Rubber duckie, you're the one

It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Work is always crazy in December; this year especially as I’m trying to finish a couple of projects before year-end. Christmas shopping is hectic and all the while I’m trying to organize getting my bathroom updated.

I’m not the best at this reno thing. I don’t really know all that goes into this stuff, so I just have to trust the guys that are doing the work. So far, they have been great. (fingers crossed it continues)

It will be exciting to see the bathroom finished. It’s tiny, so I’m going for brightness. I’m putting white subway tile and glass tile in the tub and octagon tile on the floor. I want it to have a classic old-time look, but with modern touches. That should suit the style of my house.

I picked out the new fixtures last week and I am in love. The sink is a pedestal and has a unique modern look. The faucet (pictured) was not the style I was looking for at first, but the minute I saw it I knew it was the one.

Currently, my bathroom tub is surrounded in linoleum. Yep, that’s right, flooring! It looks nasty. Really, my whole tub is a mess. Only the shower works and the tub itself is in desperate need of resurfacing.

I feel like this is the year of renos. I haven’t had an opportunity since I moved in to do all of these big fixes. Most of my fixes have been small and completed on a tight (really non-existent) budget. It’s been easy to decorate and paint. That’s stuff I can do on my own and don’t need help with. Actually, that’s not entirely true. Much of the decorating and fixes have been done with my mom’s help. She has sewed curtains, recovered furniture, painted walls and even took down kitchen cupboards when I wasn’t looking.

And to be honest, she’s the reason I’m in the “year of renos” too. If it wasn’t for her I would still be shivering in my living room every winter.

Tis the season?

What beautiful weather we have been having in Winnipeg this fall. It's been so mild that I cannot believe tomorrow is the first of December! Crazy

Ah December, always a crazy month of decorating, shopping, visiting and eating. Those are a few of my favourite things. Ah, who am I kidding, those are all of my favourite things!

This year I'm a little stuck on what to give as gifts. Usually I put a lot of thought into it, but I've been distracted with other things (reno’s and work especially). I might be a little challenged in the gift-giving area this holiday...uh oh

I had good intentions to paint a few gifts, but I never got off my lazy butt to start; just did some preliminary sketches that led to... nothing. And that sucks! I enjoy receiving gifts (who doesn't), but I really enjoy when I give a good gift. That's why Christmas rocks. Birthdays are fun and all, but I like it when everyone gets something.

Oh well, I'm sure I'll find some interesting things in the next few weeks. I better! I have a no gift card policy (that would be an unwritten policy, Larry David).

Hmmm, I wonder where I can buy this leg lamp? I think it would be perfect for mom and Art's new place.

Update: I did get off my lazy butt to paint a few gifts for Christmas. Two NHL logos for die hard fans (Flyers and Devils) and this old car for Art.

wakka wakka wakka!

Wow, have I ever fallen off the blogging bus! Not sure what happened there.

I don't have anything exciting to say, so I think I will just post this funny video a friend sent me.

It's Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" sung by the Muppets. I have a huge soft spot for them; the Muppet Show was one of my favourites as a kid. How can you not like the Muppets? Impossible.

Enjoy the video (esp., Beaker!)

cough, cough

This H1N1 thing, I don’t know, should we be as freaked out about it as the media is telling us to be? Is it going to take us all down or is it media hysteria all over again? Anyone remember Y2K, bird flu, SARS?

All week, I’ve seen people in long lines for the vaccine and it’s been the biggest water cooler talk in the office. (Whatever happened to talking about stupid tv shows?) The biggest question asked is “are you getting the shot?” I don’t think I will as there are many more people out there that need it more than me. At least I will wait until everyone that really needs it has the chance to get it.

