September 29, 2015

Shannon
I bought some kitchen stuff for the new place, just tide-over for the in between time before stuff comes in from storage. I'm really excited! It's started to feel really real and really exciting. I'm sure I'll ride the wave of excited to freaked out and back again many times over the next while!

Suzie

Worked on gradients and washes at art school! Long day though. Can't wait until trips to hospital stop.

September 28, 2015

Shannon
My Superfriends T-Shirt arrived!!! I'm so excited, although I don't quite remember it being this colour (I thought it was blueish grey). Anyhow, I'm gonna make it work, and make it ROCK! Fun times.

Suzie

Somehow I found time and energy to make a couple of pendants for my store. What a terrible and horrendous week we had. I asked the lunar eclipsing moon to take away all the crappy bad energy and luck that we have been having. Time for good news and a good healthy an happy life.

September 24, 2015

Jamie 

What an unexpected joy! Justin and his dad came to choir last night and sang California Dreaming by the Mamas and the Papas with Sylvia and I. This was likely a one-and-only occurrence, which made it all the more special.

 A very bad day. Worried and feeling like crap. ~ Suzie

September 23, 2015

Jamie 

It was kind of hilarious to be coaching all my clients with this peanut gallery looking at me!

 

Shannon
Continuing with trying to draw daily, or as close to daily as I can get. This one I feel proud of because I stopped when I realized I really needed to rest. I'm not proud of the fact the perspectives off and that it shows a GIANT torso, but I might be able to fix all that. But that is something to try tomorrow. Today, back to resting.

Suzie

I bought this mini chalkboard when I was at Michaels with my friend Kris and am using it to display earrings for my store. I used Pixelmator to do the text since nobody needs to see my bad handwriting. Despite feeling like crap, I got a couple of photos done and two new items up at the boutique. Now it is time for a hot bath and lemon balm tea before bed.

September 22, 2015

Jamie 

Back to my regular schedule in the studio means back to early mornings and wow, you can sure feel the season changing. It's back to getting up in the dark. Luckily, I get to witness this and that makes it just a little better :)

Shannon
Yesterday was a long, long, long day. Actually felt more like 3 separate days instead of one! I am sure after a time my memory of it will be a fuzzy as this picture!

Suzie

My first day of art school was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. I went in all smiles and happy but soon realized that even though I tried to participate in the conversations going on, people were getting a weird vibe from me or something. They all grouped together far away from me, making conversation uncomfortable. I felt alienated almost immediately.

To watch the teacher required standing above her and I was in terrible pain immediately. I found a way to watch sitting down thanks to a nice guy in the class but it was too late. It hurt like crazy. I realized I probably wasn't going to make friends in the class and focused on this being fun whimsical Suzie time. Everything else is icing on the cake.

September 21, 2015

Jamie

Yesterday was a big family celebration for David's birthday and a real treat because Chris is here.  It was so special to have everyone together. We had a wonderful time.

Shannon
I've been continuing to create drawings while watching movies. I really get inspired, but it does pull me away from the film and sometimes I have to rewind to re-watch bits and pieces. But, for this one I really like how the drawing turned out so it was totally worth it.

Suzie

Took me quite a while to photograph this brooch in a way that makes me happy. I really appreciate your comment about my latest Etsy idea Jamie. I think I'm going to write the publication (I'll comment on that later when I feel better). This brooch is the first time jewelry really spoke directly to me of its magic and meaning. I was out with mom and dad on my birthday and we were at some kind of flea market sale, I think in a mall. I fell in love with this brooch because the rhinestones reminded me of garnet, my birthday crystal. I could stop admiring it. The guy at the booth heard it was my birthday and gave it to me for free. It had a missing rhinestone which mom quickly pointed out to me but I didn't care. This is one of the few talismans that have come into my life and I'm starting to understand why now, after all these years. I don't hold onto a lot of things but this? This I could not let go of. I'm so glad I still have it.

September 20, 2015

Jamie

Everything gets cuter - and a little more complicated - with kittens.

September 19, 2015

Jamie

Yesterday I had such a good time going out to lunch with my friend Annabel. For years we've been getting together once a month but for the past while we haven't been able to make it work. What a treat to finally have a good catch-up out at Grapefruit Moon. Afterwards, I braved going to the music store all by myself in search of my just-right guitar. I went to two stores and ended up investing in a higher quality 3/4 guitar with a beautiful sound. Now I'm ready to return to class this week.

Shannon
It was so nice to get my new computer 100% set up today! I have had it for a bit, but I had to do some transitional stuff and download programs, etc so it took some time to get it right where I wanted it to be. I bet it will take another week or two to know that I've got everything the way I want it, but so far it's working wonderfully. It's soooooo quiet and it boots up so quickly I feel completely spoiled. Well worth the investment and I look forward to using it smoothly and efficiently.

September 18, 2015

Jamie 

What a relief to have Escher home safe and sound. It was so hard to leave him overnight in emergency but I knew it was best. He was so terrified I thought he'd hide under the bed for three days but instead he just seems glad to be home. Wonderful!

