hello, meet the Pines
(brother and sister)

Seriously lights

guys, happy holidays. I know mine have been pretty amazing as of late. For starters, I went to Portland last week and it was grand, as always. I stayed at Anja and Dalas' comfy house with their parrotlet, Snoopy, and poochie cat, 56, plus their amazing chicken girls, Bunny and Scrambles. I love going to Portland, because it's so chill and relaxed. I love hanging out with my Portland pals! I just can't wait to spend some more time there.

Continuing the grandness, I ordered some studio umbrella lights and tripods in preparation of my selling vintage clothing. Check these guys out!

It's going to be such a treat to have decent lighting with a natural look, as I have been struggling with ridiculous lights for some time, and it just doesn't look good.

Yes, I have a Value Village coupon calendar, I buy one or two each year. December's coupon was, "save $50 if you spend $100 or more" I used my calendar one on Thursday at one location, and then yesterday I was just checking out all the wares at a Value Village outside the city, when this woman asked me if I wanted her December coupon. Thanks Mrs! So, in short, these are some of the items I managed to find:

all of these skirts are amazing, I cannot wait to shoot them in decent non-janky lighting!

oh my gosh! little raccoon tails=such magical accessories

bunny fur hair pom poms for when my sad hair grows a little more

teak storage cannisters, a present for my teak collector pal

Thermi' for our snowshoeing adventures

greatest little ceramic bear to add to my collection.

So far my Christmas plans are turning out to be pretty relaxed. We're doing a Christmas brunch at our place with traditional German and Russian fare. I guess I should decide what to make. I'm thinking vereniki:sweet and/or savoury stuffed dumplings.

do not cut, do not burn

Guys!!! This week was like, how much can Maya do to herself and still be pleasant. Well I burned the inside my left arm quote nicely while emptying the pot of popcorn into a bowl...that was lovely, and I am still dealing with the scab. Vitamin E is helping. ALSO, I got a little tired of cutting fabric and such for craft sales and decided to take those scissors to my hair. I did a real bang up job-took about 4 inches off the length, nd then when I went to the hairdresser to fix it, she gave me these sort of fringe bangs, that, to me, seem quite drastic, because I am used to just straight thick, short pixie bangs. The best news is that this haircut is going to look amazing in a month and even more after, when it grows in. I am sorry hair, I shouldn't have cut you back.

I did the toque craft sale at the western front last sunday and it was REALLY fun. There were lots of great vendors and excellent shoppers, as lways. I did quite well, and am just getting readt for got craft this sunday. it's going to be a a crazy weekend: work until 3 am on Fri and Sat night, then get up bright and early on Sunday for Got Craft, then head out to Portland on the train at 630 on Monday morning. I think I shall have to drink black tea.

Portland is going to be AMAZING, I just know it!

Oh! I have some photos, in case you haven't checked my flickr, which you should do by the way.

I went to a mennonite cook off and had home made vareniki (sweet and also savoury types)

I turned some left over ghosties into a string of bunting/flags, which I think I'll give away

I cannot remember when I did not find it fascinating

Taxidermy, preservation, dissection.

I guess it may have to do with all of my biology background, but I have a real interest in taxidermy. Over the years, science has blended with art and we see this hybrid now with amazing artists like Iris Schieferstein who teaches us that life can be so nice even after the soul has departed.

My favorite part of the exhibit was a piece from a set titled, "The Hunting Accident/Accidents de Chasse" by Pascal Bernier. It's the little bandaged boar:

Je dois traiter la machine à coudre

ciao!

prayer without sleep

Hi!

It was the Value Village 50% off sale this past Monday, and also the first time in about 8 years I stayed up for a whole night. I couldn't sleep because I was just too excited, and Gill was having some dreams which led to her sleep talking and me giggling a whole bunch. There was quite a bit of praying/begging to the higher thrift powers that the items we had scoped out the night before would still be there the morning of the sale, and they were.

the results are in!

coziest diamond sweater, worn with Alpie, the fox fur scarf
sweetest cape of the world over. it has a lovely fur collar and is just the right length

traveling outfit for a train ride to Portland

I have also started to sell vintage wearables and accessories in my ETSY shop. It's really lovely clothing, for the loveliest of forest mountain girls.

Along with the annual holiday arts and craft sale season, comes my most grand girlfriend from Toronto, Miss Adrianne Kulling of Vintage Love light switch plates. She really does a number at the sales, all over BC. I really love to see her, and especially love it when she comes over for the annual sleepover at Fort Cotton (my house)

here to go

Guys, my special fox scarf died today, and her obit reads:

oh dearest scarf on her way to Chicago was prematurely taken from us as her body was slit open with an x-acto knife at the post office.

I found out today that I am going to be in toque at the Western Front this year. I've heard a lot about it, and have always wanted to do it, oh I am sure it will be fun. Also, some of the gals I've done other sales with are in it.

I was featured on this l'il site today called cuteable.
They had a guest editor, and she has a bit of an obsession with yetis and sasquatches.

magical winter cream gloves up for sale on my ETSY

The gang is all here, minus a cat-

see you soon.

the waters swell until the thing bursts

I'm super excited for the textile arts diploma at Cap College in North Van, and have made it my goal to save up for it. I think I'll need about $6,000 dollars, but am pretty sure I can swing it if I pay semester by semester. Then I can really take off at making lovely things like these here ghostie quilts. I'm actually in the process of turning them into head bands/head ornaments





In other news, I've been drinking lots of tea and playing on this weird piece of cardio equipment at the gym that I call the, "running under water machine". It really works!


Tomorrow is going to be an excited day because I'll finally get to arrange my table bunting for Got Craft. It is going to consist of the daintiest of fabric flags stiched to beige and brown dingle balls entangled in jute.

Good night!