Mother-Daughters Vacation

I did something new: went on a four-day vacation with my daughters only (our man had to work...).

We left on Monday and made a short stop at the beach (2 hours!); we've discovered we're not really beach girls after all. But the city... Boston was waiting for us: Boston Common, Quincy Market, the Aquarium, the North End, Newbury Street and Copley Place. And, oh, the great Boston pizza and, of course, whoopie pies!

The girls have been fantastic, I adored our trip.

And I'm going away again tomorrow! Rufus and I have a date in central Park, I don't really have a choice, you know, gotta go...

13 Activities I Did With Elliot and Anaïs

Click here for the pictures of our day together...

1. Act crazy with the finger puppets (try making the noise of a giraffe or a panda!!!)
2. Do arts 'n crafts
3. Learn to make bubble with chewing gum (in process...)
4. Use the hot glue gun A-L-O-N-E!
5. Send a postcard to a someone you don't know (postcard swap is for youngsters too!)
6. Watch fish in their tank
7. Eat at the Golden Arches (a Godmother's classic...)
8. Sip slushies
9. Paint
10. Introduce "ze" monster (982 years old, partly mechanic)
11. Draw the ocean (probably inspired by the fish tank we saw earlier...) using chalk, in the driveway
12. Swim (and drop the chewing gum in the water)
13. Play the piano

Creacamp

I've just registered to go to the next creacamp. I've read many blogs where authors were talking about their meeting in Chicago (BlogHer) and it gave me the courage (well, the word is a little too strong, I admit...) to go for it too (made in Québec). I'm still not ready to give a presentation, talk about my stuff. I'll sneak around, first. And we'll see for the following time!

I'm on something with Tanja. It's still an embryo (ok, more a sprakle in the universe) but it keeps going around in my head... We'll redefine our work or at least give it an essential boost. Our arts 'n crafts dates have such a positif impact on us, we decided we have to do something about them. To be continued...

Sweet Sixteen

At 11:33 (PM), on the 8th day of the 8th month, in 1991 was born my first daughter, Alizée. It was a joyous moment, filled with happiness where my live changed for the best. My sister on my side, I delivered a wonderful little girl who has grown up a lot since then.

I remember how she was rocked with care, watched 101 Dalmatians all the time, created stories about princes and knights (not really the princess type; she found the princesses boring and preferred the princes who had swords, horses and lives filled with action and excitement), found the joys of computers, learned to make bubbles with chewing gum (an important moment in the lives of children), became a scout (to learn about survival techniques, camouflage and building shelters), started high school and decided she wanted to go to boarding school. One day she became a woman, another day she had her first girls' night at home while us, the parents, were gone.

That's all yesterday. Today, she is 16...

Happy birthday my sweet Alizée!
Mom xx

Unbelievable

You've heard about Hula desperately looking for the butter? Well, she and I sometimes go through similar situations. So here, we were desperately looking for the 3rd CD. I've burnt 3 for my husband who spends a lot of time in his car, so he can listen to good music and, obviously think about how wonderful his wife is (nothing's free, hey?). I've put the CDs in the car late in the evening on Thursday with a post-it (t'was a surprise) and placed them so he could see them as he sat in the car, in the morning.

He was, oh so happy about CD #1 and CD #3 but for days now, we couldn't find CD #2. AND I KNEW I PUT IT IN THE CAR! I looked on my desk (maybe I didn't put it in the car?), Claude looked in both our cars (in case I mixed his CD with my CDs) and again, and again. After writing a comment on Hula's blog I decided I needed to go see by myself in the car. You know how women are, they have to go see by themselves! My husband was laughing a little, knowing "it wasn't there", but still he wanted the darn CD. So I started looking under the seat, behind the seat and then I saw it...And I was almost ready to accuse Monsieur Lebel...
Monsieur Lebel was my neighbor when I was a child and we always accused him of taking stuff we couldn't find anymore. Of course, it was impossible he had taken any of our stuff, or, was it? (Horror film music as a background...)

Bread

Today's artistic creations are Claude's delicious hot buns. The bread he makes has different shapes but today, they were muffins-like. With Nutella, mmmmm...

