The Crafts Department

I was searching for a recipe on the Martha Stewart site today, and came across a new blog that is written by the crafters on her staff. Called "The Crafts Dept.", the blog talks about the behind the scenes goings on at the magazine, inspirations, and profiles those crafters who have a job that many dream about! I love the photo of their old craft room above - believe it or not, they were in the process of moving to an even more beautiful space! Did I mention that this was a dream job...

Some updates...

Just a note for those who read the blog on an rss feed, I've updated my sidebar with some new blogs I'm enjoying very much, music I'm listening to, and other tantalizing tidbits such as my address on twitter. Next project, updating my website - how do these thing age so quickly!

Studio featured on "The 6 o'Clock Stitch"

Gina from the 6 o'clock stitch did a lovely post about crafty studios, and I'm happy to say mine was included! Check it out here. Thanks Gina!

Canadian Home and Country

I am really liking Canadian Home and Country these days. I normally buy it from time to time, but last month it caught my eye with it's redesign (including the groovy new typeface, above) and the stories were great as well - the homes felt real and inspirational. This month is great too - I love every single home featured, and there is a shopping story on the Brooklyn Flea - which looks amazing. I see a subscription in my future...

Catherine Martin Wallpaper

I stumbled on the wonderful blog ish and chi, and fell in love with the Catherine Martin wallpaper she posted about. All the patterns are beautiful, but I especially adore the sparrow print. A bit of background (just realized that's a pun - background, wallpaper...) - Catherine Martin is a production and costume designer, who often collaborates with her husband, director Baz Luhrmann. She creates such amazing worlds in film, it's not surprising that her wallpaper designs are so dramatic and lovely. Not sure if they're available in North America, but I'm going to find out!

To list, or not to list...

I recently read an article on Etsy about changes in how items appear on the "recently listed" section of the front page, and on the category pages. Basically, the article says that Etsy has changed the way that listing works, and renewing items may not be as helpful as it has been in the past. I'm a bit confused - I don't know if I should continue to renew my items as a promotional tool, or if this is a waste of 20 cents? I do know that I haven't been relisting and my shop has been fairly quiet - but is this just a post-christmas lull? Does anyone have any thoughts on this, and what have you done in your shop?

By the way, this is another album that I recently listed in my Etsy shop.

Pretty Hammer

When I was in Toronto, I made an addition to my arsenal of tools - it's this pretty hammer from the Victoria and Albert Museum Collection. The hammer is printed with a William Morris print called "Cray."

But, the best thing about it is you unscrew the handle, and you have 4 little screwdrivers inside (I didn't photograph the 4th one, but it's there). This is perfect for creating my postbound albums, and it's so nice to use something so beautiful. Acutally, it was William Morris who said, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful" - and this little hammer is both.

Jenn Grant

As a special present for my recent birthday (thanks Denise!) I went to Jenn Grant's CD release show on Sunday night. It was really great - I love Jenn's music, and her stage banter is pretty kooky and endearing. Also, there were home baked cookies at intermission - how nice is that?!!? All really like all the songs from her new album, but I think that Dreamer (above) from her last release is still my favorite. Enjoy!

New Bookie Wookies in the Shoppy Bloppy

Just felt like having a silly title...not sure why. I've uploaded a couple of new books in my etsy shop - I'm particularly fond of the one above.

On another totally unrelated note, I've just signed up to Twitter. I have a feeling that's going to be really addictive...

Lotte Reiniger

I discovered the work of German artist and animator Lotte Reiniger while reading the Guardian newspaper this morning. She worked using paper cutouts with stop motion animation. In 1926, she created the first full length animated feature film "Prince Achmed", which was based on the Arabian Nights stories. I love the intricacy of her paper cutting in the scene from the film above.

After fleeing Nazi Germany, she settled in London where she continued to make films, including public service announcements like "Mary's Birthday" which promotes basic hygiene -



This film uses lots of colour, but I think I like the simplicity of her black silouettes the best. This video is 10 minutes long, but worth a look - my favorite bits happen about 6 minutes in when Mary thwarts the evil bluebottle flies and sends her auntie packing from her birthday party because she sneezes into a hanky! Hygiene is all well and good, but I think Mary may have been taking things a bit far...

