Thank goodness January is almost over. It’s my least favourite month next to… Oh. February. Ick. There’s that to look forward to…

This January, I planned ahead a little and decided to not let it get me down. Or at least, less down, anyways.

Here are the things that have been getting me through:

1. Frye engineer boots.

   They were a big Christmas/Birthday present from my mom (my Birthday is in Early Feb.) They are warm and cosy, but also tough, resiliant and kick ass. With a warm pair of socks, they pretty much stomp on the heads of those (admittedly practical, but sorta fugly) sorels that everyone’s been wearing this year. And they’re going to last forever and look more and more amazing as they get broken in. As a bonus I feel like a superhero in the things.

2. Columbia Dietrich Trench.

   It was also a Christmas present (we found it for mega sale at Winners!). It is exactly what I wanted and I was surprised to stumble across it for such a reasonable price. It is a warm little wrapper of a coat that looks like sophisticated trench on the outside, but is actually kinda sporty and functional on the inside. Best of both worlds! It’s even pretty aptly named – If you enjoy swanning about in a moody, foggy, pre-war, noir-ish fashion. And I do.

3. EA Sports Active for the Wii, with a little of Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout thrown in for good measure.

   After a summer spent walking and swimming whenever possible, I pretty much lazed around all fall, and I felt icky for it. When both my sister and my brother’s girlfriend got Wii fitness games for Christmas, I started seriously considering the possibilities of using that cute little white box as a legitimate fitness tool. So I did a little research and decided to make Liam take me out and buy me my Birthday present early – in the form of these two games.

   So, are they a real workout?

   Yes, Definitely.

   I am sore in all the right places after playing them, especially the EA game. While the resistance band that comes with the game is a little wimpy, as are the warmups, I am definitely feeling the burn, as it were. You don’t get too bored, as there’s a different balanced workout everyday. You can set it to whatever level of activity you feel you’re able to handle, and it’s not judgey (unlike the Wii Fit), just encouraging. Which is really the best part. It makes it really easy to set up a schedule, and follow through with working out everyday.

   It is, however, still working out. You will sweat. You will get sore. You will not forget that you’re working out. It’s fun, yeah, but not as much fun as playing a traditional video game. Although you do get to do it from the comfort of your own home.

   Gold’s Gym is just a fun cardio boxing game that’s a good addition to Sports Active when you’re getting bored with the more traditional workout it offers. Punching stuff is fun. Period.

4. A slowcooker.

   My mom got this slowcooker magazine/cookbook for Christmas in her stocking and I drooled all over it. We didn’t have a slowcooker, but thankfully they are cheap things to own. We found a cute one for 25 bucks, bought our own copy of the cookbook and have cooked our way through the thing, and every dish has been delish. Seriously, I have seldom used a cookbook so thoroughly, and I have a HUGE cookbook collection. Highly, highly recommended. Plus, I am totally won over by this whole “slowcooker” thing. It’s so cozy to have yumminess stewing in the house all day during these long, cold days.

5. Nivea Smooth Replenishing lotion.

   Yeah, this is just a cheap drugstore lotion. But it is also MAGIC. My skin went insane this winter with this crazy eczema thing, and nothing, NOTHING made it feel better. It was literally like wearing tight leather gloves made of my own skin on top of my hands and it was peely and bumpy, and euuuuuuuuughhhhh sooooooo gross and uncomfortable. I tried EVERYTHING. Mostly organic and natural remedies.

   I finally got a sample of this stuff in a magazine, and thought why not? Things couldn’t possibly get any worse. Things didn’t get worse. They got better. My ouchies magically went away. Poof!

   So I ran out and got a bottle and things have been hunky dory and super soft ever since.

Haven’t done one of these in a while, so I thought I’d dump some of my recent fave, really sweet online finds for DIY wedding projects here. Hopefully I’ll have the time to implement a few at my own wedding (but the DIY projects are already piling up around here!).

