double happiness

getting back to it...

2012-01-28T14:40:00.000-04:00

It's been a bit of a slow starting new year, with some illness thrown into the mix. But, I'm slowly getting back into things, including listing a few items in my Etsy shop today. More to come, including some dayplanners and artwork.

holiday market blitz

2011-11-11T10:45:00.000-04:00

It's holiday market season! We'll be at the NSAC Festive Craft Market in Truro (November 12 - 13, 2011), the NSDCC Designer Craft Market on Pier 23 in Halifax (November 18 - 20, 2011) and the Halifax Crafters Yuletide Cheer Market at the Olympic Centre in Halifax (December 3 - 4, 2011). Stayed tuned for more possible dates. Look forward to seeing you soon!

pinterest addiction

2011-08-18T17:09:00.000-03:00

I am a bit addicted to Pinterest these days. It's a place where I keep track of all the interesting things I like on the web, plus discover what other people like - eg - super cute t-shirt above. A dog in glasses? Well, I never! Check out all my pins here, and follow me if you'd like. I'd love to see what you are pinning!

TIBS Family Dinners

2011-08-12T10:11:00.000-03:00

A couple of weeks ago, we had dinner at our favorite local cafe, Two if By Sea. TIBS is not normally open for dinner, but periodically co-host "Family Dinners" with chef Renee Lavalee (aka the Feisty Chef). The dinner we attended was in celebration of Canada Food Day, and was fully vegetarian. I was wonderful to have a whole meal full of delicious vegetarian options, like the amuse bouche of wheat berry and quinoa salad with baba ganouche, sour cherries and gooseberries pictured above - yum!

The dinners really are served family style - we shared huge bowls of food with our lovely table mates at large communal tables, and like a typical family dinner - there were even leftovers to take home at the end of the night! Thanks to the team at TIBS and the Feisty Chef for a wonderful night. We can't wait to do it again!

Art vs. Craft

2011-08-11T10:40:00.000-03:00

I will be selling my work at the inaugural Art vs. Craft Halifax next weekend. It is at the Halifax Forum from 11 - 6, and there will be 45 tables with talented crafters from around the HRM and Nova Scotia. I will have a few of my little bird artworks there, and am working on something new that I hope to have ready to debut by next weekend. Look forward to seeing you there!

Arcade Fire

2011-07-31T17:27:00.000-03:00

Saw Arcade Fire at Alderney Landing ( just a 15 minute walk from my house!) on Thursday night. They were absolutely amazing. I went to the concert really liking their music, and walked away absolutely loving it. If you are not familiar with their music, check out their CBC Radio 3 page. You won't be sorry.

It all started with the Tour de France...

2011-07-29T12:35:00.000-03:00

...after about 20 years of not riding a bike, I got a new one yesterday. We were watching the Tour de France, and Martin mentioned that it would be fun if we both got bikes. A week later, and I am the proud owner of the Trek Pure Lowstep 2010 model - I bought it used (I prefer the colours available this year, but beggars can't be choosers!) - and I love it. Getting on that bike literally made me feel like a kid again! It's comfortable and fun to ride, and yeah - I think it's pretty cute. I have a basket on mine as well. The plan is to commute to work via bike/ferry along the waterside trails, avoiding city streets as much as possible. I don't think I'll be ready for the Tour anytime soon, but give me a nice flat country like Holland, and I'm there!

No Knead Bread

2011-07-24T18:54:00.000-03:00

I've been doing a lot of cooking lately. One of the things I've tried is the no-knead bread from Jim Lahey's "My Bread." It's really good. It tastes like something from a specialty bakery - I'm amazed at how it turned out. The only thing I don't like is the long rising time - I'm wondering if I can keep the unbaked dough in the fridge and take it out as needed, like they recommend in this book. Anyhow, it's a revolution in baking, and I'm really glad I tried this!

Little Birds

2011-06-27T21:07:00.000-03:00

I've been away from the computer quite a bit. We just completed a bathroom renovation (photos will follow when the finishing touches are complete) and a postal strike has made my Etsy shop very quiet. But, I've been feeling creative lately, and have completed some new artwork - just in time for the end of the strike! These little birds will be appearing in my shop over the next few days, and I hope to be appearing in this place a bit more often.

more mexico

2011-05-18T11:03:00.000-03:00

the view from here...

2011-04-12T20:44:00.000-03:00

Arrived back from Mexico today. Had a fantastic time, despite spraining my ankle the night before we left. It didn't matter too much though, as our itinerary of eating, drinking, swimming and lounging was not too strenuous. I'll be back soon with a few more photos.

away to mexico...

2011-03-31T10:29:00.000-03:00

On Monday, I am heading off to Mexico with my mom. We will be staying near this beautiful place, Tulum, and I am so looking forward to the sun, swimming in the ocean, snorkeling, relaxing - and, of course! - the food. I plan to eat a lot of guacamole. I will be back here soon with some photos.

thinking of japan...

2011-03-16T18:32:00.000-03:00

The arts and crafts of Japan, and the Japanese way of life, have been such an inspiration to me for so long. It's so sad to see what is happening there right now. I have decided to donate 10% of proceeds from my Etsy shop to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts until the end of March.

day planners on the canadian living craft blog

2011-03-06T11:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Austen for the shout out about my planners on the canadian living craft blog. It's so great to hear how she's customized her planner - gives me lots of inspiration for future planners!

sundays are cook days: the muffin edition

2011-02-27T18:15:00.000-04:00

As part of this week's big cook day, I did a batch of our favorite muffins. They come from Terry Walters' excellent book Clean Start. They are vegan, gluten-free and delicious. It amazes me how wonderful all the recipes I have tried in both Clean Start and her other book Clean Food are - without the addition of oils, gluten or refined sugars. I have also had other vegan cookbooks that require expensive specialty ingredients or processed meat substitutes - Ms. Walters relies on neither for her scrumptious recipes. This is the Zucchini Carrot Muffin from Clean Start. The recipe is not online, but I think that buying the book is well worth it - just for these!

portrait of isabella blow

2011-02-24T14:29:00.000-04:00

I saw this portrait of Isabella Blow by Noble and Webster on Garance Dore the other day and I can't stop thinking about it. Beautiful, creepy, disgusting, inspiring. I think what I like about it the most is that it challenges all of my ideas of what a portrait is, and what it can be.

the delicious miss dahl

2011-02-22T17:44:00.000-04:00

As a fan of the book Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights, and of Miss Sophie Dahl herself, I was thrilled to see that she has a show based on her book, which is currently showing Sunday nights here in Canada. She has a simple approach to making mostly vegetarian food - she doesn't eat meat herself, but will cook it for others - and is just a treat to watch. She cooks on a giant white Aga in a beautiful, vintagey kitchen that I would love to own. Some people have criticized the show because she isn't a chef - but I think that's precisely what I like about it. Sadly, I hear that the show has been cancelled by the BBC - so I am going to savour the existing episodes. If you'd like to try one of her recipes, I have made her flourless chocolate cake a number of times, and it's divine. Just use a really good chocolate, like Green & Blacks, and you can't go wrong.

