dutchdrift

For the past month, I have been getting tattooed weekly, about 3 hours per session. We are working on my second sleeve, and I say we, because this is a husband and wife collaboration. I have been married to one of the country's top tattoo artists for the past five years, and we have been working together for the past three. I am what is known as a tattooist's assistant, meaning I set up the stations, take down the stations, get the machines ready, and do all the sterilizing. It's a neat job in the sense you get to meet a lot of interesting people and get to see a lot of different art projects.

I thought in this post I would take a second to show all of the lovely tattoos I have been collecting. It is super nice that they are free, but trust me, I have to do a lot of work to get them going, because being the wife of a tattoo artist is not an easy job- we are always the last to get work done!

My most recent work is my second sleeve- my right arm all the way from the back of my shoulder blade down to the top of my hand. We have fully outlined and shaded it, and just last week started the colouring process. It's full of giant peony flowers and song birds. Here is the first splash of colour.

Tiger with a dunce cap- over the front of my knee, shin, and the front of my thigh. I actually got this done by the talented Dave Cummings of PSC in Montreal. This is the only word I have tattooed on my body, and the only word I will ever get. It is a special tribute tattoo to our silly pet cat.

My right leg is covered in various pieces, both large and small. You can see the full tiger over my knee cap. I also have a rocket ship, the jantzen diving girl, a heart with an empty banner, and some more on the back of my leg.

Yeah, I think the secret is out. I really love tigers a lot. There is a white tiger at the SF zoo named Oden. He swims, and I think that is just rad. Trevor and I go down to Sf a few times a year, and so the last visit we did in March I got this tiger head done by Scott Sylvia of Black Heart Tattoos.

And then there is the snake and roses. This tattooo was a pain, FOR REAL. The back of the calf and the pit behind the knee are no fun. I tried getting drunk and being tattooed for the outline of this piece and it didn't work for pain at all. Please don't try it- it'll only make the pain worse, ha! Anyways, Trevor managed to zap this guy in in 4 sessions.

venomous snake head close up, upon finishing.

My next pieces include a full back piece of a tiger, a large lotus on my throat chakra, and more peony flowers over my bum.

I hope you enjoy tattoos as much as I do.

shop update- minimalist goods

2011-08-11T14:06:00.001-07:00

I'm sure most of you know that I have a pretty extensive amount of tattooing on my body, and that will only grow larger as we start the whole of my right arm this upcoming week. In terms of clothing, I really like to keep it simple. I wear almost no patterns, well, except maybe for a couple of striped St. James tops I own, but that is pretty much it. I think that the tattoos really speak for themselves and that it is just too easy for them to clash with patterned clothing. I also just really enjoy simple and solid pieces and that transfers over to my picking vintage for the shop.

Here are three simple items I have recently put up that I thought I'd share.

a girl and her parrot

2011-08-04T17:26:00.001-07:00

This is our pet parrot, Eadel. He is actually a small guy, known as a parrotlet. For his size, he really keeps us on our toes, flying all over the house and up to the high ledges. He can actually speak, and say words like "scritchy" for a scratch, "kisses" for a kiss, and his own name, plus our cat's name, Buster. A pretty special guy, and an awesome family buddy.

around home

2011-07-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

I love out little home. We live on the top floor of an apartment building in the Italian district of the city. Our ceilings are a bajillion feet high, and that goes for the bedroom ceilings as well. Oh, the bedroom. For the last 3 years we have lived here, it has been SO dark- a very deep burgundy. In the last year I have grown to dislike it quite a bit, enough to paint the room a straw colour last week. I was on the ladder a lot. I have some photos from our home- well, mostly the new bedroom, but I have one from the kitchen wash sink as well.

shop update-neutrals and whites

2011-07-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

The shop has been updated with a serious palette of neutral delights!

Take a peek below for an idea of what I've added.

TOPS

BOTTOMS

DRESSES

There is still a lot more to come...I guess I have been collecting a small nest of clothes, and have finally gotten around to photographing them and listing them.

summer house call

2011-07-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

Last week Trevor and I went to his sister's for a little house visit. Her and her husband live in this awesome little turquoise and white coloured house that reminds me of a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Their yard is fenced in by giant pines, plum trees, and vegetable gardens- and you can see and hear so many little birds flying all over the place. Very cool.

They have and amazingly beautiful kitty, Luca, with bright turquoise eyes.

We were really lucky to have such great light for photographs; the sun was just beginning to set when we arrived so we took advantage of it with some neat little snaps.

This is the rubber plant that lives in their kitchen. I shot this while they were busy preparing our homemade burrito dinner.

my top half...

...and my bottom half: pink, red, and white- my summer colours.

I wish I took some photos of the actual dinner. Trevor's sister works at an organic foods distributor, so they always have amazing local organic food that they share with us. The burritos were amazing, and were full of fresh lettuce and tomatoes, yogurt, slow cooked black beans, sauteed peppers, spinach, and onions, and home made guacamole.

I did get a picture of the avodcados...

It was a little tough biking home with such a full stomach.

Au revoir mes amis.

shop update-summer fun tops

2011-06-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I've updated the shop with some sweet summer sunshine tops, all so soft and comfortable to wear. Check em!

vintage 1980's FALLOW and FAWN crop top

vintage 1980's SILK button back blouse in light sage

vintage 90's SAGE FIELDS pocket blouse

vintage 1960's EMBROIDERED ROSES top

vintage 1980's SUMMER PASTELS knit top

vintage 1980's SIMPLE FUN teal tank

enjoi!

beach kitties kayak trip

2011-06-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

Last week the big man and I had a chance to escape for an overnight kayaking trip. We hopped a ferry to the sunshine coast in hopes that it would be, uh, SUNNY but this BC weather has been so weird; there was not much sunshine during our whole trip. Whatevs, because we were up for some serious kayak exploration adventuring.

When we got there, we took a long beach walk past our favorite hostel, which had burned down-totally surprised us- we found an awesome bed and breakfast, though, so it worked out well.

Anyways, during our beach walk guess who we found: BEACH KITTIES playing in the logs and sand, even EATING SEAWEED.

oh, hey buddies!

checking out the danger levels- there were lots of dogs out

oh! hey again

We also saw some Canada Geese hanging around the pier- they love paddling together.

Our kayaking trip was pretty fun! We rented a double kayak this time instead of two singles. I'm not going to do this again- I like my own space and being able to steer my own kayak, ha! Big man was into smashing into EVERYTHING.

We paddled around another island, called Keats Island, and found a deserted beach to swim and play at.

We both went into the water, but there were so many barnacles that is was not a pleasant swim. I'd rather explore the plants and wildlife, and skip rocks while big man did plein air painting.

There is nothing like digging your toes into smooth beach rocks. I found so many cool rocks. I'm calling them moon rocks. Almost all of the rocks there were super smooth, and a lot had little white speckles in them. I grabbed a few for home, check em out.

After kayaking back to the main island, we had a bite to eat, and then it was time to go home. I really love the Sunshine Coast. I have so many good memories of visiting there since I was a beansprout. If any of you are planning a trip to Vancouver, I recommend checking it out, it's super fast and easy to get to.

monday shop update

2011-06-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hello buddies- I have some new summer items in the shop- take a look!

1) vintage 1980's FRENCH IVORY blouse

2) vintage 1970's FLOWER GARDENS blouse

3) vintage 1980's SOFT PINK shorts

4) vintage 90's SLATE GRAY tap shorts

1) vintage 90's GOLDEN YELLOW blouse

2) vintage 1980's SWISS DOTS cropped blouse

3) vintage 1980's PINSTRIPE SAILOR shorts

4) vintage 90's TWIRL DANCE skirt

I am also starting some new tattooing on my right arm. It is a full sleeve with japanese peony flowers and little birds fluttering about. I think it will be finished by next month. VERY EXCITING!

stanley park

2011-06-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

In Vancouver we have a gigantic park/coastal rainforest/ ocean right in the city. This weekend I took a little trip down there... it's a magical place, for real!

douglas fir cones

me with a tiny deer fern buddy

lots of leaves, if left like this, will eventually turn into dirt

I'm excited about the warm weather and can't wait for sweet little dips in the ocean!

friday shop update

2011-06-03T14:19:00.001-07:00

Hey!

I just finished a shop update and I wanted to share with you some cute and sweet new stuff. I have arranged it so you can see different item pairings as well as individual pieces. Just for you. Unfortunately the FRENCH STRIPE mini dress above has already been purchased, but check below for other items...

vintage 90's SAGE gardens tube top OR mini skirt

vintage 90's SAGE and SUNSHINE shorts

vintage 90's SOFT STRIPE pointelle knit tunic top

paired with

vintage 1970's DUTCH GIRL skirt

vintage 90's COBALT BLUE silk tap shorts

vintage 1980's LAYERED cotton tank in ivory

paired with

vintage 1970's CLEAR SKIES blue wrap skirt

vintage 1980's SWEETEST SILK ivory blouse

paired with

vintage 1980's PARK DAYS sage green shorts

vintage 1980's PUMPKIN SPICE top

Thanks for looking, have an awesome weekend!

white magic girls

2011-05-30T14:19:00.000-07:00

Last night I painted up some sweet little white magic girls, and today I painted a wall in the house and a giant 4ftx6ft piece of mill board. There is a lot of painting going on in our home...

forest runner shop update

2011-05-27T14:48:00.002-07:00

Hey, sorry it has taken me so long to update my blog. I keep getting interrupted by hospital stays and medication changes. Anyways....I'm back! Back at home sleeping in our own bed with our own pet friends and feeling healthy.

