Prickles and Pixie Dust

Neil Pasricha: The 3 A's of awesome | Video on TED.com

2011-01-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

Neil Pasricha: The 3 A's of awesome | Video on TED.com

Worth the 17 minutes of your day.

New 'True Blood' trailer

2010-06-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

Gaga and True Blood...what could be better?

New 'True Blood' trailer shows werewolves -- The Live Feed | THR

Won't You Be My Neighbour

2010-06-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

View of our soon to be neighbourhood looking down at our house from the hill.

Eye See You

2010-05-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

Becoming referee | dooce

2010-05-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

If you aren't already reading Dooce's blog you should be. It has quickly become a daily click for me without hesitation. Seriously - click the link - you won't regret it.

Becoming referee | dooce�

I want to have all these outfits to shoot with...

2010-05-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

Goodbye BC Place Dome - time lapse

2010-05-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

Check out this awesome capture of the BC Place Dome deflating. For me BC Place is such a Vancouver icon and one of the first thing that spring to mind when I think of downtown. It is a bit sad to think of it being deflated but I am sure the new roof will be cool in its own way....maybe....

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

2010-05-03T14:17:00.001-07:00

This is Perceptions from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Perfection?

2010-04-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

Amazing what a little quick and dirty photo manipulation can do.

Recess

2010-03-16T11:50:00.001-07:00

This is Perception from Puddles

Left is *Em*

Right is *Jess*

Emerald City

2010-03-02T16:27:00.001-08:00

A Year in Review

2010-02-26T15:53:00.001-08:00

365 The Final Images

2010-02-26T13:56:00.000-08:00

The final images from my 365 challenge. Enjoy!

Owls

2010-02-26T13:51:00.001-08:00

I am loving owls at the moment.

"Killer Whale"

2010-02-26T13:31:00.000-08:00

Funny comic to light up your Friday.

Side note - I feel that the recent events with this killer whale fully justifies what many consider my "illogical" fear of whales. Whales kill people. They may not mean it but they are big and in water and they kill! So there haters.

2010-02-23T14:41:00.001-08:00

New Haircut - New Beginning?

2010-02-23T14:11:00.000-08:00

Maybe, maybe not - but a change is as good as the rest.

Apple's Sexy iPhone App Ban Explained - Techland - TIME.com - StumbleUpon

2010-02-23T12:49:00.000-08:00

Apple's Sexy iPhone App Ban Explained - Techland - TIME.com - StumbleUpon

How about don’t download it. Who are these women and why can’t they just get a grip? I don’t have any use for the Bible Phrase a Day nor does it apply to my belief system but I am not asking Apple to take the app away.

A change this way comes...

2010-02-22T20:17:00.001-08:00

365 Outtakes December

2010-02-16T12:39:00.001-08:00

Valentines Love

2010-02-14T11:17:00.000-08:00

Pancakes in bed, gorgeous flowers and awesome Bluetooth for my iPhone?

Best husband ever.

November 2009

2010-02-09T14:01:00.001-08:00

365 Outtakes

Tiny Words

2010-02-08T16:36:00.000-08:00

Dedicated to J.D. Salinger

This is Perceptions from Puddles

Left is *Em*

Right is *Jess*

A New Year

2010-02-05T11:08:00.000-08:00

A new year, a new layout, a new challenge?

It has been a couple of months since we all said good-bye to 2009 and I am just stopping for a moment to catch my breath and reflect upon the year that has passed and all there is to look forward to in the year ahead.

A year ago today (a year exactly. this was not planned I am no where near that organised) I started last year's personal challenge which was the "Year of Jessie". So did I succeed? That is a tough one. I did make a conscious effort to stick with the Year of Jessie plan, really I did. I saw out my 365 photography challenge to the end and am loving the results. It forced me to shoot everyday and to learn to look at my own photos without criticizing every part of my self (well most of the time anyway) and my work. I did continue to lose weight and get healthy this year while managing to except that I wasn't a contestant on Biggest Loser and any loss was a good loss. I spent time with friends and having fun - sometimes a little bit too much fun (ahem, Emma and Rob's housewarming).

So where did I drop the ball? I was going to stop thinking the grass is greener some place else. This has apparently been challenging. Once again we have returned home from a trip to Perth more confused than ever on where we should be and what is the best choice for us and our family. I am constantly struggling with myself at the moment as to whether or not the pull to move back to Perth is one of a practical and strategic nature or, if once again is a case of things aren't perfect here so they must be better there. I fear it is the latter of the two.

The key factor of the year of Jessie was to hate less. I believe my words were to keep my prickles but avoid becoming thorny. Out of all the goals I set myself for last year this was the one that I kept close everyday. It is a hard one to know if you really succeeded on or not but looking back now I think I did alright. Is there room for improvement? Of course! But I definitely gave people the benefit of the doubt a bit more and realized (often due to watching myself make mistakes) that no one is perfect and that is okay.

So what does this mean for this year? Keep on keeping on I would say. With the following goals in mind:

Stress less - anyone who knows me knows that I stress at an unhealthy level. Must stop that!
Quality time - tying in with stressing less, I want to spend more quality time with those I care about this year. I want to use that time to do memory making activities instead of just going through the motions.
Write more - that "novel" sitting in my laptop is not going to write itself. Since I have wanted to write a novel for as long as I can remember I need to make it a priority to sit down and type it out. Take the challenge and not get scared when it is hard.
Give more thought to my photography. I gave a lot of time last year to my 365. Taking a photo everyday was awesome and really did get me shooting more. But often the shots were rushed and I just got what I could. I want to take more time this year to plan out shots. Get an idea and follow it through. Take the time to play with certain shots and ideas until they become something I can be proud of.
Love better - I often take the people that are closest to me for granted and don't show them the love that they really deserve. This will change.
Make the best with what I have. Stop looking for the next best thing and realize that with a few tweaks, what I have could be paradise.

So here we go - another year, another personal challenge. Let the "Year of Quality" begin.