sundays are cook days

2011-02-21T18:07:00.000-04:00

I've started spending the better part of my Sunday cooking and shopping for the week ahead. I usually try to bake some muffins or sweets and also a soup and a casserole for us to eat that day, and pack up for lunch over the next few days. We are trying to be mostly vegan - at least during the week - and there aren't a lot of choices out there. And - it's also fiscally responsible! Anyhow, this week's cookie is the "Can't Stop, Won't Stop" Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie from Everybody Likes Sandwiches. Great blog, great cookie.

holga self-portrait

2011-02-20T10:46:00.000-04:00

Thought it was time for a new profile shot, so I did this self-portrait. The holga effect is mainly to hide the cluttered background. I hate having photos taken, so this is a big deal. Note, new glasses. You can't see from this - but they are purple with tortoise-shell arms.

melrose & morgan

2011-02-06T10:08:00.000-04:00

Melrose & Morgan - possibly the most beautiful grocery store ever. (via Remodelista)

more day planners

2011-01-31T21:48:00.000-04:00

A few of the day planners I've been working on recently - and I just listed them all in my Etsy shop.

Living Room - Before and After

2011-01-25T21:30:00.000-04:00

So, this is the final installment (for a little while anyhow) of the house makeover series. Above, you see the living room when we first moved in. The main change that we made immediately was to replace the laminate floors with hardwood. Which, as you can see, left us little money for furnishings! And, left me little money for jeans. I know it was only six years ago, but those jeans are truly tragic - what was I thinking? The paper lantern was a desperate attempt to cover up a dated brass and glass light fixture.

And, here is the after, from the same vantage point. We have basically new everything, except for our couch. All were inexpensive finds - the chandelier was again found curbside, the TV cabinet from a used furniture store and the chair and coffee table are from a major department store.

This is the living room from the couch, looking toward the hallway. Our fireplace doesn't work, but I just love it as a focal point. We have an electric heater in there for cold days. As well as my "Keep Calm" print, I have a "Good Day" print from local artist Anna Stowe (love her work - check her out!), a little German figurine from my trip to Austria last year and a carriage clock from my grandmother. The big, chunky mirror was also one of my grandmother's old pieces. The large glass ball is an antique fishing buoy.

This is from the chair, looking in to the dining room. I like the way that the downstairs of our house is so open, and all the rooms connect.

These are some chairs that I picked up at a yard sale and had recovered in a red boucle. All the cushions in the room come from Ruby Stella Home on Etsy. I just love them.

And, here is Milo on his favorite perch! (Note: the ignored dog bed in the corner) He is, by far, the best thing in this room.

Dining Room - After

2011-01-24T17:28:00.001-04:00

Continuing on in my house makeover series, I present...the dining room! I don't have a before picture of this room, but trust me - it was horrible. There was a 1970's brass light fixture, which I replaced with this curbside find. It was also brass, but it's been spray painted white. The disco ball was added as a Christmas decoration a few years back, and I liked it so much, it stayed.

My collections of books and artwork are displayed on two Expedit shelves from Ikea. Most of the artworks are small pieces in ready made frames (the large piece is a Camilla Engman tea towel from Third Drawer Down, the lemon painting and dog print were purchased locally from Seeds Gallery, the Yeti is from Owly Shadow Puppets, the lady in the teacup is a trade from Dawbis, and the white ceramic piece was a gift from the lovely Shona of Lala Dex Press).

A change I made just recently is replacing the fabric on my dining room chairs with this pretty yellow chevron. A quick and easy change which - hopefully! - picks up on the yellows in our printed curtains. The dining room set itself was from a local used furniture store, made by a Canadian company called Kaufman, which no longer exists. I'm not sure if it really has much of a pedigree, but it's solid wood and I like the mid-century lines. It also has two leaves, so we can have huge dinners or spread out lots of work.

I would still like to get a rug, and to recover the ottoman you see in the back there - we use it for extra seating when we have more than four diners. But, as with the rest of the house, it's all a work in progress!

Before and After - Kitchen

2011-01-23T20:17:00.000-04:00

We have had a mini kitchen makeover in the works for awhile. We have been living in this house for about six years, and the kitchen, literally, started falling apart. We would love to rip it out and start over again, but decided to just paint, tidy things up, and install some new hardware until we can save up for a full reno. This was done over a period of years - it took ages. We painted the cupboards about a year after we moved in, and then had a new sink and countertop installed a few months ago. Anyhow, without further ado, here is the after....

This photo was taken from the exact same angle. The Chinese lantern was a gift from our neighbors when they went to New York. We have it there to distract from the horrible lighting fixture that we haven't got replaced yet. As you can see, there are still a couple of little jobs left to do (naked plugs need a cover!) but overall, a big improvement. Oh - and I almost forgot to talk about the floor! Those are peel and stick tiles. They are not the typical shiny vinyl ones though - they are a bit thicker and have a duller finish. Kind of a fake slate. My mom and I installed those over a weekend. I didn't want to take the quarter round up - so it was torture! We had to try to cut the tiles to fit exactly. My advice - take up the quarter round.

Here are the open pantry shelves. I love having all of my flours and things visible. I keep adding jars as I get more grains. The "backsplash" is paintable wallpaper. I painted it semi-gloss white, and then painted it with a special roller that only paints the raised bits. I painted it to match the walls in Martha Stewart's "Spring Melt" paint from Home Depot. I am planning to trim out the edges with some white trim - but I haven't got around to that yet. It is surprisingly wipeable when I've splashed things on it.

This is the stove area. Previously, the fridge and stove were just kind of "floating", so I rescued an old steel lab table from the University where I work and painted it white. We have a lot of bottles and cans stored under it, and the large basket in front holds things like foil and plastic wrap. The old laundry cart is our recycling station - I put papers and bottles in the wire baskets underneath. The chalkboard wall is always the first thing people comment on when they come in - we use it to write shopping lists, menus and "welcomes" to friends that come by for a visit.

We put these little floating shelves up above the stove to store odds and ends - pretty things that I don't want to keep tucked away.

This is the area above my dishwasher where I keep some of my cookbooks (yes, this is just some of the collection!) and our fruit bowl with it's little wicker hat. The cookbooks are where the previous owners had their microwave, but I vehemently anti-microwave (I know, it's weird - but don't even get me started), so we use this nook for cookbookery. As you can see, there is a sneak peek into the dining room, which I'll talk about in an upcoming post.

