Blonde Detective Agency

Just framed!! Halloween costume in progress.... hmmmm what is it??? Thanks Anne, the emergency Halloween costumes have arrived! (if the above project doesn't work or is not acceptable to the proposed wearer, we will have alternatives)!!

After 12 years, I finally got around to painting the family room. The stucco on the ceiling and the upper half of the walls had been a deterrant for many years. Also I dislike the fireplace but that is a big job and I wasn't sure how to proceed. This summer I just decided to paint the walls and think about the fireplace after. If I find a before picture I will add it to this post later. But here are the after shots. The new blinds should arrive in the next few days and then I'll post a picture of them. It took 2 coats of primer (4 gallons!!!!) to cover the stucco and panelling and then another two gallons of the white (Silk Moon by C I L) for the ceiling and upper half of the walls. I love this colour of white and it was very hard to find a colour of white I liked that didn't have a yellow tinge. The gray on the panelling is called Paddlewheel Grey (also from C I L) - it's more blueish green then I had expected but I'm quite happy with it for the moment....

Last August, we travelled to Oakland, California to visit Richard. Oakland is right next door to San Francisco. We were only there for a few days, but one of the highlights was a visit to the Exploratorium. The Exploratorium is a Science Centre. It's located on the site of an old World's Fair. Check out the height of these pillars! There were lots of cool things to do in the Exploratorium but I just loved the many opportunities for portrait taking. This mirror turns you upside down! Here's a portrait of Richard, Aaron and Hart! And here's me taking a picture of myself! And here's me taking another picture of myself. And here's Thea emerging from a swirl of colours!

Thea's close encounter was with the ground in the playground at her school. She fell off the teeter-totter and hit the ground dislocating her elbow. The paramedics came and she got taken to Emergency in an ambulance. (No sirens or flashing lights though). She fell a distance of perhaps three feet. (It's all in how you land.) She's a real trooper though - here's a shot of her waiting at the hospital to be seen by a doctor. She was in a lot of pain but could still manage a small smile for the camera. And here's another shot of her after they put the cast on. She goes today to have the cast off. Aaron's close encounter was with the corner of his bedside table. (Which has now been turned so the corner with the plastic protector on it is next to his bed. The other plastic protector had fallen off quite a while ago). He also got taken to the hospital (but by Mom). He didn't get stitches but he has been taped up. They don't call it FALL for nothi...

My sister Anne discovered some retro cookie jars recently and one of them reminded her of the one that was in our house when we were growing up. A search of the archives has turned up this photo. You can see our actual cookie jar on the kitchen counter. I remember taking this picture and thinking that the contents of the cupboard would be interesting to us in the far distant future.

We visited Coach House Press during Doors Open Toronto. Aaron at the Willowwood Fun Fair! Thea visiting with a snake. My friend, Steve, has a beautiful garden. These photos were taken early in the season.

Spring ..my favourite time of year Our cherry tree is covered in blossoms. Look how big it is! Thea had her birthday. One of the activities was Sumo Wrestling. The girls divided into two teams and each team made a list of things for the other team to do or find. Each team took photos. One item was take a picture of three of you jumping in mid-air. (Their ideas were much better than mine - mine being more along the lines of 'find a prime number bigger than 13'.) I wanted to show off Thea's sweater, which I finally finished. I thought it looked pretty good after I blocked it. The buttons are perfect. Unfortunately, I threw it in the wash (cold) and it shrunk up and felted. It looks great but does not fit her anymore. It would make a lovely jacket for a 6 or 7 year old. It is so soft and such a beautiful colour.

All the squarishs have been sewn together and blocked. I'm still deciding whether to crochet some kind of border around it. The one in the pattern is too frilly for the colours and the more solid feel to it. I've pondered big scallops or perhaps a plain rectangular border or even leaving it as is. Here's what the colours look like outside. It will be wonderful in the autumn. A turqoise border? or green?

I have been working on a baby afghan in non-traditional colours. I was really taken with one in a Vogue Crocheted Baby Afghans book. I am using very different yarn. It's Rustic Yarn - 5 colours - burgundy, orange, teal, denim blue and green. They look quite amazing together if not particularly baby. I've had to rework quite a few of them as they are not all the same tension or perfectly square as you can see. There is one darker blue square in the set but after consulting with Hart and Thea decided not to put it in. It's nice but it's just brighter without it.

On March break, we decided to go North. We flew to Quebec City and stayed for nights at the gorgeous Chateau Frontenac. We all loved Quebec City. Every meal we had was delicous. Even the baguette and cheese from the corner store! On Monday, March 16 we took a shuttle bus to the Ice Hotel to spend the night.