It's the girls who told me that Saturday's blog could also include Claude's creations, not only theirs. I must admit that my husband is an artist at heart. His cuisine is divine, his furnitures fit perfectly, his sense of humor is really funny and his love is endless (ok, the latter isn't related but I adore that he loves me so much... :-)

13 Songs I Like to Listen to Nowadays

1. Hey There Delilah / Plain White T's
2. U-Turn (Lili) / Aaron (From the movie Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas)
3. Flagpole Sitta / Harvey Danger (And its funny video I adore)
4. Evil Woman / E.L.O. (Thanks to Pancakemama for reminding me that song!)
5. Everything / Michael Buble
6. Superman / Lazlo Bane (I'm hooked on Scrubs and it's the theme)
7. Tempted / Squeeze (Because of the Heineken TV commercial)
8. How Soon is Now / The Smiths (Since I started watching Charmed with my daughter)
9. La Revencha del Tango / Gotan Project
10. Big Girls Don't Cry / Fergie
11. Cruel to Be Kind / Marshall Crenshaw (Memories from my college years...)
12. Fallen From the Sky / Glen Hansard (From the movie Once)
13. The Hill / Marketa Irglova (From the movie Once)

My Beautiful Photos

I've finally decided to print my photos. I started with my family photos the first shot, and now I've gone for the big thing and had my "beautiful photos" printed. They're the kind of photos that make me say I'm enjoying photography even though it sounds a little too "pro" for what I'm doing. With digital cameras, everyone can make nice photos. Still, I'm very proud when I look at my little babies. I'm now looking for an album to put my treasures, something special, of course!

They're really beautiful, aren't they? (Double click on it to see them bigger...)

13 Streets Where I've Lived

1. Desaulniers (Saint-Hyacinthe)
2. Tanguay (Sainte-Rosalie)
3. Ducène (Aylmer)
4. Joliette (Montréal)
5. Mondor (Saint-Hyacinthe)
6. Sainte-Catherine (Montréal)
7. Saint-Urbain (Montréal)
8. Barclay (Montréal)
9. Bourdages (Saint-Hyacinthe)
10. Demers (Saint-Hyacinthe)
11. Principale (Saint-Dominique)
12. Robert (Saint-Hyacinthe)
13. Dieppe! (Saint-Hyacinthe)

My Mess

I've invaded the dining room for a few days because of my sewing. This summer seems to be the summer of all quilts. The first one was done in a flash (2 days of cutting, 2 days of sewing) but it's clearly not the case with the second. Well, I only spend an hour or two a day on it, that slows down the process a little!

When I go by this mess, I don't get sick because of it. Before, I couldn't let myself leave my stuff all over the place. Miss "everything-must-be-put-away" kind of person. Now I can tell myself that this mess is justified, that it is my work station, a place to create, a nook for little pleasures. So I live within this mess (non permanent though) and I don't feel guilty, I don't feel I'm a bad mother giving the wrong example to her teenage daughters, I don't have the impression that I'm lazy for not cleaning up. I'm learning to appreciate mess, to analyze it and to even find it beautiful. Hummm, is it really me talking? :-)

Summer Vacations

I'm in the middle of my summer vacations and loving every minute of it. Been to the movies, read a little (more to come), swam in our pool, sewed a lot, took pictures, went to the restaurant with my loved ones, listened to great music and in 2 days will do arts 'n crafts with my dear friend Tanja.

And this morning, an envelope that clearly wasn't a bill nor junk... A few weeks ago I sent Cathy a CD with "musique québécoise" and she answered back with a lovely thank you card and this great other card.

I felt so good while preparing my surprise to her, I wasn't looking for anything in exchange but I did make a connection with someone living far from Québec and that's what is so precious to me. Those who say that Internet isolates us are missing the point... Internet can be a way of connecting to others in a different and interesting way. It's my summer "coup de coeur". Being nice to people (even if you don't really know them) is so much fun!

With a Little Umbrella

In our home, sweet home lives a 16 year-old (in 18 days) who just started her driving lessons. 16 is a big jump, a giant step because of that. So she's learning the meaning of all the road signs and is way more interested by what's happening to our feet while driving (learning to drive with a standard car seems to be "something"...). Well, mademoiselle is getting older. That's what happens to all of us everyday, but somehow, it seems that at times, in our life, it shows a little more.

She's helping out too. Tonight as we were getting ready for dinner, she agreed to prepare Claude a drink. A drink, a real one, with al-co-hol! She carefully followed the recipe (ice, lemon, coke, rhum -a little more, ok, that's fine, stop, that's plenty!). You can admire her creation, decorated with a nice little umbrella!

