Suburban Haiku

♦ A Walk in the Forest ♦

2010-05-03T13:25:00.000-07:00

Oops~

Almost a full month since I last posted. Sorry folks! I've been busy running around in circles these last couple of weeks, and almost nothing to show for it...hehe....

So maybe you should just look at some pretty photos that I took with my NEW CAMERA! My Secret-Agent-Lover-Man gave me a late-birthday present the other day: a Sapphire-blue SONY Cyber-shot, with the Carl Zeiss lens.

Now I don't know anything about photography really, let alone cameras. So my observations are strictly anecdotal. But I just LOVE it so far! It's very easy to just 'point-and-shoot', and I haven't taken a bad photo with it yet.

Here are some shots of my backyard, and the glorious Campbell Valley Park that I walk regularly with friends. Enjoy!

Some lovely Crab-Apple blossoms......

A forest Cathedral.......

Some Wild Trillium......

A gorgeous canopy of Vine Maples.......

Solomon's Seal (above), and 'Turkey Tail' fungus under a log.

An Easter Trip to Hope, BC

2010-04-05T20:24:00.000-07:00

This will be a quickie!

This weekend, I spent some time with my parents up in their hometown, Hope BC. It's a funny little town situated at the mouth of the Fraser Canyon. It's got stunning natural beauty, backed up against the snowy-peaked mountains, a rushing Fraser river, and has that mysterious 'Twin Peaks' appeal of small towns in the wilderness.

Mostly, I just hung out with my mum and dad, eating my mum's amazing home-baked goodies and enjoying my dad's weird humour. It's always a good battery-charge for me to head up there, and just be in their presence. They are the salt of the earth, and extremely special people to me.

We went on a nice walk into town, and visited their friends, John and Erika. They are Mennonite folks, really nice and have this great little apartment above the main street. They have a stunning view of the mountains, and it's the perfect place to watch all the 'action' of the town, as they look down on the post office, and one of the only large liquor stores in town! While we were there, John showed me his work-space that he had in the apartment. It was a place where he liked to do upholstery with an ancient Singer sewing machine that looked like it could probably sew through anything. John is a retired teacher, but was an upholsterer as well, professionally. I saw the interior of his washroom, and gasped! It was full of whimsical junk everywhere, and I had to take a few photos of it. Hehe....so here are my photos of a guy's workshop washroom....heheh, sorry! But it was just great! John's in the right side of the last picture.

Then we went to a beautiful trail near Kawkawa Lake, called the Canada Trail. Supposedly it links up with many, many other trails and you can hike across to the other side of Canada via this system! Amazing. I'm going to have to do a little more research about these trails, but it sounded intriguing.

Along the trail, we ran across an old 50's car of some sort that had been driven off the side into the forest. There were all sorts of trees and moss growing out of it-amazing. I had to take a photo of it. It was really peaceful, and there were tons of turtles sunning themselves on logs in the boggy lake next to one side of the trail. So cute. :^)

I stayed over Friday night, and then on Saturday we all went over to some good friend's house for an Easter Mexican feast! There were lots of kids running around, and GREAT stories flowing about our friends growing up in Cache Creek and living on ranches, riding horses, hosting real cowboys during the rodeos, and floating downstream on inner tubes during the summer months. So cool.

Hope everyone had a wonderful time with family & friends, for Ostara.

Heidi

Sweet Words & Old Things ♦♦♦Treasures from a Swap Meet

2010-03-30T22:43:00.000-07:00

I went down to the Monroe Motorcycle swap meet this past Sunday with my fiancée and a couple of friends. It's a bigger swap meet, for vintage motorcycle enthusiasts. I basically went along for the ride, because I was sort of itching for a road trip. You know when you just crave a long and open road ahead of you, a hot coffee in your travel mug, and some good tunes? Anyways, I didn't particularly go down because of anything at the Swap Meet, per se.

So imagine my complete and utter delight when I found a lady at her booth, selling piles and piles of old black and white photos, and weird old jewelry! She had big huge bowls of mixed junk, that you had to rake through to find anything, boxes of old photos, lots of them from the early 1900's....letters, weird old patches you sew on to things....

Here are a few of my finds. I'm so excited! The coolest thing was a stack of letters, written on hotel stationary from 1936. There were 10 pages in all, and they were written to someone's sweetheart. It was a heart-wrenching letter, trying to explain the reasons he hadn't been in touch with her, and telling her that he just found out that she was having their baby, and that he was excited and was worried that she wouldn't respond. I sat in my studio the next day, just absorbed with the passionate words scribbled hastily by this person I didn't know, on paper now over 7 decades old. Crazy!

I also got some old black and white photographs, clearly VERY old as well. A couple of 'cowboys' leaning up against a 30's car, and some crazily-dressed fellows standing in front of a very pioneer-type cabin covered in Honeysuckle, with corn cob pipes in their mouths. Wonderful.

I just love old things. Particularly old things that were once treasured, but went forgotten for a long time until you discover them under a pile of old discarded metal bits. It just makes me feel like I've stumbled upon some family secret, covered in dust, waiting to be unearthed again. Who knows what secrets these pieces could tell, if they could talk? Whose locket was it, with the tiny little paste ruby in the centre? What photos did it hold? Who's pocket watch did I find, the one that has the gold rubbed off the front, and still tells time perfectly all these years later? I'll never know. But they intrigue me to no end.

A Scrap of Robin Song, A Door Covered in Ivy, and a Rusty Old Key ♦ The Secret Garden

2010-03-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

I've had a heck of a week.

I work at a Heritage site; a Museum made of an old 1894 farmhouse and property that was a significant pioneer settlement in my local town. This year, Spring Break for the kids ran for 2 weeks, for the first time. Our facility offers Spring Break Literature camps for kids, and this year our camps were based on 4 classics written 100 years (or so) ago:

♦ Anne of Green Gables
♦ Treasure Island
♦ The Secret Garden
♦The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

The magic of all the books has captured my imagination for the last couple of weeks, and I got inspired to read "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett again, as it has been probably 20 years since I last read it.

It has all the makings of a good story; an unlikely heroine, a jolly wise-cracking boy who she meets on the Moors, a delightful selection of animals, a hidden door, and a mysterious garden hidden behind it, the key to it long buried by a heart-broken cranky old man living in a dark and foreboding mansion.

Anyways, if you haven't read this classic, I highly recommend that you do. It is surprising me, in many ways.

It's such a simple story, and it will appeal to the curious, adventuresome, lonely little girl in yourself.

The creative juices are most certainly starting to rise in me, with the lovely imagery my mind has conjured up while reading myself to bed with it, each night.

Don't be surprised if you recognize some of the storyline in my future works~

Ahh, the world is a wonderful place! So many things to be inspired by....never enough time. :^)

Icon of Fashion and Wackiness ♦ Isabella Blow

2010-03-09T21:21:00.000-08:00

I was in the tub tonight, feeling kind of under the weather. A busy, weird day at work and I felt like I needed a bit of comfort.

But whenever I get into the tub, I get these weird thoughts of inspiration come at me. I start to get visions of jewelry, and wacky clothes....hats I'd like to make (even though I don't know a thing about millinery!)....

I got to thinking of Isabella Blow, the muse of the late Alexander McQueen. I recently just watched "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" and she plays a cameo wearing one of her infamous wacky hats in it. It's tragic, because supposedly Isabella took her own life after suffering from cancer and depression, and Alexander McQueen who was very close to her suffered almost the same fate in the end.

Now they are both up in Fashion Heaven, wearing outrageous clothes and hats together and laughing at the silliness of people on Earth, I guess....

Anyways, this post is dedicated to Isabella. I always admired her 'chutzpah' when it came to her image, and have great aspirations to one day start designing and constructing fascinators and hats that she might like. It just seems like it would be so much fun!

