A few years ago, I started going on a Photo Walk in the Spring. It was my way of supporting the “Walk to Cure” Diabetes Walk that my family participates in, since I can’t be there in person. I usually walk on the day that they walk, but this year I just couldn’t help but go early. On May 26th, it was such a beautiful day that I grabbed my camera and my little helper (who joined me for the first time this year, since she was too young last year!) and we hit the streets of Sollentuna. Here are a couple of shots that were taken during the walk. If you would like to see more, just click on one of the photos!

I took the opportunity today to do something that I would never have accomplished if Adrienne and Erik were around. I taped and edited a video about my craft room. I have dreams of someday owning my own craft/art supply store where I would get to create all day long. I always envision a large front area and a group classroom type area, but I have never thought about having my very own art studio in the backroom. One of the entries in the Cloth, Paper, Scissors special issue on Art Studios talks about her special art space in her shop, and it completely blew my mind! What an amazing idea.

She says that she also uses the space to relax and entertain close friends who drop by the store. Wow! Never before have I wanted my own store so badly! That sounds like the perfect work environment and future project for me. Of course, whenever I daydream about it, I always see it in Canada instead of Sweden. Not really sure when that would happen, so it scares me to think that it may never. For now, it is something that I will think about and plan, hoping it will become my reality someday.

Currently, my craft room is nothing compared to what I see for myself in the future, but it is a peaceful place and it is mine. It is where I go to relax and recharge myself, even if only for five minutes.

My original idea was to be in front of the camera, but after not having a decent night’s sleep in over six months, I decided against it. I also have decided that I’m purchasing iLife 09. The iMovie program that I have is good, but when I see all the tutorials about what 09 can do, it just doesn’t compare. I would like to do more movies in the future and I know iLife 09 will help me make them look more professional with a lot less effort.

Without further ado, I present to you - my sanctuary:

p.s. I can’t believe how much I sound like my sister in some parts of the video. Crazy!

Another obsession of mine is crows. There’s something about them that I just love to watch, whether they are on the ground, in a tree, or in flight. The picture below shows when my love for them began. We were visiting London, circa 1983, when we happened upon this crow in a park. I’m so happy that my mother caught this moment on film. I was so proud of myself for getting so close to him. He didn’t flinch as I got closer. He was watching me, waiting for me to feed him, I’m sure. I thought if he wasn’t scared, I wasn’t going to be scared either. And so it began…

One of my favourite poems to teach in my English classes is “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe. It has everything a poem should: lost love, an unstable main character, and a misunderstood element that makes everything else fall apart. I love watching my students figure out that the narrator is falling deeper and deeper into insanity solely based on his own fear. Plus, it’s nicely written too. The word “nevermore” is key, which is why I used it in my most recent art journal page. It says everything, by leaving it open for interpretation.

My love for all things crow can’t be shown all at once, since there are too many more future posts and journal pages to fill. So, I will leave my favourite movie (The Crow), our mutual love for all things shiny, and my crow superstitions for another time.

The weather has definitely been a topic of conversation lately. Not only in Sweden, but in Canada and the States too. The snow was almost all melted here but it all started back again earlier this week. Well, after a day of sunshine and warm(er) temperature yesterday, we’re once again back in the middle of a storm.

I started thinking about what it was like around this time in previous years. It just doesn’t seem possible that it was this cold all around the world. I went back through my pictures and found that two years ago, we were able to sit outside and enjoy the warmth. Not only that, but it was nice enough for us to want ice cream drinks. I hope that nice weather like that is not too far off. Here is what it looked like on March 30th, 2007:

I also looked at what was happening at this time last year. It doesn’t seem like it’s possible, but I was 26 weeks pregnant. That just doesn’t seem right. Hasn’t Adrienne been around for a few years? It’s also interesting to think that my cousins are almost in the same position this year as I was last year. It won’t be long until they have their babes in their arms, even if it feels like a lifetime of waiting to go.

Sometimes you have to lose perspective to appreciate the things that you have in life. What you are suppose to learn or understand isn’t always clear until you have experienced that particular situation. In my life, I have been smacked in the face with reality too many times to count. I try to prepare myself for the potential problems but I should have learned to expect the unexpected by now. I am also trying to learn to let go, to trust that things can work out. It amazes me when seemingly impossible events come together that create solutions that didn’t exist before. Is is just a coincidence or could there be other forces at work?

I worked with lots of different layers for this page. Layers always bothered me before because if I liked what I had done, I never wanted to cover it up. Now, I realize that it’s a part of the process and to achieve the look that I *really* want, I will have to cover up bits and pieces of the previous layers.

I’m so excited that my Portfolio oil pastels finally arrived. I really like my Caran d’Ache pastels, but they have nothing on Portfolio for what I want to use them. They are oil pastels whearas the Caran d’Ache are more like crayons (because they’re wax, duh). They spread so smoothly and the colours are so clear and bright. Dina Wakley was so right when she said that the Portfolio pastels are the best way to go. I can’t wait to use them again!