How is the weather where you are? In Vancouver, we have been getting an extraordinary amount of rain. Even though this is the super duper rainy city galore, the skies have managed to deliver even more rain than usual. I find myself really influenced by the weather when it comes to my etsy shop updates. I've been seeing a lot of greens, and browns, and yellows around lately. I know the leaves and little flower buds are trying to make their way out, but I think they are saving it for warmer, sunnier days. Hope to see those little guys soon.

1) vintage 1960's MOSS COLLECTOR day dress

2) vintage 90's ASPARAGUS GARDENS soft cashmere scarf

3) vintage 90's BUTTER PAT blouse

4) vintage 1980's FOREST RUNNER coat

5) vintage 1970's CINNAMON DAYS silk culottes

6) vintage 1970's PICNIC PARTY denim skirt

When you visit my shop you'll see I've made some changes: I stopped using the dress form for styling and decided to model the clothing myself. This way, when I am looking for clothes I can put outfits together that I think would work and share them with you all. I hope you enjoy the simple changes. I think they make a big diff.

So, I'll write again soon pals!

grey, cocoa caramel, and goldenrod shop peek

2011-04-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

I wanted to show off some items currently for

sale in my shop. I am really liking the following colour combinations, check em out!

1) felted wool cape with geometric grey and cream striping

2) hand tooled marbled caramel leather wallabees (unisex)

3) sheer cocoa blouse with folded collar detailing

4) suede goldenrod flats

5) soft grey victorian style blouse

san francisco: coffee, to hands, to tiger tattoos

2011-04-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

Oh hello,

I got back from SF a few days ago. I had a super awesome time, and I am now 29 years old. Yay!

A lot of coffee, very good coffee, was taken in. My favorites were the quad espressos, and espresso macchiatos at Ritual Coffee Roasters. They had a cool set up in their Valenica St. shop. Lots of different coloured tennis rackets. The baristas were also totally nice.

Hanging out at another amazing coffee shop in Little Italy: old school italian, Caffe Greco

Illustrated Hands! There were so many hands I saw in one day. It was really weird; every corner I turned there they were.

On the last day of the trip I was very fortunate to get some time in with Scott Sylvia of Black Heart Tattoos. I really wanted a white tiger from him, and it happened. Check it out, he takes up a good part of the back of my thigh.

It sits right behind the silly bengal tiger on my knee cap I got a couple years ago from Dave C.

I guess the only bad part of the trip was my camera getting stolen. Ugh! It's since been updated and replaced thanks to generous donations from family and friends, plus a bank loan. I'm very thankful.

More to come in a few days...

red and white

2011-03-19T15:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had the pleasure of going to the city's only hedge maze and running around in it dressed as little red riding hood, a red helium balloon, tied to my wrist, hovering above me. It was all for the sake of practice, I guess. The weather was so grey and gloomy, not a cloud moving in the sky, and the awkward burst of rain here or there. It is so easy to sneak into this place. We jumped the fence, and if you saw what I was wearing from the waist up, you would be so proud of me: not a muddy splotch, a rip, or a fray on any of my outfit. I feel like I'd give our new little film away if I showed you guys my full wardrobe, but I do want to give you an idea of what I was wearing, so here are some shots from the waist down. You can see, I love red and white just as much as I love black.

Thom has a really neat little apartment. There is a pantry with original wallpaper from 100 years or so ago (I took a piece for myself). The floors are so neat, too: super olden times linoleum that is waring here and there.

For some reason we had an awful fun time playing with this green lamp he has.

Outside of the house, prepping for the beginning of filming. We lost the red helium balloon and had to go get another. What suckers!

Now, I am not going to post for ten more days or so because I am going to San Francisco to celebrate my birthday. All urgent telegrams can be sent to the Fairmont Hotel's world famous, Tonga Room where I will be sipping large, large drinks and, after that, sneaking around giant redwood forests.

a bientot!

solid black

2011-03-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

I've been patiently waiting until I had enough photographs/video stills/and even video to post about my love of black clothing and what it represents. To me, black clothing is not about sadness or depression, or goth mania. I find black so beautiful and enchanting. Last week I made a promise to wear black, and only black for the rest of the year. Ha! I broke that promise within a few days, but am still passionately searching for more dark articles of clothing. Basically, I ran out of black.

My amazing friend Thom and I set out on Thursday dusk/night of this week past to shoot a video. The criteria: I was dressed in all black. Thom is one of those very talented people who can get across so much feeling through the lens in such a short period of time. Amazing. His apartment is full of paper scraps and writing pads with note after note of future film endeavors, ideas, and inspirations

Before I jump to the video, I want to share some shots I took that evening.

I really wanted some interesting shots of both my Zeha Berlin booties and my new bonnet from Rachael. I think Thom got them both wonderfully.

So here is the video we shot. To use Thom's words, "All of it together seems to suggest the concept that you are in fact God walking among people, and then with my title, which was separate altogether, it appears that you are God's envoy to experience human-ness for 5000 days (~13 years?), Which I thought was pretty neat and went along with a story I had been tossing around.

There are also some stills from this movie I particularly enjoy

black. finished

shop update

2011-03-11T16:37:00.001-08:00

I have been working pretty hard lately, trying to update the shop as much as possible. I wanted to give you all a small idea of what I have in store. Yay!

1) crimson wool high waisted pleat skirt

2) wool high waisted mustard wiggle skirt

3) navy a-line pleated skirt

4) woven linen short sleeve cardigan in straw

5) sleeveless navy silk vest with scallop detailing

6) woven mohair cape with purple, indigo, and mauve striping

forest runner 2

2011-03-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

This is the second part of my Stanley Park Trek photo/video shoot I did with my friend, Thom last Sunday. There were a lot more photos, and I decided to do another post so you could take a look at all of the beauty that is the west coast.

Thank you Thom, my new photo/video partner for shooting and editing this video. You may have already seen it posted on Anja's blog. It's got quite a creepy essence that I am in love with.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, it is a tradition to pose as Twin Peak's, "Log Lady" upon entering any forest.

Curse of the cream Zeha Berlin oxfords. I'm so over it. They are now my moss romp shoes

forest runner

2011-03-07T10:59:00.000-08:00

This weekend was amazing for the sole reason that I made it into the forest. Stanley Park is a 400 hectare pacific rainforest right in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Oh yeah, and guess what: it is 10% larger than New York's Central Park. I worked at the park's ecology society for two years, and feel a little guilty for not visiting more. This year it is one of my goals to make it out there at least a couple times a month.

last summer's salmon berry

saprophytic shelf or bracket fungi- you can tell a tree is dead or dying by the presence of these guys

mute swan

trekking outfit

wool plaid hooded cape coat: thrifted

forest green corduroy jumper dress: thrifted and in the shop right now

1940's cream top: mintage

grey tights: gap

ivory white oxfords: zeha berlin

shop update

2011-03-01T15:36:00.000-08:00

I took quite a long break from my etsy shop over the end of summer and autumn, but I wanted you all to know I have been listing items like a worker bee, every day, for the past few days.

Here are some pink and red themed items currently in the shop.

knit pullover sweater vest in mixed shades of red and blue plaid

cropped salmon wool knit pullover sweater vest

red and white gingham sleeveless tunic

pastel pink angora cropped sweater vest

make sure to take a look!

I made it!

2011-02-25T12:32:00.001-08:00

My first post since being out of the hospital. I made it! For those of you who didn't know, I had a 5 week extended hospital vacation this summer- from August to September. For most of the stay I even had my own private room complete with a pretty little washroom and shower. It was basically to adjust my medication, and it took a while, even after being out of the hospital, but things are totally levelled out now and I am doing really well. I feel so, so lucky to have a very close and loving group of family and friends who support and care for me. The cool thing about being in the hospital was that I got into painting and illustrating more than I had ever been previously.

I developed a font that is quite time intensive. I had been using it since last spring when mailing my Etsy packages, but I really like it mixed into the illustrations as a descriptor.

I try to keep up a painting per week. I'm drawing mostly girls right now; I LOVE their hair, and girls are just so fun to draw. The girls I keep in the same stylings as myself which is, of course, old fashioned.

I actually found a really inspiring impressionist artist featured in the American Art Review Magazine, Wilson Irvine. Check out some of his girls:

SO beautiful, and radiant.

They inspired me to shoot some photos of myself in different headdresses:

3 different headdresses, actually:

Siu Yin Chau knit ear muffs

My personal tan mink fur toque

and sweet, sweet, Beats by Dr. Dr e headphones

I'm actually listening to Bon Iver with them right now. Justin Vernon is a total babe, and is currently situated on my, 'elevated babe list', which I will dedicate a future post to explaining.

Oh, and for all of you who have missed my Etsy shop, I'll be posting an entry dedicated to all of the re-stockings coming to the shop in the next few days.

