Ulixis Crafts

Sunday Seven

2012-01-29T11:26:00.002-05:00

A few small things I'm grateful for this week:

Sunday: hanging out with friends

Monday: sleeping in on a Monday

Tuesday: catching up on my "read 50 books in a year" goal

Wednesday: surprise delivery from my gramma

Thursday: ModCloth delivery

Friday: front row tickets to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers in Toronto

Saturday: long talk with Pat

What are you thankful for this week?

Project 52: 4/52

2012-01-28T05:49:00.001-05:00

Already week 4 - here's my photo:
I'd love it if you'd participate with me in this challenge! The rules are simple - take 1 photo a week, for 52 weeks. No theme, just a photo of something that sparked your interest during the week. Feel free to use my Project 52 banner as well. Either right click on the image above & save it on your computer, or follow this link & download it from Flickr.

Once you've taken your photo, post it online somewhere & add your link in the submission box below.

ModCloth Order

2012-01-27T17:26:00.003-05:00

My ModCloth order was delivered today! I must say, I'm impressed with the fast shipping (1 week!), as well as the well-packaged & cute box!

Sorry - I unpacked it before I grabbed my camera - but pretty, right?

Originally, I was browsing ModCloth for a cute dress - I've been wearing dresses & skirts pretty much exclusively the last couple months & they were on for a great price (some, like the one I chose, under $10!). I went with this pretty red & aqua heart-patterned dress:

Simple & sweet, I like the loose cut, the pockets & the elastic draw-string waist. It's a bit short though, so I think I'll get the most wear out of it in the summer, over short-shorts. It isn't bad with tights... as long as I don't have to bend - at all... Ha!

Anyway, it was really tricky getting a quick photo without setting up my tripod & waiting for better light, so I just went with a through-the-mirror shot:

Like I said - cute! I especially love how the pattern looks like houndstooth from afar!

Of course, I had to browse all the sections before checking out.... & saw this:

How could I resist?!

I'll try to get clearer photos in better lighting for my teapot Collections post, but for now these will do. You can certainly see how lovely it is! Great shape, lovely colours & a strainer basket for loose tea:

LOVE!

My Creative Space

2012-01-26T11:30:00.003-05:00

Just a quick look into some of my sketchbooks:

Find more creative spaces here.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T11:50:00.002-05:00

Recommended: The Five People You Meet in Heaven

2012-01-24T12:45:00.004-05:00

Pat recently picked up Mitch Albom's The Five People You Meet in Heaven. He'd read good reviews on the book, but honestly I hadn't even heard of it. It sounded interesting enough & was a short, easy read, so I sat down & finished it in a day.

Am I ever glad I did! What a thoughtful read!

The gist of it is basically an interpretation of what happens when we die - a question as old as man. Albom's heaven isn't Paradise though, or a lush Garden of Eden. Instead, after dying, we successively meet 5 people who explain the meaning of our earthly life.

In the book, we live the last few moments of Eddie's life - a seemingly insignificant, dead-end existence as a small amusement park mechanic - and then we follow him into his afterlife, meeting the 5 people who explain to Eddie why he was who he was. Some of these people he knew & expected, like his wife, but others he didn't know. Still, they each shed some light on his path & granted him the answers he sought.

The tale is beautifully written & Eddie is a compelling, believable character. The best part was the idea - what if we do meet 5 people in heaven? Who do you think you'd meet?

I have another Albom book in my library - For One More Day - but have yet to read it. I'm looking forward to it though!

Weekly Forecast

2012-01-23T21:23:00.004-05:00

As usual, I'm hoping for a productive week. I'm pretty happy with how last week went, though I didn't tackle half my ambitious list. I concentrated on my job search & some fun stuff, like blogging, sewing & sketching.

Here's what I'm hoping to get done this week:

exercise every day: Angie set a 30-day challenge - exercise every day for 30 days. The goal is to get back into a routine, to be more active daily. The exercise doesn't have to be extreme - I'm aiming to get back into daily yoga.
organize the kitchen: since taking everything out for Christmas baking, I need to reorganize my cupboards & pantry.
once my kitchen is organized, I can finally bake the bread I've been wanting to try
take lots of pictures
update my sketchbooks & finish my Sketchbook Project

Another ambitious list, but I know I can manage. I just need to get up early & start the day off right with a yoga routine.

A few things I'm hoping to blog about this week:

a look at my organized craft space
an update on my 52 Lists & Sketchbook Project
freshly baked bread
a great book to recommend
Project 52

Have a great week everyone!

Mosaic Monday

2012-01-23T11:50:00.002-05:00

Make sure to include a link back to my blog so that everyone can participate. Then come back here & submit a link to your blog post (using the "add your link" button at the bottom). I'll be looking at & commenting on each one!

Here's mine for this week: handwriting. Because it's National Handwriting Day!

1. My handwriting, 2. Handwriting meme., 3. Handwriting Sample, 4. My Handwriting "After"

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

Sunday Seven

2012-01-22T07:49:00.003-05:00

A few small things I'm grateful for this week:

Sunday: football with the guys

Monday: scored a few things at a great price on ModCloth

Tuesday: fun sewing day

Wednesday: trying something new

Thursday: motivation to work out

Friday: a friend's healthy baby girl (so cute!)

Saturday: tasty burgers

What are you thankful for this week?

Project 52: 3/52

2012-01-21T04:23:00.002-05:00

First - what do you think of my new Project 52 banner? I figured I'd make things a little more official looking, especially since I plan on blogging about it each week. I also created a button for my sidebar, so you can easily look back on all my photos with one click. I'm also hoping you'll join me in this challenge - but more on that at the end.

It snowed on & off all week, though there wasn't much accumulation. The flurries were really coming down on Thursday, so I took my camera out onto the balcony for a little change in scenery. The soft powder was lovely. And it enabled me to snap a photo for Project 52:

The snowflake bokeh is what sealed the deal for me.

Just as I was heading back inside after my photo session, I received some unexpected visitors:

The pigeons don't let a little snow get in their way!

As I mentioned above, I'd love it if you'd participate with me in this challenge! The more the merrier - I could use the encouragement! The rules are simple - take 1 photo a week, for 52 weeks. No theme, just a photo of something that sparked your interest during the week. We're already on the 3rd week, but that doesn't mean you can't start now (or go back through your archives & find a couple photos from the last 2 weeks)!
Feel free to use my Project 52 banner as weel. Either right click on the image above & save it on your computer, or follow this link & download it from Flickr.

Once you've taken your photo, post it online somewhere & add your link in the submission box below. I can't wait to see what you come up with!

Firsts: Cooking with Shrimp

2012-01-20T05:34:00.000-05:00

One of the prompts for 366Pages was to come up with a list of new-to-you things to try in 2012.

Wednesday night, I crossed off one of those firsts! I cooked with shrimp for the first time:

Granted, the shrimp I used were already cooked, but the principle is the same - I've never made anything with seafood before!

Mostly because Pat & I aren't fond of any type of fish or seafood... But I'm all about trying new things & this wasn't half bad, not too fishy. I chose a noodle recipe from one of my Thai cookbooks & it cooked up in minutes. The longest part was soaking the noodles. After that it was simply a matter of slicing & lightly frying the green veggies:

Then thickening a simple sauce:

I adjusted the sauce recipe a bit, omitting the oyster sauce I didn't have & adding some hot chili sauce & Thai spices. I found it very flavourful & satisfying.

Pat? Not so much. Not only does he not like shrimp, but he also isn't a fan of rice noodles (how that's possible, I don't know!) or trying new things... so he only picked at his bowl. Which is too bad because I still have half a bag of frozen shrimp that I'm determined to use!

Any shrimp recipes you'd like to recommend?

My Creative Space

2012-01-19T05:26:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, I saw half of an old stuffed toy on the New Day Foster Home blog & an idea immediately sparked in my mind. I had to recreate it right away. So I drew up a rough template & sewed all afternoon. Here are the results:

It was the mouth that gave me my idea - it was large & colourful & looked almost like you could hide something in there. So... why not? I decided I would make a "stomach" that could hold a little trinket.

I had a toy as a kid that was similar. It was a mother cat with a pocket in her belly that held five kittens. So I decided to make a cat as well, but with a little snack for his belly:

A little fish!

Hahaha! I'm so happy with how he turned out - I can't help but giggle when I pick him up.

The design or sewing isn't perfect, but the quilting on his belly is pretty darn good I think. And he sits up on his own because of his tail:

I had to stitch his entire mouth by hand. A little tedious, but so worth it!

Head on over to Our Creative Spaces for more!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T06:53:00.001-05:00

Searching for Blog Sponsors: February

2012-01-17T17:46:00.005-05:00

So... after much debate, I've finally decided to go ahead & offer advertisements spots on my blog. For now, I'm keeping things very exclusive - there will only be three spots, situated right between the "creative director" & "follow me" widgets on my sidebar.

Since February will be my first month of advertisement, I'm offering the space at a very discounted price - FREE! You can't get any cheaper than that!

Act now - March will only be free for returning advertisers!

My page views aren't through-the-roof, but I have been working on them steadily (& plan on continuing to do so), building them up to be around 150 per day, with well over 1000 unique visitors per month. That means you're exposing at least 1000 new people to your blog or shop when you advertise on my blog for just 1 month!

What you get:

Prime real estate on my blog sidebar.
Two "check out my sponsors" blog posts a month: one will be a collective post for all 3 ads, the second will be a post highlighting each shop/blog individually. These promo posts will be once a week.

What I need from you:

An ad. Make it a jpg or png file, 200px (width) by 150px (height). If you don't have one made up already, I can make one for you - just let me know what you want it to look like (a photo/image to use is helpful).
The link you want your ad to refer back to.
Some recognition: since you're advertising here, I'd like for your viewers / readers to visit this blog as well. A simple blog post or announcement (via Facebook or Twitter, for example) is sufficient.

What to do:

Send your ad (or ad criteria) & link to ulixis.crafts@gmail.com. Please send only 1 email with "February advertisement" as the subject line. Due to time constraints, I will only be replying to the 3 submissions that will be posted on my blog.

As examples, I have posted 3 ads to my own shops in my blog sidebar (right above "follow me"). These will be replaced with your ads in February.

Home Decor: Glassware Display

2012-01-17T07:14:00.001-05:00

I've seen collections of vases & glassware all over the internet. I've always loved this look & sought to replicate it with my own pieces a while ago. My collection has evolved over the years & grown. This is where it stands now:
It's probably my favourite corner of the living room... well, books will always be my #1 choice when it comes to decor, but this is a close second:
This assortment of of glassware originates from all over. The vase with the flower arrangement (which changes seasonally of course) used to house a fish.
The cruet is vintage (from online), as is the mini iron (blogged here), the bell cloches, the cute fawn (both also online) & the pretty flower vase (from my mom).
The 3 knotted jars were a gift from my mom - they were the start of this glassware collection, even though I had some of the pieces before I got these.
I picked up the star at a Hamilton craft show. The "mountain" came from Banff (it's a rattle! I blogged about it here).
That pretty flower vase? Also from my mom. It matches the flowers I display in the spring / summer perfectly! Those 2 small turquoise bowls are from a small shop in North Bay & the bunny is vintage (an online purchase). The black pot was a gift from my supervisor (handmade!).
Inside the second cloche is a crocheted-covered rock by knitalatte.
In the back right corner is a vase (a gift from Pat - it held a "get well soon" flower arrangement for a minor operation I had on my wrist back in high school), a love Angel (from my grandma), a tiny vial (don't remember where I came across that... the lab?) & a vintage jar from my mom.
Both the vial & the jar contain an assortment of greenish & colourless beads. The jar also contains a few other trinkets, like a sparkly star, a tiny Eiffel tower & a tiny bow.