13 Movies I've Seen Up to Now, This Summer

I know, it's a lot, but I'm addicted!

There's a little bug here, though. I can't (really, I can't) go to my hometown cinema anymore. People chit chat, explain the movies out loud, read out loud what's written on the screen, eat candies and make lots of noise with their bags. And it doesn't get any better. Sorry folks, but I'm ashamed of being a Maskoutaine (a person living in St-Hyacinthe) some days...

1. Once (Wow, wow, wow)
2. Paris, je t'aime (Stories around the same theme: a success)
3. Evening (Touching)
4. Harry Potter et l'ordre du Phénix (Magical?!)
5. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Not complicated)
6. Danny Ocean 13 (Ok)
7. Nitro (Lots of stuff going on...)
8. Je vais bien, ne t'en fais pas (Wonderful theme song)
9. Je vous trouve très beau (Funny)
10. Ne le dis à personne (Thriller)
11. The Painted Veil (2 thumbs up)
12. Vis libre ou crève (Action, again and again)
13. and Hairspray (in less than an hour!)

Going Out Solo

I spent the afternoon and the evening at the movies. I saw Evening, Paris je t'aime and Once. Movies just like the ones I like with stories about girls, love, music. I spent a great time with myself :-)

Since I was downtown, I decided to make a quick stop at Urban Outfitters. Not for the clothes (not my style), but for the books. I always discover interesting stuff. I've finally found a Keri Smith book and I started reading it while eating my ceasar's salad at Guido and Angelina. And in the car, both ways, I had Rufus singing loudly, very loudly! It was the kind of day I love...

Eau la la

I envy my Mimi... She came back from her father's with a collage a few weeks ago and it's wonderful. I'm well too organized when I do collages while my little one (well, not so little, she's growing up and growing up!) can easily let go and creates spontaneous groupings that are fresher, more complex also. I absolutely need to work on that.

So I woke up this morning with a desire to cover our other TV blanket, but instead of the traditional quilt so calculated, with the colors so organized, I've decided to go bananas... A little... Hmm, we'll see about that. I should consult my daughters to know their trick :-)

13 Things To Eat This Summer

1. strawberries
2. raspberries
3. sandwiches made with Claude's garden tomatoes
4. corn on the cob (2 colors)
5. Dairy Queen's ice cream
6. birthday cake (Roxane, Alizée)
7. peaches
8. shrimp dip (with chili, sour cream, cream cheese, peppers, orange)
9. spicy steaks (or marinated pork fillets) cooked on the BBQ
10. whipped cream
11. bruschettas
12. vegetables cooked on the BBQ
13. radishes

Fabrics

Last week-end, I finally made the quilt I had planned on doing for a few years (years? really? my, my...). I had bought lots of fabrics of different shades of blue and the result is quite nice. I'll take pictures and put them on my flickr soon. As soon as I'm done with a sewing project, I have to start thinking about the next one. And I've got beautiful ideas. In order to make them come true, though, I had to go shopping for new fabrics. Oh no, not fabric shopping... :-) Yesssssss Mamma!

I love walking the aisles and discover different textures, varied colors, adorable patterns. I'm always looking for a treasure: forgotten fabrics, cheap ones, or those that are at the wrong place. You can see my latest acquisitions on the first picture, too cool, hey?

13 Reasons to Enjoy Summer

1. Going to bed really late (and wake up really late too!)
2. More time to sew, do arts and crafts, etc.
3. It's warm outside, no coats needed
4. Sleep with the windows open
5. Flowers everywhere
6. Vegetables and fruits taste better
7. Read for hours, outside
8. When it's too hot, we can get into the pool
9. Vacations
10. Going out solo, duo, trio or the whole family
11. My complexion has a healthier look, no need for make up
12. Cocktails
13. My skin is soft, no more dry skin...

Colors

I'm a color addict. I adore playing with them, organizing them, make packages or decors according to specific colors. Last Christmas I prepared those gifts for my daughters, the selected color: silver!

When I did the postcard swap organized by Andrea, I've played with my magazine multicolor scraps of paper (when I buy magazines, I tear them apart and recycle most of the parts for future arts & crafts). I made a few piles organizing them by colors: yellow, orange, red, green, blue, pink... One of those life little pleasures.