Going in with eyes wide open

October 2009 365 Outtakes

2010-02-03T20:43:00.001-08:00

Tumbling Away

2010-02-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

Just as an FYI - I have also started a Tumblr blog which I am spending a lot more of my time on now. I will still be posting on this blog for sure but for cool things I stumble upon, little quips, etc check out my Tumblr.

Also if you have a tumblr I would love to follow you so please comment with your Tumblr address.

September 2009 365 Outtakes

2010-02-02T14:23:00.001-08:00

365 Outtakes August 2009

2010-01-28T19:46:00.000-08:00

Australia – The Wrap Up

2010-01-28T12:26:00.001-08:00

Because I was having to much fun to take the time to blog here is a quick and dirty wrap up of our final two weeks down under.

When we got back from Adelaide we went for a nice (but ridiculously overpriced) lunch at The Boat with Janne and Glen. As always, Mindarie provided a beautiful location for a drink and some food.

In an attempt to have a “nice meal”, Charlie, Lindsay, Sarah and I thought we would try Hippo Creek down at Hillarys. Unfortunately the wait was over an hour so we went to The Grill instead. We should have waited for Hippo Creek. The food was terrible and took forever to arrive. At CinCin prices I expected better. We still managed to have a fun time though and made up for the lacklustre dinner with yummy Cold Rock ice cream for dessert.

Finally in our second week we made it to the beach! It was a beautiful hot morning and the sea breeze hadn’t really come in yet. The water was warm and calm and I got to try out my new waterproof Fuji which was awesome.

After the beach we went by and got a wicked kebab at Peter’s By The Sea. Then we drove to South Perth and had a lovely visit with Nanny Irene. The new place she is living is really nice and has lovely gardens you can go and sit in and relax.

With the intent of going to Bar 120, we met Callum and Erin down at Hillarys. We started out with a few games of pool at Pot Black which was fun but I was reminded of how terrible I really am at pool. After a couple of drinks there we made our way to the line up for Bar 120. This is when Sarah, Lindsay and I discovered that we are too old for clubs. We were officially those old people in the line who everyone was looking at and laughing at. I thought that we would be fine despite this, even though Sarah pointed out that we were almost old enough to be parents to some of them and that it would be believable if we went to the doorman and said we just needed to pop in for a moment as we were looking for our son.

What did it for me was when the hundredth absolutely wasted girl stumbled towards us in a dress half off and heels that were an ankle injury waiting to happen and I had to fight the urge to pick her up put her in a taxi and send her home. That was when we said goodbye to Erin and Callum and drove our old asses home.

I finally got to go to Perth Zoo. Though there weren’t heaps of animals around for viewing all was forgiven when I saw this guy. I officially love Wombats now and want one as a pet. Lindsay has said no. I am working on it.

Friday night we went for a BBQ at Casey and Bruce’s house. It was so much fun and I miss them so much!!

One of the best meals we had in Perth was with two of my favourite people. Nadia and Sean suggested this new place called The Naked Fig. The setting alone made it an immediate favourite but the food was really good too. I feel I would be a regular there if we ever moved back.

We went for dinner in Leederville with Janelle and Gilly and then to this funky cafe. I loved the atmosphere and it really felt like it could easily be in Mount Pleasant.

Monday evening Lindsay was in Cervantes and Sarah and I met Nathan for a couple at The Queens. After way to many laughs and a jug of water to sober me up we said a sad goodbye to Nath.

We didn’t feel like taking the drive down to Margaret River this trip so we went out to the Swan Valley instead. We found this great little brewery called Mash. I tried a great cider there (not quite as good as Pipsqueak) and had some tasty nibbles.

Our final night we had one more going away party at the Sovereign Arms in Joondalup. It was a great night with lots of good friends.

Down Under – Week One

2010-01-02T16:43:00.001-08:00

I can’t believe we are already a week into our holiday. It seems to be going so fast. We flew out on Christmas Eve on our round about journey to Perth. First stop – Los Angeles. What a shit hole. LAX has never been my favourite airport but the section that we were in was terrible. Thankfully we only had two hours there and then we were off to Auckland.

Thirteen hours after we left LA we arrived in sunny Auckland, New Zealand. We had around a 6 hour stop over in Auckland so we decided to get a hotel room near the airport so we could eat, sleep and shower before our next and final leg. We stayed at the Holiday Inn which all seemed very nice. That is until it was time to leave and my stomach began to gurgle. We had eaten toasted ham and cheese sandwiched when we arrived with chips. I had sour cream with my chips. Not a great idea. By the time we got to the airport I couldn’t stop throwing up. We boarded the plane and by the time we were taking off the vomit bags were in full use. As soon as I could, I made my way to the toilets, where I stayed for the first two hours of our seven hour flight. Then the crew found me. They gave me 3 seats to lay down on close to the washrooms. The food poisoning lasted for the entire flight and I even had to be taken off the plane and out of the airport in a wheelchair. Very embarrassing but kind of good since we got to skip all the line ups at customs and quarantine and go out with the crew. The food poisoning lasted for another day in Perth but then I was feeling better.

On Monday night Caz and Birdie had us over for a BBQ. It was great to catch up with them. Birdie made a lovely lamb dish that was amazing after not really eating anything for two days.

Tuesday we met Nathan for lunch at Little Creatures in Fremantle. The place was packed (what else is new) but we managed to find a table on the back patio. Despite the muggy and humid heat that day we had a nice lunch and drinks.

Wednesday morning we flew out to Adelaide to spend New Years with Carney, Davina and the kids. Gibbo and Louise were also there so with our wolf pack of four (Charlie, Sarah, Lindsay and Me) it was quite the full house. We had two days of 40 while in Adelaide and it was scorching. Of course the usual shenanigans occurred once everyone had a few drinks down them which led to some interesting photos and videos. ;)

We flew out Saturday morning back to Perth. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 6:30am so we had to be up around 4am. Fun! We got out to the airport with plenty of time only to learn that there was something wrong with our plane and we had to wait for a part to come in from Sydney. A 2 hour delay!! Not happy! We finally made it back to Perth and after a quick Rooster Roll (yummy as always) we all went back to bed.

I am happy that we won’t have to get on another plane for a couple of weeks.

