Winding Down the Year

It is hard to believe that it is December already! Every year seems to go by quicker and quicker.

Here in Northern BC we are well into winter. While it has been quite pleasant in our terms, things are about to change and the snow is going to really add up in the next week. I am ready though. We have had snow since the beginning of November, but not much of it. Soon the kids will be able to cross the road and toboggan down their personal snow hill that the snow removal guys make. It gets HUGE!

Temps in the minus 30s mean the fireplaces are going and somehow a mood gets set as soon as they are. A feeling of warmth not just from the fire, but of comfort and well being as well. These are perfect days to have a pot of coffee going and a leisurely project on the go. Bliss is the fire going, the dog laying in front of it, kids sipping a cup of hot chocolate, the Christmas lights on and watching the snow fall and take on the colors of the lights in the dark as the ground sparkles with billions of diamonds shimmering. Yes, I do enjoy many aspects of winter and look forward to the coming weeks.


After a busy season I welcome a bit of a lull to focus on family. Still there is much sewing...just for the family! Pajama Day is later this week so the kids will be getting new jammies ASAP!. I found a darling pattern that I want to sew up and surprise Izzy with and also do one of the reversible hoodies from Fishsticks Designs for her as well. Ben needs some pants to go with his cool hoodie that I made during the testing phase of the pattern. The whole family should have new jammies for Xmas Eve as well.

This year is coming to a close. But so much newness is on the horizon. New hope, new goals, new directions.

I have been tearing the studio apart the past few days. Several things need different organization. I need to build something to house all of my thread and need to deep clean behind shelves etc and make some decisions about what I am going to use various fabric types for and figure out a new layout for them as well. Some I need to make a difficult decision about and get rid of. I am already planning some packages for Boxing Day! Really...who needs 5 TOTES of scraps?? Yes, there will be a Boxing Day sale.

I am setting up a newsletter list to communicate better with customers. Facebook is finally admitting that fewer and fewer are seeing posts and are stating it is only going to get worse. I want to build a reliable tool to communicate specials, giveaways, sales and happenings to my customers. This seems the best option given the current climate. You can sign up by sending an email to newsletter@nechakonotionary.com . Please put Nechako Notionary in the subject line. If you would also like to get info on BB Butts Diapers our parent label, please put "both" in the subject line. You will only get one email which will then include information on both labels. Newsletters will never be more than once a week, and only during certain events. More often, you will receive one email a month containing our newsletter.

This month is about soothing the soul, setting up for the next year and getting things in place to make new goals and strive to achieve those goals.

I thank you all for being along for the ride as we built over the past few months. I look forward to a year of real growth. I wish you all the best of the season and hope you all build one special memory with your family in the coming weeks.

From my family to yours....

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Time slips away

I'm not sure how the last two weeks have gotten away from me and where exactly that they went!

Actually, when I think about it I do! My hubby had another week of holidays and this time come hell or high water we wanted to get our fence completed after many delays. From weather (rain and extreme heat) to puking kids (and hospitalization of one) and then our son's severe burns there was delay after delay in this project that we were wanting to have completed back in early July.  I am happy to report finally we have a fence.  There's little bits to complete still...the gate, ripping boards to fill in the gaps that didn't quite make full board width and we still have the yard to resurface but we are getting there. We did 40 of these sections...board by board, by board.I'm proud of my husband and I'm proud of our ability to work together even if there is the occasional spat through the process, at the end of it all we can look at each other with our arms around one another and look at what we've completed and say "hey we did this!" We are stronger as a team than we are as individuals that is for certain!

I sit here and long for some sewing after such a busy couple of weeks outdoors. I did complete the set for my niece and I forgot that I had not shown a picture so here it is.

It's a perfect gift for new mom, even one who does not cloth diaper.

I was also able to use another new pattern and sew up Izzy another new dress. I am trying various patterns with my own kids prior to offering them in the shop. This is another from {SIG}.

