Sweet Madeleine

Get with the program!

Hello! If you are seeing this post it means that you are at my old site (MadeleineSix.Wordpress.com), or have your email subscription set up there.  This means you won’t receive any new posts about Olive or Gus, or ridiculous adventures in automobile maintenance, not to mention missing out on my lovely new site design.

To remedy this, update your bookmarks or RSS feed to http://www.SweetMadeleine…

It’s no secret that I am a feminist .

And every time I say that, everytime, I feel like I need to give the whole “not-a-bra-burning-man-hating-feminist, but the radical, believes-woman-are-different-from-but-equal-to-men-and-should-be-afforded-the-same-rights-responsibilities-and-freedoms kind.” I mean, I love men. How can you not? Men are fantastic and capable and sexy and different. We women…

I have taken a break from house projects for a while, but here are some I was wrapping up before the Christmas holidays.

First was our table. I sold the one that was graciously left by the old owners, George and Betty, and scoured Kijiji for a secondhand oak pedestal table. I quickly found one that was just what I was looking for. Not much to look at, but it had a leaf so it is able to stretch…

A few photos from our recent holidays.

My birthday was yesterday, and I turned 31 years old. Olive and I are in Invermere, BC, surrounded with the sweet chaotic crush of four out of my five siblings, and their various assorted significant others and spouses.

It was an amazing birthday, and I think 31 is going to be a fantastic, strong year. Especially if yesterday was any indication. I mean, I got to second base on my birthday –…

Olive and I sit at our kitchen table.

Me: *rubbing my face* Oh god. I’m tired.

Olive: No. You not tired…

Me: (Raising my eyebrows at my suddenly very two-year old two-year old)

Olive: …you perfect. 

Nights used to comfort me, but something shifted a few weeks ago and now every evening as the sun sets I find myself gearing up to do battle.

It is somehow easier to be busy and occupied. But after Olive goes to sleep the stillness descends and my mind starts turning over and over, this perpetual motion machine that simply keeps churning away even as I lie there, willing to give almost anything…

The agony and the ecstacy

Early (verrry early. Like, 4:30 am early good lord) Olive and escaped the winter wonderland of Edmonton and took a plane to come bask in some balmy BC weather. We are staying with my mom in Victoria for a bit, and then taking a trip to see Adam’s family. Thank god for spontaneity and seat sales, right?

Olive is currently in Nana heaven, having been gifted with a tutu and a new (to her) pair of…

The lovely owner of The Sugar House Shop (creator of the advent calendar I am currently sequin-ing my way through) contacted me and asked me to pass on a code for 20% off anything in her shop – just enter SWEETMADELEINE at the checkout :)

My internet ramblings are now now saving you money! You’re welcome.

And thanks, Jennifer!

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Hello, world. It’s been a bit strange lately.

Radio silence is never a good thing thought, so let’s get back into the swing of things, shall we?

First of all I have been balls deep in sequins lately. The reason is CHRISTMAS! of course.

I am not a particularly crafty person. I enjoy painting the odd piece of old furniture, or a wall here and there, and I can crochet a bit, too, but that’s where…

Our room this time.

I have never done a dark paint colour. Grey is as far as I’ve ventured. I am now kicking myself for that because a navy bedroom is the best thing I have ever done with my life ever.

Enough jibber jabber, lets get to the goods. Please insert the requisite poor-photograph quality apology here.

Here is the beforebefore. When we bought our house. Fancy wallpaper and wall to wall…

          ***Occasionally my publisher, Viva Editions, asks me to review books by their other authors. This was one that I said yes to because I have always been fascinated about the science behind happiness, contentment, and gratitude – perhaps because I don’t feel like they come to me naturally.

I was provided with a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. ***

    I find…

If I had a DIY blog- which I would not ever have because I am so terrible at photographing the process and follow through of various millions of projects, but anyway – it would be called DIY After Dark. Because I honestly begin most of my projects after 10:30 pm on any given night.

Last night it was painting out bedroom navy. I only got two walls done (and no cutting in) before I needed to go…

Yesterday I had an interview scheduled for 6pm. Yay! I thought to myself, an evening interview!

I wouldn’t need a sitter, Adam would finish work at 5pm, I’d have time to make dinner and then have a lovely chat about my book and all things hippie. Fabulous.

Except, I happened to double-check the interview time (thank god) and realized that while it was indeed scheduled for 6pm, it was 6pm EASTERN…

At night I am the mother I want to be.

Nighttime has always been for just us, Olive and I.

In the beginning, when she was small, Adam would offer to take over some of the night feedings and give her a bottle so I could sleep. But he had to get up and go to work the next day whereas I could nap, and really I never minded, anyway. She wasn’t usually upset when she woke. I’d nurse her in the dim…

Sometimes you have days. Shitty ones. And sometimes the days aren’t even whole days, they’re just mornings, which is even shittier because how have you managed to get yourself into this state before noon?!

Sometimes those mornings look like waking up too early after staying  up until 4am because you finally discovered what all the fuss about Downton Abbey was really about (oh my god. Seriously.…