Alas, all my artsy stuff is still holed up in a locker.  I am now living in an empty apartment.  The deck is the best decorated place in the whole house, and I can't take credit for that, it's the boys' hard work that made it that way.  So...I'm left with taking pictures until I can actually make something.  Not that pictures aren't art, I just like my art messy, that's all.

This is our jalapeno gnome.  He has made himself a home amongst our tomatoes, jalapenos, peas and carrots.  In actuality, our garden is currently 80% jalapenos.

We were sixteen and were returning home after a weekend road trip to visit a friend who lived 2 hours away.  It was the dead of winter in Nova Scotia, and while the weather seemed favourable when we first set out, we suddently found ourselves in the midst of a huge blizzard.   It was getting dark, the storm was worsening and it seemed that the only thing we could see for miles was snow, blackness and immense evergreens.

We spotted the motel at the last minute, and in our haste to stop and turn into the parking lot, we nearly slid ourselves into a ditch.  Relieved that we had made it safely, we climbed out and scurried into the front lobby.  Once we walked in, we nearly walked back out.  The peeling wallpaper, featured display of a variety of animal antlers entwined in spider webs and the nudie calendar behind the desk didn't exactly inspire a sense of security in our sixteen year old hearts.  Having no other choice, we checked in at the low, low price of 20 dollars. 

The room itself was such a novelty to us.  From the pea green shag carpet, wood panelling, suspiciously stained blankets and an unusual smell which we could not quite identify it was the penultimate first motel experience.  Even more unusual were the grease stains on the ceiling.  My theory was that someone had flung mounds of butter upwards, as I had once done when I was young and foolish.  I didn't want to contemplate any other explanation for their existence.  We didn't get much sleep that night, we were uncertain as to how sanitary it would be for us to get under the covers.  Instead, we stayed awake inventing myths and legends about our surroundings while the wind howled around us and snow piled up against the windows, obliterating the outside world and leaving us isolated in this new if not slightly disturbing world to us. 

I think about it now as an adult, and I have to smile at how innocent and inexperienced I was back then.  I had so much ahead of me to witness.  It almost makes me wonder what lies ahead of me in the next sixteen years from now and how I'll think back on myself at the age of thirty and realize how little I knew.

If I could, I would just set my bed right out on the upstairs deck.  In fact, we would all probably move out onto the deck, if space weren't an issue. 

Jon's method of achieving this is by trying to emulate houseplants.  Who would deny a houseplant the opportunity to live on a deck?

This deck is proudly sponsored by dollar stores everywhere.  Who needs expensive deck accessories when there's a dollar store down the street?

Stuffed with pasta salad and red wine, we all have an after dinner chat under the glow of the sparkly lights.

Twinkly star lights at night.

The last few months have gone by like a blur.  New job, new home, lots of changes...and sadly, I have not created a single thing in all that time.  I missed looking at everyone else's work, too.  So it's nice to be back!  Here are a couple of pics of our new hacienda.  My two best friends and partners in crime live in the apartment above, and Jon and I have the main floor of the house.  Check out the front porch!  I don't think I've ever had a front porch before! 

The handsome individual in the yellow t-shirt is my hubby and the badass in the red shirt is my best friend, Doug.

The next picture is completely unrelated to my new home, but I just had to share it, because I was so impressed with it.  We recently went to the nearby Native reserve for a visit, and we couldn't drive past this totem pole without taking a picture of it. Isn't it great?  Ever since I was really little, my mom would often take me to Native art galleries and pow wows.  I just love the colours and imagery represented in their art.

I'm going to go on a little bit of a rant here.  Recently it has occurred to me that television commercials irritate me more than ever.  Maybe I'm becoming less tolerant with age, or maybe advertising is getting just that much crappier, but I sincerely loathe several commercials I've seen on TV.  The effect of this loathing is that I'm actually committing myself to making a list of products I will NOT buy because of the commercial.  Yes, that's right, the advertising has had an adverse effect on me, and it's quite empowering to know that they're wasting money on trying to lure me in, only to annoy me enough to swear never to purchase that product ever.

Let's begin with what is currently my most hated of all products at the moment, Yop.  Ever heard of it?  It's a yogurt drink.  It's a yogurt drink with a calypso-style theme tune.  Don't ask me how the two go hand in hand.  When I think of tropical, I think rum and coke, not bacterial culture.  This product is so hated in our household, that I literally chased Jon down a grocery isle with a bottle of the stuff chanting, "Must put in carrrrrrt, must have Yoooooop!" and Jon threatened me with divorce.  So there you have it, Yop nearly ended my marriage, and that's why I'll never buy the stuff.

These are my cats playing in the bathtub.  They love the bathtub, for some reason.  I find most of my yarn in here, either under the tub or in it.  My husband claims no responsibility whatsoever, so I'm blaming the cats.

It had come to my attention that Northern Ontario winters drag on.  Drag on and on.  And on.  So, once again I'm left to make something spring-like to cheer me up.  This started out as just a giant flower, then I crocheted a couple of circles, and now it's the giant flower purse!! 

I'm not a big fan of speedy things.  I prefer slow and slower.  So, for Illustration Friday I created this little fellow, the antidote to "speed".

I can't seem to find the time to make anything these days!!!  This scarf has a bit of project spectrum in it...a bit of orange, anyway.  Hopefully I'll get back on the ball soon and start creating.