Saturday, December 31, 2011

Year in Review 2011

As my year of no shopping comes to a close, I have mixed feelings about it, which is totally unexpected!! Although I am excited and proud to have accomplished such a feat (Yay!!).... I am also a little sad! 
Over the past few days, I went through my entire blog (side note: not as many entries as I had originally intended....goal for next year maybe?) and it reminded me what a wonderful year 2011 has truly been. 
I will always remember 2011 as the year I.....

Played
I played football, fell back in love with yoga, read more, spent more time with friends,  and just did more of the things I enjoy.

Overcame
There were many obstacles in this year-long project and I found ways to overcome....or in some cases found ways around.... and in the process I learned a lot about myself.

Crafted
Whether to spice up my wardrobe or just for fun....my various craft projects this past year reminded me how satisfying it is to start with just raw materials and end up with something really beautiful. This year for sure renewed of my passion for crafting!

Traveled
This year was full of travel near and far! 
From short little getaways for birthdays and yoga retreats, to road trips for weddings and to see friends, family etc and then of course there was our fabulous trip to Peru to celebrate five wonderful years of marriage.....I have definitely been spoiled this year in the travel department. I have created memories I won't soon forget!!

Appreciated
How could I not? Look what I have accomplished this year!! They say there is a link between challenge and happiness because it reminds you that you aren't done....there is always more to explore and learn about yourself and life. Although it was not the goal of this project to become a happier person, I think throughout the process of rediscovering things I enjoy, learning to be more grateful for everything I have and focusing on experiences not stuff.....
I did end up having a pretty happy year!! 

I guess there is a reason all those project bloggers out there, like the J Project girls keep going back for more! From a year of not buying anything new in 2010, to a new project a month for 2011 and now starting in 2012 finally getting to that list of things you want to do in life by creating and working their way through a 30 before 30 list. Phew! 
Well I am hooked too....and so obviously there will be a new challenge in 2012 for the onelifetolove project so stay tuned for more details!
♥ Lindsay


Friday, December 23, 2011

Final results of my scarf project as promised.

So I finished the scarf that was inspired by The Kove's Mainland Warmer and I think it worked out quite well! 

The inspiration.....



Mine is a little bit long, and after finishing the entire thing, the perfectionist in me debated ripping the whole thing to make it shorter....but in the end I decided it would be nice to have the option of being long or short. I definitely like it better double-wrapped, but I think it looks pretty good both ways!!

My final product....not bad for $6 and a few hours of work.

♥ Lindsay

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Thanks Jill for saving my challenge!

So close to the end of the year I thought that the last few weeks of my project would be a breeze to get through....well turns out I had forgotten about....the Holiday Party!  Yep, that means there was one last test of my willpower, and let me tell you, it was a BIG one. You should have heard the thoughts that ran through my head to try and rationalize buying a new outfit for my husbands' Christmas party! The dominant one being; "If I bought something now, I would have made it over 11 months and that is pretty darn impressive". I even considered the fact that I could buy something and no one would have to know.....and that is the thought that snapped me back into reality. If I gave in now, what would have been the point of the past 11 months? So I vowed to find another way, and came up with three options. 


1. I could wear something I already own. Now, this posed a problem because Ty's co-workers have seen all my dresses at some point. Between weddings and previous holiday parties, I have worn every dress/fancy outfit to some event or another throughout the past 5 years. Chances are they would never remember, but I just couldn't do it!
2. I thought about making something, but who has the time for that at this time of year....especially with all my other crafting projects on the go. 
3. Borrow something from a friend. Now this is a good option, because most of my friends are my size (ish) and I know that a lot of them have waaay more fancy clothes than I do.....so I put out the call for a fabulous, holiday party worthy dress to wear for the evening! 


And this was the result....
I got to wear an adorable dress that I didn't have to spend money on (and probably never wear again) AND I didn't have to give up on my project so close to the end!! 
This was a great reminder that I don't always have to run out and buy something new for every event....sometimes it's a good idea to embrace your inner-thriftiness and use other resources (such as your friends' wardrobe) to look fabulous, without spending a dime!




Thanks Jill....you saved my challenge :)

 ♥ Lindsay

Saturday, December 17, 2011

More crafting...


So this project was not inspired by a craft fair, but it was something that I saw on Jillian Harris' design blog last year that I have been lusting after ever since! 
This fabulous pillow by Sugarboo from The Cross Design and Decor retails for over $100, but my version looks just as good (if I do say so myself) and I made it for under $10!! 




