13 Projects For My Weekend

1. Cook something sweet for Creacamp
2. Gather my stuff for Creacamp
3. Go to Creacamp (Can't wait!)
4. Continue the quilt I started last weekend
5. Go to the grocery
6. Read a little (this, this or this)
7. Surf on the Internet
8. Do my Gratitude Journal
9. Start a new sewing project or cut pictures from my magazines
10. Vacuum cleaning and ironing (yukky...)
11. Spend loving moments with my lover
12. Spend time with my daughters
13. Watch a few Smallville 6 episodes with Alizée

Clean «Green»

We never know when we will make an interesting discovery.

Last Friday, as I was with my daughter filming for work, we made a short stop at a store. Sophie had already mentioned how great she felt by cleaning «green», but honestly, I thought it might be easy in a big city like Montreal to find those products, not here. Well, I was wrong. There's a store at 570 Mondor (close to a place I lived a looooong time ago), in Saint-Hyacinthe, where they sell all the necessary cleaning stuff for your body, clothes, windows and floors.

As soon as I finish my naughty-so-bad cleaning products, I switch to «green» stuff. On top of everything, the gentlemen there are really nice. At my daughter's school, they've gradually replaced soaps and cleaning products for ecological products. And you, when do you switch to «green»?

There You Go!

I told you I wanted to hang my poster in a different way. 6 clothespins, a little hot glue and there you go!

Masks From Bonaventure (Gaspésie)

I've discovered Gaspésie a couple of years ago and I adore it. Wide spaces, proximity to the sea, breathtaking landscapes, pebbles on all beaches, small villages, it's pretty different from the big city which I adore as well; as you can see I'm a woman full of contrasts!

These masks, painted by Miranda remind me wonderful souvenirs from Bonaventure, a nice village close to la Baie des Chaleurs. I found this place on the Internet where my daughters and I have spent half a day painting masks. Since then, I crave to go on vacation and stop by different similar places. Haven't found what I'm looking for, yet...

13 Positives Aspects of Filming in My Hometown

For my work, I have to produce a short film and it's been great...

1. The inspiring theme (peace...)
2. Having Alizée as a camera woman
3. Finding a nice store where they sell biodegradable cleaning products (I'll talk about it later)
4. Talk to nice people
5. Talk to people I haven't seen in a long time
6. Being at ease to talk to strangers
7. The positive reactions of everyone I met
8. Find great ideas, an interesting concept
9. It was a wonderful day (a very warm day too!)
10. The great sense of humor of many people
11. The people's generosity
12. Having some difficulty to find a filthy place or one filled with junk, in my hometown
13. Realizing that we made many people happy by filming them

How to Be An Artist

This is what I offered my friend for her birthday, yesterday. I bought one for myself too, it's such a wonderful poster. Instead of framing it, I'm going to try another way of hanging it on the wall. As soon as I'm done, I'll post it. For now, I'm just leaving you with SARK's suggestions of actions to seriously do, to be(come?) an artist. Inspiring... (FYI: I ordered it here. Took a while to get it, but t'was sooooo worth it!)
Again, happy birthday, T!

I'm a Happy Person

I love the postcard swaps because I love doing them, first of all. I also love them because, for once, I can receive something fun from the mailman. And since I work mostly from home, I have a chance to see him coming, I expect him (well, not in the sense that, well you know, I don't expect him him, I just expect what he can bring me, there, said...) from day to day.

Yesterday I received my moo minicards and I had the same feeling: excited to have something fun in my mailbox. Today, excitement reaches climax: I received my moo stickerbook AND a gift for me and my partner in crime that I ordered a month ago (can't tell you what it is, 'cause she might be reading, right now, and her birthday is only tomorrow, so shhhhhh!).

I know it's a little childish to get excited for such a small thing, but when you work from home, alone all day, you get excitement where you can!

Finally Here!

Ordered a few weeks ago, my "moo minicards" have just arrived. I've taped some on my postcards' envelopes, I wanted to share my joy with my fellow swappers. I've made a keychain with another. I'm so eager to share them with my friends and family! On the back are written my blog and flickr addresses. They're like business cards, but prettier and way more personal...

