Sunday Links No. 28 - Lino Cutting, 100 Year Old Man & Inner Excavation Along

I hope everyone had fantastic Canada and Independence Days last week. My fireworks photo look like a nebula - love it!

Here are some links that caught my eye last week:

This video has inspired me to get my lino blocks and tools out today.

I have been catching up on Project Life and am getting ready to start a new album. I am going to use this idea as my cover page.

Sometimes (okay, a lot of the time), I forget to go back and look at all of the amazing things I have pinned. Here is a round-up of unique ways to wrap gifts.

I took this book out of the library on a whim and am enjoying it immensely.

I have had the Inner Excavation book by Liz Lamoreux for some time but haven't really done anything with it yet. I am going to follow along with Liz's Inner Excavation Along and I am sure some of the exercises will be shared here on the blog.

Have a great week!

Sunday Links No. 27 - DIY Papertowels, TV Magic & Science Inspiration

We are in full heatwave heat right now. Time to break out the homemade frozen treats, sprinklers and trips to the lake.

But before I go get my summer on, here are the Sunday Links:

We as a family try to reuse and reduce (and recycle) as much as we can. We don't use papertowels; this tutorial would get my sewing machine out of its hiding place.

I don't believe in full-on homework during the summer vacation but I do insist on a bit of learning every day. I can be a cool mom and try to make it fun. This list of science inspiration will be put to good use.

I have a guilty pleasure of enjoying Family Guy. And Seth MacFarlane cracks me up. Couple that with Jimmy Fallon and you have TV magic.

So smart, why is this not already a thing? Samsung - make this happen!

Right now, Facebook and I are on a break. Sorry Facebook, it is you, but I know I will be back for more. When I am back, I am going to check out these groups that promise to have:

1. No icky spam

2. Useful, correct advice

3. Helpful, engaged people

Sunday Links No. 26 - Funny Tweets, Grandpa's Sweater & Popsicles

In honour of Father's Day, check out these tweets that sum up what it means to be a parent. My favourite, "Apparently I pack an apple in my 5 year old's lunch so it can get out of the house for a few hours."

With summer vacation looming, I am going to use these questions as journal prompts for the boys.

I never knew grandpa's sweater could be so cool. This has been added to my knitting to-do list.

Lava flow popsicles!

I want to dedicate a wall to pictures using this method.

Sunday Links No. 25 - 55 Movies, Make-up & Hair Clips

This is the real behind the scenes of me trying to get a group shot. Maybe this is part of the reason I love my lifestyle/candid style of photography. Please note that my husband is holding the sign upside down and I took many shots past this one before I noticed.

After a brief hiatus, here are my Sunday Links:

I am trying to grow out my bangs (after having them for less than a month). This clip is perfect for when I am on job sites!

Those who know me, know that make-up isn't something I do a lot of, or well for that matter. But this tutorial is something I can get behind.

We bought a projector yesterday so we can watch backyard movies on a giant white sheet. These 55 movies are a must.

This bookmark is going to be my new method of tagging great parts of books. Move over post-it notes.

I came home to over 1200 unread posts in my blog reader. I ended up clearing them all (sorry, I just couldn't justify the time to spend a day reading blogs). I am so glad I read this post before I hit "mark all as read".

My boys love pierogies. I am going to give this recipe a go and make our own.

And here is the final picture of my family that I got (even though I had to photoshop the face of one of my boys in from another photo as not one shot was "perfect").

PS I pin a lot of photography tips, including posing guides and photoshop tutorials here.

Sunday Links No. 24 - Tourtiere, a Friendly Fox and Stains = Art

I'm on countdown to vacation time, can't believe it will be here in less than 2 weeks! I can't stop daydreaming about sitting on the dock at the lake. But for now, here are the Sunday Links:

Love this cute and friendly fox.

I love Tourtiere but I have never made my own. This recipe from my friend Julie looks perfect.

The perfect touch for a pair of folded up jeans in the summer.

Stains = art!

This method to declutter your home is a good way to ease into the process.