1. Liberty print ties

   My engagement party dress was a liberty print, so obviously I’m a sucker for the stuff, but it’s also such a sweet idea to sew a tie for your groom, and groomsmen! And easier than you’d think.

2. Hand embroidered pocket square

   A secret message sewn unto a handkerchief turns into an adorably personalized pocket square for your groom. This one’s really special.

3. Fabric boutinierre flower

   Sweet, easy little fabric flowers to tuck in a buttonhole.

4. Bridal party survival kit

   I think these are a great idea, but it’s the presentation that really sells it!

5. Pots of moss

   An adorable, easy little project that could be used for centerpieces or favours!

1. Braved the Snowpocalypse (Snowmaggedon?) to go to my cousins wedding all the way in Welland.

   It was beautiful. Or I assume it was. It took 4 hours to do a 1 hour drive, so we kinda missed the ceremony. We totally rocked the reception though.

2. Avoided the malls like the plague

   Bought or made homemade presents instead.

3. Finished Gears of War II on co-op.

   Sometimes, I like to shoot stuff. This is going to come in handy this year, I think. As stress reliever, I mean.

4. Received my favourite Christmas Present ever: unpasteurized CHEESE!

   Seriously.

   I like cheese. Plus the unpasturized stuff is not really legal here in Ontario. So there’s the added sexy-danger element.

5. Had a nervous breakdown in William Ashely.

   Registries are stressful.

   Bone china? A thousand dollars a place setting? Really? And I need 16 place settings? What?

6. Had an epiphany in Crate and Barrel.

   Registries are wonderful!

   As are stores with beautiful, well designed, edited, reasonably priced house wares (including gorgeous bone china – which is the sturdiest thing you can get, so you should use it for your everyday dishes).

7. Bought Liam new shoes.

   They’re grey checkered high top Vans. They’re pretty cute.

8. Tested out champagne cocktails with friends over New Years.

   Verdict: cheaper is better. Win-win!

9. Built a wedding website.

   Wedsite?

   I dunno. A place on the interweebz to put weddingy crap. It turned out pretty nice. It will launch soon (as soon as Liam puts his copy writing skillz to work and fills in all the blanks).

10. Had poutine.

    Mine was Montreal style with smoked meat, mustard and a pickle. I thought it was pretty good, but I see what people are getting at with the gravy. It had a strong sage flavour, but I like that in a gravy, so I was cool with it.

11. Bought flannel sheets.

    This is a bigger deal than it sounds: Good quality flannel sheets in the winter are one of the best investments you will can make: seriously, they will change, and simultaneously rock your world. Just make sure they aren’t the cheap stiff ones. The soft ones: they are where it’s at.

12. Were taken (for a wonderful engagement present from my sister and her boy) to Jamie Kennedy Wine Bar.

    It was amazing, and not as expensive as you’d think There were four of us, and we had 8 entrees (shared tapas style), 5 deserts, a bottle of wine and it came in under two hundred dollars.

    You can’t do that at the keg – and this was much more special.

    The black cod in particular was awesome – really fresh and wonderful, like it had just come out of the ocean. I was in love with the cheese plate – beautiful local Ontario and Quebec cheeses served with honey comb and these amazing little spiced walnuts. The fries are as good as people say they are – although actually, I think Batifole’s are just a little bit better. Just a little though.

13. Bought two wedding dresses.

    Long story.

14. Decided on a venue.

    A very nice venue indeed.

15. Made it through season one of Dexter.

    Not bad.

    Never thought I’d find a Serial Killer adorable, but, I do, I do.

(Boy, was I busy).

Every year, I write a Christmas list for my mom. It’s usually long so that she has options, and I still end up surprised on Christmas day (In other words: I don’t expect to receive everything on this list, just a handful of choice selections). I like to have a wide price range, with a few books, some useful things, and a few fun entertaining things just for me. This year, I’ve decided to post it here so you can all see what I’m dreaming of this year.

Maybe next year I’ll go back to illustrating all my choices like I did when I was a kid.

