This Time.....

.....I've traveled further than four blocks. I've traveled over 500kM! Me love and I now reside in the warm and ever windy Lethbridge. More on that later because this is not the primary reason for this post. I've come to tell you something else, very similar to the recent sharing of my friend's bathroom. And wouldn't you believe it, shortly after that post, me love and I went to see a friend of ours. We had never been to their home before and what a wonderful visit we had! I fell head over heels in whimsy (or envy) for their house. I felt so inspired that I had to ask if I could photograph their abode. Still kind of an odd feeling but as Greg said: "Yes please! I'm a publicity whore!" This post is mostly photos, which isn't a bad thing, I'm not an exquisite writer, but first, a lil taste of the residents of this delicious little house: Carla & Greg. These two are the most relaxed and welcoming people; very cool and effortless. Tres earthy, they grow their own veggies, make their own accessories, and they're very involved in the community. I heart being around them. Plus they have their own schoolbus! How fun is that?!

Buckle up, because here we go:

This is Kitty. Very friendly and an unabashed sweetheart.
He likes to roam the yard and nap on the old burlap potato sacks.

Greg, I'm so glad that we are friends, new friends, but friends all the same.
Greg is also the man behind the *Rya-ton Leatherworks, check it out! Publicity!

The fire apple red barn in the backyard and the vintage
bronze garden tables give you a tiny taste of what's to come.

An old tree is given new life as it's laid out like lilypads showing the way to the
doorway of the homemade greenhouse. Inside, sprouts of leeks and tomatoes surround you.

Skeletons.

I'm a big fan of the pots and pans rack.....

.....not to mention the fantastic floor!
Reminds me of a malt shoppe or an old diner.
Bet it reminds you of that too.

The exposed brick wall and Douglas Fir 2x4 structure (real 2x4s not the "2x4s" we get nowadays)
are something to be treasured in the era of McMansions and Lego-like houses.

Pay no heed to the oversized drain plug for the kitchen sink.
"I would imagine that thing has seen it's fair share of potato peels." ~ Greg

Old looking books. Old looking globe. Red TV!

I shall leave you now with the want to wear fluffy and warm slippers (even though it's spring-ish outside). No season is too hot for slippers! I have mine on. I hope you grab yours quick!

Enjoy the weather and lazy days. And the sun.....

.....Breathe it in.

We Walked 4 Blocks In The Snow & Ended Up At The Beach

How great would that be?! A little while ago, me love and I went to our friends house for dinner and I finally got a chance to photograph her bathroom. Kind of odd I know. I hope that it wasn't too strange a request when I brought it up. She seemed interested and excited to be honoured on such a glamorous and well-known blog. ;)

Let me set the scene for you about this bathroom: beautiful shades of blue ranging from a pale gentle breeze to deep sea current. A crisp, white tulip-shaped pedestal sink and a skylight (I know right?!) make this bathroom a serene spa getaway in the middle of an Edmonton winter. Beach photos and sea creature ceramics adorn the walls and counter tops. When the fresh white door shuts, any noise from the rest of the house disappears.

Sounds like a pretty intense description for a bathroom, but I kid you not, it's a fantastic bathroom.

The wait is over! Check it:

Rumor has it, the shower "pod" is amazing for bubble baths.
Complete with squeegee.

Skylights make all the difference in the ambiance of the room.

The vanity. Perfect and spacious.

  

 

A touch of the beach in the frosty north.

An adorable and graceful animal.

Lime green baby mums and a dash of whisper pink wax flowers pop out from the blue.

 Aimee, merci beaucoup ma belle......je t'aime! Hope you liked it. And everyone too!

Breathe in the fresh sea air!

And Now.....A Post!

Well hello comrades! It's been a lil while I know, I hope your interest hasn't swayed or strayed too much! Anyways, for those who are of the slightly crafty nature, I did a minor project and am rather proud of it. I don't do too many but when I do they are magnificent (much like my wreath to end all wreaths)! I gave my vision life and here it is! The grand unveiling of an "original" idea! My jewelry organizer (plus a new lil bunch o' darling):

The lighting in the study isn't the greatest and I'm not even remotely well-read enough about my digicam, however this needed to be shared. I would like to thank Martha Stewart for this wondrous idea and you will too when you do it. Here's how: a la Martha Stewart. The one I made is different of course and took a bit of strategic kneeling and sly acquiring of resources (well, just one, the cotton batting). If you want to know more about mine, leave a comment or something of the like. :)

As for my bunch o' darling, it's the perfect lil pendant! It got me excited for the coming season. I am very much looking forward to warm summer days and gentle breezes, days when I can sit outside on the porch or in the park and enjoy some almost frozen grapes, green or concord. Delightful and refreshing. From what I hear, Lethbridge is wonderful in the spring and summer. I pray that there be no more blizzards once I relocate. My new home is newish and lovely. A townhouse with a glorious amount of space complete with the highest ceilings and windows to match. Natural light will be the conductor of smiles and healthy plants in that house (and perhaps some nicer photos from me!). I promise to share a photo or two of our new home once we haul and settle in.