A small part of me thinks this flu shot hysteria is a huge pharmaceutical cash-grab. Private companies are going to make billions off the vaccine (and their stock prices are currently soaring). And it’s a little shady that many politicians are profiting off of this as well; some of the same people that profited off of Tamiflu when bird flu was labelled an upcoming pandemic. Maybe I’m too much of a skeptic, but why are we not more concerned about the 16,000 children that die a day from hunger? Any death to illness is horrible, but a little perspective please. Supposedly I have the same chances of dying from falling out of bed as I do from H1N1.

With that being said, I am still going to take my little preventative measures; washing hands frequently and taking salt water to gargle and stick up my nose with a Q-tip (funny!). That doesn’t seem too tough.

Stay healthy everyone!

Let's make a fort

Saw “Where the Wild Things Are” last Saturday. What a beautiful movie. It made me wistful to be a kid again; when your imagination and energy knew no bounds.

Fast talker

I gave my first presentation to the web team today. It was on writing effectively for the web. I probably should have prepared more, but I think it went well overall.

And did I ever speak fast! Must have had some nerves, which is strange since I'm a bit of a talker (understatement) and speaking within a group is never a problem. It's pretty daunting when the spotlight is directly on you though.

The team gave me some great feedback and they seemed interested. That was great to see, especially since I didn't do my first topic... Jabba the Hut vs. Yoda, who's sexier? (We would need two hours for that debate.)

I also want to share this letter my co-worker Jheryll (the thug) sent me. As a designer, I would love to have Mick as a client (call me!). The best thing about this is that the album Andy created is considered one of the best of all time (Sticky Fingers). See what happens when you are given complete artistic freedom. And I do realize this doesn't relate to my presentation at all. (As Ruby always tells me...RANDOM!)

Always waiting til the last minute

I'm such a procrastinator! I've known for a month that I have to give a presentation to the web team and I am just sitting down now to figure out what to present!

Actually, I guess I'm blogging instead. Not good. Tomorrow should be interesting.

Basement update: The poly is on the walls in the basement. Yippee

Throw it all in and hit blend

Yesterday, I went to a belated Thanksgiving dinner with my new blended family. As always the food was fantastic, but better than that, it was our first big dinner together. There were laughs, crazy stories, kids hollering and of course lots of wine. Good times!

After dinner, we each went around the table and said what we were thankful for. We all had our selfish thanks, but every one of us mentioned how thankful we were to meet each other and have this new family.

Our blending began when mom met her husband, Art, on eHarmony on Valentine’s Day 2008. Cute! He was the first man she met online. (They so need to be in one of those commercials!) A year and a half later, they are married and have built a beautiful home to enjoy together. The best part of this little story, I haven’t seen mom this happy in a long time. She glows. I’m glad they found each other.

Sometimes it’s hard to change family traditions, and invite others in, but I think we’ve done pretty good overall. What a great dinner. Thanks Art and mom!

Oh yeah, one thing I forgot to say at dinner is how thankful I am to have nieces and nephews. Six in total! And they are all amazing kids. Well... except when they are feeding me butt licorice (don’t ask) and getting me in trouble (not really) with one of my step-brothers for being loud at a slumber party.

I love pink!

Yes! Insulation in my basement. It's finally done and feels so much cozier down there already. The dank is gradually going away. Next step, poly.

Here are the latest pics.

I see my path, but I don't know where it leads

Okay, so I’ve done it now. Last week I told my sister and mom that I will not be joining them in Europe because I have decided to go on my own. I felt bad saying it. I know I would have a good time with them, but I think I have to do this by myself.

Here’s the thing, I have been planning this trip in my mind since I was 18 and now I can finally go (over 10 years later than expected – stupid responsibilities!). I kind of want this to be my own experience, as selfish as that seems.

I realized I wanted to go solo because of an old friend. Way, way back in university, my roommate Claire delighted me with tons of stories from her European adventure (she backpacked alone there for two months before heading to university). I particularly remember how much fun she said she had on her own, meeting people and going off the beaten path. That’s what I want. I want to just be there, do what I feel like on a daily basis, and just go with it. I think that suits my personality.

