Rainbow Hair

I've had long dark dark brown hair now for a few years and really was tired of my everyday braids. I wear (wore) two braids almost daily to keep my hair untangled and off the back of my neck.

I messaged a local hairdresser (artist) Megan McDonald and gave her less than four hours to get ready to give me rainbow hair.

The day was chock a block full of unusual happenings. The sprinkler room at work sprung a leak, The locked door handle to the sprinkler room came off in my hand, Screws sheared off the housing for my tow motor.... All things considered, I think Megan did a phenomenal job!

She started by lifting the multiple applications of natural black box dye from my hair. She barely winced. Just tucked right in and pulled that colour out.

She chose some fantastic colours and began to map out a colour arrangement.

Look at all that cello! I look like a Christmas sweet!

She kept the colours true and separate. Some amazing on the spot thinking I must say.

Then the power went out!

That's right! No power or lights. Megan's family came to the rescue! Her husband rigged up a light to the family van and we all hunkered down on the porch. Megan gae me a stellar layered cut while her kids handed clips and made sure we were well looked after.

This really is a great cut! Never mind the fact that she had to make do with a construction spotlight and weather. Look at those colours!!!

This is after a blow dry and style. Notice the HUGE SMILE!

Such a load of colour! I've always wanted to be a magical rainbow.

This is the next day after some pin curls.

I think the purple is my favorite.

Check out Megan's page for some other gorgeous styles. Can't thank her enough. So Happy!

Mojitos on the Porch

We've been having a pretty good time trying out different mix drinks lately. This weekend past we enjoyed some refreshing mojitos. Lime and mint mixed with some white rum...... Sooooo good!

Yellow Tomato Juice and Really Great Vodka

This happened today!

We got in some fantastic Suntastic yellow and orange tomatoes at the local grocery and it was such an overcast dismal day that I decided to try to make a sunshiny kind drink.

It went well and I thought I'd better share.

I quartered about two dozen of these golden beauties and chucked them in the food processor. I had to split them into four batches and added a 1/2 tsp of salt to each batch.

I whizzed those guys up until they were liquefied.

This smelled SOOOOO GOOD!

I put the fine strainer over the big juice jug and pushed all the liquid through.

I let the pulp sit in a cold bowl for about a half of an hour or so and watched as the clear tomato water collected in the bottom of the bowl. I dumped the tomato water in the juice jug with the rest of the juice and reserved the tomato pulp for later.

I served a tall cool glass of this golden juice up with a shot of some lovely vodka, a yummy homemade pickle spear and some finely sliced basil. There was a sprinkling of fleur de sel over the top too.

This was seriously delicious folks!

They do require periodic stirring because the juice will want to separate. Haven't looked into an emulsifier yet, but it might be worth it for a future recipe.

This is where the tomato pulp went! We fried up some bacon chunks and tossed in the tomato pulp. We lay some sliced eggplant, roma tomatoes and zucchini over the sauce and scattered some sea salt, olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top. We tucked in a few garlic cloves for good measure and baked it all at 400 for an hour and a half or so until it got all melty and unctuous. Served up the whole works with some french bread and scarfed until I could barely keep my eyes open.

Um nom nom....

Tiara Nails

I used some metallic scrap booking corner stickers to make these fancy pointy bits.

I painted short gel stiletto nails with a neutral Joe Fresh colour and clear coated with some insta-dry clear by Sally Hansen. Then I stuck on the sticker detail and added three more coats of clear to protect them. I only added stickers to my ring fingers and thumbs. The rest were left nude. I may have to add some rhinestones.

Air Dry Clay Hand Prints

We used some STAEDTLER Fimo Air Dry Clay to make these fun hand print keepsakes.

I LOVE THESE!!!

Lily really enjoyed pushing into the clay. We flattened the clay to about a cm thick and used a clay use cookie cutter to cut out scalloped circles. Then we had Lily push her hand onto each shape. We used a straw to cut a hole in each shape for hanging later. We let the discs dry overnight and then flipped them to dry another day.

Lily sure did enjoy squishing up the clay!

We'll definitely have to make more clay projects with the Lily Beast in the future.

Lily loves making things with Grandma, and Grandma loves it too!

Now all fifteen hand print tiles are off to Lily's house so she can paint them. Can't wait to see what colour she chooses for mine!

Spotty Mini Stilettos

I love me some spotty nails. These ones are pointy ombre nails with some evil eyes on them. This paint job will last almost two weeks if I clear coat them every other evening. I used Joe Fresh polish with a Sally Hansen insta dry clear coat.

Swishy Dress

I scooped up this pretty peach lace a few years ago at a sale and finally decided it would be Lily's first swishy dress.

I like this Simplicity 5006 pattern. I't so fast to whip up and it grows with the child. Lily has two of these sets now. 

I made it a wee bit roomy. The pantaloons still fall off a bit.

Lily doesn't mind that they're a bit big. She likes to run in the dress. I think because it makes a pretty noise.

She's pretty happy about the outfit....

I have enough lace and satin left to make up a skirt for Lily's Mom!

We'll see if it's an acceptable idea. Maggs isn't really a skirt girl.

Keeping Busy

Life's been a whirlwind.

We've been enjoying new food. Loving the springtime fruit. Our blackberries have been HUGE!

The Lily's smitten with the dandelions. 

So many pretty at the local grocer's lately.

Even found time for some satin Lily knickers!

I think I'll join them.

Nap time anyone?

Spring Lawn

I seriously LOVE our lawn just before the first spring mowing.

All the blues and just opening yellow of the very first dandelions are so pretty. I hate to have to cut it all down. But if we don't it will become completely unmanageable. Won't it?

I saved a handful of the grape hyacinths from Mr. Jimmy's heartless mowing to cheer the bathroom window. Thank you Miss Flowerhead for holding them for me.

Magg's Has a Birthday and There's Cake!

Here are some shots of Maggie's Birthday Cake and Lily.

I haven't made piping roses fro ages but really loved making these.

I'll have to put some time aside to play with them again soon. It was really pretty relaxing.

Lily spent ages just sniffing them. Because that's what you do with flowers.

She figured out what they were for soon enough! Her Mommy didn't mind sharing the first bite. One of her Daddy's favorite things are icing flowers. Looks like Lily has the same genetic predisposition.

Lily and George have many conversations. I try to document as many as I can. Our George is getting up there. He's almost 16 now. He's still the guardian of the neighborhood, keeping the local wildlife off of his porch. 

She's always swiping our specs..... She probably wonders why she doesn't have her own like the rest  of us. 

Off to the shops in Stratford today to gather up supplies and work shoes. Maybe a burger or two....

Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend!