal. And that's cool with me.

six. /  by jen geigley

Today, my baby girl turns six years old. Six. She's whip-smart and funny like her dad. She can be a quiet little thing, but when she wants to make her voice heard, you'll hear her. She's a ballerina and wants to start a band someday. She lost her first tooth two days ago. 
My good friend, Yana, took these photos of Lo a few months ago and I love how she documented my girl, being herself... being five. Five is a year when a lot happens. Big changes. She's turning into a big kid, whether I like it or not. I am acutely aware of how fast she's growing. In the blink of an eye, her feet and legs are a mile long. Her ballet shoes are too tight. Her grin has a missing tooth. I look at her and I'm painfully aware that she's no longer the size she was last week. She's reading books and solving math problems and making her own breakfast. She challenges me every single day. But I swear, just a moment ago I was holding her on my lap on an icy cold February morning, breathing in that wonderfully sweet baby hair smell and snuggling with her in her tiny pink newborn-sized jammies.

My girl. How did you grow up so fast? Six years ago, you initiated us a parents. And brought the magic. You still do, every day. Happy birthday to my girl.

ISLAND winner! /  by jen geigley

A huge thank you to everyone who visited on the blog tour and entered the Jane Richmond ISLAND giveaway.

The winner of a signed copy of Jane's new book is ... island jen! (how perfect, right?)

Please email me your mailing address and I'll get this sent off to you right away!

If you weren't a winner this time but still want a copy of Jane's book, print copies of ISLAND are available through Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and Amazon.co.uk. The e-book is available through the ISLAND Ravelry shop. 
An be sure to follow along as ISLAND makes it's way across the rest of these blog stops.

J A N U A R Y
   8th - Vancouver Yarn
 10th - KD Quilts
 14th - Canadian Living
 17th - Celtic Cast On
22nd - Canary Knits
 24th - Hey Jen Renee
 29th - The Yarniad
 31st - Knitted Bliss

 F E B R U A R Y
   5th - French Press Knits
   7th - Truly Myrtle
 12th - Noodlehead
 19th - SweetGeorgia
 21st - A Playful Day

Island Blog Tour + Giveaway! /  by jen geigley

My lovely friends Jane Richmond and Shannon Cook recently contacted me to see if I'd be interested in being part of a blog tour for Jane's gorgeous new knitting book, ISLAND. Of course, I jumped at the chance! They sent me the book earlier this month, and let me just say that if you pick up one knitting book this year, ISLAND should be it. These patterns are well-executed, easy to understand, perfect for every knitter ... and once you see them you'll want to knit them all. The photos are breathtaking ... cover to cover. If you're a nerd like me, you'll appreciate the paper quality (the cover is like butter) and the clean graphic design. Here is Jane's collection.





As soon as I had the book in my hands, I cast-on Arbutus in bright yellow Misti Alpaca Tonos Worsted. I love how sculptural this cowl is! It looks so cool when you wear it; I love how the front three tiers lay and move with you as you do your thing. It's one of those pieces that you can throw on and you know it will look good all day long.
The construction is pretty fantastic ... short rows and three tiers that connect in the back. This colorway is called ‘Michelle’s Dress’, named after the First Lady’s Inauguration dress from 2009. It’s a little bit hard to see in my photos, but there are places where the yellow tones turns greenish. So cool.
Next, I knew I had to knit myself a Renfrew. This is quite possibly the best-fitting hat I have ever made. (The pattern has instructions for a regular cap or slouchy hat ... I knitted the slouchy version.)
I used a skein of kelly green Araucania Toconao Solid and I love how it turned out.
 There are subtle color variations in this yarn that look super cool with the reverse stockinette.
This hat flew off the needles in record time, probably because Jane's clever pattern instructs you to knit it inside-out to take advantage of the knit stitch. Slick!
And this awesome band on one side of the hat is made of mock cables. So fantastic to knit. I already have yarn picked out to make a second one.
So, you totally want to get your hands on this book, right? Print copies of ISLAND are available now through Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, and Amazon.co.uk. The e-book is available through the ISLAND Ravelry shop. 

OR. Leave a comment on this post telling me which pattern is your favorite. One lucky winner will receive a print copy of ISLAND. The winner will be chosen on Monday, January 28.

ISLAND is a collection of handknits designed by Jane Richmond and inspired by life on Vancouver Island. This book was a special artistic journey to bring Jane's patterns to life with photography by Nicholas Kupiak, modeling by Kylee Shaw, and graphic design/layout & conception by Shannon Cook & Jane Richmond.  

Follow along as ISLAND makes it's way across the rest of these blog stops...

J A N U A R Y
   8th - Vancouver Yarn
 10th - KD Quilts
 14th - Canadian Living
 17th - Celtic Cast On
22nd - Canary Knits
 24th - Hey Jen Renee
 29th - The Yarniad
 31st - Knitted Bliss

 F E B R U A R Y
   5th - French Press Knits
   7th - Truly Myrtle
 12th - Noodlehead
 19th - SweetGeorgia
 21st - A Playful Day