Nod to a Great Video: This Too Shall Pass by OK Go

2010-03-04T20:28:00.000-08:00

Ok. I'm not necessarily a fan of OK Go. I'm not necessarily opposed to them either. It's just that I haven't listened much to any of their music (as I simply cannot seem to get past the '60's, as you may have gathered from my last blog post!)

Of all people, my FATHER-IN-LAW recommended that I watch this video just tonight! He's a pretty cool dude, though so I shouldn't be too surprised......

This is a really great video! Just watch it. Ok? GO!

Inspirations ♠♠♠ Luzern, Toller Cranston & The Sounds of Silence on Vinyl

2010-03-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

Well, friends. Another week gone by, and Spring is at our doorstep here in Surrey, British Columbia. As I mentioned in my previous post, the atmosphere is charged with life, and new blossoms appear daily almost.

This week, I've been overwhelmed by inspiration in its many forms. I can only keep track of a few things that inspire me, before they leave my head like downy seeds on the wind. I'm not sure what it is about how my brain processes information, but retention doesn't seem to be in my make-up! I did succeed, however, to remember 3 things that really shaped my thoughts this week:

♠Luzern, Switzerland:

This was my favourite place in Europe visited over 10 years ago now. I went to Europe and travelled to 4 different countries with Langara College for their "Art History & English Classics Tour of Europe". This was a 2-month long sojourn, primarily by bus with about 50 other art history students, 2 teachers, and many many papers and theses written on the road. Yes, I got credits for it, all of 18! A glorious semester on the road, if you will.

We hit England, France, Switzerland, and Italy. The cosmopolitan, but old-World charm of Luzern, Switzerland was the town that hit me the hardest. I can't completely explain why because I think the best way to know is to just GO, but some outstanding reasons were: the clean cold drinking water, the views of the Alps, the 'german' charm of the little public squares and pedestrian-only cobbled streets, the little Picasso museum I visited in a converted-shingled 2-storey home with no one else in it, and the abundantly delicious chocolate!

This last photo is of my charming hostel that I called home, "TouristHotel", the middle building. It was right on the waterfront, and I had a stunning view of a gondola that crept slowly up an impossibly steep, craggy mountain, complete with snowy peaks even in September.

Whenever I am feeling like the world is a bit too small, or a bit too large, I travel back in time and am back in a particular public square within walking distance of my hostel, eating an apple in the bright Autumn sun, and watching families while away the afternoon in front of a wonderful little fountain splashing merrily away. Inspiration.

♠Toller Cranston:

Toller Cranston was an Olympic Figure Skater way back in the 1980's, but also happens to be an amazing artist and painter. He was born in Canada, and is represented by Jenkins Showler Gallery in White Rock, BC which is my hometown. I just saw a spread in a magazine of his home and artwork recently, and it totally blew my mind! Quite eccentrically decorated, and very rich with texture and colour. This guy doesn't shy away from bold, bright bohemian colours in his home or art, which I LOVE.

These images aren't ideal, but if you ever get the chance to see his work in person, I highly recommend it. It's warm, and folk-ey and I just feel happy when I look at it. Inspiration.

♠The Sounds of Silence: Simon & Garfunkel (specifically, on vinyl):

I love listening to music when I do artwork. When I paint, I listen to music. When I am printing, I listen to music. Hell, when I vacuum....I listen to music!

Nine times out of 10, it's on vinyl. I was lucky enough to inherit my parents' vast collection of records when they down-sized years ago, and still haven't touched even a fraction of what they owned. Quite frequently, I get stuck on certain albums and play them over, and over....until my fiancée threatens to kill himself with a butter knife if I don't start playing something DIFFERENT! Haha....just kidding, he is very stoked on vinyl and has his own collection too. I am very lucky.

So lately it has been The Sounds of Silence. SUCH a fantastic album. It is infinitely hummable, and totally funky, not to mention masterfully crafted by two of the music world's superstars. Not only that, they don't really speak to each other anymore. Which, for some perverse reason, makes this record all the more precious to me. Check out "Richard Corey", and tell me what you think. You know what I think.

Inspiration.

I Want A New Drug ♦ The Canadian Sun

2010-02-22T22:06:00.000-08:00

Well, people...it has been a phenomenal week. I actually saw a whole bank of DANDELIONS blooming 2 days ago, on my way somewhere. Is it really February??

These past few days, I've found myself positively ENHANCED by the weather. There is a quickness in my step, and somehow it just isn't so difficult getting up in the morning...and I think it's because we've had the most amazing February that I can remember. Hardly any rain, and tons of much needed Vitamin D.... I hope people visiting BC for the 2010 Winter Olympics don't deign to think that this is normal! When do we get this much sun....ever?? Sometimes not even in June! Hehe..... Anyways, if you haven't seen any of the insanity in downtown Vancouver these last few days, it might surprise you to see so many vocal and hyper Canadians. Yes, we are normally fairly reserved. Well....this week, not so much.

I attribute it to the sun. Yes, the Sun. It makes you feel like a million bucks when the sun's shining! All you Cali folks probably just take it for granted, but if I said it before I'll say it again. "No one gets as excited about Springtime as a Canadian after a long and dark Winter." It's the same every year. As the first few weak and wobbly rays of sun hit the wet rocks of BC, people of all walks of life can be seen sprinting towards the beach as fast as they can, stripping off Cowichans and hoodies and toques like pasties off an exotic dancer at the No. 5 Orange! It's crazy!

Yep. We like the sun. :)

I visited my parents in Hope, BC today. My dad is an artist, and has been madly at work, experimenting in his new medium, mosaics. I don't know where he comes up with this stuff, but he's super-excited and I was blown away by what he has produced so far. Not surprised, as he is very talented, and enthusiastic about many different techniques, but still.....

He told me that all his works are "1-day Specials". They each took 1 day to produce. So here is a sampler of Roger Gerhardt's newest works, inspired by a photo of Georgia O'Keefe in the 20's, Andy Warhol (the Marilyn Monroe-ish one is after a sketch of my 73 year old Aunt Patsie, stylized after the Andy Warhol print series) ,a sketch of my uncle Elwyn, and another artist who's name I can't quite remember (the last image). You saw it here first. :)

Enjoy the Glorious Sun if you are lucky to have some!

Heidi

Inspiration ♦♦♦ Tightrope Walkers, Don Quixote, & More

2010-02-15T07:38:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a fantastic Valentine's Day.♥

I had a romantic, low-key evening with my boyfriend last night, with lots of red wine, take-out Italian, movies, and dark chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds for dessert! Mmmm....

We watched a wonderful documentary called "Man On Wire". It is the true story of a man fulfilling his crazy dream to walk a rope between the two Twin Towers in NYC, back in the 70's.

Sitting there with my glass of red, watching interviews and the stunning photography in this doc, the word "Quixotic" was used. I thought to myself, "That is a word I have never used in a sentence, but it's such a wonderful word!

quixotic \Quix*ot"ic\, a.

adj: not sensible about practical matters; unrealistic; "as
quixotic as a restoration of medieval knighthood"; "a
romantic disregard for money"; "a wild-eyed dream of a
world state" [syn: romantic, wild-eyed]

Also:

"Like Don Quixote; romantic to extravagance; absurdly chivalric; apt to be deluded." -Prescott

Anyways, it was an inspiring, and beautiful look at someone with a romantic vision that all others would consider crazy and fanatical. I just loved it, and highly recommend it if you are an artist, or just inspired. Or need to know that others have inspirations just as crazy as yours! Hehe. That's what I got out of it: Pursue your passion, no matter what it is. It is what makes life worth living.

I also wanted to direct your attention to a new favorite blog, Pikaland: The Illustrated Life.
It's written by a lovely lady, Amy Ng, who just has the most amazing EYE for visual arts. Check out this blog! You will get lost and overwhelmed in its awesomeness!