 

Shannon
I almost have no pictures from this day! But if it's a weekday, I have my morning pages pic. So here is that!

Suzie

Been having lots of fun making jewelry and picking up stuff for the boutique. I have a friend who might want to buy this piece and if not, it'll go up some time next week. I love how the back of this belt piece I bought looks so much like a High Tea tray. Oh and I made those cinnamon buns myself! Seriously, I am having so much fun. Just wish my pain wasn't so bad. It was a sad day on Thursday but I tried to stay positive and keeping going. Just wish I had heard from Reg about the funeral.

September 17, 2015

Jamie 

All plans and priorities took a shift when we ended up having to take Escher to the vet today for issues with his breathing. Even after medication, he wasn't doing well and so I had to pick him up and take him to the emergency clinic for another assessment and also to stay overnight. The day was truly filled with worry.

 

Shannon
This moment of a tree and scaffolding really caught my eye when I was out and about. If felt so odd for the two to be coexisting get they looked so similar. Bizarre.

Suzie

Because of the sadness of everything and being separated from Reg, I decided to go out to Michaels to pick up some supplies and invest in some tools. On the bus two women admired my earrings and were so impressed I made them. Of course they are just buttons I turned into earrings which I didn't say to them. Still, it's nice to know they made a positive impression. Just wish I had my Moo cards on me! I gave the woman next to me my foodie card instead. I felt like it was the universe saying, yes Suzie, people want what you make!

September 16, 2015

Suzie

How awesome is it that now when I go to Value Village I'm technically "working" on my store. And I get to find funny things to photograph like this dinosaur head coming out of the boutique display case. Reg is quite thrilled with the sales I have made. Of course I am putting profit back into my so-called "business" while I can.

September 15, 2015

Jamie 

One of the things it was very exciting to come home to was my Brave Box from Brave Girls University. I decided to treat myself to this monthly treasure box for a little while because I, like so many, have been craving some tangibles. What a treat to have a cup of tea and open up this box, discovering flash cards, pins, scrapbooking papers and more. I've already used some in my journal and it looks fab.

Shannon
I don't often post a picture simply of meat, but ... I think the chicken last night was warranted. I just made the regular stir fry recipe, the one I've always used and know by heart, but somehow the chicken turned out just extra special. I might try and do it on it's own one time and see if I can get the same results.

Suzie

Had the most amazing day yesterday! Talked to Jamie (woohoo!) and did a photoshoot of new items for my store. I have come to realize that I absolutely adore old school glamour. And I totally fell in love with taking these photographs. Made me want to buy my stuff!

September 14, 2015

Jamie

It was great to get back to Art Day though I totally went off the plan. Shannon clearly had fun creating envelopes a la Lynn Whipple and The Year of the Spark. I thought it would be great to create one for my journal for a bunch of the stuff I got on our trip but then ended up spending the whole time gluing mementos in! It was wonderful :)

Shannon
So much excitement that I couldn't just share one picture. One of the bigs was setting up my new computer. Like all tech things, it takes longer than expected but wow it's so nice to have a computer that reboots in less than 2 minutes! Still on the learning curve, but happy to be there. It was also an awesome art day with lots of envelope making! Fun times :)

Suzie

I went to D&D all on my own. It is amazing that just under a year ago I would get so tongue tied and scared going with Reg to help me figure things out and tonight I went with a new unfinished character that is a magic user which is extra complicated and had a blast. I chatted with everyone and laughed and asked for help and it was all good. I made a new Tiefling Sorcerer with uses Wild Magic and turned people asleep and then invisible, by accident. Including some of my own party members. I bought these new dice too. My character's name is Amber so the gold tone of the numbers worked great. I have been building up to this character for a very long time and she almost died in the first game. But she made it!

September 12, 2015

Jamie

Yesterday was the last day of our amazing trip for Justin's birthday. In every way, every step of the way, we felt blessed. This is our gorgeous hotel at Niagara-on-the-Lake. They made our stay particularly special. It was hard to say goodbye to this lovely little town. I'm glad we made the most of it while we were here, seeing theatre, walking along the water, perusing quaint shops, traveling through vineyards, eating delicious meals! Everything was a treat.

Shannon
Pie time! This was just the prep stage but I forgot to take a pic of the finished pie and now it's half eaten, hehe.

Suzie

Today I went out and got some special props for my Etsy Boutique including this silver bowl which I was hoping would photograph well and does it ever! Well, after I cleaned it in a big way. It was a mess! I decided to make complimentary earrings for the evening bags I am selling so it's now a set! I can't believe how exciting I find everything about this store is. I don't know if it'll be a huge financial success but it is a ton of fun. I'm going to enjoy it for now and re-evaluate when life gets more financially challenging.

September 11, 2015

Shannon
I know you both saw this picture already, but I had to share it again! I love how alert Escher looks here, and after wrangling my sweatshirt for a bit, he fell asleep minutes later. Amazing to flow from energy to energy to energy.