Yay! I made it!

-Thank you-

dirty girl zehas

2010-07-26T18:22:00.000-07:00

Well, it has sure been a little bit since my last update. I'm really sorry about this absence. I have spent my last month camping, road tripping, and working and it has been so much fun. I love work. I also love that I have some extra money now to buy things like those pretty white ZEHAS I mentioned in my last post.

I think they were fine for the first week, a little bit of pain breaking them in, but during that fateful second week of ownership I spilled some weird deck chair grease/water on them. The worst part was that I wasn't even wearing them when it happened. I was getting ready for a camping trip and bringing in one of the folding chairs from the deck and all this black gunk dripped on the floor and on to the top of one of my shoes, which happened to be on the floor. It's alright. I have come to terms with the cost of these shoes and the fact that I have trademarked them with my dirty little copyright. I offically am in LOVE.

Work has been really amazing. I love going in and finding such sweet and delicate pieces. I am digging through bins all day trying to locate historical fabric treasures. Today a girl writing an article on vintage picking came in and interviewed me. I was a little shy in my dust mask.

Sweet finds!

A cute little high waisted jump suit and a delicate cream blouse.

The amazing thing that I didn't notice until now is that this blouse has perforations on the collar that are shaped like a moth, and so do the front tops of my zehas.

I'm glad I am back into blogging. I sure missed it.

camera magic

2010-06-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

So you may have already read in Anja's blog that she came for a visit last weekend. It was such a rad time. Meeting her friends was really great. We all got each other's senses of humour, and that is totally number one for me.

During the visit I got to test out my Kodak Motormatic for the first time, and I am pleasantly surprised with the developed outcome.

This is a dslr shot of the Motormatik
As you can see, it belonged to Ed Robinson:
I got it used.

I think this was my first shot.Anja and I were picking up film and a disposable camera at the drug store by the trains. I love the red lipstick, it's so adorably charming. We were also waiting to meet our internet buddy, April. She is super amazing, and has got the upper hand when it comes to a good sense of humour.

Apples!
I kept falling behind Anja and April because I wanted to take some photos. The winding was a little messed up, so I ended up with some double exposures. That's totally fine by me, I love this one!

It was basically a giant pal meet up that afternoon, and I wanted to stop in at the pet store to see all the birds- janky birds, poor janky birds in the neon light. I wanted to take a pair of love birds home. One day I will!
Lovebirds!

ba ba ba budgies!!

LARK! We went to Lark where everyone is always so friendly and knowledgeable about the stock. Anja was debating between purchasing the brown Zeha oxfords, or this awesome Yoshi Kondo linen Japan jacket.

Anja in the oxfords
In the end, she purchased the jacket. It looks so great on her. I am sure she'll post about it soon. You know how I love Zehas, and now that I have a job, my first purchase is going to be these Zeha White oxfords.

So many great shoes at Lark.

There you have it- some of my first shots on the Motormatik. I'm so glad I got to use the film on such wonderful weekend visit.

* * * home life * * *

2010-06-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

This post is going to be photo heavy.

Welcome to the place where I live.

Please see how I reinvented it.

This is the wall above the fire place in the sitting room. It is the first wall you see when you come in. Welcome!

*Please make sure to pay attention to the detail in the photos- there are lots of neat little things to be seen*

A section of the wall above the fireplace.
I have lots of things, mostly old or from outside. I love natural history and science.
This is what I studied in university. Visit my flickr to see what all these pieces are.

Here are some neat things of mine on the mantle above the fireplace.
I love the bark planter, it houses the little "tree" like succulent well.

More mantle place pieces. I found two of these old wooden monkey toys
(they look like antique Kobe toys from Japan). I gave one to my pal Aaron.
The ladel has my wisdom teeth and a medium sized rodent's teeth in it. The rodent teeth are courtesy of colchu

Moving along the mantle and into the kitchen area are some of my special cups:
chickens, elephants, and bunnies!

A small shelf /lightbox in the kitchen where all of the tiny books and letter writing envelopes and paper are.

Another shelf in the kitchen. This one is for my little teacups and brass deer.

This is the kitchen area. It's the first wall you see when you open the front door. Bombarded by a grandma-esque homestead scene.

The kitchen as seen from the sitting room. So much stuff on top of the cupboards. Mostly my tiny glass bottle collection which you can see a close up of below.

Bookshelf as you head towards the hallway. Fun old school days chalkboard, and fur pom poms courtesy of Gill.

Heading down the hall way. I've had this hand tooled bag for a while. It's from the most awesome leather crafter, Kym, out of Victoria BC. Hockey stick handle, antler side pieces.

Here's one of the mantles in the washroom. More old things like a glass baby bottle, cough syrup bottles, and various talc tins.

My red wool vest hanging to dry below some felt rain drops and clouds I made. I love my red wool vest!

Turn back down the hallway and you'll find yourself in the front part of the sitting room. Remember, I used to have the teal green sectional here? It's been replaced by a smaller victorian-esque piece.

The bookshelf reading area. Usually there is a sheepskin rug out, but it's too warm for that right now.

small mink/weasel friend who hangs out in the book basket.

This bookshelf is pretty much full of natural history reading.

Protector hand sitting on top of the book shelf.

All digits point upwards to the sky.

This bread tin opens so you can grab a book to read, not make toast.

...and this little birds nest sits on top of it.

On the other side of the sofa is the dainty camp out tea party chill spot.

...and above this spot is where the blankets are kept in case you need one.

On the far side of the sitting room is the balcony. There are 15 foot ceilings and a giant triangle window/sunlight above the balcony doors. This is where I keep some more of my glass shakers. They play with the sunlight and make neat colours.

Mannaquin hang out area on the far corner of the sitting room.

A little ceramics friend area in the mannequin chill corner. I love any dog that looks like a teddy bear.

This is my house. I love you for looking through all of the photos and being my friend.

new job golden ticket and 50% off sale!

2010-06-14T11:04:00.001-07:00

Oh. Hello.

I received just about the most amazing news I could ever have this morning: I got my dream job as a vintage clothing picker. I am the most excited girl in the world! For serious buddies, I am going to amaze the world with my wonderful hunter gathering and scrounging techniques and provide vintage shops with the most magical pieces.

As a celebration, I would like to announce that from June 15th to June 30th inclusive I am having a 50% off sale on all items in my shop. Upon purchase I will refund you half the price of the garment/s. (Shipping will remain the same)

so much so far so little

2010-05-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

I've been mega absent for the past week or so. This is because I am pretty much single handedly redecorating the house. It's pretty sweet, actually, Trevor just trusts me to do the decorating. I think he is pretty content with his study so he doesn't mind what the rest of the house looks like. It's starting to look like a mix between nouveaux victorian and mid 60's mushroom trip camping parties. I've still got lots of painting to do, and a couple walls to decorate.

On Wednesday we ventured to the Burnaby Heritage Village Museum. We pretty much walked there because the transit was not on our side this day, but it was fun. We played a lot of butter cup games (with buttercups). Their yellow pollen is hard to get off your face.

Okay, the last time I visited this quaint heritage village was about 21 years ago, in grade 2 and I swear the whole thing was underground and there were cobblestone streets and butter churning and rug hooking demos. Ha...haa ha. I don't know where this memory comes from because the whole place is above ground, and it is all a bunch of little shops and houses that had actually, at one time, existed in the city of Burnaby. So it was like a little town you could walk through. My favorite was by far the optometrist with all of the glass eyes.

! creepy! I had to take this shot through the front window becasue the office was actually closed.
I guess glass eyes were a big thing back in the day. There were probably a lot more eye injuries and less developed surgeries for eye diseases and cataract removal. It would be so strange to put one of those into your socket. Would you sleep with it in? Me, I wouldn't; I'd make a little bed with a quilt and velvet pillow for it.

This doesn't have to do with the museum, but I wanted to share another photo I took a while back when we actually had sunny weather. It's the inside of an old tailor shop in the sort of run down area of town. I also took this through the window. I love the feelings it conjures up. Magical sewing projects
and back to work I go

kitchen makeover dream 10 billion dollars

2010-05-25T12:43:00.000-07:00

Interior design fascinates me, and so do installations. I love collecting, displaying, giving away, and doing it all over again. I felt like our kitchen was getting a little crazy and cluttered with disorganization. Also the wall colour was making me feel closed in and restricted: an orangeish brown. It just didn't go with pastels, and that is what I have been into for a while now- nice faded shades. So, the wall went from that rustic orangeish brown to an old lace and oatmeal kind of colour. The ceilings are really high in some points of the kitchen, so I was on top of the fridge and a ladder at different points in the painting process.

Here is what the wall behind the sink looks like now. I finally got to display my old doilies! I love doilies, the geometry of them really fascinates me.

I'll be posting more pictures as the kitchen continues to be "installed"

I've also got a shop update for your eyes to see.

summer dresses for all

2010-05-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

update in the shop today

enjoy! I will have some scans tomorrow of pages I tore out of a really old natural history encyclopedia...sorry encyclopedia, I amputated you.

second part

2010-05-14T14:17:00.000-07:00

I've acquired a lot of adorable dresses and hats as of late, and I've been meaning to show you them for a little while now. Here are some photos I took today wearing these goodies.