But now for the one crappy thing… I have to get organized! Got to figure out schedules, dates and hotels. If you know me, you know this is sometimes a struggle. I’ve become pretty good in my job organizing web content (you should see my mad bulleted-list skills) but outside of the job – ha ha – not so much. I cannot make a list to save my life! I never take one grocery shopping; I just wing it and end up walking the store four different ways, and forgetting something. When it comes to things and words, I love order; but as for life and living, it’s much more fun to wing it.

Europe. Boy I got to be on my toes, I just can’t wing it… well I can, but I have to plan it out first. Make sense? No? Ah, whatever.

Day 1: All clean

Today was the first day of my basement renovation. Oh my! It looks 100 percent better! No more creepiness, or at the very least, it’s minimal. Don't know how far I will go, but it's great to see it gutted.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture (of the creepy place) before the demo. But here are a few from today.



That’s Stan checking out the area where the old room with the mailbox was. He knows something went down!

The creepy place

Wow! Nothing like a call from the contractor saying he can begin the basement reno tomorrow to give me the kick in the butt I need to clean. it. out.

I've been saying I'm going to clean out the "creepy place" for years, but I never have. I hate being down there. It's cold and dank and just plain creepy. So creepy, that when I first moved in there was a mailbox nailed to the door of the old coal room. *shudders* Why was there a mailbox there? Did someone live in that little room? Was it the Blair Witch? Just weirded out thinking about it.

But now it’s going to be torn up, cleaned up and insulated. Yay! I can hardly wait til it’s done. I can now think about having a rec room, or at the very least, have my washer and dryer not across the basement from each other.

Oh, and if you are wondering... 6 large garbage bags full of crap, 10 boxes to go to the CDA and probably a full truck load of “bigger” garbage. Whew! Thankfully that’s done. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

Time to mix it up

I need to begin painting again. I haven't put brush in hand for months. Nothing has inspired me lately. There are a couple of paintings that I have been commissioned to do and I should get off my butt and start them, but alas, I haven't.

Starting is the hardest part, but once I begin, it will go quickly. Maybe I'll start with this old car; I do enjoy painting old cars.

Also, it's that time of year to think about painting a few presents for Christmas; a very economical way to give a decent gift.

Put that in your pipe

This is the exterior of Centre Pompidou, the National Modern Art Museum in Paris.

What unique architecture. I imagine it was shocking to the locals when it first opened in 1977; but that’s what a modern art museum should be.

Did a little Googling and here’s what I found:

“The architects created huge uncluttered space inside by moving all the service sections outside. Their goal was to show the public how a building functions and color-coded the different areas – the air pipes are blue, the water pipes are green, the escalators are red, the electricity is yellow.”

Love that the building guts are on the outside and colour-coded. How cool is that?

...where the ladies wear no pants

Next fall I’m travelling to Europe and last week I took the first step of my adventure, I picked up a couple of travel books. Let me tell you, I’m devouring the France one. Trying to figure out the city maps, trains, and sights to see is a daunting task, but an exciting one. I want to experience as much as I can when I get there. I just have to figure out how much I can fit in. There are at least six art galleries that are a must see with gardens, cafes, night life and so on mixed in. And that’s just Paris!

One huge must is finding a piece of art to buy off a street painter. It will hopefully be watercolour, light and airy, and depict Paris or France in a way that will mean something to me, whatever that might be. This will be my souvenir, the one that makes me remember my trip fondly every time I glance upon it.

In the sixties, my grandparents visited Paris and purchased three watercolours off the street. The paintings are of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and Champs Elysées (pictured). They now hang in my living room. I love them! They are my favourite pieces in the house. I was honoured to have them handed down to me. I hope the piece I find will be just as beautiful.

La vie est l'art!

If you have a must see for France, I would love to hear it. Let me know by posting a comment.

No news is good news

Very little blogging going on lately. I guess that's what happens when you get back to work after an absence; no time for the fun stuff.