I am so glad I discovered this work - which combines my love of children's stories and papercutting - and plan to watch more of her films. Many have been uploaded to You Tube, and can also be purchased from Amazon or the British Film Institute.

GOOP

Did you know that Gwyneth Paltrow is a blogger? I read in the Globe and Mail this morning that she publishes a weekly newsletter called GOOP, all about her life, fashion, art, clothing, etc. I googled it, prepared to scoff - but I actually really like it. My favorite bit is where she talks about her "uniform" - the clothes she wears everyday. Nevermind that I have a good 40 pounds and 10 sizes up on Ms. Paltrow - I love her uniform! These are the type of clothes that I like to wear. I actually have an outfit very similar to the one above, but the jeans are from Suzy Shier and the jacket is Joe Fresh. To her credit though, she does mix expensive designer clothing with cheaper items from Uniqlo and Topshop.

The article in the Globe and Mail also talked about a rival newsletter started by Canadian MTV host Dan Levy (he is famous for hosting "the Hills" aftershow - I must be really old, because I don't get "the Hills" at all. What is that show all about - can someone fill me in? Is it real, fake, why should we care? Sorry to digress...) called DOOP, which he describes as "Goop's less-rich, super-cool, uber-hip, totally selfish little brother!" It's also a fun read.

Maybe I should start calling this blog "TOOP"....

Book-a-holic

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I love books - I love making them, and I love reading them. I go through ups and downs with my reading - sometimes I hardly read at all, or just read magazines - but I've been reading a lot lately, and have been fortunate to find some really great books. Martin bought me "Annie Leibovitz: At Work" - which was fantastic. I never would have thought of buying this for myself, but I so enjoyed it. Annie talks about her life, her process as a photographer, and all the people she has met through her work. And, the book itself is beautiful - it's covered in beige linen with embossed lettering. The picture above shows the book with the dust jacket, which covers just the bottom quarter and is a landscape-type photo of Annie on set. Very cool.

A friend lent me "Water for Elephants" and I thought it was great. In some ways I can't say that I enjoyed reading this book - I don't want to say too much and spoil things in case you are going to read it - but there are episodes of cruelty to animals in this book that I found a bit difficult to read. Still, it's a very good book with an intense storyline that I found hard to put down.

Loving Frank was another recent read. It's a historical novel, based on the relationship between Frank Lloyd Wright and Mamah Cheney, the wife of one of his clients. The book is written from Mamah's point of view, and it's about much more than her affair with the famous architect. I read it as a book about a woman trying to find her place in the world at a time when women had little independence and few rights.

And - just a follow up of the books I got for Christmas - the Sookie Stackhouse novels were really fun, and the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was as good as everyone said.

Hunter Boots

I had a boot dilemma this week. I have a couple of old pairs of Hush Puppies winter boots, and they both quit on me at the same time - one pair has holes in the seams, and the zippers broke on the others. With all the miserable snow and slush about, I needed a new pair of boots pronto! I was lucky to find a pair of these Hunter Festival Boots at Winners for an awesome price. They are not lined, and don't look the best with my work skirts, but I don't care. Add a pair of thick socks, and I will be toasty, warm and dry on my daily commute.

Paperwork

Tax Day - by doublehappiness on Polyvore.com
I've spent the last couple of days entering receipts for my end of year taxes. The same thing happens every year - I let the receipts pile up until they become almost insurmountable, and then I spend a few days sorting them out. I know that I have to start doing this weekly (or even daily) - but does anyone have hints on how to keep all this stuff organized? The only thing I've done so far is pick out a fun "accountant" type outfit to wear.