Cookbooks:

• Nigella’s Christmas Cookbook

  I love Nigella, and even more so her Christmas recipes.

• Cook’s Country Cookbook

  As I’ve said before, I love regional, American cooking, and the test kitchen/cooks illustrated/cooks country recipes can’t be beat.

• How To Cook Everything OR How To Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

  I can’t decide. But my sister has the vegetarian one, so maybe I could get the non vegetarian one and
  we could swap.

Kitchen Gadgets/Pie making supplies:

• Emile Henry Butter Bell
  Hand thown Butter Crock

  A French Butter bell/crock/keeper keeps butter fresh and room temperature so you can use it any time for baking or to spread smoothly on toast. I like them in turquoise, red or chartreuse – Le Creuset also makes a nice one, but it doesn’t have to be a specific brand.

• Emille Henry Pie Dish
  Le Creuset Pie Dish

  2 Pie Pans (again, it doesn’t have to be fancy, I’ve seen nice ones at Canadian Tire, these are just examples – something red would be nice though).

• OXO Good Grips Dough Blender

  I hear the OXO one is great – but any will do.

• OXO Good Grips Pastry Scraper

  Again, this one’s OXO, but it can really be whatever.

Crafty Things (although it’s probably a little late for things from Etsy things to ship now)

• Wildhagen Hats

  These are gorgeous handmade hats made by a local designer, and whenever I see someone wander around wearing one of them my breath is pretty much taken away. They make everyone who wears them look epically stylish and adorable. Fellow Toronto blogger Thimble recently purchased one and raved about how wonderful it is, and reminded me that I might like one someday.

• Savor
  Bunnybuttapothecary

  Delicious food themed soaps, lotions and potions from Bunnybuttapothecary and Savor.

• Boy Girl Party Typewriter Necklace

  I’d like to wear my typewriter love around my neck.

• Vintage Bakelite jewelery
  I’m just saying, if you happen to run across the stuff – even new reproductions at H&M or Forever 21 – I really like it.

Gadgets and Entertainment

• Panasonic Retro Headphones

  I must have freakishly small ear canals, because normal ear buds hurt like the dickens – if I can actually manage to get them to stay in my ears. These are much better, and very stylish and make me fondly remember my dad’s puffy old 70′s hi-fi phones. I like the green with the beige band but the whites’ nice too. I’ve actually seen these at Walmart, so I think they’re available all over now.

• De Blob for the Nintendo Wii

  You run around as an anthropomorphic paint blob literally painting a town red. Sounds like fun.

• Batman the Complete Animated Series

  Liam’s never seen it. He obviously had a deprived childhood.

• Sleeping Beauty Two Disc Platinum Edition

  The most artistically stunning of the Disney Fairy Tales, now with tons of double features, to add to my animation library.

These are some of the things I shall be planting over the next couple weeks (May 9th is the no-frost date around here, and there are no more zero degrees celsius lows on the weather report). I’m worried we won’t have enough space for everything.

There’s been a little cold snap here, so my gardening has been temporarily postponed up until… Well, today actually – and today I have to go get allergy tests, so boo. No gardening yet. Soon though.

For the record there is:

1. rainbow swiss chard
2. purple basil
3. mixed, multi coloured heirloom tomatoes
4. golden pear mini-tomatoes
5. scarlet red carrots
6. sugar snap peas
7. spaghetti squash
8. yellow courgettes
9. icebox watermelon
10. poppies

As well as the chocolate mint, yellow strawberries, thyme, oregano, and sage I already have going.

These are my little heirloom tomato sprouts. I am very proud of them. Fingers crossed that they’ll get big and strong in time for Victoria day (also known as official tomato planting day).

Yesterday I made french onion soup using organic onions from the food box and fresh thyme and sage from the garden. It was pretty wonderful.

