baby | the first week

it's been a week since we became parents and wow - what a ride. and when i say ride, i specifically mean gigantic emotional rollercoaster. 

the first few nights spent with our little sniff were confusing. we didn't understand how to manage his needs and despite all of our prep, when you realize you are suddenly in charge of a miniature human being...well, it's downright terrifying! and when that little bean is screaming and you are blundering your way through changes, feeds and various forms of cuddling, it's really more a game of "let's not kill the baby." so we stayed awake (i use that term very loosely) and took turns trying to care for him. 

on the worse nights, we are getting about three hours of sleep. we do all the things you are supposed to do, and then we rock and soothe, rock and soothe. but still he doesn't comply with our deepest wishes (that he go to sleep).

in the better (quieter) moments, i am so amazed at this beautiful human being that we created. granted i am biased but every part of him is truly perfect. in no particular order i love his nose, his lips, his eyes, his ears and his teeny tiny digits. and the smell! my god the smell. i always thought it was baby products that smelt like that - but it turns out it's the baby!

i look forward to getting to know little jackson more as the days, weeks, months, and years go by. 

canada post | price increases 2014

irony at it's best

in order to be organized pre-baby arrival, i had to go through my etsy stationery shop and update all of the shipping costs to align with the canada post changes taking place april 1, 2014. thank goodness my other online business is connected to canada post and shipping costs will be calculated for me. in mid december, canada post announced a number of major changes including lay offs, reduced door to door delivery, and major price increases:

i had a heck of a time trying to find the actual price increases as the only ones which had been announced were the changes to the cost of single stamps vs. coils and packs. the increased weights for domestic mailings were difficult to find and the new cost of u.s. and international postage was almost impossible to locate. as it was evening, i ended up calling a post office on the west coast to find out. she told me the prices and then laughed and said "we actually just found out ourselves a day ago. they told us before they told everyone else...which is new."

i have not been able to figure out whether parcel costs will increase (i hope not, it already costs me 8 dollars to send these to the states, but 14 dollars to send one to canada - how does that make sense??). i did find one source that said parcel costs will remain the same so i'm crossing my fingers. to assist others, i have listed some april 2014 canada post letterpost prices below. there are two more levels with even higher weights/rates, but unless you're sending centimetre thin sheets of silver or cd's made of gold, i don't think those will really come into play.

can i call your attention to the cost of international postage?
dear australian and united kingdom stationery customers,
thank-you for your years of dedicated patronage and interest in my creations. i totally get it however, if you no longer purchase from my shop because these shipping costs are insane. to send one pack of $2.50 paper costs $2.50. that's painful no?

up to 29 grams

CAN: $1.00 (or .85 in a coil/pack)

US: $1.20

INTL: $2.50 (!!)

30-50 grams

CAN: $1.20

US: $1.80

INTL: $3.60 (!!)

51-100 grams

CAN: $1.80

US: $2.95

INTL: $5.19 (!!)

pregnancy 1.5 | anxiety

i want to talk about anxiety. mainly because it's a feeling i've been trying to avoid for about a month now (before that i spent eight months just trying to convince myself i was pregnant). i actually had a weird bout of it back in february but it didn't feel related to the impending labour...it felt like more of a general overall anxiety. we were away for a long weekend getaway at the time so maybe i was just subconsciously nervous about being away from home.

when it comes to me + upcoming events, i always put more pressure and emphasis on the waiting then the actual event. dinner parties, job interviews, dentist appointments, exhibition openings...even if it's nothing to be nervous about and my mind is at ease, my body tells me otherwise and i'm always full of butterflies beforehand.

when it comes to pregnancy though, i knew i couldn't let myself be nervous about something for nine whole months. i developed some coping skills (which mainly consist of telling myself to "calm the eff down!") and relaxation techniques (which mainly consist of afternoon naps in the sunshine). nights are pretty scary - i wake up every hour and something about the darkness and the shadows sends my mind reeling but i force myself to wait for morning when 'everything will be fine.'

so with my due date looming, i would say i'm actually doing okay. with every day that passes in which i maintain my sanity, i consider it a grand success.

missed the nursery pics? click here.