Accordion Workshop Debrief

I had lots of fun teaching a mini accordion workshop at Love, Me Boutique last week. In fact, I had so much fun that I forgot to take photos - darn! But, this is the settee that a couple of the attendees sat on, and we all crowded around a slightly larger table. There were only 4 students in the class, but it was a good number for teaching my first time. Everyone did really well with making the book, I was very impressed! If you are in the Halifax area and get a chance to do a class here, I would encourage it - it's a just a wonderful relaxed atmosphere and there are lots of neat classes coming up.

Mini Break in T.Dot

We had a great weekend in Toronto. It was freezing cold (like -30, with windchill), but we had a lot of fun.

We stayed at Le Germain, which is a lovely boutique hotel in a central location. On Friday night when I arrived in after an afternoon of shopping on Queen Street West (and Queen Street West West), there was a personal note welcoming us to the hotel, and these lovely goodies displayed on a slate tile. Very nice.



On Saturday, we went to the newly redesigned AGO. I really enjoyed it, especially the "Gallery Italia" - a vast glass atrium with huge fir beams. I loved the use of wood throughout the space - very modern, but very Canadian all at the same time.
There was a repetitive serpentine theme running through the galleries as well. The collection was also amazing. The redesign was prompted by the donation of the Thomson Collection - most notably many works by the Group of Seven - and I also liked the European Collections.

No trip would be complete without eating, and we had a lovely meal at Lil' Baci. Great pizza, in a relaxed atmosphere. The dessert was also great - the torta della nonna is highly recommended. For an added thrill - we passed DeGrassi street in the cab on the way to the restaurant. (:

Although we had fun, it's great to be back home in our little house, with our little dog. I have the week off of work, and I'm planning to organize my studio, and get loads done - including catching up on my blogging. As they would say at Lil' Baci - "Ciao for now." Actually, they would probably not say that - but I would!

Toronto

We are heading off on a spur of the moment trip to Toronto this weekend! Martin has to go up for work, so we decided to stay there an extra couple of nights and soak up some big city life. Although it's going to be freezing cold up there, I'm just looking forward to a change of scene, eating at some nice restaurants, checking out the new AGO and of course - shopping. This pretty much sums up how I want to spend my weekend, and we are staying at Hotel Le Germain - woot! They are having rooftop maple syrup taffy with fondue on Friday night - warm blankets provided. I'm there!

Mini Accordion Class

I will be teaching a mini accordion class at love,me boutique on Thursday, January 29th from 5:30 - 7:00. The cost of the class is $12, and includes the materials to create a cute little accordion book, as pictured above. Since it's so close to Valentine's Day, I'm planning a bit of a theme with lots of reds and pinks, and I'll also bring along some rubber stamps so that the books can be personalized. I think it will be a lot of fun, so if you're in Halifax, please come along. Just contact love, me to register. Hope to see you there!

More Organizers in Shop

I've just uploaded a few new organizers to my etsy shop. Photography is a bit frustrating in the winter - on the days that I'm working, it's impossible to take photos because it's dark when I get home. So - my updates will have to be confined to Thursdays, Fridays and weekends.

Speaking of photography, I've been reading the shop makeover series on the Storque, and have followed their advice and undertaken a bit of a mini makeover. The jist of the article I was reading said that you should not put the photo of your whole item first, but rather a detail shot. I guess it's a bit more intriguing, and people will click through to find out more. Also - it may be a bit more "treasury friendly." So, I've switched up my photos, and we'll see how it goes. Wish me luck!

Sookie Stackhouse Novels

I have just about finished the first book in the Sookie Stackhouse series of novels by Charlaine Harris, and I am really enjoying it. I like the True Blood series too (which airs on HBO, and is based on the novels), and it was great to see Anna Paquin win the Golden Globe last night. After reading the book, I think she really captures Sookie's character - at first, she might seem sweet and bubbleheaded, but she's very sharp and intuitive. Have a look above and see what I mean.

Cute Things Falling Asleep

The name of this blog says it all. I recommend "Sleepy Puppy 2." Enjoy!