365 Outtakes July 2009

2009-12-29T05:39:00.000-08:00

Music: Love Game - Lady Gaga

365 Outtakes May

2009-12-22T20:01:00.000-08:00

Music: "Where I Stood" - Missy Higgins

365 Outtakes – April

2009-12-17T14:06:00.001-08:00

Music: “Mr. Brightside” – The Killers

Birthday

2009-12-16T16:26:00.001-08:00

With Emma and my Mom’s birthday being on the same day we couldn’t think of a better theme for this week.

This is Perceptions from Puddles.

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Gagalicious

2009-12-15T15:56:00.001-08:00

Friday night Sarah, Mom and I went and saw Lady Gaga at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Though our seats were not the best (they could easily be described as nose bleed) the show was AMAZING. I had very high expectations for her stage show and was not disappointed. My expectations were totally exceeded when it came to her live singing as well. I knew she had a great voice but when I have seen her perform on TV she has often sounded a bit out of breath. Well that definitely wasn’t the case this night.

My favourite non-Gaga related bit was the audience around us. We were mostly surrounded by 12 year old girls who were not only just adorable to watch at their first concert but hilarious. Lady Gaga’s show is very explicit, with her language as well as sexual dances and gestures. At one point I looked behind at one group of girls and they were open jawed looking completely confused. I also enjoyed watching all the uncomfortable Dad’s, who had brought there daughters, while Gaga spoke of blow jobs.

I would for sure see her again again and again.

365 Outtakes – March

2009-12-11T11:14:00.001-08:00

Music - “That Beep” – Architecture in Helsinki

Things I Love Thursdays – My Mom

2009-12-10T15:24:00.001-08:00

Things I Love Thursdays makes it’s triumphant return with a very special edition. Today is my Mom’s birthday! YAY! Now I know what you are thinking, everyone loves there Mom! Very true…..but not everyone has a Mom as special as mine. One who is willing to go above and beyond on every occasion no matter what the task.

I love you very much Mom. I hope you have a wonderful day! xoxo

Dirty

2009-12-09T11:38:00.001-08:00

For this week’s challenge, Emma came up with Dirty. I pretty much got the idea for my photo immediately and was very excited to see what Emma would do. I was not disappointed and am really happy with how it turned out.

dirt⋅y - [dur-tee] – adjective
1. soiled with dirt; foul; unclean
2. obscene; pornographic; lewd

This is Perceptions from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Winter Fun!

2009-11-30T17:22:00.000-08:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Comfort

2009-11-26T14:19:00.001-08:00

This is Perception from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Sweet

2009-11-19T17:07:00.001-08:00

Sweet for my sweet, sugar for my honey….

This is Perception from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Colouring

2009-11-08T14:14:00.001-08:00

No matter how many times I see this it still makes me laugh.

365 Outtakes February

2009-11-07T16:23:00.001-08:00

Music: “Your Know I’m No Good” – Amy Winehouse

Flickr Friday

2009-11-06T12:26:00.001-08:00

This week was pretty crappy and the amazing photos by my flickr friends brought beauty to dark days.

1. 20090325_10544, 2. The Moon Through Barbed Wire, 3. hiding, 4. upended, 5. Houses on a Wall, St Peters, Sydney, 6. Autumn walk, 7. Day 13 - 14.October.2009, 8. Roadside Shrine, Sydney, 9. DSC_0136, 10. black top diner, 11. Beads, 12. champignon, 13. 104-365 Lakeview, 14. "Red Nose Day" 047/365 * 13 03 2009, 15. autumn didn't want to leave, 16. 20090215_10009 copy c-ll, 17. big boy, 18. Untitled, 19. day three o seven. add color to my sunset sky., 20. Winners, 21. Oh, Gidget, 22. Outside the Vault, 23. The sky when rain is not pouring out of it, 24. untitled, 25. Out for a walk

Things I Love Thursdays – Autumn

2009-11-05T21:43:00.001-08:00

Since I was little autumn has always been one of my favourite times of year. As the weather gets colder and wetter and the last of the leaves are falling from the trees I realise how beautiful this time of year really is. I love the crispness in the air on a sunny fall day, the feeling as you shuffle through the fallen leaves and cozy nights in.

I have to say my absolute favourite part of autumn is the colour. The yellows, reds and oranges that make regular tree lines streets explode with colour.

365 Outtakes January

2009-11-03T17:27:00.001-08:00

I have many Flickr contacts that I follow and inspire me daily with their amazing work. One of these such people is Melody Censor. I love all of her work, especially her 365s. For months I have been enjoying the videos she makes from her 365 outtakes. I also have ended up with many great outtakes during the project and always wanted to do something with them. I have taken Melody Censor’s idea and made my own.

Below is my video for January 2009 365 outtakes. Hope you enjoy.

Song is “Live Without” by The Panics

Dusk

2009-11-02T22:18:00.001-08:00

Week five of the challenge – Dusk. I love the serene and holiday feeling of Emma’s photo and then the scary Halloween feeling of mine. Love it!!

This is Perceptions from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Things I Love Thursdays – Halloween

2009-10-29T20:44:00.001-07:00

For as long as I can remember I have loved Halloween. It is my favourite holiday by far and I look forward to it all year. I love the costumes, the decorations and of course the candy. I like that it is dark and spooky but still can be fun and kooky.

I have been doing a few 365 entries this month with a Halloween theme.

Fright Night

2009-10-28T14:54:00.001-07:00

Monday night I went to Fright Night at the PNE. I had never been before and was pleasantly surprised. It was so much fun. I feel this will now become a Halloween tradition for me.

I convinced Denise to come on the Coaster with me….

Lace

2009-10-28T11:42:00.001-07:00

Week four of the challenge and our first attempt at a non-colour related theme. Lace

This is Perceptions from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Things I Love Thursdays

2009-10-22T15:13:00.001-07:00

In an effort to focus on the positive I am starting “Things I Love Thursdays”. While looking at my Flickr photo favs for inspiration of things I love, there was one topic that seemed to repeat over and over….Wyatt. Now the fact that I love Wyatt is nothing new – but I also have a love of photos of Wyatt. Especially when said photos are taken by his ridiculously talented parents – Beat and Urq. Don't believe me? Check out DJBeat’s photostream sometime.

