self portrait thursday: getting political

Today's proclamation from the liberals re: extra funding for the provinces for childcare, ECE educator training ...

My thoughts?
Nice, but what about spending the money supporting all families whether they wish to contract out their child care or not? Tax breaks, paying the at-home parent, incentives for business to establish family-friendly employment measures would all greatly assist families of school-age children.

And to the critics who whine about not wanting their tax dollars to subsidise someone else's child care? Fine, as long as you don't expect me to subsidise the early years and formal education of the gastroenterologist who will take care of your colon cancer in your old age.

BTW, I'm not a political animal, but my very first federal election as a Canadian citizen is coming up and I can vote.

wordless wednesday: spring break - the second wednesday

Lunchtime out with the Wee Guy

Apparently, You Can Be Too Old

My YouTube Experience

Since launching my YouTube Channel a couple of years ago, for the most part, I have had a very positive experience, and enjoyed the many comments certain videos attracted.

However, apparently you CAN be too old to do videos on YouTube. I had no idea!..... Did you know that?..... Frankly, I am shocked! I never knew there was an age requirement to put up a video and engage others with what you enjoy doing....hmmm....color me blind.....I guess I am suppose to be sitting in a rocking chair knitting something instead.

Now for those that may not know me by now, I am being totally facetious and actually found a lot of humor in my latest comment by another YouTuber, after it sat a moment and I digested it fully. This YouTuber had just created their channel a couple of months earlier.

The comment went something like this: (Paraphrasing) "Wow, you are really old to have a YouTube channel. I guess it is great though that you help others that are your age. Hope you don't take offense to this, but I think what you do is good, and great videos."

At first when I received this comment, I went slack jawed, an insult followed by a compliment, thinking WTH....then I realized, okay this is just another "hater" which has stumbled on my videos, and then my brain began processing this remark and I thought to myself, "the beauty and irony of this commenters observation, is one day they will be my age.....so chew on that for a minute."

If the comments aren't directed at my age, then they are directed at my looks....basically coming from people with nothing better to do than troll YB Channels and proceed to hurl insults at other youtubers....However, I simply ignore these types of comments as with this one also, preventing it from being published. Comments that are nothing more than controversial or don't serve any other reason except to be mean spirited, do not see the light of day. This particular comment only became funny however, when I clicked on the commenters page to see who could be so....well gosh.....for lack of a better word, thoughtless.

To my surprise it was a channel put up by two little girls, maybe all of the age of 9 to 12...it is so hard to tell these days. They had already published two or three videos of themselves sharing what they enjoy. The comment now made perfect sense, since when I was their age, we also thought people my age WERE "old".

Many fell into the category of Grandma status at the ripe old age of 50 and up. Also some of the elderly were characterized as having wrinkles and gray hair or were either sweet or bitter depending on how they perceived life, but no matter their demeanor, there is a history behind their expression. In my new found opinion, 50 is the new 40, anyway....and when I am 70 then I'll be 50, you know skipping a decade of my 60's.

In fact many women, in my humble opinion become more beautiful as they age and don't come into their own until they become empty nesters, finding more time for their passion.....a time when they truly blossom.

Lacking in language skills and probably not much interaction with those my age or older as having any influence in their lives, it was understandable to me now, what level of intelligence the comment generated from.

Personally, I was lucky and had a wonderful grandmother, and grew up loving and respecting my elders and the elderly. I taught my daughter and son the same, even though their grandmother passed away 2 years after my sons birth and before my daughter was ever conceived.

My grandmothers' influence lives on in me and something I cherish and share with my children throughout their lives. Mentoring a child to help them to be good people and kind to others and show respect for those that live past the respectable age of 50, is a key focus and something that seems to be lost on many of our youth today. Traditional values and the "golden rule" have all but lost ground in a world of technology and personal exchanges via the Ipod, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. We have become a society of blurters without reservation it seems.

On A More Serious Note

Now, where a concern goes much deeper, well beyond the innocence of their videos and their lack of people skills, this may also leave them vulnerable to predators on the internet. I am sure they are having fun exploring the world of technology, but at the same time, a growing trend in internet stalkers has clearly not been factored in by these girls parents.....or perhaps they are absentee in their lives and are not aware of the new distraction they are participating in.....either way it is a tentative situation, and not very well thought out.

Advertisers Aren't Helping

The flip side of the obvious stated above, it is also their perception of themselves based on the comment they left. It is a shining example of how pervasive advertising is amongst our young girls, in promoting anti aging products to tweens, body image created by marketers using anorexic girls to model their jeans and creating sexual overtones to our 8 and 9 year old girls with marketing of padded two piece swim suits by Abercrombie and Fitch, (mothers have gone insane over this one) Here is an article by one such mom: Abercrombie Sells Padded Bikini To 8 Year Old Girls.