Anyways, I'm signing off to go enjoy some popcorn, a cherry Dr. Pepper (many thanks to a hip kat, codename: Chips), and help out my love with some portraits he's been working on. I hope this post has recaptured your eyes and mind, but always remember your lungs and.....


.....Breathe.

Winter.....Spring.....Wonderland

We Went To The Mountains

And it was a blast. First time showshoeing and it was so much fun! Unfortunately I forgot to charge my camera, so on our first day (which was sunny and warm, a stunning and gorgeous day by anyone's standards) I did not get any shots to share. But on the second day.....I had a full battery! And it was cloudy out for the better part of the morning. Either way I still got some beautiful shots. Here's a tiny taste of my favorites. Imagine the crisp mountain air. Breathe.

There's This Band.....

.....that I love. This band split over 5 years ago. This band is The Tea Party. Now the guys each do their own thing. So now there's this new band, that rocked my socks on Friday. This band is 777. Phenomenal show! It was a smaller venue, so the concert was very intimate. It felt so good to hear some of my favorites performed live as well as some new favorites off of the brand new album, 'The Ground Cries Out' (I recommend you pick up a copy for yourself, it'll change your life I swear. Aaaaand don't miss the site). Not only was I riding the wave from the show, I got to meet Jeff (for the second time!) and his new partners in crime. I couldn't have been happier, I felt rejuvenated by the show: the music, the energy, the few moments I had in person with them, being able to share the night with my love, and how the whole combination made me feel. Here's some photos that I was able to snap during the performance. Forgive me for the fuzzy photos but I think they're pretty bangin'. Enjoy!

More Than Words Can Say

I can't take credit for this one, but it's one of my favorites of me grandfolks. Much love. <3

Enhanced.....In More Ways Than One.

.....Three love, four.....

One love, two love.....

(I know I'm reaching back a bit, it still fits the mold.)

Sooooo.....

.....here at Breathe headquarters, we've gone through a minor makeover. You like?! I like a lot. I finally have found some inspiration, albeit it'll be a bit of a slow and amateur start, I'll keep calm and carry on. :) I took my inspiration from an amazing photographer who happened to photograph my friend's wedding. That friend being Erinn: she's beautiful, fun and crafty. Her photographer is also fun and crafty, and I would imagine beautiful too (I've never met her, but I think that it's a fair assessment based on how she shows us the world through her eyes, her camera.....amazing photos!). Anyways, back on track! What I've looked at from pink sugar is to take a photo each day, at least one, post it, date it, and name it. Capture that moment and express the feeling you had in that moment in as few words as possible. Lets see how successful I am. Together! Breathe.

A Few (Try Many) Weekends Ago.....

.....in the prairies not so far away, there was a girl, her love, and their friends. These friends discovered a magical retreat that was seen by all but with a secret passage way that was known to only a few. The journey was short but not without hurdles: dodging the nosey senior citizens, trudging through the sticky mud and stinky waters, battling mosquitoes and spiders at every turn. But all worth it for the reward was this: an excellent time spent with wonderful people who can cook well and have a wondrous selection of teas. Fun had by all. The other reward: photos of waters so still it was a mirror. So enjoy the shots! Breathe.

True Joy

Picture this: I'm walking home from the local Shopper's Drug Mart with my over sized bag for the four items I had purchased. Suddenly, music fills the air. The air in which there is nothing more than the common and loud noise of traffic and the occasional drunken scrap between friends. This music is bubbly and fun, ironic for the weather. Then what doth mine eyes see: two homeless men, dancing together below the speakers of the car dealership, the origins of the tunes. For the first time in my 24 years on this Earth, I saw two men without a dime to their names, rejoicing in the moment of living. Sincere and spontaneous joy. You can find it anywhere. But it's best when you stumble across it so unexpectedly. I wanted to join in the fun, but didn't for fear of spoiling their moment. I wonder: how many people out there would feel the same? How many would actually join? And how many would just scoff at them purely because they are lower on the economic food chain? Interesting, non? What would you do? Think on it. Breathe.