love | nine year anniversary

nine years ago today my husband and i had our first real date. we'd had pseudo dates before that - plus a lot of back and forth where he liked me but i was taken, i liked him but he was seeing someone...etc etc for almost two years. so when we made plans for him to come visit me at university on march 18, 2005 it was kind of a last chance scenario. a friend had told me that he had asked about me while i was away at school. i think i sort of knew deep down that if i called him and we weren't able to make a date - that would be it forever. we would have to give up.

we finally agreed that he would make the forty-five minute drive to see me after work on march 18. i was so nervous and giddy and borrowed a green sweater from a girl in my dorm (i never wear green but maybe i was still feeling buzzed from st. patrick's day). i think we watched a movie - we might even have kissed. it's all a bit of a blur now. i remember when i went home that weekend i told my mother that i thought he was it.

and he was. nine years later we are still head over heels in love. we have lived together, moved together, taken our marriage vows and are now expecting our first child - this week!

i love you jon, forever and a day.

pregnancy 1.4 | nursery photographs

sometimes i can't help but think that putting a nursery together is like planning a wedding. it's a lot of work, and it's not inexpensive. and if you were to do it all over again - say with a second marriage or second child, you probably won't go all out the way you did the first time. 

that being said, nesting is a strong instinct and something inside of me was like: you must do this. i must admit when i found out we were having a boy, i wasn't thrilled. not because i won't be happy to have a son, but simply because when it comes to boy names, boy clothes, boy hobbies and little boy decor - i have no imagination! so i knew when i started thinking about this nursery, that it was going to be a little more neutral, and a little less cliche (and hey, a girl can dream that she might still be carrying a girl right?). 

we love love love the way this room turned out. it's the most calming space i've ever known, and it's full of art just like i wanted. even though the little sniff isn't here yet, we both love to sit in this space and enjoy the beautiful light and peaceful atmosphere.

when you enter the room, there's a beautiful rainbow painting by my friend and artist freyja zazu.

a view of the room from the doorway. we thought if we put the crib on the right side, that the baby would be less likely to wake up every time we walk through the hall, or peek inside.

needless to say i went with a very natural colour scheme and focused on white, beige, birch with hints of grey and gold. the birch was a nice compromise because jon loves light coloured wood - for this space it works.

it's kind of a bummer that all the pretty crib accoutrements are no longer recommended - but the simplicity is not only nice, it's safer.

 this is our new favourite spot in the apartment. we take turns rocking in this chair and reading books next to the window. as i mentioned in my last post, rocking chairs and gliders do not come cheap. even the least expensive ones were still two or three hundred dollars and felt very old fashioned. so we spent the same amount on this simple chair and ottoman and we love how it looks and feels. 

i stole the little basket from my parent's cottage and will use it as a moses basket when the sniff is so small.

jon found this six piece print in his mother's garage and fell in love. it's the story of a papa and baby bear and depicts a sweet and silly bedtime routine.

we didn't want the room to feel chaotic but a little colour seemed necessary so we put these books and toys on display on the shelf. in the uppermost right box you can see all of jon's model cars he has built over the years! the blue animals on the bottom shelf include some that jon had when he was little. more detail notes below.

we are so obsessed with this dresser. back in january we weren't even ready to buy anything for this room but the dresser was being discontinued so we snapped it up. it's so cool and mid century modern. even though it's white and might get dirty i'm hoping it will last beyond it's changing table gig and into future years. all of the baby's clothes and linens are in here since jon is bogarting the closet.

i've always wanted to hang a collection of prints like this. i spent a lot of time on etsy picking out a collection of calligraphy and woodland themed images. from left to right:

i'll eat you up | oh baby | my deer | fox | be brave | you are loved | fawn and doe

this last piece on the wall is not a print but a drawing by jessica gowling from nature's my friend. i wanted a special image to commemorate becoming a mother and this matching doe and fawn print is perfect. when we lived in victoria we saw deer often in our neighbourhood and it was always so magical to come across a mother and baby.

jon and i picked out this pillow together (he wanted lots of bears, i wanted lots of deer, lol). i wasn't impressed with society 6, but i love the graphite design by sandra dieckmann.

jon bought these blocks years ago and has been using them to send me on holiday scavenger hunts. it seems an appropriate transition to give them to our son. the mini artworks are by friends amber petersen and mary anne tateishi.