All in all, I'm happy with the improvements to the kitchen. Looking at the before, I'm amazed at how far we've come! But - there is still room for improvement. Because I love to cook so much , I need a space that is a bit more functional with more storage and a better work triangle. But, this will come with time.

a perfectly kept house is the sign of a misspent life

2011-01-17T20:56:00.000-04:00

I like the look of this book by Mary Randolph Carter. Check out her awesome office on The Selby.

hooded perfection

2011-01-13T16:54:00.001-04:00

I get obsessed searching for the perfect thing - perfect boots (I think I have found them - Frye Paige Riding - but I need to save up!), perfect pizza (so far it's Caffe Moretti, but I am still looking) and the perfect raincoat. I think I might have found it in the Gregg Coat by BB Dakota. I am not sure how waterproof it is, but I just love the slouchy, oversized look of it. It comes with a belt too, but I think I like it just like this. Could the search be over?

the society inc.

2011-01-07T10:26:00.001-04:00

Martin spent this Christmas visiting his family in Sydney, and when he asked if there was anything I wanted him to bring back, I immediately asked for the book Etc. by Sibella Court. I have loved Sibella's style since seeing her NY loft in a magazine a few years ago, and my love was further cemented by seeing the "Man Shops Globe" Sydney episode. Martin said that her shop, The Society Inc., was in a bit of flux when he was there. They are in the process of turning it into an old school hardware haberdashery - swoon! I just think it's amazing the way that Sibella has taken her passion for collecting old things and turning it into her work. I have that same passion, but my family and friends would just call my stuff "junk".

(Image from Society Inc. website.)

new year, new book

2011-01-06T16:18:00.001-04:00

It's been ages since my last post. After a very busy Christmas season, I just felt like relaxing with friends and family - far away from the internet. But now, I'm back - and I wanted to show you some of my new work. I have started making day planners - I worked with a very talented graphic designer to create the pages and bound them as little binders. They sold really well at my shows, but I did have a few left that I just put up on Etsy. There are a few designs available, but I think that the linen and twill is my favorite.

And, when you open it up, the endpapers have this cute bird/butterfly print - it looks like a vintage wallpaper. The insides have blank spaces where you can write your own dates, so it's not too late to start planning! Maybe I should start one so that I could be more organized and post on this blog on a regular basis. ( :

Have a happy new year filled with all the best things! I will see you back in this space soon!

This Christmas...

2010-10-11T09:23:00.000-03:00

...I've got three shows lined up! First, there's the Nova Scotia Designer Craft Council (NSDCC) Christmas Craft Market on November 19 - 21, down on the waterfront (I feel like Marlon Brando - sorry, bad joke), then - the Dalplex Christmas Craft Market on the following weekend, November 26 - 28, and last (but not least!) Halifax Crafters on December 4-5. It promises to be a busy, and fun, few weeks. If you come by any of these shows, please drop by to say "hi."

Sufjan Stevens New Album

2010-10-09T11:17:00.000-03:00

Sufjan Stevens is releasing a new album on Tuesday called "The Age of the Adz" and you can listen to the whole thing on NPR right now! Which is what I just started doing...

Adventures in Cooking

2010-10-01T12:09:00.000-03:00

I've been cooking up a storm the last little bit - I seem to go through phases with my cooking - sometimes I can't be bothered and will eat grilled cheese sandwiches for weeks, and others I will spend hours in the kitchen making everything from scratch. Since I'm in the latter phase, many yummy things have come out of my kitchen (if I do say so myself!) in the last little bit including zucchini carpacchio (simple, but so delicious), flourless chocolate cake (from Sophie Dahl's book), home made hummus (from Ottolenghi) - and I'm hoping many more delicious meals will be made from my new cookbook aquisition - Donna Hay's Seasons. Her Off the Shelf is one of my favorite cookbooks of all time, and highly recommended.

Our lovely neighbors are coming over for dinner tonight, and we are having bbq pizza - it's become a bit of a speciality around here - home made gelato (not sure about this - I will let you know how it goes), and the above mentioned carpacchio and cake. Maybe there will be some photos - or maybe we will pig it all down before I get a chance to take them!

Yes, I'm still here...

2010-09-28T20:27:00.000-03:00

I know, I haven't posted for ages. Time just gets away, you know. Anyhow, this video has cured my blog malaise and inspired me to post again. Two of my favorite things - Schwartzman and the New Yorker. Thanks Shona!

What I did this summer....

2010-08-22T12:04:00.000-03:00

...I also saw some movies I liked (Scott Pilgrim, Inception, Exit Through the Gift Shop), got addicted to a TV Show, worked on some new products (more on this soon, I hope!), lazed on the back deck reading books and ate lots of yummy food on our new charcoal BBQ. The best news is, there is still more to come - next week is our annual Valley holiday, and we are really looking forward to it!

Portland, ME

2010-07-20T20:02:00.000-03:00

Off to Portland, Maine this weekend. Driving from here, stopping to check out Saint John, and then heading down the coast. I've read the Design Sponge guide to Portland, but if anyone has any tips, they'd be much appreciated!

New Albums

2010-07-15T23:22:00.000-03:00

I recently received some new Japanese paper, and decided to make some new albums. I think my favorite pattern is the Bohemian Tie Dye (above)...

But, I am also quite partial to these pretty Dots and Lines...

And I love a good floral too, like this Summer Garden. All in my Etsy Shop.

Daisy

2010-07-15T13:46:00.000-03:00

In the garden this morning. Enhanced with Picnik's "Ortonish" effect.

The New Vegetarian

2010-07-10T11:43:00.002-03:00

I recently discovered "The New Vegetarian" column on the Guardian UK website. Written by Yotam Ottolenghi, who owns a few restaurants in London, it highlights delicious, modern vegetarian dishes that have a middle eastern twist. I am planning to make the pearl barley risotto (above) for dinner tomorrow night - yum! He has also published two cookbooks - I have been wanting his first book for ages, but it was a (very expensive) UK edition, but I noticed that it's now been released in the US - hurrah! Amazon shopping cart, here I come!

UPDATE - This recipe was just as yummy as anticipated! A hint - make double, because it was only about 3 servings, and you might want (a lot) more. I grilled zuchini and marinated with lemon zest and olive oil to have on the side. I have now purchased both of his books - looking forward to a lot more yumminess.

Just Finished....The Children's Book

2010-07-08T21:31:00.001-03:00

I just finished reading A.S. Byatt's "The Children's Book" and would recommend it. It took me a while to get into this book, but once I did, I was hooked. The book is set in the early 1900's and centres on children's book author Olive Wellwood and her large bohemian family and extended group of friends. The book has a rich cast of characters, many of whom are involved in the Arts & Crafts movement (which I have a soft spot for) and moves between the narrative and fairy tale stories that Olive is writing for each of her children. At first glance, life seems idyllic - midsummer picnics, children roaming the English country side, beautiful pottery, fairy stories - but lurking beneath is a darker reality and the looming spectre of the First World War. And, not that books should be judged by their covers, but it does have a really nice cover.

