The Ring. And some boxes.

It's been a while I know, and I am a bit sorry about that. But life sometimes takes over and packing and a headcold have taken over my life.
So there.

But I wanted to post once more from Vancouver before we moved.
We are painting today. Very exciting I know.
In fact Geoff is starting the kitchen's last coat while I sit here and type this, so I won't be here long.

We move on Monday.
I finished my last piece of jewellery in my studio here yesterday.
What is it do you ask?
Well, it was my engagement ring actually.

For keeps this time.

I am SO happy with it. I might have to size it up the TINIEST little bit, because when I woke up this morning I couldn't get it off. But it's not supposed to come off right?
Anyway I will likely make it a touch bigger so I can get it past my knuckle at least.

A couple of other pictures to tide you over until I get back to regular posting!



And now I am going to go back to painting. I won't post again until we are on the island and set up at the lake, so please bear with me for a week or two.

Vancouver has treated us pretty well. And we aren't saying goodbye forever. Just for now.

xox

Gary Heller

I saw these prints yesterday on Design*sponge and I am completely in love.
His whole etsy shop is full of beauties like these.
You should check it out!

boxes boxes everywhere boxes

It's actually not that bad. We've got most of the extra stuff packed away already.
My studio shelves came down this weekend and we've got most of the boxes stacked in the corner ready to be moved out to the truck once we're ready to really go.

It's been weird having people come through the suite and look at our life.
Very bizarre. And I have managed to pack up things that I now realize I should have left out.
Like all of my new business cards. I had even left a box out so that I would have access to them, but in my infinite wisdom, packed those into SOMETHING, somewhere.

And the really nice wedding invitation pens. I still have a couple of invitations waiting for addresses.

So I am going to go through the boxes and find them so I can mail those off tomorrow.

So.

Moving.

I am really looking forward to the first week in April as we unpack and set up and get things back in order.

At the lake.


oh yeah.

onsie love

I don't know if you remember, but last summer I was ALL ABOUT the romper.
I didn't actually have one. But I really LOVED them.
And now I see this...

It's available at Forever 21 and it's only $30.
Ooh and they've got this one too!

So flipping CUTE!

But I think that I might look around for a pattern to make my own.

Because that is what I do now.

Celestial Earrings

A variation on a theme. I've been thinking about exploring wire for a while as it's a practical and affordable material for me in these lean times.
Plus these earrings are GORGEOUS.
These are the only pair I've got so far, but I want to try them hammered and with some gold beads thrown in.
I think that ultimately I prefer the hammered style myself, but I can't just do the same thing over and over again, and the twists are so cute.
Got to do what I've got to do I guess.

These are new too.

new bag

I have been struggling a little bit lately with my bags.
Yes I know that it's not a big deal really, but I can't tell you how much it DRIVES ME CRAZY to have to fuss around in a purse or pocket just to find my wallet, or chapstick.
Or find my phone when it's screaming at me on the bus and the embarrassment of all those watching eyes, wondering why my bag is YELLING at me to answer the phone already.
(my ring tone is myself yelling "answer the phone" over and over. It's the only ring that I actually hear because I am hardwired to avoid embarrassing myself at all costs. Which is probably why I manage to be embarrassed so often.)

Anyway. Yesterday I sat down in front of the computer for 20 minutes and suddenly HAD TO MAKE A NEW BAG ALREADY.
So I did.
This guy has yet to be tested for everyday practicality. But it's cute (not sure if the leather hearts are TOO cutesy, but one is a pocket so that's pretty practical) roomy and holds it's shape.




This is not THE bag. I have designed that bag already and just need to get the materials required. But I had very literally HAD it with the old NSCAD tote bag that I was using when the zipper stopped working entirely.
So.

New bag for now.
It's got a drawstring top (no zippers on hand) two side pockets, 3 inside pockets and 2 front pockets.

Forsya Gallery & Boutique

My lovely friend Julie is opening a new gallery and boutique on Main street this month.
And until we leave, I am helping her set up!
The space is amazing, beautiful light, great space and they just put down new floors BY THEMSELVES.