Have you ever hear a song for the millionth time and suddenly hear a completely new meaning for it? That happened to me the other day while listening to Keane’s “Can’t Stop Now”. How do the guys from Keane know how to write about how it feels to be a new mom and completely disconnected from the real world? It feels like there’s no time to be there for others right now and that adds a whole other dimension to the motherly guilt I am becoming well acquainted with. Of course, I will share the lyrics and a video from YouTube.

Can’t Stop Now
I noticed tonight
That the world has been turning
While I’ve been stood here dithering around
Though I know I said I’d wait around till you need me,
But I have to go
I hate to let you down

The motion keeps my heart running

In other news, still anxiously awaiting my new laptop that should arrive tomorrow (at the latest!). I can’t wait to get it so I can start vlogging with the isight camera!

This is what I’ve been doing during nap time lately. I wish I would have ordered the next books in the series a little earlier. They should arrive sometime early next week, but it just doesn’t seem fast enough. Can’t wait to see the movie in November! I can almost taste the popcorn and PB M&Ms now…

This part of the site is supposed to be about me, my crafts, my inspiration and my life. Since the baby was born, there has been very little time for just me. I really want to keep this part going even when I have only a few minutes here and there to dedicate to it. So, I was thinking of things to add that could represent who I am or what I am feeling at the time.

While I was clearing up my craft room (no I haven’t had time to be crafty lately! I just bought some supplies that never got put away), I noticed the envelope of concert ticket stubs that my mother brought over to me. So, I thought I would give you an idea of how much I love concerts and how many I have been to over the years. I might have to add some as I go. I have to compile them with the pile of concert stubs I have since moving here. Okay….here it goes!

1987:
Haywire
(This is a Canadian 80’s band (if you don’t know already!) They are very much a part of my childhood and I’m happy to say my first rock show. Dave (the keyboardist) was my first fan(atic) crush. After the show, I had enough guts to tell him that he was the best and the cutest in the band. I got him to sign my yellow converse sneaker. I know, I’m cool like that!)

1989:
Bonham
The Cult
Skid Row
Vixen
Europe
Bon Jovi

1990:
Bootsauce
Helix
Lee Aaron
Jeff Healey
Slaughter
Winger
Kiss

1991:
Trixter
Great White
Scorpions
Skid Row
Guns n’ Roses (best show ever!)
Metallica
Slaughter
Cinderella

1992:
Lee Aaron
Extreme
Steve Miller Band
Sloan
Bryan Adams
Bootsauce (2x)
Organized Rhyme (Tom Green’s rap group! We were going to the same high school at the time.)
Testament
Iron Maiden
Big House (w/ Mista Bones)
Killer Dwarfs
Pantera
Skid Row

1993:
Metallica
Sven Gali
Ugly Kid Joe
April Wine
Meatloaf
Def Leppard
Aerosmith
Sass Jordan

1994:
Barenaked Ladies
Hemmingway Corner
Sue Medley
Gowan

1995:
Green Day
Tim McGraw
Travis Tritt (w/ Sammy Kershaw and Charlie Daniels)

1996:
Garth Brooks
Melissa Etheridge
Moist

1997:
Great Big Sea
Big Sugar
Wide Mouth Mason
INXS (This show never happened, Michael Hutchence was found dead a couple of weeks before the show. I still have the unused front row ticket)

1998:
Hayden
Juliana Hatfield
Savage Garden
Pearl Jam
Henry Rollins (spoken word show)

1999:
Alanis Morissette
Matthew Good Band
Edwin

2000:
2001:
2002:
* I know I went to concerts during these years, but I don’t have the stubs here. They must be in another envelope together. I know I saw I Mother Earth and David Usher somewhere during this time!

2003:
John Mayer (2x)
Victoria Williams
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Rufus Wainwright
Avril Lavigne
Bob Dylan

2004:
Default
Nickelback
Butterfly Boucher
Sarah McLachlan
Velvet Revolver
Cher
Pink
Skid Row
Sugababes/Dido/Beyonce/Kylie Minogue (NRJ Radio Awards)

2005:
Billy Idol
The White Stripes
Henry Rollins (spoken word show)
REM
Coldplay
Elton John

2006:
Foo Fighters
Red Hot Chili Peppers (2x - The most amazing two nights in a row, ever!)

2007:
Gwen Stefani
Live
Mötley Crüe (finally!)

2008:
Henry Rollins (spoken word show)
The Cure
Foo Fighters (paid for a full day festival ticket just to see them again. It was worth every penny!)
still to come: Coldplay

Phew! That took a lot longer than I thought it would! At least it’s done now. I’ve never written them all up like this before! This could easily be turned into a scrapbook page.