I get thoroughly stoked every week when her little newsletter hits my inbox. Above, are images from her blog, art by Simon Wild, Frédéric Noel, and Shin.Itchy's Flickr Stream. Go and get inspired. :)

Ciao♥
Heidi

Fashion Idols - Channeling....Mrs Hannigan??

2010-02-10T21:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know this is a bit crazy....but lately, I've kind of been obsessed with one of my favorite movies from childhood: Annie! (the musical that came out in 1982, starring Carol Burnett among others)

Am I the only one on the planet that sort of thinks Mrs. Hannigan has got it goin' on? She could be the next Fashion Icon! Ok, here are my reasons:

She's wearing silk tap-pants and black garters and stockings
Her make-up is awesome, and her jewelry is IT
She pours gin into her bathtub, and stirs it with a big paddle!
There's lace, and fringed paisley gypsy brocade hanging everywhere in her apartment
She's wearing a messy top-knot, which I am so loving right now
She throws on a silk kimono at some point, which is just so stylish
The way she is holding the radio and laughing at the very beginning of this little number just CRACKS ME UP!
She's guzzling Juniper Gin like it's going out of style
Last but not least, her brother in the movie ("Rooster") is played by Tim Curry!

I've always had a thing for a good boudoir scene, and while Mrs. Hannigan isn't the most Heavenly Creature, I'll still stand by her and say she has fantastic style.

Carol Burnett always made me laugh, as a kid. But I never thought I'd be writing about her in a fashion-conscious manner. Well, here I am. I think she's pretty cool in this movie.

What do you think? :)

In Praise of: ♥♥♥ Flickr Group "Etsy Open Studios"

2010-02-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

It's one thing to be inspired by someone's artistic endeavors; their paintings, sculptures, etc... Well, I have recently found inspiration in the places in which these things are usually crafted. I'm talkin' about The Studio!

To peek inside someone's studio, and gaze at their systems of organization, their inspirations, their junk and clutter (I can only point out my own, in this case!).....it is to gaze at the Heart of an artist.

This is a place where all sorts of energy flows, and all studios are very different.

So my new obsession lately has been the Flickr collection of photos "Etsy Open Studios". I've posted photos of my own studio because I am happy and proud to spend time in my little corner of Heaven. But a girl can get SWEPT UP in the photos of all those great places people create. Wow.

Let me tell you:

♥If you are an artist

♥If you are an interior designer

♥If you are envious or curious of creative people

♥If you have a studio yourself, or

♥If you plan to carve out a little place for youself one day

Do yourself a favour and check it out. It's marvelous! But a warning: Addictive too. *wink*

Go HERE to the Flickr "Etsy Open Studios" photo group.

Heidi

♥♥♥Pokai Love♥♥♥

2010-02-05T14:06:00.000-08:00

So today's post is also the first post of our year 2010. How time flies!

A lot has happened in the last 5 months. Enough for me to feel a bit overwhelmed, and cut out the "un-necessaries", such as writing regularly in a blog. Jogging. Etc.... You know how it goes....hehe...

But life is just too exciting not to share with my contemporaries, so without further adieu, my first blog post (and not the last) is officially dedicated to My Orchid.

Let me explain. My good friend Kristi gave me an orchid baby about 7 years ago. It wasn't very big; it only had 2 leaves, and was about 1 1/2" high. But on its tag, it said: "Pokai, Chocolate & Tangerine Orchid". VERY intriguing.

Well, finally after 7 years of wondering, and watering very carefully, and feeding cautiously....it decided to bloom! And MY GOD....it was worth the wait!

It's a dusky purple-pink-chocolate on it's outer petals, and electric acid yellow with hot violet at its centre. Stunning. Not only that....have you ever smelled a fragrant orchid? I've smelled plenty of orchids, and NONE of them had a fragrance. They were beautiful and exotic, to be sure. But never smelled of anything.

This orchid smells like roses and jasmine, and reminds me of my Grandma. It's so sweet, it makes me want to eat it! Just like Joan Chen as the tragic Empress in "The Last Emperor".

But I won't. Hehe.

So enjoy these photos. Who knows how long it may bloom. I hope it does for a while, at least.....it's Heaven in a terra-cotta pot!

Birth of a Studio: I am No Carpenter

2009-09-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

Hey people.

Well, finally. I have not been posting that much for various reasons. Mostly I'm just lazy. But part of the reason (really!) is that I have been really working hard at getting a crazy bookshelf up in my 'new studio'. NEW STUDIO is in quotations because it's not really new. It's just re-vamped. But nonetheless, I am extremely pleased, and excited about the results!

This bookshelf was born with the many hours (and I'm talking MANY HOURS) of help from my friend Jason, and my mate Darren. Without them, this shelf would have stayed where it originally was. That is, in pieces on the floor of our computer room, doing nothing.

We stained. We sanded. We stained again. We measured. We primed. We painted. We came, we saw, WE PUT UP A BEAUTIFUL FREAKING BOOKSHELF! Behold.

So anyways. Now that I have something that holds my not insignificant collection of books, of which I am very proud, this has freed up space for other major things in my life: A Real Studio.

So here are pics of my favorite space in the house right now, and some up and coming work. I will be churning out amazing stuff on a regular basis, people. Now that I've got 'A SPACE'.....watch out. WATCH OUT! I'm on FIRE!

Ahem....sorry. It's been so long coming, I get a little emotional when I talk about it....hehe....

Among other things, the other major thing that will be occurring in this space is the production of jewelry, printed fabrics, and papercrafts for my new Etsy shop, 'Alpine Gypsy'. I haven't anything listed yet, so I will launch when my inventory amounts to something more than "0". But I will be doing that soon, so stay tuned.

Word up.

From Here To Eternity: Giorgio Moroder, My Heart Belongs To You

2009-09-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is lately, but I've been on a bit of a electronica-techno-disco kick. I never really knew that this scene existed until I accidentally saw "Heartbreak" live, opening for a couple of awesome bands in Vancouver with a good friend one night. The show was CUT COPY/The Presets, and they were fantastic, but HEARTBREAK was INSANE. They are very cute, and hilarious, with incredible beats that just beg to be danced to. I highly recommend seeing them if you ever get the chance. Here's a link to some of their music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS-W0xOfVk8

And so. Let us now just give a nod, to Giorgio Moroder. In my humble opinion, he is a facet of what these other bands are perhaps trying to emulate. I may be completely wrong in this assumption, but nonetheless....it's hypnotic. THIS is quite possibly the best jogging music EVER! Hehe.

Tell me what you think.

Vampires

2009-09-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm not sure where I'm going with this post. Basically, I had a very detailed, rich, disturbing, but wonderful dream last night that I was a vampire. But not just any vampire, I was part of this young, stylish, hot TRIBE of teen vampires that lived in big abandoned warehouses in some downtown area. My brain created this entire universe, and it was so weird, that I just had to share it.

Lots of my friends were there in the dream, and they had been bitten also. There was Ash, and her boyfriend. We would all have dinner together in this big long hall, in a decadent Roman Feast-style with burgers, fries, pizza, and all this other 'teen' food. Everyone was dressed wildly, all the girls wearing cute plaid mini-skirts and hot shiny PVC high-heeled boots, and lots of make-up. I can't remember what the boys wore, but they were there, and were just as hip. It's like I was at this amazing party with all these beautiful children, just putting on a show for each other, but I was one of them! And we all hung out and socialized, but the only thing different about us was that we were all blood feeders.

I should also point out that there was this sexual over-tone to my dream, that it was a very sensual thing to be a vampire. The appetite that some of us had for blood was very strong, and the appetite of dominance over another being was definitely part of it. Yes. We were S&M vampires! HAHA! I'm just now understanding this as I write it....hehe....how weird.

