Newly Blue Canoe.

I spent Sunday giving new life to my canoe. Along with the helping hand of LC, in the glorious sunshine, dogs underfoot, I sanded and painted. It's BLUE, like real blue, electric blue, adventure blue, the kind of blue that never gives up. Summer time picnic blue. Evening glow, and satisfied blue.

Hayden Harvey's silver

I had the pleasure of spending a few sunny mid day moments with one of my favourite people yesterday. Girl friend therapy. Lately Hayden has been working on some new silver designs which are simple and elegant. She is still working in the prototypes for a few, they are looking pretty fantastic to me. Currently she is just in the making stage, but somewhere sometime soon you'll be able to get your paws on some. I will keep you posted.

haydenharveyart@gmail.com

Dream canoe.

I have been dreaming about owning a canoe for ever. I am not sure why it took me so long, but I found one. And I am happy. Summer time better hurry up, I have a lot of paddling to do.

EROTICA group art show at Artworks

It's been a while since I've participated in a group show at Artworks. I've been really busy lately, working tons, and juggling life, but I had an idea I have been wanting to do for a while and it came together just in time. On Thursday, or Valentines day, EROTICA will be opening at 7:00. I've seen only a few of the entries so far, but it looks as though this year is going to be a good one. I am thankful for the interruption to the grey Februaryness of this February. And what a better way to to spend an evening.... I've wanted to do some thing with the images from The Joy Of Sex, (a sex manual published in 1972 by Alex Comfort.) The illustrations are hilarious. Also all I want to do lately is stitch and sew, so this is how it came together.

Quilt lust.

Lately all I can think about is quilts. Piles of folded quilts. I have the beginnings of an idea in my mind, than I won't quite yet unveil. But look for it in the spring, I am pretty exited. Until then, here are some SUPER inspiring quilts that I am dreaming about.

The Happiness Project.

While waiting in the San Francisco airport, for 4 hours, on the 10th of January, on the way home from an adult version of a family holiday (although it felt like nothing had changed in regards to family dynamic since the last time we were just us 4, as a unit, 10 or 15 years ago) contemplating life, all the change, all the misadventure, the learning, growing, shifting, the QUESTION, "What now?" that so often slides into the center stage of my mind theater... I picked up the book The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. Mostly the cover design, colours and font attracted me. Then I flipped it over a few times in my hands and read the front, back, front... and decided to take it with me (...as in I bought it...I had been thinking about some sort of celebrity gossip magazine, I am not going to lie.) Turns out it was the right choice....

Gretchen Rubin is was lawyer turned author / Wife and mother. She is witty and real and has an organized and systematic way of confronting a topic that we all ponder, HAPPINESS. This book is an account of her one year project on Happiness. She researches happiness, writes about it, talks about it, devises a format for recording her success in the pursuit of happiness. What I liked about it most, is the whole "becoming happier" mission wasn't born from some sort of major life altering what-have-you, and isn't pursued by quitting her life and moving to India. She is a person who has a good life, like so many of us, who just knew she could be living it in a happier state. Gretchen makes small changes to her life, resolutions which she tracks and adds to, that are concrete and measurable, and in a year of experimenting she finds that the same life she was living before, brings her more joy, not because her life had changed, but because she changed the way she viewed and responded to it. 

A while ago, my Island Posse attempted to start a book club. We read one book, we all hated it.  With the uninspiring selection of book club books available to us from the library, ( Our mandate, NO rape, NO war, and NO Canada .... not sure if that last one is on par....) book club fell by the way side, and tends to not be made mention of. The point of a book club, was really only a guise for us all getting together, being united by something we could all talk about, and then deteriorate into our usual banter. We can do this anyways with dinners and dog walks, but Gretchen's book inspired me. A lot of my friends struggle through winter. We have all gone through a lot of trials and tribulations this year. I got to thinking that we could all use our own Happiness Projects to work on. Maybe this idea could replace Book club. So I put it out there, and generally I think my people like it.

I feel as if I have gone back in time to school, and have been putting together a book report. I have been meaning to lend my copy of the book to others so they too can read it, but I keep going back to things, and using it as inspiration. I've put together packages, with Resolution charts and Happiness Manifestos. Its become quite the hobby. I even wrote an email to Gretchen, ( Which she replied to, and made my day.) and Monday will be our first meeting. I am writing about this to you, here, because in the process of putting together this group to talk about happiness, I have become happier and feel like I have ( even if only a little..) a sense of purpose. In an effort to keep it up, I am making a resolution to do just that, KEEP IT UP, and update the progress here and there.

SO here we go. The Happiness Project..

http://www.happiness-project.com/

Today's Creative Crush.

For the short time that I tried "City Girl" on for size, I worked at the most lovely little shop in Victoria called Floating Gold Iceberg (an entire post on these guys to come.) Apart from getting to spend time in a little shop, full of handmade/local clothing, jewelery, ceramics and housewares AND working for two amazingly awesome creative women (Again I am going to come back to this... ) sipping tea,  in downtown Victoria. (... Oh sweet sweet people watching...) I got the chance to meet, (or to talk to on the phone/email) a handful of people who are doing very inspiring things with the materials that they dig most. People who are making marvelous Art. One such creative genius is Ellen Box, of Bonspiel Creation.

 Bonspiels main focus is leather goods, Purses and pouches with the best collection of silk screened images ( So good in fact that my camera, toiletries, change, hair ties and bobby pins, rings... all live in little leather homes adorned with mean cat, deer, skulls, rabbits, creepy doll children.... and so on... The Point: You can't choose just ONE)  Made from recycled leather garments. She also creates clothing, all from her home studio in Victoria. This talented lady does it all, from the cut to the print, the sewing, marketing, selling and shipping. And she really, really does, have a great product. The soft used leather feels like its something you've always owned. ( Especially if the cat printed on it actually looks just like your own fur baby. )

SO do me a favor and go look at her wares, ( if you don't know her already) so that you and I can agree on her awesomeness, THEN get your wallet out and buy your best friend a leather gift, (Just for being fabulous. )


http://www.bonspielcreation.com/

Trip to Victoria.

I have beautiful friends, and we live on a beautiful island. And sometimes we go out and wander around.

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 AND there you have it..