What do you think of my glass collection?

Mosaic Monday

2012-01-16T01:10:00.003-05:00

Here's mine for this week: fuzzy.

1. Fuzzy Pink and Yellow, 2. Fuzzy non logic!, 3. The Fuzzies, 4. Fuzzy in Pink!

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

Weekly Forecast

2012-01-15T22:26:00.002-05:00

I may have wanted last week to be extra productive... but it wasn't. I spent most of my time on the couch, turning the pages of A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin. It was probably my favourite of the series so far.

I'm hoping that this week won't be a repeat (except with A Feast of Crows, the 4th book). So far, I haven't fallen into the book headfirst - I'm taking it slow. I want to savour it since I don't have the 5th book yet (& I have a ton of other books to read first).

So here are just a few things I want to accomplish this week:

organize the kitchen cupboards
bake some bread
catch up on 52 Lists
go skating twice
start practicing yoga first thing in the morning again
apply to at least one job posting a day
update my Etsy shops
pull out my sewing machine & sew something

A pretty ambitious list, but sometimes you have to set the bar high to get things done! Notably, my new laptop power cable came in, so I'm back on my laptop for more efficient blogging, listing & editing. Here are a few things I'd like to blog about, though I haven't scheduled much for this week yet:

update 52 Lists
a collection post (teapots)
a look at my winter uniform
Project 52

I really want to take lots of photos this week - I feel like I need to get reacquainted with my camera. I especially want to play around with my macro attachments. Hopefully, the sun cooperates with that goal!

Have a great week everyone!

Sunday Seven

2012-01-15T07:55:00.001-05:00

This week wasn't very productive, unless you count it in number of pages I read. Ha! I just couldn't put down the 3rd book in George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones series. So good! Still, there is much to be thankful for:

Sunday: having friends over for food & football
Monday: winning $14 on instant scratch tickets
Tuesday: sunny, unseasonably warm weather
Wednesday: reading allllllll day
Thursday: the satisfaction of finishing a great book... & being able to turn to the next in the series immediately
Friday: a great talk with Pat
Saturday: a great football game (even if the Saints lost)

What were you thankful for this week?

Project 52

2012-01-14T14:01:00.002-05:00

Here's week 2 of my no-theme Project 52:
On Wednesday I showed you the Swarovski bunny that goes with this pretty flower. Both were graduation gifts from my parents. I love how they sparkle on their mirrors.

My Creative Space

2012-01-12T12:49:00.004-05:00

Mom surprised me at Christmas with an assortment of craft supplies. It was a surprise because these are not something she normally buys for me, especially since there aren't really any craft stores back home (besides Fabricland & a knitting shop). But she's been traveling to Montreal for work & happened to come across a sweet little mixed-media shop, where she promptly had to resist buying one of everything (that's where I get it from!).

Anyway, here are the things she decided on:

This awesome paintbrush holder is perfect for drying my brushes & holding other tools, like pens & the watercolor pencils my mom also grabbed for me (you can see the 6 different colours at the front of the rack).

Once dry, I can now pack my best brushes away safely in this awesome bamboo roll:

Fittingly, I also received a new paintbrush - I've actually never seen one like this, with 2 different lengths of bristles.

Last but not least, mom also picked up this magnificent watercolour notebook to go with my pencils.

Here's the first page I filled in using my new supplies:

Check out Our Creative Spaces for more!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T12:58:00.004-05:00

The Sketchbook Project (Update)

2012-01-10T12:36:00.003-05:00

As promised, here is an update on my Sketchbook Project. it's due at the end of the month, so I need to concentrate on finishing it up. I was going to show photos of my entire sketchbook, as I like to have the book all in one place, but seeing how I'm not done & I'll be wanting to show it all once it is anyway, I've just posted the new pages today. You can see the rest of the complete pages here.

As I mentioned in that previous post, each of the 4 sections of my book has a theme. The first section is devoted to "definitions" of sorts. Most of that section was already complete - here are the last 2 that needed finishing:

The next section is solely collage. Here are a few of those, but this section is largely unfinished.

The third section is dedicated to fork & spoon quotes. This is the section I've worked on the most lately:

The last section is still blank, though I do have an idea for filling it. The first page of each section will be a table of contents, which will remain til the last. Most of the collages need a bit of finishing too.

What do you think of the progress of my book so far?

Recommend: The Sisters Brothers

2012-01-09T15:25:00.000-05:00

Today I'd like to recommend a really great book: The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt.

I picked it up on a whim, mostly based on the cool cover. (Am I the only one who buys books solely based on the cover? No? OK, good.) The cover also boasted of a Governor General's Literary Award win, so it had to be pretty decent.

And was it ever! I loved this book & plowed though it in no time!

The protagonist's voice is hilarious; he's such a misfortunate fellow, but you can't help but chuckle as he blunders his way to California during the 1850s gold rush. He isn't there for the gold though - Eli Sisters & his brother Charlie (the Sisters brothers) are notorious killers working for a powerful man known as the Commodore & are traveling to complete a contract. I particularly enjoyed Eli's relationship with his lame horse & the secret formula they were sent to steal before killing Hermann Kermit Warm.

There were also a lot of good thoughtful quotes, often at the end of a chapter. For example:

The creak of bed springs suffering under the weight of a restless man is as lonely a sound as I know.

We can all of us be hurt, and no one is exclusively safe from worry and sadness.

Hmmm... well, those make it seem a bit more depressing than the book actually is - they were taken near the beginning, when Eli is just starting to question exactly what he does for a living. Still, I think they give you a bit of a taste of DeWitt's exquisite prose.

This fun & fast-paced book is one that I am recommending to all my friends & family, from hardcore bibliophiles to romance-readers to my just-starting-to-get-into-reading-again brothers. It's an easy book for everyone to enjoy & one you can easily picture as a (really great) movie.

Have you read any good books lately?

Mosaic Monday

2012-01-09T01:42:00.002-05:00

It's Mosaic Monday! I hope you'll join us - it's really easy! Just make a photo mosaic - you can use whatever photo editing software you like, or a website such as the mosaic maker & photos from Flickr - & then post it on your blog. Go ahead & pick a theme if you want, but don't feel like you have to. Have fun with it! Make sure to include a link back to my blog so that everyone can participate. Then come back here & submit a link to your blog post (using the "add your link" button at the bottom). I'll be looking at & commenting on each one!

Here's mine for this week: resolutions.

1. Resolution One ~ Sewing, 2. Resolutions, 3. 1/52 Resolutions, 4. Resolution...

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

Weekly Forecast

2012-01-08T23:15:00.001-05:00

I hope to be extra productive this week, to make up for my lazy time off last week.

To-Do List:

organize my kitchen cupboards (put away Christmas dishes, the last of my Christmas stuff)
mail off some thank you cards
catch up on some projects: 52 Lists, Sketchbook Project... & a few more I'm sure I'm forgetting
go for a walk & do some banking
go skating more than once
bake some bread
paint

As I mentioned, I made myself some monthly calendars to keep track of my blogging. I stole the idea from ♥elycia & I think it's a great one. I feel more efficient already!
I really want to try to get ahead of the game & schedule more posts in advance.

To-Blog List:

recommend a great book I recently read
an update on my Sketchbook Project
an update on my 52 Lists project
a look at my creative space & some new supplies I acquired at Christmas
week 2 of Project 52

What are your plans for this week?

Sunday Seven

2012-01-08T06:27:00.002-05:00

It's time to get back into posting my Sunday Seven. These serve two purposes for me: to keep track of what I've been up to each week as well as to help me stop & consider the little things that bring me joy.

Sunday: getting to visit with my grandfather before coming home from a merry holiday
Monday: a quiet day at home with Pat before he goes back to work
Tuesday: Pat's new job
Wednesday: playing Monopoly with Pat
Thursday: going skating in the evening
Friday: playing Little Big Planet 2 with Pat all night
Saturday: sharing delicious juicy burgers with friends

What are you thankful for this week?

Project 52 - Reboot

2012-01-07T08:15:00.002-05:00

As I mentioned in my recap posts, some of my best photos came about because of Project 52.... and I was pretty disappointed that I flunked out so late in the game. This year, I want to try again, except without themes. All I have to do is take one photo a week - not that difficult, right?

Well, we'll see how it goes.

For now, here's week 1:

This beautiful copper ornament was a gift from my friend Dorana. Made by Copper Leaf Studios, it features a maple leaf, my absolute favourite. I think it's a perfect addition to my tree.

Call me crazy, but I'm already a little excited for Christmas next year!

Crazy? OK, fine. But this ornament is so beautiful & non-Christmas-y that I'm not packing it away this year. It's now hanging on my mug tree with a set of three bird mugs.

What are your photography goals this year?

2011: A Year in Photos

2012-01-06T22:03:00.000-05:00

Here are some of my favourite photos from 2011.

January 12 - orange peel:

March 17 - orange mums:

March 30 - habanero peppers:

April 12 - yoga:

April 27 - pussy willows:

May 4 - branches:

May 11 - more shrubbery:

July 5 - baby oak:

July 20 - reflect bacon:

August 9 - bowl of mango:

October 12 - maple spectrum:

November 23 - moonlit trees:

December 8 - cherry flips:

December 23 - my Christmas tree:

Here's hoping for another great year of photos!

2011 Year in Review

2012-01-06T08:59:00.008-05:00

I wasn't planning on doing a year in review; I usually don't. But then I started seeing them on all my favourite blogs, so I started browsing through last year's January posts. Nostalgia soon set in & I thought it would be nice to have all my favourite posts & pictures of the year in one spot.

So here we go...

Best of Mosaic Monday

January 10: sun & snow

May 30: rain

August 22: 25

September 19: success

September 26: autumn moments

December 19: red & green macro

The Best of Each Month

January

I started out the year with a post expressing the same sentiments I was feeling while writing the first post of this year. I recommended an awesome book, which made me realize I haven't written about hardly any of the great books I read last year. I rounded out the month by finishing & showing off my Sketchbook Project (Parts One, Two & Three) (something I'll be doing again this month).

February

February was a quiet month devoted to painting & my sketchbook. I did post a quick recipe I need to start making more often & some inspiring photography of dancers in everyday places.

March

March saw an improvement in my photography as well as a few interesting posts. I started out the month by showing off my latest vintage finds. I talked about my dreams & the difference between nutritionists & dietitians. I was also inspired by the intricate work of the artist Armelle Caron.

April

Two of my favourite posts of the year were written in April - this one on complaining & this one about kitchen prep. Two completely different topics, but I really enjoyed writing both & may have to revisit both soon. April was also the month we adopted Henry, the sweetest bunny ever. Unfortunately, he ate something that didn't agree with him & he's no longer with us. April is also the month I started Sunday Seven, a weekly feature where I list what I'm thankful for each day. I really want to get back into the habit of those...

May

It was getting warmer in May & Pat & I were hiking the Hamilton trails. I like this fun post on our different perspectives. I went to Denver in May & posted an amazing raw chocolate-date-pecan bar recipe. My photography skills continued to improve, as evidenced in this Project 52 update. Which makes me wish I hadn't dropped it at the end... I'm going to try again this year, but on my own without themes.

June

I had a major presentation in June - it went well, but I was gross & sweaty. Pat & I continued exploring Hamilton's waterfalls & saw the Devil's Punchbowl. I participated in the 30-Day Journal Challenge, which inspired me to start 366Pages.