i love this fun and old school take on stuffed animals. the colourful woodblock printed fabric plushies were given to us by our friend alex and created by laura frisk.

one of my favourite details in the nursery is this beautiful vintage bambi lamp painted by my mother in law. it was given to jon's older brother as a gift when he was young and it's so cool to think it's still around and will delight out little one. 

we were so lucky to receive multiple handknitted blankets. the white and blue one is from a sweet elderly client at jon's workplace in victoria. the blue one was created in england by my old university roommate. the grey one above is done in a stunning seed stitch my my friend shawna.

one of my favourite parts of this nursery are these adorable illustrations by the artist i work for, ted harrison. they were developed as part of a sweet little book he wrote about his dog entitled "maggie's magic dream."

the final detail of the nursery is a mobile we made using embroidery hoops. i already had all of the supplies on hand so it was incredibly inexpensive and it looks really modern. jon wouldn't let me put it over the crib though...

item sourcing:
(for artwork sources, see images above)
dresser | bookshelf | rocking chair | crib | floor lamp | trash bin | mobile tutorial | crib and changing pad sheets | shelf boxes and organizers | rug | laundry bin | diaper baskets | nursing pillow | frames: ikea, walmart and home sense

pregnancy 1.3 | a.k.a. why are baby clothes and products so ugly?

i hope the title doesn't offend you. and if it makes you feel better - i didn't actually write it.

how often does something have to be googled for google to start recommending it as an auto fill? because if you type "why are baby clothes..." into the search engine, "flame retardant" and "expensive" are closely followed by "why are baby clothes so ugly?" and following that? more variations on this apparently age old query including "why are baby boy clothes ugly?" and the more strongly worded "why are baby boy clothes so ugly?" i feel better now knowing many mothers have asked this before i.

since i'm being so forthcoming, i might as well jump right in and preface this post with a disclaimer. first of all - i am not a mother yet. i am thirty eight weeks pregnant but i'm not sure that qualifies me to rant and rave. so i'm fully aware that i currently maintain the hopes and dreams of a future mother who thinks maybe it's possible to have a baby and not have the baby's stuff take over my life and my home in a really colourful, plastic, disney character kind of way. i'm sure i'm disillusioned.

i also want to say that i am so grateful for all of the things people have gifted to us as we approach this big milestone in our lives. the other day i actually caught myself saying to a friend "oh sure, have a baby before you get married - at least it's cheaper!" she looked sort of surprised and i realized that the only reason i'm not feeling overwhelmed by all of the costs associated with bringing a child into this world is because of the overwhelming generosity of our friends and family.

and thus, all of these opinions are my own...and chances are i'll be at walmart at 11 pm one month from now shelling out whatever it takes to bring home one of those plastic bouncer monstrosities if it means my baby will stop crying.

_________________________________________________________

so the other day my husband and i popped into carters/osh kosh, target and babies r us. my eyes were sort of blindsighted by all of the colours and prints (turns out the neon trend extends to children's clothing as well!). try as i might i couldn't find anything plain or simple. everything was too colourful, too cutesy, and had an endless amount of sayings plastered on it. perhaps the most disconcerting aspect however was the clear delineations between the genders. most of the boys clothing featured trucks, skulls, sports, and sharks. most of the girl's clothing was pink, and had hearts, kittens, and butterflies on it. and don't even get me started on sayings like "i'm a princess."

boys like kittens too! girls play sports!

but beyond that, there was a real disposable quality to the pieces, and a serious lack of design and even comfort. when i landed head first in the google search "why are baby clothes so ugly" it was because i was actually trying to search "why are baby clothes colourful and graphic?" i typed lots of variations on this idea, hoping to do some research. i thought that perhaps babies really thrive when they are immediately surrounded by colour and prints. but i found nada on this clothing subject no matter how i typed it.

i did find this hilarious thread.

details

why do baby and kid clothes have to be so standard, stereotypical and graphic? why can't they have beautiful little details like the ones below? these pieces are simple but still express a sense of personality. see those adorable miniature man overalls? that pointed cap on the grey sweater? and how elegant are those booties and cardigan? i think there is something to be said for dressing babes in clothing that is understated - and lets their own cuteness and personality do the talking (rather than their "little hunk" t-shirt). 

