‘Roid Week Favorites

Oh goodness! So many polaroids! So much wonderful-ness!

Polaroid week is now almost over, and while I still have a couple more to post, here are my favorites so far from this week.

1. Slice, 2. Leaves over the path, 3. Lilly, 4. Untitled, 5. sometimes they whisper, 6. infinity pool, 7. Happy Roid Week!!!, 8. Untitled, 9. Untitled, 10. goodbye, summer, 11. spy, 12. Untitled, 13. , 14. merrily did we drop, 15. morning light pumpkins, 16. It started feeling like October, I got stranded on the road…

For even more beautiful polaroids, check out the Polaroid Week Flickr Group.

Pain, Agony and Hope for Tomorrow

Or… how my NaNoWriMo novel is going.

In a word (or two), it’s going. Sort of. Sometimes? Not well, but moving forward.

It’s been almost 2 years since I have written anything longer than a poem or a journal entry. I used to write all the time and I thought it would come back quickly, like riding a bicycle.  Only problem is… I was never very good at riding bicycles.

Sometimes it feels like every word or sentence is like pulling teeth, then in the next instant I’ll hit a flow for about 500 words. Then the flow will mysteriously dry out and it will be tough again. In the last three days of writing I have noticed that it has felt like it’s getting easier… or at least less hard. But it’s still hard. But so is life, so is anything worth doing. I keep telling myself that so I don’t do what I usually do on big personal projects, quit halfway through and feel ashamed and then pretend it never happened.

I am very determined not to let that be the case this time. Even if I don’t reach 50,000 words I am going to write the perscribed 1167 words EVERY DAY, until the end of November. I am not going to feel like a quitter anymore, I won’t be the person who always gives up on her own dreams and desires. I will prevail! I will survive! I will survive!

If you are Nano-ing (I think I just made that up) and looking for some more inspiration and support, here are some other bloggers response to NaNoWriMo.

The Birth of Characters – Bits of Beauty

You are What you Read (or Write) or a Love Letter to NaNoWriMo – SeaKisst

Thirty Days and Nights of Literary Abandon – The Romantic

 

 

Late Night Link Love

A late Friday post, but a post none the less. This week felt really long for me, perhaps it was because it was raining almost non-stop. Or maybe it was that the cat decided to meow non-stop every evening (is there a full moon out?).  Who knows, but the weekend is here in all it’s sleeping-in glory. So, in honour of sleeping in, mid day naps, hot chocolates with friends, and getting all my chores done, here is some friday link love for you.

Speaking of remenicing childhood… do you all remember the view-master? Did you know you can get CUSTOM view-master discs made? I didn’t till I read it over at You Are My Fave.

I hate to admit it, but I’ve always been really aweful at keeping a journals. Perhaps though if I had this One Line a Day Journal I would be able to keep up. Via Bits of Beauty.

The whole blogosphere has been buzzing with the opening of a new Anthropologie store in London. Zoe Yule writes about it over on Pia Jane Bijkerk’s blog, and Susannah Conway (of Ink on my Fingers) writes about it on Decor8.

A beautiful, beautiful wedding posted today over at One Love Photo, which, I found out just the other day has a link on their page to here! I’m so flattered and happy since they are one of my favorite people photographers. The way they capture people’s personalities and the beautiful little moments is amazing!  Big hugs to One Love Photo!

Speaking of weddings, here is another gorgeous one shot by Gucio Photo based here in Vancouver! When I found these ladies photography my heart skipped a beat. It was all I could do to not call up my boy right away and tell him I found our wedding photographers. Seeing as we’re not even engaged yet, this have been awkward for all involved. None the less, love you Gucio Photo!

And to end this post on a sweet note, here is a candygram from Inchmark.

I hope all of you have a lovely weekend. I think I will make cupcakes tomorrow… right after I do all the laundry that is starting to form it’s own country.

Reclaiming a moment from Childhood

The other day I saw a caboose.

It was the first time I had seen a caboose since I was 7, living in the Alberta prairies across from the train tracks.  The caboose I saw was not a decoration or a monument sitting on the lawn out in front of a museum, it was attached to a train and chugging along like it had no idea that above it, chugging along on the sky train, my heart was doing little flips of joy.

What is so special about a caboose? The memories, my dears, the memories.  When I was 6 years old my family moved to a village in the Alberta prairies. Our house was on the edge of town, and across the gravel road (where I learned to ride my bike), and just beyond the small marsh pond, was the grain elevator and the train tracks. In the summer, when my friends and I would play in the tree fort we made next to my house, one of the constant sounds was always the trains going by. Not all the time, but once a day at least, and every time the train would go by, we would run out onto my front lawn. Then we would count the cars (a habit I still do) and when the caboose came up at the end we would wave our arms wildly and jump and cheer. And then out of the caboose we would see the silhouette of  the caboose man come out and toss us a calm, off-handed wave. This would of course make us cheer and wave even more, and we would keep waving until the train had disappeared from view.  Then laughing and exhausted from our front yard interpretive dance, we would collapse into giggles in the grass.

