there’s wonder in the world. i’m off to find it.

Image from Life in Motion Photography

My dear friend and doula, Avital, sent me a link to the most beautiful birth video I’ve ever seen. It’s a montage of black and white photos chronicling a home birth, and the most convincing ‘literature’ I’ve come across to encourage natural birth.

I encourage you to watch it.  

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Expect the next installment of Expecting: Poetry Monday morning.

I am spending part of this sunny Canada Day writing my next fashion column for Comment.

I often find myself asking the question: what’s the point of writing about fashion? (Or about any topic for that matter, be it strollers, art, bike rides — just a few of the articles I have in process at the moment). And then I stumble across a bit like this that reminds me that all things in life, if seen in the right light, have value, importance, even spiritual significance.

Syliva Plath seems an unlikely source but, then again, God’s great legacy is using the broken of us, right?

“…I wrote a very clever essay ostensibly in praise of style in all its forms as a religious devotee of style, defining it is that order, line, form, and rhythm in everything from the sonnet to the whalebone corset which renders the unruly natural world to becoming bearable.” - 

Sylvia Plath in Letters Home

Happy Canada Day everyone!

I am a female version of Gumby.
My hands like Jello.
Standing, clearing the table
a new ceramic bowl, now,
a thousand pieces
strewn across the floor.

It’s that time of year again. Within a week’s time three wedding invitations made their way to our door. Aren’t they lovely?

I always enjoy receiving couples’ unique stationery. The details speak to their personality and the type of celebration we can expect.  

Now, the tricky part: figuring out which weddings we can attend pre- and post- newborn.

Here are a few recent shots: 

At the salon (looking a little tired)

At home (my tank tops naturally make their way up like that, there’s no keeping them over the bump anymore) 

The tummy dip is rounding out nicely. It just took a bit of patience (something I’m learning a lot about these days — patience tying/trying to reach my shoes, patience remembering things, etc, etc.) Only about 8 weeks to go!

This had to be posted: Michael Jackson dies of a heart attack moments ago

This, it seems, is my fate: 

Any mommas concur?

So, I splurged.

Yesterday we celebrated Father’s Day with a visit to my dad and stepdad, but before stepping out of the house my husband got to experience his very first father’s day:

Eggs Benny. Homemade Hollandaise. Fruit Salad. Bacon. Fresh coffee. A letterpress card.

And tickets! to see Death Cab at the Coliseum next month. Woohoo!

I read this interesting article about how to bond with your preborn baby over the weekend. Apparently baby will be rocking out at the concert with us!

“Concert-going mothers report their preborn babies jump at the sudden sound of drums. In fact, from at least the 23rd week on, a preborn baby’s hearing is developed enough to enable him to respond to outside noise… Even the five-month-old fetus has been found to have discriminating musical ears.”  - From 7 Ways to Bond with your Preborn Baby 

And now Michael is off to Toronto for a week of work. Darling, I miss you already.

Since arriving home I have slowly been piecing our house together to make room for our new addition (due August 27, by the way.)

I’ve been purging, storing, cleaning and sorting every square inch of our home. I’m happy with the progress in all but our bedroom — the one room in our house that has always remained unfinished. Until now we’ve had two tall chests of drawers near the base of our bed, a set Michael inherited from his grandma’s deceased neighbour. (Grim, but true.) ;)

We’ve had our eyes open for a set of drawers for the past month or so, assured it is the piece to really complete the space.

I’ve had my eyes on some vintage sets, like this:

$250 at a vintage shop in New Westminster’s Antique Alley

and this:

But Michael and I differ in our affections (/repulsions) to retro furniture. (I love it, he hates it. Shocker.)

I’ve also been keeping my eye on Ikea, though our preference is for real wood. I’m particularly taken with the Engan collection.

Then, today, I popped into Value Village to pick up a VCR (I borrowed a prenatal yoga video from my sister-in-law and have also been dying to watch some of my old VHS favourites like Reality Bites and Fried Green Tomatoes) and I happened upon this find:

for only $35!

Sometimes a little determination and a little luck is all you need.