'Tis the season

Sunday was Christmas decorating day at my place. Storage is limited, so I have to keep decorations to a minimum BUT I do have a full size tree.


Most of my decorations were bought at the dollar store or on sale when I was a poor student, and I have yet to replace them. But I think the tree still looks pretty good.

I have moments where I want to do the whole color coordinated tree, but that would mean limiting my ornament choices and I'm not willing to go that route yet. Maybe one day when I have a bigger place I can satisfy both sides of the tree decorating dillemma. I'll have the color coordinated "show" tree, and then the pot-pourri Christmas tree.

If you post a pic of your tree, or holiday decorations, link them in the comments 'cause I'd love to see them!

** The star on top is crooked, and its since been fixed. I may have to take another picture, but I'm trying really hard not to care about it and just let the original pic be. I think it may be a losing battle though.

Pretty Paper Contest

Its not that I need another reason to love The Paper Place, but here's another one.


If you win their contest, the prize is An 8.5x11” sheet of every Chiyogami paper they offer in their online store– 637 patterns in total!!

Go HERE for their contest page!

Good luck to everyone!!

Team Edward

Because Jacob doesn't sparkle.

LOL

Obsessed much?!

The movie (of course) was not as good as the book, but it was really beautiful and only solidified my love of the whole series.

Twilight

Well consider me a bit obsessed.

I bought the first book thinking that I'll give it a try and see what all the fuss is about.

Now I'm done book one and two and I'm literally aching to get my hands on book three (and four).....and see the movie.

And I have a confession to make....

I have a huge crush on Edward. Book Edward AND movie Edward.

The Twilight girls night out is December 5th. I only hope I can hold out that long to see it! ;)

Craftier

My favorite magazine is no more, but I stumbled across a new online magazine today (thanks to LJC) that looks awesome!

Check it out....Craftier!

Wish

My favorite magazine has published its last issue and I'm SO disappointed. Thankfully the website will keep going for now.

Check it out here.

Not a happy blogger.

I got two wisdom teeth pulled just over a week ago. The procedure was painless (yay!), recovery was quite easy (yay!)....but I knew there had to be a catch.

Now, there is this awful taste in my mouth. I've been told its just part of the healing process and I need to do my salt water rinse more often. Because of this I'm grumpy and can't come up with anything fun to blog about at the moment.

To anyone who has gone through this....my DEEPEST sympathies. It sucks!

Inspired!

I consider myself very fortunate. I have a lot of pretty awesome friends in my life. So I feel especially lucky to have met another group of girls in the last six months who have been a true source of joy (and laughter) to me. Because of them I am inspired to get crafty and make something for them.

The details....

Sorry I can't say on here yet because I think a few of them are aware of this little corner on the web.

However, in my usual blog rounds, there's been SO much crafty inspiration that I've been saying "oooh " "oooh" at every click. And the best part...all of these have free patterns/tutorials.

(Click the pics for details)

I'm generally in awe of everything Amy Butler.
Her snow mum pillow cover is no exception.
Must-make-this.

I've been itching to make a new scarf.
Since I have yet to master knitting, this altering
pattern crochet one will do just fine.

Awesome t-shirt embellishment tutorial!

Paper beads! Paper beads!

I'm sure there's tons I've missed out there.

What has inspired you lately?

One word meme

Just cause....

Where is your mobile phone? Couch

Where is your significant other? Who?

Your hair colour? Brown
Your mother? Missed

Your father? Caring

Your favourite thing? Laughing

Your dream last night? Blurred

Your dream goal? Happiness

The room you're in? "Office"

Your hobby? Sewing

Your fear? Failure

Where do you want to be in 6 years? Present

Where were you last night? Bed

What you're not? Mean

One of your wish-list items? Couch

Where you grew up? Burbs

The last thing you did? Cook

What are you wearing? Jeans

Your TV? Off

Your pets? None

Your computer? Annoying

Your mood? Enjoyable

Missing someone? Always
Your car? Nonexistant
Something you're not wearing? Hat
Favourite shop? Independant

Your summer? Quick

Love someone? Yes

Your favourite colour? Green

When is the last time you laughed? Recently

When is the last time you cried? Unsure

YOUR turn! :)

Let's get this! ;)

Yes yes, haven't blogged in a while...feel bad about it....blah blah blah.

