I realized the other day that Abby has been part of our family for a whole year. It seems impossible to think of our home ever being without her.


Abby likes paper, sticks, Zeke, peanut butter, squirrels, Zeke, snow, puddles, tummy rubs and Zeke.


Her favourite napping spot is the “puppy hammock” made by a blanket over Rob’s knees when he lies on the couch.


She knows how to sit, lie down, roll over and go to her bed and will try to do all at once if you’ve got a really good treat.


Special treats include peanuts, carrots, cucumber, peas and edamame.


She can catch the word “squirrel” if you so much as think it and will look at you excitedly and then rush to the window.


She also knows the word “walk" and will rush to the door and lie down if she thinks you might be getting ready for one. If you’re too slow about it she’ll start making wookie noises at you.


We are getting pretty creative at coming up with other words to refer to going for a walk. It’s probably good brain exercise.


I’d never before been aware of just how expressive a dog’s eyebrows can be (or even that they really had them).

I’ll probably always refer to her as my puppy.

I'm participating in an ornament swap this year. It's being organized by the Small Fox and I signed up a little over a month a go. I spent a little bit of each day last week getting my ornaments made and photographed before sending them off. Each person in the swap makes and sends ten ornaments and gets ten different ones back.

I decided to make Moonstitche's Zakka Style Owls as ornaments (I just thread a piece of embroidery floss through the top of the head and hide the knot behind the face). I love this tutorial and have been wanting to make more of these guys for our decorating this year. I cut out a whole bunch and picked ten particularly cute little guys to send away. I used a bunch of different fabrics for my owls - corduroy, wool, suiting fabrics (that may or may not be wool), and even some velveteen I found tucked away - and made sure that the ten I sent out did not include any duplicates.

There is a Flickr group for the swap where you can see what other people are making and get loads of ideas for making stuff yourself.

Amy and I went through the bookstore on our way to get some coffee yesterday afternoon and saw something very exciting (and I can't remember why I didn't get around to posting this yesterday): a much anticipated new sewing book.


One-Yard Wonders looks like it is a wonderful project book but it holds some special excitement for me. Turn to page 125 and take a close look at the pattern you find there.


Can you see it? That's my name.

I'm still (impatiently) waiting to receive my copy. I haunt the mailbox and listen carefully for anything that sounds like a Canada Post delivery person on our front porch. I'll share a little more once I've got this is my hands. For now I'm just too full of excited anticipation to say much more than "Eeeeek!" or "Look, Look" to everyone I know.