The prettiest of all the white dresses I own. I have three. This one is in exceptionally good condition for the fact it is an early 1960s piece
(you can click on any of my photos to see them larger in a separate window)

Oh, and the head piece is so beautiful: a silky peach cut out that fits ever so nicely on my head.

The next dress is a cotton day dress that is from the 80's but it reminds me of a lovely late 50's early 60's linen summer dress. Oh, and a little fur cap on my head, for all of you to enjoy!

Then there is this soft green tea dress that is right out of the 1930's, but it is actually another reproduction from Japan. Oh, how I love Japanese everything!

The hat is kind of silly, but I think it is also cute. It's a little crocheted doily with pastel flowers, and then a vintage head piece on top to secure it. Kind of an Amish fashioned DIY hat, don't you think?

The last photo is the grey heavy weight cotton empire waist school dress I am going to have altered. Right now it is a little too big. Oh, and that is the red squirrel tail, from the last post, hanging on the front of my dress

okay, happy friday, and have a blast of a weekend.

a bientot!

first piece

2010-05-14T13:35:00.000-07:00

Hey Friday!

Today I am doing two back to back posts because I have far too many photos to put up in just one. Also, they divide nicely into two categories: vintage home, and vintage fashion. I'm going to start off with the vintage home post. Before I do, please know that I am excited to go out in a cute old dress (I think the white one from the next post) and tour around the city with my friend. I'm meeting her in a couple hours now. The shops I want to take her to include: One of a Few, Two of a Few, Mr. Lee's General Store, and Lark. I love visiting these boutiques just to see what they have out.

Okay, so vintage household pieces. Let's start with my ever growing collection of serving and baking utensils. A few new pieces have been added lately, but I don't think you've ever even seen any, so take a looksie!

I have more egg beaters, but the green handled guy is my favorite. The ice cream scoop is an oldie from England, and the same goes for the ladel.

I guess I could show you the wooden happy boy bottle opener next...he's got secrets hidden inside. At first I thought it was just a wooden figurine, but upon further inspection. >!pop!< ...to reveal a bottle opener and a corkscrew

I've been collecting bake ware for a long time now, about 6 years (hey that's nearly 1/5th of my life!) I almost passed this casserole dish up, but there was something about the pattern on it.

It reminds me a lot of Charlie Harper's stuff

Here is an egg separator, I knew these existed but was yet to see one as adorable as this. The egg white comes out of the slit in the chicken's chest...uhhh?

It's cute, and practical for baking, so I will use it in the home.

Some old toothy scissors, I feel like they are used for cutting hair. From Solingen, Germany.

I'll probably just use them on paper. They make a pattern that looks like a rip out coupon border.

You probably know by now I have a pretty extensive collection of vintage creamer and sugar bowl sets. This is Maruhon Dishware from occupied Japan. Tomatoes!

If you've made it this far into my post, you probably really love collecting vintage and antiques items as well. I'm glad you do, it's so great, don't you think? I want a tiny wooden home/museum full of it!

very old silverware. I like it tarnished. All of these pices are very tiny. Like sugar spoons, and baby forks.

The last item I have, well, it's not old, but it is a component of my collecting habit. Taxidermy! It's a little red squirrel tail from a fellow craft sale pal of mine, Road Quill. The whole idea is to preserve road kill, especially quills from porcupines. I have a porcupine quill ring from her as well.

On to the next post. I hope you enjoyed all of my special findings.

summer dining

2010-05-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been getting a chance to test out some really great food. I always to have a colourful healthy meal in front of me, so it's extra special when it's done potluck style.

Yesterday our friends invitied us over for dinner, and we had lots of great food. There house is really amazing and very well laid out.

peaking into the sitting room

most awesome doily construction project ever, in one of the bedrooms

I absolutely love doilies. I have a giant collection of them, and I really want to do some projects with them all. They remind me of tiny sea creatures, and, if you want to get nerdy, different types of echinoderms (that is the phylum starfish and sea urchins belong to)

doily lampshades via apartment therapy

another collection of doilies, oh my, what fabric flakes...

So for dinner...
We had tonnes of good snacks for appetizers:
pickled peppers
artichoke hearts
dolmates
toasted walnuts with lemon and salt

I made a really nice borscht, and my summer salad. The salad has a lot of goodies in it:

spinach
toasted walnuts
avocado
sliced tomatoes
sliced scallions
shredded carrot
chopped fresh dates
sliced cucumbers

We also had a quinoa salad (like a cous cous salad minus the cous cous)

Our desert was very special juice- home made and jarred grape juice: both concord and black grape. It was heavenly

Tonight there is a musical dance paty and I am going to be bringing mojito supplies. My mum let me borrow her fancy juicer today, so I already made a batch of the ginger and lime juice required. I also made the simple syrup and infused it with fresh mint. I kept the rest of the mint to add to the drinks after making them. It's going to be awesome.

ginger lime juice

fresh pickings

I feel like I have been quite scatter brained this past week. I am looking to buy these boots on Friday, so that will be a nice addition to my summer wardrobe. I really do need to take some pictures of the stuff I have been thrifting lately. There's lots of it, and it is amazing! I shall do that tomorrow morning I promise. In the afternoon I am meeting up with my really amazing and long lost friend and we are going to wander through Gastown and store hop, dine, and drink. I know her from when I was in uni/college in Newfoundland, and she has never been to the west coast, so I am excited to see what she thinks.

dressing gowns and the rest of a craft sale

2010-05-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

A little shop update for you to view. It's warm and sunny here, and perfect for dresses and bare legs to catch tadpoles.

My hat collection is really growing. I must have over 8 different hats, and I've only really been into them since this past winter. They make me happy, and add an adorable touch to an outfit.
All these dresses are up in the shop right now

So the rest of the craft sale was pretty awesome, especially because we got a secret beer, and my neighbour shared some Carolan's into my coffee. All of the items I had left over got dropped off at the amazing collage collage for sale in the shop.

I had three little succulent-scapes and six mountain pals left over, which worked out perfectly, because the shop had sold out of the rest of the little guys.

Collage Collage is a really cool place. Every time I go in there I see so much new stuff, and they have uppercase magazine and tonnes of other amazing publications, art prints, toys, and supplies. Check it!

I feel so honoured to sell my goods there. I'm working on some new felt drop pins right now.

It's 9:42 at night and I want to read. I'm cat sitting for a friend who lives only 2 blocks away and she has a TV. I watched too much too soon.

g'night

fun times

2010-05-09T11:40:00.001-07:00

Yay!

we had a craft sale and it was a big bunch of fun times.

the location

the preparation

the vantage point from my table

my spot in the sale
During the sale I took a break to fall in love with someone very special-

Scout the white labradoodle!

It was one of the hardest things for me not to take him away.

There you have it, part one of my wonderfully magic craft saling Saturday. I'll post part two tomorrow after my very special JOB INTERVIEW!! Cross your fingers for me.

bon journee

i heart crafts

2010-05-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

Eadel just went to the bathroom on my shoulder. I think it is his reaction to me playing Nick Drake all afternoon.

I'm happy to announce I will be in a mother's day craft sale this Saturday at the T oast Collective Studios. They seem like a neat bunch of people running that place, hosting classes on beer brewing, screenprinting, and photography. I'll be vending my sasquatch dolls, and some really special little succulent display pieces.

In my last post I put up pictures of that little shallow succulent mix garden I made, well, I ripped it up. It made me uncomfortable. I just wasn't happy with it. Not the right colours for me, not the right style. So, I repotted some of the guys from it; the rest are just sitting in the dish still, in the midst of a construction site. I liked that dish as a fruit bowl, anyways...

Here are the new guys

I also did some basil planting in this 50's ceramic planter (the little guy on the right still needs to adjust, he is sad right now)

Here is a preview of the display dishes I will be using to put the succulents in for the craft sale

I need to go back out to that giant cactus nursery tomorrow and pick up some interesting specimens.

A quick shop update of dresses for you to seriously consider

black thumb

2010-05-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

!!excited!!

Yesterday I took a trip to the largest supplier of succulents in all of British Columbia. There was a tonne of cool stuff, and my friend Adriene, and I wanted to make some little gardens with our finds. It was so cold and rainy out, guys, but we managed to endure and find some beautiful varieties for our little gardens.

Check out the haul and what I did with mine

The little wooden sailor family is from goosegrease

Out by the nursery were some really neat scenes. It was a mix of creepy and enchanting. Lots of abandoned old houses, and roads climbing to nowhere in particular. There were so many little farms as well. It was total forgotten plant land. I'm excited for sunny summer days to go out there on my bike and explore

I could see myself climbing around in the guts of this house in a little dress and some oxfords. Yes, it would be Miss Maya, girl detective. The last time I did that was with Leslie and Aaron and it was in a burned out old house across the street from Trout Lake. Whatever, there's nobody around anyway!

Before I leave, I need to let you know that I finally acquired an air plant. It is just chillin' in an empty crystal jar, y'know enjoying life.

