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My picture for Karma also would have been nice for this theme too, as that is what I picture when I think of tranquility. However I decided to sit down for a change and try to do a drawing in a book I was drawing in daily for a while last year. I thought about taking up that habit again, it never seems to last! So this is what I came up with. Home is a big deal for me and it really is a facet of tranquility. I love my home! We have a chance to move to a quieter leafier street, pay 200$ more in rent and maybe it will be a smaller place too. It IS tempting only because it is so loud here on the main street and there are odd characters milling about down there, we don't have a yard or trees.
I have lived here for nearly 8 years and apart fromt he bother of moving all the junk we have, the thought of leaving my home made me sad! We do want to leave one day, but hope that will be a day when we can buy our own little house someplace nearby.
So tranquility to me is my home, I love my kitchen, my piles of cd's, the place I sit on the sofa, the books and blankets, my cup of tea and my bowl of sugarcubes. Seeing the silppers by the bed and the
keys on the pegs makes me happy and feel at peace.
It's a lovely grey rainy COOL day, and I am finally feeling crafty again! My crafty synapses don't fire over 28C + high humidity.
perhaps it is time for a list....
♥ Mum round for her birthday dinner ( Happy birthday mum!)
♥ an early-ish morning walk in the rain, splashing in the puddles in my flip flops
♥ real Montreal bagels ( thanks Swati! )
♥ feeling crafty again
♥ cool air coming through the windows
♥ dreaming up nice ideas to make with my Hip Knits yarn
♥ long weekend coming up = train ride, swimming at the beach and loafing at mums
♥ new friends over the web waves
♥ butter
♥ stamps
♥ clothes pegs
♥ bicycles
♥ swimming
In other neighborhood animal news, a man was carrying these guys around on the street downstairs from our place on Saturday.
I am enjoying this pretty little book from Nicole in Frankfurt. She was on my postcard swap list, and offered to send me this book after seeing it on my wish list. How thoughtful! I am working on a special package to send her.
♥I met Kaspar, the sweetest baby on earth! I am so happy and amazed at how mellow the mum is. I pray I can be that mellow if I ever have a 5 day old baby. ♥
Thank-you Lizette!
I have been missing doing drawings for Illustration Friday! I seem to be out of practice as I didn't really like what I came up with for this topic. I was going to say all sorts of things, but as I sat down to the computer I also turned on the news to hear of another attempted attack in London, 2 weeks to the day later. I feel ill hearing it. It sounds like no one was killed. My sister in law's visa has been delayed so they are not in London yet.
sigh.
To me Karma, this weeks topic, has something to do with being quiet, reflective. Flowers came to mind!
It is a nebulous thing, but is something about paying attention to yourself so you treat people the way you want to be treated.
In jucier news Trudie at Hip Knits has spoiled me absolutley rotten!
Here are the cards I was talking about! You have seen the print before, but it is in a new format. In the shop is where they are resting for now. I also made some tote bags with the same print, and a blendy red/ orange colour.
***
I have been feeling a bit grim lately, even though last night was cool for sleeping (thank heavens). Part of it must be this annoyance with this A/C unit I rushed out and bought last week on the day of my frantic button post. That was a week ago, and we still can't figure the best dang way to install it. We have the wrong windows for the unit and don't want it to fall on someones head in the front where the bedroom is but don't have the right tools to fashion some sort of wood brace for it. So we were going to just put it in the back , but now I see the warning label says not to use an extension cord with it. For goodness sake I have had less trouble when I had a root canal! Reading my woes here always makes it looks rather silly and then I feel better actually! Stupid thing!! HM.
So-
I need to focus on some good stuff...
and that means I get to frivously use the heart icon I have so happily discovered! ( don't worry the novelty will wear off eventually)
♥unexpected hamburger date with Lia last night! (love the girl club meetings)
♥blueberries
♥plans to meet Kaspar
♥biking home last night in the soft cool night
♥whitey, the albino squirrel (I haven't been able to get him on film yet, but when I do you will see it here first!)
♥coming home from the Y to see Paul did the dishes even though he had to rush to work!
♥snail mail
♥going to the library
♥my co-workers at the library
♥Paul's famous burritos
♥my park bench pit-stop on the bike ride to work
Now you can also find me here.
Yesterday I triumphed over the heat and silkscreend a pile of notecards and some tote bags. Stay tuned tommorow for the next chapter in the unfolding saga of stuff made by me, tania. Never a dull moment... ♥ ♥
Good weekend stuff-
Dim sum, going to the library, making some fresh pesto and a nice lentil feta salad, as well as going swimming a couple of times to cool off.
Most thrillingly, in my opinion, is hearing news of one of my oldest closest friends having her baby! They named him Kaspar, and even though I know it happens all the time, I am floored by the whole thing. I can't wait to meet him.
I keep trying the heart icon by pressing all those keys together like Pammymela and Julie suggested in my last comments
&#@*(&@(#*&##*(@&&@#*(3879#&(*
7h777EAERT&HHHEARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRTAERTa&ERTea7RT7aeRaeh&R-
but I can't seem to get it right!
:)
thanks for the other acronyms too!