In the festive spirit of Friday, and to tease my coworkers (good times!), here is a classic shot of some webbies working hard(ly) on our news bulletins.
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Enjoy the late-season warmth.

A nice place for a chat

I hope to find a place like this when I go to Europe.
Café Terrace at Night - Vincent Van Gogh

A lovely sunrise

Photo taken Thursday, September 3, 2009 in Gimli, MB.

The smell of autumn is in the air

After all the bright and shiny colours of summer, it's time to wrap yourself up in the rich hues of fall.


This painting is titled Autumn Leaves and was painted for my friend Denise. It now hangs in her living room.

Moonbeam

This week, my cousin Dale (the one with the crazy curls) came over with my new bed and helped set it up. What a sweetheart! He does stuff like that for me all the time.

But that's Dale. I don't really think of him as a cousin, he's like a brother. We are the same age and our parents are best friends. We have been stuck together since we were born. Our cabins were close to each other when we were babies and when we turned seven our parents decided to build cabins right next to each other.

We ended up spending each summer together. Every day! The poor guy. He was the silent sam to my loud lucy. He didn't need to talk, I talked for him! Again... poor guy.

I don't see Dale as often anymore. He lives with his familiy in the country, and I am in the city. But when we are together we are as comfortable with each other as when we were kids. I know we will always have this special relationship.

Dale has helped me whenever I needed it. When my mom and I tore up my backyard to build a patio he called out of the blue to see what I was up to. When I told him, the first thing out of his mouth was "Do you want help?" He then drove an hour in to the city and slaved away with us in the 34 degree heat to finish. It only cost me a couple of beers!

He helped build my fence too and one of his legs ended up in a three foot post hole... twice! That story still breaks us up.

That's what you get with Dale. You get a guy that is always willing to help and usually a funny story to go with. He never disappoints.

Rodin

In the fall of 2006, my mom and I visited the Auguste Rodin exhibit at the WAG. Besides the “Thinker” and “The Kiss” I didn’t know much about his work.

Rodin’s bronzes were impressive. They were harsh and beautiful at the same time. Their rough texture made you feel the emotional state of the subject (love, passion, sadness, tension). I wanted to touch one. Run my hands over it, feel the smoothness, the bumps and try to imagine what he was thinking while sculpting it. Not touching was torture.

His subjects seemed more real than a Michelangelo. Don’t get me wrong, seeing a real Michelangelo will be a dream come true, but his subjects are the embodiment of human perfection. Rodin’s are almost grotesque in comparison. The feet and hands are way too large and everything looks harsh. It’s like Rodin’s pieces are the working class to Michelangelo’s upper class.

After seeing the exhibit, I wished I had the talent to sculpt. To take a big piece of clay and chip away at it to create something (besides a smaller piece of clay). I would love to sculpt the human form. But sculpting is all about removal and I cannot do that. I’ve tried many times, and it’s just not something I can figure out. I guess I’m more about addition. I have been blessed with the ability to look at a blank canvas and add to it to form an image, but never have I been able to subtract. Maybe that’s the difference between painters and sculptors. When you paint, you add. When you sculpt, you subtract. You have to chip away to form your image.

Back in high school I would take clay, form individual pieces and try to stick them together. It always ended in disaster. Oh well.

If you ever get a chance to see a Rodin exhibit, do it. You will not be disappointed. Just don’t touch! (Or at least not when security is watching.)

Frida

Frida Kahlo is one of the greatest artists I have laid eyes on. I didn’t used to think so. I would look at her paintings in art books and think “nice unibrow.” Her paintings didn’t interest me. They were colourful for sure, but otherwise they looked boring and depressing. Seriously, how many self portraits can a person paint?

I changed my opinion awhile ago. I was in Vancouver visiting a friend and on a day she had to work I went to the art gallery. The main exhibit was showcasing the work of three women, Kahlo, Georgia O’Keefe and Emily Carr.

