Everyday in Photos #18

Time to take it down?

Like her mama

When her little brothers are in bed, and her mama cracks out the glass, paper and permanent markers, my girl gets to create along with me. "I wanna make a lantern too." And so she did.

The small town clinic: another country perk

Yesterday a friend helped yank me out of a rut of procrastination. I have been going to the same family clinic for 26 years. I was born into it, and never needed to go elsewhere. More to the point, few clinics in the city are accepting new patients nowadays. So, my options were limited anyhow. However, a creeping discontent has been setting in these past few years, as our family grows and I have had to frequent the clinic on a more regular basis. I've noticed:

*The clinic is a resident's training ground. Med. students from Ottawa University all filter through the clinic to gain experience before continuing on. They stay, on average, for a half-year, and then pack up and move on. An average appointment involves slow, methodical, by-the-book examinations, many long drawn-out by-the-book questioning and then an "excuse me while I run next door to speak with my supervisor." I have come away from an appointment, on several occasions, feeling as though I have wasted a good hour and gotten nowhere.
*This state of constant turn-over means that my children's medical history is only a series of files tucked away in a drawer. They rarely see the same doctor twice in a row. No one knows them by name. "So you're Mrs. . . .?" "And this must be . . . ?" No one has invested time in their well being. Perhaps, most importantly, my children are greeted by a stranger when they are at their most vulnerable, needing comfort and familiarity.
*Bits if information get lost or misfiled. It once took a team of nurses to try and piece together my sons immunization record because the various doctors who had dealt with him over the years had left his file a mess.
*Who feels secure in the face of such disconnect?

I'm looking for stability. And yesterday I may have found it.

Gabriel has had chronic bouts of strep throat since babyhood. He starts with an uncharacteristically grouchy day, winds up with a high fever that can't be brought down for more than an hour, develops a rash all over his body, and stops wanting to eat because it hurts to swallow. All of these things were present and accounted for yesterday, but when I called our clinic they wouldn't see him until the end of the afternoon.
If left to myself, I would have sighed, booked the appointment and slogged into the city during nap time and wrestle a miserable boy through city traffic to a $15 parking lot to be seen by a stranger. Instead, I had a friend staying with us for the weekend who simply grabbed the laptop, clicked on a few websites and made a call to the local hospital. "Hi, where would I bring a sick little boy around here?"
Just like that we discovered that the clinic has a new doctor, now accepting new patients, and an emergency room ready to take an unwell boy. We packed a snack and two boys into the car, drove for ten minutes, signed in with a friendly secretary, and waited a grand total of 15 minutes before Gabriel's name was called. . . unbelievable. The doctor who saw him happened to be the very same one accepting new patients. We chatted and exchanged info. In and out under an hour with a prescription in hand and perhaps a new clinic for me and my family .
The whole experience was made brighter still by a $2 parking fee, a Pharmacy right down the road and a stop in for fresh cookies and coffee at a local bakery.

Yeah! The funnest sick day ever! I'm not sure Gabriel would agree, would he certainly enjoyed his cookie.

Everyday in Photos #17

He can do it himself,
(even if the shirt ends up inside-out most of the time.)

"Venice" Lantern

This lantern was requested by my cousin for her husband to commemorate their honeymoon in Italy. She wanted it the colour scheme to feel earthy and warm. Gondolas were a must, as well as Basilica San Marco. Now that it's done, it is a very golden piece. Having never been to Venice, I can only hope it speaks to the nature of the city.

Venice in the works

Latest lantern in the works: Venice. Basilica San Marco has been my biggest challenge to date. MUCH artistic license was taken. The building is positively encrusted in statues that I was not prepared to try and replicate. I think it's prettier MY way.

Everyday in Photos #16

Pieces of Home

Glass and Flowers

*A little bit of Pretty*

Everyday in Photos #15

Little Girl Laundry

Everyday in Photos #14

Pub Decor: Unhung

::ORANGE::

WHERE: We had an orange kitchen in our old house:

I loved it, but that's not look we're going for in our new one. I think orange will appear in our finished basement: home of the bar and entertainment center. Basements ought to be bright and warm and orange should do it.
WHY: Orange is said to stimulate creativity and hunger. That makes is a problem in the kitchen, if one wants to maintain a shapely figure. It also seems misplaced in a basement where more mindless entertainment will be taking place. It would be ideal in an office space. My personal view is that orange belongs anywhere and everywhere. The right shade is important.
ORANGE RESOURCES: 1.Wikipedia 2.Flickr

Everyday in Photos #13

Dirty Dishes

Business Cards

I have been handing out too many handmade business cards lately: white paper print-out logos glued to unevenly cut cardboard rectangles, with a hand written email address on the back. Charming, but. . . I think it's time for an upgrade. Here are a few I have whipped up thus far, yes, in order of personal preference:

A. Fairy Lantern Business Card. The image is of my favourite lantern, and the colours make me happy.


B. Lily Square Business Card. One of my ink prints in miniature. Such a sharp looking card. No colour, just design.


C.Yellow Poppy Business Card. Happy colours, but it's not my image. Just one off the internet. Very pretty, but not a sample of my own work.


D. Lily Circle Business Card. My own ink print, but soooo girly. Different font too.

What do you think?

There is always the option of printing a few styles and handing them out where they best suit. And I have endless possibilities to try yet, but I wanted to share my business card debut.