Red Spruce

2010-07-07T18:40:00.000-03:00

Congratulations to local rug company Red Spruce, who are debuting their collection with NYC's Odegard, and will be having their work sold in outlets throughout the US. I saw their work recently at a gallery here in Halifax, and loved it. After perusing their website and learning more about this exceptional company, I love it even more. Contemporary artists, many local, create the designs (above is the Sand Dollar) and they are then made by traditional rug-hookers in Nova Scotia. It's just fantastic to know that Nova Scotian artists and makers are being supported in this way. Kudos Red Spruce!

Blogging Mojo

2010-07-06T21:19:00.000-03:00

Regular readers may have noticed a loss of "blogging mojo" over the past few months, perhaps even years. I can't really explain it - just somewhere along the way it all started to seem too hard - days would fly by, and posting anything just seemed impossible. When I first started blogging, every comment on a post was thrilling - but that thrill just kind of disippated. Even the joy I would get from reading blogs seemed to diminish. But now, I feel as though the "mojo" might be coming back a little bit, and maybe this blog will change direction slightly. You would never know by reading this blog, but I love fashion, cooking, decorating, and watching my husband garden. I think that I have to incorporate more of my loves into this blog - just capture all those little moments while they are happening. Baby steps though - not sure if I will be posting every day, or even every second day - but I will try. Today, I leave you with an archive photo of some tulips - photo, courtesy me - hard yakka in garden - courtesy, Martin.

King of all he surveys...

2010-06-28T19:01:00.000-03:00

...Milo on our new backyard deck. Hope it's sunny this long weekend so that we can use it a little bit!

Letterpress Class

2010-06-12T20:02:00.000-03:00

I have been taking a letterpress class for the last few weeks, and I'm really enjoying it. Letterpress printing is pretty labour intensive, but I can see how it's also pretty addictive. We were partnered up in class, and I am lucky to have Crystal as my partner - she is a great graphic designer and knows all about layouts, kerning, type, illustrator - all those things I am hopeless at! One of our classmates Daniel took some great photos (see more here) and I thought I'd share them with you. Above, Crystal and I looking, quite seriously, at one of our projects.

Us next to the letterpress with our instructor Paul, getting ready to print. This is my typical pose when printing - looking confused and wringing my hands! This week will be our last class - I feel as though I've just got a taste of letterpress and I want to learn more. One fun option to play with at home could be the L Letterpress with custom polymer plates - a great review of this tool can be found on the Boxcar Press website.

New Papers!

2010-05-28T16:14:00.001-03:00

Lots of new paper options for book covers - I'm excited!

Dream Job

2010-05-21T15:17:00.000-03:00

I think that my new dream job is to be the drummer for Vampire Weekend - just love these guys. Oxford Comma is my favorite - always listen to it in the car. Cousins is a very close second - I'd really get to show off my drumming skills in that one.

Amy Butler Wallpaper

2010-05-15T21:56:00.000-03:00

I was searching the Graham and Brown website, looking for wallpaper for the kitchen backsplash, and I was pleasantly surprised to find new wallpapers designed by Amy Butler. I am quite partial to the pattern "Momento" shown above in both colourways. I am leaning toward the dark grey but have ordered samples of both, and a few others, to try out. I am happy to say that the kitchen is nearing completion. It's now freshly painted, and after a few hiccups, the countertops will be arriving soon - photos to follow!

Halifax Crafters and a Spring Thing

2010-04-27T18:01:00.001-03:00

Just popping in to say that Halifax Crafters was awesome! I had such a great time meeting customers and my fellow local crafters- it was truly fantastic! Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera both days. Martin brought it in to me with half an hour to go on Sunday, and I took a few crappy snaps that totally do not convey the fabulosity of the actual event! Everything at the show was great, but I took a special shine to the jewellery of Vanessa Neily, the dolls of Third Street Crafters, the cute pouches by LouLouBell, screen printed goods by bespoke uprising, merit badges by Lee Meszaros...I am probably leaving loads out - it was all so good and I barely had any time to shop!

Before I go, I just wanted to mention another special event that's taking place this Friday night at Love, Me. It's called "A Spring Thing" and some local artists and crafters (including me) are coming out to meet their customers. It promises to be a great event - I'm so looking forward to meeting the people who buy my books and fellow local artisans. And, did I mention there will be refreshments? Hope to see you there!

It's Halifax Crafter's Spring Fling Eve!

2010-04-16T09:43:00.000-03:00

Tomorrow is the big day - Halifax Crafters Spring Fling will be taking place this Saturday and Sunday at the Olympic Centre. I'm nearly ready - just tying up a few loose ends. Look forward to seeing lots of you there, and seeing the amazing work of all our local crafters!

More Kitchen Inspiration

2010-04-08T20:30:00.000-03:00

The mini kitchen makeover I mentioned a while back is slowly coming together. We have redone the floors in "faux" slate tile - which is a huge improvement on the yellowing white vinyl we had previously, and in a couple of weeks, we are having new countertops installed - yay! Again, they are a "faux" slate, but this is a budget makeover, remember? Above I've done a little collage of other finishes and things I'd like to have. I'm planning to paint the walls Spring Melt (top left, a Martha Stewart colour from Home Depot), I've already bought the Price Pfister faucet featured (on clearance - woo hoo!), the Red Kitchen Aid was a housewarming gift (and is one of my favorite things), the kitchen island is from Ikea (not available for delivery on their site - I'd like to find something similar locally), the wallpaper - which I'm planning to use as a backsplash is from the Countour series from Graham and Brown (it's made for kitchens and bathrooms and can be wiped down), finally - the lightfixture is from Schoolhouse Electric. The other picture is just an inspirational photo that I love - and I am planning on incorporating a chalkboard wall, as well as giving the cabinets a fresh coat of white paint.

Phew, I get tired just thinking about it! But, I'm really excited for it to all come together, and to have a kitchen that's more functional, and more "us." Stay tuned for some photos...

rosa mosa

2010-04-05T21:19:00.004-03:00

While indulging in one of my favorite hobbies - shopping for shoes on ebay - I discovered an amazing shoe company called rosa mosa. Based in Austria (with one designer from Japan - explains why I like them so much - two of my favorite countries combined!), they use local materials and workers, and like to explore traditional design and methods. Some of their shoes are available here in Canada at Gravity Pope (another place where I like to drool over shoes online). I wish I had known about these when I was in Austria, for now, I will save up and dream!

Feathered Friends in the Shop!

2010-04-01T14:54:00.002-03:00

Around Christmastime, I had a bunch of the collages I had made printed up into cards. I finally uploaded them to my Etsy shop today - so, without further ado, I'd like to introduce the "Feathered Friends Card Set."

Each set has five cards for $20, and will come wrapped in parchment paper and tied with some lovely striped string that I bought in Austria. Austrian string - you don't see that every day! Unless you live in Austria of course, then you would probably see Austrian string on a regular basis.