July

I went home for a week in July & came back with plenty of photos! Here's a recap of my vacation. One random Tuesday, I posted three times, all worth mentioning: Morning Fog, Clothes Fresh off the Line & my Royal Doulton collection. Finally, here's one of my favourite Project 52 updates.

August

I turned 25 & my aunt got married in August. I had fruit on the brain: I blogged a Science Byte about them & started a new project exploring new-to-me fruit. I also blogged about the cottage, a cherished childhood vacation destination I don't get to visit often enough anymore.

September

September was a month of celebration. Pat's birthday, my defense, my little bird Michael's life, a bumper crop of basil...it was a good month!

October

October was a month of fall photos, most from my trip home for Thanksgiving. There was a cute post about Edward & my mom, a note on cutting wood & lot of fall foliage (parts one & two). Angie's Art Classes were in full swing - this Klimt one was my favourite.

November

November was a whirlwind. Pat & I took a quick trip to New Jersey to surprise my friend Dorana at her baby shower (parts one, two, three, four & five - parts six, seven & eight from December). I also started posting Weekly Forecasts, a feature I plan on keeping up. I teased you with a preview prompt for 366Pages & had fun playing alone.

December

December was a busy month of holiday baking & merry making. I was especially proud of my cherry flips, my date turnovers & my pretty tree. I got new glasses this month & was charmed off the sidewalk. Pat & I had a quiet little Christmas at home before heading North to our families.

Lessons Learned

This year in review has inspired me to blog more personally: more favourite recipes, more dreams, more books, more outfits & more photos. Some of the more random posts are the best ones. I've started a special monthly agenda just for my blog so that I can plan ahead & be better organized. If any ideas pop into my head, I can jot them down for blogging later.

This look back at the year made me realize how much I enjoyed daily yoga ... & how much I miss it. I need to organize our space more efficiently so that I can have room to stretch out easily. I really want to get back into a healthy routine this new year!

My favourite photos of 2011 coming up next!

Happy New Year

2012-01-05T10:33:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!!

I'm a bit late in the game, I realize... & it's been awful quiet over here lately. Sorry! I'm trying to recover from a cold & unpack from our week-long holiday trip home. We were very fortunate & came home with lots of fun gifts to sort through (one of the best parts about traveling home for the holidays: unpacking is almost like a second Christmas!).

To make things more difficult, my laptop power cable broke in two... so I'm blogging from my tablet. It's a little tricky - html has become my best friend! I still haven't figured out how I'm going to get new photos online, though, so bear with me!

I hope everyone is having a great start to the new year!

366Pages Starts Tomorrow!

2011-12-31T08:24:00.000-05:00

It's the last day of the year! That means 366Pages, my yearlong sketchbook challenge, starts tomorrow!

Why? This workshop will push you to journal everyday, with daily prompts & examples to spur you on. You'll find that the daily routine you develop will increase your creativity in all aspects of your life!

Don't be intimidated by the "yearlong" part - there's no pressure. Follow along at your own pace & end up with a sketchbook full of inspiration to get you into your creative groove!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T05:30:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you got to spend the day with your loved ones!

Date Turnovers

2011-12-23T13:13:00.003-05:00

Since my grandparents have been going through a rough time lately, they haven't really been in the mood for celebrating Christmas much. They didn't decorate & my grandma didn't make any cookies, including her famous date turnovers.

Naturally, as I was baking up a storm these last few weeks anyway, I had to add her recipe to my list. I just made them on Wednesday & they turned out perfectly (despite a vague recipe, calling for "enough flour to form a stiff dough" & "cook dates with enough water to form a thick paste").

I had leftover date filling, so I mixed in some chopped pecans & wrapped it in puffed pastry... I hope it turned out, I haven't tried it yet. That's the pastry I displayed on my cake plate earlier.

Since today is my grandma's birthday, we're going to stop on our way through town (as we head home for the holidays). I'm bringing her a tin of baking, including plenty of the turnovers.

Happy Birthday Gramma!

Our Christmas

2011-12-23T08:17:00.001-05:00

Pat & I had our Christmas Wednesday night.

I was really happy with how the gifts looked, all decked out in red. Almost too pretty to open....

Almost.

It was one of our best Christmas' here yet, despite our knowing half our gifts in advance. Still, there were still a few surprises...

Like this:

This is definitely the highlight gift for me: a 4-in-1 cake plate / dip dish / punch bowl! I had seen it when Pat & I were browsing Canadian Tire a while back, but I never thought he'd get it for me! It's the type of thing he just rolls his eyes & nods sarcastically at while I point out how awesome it is.

So first it's a cake plate:

with

or without the dome lid (that counts as 2 in the 4-in-1, even though it's technically the same thing).

Doesn't that date pastry look delicious displayed this way? I can't wait to make an actual cake & really try it out!

Second, or third I guess, it's also a dip bowl:

A nice size for salsa & tortilla chips, or veggies & dip, or whatever you fancy.

Lastly - this is the coolest - it's also a punch bowl!

How awesome is that?! What a versatile serving piece! Plus, it's Anchor glass, so it's very sturdy.

I love it! Thanks Pat!

Charming!

2011-12-22T15:42:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was a great day. I was productive, I hand-delivered some earrings to 2 customers, Pat & I had our Christmas... but the icing on the cake was the charming fellow who stopped me in the street to tell me I was beautiful!

This story deserves telling.

I was walking down the street to meet up with one of my customers, when I heard a car honk the horn. I wasn't sure what it was about, but I did notice a black car with the window rolled down pull into the driveway of an apartment building. I didn't recognize the car, so I continued on my way.

Well, wouldn't you know it, the guy drove around the block & stopped beside me to say hi. He was smiling & held his hand out the window to shake mine. Curious, I figured the guy deserved at least a hello. He introduced himself & said he had to stop me to tell me I was beautiful instead of just going home & regretting it forever.

"With that hat, you look like you walked out of a magazine."

Seriously. Direct quote.

Needless to say, I was flattered.

I declined his number & he said to tell Pat that he was a very lucky man. Pat better step up his game though - charm like that is hard to resist!

My Creative Space

2011-12-22T12:12:00.003-05:00

At Thanksgiving, my mom asked me to hem a tablecloth for her.

(Yes, I know, I'm only getting around to it now. What can I say? I'm a procrastinator. But at least it's done. You can stop nagging now mom!)

It's a lovely wine red with a simple woven checkered design featuring sprigs of foliage that are originally autumnal, but can easily stretch into the winter season. As predicted, it took all of 30 minutes to cut, iron & hem.

And there's enough left over fabric to make 8 napkins. I should be able to whip those up this afternoon between loads of laundry & one final batch of cookies!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-21T07:40:00.000-05:00

My New Tablet

2011-12-20T08:15:00.002-05:00

Pat's laptop died a few months ago & mine has been doing poorly for well over a year, so we've been shopping for upgrades for a while. I couldn't decide if I wanted to go with a new laptop, or a smaller netbook or tablet. Besides basic internet browsing, I need my laptop for editing photos, listing & blogging, so I didn't think a netbook or tablet would suit my needs. Still, 2 new laptops were a bit out of our price range right now, especially since Pat needs a really good one for his work as a software developer (he gets a work laptop but ideally uses both).

Rogers has a deal on right now - if you sign up for 2 new phones, you get a free Samsung Galaxy tablet. We're both sort of looking for new phones too, so Pat started looking into the tablets a bit more. He scoped out some different models & found that the Lenovo Ideapad Tablet K1 had very similar specs to the Galaxy but was half the price.

Futureshop has a 2 week return policy, so we decided to just go ahead & get one. If we didn't like it, we could return it without any hassle.

Needless to say, I won't be returning this baby!

I am in love! It's the perfect size & portability. It isn't as thin or flimsy as the Galaxy or iPad & has a leather-like plastic on the back that gives it a really nice feel & grip. Unlike the Galaxy & iPad, it also has a mini-HDMI out & an SD slot, making it a bit more versatile & accessible.

It's a touchscreen, which took all of 2 seconds to get used to. There are 5 "desktops" to slide between & tons of apps to download for free (or pay for but yeah right!). I love it for internet, email, social media & games.

I LOVE it! The first week we had it, I barely let Pat touch it I was playing on it so much! It isn't great for typing long messages because of the touch screen (copy/paste is tricky) - but I really just need a bluetooth keyboard to fix that problem (they have nice ones for tablets that fold into a case). I didn't think I would like it so much, but it's just so handy!

Speaking of cases, I had to get something to protect it. I opted for the sweet orange & grey plaid flannel one:

As for Pat, he got himself a new laptop. It's also a Lenovo Ideapad (though I'm not sure which model). I must say, we're both really impressed with Lenovo. Great quality for a great price!

I still use my old laptop for editing photos, which I'll continue to do for the time being. Eventually I may switch to using Pat's laptop for that, but I'll have to learn how to use the Dvorak keyboard layout first (Pat switched from qwerty since Dvorak is easier on his hands & will hopefully delay carpal tunnel for a few years... but it makes it impossible for others to use his laptop since all the keys are still in qwerty. Which means when you press an F on Pat's laptop, you get a vowel instead!).

Do you have a tablet? Do you like it?

366Pages Giveaway Winner

2011-12-19T08:54:00.006-05:00

I think it's about time to announce the winner of my 366Pages giveaway!

There were 16 entries from 5 different people, so the odds were pretty good! I used random.org to pick a number between 1 & 16...

*drum roll*

The 11th comment:

Congratulations Angela! I'll be in contact with you shortly!

If you didn't win, don't worry! There's still lots of time to sign up! All you have to do is head to one of my shops & look for a 366Pages listing. These would make great gifts for all your crafty friends & family - what a fun year of bonding & creating that could be! I can't wait!

Mosaic Monday

2011-12-19T08:19:00.004-05:00

Here's mine for this week: red & green macro.

1. Red, 2. Green, 3. Red Dress, 4. my humble opinion on flickr's future

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

A Little Update

2011-12-16T10:23:00.004-05:00

I'm sorry I sort of just disappeared this week - I had big plans but then an old, unwelcome acquaintance came for a visit. There's nothing quite like cancer to make a mess of the best laid plans...

Cancer has been silently stalking both my & Pat's families lately & reared its ugly head this week in more than one place.

That sounds very dramatic, but it was a very emotional week... anyway...

First, my great uncle, my gramma's youngest brother, passed away last Thursday from stomach cancer. It was very sudden - we found out less than a month ago that he had it & that it was terminal, that the doctors could do nothing but manage his pain. We're grateful that he didn't suffer for long. Pat & I traveled home for his funeral early this week.

The same day we found out my great uncle had terminal stomach cancer, we also discovered that my aunt - my gramma's youngest daughter, the one who fought breast cancer a couple years ago - had "a spot" on her femur. We found out on Wednesday that she also has spots on her liver. The doctors are positive though & she started treatment this week. My aunt is a fighter & we all know she'll get through this. Prayers for a speedy recovery are much appreciated.

While we were home, Pat received an update on his extended family. His mom has 9 siblings (I think) & his dad has well over a dozen (Pat can't even remember them all), so it's hard to keep track of all the aunts & uncles. Still, 2 of his aunts have cancer & so does his grandma (& a couple uncles aren't doing so well either). His grandma has it in more than one location & isn't opting for treatment.

