paul's birthday

on saturday it was my hubby's 39th birthday. he was feeling a little out of sorts because, well, nobody likes birthdays after their 19th (i guess that would be the 21st birthday for my american friends). i mean, once you can vote, drive, and drink legally, what's the purpose of getting older, right?! so we decided to get out and have some fun! (of course we completely forgot to bring the camera...doh!)

paul has been wanting to see the christo and jean claude exhibit at the art gallery of ontario for a really long time. we thought his birthday was the perfect time to do it! just as we were approaching the a.g.o, we saw an advertisment for the o.c.a.d. student exhibition and decided to check that out first (conveniently beside the a.g.o). we were so sad we didn't have the camera because it was our first time going into the new ocad building (no, there isn't still snow here)! we saw some great stuff, especially one particular photographer. on the first floor they had an old fridge converted into a "vending machine" from which you can buy a piece of art for a donation. i bought this photo called "harajuku girls" by christine magsalay because it reminded me of one of my most favourite books, fruits.
here is part of the photo:


we were happy to learn that during the month of may, admission to the christo and jean claude exhibit is free! woo hoo


the exhibit was incredible with many sketches and plans for all of their installations around the world, including their most recent gates exhibit in nyc. i loved reading about all of their projects, of which i only knew about 2 or 3. they had swatches of the fabric they used in each, which was interesting to see upclose as well. if you live in or around toronto, you should try to see this exhibit before it's gone (i think may 15th is the last day).

after the art gallery i bought paul dinner at one of the best vegetarian restaurants in toronto...king's cafe in kensington market. we LOVE this place! we had fried rice, spring rolls, fried bean curd with bok choy and avocado temaki. delish! (of course, i'd show you...if we had brought the camera!)

we got home just in time to enjoy key lime pie with paul's dad and his partner joan outside on our deck. a great end to a fabulous day!

oops! i almost forgot. here's a picture of the birthday boy opening up his presents.


i gave him the new john stewart book and the metric cd.
i think i'm going to go watch the video for "dead disco" right now... you should too!

happy mother's day

this is my mom.


not only is she an amazing mother, but she's also an incredible person!

she is warm and loving and cares about everyone around her. she knits up a storm, even though she just learned how a few years ago. even though i have accepted that she hates eggplant she still can't understand why i don't like parsnip. you would probably be surprised at how silly she can be. my mom is patient and understanding. her hugs make everything ok. she has a laugh that is infectious. she makes the best lebanese food. my mom welcomed my husband into the family with open arms. when i was stranded in the middle of nowhere for my first teaching job, she gave me her old car so i could escape on the weekend. she has always supported my decisions and takes my side every time.

she is my best friend.

i love you, mom!

here's a big hug since i can't be with you today.

the critters love springtime

it was so warm outside today that i brought our guinea pig, molly, out in the backyard to munch on some grass. she absolutely loves going outside and smelling all those outdoor smells!



here she is at the "buffet"



noah is such a good big brother. he loves molly. he always gives her kisses on her face. when i brought her outside this afternoon, he stayed by her side for most of the time.


and a cute picture of noah (he must have been rolling in grass when i wasn't looking because he's got the evidence on his face)

*****
in other news, i'm naming today "international replenish-your-yarn-stash day". i made this decision when i walked into a local wool shop and saw they were clearing out a bunch of winter wool with massive markdowns! this is how i chose to celebrate.


the blue idena ocean was regular $12.50 / on sale for $4.95, the multicoloured wendy strata was regular $11.95 / on sale for $4.95, i'm not sure what the regular price of the light pink kiddy lana gatto was but i got it for $2.55 and finally the 3 balls of chocolate brown canto was regular $6.95 ea / on sale for $3.25 ea.!

new yarn makes me so happy!

how can it be thursday already?

is it just me or is this week flying by?

today was a long day because although i usually only work in the morning at my day job, i had to go back to work around 3:30 for an epic-length staff meeting. two hours long! at least we had free pizza (and as an added bonus, some yummy san pelegrino water that i'm too cheap to buy for myself.) it almost made up for sitting in rush-hour traffic for an hour for a commute that usually takes 30 minutes.