But, I digress - the sets sell for $20, which is a five dollar saving over buying the cards individually. They are perfect for gifting, or for framing as art. Enjoy!

Gritty Dartmouth

2010-03-25T14:13:00.002-03:00

Some photos of a recent walk along the Dartmouth waterfront trail using the "gritty" effect in Picnik. That effect just seemed appropriate...

Halifax Crafters Spring Show

2010-03-05T14:53:00.002-04:00

I just found out that I've been accepted to the Halifax Crafters Spring Show, taking place on April 17th and 18 right here in Halifax, of course! I've been wanting to be a part of this show for a while, so I'm really looking forward to it. Mark your calendars and come out and see me in April. That's about six weeks away - better get to work!

Japanese Paper Curtains

2010-02-28T20:34:00.003-04:00

Saw this awesome project on the paper place blog for making curtains from Japanese tissue papers. I love the way it filters the light, and alll the different textures and patterns. This stuff also comes in a wide variety of colours - I think it would look beautiful in pink. Now, I just have to get over my fear of the sewing machine. (Photo from paper place blog)

Domo Arigato, Style at Home!

2010-02-25T11:43:00.003-04:00

My origami books are appearing in the April 2010 "Style News" section of Style at Home magazine (available on news stands right now!) The photography and copy are just great, and I'd like to thank the folks at Style at Home who made it all possible - a hearty domo arigato to all!

Keep Calm...

2010-02-21T20:41:00.002-04:00

I've now joined the zillions of people who have a "Keep Calm" poster. What can I say? I just really like the sentiment, and I'm in love with that pink colour. I am embracing my love of pink! I got the poster from SFgirlbybay, and she has lots of other cool colours to choose from. Speaking of things I love in my house, my pom-pom fringe patchwork pillow is way up there. I got that one from ruby + stella home a few months back, and I'm as pleased as punch with it.

I got tulips yesterday too. I love tulips.

And, while I'm professing my love for everything on my mantle, I can't forget this little guy. I got him as a Christmas gift while I was in Austria, and I think he's just great. You can put incense inside him and watch the smoke come out of his pipe, but I like him just the way he is - standing there playing his violin, cute as a button!

Illustration by Gosia

2010-02-11T17:56:00.003-04:00

I mentioned a bit back that I found lots of amazing vendors at the One of a Kind Show. One of them was Illustration by Gosia. She does amazing paintings and sculptures, and I was lucky enough to score the painting above - I just love it!

The photos I have taken don't really do it justice. It's so sweet - just like Gosia. It was a pleasure meeting and chatting with her. I hope that this painting is the first of many of her works that I will own. Check out her Etsy shop for even more goodies!

Origami Books

2010-02-11T12:52:00.003-04:00

Just finished listing a bunch of origami books in the shop. I love when I find a new angle to photograph a product from, like the photo above. Nearly done the back-log of listings - promise some more interesting posts soon!

Rupert Bunny

2010-02-10T20:37:00.003-04:00

Australian painter. BEST NAME EVER.

Slowly but surely...

2010-02-07T11:29:00.004-04:00

Books are being added to the shop...

Mini Kitchen Makeover

2010-02-04T08:55:00.004-04:00

Sigh...it all started with a leaky tap. Okay - so we replace the washer. Oh - the taps don't come apart? Hmm, well, lets just get new taps - these ones are really old and ugly anyhow. What's that you say, the taps are so old and corroded that they are stuck to the sink. Well, lets get a new sink too - this one would look pretty gross with the shiny new taps. What - the sink is actually glued to the countertop???!!!! What were these people thinking??? Okay, well I guess we'll get fitted for new countertops too. And that is the story of our upcoming mini kitchen makeover.

Someday, we are planning to rip out the very old kitchen and start afresh with a design that acutally works - but for now, we'll just be refreshing the sinks, countertops and adding a fresh coat of paint to everything. Martin has requested a chalkboard wall (as in the image from Apartment Therapy, above), and I would love to do a budget revamp of the peeling vinyl floors in smart, stripy black and white (as in the photo from Design Sponge, above).

Basically, my kitchen inspirations are all white and vintage-y, with a touch of country rustic. I especially love the one above - imagine cooking in there!
A peek in at a very sweet little kitchen - love the contrast of modern metal legs with old fashioned bead board cabinets.

This one is great too - lots of storage in those tall cabinets, and who wouldn't love to have an Aga? (The final three images are all from Living Etc.) I am going this afternoon to pick out all the bits and pieces from our local hardware place, and hope to have everything in place within the next couple of weeks. I'll post some before and afters when it's all done. And to think, it all started with a leaky tap...

Eating Animals

2010-01-31T16:41:00.003-04:00

Martin and I both read the book "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer over the holidays. It's a non-ficton book about the author's switch to vegetarianism after researching where meat actually comes from. I'm not sure if it's Safran Foer's fiction background that makes the book so convincing, but he really manages to bring home the horrors of factory farming in a way that makes it real. As he points out in the book, most of us on some level know what is happening at factory farms - but manage not to think about it too much. I'm not going to go into the specifics of the book here - but would encourage everyone to read it.

Martin and I have been vegetarian (with a few lapses, mainly on my part) for many years - but this book has inspired us to try to eat even fewer animal based foods (eggs, milk, etc.) and if we do eat those foods, to learn more about where they have come from and how they are produced. I have been cooking lots of vegan dishes lately, and have purchased a few cookbooks - Vegan Yum Yum (both the book and the blog) are great. I have made some delicious bananna bread from the Vegan Yum Yum book two times now - and Martin reckons it's the best he's had. I also made some choc chip cookies from Babycakes - those were not quite as successful, but I think that's my fault, not the book's! Adding a bit to the challenge of cooking vegan is that I am trying to cut back on gluten as well. Tonight, we will be having Smitten Kitchen's Mushroom Bourguignon - I'm really looking forward to it!

If anyone out there has any suggestions on great vegan/gluten free recipes and/or cookbooks - please send them my way! Now, to the bourguignon....

Tegan and Sara

2010-01-28T20:46:00.002-04:00

Saw Tegan and Sara last night and they were really great. Lots of material from their new album "Sainthood" (which I am not that familiar with - yet) and lots of old faves. I love the photo of them and their band from their blog. If you aren't familiar with Tegan and Sara, I would highly recommend checking them out - they are one of my favorites!

Picnik

2010-01-27T14:52:00.005-04:00

I have been working the last week or so on photographing and uploading my stock to Etsy, and I have been using Picnik as my photo editing software. It's a free online program (but I upgraded to premium service which allows more uploads and a few more effects for $24.95 per year) and I really like it. I have taken a Photoshop course, but could never seem to get the hang of it. I find Picnik really intuitive, and they have all kinds of cool effects - I can do polaroids, cross process, sepia, etc. - all in the click of a button. Something that (for a novice like me) would take many, many button clicks in Photoshop. Picnik also seamlessly links up with photo sharing sites like Flickr - but I haven't really explored that feature yet.