Web Stats on Etsy

This might be old news, but I thought I'd share anyhow - Etsy now provides web stat tracking through Google Analytics! I just stumbled on a link in my Etsy user sidebar that said "web analytics." If you click on this, it will give you the instructions for setting up analytics for your shop. This is really great, because it's been a bit of a weakness with Etsy - not knowing how people were finding your shop. Now, I will be able to track how people are finding me on Etsy, and if I do any advertising, I will be able to see how many people click through. Very exciting.

Happy New Year

Apologies for my extended absence. I just got into the slothy groove of the holidays, and it's been hard to get back into my normal routine. My university was closed for two weeks, and Monday was my first day back at work- so I am slowly getting back to normal. The holidays were great - lots of food, family and fun. And of course, lots of lovely gifts.

Martin and I always make sure that there are books under the tree, because we love to just sit around and read over the holidays. I did really well this year, with lots of gorgeous "coffee table" type tomes - Shaker Design - Out of this World, Handmade Nation, Bazaar Style (I had been eyeing this one for quite a while), Happy Gloves ,(to feed my new obsession with making little creatures. And then - I got a gift voucher for Amazon as well - so I bought heaps more books - a boxed set of the Sookie Stackhouse books (the series "True Blood" is based on these - I think they will be a really fun read), What it is by Lynda Barry (looks really inspirational), Sock and Glove, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society (which I've heard nothing but good things about). So, I'm happy to say that my reading needs are taken care of for the next little while. (:

Something that wasn't under the tree, but has dramatically changed my life for the better is my new Mukka Express (video above). Perhaps my intro is a bit over the top, but I do love it! It makes espresso on the stovetop, and heats and foams the milk at the same time. Revolutionary! I have had small electric espresso machines before, and find them a pain in the bottom - it takes forever to make a coffee and the pressure is not enough to get the coffee nice and strong - but this is perfect. It makes a creamy coffee reminiscent to the cafes of Sydney (which I love). But, this could also have something to do with the tin of Illy that I treated myself to. (:

Best get back to work - but I have to tell you about one more new love - the blog Garance Dore. A French fashion illustrator combines her work with Paris street fashion shots - gorgeous! She publishes the blog in both English and French. I love the big warm boots in the post above - as she says in her French version "pas des Uggs."

Now - off to work - happy new year to all!

A Very Monkey Christmas

A couple of weeks ago, I took a sock monkey making class at Love, Me that was taught by the lovely Lesley of Hello Pineapples. It was a great morning, filled with sewing, tea and cookies, and I think that I have myself an addictive new hobby! I love the fact that the monkeys are really quick to make and are so cute - even with my (very) limited sewing skills. I am spending Christmas at my grandmothers with lots of family, and we all exchange small gifts - so I thought that sock monkeys would be perfect. So, without further adieu, I introduce:
Delores Jr. - this is the first one I made, and I'm giving it to my mom, whose name is Delores.
Cappuchino - for my cousin, who runs a coffee shop where they roast their own beans - yum!
Harley - for my mom's friend who is spending Christmas with us. She rides a motorcycle, and Harley is one tough biker dude. Hee, hee. His "muscle shirt" is also made out of a sock.

Whether or not your Christmas involves monkeys, I hope it is a very happy one! Now, I'm off with a million things to do before noon time - like wrap up all these monkeys - but I'll leave you with one more monkey related Christmas tidbit - enjoy!

New Things in Shop!

I've finally finished a little shop update. I've got some of my organizers in there - I know it's a bit late for Christmas, but this is the kind of thing that you can use to keep up with your resolutions in the New Year.


I've also got a print of the teacup papercut I completed a few months back. I'm really pleased with how this print turned out - the colours are really vibrant.

I will probably be taking a short break from making things from now, to the New Year. I've got to finish preparing for Christmas, and we've got a few things to work on around the house (more on that later). I've also got a mountain of receipts to enter into my accounting program for tax time. But - the shop will remain open with the items that I currently have for sale. Right now, I'm looking forward to the New Year, and developing more new products to sell in the shop!