Here is more stuff it enjoys (I gather thus far):

•hangin' ten'
• sucking mositure and nutrients out of the air
• looking kind of dry and scraggly

I named it Ed.

goodbye

gosh and 2 tbsp's

2010-04-29T16:31:00.000-07:00

•Shop Updater Machine•

Yes, I did a little bit of updating. So far, this dress and both skirts are up, the shoes are coming tomorrow. I also have a bunch of other goodies including two very romantic and serene fairy/wedding dresses for tomorrow's update.

I have been listening to too much Nick Cave lately, he's making me a little angsty and depressed. Thanks, man! I'm going to counterract that by watching copious amounts of Lost tonight after going for a fresh pasta dinner.

Today I'm taking the day off pilates, I already did it on Tuesday, and I am also going to do 4 spin classes instead of 3 this week. My new schedule is like this: Spin M, W, R, Sa, Pilates T.
It's easy to get addicted to spinning. Have I said that before? I also have been riding tonnes outdoors. Gosh, I am super slacking on outdoor photos, but I got the remote, so fresh air induced photos will be up soon, my friends, soon!

In that picture above of me in the raw umber dress, I am holding this awesome medallion I picked up recently. It's a bronze Czech coin. Not a modern day one, but a really cool reproduction of an old one. I think it's basically a souvenir piece

A couple weeks ago i was in Victoria, and my friend gave me some really amazing photos I recently scanned. They are both definitely in my top 20 cutest photos. I also dug up a bunch of old photos while I was rummaging for all my typewriters in the basement storage. I'll scan those in soon as well.

PS- I am restoring all 6 of my old typewriters. It's a tough job to clean all the dust out of them.

Until tomorrow...

red, white, and distracted

2010-04-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

Man, hail is pounding the skylights right now. It's nuts, but I like those intense quick downpours. Good thing I didn't put the herbs out yet, because those are some angry little cloud guys.

Eadel got a new cage, and I did a shop update. I hope you like stripes as much as me.

secret trap door cage

grey/white striped skirt

red/white striped day dress

Okay, I watched The Lovely Bones last night and it made me pretty bummed during some parts, but I really liked the focus on the world in between heaven and earth; I think that made the film so wonderful. For a long time I had a purely scientific opinion of death, and what happens after you die. I thought in only a physical sense- your body decays, goes back into the earth, etc. I had a conversation recently which opened my eyes to the other aspect of living, and that is the spirit. So something must happen to the spirit after the body no longer exists. It's not like it was a great epiphany, or I had figured out rocket science in a day, but it did remind me of the other half.

Today is Monday

2010-04-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

Mondays are for getting things done. Like gardening, and baking muffins, and solo city adventures, and granola sprucing.

I'm heading out soon to pick up some bleeding heart, cat nip, oregano, thyme, and basil for the porch garden. Yesterday I got all the pots and soil prepared. I want to do something really stunning and creative with this space. It's strange because I am so used to working in dry indoor environments, it'll be neat to experiment with the forces of weather/ing. I'll definitely have it done for the end of this week, that is my goal. Tonight I need to salvage some bricks...

hehe, here I am giving a little thank you for this cozy knitted cape

I really want to go out into the forest trails of Stanley Park when the weather shapes up. I have this amazing white cotton frock and I have ideas about crawling around in the dirt and moss with it.

I recently acquired a couple of interesting little items I would like to share with you.

In particular this ceramic bear I have suitingly named Magi. He's going to teach me to follow the stars.

and an ever handy second nut and seed mill, just in case my original decides to give out.

Today is also the day where I purchase a remote for my camera so I don't need to constantly run up and set the timer.

a demain

rain rain continue go forth

2010-04-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

Guys! When is this rain going to stop. It feels like it's been forever since I was able to go outside and shoot some little dress up photos. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more pleasant weather this week. In the meantime, I am going to work on my clickety clack typewriter composing snail mail letters.

Oh, and, as promised, the rest of the stuff I've acquired this past little while.

I really do have a thing for interesting old doilies and handkerchiefs. I've acquired quite the pile.

velvet ribbon and seam binding ribbons, perfect for wrapping up packages

Tada! A second Wabasso coin bank. Now they can have conversations about who has the most change inside.The little blue card sitting in the typewriter is actually the invite for the letter writing club held at the Regional Assembly of Text the first Thursday of each month. I'm going next week.

going into it

2010-04-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

So very exciting, I have quite a lot of new goodies to write about. First, let me start this post with the topic of regular person jobs. I applied for an office job today in one of the most relaxed environments you could ever apply to. Just trust me on this one. I am hoping to get an interview, and even though they strongly encourage aboriginals and minorities to apply, and I am none of these, I am keeping my fingers very crossed. It pays a good wage and is only relief work, so it will add some more cushion to my little wallet so I can go on some small adventure trips.

I wonder what would happen if I wore my pink chiffon outfit while riding my bike through the streets. Here is what I think: It would probably get tangled in the chain, causing me to fall off my bike and have a painful sobbing fit.

I think it would be best if I just kept it as part of my home life.

This french browns outfit, on the other hand, is perfect for a bike ride to all of my thrifting destinations

Check out the amazing sail boat wheel patch on it. It also has chocolate leather piping.

Today is what I like to describe as a grueling day at the gym. I just did a pilates class from 6-7 and then I go back for a spin class from 8-9. In between I will do this blog update and wolf down a carrot. My exercise life does not suck, really, it is quite the contrary. I love it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE riding my bike, and spin class just adds more of a kick to a bike ride since we're riding a track style bike (with gears!)

On to the goodies, ok?

I never really played softball, but I used to watch my best friend play when we were both in grade 3. Gawd, she had to be my best friend for me to be 7 and sitting quietly, shy even, on the bleachers, watching attentively and she pitched, batted, swung, missed, and did it again. This is the same friend who cut me out of all her 8th birthday party pictures because we had a tiff, and then when we made up, showed me the crooked photos and explained how they came to be.

I guess I'm not going to finish this post today, as I need to go back for Spin. I'll have to continue tomorrow. It's okay, it'll give you something to look forward to.

•Sweet dreams•

double postage

2010-04-20T17:54:00.000-07:00

So dreary here in my neighbourhood. Do I need coffee? A movie at the cinema? I am in need of a little pick me up...maybe Kick Ass at the local movie theatre will help? I sure hope so. I found this dress today at a charity shop down the street. I love the look of it, and am not sure whether to keep it or list it, as I already have a navy dress in my closet. Those little navy heels I am wearing have leather bow ties on the front. Adorable.

I trolled the St. Vincent de Paul for this great magazine basket. Its stamp underneath indicates it is walnut. It looks like a mix between walnut and teak. I am officially in love with it, and now have all of my oversized vintage hardcover books sitting in it.

....some other items I have recently acquired

a heavy but very charming brass deer

wooden letter organizer for my snail mail

interesting bird themed stationary

folded neatly

2010-04-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Victoria yesterday night, pretty late. I caught the last ferry for Sunday. It was a really great trip that was long overdue. I really enjoy visiting my set of friends over there, they're quite inspiring.

Along with the visit came a lot of adventures to second hand/charity shops. I managed to score quite a few great items that I am going to be posting tomorrow. I also did a couple water colour illustrations.

my thoughts on the island- chill

Oh! There is bunch of awesome stuff up in the shop right now in sweet spring and summer pastels.

folded blouses and skirts- lots of them!

Off to start my daily adventures.

secret waterfall park

2010-04-14T10:38:00.000-07:00

Took a trip to a special park, ran in the sunshine, saw about 400 different varieties of poodles, collected darwin-esque samples. That was what my day was like yesterday at the secret waterfall park. It's a little place we like to bike ride to...

My bike is now the proud owner of a giant parcel package delivery basket, just like the olden days. I absolutely love riding around on it now. There is much more weight in the front because of the basket, so the bike feels a lot more stable. It's also not nearly as hard to maneuver as I thought. Yesterday I rode it to the post office to deliver some packages, and then took it on a clothes thrifting mission. So great!

We rode down to the hippie bookstore at the other end of town recently and I played with this neat book that had over 200 North American bird songs programmed into it. Then last night I had a dream about all these different birds, but they were super giant.

playing with my zoom lens, but imagine this little guy human sized.

bon journee

wake up sunshine giant

2010-04-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

I got up relatively early today and decided to finish off some little paintings I'd neglected for the past couple of days. Why, you ask? Because it's Monday, and Monday is a day for getting thing done!

don't forget

quality best friends

The end of our street has been going crazy with these plum blossoms. They are so large and lush, I'd like to fill a bathtub full of them and lie in it for a while.

I think we're going for a bike ride today. We might go to the mini waterfalls where all the dogs run and jump off this lower cliff rock. I know there is a standard dark grey poodle who frequents this spot quite a lot, and I wouldn't mind taking some spy investigation photos of it.

Off to continue my day.

surrounded by cute

2010-04-11T12:27:00.000-07:00

Oh hey! Here I am about to burst out all of my amazing news.

Yes, this is for reals! The time has come for an update of amazingly cute finds to add to our home. I feel like I have been too focused on clothing when I am out and about. My first real love has always been cute trinkets and housewares, so I got back to my roots this past week: I reclaimed this dust collecting 10' long shelf from the basement parking garage, cleaned it off, and we are going to hang it this morning.