I have been feeling unmotivated (as I occasionally do). Without the spark of life that leads to ideas and work. Granted, things are pretty understandably out of sorts right now – all the things I normally run to in situations like this are getting packed into boxes, and I’m trying to avoid buying or finding any new things, because it’s just more to lug to the other side of town (as it is, I’m trying to eat my way through my pantry just so that I don’t have to bring that with me).

But it made me think about the things that get me going, get me working, get me coming up with new ideas and exploring them.

And so I started writing a list of those things, in lieu of actually being able to have them… And then expanding and expounding on that list… And then the list took on a life of it’s own and became:

creative sparks

Go, check it out. It will probably grow as time goes on (I left out some things – plays and fiction and tv and music – they will find their way on there eventually, but the thing is massive as it is).

I tried to include things that were instrumental in how I approach life, art, the universe and everything – as well as some things I am constantly hearing have helped fellow artists and friends get those friendly lightning bolts of imagination.

I hope it’s helpful to more than just me.

Things I am dreaming of growing in my garden when I have one (very soon!):

1. black, red, purple and yellow carrots
2. heirloom and cherry tomatoes
3. pink, purple and blue potatoes
4. tiny chilli peppers
5. stringbeans
6. patty-pan and spaghetti squash
7. lettuce
8. neon coloured “bright lights” chard
9. strawberries
10. raspberries
11. chocolate mint
12. basil
13. rosemary
14. chives
15. strawberry, coconut, lime and almond scented geraniums
16. lilly of the valley
17. tulips
18. snapdragons
19. petunias
20. poppies

I am also dreaming about pink trowels, chartreuse clogs, electric-blue patio furniture and red-rubber wellies.

As you may have guessed from my ravings over Eames rockers, I think I’m going through a nesting phase. I went through one last spring, and it resulted in a single purchase of a very, very expensive -sofa (although I did get it on sale). I really agree with the concept that you should buy things that

a) you love
b) are the very best quality
c) you desperately need

So, even though I could have gone to Ikea and bought a whole household of things for the same price, I knew I would be much, much happier in the long run if I bought that couch and so far I have been (when I’m not foiling the cats best attempts to destroy it). It’s going to last forever, and it will be simple to re-cover.

The problem being, of course, that the rest of my apartment kinda pales in comparison. Pretty much everything else came from cleaning out my grandfather’s house.

So this is going to be the year of fixing that problem, I think.

Some of the inheritance will stay – my grandparents had pretty funky taste. They were cocktail grandparents, with an sixties/oriental/hollywood-regency style. Much of their furniture came from auctions and estate sales and their many travels. Todd Oldham and Jonathan Adler would have LOVED them.

Which is cool by me, cause I love Todd Oldham and Jonathan Adler.

Right now my living room is warm white and grey with touches of rich Moroccan colours – paprika, turquoise and olive. So I’m thinking some Moroccan pouffes like these (in pale turquoise, or maybe white) could be added. They have multiple uses – footstool, additional seating, cat perch. I’ve found them for a really good price on Ebay, and they ship cheaply too, as they can come to you un-stuffed. Ideal, right?

Plus pouffe is a fun word to say.

Pouffe pouffe pouffe.

Other than that I’m thinking the following for my living room:

1. Paint the walls very pale turquoise
2. Procure an Eames rocker (preferably in dark grey to match the couch)
3. Pick up yet another inheritance from my parents – a small secretary – and re-finish it and my thonet chairs (can’t decide what colour – Dark walnut? Black? White?)
4. Find white area rug (I would love shag, but I think it’s too much to ask with cats – cheap and washable cotton is more like it)
5. Figure out a better solution for the TV than the cheap Ikea thing it is currently sitting on (ideally I’d like a Danish credenza, but I doubt I’ll find a nice one anytime soon)

That is all.

Pouffe.

Reasons why this is a good weekend so far:

1. We just bought a new little pocket camera that takes pictures like the above (^)
2. We just got back from the local farmers market in the neat, old, reclaimed factory district a block away (where I bought tiny pattypans)
3. We also bought homemade cherry-buttermilk muffins
4. We also got cafe au lait and freshly squeezed lemonade from the local parisian style cafe
5. We are leaving for london in LESS than one week

So, I am going to London in about a weeks time. London as in England.