So... this Christmas will be about family, even more than usual. We're going to go out of our way to visit with as many people as we can. I want to get to Powassan to visit with my dad's side of the family - it's been years. Same for Pat's dad's side - luckily, a dinner is being organized, so we'll be able to visit with his grandma & aunt & anyone else who has been doing poorly but hasn't told anyone yet.

And so....... I haven't blogged. I spent all day Wednesday in bed with a novel, my sketchbook & my tablet. Yesterday, I baked up a storm (see my updated sidebar list!) & plan on doing the same today & into the weekend. Next week will be all about getting my blogs ready for the holidays - I don't want things to get too quiet here while I'm busy having fun with my family!

Lastly, I haven't yet revealed the winner of the 366Pages giveaway - in fact, I decided to extend the giveaway until tonight. So if you haven't entered, what are you waiting for?! Sign up HERE!

New Glasses

2011-12-14T09:52:00.002-05:00

My new glasses came in the other day. I got 2 pairs for the price of one - they're both the same, one black, one green:

The black ones are a little more conservative & professional... but they're fun too. The arms have a bit of a design to them, with hot pink on the inside peeking through.

The green ones are probably my favourite, even though Pat doesn't like them so much:

They're funky & really bring out the colour of my eyes.

The arms on these ones are coppery-brown.

My prescription is really only for distances & is pretty weak, so I don't foresee myself wearing them all that often. But they're still a fun accessory to have!

Mosaic Monday

2011-12-12T10:12:00.003-05:00

Here's mine for this week: burgundy.

1. Burgundy vineyards, 2. Burgundy, 3. Burgundy peony, 4. Burgundy & Lime Ornament Set

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

My Christmas Wish List (Part 2)

2011-12-11T14:33:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the second part of my Holiday Wish List (you can find Part 1 here) - the stocking stuffer edition!

I love getting a stocking... there's just something magical about pulling out a multitude of miniature gifts! Here are a few things I'd love to find in my stocking, in case you were scrambling for a few last minute items for anyone on your list.

The first thing I think of when I think of stocking stuffers (besides undies & socks) is jewelry. I've had a thing for triangles lately, so these silver studs by MitzMetals are perfect!

Pins are an accessory I don't think of often, but love switching up all the time. This beautiful porcelain white dove by StudioByTheForest would get a lot of wear this time of year!

Handmade soap is something else that is always welcome in a stocking. This peppermint soap by KBShimmer is especially festive!

Christmas ornaments are also a perfect size for sticking into stockings! As you saw earlier today, I'm partial to stained glass ornaments - this lovely 3D snowflake by SNLCreations would be a wonderful addition to my collection.

Lastly, the best stocking stuffers are the personal ones. What does your recipient enjoy? I love reading, so a bookmark is a great idea for me. I especially like this metal one by SnappinStudio.

Do you do stockings? What do you like finding in yours?

My Christmas Tree

2011-12-11T01:17:00.001-05:00

I've had my Christmas tree up since.... well, since the end of November. Ha! I was a little excited this year! The lighting hasn't been great during the day though, so I haven't managed some very good pictures.

The other night I was playing around with my camera & decided to break out my macro attachments & crosshatch filter. I'd read somewhere online that the best time to take a photo of a lit tree was a night, so I wanted to give it a whirl. Here are a few pictures I snapped:

I'm really happy with the effect the crosshatch filter gives! Don't those bright stars make you smile?

I love how the stained glass ornaments look reflecting the light. I have quite a few, most strategically placed in front of light bulbs.

I haven't played as much with my macro attachments. There's a bit of a trick to them, but I'm pretty happy with how this ornament & the gold tulle looks:

As you can see, my tree has a lot of stained glass, quite a bit of red & white & a touch of blue. There's a mix of handmade, new & childhood ornaments, but I still think it all works together nicely.

What does your holiday tree look like?

366Pages Giveaway

2011-12-10T01:34:00.004-05:00

We're already over a week into December - that means that 366Pages is fast approaching!

Have you signed up yet?

If not, don't worry, there's plenty of time still. But don't wait too long.

Oh. You were waiting for this rumoured giveaway, were you? Well then...

Here it is!

The prize: participation in my yearlong sketchbook workshop, 366Pages, is going out to 1 lucky winner!

How to win: There are many ways for you to enter, but the first one is mandatory!

Leave a separate comment for each entry:

MANDATORY: follow my blog (see the widget on my sidebar) - if / once you do, leave me a comment.
Follow me on Twitter (@Ulixis) & tweet about this giveaway (make sure to @ me). Then leave another comment letting me know you did & what your username is.
Follow my Facebook page & post on your own wall about this giveaway. Then leave a comment on this blog post letting me know your Facebook username.
Blog about this giveaway, then post a link in the comments below.
StumbleUpon one of my 3 Etsy listings, then post a comment leaving me your StumbleUpon username.
Pin a link to one of my 3 Etsy listings on Pinterest. Then leave a comment here with a link to the post.

Contest closes December 16th at midnight - the winner will be randomly chosen the next day.

Good luck!

My Creative Space

2011-12-09T13:19:00.002-05:00

This year, I didn't have enough handmade Christmas cards to send to everyone on my list. So instead of buying more (I was a bit late in the game for that anyway), I decided to make my own.

Why not? I've made cards for my shop & other occasions before!

I knew I wanted to incorporate both collage & stamps somehow... my large festive reindeer sparked the idea.

I placed him in a snowy field, peeking from behind an evergreen tree, bringing holiday greetings.

The star & red decorations were added afterwards, on a whim, to make everything just that much more seasonal.

I hope these bring some cheer to my friends & family receiving them!

Check out the blog for more creative space!

Winter 2011 Palette

2011-12-09T08:42:00.003-05:00

Winter is surely starting to set in: I woke up to white this morning! While I doubt it'll last - this is Hamilton after all! - the cold wind is hard to ignore.

So while pulling out my winter sweaters the other day, I was thinking about colour themes for this season. Once again, grey seems to be the go-to neutral, which works for me! I love grey! All the classic colours of the season are out - navy, bright red, rich wine - so here's my "classics" palette for this year:

I chose a lovely charcoal grey & a jewel-toned navy. The cherry red looks almost pink next to the deep burgundy. I chose a shade that was close to cognac brown for extra versatility. Finally, I rounded out the palette with a warm gold. I wish I could make the colour more metallic, but you get the idea.

As you can see, I was playing around with the site COLOURlovers, where I make these palettes, & figured out how to adjust the width of each column. So I made the grey the widest because it's the colour that will get used the most. The bright red is smaller because it's more of an accent colour. The gold could probably be a bit smaller, more of an accent, but I was going for bold.

Now while those colours are pretty classic & will find a way into your style most days (& years), the next palette I created features some more trendy shades for this season:

To set things off, I started with a dark, neutral base. It's a mysterious shade, grey and brown and dark enough to almost pass for black. Adding onto that solid start, I chose some bright, fun colours, like the cheery spearmint that's always welcome this time of year. Next I went for a dusky purple, a hue I've been spotting everywhere lately. It's a very nice shade, just as versatile as blue but a touch more feminine.

I couldn't stay away from the red family for a winter palette, but this year, look for more orange shades. This is probably my favourite colour of the season (though that purple is hard to beat!). Indeed, I found a gorgeous red-orange coat while I was in New Jersey (it's a bit more red than this picture would lead you to believe):

Lastly, I decided to add a pale turquoise to the palette, just to lighten things up a bit. Last year's dark teals are a bit fresher, lighter & closer to aqua this year. This colour combined with lots of white (& a bit of that spearmint or the purple) would make for lovely holiday decor! Just imagine a tree (a white tree!) decked in those shades!

I'll try to take some pictures of my wardrobe for this season. I also picked up 2 wool dresses while in New Jersey & I've been wearing them a lot. I've been gravitating towards tights & knee high socks (alone & together - in all sorts of bright colours & patterns), keeping my dresses & skirts in heavy rotation.

What colours & styles are you wearing this winter?

Busy Baking!

2011-12-08T11:42:00.004-05:00

I meant to get a post up earlier today, but no such luck! I've been busy in the kitchen. Here's what I've made so far this week:

36 molasses cookies
38 cherry flips (there's a red maraschino or green glace cherry inside)
15 thumbprint cookies
46 mint almond truffles
40 pecan cookie dough truffles

I'm going to add a running tally like this on my sidebar in order to keep track of what I've made this year! And if you're wondering why there aren't more pictures, it's because I get caught up in the baking (& covered in flour) & completely forget!

I also have some spritz cookie dough in the fridge - it was supposed to go through my cookie press, but the poor (cheap) thing couldn't handle it. Two separate pieces snapped.... *sigh* So I'm just going to roll the dough out & use cookie cutters instead; I have lots of fun shapes, including some woodland friends ones I found at IKEA.

If you were wondering (mom) why there are so few thumbprints, it's because I forgot to thumbprint the second batch. They puffed right up. So I turned them into cookie crumbs (with pecans) & made truffles out of them. GREAT idea! I'll just make another batch of the thumbprints.

Since I'm rolling & using cookie cutters for the dough I already have, I'm also planning on doing the same with some sugar cookies & shortbreads today. Yum!

Best get to it!

366Pages - Sign Up Now!

2011-12-07T08:01:00.000-05:00

Today's the last day to take advantage of early bird prices for my 366Pages sketchbook workshop!

Sign up now!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T01:49:00.000-05:00

Fishing on the Beach

2011-12-06T04:13:00.001-05:00

There were a couple of fishermen at the beach when we went to see the ocean in New Jersey.

Pat wondered & asked what they were fishing for - bass & blue. Actually, this guy's first response was "nothing" & a good laugh... we didn't see them prove otherwise.

Mosaic Monday

2011-12-05T10:06:00.003-05:00

Here's mine for this week: polka dot fish.

1. Polka Dot Wooden fish, 2. Untitled, 3. Polka Dot Grouper, 4. Fabric fishy bunch - blue

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

Weekly Forecast

2011-12-05T09:31:00.005-05:00

Good morning Monday!

Are you ready to tackle the week? Once again, my to-do list is long & I hope to cross out most of it!

Last week I posted a mini update on Monday, along with a list of things I wanted to accomplish & blog about that week. I rather enjoyed the process - it was a great reminder to go back to during a hectic week. I didn't get many of my domestic tasks done last week though, so I'm going to try to concentrate on those this week.

The highlight of my week will definitely be getting some new glasses. Last week, I went to get my eyes checked & received my very first prescription. So we went shopping for glasses this weekend. I found the perfect pair, quite easily too! The only problem is that the frames I like come in 3 different colours & they only had 2 in stock. The 3rd should be in by Wednesday or so... & then I'll have to decide! The store is having a BOGO free sale though, so I may go with 2 of them. We'll see.

To-Do List:

Monday: start baking cookies (at least one batch)
post a new item in each shop each day (an MMG challenge)
fill in a page a day in my December journal
break out my sewing machine & hem mom's tablecloth (promise!) - then make a few more things while I'm at it (some napkins or a table runner with the excess, bags/cozies)
bake more cookies & make chocolate candies/truffles
make & send my Christmas cards

I'll think I'll leave it at that - there's a lot more to do, but I want to make it achievable. Any more I can do will be bonus!

To-Blog List:

Mosaic Monday
Part 2 of my holiday wish list
My Creative Space
my Christmas cards & cookies that I will make this week
a 366Pages giveaway
a look at some of my holiday decorations
a winter palette

So that's my week - should be frantic, like December usually is!

What's your weekly forecast?

There are still a couple of spots left in my craft it forward giveaway - don't forget to check it out!