Now to the blogging.

I can't say that I've ever bought anything online. But that's not to say that I don't enjoy online shopping. The problem usually is that the stuff I fall in love with, is usually from an American site, and that involves the exchange rate, shipping costs and custom costs. So in the end, its not normally worth the trouble.

That being said, here are the things I've coveting at the moment...

There's just something about this.
The red, the crystals....now if only Santa would listen.

Yup, 'tis (almost) the season. I love this take on the traditional wreath.

I lost my pretty blue umbrella, so I think replacing it
with a pretty pink one would work nicely.

Not quite a solitaire, but so cute!

I don't even drink coffee, but I love this!

What are some of your cool online finds?

(click the pics to get more info on each item)

Crafters Block?

I know there's writers block...but....crafter's block?! I'm sure I'm not the only one who's experienced it.

The thing is...its not that I haven't had any ideas (so maybe its not true "block" afterall), its just that I haven't had access to the resources to make those ideas a reality. Which...to say the least...is frustrating. So...I'm blocked from giving my current craftiness an outlet. I see the light at the end of the tunnel...and its getting brighter and brighter...but....its not quite over yet.

So what can I do for now? Well I'm trying to keep track of all these ideas (the good and the bad) and I'm doing other things to keep me occupied and amused. And honestly...I've been having a great time anyway, but I miss being crafty.

What have you made lately?

At the 'mat on the Saturday night

(see...told ya)

I've discovered the ONE good thing about doing your laundry on a Saturday night.



No one else is.

I know, I know....

bad blogger.

I will return soon.



No really, I promise. :D

Who the hell is Matt?!

Actually, the real question is....where the hell is Matt?



It turns out, the answer is....everywhere.

So amazing to watch and it kinda surprised me how much it got to me.

Enjoy!

We are family!

I was talking with my brother yesterday and he told me about a conversation he had with a friend of his girlfriend, who happens to know my ex.

It went a little something like this...

Friend: “So do you still talk to RJ?” (RJ = Ex)

Brother: “Nope.”

Friend: “So you never see him at all?”

Brother: “Nope.”

Brother: “And if I did see him, I’d probably punch him in the face. *pause* And you can relay that message to him if you want.”

This...is where the conversation came to a screeching halt.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t want anyone punching anyone else in the face…but its nice to know who’s got your back.

Balcony Makeover - Part 4

Mats hung, flowers planted, furniture painted. Yay!


But as you can see...ugly concrete. The makeshift area rug wasn't good, but this wasn't any better. So my plan B was to head down to Chinatown.




I knew what store I needed, walked in and within 5 minutes had the bamboo area rug I was looking for.

The lighting at this time of day makes it hard to get a decent shot, so I'll have to take more later. But I'm VERY happy with the final result.

Ok ok, I still don't have my outdoor fabric to make pillows but my outdoor living space is finally liveable.

The really cool part though....at this point I've spent under $150 on my balcony makeover! Its over my initial budget, but so far I think it was worth every penny.

Balcony Makeover - Part 3

Happy July 4th!




So I thought if I got some super duper duct tape and taped two bamboo beach mats together, they would make an outdoor area rug.

This is where the two yellow mats came into play.

But it wasn't looking good from the start.

Actually, at this point I was still optimistic, but then....




I realized that not all bamboo mats are created equal.


The result wasn't perfect, but it felt nice on my feet and I thought I would be able to make do until I found something I really liked (and could afford).



But after leaving it outside for the night, the tape andor the mats began to shrink causing it to ripple all the way along. Not good and not the look I was going for.

As always, I had a Plan B....which really should have been Plan A....but we'll just let that one go.

Stay tuned for Part 4.

Balcony Makeover - Part 2

So I had a brilliant idea to disguise the 4 balcony panels that run the width of my outdoor space. Though they're painted basic white, and go with everything...what fun is basic white?

The hunt was on for those bamboo beach mats. Ironically, they were easy to find when I wasn't looking for them...but once I was, it seemed impossible.

Then just as I was giving up hope, and trying to come up with another alternative, I walked into my local dollar store, and there they were. Trimmed in pink no less. YES!



I also picked up some bamboo rods....



and some industrial strength tape.

My idea was to use the stakes like a curtain rod and drape the mats over them...and then somehow attach them to each panel.