1. morning light, 2. owp, 3. Untitled, 4. Untitled, 5. Untitled, 6. 20090803_48115 x4, 7. 20090722_46787, 8. 20090708_45861, 9. 20090624_44091, 10. 20090621_43796, 11. hbm [4], 12. one word : hope, 13. 20090329_20068, 14. 20090325_10544, 15. 20090318_20128, 16. 20090221_40294, 17. 20090217_40184, 18. 20090211_40108, 19. 20081214_30194-1, 20. 20081222_10015-1, 21. 20090118_40553, 22. 20081213_30174, 23. 20091010_00328, 24. the story of the pear, 25. 20090926_51758-1

Simplify

2009-10-22T13:30:00.001-07:00

I seem to be going through a phase lately where I just want to simplify and organise. Maybe it is just the season or maybe just a new road I am travelling but I feel as things are a bit cluttered in many aspects of my life. I also seem to have let things get into a bit of a cycle without really thinking about whether or not they are the right options for me.

Am I paying to much on many of my services? Is there something out there that would be a better price and give better service? Do I really need to follow this many flickr profiles and bloggers so I barely get a change to view the people I actually care about’s pages? Am I making my life more complicated then it needs to be?

I have been feeling a bit like this for awhile but I think what threw me into actually doing it was this test I did. SCWink had suggested doing this quick “life assessment” program – Clean Sweep - where you answer a series of true and false statements divided into the 4 major life areas of Physical Environment, Well-Being, Money & Relationships. The basic idea is that you check off the statements that are currently true for you, then go to work on the ones that aren't currently true for you, and come back regularly to re-assess until you get a 100 score, or a "clean sweep."

I am generally a glass half empty kind of person who continually worries about what is going to happen in the future and if I am making the right decisions. So when my results came back as mid range on every area I was surprised. It made me think that maybe I am a little overly critical of my life.

My currently results were -

Physical – 14/25
Well Being – 12/25
Money – 14/25
Relationships – 14/25

The questions have inspired me to look at my life and change things that just aren’t working. So that is what I am doing. Starting with the small stuff.

I suggest giving the program a go. It only takes about 10 minutes and who knows what you might find.

Blue

2009-10-20T19:13:00.001-07:00

I love blue. So many shades all so beautiful. A colour that can express a multitude of feelings and makes a great addition to any song rhyme. This week it was the theme for our challenge.

I have to say this is my favourite compilation so far. I think it really expresses the two different places and lifestyles.

This is Perceptions from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Green

2009-10-19T10:45:00.001-07:00

The dictionary defines green as:

Green –noun

a color intermediate in the spectrum between yellow and blue, an effect of light with a wavelength between 500 and 570 nm; found in nature as the color of most grasses and leaves while growing, of some fruits while ripening, and of the sea.

For me green is crisp, clean and fresh. Like biting into a granny smith apple.

This is Perceptions from Puddles

Left is *Em*
Right is *Jess*

Perceptions from Puddles - RED

2009-10-15T16:59:00.001-07:00

The lovely Miss Emma has moved to Singapore for 6 months to a year. I know, sad faces all around. To make the time go a little bit faster and the miles seem a little less far we are doing a weekly photo challenge. Our first week’s theme is red. Stay tuned. :)

Red - noun

any various colours resembling the colour of blood; the primary colour at one extreme end of the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 610 and 780nm

our weekly challenge to make the miles apart seems a little less far. god-sisters experiencing very different paths - one in Singapore/Indonesia and one in Vancouver this is Perceptions from Puddles.

left is *Em*
right is *Jess*

A Little Early Halloween Fun

2009-10-06T10:24:00.001-07:00

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Two Birthdays, A Broken Curse & A Grand Final

2009-10-05T17:13:00.001-07:00

So I am terribly behind on my blogging so here is another catch up to get us (a bit) closer to the present. Last month was birthdaylicious! First was Weston’s 36th. We went for dinner at Red Door (always a fan favourite) followed by drinks at the Cambie. I had actually never been to the Cambie before (shocking I know) and quite enjoyed myself. Though not nearly as much as Weston :)

Last months second birthday also marked the end of a decade long curse. Sarah aka Crawfy celebrated her birthday without a hitch. Something normal for most but a miracle for Crawfy. We had a beautiful brunch at the Pan Pacific (I wish I was there now) followed by drinks and games in Coco.

The Grand Final was also last month and was the first for are Canadian friends. Saints vs Geelong was a great game and fully converted those who were still undecided on footy. Can’t wait for next season!!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2009-09-16T12:36:00.001-07:00

09.09.09

2009-09-14T21:39:00.001-07:00

For my 365 on September 9, 2009 (9/9/9) I wanted to do something that would represent the triple 9s. I decided to go with nine faces of Jessie. I really love how it turned out.

Time Flies – Wyatt is One

2009-09-13T12:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we celebrated Wyatt’s first birthday. I can’t believe that it has been a year already! It really doesn’t feel all that long ago that we found out that D & D were expecting! The party was small, intimate and laid back. Family, friends and the birthday boy – what could be better?!

My favourite part of the day was the cake. They had this lovely blue and white carrot cake from cupcakes which they placed on some brown paper on the floor and lit a sparkler. All pretty normal right? Wrong. The fun part is that this cake was pretty much just a cutting cake – their were cupcakes for the guests. Wyatt was placed in front of the cake and was let at it. I loved this concept. I mean how many birthdays for small children do you attend where the cake cutting is over in three seconds as they do a quick blowout of the candles and then whisk the cake away before the birthday boy or girl can get their hands on it.

At Wyatt’s party not only was he able to really enjoy his cake but it made for amazing photos. This is something I will for sure carry on as a tradition when I have children.

Below is a diptych that I created from a photo from D & D’s shower and another from the party. The difference a year makes.

