13 Blogs to Visit

1. an angel at my table (okay, I know it's written in Swedish or something but the photos are so beautiful)
2. colourful drops of everything (my best friend Tanja's blog)
3. decor8 (designer, author, living between Boston and Germany)
4. Hulaseventy (Andrea, a wonderful source of simple inspiration)
5. kennedy & friends (a Brazilian crafter sharing her time between her family, sewing and science studies)
6. L'off mère indigne (a not so typical mother from Québec, in French)
7. Ma vie est tout à fait fascinante (a funny Parisian illustrator, in French)
8. Mitaine écarlate (unbelievable recipes, really, in French)
9. Motherhood is Not for Whimps (a Washington DC mother, very funny)
10. november moon (an incredible artist )
11. Petit précis de Grumeautique (a French illustrator sharing her adventures with her little one)
12. scrumdillydilly (a funny & wild L.A. artist!)
13.Portabellopixie (a designer who makes won-der-ful girly fabrics)

(Part 2 next week, I like so many more!)

Little Treasures

There are so many things I like in this bookcase: my notebooks, my inspiring books, my old movie tickets (another thing I collect), my artists' cards, postcards I plan on putting on my inspiration board one day, rubber stamps, markers, my just "in case" chocolate.

My dear little treasures!

An Ad...

Well done!

via Swissmiss

13 Reasons Why I Can't Wait for Hubby to Come Back Home

1. He's been away for two weeks (the longest time we've ever been away from each other in almost eight years)
2. We need a cook in here!!!
3. We need a man in here!!!
4. "The bed's too big without you"... And I'm freezing.
5. Can't wait to hear more about your trip in Africa.
6. I need help with my taxes.
7. I need support for that big move I have to make this weekend.
8. Evenings are boring.
9. Mornings are too quiet.
10. I really prefer when he drives the car.
11. Running errands on my own? Pff, not that fun. At all.
12. I have so many things to tell him!
13. #*$Bf9˜ı±•DH&#*r (that's our code, only he can read it ;-)

Nice Pictures

Found on the web this site so easy to use when you feel like having fun with your pictures or when you need to fix a few of them and that Photoshop is not an option. An example?

Before:

After:

Takes only a few seconds... Enjoy!

Lucky 13

Even if her birthday is only in a few days Miranda already had her party.
She wanted it to be blue & orange (I added a touch of white).

Cupcakes, candies, the table decor and garlands,
everything was blue, orange, white!

I also made little pockets for the guests.

It was a nice party :-)

Don't Know What to Say

We all need to love, to be loved.

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

Validation

The best short film (14 minutes of pure happiness) I have seen in ages. Not only is it well made with its music so appropriate but the message is exactly what I believe in: we all need appproval, validation for the great things we do, for the good in us and there's good in everyone. Saying something nice has an impact on everyone (even when we don't "see" it). And remember that being nice is not always easy to do, sometimes it is discouraging, but hold on, keep doing it. Change is on its way.

And you?
What do you do so the people you meet everyday feel good about themself?

Shame... on You!

No, really, disco wasn't always a good thing, especially for the poor guy.
Now I can't stop laughing...

Vintage

A little because of Alix, I discovered the beauty of vintage clothes and accessories: dresses that look nice when you twirl, hats that may protect you from the sun but that are a ton of fun when the wind comes out, purses that go click when you close them, ultra feminine aprons and pinky lingerie...

So here's my list of 13, well 15, I don't feel like choosing today:
(click on the picture to go back to the websites where I found them)

Twitter, My New "Thing"

After a few month using it, I can finally say that I really like Twitter, from the huge social media family. It's a quick way to learn interesting and sometimes pointless things (curiosity is everywhere, we want to know, period) but always succint (140 characters to express yourself, no more!).

I have read that the more followers you have the more impact you have. Not really what I am looking for :-) I have also learned from personal experience that it is not the number of people you follow that counts but the quality or rather the pertinence for you of those you decide to follow.

It takes a certain amount of time to find the "good" contacts and like on Facebook, you can flush the undesirables (you know, you can always change your mind!) without them knowing. Everytime someone starts following you, you can receive an email and there is the possibility to block access to your profile (like on Facebook), which I find contrary to the primary goal of social media: networking. Must tell you I am not the security-online-obsessed type of person. Will I regret it one day? I don't mind, I'm living dangerously at the moment (yeah, right...!).