Popped up on the Grid

My husband Martin (aka Mr. Trudi) has started his very own blog! It's called popped up on the grid in reference to his favorite spy movies and novels - eg - "Jason Bourne has popped up on the grid in Tokyo." I think it's a fitting name, because he's posting about things that have popped up on the radar whilst doing research for his job as account planner for an advertising agency. He's got some interesting things on there - I really like his recent post about the horses of Sable Island. Above is a photo of Martin popping up on the grid in his hometown of Sydney.

Christmas Canvas

My shop update is taking a bit longer than anticipated, so I thought I'd share this cool idea with you in the meantime - a glittering Christmas canvas that appeared in Blueprint (RIP) a while back. You basically just take a stretched canvas, paint it, punch holes and insert fairy lights. I think it's really sweet, not just for Christmas, but all year round.

And, speaking of great magazines that have gone by the wayside, Wish has just published it's last issue. I really liked that magazine - it had a great combination of shopping, food, fashion and decor - I guess it was a bit like the Canadian Blueprint. Apparently, they will be keeping up the website and continuing on with popular feature the 20 minute supper club. Sigh - the only upside is that I will not spend quite as much on magazines each month.

Me, on sfgirlbybay!

I was just scrolling through my bloglines and got the nicest surprise - Victoria from sfgirlbybay featured my cherry blossom album in a round-up of this month's Poppytalk Handmade! It was really lovely to see my work on one of my favorite blogs - thanks Victoria!

I've been working away like a busy little bee on getting some more items ready for the market today - I'm hoping to do an update either this evening, or tomorrow morning. So, back to it!

Visit me at Poppytalk Handmade

I've got a table this month at the Poppytalk Handmade Holiday Madness and Boxing Day market - hope that you can drop by soon! I've got lots of albums at my virtual table, and hope to have a few more surprises as the month goes on...

Getting Dressed

Dog Walking Day by doublehappiness

Before I started working from home, I used to fantasize about working in my PJs all day and not getting dressed. Now that I have been working at home I few days a week, I realize that getting dressed is really important. If I wear my PJs, I tend to have a lazy attitude - things get done a lot slower - but, I find that if I get dressed, I can get down to business faster. I also feel better about myself when I've put a bit of effort into my appearance - I'm not talking about getting dressed to the nines - but just fixing my hair and putting on something that I would not be embarassed to go to the grocery store in. The outfit I created on Polyvore (above) would be a perfect day at home outfit for me - working in my studio, with trips to the post office and walking the dog thrown in. The rubber boots are necessary in our Nova Scotia weather - but they are Kate Spade rubber boots - not too shabby. For details on all the other bits, follow the link.

What do you think - is getting dressed important when working from home?

Decorating Fever

I've got a case of decorating fever right now. We bought our house about 5 years ago, had a flurry of decorating when we first moved in, and then things have been pretty much static since. We got a quote on remodeling our (horrible) bathroom over the weekend and are moving forward with that - but that won't be until the spring. Right now, I'm focusing on smaller changes like fabric, artwork and wallpaper to try and make our main living space look better.

This brings me to wallpaper - I've decided to do a wallpaper feature wall around our non-working fireplace. I didn't realize how many amazing wallpapers are out there - I'm trying to choose from about a zillion. Right now, I'm loving the Daydream Wallpaper by Julia Rothman. It costs a bit more than I was planning to pay, but I'd just need one roll, and it's really like a work of art I'll look at every day - right? Sigh - still can't decide...talk to me tomorrow, and I will have changed my mind again!

Cute Acorn Lamp

One of the advantages (?) of working from home is being able to watch daytime tv. As I sat in front of my laptop loading up photo albums to etsy, I managed to catch Martha, and she and one of the crafters on her staff made these cute acorn lamps. They are a balloon, covered with paper maiche and then topped with a utility lampshade that's been covered in felt. This photo doesn't do them justice - they just look so sweet lit up. The level of detail was great too - the cords are covered in felt and have little oak leaves hanging off. You could also do all kinds of designs, not just acorns - maybe beehives, flowers...on the show they suggested clowns, but I think that's just downright creepy.