In the meantime, last Friday, I got to make a trip into the city all alone. I actually had time to peruse a fabric store without a child!! I was able to shop to my hearts content. At first I didn't think I was going to come out with much more than a few notions needed for Fabric Fest down in Vegas but I did end up tripping on a fabulous selection of fabrics. Better yet they were 70% off !!! With these I intend hopefully in the next couple of weeks to get a few outfits made for me. They are rayon blends for the most part and they should travel well and pack easily. I'm hoping to make couple of skirts, couple of tops and a jacket of sorts, shawl my guess is more like it, and have a couple of fashionable and coordinated  outfits that are lightweight at the end of all this.

I will get some photos tonight and start in on this since we have storms rolling through this evening. It will be grand to be back in the studio after being out of it for a week or so!

Putting a little SPRING in a dreary snowy day

After several days of GLORIOUS spring weather that involved kids in snow boots, mittens and short sleeved t shirts while playing outside, we are back to the big white snowflakes. It was funny to watch the kids having a snowball fight in t shirts! Eventually the snow was receding and there was dead old grass showing. It was grass that was long missed. Grass that had been hidden since mid October. Grass that was snow covered in October, November, December, January, February, March and April. You read that right, in seven calender months we had snow. Oh and once it arrived the first time, IT STAYED and never were we to see the grass again. This is living in the North.

The river remains frozen still at the house. It is open about 1 KM upstream, a channel and it is slowly working its' way down this way but is not yet at the bend. The swans and geese have arrived back in fair numbers but there is little open water for them still. Soon (within days) we SHOULD be iceberg watching. There are two Christmas trees "planted" on the river. We watch for them to move to indicate that the ice is beginning to shift and open.

                                     

Soon, summer will arrive and the view will change. All of these photos (with the exception of the one with the swans)were taken from my deck. Top, winter with frozen river, middle a winter sunset and bottom a late summer misty morning.

Besides dreaming of flowing water and green landscapes I play in dirt inside. Today is one of those days. I have started several trays of plants in hopes of having not only a green landscape but also a bountiful garden of harvest as well. Today I am transplanting starts into solo cups which now line the windowsills all over the house. Tomatoes, basil, cilantro ....onions, lupins, blanket flowers.....ice plants, peppers, echinacea. All have a place in my windows currently. Now if the bags of soil would just thaw so I can plant a couple more varieties of tomatoes I would be a happy girl!

Next post I will add in photos of all the trays and solo cups around the house. The blog design is nearly complete so I wanted to be sure to have a post for the "Great Outdoors" page :) I am so very excited to soon be able to share this blog!! That alone makes me smile..the design is BRIGHT, just like spring.

That my friends, is how we roll and put a little Spring in yet another dreary snowy day!

Just to prove a point...

WOW! A second post in one day.

Just to prove a point about questioning Spring. While I said it was a beautiful clearish morning earlier, look outside my living room window now...

Heavy snow and high winds making for a dramatic spring blizzard that leaves me hardly able to see across the street.

<SIGH>

Spring?

Oh where are thou? This past week certainly was not what most people would consider Spring but perhaps was in reality in all of its glory. We had a foot of new snow and a blizzard that lasted the better part of three days. This IS Spring in the North...just as you think you may see the grass again, just as it is looking dirty and the plow lines are getting punky and receding...WHAMMO!

Lupins getting their first set of true leaves

Bottom Walla Walla Onions, top, bright lights chard.
All are sun seeking today!

Bright lights chard showing signs of its colors already

Baby toms

Basil

Wee baby toms.

Today it was a balmy -15 and the sun is attempting to work through some low clouds. It is a pristine and white landscape. I am so thankful that I painted the main floor apple jack green and now have warm wood and furniture. It truly has made a difference to the bear-ability of the longgggg winter.



To will Spring along, I have started seeds in hopes that one day this snow will melt and the dirt and grass will once me be revealed and become workable.



So far, I have 6 varieties of toms (3 of each) started, a flat of bright lights swiss chard, a flat of walla walla onions, 9 cells of cilantro, 9 basil, 9 chives and 27 lupins. Germination rates seem good but I am still awaiting a couple of the tom varieties to show me a little life.























On the sewing front, the current project is diapers. LOTS of diapers. I am attempting to batch sew 100 AIOs before the end of the month! Wish me luck! You can hedge your bets on how many I will get done of the BB Butts Facebook page.