To check out more of the photos from the day visit : http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter_pixie/sets/72157612959839950/

Worst Blogger Ever – Along with a Summer Recap

2009-08-28T15:20:00.001-07:00

I really should have called this blog "Lazy with Nothing Interesting to Say". I have been so terrible with keeping up with my blog as of late I am disappointed in myself. Really I should be blogging more then ever since it is summer and it has all been busy busy. Though maybe that is why I haven't. It's true that when you are out busy living it you rarely write about it.

Maybe that is just me.

This weekend we are staying in. I don't mean in the way that we are not leaving the house but in the way that we are not making plans to go out. Don't get me wrong, I love going out. I like nothing better then a jam packed weekend with friends and events and of course photo ops. I have found though that the older I get the more it takes it's toll. I am tired and miss just hanging out with nowhere to be.

But don't get me wrong - I may be tired out and looking forward to a weekend of no plans but this summer has provided a multitude of fun and adventures.

Here are just some of the highlights -

An impromptu trip to Perth - sad circumstances but fun to catch up with friends

A 21st Birthday - The lovely Miss Sara Q welcomed 21 with lots of drinks and giggles

Seth turned 2!! (and he has a bit too much to drink :) )

Many concerts - Sneaky Sound System, Coldplay, Russell Peters and on one night Kings of Leon and Emma and Rob's engagement party

Nights of drinking and debauchery with friends.

And a goodbye - Emma and Rob left to go to Singapore :(

As it all comes to a close I have a sneaking suspicion that just because summer is ending the fun wont be.

PINK

2009-08-13T20:56:00.000-07:00

Jill of All Trades, Master of None

2009-08-11T19:58:00.001-07:00

I have been in a bit of a whirlwind of a daze recently. I feel as if I blinked and all of a sudden in was mid-August. I have not felt very creative as of late which could be the reason for my lack of blog posts. It also could be the high standards I place upon myself which in turn when I don't meet said standard I feel the overwhelming urge to give up.

Lately I feel don't feel particularly great at anything. I know I am good at quite a few things but not amazing at even just one. I was speaking with a colleague at work the other day and she was showing me this woman who had done youtube videos about how to apply makeup and now Sephora has given her her own makeup line. You could do something like this she said.

This is something I think about daily. I would love to be one of those people who fall into fortune (or at the very least ongoing paychecks) by just doing something they love and are good at. You just have to find your "thing" my colleague said to me. Oh is that all!

In the new world of blogging and twittering and youtube, how does one make themselves stand out from the crowd. I love to write and do photography but I can name hundreds of others who are already doing it and talents far surpass mine.

So what is a Jill of all trades, master at none to do to find that "thing" to stand out?

Jennifer's Body - A Disappointment?

2009-07-07T14:23:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching the Jennifer's Body (otherwise known as Diablo Cody's next project after Juno) trailer. I am a huge Diablo Cody fan, more for her writing of her memoir Candy Girl then Juno so I was pretty excited for a new project from her.

I am worried. The trailer for this movie makes it look like Jawbreaker for the next generation and let's be honest, Megan Fox is no Rose McGowan. So is this a case of bad trailer? bad acting? or god forbid just a bad script. I guess only time will tell but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Also one can't help but notice a striking similarity between the movie poster for Jennifer's Body and the one for True Blood. Really guys? This is the best you could come up with?

Check it out for yourself and let me know your thoughts.

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/news/topnews.php?id=10988

Daddy's Girl

2009-06-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was Father's Day. I spent the afternoon with my Dad and then went out for a yummy meal with him, my Mom and Lindsay at Raga.

I am happy to say that this actually wasn't that out of the ordinary for us. I am lucky as I am really close with my Dad and tend to see him at least 2-3 times a week. And isn't that how it should be?

Thank you Dad for being great, funny, a fabulous hairdresser, making me laugh and most of all for being the best Dad a daughter could have! I love you Daddy! :)

Fighting is never the answer.....unless...

2009-06-22T10:45:00.001-07:00

Friday night Sneaky Sound System was playing at Celebrities. They are one of my favourite bands and I was so excited all day for the show. We headed downtown at around 7pm and had a great dinner at Moxie's on Davie. Doors opened at 9pm and we were lined up there on the dot. I figured that with doors at 9pm Sneaky would probably come on around 10 or 11. I was wrong, oh so wrong....

By 12:30 there was still no sign of them. Sarah and Don had given up and gone home and after that many hours of the same techno song playing over and over Lindsay, Mom and I were near breaking point as well. Celebrities was over crowded and due to the time of night everyone was drunk and drugged out by this point.

1am rolled around and finally Sneaky Sound System entered the room. I say entered the room and not took the stage because that pitiful platform they had them on could not be considered a stage. The sound was pretty bad but we were ridiculously close so all was good. Until it wasn't...

Mom and I were standing there enjoying the show when all of a sudden we were doused in liquid. I look across onto the dance floor and saw these idiots pouring water everywhere out of their water bottles. I yelled at them to stop it and they came at us. Saying that they were going to f*ck us up and trying to get over the bar we were behind. I said to just relax but they were set off. As they started to get closer to Mom and I that is when Lindsay stepped in and told them to fuck off. When they kept coming forward Lindsay threw a punch at them but I held him back thinking at this point we could still simmer it all down.

They turned their attentions to Lindsay and started to make cutting gestures across their necks and saying how they were going to kill him. Lindsay was of course trying to get to them as well and Mom and I were just trying to diffuse the situation. Mom and I kept saying to them that they didn't want to do this and just relax. That is when they made their way up the stairs and over to where we were standing. Mom and I were standing between Lindsay and them trying to keep it calm and that is when they started going at us. We of course had to step away and then it was on. Lindsay threw a punch at the first guy and connected. I turned to Mom in time to see her pick up a bottle. I took it from her and told her to go and get security.

The rest I only remember in bits and pieces as it was all a bit of a fast moving blur. I remember seeing Lindsay fighting with the two guys as it pushed back towards the bar. His fists were everywhere and he was kicking new guys away. I turned around for a minute and by the time I looked back Lindsay had his back to the bar with two guys on the floor, two guys in a head locks (one in each arm) and one guy still going at him. At some point in all of this Lindsay got hit in the head with a bottle. I started approaching guys around the club asking them for help, hoping they would pull the guys off Lindsay but I was ignored. When I turned back to the fight I saw a new guy pulling at Lindsay. I went at him thinking he was helping the other guys but he explained that he was trying to help Lindsay. It turned out that by this point they were close to getting Lindsay to the ground and this guy was trying to help Lindsay get up.