Any suggestions?

Here’s my list of Must-Dos (most of them involve food and booze):

1. Harrod’s food court
2. High tea – the works (clotted cream and scones and cucumber sandwiches)
3. Bangers and mash
4. Pint in a pub
5. Fish and chips (will substitute with anything else deep fried that probably shouldn’t be).
6. Curry
7. Pim’s Punch
8. Ride Tube
9. Savile Row, High Street, Portobello… Shopping! (Even just of the window variety.)
10. Tate modern, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Victoria and Albert, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, etcetera, etcetera, blah blah blah, yeah we’ll see if we have time after the eating…

The following is a list of the most awful things I have ever owned:

1. “Northern Star” (By Melanie C)
2. “Happiness is Not a Fish You Can Catch” (by Our Lady Peace)
3. “Jesus Freak” (by DC Talk)
4. An completely unread copy of “The Two Towers” (by JRR Tolkien)
5. A completely read copy of “Fall on Your Knees”, an Oprah Book club book (by Ann Marie McDonald)
6. A VHS copy of “Ever After”
7. A VHS copy of “Steven Curtis Chapman: LIVE”
8. At least 3 clown themed music boxes (one of which played “Send in the Clowns”, another which played “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head”)
9. A year long subscription to Focus on the Family’s magazine for teen girls: “Brio”
10. Two pleather skirts. One pair of pleather pants. One pleather jacket.
11. Psychadelic Daffy Duck Keds
12. Fake Doc Martens
13. Navy blue, yellow, lime green, pearly blue, black and at least 4 varieties of sparkly (multi, silver, purple, red, etc) nail polish. Often worn all at once.
14. A logo t-shirt from American Eagle
15. A fuzzy Elmo shaped backback.

I just thought you should know what you’re getting yourself into.

P.S. I also watch Grey’s Anatomy religiously.

I am researching books right now. Books of the instructional, non-fictional variety, to be specific. Books in lieu of art school (as previously discussed).

I recall reading Brian Lee O’Malley at some point say how awesome Understanding Comics is (which is a very well respected compendium of basic comic knowledge – done up, rather inspiredly, in comic book format), so I grabbed a copy at the Beguiling this weekend.

It came highly reccomended, and it remains highly reccomended. Good stuff there indeed. Some of the references are getting a little old, but for the most part Mr. Scott McCloud sticks to the classics (Herge, Spiegelman, Tezuka, Marvel) and they hold up excellently.

But now that I understand “sequential art” I feel the urge to sharpen my drawing skills, drastically. So I look to yet more books of the non-fiction variety. Unfortunately, it seems most instructional art books are not terribly advanced, not terribly sexy, and worst of all: pretty hippy-dippy-new-agey at times. Ick.

Here are some of the one’s I’ve seen most recommended, and the reasons I haven’t brought myself to purchase them yet:

1. Drawing on the Right Side
   From what I’ve heard this book steals most of what’s good about it from another, better book, and the rest is bad science – right brain/left brain drivel that was largely disproved years ago. I hate faux-science. I hate it when laymen, without following any actual scientific method or process come up with lame, simplistic theories and expound them for undiscerning housewives. This is why I don’t care for carb-free diets, or self help books.

2. The Natural Way to Draw
   This is apparently the much better and much more thorough workbook that the “Right Side” one took most of it’s exercises from. It’s apparently a classic, and and largely outlines the traditional method of learning to draw – the one most of us who’ve ever taken an art class have already been taught. The problem here, of course, is that in the 9 plus years of art training my little brain has experienced, I’ve likely worked my way through most of the stuff multiple times already. Grids? Blind contour drawings? No thanks. I had my fill in the ninth grade.