On Wikipedia, I discovered pages where they mention the different shades of colors (see at the bottom of the page). I know much more about colors now!

Mister Penguin

Alizée has had a little something for penguins for a couple of years now. Here's a handmade one, done with papier mâché. She also has stuffed penguins, stickers, pictures, books, figurines and all and all... He is quite chic with his bow tie and seems to be on the verge of saying something, with his open beak. His left foot is almost moving, probably because he wants to go dancing or something. Cute, isn't he?

13 Silly But Fun Things To Do

1. Hold a glass around my mouth by suction
2. Make noise with a straw when there's nothing left in my glass
3. Send "air" kisses
4. Make a wine glass sing
5. Make music with a glass bottle
6. Eat a long spaghetti without cutting it
7. Play with a cake and eat it weirdly (icing at the end, of course)
8. Make noise on babies bellies
9. Write with my fingers on a frosted window or a steamed mirror
10. Check if there has been any activity on my blog or flickr 25 times a day
11. Spend an incredible number of hours doings arts and crafts, just for the fun of it
12. Try shoes I would never buy, walk awkwardly with them and laugh
13. Point towards the sky for nothing and see people look up

Look at this...

We must know that everything we do in the presence of children has an impact: click on the video on the right (the biggest one)...

A Surprise!

Yesterday, while reading a postcard swap "friend" blog, I had an idea! I've decided to surprise her.

Naturally, I can't tell you what it consists of, it has to stay a secret. Well, Tanja knows (we were doing arts 'n crafts together when I had the idea), but I have to keep it quiet until the right moment... Otherwise, the effect won't be as interesting if I write too much about it.

Because since I'm part of Hula's group, people read me more, my flickr photos are viewed more, so goodbye anonymity! It's kind of weird in a way, knowing that there might be more than 3 people reading these words. It has never been my intention, I'm getting used to it!

Got to go back to my surprise...

13 Things To Do This Summer

1. Change color or add wallpaper
2. Cutting to do...
3. Paint touch-ups
4. Scrape the old green and paint in white
5. Add new flowers
6. Weed
7. Clean
8. Sort out
9. Find a system to organize my jewels
10. Add protective dye
11. Help Claude get rid of the balcony
12. Big garage clean up
13. Get these feet to move...

Postcards

That's it! My postcards are gone... The majority are going to the United States, one goes to the Netherlands and another in the UK. Oh, and a last one is on its way to Tanja's :-) When I put them in the mailbox, I felt a little something. My babies left home to explore another house where someone is waiting for them. I'm so excited, can't wait to receive mine!

I've spent long hours imagining them, finding solutions to my tiny problems, playing with the colors (I adored this part), making touch-ups, writing a personalized note to perfect strangers who, I hope, will be happy to receive a little piece of me. I'm still afraid that they won't survive the long road. Those babies are quite fragile!

Think about it, it's unbelievable: a girl from Portland, Oregon invites people she doesn't know to take part in a postcard swap (home made) and almost 80 people respond. Thanks Andrea (also known as Hula) for this great initiative...

Miranda, Author

Miranda has been fascinated by books since she was really young. So much that, without warning, she learned to read on her own, at the age of 4. It was not enough. She rapidly started writing books. At first, illustrated books, like this story about an elf who didn't want to work, as a Christmas gift. Then, she wrote short stories.

Now she writes poetry. She looks for the right word, plays with rimes, uses a rich vocabulary. I am a lucky mother; I receive poetic love letters from my little teen. I love her so much!

Who knows what she'll write at 16, 20, 30 years old?

13 Books to Read

1. The Culture Code, Clotaire Rapaille
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling
3. Wreck this Journal, Keri Smith
4. Visual Chronicles: The No-Fear Guide to Creating Art Journals, Creative Manifestos & Altered Books, Linda Woods and Karen Dinino
5. 401 Design Meditations: Wisdom, Insights, and Intriguing Thoughts from 244 Leading Designers, Catherine Fishel
6. Living Out Loud: Activities to Fuel a Creative Life, Keri Smith7. Zing! : Five Steps and 101 Tips for Creativity On Command, Sam Harrison
8. Nunuche magazine, Elise Gravel
9. The Secret Record of Me, Roland Harvey
10. Refuse To Choose! : How to Use All of Your Interests, Passions, and Hobbies, Barbara Sher
11. Ideaspotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea, Sam Harrison
12. Creating a Life Worth Living, Carol Lloyd
13. Night, Elie Wiesel

Musée D'Orsay

I'm back from a wonderful trip. Nothing is better than that to make that age transition. 40? Piece of cake...