Materials: 
Neutral Coloured fabric (preferably with a bit of texture)- Free from a friend
Paint- Martha Stewart Multi-Surface paint in Vanilla Bean $5.99
Alphabet Stencils- $1 at Dollarama (plus they are sticky and reusable....talk about a deal!!)
Pillow Form- 99¢ in the As-is Department at Ikea
Stenciling Sponges- $1 for a package of 4 at Dollarama


I made the actual pillow case first and then turned it inside out and started stenciling.

I used masking tape to keep it straight and measuring tape to make sure that it was spaced out evenly....worked out pretty well I think. The key was having adhesive stencils....it was much easier without having to hold it in place.

I even added a little heart shaped patch that I stitched on with brown thread.....

And I also made the pillow two-sided because I couldn't decide which phrase to use. So on one side I did exactly like the original pillow (as above) and the other side I added a personal touch by using part of our wedding vows....'my hand, my heart, my love'. I thought since the pillow would be on our bed that it would be acceptable to get a little sappy :)



And voila....the final product in its rightful place on our bed. I think it matches the bedding nicely and freshens up the look of the throw pillows that I made ages ago and was starting to get sick of! (PS....LOVE my new iphone and the instagram app)



So the moral of the story is....never pay retail for something you can make yourself. 
Happy crafting!
♥ Lindsay

Thursday, December 15, 2011

It's the most wonderful time of the year.....

It's the most wonderful time of the year and I don't just mean Christmas time! In Vancouver, holiday season comes hand-in-hand with Craft Fair season. For me, it just doesn't feel like the holidays without a little baking and crafting, so the last few weekends I have been busy visiting Vancouver's best Craft Fairs and finally getting around to various craft projects that I have been meaning to finish all year! I have been attending holiday craft fairs for years, but because I rarely buy anything, I consider them to one of my safe places during this 'No-Buying' project. I always find things I love, but they are usually overpriced and I walk away saying...."I bet I can make that", so instead of loads of bags, I leave a craft fair with loads of inspiration! 


A few years back at the largest craft fair of the year, Circle Craft Christmas Market, I found the cutest blankets that have become my signature present for all my friends' babies. They were listed as $65, but thanks to ikea and my favorite Vancouver fabric store Dressew (downtown on Hastings), I was able to replicate them for under $10 each!!!


The inspiration from Admiral Road.....



And my versions.....





This year I skipped the Circle Craft Market and instead, my craft fair buddy Jill and I went to smaller, more local fairs...but even though they were small they were definitely not short on inspiration! We went to the Urban Artisan's Craft Fair at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown.

 There were tons of fabulous vendors, but in my opinion, the best booth there was i heart mondays. Now because 'I Heart Mondays' is Jill's friend Corinne's booth, you may think I am being biased, but I think that the adorable rustic display, tons of cute knitwear, accessories and hand-painted canvas wall art will speak for themselves. Cute right?!?
 If you like it, check out her i heart mondays etsy store 



And since it was my birthday, she gave me a pair of cute crocheted flower hairpins. Thanks Corinne!


This craft fair also had lots of cute cards that inspired me to not only make all my 'Christmas' cards this year, but also try my hand at 'New Baby' cards too.
 I like to recycle old Christmas cards by using them in different combinations to create whole new cards. 


And for the baby cards, I layered various crafting paper to create a pretty canvas for the cute alphabet stickers that personalize the cards for each purpose. 'Congrats' on the new baby for a gender neutral option, or 'It's a boy' for if the gender is known. Cards are so expensive these days, but the homemade alternatives are cute, easy and fun to make, so I am glad to have revived my love of card-making!



Next up was Got Craft? Lots of great ideas here....in fact we were so inspired we went straight to Michael's on our way home! 


My fave booth at this craft fair was by far Kove West Coast Knitwear! I was drawn to the natural  colours she uses in her knitwear, as well as the chunky textures. Everything looks like something you want to wrap yourself up in and take a long walk along the beach or in the woods. Cozy, warm and West Coast stylin'.....love, love, love all her stuff! Now being a long time 'crocheter', I know that her prices are not based on cost of materials (yarn is ridiculously cheap) but reflect the time put into the pieces she makes. I would estimate that each piece takes about 4 or 5 hours so if you don't know how to crochet, then the prices are totally fair, but I just can't bring myself to pay for something that I can easily make myself. Plus there is the added bonus of bragging rights. "Oh, you like this scarf? Thanks, I made it!" So below is the inspiration for my next project...the infinity scarf from Kove. I picked up the yarn at Michael's for $6 and now all I need is a solid few hours to actually make it.



