Orange and Grey

New flower (I knocked most of the buds off bringing it home - ugh) against our grey walls. Happy Wednesday.

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Blossoms

This sunny weather has me remembering and dreaming about the summer-like temperatures we experienced while visiting Vancouver for the Winter Olympics. The trees offered an umbrella of light pink blooms as we wandered the streets, dodging spirited Canadians and a shower of red and white.

Our garden is showing signs of shaking off winter and waking up, with sweet little buds popping up all over. I can't wait for spring. YEEEAH!!

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Focus

This morning's note from the Universe (the universe emails me each morning - we are tight like that) was a reminder that whatever you focus on, you will experience. Today I am focusing on a lot of really exciting things that I hope to experience in the coming months.
Choosing to focus on the exciting and good feels like a great way to start this week - especially since it has been a little rainy and bleak out there.

Happy Monday! I will definitely spend some time focusing on good things for all of you - enjoy!

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Earth Hour 2010

Earth Hour celebration - sushi, white wine and conversation over candlelight with Sibling J and Mr. S.

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Home Quiet Home

Last night we arrived back home, a walk through the door transformed us back to a two person household and left behind an amazing week as parents to five.
When we walked out of the front to our surrogate home, we were greeted by the boys who had lined up according to age, creating a runway of thanks for our departure. As we drove away I kept feeling like I was missing something, which I quickly realized were the five amazing boys. These kids rule and as much as I was giddy with having my freedom returned to me, I miss the energy that comes with a full household and the endless jokes, stories and innocent observations that had us smiling our entire week with them.

Today we will fall back into our life with a few walks to our favorite spots, spring cleaning (except where did those spring temperatures go?) and a visit with east coast friends who are here to play a show.

I hope you are having a perfect weekend.

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Kitchen Refresh Sneak Peak

My trip to Italy and this beautiful spring weather inspired me to give our kitchen a little refresh.
I fell in love with this floral paper from the Paper Place here in Toronto - the sweet flowers and great combination of blues with a dash of yellow caught my eye right away! To help further the retro feel, I painted the cupboards fire truck red.
I will post more photos as soon as we move back home next weekend and return these boys to their parents!

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Pancakes and syrup...and more syrup...

Success! Yesterday we succeeded in our plan for brunch and bluegrass at the Dakota and the boys were thrilled. While they were tentative at first - new neighborhood and not your regular breakfast joint - they warmed up quickly, sat themselves at the bar and chatted over the loud music, singing the high praises of the food and ordering a second round of pancakes with more syrup then the average family consumes in a month!

Here we are, another hilarious day as parents under our belts and these boys have kept us laughing since the moment we arrived. They are so rough with each other and yet equally sweet and gentle. The oldest, who should by measure of his years should be in a difficult teen period, has been so wonderful and helpful it has actually made me teary at times. He is protective and yet stern with his siblings and honestly keeps this ship sailing. Being the youngest of only two, I really can't imagine what it would be like as the first of five, but the oldest in this family has set the standard high and has me running the dialogue of how I will sing his praises when I see his parents again.

So many have said that they assume taking care of this many kids is the best kind of prevention for babies in my future, and while I can't predict what my child rearing career holds, I can say that if I would count myself amazingly fortunate to have kids the mirror even a handful of the character these boys embody.

Happy Monday - hooray for school being back in and almost 8 hours to ourselves.

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Wish us Luck!

Knowing the whereabouts of 4 out of 5 boys ain't bad... right? Don't worry, #5 is on the ice!

Mr. S and I have Day One of being parents to 5 boys and a puppy under our belts and overall, I think it went well. I am now one of 3 awake creatures in the house (2 humans and a puppy, who is losing it minds over the sheer fact that I have looked in his direction) while 5 others, including Mr. S still slumber. There is an amazing quiet in this space that is all the more deafening with my understanding of how loud it can get!
Today is a big one as there are no scheduled events (hockey, more hockey and a little more hockey) or that magical place called school to help us get through the day, so we have planned an adventure around the city which includes loads of driving (the perfect time killer). First stop, the Dakota for breakfast, which on a normal day can be near impossible to get a table for two so we are really pushing our luck trying to get seven people seated. So if you see us, kindly look away (the choas may be too much for ones eyes) and offer us your table!!

Then tonight my mother, being the blissfully optimistic person she is, has suggested that we bring all 5 boys over to help her "serve" at a dinner party she is hosting. If by "serve" she means the boys devour every ounce of food in site and the dishes it came on, then disappear to the basement leaving her and her friends hungry and wondering what hit them....then we are in!!

Wish us luck. The day may not be pretty or relaxing, however with 5 boys and a puppy in my entourage, it is guaranteed to be entertaining.

