Style: 48 bottles

No worries, I am not talking about last night's excesses (I wish).
I'm talking about:

They are for watering the rabbits. Just in case you were wondering: currently there are 48 of them. And they have to be filled every single day, all 48 of them. It can get a tad tedious.

This is my second "outfit-post while doing chores"-attempt. On the agenda today? Watering and feeding the rabbits.

Some random posing in between.

Let me explain the next few pictures: Like I mentioned before, it snowed non-stop for 48 hours last weekend. We have 7 aviaries with wire ceilings for our birds. Here is the thing: if the snow is of the sticky variety, it doesn't fall through. Instead it forms a solid, thick layer on top of the aviary. A layer that gets heavier and heavier.
If it won't stop snowing or, even worse, starts raining on top of it, the aviary could eventually collapse.

I spent a good part of Sunday (and then again Tuesday) using a broom and knocking the snow off the aviaries. Let me tell you, it's not as much fun as it sounds. It's hard work (with your arms raised up the entire time), and you get totally soaked because the snow falls on you.

My hubby was away for all of it (lucky bastard), so it was me against the elements.
The only good thing? I'm getting killer guns here! Or at least I hope so.

I'm just re-enacting it here. The real deal was way messier!

Dress: ModCloth (no longer available, similar); jacket: H&M (old); over-the-knee socks: Payless; booties: Target; headband: Forever21 (similar); wrist warmers: Esprit (old); aviators: American Eagle

xo Miriam

Linking up with Lena B and Rachel.  

Okay, I shut up now

Dear friends, I have a confession to make. I may or may not be known for complaining once in a while a lot once in a while (I'm working on it!).
Case in point? The dreaded S-word. No, I'm not swearing, I'm talking about the white stuff: silently floating down the sky, sugar-coating everything and making life difficult.

You know, there is a time and place for everything in life. November, December, even January? Those are acceptable months for pretty snow/turning into slush/turning into mud.
But the end of February, after a few tantalizing days of brilliant sunshine and almost balmy temperatures?
That's just not fair.

It snowed non-stop for 48 hours all through the weekend.
I complained bitterly to anybody and everybody who would listen (and a few who would probably have preferred not to) how annoying it was. How much extra work. How I'm sooveritandIwantspringnowdammit!

But.

Yesterday I woke up to the most breathtaking sight. The sky was an almost electric blue. The sun was dazzling. And the snow sparkled and glittered like a million diamonds scattered about.
'Twas a slight to behold!

So I did what any self-respecting wannabe-photographer would do: jumped out of bed, squealed in delight, threw puppy out on the deck, slid into my trusty gumboots (pyjama pants and all) and dashed outside for a little picture session.

The morale of the story? Even something annoying (like snow in late February) has an upside. 

So stop bitching, Miriam!

Happy humpday!

xo Miriam

Linking up with Kathy, Liz and Nicole. 

Unglamorous farm girl

Last week I posted a little feature that I named Glamorous farm girl and it was a smashing success. Thank you all so much for the kind comments! You are the best!! But you and I already knew that. 

In the spirit of full disclosure I thought it only fair to show you what I really look like normally. I was waiting for a rainy day since they are so common around here, and make it look really miserable realistic. Instead it snowed (what up with dat?), which is unusual - we already had our one day of snow, why is there more?
(I took these on Saturday. A good thing too, because it has not stopped snowing and now I have to trudge through snow almost higher than my boots. It is dismal.)

Anyways, all I'm saying is, picture rain instead of snow and you get a typical day here in the winter. Enjoy!

 

Me, my feeding bucket and my posse. 

 Rinsing out the water bowl.

 Cleaning paddocks.

Anybody want to trade lives until spring? Hello...? Anybody...?!?

xo Miriam

Style: Flying in the snow

It's snowing!
I know, old news for most of Canada and America, but it is new news to us! Well, not that new any more, we are on the second day. I have to say, I'm over it. How about you?
It's supposed to be spring! It was sunny and sort of warm two days ago! What is this sh*t?!

Well, it did give me one of my "ideas". I thought to myself: "Uh, I could do a fairy tale-inspired Audrey Hepburn-esque photo shoot! It will look magical in the snow! Dreamy!" (When I talk to myself I get excited, thus exclamation points are in order.)

It didn't quite turn out as I had imagined. But it was fun! Now though, enough fun has been had. Snow, snow go away!

I hope it doesn't snow where you are!

Happy Sunday, Miriam

Linking up with Bonnie Rose.

The happily ever after

As a child, I loved fairy tales. Cinderella was my favourite. The idea of this all-encompassing love was something I strongly believed in and wanted to find for myself.
But one thing always bothered me: That the stories ended when boy and girl found each other. Isn't that when the story is just beginning? What happens to them once they are happily married? How does their story of togetherness unfold?

When I was 14, there was this boy who liked me. He was way older (19), and even though I was flattered, I didn't like him back the same way. My parents adored him though, he became a family friend, and came around to our house often.