So all I have left of this dream, are impressions. I don't remember a story-line, or a plot. I just remember bits and pieces, which is perhaps why I wanted to write about it as soon as I got out of bed. I knew it would disappear, bit by bit.

So it started with images, like I was watching this from a concealed place, of people still alive being bitten all over by some of these vampires, and being dumped still half-alive afterwards. Bodies missing limbs, with bones and shoulder-sockets exposed, but still heaving and and trying to get up. Very gross.

And all of a sudden I was in the middle of it, and someone was asking me if I wanted a taste. I can't remember if I did. But we were in some sort of semi-forested area, and there were lots of us. We were a gang.

Did I mention I could fly? We had the power to lift up and fly, but it required great energy stores to do this, so you couldn't keep it up for long. There was, however, a special substance that you could taste or smell (it was a foul, bitter-tasting spray in a small amber glass bottle) that would restore your powers, and magnify your flying ability. Someone gave me what was left of a small bottle, and I tried it. All of a sudden, I was rising up with little effort, into space! Things were getting VERY small, planes were the size of tiny ants. It was very frightening. So I made a conscious effort to go down slowly and my planet finally started to look less far away. That stuff was powerful!

Then....this is where it gets very, very hazy....we were heading to a Metallica concert. I was wearing this awesome PVC bat-wing shirt of some sort, with a chain harness all over it. It was AMAZING! I wish I could remember more of it, I might actually try to re-create it. ;)
I had a purse/piece of clothing given to me by a friend, and it had articles in the pockets: small semi-precious stones, small carved-bone skulls, weird little beads and amulets. And there was a strange bus outside the concert that was selling t-shirts with letters on the fronts. These were special, and had the vampire flight-elixir infused IN THE LETTERS. If you wore one, it would give you a constant dose of the elixir and keep you full of energy. Wow. Talk about practical, and fashionable! Of course, I can't remember what the t-shirts said.

My sister was in this dream also. This is also extremely hazy. I do remember that she was having a health problem, in some kind of vampire-way. Like....she had poisoned herself accidentally, and we had to get her some elixir, or something like that. I remember being worried about her for some reason, but very happy that we were vampire sisters, together again. :) That's it, that's my dream.

~ ~ ~

Incidentally, I'm not sure what brought this on. I haven't seen 'Twilight', though I am considering it, just for the heck of it. I think we were more like the vampires in 'Lost Boys' anyways. It was on tv at a Fish & Chips restaurant last week (of all weird places) and I watched the last 20 minutes of it on the monitor, waiting for our dinner.

I've also been reading this weird fantasy book from 1983, called "Split Infinity", that has vampires in it, but they haven't played any role at all in the plot yet. I'm not usually a huge fantasy reader, but I got the book from a friend who was getting rid of all sorts of weird books, and I decided to read it because it had a Unicorn on the front of it! So maybe this played a role in my dream as well, but I kind of doubt it.

Cariboo-Chilcotin Energy is Good

2009-07-21T19:27:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, I just got back from a week in the Cariboo-Chilcotin (the interior of British Columbia, Canada). My family has a cabin on a gorgeous lake there, and it's always a source of rest and inspiration to me. Just to be there in the silence on that lake, with the loons mournfully calling to each other every evening re-charges my creative batteries!

I did very little:

-ate lots
-sat on the dock and tanned
-read my book
-thought things
-drank beer

(not in any particular order...hehe...)

I will, however, say that artistically, I had a LOT going on in my head, and when I got home I finally decided to act on some of my ideas that had been swimming around in my head for quite some time.

While I will simply leave you with some photos of this magical place, let me say that I have some very interesting creative projects coming up very soon. I will endeavor to post a 'sneak-peek' on this blog as soon as I have photos. Stay tuned!

"Woman's Favorite"

2009-07-08T20:19:00.000-07:00

Dang! It's almost been 2 months since I last posted....shameful. But hey, it's been a busy time.

I figured I had better get started again somehow...so I decided I'd review the 'new' book I've been reading lately:

"Woman's Favorite Cookbook" by Mrs. Gregory and Friends.

Yep, published in 1902. I work at a Heritage Museum, and one of the volunteers that works there brought this book in one day. She wanted to donate it to our little mini library, to be used by staff for cooking for special events and such. Well, I started to read it at work, and I became so fascinated with it, I decided to take it home with me so I could really sink my teeth in.

On the inside, it says further:

"By Annie R. Gregory"- Assisted by one thousand homekeepers.

The publishing house is J.M.Mac Gregor Publishing Co., Vancouver, B.C.

As far as I can tell, it's a compendium of recipes by many, many people. 3 books in 1, as a matter of fact! Everything from 'Arranging the Table-Up to Date Methods', to 'Dinner Giving', and the 'Meaning of Foreign Words on Menu Cards'. Not to mention the 3000 recipes. You heard me correctly.

Of course, one of the most interesting things about it, is how strange and sexist some of the passages are. The kitchen is truly the domain of the woman, and not of the man. This is something we could very well argue, nowadays. In fact, I don't know too many people that still cook, period. Including lots of women. It's not a criticism at all. I just know that most people are waaay too busy to be able to properly learn the art of cooking. It takes time, and dedication just like anything else you want to be good at.

I was very lucky. As a girl, my mum cooked from scratch all the time, mainly due to the fact that it was more affordable than buying processed food (which generally still stands). I just happened to be obsessed with food, and soaked it up like a sponge. I cook to relax (for real), so I count myself as very lucky. Cooking and food doesn't scare me like others that I know. I'm grateful for this fluke of nature.

Another wonderful, if confusing thing about this book is that it is before measuring. That is to say, most people didn't know what a metric teaspoon was, they only knew to use an actual tea spoon. Recipes were quite vague, and simple. If your teacup happened to be a bit wider than your neighbors, well then, that's what went into your buttermilk biscuits. I'm sure they still turned out awesome. Here's an example:

"VELVET BREAKFAST CAKES: Put a pint of new milk on the fire; let it simmer a few minutes. Stir into it a piece of butter the size of a walnut. Add salt, and three spoonfuls of good yeast, with three well-beaten eggs. Mix with these sufficient flour to make a soft dough. Knead all well together and put the mixture in a warm place in a basin with a cloth over it for two hours. Then make it up into small cakes, lay them on a well-oiled tin, and bake in a quick oven."

Oh my god. Could you get any more vague?? Like, how much is 'sufficient flour'? What's a quick oven?? Anyways, it's a delight to read. Some of the recipes are strange and GROSS ("Cod Sounds and Tongues", "Broiled Frogs' Legs", "Forcement Balls"....), but most are mouth-watering. Good, old-fashioned comfort food. There was such thing as health food back then, but it wasn't hemp hearts, and micro-algae. It was "warm, meaty broths" and "milk toast". Now, THAT'S the kind of health food I'm talkin' about! Hehe......

Not to mention all the other good stuff. Here are some of my favorites: Apple Toast, Royal Creamed Eggs, Hot Dandelion Salad, Blackberry Pie, Whole Wheat Doughnuts, Chocolate Kisses, Peach Meringue, Watermelon Pickles, Crabapple Catsup. Phew!

In closing, here's a mouth-watering, if ridiculous recipe for Coffee Ice-Cream:

"One gallon of cream, yolks of thirty-five eggs, two pounds ten ounces of sugar, two quarts of very strong black coffee (made up). Stir well with an egg beater and when beginning to thicken without boiling strain the mixture; allow it to become cold and freeze."