Paris... So many great things, it's difficult to choose so here's one of my good souvenirs. I'm talking about the Musée D'Orsay. Previously a train station from the early 1900's, it finally found a best vocation: an art museum showing paintings, drawings, sculptures from the late 19th to the early 20th century. The ceiling itself is a piece of art. So are the clock, the 2nd floor restaurant, the ballroom. So beautiful!

The place had a real effect on me, I felt dizzy from my arrival until I left the museum. And I'd rather think it was due to its beauty, its magic than thinking about bad air conditioning, lack of sleep or the impressive number of people present. No, no, no, I instantly thought of the Stendhal Syndrome, nothing less :-) Well, I was impressed (and not only by the impressionists), captivated. You don't see Van Gogh's, Monet's, Rodin's, Claudel's, Renoir's, Degas' and Manet's art work everyday...

Too Proud!

There are moments when a mother is too proud, really. Moments when you tell yourself that you did a good job as a Mom, that your children are wonderful and all and all. Well, tonight I had a moment like that (it's not the first and it won't be the last, I'm too proud of my daughters...).

Alizée won important prizes at the Honor Awards of her school. Important prizes to me: a nomination for her spiritual involvement and community service, an award for her constant academic effort and finally an award for her extraordinary participation in extra curricular activities (knowing that those activities create the spirit of the school, form the soul of a school...). I'm too proud, really!

Rufus...

Don't get me wrong, but I love Rufus. Not love "love", you know... I like his personal style, his Calimero (cartoon character who always said that life was so unfair) side, his songs. My husband, who's not jealous at all (yes, yes, we know that Rufus is gay), offered me his last album which is really great. My favorite song, Going to a Town, was introduced to me by my good friend Tanja, two weeks ago, as a "sneak preview".

It's too bad that the tickets are sold out for his June show. We regularly check for the other show in August, in Montreal. If we can't have tickets, we might even go to the USA... We did it for Jonny, we could do it again for Rufus! Until then, I listen to his old and latest ones, appreciating a unique talent, a kind of singer I really like (musically, right, because I don't know if you know, but I'm definitely not his type...).

As teenagers-groupies out of their mind would say during a concert, holding a huge flashcard: "We love you Rufus" :-)

Overwhelmed!

Yesterday was quite relax, didn't do anything "concrete" but today, I have a lot of things to do. Things for my trip -leaving on Friday-, things for my home, things for work and things for myself (because even when I'm overwhelmed, I take some time for myself, it's important!). Let's go!

Armor for Her

My daughter Alizée has always been an artist. She was born with a gift, a talent and I envy her, sometimes. It's so easy for her to use her hands to create. They do exactly what she wants them to do. Mine are awkward and lack poise.

At her high school, arts are very important. Her teachers have inspired her, helped her progress. She worked on her gift, her talent.

A few years ago, Alizée and other students from her school had to create an armor for a woman. They also had to create it with the personality of a specific woman in mind. The photo doesn't show as clearly the details, but if you click on it, you could see it better. It's definitely art. Congratulation and and thank you to the Collège St-Maurice art teachers, they contribute to the artistic development of fantastic girls.

And art is paramount.

I Love this Clip!

Flagpole Sitta / Harvey Danger

13 Things to Bring to Paris, Next Friday!

1. My new traveling mini scrapbook
2. Sticky labels to send postcards
3. My precious Paris books
4. My creative writing journal and the other one to complete
5. Something to read (don't know what yet)
6. My passport (vot' passeport ma p'tite dame?)
7. My digital camera and everything that comes with it
8. Pens, markers, glue stick, tape
9. My "Gratitude Journal"
10. A small pillow to sleep in the plane
11. Pills for my poor muscles
12. Comfortable clothes and my running shoes, lots of walking expected...
13. Euros and my credit card!

Bouquets

I'm a girly-girl, a real one. And being who I am, I love flowers. To compensate the lack of sunshine, I'm making myself bouquets that I put on the corner of my work table. And since the weather is awful, it's quite flowery around here!