Back to listing!

Cool Viennese Shop - Motmot

2010-01-25T21:12:00.002-04:00

First in what might become a series of cool shops I saw in Vienna - Motmot. They sell great t-shirts, zines and ceramics with graphics of their own design - the photo above is just one of the great offerings on their website. I bought Martin a fantastic t-shirt for x-mas that says "chimps are people too" with a big chimp head on it - love! The best bit is that you don't have to go all the way to Vienna to get some great Motmot merchandise because they have an online shop - enjoy!

Photo Albums in the Shop

2010-01-24T16:47:00.007-04:00

I'm getting a cramp in my hands from listing so many photo albums - the shop has never been so full! Head on over and check it out....

Vienna - Old and New

2010-01-22T17:51:00.002-04:00

Another shot I like from the trip - the old meets the new.

Back in the swing?

2010-01-21T16:18:00.005-04:00

I don't know where to start in talking about my amazing holiday trip to Vienna. We had so many great experiences, met so many wonderful people, spent time with people we love, ate so much yummy food...and, well - it was just the best. We have been to Vienna a few times now and just love the city - it's beautiful and feels accessible and safe. The holiday season there is especially nice - everywhere you go there are Christmas markets selling "punsch" - a hot alcoholic drink that is delicious and all sorts of yummy Austrian foods. Christmas traditions are taken really seriously with things like real candles on Christmas trees. I love the fact that people take the time to stop and relax in front of their Christmas trees playing music and having a drink - I think that so often we don't take the time to stop and appreciate all the work that goes into the holidays.

That brings me to another thing I love about Vienna - it's just a different way of life. People stop and linger in cafes (above is me and my brother-in-law Stephen at Cafe Dreschler - an art deco cafe), shop at fresh food markets - things are busy as in any city - but I feel that there is also an appreciation of all those little things that make life special.

We just had so much fun - the photo of us above during a visit to Graz sums it up - we goofed off - a lot. I'm just going through all my photos now (and editing some in Picnik and adding groovy effects, as in the first two above) and might post more soon and talk about some more experiences - but it's hard to put the whole thing into words. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things at home, but I'm not quite there yet.

In other news, I'm trying to photograph lots of the stock I brought back from OOAK to post on Etsy - have a look at ye olde shoppe to see what I've posted.

I'm off...

2009-12-15T16:53:00.002-04:00

In a couple of hours, I will be jetting off to Vienna for my holidays! I probably won't have time to post, so I want to wish you all happy holidays! I'll be back in the New Year with posts about my trip, and my One of a Kind wrap up (better late than never!).

Bye for now!

Trudi

One of a Kind Show Recap

2009-12-04T14:34:00.005-04:00

We arrived back from the One of a Kind Show on Tuesday night, after doing the 5 day section of the show. It was an amazing - and exhausting - experience. The show opened on Thursday, November 26th and we arrived on Tuesday, November 24th to set up. We spent the day on

Tuesday running around - going to Ikea to get our shelving, picking up our books, all that fun stuff.

So, it took all of Tuesday and most of Wednesday to get our booth together, and I was fairly happy with the results. Not too bad considering it was put together on the spot! We were really busy for the duration of the show and met many wonderful customers and fellow vendors. I plan to do a whole post on the things I bought, and things that I wanted to buy!

This is me in the booth (cringe - messy hair and zits). Like I said, it was pretty exhausting - 11 hour days on my feet. The seams in my boots even split from all the strain! I learned so much, which I will also share in a future post. But for now, I've got my aching feet up for the first time in ages. I'll be back on Monday with more to share. I also hope to have an etsy shop update soon - I am just awaiting the return of some leftover stock from the show. Until then - ciao!

Hello from T.O.

2009-11-25T22:45:00.002-04:00

Wow - it's been a while since I did a post! I've been so busy getting ready for the One of a Kind Show that the last month has just flown by. We're in Toronto now, and the show is opening tomorrow! It's been a hectic couple of days - getting up at 4 am to catch our flight, driving to IKEA to get the stuff for our booth and unpacking all those boxes - more details and photos later...

Anyhow, I'm so looking forward to the show tomorrow, and to meeting all my Toronto readers. If you stop by the booth (N36) make sure to say "hi." Also - it's not too late to get a voucher for $3 off your admission when you buy your ticket online. Just comment with your email address and I will send one out to you. It may take me a few hours to reply though because (hopefully!) I will be too busy to get to my computer.

Happy Crappy Canadian Thanksgiving!

2009-10-11T12:19:00.001-03:00

Vienna

2009-10-07T19:08:00.002-03:00

I'm excited to announce that we are going to spend Christmas in Vienna this year! We are going to see Martin's brother, and stay with him in this great city. This photo is one I took on our last (very brief) trip there in 2004. It's an understatement to say that I'm excited about it - we've been working really hard this year, and this trip is exactly what we need. Spending time with family, walking around the beautiful streets, eating pastries, hanging out at the cafes, amazing art...we have been to Vienna a few times now and never tire of it. It's a bit like another home for us with lots of good memories. Only about 9 weeks to go and we'll be there!

Ocean Dog Rescue

2009-09-30T21:51:00.003-03:00

Ocean Dog Rescue is a dog adoption program based in Vancouver that brings abandoned dogs to find families in Canada from Taiwan. It's an amazing organization - everytime I look at their website, I feel both happy and sad. The stories of these dogs are heartbreaking - the sad part, but next to their photos, I often see the caption "adoption pending" - happy!

And look at these faces!

Hair Inspiration

2009-09-29T19:50:00.003-03:00

I've got an appointment to get a haircut next week and I want to do something a bit different, maybe radically different. I've been looking online for inspiration, and - after pages and pages of Katie Holmes and Posh Spice celebrity 'dos - stumbled across wip hairport's flickr stream. A very cool salon located in Lisbon, Portugal, wip hairport offers original, flattering cuts. I love the photos they take of their clients on the cobbled streets of Lisbon too, like the one above.

I am not sure what I'll do with my hair - I had it shoulder length for years, got it cut into a bob about a year ago and loved that it was lower maintenance, thinking that going super short would be the lowest maintenance ever, very appealing...but, I will probably chicken out at the last minute and walk out with a bob again. I'll let you know...

Anyhow - if you are looking for hair inspiration and want something a bit different from the celebrity options, check out wip hairport. If you're in Lisbon - you could actually go get your hair cut there - how cool is that?