New Favorite Website: AWKWARD FAMILY PHOTOS

2009-05-19T18:56:00.000-07:00

I really can't use any words to accurately describe how strange and arresting this photo is. And I really can't explain how rad this website is either, so the best thing for you to do is to go there IMMEDIATELY! And stare. And stare....at......all these random photos submitted by people. This website proves that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. And very enjoyable.....hehe.....so without further adieu:

www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com

So brilliant. So, so brilliant....hehe.....

Random: Dancing Sandwich-Board Worker, I Want YOUR Job!

2009-04-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

I was walking back from the store the other day, and saw one of those folks with a sandwich board out in front of a KFC, or Taco Bell or something....can't remember. For obvious reasons, these people always look a little dejected and miserable to me. They don't look anyone in the eye, they just trudge along dragging a board or wearing a stupid costume and are wearing earphones, 9 times out of 10.

Now.....ever seen THIS PERSON?

Uh.....ok, it's actually Lisa Rinna. Um, I really tried to find a photo of one of those Sandwich Board guys that really DANCES up a storm, and totally looks like he's having the time of his life. But I could find not a one. WTF? Anyways, I've seen them and I KNOW they're out there! These people really know a thing or two about livin' the good life. Here are my reasons I would like to aspire to this job maybe one day:

-You can listen to your own music. Nuff said.

-You get to dance your pants off, and that is so good for you.

-People might think you're insane. Now bear with me, this is a good thing. NO ONE will be after your job...maybe like the job you have right now. There's a pressure to perform, right?

-You probably get free food from the establishment you're advertising.

-You wouldn't have to go to a gym. You do aerobics all day!

-If you get tired, you could drink coffee on your break and get energy again!

-You'd never take your work home with you.

-You'd be breathing fresh air, and outside all day. (Could be bad, too I guess...)

-You'd never be bored (board? Hehe...sorry) of the scenery because it changes all day.

-You'd have an excuse to wear all your wacky outfits that just hang in your closet all lonely, finally.

-You could jump out at cute guys in hot cars, and yell "HEY, GIMME YOUR NUMBER!" Well, I'm not saying it would WORK....hehe....

-You could not gain weight on this job.

-You'd probably be offered benefits on this job, as no one in their right mind would take it unless the dividends were quite fantastic! (Theory only)

-If you were a 'sandwich board dancer-consultant' (ie Self-Employed) you could actually write all your music off as a tax deductable.....maybe.....

That's all I got.

"Real Age"

2009-03-24T15:45:00.000-07:00

Well, today is my birthday! And without getting into it (allow me a little dignity here people), I don't feel as old as my 'real age'. I feel like I did when I was 17....just a little wiser, but honestly, that's about it.

I think I look alright too. I'm vain, just like everyone else. I worry about wrinkles, and getting a little paunch. But whenever you have a birthday, whether you actually worry about it or not, you are extra AWARE on that day that you are aging. Getting older is a trip, man.

So a while ago, I went to the library and checked out "YOU: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual For Extending Your Warranty", by 2 doctors. This book has gotten a bit of attention, because these guys have been on Oprah a million times and everyone's been talking about how great they are. Well, I decided to have a read and I found I really enjoyed it! It's a very straight-forward, entertaining view of the body and how we age. But what I found most interesting was the accompanying website:

http://www.realage.com/

If you go on there, you can take their 20-minute (or so) survey of all your dietary, fitness, emotional habits and it will tell you what your REAL AGE is, based on the amount of stress your body has incurred, as a result of your lifestyle and genetics. Well, to a point anyhow.

So for my experience, I did the survey and was as thorough and as honest about my habits as I could be. And......well, it turns out I was about 3 years OLDER than my biological age.

WTF???

But.....there is a silver lining here. They offer all sorts of ways you can decrease your 'real age' and you can change your habits to update your age.

So. I've started doing yoga a couple times a week. I'm flossing every night now, not just every couple of days. I've vowed to eat more fruit, and more veggies. I'm walking every day now too. I've cut down on the drinks.....and I've updated my real age. I'm now 3 years YOUNGER than my biological age, according to this website. Hey, I'm liking this! Hehe.....

So I see it as a positive thing. Go ahead and try it. You might be a bit shocked! It's a kick in the butt, that's for sure. At least it was for me.....hehe.....

Fresh Inspiration! Beets and Apples.....

2009-03-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

Just made an extremely fresh and zesty salad, and I kind of just made it up off the top of my head. It turned out....EXQUISITE! So you, dear reader, may use it with my blessing. This salad is perfect for the winter blahs. It's been raining for what seems like weeks. We are all a bit vintamin D deficient these days, not to mention plain old STARVED for the mental lift that the sun brings. Aren't you craving something spring-like? Aren't you tired of those stodgy winter meals? Look no further. ;)

Apple-Beet Salad with Cilantro and Fresh Lime:

-1 medium to large beet

-1 apple, something crispy and sweet

-1 lime

-small bunch cilantro

-handful of dried currants

(opt: 1 chili, diced very small)

Grate the beet, and the apple. Roughly chop the cilantro, and toss with the beet and apple in a salad bowl. Sprinkle with the currants, and the minced chili if using. Squeeze the lime all over salad (half if it's very, very juicy-whole if it's average). Toss lightly again.

This salad would be amazing served alongside almost anything. You could include it as part of a selection of other salads at a party, or you could even mound a little of it on the end of an edive leaf if you are feeling really swanky. Enjoy!

Lovin' Every Minute Of It!

2009-01-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

Well, how do I put it? Ok, how's this:

My fiancée's band (Jordan Carrier) opened for LOVERBOY at the Commodore last Friday and Saturday night. Hehe......I'm still pinching myself. I fucking LOVE Loverboy! I got to go backstage, and meet the band, and watch from the sidelines......I'm tellin' you. Going back to being a normal mortal girl after that is going to be difficult. I felt like a rockstar for 2 days.

Anyways here are some pics. I'm off to Cuba for a week the day after tomorrow (yeah, it's been a rough week....hehe...) so I can't be too creative, but enjoy!

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd do a post about the snow.

This year's snow has been absolutely crazy. Here in the Fraser Valley, just outside of Vancouver it typically doesn't snow that much in the wintertime. People that don't live in Canada like to think that it's covered in the white stuff all winter long, and that we all play hockey on ponds and live in igloos too, but it just isn't true. Sorry.

Well, Mother Nature threw a curveball this year. Not only did we have a white Christmas, we had a white December, period. I didn't get to see my parents this year for Christmas, nor my sister's family. No one made it out to our place for Christmas Eve, as in previous years. Blah blah.

It sounds as if I'm complaining, but it is marvellous, actually. As inconvenient as it is, the snow is gorgeous, and I'm posting pics for you to enjoy too. Check it out!!!

Breakfast of Champions

2008-12-31T11:38:00.000-08:00

Forgive my lack of posts, it has been a busy time....hehe....for all of us, I'm sure. Isn't Christmas time supposed to be a time of reflection, time with family, and relaxation? Well....we all know that's not usually how it works. :)

First off, an easy and delicious breakfast for New Year's Eve.

Eggs in a cup.

Doesn't sound exciting, I know. But this is one of my childhood favorites, and is so good, you will feel like you're eating something so delicious, you must tell everyone who will listen about it!

Boil two eggs to your liking. (I prefer mine mostly hard-boiled, but slightly tender in the centre. (Runny is not my favorite! BLECHHH!) When they're done, peel them quickly and put them in a large mug. Chop them up roughly with a fork, and add a large pat of real butter. Salt and pepper to taste (I like lots of both), and crumble up 2-6 crackers into the mug too. In my opinion, Stoned Wheat Thins are THE BEST. But any cracker will do: saltines, water crackers, oyster crackers, etc... Mix it all up, and eat with a spoon.

If this is not a breakfast you love after the first bite, you are an alien. It's SOOOO GOOOD! Thanks, mum. xoxo (she used to make this for my sister and I when we asked, which was often)

....I used to order just to watch her float across the floor....