I was thrilled to find this article, as it gave me peace of mind to know there are still plenty of moms out there trying to instill values of morality and modesty in their daughters.

Although, with all of this in their face, people my age don't stand a chance against the images created in our young girls mind. Apparently only women with perfect skin, who are in their 20's should be allowed to create videos aimed at women in the beauty category, according to these young girls' self image, personified.

This is truly a sad commentary of what is happening around us, that women are perceived as having a shelf life, and once we reach it, we are not to be taken seriously and should be discarded. What is lost on this culture, is for every year we live, for every wrinkle we gain, life's lessons become second nature and the knowledge we bring to the table should be tapped as an unyielding resource. If only our youth would learn from us, their lives would be so much simpler and they would make far fewer mistakes going forward.

I am fortunate, my daughter takes this to heart and even though she has grown into a wonderful independent young woman, her dad and I have been a port in her storms many times, saving her a whole lot of grief, time and energy. My son on the other hand, has and does need to always do it his way, the hard way, and flounders through his life....but as the old wise ones we have become, we simply step back and allow him to be himself, as much as it pains us.

For these young girls on YouTube, I have a concern, I do worry for their safety and their lack of sophistication to keep them safe on the internet, and I sincerely hope, at some point an awareness will befall their parents, or at the very least they are involved in their venture, but I feel this is highly doubtful....
Sometimes I don't think it even occurs to them their videos can be seen by millions of people once they hit that UPLOAD button. I believe they think it is just something they are doing in the privacy of their bedroom with girlfriends, and no harm done, not considering the ramifications of being involved on YouTube. The reality though in those millions that may see their video, there are going to be the opportunists who take advantage.

I love YouTube and I have had a lot of fun with it and have also enjoyed the countless videos provided by others. They make me laugh, cry, go deep into thought and have given me a level of outreach I could not otherwise achieve with just writing my blog or answering emails....I just feel with it's use however, it also requires responsibility and caution when opening up ones' life to the masses.

If you have daughters or granddaughters, join with me in recognizing this cultural shift toward technology and help guide our young girls in a direction which will keep them safe.....it is a new age to be sure.......and perhaps revive what seems to be lost on others at times, the "golden rule."

~You got to love them though~

Cheers!

spring break round two

A day with the wee guy on snow :)

Le No Makeup Look- An Anecdote

As I write this post it is a Saturday evening. Earlier in the day I went for a massage and then met up with girlfriends for lunch. I didn’t wear any makeup to the massage, because I knew any makeup I wore would get smudged. After a blissful (and much appreciated) massage I went home as I had some downtime before I needed to be at my lunch date. I was dressed nicely but wondered if I could be bothered to put any makeup on to meet my friends. Maybe I could get away with not wearing any and go with a real ‘no really I’m not wearing any makeup ‘ look.

I went to the bathroom mirror to assess. Now it’s not that I’m horrified with what I look like without makeup- not at all. I don’t have a negative self image. It’s just that I didn’t look polished. There were faint dark circles under my eyes (from lack of sleep) and tiny veins that show themselves on my cheeks (that have always been there). My eyebrows were just a little sparse. All in all, I was looking a bit wan and thought I could use some color.

I thought about the friends I was about to meet. They are two very close friends and I hadn’t seen them in a while. We were bringing our babies and planned on dining al fresco as the weather was nice. I looked at my outfit- I was dressed nicely enough- white long sleeve top with embellished gold shoulder, black trousers and ballet flats… No, I couldn’t let this nice outfit go to waste.

There are times when I feel perfectly fine going out of the house without makeup on. More often than not, however I wear le no makeup look. I believe one’s makeup should be in correspondence with their outfit. If I am wearing a tracksuit and plan on hiking with friends and then having lunch, I would probably only wear mascara and clear lip gloss. If I were going out in the evening and wearing a black dress and heels, I would amplify my le no makeup look by donning either the defined eye or the defined lip. But for this lunch, I needed something natural, effortless and quick, as I was running out of time!

I whipped out my makeup bag and 5 minutes later (not exaggerating) I applied a 5 minute le no makeup look.

Here’s what I did:

Applied Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer spf 20 in Nude on my face. This one step does so many things- moisturizes, conceals and provides sheer, natural looking coverage (not to mention sun protection!)

Filled in my sparse eyebrows with Lorac eyebrow powder in brunette.

Curled my eyelashes and applied mascara. I love Chanel Inmitable Intense mascara- it provides volume, length, curl and separation... amazing.