If you are looking for more links to browse, you can find some here.

Sunday Links No. 23 - Veggie Cream Cheese, Lemonade 3 Ways & A Summer List

We went on our first picnic dinner of the summer last week. It is a favourite activity in the warmer months around here We arrive at the lake just as everyone is packing up to go home, eat our dinner and then swim until the sun goes down.

I made this veggie cream cheese to go on our baguette. Definitely a recipe that will be repeated.

I'm horrible at buying vegetables with the best of intentions to use them up and then they die in my fridge. Maybe these tips will help.

I'm going to fill in this free printable summer list today and get all of my boys to fill in their own too.

I used this tutorial to sew a lining into a crocheted purse I made for myself.

And speaking of sewing, I don't think any dress or skirt should be without pockets.

Another braid tutorial I am loving (meaning it is easy enough for me to do).

My boys are past the alphabet magnet stage. I am going to upgrade to these pretty ones.

3 lemonade recipes.

And make sure you have these 8 things.

More Sunday Inspiration can be found here

Sunday Links No. 22 - Say YES, Pretzel Buns & Summer To-Do's

We celebrated the first day of summer by being outside as much as possible and doing very little of anything. The perfect combination. My favourite season is here and I intend to soak it all up.

This summer check-list will start me on my way.

I'm going to make some of these for the many picnics we have at the lake.

And while I'm at it, I might as well make a big pitcher of this to bring with us.

Want pickled carrots in a hurry? Try this recipe. (I tried them for the first time and love them).

Soft. Pretzel. Buns.

I absolutely adore these and will be making a bouquet of them for myself.

Don't forget to Say Yes!

I'm not looking for work right now but it is always a good idea to keep your resume up to date. These ones are eye-catching and fun while still remaining professional.

Browse the Sunday Links archives here.

Sunday Links No. 21 - PSE Tutorial, Cornbread Muffins & Summer Challenges

A very Happy Father's Day to all of you dad's out there! I hope you are spoiled with lots of love and attention.

I am starting off our Father's Day celebration with these muffins. Jeremy mentioned cornbread muffins about a month ago and I filed it away for today.

I am absolutely horrible at styling my hair. It is either down or in a pony tail. I saw this tutorial and gave it a shot. My hair has been sporting a side French braid all week!

This idea! My shop is going to be full of hats this winter and I am going to jazz them up with embroidery!

When I did my photo booth for the boys' school it was so hard to get the background sheet wrinkle-free. Now I won't sweat it with this Photoshop Elements tutorial.

I am going to print these out today and get everyone to fill-in their Summer Challenges! Stay tuned for mine later this week.

Horrible Adorables. Enough said.

Looking for more links? Check these out!

Sunday Links No. 20 - Simple Living

I'm working on this beautiful weekend but am still making time for myself and the family. My oldest has his ACR (Annual Ceremonial Review) with Cadets today that I'll get to go to. I'm grateful I have a job that let's me balance all the important things in my life.

I haven't done a themed link round-up in a while. This one is dedicated to simple living.

Bleubird talks about how great it feels to simplify and cull your belongings (how hard it can be too).

This family check-in station would eliminate a lot of morning stress and hassles in my house (where is my planner, where are my keys, ahhhhhhhhh - we're late!).

The difference between organizing and decluttering.

This print from Bookishly UK on Etsy.

Go to the listing here.

Living with only what you need.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Sunday Links No. 19 - A String Bowl, Red Cabbage Smoothie & Soft Pretzels

I am gearing up to 3 more days off. Lots of creating and getting ready for a garage sale is on my agenda. I plan on throwing in some gardening and lots of relaxing too.

Here are my Sunday Links:

This string bowl is so pretty.

Let's agree to have more adventures.

I can't remember the last time I had a soft pretzel. This recipe looks like a good candidate to introduce my boys to this yumminess.

A craft for boys. Mine are stoked to make their own.

A craft for me. I am stoked to make this fabric!

Red cabbage smoothie. The author raves about it, I am going to give it a go.

Enjoy your week!

