Lots of Time to Get it Right

Posted on December 12, 2017March 13, 2018 by Melissa Harrison

Now that the puppy is getting older, more mature and more laid back, I feel like I have a lot more time, or energy, – somehow more than I had before – to explore my creativity. I’ve been setting goals for myself lately to not just use this extra energy to explore and practice my photography hobby, but to also have more fun with it. Sometimes the more structured and planned out photo sessions, like this one, can be really stressful. I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect and get the right shots before the sun goes down, I get too cold, I get too frustrated and lose confidence in myself, etc., and it can really take the fun out of it.

I’ve caught myself saying the title of this post to myself and those around me nearly every time I pull my camera out. I’m encouraging myself to take it slow, take a chance, and not worry about getting something worth sharing with anyone. Just doing it for me. Strangely, I feel like this push to be creative, more than striving to be good, is inspiring me to grow as an artist, even after a lifetime of exploring this hobby.

Dress Larmoni
Coat Old Navy
Scarf H&M
Tights ModCloth
Shoes ModCloth
Mittens Roots
Button Sparkle Collective

Photos by me and Matt Harrison.

Harvest Pumpkin & Apple Kong Stuffing Recipe

Posted on December 7, 2017March 13, 2018 by Melissa Harrison

We bought two puppy Kongs for Pepper before we even brought her home. She loved them so much, we knew we would have to upgrade her to standard Kongs when her adult teeth came in. They have been great for teething, crate training, socializing her to the things she didn’t like around the house, or just keeping her busy when we need a break.

She gets a few stuffed Kongs a day as fun snacks to supplement her puppy kibble. I’m allergic to peanut butter, the go-to Kong stuffing staple, so I’ve had to get creative with puppy safe snacks. I usually stuff a couple of Kongs with canned puppy food, banana, yogourt and apples, etc in the morning and pop them in the freezer for later; but some days, she gets a special treat, like this Harvest Pumpkin & Apple Kong.

Harvest Pumpkin & Apple Kong

Yogurt is stirred into the pumpkin for a creamy seasonal treat. The apple and carrot are cut differently for an interesting texture and more challenging puzzle.

Ingredients

Makes enough filling for one large size Kong Classic.

1 heaped tsp pure canned pumpkin (not seasoned pie filling)
1 heaped tsp plain yogurt (we use 3% m.f.)
three thin apple slices, cut into matchsticks
three slices of carrot, cubed

Method

mix all ingredients in a small bowl and spoon into Kong
(optional) top with half a Milk-bone treat, for extra pizzazz
(optional) freeze for 1 hour for a longer lasting snack

All photos by me.

A Dress’s Last Hurrah

Posted on December 5, 2017March 13, 2018 by Melissa Harrison

I absolutely adored this dress for years. It’s comfy, casual jersey cotton but has a fuller skirt, ¾ length sleeves and tailored princess seams, so it always felt a little fancier. I could wear it to class or wear it to the couch when I had a cold and it always felt right. I thought little black dresses were magic until I wore this little red dress.

Sadly, nothing can last forever – especially jersey cotton. The bright red colour is now faded, the soft and comfortable t-shirt material is getting thin and distorted, and the stains just won’t come out anymore. The dress hasn’t been fit to wear outside the house without a sweater I’m committed to keeping on for a couple of winters now. It’s almost time to say goodbye, but not before one last hurrah! So here she is, my favourite red dress, in all her aging glory.

Dress H&M
Sweater ModCloth
Tights Pretty Polly

All photos by me.

The Pantry Project

Posted on December 1, 2017March 13, 2018 by Melissa Harrison

When we moved into our first house last fall, it was painted some creative colours. The bathroom was bright aqua, the dining room electric celery, the living room bright mustard yellow, and the kitchen lime green with the same bright mustard in the pantry. Before we moved our things in, we took a week to paint every room in more soothing tones. The whole house looked bigger and more cohesive but it was a lot of work and some things, like the colour in the pantry, fell by the wayside while we eagerly moved in.

I had been holding on to a plan in the back of my mind to use the two close blue colours I put in the living and dining rooms to paint the pantry cubbies with an ombre vibe to link them with the rest of the main floor, like the previous owners had tried to do. (I had more faith in my attempt with my all blues and whites colour scheme.) This week, I decided to finally try my idea!

I took the shelves out, painted the bottom two cubbies with the darker, living room blue, the top two with the lighter, dining room blue, and mixed the two 50/50 for the middle two. The effect was worryingly stark before I put the shelves back in, but after, almost disappointingly delicate. Still, every time I walk through the narrow doorway to the kitchen that contains the pantry, I feel quite content to not be assaulted by that colour anymore. It was definitely worth the quick four hours it took to prep and paint this small pantry project!

All photos by me.