Craft It Forward

2011-12-04T04:17:00.001-05:00

Last month, I was fortunate enough to be one of the first participants in the "Craft it Forward" giveaway on the Planet Fur blog. I received this sweet little deer last week:

The felt ornaments that Marlous makes are beyond adorable & I'm so happy I can finally call one my own! This little teal & white fellow looks perfect on my wall!

In return, I'm "crafting it forward" & offering my own blog giveaway!

The other day, I made up a few sets of my recycled medium-sized notebooks:

Each set is comprised of three 8.5x5.5" notebooks, each with 20 pages of recycled & new paper & a colourful cardstock cover. Each set is hand-stamped & numbered 1, 2 & 3.

The sets are as follows:

Neapolitan

1: strawberry; 2: vanilla; 3: chocolate brown

Forest Friends

1: olive; 2: tan; 3: goldenrod

80's Cardio

1: hot pink; 2: light blue; 3: emerald

Citrus

1: lime; 2: ultramarine; 3: orange

The first 4 people to leave a comment on this blog post will receive one of these notebook sets. If you are particular, feel free to specify which set you'd like to receive. First come, first serve, so don't hesitate!

The Rules:

1. Leave a comment with a way for me to reach you.

2. Craft it forward: make something & host a similar giveaway on your blog, website or facebook page.

3. That's it!

Looking forward to crafting it forward!

Waterfront Property

2011-12-03T11:00:00.000-05:00

Can you imagine living here?

With this as the view from your front door?

And the beach just a short walk away?

Yes please!

Walking on the Beach

2011-12-02T16:30:00.000-05:00

When we arrived at the ocean, the beach was mostly blocked off with construction. But off to the side was a big rock formation, like a giant dock made of stones.... I think it's called a breaker?

Anyway, we walked over to & on it to get closer to the waves.

The rocks were pretty neat themselves, even stained with bird poop.

We were heading back to the beach when we noticed a girl taking a photo of something right at the edge of the water, a little further along the beach. Of course I had to go check it out.... it was a dead bird. So I took a photo too:

Poor thing.

Lastly, as we were walking out onto the breaker - stone dock thing - Pat asked: "Did you take a picture of the foam?"

I hadn't, it was pretty ugly & I told him as much.

"But it's sea foam!"

So I took a photo. Lovely sea foam, no?

366Pages - Register Now

2011-12-02T10:55:00.002-05:00

The listings are now posted in my shops - sign up for 366Pages now!

This would make a great gift for any of your artistic friends & family - so while you're registering, why not sign them up too? Think of all the fun you can have together making your pages & flipping through each others sketchbooks!

I don't know about you, but I'm getting pretty excited for January!

My Creative Space

2011-12-01T17:05:00.002-05:00

After I put up my Christmas decorations & took down my summer wreath, I realized I needed either a wintery one or another holiday one. Here's the one I have now, a bit small but perfect for the space behind the TV / beside the window:

I made this one 2 or 3 years ago - I love the sparkly holly leaves & rich burgundy reds.

When I got to Michael's last weekend, these grapevine wreathes were in a sale bin outside:

It's exactly the same type of wreath as the one above & my summer one, except bent into a magnificent oval - obviously my favourite kind of wreath & in a shape for which I've been searching for some time now! I really like the rustic feel of the dried leaves wrapped within the branches.

The first floral piece that struck me was a stick of black & gold berries. Next I picked up the feather accents & black flowers. I wasn't too sure what colour to pick out of the feathers, but the little orange flowers decided it for me. I grabbed the sparkly green & orange ferns on a whim & then quickly left the floral section before picking up some lovely poinsettias & making two wreathes instead of one.

I wasn't too sure if the elements I had would work together, but it all came together in record time. Every time I walked by it on the table, I exclaimed to Pat how much I liked it.

He was very impressed. Not.

The muted tones are perfect for fall & winter. I have it hanging on the closet door so that it's the first thing you see when you walk in. I keep walking by it & smiling.

While you're feeling crafty, head on over to Our Creative Spaces!

My Christmas Wish List (Part One)

2011-12-01T02:14:00.002-05:00

It's that time of year again! Family members have been asking for wish lists, so I thought I'd gather some of my favourite online finds. This first batch includes some handmade finds from Etsy.

I've been pining for a juicer / citrus reamer since the spring. If I don't get one for Christmas, I'm definitely getting this one from AbbyTPottery. It's a gorgeous leaf green & that extra little ridge will take care of those pesky seeds!

I've wanted a cape since last winter & now all the celebrities are wearing them. This purple one by Sophiaclothing is particularly lovely with its brass buttons.

I need a new clock for the living room (or new batteries... but.. shhhh) & this one by RetroBabs is perfect -it's made with a plate from the Swiss Alpine dishes I collect!

I'm always looking for new brooches & this teapot one by kimonoreincarnate is extra sweet.

I really want a bracelet (or two or three) by brasslady. This green & silver one is at the top of my list.

This finch print by beethings reminds me of Michael.

There are so many other things that have caught my eye this holiday season - keep an eye out for Part Two!

What's on your holiday list this year?

Construction on the Coast

2011-11-30T15:28:00.003-05:00

When we drove to the Jersey shore, we just stopped at the first beach we came upon. As it so happens, there was construction taking up most of the beach. We skirted around to get to the water, but many of my photos have the tell-tale bright orange marking the construction zone. Made for a few interesting shots:

I like the tracks in the sand.

And the fluttering orange flags.

Here's a large flock of shore birds I couldn't get a very good photo of... but the birds behind the "keep out" sign is pretty great. And so are the soaring birds:

I wish we could have spent more time seeking out different beaches, comparing the rocks & shells collected from each one.

But I'm really glad I can finally say I've seen the ocean!

I have a few more sets of photos from the coast to show you, but I'll keep them in draft mode for those days when I'm at a loss for time or words. I will try to get them up sooner rather than later though - I need the motivation to continue taking more pictures!

(Are you ready for it to be December tomorrow? I'm not!)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T12:31:00.002-05:00

366Pages Banner

2011-11-29T23:12:00.005-05:00

Like I said, you'll be seeing a lot of my 366Pages project in the near future.

Today, I finished up a banner & sidebar ad for the blog. Here they are:

the banner

the sidebar button / ad

You can see the sidebar button in action on my sidebar - right over there -->

I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. And I'm getting pretty excited about the start of the new year!

What do you think? Do these make you want to click to find out more?

366Pages Preview

2011-11-29T12:54:00.003-05:00

As promised, here's a preview of a daily prompt from 366Pages.

For this prompt, I included "step-by-step" & "rapid fire" examples from my sketchbooks. The former will be an example of a page that's a bit more involved - it may take longer, require drying time or involve a new technique. Often, I'll post some "in progress" photos of these pages. Rapid Fire examples are quick & dirty - they take minimal time & supplies for when you just need to get it out there.

Not all prompts will have both types of examples & sometimes I may refer to previous step-by-step posts.

OK - are you ready?

Tear a page out of a magazine & highlight some words.

You're free to interpret this any way you like: pick any paragraph from any magazine & highlight whichever words you choose however you like! Then get those words onto the page in a way that makes sense to you.

Here's how I did it:

Step-by-Step

step 1: rip a page out of a magazine

I went with a free magazine I picked up at the liquor store.

step 2: rip that page into smaller pieces

Choose at least one block of text & images / patterns / colours that make you happy. Don't forget to look on both sides of the page you ripped out.

step 3: glue the pieces down

Feel free to be random - let the pieces fall onto the pages & glue them there.

step 4: read the text & pick out some words that jump out at you

You may have already done this & designed the collage around those words. Don't over think this. If there's only one word that you like, go with it.

I chose this block of text because I liked the font. The phrase "marry traditional techniques with new technologies" struck me as particularly relevant to art.

step 5: cover up most of the page with Gesso, white paint or white tissue paper & liquid glue

Keep your chosen words uncovered. Cover as much or as little as you like.

I painted Gesso over the words lightly & then immediately rubbed it off with a paper towel to soften the edges.

step 6: finish the page with permanent marker & your favourite supplies

Feel free to add more colour with paint or pastels. I used some Washi tape & doodled a frame for the words I chose. Then I added some of my own words as a border.

This step-by-step method requires collage & Gesso drying time, something that isn't at all necessary for this prompt. Here are 2 more examples of ways to complete this prompt a little more quickly (but no less effectively):

Rapid Fire

Instead of wet collage, a glue stick is a huge time saver. It's also pretty effective alone, but Washi tape adds a bit of security & colour to loose edges.

A permanent marker is one of my favourite ways to blank out text. The contrasting colour helps to pick out the words of interest.

Why bother with glue & markers when you have pretty tape? Patterned masking tape like Washi tape is perfect for covering text without completely obliterating it.

I'd love to see what you come up with for this prompt!

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions for 366Pages, please do leave me a comment or send me an email! I'd love to hear from you!

366Pages

2011-11-29T09:30:00.001-05:00

I've hinted a bit about 366Pages, the sketchbook project I have planned for next year, but I haven't really gone into much detail. Since December is nearly here, it's almost time to get started, so I think it's high time to give you a bit more information!

First, the details & then a little preview of what you might expect from the daily prompts.

What (is it)?

366Pages is a year-long sketchbook project, designed to motivate & inspire you to journal every day.

There are no time requirements, so you can follow along at your own pace. Every day a new prompt will be posted, along with examples pulled from my own journals. Participants are encouraged to post photos of their own pages to build a community of inspiration. Comments will be open for questions & discussions.

I will also be following along with the project, creating my own new journal based on the prompts. At least once a week I'll be posting a look at those pages as well. I'll also hopefully be posting a weekly recap of some of my favourite pages from our participants.

How (do I sign up)?

Registration for the project will open December 1st. Spots will be sold in all 3 of my shops. These are unlimited, so if you can't find any for sale, I'll be relisting soon!

How (much)?

Access to 366Pages, including all prompts, comments & supporting posts, will be sold for $20. Spots will be sold for an early bird price of $18 up until December 7th.

Where (do I get the prompts)?

A private blog is set up for 366Pages. You will be given access after you have signed up.

When (does it start)?

The project starts January 1st, 2012 & runs until December 31st, 2012. A prompt will be posted each day for the entire year - a leap year, as it so happens, which gave the project its name. Prior to January, supporting pages will be available for viewing (these include a list of supplies, a tutorial for making your own notebooks & more).

This would make a great holiday gift for that crafty person on your list!

If I'm forgetting anything or if you have any questions, please let me know! You'll be hearing about this project quite a bit in the coming month. You'll also want to keep an eye out for a giveaway or two for a free spot!

Next up: a preview prompt

Mosaic Monday

2011-11-28T10:39:00.002-05:00

Here's mine for this week: black & white.

1. White Mushrooms on Black, 2. *My black notebook : The return!*, 3. Black & White Night Lights, Black and White B/W, 4. Strobist Black and White Portrait

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

Cyber Monday

2011-11-28T10:16:00.003-05:00

I've decided to go ahead & jump on the bandwagon. I'm offering a Cyber Monday sale - nothing fancy, simply a 10% discount for one day only. To take advantage of my sale, check out in any of my three shops with the discount code: CYBER10.

Happy shopping!

For jewelry: Ulixis

For tags, note cards, notebooks & original art: PaperUlixis

For cozies & fabric gift bags: SewUlixis

Happy Monday

2011-11-28T08:52:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday!

Can you believe it's already Monday? And that at the end of the week it'll be December?

Seriously, where has this year gone? It seems like we were ringing in 2011 just yesterday!

