Rare Moments

Mama doesn't get much extra curricular time during  the winter. My time off is limited and of course there are soooo many things to do! Friday was an unscheduled day off. We had really high wind and a lot of rain which kept the mountain closed. I took advantage of this sweet day off to spin some wool. I enjoyed it so much.

A Day In The Life of Pro Patrol

                              Getting ready to start the day...ski boots for 9 hours straight...yikes!

                                                Fixing fences and bamboo...safety first

                                The view from around 1500ft vertical...breath taking

 Training is always ongoing. Uses it or loose it! Self evacuation training, we must be able to get out of the lift ourselves in the event of an emergency.

                                      Checking our toboggans, ready to go when needed

                                             View from  the "OMJ" aka Blomidown

                                                      Repel complete, well done Jamie.
A glance at a day in the life of Pro Patrol at Marble Mountain Resort.

Here We Are

Winter is  cruising along quit nicely. It has been cold and trying at times. I work outdoors and at times it is almost unbearable really. But I carry on and get the job done ya know.  I have a great crew to work with and that makes all the difference in the world. We have fun together and laugh heaps. Conditions at the mountain are fantastic right now which also makes the cold bearable. Lots of snow, sweet snowboarding/skiing conditions, great mates. This is my winter.

What A Full Year

The magic of the holiday season is over and the new year is here. 2011 was a great year and I am sure 2012 will be full of wonderful times and memories to last forever. I am so grateful for all that surrounds me. I look forward to watching my little hearts grow and continue to amaze me. I look forward to growing more food in our garden. I look forward to adventures with my family. For now in this moment, being mindful of how fortunate I am, we are, to have health and happiness, I will embrace all that life has to offer.
Blessings today and everyday of this year.

Jan 2011...our precious Shanna with Sage and Malach

May 2011...Mama had knee surgery...great time to get some knitting done!



June 2011...Still couldn't bend my knee. Sage and Malach planted all the seeds.

July 2011...Fun beach timeAugust 2011...Getting our house finished. Outside and in.
Dada taking a well deserved break from all his hard work on our house.

October 2011...Spinning Demo in Cow Head, NL

November 2011...Papa Hollahan on parade, Remembrance Day.


November 2011...The West Coast Craft Fair. Lovely weekend, great local support.
December 2011...Off to get our Christmas tree.

And finally...Sage places our star on the tree...with a little help from Dada.

Where Does the Time GO!?

In all the rush and fuss of prep for the fair...my blog got sidelined . The countdown to the fair meant crazy late nights of fleecing and pricing hats. It always comes together but it wouldn't be normal if it was smooth sailing. Thank you to my precious helpers for making it possible...I feel like I making an acceptance speech...but really they are the best and deserve a medal! I am very grateful for the local support. The fair was an overwhelming success in so many ways...I could go on.(the photo above was my first sale of the weekend...little Jack.)
My season has shifted. I have returned to my seasonal job as Director of Ski Patrol at Marble Mountain. My body will soon be angry with me as it can be pretty physically demanding but I like that aspect of it actually. My schedule gets a little crazy. The balance of family and work is challenging. We figure it out and work towards having a fun winter...it's the way it has to be if you live in a place like snowfunland!
My blog entries will be scares...so I'll send out my happiest of holiday magic to one and all now.
Blessings

Four Days To Go

A seriously large box of finished hats. This makes me very excited and allows me to breath. On Friday my sister-in-law came out to my house when I was at work. She stay almost the entire day and put my hang tags on the hats for me. This kind of help, soooo close to the fair is so huge! I am very grateful for this. Thanks so much Auntie Anne...all my love sister!
I am down to the last 4 days before the West Coast Christmas Craft Fair. Some fleecing to cut and pin...labels to be sewn on still...heaps of pricing to do...but getting close and it actually feels possible.
Interestingly I find myself thinking...How do other crafts people manage to do several fairs and shows? Do they find themselves in a similar predicament as I??? Last minute frazzlement, wondering if I'll get it all done in time!?! I only do one fair. And every year it's the same craziness. I'm sure I'm not alone. It always gets done. It's always a team effort. It's the only way I can pull it off. So way to go team Knix. Shannan has been sewing fleece in the hats like crazy. Bill has been working with me on the new booth design...and on it goes.

West Coast Christmas Craft Fair November 25-27 Pepsi Center Conference Rooms.
Show opens noon on Friday.
Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm
Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm
Come early for the best variety....lots of one of a kind great quality work which goes fast!
SUPPORT LOCAL SUPPORT HANDMADE

Finally

I was a little nervous about the weather lately! Not sure if I was going to get the opportunity to plant my garlic. It's a little later than last year. I just haven't made time for much more than craft fair preparation. So Thursday past Malach and Mama spent the afternoon playing in compost and getting our garlic patch prepped and planted. Our compost was full of worms which fascinated Malach. We decided to take a family of four worms in the house to study for a little while.
So I was all ready to plant and I needed markers for the rows...I thought, I'm sure I have something in the studio...plastic knitting needles which I'll never knit with were the perfect thing for the job.
Just over 100 plants for next harvest if they all grow. yummy!

Dada has been very busy with wood, taking every "fine day" opportunity he can to get our wood stored. It seems most people in these parts are busy preparing for winter. 'Tis the season.

Photo Shoot

After 10 years I figure I need a new booth design. I am doing a series of images which I plan to collage and display in my booth this year. It sure was fun getting these precious little "big" hearts in my hats...more photos to come when I get time and other models to sport the Knix goods!

Great Day in the Studio

This is what 95 hats look like all bagged and ready for sewing! Yes 95 hats! One by one, they will be hand sewn. One step closer to completion...ohhh the fun stuff!!! PRICING:(
Another basket of hats ready to come back into the house...tonights homework I guess you could call it.

Fleecing

The "complete" pile is slowly growing!
In the studio today cutting and putting fleece in the hats. It's a process that's for sure.
My studio is so wonderful however this time of year it is so hard to keep it tidy and looking wonderful! It stills needs some organization, it just seems that I can't get around to putting in new shelves and rearranging to make the space more efficient. When I'm in the studio, I'm working and time is precious. Today Malach is with Nanny(Sage is finally well enough to return to school) so I'm using every precious minute to work on my hats...not tidying...anyways, back to the studio! Just had to come up for air for 5 minutes and have a bowl of soup :)