O’Keefe was the reason I went. I love her orchid paintings and wanted to see some in person. Once there though, I was disappointed to discover they only had her adobe paintings.

I was starting to think the exhibit was a bust (never been a fan of Carr) until I ventured into the Kahlo wing. I was struck. I couldn’t look away from her paintings and spent a long time in front of each one. They were all self portraits and the unibrow was still very prominent, but the depth in her gaze was jarring. It made me sad. I didn’t know anything about her life, but looking at those paintings told me that it was not a happy one. To this day, I can still remember the pain I saw on the canvas. To think that something that beautiful could be so painful to look at. All the paintings I saw were similar in that they had the vibrant colours of Mexico surrounding a woman in absolute pain.

I never saw the movie about Kahlo’s life that came out a few years ago. Not sure I want to. Sometimes you don’t need to know everything about a subject. Seeing the movie might ruin the experience I had. For me, watching a biography on an artist is not always necessary as their life is depicted in their work. You just have to look for it. Maybe it’s not the correct version of their life, but it’s the one you imagine.

You're gonna need a bigger boat

Tomorrow, my sister Sherri is coming out to the beach to spend the night. It’s our first night together in the new house.

We are going to watch Jaws, a family tradition. We’ve been watching it together for as long as I can remember. It’s one of her favourites, which is funny since it scared the crap out of her as a child.

You see, my parents took her to Jaws when she was 6 years old. I have no idea what they were thinking?! After seeing it, she was frightened of the bath! It was a traumatic summer for her after that since we practically lived on the beach. I could even tease her about the existence of the elusive “Lake Winnipeg Shark” and it would freak her out.

But a few years ago, when we were in the Dominican Republic, she did what I always thought was impossible for her. SHE SWAM WITH SHARKS! If you know her, you would have been shocked. I certainly was. But she did it and she had the time of her life. It was awesome.

She didn’t even mention the need of a bigger boat.

What a difference an hour makes

I just spent a wonderful evening with my mom’s friends.

I have to preface this by saying I was in a horrible mood before going to my aunt’s for dinner tonight. I just had a tonsillectomy and for the last couple of days I’ve had an extremely sore jaw that has made me grumpy.

My bad mood was completely erased once I got to my aunt's. You just cannot stay grumpy around these people! They are hilarious and crazy and make you laugh constantly. You will never see a group of people having more fun together. I ended up having an excellent time tonight. There was even some spontaneous polka dancing going on! (I ran from that)

I also had a great conversation with Cummy, a longtime family friend and distant relative. He’s 81 and you would be shocked by that number if you met him. He is a spry guy. I’ve been calling him an “old coot” for years and it totally fits. He’s set in his ways and usually starts a sentence with “Well, in my day…”

At one point in our conversation I ask him how he’s feeling. He turns to me and says “You know Kirsten, I’m doing really good. I have the greatest friends. Nothing is better than being with this bunch.” He then goes on to say he has no idea if he will be here for two months or twenty years and all he wants is to enjoy whatever time that is with his friends. Love him!

That’s my evening, ended up better than expected.

FAIL

I was a total failure in university and I don’t care.

When I was a child I wanted to be a marine biologist. No joke! This prairie girl wanted to swim in shark cages and help save the whales. I loved the sea, even though I had never been in it. So imagine my elation when UBC accepted me. I was going by myself and was extremely excited.

When I arrived the excitement quickly faded. I was scared. I had never been away from my friends or family. I felt alone. I spent my first week crying before I went to sleep. I missed my parents. I missed my friends. I started to wonder why I left them in the first place. Why would I leave the comfort of home to come to a place where I knew no one? I was homesick.

After that first week, I bucked it up and started to meet people. I just couldn’t keep wallowing in the self pity. Once I set my mind to it, I started meeting people easily. I met so many different types of people and began loving the experience. Everyone was so unique and it was thrilling to get to know them, where they came from, where they wanted to go.