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Happy Sunny Friday

The smell of spring in the air, sunshine pouring through the windows and it being Friday has us feeling pretty great here in our little house.
Maude has been lounging and stretching in the sun rays and re-discovering how good it is to watch the world go by through the window. Mr. S and I have been busy giving the kitchen a little facelift and also getting ready to become parents...as next week we move into our friend's home and take care of their 5 BOYS for a 7 days while our friends get a much needed break.
It has been about one year since we last took on this babysitting gig, which means the kids are one year older, wiser (?) and hopefully more independent. However, I guess it also means they are one year more hormonal, independent boundary testers (ugh) and probably now see us as being one year way less cool.

I will keep you posted real soon on all of our adventures - babysitting, kitchen facelifts and hopefully a start on the garden - but for now the sun and spring air are calling!
Happy Sunny Friday!

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Colors and Textures

My travels to Italy had me entering, critiquing and exploring close to 40 stunning homes - many dating back to the 16thc when their space was defined as a farmhouse, abbey, walnut mill and the many wonderful histories that once filled them.
Some of my favorite ones found the perfect balance of contrasting themes - old and new, modern and historic, prints and solids - honoring the amazing roots of the property, while refreshing and redefining the space for today's tenant. An old water trough turned into an elegant bench for lounging, the original chapel an elegant dining area, the church doors the table.

Most striking however was the use of color, pattern and texture - lush fabrics, rich tones and geometric designs found in the carefully preserved original details of the homes.

These stunning properties that so warmly welcomed me have sent me home inspired to find more texture contrast and color in my life and shaking my head wondering how I got so lucky to be able to experience it all.

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Hill Top Houses

During my 7 days in Italy I covered 2500km by car. It was exhaustingly amazing and all thanks to my colleague who lives in Italy and can navigate those roads like no other.
My colleague's long story made short is that she is an American who fell in love with an Italian and has now been there for 17 years and has developed this wonderful dual personality that would be conversing in english one minute and then slip right into Italian to cuss out the drivers. Cuss words sound so important and academic in Italian!

Our goal along the trip was to get one of the toll attendants (placed all along the A1 highway) to actually speak to us or look in our direction - seems easy enough? Well, not so much!
It took a whole lot of eye batting, smiles and deliberately taking our time handing over the money, but at last on one of our last days we broke one of these hard souls and received a ciao! and I swear, a twinge of a smile. We celebrated with more espresso (oh how I miss it) and fresh pastries.

Along the 2500kms that rolled us all through Italy, we came across so many stunning views of bright green hillsides, vineyards ready to wake and tiny homes tucked amongst it all.

I spent many hours of our drives day dreaming about being the tenant living inside these perched homes, with everything a bicycle or car ride away.
Ultimately, I think I have decided that I would love to have one of these as a retreat, but that the day to day me is quite happy snuggle beside two neighbors and the streets of the city I love being my backyard.

Could you live with perched on the hillside away from it all? (I promise I would come visit!)

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Limone

After a 10 hr red eye flight, two hours of sleep and almost 28hrs of being awake, I was whisked out of the Rome Airport and driven right down to the amazing Amalfi coast of Italy.
Around every twist and bend, and really that is all the Amalfi roads are, we were greeted by dots of bright yellow against the green hillside as the lemon trees were just bursting with fresh fruit ready to be picked.

At a few of the homes I visited here (breathtaking) we were greeted by freshly squeezed orange juice from the fruits also grown here and on some occasions, a sip of ice cold Limoncello. Both were perfect for soothing or stomachs that were still twisting and turning long after the car stopped, and quenching our thirst after climbing the endless steps that define these towns.

I managed to squeeze a bottle of Limoncello, freshly made from these Sorrentine lemons, into my very full suitacse and can't wait to sip it with Mr. S. I have a feeling that its bright sunny color will quickly clear this rainy Monday and welcome spring just a little sooner. And if not, we will enjoy every sip trying!

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Ciao! Ciao, ciao.

Lamps at sunset lighting the way outside the President's home in Rome.

There is a wonderful way of never saying good bye here in Italy.
As a phone call or meeting ends, the exchange of "Ciao" seems to go on forever, volleying back and forth until one finally presses end or the car pulls away. The echo of "ciao" fades away slowly and is never final.
It is with a heavy heart I have been saying "ciao" to Italy as I settle here on my final night, with the sights of Rome, Tuscany, Umbria and the Amalfi in my distance and I get ready for a day of flying and arriving home. It is with so much love I will say hello over and over until the smell of the familiar replaces the longing of travel, and I will tell the tales of my amazing trip to anyone who will listen.

It will take me many weeks to stop saying Ciao to what has been the trip of a lifetime, but only seconds after walking into my home in Toronto to know where I belong.

Ciao! Ciao. ciao.....

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Fresco

Despite the piles of snow outside, last night in Lucca I slept under blue skies, birds and pink roses thanks to the stunning fresco paintings that covered the walls of my hotel room.