2008-12-06T14:08:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember, I've had an obsession with 'found' things. I think it started when I was very little. My dad worked for Surrey Parks when we were kids. Mum stayed at home with us for part of the time, and then dad would come home from work.

Fridays were "Dump Days". When Friday came rolling around, I knew that at some point in his job, dad would go to the dump. As a worker for Surrey, they'd do maintenance at all the city parks, and would sometimes have a truck full of stuff that had to be thrown out (these were the old days). Friday was the day, and more likely than not, dad would bring something interesting home that he had found at the dump. I can think of a few things my parents still own, to this day, that dad magically found in the dump. Now I know....some people reading this are going to think: this is fucked. The dump?? But yes. You'd be surprised at the shit people throw out. And my dad is an artist, and has always thought outside the box, so to speak.

One of those things he brought home once was the wood sculpture you see in the photo of my parent's house. As you might notice, the proportions of the man atop his horse are quite weird, and skewed. But I think it's quite a modern piece, and I really like it! So I don't know how many years ago that was....probably close to 30 years now.

Well, my fascination with 'Found' things continued. I am never embarrassed about picking up clothes that I see on the side of the road, discarded. I'm wearing my favorite pair of jeans right this second, and they were out on the road in front of my house for about 3 days before I decided to check them out. They turned out to have a broken zipper, but fit me just perfectly. So now I wear them almost everyday!

Turns out there is a website (actually, lots of them) dedicated to Found objects....guess I'm not the only person fascinated with this. People can scan the objects they find wherever, and upload them to the site for others to enjoy. They appear to most commonly be photos, and hand-written notes. I encourage you to check the website out yourself, if you feel so inclined. It's an interesting look into the inner-workings of other people's thoughts. A couple of my favorite examples 'found' on the site....hehe....enjoy!

http://www.foundmagazine.com/

He does the military two-step down the nape of my neck, I wanna go home.....

2008-11-30T15:58:00.001-08:00

I'm grumpy. What the hell is wrong with me right now? A few scenarios:

-Two friends and me go to this little Ukrainian hole-in-the-wall for lunch. Word on the street is their perogies and cabbage rolls are killer (and they are....oh my god...). An older man wanders in and orders a cup of coffee and sits right next to our table, about 5 ft. away. He keeps fidgeting, and moving in his chair, and the chair squeaks loudly every time he moves. I want to murder him with the butter knife.

-Band practise at our house right now. People are downstairs, I am upstairs writing on the computer (obviously). Someone (I'm not sure who....one of the guys in the band anyway) keeps coming in, and going out. Coming in, going out. Coming in, going out. I want to go run down the stairs and scream like a banshee.

-Computer is slow. I pay for "High-speed Lite", whatever the fuck that is. So.....is that fast? Or slow? Well it is fucking slow. It takes forever to load things, and it drives me irrationally insane everyday. But it should be faster than dial-up because it has the words 'High-speed' in the description, no? So I refuse to buck up the extra $25 a month to get the real High-speed, not the fucking mock-High-speed, OK people?

-Zellers on a late Sunday morning. Lots of screaming children, and exasperated parents, offering their bratty little monsters candy if they shut up. Best prophylactic in the universe.

That's all I got.

Everyday I'm Hustlin'...Everyday I'm Hustlin'......

2008-11-28T15:19:00.000-08:00

My first post in a while. It's just been too mad in my life to even sit down and get thoughts onto the page.....whatever.

I'm taking inspiration (again) in this post from my blogger friend, Rawbean. You can find her blog here: www.randomrawbean.blogspot.com She is the master of what I call "The Mixed Bag". She does these really entertaining conglomerations of randomly-selected thoughts in her mind at any given point, and neatly fits them into point-style paragraphs, usually numbered.

So here goes, because I am just not feeling too cohesive, you see.

I just came back from picking some packages up just across the Canada/US border. For some reason, I thought it would be cheaper to get stuff shipped to a "Mailboxes Etc"-style establishement in Washington state, and then pick it up rather than get it shipped to my house. Well, sort of. But not really. The Canadian government likes to charge you the exchange rate, and add taxes on top of that when you pay duty. So....I probably ended up paying more in the end for my 2 used items of clothing. Um, thanks Canada. You rock.
I'm supposed to be going to a birthday party this Saturday, and it's a "Retro-Formal" party. I think this is fairly open to interpretation, but I really have no clue what I should wear at this point. I think Secret-Agent-Loverman should wear a suit. Any opinions on this? Should be fun!
I just listened to "I'm a Punkrocker" by the Teddybears, featuring Iggy Pop. My thoughts about this song: I love it. It's very fun to dance or walk to....but I think the reason it's so great is all because of Iggy. He IS the song. The Teddybears? Who are they, really?
I went to a Halloween party, and this is what happened: I was talking to a guy on my way out, and saying goodbye to his girlfriend. I didn't really know them at all, I was just being polite. The next day I found out that he had brought a real gun to the party (he was dressed like a gangster), and that he had left it on a coffee table while he was outside having a smoke, and it got stolen. Hmmmmmmm. Now is it just me, or did 3 absolutely stupid and outrageous things just occur in that one sentence?
I decided to title my post just like Scott does in his blog. You can find his fine prose here: www.tomusicfan.blogspot.com I think what he does is he finds some lyrics that he likes, and makes that the title. It's very weird and mysterious. It appeals to me. He also writes funny. Hee hee!
I just had basmati rice, with butter chicken on top for lunch. I decided quite a while ago that when I die, I'd like to be lowered into the ground in a big box of butter chicken sauce. This isn't a joke, I'm just not sure that logistically it would be possible. I think it would be quite expensive for my family too. Les boos.
My dad is an extra in the movies. My mom told me on the phone last night that dad was doing an all-night shoot near my house, and that he would probably be driving straight home in the morning. Well, when I came out of the house this morning, he was parked in his VW vanagon in my driveway, sleeping away. What a great surprise! We had coffee and eggs together in my kitchen, and a great little visit. Dad's so great!
I'm running out of blurbs here...but the neurotic in me wants to make it to ten different items, a nice round number. So......umm......not sure if I'm gonna make it!
I'm pretty sure that I might be able to either barter, or make all my christmas gifts this year, starting now. Of course, nothing that I bought BEFORE now counts, right?? Well, even then, it's all vintage. I sure hate buying new. Except when it comes to buying for ME....hehe....
5 things that you wouldn't expect an average person to have in their fridge, that are in mine right now: Jerusalem artichokes, mom's pickled beets, champagne, pickled herring, and homemade face lotion. Oh, and some leftover butter chicken.....hehe.......

Purple Fingers = Pure Joy!

2008-08-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today, I realized that my wild blackberries growing all over our yard were READY! They were perfect drupes of glistening purple-black....and wouldn't last much longer. In fact, word on the street's that it might *gasp* RAIN tomorrow! So I had to act fast if I was going to reap the benefits of not ever getting control over our blackberries, and letting them grow WAY to much.....hehe......

One hour of picking, and I had enough blackberries to put about 2-3 pounds in the freezer, and put up two pint-jars of blackberry brandy. The recipe for the brandy is super-simple:

Layer fresh blackberries on the bottom of a pint-sized Mason jar. Add a layer of sugar. Repeat, until the berries/sugar are two thirds the way up the jar. Pour over the berries a decent french brandy, until it's right up to the top of the jar. Put away for several months in a dark, cool place, shaking occasionally. (ie: put away in August, crack it open to strain in December!) When you're ready to strain it, pour it through a fine sieve, and re-bottle. Makes a lovely christmas gift....if you don't manage to drink it all to yourself....hehe.....

Get out there and enjoy Mother Nature's bounty!