Some of these l'il things may be going finding their home on that shelf.

best vintage japanese candy dish ever! I have the matching cookie jar.

the title of this image is "Miss Flirt" haha?
ceramic kittens in egg cups. Umm their mum kind of broke
but I will glue her back together
mother cat and her bits and pieces

black poodle to add to my collection

magical mermaids and crowns from Boston with love
perfect biscuits for an afternoon tea and fox hunt
I also managed to pick up some housewares:

tiny green tempered glass espresso cups

bakelite planter that I am going to fill with fresh catnip

I also did a massive shop update, which I find tiring, and am thinking of just sticking to adding one or two items every couple of days. It feels more consistent that way. Anyways, there are now lots of super amazing dresses for you to wear to your hearts' content! I also switched to shipping air mail. I know it is a little more expensive on my end, but when it takes international packages nearly TWO months to arrive at their destination, it is worth shipping air.

I realized it had been a while since I had done any photo shoots of myself in nice little outfits, so yesterday I set out to do one but could not figure out what was going on with my wild and crazy hair. I came to the conclusion, that I am not a "grow your bangs out" type of girl. I'm a straight hair, framed face young woman. So in one seasoned chop, I took off my excess bangs and was quite pleased with the outcome. Yay for sewing scissors, they do a nice job.

I'm signing out as a much smaller girl now that I have gotten all of that updating out

salut!

easter came and now it is gone

2010-04-06T17:18:00.001-07:00

Happy belated Good Friday and Easter guys!

chocolates and ribbons in my lap

Can you believe it, I didn't even have time to get any thrifting done on our trip to Victoria. We did get to go to Korma the wonder dog's 15th birthday party, and that was pretty fun! Korma is Trevor's old doggie from when he lived in Victoria. We ended up staying over night next door to the party, but there was a wind storm and we were on the hide-a-bed right under the sitting room's giant window. Even with 5 wool blankets, we were freezing.

On the ferry ride back home I had A LOT of green tea, a thermos is always good for carrying that stuff around.

I think that was enough green tea for a while...

I did do a little mission to New Westminster's antique alley on Easter Monday and found an amazing drawing of the cutest little girl. It is from 1891. At first I thought it was a photograph, that's how real it looked.

she's adorable

I also managed to find some interesting pendants. You may think I am fascinated with appendages, but it just turned out that way.

bronzed marathon runner, carved bone left hand, and silver hands in prayer

Right now I am pretty tired and am going to read some more of Pierre Berton's essays on his travels in northern Canada and the Arctic circa 1948-1956

c-i-a-o

2010-04-02T18:13:00.001-07:00

Gone to the island for a holiday thrifting adventure. Happy Easter mes amis!

little plastic hearts

2010-03-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

hai hai blog pals!

Rain, hail, dark clouds and sunshine, but I am still here, so please do not worry.

I found the cutest dress and shoes today. Holy man! After my brain has wrestled with heels, wedges, and elevated footwear of more than 1 inch for the past few months, I've decided that these type of shoes are no good for me. They make me too tall, Weirdly tall! I am in love with little oxfords of the boot and shoe variety!

F Troupe and Jessica Odgen

My happy little find by a company called "Verde"

So here is the outfit I am wearing right now. I dig it- Let's call it lone rowboat in a French lake.

Oh, and check out this cup and saucer set I purchased today for the mildly decent price of one hundred and ninety nine pennies:

the couple up close (I think this was how they got groceries in the olden days...)

Oh, and as promised, some little watercolour illustrations for you to enjoy. One is a little painting of what I imagine would happen if I cut my index finger off, and the second one is a massive hive of french knots.

Let me tell you something, readers out there from all walks of life: spin class is tough! I had my first one today and it got me super tired. Bad techno remixes of Ricky Martin blaring, and hard to pedal bikes. I'll go again!

big juicy love hearts to you, I'm out of here

sous

2010-03-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

This day is strange. It's humid, I guess. Weird, I haven't experienced this in a while.

I've been fiddling around with my blog and changing up column widths so I can fit wider pics.
It's pretty great, tinkering with things, but sometimes I make dumb mistakes.

Umm, well, I found some cool cherry blossom inspired items while out this week. One is a little milk glass jar that has an image of a birdy on a cherry blossom branch, and the other is a cherry kerchief.

I'm trying to collect more trinkets for the house. Kind of a second wind, if you will. I am excited about making little displays for them, in old boxes and miscellaneous objects turned into shelves.

I am thinking of going on a trip to Victoria to see some pals and do some thrifting. Must not spend money, must save money. Spending $50 on tights does not help! Yeah, I'll go and thrift up a giant storm of vintage goodies for you to see.

In other news, my new flickr friend Suzzanna is going to be featuring me on her blog as a vintage Etsy seller. It should be up this wednesday and I will definitely keep you posted. Very excited! I'm really liking my closet right now. I've managed to thrift up a good collection of not only clothing, but accessories too: bows, scarves, belts, pins, hats, bags, and the likes.

I found some cute little pieces for the Shop as well. I've put some up already, but am going to be adding the rest over the next couple of days.

l'il strawberry tweed cotton knit spring shorts

raspberry jam polka dots cotton knit blouse

blue royale hand tailored top

japan meets art nouveau hand tailored dress

triangles and scallops pastel pink silky blouse

SHOES!!
Remember how badly I wanted those Zeha boots, from a while back?
(follow the link to refresh your memory)
I have come upon these boots by Frye. They have been kicking around for a while, but I haven't seen them in this sandy colour yet. I heart these little kicks.

Back to my secret scientific sketches. They will be up by Monday, I promise!

gosh it is late over where i am

2010-03-24T23:57:00.001-07:00

Dudes, I had the most rad past few days.

It was my birthday party and all of my pals came to eat delicious raspberry chocolate cake and drink ginger rum punch. We also destroyed a pinata with only minor damage to our ceiling.

I made a simple ginger syrup for this punch. I'll definitely make some more to add to sparkling water. Yay, ginger beer.

I got really neat little succulent plant (sedum burrito) present from Ker modi L iving Art

I was also granted a lot of goodies from Trevor. He got me a little external hard drive to back up my laptop, some typewriter ribbons, and as mentioned earlier, the awesome watercolour set which I am a total dork for not using yet! On Tuesday, my actual birthday, we biked all over the city for our meals: vegetarian food at a local cafe, fruit smoothies on Main Street, and South Indian food in the heart of East Van. We even rode past the house I was born, my old elementary school, and the aquarium I used to visit so much as a kid. Really sweet!

In the spirit of re-ribboning some of my typewriters, I took my old Royal Cast Iron out of storage and tuned it up.

Pre-tune up shots with my favorite little canvas oxfords.
(I have since lovingly removed all the dust balls underneath the keys, and inside the coelum, alcohol-swabbed the insides and outsides, and then oiled the whole thing down, including the tops of the keys.)

Can I tell you about my thrifting now, and a SHOP UPDATE?

I found these amazing suede Keds booties, but the rubber soles have been dried out and so are cracked beyong wearable. I am hoping a cobbler can do a full sole replacement. I love the colour, and they look really good on.

Great little book for girls who are REALLY bored
I don't want to make a doll out of toothpicks today...

Cannot wait to play you, happy $2.00 biology board game

And now for some goodies featured in the shop.

rad skirts
This is actually the label inside the yellow pleated skirt above. So neat, right!
dresses!
How I wore the black jumper with white speckles above.

A girl at the organic grocery told me I was the cutest girl ever. I thought that was so very nice!

It's a whole lot past my bedtime now.

bonne nuit

sunlit entirety

2010-03-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

I had one of the best days of the year, all happening yesterday. I think everything happened at just the right time.

The day started off with a clear blue sky and medium warmth of the sun. I did my regular routine at the gym. Feels so good to sweat. I am addicted to it. I noticed they were doing renovations in the yoga room there and found out they are going to be filling it with bikes on certain days for spin classes starting soon. Oh Spartacus Gym, I love you!

In the afternoon I rode over to Becka and Richard's to do the wooden bunting photo shoot, and it was a lot of fun! The bunting looks so cute. I want to get one for sure! Becka baked a delicious crumb cake and we all sat around at the table drinking tea, having cake, and conversing about fun stuff of course. Here is a sneak peak of me holding up the bunting. I'll let you know when they are up in their Etsy shop.

After my visit, it was off to the studio to get some tattoo work done. Mostly maintenance work on the sleeve, putting lots more yellow and orange into the flowers, and touching up the lotus on my hand. Hand tattoos are tricky as they fade a lot faster due to constant exposure. I'm proud to say I sat like a champ. It's very very different getting tattooed by a family member you see every day because you are not afraid to tell them it hurts, or to yelp, wiggle, and squirm. I know very few tattooists that enjoy tattooing their loved ones. It's a strange dynamic. I am finally getting back into acting like a regular client when Trevor tattoos me, and am very happy about that because it makes it much more pleasant for both of us. SERIOUSLY!

For dinner I had some delicious middle eastern fare, and then biked over to Julie's to watch TV with her and her sister. That is always a blast. Julie's sister baked a whole bunch of delicious treats. I got to try one of the cinnamon buns she made and it was amazing. Cranberries and pecans and caramel goodness! I'm going to make cinnamon buns soon, I swear.