13 Books I've Enjoyed Reading

1. Mister Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran (Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt)
2. Someone I Loved ((Anna Gavalda)
3. Hunting and Gathering (Anna Gavalda)
4. I Wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere (Anna Gavalda)
5. Salt on Our Skin (Benoite Groult)
6. In the Fast lane (Alexandre Jardin)
7. Silk (Alessandro Baricco)
8. Stargirl (Jerry Spinelli)
9. The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Mitch Albom)
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (J.K. Rowling) (The Whole Serie, in fact...)
11. The Red Notebook (Paul Auster)
12. The Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafon)
13. We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lionel Shriver)

Postsecrets

I bought a very special book a few weeks ago at Urban Outfitters. I should have bought books # 2 and # 3 (not there anymore...). I'll eventually order them on the Internet. And I just discovered that there is a # 4! Postsecrets is a very interesting idea that originated from a blog. Here's a short video that says it all and the music by Sia (Breathe Me) is fantastic.

I love that type of stuff...

Nurturing Creativity

To be creative or not to be creative. I always tell people that everyone is creative. And if we lose some aspects of it as we get older, we must nurture creativity, it's vital. Well, others think the same.

Working in education and having that train of thought, if only you knew how good I feel when I hear that...

The clips are approximately 20 minutes long, but they are sooooooo worth it! Enjoy...

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!

Alizée creates surprising things. And this mural is exactly like that. She told me she worked hard to get this shape as she placed the photos one by one. Click on the picture to see it larger. You will see that those girls are really having fun. What a great idea to print the photos with different colored filters. Lots of work, hmmm.... of fun!

13 Signs That Fall Is Coming

1. Our garden is history
2. The lawn is filled with apples that fell from our trees
3. Nights are colder (okay, not tonight)
4. In the morning, we need to put on a little sweater or something
5. It's getting darker earlier in the evening
6. The girls are back to school
7. I'm doing my postcards for the fall swap
8. I'm preparing training sessions that I'll be giving soon
9. I don't go swimming anymore (my man still does)
10. Maple and apple leaves are changing colors and falling on the ground
11. There are lots of wasps (because of the apples!)
12. Going to Montreal in the morning is not easy
13. At Marché Jean-Talon, there are looooots of fresh vegetables (great colors and flavors...)

A Little Late!

I know, today is Friday and usually, I write about something I love on Thursday. Well, yesterday I went out, arrived home late, I was tired, not inspired, bla-bla-bla...

So here I am. I've received a beautiful postcard for the Fall Postcard Swap and it inspired me so I started mine. They're not entirely finished, but they're on their way.

I find this idea of making and sending postcard so interesting. And we send them to perfect strangers sometimes living far away from home. And it's a pleasure to send them as much as to receive them. And it's a great opportunity to create, to find a concept, to get ready for it, to start it, to see our ideas become reality. I really like postcard swaps. Do you?

Blog Things

I've discovered this site with little "things" to add to your blog.

I've decided to include this one, for fun. I felt like a teenager again...

You Are a Purple Crayon

Your world is colored in dreamy, divine, and classy colors. You hold yourself to a sky high standard, and you are always graceful. People envy, idolize, and copy you without realizing it. You are an icon for those who know you. And while it is hard to be a perfectionist, rest assured it's paying off! Your color wheel opposite is yellow. While yellow people may be wise, they lack the manners and class needed to impress you.

A funny thing, I did the quiz where it's supposed to tell me, after some totally unrelated questions, which 2nd language I should learn. Well, a revelation: I should learn French! Seriously!

Neighbour

I've seen this short film many times and I still laugh when I see the guys' face...

13 Things You Might Ignore About Me

1. I'm very picky when it comes to food. I don't like fish, pears, olives, lobster, raisins, garlic, dill pickles and so many more. However, I adore Bruxelles sprouts, turnips, eggplants, goat cheese, shrimps. And I eat fruits only when they are perfectly ripe, not before, not after. Croissants and bread have to be extremely fresh, so does milk. I drink an impressive quantity of water but it has to be spring water. My man says my mouth is snobbish. I guess he's right.