Everyday in Photos #12

A reminder: Why I am taking pictures of bowls etc.

I highly recommend this little project. If nothing else, it forces me to keep a closer eye on my kids. . . I catch them a little sooner getting into mischief and making messes. (Although I, then, reinforce their bad behaviour by photographing them in action.)

"Tazza" LANTERN

This lantern may be a gateway to many more. It has been ordered for "Tazza,"a trendy cafe in Providence Rhodes Island. It will serve as a sample that, if well liked, may lead to an order of 29 more. It may not fit the vibe of the place, so I won't hold my breath, but it's still an exciting prospect.

The Commission: To capture Providence's, "great buildings, or images reflecting it's dynamic street scene..." A special request was made to incorporate the building Tazza occupies, the City Hall and dancing people, as seen in my previous "Foss Hill" lantern. "Good energy," apparently.

Colour Scheme:
And I quote: "Pratt and Lambert poppy petal orange walls, chocolate brown velvet settees, with pillows of dupioni Como silk in tibetan orange, gold and snap pea green, fern green linen tablecloths, and brick red cotton velour drapes."

The result:

I wonder if this baby will feel at home on a Tazza cafe table . . .

Everyday in Photos #11

Pile & Jump

Belly & Aches

Every trip to Montreal finds us at Calories. A cake shop with endless decadent choices. This trip: Mango Cheesecake with a long espresso.

The trip offered us all the things I had hoped for: good food, good company, time to indulge in coupleness, lots of exercise and a good dose of all things urban. We spent our first evening enjoying a yummy meal with our Aunt and Uncle, only heading out for cake late in the evening. The next morning we hit the pavement, and didn't slow down:

Beautiful old buildings. Every street offers a good photograph:

The best food we had was in a small trendy cafe on St. Denis. I didn't want fries. I wanted more sophisticated fare. I had warm goat cheese salad, with a butter croissant and carrot & curry soup. Plus, a cafe-au-lait with an amandine. Mmmmm.

Chez Cafeo:After lunch, the boys went for a movie while we girls did a bit of shopping. I am proud to report that though I lovingly carried around a beautiful french tablecloth for awhile, I left it behind before we reached the cash. My "shopping" costs did not exceed $2.99 this trip. And with that I purchased a Montreal restaurant guide.

Because I chose our lunch location, I let the guys chose dinner. Sure enough we hit a Bar & Grill just off St. Catherine. The food didn't interest me much, so I had an appetizer, but the guys ate huge plates of fries and greasy food. I'm happy they were happy.

Parc Nature Cap-du-St.-Jacques

Sunday morning, despite reports of -20 degree weather, I convinced everyone to attempt the ski trails. We said our farewells to Aunt Laura and Uncle George and drove 25 short minutes to the park. Once there, we decided to try the mid-level "Beaver trail." That suited me fine, since I remember how arduous the "Squirrel" trail was that Aidan and I tackled two years ago.

The weather was gorgeous. The sun shone through the trees in a blue sky. We didn't notice the cold. When you are working that hard the body keeps warm. We had many laughs as there seemed to always be a man-down, fallen awkwardly in a heap of skis and snow gear. I managed to fall only once, boasting the best record, but of course, when one has that much belly to heave back up again, it leaves a lasting determination not to repeat the experience.


When we pulled into the lodge around 2:00 we were all very ready for the warm car ride home."Oh, I am going to hurt," said Kate once we were rolling, " I can feel it in my legs." All said and done, the Grand Total of hard foot travel, walking and skiing combined, for the 7-month pregnant mama: 20-25 km.

Post 24-hour Diagnosis: Soooooooo Sore! My knees, my back, my inner legs.. . .

I truly loved the exertion though. And we spent the weekend doing what we loved. . . TOGETHER. That's worth all the pain.

Six Years

Six years. Married at 20 and 24. Parents within that same year. And we haven't slowed down since. Now, a fourth baby on the way. A new home, carefully and lovingly built. All along the way; countless little celebrations and daily demonstrations of love, support and commitment. . . This life of ours has nurtured such hope for the future. Six years of such sweetness leaves us eager to see what is just down the path.

As we have done most January 19th's, we are heading down to Montreal this weekend to eat, and walk holding hands and generally bask in a few short days without responsibilities. Dear friends is bravely taking on all three kids while we are gone.

Je vous rejoindrez en deux jours. A lundi!

Everyday in Photos #10

Clay & Bamboo

::FUSCHIA::

WHERE: 1.Caelah's bedroom wall, which is, as of yet, a plain white canvas. 2.Possible the dining room wall, which is now a brick red. This would mean a complete overhaul downstairs though. The palette is reds and golds now. If I commit to a pinker red, a lot of the earthier red will have to go. It's on the back burner 3. As an accent anywhere. This colour POPS against neutrals.
WHY: So rich and expressive. It makes me think of exotic places and the smell of spices.
FUCHSIA RESOURCES: 1.Wikipedia 2.Flickr

Everyday in Photos #9

Toasty Warm

Everyday in Photos #8

Baby Belly

Sighs of Delight

I saw this home in November's edition of Canadian House & Home and heaved a sigh of delight. My eyes just soaked it in. Everything about it appeals to my sense of colour, design, decor. . . Just wanted to share it with you.

Oh, and I find it interesting that I drew out plans for a home much like it two years ago when we were first beginning to plan for a home of our own:

Everyday in Photos #7

Green Glass