i managed to get some better pictures of some of the things i've been putting together for that store. i think it looks so much better when it isn't photoshopped to death.

some cheeky underwear hair pins



mixed tape earrings



and a fawn necklace (that came this close to being in the upcoming issue of bust...sob)



so much more too but i guess i can't show it all. the dial-up folks are probably cursing me as it is.

whew

i managed to get my order done last night for that new store i was telling you about. just as i was finishing it up the owner called to say she needed a few days to get things set up before i bring my stuff over, which works out perfect for me because i could use a couple of days to take some decent pictures.

here are a couple of shots of the stuff i'm sending over. i wish the pictures turned out better but i guess i need to try again tomorrow in natural light. whenever i take pictures of my stuff at night, the pictures turn out dark and i have to photoshop the hell out of them. ugh!

"clothesline" charm bracelet



and a new-ish design i think i'll name "rockstar" (hard to see but it has a couple of tattoo designs too)



***
and on a totally unrelated note: my hands have been like ice ALL DAY even though i don't feel cold! what is up with that?

oh, sweet sound of springtime!

as i worked away in the studio this afternoon, i heard the sweet sound of this:



it sang its sweet ice-creamy song as it drove up our street and parked right in front of our house! (for real, look how close it is in this picture!)

i figure we must be paying higher property taxes for this luxury...

sunday

sorry i haven't been around much...still fighting the nasty remnants of the cold i had last week.

today is going to be super busy. i'm finishing up an order for a new store that's about to open up in kensington market called "the rage". i have to deliver my stuff on wednesday and i can't wait to see the shop! i also need to get my application together for a summer art show and finish off the last few remaining thank-you notes to family and friends that are long overdue. (mom, if you're reading this i know that you'll be happy to hear that!)

last week i had to pop by the japanese paper place to get some stuff for my colour-themed swap. i got some really pretty paper but i can't show you until i send the package out. while i was there i spotted a table of "sneak peeks" for a sidewalk sale. i totally scored some cute stickers for the most outrageous price (50 cents each, regular $3.95!).

some of the lucky cat stickers


and some shiny sanrio stickers


a few doors down from the japanese paper place is a nice little french pastry shop called clafouti so i got paul a little treat.

raspberry tart...mmm!

gah!

my 17-year-long lucky streak ran out at 8:20am this morning.

i got my first speeding ticket.

i still can't believe it. i was just driving to work on the expressway minding my own business (in the slow lane, i might add...) and as soon as i got off on my exit ramp, the cop was there waiting for me. damn! right on the exit! how unfair is that???

the funniest thing is that i had no clue why there was some guy standing in the middle of the road. i was thinking, "that idiot is going to get run over!". and then i realized it was a cop. now most people would have figured it out by that point, but i swear for a split second i thought he was just pulling me over for a seatbelt check or the r.i.d.e. program. duh!

then he told me i was doing 85 in a 60 (km/hour) zone. *gulp*

as i pulled away all i could think was "i can't believe i just got a ticket!". i couldn't stop obsessing over the $100 i had to pay and the threat of losing points (and increasing insurance costs). after a few secret tears on my way to work, i decided i'm going to fight it and hopefully get the points situation fixed. wish me luck...

hee

it's kinda mean but it's also pretty funny. someone has a blog in which their sole purpose is to point out how crappy some celebrities dress. fun in small doses!

tv time

over the weekend i figured out why i had been so tired last week...i was fighting a nasty cold virus that really wanted to take up residence in my body. this weekend, it moved in and brought family.

since i felt crappy all day saturday and sunday, i brought my pillow and blanky down to the couch and spent a guilt-free weekend napping and watching dvd's. a brand new indie video store has opened up in our 'hood so we started a membership there and rented closer and manhattan.

we had really high hopes for closer, since it had a few golden globe and oscar nominations but we were both really disappointed by it. there was zero character development which made us feel nothing for any of the people involved in the story. now on the other hand, manhattan was an incredible movie! the characters are all likeable and quirky not to mention the beautiful cinematography. even in black and white new york looks so pretty!