3. The Artist’s Way to Spiritual Creativity
   This book is definitely one of the ‘hippy-dippy-new-agey’ ones. It’s even got the word “spiritual” in the title. I’m far too pragmatic for that sort of thing, I’m afraid. I just end up mocking it whenever I skim it at the bookstore.

   Besides, it’s really a writing guide. And I write fine, and quite prolifically. I even have a pretty strong and definite literary voice.

   And of course, I am an illustrator (who sometimes writes) not a writer. I understand that it might help me ‘embrace my creative side’ and every-time I decide “no way, not for me,” internally, I find myself looking at it again just to see why so many people highly recommend it… But the same people who recommend it also like Sark a whole lot. And I’m not a fan. She’s like a middle age women’s answer to R. Crumb (who I’m not a fan of either. But I respect Crumb more. At least he’s a bit more irreverent).

   Basically, I just wish there was something along the lines of this book that would allow me to keep my street cred (“The Indie Way to Being Cool,” maybe…? Yes…? No…?).

   But above all else, this book DOES NOT teach you how to draw good. It doesn’t teach you to draw, at all. It’s not, actually a drawing manual. So all this is moot. Nope. No good.

4. Creative License
   Again, this one is a bit too self-helpy for my liking… and a bit unfounded… and too inspirational: You can do it! Hang in there!. With some (as in very limited) drawing advice thrown in.

   I like Danny Gregory, I really do, he’s a nice guy and a good illustrator, and a great blogger – but I’ve read a good chunk of his blog, and I’m not sure there’s much in this book I couldn’t glean from the blog itself. Or that there’s much left for me to learn from him in general.

   From reading his blog, I’ve found that he doesn’t seem terribly open to change or advancement in style or technique. I’ve often read him railing against those who would dare to tell him that he could improve himself in one way or another. And I just don’t think that’s the attitude I want right now.

   I’m a highly critical person. I beleive in constructive criticism. I thrive on lots of in depth discussion and nit-picking. I mean, my boyfriend reviews Sorkin on Ain’t it cool, for goodness sake. Besides, there seems to be far too much discussion of WHY to draw, and not nearly enough on HOW to draw, and that’s what I’m really aiming for. More instructional, less inspirational.

So, anyone out there got any better ideas?

Or am I just being a stubborn, snobby, stick-in-the-mud?

(All in all, I think for now it seems like lots more life drawing is the way to go.)

Today I plan on:

1. Buying some yarn to make something with (maybe I should decide what I’m making before I purchase not enough yarn in the wrong size… – another scarf?)
2. buying some buttons for my currently button-less pea-coat so I don’t catch my death of the cold (it’s khaki cotton duck and goes with everything – I’m thinking of going in a tortoiseshell, or military brass direction)
3. thifting up some ties I can alter and make fashionable for the boy (with silk screen and embroidery and felt maybe?)
4. crossing my fingers that Liam’s interview yesterday went well (I’d really, really, really enjoy being the well-heeled girlfriend of a hot young copy writer for an advertising firm)
5. having tapas for the first time

Just because I am, like, the best girlfriend ever, I just re-designed Liam’s website for him. Check it out, it’s extra pretty.

Yeah, you wish I were your girlfriend right now.

Here are my inspirations this time around:

1. the colour of a manilla envelope
2. vintage office supplies
3. Paul Smith‘s stripes
4. Get Smart
5. the Game of Life‘s logo

Just ’cause I’m not in school, doesn’t mean I want to stop learning. Never. I want to be self-taught. Here’s how I’m going to do it.

I’m gonna do my best to:

1. be serious and professional when learning, creating and pursuing
2. be open-minded and light-hearted when learning, creating and pursuing
3. go ahead and aquire (and read) as many good art, illustration and design books as I can, whenever I can
   (right now: rummaging thrift stores for vintage children’s books counts)
4. go ahead and buy tools that will make it easier and more fun for me to create whenever I can
   (right now: one of those little wooden bendy model guys and an adjustable stool for my drafting table)
5. take workshops somewhere in something technical but creative whenever I can
   (right now: print making, or jewellery smithing, or comic creation really interest me)
6. go to LOTS of life drawing
7. read more (everyday)
8. write/blog more (everyday)
9. draw more (everyday)
10. create, for no reason other than to create (everyday)

So long as I make some kind of change to myself or my environment, made something happen, learned/made/created/adapted/altered something in the world somehow (flapped my butterfly wings, hoping for a hurricane in Guatemala, so to speak) it’ll be a good day.

