Coffee Shop Art

I tried very hard to capture this in one shot or even two but it just wasn't possible. And I am apparently so useless with photoshop that I simply cannot put them side by side. But I just had to show you. So here you go...

There was no bio card and it was crazy busy so I can't tell you yet who the artist is... I will get back to you.

LOL

I seriously haven't laughed this hard in a long time...

Courtesy of the Renegade Umbrella. 

Some (Almost) News...

Oh dear... now I can't find the site where I found this over the last few days. I have been snatching photos from all over the place to put a few things together, and not all of them were labeled apparently. This may become a problem. Hmmmmm...

Well, either way this exceptional collection has had me in stitches for a few days now and I keep going back to it for a laugh. Hopefully it will give you a few as well.

Something else has me in stitches this past week... and I will be revealing some rather exciting news very soon. I just want to accompany the bulletin with decent photos. Here is a hint though... three words: Janome... Embroidery... Machine... YAY!!! Such is my excuse for being lax in the posting department (although I thought the puppy photos were kinda cute!). Between these classes I am taking and learning complicated new computerized stitches (like, 8000 of them) I have been crashing into bed at night in a sort of stupor. And living off of Creamsicles. I don't know where that came from. I just haven't had the energy to prepare real food for quite some time and somebody went and put a box of thirty something Creamsicles in my freezer. You never know, these days it is quite possible that the five year old slipped them into the grocery pile and I somehow missed the huge yellow box. Not good I know.

Photos from here.

Shhhh... Listen...

The lovely lil bee has something to say...

And we should all be listening...

She wants to tell us all about a lil project...

And we should make a point of visiting...

Now.

For all of us who have, please remember that some have not.

Inside the Box

Some people just see things differently. It's a good thing too, it keeps the rest of us humble. People such as David Gardner from the UK for example. When he sees a light bulb in a package, he thinks "Hey, why couldn't that packaging be more lamp-shaped?" Well, apparently, it can.

This coarsely pulped paper is molded so that when the bulb is flipped around, it simply needs to be plugged into the wall to create a rather warm and cosy ambience.

I am not completely sure of how the local fire chief would side on this one, but it is an incredibly nifty idea. Sort of thinking inside the box. Or maybe inside the box's thinking.

Woah, deep.

Ciao Bella!

I am just a tiny bit obsessed with one of our local floral designers. Being from the bridal and fashion industries I have seen more than my share of gorgeous displays, but the first time I saw this girl's work at a local market I was floored. She and her sister started doing this from their home garden but then her sister left for New Zealand and the entire (two person) operation shut down. I was devastated.

BUT the phoenix has arisen... and as soon as we can properly coordinate schedules I will bring you a proper interview and whatever she is willing to divulge out of her portfolio. It's just that last night I was walking by the store and just had to take these photos before somebody ran away with this work of art. The store had closed for the day so I had to press myself and the camera right up against the window to get around the glare and then I couldn't get the entire display in. So I realize this is sort of ridiculous, but even in pieces this is just so stunning! The green balls are chestnuts before they fall, SO genius!

BEHOLD! Flora Bella...

And Just Around the Corner...

This might be cheezy, but has to be done...

While browsing quite some time ago, I discovered Cafe Cartolina through a blog I have become rather attached to as it is based out of the city where I grew up. Vancouver's Poppytalk was having Cartolina guest blog, and lo and behold, there were all sorts of wonderful shots of the lovely and teeny town in which I now reside, Nelson B.C. That is waaaay up in Canada for those of you who are desperately trying to find it on the map. (It's worth a look-see by the way.) So now I have attached myself to Fiona's very fun blog also, partly because she regularly posts yummy pictures of New York which is on my hit list, but alas, I have not managed to visit as of yet.

Anyhoo, part of Fiona's Nelson story covered my most favoritest tiny shoppe in the entire world. Wait... that is pretty hefty... Nope. I can't think of another favoritest tiny shoppe. I think this place is genius and while I really try not to copy other peoples stories, I simply have to write about them myself. I hope that is blog kosher, I am still unsure of the rules. I keep coming across these photos I had taken and every time somebody comes to visit I usher them down there to take a peek, so why wouldn't I post a bitty blurb, right? (Do head over to Cafe Cartolina to see her beautiful words and pics of Nelson though.)

If you know anything about Nelson, you know that we are filled to the gills with talented artists and crafters. Very Hush Hush is the brainchild of a duo whose prior ventures have already established them as creators of unique ceramics and textiles that have sophisticated personality.

Joining forces, Tracy Fillion and Cathy Terepocki have pulled together an imaginative and perfectly selected group of wares in the most stylin' shiny silver walls of an upcycled '64 Airstream tucked away in a back alley downtown. There is nothing more appealing to me than unearthing the ultimate find in a random place and the Very Hush Hush gallery is just that.

These lovely ladies have a keen eye for local talent and use it! In addition to their own pieces, they carry wares from designers such as Flight Path and Doha Chebib from the Loyal Loot Collective, whose colourful lathed log bowls are being seen in various esthetically astute places as of late. Very Hush Hush is definitely small town goes big style. In a teeny weeny space!

For the dog days...