So cool.

Chocolate Cake for breakfast

Last night I tried out a new recipe.

I can't show you pictures of what it originally looked like because it's already almost gone. I am currently finishing the last piece for second breakfast.

But it's g o o o d.

I changed the recipe a little bit to omit the sugar.

Good Sense Brownies
(adapted from a Homemakers magazine recipe)

-Melt 1/4 cup margerine or butter with 2 squares of bittersweet (or semisweet) bakers chocolate in a sauce pan over medium heat.

-Stir in 1/2 to 3/4 cup brown rice syrup. (the original recipe called for 3/4 cup granulated sugar, but we are off the sweet stuff and I had the rice syrup on hand, I bet agave or honey would work too.)

-Stir in 1 beaten egg and 1 tspn vanilla (I used cinnamon because we are out of vanilla at the moment)

-Add 1/2 cup flour (we used Bob's Red Mill gluten free mix), 1/2 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato, 2 tbspns cocoa powder, 1 tspn baking powder an 1/4 tspn salt
Mix this all together until just combined.

-stir in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

Spread into a lightly greased 8" cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.

This is SO MOIST, and super rich. It's almost like a flourless torte or fudge or something. I am thankful that it only makes a small cake because holy shit, I have eaten most of this thing in the last 10 hours and I would keep eating it if it were larger.

Which would be bad.

I am going to have to eat salad for the rest of the weekend as it is just to balance out breakfast.

Grey house with a Red door

This is a house that's on our walk up to Main Street. I noticed it right away the first time we walked by it 3 years ago.
So I had to make sure that I got a picture of it before we leave.
I love red front doors.

There is another grey house with a red door just up the street too.
I'll have to get up there the next sunny day we have with my camera.

Amazing lamps

These are incredible.
I found them via Studio Home Creative.
You can find them here.

Jimmy Fallon

Did anyone else catch Jimmy's first Late Night show last night?
We watched it and although he was obviously really nervous I thought it was pretty good.
I will admit to being slightly biased because I think that Jimmy Fallon is cute, and my Justin was one of the guests.

(this is the Barry Gibb talk show, not from last night!)

Tina Fey is on tonight's episode, so I'll likely watch that too.
Because she is awesome.

vertebrae love

I cleaned up my last three vertebrae last night and I am kind of sad that I don't have any more.
I've got my original vertebrae bracelet still, but I am not sure if I want to take that apart for parts you know?

So as it is, these sweet little guys are it for now.
I'm going to pop one into the shop this morning and send off two to stores.
If they are really popular and folks need them I'll figure out casting some more.
Wee!

New antler pendants

Finished up these two bad boys this afternoon, and as soon as my girl Miss Imrie decides which one she wants, I'll send the other one off to Heart & Sole.

I've got one more antler tip and I'll pit that together this week I think and send that off as well.

The lovely ladies at Global are due for a package from little ol' me, and they'll get that next week.

etsy update

I just popped a pair of these into the shop. I am going to try to add stuff the the shop as I make it, so that there is always a good representation of what I am working on available.
It's tricky for me to sort out the best ways to organize myself in the studio and get stuff into the shop.

I am working on it though.

Plus I've got packages on the go for THREE stores now! I am going to get back to that!

Wee!

It's March already

What the hell?

In the last couple of weeks, I have been taking some pictures of stuff around Vancouver that catches my eye and things that have sentimental value. Stuff that we want to remember.

Speaking of taking pictures, I got a RAD new camera for Christmas and it's seriously awesome.
This one.

Thanks Mom!
I am still using it on automatic, got to go back to my school binders to relearn ISO's and all that.

And it takes amazing photos already. Just on Auto!
LOVE IT!




The sky is SO BLUE when it actually shows itself that I always find myself looking up with the camera.



Norman was so confused the last time I took him out to take pictures with me. Usually I want to hustle as fast as possible to get back to whatever I was working on before we left, but I kept making him stop every time I saw something even remotely interesting.
He was very good about it though. He even stopped to smell his own spring flowers.