From what we’ve seen on instagram and pinterest, cactus- and unicorn-themed things are all the rage these days. I haven’t been into unicorns since I was about 8 years old, but cacti are a whole different thing. Tomiko and I first saw cacti when we visited Arizona around 1993, and we were awed by the […]
Home and Garden
- DIY
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Happy Kawaii Dryer Balls

Ever heard of dryer balls? I hadn’t until recently mostly because I try to air dry my laundry as much as possible. Sometimes though, the large items such as bedding need to go in the dryer in the winter. Using dryer balls helps fluff and aerate tumbling laundry. As usual, when I found out they […]
- Baby
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DIY: Hourglass Baby Quilt with Appliqued Dachshund

A few weeks ago, my best friend from grade 5 had a baby, so of course I had to send something to her in Finland! I sewed this hourglass baby quilt in various shades of yellow and green, since my friend didn’t know if she was having a boy or a girl. A variety of sunny yellows […]
Small Apartments: Arranging a Small Balcony

In December, Ryan and I moved into a two-bedroom apartment with a small balcony. We haven’t been able to truly take advantage of the balcony because of the Canadian weather. Over the May long weekend, however, I set everything up and have been enjoying sitting out here any time of day. We have space for […]
- DIY
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Gardening: Planting a Bloomin’ Flower Box

Ryan and I have a small balcony off the back of our third-floor apartment. Since the view of the garage isn’t that great, I decided to beautify the balcony with flower boxes. Naturally, I want to plant blossoms that attract bees and butterflies, but which will also last all summer. Native plants too, if I can swing it. And I’ll […]