I think I had too much chai and green tea yesterday as I got home at 1030 at night and was still wide awake. I played with the camera a bit, and finally found a set up with the tripod to get the depth fof field effects I've really wanted. I swear I am such a "stumble upon" kind of girl with the help of trial and error of course. I guess that is what learning is all about. Does that make sense?

Here I am with my scarf and elephant for you to enjoy.

I'm going out for a thrift mission, wish me luck.

ciao!

nouveaux new

2010-03-16T18:38:00.001-07:00

I changed the layout of this blog a little. My eyes were getting tired of looking at the buttery background. I hope you enjoy these more muted tones.

I found some adorable dresses while out thrifting and am going to be adding them to the shop tomorrow, which is Wednesday. I needed to do a little hemming to one of the dresses, as it was a job the previous owner seems to have started but did not complete.

Hemming up the easter dress

Here are the dresses, as a sneak preview

This week is going to be quite exciting, as it's my birthday party on Saturday which means

n-o-m-m-y
c-h-o-c-o-l-a-t-e
c-a-k-e

and

h-a-p-p-y s-p-i-n-n-i-n-g
r-e-c-o-r-d
m-a-c-h-i-n-e

Tomorrow I am going to be the "hold up the bunting girl" for my friend Becka
I'm going to model some bunting like her husband Richard does here:

I'm pretty excited to go over to her place, as I know she is an avid collector of all things awesome. I can't wait!

Okay, so a while ago I got that Pelikan water colour set as an early birthday present from my husband, Trevor and I've been trying to think of things to illustrate and paint. In doing so I just asked myself what I enjoy, and I found some reference.

lichens!

I want to illustrate a bunch of lichen but give them some human characteristics too. Like little lichen families. Maybe some will be holding bows and arrows, or braiding each others hair, or running after fire flies. It'll be a whole story.

Tonight is Alice in Wonderland at the movie theatre. I am prety excited!

Until next time...

thinking of spring

2010-03-11T17:40:00.000-08:00

I've been finding some pretty great little spring pieces as of late, because, in case you are not keeping track, there are under 2 weeks until the official season change over.

My birthday is in spring, March 23.
I will be 28 years of age.

hello spring colours:

It will be time to wear these soon:

These gems, and then some, are going up in the shop tomorrow. Happy Friday thrifting!

Some other news.
I'm going off the birth control pill. I've been on it for almost a year and have noticed changes in my body and mind that are bumming me out. I'm sure that hormonal contraceptives work for a lot of women out there, but I was getting to feel bummed out a lot more and a lot longer than I'd ever noticed in the past, and it was still making me nauseous about 1/4 of the time.

I got a Pelikan watercolour kit! So super excited to paint with it. I'm going to start working on some illustrations tomorrow.

I am planning on doing some fauna and flora images. I really love the boquets in this Good Housekeeping cover from May 1917. Lovely!

miam miam

ciao

corresponding with no one in particular

2010-03-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

I'm working on some parcel packages that are long overdue. Hoping to have one more cup of coffee and finish off the last one.

s-u-r-p-r-i-s-e
f-0-r
y-o-u
b-u-d-d-y

I owe one package to my Montreal best, Marielle, and one to each Anja and the Lauren /Gillian duo of Portland. Don't worry guys, they are seriously arriving soon!

toiletry bag from Aspire Style in the U.K.

I was so happy to see a bit of sunshine today, and after picking up the weekly haul at Drive Organics, I went to the Lynden Lodge down the street to take some photos of my newly thrifted caramel blouse. This is my favoritest colour to wear these days. It works so well with forest green and navy. I also managed to put my super high waisted jeans into use.

That red tote beside me is my newly thrifted bag. Check out the print on the front: yarn spool, knitting needles, and a ruler!

Oh, and do you see what I mean about this blouse colour going so well with forest greens and navys?

My thrift mission yesterday afternoon was a total success. I found lots of springy items I've already list in the shop. We're also having some well deserved cold weather here, so that justifies me getting these pastel peach mittens you see in the mix.

Do you see those nice muted yellow suspenders? I am pretty excited to work them into my wardrobe.

I had far too much coffee yesterday: 2 x espressos. I managed to do a crossword puzzle, write a 5 page letter at the cafe, and do a 9pm work out at the gym. Oh caffeine...

This evening, I'm planning to do another work out. It helps me sleep if I go later in the day. I don't understand how people can go in the morning. If I do, I feel like a sluggy sluggerton for the rest of the day. I guess I have been going to the gym regularly for a year now and have come to the conclusion that it's one of the best ways I know of to fight the winter blues. Super power blood rushing through my body and lots of sweating= happiness.

Oh Hai there!

I started reading, "Hiroshima" last night. It's a book I think everyone should read. It's a really quick read gives first hand accounts of the events that occurred before, during, and after the bombing. So crazy to think people experienced that trauma.

I guess now I am going to get back to my package production line.

Good night all!

when you lie down in bed

2010-03-06T17:14:00.000-08:00

I have been reading a tonne lately. Maybe this sounds lame to you guys, but it usually takes me a good 3-4 weeks to finish a novel. I think the reason is because I read right before going to sleep, so the act, in a sense, is like a sleeping pill-causing me to fall into the blue. Lately I've been reading in the afternoon, and have been flying through the pages. So far this year I have read 3 novels: The Wars by Timothy Findley; The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham, and The Wayward Bus by one of my favorite authors, John Steinbeck. For me, reading is like a pretty sweet little day dream, and a break from real life. Yay for great pages filled with magical words!

It's been pretty amazing out today. I was going to get up at 7am and bike to Trout Lake with the camera and tripod to take some photos on one of the secluded docks, but I figured it would be too cold, so I waited until mid day and went to my favorite little can man, cigarette and rummy hang out: Mosaic Park.

daffodil jail on the way to the park

Because it was pretty sunny out, I decided to wear my nice felted hat I've been saving for the occasion.

Look, I've even got my raccoon tail bag, and my thermos with me!
I'm wearing my yellow wool slacks, my red smock designed by Tara Jarmon, and I must not forget my cutie little leather criss cross oxfords.

I've been into blouses and slacks a lot lately. I really dig the style and the warmth. I know as summer comes, my directions will turn to shorts and blouses. I really liked these outfits from Ora Kiely, as shown at London Fashion Week, super cute.

I love the heels in this last picture, but because I am tall, I think the wedge at the front would make me look super human. I'd probably go for something like these coclico's

With fashion on the mind, I'll let you know that I went on a mission yesterday afternoon and found some great blouses and dresses to add to the shop. They will be up by tomorrow afternoon, so keep your eyes peeled for cutness.

a little sneak peak of this black wool mod dress for you!

In other news, I mailed a letter to my friend Evan. He's living in New York right now, on a four year scholarship to Cooper Union. He's quite an amazing kid. He bakes the best vegan desserts this whole world has ever seen, and he can draw pretty swell too. I hope the mail arrives soon, I miss little Evan!

I'm hungry, so I'm going to go dream about meals like this one Trevor made a few nights ago.

cold soba with mixed vegetables and sauerkraut, and a brocolli burdock stew.

we swim in rich rose petals and soft parrot feathers

2010-03-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

Gosh, such a beautiful day, and amazing light. I finally got some pictures of the magnolia blossoms. I'm in love with these trees. They bloom so quick and just as quickly they're done for. Maybe 1.5 weeks and the cycle is complete.

The colours remind me of a hat I just listed in the shop today- I did an update and included some hats.

I also added some other lovely items, check them out below:

cheeps! you must know by now I LOVE this dark mustard colour

I think this blazer would look cute with a brown swing skirt, a straw hat, and some oxfords with socks. Hmm, I might have to wardrobe remix this...
snow white and cute as a sunkissed soopalallie berry when worn over a summer dress

Last night was la la LOST night, so I went over to Adriene's to watch it and at the same time inherited some of her craft supplies. She is in the process of moving to her dream apartment that she bought! I am proud of my little hard working pal! Okay, she was getting rid of some things, so I gladly accepted. I got a bunch of great items- picture frames, vintage papers, and some red and pink trim and ribbons!

*~ HEARTS~*

bigger lips

2010-02-28T17:19:00.000-08:00

I made myself have more defined lips today- I bumped up the lip liner border on my upper lip. It's pretty, and was very easy. By now you have probably figured that I pretty much never wear make up, and that I do not know too much about it. Last week I went through this whole tackle box of MAC stuff I had bought when I lived in Toronto- really odd colours and pieces, and I got rid of them. My makeup now consists or clear mascara, MAC sugarplum blush, a hazel eyeliner pencil, and some neutral red lip liner. I also have a blush brush and an eye shadow brush.
After the lip treatment, I took some photos of myself in the kitchen hangin' with Dilly, the daffodil I picked from a garden down the street.

I'm getting pretty excited about my tattoo work. It is finally coming together. I still have so much more planned. We're doing a multi headed snake wrapping around a snake charmer hand on the back of my thigh and knee. It's for my birthday, so Trevor better be light with the needles and not dry wipe!