Patted on Benefit's Posie Tint gel blush with my fingers

And lastly applied Chantecaille lip gloss in Love

Voilà. It only took 5 minutes, and in exchange I received an afternoon of looking polished. When I feel pulled together and well groomed, I can go about my day with more confidence. Just by touching up the unevenness of the skin and adding slight color and definition I felt perfectly comfortable chatting and laughing with my girlfriends and our babies under the afternoon sun.

I would love to know… what is your version of le no makeup look?

And to continue the theme stay tuned for next week's post where I interview Chanel makeup artist Shadi Molavi on the perfect red lip…


Pictured above is the head of Athena in marble dating back to 160 - 150 B.C. Wouldn't you love to know about her beauty routine? She is featured at the Getty Villa in Malibu...

random sunday-at-a-craft-fair thoughts

Ok so we were meant to have access at 10am - what gives?
Quick trip to the loo to kill waiting time then go ask for the key - ah, someone else has. Let's go.
Table still here but drat, left the stool in the car (will ask mr ebb to bring it when he arrives with a coffee).
Set up - where will I put everything today? Mix it up or go with yesterday's winning layout (ho ho)?
Opening already? Waah!
So - must sell four cuffs to break even.
Slow start - where is everybody?
Ugh! Hay fever. Who wants to buy from a crafter with a bright red nose?
Did I pack tissues? Phew - yes I did.
Yay! A sale. Down to a two-and- half cuff sales pitch.
There are a lot of jewellers here - five of the eight tables in my block are selling jewelry, and seven out of the seventeen other tables I can see from where I sit. What is this? Fab Fair (which btw is a most excellent jewelry and bags fair at Heritage Hall on Main Street in June)?
The table next to me is so tempting (not chocolalate, but plants).
Still at two and a half cuffs ... or eight pairs of earrings ... or two necklaces ... or any combination ....
Yay for meeting friends, old and new. Sent a couple more artists in search of the Vancouver Indie Crafters group forum :)
Still stuck at two-and-half cuffs :(
Yay - more friends visiting!
Oh thank goodness for a wifi connection.
Black bra, flesh coloured top - no.
Hayfever season is here :(
Great chat with a lovely family out for a Sunday afternoon stroll :)
Another marketer trying to make money off an artisan - no thank you. Arts and crafts is a growth industry but sadly not for the artists themselves.
Tortured by having photograph taken ;)
Mission accomplished - officially broken even, two cuffs going to two new homes :)
PS: Handmade doesn't count as new for Lent (just sayin').
I seem to have stopped sneezing.
OMG in profit! Chatting with other vendors, it seems everyone found it hard work to break even. High table fees really take a cut.
Wow! Closing bell - pack and go home.

Saturday shout out

.... for me and all the other vendors taking part in Portobello West at Creekside Rec Centre this weekend.

friday forte: it's not me, it's you

dawn over the Burrard Inlet (yes, another weirdly sloping horizon shot)

About a year ago, I came to conclusion about my life.
About a year ago, I came to a painful conclusion about my life.
(bear with me)
About a year ago I painfully came to a painful conclusion about my life.

I painfully "lost it", smashed a very heavy plate on the dining table during our evening meal. The day had not been a good one. At the start of the day it looked like I might be able to make headway on an issue which quite honestly had been  ripping me apart for almost two decades. By the end of the day it was back to square one.

I marked the table.
Splinters flew off the plate, gouging the veneer on the piano lid.
Food splattered the sideboard.
I painfully gashed my left thumb deeply near a joint.
It bled ... a lot.
Boy, was I mad.
I went to bed mad and disappointed.
I got up less mad, more disappointed and still bleeding. My thumb ached under layers of pressure dressings.
It was a really dumb thing to do to myself :( - the next week I was due to teach a crafting class. Damaged digits and wire crochet don't mix.


still making pretty stuff a year ago

The thumb healed slowly, and so did I, realising that being mad and taking it out on myself was not the healthiest of options. Each time I got mad, I was a little madder. More than making me mad, dwelling on this issue was making me sick and literally stealing the life out of me. I didn't like the person I was becoming because of it. Enough was enough.

Realisation number two was that I couldn't change the issue itself. It wasn't something I had any control over. I couldn't 'make it better', I couldn't solve it. It was indeed out of my hands.