This is when security finally showed up. They escorted all of us out of the club, Lindsay going peacefully and the other guys kicking and screaming. As we walked out of the club I caught a glimpse of one of the guys Lindsay had been fighting. His face reminded me of the son in that Cher movie the mask. He had lumps all over it and it was purple, blue and red. We explained what had happened to the bouncer and he said that he was fine for us to go back in should we want to. As hard as it was to leave the concert, Lindsay's shirt was ripped off, he and Mom were both covered in blood and the guys, which were now around 10 people, were still yelling how they want to kill us. We felt it was best to go home.

We were lucky. The whole night could have gone a lot worse. Lindsay's head was sore from where he got knocked with the bottle and Mom's neck, shoulder and arms are sore from when one of the guys punched and attacked her. But we are alive.....

....and I even manage to get all the blood out of our clothes.

Playing with Processing

2009-06-19T17:04:00.001-07:00

Lindsay got me Photoshop Elements for my birthday. I generally am not a huge fan of post processing but with my 365 project I am finding that I need the options. I am getting used to it but am no where near pro. I do however love some of the things I am able to do. Especially making my photos look retro.

I feel an addiction coming on.

Not Quite Spiderman

2009-06-05T17:14:00.000-07:00

So because of Lindsay's fight last weekend he has been too sore to train this week. Which is great for me! Not only do I get to spend extra time with my Marmaduke but the weather has been fabulous and we have been going out on photowalks every night (accompanied by the fabulous Margolicious).

It has been a lot of fun having other people with me while doing my 365 not only for their ideas and help but also to share the often hilarious situations that I get into while doing them.

It was also helpful when I needed saving last night. The top picture was taken at the school just down from my house. I had this great idea that I would take my shot hanging upside down. Once I climbed up however I completely panicked and Lindsay had to help me down. He convinced me to get back on and helped me rethink the shot. I think without him being there I totally would have given up! I love how it turned out in the end though. :)

LOVE

2009-06-03T14:52:00.001-07:00

Going for Gold

2009-06-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday was Lindsay's tournament. Is was good be back in the martial arts world again. It was a fun, though long, day and both Lindsay and Randy both went home with the gold.

I had a lot of trouble shooting in the gym, more then I expected. Next time I will have to rent a flash or something. Still managed to get a few good shots and Mom managed to get Lindsay's fights on video.

I am so proud of Lindsay!!

Links to Lindsay's fight videos:

Fight #1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-CZZji-hrY&feature=channel

Fight #2 Gold Medal Match http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7LWfPgud9Q&feature=channel

Happy Birthday Me!

2009-05-20T15:01:00.001-07:00

Saturday night we went out and celebrated my birthday with dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory and drink at The Lamplighter and Metropole. It was a great night with lots of laughs. Luckily I wasn't too hung over the next day :)

Today is my 26th birthday. I have to say that so far it feels no different then 25. Though I do feel that 26 sounds far too grown up for how I feel (and act). This birthday has made me realise though how many amazing and caring friends I have here. I am one of those people who will often feel that life is greener on the other side. This becomes a larger issue with having the option of two beautiful places that I could live. This birthday made me see that sometimes things can be just as green where you are.

So thank you to everyone that has made this birthday a special one!

I Forgot

2009-05-19T17:25:00.000-07:00

So I totally messed up and missed a day of 365. Friday night Lindsay and I went out to dinner and then ended up back at Sarah's. We didn't get home until after one and I just completely forgot that I hadn't taken my picture (while technically I would have already missed the day anyway). I didn't realise until I woke up the next day. I was devastated. I wanted to do this project perfectly and now I feel like there is a tarnish.

I took a photo to make up the day that morning but I know it isn't the same. I was all depressed and Lindsay was trying to make me feel better and was like we will fix it. I came back with 'it isn't like I can just hop into my DeLorean and go back to yesterday Lindsay'.

Lindsay went out shopping with Margo that day and just happened to come upon a DeLorean!!! I have to say even though I can't take it and go back to fix my mistake, the photo he took of it did cheer me up immensely! Thanks baby!

Dusty Neglect & The Close of April

2009-05-11T17:17:00.001-07:00

So I have been neglecting all things online as of late. My facebook, my flickr and of course my blog. I have been checking in and having a quick glance at what is new but not really doing any work myself. I would love to say this is because I have been so busy with real world events but honestly....I have been sick and just couldn't find the energy. Of course then I think well so much has happened where should I start and then just do nothing at all. A vicious cycle I would say. So getting back on the wagon...

April came to a close and so therefore another month of 365 has been completed. I was actually quite impressed with April in the end. Especially good considering it was a month where I considered quitting more then once. Guess that just goes to show that you have to keep going even when it all feels like crap.

Truth, Lies and Reality

2009-04-20T11:53:00.001-07:00

I am someone who likes to know all the facts. I don't like secrets, well that isn't quite correct. I don't like half information. Don't tell me something and then not give me all the information. It makes me obsessive and ridiculous. But I am getting off topic...

Truth is a funny thing. Everyone says that they want the truth. We all know lies are bad and breed other lies and then all of a sudden you are caught in a web of deception and there is no way out. So we pursue the truth and then when we have it, what then?

I spend all this time convinced if I know the truth it will make it all better. I will have all the facts and be able to sit down logically and move forward. Then I get the truth and it hurts more then the not knowing. Nothing is clearer...I don't want to go back to before the truth but I don't like it here either.

Truth hurts. It is important and probably for the best but it hurts. Lies hurt. If you keep up the lie they hurt the liar, if you eventually tell the truth it hurts the person you lied to. So that takes us to reality. Whether you live in the truth or the lie it becomes your reality. You can't escape it.

Reality bites.

Jesus, a new flat and a pretentious deer.