A funny little logo I have done for these guys. At first I though Buddha and hot dog were an odd partnership, but it seems to work for them! They are going to expand into other foods, all made locally with a slogan "making you one with everything in the County" - Prince Edward County, that is.
It's cooled off some, so you won't hear any griping form me today.
Some things I have been meaning to ask:
-This is dumb, but what does LOL mean?? I thought maybe "lot's of love" or "lot's of laughs" but then I see it in contexts that have nothing to do with love or laughing...anyone? anyone?
-How do you make those cute little black heart icons I see in some blogs? or is it only a livejournal option?
Anyway, that's all the deep questions I have for now,
and thank you for all your sympathy while I was going nuts yesterday!!!
have a good weekend!
Here are some buttons that will eventually make an appearance in my shop. Who knows when as I can't seem to do anything in this heat, and I am embarassed to say that I may just be losing my mind. You can ask Paul if you don't believe me. I politely asked a man who was watering the sidewalk to stop as we are supposed to be conserving water - I normally never say a peep to anyone. ( He didn't stop of course) In my neighborhood, the biggest joy around seems to be watering sidewalks on hottest driest days. It makes me bonkers. I am making dumb mistakes and puttering around like a granny.
But look, I have scientific back-up! This is from last week's NOW magazine.
"There's only one way that the body can cool, and that is evaporative cooling or sweating. High humidity prevents this since the water can't evaporate because the air is saturated. This can result in lethargy, a mild stress condition and poor sleep, which can lead to a low-level attention deficit during the day. Impulsivity, accidents, attention problems and general irritability go up."
Michael Persinger , biometeorologist, professor of neuroscience, Laurentian University, Sudbury
Thank goodness for science! Or I might just be considered a grand whimp.
(bedroom temp. is now up to 35C)
Wheely Willy
I don't know whether to laugh or cry...
I did this sassy little lady for Trudie at Hip Knits! She will be used on notecards to be included with her orders. Trudie has beautiful hand crafted, hand dyed yarns, check it out!
Well, it's hot. ( despite the image with a scarf on!) Hotter than I can recall. It is forecast to be 35C everyday this week, so that means our bedroom is at least 33C all night long. Whine. I have lived in this apartment ( top floor, on a main street) for nearly 8 years and every year I consider getting an air conditioner, but then I don't. I have always been really concerned with conserving energy (and my hydro bill) but lately, visions of blissful A/C are dancing in my head...I wish my body would conserve the coolness I get during my 4 hour shift at work and I could use it later on!
Anyway, us Canadians, all we do is yak about the weather!
I went to aquafit at the Y this morning though so I feel ok.
It has been a bit of a shakey morning, I gave a user ID to someone at work I shouldn't have ( CRINGE ). How embarassing. But the pool made it all ok.
Thank-you Thank-you! For all the nice comments and for buying - the colouring book is sold out!
It's really neat as this is the first thing I have INVESTED in by getting a pile printed. I have plans of doing a second printing after I go around to a few shops in town and see if they want some. So I will keep you posted.
In the mean time, please email me pictures of whatever your little kiddies colour in for the lovely gallery!
*
The wedding was lovely and set in a tent along this little river and fields! Congratulations Kas and Mike!
On the way home we stopped at the McMicheal Gallery to see the Lemieux show. It was BEAUTIFUL! He is a Quebec painter from the 50's and onward who paints the most spare simple lovely landscapes and portraits. Kind of like my photo below of the sky and trees, but awesome.
This one my mum said looked just like a dream she had. My favorite was one that had just a field of snow and teeny dots that were dog sleds far far away. It was so simple that it may have been nothing at all.
Here are a couple of pretty places to visit-
Earlier today I stopped by the Toronto Outdoor Art Show to visit Lesley and Paul treated me to a pair of her lovely earrings. They are dangly and pretty! no picture though, but her site is here. I also visited Eva and Kris! The show is huge and it was hot, plus I had to get to work so I didnt see even a 1/4 of it. We are going to a wedding this weekend, so it was my only chance to see the show. I have to "speak" at the wedding! I keep forgetting, I better get on that. It will be something about being kids and having to drink our milk in seperate rooms because we would make each other laugh too much and the milk would come out our noses! and how the groom is perfect for her because he is so funny too... something like that. thinking out loud here, excuse me!
have a great weekend !
Disturbing to wake to the news of the bombs in London, my heart goes out to all of you affected... I only hope my cousin and auntie stayed at home. I wish my brother would stay at home... he and his girlfriend are moving there on Sunday! Of course you can never anticipate or expect such horrible things. Why can't everybody just try to be nice and pick up some knitting needles instead... I know it isn't always easy, but this is not the answer.
We had a great weekend away at my mums. Lots of loafing, reading trashy mags and feeling summery.
Have a look over at the sidebar, I have started an album of cute pages kids have coloured in my book!
I can't wait to get some more to post. The ones by Brooke are very nice indeed.
A big congrats to Karina for receiving a City of Ottawa Arts grant!!
Way to go!
Thank you Susanne!
:)
PS! she MADE the necklace! and she makes a ton of other cute jewellery.