on sunday we rented a bunch of the up series dvd's. the up series is a documentary series that interviews a number of children in 1964 when they are 7 years old. those same people are then interviewed again every 7 years. it is absolutely the most fascinating thing to see! we watched 7 up and 7 plus 7 which follows the children at age 14. i was so engrossed by the time those were over that paul ran out and got 21 up and 28 up just as the video store was closing. we watched 21 up before bed and will likely watch 28 up tonight or tomorrow. i can't wait!

inspiration for a grey day

the cool thing about the internet is that if you have the time to play around on it, you can find some great stuff in the most roundabout way. it's like going for a walk and getting lost on purpose just to see where it leads you and what you can find along the way.

here's what i found today:

from jorislaarman.nl, a most unusual room where the wall display is made from rolls of receipt paper, and the top layer of the bed has been created by knitting the insides of pillows to mattress springs.


and a close-up view of the chandalier in the room, made with those clear plastic hangers they use in zellers or walmart. (i love this!)



from tjepkema.com, a vase that's made from your signature


and a vase you're supposed to break (it won't shatter to bits but they say the cracks you make from throwing it on the floor give it its own unique look)




and i know i've seen this on another blog but i'm so sorry, i forget whose it was. anyhow, i stumbled upon it at droogdesign.nl you will always know when you're tea is brewed to perfection by using your own pantone mug to check the colour.




now it's time to make my way back home again...

i love cute clothes

maybe it's the change of weather, but i'm feeling like everyday when i start to get dressed i have a little fashion emergency because i have nothing to wear! i wish it wasn't so darn expensive to order from the u.s. because today i'm wishing i could order up some of these babies to help me alleviate my closet crisis.

from made with love by hannah




from virgin threads




from cut and paste


from amet and sasha

i ramble when i'm tired

i'm not sure why but i've been soooooo tired this week. everyday after i get home from work i've been crashing for an hour or more. i don't know what's up with me. i've been going to bed pretty much at my usual time.

***
on sunday frederica and jim came to visit and have dinner. we sat out on the deck and hung out for awhile and then walked over to little india to get some food. i think pakistan won a cricket game because there were cars beeping their horns and people hanging out of car windows with the pakistan flag. the sidewalks were packed with people and there was just a really great energy! fred wanted to get some stuff from the one of the indian groceries and i snapped this picture (which i didn't realize had such crappy lighting...sorry).



we ate at the most incredible and cheap vegetarian restaurant. four of us ate until we were absolutely stuffed for....get this....$25! that includes bottled water and juice for everyone. that is unheard of in this city!

i wish i had taken a picture of some of the window displays. the sarees are so colourful and pretty. i went into a shop a few days ago and couldn't believe how gorgeous the fabric is up close. i love the colourful bangles too.

***
i'd better go and start making dinner. america's next top model is on tonight and i don't want to miss it because i'm in the kitchen. i am way too addicted to that show. i hope naima wins (even though i know she probably won't). please tell me i'm not the only person who can't get enough of this.

'night

i'm back from the hockey game. p's team won 8-0! he almost scored but the goalie caught the puck in his mitt. bah!

on the way home i decided to see if the new bust magazine was out but no luck. maybe next week the guy said. i'm pretty sure some people have been talking about it online, but i guess it's only out in the states so far.

if there was any doubt before that spring was here, it's arrival was confirmed tonight by the crowds of people packing the streets in greektown. that place is a hotspot all summer long and if i didn't know any better, i'd say either greece won the world cup today or people in this city are coming out of hibernation!!!

unfortunately, none of the pictures i took at the hockey game turned out (blurry from all the action) but here's a cool one i snapped on the way home. i love it! it reminds me of these oil paintings by a local artist whose work i adore.




good night, everyone!

today is a better day because...

1. we started our saturday morning off with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce on muslix toast. yummy!



2. we took noah to the dog park and it was full of adorable dogs i've never met before.

3. it was the first day this year i sat outside on the deck and knit.
(here's the progress on the knitted purse.)