I remember one particular Saturday afternoon. I was sitting in my parent's bedroom, sobbing my eyes out because he was going to come by later and I couldn't stand it any longer. I wanted to break up with him - which sounds ridiculous since we didn't really go out (we hadn't even kissed). But I had enough of his puppy eyes, the combination of hope and resentment, and how my family was such a huge fan of him. I just wanted to not having to see him any more. The combined expectation of them all was getting to be too much.

Coming back to me sobbing on the bed. My mom came in, asked me what's wrong, and with much crying I told her that I didn't want to see him any more. My exact word were: "I'm just not in love with him."

Her response was so shocking to me that I never forgot it.

She told me that true love doesn't exist. She said it was an invention of movie makers and song writers. She said that friendship, fondness and mutual respect are what makes a relationship work, not love.

I was flabbergasted. I couldn't believe it. None of my romantic dreams would become reality one day? But how could that be?

As a child I believed my parents knew everything. I thought that they had all the answers. At 14, I had reached that point where I started to doubt my parent's wisdom - but only sometimes. I still wanted them/someone to guide me, be able to answer all my questions satisfactorily, and tell me how to get the things I thought I wanted.

But this? This I couldn't accept. I didn't want to! The notion that love wasn't real was too awful.
We had a big fight about it, and I didn't end it that day with the boy, but soon after.

Over the next few years I subconsciously set out to disprove my mom's theory. I had two long-term relationships (long-term for a teenager - both lasted over 2 years) with boys I convinced myself I loved.

But I couldn't forget those words. There was this nagging doubt inside me - maybe she is right?
I was very happy with each one of these boys, and have fond memories. It didn't work out because they weren't the right ones, and I was too young.

My happily ever after started in the summer of 2002. But I don't want to focus on the courtship (don't you just love that word?) and the wedding.
This story is about what happens after. After the fairy tale ends. When the real story begins.

Danielle Dobson Photography

I found true love. I never lost hope that it does exist.
That man of mine taught me so much about love. He risked everything for us, because he believed in us and our love.

Here is the thing about love. It is messy, and real, and it hurts sometimes. It makes you go where you never thought you would, and makes you do things you never thought you could.

It is risky business. If you give your heart away, there is a risk you may never get it back. You don't feel complete without the other person.

But it is the most wonderful feeling in the world. I believe it is what we live for - to experience love.

Ours has only grown stronger. When I think back to our wedding day - which was a semi-sad little affair, where you got the sense that people had taken bets on how soon it would end - I can barely believe how far we have come. Back then, our love was a small little sapling. It has since grown into a strong tree. A tree that has weathered quite a few storms along the way.

Danielle Dobson Photography

Of course there are days where he drives me crazy. Where we are exasperated with each other. Where the little stuff seems so important. 

But there isn't a day where we don't tell each other how much we love the other person. He is the first one I want to call when something happens: sad, happy, or insignificant. 

The fairy tales got it all wrong. The story doesn't really begin until the happily ever after. That's when the real stuff happens: the mundane, romantic dinners, worries, cuddles, frustrations, hours on the couch, shared joy, arguments about everything and nothing, growing the family (one puppy at a time), lots and lots of work.

Real life. And lots of love. Bigger and stronger and better than we ever imagined on our wedding day.

Fairy tales are like that annoying Facebook friend who only shows us the best parts of their life. Boring! We want to see the other half!

Somebody should write a sequel...

Lot of love, Miriam

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After I posted this, Google Auto Awesomed my photo again. I couldn't resist to add it on!

Style: The sisterhood of the travelling dress

Girls, listen up. I have discovered a wonder dress! Remember The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie? About four friends who want to stay connected as they all go their different ways for the summer, and find this magical pair of jeans that they share? Those four girls had all totally different body types, yet the pair of pants fit each one perfectly. Magic!

And I, my friends, have discovered the dress equivalent. It is aptly called the Miracle Maxi Dress, and this time, this is no false advertising.

I have a love-hate relationship with maxi dresses. I love them, but usually not on me. Most of them have the tendency to make me look/feel frumpy, pregnant or stumpy. I'm 5'6", but in most I look way shorter and sort of squished together.

But this dress? Oh, it is magical! If you read the reviews on the ModCloth website (which are all glowing!) you can see that this dress seems to fit and flatter every body type: pear-shaped, tall, short, curvy, lean... whatever size you are, it will look good on you.   

It also comes in a creamy white/black version, which I am now extremely tempted to order as well. 

Spring is almost here, can't wait to start wearing this beauty out!

Dress: ModCloth; flats: OldNavy; belt: ModCloth (from this dress); jacket: American Eagle (last year, this year's here); gumboots: Dunlop; scarf: handmade by my daughter; hat: gift

Happy Friday!

Linking up with Lena B and Tara today.

Love, Miriam

P.S. I'm not getting paid for this review, this is 100% my opinion. But I think I should. ModCloth, if you are listening, what do you think? Gimme free clothes? ;-)