I had both a busier & lazier weekend than I had planned. I wanted to get some blogging done, but... I think you can see how that went. I did get some Christmas shopping & much needed laundry done. And I caught up on lots of sleep....

I have big plans for this week though!

Here's a list of some blog posts to look forward to this week:

Mosaic Monday (coming up soon)
a preview prompt for my 366Pages sketchbook project, along with a bit more information about it
more pictures of the Jersey coast
a look at my creative space
part one of my online Christmas wish list
a special "craft it forward" giveaway

I also have some domestic tasks on my plate for this week:

start my holiday baking (& plan what I want to make)
make some Christmas cards (instead of buying this year)
finish a winter wreath
organize my craft desk
finish preparing the 366Pages blog
shorten a table cloth for my mom
make some necklaces for my mom to give to my sisters-in-law
paint my nails & toenails

Oh yeah - and continue applying to jobs!

Looks like it's going to be busy around here - how's your week shaping up?

On Our Way to Jersey Shore

2011-11-25T16:11:00.000-05:00

I don't watch the TV show "Jersey Shore" but I've heard a lot about it (just one reason I don't watch it, haha). From my brothers for one - they even hosted "Jersey Shore Night" - a themed party last spring. So when Pat & I were driving to the Jersey coast, I was on the lookout for some great photo opportunities.

There wasn't much - this was the first sign I saw, just outside our hotel:

Before heading to the coast, we stopped at a rather large shopping centre, Monmouth Mall. That's where I (excitedly) saw this bumper sticker:

In case you can't read it, it says "Jersey Strong." Nice!

After lots of shopping & some lunch, we headed for the ocean. The most direct route brought us to Long Branch:

And straight to Ocean Boulevard, which ran directly along the shore for miles.

We stopped at the first public beach we could find - took a bunch of photos (come back tomorrow for those!) & then continued driving North along Ocean Blvd / Ocean Ave until we hooked back around to the highway & headed home. The drive was beautiful; even though we couldn't see the water for the most part, the giant homes, resorts, condos & private beaches were just as breathtaking. I can't imagine being able to cross the street & arriving at the ocean!

Actually, maybe I can! It can't be that much different from back home, where I just have to cross the dirt road to get to the Veuve River.... right?

Sweet!

2011-11-25T14:35:00.004-05:00

When we drove down to New Jersey last weekend, we knew it was going to be a very short trip. I had my convocation on Friday & Pat had to work on Monday. But still, we wanted to make the most of it while we were there. Our 2 main goals besides the shower were to do a little shopping & to see the ocean for the first time.

Since Dorana lives about an hour to an hour and a half from the coast, we wanted to stay in a hotel that was a bit closer. Lucky for us, someone Pat works with has platinum status at the Sheraton, so we booked a room at the one in Eatontown, New Jersey.

Not only was it a great deal, but we were also able to receive an upgrade. Since we were only staying the one night, they put us in a suite for no extra charge.

Sweet!

I was pretty impressed with the room, so here's a little peek. It probably isn't all that special in terms of fancy hotel rooms, but it was the same size, if not larger, than our apartment, so I thought it was downright luxurious! I wish we could have stayed for longer!

When I walked all the way down the hallway & came upon double doors with our room number on them, I was beyond excited! To the immediate left was the bathroom, separated into 2 rooms:

The outer room had a large closet, counter & mirrors, a sink & a little stool.

I'm not going to lie - this jacuzzi was probably the best part:

Just don't ask how long it took 2 university grads to figure out how to get it to work!

As you walked into the suite, this glass wall was to the right:

On the other side - a little kitchenette:

... with more counter space than I have here:

And then here's the rest of the room, to the right of the kitchen & entrance:

The counter is right beside this table, just out of frame.

The walls were lined with big windows (though the scenery wasn't much to look at). And this bed - or rather, these pillows!

Platinum status also granted us access to the club room, with free appetizers in the evenings, free breakfast in the morning (not just on weekdays like the rest of the hotel) & discounted drinks. The breakfast was a little disappointing, but there was juice, water & energy bars that we could take with us as we made our way to the coast. And the club room was lovely. I forgot my bathing suit, so we didn't go check out the pool, not that we really had time anyway.

The only downside was the wake-up call we received at 2:30 in the morning. The fire alarm went off..... and continued for at least 45 minutes. It was chaotic - no one was answering the lobby phone, one announcement said it was a false alarm & the next said to stay outside until the firefighters were done. Pat was nonchalant, he was just going to stay in the room. I was a little frantic - fire is probably one of my biggest fears & I find loud noises disorienting - so we went down to the lobby & waited until things started to settle.

Despite that, I would definitely stay there again. The staff were pleasant & helpful, the room was clean & comfortable, it was easy to get to & close to the coast.

Speaking of which... that's where we're headed next! More photos soon!

Hamilton to New Jersey (Part 2)

2011-11-24T13:11:00.000-05:00

Around 10 AM last Saturday, we were making pretty good time. So when we saw an exit for a shopping mall, we decided to stop real quick. It was our first time inside a Macy's (though we didn't really look around much, we went straight into the mall). We shopped for nearly an hour & then continued on our way to New Jersey.

Here are the photos from the second leg of our trip down:

10 AM - shopping break!

11 AM - Pennsylvania

11:30ish AM - gas stop

Driving through Pennsylvania was beautiful - the mountains were stunning:

12 noon - New Jersey!

12:30 PM - neat bridge

1 PM - almost there!

Dorana lives in a very picturesque area, with woods all around:

And then we were there!

The shower was lovely - everyone was very friendly even though no one knew us. Dorana's mom was particularly sweet. She made sure we packed some food & treats with us to take for the drive to the hotel. They played a really fun game too - like the Newlyweds game, Dorana had to answer some (baby-related) questions, but she had to answer what she thought her husband Todd had replied. With every right answer, they revealed a photo of what they thought the baby would look like. It ended up being a hilariously hideous mash-up of their faces. So much fun!

Dorana was beyond surprised that I was there (I hadn't told her we were coming). She arrived a bit late & entered in a rush to go to the washroom. I was practically standing in the doorway & she looked straight at me, but she was in such a hurry that I don't think it really registered. The whole time she was in the bathroom, she was thinking to herself: "I did NOT just see Amanda & Pat! No way!" It was such a great surprise!

I'm angry at myself though - after taking pictures all morning, I didn't take a single one while I was there. I don't have any of the two of us together. So disappointing! I guess I'll just have to make another trip down soon! There's a little person that I'm looking forward to meeting anyway!

I'll tell you more about our sweet suite & the shopping we got done & post more pictures of the ocean later!

Hamilton to New Jersey (Part 1)

2011-11-24T10:13:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday, Pat & I were up at 4AM in order to make the 8-hour drive down to New Jersey for my friend Dorana's baby shower. This trip held a number of firsts for us:

our first time driving so far into the US
our first time driving in the US alone
our first time driving a significant distance without Pat having studied any maps
our first time driving a significant distance with me navigating
our first time so close to the ocean

It was quite the trip & I'm proud to say we didn't get lost once! Here are the instructions I wrote out before leaving - thanks Google Maps!

And here's my sexy driver - I can't thank him enough for bringing me:

Before we left, I knew I wanted to document our drive - inspired by one of my favourite blogs, The Dainty Squid, I decided to take a photo an hour.

And then took some more in between. There was so much to see!

Since I have 45 photos of the drive there, I'm not going to show them all. You can head on over to my Flickr photostream if you're interested. I will post most of them though & I'll break them up into a couple posts to make it easier.

So let's get started shall we?

5 AM - departure

6 AM - duty free + border crossing

6:30ish AM - downtown Buffalo

7 AM - sunrise, with the moon still peeking through the trees

7:30ish AM - snow!?! We had to drive South to find it! Ha!

As you can see above, this area was quite hilly. And everywhere you looked - windmills. I don't know what it was about these, but they totally freaked me out. Chills-down-my-spine-freaked-out. When we returned at night I had to avoid looking outside because it was even worse in the dark. There was something so alien about them....

*shudder*

8 AM - quaint little town

9 AM - Dunkin' Donuts + more scenic countryside

We're making pretty good time, aren't we? We're almost out of New York and into Pennsylvania! Time to do a little shopping I think....

The next leg of the trip will be posted later today!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-23T11:07:00.002-05:00

Mosaic Monday

2011-11-22T12:08:00.003-05:00

Here's mine for this week: the ocean.

1. Ocean Cliffs, 2. Ocean Sunrise, 3. Sunset over the Ocean - Kauai, Hawaii, 4. Ocean Mist - Grey Whale Cove, California

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

A Whirlwind

2011-11-22T11:53:00.004-05:00

This weekend has been an absolute whirlwind! Try not to exhaust yourself while reading through this list:

my parents came down for convocation on Friday
Pat & I left at 5AM on Saturday to drive down to New Jersey for Dorana's baby shower. I didn't tell her I was coming, so it was a complete surprise. SO much fun!
we drove to the coast & saw the ocean for the first time!
we shopped
we drove back Sunday & got home at 11PM - a short trip but well worth it!
Monday we picked up a lenovo ideapad, so I've been playing with that pretty much non-stop since... I promise I'll put it down to go through the 600+ photos I have from the weekend! Here are just 2 to prove we were there:

Keep an eye out for Mosaic Monday - I'll be posting it in a few minutes. Then I'll bombard you with much more from my amazing weekend! Near the end of the week, I'm planning on posting a bit more about my special journaling project - along with a sneak preview!

Stay tuned!

My Creative Space

2011-11-17T16:43:00.003-05:00

I've been busy preparing for my parents' visit tomorrow. Not only did the apartment need a bit of cleaning (oh did the floor need that mopping!), but they're going to bring some of my craft show stock and display home with them.

Here's one of the boxes I'm working on filling now:

Those little baggies are filled with my beaded ornaments:

They're pretty, but I haven't had much success with them at previous craft shows. We'll see how this one goes. I should also try getting better pictures of them & listing them online, but they're tricky. These photos obviously don't do the vintage glass & lucite beads justice:

The rest of the box is filled out with mini notebooks - Christmas ones:

I still want to make up some more with everyday papers, just for variety.

Besides that, I've been working in my sketchbook, preparing for my special project. I don't want to reveal too much, but here's a peek at one of my more recent pages:

Head on over to Our Creative Spaces for more inspiration!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T11:39:00.002-05:00

Mosaic Monday

2011-11-14T10:23:00.003-05:00

Here's mine for this week: autumn's last gasp.

1. Autumn Gold, 2. Autumn Gold, 3. Autumn Gold, 4. Untitled, 5. ~Autumn Gold~, 6. Maroon, 7. leather like, no?, 8. Fall colors, 9. Autumn in Maroon Bells, 10. Wheat Field, 11. Marooned maple, 12. Beautiful Fall, 13. Leaves Blown to Front Door Threshold

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

My Creative Space

2011-11-10T11:03:00.003-05:00

Angie's Monday Art Class was a fun one this week. In fact, I'm not really done with it & plan on playing around some more.

The task was to create a piece inspired by the Canadian artist David Blackwood. He paints amazing night seascapes, featuring icebergs with ships above and whales below. You really must check out his work!

I've been wanting to try my hand at drawing ships lately - no particular reason why, though I've read a few books partly set on ships. Not the new, sleek kind, but the kind with multiple giant sails, a worn wooden hull and ropes flying everywhere.

So that's exactly what I did!

I started by searching for images of ships & found a few that I liked. One in particular was a diagram with the parts of the ship labeled, so I thought that would be a good one to try first:

Then I went ahead & drew a couple ships based on the images I found:

I added a bit of colour because I love it.