Weekend Mixer

2008-08-18T20:03:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I had a really great weekend. I work more than one job, so when I get a few days off in a row, I feel this need (nay, almost a pressure) to make it worthwhile. So this weekend, I really tried to fit as many fun, and ridiculous things in. The funnest, probably though, was hanging out with two friends that made it up from Seattle and stayed a couple of nights. So here is my weekend, mostly, but maybe not entirely in chronological order:

1. Cleaned the house. I know. Doesn't sound too fun, but believe me, if you blast good music loud enough, you start to dance while you vacuum, and baby, THAT'S SOME GOOD TIMES!

2. Made apricot jam. I got a bunch of apricots that were too bruised to sell at the organic delivery service where I work, so I decided to make jam out of them. The moment before you hear that little 'POP', and the jar seals (sometimes, at random times) is kind of stressful. I mean, you never know if it's actually going to seal, or maybe you'll have to eat 4 pints of jam in 2 weeks if it doesn't.

3. Painted my nails. Red.

4. Sewed a bunch of stuff. I grabbed a stack of shirts and things I've been meaning to alter to fit, for months and months, and finally did it. So I didn't have to go shopping, but I feel like my wardrobe is that much more exciting!

5. Drank beer on the deck, while listening to vinyl records. There is something to be said for analogue vs. digital. It has a certain "je ne sais quoi", a warmth that digital, despite its convenience, will never have. And dude, a couple of Rainier's in....Quiet Riot's "Metal Health" never sounded so damn good!

6. Ate at one of my fave restaurants in Vancouver, "The Foundation". Or, "Foundation". I'm not sure if there's a 'the' in front of it. But anyhoo, it's veggie food exclusively, but don't let that bum you out. The portion's are insane, the music is very awesome, the crowd is very 'hip(ster)', and the flavours are unique and quite mouth-watering. I always get "O.P.P.P" which is this pasta dish with peanuts, and....I can't remember, but it's creamy, savoury, and GOOD.

7. Hung out on a rooftop, and drank more beer. Mmm, notice a trend here? But seriously, I had the best view of the city, and the temperature was for once that day, verging on perfection (kind of cool). The sunset was insanely gorgeous. The lights of downtown Vancouver were just starting to twinkle a bit, and my friends and I laughed, and toasted the night away. Props to Graeme for showing me the best spot to hang with friends ever. PS: Forgive the shitty quality of the photos, it was my phone doing the snapping.

8. Took the sky-train with visitors, and got to watch their faces when it really sped up.....hehe....you know, the Skytrain can really book it around a corner sometimes. It's enough to not shit your pants if you're not expecting it, really...and the sound is intense too. Kind of like "WoooOOOOHHHHHHHHH". Anyways, cheap thrills.

9. Watched some live music at the Railway Club. Really, this portion of the weekend was unfortunately cut a bit short. Being upstairs and all, it was intolerably HOT at the Railway, so we stuck around to hear the band we wanted to see (El Dorado) for as long as we could, but couldn't hack it. It was too bloody hot. But I highly recommend the bar, and the band. The Railway's an old bar, with gorgeous woodwork, and lots of interesting things on tap (Strongbow cider, last time I looked). The band is good too. Angela Fama's voice is verging on "Patsy Cline", and there are some good tunes coming out of that band of hers. I will have to hear her live another time I guess.

10. Did 2 shots of tequila, once with friends, and once at the bar by myself, before I chased it down with a cold beer. Hehe.....yum!

11. Went to the Great Canadian VW Show in Coquitlam on Sunday. There were lots of cool bugs, buses, etc.... A funny little crowd at those events, always. The ride there was the best though.....which brings me to #12:

12. Rode in a 1951 VW Beetle, imported by my friend Peter from Germany. It's so old, and weird, and beautiful. It looks like a beetle, but you can tell it's very old because of it's split-oval back window, and the little tiny back lights.

Well....that's about all the energy I have to write. Until the next post, I bid you adieu.

Lettermail ROCKS

2008-07-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

I'm officially addicted to my computer. I'm on it several times a day, checking email, etc.... But lately I've been lamenting 'the death of the letter'. It's a real tragedy. Much like other aspects of our modern lives, the handmade-the tactile-the things we can hold in our hands are quickly disappearing. These things (think vinyl records vs. downloaded music) are being replaced by the digital era. Working in a pioneer farmhouse makes this even more obvious to me as time marches on.

So there is a very special thing about the written letter. Something that is fragile, that somehow made it all the way in the postal system to you when that's the way things were done. Something that might have typos in it. Something that holds the essence of the person that sent it to you, maybe after years of being shut up in a cardboard box somewhere in your crawl-space.

A few days ago, I decided to go through all my postcards and letters, and photograph them. This was inspired by Rawbean, one of my very favorite bloggers (and friends). My HTML skills are very lacking, so being unable to direct-link to her blog, here is the URL:

http://www.randomrawbean.blogspot.com/

She recently dumped all of her correspondance she'd recieved over the years, and took pics of it. It was really neat seeing all those striped airmail envelopes, and doodles in letters of hers. I got inspired also, because she's an amazing writer and artist. Her letters were works of art. I'm lucky to have many of them, because she moved away from Vancouver for a bunch of years, and we kept up a correspondance. Let me tell you, reading those letters and chuckling over her quirky cartoons.....I felt like a kid again. ;)

So here's my collection. Enjoy, and definitely check out her blog if you are still fond of good belly laughs....hehe.....

Pioneer Haiku: Seneca Root to escape the Poverty

2008-07-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been way too long since I blogged. I've been extremely busy, having recently acquired a third job! It's been an adjustment, that's for sure, but I'm still having fun!

Blogging is a strange thing. I don't want to bore people, and blather on about nothing in particular. But this way of thinking can trap you; you start to question writing ANYTHING, when you think it might bore your readers. Let's face it, we're not all interested in the same things.

So this is basically one of the reasons it's been close to 4 weeks since I wrote anything at all. I keep getting ideas of what I should write, because I think it's kinda wacky or cool, but then second-guess myself, and before you know it I've talked myself out of writing at all! Silly.

So as of right now, that crap is going to stop. I will write about things that interest people, and I will write about things and observations that interest me. Hopefully, somewhere in the middle....I will acquire some readers that think my blog is sometimes worth reading....hehe....

On to my subject for today:

I work at a museum, an 1890's pioneer-era farmhouse on acreage. I wear a costume, and give guided tours of the home to visitors that drop by. So you can imagine I get all sorts of guests from the local area, and from very far-away, particularly in the summertime. I always try to pay close attention to some of the more elderly visitors, and what memories get stirred up when they visit the house. Many people who grew up on the Prairies, or a little further East in this great country of ours have memories of the very artifacts I am showing them. Tons of people remember their parents stoking up the stove in the morning before they got up for school. Lots remember the old sad irons (yep, that's what they're called...I'm not using the word 'sad' as a descriptive term here), the laundry tubs with the wooden mangle and washboard. Many remember pumping water from the well outside, or using an outhouse.

Today I had a group of Red Hatters drop by. There were four ladies, and I got talking with one in particular. She was probably in her late 70's, early 80's (my best guess). She mentioned that the house seemed quite grand to her, and that her family grew up in Saskatchewan in a chinked-log cabin, 8 of them to a few small dark rooms. I asked her to tell me more about her life growing up. She had this to say (in my own words, as well as I can remember what she told me):

"We didn't have running water or electricity. We farmed the land and all worked very hard to survive, but still lived a pretty tough life. As a girl growing up, when I hit my late teens....I got very very tired of it. I thought to myself, "Enough of this!"