Albums in the Shop!

I've spent all morning tweaking photos and uploading items in my etsy shop, but it's finally done! The shop is chock full of photo albums - just in time for Christmas. And, it's literally just in time, because the Canada Post deadline for International shipping is today, and for Canadian shipping is December the 12th. So, get them before it's too late!

The (Craft) Show Must Go On!

Sorry for my absence over the last little bit - just recovering from the craft show! I had a really good show this year - lots of great customers and fellow vendors. Unfortunately, I didn't get much of a chance to visit and shop. I was on my own most of the time, and when Martin did pop by to give me a break, it seemed to get busy. If I did get time to shop, I would have loved to buy a painting from Lynn Rotin (especially the "Broken English series) or anything from the brilliant Sleeping Forest Studios.

Unfortunately, my photos all turned out crap, but the booth was pretty much the same as last year, with the addition of "the Lady" - above. I made some paper and resin necklaces and displayed them by hanging off her skirt. They were really popular, as were my pocket organizers - I have none left!

Perhaps the most interesting thing that happened was we had a major snowstorm hit us Friday night, leaving over 30 cm of snow on Saturday morning. The drifts were well past my knees in places! The road was completely impassible - especially since we don't have snow tires on our car. This photo was taken after some of the snow was cleared away - it was actually worse than that. The craft show wasn't closing down though, so I broke out my parka, long johns and boots, and hiked down to the ferry. On a nice day, this walk would take about 15 minutes, but on this particular day, it was a harrowing walk down an icy road which took at least half an hour. It was a beautiful sunny morning though, and I made it to the craft fair in time - after another half hour walk once I reached the other side of the harbour. It was a quiet day at the show, but Friday and Sunday were so busy that things turned out just fine.

Now - back to normal life - as normal as it gets anyhow. I'm taking lots of photos of my work to do a big etsy shop update over the next couple of days. I just want to finish off by saying thanks to everyone who stopped by the booth and offered their support!

NSDCC Christmas Craft Market

I've spent a crazy couple of weeks (months actually!) preparing for the NSDCC Christmas Craft Market, and it's finally here! If you are in Halifax this weekend - that's the 21st to 23rd of November - please come and see what's been keeping me up late for the last little bit.(: The image above is from my booth last year - I've got a couple of new additions to my product line, and from what I saw today when I was setting up, the show looks amazing. Hope to see you there!

Canada Loves Obama

Okay, this is a little bit hokey, but it's cute.(: I wish I could vote for Obama! We are anxiously awaiting the results in our house - polls close at midnight our time, so it's going to be a long night. I just hope that there's a happy ending. Go Obama!

Technical Difficulties

I am having techincal difficulties with my double happiness email address - trudi(at)doublehappiness.ca. If you are trying to contact me, or I haven't responded to your email - I apologize. Many of my business contact details are stored in this email account and I have no way to access it - arrgh! I hope that it's up and running soon. If you need to contact me in the meantime, please just leave a comment on my blog. Thanks!

Late Bloomers

First - thanks so much to everyone who commented on my Halifax Guide. I so appreciate all the feedback - I'm glad that people liked the places I included, and that I also got to introduce people to new places, so - thank you!

I have been a bit remiss in my blog commenting and email reading/responding lately. I have just been flat out preparing for the upcoming NSDCC Christmas Market and haven't had time to do much else! I must remember that every year, I feel this rising sense of panic, and then it all turns out just fine. I just read a fantastic article by Malcolm Gladwell in the New Yorker about late bloomers - it's about how some artists have great sucess early in their career, and how others struggle for a long time. Very interesting, and worth a read. Now, I must stop procrastinating and get back to bookmaking. Ciao!