Realisation number three was that I could do something; I could change how I dealt with it. For the first time in many years I admitted to myself I had struggled enough, and gave myself permission to walk away from taking total responsibility. The issue was not mine anymore. My new focus was on minimising its impact on me and reclaiming my headspace.


making pretty flowers to wear

And since then? Well, with a few hiccups/valleys/troughs/deep dark wells of despair, I've stuck to my new approach and feel more content. Though I'm still immensely sad that this issue still greatly affects my life, I don't live permanently under a cloud. Instead of dwelling on how unfixable the issue is, I now look for workarounds which will work for me. Once I was worried that melancholy was 'the new me'; without getting all Pollyanna, happiness is much more de rigueur these days. I no longer feel like a moody, ranty, whining bitch (seriously) and thus want to re-connect with friends because I feel like I do have something to offer in return. This in turn has very positive effects on my mood. I feel more creative, more efficient, a better parent (!), and have much more energy.

It is early days still. Dark days do come, but they go too (and faster). I'm gradually turning my thinking from what I cannot fix, what is out of my hands (negative) onto what I can actually do (positive).

I don't feel so helpless, and more importantly, there are no new scars on my digits (unless the saw slips).


they're my fingers and I love 'em

self portrait thursday: stunningly bad at this (a blast from the past)

stunningly bad at this: "

embrace copper seaglass brooch side, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

As you have probably realised, I am stunningly bad at this marketing promo thing. I do have a kind of email list, and I do gather these addresses at craft fairs, etc. .... but then they just sit in my posh notebook until the ink fades.



I have been busy. Some of you may know (from my other blog, which is more ranty and personal in nature and hence not linked to from here) that not only am I taking a part-time college diploma (amazingly good fun but can I get me head round the issue of homework after a gap of a couple of decades?) as well as prepping for an upcoming solo show (more on that below).

So this weekend's upcoming Portobello West season opener in the former athletes' village, creekside in Vancouver, is in danger of passing me by! I will be there, 11am to 5pm Saturday and Sunday 26th/27th along with the amazing Buenostyle and a cagey bee, among other talented artisans.

While I'm 'on a roll' I probably also should remind you that I will be at New Westminster's Farmer's Market on Saturday, April 9th (you really should visit for lunch at the market -yum, yum! I recommend the hot dogs).

And I should also announce with glee that I've been accepted for the Spring Got Craft? show at the Legion Hall on Commercial, kicking off on Sunday, May 8th. If you're a goody bag aficionado make sure to mark this date in every diary you possess (and aim to get there 3 hours or so before the doors open! I'm not kidding.)


photocredit - Tanis Alexis (note: a self portrait from quite a few years ago)

Oh, and the opening night for my show at Port Moody Arts Centre is April 21st (6-8pm). I am soooo excited that my friend Tanis will be exhibiting her amazing work alongside my 'home is where the heart is' pieces. This is, for me, a dream come true :)

"

Mobilicitiness

Oh the places you will post from!

Adventures At The Natural Products Expo and More Updates

The Fun Never Ends

Well I am finally able to sit down and get this weeks blog out after a great few days at the tradeshow and getting caught up with my office duties. The Natural Products Expo was a fantastic experience, meeting so many great people. The energy in the place was incredible, in fact so much so, that on our first day we were completely overwhelmed. We sort of had that "deer caught in the headlights" day....but I am getting ahead of myself.

You'll find links throughout the article so you can visit their pages for the full experience.

Once we arrived in Anaheim, we took our shuttle to our hotel, the Park Vue Inn. After settling in, we then had to go to a clothing store immediately before dinner, since the temps exceeded the predictions and I was roasting with no other lightweight pants packed. But all was not lost since I stumbled on the cutest shop called "Fresh Produce" within the Garden Walk. There I found the most comfortable, cute pants, which I proceeded to change into and wear for the remainder of the evening. They were like wearing a feather and were perfect for the next day which would also promise to be hot. We then proceeded to dinner in the Garden Walk Mall and ate at the California Pizza Kitchen. Fantastic food and we enjoyed a balmy evening of dining on their patio. We then enjoyed a leisurely stroll back to our hotel.....glorious evening it was, relishing every moment.

As for our hotel, it just so happened to be right across the street from Disney's main gate. This place was perfect, clean, close to everything, including many restaurants, and they took good care of us the entire time we were there. In fact they had a gift basket waiting for us in our room when we arrived with fruits, snacks and a bottle of wine. We were staying in their King suite with Jacuzzi which included a safe for valuables. Very quiet place and they provided bottled water to the guests at no charge. The maids were in fact so honest, don't know if a safe was even necessary by our experience, because when we left a $10.00 tip on the nightstand for them the second day, it was still sitting there when we returned at days end. The next morning we left them a note that said "housekeeping," and happily it was taken this time. I would highly recommend this hotel for anyone visiting the Anaheim area.

