DIY Summer Meets Fall Bouquets

Ottawa is in the midst of a lovely Indian Summer and we say with huge exclamation: "Thank You GOD!!!!" We love that you can still wear flats without socks, get in the car and not have to defrost, go running without any base layers, and we absolutely love the flowers that are still blooming! Our mama's garden is in the midst of transitioning, and with that brings the last of the flowers. To soak up all that floral beauty, our talented Leah has been making gorgeous arrangements. If you are entertaining this coming Thanksgiving weekend, or are just wanting to jazz up that old vase, try a Summer Meets Fall Bouquet!

What you need:

Vases, jars, posy ring, little bowl, whatever you want to place your flowers in : ) 

Classic summer flowers like daises, roses, geraniums, black eyed susans, etc. 

Branches from bushes that have gone red, or any Fall leaves, Pussy willows etc. 

What to do:

Leah likes to start her bouquet with a large flower, or bushy flowers that have a large blossom. Use that as your base and build your arrangement around it. Place your more fragile and delicate flowers around the edges. If you are using a Fall branch, place it behind the center flower to give some height. Basically have fun and experiment! 

Leah's birthday was the past week, and our creative dad and brother made her an amazing arrangement. They combined pinks, yellows, purples, and a tinge of red leaves. The result: A stunning centerpiece! 

DIY Topsy Tail High Bun

It's the middle of the week and that means: We need help with our hair!! Leah has been busy these days in hair styling school, learning how to snip, shape, and dye locks of hair. Thankfully last weekend she taught us a new updo one that takes only minutes!

It's easy, lovely and the best: it looks very retro. After Leah worked her hair magic, our Mama exclaimed that this is the updo she has been looking to have had every wedding, but hasn't been successful. Our Mama is a great admirer of pouffy hair. Well looks like she has now finally found the updo of her dreams.

What is this hairstyle? It is:

The Topsy Tail High Bun!
It's a super easy, vintage looking bun, one that even Charlotte and I can do on our very own. Thanks Leah!

How to do it:
































Step 1: Pull your hair back into a ponytail
Step 2: Using your fingers part the hair above the elastic, creating an opening.
Step 3: Pull the ponytail through the hole, from underneath up, ( the opposite of how you would normally flip the hair for a ponytail twist)  making a retro looking ponytail.
Step 4: If your hair is thin, tease a few sections to add volume.
Step 5: Twist and tuck the ponytail end underneath into the elastic, creating a full bun. Our hair is a little too thick to stay tucked in the elastic, so Leah bobby pinned the ends.


































Voila! Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Words From The Wise

Every so often we need a pickme up, something to make us stop, think and smile. The solution: A collection of wise words that soothe our soul.

Here are a few quotes for you today on art, faith, creativity and love. 

"We should see not so much to pray, but to become prayer." St. Francis of Assisi

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." Albert Einstein 

"Children do live in fantasy and reality; they move back and forth very easily in a way we no longer remember to do." Maurice Sendak 

"A true artist is not one who inspired, but one who inspires others." Salvador Dali 

"There is a 'holy middle class' which we can all be part of...I see the holiness in the patience of the people of God: a woman who is raising children, a man who works to bring home the bread, the sick, the elderly priests who have so many wounds but have a smile on their faces because they served the Lord, the sisters who work hard and live a hidden sanctity. This is for me the common sanctity." Pope Francis 

"Every portrait that is painted with feeling, is a portrait of the artist and not the sitter." Oscar Wilde 

"A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something." Frank Capra 

"It is more fun to talk to someone who doesn't use long, difficult words, but rather short easy words, like 'What's for lunch?" A.A. Milne 

"If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be." Dr. Maya Angelou 

"It is in the passion that the fullness of Jesus's love shines through. It is a waiting love. A love that does not seek control." Fr. Henri Nouwen

"When virtue and modesty enlighten her charms, the luster of a beautiful woman is more brighter than the stars of heaven, and the influence of her power it is in vain to resist." Akhenaton 

"People always make the mistake of thinking art is created for them. But really, art is a private language for sophisticates to congratulate themselves on their superiority to the rest of the world. As my artist's statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of deep significance." Calvin and Hobbes

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Waffles

Thanksgiving is coming up this weekend for all of us Canadians, and for us that means lots of delicious homemade goodies! This year our Mama decided to try something different and made these absolutely amazing Pumpkin Spice Waffles for Leah's birthday breakfast. We think they will make the perfect Thanksgiving breakfast,  along with leftover pie of course! : )

Our lovely Mama found this recipe and adapted it to make the fluffiest, dairy and wheat free waffles! 

Pumpkin Spice Waffles 

(adapted from Food.com)

You will need: 

2 1/2 cups of Spelt Flour or Gluten Free Flour Mix

1/4 cup of sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of ginger 

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

3 eggs separated 

1 1/2 cups of soya milk

1 cup of canned pumpkin puree

2 tablespoons of vegan margarine 

cooking spray

Directions

 

Step 1: Preheat waffle iron 

Step 2: Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg and baking soda in a large bowl. 

Step 3: Beat egg whites until almost stiff and set aside. 