At 6 and 7 years old, one never imagines that anything will ever end, though perhaps I knew more than others my age since my family moved often when I was little. But despite the many moves, and having to make new friends and even the big change of having a baby sister after being an only child for 6 years, this one, small change has always stuck with me. One day the train came, but there was no caboose, no caboose man to wave at, no point in waving or cheering or anything of the sort at the train. It changed instantly from something personable to an object, cold and unfeeling.  I still remember standing there with my friends and all of us looking at each other, confused.  Instead of a caboose, all the train had at the end was a flashing light.

The decision to remove the cabooses, downsize the railway staff and implement the flashing rear-end devices that are now used on trains was made by people so far removed from my little world, but it had such a memorable impact on it. It was shortly after this that my family moved again and this move turned out to be much harder for me to deal with than the others, likely since I was older and had to actually change schools rather than just babysitters. It was a big growing up moment, a moment that you don’t even realize was there until you look back on it. In hindsight, some of my child-like hope and wonder began to fade that day.

So when I saw that caboose the other day, it was like a piece of my childhood was handed back to me and the world was saying “what is gone is not lost forever, and even innocence and hope can be reclaimed.”

How about you my gentle readers? Have you ever had a “caboose moment” before and refound something from childhood you thought lost?

Autumn Planning for Winter Projects

October is my favorite month, well… maybe it’s a tie with April, but anyways. I love October. I love the crisp air and coolness on my skin. I love the colours, the leaves and the fog. I love just about everything about October… EXCEPT… when I get sick. Which sadly is what I am right now. I woke up on Sunday with a sore throat and it hasn’t gone away. It’s actually starting to migrate into my sinuses. blech! I know it isn’t anything serious, but it makes my head feel all fuzzy and according to M. I’m flight and floofy enough as it is!

October is also when I start making plans for what I’m going to do during the cold Canadian Winters. (Okay, I live in a temporate rainforest right now, but it gets really wet! I will take snow and dry cold over rain and damp cold any day of the week.) Sometimes I accomplish these projects, often not, but I always make plans for them anyways.

This year I have a couple of BIG projects that I’m hoping to work on.

The first one is… *drum roll* National Novel Writing Month!

I’ve never participated in NaNoWriMo before, though once I did try out it’s script writing sibling – Script Frenzy – which I didn’t finish. The not finishing is something that scares me and that I tend to do alot with anything I write. I start something and then don’t complete it, whether it be a poem, a story, a journal entry, a blog post, whatever! I’m notorious for not following through with my goals, so I’m really hoping I can change that and keep this up and finish something! Cross your fingers for me!

My second big project that I would like to try is to crochet an afghan. Specifially, a really really pretty and girly one like this:

(via Ohdeedoh)

I have found the pattern I need, I just need to get all the supplies. I haven’t crocheted since I was in middle school, so I might have some trouble starting… but I hope not too much. Even M. thinks it’s nice and so I have the go-ahead on all accounts!

Shall I get these done? we will see… we will see…

What winter projects do you have for yourself?

Roman Life

Lately I keep dreaming about Rome.  So I’ve taken to re-looking through all my images to appease my desire to be there. Here are some new finds of mine.

(PS. This post is for The Romantic, thanks for saying you miss my posts. I saw your tweet just when I was feeling kinda low. *hugs*)

Wishing and Happiness

Susannah Conway, one of my favorite Polaroid photographers, (whose Unravelling course I plan to take as soon as I have the money) posted a wonderful list of wishes today on her blog, Ink on my Fingers. It was so inspiring and so inline with some of the magical feelings I’ve been feeling lately, that I decided to make a list of wishes of my own!

I wish to be able to see the beauty in the rain, and not just dread going outside because it’s wet; I wish to spend every night curled up next to my love, M. , for the rest of my life; I wish for courage to take my photography out of the realm of  ‘just for me’ and put it on the world stage; I wish for another trip to Italy, as well as to see more of Europe; I wish for snow at Christmas time; I wish for more wonderful evenings out with my wonderful friends here, like last night at the art gallery with Kat; I wish for tiramisu, and a lack of guilt in wishing for tiramisu; I wish for more baking experiments and more cookies, cakes, breads and such to fill our pantry; I wish for more polaroid film and an SX-70; I wish for self discovery and new adventures in life; I wish for the ability to see the beauty in everything; I wish to spend more time writing and getting back to the part of me that was always making up some kind of story; I wish for a little space to call my own office (it’ll come, just takes time!); I wish for those who I know who are sick, sad, or in pain to heal and that I might somehow be able to help, if only to make them smile; I wish for a reunion with all my girlfriends from highschool so we can laugh about old times and share eachothers new experiences, joys and challenges with each other; I wish books, because one can never ever read enough; I wish for luck in new endevors and for patience and strength in dealing with old challenges.