PS Here are more Sunday Links if you want to keep browsing.

Sunday Links No. 18 - Homemade Lightning, Food Art & Garden Signs

I just had a lovely coffee date with Gabi, so am only getting to my Sunday morning links now.

Making lightning sounds like a perfect summer activity for the boys.

I want to make this shirt, but I think I will use a jellyfish silhouette.

Food art, so fun! My favourite is the birds on a line.

This book is extra appealing to me now that my Etsy Shop is open for business.

A DIY family photo collage, another summertime activity me thinks.

Love this sign!

Browse some more Sunday links here.

Sunday Links No. 17 - Leaf Portraits, Bug Spray & Chalkboards

I lucked out today, in addition to it being a wonderful Mother's Day it is also my 14th wedding anniversary! Talk about being spoiled.

These chalkboards are beautiful to look at and the quotes are inspirational - double-win.

A photo challenge with some extra cool prizes from A Beautiful Mess. Count me in.

Justina's leaf portraits are stunning, especially when she converts them to black and white.

A natural, do-it-yourself bug spray. This is necessary for all of the backyard campfires I have planned for this year.

We do our best to label watch and eat food that has been through minimal processing, but this movie trailer shows how hard it is. 80% of the food in our grocery stores has added sugar.

Looking for more links to visit? Find some here.

Sunday Links No. 16 - Patchwork Kites, Glorifying Busy & Avocado Salad

It's a super rainy weekend in my neck of the woods. April held up it's end of the bargain and brought on the rain and May has delivered on the flowers, but can I get some sunshine too please?

Here are the links that caught my eye on the internet this week:

Let's go fly a kite! But I refuse to fly another kite unless it is this one.

I love potatoe salads and this recipe resembles my family recipe. I'm all for changing it up and adding in the avocado. But I use dill pickles in my salad and that isn't going to change.

Improve your body image by getting naked!

I am going to stop glorifying BUSY.

Don't be perfect, just be good.

So enamored with my friend Chris' new magazine Adore Chroma (you can get the first issue here). This is his second magazine, his first one is Adore Noire (dedicated to fine art Black & White photography).

Want some more? Keep reading here.

Sunday Links No. 15 - Photo Backdrops, Ducks & Ice Pops

Last week I had a mini-photo shoot with my neighbour's Indian Runner Ducks. SO cute.

I am dreaming about our lake vacation and homemade popsicles. These ones to be precise.

Adding video to your Project Life albums is not only possible, it is a must.

10 photo background ideas for your crafts and projects.

I am going to play around with this edging pattern to create some headbands (more stock for my future Etsy shop).

Pinterest has launched Guided Search, you can watch the video to see what it is all about. The reason I love this video is watching people use Pinterest to actually complete the projects they pin! I can definitely get better at that.

Want more? You can browse more Sunday Links here.

Sunday Links No. 14 - Coil Baskets, a Drawing Challenge & Map Art

I am creating a new rule for myself. No more working past 4 PM. When you don't have an office and you work from home most of the time it is too easy to keep working and forsake all of the things you want to be doing. Sure there will be exceptions to this rule, but I need a hard stop to put the laptop away and live my life.

Even though no posting happened here this week I still found lots of links to share.

I'm going to do this drawing challenge.

Poppytalk has opened a storefront. It's in Vancouver and I think I need to visit.

Another craft to add to my long list of crafts to try: coil baskets.

This stool is a must, not just a want. When I am on job sites I can sometimes be found sitting on the floor if there are no chairs. I should start carrying my own!

Make paper into fabric that can be sewn.

Map artwork, yes!

It's time for a new iPhone case.

30 things to start doing for yourself.

Will this article stop you from doing those online quizzes?

Want more? Click here.

Sunday Links No. 13 - Funny Owl Video & A Perfect Outfit

 

Saturday was a great start to this weekend. Sunshine, silliness and smiles. This is my good friend Gabi. You can read this beautiful post that sums up our friendship.

This is the perfect outfit for me. I can wear it to job sites and it is ME.