2009-04-15T11:50:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday Emma and Rob had a party at their flat to celebrate Emma moving in, to catch up and oh and something to do with Jesus. It is the most beautiful flat I have seen in a long time and I may have to leave Lindsay and kill Emma so I can have Rob and his flat all to myself. :)

It was all a very lovely evening filled with laughter, dancing and of course serious discussions about world politics until the evil Polish vodka. Now of course it says on the bottle that it is just regular old vodka and that the long stem of grass is purely for decorative purposes. I personally feel that this "grass" may actually be the hair of Satan. Needless to say after a few too many cocktails and two to three shots of Satan's vodka I was legless. Literally. One minute I was getting up from the couch and making my way across the living room and the next I was on the floor. No tripping or slipping just up then down. The lovely Kalen picked me up off the floor and got me to Sarah.

I spent the next couple of hours admiring the craftsmanship of Rob and Emma's Bemis toilet. I have to say to the people of Bemis, love your work, however though the push in toilet flush may seem very stylish and sleek but it can be a bit of a pain to a drunken woman trying to hold on to the shred of dignity she has remaining. Of course Sarah was wonderful and went above and beyond best friend duties that night. She is the Lilly Allen to my Lindsay Lohan. Sarah did not however get along quite as well with the porcelain deer on Emma's bathroom sink. She announced that the deer was judging her and then promptly removed it's head. I cannot comment on the deer and it's alleged judging as I was too busy trying to stay alive.

Moments before I fell down for no reason

After slamming down water and triskets while taking advice from Sarah on the best ways to "remove" everything from my stomach and Emma pounding my back and offering crispers (among other things) Sarah managed to crawl me to the spare bedroom. I slept it off a bit and then managed to walk back out into the now just as messy as I had been party. All around an excellent evening...watch for future tabloid articles announcing my admittance to a Malibu rehab facility.

Piece of my Heart

2009-04-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

A lot of people can say it but not many can feel it along with you. When your heart is bleeding and you can't take it anymore a little bit of Janis Joplin can make you feel like you aren't alone.

So pour yourself some Southern Comfort, turn up the volume and let your heart bleed with Janis.

Piece of My Heart

(Come on…)

Didn't I make you feel like you were the only man, well yeah,

An' didn't I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can ?

Honey, you know I did!

And each time I tell myself that I, well I think I've had enough,

But I'm gonna show you, baby, that a woman can be tough.

I want you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it,

Take another little piece of my heart now, baby, (break a..)

Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah. (have a..)

Hey! Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, yeah.

You know you got it if it makes you feel good,

Oh yes indeed.

You're out on the streets looking good, and baby,

Deep down in your heart I guess you know that it ain't right,

Never never never never never never never hear me when I cry at night.

Baby, I cry all the time!

And each time I tell myself that I, well I can't stand the pain,

But when you hold me in your arms, I'll sing it once again.

I'll say come on, come on, come on, come on, yeah take it!

Take another little piece of my heart now, baby. (break a..)

Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah, (come on…)

Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, yeah.

Well, You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good

I need you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it,

Take another little piece of my heart now, baby. (break a…)

Break another little bit of my heart, darling, yeah. (have a)

Have another little piece of my heart now, baby,

You know you got it (waaaaahhh)

Take a…Take another little piece of my heart now, baby. (break a…)

Break another little bit of my heart, and darling, yeah yeah (have a)

Have another little piece of my heart now, baby,

You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good

Sunday Shooting and Sunshine

2009-04-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

So last Sunday it was an absolutely gorgeous day and Sarah and I finally went out shooting again. Between all of our commitments lately we hardly ever seem to get out and shoot together which is a far cry from our minimum of once a week outings last spring/summer.

I had being eyeing this decaying old warehouse just off Main and Terminal every time I drove by so we hit that first. I seem to be going through a "urban decay" phase where all I want to shoot is decrepit buildings, peeling paint, broken windows and fire ravaged houses.

Of course in true Sarah and Jessie (aka Lucy and Ethel) fashion the area turned out to be a bit dodgier then I originally had anticipated. We kept the car close a) so we could make a quick getaway and b) so Lindsay would not kill us which helped our safety factor a little bit. We still ended up getting many looks and yells but the shots were worth it. I think next time we will have to go with a few other people as there was this even better area we wanted to hit but was a little bit too rough.

Also, when I say shooting I mean with cameras. For some reason everyone assumes we are out with hand guns. Really guys? We are out in rough areas with hand guns doing what? Playing Charlie's Angels? Do we really seem like those girls...wait don't answer that....

365 Month Three

2009-04-01T11:38:00.001-07:00

I have completed my third month of 365. 90 photos done, 275 to go (and yes for all that know me I did have to use a calculator for that). I was on a bit of an emotional roller coaster this month and it definitely shows in the shots. It is becoming harder and harder by the day to find something new to do. I am also tiring of the sight of myself. I have never been one to shy away from cameras (ever) and honestly I love having my photo taken. I thought that this challenge would make me love myself more and help me see things I didn't before. That is what a lot of people seem to get out of it. I find though recently I am just judging myself more. That I am beginning to hate my smile and just feel like I couldn't take a great photo if I tried. Of course this could be all part of the process and next month I will be raving about how fabulous it all was.

I want to try and put more into my shots. I am looking forward to the warm weather coming and with it being lighter later so I have the option to go outside more.

As hard as it has been I really do love a lot of the shots I took this month. I would struggle to find a favourite, or even a top three. So maybe it isn't all that bad and I am just tired and cranky. Who knows?! :)

For those who have been following my 365, thanks, stick with me I am sure it can only get more interesting from here.

Because It's Ladies Night

2009-03-23T14:16:00.000-07:00

I generally am not one for "girls" or "guys" nights. I always feel that it shouldn't matter what sex you are if you want to go out and have fun lets go. I did however break my own rules (big shock there :)) and organised a Ladies Night on Saturday night. Anyone who knows me knows that I tend to be more of a guy's girl and I haven't really had a set of close girlfriends since high school. This does not however mean that I don't know amazing women. So the thought crossed my mind, why don't I ever get all my amazing female friends in the same place? Well I wish I had done it sooner.