Voila! Just as I imagined...

Well....sort of.

After my first attempt, 3 of the 4 mats fell within a couple of hours. I added more tape, and came up with another way to anchor the bamboo rods. Then I came home today and one of the mats fell...but I think it was just because of the gusts of wind....so my solution at the moment is MORE TAPE! And maybe super strength velcro.

Back to the drawing board I guess.

Now what did I use the two yellow mats for you may be asking?

Well I'll show you tomorrow in part 3.

Balcony Makeover - Part 1

First - HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!





Second - ahem...look T, new post WITH pictures. :D

Third - thank you for your patience, here we go.

Waaaaaay back when the weather started to get warm I posted about my balcony and how very very empty it was.

Notice I use the term "was".

With the additions of two chairs...

repainted table and plant stand...


and lots of planters and pots...



its really starting to take shape.

I have a couple of creative ideas in mind to really make the patio cute and cozy.

But the question is....will they work?

Stay tuned to find out.

Weird

Walking by a Taco Bell-KFC-Pizza Hut just now I noticed a sign in the window. It read "no live animals allowed".

I don't know about you, but I think would prefer alive over the other kind.

I'm tempted to go back and take a picture of it.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Reminder to self...

Spell check before moblogging!
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Another test

I'm not having much luck sending picture posts yet through my Blackberry. I tried to blog about the freaky storm that hit is on Monday, complete with pics of the hail pinging off of every surface...no luck.
I'm sure there are tons of things I could do with thud thing that I have yet to discover.

At this point I'm just impressed that I can type more than one word per minute.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Testing

123
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

SATC

I finally got to see it!


So awesome! Loved it!

(and doesn't my new phone take pretty good pics?! :D)

Well what do ya know....

after 20 years, I'm still crushin' on Joey-Joe!

(I have a pic of me and him together (where, I must say, he's looking super cute and showin' those baby blues) but I'm keeping that one for myself!)

Relief

Unseasonably hot weather

+

No AC

=

Drinking lots of Stewart's orange cream soda to keep cool.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Just cause

I didn't get tagged for this meme, but I felt like doing it anyway. It's a hot a hazy day in Toronto, so getting up the energy for much else isn't going to happen.

• What time did you get up today? 5:30am (and its Saturday)
  
• Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
• Latest movie in a movie theater? Indianan Jones the Kingdom of the Chrystal Skull
  
• Favorite TV series? House or Lost
  
• What did you have for breakfast? Um.....a banana popsicle. lol
  
• What's your middle name? I'd rather not say.
  
• Favorite food? Sushi!
  
• Which food don't you like? I'm not a fan of cabbage.
  
• What's your favorite CD at the moment? I don't have one at the moment, but come September, I probably will. :D
  
• What car do you drive? No car. Don't drive.
  
• Favorite sandwich? Soooo fatty but....turkey, bacon quacamole. Yum!
  
• Which human traits can't you stand? Rudeness.
• What are your favorite clothes? Jeans.
• If you could travel anywhere, where would you go? Hawaii.
• Favorite clothing brand? I don't have one.
  
• Where would you like to retire? Somewhere warm.
  
• Favorite time of day? Once work is over for the day.
  
• Where were you born? Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  
• Which is your favorite sport to watch? Blue Jays baseball!
  
• Coke or Pepsi? If I had to choose...Pepsi.
  
• Soccer or hockey? Soccer actually...I know...I'm a bad Canadian.
  
• Are you a morning person or a night owl? A night owl for sure! (contrary to the time I woke up today)
  
• Pedicure or manicure? Pedicure. Though I've only had one professional one in my lifetime.
  
• Any exciting news to share? Just that things are definitely looking up!
• What did you want to become as a child? Everything from a teacher to an astronaut according to this keepsake book I have.
  
• Best childhood memory? My family vacation to Myrtle Beach seem to stick out.
  
• Ever been to Africa? No...but that would be so cool!
  
• Ever rolled anybody in toilet paper? Nope, can't say that I have.
  
• Have you ever been in a car accident? Thankfully no.
  
• Favorite day of the week? Friday probably, especially in the summer cause we get out early on Fridays.
  
• Favorite flower? Gerbera Daisies or tulips
  
• Favorite - Hot dog or Chinese food? Can't choose.
  