We spent our first day in Disneyland having a superb time, relaxing, eating, soaking up the warmth (80's), watching all the little kids and getting on as many of the rides as we could....wait time for most of the day was a walk right on or 15 minutes. I mean, do you see any people in that picture to the right? .....and this is center court. (Perfection if you have a limited stay) Sadly to say, my favorite ride just happened to be closed for refurbishment....yep, my Splash Mountain was shut down. There were also many other attractions that were being updated on Mainstreet and New Orleans, so no access, and this carried on throughout the park. So unfortunately, the park was muddied a bit with construction fences and scaffolding, not the park I remembered. They are in the process of building a new park in Disneyland, and from what we could see of the construction, it was going to be huge.

We tried to last until closing time which was 8 pm but we tuckered out by 6 pm, so off to the hotel we went. Also on Friday and Saturday nights, they do the Fireworks display and I kid you not, we felt like we were in Beirut. These things are so loud, they literally set off car alarms around the area. It was comical, but clearly conveyed to me, I would not want to live near the happiest place on earth....I had no idea. One of the hotel staff told me she lives over a mile away and they can still hear the thunderous booms....not so happy place I guess if you are a resident. Timing of this trip couldn't have been better also since they have been having nothing but colder weather since we got back home....so we got our dose of sunshine....ahhh!

Stunning Display

The next day we walked to the Convention Center to get registered and donned our badges, which we wore around our necks, and proceeded into the huge building that sported over 3000 vendors on the main level and downstairs. We ambled about, staring in wide eyed amazement at the displays, the booths and the vast diversity of products in every category of cosmetics, skincare, grocery, raw materials, packaging, natural foods, restaurants, bakeries, the list was endless. If it was natural or eco friendly, it was there in full display. We also had the enjoyment of dodging through over 55,000 people on the first day alone...exceeding there total numbers in just the first day from last years entire show....can you imagine?

In the Health and Beauty section, there were plenty of cosmetics, skincare and personal care products at the show, but I only located a handful of mineral makeup companies, several of which I had never heard of before.

By the time we walked this building the first day, our dogs were barkin' and we felt as though we did not execute our game plan of making contacts. We just kind of stared, awestruck and anxious of missing out on anything..... a whole lot of walking and staring with little accomplished. Others in my industry warned us this would happen when experiencing our first tradeshow of this magnitude. After all it is the world's largest.

New Game Plan

That night we rested and regrouped and sat down to make a game plan for the following day...our last day before jetting home again. The stakes were high and we had to have a new plan of attack....I hear the "Rocky" movie theme in my head right now.

We loaded up with business cards neatly packed away in our bags and headed again to the show, this time taking a cab to save on our feet, plus I got out of my wedges and put on my Tevas for this plan of attack.

This day was not as congested with people, but plenty of visitors still arriving. But the best part was, the booths weren't so crowded as the day prior, so it allowed us to visit and chat up with some of the vendors and actually meet some reps in the process.

We sucked it up, got focused, approached many people and remained true to our goals, which allowed us to learn more about tradeshows, their benefits and to meet others in the industry of redistribution. We learned a ton and met some great peeps.

Hey who's that guy and why is he hitting on me?

Surprisingly enough we met Fabio, and we found him to be extremely personable and looking fantastic at 52. Still packing nothing but muscle, the man was a powerhouse. He was promoting nutritional supplements he created.

Must remain focused.....we continued on and ran into reps on the floor wandering about, and they happily approached us by reading the badges around our necks. We exchanged business cards, took some pictures, and relaxed more with the process. Our excitement and energy now matched that of those at the show.

Get 'Er Done!

After we did a lot of networking, we then proceeded to enjoy the many other offerings, such as food and drink at the tradeshow. So much food and so little time. They gave us samples to put in our bags and haul home for later enjoyment.

My favorite products I sampled and purchased after we returned home were: All products are hyperlinked to their respective pages with some coupon offers as well.

• Sunbutter ~ a natural non peanut butter, made from sunflower seeds. Smooth and creamy and tastes unbelievably fantastic.
  
  
• Nutorious ~ a dehydrated confection snack made from dried fruits and nuts. Watch the calories though, they sneak up on you.
  
  
• Alexia Potatoes ~ Delicious sweet potato fries with different seasonings available. They also make other great products, including standard fries. Love these.
  
  
• PopChips ~ a type of potato chip with half the calories, and they have them in favorite flavors like traditional potato chips...mmmm barbecue is my weakness.
  
  
• Chobani Yogurt ~ Yum can only describe this thick and rich Greek style yogurt with fruit on the bottom. Simply to die for. Great dessert substitute and the calories are not too bad.
  