I lied about last night. I ended up going out to Burnaby (the suburbs) to hang out with my old Memorial University friend, Mark. He is a house leader for a youth volunteer/life enrichment program called Katimavik. Check it out. It's pretty awesome. Mark is in between groups now, so there was nobody at the house but us. We played a game of Cranium, baked a pumpkin pie, and then made bathroom jokes, and I drew pictures of naked men. It was good to hang out. We need to do it more often!

This morning/afternoon the local movie theatre played the Canada USA hockey game for free to the public, and I went with a bunch of my friends to watch it. It was a big line up, and the theatre was at capacity, but we managed to get front row centre seats! They were selling beer, cider, and highballs. I opted for popcorn , juice, and skittles. That was a fun game- because, well, Canada won. After the game we all went out on the streets and it was mayhem. We were giving everyone high fives, and the JJ Bean regular dude in the wheelchair was out in the middle of the busy street waving a huge canada flag and high fiving drivers. I wish the city could be this high spirited more often, and not just because of winning sports games, but because of great coffee, and delicious gelato, and good local red wine.

People are still honking...I can hear them.

Tonight Trevor and I are heading to Cascade Room on Main Street to celebrate a friend's birthday. It should be fun- appetizer city!

a bientot!

miller, south dakota

2010-02-27T17:31:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling cozy and happy staying inside these past few days. The rain is back, and it's best to have an umbrella and some good rubber boots. I've managed to accumulate some more goodies in my thrifting travels and have done a sho p update.

One of the best finds! This honey brown leather briefcase:
(the one to the left I managed to find a while back- both equally radical)

I also got a new cup. I loves cups, and have a good collection: glass, ceramic, china, plastic...

rooster and acorns glass:

my friend Aaron seems to have a lot of glass with paintings like this one, so I am going to send this photo to him and see if he knows anymore about it. I feel like it is pretty old.

I am feeling pretty content with my shop photos. I finally realized I need to make the images square so that people can view the full item when it's up in the shop. This is a pic of me in my little "office"

The brass deer on the bottom left of this picture I found last weekend. Oh, and look! It's pussy willows and daffodils blossoming in this tiny bottle- and it's still FEBRUARY! Did you know we have magnolia trees lining our street? They have the most greatest lush blossoms a gal could ever imagine.

Check out these slippers/mocs I got! They were hand crafted on the Sto:lo Nation reserve in Agassiz. This is where my step mum is from.

I really don't think this weekend is going to be very social. I spent last night, Friday night, sterilizing tubes at the tattoo studio. Tonight I want to watch scary movies. I'm going to search for ones I haven't seen before. Do you guys have any recommendations? I want something that will be spooooooky!

Maybe spookier than this broken up calf head Aaron gave me

As promised, I have put up some new stuff in the shop so take a look. The pieces are super lovely and so dainty!

pretty peach spotted 1940's style pleat dress
ruffle and tie collar pearl country dress with wheat sprig pattern

little miss librarian striped pleat skirt

crimson scholar blouse with 3/4 sleeves and matching button collar

Off to find some movies and get some pop corn.

c'etait un plaisir

macro

2010-02-25T15:47:00.001-08:00

Hello, I'm going to play a little game with a chair now.

Boo! Here I am. Yes, I am a dork.

I found some cool pieces last night while out thrifting. In particular, a really neat pearly pink apricot dress that looks right out of the 1940s. You can actually see it behind me in this picture. And, yes, I am wearing ugly UGGS, but they are so comfortable and mine are a grey black leather that is not suede, so at least they are a bit different. I got that equestrian hat from my good LOST pal, Adriene. Anyways, check this stuff out. It's all in the shop right now:

sand dunes and paper moons unisex sky blue cardigan
running barefoot through the fields cream fairy dress

we skate on the river high waisted skirt with centre pleat

and the one I was talking about-it's like an evening with Marlene Dietrich

Yes, I am looking through the want advertisements on craigslist for a part time job, and by part time I mean a maximum of 12 hours per week, but it is so lame right now. One advertisement was like, "come be a dishwasher at our restaurant-JOIN THE OLYMPIC TEAM!" okay, come on, that is just pathetic, dorky, and dumb on about 1 trillion levels. It's like, come on, just give me a job, I don't want to jump through hoops- but I am not having much luck with people hiring for 12 hours or less per week-if something really neat and fun comes up that will be pretty great, but until that day, I am going to keep adding stuff to the shop.

FOOD!
Trevor has been cooking us up awesome macrobiotic meals for the past week, and it has been amazing. He can cook traditional Japanese so well! We use Aveline Kushi's Complete Guide to Macrobiotic Cooking. Sadly, she past away in 2001, but she and her husba nd were super pioneers for macrobiotic cooking. Also, we have Fujiya, a Japanese supermarket just down the street, so it works out really well.

soba with wakame and mixed vegetables

sauteed burdock with shallots, inoki mushrooms, and beet relsih

Yay for Tokyo Fashion Week! I have been browsing through the participating designers' portfolios and have found some pretty great stuff. I really like this company called Support Surface. Such great material and the cutest lines.

ciao!

secret treehouse

2010-02-24T13:01:00.000-08:00

I spent the last sunny day on a bike ride with a friend. We went all over the city and out to the suburbs. My little bike made it through mud and gravel , and all the terrains they say her thin wheels cannot do. We visited the secret tree house by the train bridge, and went along to Burnaby and Deer Lake Park. I had a good sleep that night.

secret tree house

deer lake sun vibes

I just realized at the beginning of this entry I made it sound like it was the last sunny day EVER to happen in my existance. This is not true, there will be more sunshine, I promise!

This weekend I thrifted a nice little china creamer and sugar set called "Leafy Way" by Ridgeway Staffordshire. I managed to find a brass deer too- in all its antler glory.

The creamer and sugar set is balancing on one of the three 1940's high backed solid oak chairs we were given by a friend on Sunday night. Seriously, I know!

Like I mentioned earlier, the rain has come back. I'm sort of glad from an environmental standpoint. It's totally unnatural and not normal for it to be so sunny and warm during a February in Vancouver. Don't get mad. I'm just saying, we need a winter too, and little owly peep doesn't mind the rain either.

The rest of my life has been centered around baking muffins. I did up two batches this past couple of days: raspberry mango, and oatmeal date raspberry.

I'm going to mail out a couple orders this afternoon, and then do some thrifting.

I put up a some new items in the shop. I will also be doing a larger update on Friday.

One is this tap tap tap dance 1950's sky blue tweed dress

a bientot mes amis

weeeird

2010-02-20T17:53:00.000-08:00

I'll pick up where I left off. Last night Trevor and I walked over to our friend's Thom and Julie's to eat home made apple pie, coconut ice "creem" , and watch some crazy stuff. They always find the best films- totally a plus in my books.

We watched this French/Czech psychedelic sci fi animation movie called "Fantastic Planet" It was made in the 1970's by Rene Laloux, and if you haven't seen it yet, you really should. It's all about humans (called oms) and giant alien type creatures (called draags) and their relationships with one another. Umm, kind of harsh relationships actually. Find out some more about this crazy film here.

draags

After watching that we also watched some Carl Sagan on the topic of brains and genes. Mind blowing- he taught me of the 4th dimension!

I was supposed to go to a brunch potluck this morning, but it got postponed until next weekend. That's alright because I did a shop update. Check out all of the neat stuff I put up!

anchors away- french sailor skirt

victorian blouse with cream lace collar
ash grey wednesday cardigan with crocheted lace collar

candies in my pocket red and white polkdot blouse

So, another night, another potluck. You guys must think I am a potluck queen, but seriously, my friend Adreiene invited me and it's close by. Also Trevor is tattooing and drawing this evening, so what is a gal to do?
Anyways, I made a pumpkin pie for it. The swirl in the centre is molasses.

au revoir!

the trees

2010-02-19T17:36:00.000-08:00

Join me for the tropical heat party in Vancouver. Haha, seriously guys, it is warm here. I feel like it is some sort of prank- like we will have a super duper cold snap in the next week. Or maybe we will not even get a summer. Maybe it will snow all summer.

I went to get a pair of looser jeans today. Some denim I could roll up. I managed to find a decent pair with a dark wash and straight leg . They are super comfortable. I also went to the suburbs today to thrift for shop goodies to put up tomorrow afternoon. I found some super cute blouses, and finally managed to get myself a good leather belt. I also found a pair of booties that I am not sure whether to keep or not. I took some photos on the balcony:

This is the amazing little cream blouse I got today. It has a magial lace collar and lace detailing doen the front.
I also found a couple red short sleeved blouses: one with polka dots, one with stripes.

This is me with Eadel, our little pastel blue pacific parrotlet friend.

My plans are to go over to my friends' Thom and Julies' place tonight. Trevor is tattooing, and I am not sure when he will be done, but I'll leave him directions on our door. Check out this awesome movie Thom is working on called "The Library Chronicles". I'm super excited to see the finished piece.

Tomorrow morning I have brunch potluck at Rebekah's place. I'm going to do roasted root veggies with a nutritional yeast gravy. Seriously though, this will be my second breakfast style potluck this week . To celebrate Shrove Tuesday, we did a crepe, and pancake feast on the 16th. That was amazing! I filled my crepes with fresh whipping cream, fruit salad, fruit syrup, AND plum and walnut yogourt.