clockwise 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

prints

but hey, if we have to do prints, why don't we celebrate real artists, real art and simple (non gendered) graphics? the black jumper below is such a fun and visually pleasing way to play with numbers. the castle onesie is a fresh rendition on the ubiquitous prince and princess theme, and the organic floral is hand illustrated (oh, and i love this bear print by artist miia kajaani!)

clockwise 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

comfort

just because i want to look at well designed pieces doesn't mean i'm willing to forgo my child's comfort.  i think these pieces below are aesthetically pleasing but are also soft, comfortable and easy to roll around in (i wouldn't mind that grey button up for myself! lol).

 clockwise 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

while were on the subject of ugly baby stuff...i feel i would be remiss not to mention some of the following items - strollers, bouncey chairs, rockers, play pens, and high chairs. i apologize in advance as i refuse to post images here of the version of these items that i dislike - so i'll just post the good stuff and link to the others instead. 

i can't get into toys right now - that would require a post all on it's own!

here's a great post on apartment therapy entitled: do non-hideous baby bouncers & swings exist? (i'm loving these titles and searches people!). the section that stuck with me was this "readers will say, and it's true, that babies don't care how ugly it is and that what's important is that it's fun and stimulating to them. i partially agree, but then why do we care about design at all? design is more than function. not to mention the issue of using sustainable materials." he really says it better than i ever could. just because it's for babies doesn't mean we have to give up so completely on design. these items have to be in our home the same as everything else.

final disclaimer: i realize that all of these items (including the gorgeous clothing pictured above) is expensive. most of it is also made in europe. all i can say is, aside from leaving prams with babies outdoors, they've definitely got the right idea!

below are some pieces i love that are unavailable to me for reasons of cost, shipping, location...and my husband - who couldn't give a shit about any of this ;) the version that is available to me (nay, being thrust upon me) is linked below that.

see all my fantasies on my little sniff pinterest board here.

nursery photos coming soon!

pretty via

ugly via

i just love european "prams" - if i still lived on vancouver island where the weather is always generous and it barely snows, i might have fought for something like this. as it is, i can only argue with my lovely husband so much - and he wanted a jogging stroller (which is something that makes more sense for ontario anyways). and so in the end what we chose is really no different from the ugly version i've linked to above.

pretty via

ugly via

we chose the baby bjorn balance bouncer because it turns out my greatest fear in life is not drowning, it's something like this. but this bloom coco version above is absolutely stunning! the idea behind these chairs is that the baby's own motion encourages the seat to rock. back in the days of yore babies survived just fine without rainbow coloured fisher-price plastic so that's what i'm banking on. baby can hang out here while i shower, do the dishes and pack art prints for my work at home job. 

pretty via

ugly via

pretty, ugly, they are all expensive. okay, the glider versions like the one above are really expensive. i'm really happy with the one we chose though and i can't wait to share some images with you.

pretty via

ugly via

when it comes to play pens, there aren't very many modern options (i'm sorry, they don't call them that anymore. pack and play, play yard, travel crib are the suggested terms - i'll use them all below :). the concept of the one above is interesting because it's really more like a crib. for the first three-six months it's my understanding that the baby should sleep in our room with us. so we are going to set up a pack and play and let him sleep in there...but this has kind of inspired me to just bring the crib into our bedroom. yes, it will be a bummer to take a key piece out of the nursery but the thought of having to share a room with a play yard for six months is a real bummer in itself. the nicest one i could find though is this baby bjorn travel crib.

pretty via
ugly via

glad i don't have to deal with this yet.

longest blog post ever! congratulations for making it to the end.

art | beccy ridsdel

i fell in love with these sculptural pieces by beccy ridsdel when i first saw them on colossal. the way this artist has created a hidden world within ceramic dining ware makes me feel as though i am being let on one of the greatest secrets. looking at the repetitive floral and ditsy innards of these pieces, whose outer shell has been peeled back with surgical tools is reminiscent of a child's imagination. though you'll be hard pressed to find a five year old who maintains such an interest in his or her grandmother's "special holiday plates" - i'll bet this is how they would imagine the "guts." view more works here, and purchase some (for awesome prices!) here.