4. i found out who my swap partner is for the colour-themed swap over at glitter. i can't wait to get started on crafting up some stuff for her!

5. i'm on my way out to see my hubby play hockey. i've never seen him play before but his team is in the playoffs so i want to go cheer him on! (he even scored a goal last week!)

--------
and here's the result of spring bringing out noah's mischevious side. he did something very out of character today. when we were upstairs he took paul's lip balm off of the coffee table and ate it up. naughty dog!

the remnants of paul's favourite lip balm. r.i.p. lip saver.

blah

today started out great but turned out crappy. when i got home from work and saw a big yellow envelope in the mailbox, i knew it was bad news. i didn't get into my favourite outdoor art/craft show this year. i was so hoping i would because i've done the show for two years in a row and done really really well. i'm not sure why except that my catagory (jewellery) gets filled up very quickly. maybe i didn't get my application in early enough to get a spot? i don't know. whatever. i've been bummed all day.

i tried to distract myself by watching ambush makeover (my favourite daytime tv) and starting a new knitting project.



it's called "funky purse" and it's from hollywood knits style, by suss cousins. i got it from the library this week. it's actually an okay book. i don't think i'd buy it but there are a few good patterns i might photocopy. (wait, is that illegal? am i going to get arrested for saying that?). the lighting is sucky in the picture but i'm using some yarn i've had sitting around for over a year (patons upcountry in ice blue).

oh no! i've just noticed that patons has discountinued this yarn! i love this stuff! how could they do this?

excuse me while i go tear around on ebay.

warning: sugary cuteness ahead

paul found this website and i have to pass it along.
it's a website for a pooch named mr. winkle. apparently looking like a teddy bear isn't enough. to up the cute factor, his tongue hangs out of his mouth permanently!



mr. winkle even has his own series of books!

and a video!

must. stop. looking.

too. much. cuteness.

getting crafty with fake meat

there's this new free daily paper that just started up here called dose. paul came home with it today and said "this paper rocks!"

here's why:



some crafty person has made a lovely collage entirely out of fake meat (yves veggie cuisine products to be specific)!

how wicked is that?!

accomplished!

what a fantastic weekend! paul and i spent saturday afternoon with noah at the dog park. we have discovered that there is a massive park with several off-leash areas less than a 10-minute walk away. and it only took us 10 months to discover this was part of our neighbourhood (hangs head in shame). i wish i had pictures but we forgot to bring the camera. next time! anyhow, noah loved it. he had so much fun running around without a leash and sniffing bums. that's like disneyland to a dog!

today was another gorgeous day so we spent the afternoon raking and cleaning up the backyard.




we're getting excited about fixing it up the way we want since it was too late in the summer to do much planting when we moved in last year. we've been browsing through some library books learning and picking out perrenial flowers and grasses. the books are a bit overwhelming for two clueless would-be gardeners so i think we'll just go to a garden centre with a couple of pictures of what we like. we need a professional to hold our hand and tell us what to do. our idea is to make an L-shaped garden along the edges of our yard. i think it's going to be really nice (that is, if we don't kill the plants).

and look what i noticed happening in our backyard. these are actual buds from an actual tree!
spring is actually here! woo hoo!

hugs and kisses for the public library

i cannot get enough of the library. i can get lost just making endless searches on the library website and placing holds on anything and everything that piques my interest. at any given time i probably have 40+ books on my ever-growing list of requests. but because my interests are pretty common (knitting especially), i often have to wait months to receive some of the titles. there are some books i requested 4 months ago that i still haven't seen.

this weekend i'm drooling over some of my latest library acquisitions.

1. peach berserk's silkscreen workshop on dvd



it took me a couple of weeks to find the time to sit down and watch this, but i finally did last night. i'm so glad i did! kingi carpenter (the owner of local biz "peach berserk") is totally kooky and says "cute" too many times to count, but you can tell she's having fun. i love that she encourages people to just try silkscreening and not get hung up on making perfect drawings. someday when i have extra cash i'd like to take a class at her shop.

