Tuesday, March 30, 2010

her imagination

"yesterday was such a beautiful day here. it was supposed to rain but the sun was out. the sky was white though. and it was so beautiful. i went to yoga and kept imagining 65 red helium balloons being set free into the white sky. dancing and floating and running up to heaven. i think that may be the image i will always carry in my heart. red balloons dancing into the sky. with everyone on the ground looking up, watching, inspired. she was a hero for so many people. i am amazed." -lp

Saturday, March 27, 2010

a new idea

i've been looking around for some suede string that i can buy by the meter and i've finally found some. i happened upon a little craft shop alongside the albert cuyp market that turns out to be quite a famous place apparently. the shop sells all sorts of trinkets from buttons to feathers (april - they have some beautiful feathers but unfortunately they're a little on the pricey side..i'll see what i can do). anyway, i'm so happy about my suede because it's very fun and multifunctional. bracelets, necklaces, belts, hair bands....gifts?! i bought four colours, one meter each, and so far have used each piece except the turquoise one.







(too bad i didn't have a wrist model handy)

with the new arrangement of my room i've now sort of got a craft table which has been very conducive to my craft productivity - my supplies are out and there is space to work, not much of an effort is required now. i bought some beautiful handwritten sheet music and some old maps at a market a few weeks ago which have added some new inspiration. despite the fact that it feels rather vain, i think i'll start posting some of the things i make on here. i hope it will help motivate me to continue making things and perhaps will make me feel a wee bit accountable.

on a whole other note i'm getting very excited about the weekend of april 22nd - maggie, steph and i will potentially be meeting in barcelona! we're still at the point of trying to reach each other on skype but i have a feeling it will actually happen. i'll keep you posted on our planning progress.

well i'm being distracted by delicious smells of pesto pasta wafting up to my room. i better go eat!

Monday, March 22, 2010

rearranged

so today was the day i finalized my decision about rearranging my room. as many of you know, this is something i do every couple of months - for the past 12 odd years. i find it really fun to think of new ways of making my furniture fit differently into the same space, and of course to increase efficiency (fran) and usability while i'm at it. i suppose i shall post a photo...perhaps a before and after...or three of each.

BEFORE:



AFTER:



it feels more like a full apartment to me now, rather than just a big bedroom. i think separation is key. now i feel like i have a living room, a bedroom, a hallway (kind of) and of course a kitchen.

i had a great day today. yesterday was a hungover one. and it sucked because it was such a beautiful day and it was my day off too. i had thought of a lot of ways i wanted to spend my day but i ended up horizontal on my couch. at least i was able to keep my terrace doors open, letting in some sweet spring air. so anyway, when i woke up today (after a nine and a half hour sleep!) i decided that i must make the most of this monday and make up for yesterday's idle time. between the things i had to do for work, i went to an outdoor market and perused through some real nice stuff, i did my room, i made dinner for the family and i went for a run. then i talked to rach and drank my new favorite drink - fresh mint tea with honey - and ate some milk chocolate. i'm feeling very comfortable and content.

i'll post some photos of my mom's visit too. it was a treat having her here. we got to spend a lot of quality time together. she stayed at dorith and derek's place so it was also nice seeing a lot of them too. they have been so unbelievably welcoming to me. so what did we do?

we went to traditional villages


we ate lots of good food

we strolled through the flower market many times

and more markets



look at all that chocolate!

we ate at lots of cafes

despite our allergies, we both started liking cats

these cats are a serious exception


we made lots of delicious dinners


we enjoyed the comfort of the delint's beautiful home


we ate carrot cake and drank coffee


all in all - it was so fun! it's now the next morning because i got too tired to organize these photos last night so i better get to work. also just wanted to say thank you for all your comments - they make me so happy.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

tears of frustration

parenting is going to be so hard.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

After a while

After a while

you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul

and you learn love doesn't mean leaning and company doesn't always mean security.

And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't always promises

and you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes ahead with the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child.

And you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers

And you learn that you really can endure, that you really are strong and you really do have worth and you learn and you learn

with every good-bye you learn.

-Veronica A. Shoffstall


touches on a few too many cliches, yet seems to be perfectly fitting right now. as some of you know, i've been sick for the past few days with the flu or something. being sick makes me really long for home and therefore the recent days have been a little tough. i haven't felt sad for a long time actually and i thought i was over it. but i think i'm starting to realize that it will never go away. i'm too attached to home and all the things that constitute that word for me. i no longer think of this as a negative thing because it reminds me how much love i have for my family and friends and dogs and city. my mom is thinking about coming to visit sooner than may...maybe next week! part of me loves this idea and part of me wants to be able to get through this by myself and not fall back on privilege, yet again.

i'm feeling a lot better today and the sun is shining and i think spring has officially arrived! don't want to jinx anything of course...today i broke the news to sidonie that i will only be staying for six months which takes me until august 8th. mike's wedding is on the 22nd so i'm hoping to do a bit of travelling in between. i know i'll be coming back to europe once my citizenship is finally processed so i don't feel like i'm missing out on anything by coming home after only six months.

i'm really looking forward to moving back home to vancouver come the end of august or beginning of september and starting a new chapter of my life (yes, this means i won't be coming to montreal...sorry to you all - of course there will be a visit in store when the bank account makes room for it!). i'm really feeling ready to have my own place and to cook and to craft and to read and to run and maybe learn to sew? and to have friends over for dinner or for afternoon tea/hot coco. and to actually put photos in frames and hang them on the wall. and to buy a big comfy blanket for the couch that i don't have. wow, sounds like i'm really ready to settle down?!

some sad news. one of my sister's good friends, Oliver Matthew, has been given a few weeks to live. he was diagnosed with cancer in the fall and had been doing really well lately so this news came as quite a shock. rach is home from uvic now to spend time with him and some of their friends are flying in from montreal and london. she said he is just so terrified right now. this seems to be happening way too often lately - lives lost far too early.

on a lighter note, i want to give my brother some special attention. he has been working so hard lately and is doing such a good job. he works 14 hour days during the week at his school and holds a part time job on the weekends in order to support himself. he handles about 90% of the teaching at the school and since erina's been home in sapporo for the past few weeks he has been doing all the cooking and cleaning too! and yet he still finds the time to call me every few days. i'm a lucky sister. he's probably one of the most motivated people i know.

my camera is dead and i still have to buy an adapter so i can't put any photos up yet. but i will soon!

movie recommendation: Tom Ford's 'A Single Man'