Nocturne

On Saturday night, I attended Nocturne - a night time art festival. I have to say - I had a great time. We arrived at 9pm and stayed until midnight, but we still did not see all the wonderful exhibits the festival had to offer. I think that I liked the outdoor installations the best - it was just so great to walk around and discover these unexpected - and very cool - works. I really liked the one above - Scott Saunders & Nikolai Gauer's Detect, Observe, Find, Discover, Notice, Spy, Sight displayed huge eyes on digital monitors inside a vacant building. Next year, and I really hope that there will be a next year, I plan to arrive as soon as the festival starts and try to take in everything I can!

Halifax City Guide

I'm thrilled to say that I've compiled a two-part Halifax City Guide that's being posted over at Poppytalk this week! I was so happy to be able to contribute this guide, and share my beloved city with the readers of Poppytalk. I moved back to Halifax from Sydney, Australia five years ago, and I love my city more and more each year. I hope you enjoy it too!

Bon Appetit Quebec!

Sorry - more time passed between my posts than I had anticipated. But - as promised, some info on eating in Quebec City. First of all, I guess I should say that we love to eat on our holidays. Everything else we do on vacation is just filling in time until we get to eat again. Actually, this pretty much describes my whole life! Anyhow, the food in Quebec was amazing. Above is J.A. Moisan, an old fashioned grocery store with lots of delicious food. I was especially impressed with their range of Liberte yogurt. If you haven't tried it - I just have to take this quote from their website to describe it - "sensuality in a velvety dress. Close your eyes and travel." It is THAT GOOD. It's also widely available here in NS, but Moisan had a lot more.
There was also an amazing bakery on Rue St. Jean. I foolishly didn't write down the name, but it has a big yellow squiggle over the door. They make the most beautiful breads and pastries - chocolate and cranberry, candied orange, sundried tomato and spinach, olive fougasse. Each one was more delicious than the next. We left on a Monday, and had a plan to go there on Sunday and buy a bag full of bread to take home, but it was closed! We will know better for next time - and there will be a next time!


We also had some memorable dinners - one was at Le Cercle, on Rue St. Joseph. It's a restaurant/concert venue, and the food is amazing. We had tapas, and got to try lots of cool flavors. Definitely recommended. We also loved a little bistro on the same street called Les Bossus. We actually ate their twice because we enjoyed it so much - just classic french bistro dishes, beautifully prepared. We also enjoyed great service. Also - highly recommended.

I couldn't talk about our trip without talking about where we stayed. We found Auberge Le Vincent on Trip Advisor, and it lives up to all the reviews. Great location, nice rooms, good breakfast, and above all - the staff were so friendly and helpful. They really went out of their way to make sure we had a nice time.

Bonjour Quebec!

We had an amazing time in Quebec City. The sky was this blue every single day with a little chill in the air - perfect for the miles and miles that we walked around this beautiful place.
We ate lots of delicious food, saw some great scenery and just soaked up the atmosphere. It is the 400th anniversary of Quebec City this year - so there were many special events happening. One of them was an exhibit of art from the Louvre. It was a great opportunity to see some amazing artworks - my favorite part the exhibit was portraits of artists by other artists.
The photos I've posted today are all from the old town - we stayed outside of the walls but spent a lot of our days walking around here. As you can see from the photo above - a lot of other people had the same idea. We spent alot of time in the St. Jean and St. Roch areas as well - more local and less touristy - I'll talk about those a bit tomorrow.

We got away from the crowds for a little while by taking the ferry across the river so that we could look back and see the city. (Hmm - my glasses look a bit like blublockers in this shot - does anyone remember that bad commercial?). As I mentioned - I'll do another post about QC tomorrow with some links to great places to shop - and of course - eat!

Hello from the Dark Side

Hello - I can't believe it's been so long since I last blogged! We got back from Quebec city a couple of weeks ago - which was amazing by the way (more on that later) - and it's been head down, working hard ever since! But - now trying to get back into the swing of things, and hope to post more regularly. The photo above is one of my favorites from our Quebec trip - I just like the dark moodiness of it. Anyhow - I have to finish off some work tonight, and then it's back to regularly scheduled programming with some more photos from our trip tomorrow.