I believe the ones in this room are technically a secco paintings, meaning the paint (pigment and water) was applied after the plaster on the walls had dried.

The attention to detail and life in the paintings are so amazing and had me reaching out to touch the bricks just to double check they were not real. molto molto bello!

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Festa della Donna

Two days ago the world celebrated International Women's Day and here in Italy the tradition of honoring it's women (Festa della Donna) was so sweet.
As we winded our way along the Amalfi coast the streets were lined with small delivery trucks, shop keepers and old friends handing to each other bouquets of yellow mimosa flowers that look like tiny pom poms and smell lovely. The tradition here is for men to gift the women in their lives these sweet little flowers, and the women gather together at night to celebrate.
That night as we dined on four courses of the most amazing Italian food, the owner approached our table with two bouquets of flowers and two kisses - one on each cheek.

To all you amazing women out there, Felice Festa della Donna. I think you are wonderful.

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Traffico italiano

I can't even begin to explain the fun I am having here in Italy. It is like the most beautiful and delicious dream. There is so much to tell - a whole day in the Amalfi (Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi) to share with you and the amazing tradition celebrated here for Festa della Donna (International Women's Day).

In the mean time, here are the photos from today's Traffico italiano! We were stuck for about 15mins behind these sweet little things, until the dogs and shepard (guiding them from inside his car - so modern!) herded them into the fields.
The snow storm didn't help things either. Hardly a drop of snow in Toronto all winter and then I take off to Italy and it comes streaming down. and it was beautiful.

Ciao!

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Buon giorno

Buon giorno!
Hello from the Rome Airport where I have just arrived after a night of flying to the chattering of Italian and a whole lot of tall, dark and handsome!

I was joined on my flight by not one, but Two high school groups who were giddy with anticipation for their one week European adventure. They compared money belts, switched seats to be closer to their crushes and fashioned more versions of the black legging then I ever knew existed! These kids were my entertainment for the flight as our plane must have forgotten the TVs in Toronto. ugh.

I am now sitting amongst one hundred or so visitors, family and friends all trying to locate their loved one or driver to whisk them off to the sites, smells and tastes of Italy. And when my ride shows up, I will be heading out as well. First stop, the Amalfi Coast!

Ciao!

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Sunny Day

Today was a lovely day.

The sun at my back as I worked and my to do list melting away under its warmth. And then to top it off, these walked through the door with Mr. S.



Is it just me or is spring in the air?

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two great causes

Collection of Crocheted Brooches, beautiful and for a great cause! Photo c/o of Rosalyn

Happy Thursday! Where oh where has this week gone?!
Two really great fundraisers were made aware to me yesterday that I wanted to share with you! Not only are they both for great causes, the fund raising part is either really beautiful or really fun to be a part of.

The amazing Rosalyn, who's adorable baby animal sketches I blogged about last week, has embarked on a new project to raise funds for her sister, who works for the Alberta Children's Hospital and will be flying out to Haiti with a few of her colleagues to volunteer their time and skills and support the relief efforts there! How amazing is that?!!

Purple and White wire crocheted brooch. Photo c/o Rosalyn.

To help raise money Roz has made these gorgeous brooches, which she is selling for $15CDN and will support the purchase of medical supplies and medication for their trip. They are selling out quickly so act fast and help Rosalyn get the funds to her sister before she leaves on this amazing adventure.

To order yours, please contact Rosalyn at rosalyn (dot) faustino (at) gmail (dot) com

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The second fundraiser I learned about over a lovely dinner with two ladies that I just do not see enough of, is called Timeraiser!

Centered around a party that is held once a year, guests volunteer their time as collateral for stunning art contributed by local emerging and mid-career artists.
The first step of the evening is to meet with the different volunteer agencies that are represented to see who you may want to give your hours to (you can volunteer anywhere you want, these are just suggestions), then your cruise around the event chatting and perusing the amazing art, bidding on the ones that catch your eye with volunteer hours instead of dollars!

One of the pieces available at this year's event: Brian Barrer, "This use to be Indian Land #3"
brianbarrer(at)hotmail(dot)com

Get it? If you love a piece of art, your donate as many hours as you can give (max. is 125) and hope that yours is the highest!! And if it is, the artwork is gifted to you once your volunteer hours have been completed.

This year's Toronto event is being held in the distillery district on Saturday March 20th.
For a full list of details please visit: http://www.timeraiser.ca/en/7th-Toronto

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There is just so much good going around right now. I hope you have been inspired to take part!

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Glowing

Last night a gorgeous sunset against dark gray clouds made the whole city glow.

Even these plastic bags tangled in the trees looked pretty.

I think it made everyone wish just a little harder for spring. You may curse me for it, but I am wishing for one more BIG snow storm...and then spring.

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