a dress for baba + a birthday for me.

IMG_1.jpgtoday’s post is a very bittersweet one. first, i will begin with this dress tutorial.

when my baba passed away two months ago, my mum and i went through her house and began to decide what should stay and what should go. i found myself going through her closet and having a memory for each piece of clothing that was in there. when i came across her favourite plaid shirt, i just knew that i had to take it home and do something with it. we also had some denim in our home, and i thought that the two would make the cutest and trendiest dress. i bought my first pattern, and began to create what i call baba’s dress.

IMG_2.jpgthe first step was to choose a pattern.

IMG_3.jpgnext i cut the sleeves and bottom half off of the shirt.

IMG_4.jpgthen i followed the pattern for the skirt.

IMG_5.jpgi also added pleats (my first ever attempt). it was a success!

IMG_6.jpglast, i sewed it all together, made alterations, sewed some more, altered, sewed, altered, sewed, altered … you get the picture. ;-)))

1.jpg2.jpgi also made a huge mess since i do not have a sewing room. my cat loved it, though! however, perhaps leave this out of your own diy.

IMG_1.jpgIMG_3.jpgIMG_2.jpgIMG_5.jpgnow i can always wear something that once belonged to my baba. for that reason, this has become my most cherished dress.

IMG_6362.jpg IMG_6361.jpgreaders, today is my birthday. while i do not like to celebrate turning a year older (what woman does), i am spending the day with my family, as well as at a museum. that is the best gift that i could ask for.

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for baba.

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followers of hello scarlett may remember this post that i wrote in honour of my baba. at that time, her heart attack had only recently occurred, and she was slowly getting back onto her feet. i wrote it in hopes that we would be able to continue our weekly shopping trips, and because she more than deserved the attention and the surprise of finding herself on the internet.

this last sunday, my baba passed away.

i will never be able to describe what she meant to each and everyone that she knew. i will say that i will never forget our hilarious excursions, watching ‘i love lucy’ in the hospital, or spending weekday afternoons together (i was her home care and she was my entertainment).

my baba was such an amazing woman. she loved her family, and relished any company to come her way. she was funny. she was a fighter. she appreciated life and would not take no for an answer. i can only imagine what sort of trouble she is getting up to in heaven with her late husband, and with everyone who has passed on before her. i do know that our lives here will not be the same without her. 

i love and miss you, baba.

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favorite fridays.

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rhubarb mush.

i first tried rhubarb mush when i was living overseas in switzerland. growing up, rhubarb had always been one of my favorite treats, whether it was in pie, cake, or muffins. it was a treat that my mum or baba would only make for us during the summertime, and i thought of it as a rare and delicious luxury.

a few years ago, i moved just outside of zurich, switzerland where i was a nanny for four small children. although it was only for a short period of time, one of the things that i valued most from that experience was the introduction to many different kinds of foods. the children’s grandmother learned of my love for rhubarb, and so she made me this rhubarb dish in hopes of curing my homesickness. i call it rhubarb mush, which may not be the most appealing name. rhubarb sauce would be more appropriate, but the process of turning the stocks into mush has always stuck with me.

regardless of the name, this is one of my favorite treats.

rhubarb mush

(this recipe is only for 2 cups of rhubarb. i generally try to make around 6-8 cups of rhubarb, which is the perfect amount to be shared by many people. for larger batches, just alter the measurements accordingly.)

2 cups rhubarb

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup brown sugar

medium saucepan

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1. gather your rhubarb together. remove the leaves and wash the stocks.

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2. chop into small pieces.

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3. combine rhubarb with water into a pot.

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4. boil over medium heat until the rhubarb turns soft, about 10 minutes.

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5. every few minutes, mash the mixture until it turns into ‘mush’.

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6. turn down the heat, then add sugar. cook for a few more minutes on low.

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7. remove from heat and let cool. then eat it by itself, on top of pie or ice cream, or whatever your heart desires!

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for an even tastier treat, mix in applesauce with your rhubarb mush. sprinkle in some cinnamon and let your taste buds wallow in the flavor!

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favorite fridays.

shopping with baba.

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once every week or every two weeks for the past few years i would take my baba out for the afternoon and we would go shopping.

in just a few hours, we would always manage to go to at least four or five places. our second last stop was always to get groceries, saving our last to be a coffee date. she and i would always get the same meal, which must have looked very funny given that we are nearly the same height, with the same haircut, and eating the same food. i always joked to her that we were twin sisters, and she would reply that i acted more like her mum since i took care of her when we went out together.

last month my baba had a heart attack and since then everything has changed. we will no longer be having these shopping trips of ours. this makes me incredibly sad but at the same time i am so relieved that the outcome of what happened to her was not fatal!

this post is in honor of my baba. i love you. :-)

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  • Hello! My name is Emory. I am a wife, mother of four (three on earth in heaven). This is our life on the Canadian prairies.
    email: helloscarlettblog@outlook.com

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