Last week I walked into an office downtown to inquire about taking a web design course... (I am working at not having to pull out any more hair if the innards of this computer decide once again to pull rank.) After answering a few simple questions I was ushered through a set of doors and into a week long course that I was totally unprepared for. This is my utter apology for having been absent for the past week. By the time I picked up my kids (I walk everywhere) and carried groceries home the kids were lucky if I had the energy to make something resembling a dinner. In fact, last night I fell asleep feeding the baby and when I woke up the five year old was standing over me covered in red and holding a plastic knife. Aside from the cartoonish horror and confusion that initially gripped me, I suddenly realized that it was seven thirty and I owed the child a meal. Instead of waking me when he got hungry he simply helped himself to half a watermelon.


The other reason I have no energy is the extreme heat. I don't know about the rest of the world, but in our little pocket of the universe it is about a bazillion degrees the last few days with 100% humidity levels. I am not sure how they scientifically figure this percentage thing out but I am willing to bet that feeling as though you are walking through a swimming pool means a high humidity. This is Shambhala weekend and I imagine they ordered this weather for the out of towners.


So I am offering up this gorgeous little treat that I found over at Oh Joy! These little beauties deserve a party thrown in their honor, don't you think? Why have I never thought of grown-up icies? I mean, I have never even thought of them! Not only did Krystina Castella think of them but she has compiled a book of recipes that go way beyond simply freezing some juice on a stick. I have to say that I am duly impressed. Any ideas on what you could use for sticks that look less... popsicle-y?

Old vs New

There is a lovely interview posted over at Bloesem Kids right now with Emma Cassi. Emma is a french stylist and jewelry designer and her house is so feminine and serene looking without the minimalism. You can see exactly who it is that lives there. As a single mom of two boys, it fascinates me how professional stylist moms' children's rooms are always filled with such beautiful things. Are they simply done up this way for the photo shoot? I posted this question after the interview, but will post it here as well as I would love to know what stylin' people think about how we 'school' our children in design and 'taste'.

I personally love vintage and I did when I was a child as well. I know that I was completely enamored with the things that my grandmother handed down to me and still love finding treasures in junk shops and antique markets FAR better than jumping out to a store to buy it the easy way. So my question is, how do you all feel about how your children feel? I was doing pretty OK until Rowan went to daycare, and now I am inundated with pleases for Star Wars, Diego and the Ninja Turtles. Whatever the kids at daycare have. I loathe plastic and we don't have a TV on purpose, if I had my way, my son's room would be a glorious mixture of found objects and vintage toys and books. He sees my idea of a treasure mostly as old. Is it only the vintage stuff that goes on display for these photographs? Do the mainstream toys just not find their way into the house? Is it fair to dictate what our children are allowed to play with to that extent? I am fighting his dad, aunts and uncles on this one. 

My major issue is how there is no sense of value anymore. When my mother was young, the few toys she had were absolute treasures and she knew it. My sister and I were a bit less protective as children, but the disposable toy industry of today drives me nuts and I want to instill a better sense of worth into my children. A way to see beauty in things for what they are. 

Photo credit:  Emma Cassi (Anton's Toy Cabinet) via Bloesem Kids

A New Friend...

I just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Fiona from Cafe Cartolina for helping me figure out my recent blog nightmare. It doesn't take much for me to make things go wonky on a computer... and here I thought I could get away with doing something that seemed so simple at the time but sent my entire layout into Never Never Land. She went way above and beyond to get me back on track and I can't say how much I appreciate it!

I had intended to do a bit of a blip on her stunning cards anyway because I just finally got to see them in person and yes, they are as gorgeous as they appear on your screen. As I had hoped, they have a wonderful feel to them and the colours are amazing! So I am being extremely efficient here and showing off her work as well.

I know one of these doesn't actually say thank you, but it is my favourite design of hers so I just sort of slipped it in there. I can. It's my blog.

No Time Like the Present

Watches don't interest me. They just don't. I moved to Nelson almost ten years ago and lost my day planner, then my watch, then all of my stuff was stolen from my storage locker (it was the year of the Metal Snake,) and I didn't miss any of it. OK, I missed the photos and a gorgeous pair of pants. But having just escaped a life lived completely by THE BOOK, I was happy to embrace one where there were no objects of confinement and I could just be. And be I did! But that is another story. This story is about a watch. Yes, yes... I said they mean nothing to me. BUT, this is far more than a timepiece, this is sheer genius.

This is quite nifty also.

They are ridiculously well priced here.

It's a Small World After All...

By now you have all seen this...

And you may remember some of these...

It occurs to me though that if that simply isn't your style, you may find Jen Renninger's other pieces as wonderful as I do. It was this piece that originally drew me to her work awhile ago, and now I am totally in love with the absolute femininity of her 'Painted Ladies' series, especially this one titled Birdcage.

I think it takes great talent in any medium to find the ability to show so many different facets and moods as we all tend to find "what works" and go with it. Not only are Jen's subject matters incredibly diverse, but the styles that she uses to depict them would almost make you believe they are different artists altogether. In fact, I visit her blog every so often, but have always 'discovered' her work through another means, sometimes just flipping through etsy shops, and always think I've 'discovered' a completely new artist before I put two and two together and realize it is her work. Everything IS connected.

Oh Dear!

Ack! I tried to do something fancy and now my banner is trying to escape... bear with me and I will keep pushing buttons till I get it together again. Sorry to bother your eyeballs!