That's all I've done so far. I'd love to revisit David Blackwood's work & try my hand at whales & icebergs next!

You can head over here to see some more lovely creative spaces!

Happy Birthday Pumpa!

2011-11-09T17:15:00.002-05:00

Today is my grandfather's 80th birthday!

That's him on the left, with his sister, my Aunt Shirley, and brother, my Uncle Mel. I took this photo in August at my Aunt's wedding.

Here he is at the same event with his girls: (from the left) my Aunt Caroline, my Aunt Cathy, gramma & my mom.

Eighty is quite the milestone - oh to have seen the things he has! I love hearing stories about pumpa's youth... here are a few I don't want to forget:

he spent 4 or 5 years in high school.... but quit without completing the 10th grade
he started working in auto body shops - mostly spray painting cars without proper ventilations or masks & with *lead* paint!
how he won my gramma's dad over: my great-grandfather needed help fixing up their cottage & could find no one but pumpa. Thinking him a bit of a sot, my great-grandfather said "I guess I'll need to bring a case of beer now" - implying pumpa wouldn't work without drinking. Pumpa's response? "Well are we going to work or are we going to drink?" Future father-in-law: won over.
he was a fire fighter, which means he's incredibly brave - there are some neat pictures of pumpa putting out a fire (in black & white) & another of him running across the street as the top of a burning building collapsed forward (into the street!)
when working, he used to always make his own lunch - the first time my gramma did it for him, she made him a tomato sandwich..... needless to say, that was the first & last soggy sandwich!
when he moved his growing family into the home my grandparents still live in - he paid the previous owner directly, in monthly payments as agreed upon & for an amazing price because the previous owner was racist & didn't want to sell to an ethnic family, the only other (better) offer he had (I can't remember if it was a race or religion prejudice.... either way, can you imagine?)

I know there are more, but those are the ones I can think of right now. I'll have to ask him to reminisce for me next time I see him (I should really write them & my gramma's down too).

Oh - and were you wondering where the "pumpa" came from? My older brother Matt was their first grandchild. When he first started speaking, "grandpa" came out sounding like "pumpa" & it just stuck, even with my much younger cousins.

Happy Birthday Pumpa! See you soon!

Playing Alone

2011-11-09T12:38:00.003-05:00

Tell me I'm not the only one who plays board and card games against herself.....?

Sometimes solitaire just isn't very exciting.... am I right?

OK.... maybe it's a little strange. But I never said I wasn't weird!

These last couple days, I've been playing Yahtzee alone. I have 12 dice & 2 of them are red. So I made 2 sets of 5 & set black against red.

So far, black is winning 4 to 1.

Yahtzee isn't all I've played alone recently. You can see the Scrabble board out there - I've played that against myself too. As a child, I used to play Monopoly, Euchre, war and many other games all by myself. Probably because I only have 2 brothers & both are very outdoors-y ... whereas I am not so much.

So are you part of the play-against-yourself club? You should try it sometime; it's a great way to pass the time!

Random Tuesday

2011-11-08T10:51:00.003-05:00

I haven't been writing here much & I keep telling myself that's going to change. I'll blog more this week, then next. But honestly, I feel as though I've come upon a bit of a writer's block... it doesn't help that it's been gloomy around here & I haven't been in the mood for taking photos. No photos typically means boring to me.... so, no blog.

I have been pretty busy though, so here's a random list of things I've been up to lately:

skating: Pat & I try to go at least once a week - so much fun!
applying to jobs: ugh
concert: went & saw Béla Fleck & the Flecktones last week
movie: The Rum Diary - read the book that day, watched the movie that night
NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month, see below
my special project: see below
editing: wedding photos for my Aunt
crafting & listing new items
reading & journaling

Yep, that's right - even though last year was an epic fail, I decided to participate again this year. I really do love writing & NaNoWriMo is a good excuse to do so. I've put a little less pressure on myself this year though: instead of writing one complete story, I'm going to stick with a story only as long as I'm interested. Last year I just gave up when I lost the thread of the story I was writing. I didn't know where to go next, so I didn't. This time, I'll just skip to another story instead of giving up.

Although I suppose that doesn't help me much in the long run. Starting new projects is the easy part. I'm all gung-ho & into the planning part, but the execution is where I flounder.

Which brings me to my special project... will I follow through with it or let it fall to the way-side? That's definitely why I haven't been talking about it much here - if I don't tell you about it & don't follow through, then I can pretend it never really happened, right?

Well, enough of that. I'm committing. I'm going to (partly) reveal my special project - something I've been working hard on for a little over a month now. It's also another reason I've been blogging less, or at least the reason I haven't been showing my journal pages recently...

Basically, I'm setting up a daily journal challenge. I'll host it on a private blog & only members who have signed up for the challenge will have access. There will be prompts each day with plenty of examples from my sketchbooks & lots of encouragement along the way. The basic theme will be growth - hopefully everyone will learn a few new techniques & a bit about themselves, make a few new friends & end up with a journal full of inspiration for those days when it's lacking.

So... what do you think? Would you be interested in signing up for something like that?

I already have 6 months worth of prompts blogged & ready to go - in case anyone was worried that this will be another of my unfinished project! Oh no, I'm committed now! I will follow through with this - even if no one signs up!

Which brings me to one last questions: how much would you be willing to spend to join?

I know there are plenty of artists out there that do similar journal challenges for one month & sell them for around $20. My challenge will be for an entire year, but this is my first one, so I'm not certain what's a fair price.

Any questions, comments or advice would be much appreciated!

Mosaic Monday

2011-11-07T08:34:00.003-05:00

Here's mine for this week: ribbons & bokeh.

1. from me to you - a simple orange ribbon to chase the blues away, 2. ribbons, 3. tie a yellow ribbon, 4. Ribbons

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

Recipe: Peas & Shells

2011-11-01T08:48:00.001-04:00

I love pasta, but I don't always want to eat it the same way (unlike Pat, who is just fine with tomato sauce all the time). The other day, when I knew Pat wasn't going to be home for dinner, I experimented with some ingredients I normally wouldn't use. Like frozen peas:

I never thought I liked peas until I started adding them to pasta!

Anyway, here's the recipe I came up with the other day. Quick & easy with only a few ingredients, this dish packs a lot of flavour! The nutty pesto is especially versatile & would work well with other veggies & pasta shapes.

Peas & Shells

Ingredients:

1 cup orecchiette or shell pasta

1/3 cup pecans & pine nuts, or your favourite nuts (I used a mix that was 3/4 pecans & 1/4 pine nuts)

2 cloves garlic

1 shallot or small onion

handful of chopped, fresh herbs: parsley, basil, thyme, rosemary, etc (whatever you have)

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup freshly grated cheese (I used gruyere)

salt & pepper to taste

Methods:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until desired level of doneness.

I used orecchiette, but regular shells or any other pasta shape would work just fine - the shells do hold the pesto & peas nicely though.

2. Lightly toast the nuts.

Use the frying pan you plan on using to cook the pesto, a small one will do - just add the nuts in dry & toast on medium-low until fragrant & lightly browned. Shake them around to prevent burning.

3. Meanwhile, zest the lemon & chop your shallot, garlic & herbs. Use whatever herbs you have or can find, though I would recommend using parsley or basil for about half since they have a lighter, more delicate flavour that will balance the stronger herbs, like rosemary or oregano.

I used a generous amount of parsley & basil & one sprig of rosemary. Thyme, oregano, mint, chives and savory would all work well.

4. Once the nuts are toasted, set them aside. Chop them roughly once they've cooled slightly.

Using the same frying pan, heat the oil on medium. Add the shallots & garlic, sauteing for a few minutes, until the onion is slightly translucent. Add in the peas, herbs & lemon zest & saute a few more minutes.

Add in the chopped nuts & cook another minute, until heated through.

5. Remove from heat. Stir in most of the cheese.

6. By now, the pasta should be done. Drain, reserving a half cup of the cooking water. Transfer the pasta to a bowl & toss with the pesto.

Squeeze in some lemon juice & season with salt & pepper. Taste & add more if you like. Add some of the reserved water if the pesto needs thinning.

Serve topped with remaining cheese.

Enjoy!

Mosaic Monday

2011-10-31T09:17:00.001-04:00

Here's mine for this week: Halloween finches - in memory of Michael, my little zebra finch.

1. finchy halloween, 2. Purple Finch #2 (Carpodacus purpureus), 3. Black Rosy-Finch Sandia Crest NM Nov 8th 2009, 4. house finch, carpodacus mexicanus

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

Sunday Seven

2011-10-30T18:25:00.002-04:00

This week ended sadly, with the loss of my little finch, Michael. As I mentioned last month, it was expected... but I'm still grieving. I miss his cheerful chirping - the apartment is just so quiet without him. I miss him splashing in the bath, playing on his swing or with his little beaded toy or just approaching the bars when I do. I keep glancing at his empty cage...

But still, I am so thankful - he had a long, full life. He started out in Verner & then moved down to Hamilton with me to keep me company when I lived alone. Ten years is a long time for a little bird & I am grateful.

Here's my Seven for this week:

Sunday: skating!
Monday: finishing a good book
Tuesday: picking up the sequel to a good book (& knowing there are more after that one too)
Wednesday: Tim Horton's French vanilla cappuccino
Thursday: new art book to stretch my creative wings
Friday: Michael letting me hold him near the end
Saturday: shopping for clothes

What were you grateful for this week?

Fall Decor 2011

2011-10-28T13:31:00.002-04:00

I love seasonal decor. Nothing ushers in the changing seasons quite like the nature display you can probably see right outside your window. The budding greens of spring, the bright florals of summer, autumn's splendor & the pristine white of winter.

And just as the scenery changes outside, so does my day-to-day scenery inside. I get bored if my decor stays the same all year! I love the anticipation of unpacking boxes of things I haven't seen all year, remembering the stories behind each piece. Christmas is particularly exciting since I have at least 2 or 3 big plastic bins full (you know those large Rubbermaid ones, probably over 20L each)!

For autumn, I have one big box spilling over with pumpkins, acorns, leaves & ghosts! I've had my fall decorations up since mid-September... want to have a look?

My living room windowsill, displaying pumpkins from my mom:

The cute little glass people are from Andra & the flower arrangement is from Niki. The black vase is last year's Christmas gift from my supervisor.
It's amazing what you can find at the dollar store - like the leaves, flowers & acorns in this arrangement:
I recently rearranged this book shelf to hold a bunch of my interesting glassware & favourite pieces. These include an antique miniature iron, a vintage ceramic fawn & bunny, mini bowls, cloche jars, a funky pitcher & a handmade star I picked up at my last craft show (among others):
The "mountain" is from when we went out West - the 2 small vases with flowers on them were my mom's (& from one of her grandma's I think). The vase holding the pumpkin held a "get well soon" flower arrangement Pat got me when I had an operation on my wrist.... back in high school! The black pot is the first Christmas gift I received from my supervisor. The covered stone is from Margie & the acorns & hearts are from lilfishstudios.
These fabric pumpkins are from SeaPinks (I got this kiwi pincushion at the same time - it is ADORABLE!) & the painting is available in my shop:

There's more - an acorn hanging on my mug tree, another wooden one resting in a bowl - the wreath I made not so long ago - a ghost & some more pumpkins. If I get a chance, I'll try to capture a few more pictures before the snow starts coming & I pull out my Christmas decor!

Do you have any fall decorations up? I'd love to see them - just add your link to the comments so I can check them out!