During summer time, it's to celebrate the beauty of flowers that I make bouquets, but for the outside this time. I used to have a large garden where flowers grew here and there. I had to shrink its size, since my back can't stand the mandatory contortions to get rid of dandelions and friends. No problem! I still have roses and perennials to create those great summer bouquets.

Saying Thank You...

It happened last year. May 13th, 2006. After reading, or should I say skimming Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance, I did it. I started writing a journal. Oh, nothing complicated, nor too elaborated. It's a "Gratitude Journal". Everyday I write down 5 of my best moments of my day and I'm thankful, grateful for them.

You're thinking, thanks to who? Well, I don't have any idea. I'm not a believer, in the religious aspect of it. I believe in Good. I believe in a great big life calculator that gives us bonus points when we do good things and takes away other points when we don't or when we act like idiots (so beware of loosing all your points or, well, I suppose that when you reach that point, well, it sort of doesn't look good for you, I guess...). I believe in justice.

I believe that within ourselves is good and bad and that to avoid falling into the latter we must stay awake, conscious of things surrounding us, people we meet, events that happen. I believe in the power of optimism. I think we must learn to deal with our little problems without panicking and celebrate our moments of happiness. I believe there's too much whining, people moan too much and forget to appreciate, smile, love, live.

It's with that in mind that I started this blog: appreciate, enjoy, celebrate good things. Thursday Love was my starting point for this blog. My Friday Thirteen force me to research (it's not that easy making lists of 13, try it for fun!), even do introspection and my Saturday Something are tributes to creativity at home (I mean my home!).

Go for it if you feel blue: choose a notebook you like ('cause it will be around a lot, for you not to forget it) and a pen or pencil, take 2-3 minutes everyday to write down simple or extraordinary moments from your day. Having a bad day? Just write about the "so obvious" such as, I had enough food, I'm healthy, I have a place to live, etc. So, enjoy!

Handbag

Last Saturday, without any warning, Miranda has decided to sew. No pattern, of course, pure creativity, right? I'm still astonished to see my daughters sewing. We must admit it's not the most "popular" teen activity. But come on, sewing is really extraordinary. You start with pieces of fabric that seem inert and then you create that useful or decorative object. It's a little like starting with pieces of wood to build a piece of furniture.

I enjoy working with my sewing machine and there again I'm surprised by the easiness my daughter has taming the beast. Not that it is tough to work with it, but when it goes beep-beep, it's not the best moment and it could be discouraging. Well, at home we have the privilege to have a sewing machines specialist: Claude! One day I'll list all the jobs he had done in his life, you won't believe it. Sewing machines have no secrets to him. He was born amongst them.

Sewing has always been a fun thing to do and I can see that my girls have sensed that and know how great sewing is. It's useful of course, but when we enjoy what we do, we don't really care about the fact that it's handy, it's just fun...!

13 Crazy Dreams (Really?)

1. Learn a third language
2. Draw the plans for a house I'd like to live in
3. Travel for a whole year
4. Take part in a workshop with Sabrina, Guylaine or Keri
5. Find a more "artistic" career
6. Have the determination (the motivation) to do yoga regularly
7. Consume less and better
8. Produce a short film
9. Publish something, for "real" (not on the web)
10. Never have the feeling that I'm losing my time
11. Loose weight, without efforts (sighs...)
12. Retire at the same time my husband does so I can take advantage of it (and him!)
13. Go to Denmark, Sweden or Norway

Gaspésie

I had the chance to go to Gaspésie last week, for my work. It was my third time there and I'm looking forward to going back. There's something special about that region. The landscape is breathtaking, people are nice without being invading and there are lots of discoveries to make all over the place. On top of everything, it's close to the ocean and I love the feeling, the smell, the sound, and the unbeatable view.

One day, I'll go back and I'll take all the time I need to savor this part of my country that attracts me like a magnet... I would walk on the shore, looking for heart-shaped pebbles and polished glass. I would eat fresh shrimps everyday, hummm! I'd take pictures all the time, I'd take the time to draw, paint, do arts and crafts according to my moods, to the inspiration of the place... To be continued!