Some interesting reading on being self-taught:
autodidacticism
amateurs are the devil

Sooooooo… What do you think? Of the re-design? Like what I’ve done with the place? Go ahead, Click around, check it out, you’ll find a few new things hidden here and there (hint: check out my links page, and my sidebars). Please tell me if anything is ceasing to be functional for you, or if my link colours are too bright, or if my text is not readable enough, or if my sidebar is not where it should be (to the left of the main content, by the way…).

In the meantime, here’s a few of my inspirations for that header image up there:

1. Geisha of course
2. Mamechiyo’s kimonos (especially on blythe dolls)
3. Vintage illustrations of Chinese ladies in cheongsam (sometimes known as “Shanghai girls”)
4. Miso Pretty’s take on shanghai girls – really awesome product design (hint#1: if you ever wondered what to give me as a present… hint#2: my birthday is on the eleventh…)
5. Mary Blair’s “It’s a Small World” murals in combination with her Cinderella concept designs
6. Cupcakes! Yay!

1. Figure out Christmas presents for my family + boy… Probably home-made presents, since that’s the way I like to do things – but that gives me a very limited timeline.
2. I also need a Birthday Present for my Sister. Raserfrasen family with birthdays so close to Christmas. Boooo to that. Seriously Heather. Celebrate your un-birthday or something next year.
3. Design wedding invitations for friends, and find sources for printing and paper.
4. Read Don Quixote for Liberal Studies now, so I don’t have to tackle that monstrosity of a novel in the midst of classes later this year
5. Pitch something to Motherbrand for group show at Gladstone on theme of “Souvenirs.” Before December 22. Hrm. That’s more time than I got for many of my assignments. I can totally do it.
6. update blog with results of school project
7. Redesign (or at least buff and polish) my website? Maybe? Perhaps? I’m about due… Maybe just a new header? Or a new colour scheme? Or both?
8. Paint coffee table turquoise like dining table

On agenda for today:

1. Answer age old question: How do you keep an egg dropped from 8 feet from breaking using only a sheet or two of white card-stock and white glue?
(Yep, I’ve been assigned an egg drop in my Form and Structure class)

2. Figure out what an egg drop has to do with illustration.
(Probably something to do with it being a challenge, and coming up with creative interpretations and solutions and whatever – but I mean, really, isn’t this a 10th grade physics class thing?)

3. ‘Design’ a recipe for an innovative, and original fast food that can be served in 28 single serving portions to every student in my Design Process class and will appeal to 17 year old tastebuds and win Iron-Chef-style food-off.

4. Figure out what designing a fast food has to do with being an illustrator.

5. Ignore the fact that fast food assignment is basically excuse to grade class on throwing a term end party (too bad no one’s of age, otherwise my recipe would involve large quantities of booze).

6. Blow apx. fifty bucks on supplies I’ll never use again.

Things that are new ’round these parts:

1. Liam, working
2. Liam, working on the set of fancy commercials
3. Liam, getting fed by craft services
4. Liam, making some money
5. Us, buying new DVDs (this and this – both I highly reccomend)
6. Us, having money to spend
7. Me, drinking coffee – not tea
8. Me, taking up knitting
9. Me, writing for Torontoist
10. Me, with a new haircut
11. Me, feeling relaxed enough to do creative stuff
12. Me, getting excited about going back to art school
13. Me, scouring thrift stores for a back to school outfit – because that was always the best part of this time of year