My year there became a life learning experience. It enabled me to open up and see people differently. You could sit and laugh and joke all night or you could get into a rampant debate. Both were good. You found friends that you could rely on, who would help you study (or so I’ve heard) and would understand you when you were missing home.

After that first week, I loved every minute!

University is a blank slate. It’s not even similar to high school. Why is this? Is it because we are all in the same boat; just wanting to connect with others, think for ourselves, have a unique voice that will be heard? In university you are encouraged to have your own opinion, to not let anyone speak for you. It’s refreshing! The experience is like no other for that. It becomes so much more than studying.

Well, I digress, I should be telling you about my failure. I took first year science courses and here’s something not everyone knows… I got 10% in Calculus! Is that even possible you say? Yes. I did that. Not even remotely proud of that number.

I ended my first year of university with horrible grades (failed all but two classes) and a lifetime experience I will never forget. I think of those times often and I wonder what person would I be without that failure? I don’t want to know actually. I might have been a failure at studying for exams, but I found that I was a success at being an independent person who can do things for herself.

I also learned that I will never succeed at everything, but I tried, and sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do. I’m not proud of the waste of my parents money, but if its any consolation, they did pay for a life experience and invested in the person that I would eventually become. I know my mom is proud of that and my dad would have been too.

Everything in life happens for a reason, so the fact that I didn’t continue with my childhood dream was a blessing. If I didn’t fail, I would have stayed at UBC and got a coastal job and probably wouldn’t have been with my dad for the last years of his life. Thinking about this makes me so glad I didn’t become a marine biologist. I wouldn’t give up that time with my dad for anything.

I had a friend tell me recently that he hates failure. But then he changed it to say, “maybe its not failure I hate, but the embarrassment of failure.” How true is that! I fail at something every day. I don’t care when no one sees it, but it is so hard to fail in front of others. Well, here you all go, here’s my failure… I got 10% in Calculus!!! You can’t fail much worse than that. (Oh and 45% my second time around.)

This one's for Denise...

The night was sultry.

Ah, beach life!

From Saturday, August 22:
Its 6:30 a.m. and I find myself wondering what to do this beautiful morning. It’s sunny and breezy, a great combination.

A morning walk into Gimli is the decision. I put the iPod on, tie the laces tight, and away I go. I find myself enjoying every minute. I love to walk, it's a great way to reflect upon your day (or in this case, plan the day ahead). I walk through Loni Beach and into Gimli, walking as close to the water as I can. I walk to the very end of the Gimli pier.

On my journey back, I pass two teenage boys carrying fishing poles and a small tackle box. It’s nice to see. No electronic gadgets in sight. Just two buddies going to do a little fishing before continuing on their day. It struck me when I saw it. It’s funny, I think you get to an age that when you see kids doing things you did when you were that age, you have to stop, smile and appreciate it. With how quickly things change and evolve in this world it was nice to see that the basics – a good friend, a fishing pole and endless conversation – are still enjoyed.

Happy Monday!

When you have a day like today, you stay inside and start a blog. I'd rather be swimming though.

Life is either a great adventure or nothing

Well, I finally decided to start a blog. This past year I have been thinking off and on about starting one and since becoming a Twitter addict, I think this is just a natural evolution. So here we go… here are my ramblings about life, art and anything else that catches my fancy (in more than 140 characters).

I guess, for those who don’t know, a little about me would be in order. I’m in my thirties; I have a career I enjoy, a house that I love, and friends and family that I adore. Those are my necessities, but there is so much more out there too. I love, love, love art, any kind, it doesn’t matter. If someone has created something, I want to see it, read it, hear it or touch it. I think it’s a sad life to live if you don’t enjoy art, whatever it may be.

I also want to thank two friends who have inspired me. Clancy and Anna have been delighting me with their blogging for some time now. It’s a nice way to get a glimpse of the real them.

So the adventure begins…