A Glimpse

The yukky work in the kitchen is almost over. Still missing a countertop (it's gonna be something!), a sink and the plain white (large tiles) backsplash. So little to do, compared to the mess we had to live in mid-August. I can't believe how beautiful it is. I regularly end up in there, just admiring everything, enjoying it.

It even inspires me to write fridge poetry.

This morning light in there was fabulous...

I...

I AM a positive person

I WANT my daughters to stay happy forever.

I HAVE an incredible husband

I KEEP learning, every day.

I WISH I COULD be more motivated to do yoga.

I HATE people who are grumpy.

I FEAR skunks, but hey that's something you might already know.

I HEAR babies giggling and I'm instantly happy.

I DON'T THINK I'll ever be a grouchy old lady.

I REGRET that I lost my time with people who were so not nice...

I LOVE sewing, listening to music, watching movies (or DVD series), reading, writing, surfing the Internet, traveling, dreaming...

I AM NOT able to work, work, work. I need a more serene life.

I DANCE like crazy, can't wait for a party, who's organizing one?

I SING in the car. And I'm loud baby, I'm loud!

I NEVER remember phone numbers, well, numbers in general.

I REALLY want to publish a book with my friend Tanja.

I CRY WHEN people are awful to me.

I AM NOT ALWAYS tidy (Yesssss, I cured myself from my obsession to organize, tidy everything, all the time).

I HATE when people scream and swear especially in front of children.

I AM CONFUSED ABOUT my left and my right. I've always been.

I NEED my family, my friends.

I SHOULD go buy Alias 3 this weekend, I can't wait to see what's happening to Sydney!

In One Word

Let's start the week with one word questions and answers:
(If you feel like answering them too, go ahead!)

Cell? iPhone
Love? always
Hair? ponytail
Mother? distance
Father? closer
Children? happiness
Thing? dreaming
Goal? create
Place? home
Hobby? reading
Afraid? skunks
Future? peace
Yesterday? pool
Personality? eclectic
Gift? books
Childhood? Sainte-Rosalie
Clothes? capri
TV? off
Pets? never
Computer? everyday
Mood? energized
Missing? nothing
Car? old
Makeup? light
Store? Anthropologie
Summer? fantastic
Color? pink
Laugh? often
Cry? rarely
Obsession? notebooks

13 Things I Learned About Myself This Summer

1. I can drive for long hours if there's good loud music playing
2. I like the St-Lawrence River more and more
3. I can't stand to stay under the sun for long
4. Weather doesn't affect me when I'm on vacation
5. My hair now curls naturally. Hormones I guess...
6. I can avoid spending when I decide to
7. I like retro stuff ("diner" style)
8. I prefer stripping off paint to painting (how bizarre)
9. I am becoming a zen person
10. I am a quiet person, but when it's party time, here I come!
11. I prefer going to the movies during the day (cheaper, less people)
12. Eating less meat is easier than I thought
13. I LOVE road trips. I'm planing another one next summer. Direction? Brooklyn!

My New Ancient Piano

If this piano could talk... With its notes in ivory and ebony, the lacy wood that allows us to see the hammers hit the strings, our piano tuner told us it had at least 100 years old. I am very happy I took the time to strip the coats of paint covering it and paint it again, in white. It looks astonishing don't you think?

Corner View: Unveiling, Showing your True Self

Tonight, for you ladies and gentlement, you're going to learn more about my true self. Here we go...I am a very positive person. I really try to see (as much as possible) the good side of things, I learn from my everyday little drama, trying to understand life's lessons. No, it is not always an easy thing, but it's my motto.

Sometimes I feel like I'm still 5 years old, I see little things and I'm almost speechless about them. I love to see things as if it was the first time I see them; we get used to our surroundings and I think it's a shame. Admire life's beauty, you'll see how good it feels.

I like so many various things, almost opposites, I guess you could say I'm eclectic. I love city life and country life. I love techny stuff and vintage stuff. I love travelling, discovering the world and stay at home to relax. I love the ocean and fields. I love classical and contemporary music. I love old movies and recent ones. I love, I love, I love!

Corner View: Places of Reflection

This week's Corner View: "Places of worship.. or places of reflection. A place you can go and just be." There are three spots at home where I like to be: my sofa (right there, in the corner),

my lounging chair on the patio

and my bed.

I get most of my (brilliant!) ideas in my bed either before falling asleep or in the morning, when I wake up. I like to take my time before getting out of bed. And I think about stuff. All kinds of stuff.

I enjoy sitting on the sofa, because it's kind of where people gather, not only to watch TV or movies but also to eat (Yeah, we eat in the living room. Often) and talk. We also bring the laptops over. You may think we are far from meditation and reflection in those cases, well we're not. I guess we're multitaskers ;-)

Finally, the patio. When the weather is nice, I like to go there to relax, read, enjoy the quietness (when the neighbours are quiet themselves), listen to the birds singing and think.
I don't really meditate, but I think a lot... A LOT!

Les Déglingos

Discovered a whole new menagerie at FAO Schwarz :
les Déglingos!Bigbos, the wolfe

So charming those softies made of simple yet original fabrics. There was the size "Pick me, pick me and keep me in your arms" Ronronos, the cat

and the other size "I'm as tall as you, 4-year-old".Nonos, the dog

Due to an unbelievable control of my finances (I'm very proud of myself), I didn't bring them all at home, but it was tough, let me tell you!