So, who wants to follow me?

The Marshmallow Experiment

Learning to wait:

She'S Talking About Me

I think I'm going to cry...

A former art director for Martha Stewart Baby and Kids magazine is talking about my photos on her blog. She also included a link to my website. Can't wait to see the impact!

13 Jobs I've Had

1. Babysitter (nice kids, little rascals, babies, older kids)
2. Employee in restaurants (McDonald's, Van Houtte, bakery, pizzeria)
3. Salesperson (Greenberg, Amandine)
4. Office work for a small town
5. Clerk in a students' employment centre (dealing with the medias)
6. Clown -1 day- (I seriously think everyone should do that once in their life it's good for humility)
7. Librarian (children section)
8. Helping a couple (senior citizens dealing with health issues)
9. Substitute teacher
10. English as a second language teacher
11. Pedagogical advisor
12. Education consultant
13. Entrepreneur!

Taking Risks

A touching short film, a nice story.
The story of people taking risks.
Wonderful risks.
The type of risks we don't take enough,
that could change our lives.
I took a risk like that on an April evening.
My life changed.
For the best.

A Thousand Words, Ted Chung (Vimeo)

Feel Like Weeping?

Then read this...

"Children need love, especially when they do not deserve it".

Harold S. Hulbert

Found here

Viva Discovery!

"The scandal of education is that every time you teach something, you deprive a child of the pleasure and benefit of discovery".

Seymour Papert

13 Things You Probably Don't Know About Me

1. I did some modeling when I was a child.
2. I once «forgot» to get out of a chair lift.
3. I can walk (or dance) for hours without feeling tired.
4. I'm obsessed by homemade donuts (my husband only makes a batch once a year, otherwise I can't stop myself). By the way, there are still a few in the freezer. They are talking to me, calling me. No joke.
5. I am a very good public. Watching a funny movie at the cinema with me is quite an experience :-)
6. I can't sleep if my feet are cold. It's the only thing that can stop me from falling asleep.
7. Less than 3 years ago, it was im-pos-si-ble for me to tolerate mess. I'm over that now and I feel a lot better.
8. I can hardly see myself with a car that would be automatic.
9. I've had my cell phone for more than 6 years and I don't plan on changing it soon. It still works fine.
10. I can't watch eye surgery on TV. When I go to get my eyes checked I'm the freak who won't let the doctor do some of the tests. (Nothing goes into my eyes. No-way).
11. When I watch TV, I'm always covered by one of my quilts. Even in the summer.
12. Being on the road inspires me (driving or not).
13. I'm not a big fan of fine cuisine.

La vie en rose

I'm really in a good mood these days. Everything's going well. Verrrrrrry well, indeed. I see la vie en rose and it's wonderful.

Here are my newest creations, I like them very much and I'm having a blast making them. I was originally making them for little girls, but it struck me that I can use the extra bling for myself. Don't we all?

I made other flower brooches and some more for children celebrating their birthdays. They are here, if you are interested!

Also coming up soon, my Etsy store (because my main site is still in French only, it'll be bilingual one day, but it takes time so for now, Etsy will do the job...) will have more of my items.

Ciao! And enjoy the day...

Yoga

There's a program here in Quebec called the 5/30 challenge. For six weeks, at least five days a week, you eat a minimum of 5 fruits/vegetables and do 30 minutes of exercise. I've decided to do it, but not only for a couple weeks. I really want to do it. I'm doing it. Up to now it's way easier than I thought.

With the snow on the sidewalks and all, it is not really possible for me to do my power walk (which I loved doing in the fall), so I switched to yoga. As soon as I wake up I put on my little yoga kit and I stretch, I breathe. It feels good and I've realized I'm already more relaxed. I thought it'd be difficult to do yoga on my own, but I'm quite motivated and I found a good moment to do it. I found my yoga sheets from the time I did yoga with Isabelle et Daniel. Great memories.

As for the fruits and vegetables, since I love them (especially the veggies), that's fine. I have discovered the great taste of squashes and I'm hooked. I love the spaghetti squash (so easy to prepare, an hour in the oven at 350 and it's ready! And delicious...). There's also the butternut squash which makes a fine soup with carrots, an onion, sweet potatoes if you have any, a little chicken broth and spices (thyme, cayenne pepper), so tasty.

Feeling like doing the 5/30 challenge too?