If you want to burst out laughing while learning at the same time, please, please go watch all of these videos. Not all are kid appropriate though (especially the duck one).

This is my favourite so far:

If you want to write about a good life, you must live a good life. Great article.

Improving your photography with Lego figurines. Brilliant.

If you want to keep clicking links, I have more for you here.

Sunday Links No. 12 - A Fun Food to Make and Say, Concrete Vases & Merit Badges

A lunchtime photo shoot by Science World in Vancouver.

I lost my creative groove this week. I was swamped with work for my project manager job and the little energy I had left went to laundry and my boys. After a couple of hot bubble baths, some brainstorming sessions with my notebook and a pep talk to myself I am ready for another week.

And, as always, I start my week on Sunday morning with my cup of coffee and my favourite links I found on the internet.

Not only do these look delicious, they are so fun to say!

I was playing with Plaster of Paris yesterday making volcanos, now I want to make these too.

I am going to print out the picture on how to properly jump a car and put it in my glove box, hopefully never to be touched again.

I want to sign-up for this class and make some new goals.

I loved my Brownie sash with all of my badges. Now I want to make my own, I can earn my blogging badge!

A collection of TED Talks dedicated to creativity.

Yoga mat flip flops? Yes please.

Do you want to join my scenius?

I love this sneak peek of a designers process.

If you are looking for more Sunday Links, you can find them right here.

Sunday Links No. 11 - Stunning Photos, New Mugs and Wire Words

This past week I have been serenaded to sleep by the frogs and have woken up to the sounds of happy birds. Yes, spring is here! This also means a lot of rain for us West Coasters, but it doesn't keep us in doors (it can't or we would be hermits). Today we are going on a family hike and doing a bit of gardening.

But before that, here are links I found inspiring this week.

These photographs taken from a bird's-eye-view are stunning. This one of the rice fields in China is my favourite.

Photo from the San Francisco Globe

I want to try my hand making these.

Tom Hussey's series Reflections is very touching.

Love this suit.

I want to make a version of this with my last name.

One of my go-to coffee mugs broke this week, I may have to replace it with these 2.

Make it a great Sunday!

Sunday Links No. 10 - #100HappyDays, Rule Breakers & Gift Balls

I joined the 100 Happy Days project yesterday. Everyday, for 100 days, you take a picture of something that makes you happy and then share it on your Social Media site of choice (or keep it to yourself if you prefer). You can jump in and start your 100 days whenever you want!

Here's my Day 1 picture.

Day 1: Playing outside with my boys and camera

This journal in purple with my name on the front is being added to my birthday list.

I am usually a rule follower, but these are some rule breakers I would join.

A new use for some of my yarn stash, a gift ball.

Thank you to Poppytalk for the ebook link. I DO want to learn how to papercut.

April Fool's Day is around the corner. I am going to use this idea as inspiration and make a mini breakfast of pancakes.

Want to explore more links? You can check out more Sunday Inspiration here.

Sunday Links No. 9 - Vanilla Honey, Easter Eggs & Mushrooms!

Yesterday started the weekend with a bang. I went for a 5k run with my oldest, came home and decided to save the $50 and trimmed my own hair and then made a hair mask with coconut oil and olive oil. I felt productive! Then....it poured and all I wanted to do was waste time on the Internet and lounge with the boys. In retrospect, it was a perfect Saturday.

And on to the links:

I have been working on mushroom crochet/knitting patterns, these fabric mushrooms are an amazing inspiration.

I received vanilla beans in beautiful glass vials in my stocking. Now I know what I am going to do with them.

13 Mom Truths

I took the time last Easter to carefully poke holes in both ends of an egg and then blow the contents into a bowl for scrambled eggs. We didn't decorate all of the intact shells and they have been sitting in a flower pot in my kitchen for a year. This is what they are destined for.

The next gift from me is going to look like this.

I love these pictures Iwona took of her home over on Fabric and Color.

I have mentioned it before, but I love Jimmy Fallon. My favourite skit he does with his guests is the water war game. I spend entirely too much time on his YouTube channel.