13 Things We Saw in New York City Last Weekend

1. Huge billboards
2. Tourists
3. The place where John Lennon had been killed
4. Strawberry Fields and the "Imagine" mosaic
5. Dripping wet umbrellas
6. Lots of counterfeits (purses, belts, perfumes, sunglasses, etc.)
7. A funny movie
8. A real flea market
9. Lots of people at the Apple store
10. Lots of toys at FAO Schwarz
11. Dinosaurs
12. Heinous people (we couldn't believe it)
13. Exorbitant prices (especially for food)

Corner View: Music!

This week for "Corner View", the theme is music. Being in New York last weekend, we met this nice saxophone player. In the backgroup, yep, NY billboards, there all over the place!

On Design Sponge!

YESSS! I'm on Design Sponge today, featuring my crazy staircase. Soooo happy...

Street Fashion

So, no, no new photo this week, but this one is so perfect. Imagine, New York, in the summer time, a seamstress on the street doing crazy fashion interventions, could it be more plus "street fashion" than that? Exactly what I thought!

Beds

I know, it is strange, pictures of beds. But I really like beds, I do! A bed, is where you dream, where you start your days, where you think. In my case, it is the place I enjoy reading the most. It is also where I find my ideas, my concepts, seriously ;-)

My bed,

Alizée's,

and Miranda's.

Sweet dreams!

Corner View: Out Your Back Door or Window

There's a group of bloggers (worldwide, of course) who put corner view pictures according to different weekly themes. I am late, and we're supposed to put the picture on our blog on Wednesdays but I've behaved too well for too long in my life, I deserve a little craziness (I am soooo wild, almost out of control ;-)

So this week, the theme is "out your back door or window". I didn't actually take a picture, but I had one that I took a couple of years ago. Yeah, I'm such a cheater. It is still a picture of my backyard, though, so not too naughty girl in the end.Next week's theme "street fashion". "Ze" question: will I go out to take a picture or will I still misbehave, be lazy and only go through my photo archives? Can you bear all that suspense? I live a wild life, filled with unbelievable, unexepected intrigues don't you think? ;-)

13 Sweet Things

1. Having a new toy ;-)
2. Wearing short sleeves even outside
3. Taking the time
4. Getting to know new people, great people!
5. Laughing so much with Mimi, in my bed (about the fish in her science class...)
6. Eating fresh ripe green grapes
7. Reading for a long time, in bed of course
8. Having wonderful visitors this weekend
9. Texting Alizée (with my new toy!)
10. Living in a peaceful house where passion/love is our motto
11. Be inspired
12. Receiving birthday cards by snail mail
13. Having projects that eventually materialize

And you? What are your sweet things?

Community Life

I wish my community was friendlier but it is not. I try to smile to people as I do my powerwalk, but not many reply. I meet people I "know" (but can't remember from where) and we never acknowledge one another. Maybe it's just me, maybe it's the typical kind of relationship we have around here. I wish I'd be living in a friendlier community. Not that I don't make efforts to help changing it; I'm volunteering today, tomorrow and Saturday. There's a huge festival welcoming high school students who are artists from all over Quebec. Let's see if my community is ready for a friendly challenge ;-)

Prezi, My New Love

A "Twitter" friend mentionned Prezi at the beginning of the week. Won-der-ful! Enough of the boring Powerpoint, hello Prezi.
It took me a while to get used to the tools. Forget the traditional menus, this is how it looks:
I can't wait to test my presentation tomorrow during a workshop where I'll talk about digital natives, along with other stuff. At home, everyone finds it really sharp, yessss.

By the way, on Twitter, I am @dominiquepl

13 AMAZING Things that Happened to Me Today ;-)

1. When I walk, I make an effort to smile to people. 'Cause around here, people don't even look at each other when they meet. I live in a peculiar little town.
2. Mimi filled the big blackboard with words starting with the letter B. Don't ask me why "B". Looks nice.
3. Have new Facebook friends. Have you seen this? Funny.
4. Ali is almost done filming her documentary (Two girls getting ready for a night downtown). Can't wait to see this. Seriously.
5. Claude only brought a wine bottle from his meeting. Since he usually wins digital cameras, laptops, trips, we're kind of disappointed ;-)
6. Threw my neighbour's cigar's tops back on his yard (what is this idea to throw them over the hedge, are you 10 or what?) Inhale, exhale, life is made of 1001 oddities, I might as well welcome them with calm, serenity even.
7. Received interesting feedback from a colleague. Waiting for feedback (that isn't coming) from a school principal.
8. Looking for an original ice-breaker for a group of 16 people. Nothing's coming. Strange. Me, the idea machine. Need lots of fresh air. Tomorrow.
9. Viewed a very interesting conference (in French) on the future of traditional media.
10. Been retwitted by someone "important".
11. Ate calmari at the restaurant. They were not that fresh I guess. Not telling you the rest of the story.
12. Decided I have to go see André Sauvé's show (French comedian).
13. Wonder what will happen to Sookie... Crazy stuff, for sure.

What about you? Anything AMAZING happened to you today?

Funny ecards

ecards that are SO not politically correct, enjoy!

Away We Go

I want to go see this movie badly!