  
• Food For Lovers Vegan Queso ~ A non cheese Queso dip or sauce that, I am telling you, tastes exactly like the real deal without cheese or the calories. Smooth and creamy and a bit of kick.

The list goes on, such as products from bakeries, sauces and dips, vegan meats dishes, drinks to quench your thirst and provide vitamins or antioxidants. And yes there were even things I sampled that were hard to swallow or curled your toes, and if that is healthy then I'd rather be "blech." I had to strain not to make a face in front of the rep presenting their sample so as not to offend. So not everything tasted the best.

All in all, the second day went far better for us and felt we had accomplished our mission. Although the tradeshow continued on through Sunday, we would be headed home, plus we were told the show pretty much winds down after Saturday.

After the show at days end, hubby and I took a breather by the gorgeous main fountain at the entrance before trekking back to the hotel for the day, since our feet were still feeling much better than the day before. Thank you Teva's......it was a great and fun experience overall.

Back To Reality

Well we were up at 4 am getting ready to catch our shuttle back to the airport, oh and btw, we also were blessed with the one hour time change that weekend, so this was like getting up at 3 am.

Headed to the airport, got our tickets and proceeded through security to only be stopped on our return of being told my drivers license had expired. How come I traveled to L. A. with no problems, but when leaving I get busted?....So one more task I needed to take care of once I got home.....like I don't have enough to do....and hey security lady, don't bring me down. My hubby whipped out another form of I.D. with my name on it, so she graciously let us through.

All Caught Up

So after our return on Sunday, we headed straight to bed and stayed there until the next morning where we got busy getting caught up with paperwork, getting orders finished up and out, and got back on schedule of keeping things moving in a timely fashion....no rest for the weary. It was a great experience and we are continuing to be busy bees, getting our sales manual done for the reps and other great things projected in the works for this year.....now let's only hope we can get 'er done.

Update On My Last Article

I also wanted to make a correction in my article Skin Penetration Enhancers: Friend Or Foe.

A friend of mine, and scientist/chemist located in the U.K. contacted me while I was gone, to correct me on the statement of the EU banning Olive Oil. Apparently it is not the EU per se but a group of dermatologists in the U.K. that are researching this and proposing the possibility this could become a factor. I have since corrected this error in the article and can be reviewed for clarification at the link above.

Thanks everyone, now I am looking forward to longer days and warmer weather as we head into Spring.

Cheers

hearts on a monday

Voila! My latest distraction on my smartphone - Sketchbook Mobile.
I'm still crazy busy with college assignment deadlines looming, exhibition deadlines looming, tax return looming, and Spring Break already loomed so to speak. But at least now with this nifty little app I can do some spur of the moment doodling.
The app itself is the free version (Android) but I shelled out just over 16CAD for a capacitive stylus (after trying a vague attempt at making my own). It's been worth it so far. Sketching is much better than trying to keep to a straight line, and you have the choice of two brushes, a pen, a pencil and airbrush to draw with. Colour options are quite versatile. There's an undo feature as well as an eraser. Saving is a bit hit and miss with the free version though - these hearts took a few days and a few attempts to load into my Media Gallery, and then suddenly I've got several copies!
I'll persevere though - it's fun, and my ultimate goal as a reward for getting thru this last six month's silly season is Art Rage http://artrage.com loaded onto my netbook for kicks.

The Search for a New Signature Perfume

For the past 7 years I have worn Stella by Stella McCartney as my signature perfume. I have a lot of affinity for Stella- for me, the fresh rose fragrance is not too heavy and not too light , but à la Goldilocks and the three bears, just right. Over the years I have worn other fragrances- for special occasions or when going out in the evening, but Stella was the scent I chose to wear on my wedding day, and, subsequently most every other day of my adult life.

Then this Christmas we had some house guests- my brother-in-law and his new girlfriend came to stay with us for a week. This was my first time meeting his girlfriend- she is a nice woman and we hit it off. One day I went into the guest bathroom to change out the towels and freshen up their room. While doing so I spotted a bottle of perfume on the bathroom counter in amongst other cosmetics of my guest. I moved in closer and confirmed my suspicion. My brother-in-law’s girlfriend also wore Stella.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this. I will not lie and say I wasn’t slightly disturbed. After all a perfume is a calling card of sorts, and a very personal one at that. Was there room for two people in the family to wear the same signature scent? I relayed my concerns to my cousin over the phone the next day. She said I was crazy and needed to calm down.

Now obviously I know that many other women wear Stella... it is a best selling scent after all! And I also know that the same perfume will not smell the same on different people- body chemistry can change the dynamic of the fragrance (Which is probably why I didn’t notice it on my brother-in-law’s girlfriend in the first place- I just thought she smelled good!)