2. teen knitting club (click on the title to see the cover)

ok, so i have a confession. i am no longer a teen. in fact, i haven't been a teen for over 15 years. (ack! how can that be???) but i love knitting and am constantly looking for cute patterns that aren't too hard for my beginner skills. i took this book out on a whim but what a treasure! it's full of easy patterns that i would actually make and i love the section called "top 10 problems and what to do about them". such a good resource to have on hand. i am so buying this as soon as it's due back at the library.

here are 2 (of the many) things i want to make:

the dropped stitch scarf (i'd like to use some thick handspun wool for this)


and the raggy bag (i'd add a little loop in a corner to make it into a clutch)



3. kids' embroidery (click for a picture of the cover)

i want to learn how to embroider sooooo badly! lisa (see her wicked soap a few posts ago) is the queen of embroidery. i'll have to take a picture of the kitty skull she made for paul and i as a wedding gift. it is beyond any embroidery i've ever seen before. i'll just be pleased as punch if i can accomplish one of these more humble projects from the book.

stuffed dogs and kittens


or even a pincushion


library, i love you!
xoxo krissy

committed to this cause

i have a new cause.

this week i made the decision to bring back the saying "kiss my grits". i think its time has come around again.

here's what started my thinking: this week paul and i tried unsuccessfully to hire someone to clean out our eavestrough. we thought we had found the person to do the job, but when he didn't come by or call after 4 days, paul rang him up. "oh, i've been too busy with another house" was his excuse. still didn't show up the next day. so you know what i said...."let's find someone else. he can kiss my grits!"...

it was so much fun to say!

so c'mon people! i need your help to revive the saying that made flo famous. let's give 'kiss my grits' a new lease on life. feel free to add some southern twang that made the expression famous the first time around ["kiss maah gree-its"] or freshen it up by saying it in a way that tells the world you are really pissed ["no seriously...kiss my grits."]. it's up to you!

channel your inner flo.

must be spring...

it's a beautiful day out today. sunny and warm. so i took noah outside to play fetch in the backyard. but he wanted nothing to do with catching a stick. no way. all he wanted to do was roll in the grass.



it was like he was trying to get the scent of spring all over his body so he could take it inside with him.

i kept throwing sticks but he just ignored them. after about 15 minutes i decided he was filthy enough. time to go back in the house. but i managed to snap this picture with him first.



and an extreme close-up....



hmm...maybe noah needs his own blog?

if you think the war in iraq is as stupid i do...

check out this website

http://www.costofwar.com/index-aids.html

and prepare to be sickened by how the money could have been put to a much better use.

(found this through stumble upon)

weekend round-up

so you know from looking at my last post that saturday was just miserable and wet and cold and all-around crappy! ugh! paul and i stayed in pretty much all day. but we braved the elements to meet frederica and jim at a cute little sushi place. we haven't been able to get together for waaaayyy too long and it was so great to finally see them and spend time together!

here are paul, fred, and jim enjoying the massive amount of vegetarian sushi we're about to scarf down!



fred and jim ordered the same thing that paul and i ordered: a bento box combo (vegetable tempura, noodles, steamed tofu, and lots of cucumber and avocado sushi) and a maki combo (18 pieces of sushi: cucumber, avocado, and my absolute favourite...sweet potato and crispy tofu! ohmygod...that was amazing!). paul and i shared and so did fred and jim. we felt kinda bad because we were there eating and talking and laughing for 2.5 hours and were the last table to leave. oops.

lisa (a longtime friend of paul and fred, who lives in maine) sent an amazing package to fred and jim's for us and they gave it to us at dinner. it was a bag full of the most yummy smelling handmade soap!



you know it's good when most of them are named after food! (butterscotch oatmeal, creamsicle, chocolate coffee, and my favourite...sweet pumpkin!) i wish the internet had smell-o-vision so you could smell them!

lisa spent so much time designing the labels! look how cool these are...



i also like the coconut soap...there's a picture of a tiki head on the label.

if you're reading this, lisa....thank you soooo much!!!

wha?

spring, where did you go?



please come back soon. i miss you already.

family project

i signed up to stumble upon today and look what i found. this is so cool!