My Creative Space

2011-10-27T12:40:00.003-04:00

Lately, whenever I get a chance to sit down at my craft desk, it's been to work on a still-secret-special project that I may be revealing soon... or something just for me. Filling various sketchbooks, drawing, collaging, painting & generally making all kinds of art for myself.

Here's a look at the latest project I've started:

That's right, another notebook! Well, soon-to-be, I've only just started. I'm using the covers from 2 old books & transforming them into pages of an art book. The first step is to cover the pages with collage - here's the first one:

When deciding on scraps of paper to collage with, I went with 4 different colour themes. This is the brown one:

While I was waiting for these photos to upload, I went ahead & collaged an orange/green page, so I only have 2 more to do before I start the second step: adding some paint!

Head on over to Our Creative Spaces for more!

Mosaic Monday

2011-10-24T15:38:00.004-04:00

Here's mine for this week: A Game of Thrones. I just finished the George R.R. Martin book today... I'm very tempted to go get the second in the series tomorrow!

1. legs and armor, 2. Dragon, 3. GAME OF THRONES No 4, 4. Artic Wolf Glare

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

New Boots

2011-10-21T16:06:00.004-04:00

So I think time for a little update on my life. It feels like it's been a while... but that may just be because lots of things are happening around here!

I'm still looking for a job & spending lots of time at home, lounging around & catching up on my reading. Currently, I'm enjoying A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin: an epic, almost-historical, fantasy series - my favourite! I'll definitely be reading the other books in the series! I love reading & missed being able to devour novels, doing nothing else all day. That was a bit hard to do while I was trying to finish up my Master's, but now that I'm done, nothing's stopping me!

Well... nothing but the job searching.

I heard back from that place I interviewed at twice & completed a writing test for..... they went with someone who had more experience. I felt so comfortable there & the fit was so right, I was actually a little surprised. But of course experience trumps no experience when everything else is equal.

*sigh*

I can't lie & say that I wasn't discouraged. How am I supposed to gain experience if I need experience to get a job? Arg.

But I haven't given up & applied to 2 jobs today - both entry level positions I am more than qualified for, so here's hoping I hear back for an interview. I have a few more lined up to apply for on Monday & a lot more searching to do.

Keep your fingers crossed for me? Thanks!

Besides that, I bought some new books last weekend. They're really cute:

I'll try to get a good picture of me from head to toe in them. They make me smile & feel really good about myself. This is the first pair of boots I own that I can actually tuck pants into & look cute with a skirt... so I'm pretty excited! Now I just need a new pair of nice shoes since the soles are falling off the ones I've been wearing for the past 8 years!

Lastly, did you see? I updated the picture I used as my blog "profile" photo. I wanted a change because I felt like I was hiding too much under my cloche in the previous picture. Do you like it?

I was playing around in the gimp while editing that photo & came up with this "old style" photo:

Not bad, eh? Do you think I could've survived the "olden days," like the 20-30s? Maybe I should put that beloved cloche back on after all!

Do you ever imagine yourself in the past? I do! I love thinking about the part & feel especially connected with some of the eras. If I had lived in the 20-30s, I would definitely have been a flapper & a suffragette. I strongly believe in woman's equality & promote it whenever I can! What about you?

What era would you like to experience the most? You know, if you had a time travel machine? I'd love to live through the 1920's as well as the 1700's and ancient Rome/Greece. Sometimes I dream or read about these eras & they seem much more real than the time I'm living in... perhaps there is some truth to reincarnation after all? What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T06:55:00.000-04:00

Cutting Wood

2011-10-18T06:24:00.001-04:00

While I was home for Thanksgiving, my dad was working his way through a big pile of logs. The forest on my parents property not only provides hours of enjoyment & family togetherness, but also heat for the winter months.

The task is a big one - but the more wood piled up, the less they have to rely on the electric furnace, which is very cost effective in the long run.

There's also nothing quite as comforting as the smell & crackle of a wood fire to ward off the chill. Many happy memories were made around the hot wood stove nestled in the corner of my parents kitchen... Almost makes me look forward to winter!

Mosaic Monday

2011-10-17T08:56:00.003-04:00

Here's mine for this week: fall forest. In particular, I used this picture of mine as colour inspiration for this mosaic - pale blue-green lichen, brown ferns, rusty blueberry bushes, dark green conifers & hints of bright orange & red leaves.

1. A blue green color I could not define, 2. Rust, 3. Blue green mushrooms, 4. beautiful lichen, 5. ready to melt into the eternal ocean, 6. forest ripple, 7. rust and brown, 8. Rusted Metal, 9. form, 10. Tan and Pale Blue, 11. [1] Girl, where are you taking me?, 12. Rust, 13. Brown Fern

Here's the list of mosaics for this week. Once you've blogged, click the button below to add your blog post link.

Sunday Seven

2011-10-16T10:44:00.003-04:00

This week just flew by - short weeks always do. It was hard to be thoughtful each day, to slow down & appreciate the little things. Here are few moments I do remember enjoying last week:

Sunday: late night drives down dirt roads, just me & Pat
Monday: reading to make the drive through heavy traffic go by faster
Tuesday: the dentist being able to see Pat right away
Wednesday: sleeping in to catch up on some much needed sleep
Thursday: getting into a good book
Friday: being productive & cleaning up - there's nothing quite as satisfying as a clean house
Saturday: trying & loving a new recipe

What were you thankful for this week?

Fall Foliage (Part 2)

2011-10-16T06:12:00.002-04:00

Here's the last big batch of photos from when I went home for Thanksgiving. These ones focus a bit more on texture & details.

The minty colour of this lichen was especially vibrant & contrasted nicely with the brown ferns:

After walking around for a bit in the forest, I sat down in a shady spot. When I looked down, I was awed to see this clear line between the bright green moss & cool minty lichen:

Every time I look, nature never fails to amaze me!

Fall Foliage

2011-10-15T06:50:00.002-04:00

Alright, here are the promised photos displaying the autumn splendor of the North.

Well... some of them. I've split them in 2 since there are so many. These ones will focus on the colour:

The next few are taken along the road my parents live on whereas the previous ones were taken at the bush. Here's a little pond just up the road:

This maple is right across the road from my parents' place:

Finally, a few shots of the river - so peaceful, decked out in leaves:

Tomorrow: some more fall foliage photos, with a focus on texture.

Edward & Grandma

2011-10-14T08:59:00.003-04:00

This post is about Edward, my nephew, & his grandma (my mom).

Edward loves his grandma. My mom dotes on him & the fact that my brother & his family live down the road from my parents means that grandma is often just a short walk away. You can see my parents' house in the middle of the horizon in the photo below. My brother's house is just visible at the left of the frame. On weekends especially, walking up to grandma's is a daily occurrence.

While I was there, Edward was eager to show everyone his Halloween costume. I think my mom was just as excited.

My mom found it & couldn't resist - Spongebob Squarepants is a bit of a celebrity in our house. My dad in particular gets a kick out of him, so Spongebob is often the theme of gag gifts for him. There's even a Spongebob ornament for the Christmas tree. Now we also have a little Spongebob trick-or-treater:

Isn't he adorable? It'll look especially cute all poofy with his winter coat underneath, which he'll need when they go out October 31st.

One of our walks this weekend was all the way to the bush - a forest at one end of my parents property. It's a bit of a walk, about 20 minutes or so, but so worth it. Walking around on the rocks & through the paths, crunching through the leaves & lichen is always so rewarding. I'll show you pictures of the foliage tomorrow - today I wanted to showcase a boy & his grandma.

You'll notice our guard dog Buster was never too far away. There are lots of cars & there have been bears & other wild animals - I think it's apparent that Buster knows this. He was watching us closely.

Well, by us I mean them. He didn't pay much attention to me. I'm just around every so often.

This walk was actually all Edward's idea. He wanted to walk up to the bush with grandma. And that's because grandma makes it fun - she packs water bottles & a snack in her little bag & will stay for as long as he wants.

We walked around, climbed rocks, collected leaves, balanced on logs & drank a lot of water - it was hot that day!

My mom asked me to take their picture. This one & the one at the beginning of this post are the best ones. I like the story they tell. Buster, at attention. Edward, captured as the sweet little boy he is - holding a rock & showing off his little truck.

He decided he wanted to run through the field on the way back, so grandma went with him. I stuck to the road & caught them traipsing through gold.

There's a lot of love to be found on these dirt roads.

That's just one of the reasons I love to visit as often as I can.

A Walk

2011-10-13T16:10:00.003-04:00

As usual, we went home for Thanksgiving, which was last weekend for us Canadians. You can see my destination above: the house where I grew up & my parents still live, in the beautiful countryside of Northern Ontario. As you can also probably tell from the photo, the weather was amazing - a true Indian summer, with temperatures reaching the mid-20s. It felt like summer, except for the brilliant & near blinding arboreal display of gold, crimson, fire & rust.

To make the most of the weather, my mom & I went for a few walks. I carried along my camera, of course.

The maple trees in particular were strutting their stuff, pulling out every shade from the deepest blood red to a bright, spring yellow & everything in between. This tree in my brother's backyard is a perfect example, but my photography skills just do not do it justice.

I have many more pictures of leaves from our walks, but first I wanted to introduce you to our walking buddy & guard, Buster:

A big German Shepherd, Buster can be pretty intimidating... but he's really a big, spoiled suck. He accompanied us on our walk down the road:

That is... he tagged along until he heard my dad start up the 4-wheeler / ATV. Then he was off like a shot, bounding ahead excitedly. The only thing that quickens him more than the 4-wheeler is my brothers' snow machines. As soon as any of these vehicles start up, Buster starts dancing around, unleashing a characteristic, high-pitched bark.

"Yip, yip, yip!" (Let's go, let's go, let's go!)

But faithful he is, & he stayed by our side the entire time we were walking up the road & through the bush, as you'll see in a few photos later.

It was a dreamy weekend with surreal weather... I didn't want it to end.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T11:01:00.000-04:00

Angie's Art Class

2011-10-07T13:55:00.003-04:00

This Monday's Art Class was inspired by Gustav Klimt. The task was to pull out our sketchbooks & create a drawing using Klimt's recognizable style. Now if you've been following my blog for a bit, you'll know that Klimt is one of my favourite artists - he's already inspired a large body of my own work, including my Klimt Goddesses ACEO series & a number of art pieces & sketchbook pages.

Back in July, I created this Klimt-inspired sketchbook page. I chose warm colours, lots of zany patterns & a sensual theme - 3 elements I find in many Klimt pieces. It's also a partial nude, which is why I didn't post pictures earlier... so if you're offended, I apologize. Personally, I rather like how it turned out.

When I first read Angie's post on Monday, I knew immediately what I wanted to do. The sketchbook I've been showing you for the past few month is almost completely filled. I've been wanting to draw a woman figure for the last page, something to echo the first page:

So I browsed through Klimt's work & fell in love with Lady with Fan:

I've never seen this piece before. It's one of his later works & there is a certain maturity to it when compared to some of his wilder, earlier women. I love how she stands out against the bright background, stunning with her milky skin, somber clothing & elaborate hairdo.

Here's my interpretation, using ink & watercolour pencils:

It's hard to see, but her hair is intricately curled. I especially love how the shading on her face & her rosy flush turned out.

I omitted the fan & opted for a modern chevron printed shawl. The bright background & her proud stance make me smile.

Now I can almost call this sketchbook complete. There are just a few more pages that need some finishing touches... & then I'll have to get myself a new one!