September 10, 2015

Jamie

We are having a fabulous time on our mini vacation to celebrate Justin's birthday. Today we took the bus from Niagara Falls to Niagara on the Lake, stopping at the Butterfly Conservatory along the way. The conservatory was a magical experience, like nothing we'd remotely done before! Now we're in a beautiful hotel in a lovely town and last night we went to the theatre and saw a great show! It helps to know the kittens are being well taken care of. Thank you, Auntie Shannon!

Shannon
It was really cool to spend some time today with Escher. He actually jumped up on the couch while I was reading, and stayed there for a really long time! Mostly sleeping, but still! One time he even touched my toe as he stretched. So sweet!

Suzie

Took myself out on an artist's date yesterday to Michaels. I was planning on going there after the launch and I actually had funds from sales to buy some goodies and take myself out for a quick lunch at my favourite cafe, Blenz. I pushed things too hard with the travelling and it has gotten warm again but it was worth it. I even found some fabulous scarves at a shop that I am going to include in my boutique. :)

September 9, 2015

Jamie

We were up early in the morning to get on a train and before it was even lunchtime, we were in Niagara Falls. Believe it or not, we have a hotel room that looks right over the falls! We could sit in two chairs in front of the window and watch that impressive sight all day long. As if that wasn't enough, we decided to do the walk behind the falls. I found it quite scary to be in the tunnels deep under rock and under waters! Still, it was amazing, especially being on this lookout where it was almost impossible to get a picture because we were being so sprayed! You can see in this photo just what a great time we're having.

Shannon
My computer arrived!!!! It has been so long since I've had a new one, and I am so excited to be upgrading. Hopefully it's fun (and fast!) to set up! And...it has the Shibumi stamp of approval so it's already a win.

Suzie

I officially launched the store yesterday and already sold three items! So far two pendants and a pair of earrings. I am not sure the bags I bought are going to sell but I do love having them in my store for variety and if they don't sell, I get to keep them. It has all been very exciting!

September 8, 2015

Shannon
It felt like it was about time to have some lasagne, and so lasagne night it was! A bit different than normal, substituting peameal bacon and refried beans over ground beef, but I still think I got the spirit of the recipe. Turned out pretty good if I do say so myself!

September 5, 2015

Shannon
Things really feel really when you are looking at paint chips! And I am feeling really good about these being the colours for the new place. Feels light enough to match the energy, but bright enough to match MY energy. Yippee!!!

Suzie

I had a more open non-appointment day so I went to VV to do more perusing. I was going to get those Nutella pants but I put them back because I'm trying not to spend money on myself. I almost bought this corset because I thought it would be a fun thing to put into the boutique but I chickened out. The funny things is when I shared this image on FB everyone chided me for not buying the pants! LOL. And one person suggested I wear the corset with the pants and Steampunk goggles for a distinctly Suzie outfit. This made me smile. I guess no one thought I would be able to sell it. Instead they wanted me to wear both items but especially the pants. I might go back tomorrow to see if they're still there. They really are calling my name.

September 4, 2015

Jamie

The big activity yesterday was taking Shibumi to the vet. Out of nowhere her eye was irritated and she was mostly keeping it closed. We noticed it the night before and did a good job with gentle wiping and it was much better this morning but still, I thought we needed to go. I'm glad I did. She'll be just fine but she did get eye drops that will help her heal up. Our vet told us that kittens don't have fully developed immune systems yet so it's good to be careful with things like this.

Shannon
Another season of Deadliest Catch has come and gone, and I can't quite believe it! I feel like the season was really short this year, but that might be because they had episodes back to back to close it off. I continue to love the show, and The Bait, which was always a great laugh. It does amazing me that some people have been on for 11 seasons. I really enjoy watching it and am amazed at how far so many of the people have come, it's wild to see. I hope it's renewed again so there will be more next summer!

Suzie

Despite having one of the worst nights of sleep in my life's history (that's saying a lot) I was very happy to be in and out of the house and get my blood work done within a 15-minute span of time. The places is around the corner from me and I had no wait. Absolutely amazing. When I think of the time I have wasted waiting to get blood work done in Nova Scotia… Anyway! Yay! Blood sugar has been tested and now I can relax about medical stuff until next week. Woohoo!

September 3, 2015

Shannon
Today was a bit of a rest day after a few few days, so I didn't end up taking many pictures but I did snag this one of Scout who was having a lot of fun pawing and playing with my composition book. Even on days I don't take a lot of pics I always have a few of the cats because they are always so cute!!

Suzie

Despite going through another cycle of insomnia (sigh) I had a pretty great day yesterday. I started photographing my jewelry! Amazon Handmade has not gotten back to me so I went to Etsy's site and requested to change the name of my store to High Tea Gypsy Boutique. Could be a while before they change the name so I thought I would get a head start with the photos. It was fascinating to see what worked and what didn't. I had no idea that my teacups from Mom and Auntie Laima would come in so handy for anything but tea.