Perhaps I was overreacting. Maybe I didn’t need to find a new signature scent… But the following morning when I went to adorn myself with the fragrance I paused while looking at the familiar deep purple bottle. I began to ruminate on the concept of a signature scent. Is one supposed to wear their signature scent until the day they die? Or does one change it up every decade when they analyze where they are in life? I picked Stella as my signature scent in my early 20s. My life is dramatically different now than it was back then. Does Stella aromatically encapsulate all that my new life has become?

Of that, I'm not sure... but I aim to find out!

Gradually over the next few months I will share with you my thoughts and notes on fragrances I’ve tried in the search for my new signature scent. Hopefully, at the end of this journey, I will find a new perfume to call my own.

What am I looking for? Something a bit more niche (less commercial) and unique. A scent that is moving and evocative. Not too bold, but rather something I could wear every day. A fragrance that my daughter will smell in 20 years time and think of me...

I would love to know… what is your signature scent… and is it time for a change?

Perfume flasks from ancient Rome, dating back to A.D. 200 - 400 are pictured above. They are featured at the Getty Villa in Malibu


Also, I am featured this week in Black Is the New Black. Click here for the link, or visit: www.thenewblackisblack.com to read my thoughts on style...


The Daily Connoisseur is now available on Amazon Kindle.

the real shout-out Sunday post: the Crafting my Life Course

This is the real shout out for the weekend, a plug for the marvellous Amber's "Crafting my Life" course which will be running again at the beginning of May.
Since it's the weekend (and a day of rest cough cough) I'll let Amber do the talking for herself (yes, I did ask permission) cos she does it so much better than I can.
Please read on, follow the links, and most importantly sign up.
Dragon slaying is the new black (and it suits you so well).


An Update on the Crafting my Life Course: "

It’s Thursday, so I’m Crafting my Life! For 2011, I have ditched the themes and link-ups. Instead, I am just going to write what I’m thinking about this week. And if you would like to chime in and contribute a guest post about your own journey, please drop me a line – I’d love to have you!

As you may know, I am running an online class for moms all about living with intention. It got its name, Crafting my Life, from this blog series, in fact. The first session began in mid-January, and we are about two thirds of the way through right now. We’ve just finished talking about slaying our dragons, and we’ll be talking about managing our money next week. It’s big, important stuff.

I have to say that I’m enjoying the class immensely. 26 students registered, and we’ve been connecting in our online community. Having a front-row seat as other people make big changes in their lives is probably the most inspiring thing I’ve ever done. I was really nervous that no one would sign up, the class would be a total flop and I would face humiliation and ridicule. The pesky voice inside my head promised me that’s exactly what would happen, in fact. Thankfully, it was wrong. Life just isn’t as all-or-nothing as the pesky voice believes.

It’s been a little surreal to take on a teaching role, but I kind of love it. It really is an excellent fit with my Type A, oldest child, always-has-to-be-in-control personality. But it’s so much better because I’m not just teaching, I’m learning, too. I really feel like we are all on a journey together, and it’s pretty great. I am enjoying it so much that I have decided to do it all again. Crafting my Life 2.0 will launch on May 9.

Just like the first run, the second run will include weekly emails, play sheets, videos and audio interviews, and missions for you to accomplish. You will work at home, at your own pace, and in your own time. You can do it with children hanging off of you, or in that most precious of time after your children go to sleep or before they wake up. You can do it all by yourself, or you can enlist your family and friends to help you out. It’s up to you, because this is your life that you’re creating, not anyone else’s.

If this sounds like your thing, drop by Crafting my Life to see what’s happening. To really stay in the loop, though, you should subscribe to the Crafting my Life email list. Not only will you be the first to hear what’s happening, but you’ll get access to special, advanced pricing and more.

Thank you for allowing me to engage in some shameless self-promotion (which, incidentally, is something else we’ll be talking about in the class). Now that I’ve let you know what’s up with me, I’d like to hear what’s up with you. What are you working on right now? What’s on your mind, what are you learning about, and what are you dreaming about? Whatever you’ve got cooking, I hope you’ll share in the comments!

"

saturday shout at: not very sociable media

 No, it's not a typo.
This is an awful example of why it's best not to automate certain features in social media.


Yesterday morning, my guinea pig died.
This morning, 'piggybacking' on the back of one of my anguished tweets yesterday, @EcoMentor sends me a link to the website of a certain Candia Lea Cole promoting eco-intelligent eating.


Somehow, tweeting about the death of my guinea pig is a good promotional opportunity for Ms Lea Cole so she can spam me with her advertising materials.

