Handmade with Love

We love handmade gifts. Love, love, love.

We are very lucky to have a few talented friends and relatives that knit/crochet or sew things for us. And they are always so beautiful! We appreciate these gifts and we USE them! If you make something for our family it never just sits in a drawer. It gets used, it gets worn, it gets puked on
and then it gets washed and worn again.

When someone gives us a gift that they have made themselves we truly treasure it. It means so much to us that they took the time, thought of us and shared their talent. And I always think of the person who made it, every time I dress the kids up, wrap them up or lay them down on a handmade creation.

Here are a few examples of wonderful crafty things that we have received:

My friend Cynthia knitted me a pair of mittens (among many other things) that I have worn everyday for the last three winters. They are cozy and warm and black and I love them.

Therese made Liam an apron for painting. Every time he paints he runs to get his apron on and get started!

Mary Lou sewed both Liam and Adeleine plush hooded towels with cute appliques. These are in regular rotation in our kids bath towels. I won't lie. I've used them both myself in a pinch. They are really good towels! No, no, I didn't wear the hood.

My Aunt Val sewed Adeleine the most adorable blanket. Adeleine uses this cute blanket daily for 'tummy time' and likes to look at the animals and pretty patterns. Sometimes she spits up on it, so it gets washed a lot!

My Aunt Jackie crocheted Adeleine a gorgeous white sweater, hat and booties that she wore on every car ride for almost two months! This also got washed a lot!

Mrs. Jolie, my friend Chantelle's mom, recently sent the kids sweater hat sets and a pink blankie. So cute. The blankie is currently in the car, as it is being used on car rides.  Liam takes the monkey hat and puts it on and roars around the house like a lion (Lion roars are just his favourite animal sound lately. Well, that and a camel spitting... Joy.).

And last, but certainly not least, is Grandma Joanne. She is, at this very moment, working on a gorgeous sweater for Miss Adeleine.  Joanne has outfitted both kids with sweaters (turtleneck, pullovers, wraps), bunting bags, blankets, mittens and many beloved hats, from the day each was born.  Each item is beautiful and absolutely adored by the kids (and me) and we cannot wait for Grandma to gift us with her next creation! The teachers at Liam's school always compliment him on his gorgeous/cute hats.  Grandma's things get used so much (they are worn practically everyday in winter) and Liam grows quite attached. Unfortunately, sometimes, not attached enough.  We are still looking for Liam's favourite brown mitten. It has been lost since the great metre snowfall of early December. We believe it is buried somewhere in the snow in the front yard. Each day it gets warmer we look out there for it. "Can you see it yet? Nope. Maybe tomorrow." So we wait for spring, with hope that the tiny brown mitten will reveal itself in the snowpile. (It really is the most adorable mitten. If we never find the other one, I'm keeping the single mitten forever as a reminder of how cute and small Liam's hands were).

Now just because our friends/relatives didn't make it, doesn't mean we don't love it! We love ALL handmade things!  Liam and Adeleine recently received matching teddy bear hats and Adeleine got a pair of crocheted cowgirl booties purchased from Off the Chain/The Hook Pusher. Wow! So cute! The cowgirl boots kill me. Adeleine wears them with her pink polka dot snowsuit. Thank you Colleen and Lindsay!

Aunt Marg sent Adeleine and I matching aprons handmade by seniors - we will look sew pretty when baking together! Haha...sew....nevermind.

I think it was at the 'One of a Kind Show' that Aunt Allison bought Liam a handmade wooden boat for the bath. Liam has not had ONE bath since Christmas without that boat. It is big and sturdy and floats great and is just awesome.

I have recently discovered Etsy. I can't keep up with the amazingly talented artisans on this site. I find a favourite and then I find another favourite and then another and another. What a great way to showcase people's talent and get their stuff out to the world!

Handmade stuff is great. Really great. The attention to detail, the quality, the beauty, the time it took, we appreciate it all and we use it. So I'm sending a big THANK YOU!!! to all you crafty-minded friends and family out there!  

Your creations and gifts are forever loved. 

Liam wearing Grandma's owl hat

 with his favourite brown mittens.