Category: Dance

The highs and lows of your child’s first big commitment

Posted on December 10, 2019 by

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Even with the mood swings, being part of the cast of The Nutcracker has taught our daughter so much about hard work and commitment.

Category: Activities, Dance, Our Daughter, Parenting, The Mom Scene

Bodysuits are back (and easy to sew)

Posted on February 27, 2019 by

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Bodysuits are back (and easy to sew) How to sew kids' bodysuits for dance, gymnastics, or fashion {Heather's Handmade Life}

Fellow 30-somethings, remember the bodysuits of the ’90s with snap crotches?! And if you stretched or arched your back or breathed wrong, you’d pop one of the snaps open? And if they all came unsnapped, your bodysuit would start to hitch upwards until you…

Category: Dance, Our Daughter, Sewing

Checking out Chuck E. Cheese’s

Posted on July 24, 2018 by

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Checking out Chuck E. Cheese's {Heather's Handmade Life}

Our son turned eight earlier this summer and his birthday fell during our family’s vacation to Ontario to see my dad and stepmother. We’d toyed with the idea of taking the kids to Canada’s Wonderland for the day but it felt too expensive —…

Category: Activities, Birthday, Dance, Kiddos, The Mom Scene

I’m Heather Laura Clarke. I’m journalist and blogger in beautiful Nova Scotia, I have an 9-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter, I married my high school sweetheart, and this is the story of my handmade life.

I have depression and anxiety, and I fight like hell every day to keep it from taking over my life. Making things isn’t just a hobby — it’s part of what keeps me alive.

Whether I’m decorating a room, busting out my power tools to build furniture, getting muddy in the pottery studio, sewing clothes for my kids, or cross-stitching a swear word, I’m all about using my creativity to craft a life I love.

@HFXHeather on Instagram
“The biggest thing going off antidepressants taught me is that we’re all DIY projects — at least, we all should be. If we’re not actively working on being the best, truest, happiest versions of ourselves, then what are we even doing?” . . ❤️ NEW POST ON THE BLOG! ❤️ . . All about going off antidepressants You guys have been asking for it! So many truths. So many feels. HeathersHandmadeLife.com #mentalhealth #anxiety #depression #antidepressants #mentalwellness #deepwork #innerchildwork #acoa #allthefeelings I can finally show you the gorgggg King-sized HARRY POTTER quilt I sewed for our son for Christmas! His bed is only a twin now but I wanted to make sure this would grow with him. Plus, nothing better than a huge cozy quilt! Hit up the blog today because I’m sharing the full tutorial, including all of the fabric sources and the SUPER simple block layout. #quilting #quilt #quilts #handmade #handquilted #harrypotter #harrypotterquilt #harrypotterfans #harrypotterbedroom My son has long hair. It’s thick and silky and gorgeous and it flips out naturally at the ends. He loves his hair. I love his hair. But some other people? Well, they call him a girl. There’s a NEW POST on the blog today, if you’d like to read more about hair (his and also mine) and gender and annoying people and also why none of it matters. 💙💙💙 #parenting #boyswithlonghair #boyswithlonghairrock #boyswithlonghairdontcare 🎶 I always feel like 🎶 🎶 Somebody’s in my tea 🎶 Kitty-cat mug I made in pottery! 🐱 The mama cat is the handle and I sculpted a wee kitten and stuck it to the bottom of the mug as a “fun surprise” for unsuspecting tea-drinkers who suddenly spot something in their mug. 😉 #pottery #handmade #handmademug #potterymug #potterymugs #catmug #handthrownpottery The way this girl loves slime, it’s no wonder she loves Magic Mud (or “Oobleck” as the kids today apparently call it). Perfect indoor snow day activity. Mix three cups cornstarch with 1 1/2 cups water (approx.) and a few drops of food colouring to get a gloppy goop that you can pick up like a solid and then it then instantly to a liquid. My mom used to make it for me and my sister and it’s still really fun. Way better than slime because of the way it changes. Just don’t ask me to explain the science behind it lol. #snowday #again #snowdayfun #indooractivities #handmade #oobleck #magicmud #messy #butnottoomessy When you walk into a project area in your dining room that looks like a @craftsmanca photo shoot except you actually staged nothing! 😂 Can’t wait to show you guys how this BIGGGGGG project is turning out! #DIY #woodworking #furniture #DIYfurniture #buildingfurniture #design #custom #customfurniture #craftsman
@HFXHeather on Twitter
My Top Posts
DIY dog crate cover
Easy DIY sofa tables
What it's been like going off my antidepressants
Build your own slide-out pantry
Our board game wall
Super easy quilt top for beginners
How to make a backyard water blob
How to sew a cozy nap mat
Anne of Green Gables quilt
Upcycled wood and metal lockers
PREGNANCY blog posts
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© Heather Laura Clarke and Heather’s Handmade Life, 2009-2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Heather Laura Clarke and Heather’s Handmade Life with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.