Everything old is new again

The recent long weekend was extra long for me - the VSB threw in a bunch of 4 day weekends this school year. Two extra days off with no pay have been inspiring me to keep busy in a frugal fashion, and so I usually end up cleaning and doing some sort of crafty endeavor.
Most recently - dyeing!



I picked up this oversized sweater from the Gap sale rack years ago. It was a rather boring beige colour, but it was cashmere and silk and I think around $10. I wore it maybe once and just wasn't diggin' it, but figured I could do something with it. Fast forward to a couple weeks back when I saw a gorgeous lady wearing a beautiful dip-dyed skirt, and I'd been reading Tara-Lynn's posts about her lovely ombre dyed totes and I had my inspiration.

After staring at the dye options in Dressew for a good 5 minutes (and having some weirdo comment on it) I decided on a light "Elephant Grey" for the new all over colour and "Royal Blue" for the dip. This was my first time trying something like this, and I'm pretty pleased with how it came out!

Film Friday - Bicycle

Flying Sue, a photo by girl and tonic on Flickr.

On Victoria Day I went for my first bike ride of the year. I rode Adam's snazzy downhill bike - I have a bike here, but it is in dire need of repair and I have been far too lazy on that front.

Here however is a picture from a bike ride at least 5 years old. I'm on my wonderful Electra cruiser, the "Flying Sue". This bike would be suicide here in Vancouver, but for the lovely, flat streets of Hamilton it was just right.

Tonight's walk home

Dandelions! And a panda(?) car.

FIlm Friday - Camp life

The upcoming Victoria Day long weekend has me a little homesick. Well, not 'home'sick...campsick I guess.
For the bulk of my youth this holiday weekend meant the 5 hour drive north to our family camp on Lake Penage. I found a couple pictures in my album taken up there, and I couldn't decide on just one so you get both. You can see the evolution of me and Cordelia from smiling children to grumpy young adults (I swear, we were actually quite happy).

May flowers

The weather for the past few days has been GLORIOUS (sorry, Hamilton).

While none of the flowers I planted have blossomed yet, my neighbourhood is lousy with free pickin's - last night I snagged some beautiful lilacs from an alleyway bush.

No work today, so this afternoon I did a little gardening, collected a small bunch of wild flowers and made Minnie Pearl a dandelion chain which she promptly ate.

A Sunday in May

Yesterday was a pretty great day. Earlier in the afternoon I headed downtown in the rain to take part in SlutWalk Vancouver. The event got a ton of attention (as well as the one in Toronto, and others internationally); a lot of people didn't agree with/get it but it all seemed to go off quite well. Because of the weather it probably wasn't as well attended as it could have been, but I read somewhere that about 2000 people were out, so not too shabby at all. I had my camera, and Adam came along later on with his, but it ended a little earlier than I thought it would and he missed every bus he tried to make so neither of us got any pictures. Lucky for me, lots of other people did!

(My two cents on the whole thing: for me this was less about the word 'slut', which honestly I have no real feeling towards. But the fact that today we still have people asking what victims were wearing, or how many sexual partners they'd had sickens me. One sentiment I saw over and over that I think summed it all up nicely: teach 'Don't Rape', not 'Don't get raped'.)




Hey, there's me! ;)


Photos by Michael Brophy, from facebook.

After the walk, I met up with Adam and we ended up at one of our favourite restaurants in town for dinner, The Greedy Pig. If anyone is reading this from Vancouver, and you haven't been, and you love decadent comfort food (heavy on the meat!) then check it out. They have amazing cocktails as well and the owners are super sweet. And, they have marrow on toast. 'Nuff said.





We then wrapped up the day with a drink at Pub 340 before heading home, to a street blanketed with petals. Oh, Vancouver....you're alright.

Hey Bulldog

Now that Minnie is the ripe old age of 7 months she's old enough to be fixed, so that's what happened on Thursday. I dropped her off in the morning and then half-worried all day while working and came home to a very out of it, sleepy dog. After that first day she was back to her crazy, lovely self on Friday.

Maybe it's because I haven't had a dog around for a while, but boy howdy do I love that little dog. It probably also has something to do with this being the first dog that is truly mine, or half mine anyways.
I've also fallen completely in love with the bulldog breed - their funny little bodies, their amazing faces that are insanely full of character, the snorts and wrinkles.


Bulldog, a photo by peaceofpi (jomobimo.com) on Flickr.



From the Life archive


By Elliot Erwitt (from everyday_i_show)


Sketch I saved and can't find the source...


And, of course, my little ray of sunshine.

Film Friday - Mary

Best friends since grade 3, a photo by girl and tonic on Flickr.

My late teens and early 20s included a lot of trips from Hamilton to Toronto for a day of shopping. This was snapped by Monica on one such trip.

Portlandia

Last year at this time my friend Andrew was living in Vancouver. For his last birthday, which was almost a year ago he decided he wanted to go to Portland for the weekend. He rented a car, booked a hotel and then invited Alison and myself along for company. It was a wonderful trip - definitely one of the funnest, giggly times I've ever had.
I hope to get down to Portland again before I leave this coast (maybe by train!), sometime in the summer.
The weather lately hasn't been great - still cool, greyish and rainy. It has been reminding me though of the weather when we were in Portland and has left me feeling very nostalgic about the trip.

And so - some photos!


View from our room


First day's breakfast spot


Inside Powell's City of Books. What a place.


My lovely company


Voodoo Donuts.


I kinda wanted to check this place out, but the patrons outside generally looked a little no-goodnick-y.






Inside one of the coolest bars I've ever been to.



Second day's breakfast.


I bought some.




Fun fact: Matt Groening is from Portland and named a lot of Simpsons characters after streets there.


On the way home, on South Tacoma Way. We tried to listen to Neko Case's song, but didn't have it.

Film Friday - water

24, a photo by girl and tonic on Flickr.

The Mississippi River in Minnesota.

Lately there seem to be a lot of references to New Orleans in things that I've been watching. This has had me day dreaming more than usual about going back.
This photo was taken during my first glimpse of the river that I would spend my 27th birthday breakfast on the banks of.

May Day

Happy May!






Photos from the always amazing Life archive.