A while ago, I spent a whole day putting together a mix CD of the ultimate (relatively recent) Toronto songs. It was supposed to be for Travis Nicholson for sending me the cutest postcard from Amsterdam, but it is too good not to share (although I’m sure he will get his own copy eventually).
We have friends in town for the weekend, visiting from all the way over in Vancouver, and we are going to send a copy home with them too (I think I’m going to wait for them to blog about this weekend though, since they took pictures of our escapades.)
In order to avoid issues of bandwidth and illegalities, you will have to find/download these yourself – (though I could probably mail out a copy to a few of you if you asked real nice).
So without further ado, here is my list (it is by no means extensive but it had to fit on a two hour cd, so many cut’s were made – it was totally like Sophie’s choice):

Terminal City – Ron Hawkins And The Rusty Nails
Ron Hawkins is to Toronto as Grant-Lee Philips is to Stars Hollow. He’s totally this town’s troubadour. Here he sings about gentrification.

High School – The Flashing Lights
They were THE Toronto indie band for a while (even though they, like Sloan are originally from Halifax). This song is why.

Come for a Ride – By Divine Right
I looove this song. It reminds me of High School. This is especially suiting, because some of the members of this band went to my High School. Also, sometimes I get them confused with The Flashing lights, who sing a song called High School.
Now they are yet another casualty of Broken Social Scene.
Feist also played guitar for them for a while, apparently.

The Other Man – Sloan
Sloan is supposedly a Halifax band. But half the band lives in Toronto now, they play most of their concerts here, they got famous here and this song was written about Feist. That makes them effectively a Toronto band.

Mushaboom – Feist
It’s impossible to compile Toronto songs without brushing past a few Broken Socialites. She is one I don’t mind, and it would be pretty impossible to not mention her. I especially like this song. I think it captures a certain: Toronto cottager, let’s get outta here, frame of mind.

Poster Of A Girl – Metric
I don’t want to like Metric, but, this song is too catchy. They are somehow involved with BSS.

To The Lullabies – The Constantines
A classic styled Toronto indie band – in an old-school, rock-and-roll sense.

The Constant Lover – Magenta Lane
These chicks are hot right now. Both in the musical, and physical sense. They are not as good as the Like though.

Crabbuckit – k-os
I met k-os once at a private/industry De La Soul concert at Palais Royale. That makes me cool. Very cool. I could practically be in Broken Social Scene.

We R in Need of a Musical Revolution – Esthero
Esthero was part of that weird neo-soul/trip-hop thing that happened in Toronto a few years ago, and only Nelly Furtado managed to make a go of – which is too bad, because Esthero is pretty cool too. She has the most gorgeous voice.

F*** The Pain Away – Peaches
Apparently, Feist was Peaches’ roommate. That girl gets around.

NHS is gonna ROCK YOU – Ninja High School
One of the hottest bands to play:
a) at the boat
b) with Dollarama

PF – controller.controller
Disco rock, Toronto style.

CA Va Cool – Tangiers
Tangiers is pretty cool. I guess. They’re no Clash though.

Jealous Of Your Cigarette – Hawksley Workman
Hawksley is sexy and silly at the same time. One might sometimes see him biking down Queen Street (when he’s not holed up in Muskoka or Paris).

Weight – Sarah Slean
Sarah Slean makes me swoon.

This Lamb Sells Condos – Final Fantasy
Another song about downtown gentrification, from yet another hot Toronto band (although technically it’s not a band – technically it’s just one guy).

Mississauga Goddamn – The Hidden Cameras
No one from Toronto is really from Toronto – it’s like Manhattan that way. Rarely though, does a band write a song admitting to it’s suburban roots.

I Will Never See The Sun – Great Lake Swimmers
Total Toronto street name droppers, theses guys are.

Basement Apt. – Sarah Harmer
Living in a basement apartment is totally a Toronto thing. When you’re young and idealistic and move to the big city for the first time, you invariably end up in one.

Rosy & Grey – The Lowest of the Low
Possibly the most romantic song written about Toronto, ever, of all time.