One of a Kind Gift Guide

2009-09-26T10:45:00.004-03:00

I am pleased to announce that my books are being featured in this year's Toronto One of a Kind Show Christmas gift guide! I am so happy to see them there amongst lots of other great items - I think that the show is going to be full of temptations for me - I will have to set aside a budget to go shopping!
I also love the styling of the gift guide - it's divided into sections and each has a kind of "lifestyle" shot. If you look closely, you'll see my books on the dressing table in this one. Credits for all the other amazing items (I love everything in this photo, by the way) can be found in the gift guide. I'd like to thank the organizers of the One of a Kind Show for featuring me in the guide, and I'd also like to thank all my readers in the Toronto area - just comment on this post with your email address, and I will send you a coupon to get $3 off your show admission! Look forward to seeing you there!

I'm ready for my closeup....

2009-08-14T09:38:00.003-03:00

A couple was vacationing in Banff and had set their camera on a self timer to take a photo when this curious squirrel wandered into the shot. THE.CUTEST.THING.EVER. Read more here.

Julie & Julia

2009-08-11T19:35:00.002-03:00

I saw Julie & Julia the other night, and I thought it was just fantastic. It seems that everyone who saw the movie is saying this, but Meryl Streep's performance as Julia Child is just amazing and, as much as I love Amy Adams, I couldn't wait until the Meryl/Julia storyline was back on screen. I have also read Julia Child's "My Life in France" and found her story very inspiring. I just like the fact that at around the same age as me - 37 - she discovered her passion for cooking and turned it into a career. Late bloomers rule!

Mini Break

2009-08-10T21:55:00.003-03:00

We are back from our "mini break" in the Annapolis Valley. We had a truly wonderful time. We were only there for two days, but each day was glorious and sunny - which is pretty special in a summer that's been 90% rain so far! We went back to the same cottage we've stayed in for the past three years - it's a cute little place right on Evangeline Beach with views of Cape Split in the background. The little fellow above is an Inukshuk made by some previous tenants.

We visited many of our old Valley haunts, including the Port Pub (twice!), the farmer's market and some new favorites - a photo above is from the Gaspereau Vineyards, where we did a fun tour. We also went blueberry picking, but only lasted about 15 minutes in the hot sun - farmers we ain't. The blueberries were tasty and plentiful though, and we managed to pick quite a few in that time.

Evenings were spent walking along the beach and cooking dinners made from our farmer's market bounty. The Bay of Fundy has amazing tides - in the afternoon the water came right up to the edge of the backyard but by early evening it had receded so far we could walk along the mud flats.

When the sun set, we had a fire in the backyard chiminea and played crazy eights. My idea of a perfect mini break. We are thinking of staying for a whole week next year.

Stompin' Tom

2009-08-04T21:27:00.002-03:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I last posted! I have spent the last few weeks of this rainy summer knee deep in paper and ribbon. But - I'm taking a bit of a break this week and spending a night on the South Shore and a couple of days in the Valley. And - tomorrow night my Nan is visiting and we are going to see Stompin' Tom, who is a bit of a Canadian Icon, especially for us here on the East Coast. He sings about all the things that we hold dear - getting drunk on Saturday night, pick up trucks, hockey and...potatoes. Enjoy the video, and I'll be back next week with photos of my trip.

babycakes

2009-07-19T11:22:00.005-03:00

I have recently decided to make a committment to eating healthier food - less wheat, yeast and sugar - but cakes are still very important to me. So, I am thrilled to be the owner of this babycakes nyc cookbook. Their cupcakes were voted the best in New York -not best vegan cupcake, but best cupcake - period. I'm looking forward to trying some of the recipes in this book, but will need to make a special trip to the health food store to find all the ingredients. I will let you know how things turn out.

Lunchtime Walk...

2009-07-13T19:37:00.001-03:00

...on a sunny summer's day.

Head Shot, Take 2

2009-07-13T09:39:00.000-03:00

This is our new profile photo for the OOAK site. It's a bit difficult juggling a squirming dog whilst holding the camera in my other hand to do a self portrait. I think he had just seen a cat in this photo...

Peonies

2009-07-12T09:31:00.002-03:00

My most favorite flower of all time, growing in my garden right now.

The Best Bread Evah!

2009-07-05T21:51:00.002-03:00

Today was Martin's birthday, and although we had the official celebration at the Port Pub yesterday, I decided to make a bit of a decadent dinner tonight as well. A part of the dinner was this bread from Delia Smith's "How to Cook." It was absolutely amazing! It was a bit more like a large scone or Australian "damper" than a yeast risen bread - but so yummy. I actually really love all the recipes I've made from Delia's "How to Cook" series of books. They always turn out, and are just simple and good. I also noticed this variation with cheddar and caremelized onions on her website. And now, if you'll please excuse me - there is one final piece of this bread calling my name!

I was on the Front Page of Etsy!

2009-07-01T13:56:00.006-03:00

I have always wanted to make it to the front page of Etsy, and - unbeknowst to me - I did it last Friday! I was checking out my google analytics last night, and noticed a huge jump in my Etsy traffic one day. Turns out that my Blue Daisies Organizer had been on the Front Page!

Although I saw the jump in my stats, it was a bit hard to figure out what had caused it, so I will share my findings with you. They all came from this great Etsy Forum Post, written by one of the founders of Craft Cult. By the way, Craft Cult is a great site, and the Heartomatic is a wonderful tool - although I use Google Analytics to check my stats - Heartomatic is much more user friendly and tells you things that an Etsy seller would want to know without getting too technical.

Also - I just want to note that I think that changing up my photography style in my shop really contributed to me making it on to the front page. After reading an article in the Etsy Shop Makeover Series - I cropped and changed my photos, so that the main photo showing in my shop is a "teaser" shot of the item - something taken close up that doesn't show the whole product. This was suggested in the series, and I think it really works. It's kind of a tantalizing way to get people to click through and see more. Also - if you look at the front page and the treasuries, they all feature these types of shots. My photos still need a lot of work - but I always keep these "teaser" shots in mind when I photograph my products now.

Hot or Not: Cute Skulls

2009-06-30T17:17:00.003-03:00

I was out today, and picked up this little punch that I thought was cute, and made some notebooks. Now, my question is - does anyone else think this is cute? Am I alone in loving "cute" skulls. I just love the juxtaposition of the dark imagery of the skull with floral pinks and reds. Let me know what you think!

Head Shot

2009-06-29T21:09:00.004-03:00

I've spent the evening creating my artisan profile on the One of a Kind Show site (it's not live yet - but I'll let you know when it's up). The most difficult part was choosing a profile photo. I hate having my photo taken, so there weren't many to choose from. Anyhow, this is the best I could come up with - but it's really old! I look totally different now - new glasses, new hair. Even Milo has a more stylish haircut these days. My mission this week is to try to come up with a better, more current photo of me and my little sidekick!