"CAN WE BRING ENVIRONMETALLY (sic) DAMAGING ACTIVITIES UNDER CONTROL ... ?" asks Ms Cole on her site.
Might I humbly suggest reigning in your twitter autobot (and practicing some elementary proofreading*) to avoid offending any more people first before tackling greater nutritional issues?


*note to self: a little bit of proofreading here wouldn't go amiss either :)

yesterday's self portrait tomorrow

You didn't think you'd escape the self-indulgence, did you?
Well, you're getting Thursday' self portrait anyway but not the post.
Thanks to everyone for the messages of support on twitter, facebook and in comments. mrs pig was a really special guin and we're missing her already. There's an empty space in the living room where her floor cage stood, and her fleece blankets hang drying. She will not be replaced though we have talked about maybe fostering via our local SPCA. Will keep you posted.
Right now, I'm posting yesterday's for tomorrow to try keep up. I'm an hour post migraine - it's great the pain has stopped and I can see properly again, but oh boy am I exhausted. Sweet dreams tonight I hope.

friday forte: RIP mrs pig

RIP mrs pig, originally uploaded by ebbandflo_pomomama.

Sorry but there won't be a witty, self-obsessed whine about my life today (neither was there yesterday for self portrait thursday).

mrs pig died during breakfast this morning, after a very short illness. She was warm, as comfortable as I could make her, and had spent most of the night snuggled in my arms.

Her kidney cysts were growing massively and I suspect that renal function packed in quite dramatically. Yesterday afternoon she went blind, and then worsened through the night. She stopped eating and eventually couldn't even raise her head. She enjoyed her snuggling for as long as she remained aware. I'm not sure by morning if she even knew we were around but she was still warm and seemed comfortable.

The next step was a visit to the vet for a final injection, but instead she quietly fell asleep.

We will miss her little scuttling presence in the corner of the living room, and her merry but slightly hysterical 'wheek' as the fridge door opened. She was a Freecycle pig who, along with her mate mr pig, came into our lives 2 and a half years ago. They've been great housemates, great recyclers of green matter and good company. mr pig was euthanased early January this year and I've been worried about mrs pig ever since. Guinea pigs are social creatures and they've always lived in the heart of the household with us. She and Grizz our cat became strange best mates after mr pig died.

Her kidney cysts were enlarging dramatically and we knew the end was close. It was and it happened very quickly, thank goodness.
RIP mrs pig.

Stress Acne

Does stress cause acne? While some people seem to think there is no correlation between stress and acne. I prefer to take the Al Gore global warming, the discussion is closed approach, and believe there is such a thing as stress acne. Back in 2002, Stanford University did a study which showed that stressing over exams worsened acne. While it was a fairly small study, I am attracted to it like a moth to a flame.

I first recognized my stress acne while in college. Sure I had been fighting to get rid of my acne all through my high school years. But I was basically a happy go lucky kid in the stress department. Academically it wasn’t much of a problem and socially I was a typical well liked kid. So if being up tight or worrying has anything to do with any biological function, in high school I just wasn’t going to be affected by it.

Well, along comes college and yep you guessed it. Stress for me is everywhere. Whether it was being on my own for the first time not knowing what to expect, or just plain fearing that I was going to flunk out, whatever the reason, stress and I were formally introduced, I was under a great deal of It and It was starting to show its effects on my skin. I was getting a whole lot of new zits and pimples as well as a worsening of the acne I was always trying to get rid of. As if that weren’t enough. It wasn’t until my second semester that I realized what was happening and the relationship between my acne and stress was explained to me in an off chance conversation with my dorm advisor.

It was a Friday afternoon and I was going home for the weekend. I had a friend that was coming up to see a basketball game and was going to leave a key with my advisor Kit. Well when Kit opened the door it was obvious she had been picking at her face. She was complaining that the stress of school was driving her acne nuts and she was at her wits end. Well like the proverbial light bulb going off over your head in a cartoon. I had a moment of clarity and realized what was making my acne go nuts too. Of course Kit mistook the look on my face as a look of confusion and proceeded to explain to me how stress can affect your acne in two ways.

First, stress stimulates your adrenal glands to secrete male hormones which in turn stimulate the Sebaceous gland which produce more Sebum which causes acne pimples.

Second, stress reduces the capacity of your body to mend it’s self by weakening your immune system.

So, not only is stress going to cause acne, it’s going to make it harder for your body heal or get rid of acne you already have. And you didn’t think God had a sense of humor.

Anyway after leaving the key with Kit I am sure you know what was on my mind as a drove home for the weekend. Yep that’s right, what was I going to do to get rid of the stress in my life so I could get rid of my stress acne.

wordless wednesday: momcafe in tri cities

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