Oh goodness, I’m so emotional today, I’m breaking down into tears just writing this. I feel like yesterday and today are a turning point, so many bad things have happened in the last year, and I know I’ve had a hard time moving out from under their shadow. But today it feels like the sun is shining on me (despite the downpour outside), and that some things aren’t as unattainable as I thought. Mostly, happiness and joy and feeling fulfilled in life. There are various reasons for this feeling of good change on the horizon, but one of them is a blog I just found called The Happiness Project. I spent alot of time last night and this morning reading through old posts on there and it just resonated with me. Sometimes I forget that life is about the journey, not the destination, that happiness is a choice, and that I’m not alone in wanting to be happy, and most importantly, that it’s not BAD to be happy! This blog, by the very talented Gretchen Rubin, helped me shift my perspective a bit and encouraged me to take on my own happiness project in my life. So Gretchen, if you’re reading this, thank you.

And to all of you out there, I wish you all happiness and that all your wishes come true.

Tiramisu and Link Love

My first rolls from my Canon AE-1 have come back from the developers. And boy, I do so love the look of film pictures. There is just something about them. This is a Tiramisu from a little french cafe near where M. works. Ah, film and tiramisu… this is what bliss is made of.

My cold is still hanging on, not as bad as before, but I’m not quite up to snuff yet, so my apologies for the lack of posting. Hopefully next week I will get on it more. For now, here are some interesting links to make you smile.

Got a girl crush? check out this blog and see if yours is listed amongst the many.

Who doesn’t love pennant and bunting flags? Here is a little how-to to make your own pennant flag stamp!

I’m sure by now you’ve heard of Lenka and Michael and their project to send handwritten letters to all 467 households in Cushendall, Ireland. In case you haven’t though, check it out and all the fun letters!

A community book case?! Man, those Germans are so cool!

This camera is so on my Christmas wish list.

Friday Mail Love

My apologies for the lack of posts this week. I have come down with a doozy of a cold (in summer, I know, it sucks.) and every time I think of writing something, I just fall asleep… or sneeze all over everything.

But today is Friday, and despite being sick, Friday’s deserve posts.

Lately, I find I’ve run into a variety of monthly mail clubs on the net.  Think like a book club, except WAY cooler.

The first one is Press & Post from Things are Better with a Parrot design studio. Every month you get a letterpress card, envelope and some cool vintage stamps in the mail, thus encouraging you to write a letter to someone and pass on the mail love.   How wonderful is that! Not only do you get mail, you get to share it with a friend.  And vintage stamps are very cool. Just think of all the pretty parcels and letters this will have going in and out of your mailbox.

Next is one from a Vancouver based outfit (actually just down the street from me!). The Regional Assembly of Text is a cool store with tones of things for those who love stationary and the like. Also, a whole lot of buttons. With their button a month club, you get, well, a button a month! Plus a cool little board to keep them all sorted on. The buttons which you receive though the button a month club are exclusive to the club.

This third mailing club might be a bit on the pricey side, but it sure is pretty. French General, a lovely store which would make my crafty and beading fanatic sister go ga-ga,  has what they call an Un, Deux, Trois Club.  Every month you get a jewellery kit with supplies for necklace, bracelet and earrings, and each month is different and new! Plenty of the beads are vintage or vintage inspired and from what I understand of beading, you can take the tools it gives you and make the jewellery how you like it!  It’s so… je ne sais quoi… french!

I know I mentioned this before, but hey, it’s worth another mention here. 500 Coloured Pencils sends you 25 different colour pencils each month (for 20 months to get the whole set). Each group of 25 contains a variety of shades from one colour. One month say, you get all blue pencils (but such variety of blue!) and the next month maybe it’s red. I can imagine that it would be like discovering the rainbow one colour at a time.

Do you know of any cool monthly mail type clubs? Share them with us!

The Livingroom Project

I have been bit by the decorating bug. Big time. Luckily for me, so has M. So everyday I come home from work with a bunch of pictures of beautiful houses and say, “what do you think honey?” He is obviously not feeling the same love to beautiful light and white interiors that I do, while I personally, am not a huge fan of his couch colour (which he states is green and I say is grey. A very grey-green at the MOST.) So we have come up with something that will compromise.  Now we just have to attack the daunting task of taking this:

(Oh gosh I know, it’s so blah!)

and turning it into this:

Personally, I have no idea where to start! So, to help my self think and to get input from other designy type minds, here is our rough plan.

- paint the wall behind the couch a nice warm grey

- get a blue or blue/white patterned slip cover for the couch (preferably in a fabric that is easy to extract cat hair from)

- do something to hid the rockband equipment in the corner, along with the vacuum cleaner, my guitar, his bass guitar and other things that have gotten shoved in there. I’m thinking a folding screen of some sort. Any ideas?

- get red pillows and accents for room

- get a hanging lamp to help brighten it up (we’re on the north side of the building which equals very little sunlight).

- get pictures of our Italy trip printed and hang on the wall

- get a rug that will not attract cat hair like a magnet.

Well? What do you think? Do you think we can take this blah room and turn it into something I’m not ashamed of?