And Now, A Quote For You

"Because I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me; the carriage held but just ourselves and immortality." - Emily Dickinson I love this quote, I have for a long time.....so let it stew and brew, chew on it for a bit, then go ahead and..... Breathe.

Missing The Bouts

Well folks, it's happened. I think I may have begun the slow ascension out of sloth. Huzzah! I went running with two Jenn's and a Steve this past week. I ran twice in one week! Twice! Plus I was fighting a valiant battle with a cold that had crippled me for what seemed like an age. I am now feeling better, just slight aches here and there from the excessive physical energy I've put out. For those who are unaware and are wondering why this news is so glorious I felt the need to report it to the world: I have not done much for exercise since the snow fell. Maybe even before that. I can't be sure, time is a strange creature: it's gone by so fast that certain memories I have I swear were from two years ago instead of one. Anyhow, I plan (and hope) to run at least twice a week, build up my endurance. There was a time where I fenced. No, not fenced like Joe Schlub of Suburbia, but fenced like in James Bond. According to some, I was pretty good for a beginner. I felt (and still feel) differently. Certain factors lead up to the end of my participation in the sport: illness, money, time, distance, etc., etc.. Some of those factors are still in play, but I'm going to do what I can to balance all that. It all hangs it what I discover on a field trip I've planned for myself to go on later this week. I need to find a new club to join because the one I was with has changed. One major change: the coach I had is no longer there. It's sad really. I wonder if he does private lessons, hmmm.....moving on..... I'm going to the main fencing club in town. From what I take from the website (which seems to have changed a little bit from what I remember since I last researched a club switch), it seems promising: "affordable", guaranteed quality coaching, decent facilities.....My field trip is to go to the club during the lesson time that I am interested in for my skill level and personal availability, and observe the coaches, the training, the workout regiment, perhaps purchase a body wire and find out a good place that will alter/tailor my equipment. I look forward to it, but I won't get my hopes up too much, I have to be realistic in these times for various personal reasons. Either way, I will do my dang darndest to work out more now that I've had a sip from that energy drink that I've let go for so long. I've been a jock the majority of my life, but in recent years I've become lazy and have a piss poor attention span. Being an ex-jock, it's easy enough to jump back in. I thought of rock/wall climbing and archery. Archery would be a lot of fun, however I'm leaning more towards the climbing. And even more than that, towards fencing and running. Focus. One thing at a time. See, awful attention span. Should things go well on the field trip, I'll be registering for the next season starting in May. I think I'll start practicing my technique for now. I can't wait. Souhaitez-moi la chance! Breathe. Hard.

Hungry?

Bonjour! So a few weeks ago, I took a small jaunt to Hawai'i. During the trip, I ended up blogging in a steno book because that's the only notebook I could purchase at the Vancouver International Airport. It was fun! I wrote normally, no steno techniques or special short hand of any kind, just my own ramblings in neat and mildly legible scribbles. Ramblings. That's exactly what they were. I went through the book the other night in order to prepare to tell you the tales of Oahu and paint you a glorious canvas of colours and smells and tastes. Turns out it hardly makes sense. It did at the time. I remember how I felt in the moment of each and every word I scratched down. So I can't really tell you things, purely due to this question: How do you accurately describe a feeling? A scent? All I can say is that on a gloomy looking rainy day at the airport, it was serene to observe my fellow travelers while listening to music that slows my heart rate. It was dream-like. Hibiscus generally smells sweet and some species have no smell at all. The air has truly the most delicious taste. Have you ever tasted air? Not here in Alberta. The only air you can truly taste is mostly in winter when it's crisp and clear and the taste of it is literally the exhaust from the broken muffler of a diesel truck. Not so wonderful. It kills the soul (not to mention sensory receptors), it does nothing to nourish it. Back to Hawaiian air: the smell is so rich you can taste it's sweetness. You drink it in. Feed your soul. Feeling hungry? Land in Maui. Now for photos. I've looked through many of my photos and have come across my fluke shots. Ones that look like a pro shot them with some mega zoom big ass uber expensive camera. Nope. I captured (save for the one of me bum, I think Allison did that) these moments with a dinky FujiFilm from Wal-Mart. A hidden talent unearthed? Mayhaps. Feast your eyes on these, and when you get too full, just unbutton your jeans and.....Breathe.