Stay tuned for the final product....

♥ Lindsay




Friday, December 2, 2011

The Home stretch

It is December which means, not only have I officially entered the last 31 days of my challenge (Yay!) but it also means that Christmas is just around the corner. Soooo.... I have been spending a lot more time at the mall lately. Talk about temptation! But to be truthful, it hasn't been as difficult as I had anticipated because I have always found shopping for others just as fun as shopping for myself. So, in fact I think that the holiday season has given me the perfect excuse to shop, without the actual act of buying things for myself.....filling the shopping void so to speak! However I will admit that I have had a heavy hand in 'helping' my husband shop for me....but that's nothing new, I have always given him not-so-subtle hints about what is on my Christmas wish list. It's not that he is incapable of picking out gifts.....far from it actually....in fact there were gorgeous diamond earrings waiting for me in my room the morning of our wedding, he has picked out some of my favourite purses over the years and just yesterday he surprised me with a beautiful necklace with three diamonds on my 30th birthday (one for each decade). Sweet right? Come to think of it maybe I should think about giving up control and succumb to the surprise once in awhile....hmmm maybe next year :) 


But speaking of birthdays, December also happens to be my birthday month so, yesterday I was showered with gifts from my friends and family!! It was wonderful to have a few new things to tide me over for the rest of the challenge. Between that and Christmas, these next 29 days should be a breeze to get through! However some of the gifts have raised an interesting question. At the risk of sparking another controversy (a la the flat iron debate of January 2011) ...does spending a gift card count as buying something for myself? Or is it a gift that I just get to pick out? I tend to defer to the 'guilt factor' for advice when faced with a contentious issue surrounding this challenge. I ask myself, not only if I can rationalize it, but also will I feel guilty afterwards? There have been quite a few situations that I have been on the fence about....you have all read about my few loopholes....and in the end I haven't felt guilty about any of them. My first instinct is that spending a gift card is a little too close to buying something for myself, so to avoid any potential remorse I might just wait until January....it is only a few weeks away after all! Thoughts? 
♥ Lindsay

Saturday, November 12, 2011

I think this no-shopping project has made me a better wife

No really...hear me out! My hubby has been whining about how he is so sick of his wardrobe and he hates nearly all his clothes...blah, blah, blah. Cry me a river! I mean I love you babe, but forgive me if my first response to your new found wardrobe woes was not a sympathetic one. Once I got past the initial disbelief that he was coming to me (the girl who hasn't shopped in A YEAR!!) to complain about how badly he needs to go clothes shopping and resisted the instinctive "woe is me"...."You think you need to go shopping....what about me??" sort of responses I snapped back into loving wife mode and instead offered to take him shopping. We talked about what he doesn't like about his wardrobe, decided what he needs most and made a list of items to look for on our little expedition. There was quite the role reversal on our trip to the mall....instead of me leading and him following, my hubby lead the way to all his favourite stores and for once I was the one waiting attentively outside the change rooms ready to give my honest opinions and help with decisions etc. However, there was one role that I always stay true to on any shopping expedition...whether I am shopping for me, my husband or.....anyone for that matter I am forever the savvy shopper!! I helped him find great deals at stores he wouldn't normally set foot in and saved him $50 with my bargain-hunting skills. See aren't I such a great wife?? A totally selfless shopping trip....well mostly selfless at least....I did make a few mental notes for items to add to my 2012 wishlist....hey I didn't say I was perfect! I am still holding to my statement that this no-shopping project has made me a better wife or at the very least a more attentive shopping partner :)




New Additions to the 2012 Wishlist:

Chunky Knit Sweater

Adorable Minnetonka Moccasins!!




Lululemon Gratitude Wrap- perfect for apres yoga. Cozy!
These are the comfiest runners I have ever put on my feet! 