Nurtured

2009-06-22T19:55:00.002-03:00

My neighbor April recently expanded her online business Nurtured into a brick and mortar retail shop. I popped in today to buy some baby gifts, and it's a beautiful light and bright space, with touches of weathered wood - I really love the interior design. The products are pretty great too, and April is really knowledgeable and helpful. I would highly recommend the shop to parents - or those who shop for them!

Puff Daddy

2009-06-19T10:07:00.003-03:00

After all the craft show madness is over, I want to make this for my living room. I want it to be bright pink! It seems like a fairly simple pattern - just a garter stitch rectangle that's then sewn together. Pickles (found via More Ways to Waste Time) has lots of other great patterns on their site, including a baby version of this puff.

My Milk Toof

2009-06-11T09:13:00.003-03:00

I have been feeling a bit sick the last couple of days, so Martin sent me this link - My Milk Toof - to cheer me up. It is the cutest, funniest thing that I've seen in a long time. Click on the link, you won't be sorry....

Around the Web

2009-06-08T20:43:00.003-03:00

It's been a while since I posted, but that doesn't mean I've been away from the internet. Quite the contrary. I'm always reading blogs and discovering things. Here are a few things I like -

Black Cab Sessions - musicians play while driven around London in the back of a black cab. I like the Martha Wainwright one. (via Loobylu)

Grizzly Bear - after reading about this band in a couple of magazines, I decided to check out their music on the web. I like it.

Speaking of music, CBC Radio Three has a great collection of music by Canadian Artists. The New Music section has lots of great music sorted by artist - Arcade Fire, the Weakerthans...I am partial to Julie Doiron. Just go to the Radio Three site and type in the names to hear more.

Fubiz is a great blog. Lots of visual inspiration.

I want classic French garden furniture from Fermob, but cheaper please.

Love this cartoon by Lucy Knisley which sums up the whole Twilight series in 16 panels. (Warning - spoiler alert) Her experience reading the books is similar to mine. Addictive! (also via Loobylu)

2009-06-03T10:50:00.003-03:00

Danni over at oh, hello friend has organized a giveaway on her blog, and asked me to participate. 16 Etsy shops have donated some amazing items, and my little and big noteboooks are the prize that will be offered to two runners up. Head on over to oh, hello friend to find out how to enter. The prizes are so fantastic, if I wasn't involved, I would enter myself! Good Luck!

Big Notebooks

2009-05-31T22:05:00.004-03:00

I've just listed these in my shop. They are like the little notebooks, but...bigger. Handy if you like to take lots of notes, and the pages are even big enough to mount snapshots. Also, there is a new airplane design available in both the big and little notebooks - great for travelling. And, I'm decorating some of these with vintage maps, because I love those so much. Enjoy!

One of a Kind Show

2009-05-21T09:40:00.002-03:00

I'm pleased to announce that I've been accepted as an exhibitor at the Christmas 2009 One of a Kind Show in Toronto! I applied a few weeks ago, and had a message on my phone last night saying that I'd been accepted, with a travel scholarship to boot! It's exciting, and also a little scary. So much to do and plan, and is it crazy to depend on travelling from Halifax to Toronto in late November? But, this is one of those "bucket list" things for me - I have attended the show as a customer a few times in the past, and had dreamed of selling my work there. And in a few, gulp, short months - I will be. Wish me luck!

Lily and Jae

2009-05-17T10:14:00.003-03:00

I'm liking this Canadian label, Lily and Jae. They have lots of cute clothes - but I'm particularly obsessed with getting the perfect summer dress at the moment. I have tried on a few that I like, but there are, ahem, a few figure challenges that I have to deal with. But, I think that the dance dress could fit the bill.

Bookish Discoveries

2009-05-12T20:27:00.002-03:00

I wanted to share a few "bookish discoveries" that I've made in the last couple of weeks with you. I was browsing through a bookshop when I discovered the book above - the Rob Ryan cover caught my eye, and the contents are pretty neat too. It's all about lost arts - things like beekeeping, making cheese, grinding grain...I didn't buy the book because I don't have time to do any of these things right now, but I very much like the idea.

For fun fiction, I've been reading "The Uglies" series by Scott Westerfield. It a teen book series, and I'm really enjoying it. It's all about a future world where everyone has an operation at the age of 16 to make them "pretty." It's just a great, action packed narrative that sends an interesting message about the concept of beauty. And - each book ends with a cliffhanger, so you can't wait to read the next one. It's a long weekend here in Canada, and I just picked up the last two books in the series.

Finally, this isn't really a book, but I was pleasantly surprised at the doctor's waiting room today by Canadian Family magazine. The style and home sections were really great, and although I don't have children, I have a soft spot for toys and illustrated books - so I loved the coverage on these. I would recommend this magazine to anyone with a family - it reminds me a bit of the sadly departed Wish.

Love at First Sight

2009-05-10T10:41:00.004-03:00

I got a small tax return this year, and decided to treat myself with a couple of fashion purchases. First up was the Deco Skirt from French Connection (mine is actually black with cream flowers, but I can't seem to find that on their website). Anyhow, this skirt was one of those things that I loved as soon as I saw it. It's high waisted, with buttons coming down the front and these cool ruffly pockets on the sides. I love a skirt with pockets! It was even on sale, which was just the cherry on top.
I also picked up these shoes. I love the round toe, and the heel height. Not too high, not too low. Hopefully, I will not fall over in these!

Bicycle Built for Two

2009-05-06T18:54:00.003-03:00

It's amazing how time flies! We went for a day trip to the country a couple of weeks ago, and saw this cool bicycle outside a shop. That trip was great - sunshine, a nice lunch, but things have gone a bit downhill since then. Lots of little things, but the main one is that I sprained my ankle a few days ago, and I've mainly been sitting around with my foot up. I'm not in much pain, but my ankle is gigantic and swollen. I hope it goes away soon - but even with the ankle issues, and the rain that's falling outside - I'm determined to get out there and enjoy myself this upcoming weekend. Wish me luck!

My Thinking Cup

2009-04-24T10:01:00.003-03:00

A little while back, I had the opportunity to do a swap with Dawbis (aka Dawn). She was looking for some paper for her collection, and in exchange for a paper pack, she offered to do a custom artwork. I jumped at the chance, and I'm so glad I did! I received this beautiful artwork from her that incorporates many of the papers I sent her.

The piece is called "Her Thinking Cup." I love the small ink details, and also the quilled paper - gorgeous!

And, as a special bonus, Dawn included one of her works called "Look at Me." It's a cut paper artwork mounted on a polaroid - so cool! Can't wait to get these framed and have them hanging in my home. Thanks so much Dawn - I absolutely love these!

With me rubber boots on...

2009-04-23T10:16:00.003-03:00

Whenever I wear my rubber boots, the chorus of this song runs through my head. Brings back memories of the great trip to Newfoundland that we had a few years back, and listening to this song at a pub. Although I'm not fishing on the "wild labrador", I can always dream. And, our porch is beginning to look like a weathered wharf, so that helps.