• Do you own a bike? No, but I'd love to have a cute one to ride around on.
• Who was you latest e-mail from? Readers Digest
• Where would you like to shop more if you could afford to? No where specific. Just a spree anywhere would be fun
  
• Bed time? During the week, between 10 and 11pm.
  
• Latest person to share dinner with? Tanya and Heather...I think.
  
• What are you up to now? Blog reading, finishing this post, and deciding what to do the rest of the day/weekend.
  
• Favorite color? At the moment...green. But that changes quite often.
  
• How many tattoos? One. A celtic heart knot on my right (back) hip.
  

Wise words

Decide how you wish to spend today, make that desire a reality,

and feel empowered because you are choosing how you want to live.

- courtesy of Daily Om -

The Game

Wanna play?



1. Sacra San Michele B&W, 2. guacamole, 3. Magic Light at St. Joseph's, 4. Go Green!!!, 5. Salve, sono Hugh Laurie!, 6. Ahhhh, Ice Tea!, 7. Botanical Gardens - Hilo, Hawaii HDR, 8. Strawberry Shortcake, 9. The Really Happy Face, 10. ●|[ A person on whom we can always depend,Someone we can call a *friend.* ¬, 11. Friendly Neighbor, 12. Travel: collin_with_one_l

____________________

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.
bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php

Saw this over at Craftapalooza flickr.com/photos/craftapalooza/2534956473/

The concept:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

The Questions:

1. What is your first name? Michele
2. What is your favorite food? guacamole
3. What high school did you go to? St. Joseph's
4. What is your favorite color? green
5. Who is your celebrity crush? Hugh Laurie
6. Favorite drink? iced tea
7. Dream vacation? Hawaii
8. Favorite dessert? strawberry shortcake
9. What you want to be when you grow up? happy
10. What do you love most in life? my friends
11. One Word to describe you. friendly
12. Your flickr name ...with one L

Wee Me!

I have yet to post a real life picture of myself on my blog.

But this is what I'd look like....if I were a cartoon. :D

(courtesy of WeeWorld)

Blah Blah Blah

Cell phones are convenient and can be fun. But I actually don't use mine all that much. I rarely have lengthy conversions on it. But in the interest of trimming my expenses, having both a land line AND a cell phone doesn't seem very frugal.

My issue is, if I ONLY have a cell phone, longer conversations tend to be annoying. Holding that tiny phone to my ear for more than a couple of minutes is uncomfortable.

Then I came across this...

Bluetooth Retro Handset

Yeah, it looks a little silly (especially if I were to take it outdoors), but it sure would solve my issue with talking on my cell for longer periods of time while I'm at home.

Indiana Jones - the reviews are in

My brother saw the movie first, and his review - "It sucked!" (Yes, he tends to be succinct)

After further prodding, he admitted to exaggerating a lot. What he really meant was that, in comparison to the first three, it just wasn't the same, and didn't add much to the series.

For those who haven't seen it, I won't get into further detail but I would have to agree with the points he made (but I won't say it sucked). It was a good movie, just not a great movie.

Shia LaBeouf was great as Mutt, and I could see him taking the series on if they decide to continue.

Harrison Ford was....as always....awesome.

I still have a crush on Han Solo....so really there's not much he do that I wouldn't like.

Let's go to the movies!

One of the (only) benefits of being an alumni of my university is the odd invitation to a fun event. Tonight is a free screening of the new Indiana Jones movies.


I've heard mixed reviews...so I'm going in with low expectations. Besides...how bad could it be? Its Harrison Ford. Its Indiana Jones.

And more importantly...I get free popcorn and a drink. :D

Run away to the Circus (festival)!

This post is about a week late...but better late than never.

Our long weekend (for Victoria Day) was cursed with bad weather. Cold weather, rain, and clouds...blech. But instead of sitting home complaining about it, we headed out to the Toronto Circus Festival down at Harbourfront.

It turns out the festival was a part of a kids event, but we had lots of fun anyway.

The performers were amazing! Oh to have those abs!
__________

The Laurentian Funhouse was a maze where you could draw or write
on the walls as you tried to find your way out.
__________

Harbourfront is full of art galleries and workshops.
I couldn't resist taking a picture of glass making and textile studios.
I'd like to try both eventually.
__________

The rest of the pictures I took that day can be found in my Flickr photostream.