I can skin a squirrel, you know? [chuckles to herself] I trapped whatever I could in those woods around our cabin. Possum, woodchuck, beavers....and I sold the little scraps of hide for money that I saved to buy my ticket West. There was this root that could be gathered as well, Seneca root. We learned this root from the natives living in the area of woods where we were. They gathered this root, and made medicine out of it, not sure what for.... If you sold it fresh (to doctors in town?) it wasn't worth much. But dried, you got 75 cents a pound for it! So I gathered this root as much as I could. And with the money that I saved, I bought my ticket to go West, and left my family behind. And never looked back."

Well. You can imagine how surprised I was to listen to this Red Hat lady's tale of her girlhood in the wilds of Saskatchewan! You just NEVER know what people's backgrounds will reveal. I thanked her for sharing her perspective, and told her I had respect for her. She smiled and laughed, and wished me good day.

(BOTANICAL NOTES ON SENECA: The time for collecting Seneca Snakeroot is in autumn. Labor conditions play a great part in the rise and fall of prices for this drug. It is said that very little Seneca Snakeroot has been dug in the Northwest during 1906, due to the fact that the Indians and. others who usually engage in this work were so much in demand as farm hands and railroad laborers, which paid them far better than the digging of Seneca Snakeroot. Collectors receive from about 55 to 70 cents a pound for this root.
This drug, first brought into prominence as a cure for snake bite among the Indians, is now employed as an expectorant, emetic and diuretic. It is official in the Pharmacopoeia of the United States.)

The Morning After: The CheaperShow 8

2008-06-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.thecheapershow.com/

Phew.

What a stimulating experience it has been, participating in one of the most exciting privately-run art shows Vancouver has EVER seen. I have no idea what the stats will say, about last night, but I feel certain that we broke records.

The event was held at the old Storyeum building, in Gastown, Vancouver B.C. Three hundred pieces of art, by 150 artists, up-and-coming (myself, and many others) rubbing shoulders and sharing walls with people who's work I've only been able to admire in magazines before last night.

The line-up to get in stretched four city-blocks long, I am told. It was from 7pm to midnight, and when I left at 11:00pm (yes, I am an old lady) the line-up was still snaking all the way down the street. Inside, the Cheaper team had outdone themselves. This show was massive in its scope, in all ways. It was extremely well-organized, and professional. I couldn't ask to participate in a more positive event. All the staff/volunteers wore bright yellow shirts to identify themselves. The works themselves were painstakingly hung by a team of people, and it took a full 18 hours. They all set each other off so magically, and that is a feat with such a diverse selection of work. Incredible.

The line up to BUY art, I am very pleased to report, was almost as long as the line-up to get in. After all, it was a smokin' deal: all art $200 each, no admission fee. Art for the People! There were many, many "red dots" gracing the works, including my piece which sold almost immediately.

$200 is not enought money to cover my expenses for that painting. But you know, I would have PAID $200 to participate in that show. A person cannot buy that kind of excitement, hype, and publicity. It was insane.

To whoever bought my painting:

I hope you love that beast as much as I loved working on it. It took a full 10 hours of my life, and I put everything into it. I was extremely pleased with the results when I was done, and I'm so flattered that you wanted it. I put the background colour down first, which really was the inspiration that started the painting. I saw that image in my mind, and felt that I really captured what I imagined and succeeded in making it real. The fact that you bought it was the icing on the cake. I thank you.

To the Cheaper team, and Graeme in particular:

You fucking rock. I don't think I need to say anything more. What a grand success. Now go and get some much needed sleep....hehe......

The CHEAPER SHOW 8

2008-06-02T15:55:00.001-07:00

Here's a major show I will be contributing to. It will be Vancouver's largest art show ever. One Night Only:

Saturday, June 21st, 2008
7pm to Midnight
All art pieces are $200

Website:
www.thecheapershow.com

Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=8737474444

Check it out!

Hand Pulled = Love

2008-05-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

I've recently just re-discovered lino printing. Back in my school days, I excelled at this.....I've always loved it, and lately I've found myself wanting to do lots of cutting, and pulling....so satisfying.

Here are a few of my new block, and the first two artist's proofs (prooves?). The first is destined for my mum, as it is her 65th birthday on June 5th. I thought the Sacrée Coeur was very appropriate. She's simply the coolest lady, and the most awesome friend I have.

The second is destined for my friend and co-worker, KC. She's such an awesome pioneer woman! She's retiring at the end of this month, and I'll miss her dearly. She has great Heart, with a capital H. She deserves the 'coeur' as well.

"Waste Not Want Not" Exhibit-Historic Stewart Farmhouse

2008-05-11T22:39:00.001-07:00

I work as a curatorial assistant by day, artist (and other...hehe...) by night. In the last couple of weeks, the curator and I completed an installation of an exhibit on recycling, and the history of garbage. It was a VERY interesting show to help with, and as you can imagine, encompassed a massive scope of subject matter. Mostly, my contributions were researching, cleaning artefacts to exhibit, and my very own little write-up "I sell Garbage". It has to do with selling vintage clothing online, which is another project I've recently undertaken.

The photos are of certain aspects of the exhibit, but there are so many things in the show, they don't do it justice. All in all, a great exhibit, and something I am pretty proud to call myself a part of!

For more info, click on the City of Surrey website/heritage services link here:

http://www.surrey.ca/Living+in+Surrey/Heritage/Heritage+Services+and+Facilities/Historic+Stewart+Farm/Exhibitions.htm

More from the Past....

2008-05-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

An experimental series of prints, with many different plates that I made from pieces of cardboard, 'drawn' with white glue, then sealed with acrylic medium. I inked them and wiped the excess with rags, in a similar fashion to inking etching plates.

Drawing Exercise II

2008-05-05T18:20:00.000-07:00

Another Pure Contour drawing in pencil, of a piece of firewood. Again, I didn't look at the drawing while I was doing it, until the 30 minutes was up.

Creative Exercise!

2008-05-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

I've been reading "Drawing on the Right-Side of the Brain" (can't remember the author right now...) and it's so fascinating! If you've ever thought about reading this book, I highly recommend you do. So far, I've only done a few of the assignments, but I feel it has helped me 'see' already.

Here are a few of the exercises I've done so far:

The first is a drawing after Van Gogh's "Woman Mourning", but I did the drawing upside-down. I really had no idea how it was going to turn out, but I'm amazed at how accurate the proportions are. It was a fantastic exercise, and forced me to really analyze carefully the marks I was making. The woman's face is the worst part of the drawing (if there has to be one) but otherwise I impressed myself!

The second is a drawing of my own left hand that I did without looking at the drawing itself once. It probably took me about 20 minutes, and I never even snuck a peak. Again, I was amazed at the fact that it is somewhat recognizable. It really forced me to slow my pencil down, and synchronize the speed at which I looked at the contours, and the speed of my mark-making.

All in all, some really fun experiments. I will do 3 more exercises/drawings of this nature before I move onto the next chapter in the book.

Stay tuned!

Artwork....back from the Dead

2008-04-28T13:50:00.000-07:00

A few things you may or may not know....

-I was raised by artists

-I am an artist

-We are all artists in some way, some of us just don't get it down on solid paper

-I have a body of work that has never really seen the light of day

-Part of the reason it has never seen the light of day is because a lot of it is in my head

-This blog is the start of my attempt to get it OUT of my head

SO! I suppose I should start with what I HAVE gotten 'down on paper' (or

canvas/cloth/whatever)....

What you see is some of the work I am capable of. It's amazing to me that it has taken me so long to realize that a person needs more than just sleep, food, and water to survive. Not much more, but more. That thing? Expression in some form. My forms of expression have not included painting or drawing or printmaking for almost a decade now. I've expressed myself in other ways of course. If I didn't, I wouldn't be here to tell the tale. But I've been slow to actually develop myself in the ways I know I can. Painting, printmaking, and drawing were once second nature to me. I realize now I shall have to hone my skills again...but this post is a message to myself:

START.