13 Movie Soundtracks That I Like

1. Amelie From Montmartre
2. Shine
3. Schindler's List
4. Brokeback Mountian
5. The Piano
6. Munich
7. Memoirs of a Geisha
8. Lord of the Rings
9. The English Patient
10. City of Angels
11. Harry Potter
12. Step Up
13. Shall We Dance

Planes

Wow, flying in a plane, that's really something. Seeing a metal monster (small or big, it's still some kind of mosquito!) leaving the ground with such easiness, it's incredible. What I like the most are taking offs and landings. In between those two, finally, it's like being in a bus, with a waitress, a snack and beverage as a bonus.

When we take off, there's the solemn aspect that's impressive; we must be sitting, all our knick knacks have to be stowed away and we feel that certain people stop breathing for a little while. My little pleasure, it's when the plane starts speeding, it feels so good...

It's really great when we don't fly too high. We can see everything even if it's tiny and I love trying to figure out what is underneath. When it's cloudy, it's less interesting, I have the impression I'm in a mad scientist beaker. But when we go over the clouds, well it's lovely. We can see the clouds from above, that's magnificient!

During landings security measures are also increased and then almost everyone holds his/her breath. When we touch the ground, some get their colors back. For many reasons I really like landings. First, I'l be able to stretch a little, my hearing is back and finally, well, I'm where I wanted to be, destination!

From Ink on My Fingers...

Are your parents married or divorced?
Divorced.

Do you believe in heaven?
Of course! I'm living in it.

Have you ever come close to dying?
Probably. But luckily I'm still around!

What jewellery do you wear 24/7?
My wedding band and engagement ring.

Do you eat the stems of broccoli?
It depends. If they're cooked, yes. Raw, humm, not really.

Do you wear makeup?
Yes, especially when I work. But lately I've re-discovered the pleasure of mascara and lipstick.

Would you ever have plastic surgery?
I don't think so. I'm too scared, bad things can happen...

What do you wear to bed?
Pajamas in the winter, light nightgown in the summer. I'm not really the naked type...

Have you ever done anything illegal?
Yes. Driving too fast being the most shameful one.

Can you roll your tongue?
No, I can't...

Do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend?
YES! And I LOVE him...

Do you believe in abortions?
I believe in making a personal choice, but it would have been a very very difficult choice for me.

What is your hair colour?
That's the most difficult question! My natural hair's brown, but I have lots of blond and chestnut highlights (mostly to cover the gray hair!).

Future child’s name, boy and girl?
No future child, please! 2 daughters is enough: Alizée and Miranda.

Do you smoke?
No! Can't stand smoke...

If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?
I'd go back to California anytime. But I want to go to Great Britain, Italy, Belgium. Sweden, Denmark and Norway are destinations I'm dreaming of nowadays...

Do you sleep with stuffed animals?
Nope, not even as a kid.

If you won the lottery, what would you do first?
Finish paying the house!

Gold or Silver?
Gold.

Hamburger or hot dog?
Burgers, definitely.

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Shame on me... Fries...

City, beach or country?
Can't choose! Love 'em all...

What was the last thing you touched?
The remote control. I'm in a B&B in Gaspésie, relaxing from giving a workshop that went really well!

When’s the last time you cried?
Can't remember... Probably while watching a movie, I get emotional easily.

What colour are your pants?
Black, most of the time...

Ever been involved with the police?
Nope.

What’s your favourite shampoo/conditioner and soap?
I love cucumber and green tea soaps because of the good smell.

Do you talk in your sleep?
No.

Ocean or pool?
By the ocean for relaxing, in the pool for refreshment.

What’s your favourite song at the moment?
La Revencha del Tango by Gotan Project. It's not new but I'm hooked.

Have you ever had a cavity?
Yes, too many...

Window seat or aisle seats?
Window!

Ever met anyone famous?
Yes, but I really don't care about fame...

Do you feel that you’ve had a truly successful life?
Yes on most of the aspects.

Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?
Twirl.

Are you self-conscious?
???

Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
Yes, once. A terrible moment, but it turned out okay.

Last gift you received?
A notebook from my dear friend Tanja.

What occasion did you receive your gift?
No specific occasion, friendship I guess!

Last thing you spent lots of money on?
Trip to Paris in a month!

Where do you live?
45 minutes south est of Montreal

Last wedding attended?
My sister Valerie's, 4 years ago.

Favourite restaurant?
???

What is your favourite kind of car?
I'd love a nice Volvo, but I' thinking of buying a "green" car next year...

What’s your least favourite chore(s)?
Cleaning windows.

Favourite drink?
Water, water, water...