Step 4: Whisk together egg yolks, soya milk, pumpkin puree and vegan margarine in another bowl. 

Step 5: Stir in flour mixture until a slightly lumpy batter forms. 

Step 6: Fold in egg whites to the pumpkin batter until combined. 

Step 7: Spray waffle iron with cooking spray; add batter and cook until waffles are golden brown, about 2 minutes. 

Serve with plenty of syrup!! Enjoy! 

Leah Love

Tomorrow is the feast of St Francis, and it's also Miss Leah's birthday!! Celebration time! Yahoo!! Time for cake, music and a girls night out!
In honour of her we have put together:

Two Leah Lists!

First: A list of gratitude for Leah Alice Elizabeth

We are grateful for:

Leah's kind, loving and serving heart. She is there to listen to our woes, help us fix our knitting mistakes, give us hair advice, help us with our outfits... We wouldn't be the Crazy Daisies without her!

We are grateful for:

Her love of God and desire to grow in holiness. Leah is a great witness of His love to us all. She inspires us to love love love.

We are grateful for: 

Leah's great eye for detail! Leah has a gift for working with flowers, working with hair, playing beautiful tunes on her violin and working with wool. She is perceptive and catches those little bits of beauty, whether it be through a beautiful arrangement or a tiny braid.

We are grateful for: 

Her love and devotion for the world of furry critters! Leah has always loved animals, and is the one who is there to help pick up dog doodoo and dog puke. We are so so so grateful!


We are grateful for: 

Leah's love for baking lovely treats, especially Mrs. Field's cookie bars! Leah is the BEST at baking these delicious squares.

We are grateful for:

Most importantly that she is our sister and a very special part of our family! We love you Princess Leah!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

































Second: Curious as to what Leah is loving right now?

Here is a list of Leah's Loves:

Oxford Shoes

This version of Jane Austin's Emma

Andy Warhol's Shoe Prints

Oliver Schroer's A Song for all Seasons

H&M is finally coming to Ottawa!

Vintage Baby Knits! So lovely

Homemade Hand Lotion

A good friend of ours gave us the lovely book: The Rhythm of the Family  by Amanda and Stephen Soule. It's a beautiful book full of gorgeous pictures and lots of projects. The one that caught our eye right away was the DIY flower essence lotion. We love fragrances of all kinds, and have a collection of perfumes, bath bombs, lotions etc.When summer comes around, Leah walks in the garden and collects lots of lavender and roses and fills tiny vases throughout the house. The result is a gentle soft fragrance wafts throughout our home all day long. Lavender is one of our favorite scents, and so we thought this would be a perfect opportunity to use the last of the lavender from the garden.

DIY Homemade Lotion
(From The Rhythm of the Family)

You will need:

a kitchen scale
a double boiler ( a heatproof bowl over saucepan of water will work too)
15 ounces of distilled water
a small strainer
2 1/2 ounces of beeswax
6 ounces of solid oil (coconut, shea butter, and so on)
12 ounces of liquid oil (olive oil, refined, cold pressed oils make the best lotions)
2 tbsp of fresh herbs/ flowers for infusing (lavender, chamomile, rosemary, mint etc
40 drops of essential oil of your choice to complement herb/flower you are using
glass jars or containers for storing lotion
a funnel
a spatula or wooden spoon
a hand mixer

What to do:

1. Make a herbal infusion by bruising the leaves of your flower/herb a bit by rubbing them together in your hands or working them with a mortar and pestle. Place the bruised leaves in a mug. Bring the distilled water to a boil and pour it over the herb. Allow it to steep (yes, just like making tea)  until it reaches room temperature. Strain the herb from the water, retainign the water to use in the next step. Discard the flower/ herb.

2. Using the double broiler bring tap water to a gentle simmer. Put the beeswax, solid oil, and liquid oil in the top of the double broiler. Heat the mixture (with the water at a gentle simmer) until everything has melted.

3. Remove the top bowl from the heat and water. Set it aside until the mixture reaches room tempertature. (If you have a candy thermomter, feel free to use that. But a finger test works too-it doesn't need to be preciese)

4. Slowly pour the infused water from step 1 into the oil mixture until it is combined evenly.

5. Add the drops of essential oil. Mix again.

6. Spoon the lotion out into containers. Label them well, and store the lotion for up to 6 months.


























































Enjoy! Check out the book below for more great ideas!

 

A Lovely Wooly Headscarf

Often times knitted hats can be hard to wear with long hair, as you always have to wear your hair down.
Plus the result of taking off a knitted hat can be: frizzy, funky, wild looking hair.

What's the solution to keeping your lovely ears warm, and your updo looking great?
A woolen headscarf to the rescue!

We were first introduced to this great pattern a few years ago, by our dear master knitter friend. She had made a lovely earth toned headscarf (featured here) as a birthday gift.
Our mama then made a few as gifts and the headscarf love spread.
Elese was given a vibrant red one and loves to wear hers while running in this cooler weather.

The pattern is easy, quick, requires only one skein of yarn and best of all it's free!! *Happy Dance*
It\s great for new knitters, and of course makes a nice special gift!


































Check out the pattern here on our favourite website Raverly!