2. I react to medication a lot, I must take the info about possible side effects. I'm allergic to Penicillin and don't tolerate Ventolin. I've been hospitalized before because the antibiotics I was taking got me sicker. I try to avoid being sick as much as possible :-)

3. As a teen, my parents were too cool. Really. I didn't whine about it (I was a teenager!) but now, I know it was not what I needed then. Anyway, my friends thought I was sooooo lucky.

4. I'm a real catastrophe in most sports. In fact, in most sports where you need equipement (skis, skates, sticks, balls, rackets). First time I went down-hill skiing, I took the chair lift and didn't get out. Someone came to get me, with a ladder. T'was clearly embarrassing... I'm a great dancer though!

5. I have a mole on my right knee. My doctor often offered to take it off, but I think I'm a little attached to it.

6. Before studying to become a teacher, I studied Communication for a year to become a journalist. At night I was constantly dreaming I was teaching in a dream school. By the way, this school exists...

7. I play the flute and the piano. To be honest, I played, but one day, I'll play again.

8. I'm working on a fantastic project with Tanja. To be continued...

9. I have a giddiness problem.

10. I don't like animals. Sorry beasts, I don't wanna be your friend. C'est la vie!

11. I collect lots of things. I've always done that. Getting older makes it worse.

12. In the car, with my daughters, we sometimes do the fingers dance, I can't explain it, you gotta be there. It's a little like Claude's little finger dog. No really, you have to be there..

13. I never open my eyes under water, I hate it and I can't see a thing anyway. I always swim with my arms in front of me to avoid hitting someone or something.

Metal

I love the city, so metal I like too. I like bridges, structures ... and sewers! Don't panic, it's only because they show the name of the city I'm in that I like them. Otherwise, duh... In January, we started this tradition in San Diego while we were on vacation with the girls. Some kind of proof we've been there...

Miranda

I was sitting at my work table when I ask out loud: "What should I be writting on for my 'Thursday Love' entry?" "Talk about me", said Miranda matter-of-factly. A special request like that, how could I refuse?

So, my Mimi... You'd have to meet her in person to understand how nice and happy-joy-joy this child, hmmm teen, is. She is very curious: so many questions on so many topics, in the car earlier, we discussed atomic bomb shelters and she was astonished to learn that I've lived in one for around 10 days in 1993, when we toured in Switzerland with the Philharmonique (I used to play the flute). We've talked about loans, raising kids, politics and those were the easy topics!

She loves doing arts and crafts, play on the computer, take pictures, write poems, play the piano, spend time with her friends (Lucie, Maude, Sarah), swim, watch 'Charmed' (and recently CSI!) and talk. Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. She started talking at very young age. Everything related to words have always fascinated her. She even learned to read at 4, on her own. One day I was reading her a book, while pointing at the words, a few days later, she was reading. It was as simple as that.

Miranda is a little kitty (but I'm definitely NOT allergic to that tyupe of kitten) who likes to be cuddled, who looks for hugs and kisses. And she likes posing for her mother, as you can see on the photo. Miranda, I love you, so a lot very much... Mom xx

Fire

Fire is an element I like a lot. I love its light, I'm definitely a woman who dislikes darkness. I also love heat; I'm always feeling cold. Even if the ambient temperature is warm, it's not uncommon for my feet to be cold. In the winter, I have to make sure I cover my ears, the tip of my nose and my fingers who freeze so rapidly, it's almost ridiculous. Naturally, my feet follow not so long after...

If it was not for the bugs, I'd be a fan of campfires. The smell of burning wood (& BBQ) is a direct link to nice childhood memories.

For my 40th birthday, I went to Paris, to make sure I wouldn't feel time flying. It worked! Of course, as tourists, we had to stop by the Cathédrale Notre-Dame. The majority of the photos taken inside are too dark, but this one, I like. I have a thing for those mini candles and I have a large stock at home, in case of another ice storm...!