♥ Lindsay

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Operation: Renew my stale wardrobe

I don't know if anyone else does this, but with every change in season I do a few minor adjustments to the arrangement of my closet. It usually involves making the current season's clothing the most easily accessible and putting the rest in storage or at least out of the forefront of my closet. So as the warm, sunny days get fewer and further between I have come to terms with the fact that Fall is just around the corner. So it's time to prep my wardrobe for the cooler weather ahead, which means bringing out the sweaters and putting away the shorts and sundresses. To be honest, this is a welcome change for me, because on a cold, crisp day I love nothing more than wrapping up in a warm, chunky knit sweater with a cup of tea. Now don't get me wrong, I love Summer too.....and part of me is sad to put away my beloved flip-flops until next year, but I am also pretty excited at the prospect of getting to access a part of my wardrobe that has been in hiding for the past 6 months or so! I feel this way with each change in season, but I think it is even more pronounced this year because without buying anything new, it is really my only opportunity to feel a sense of renewal in my wardrobe that starts to feel kind of stale by the end of a season. Or so I thought. As you know, this year I have used the hanger test to monitor how much of my wardrobe I am actually wearing and how much is just taking up space. What I have discovered is that although I am more than 3/4 of the way through the year that doesn't necessarily mean I have worn 3/4 of my wardrobe. I still have quite a few items that I haven't worn yet this year, in fact, when I pulled all the items with un-turned hangers out of my closet I was able to make no less than 10 fall appropriate outfits! So, operation: renew my stale wardrobe was born. For one week (next week specifically) I will be wearing only items that I have not yet worn this year, and judging from what I have to work with, I don't think I will even have to wear the same thing twice. Talk about a reminder to appreciate what I have......just what I need to get me through these last few months of this project!

♥ Lindsay

Friday, September 16, 2011

The French word for memory is souvenir......

so according to my logic, making memories in Peru means buying souvenirs. Right?!? Ok...so the actual translation is 'to remember' not 'memory' exactly, but the point is that the memory and souvenir are VERY closely related and therefore in order for me to remember my recent trip to Peru it was necessary for me to buy some souvenirs. So this is my long-winded way of rationalizing a few tiny purchases that I made in Peru.....I mean, really when am I EVER going to be able to buy an alpaca sweater for $15 or buy jewelry made from Andean Opal and Peruvian Turquoise while actually IN Peru? I will have them forever and they will always remind me of my trip to Peru. So, call it what you will.... cheating or just simply finding a loophole (souvenirs are not technically on the no-buy list), the point is that my focus is still on making memories and doing the things I love in life, and I don't think that buying a couple of souvenirs compromised the project in any way. Looking back on the past year, there have only been a few contentious situations (the flat iron, the bras and now the souvenirs), so I must say that if an entire year goes by and these are my only speedbumps, I can still be pret-ty proud of myself and I hope you agree!

Now that we got my little admission/rationalization of 'cheating' out of the way....check out my hubby and I on our awesome trip to Peru! We spent a week in Cusco and hiked to Machu Picchu then headed to the Coast for some surf, sun and relaxation....or as I like to call it...a week in heaven. What a great way to celebrate 5 years of marriage!!

 Cusco 


At the market in Cusco City

Beautiful architecture.....
and TONS of stairs






Viva el Peru!


 Machu Picchu

Aguas Caliente- the starting point for our hike to Machu Picchu

We had some 'typical food' to fuel our hike for the next day




Ya...we also climbed that giant mountain in the background....no big deal



We made it to the top....group photo time!



Post-hike we obviously had to put on our alpaca sweaters and have a few celebratory drinks

Next stop was Lake Titicaca

One of the floating islands on Lake Titicaca


Taquille Island



 Mancora


Drinking coconut milk from straight from a coconut and taking a photo of it...we are such tourists in this photo!

So luxurious to have read two entire books in one week....alot of time was spent in this hammock reading.
Oh how I long to be back in relaxation mode......
Mancora sunset

We splurged and got a 3 hour couples massage at a fancy resort.....it was such a treat!

On our second-to-last day of the trip and post-massage.....don't we look happy and relaxed!?!

Our two weeks were filled with new experiences (Ty leaving North America for the first time ever...YAY!), exciting challenges (lost luggage, language barriers and altitude sickness....oh my!) and adventures (climbing Machu Picchu with an awesome group of people, enjoying Peruvian delicacies like guinea pig and surfing the beautiful beaches of Mancora), but overall, it was a great reminder of what life....and this project for that matter .... are all about.
We only have one life to live, but you really can't go wrong if you are spending time with the people you love....doing the things you love....and living a life you love!
Lindsay