We went out for dinner and drinks at Chill Winston in Gastown. We had an absolute blast and some of us may have had a bit too much to drink (namely me!) leading to silliness, crazy photos and a couple of D & Ms in the co-ed bathroom. One with some guy named Justin who according to Sarah had the best jacket ever (she told him every couple of minutes). Even though I ended the night making friends with the bathroom floor (luckily this waited until I got home) it was the most fun I have had in a long time.

It made me realise how lucky I was to have such amazing, strong and fabulous women around me!! Thanks to all of you that came out. There will for sure be a sequel to this night!

These should be taken away before we go out!!

Leading Ladies?

2009-03-18T15:15:00.000-07:00

I was reminded this afternoon while watching the trailer for Merry Gentlemen of some of the roles in movies which I loved as a young girl/teen. Merry Gentlemen stars Kelly MacDonald who I first saw in back in 1996 in Trainspotting. I was 13 at the time and my Dad took me to see the movie. The scene where Renton first meets Diane hooked me. I thought she was the coolest thing I had ever seen. Watching it now, I don't disagree.

The epitome of how I wanted to be - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf3ByUMFMlc

So I was thinking who else did I want to be like back then. Who inspired me to be what I am. I am not sure that I idolised the "right" type of women. Maybe this was because of the type or genre of movies that were released during that period. It was a time of teen movies and the Spice Girls. Baby tees and platforms. Looking at it now most of them were overtly sexual, some of them crazy, some of them bitchy, all of them independent. Despite it being the time of Girl Power I wouldn't call any of these women a good feminist role model but they were hot, sexy, witty and uber cool.

Among the list - Angelina Jolie, Hackers; Julia Stiles, 10 Things I Hate About You; Rose McGowan, Jawbreaker; Drew Barrymore, Bad Girls

So the question comes up - if these are the women that inspired me while I was a teenager, which in turn led me to make decisions which lead me to who I have become as an adult, am I the bitchy, crazy, quick talking, sarcastic, overtly sexual, independent but still somewhat lovable girl that I longed to be then?

I will leave that up to you to decide.

Rebuilding my Wall

2009-03-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

I had a wall around me
It was tall and solid and safe
It made me strong
When I was weak

But you came in and
Broke it down
One brick at a time
Leaving me open and exposed

Then as the last brick began to fall
You hit me hard
Knocking me like I haven’t felt
In so very long

So now I stand
Exposed, aching
Picking up the bricks
As I rebuild my wall

365 - Month Two

2009-03-02T16:53:00.001-08:00

Another month of my 365 is done. I really like the shots this month. It was definitely more of a challenge once I was home and had to mostly work with my apartment at night when I was tired. It is getting more and more challenging to think of something new every day but I also think that it pushing me to get more creative.

Two months down.....ten to go!

Neglect & Music

2009-02-25T16:44:00.000-08:00

I have very much been neglecting my blog as of late. I keep getting great ideas of things I want to write about but I am usually driving at the time and then by the time I get to my computer I have forgotten what I was going to say or get sucked into my flickr vortex! So back in the saddle I go.

We had beautiful sunny weather for a whole week last week! This may not seem all that important to my readers in Australia but for Vancouver that is a miracle run in February! I love the rain and generally am happier when it is bucketing down but this time I was loving the sun. All I wanted to do was get in my car, put on the music and drive in the sunshine!

Lately it is like I can't get enough music! I have to have it on at all times. I have always been more of a movie/tv girl so this has surprised me a bit. Through my life, especially when I was a teen, I used music like therapy. Whatever I am feeling I work it out through music. Note to people who are around me on a daily basis - please do not start over analysing my playlist, sometimes I just like a song.

I don't know if my new music obsession is based on me needing to work through issues or feelings or the fact that lately I have been feeling like I am 17 again. Or maybe I have just changed....either way I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.

Songs I currently can't get enough of:

Love Game - Lady Gaga
That Beep - Architecture In Helsinki
Fear - Lilly Allen
Brother - Little Birdy
Foolish Games - Jewel
Joydrop - Sometimes Wanna Die
Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs
Beautiful, Dirty, Rich - Lady Gaga (this one grows on you)
Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Sex on Fire - Kings of Leon
Live Without - The Panics
Calypso - Spiderbait

Day 50

2009-02-20T15:05:00.000-08:00

I am 50 days into my 365 challenge. So far it hasn't been too bad. There are days when it is hard to think of something to do or nights where I just can't be bothered but I haven't missed a day yet! YAY!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shutter_pixie/sets/72157612959839950/

Tonight I Watched the Moon Rise

2009-02-09T19:12:00.001-08:00

Amongst the sprawling black of the night sky
a cloud glows with silver light
Electric like the neon lights of the city
It draws me in, captivated by it's beauty

Slowly it begins to peek out
Little by little making it's debut
The starless sky is illuminated
As it glows, full, round and milky white

Tonight I watched the moon rise.

Year of Jessie

2009-02-05T16:25:00.000-08:00

So as my office desk neighbour Marc has heard more then he probably wants to, this is "the year of Jessie". Now before you think I am the most self involved person on the planet let me explain.
It all started when we were in Australia and Lindsay was talking about how this year was going to be his year. To focus on himself and his training and give his dreams a go. It made me think about a year where you focus on bettering yourself. Phase two came when Lindsay mentioned that I have a habit of not always treating people the best, especially in the way I speak to them. I also have a habit of hating. Finding the negative in people, places and things. I decided to change that and so became the year of Jessie.

This year I will try and become a more positive happy person. I will be content in what I have without losing the drive to achieve what I want from the future. This does mean however that I need to change how I live in order to find the contentment I crave. I am doing my 365 photography challenge to push me to shoot everyday and make time for things I love. I will get healthy without putting ridiculous amounts of pressure on myself to lose weight at the pace of a Biggest Loser contestant. I will stop thinking the grass is greener some place else and realise that my grass ain't so bad after all.

I want to give more time to old friends and try harder to make new ones. I realised that I was so happy when I was in Australia because we were out doing things and seeing people. It is hard to make friends as an adult but I need to learn to make more of an effort and not always wait for people to come to me.

I promised Lindsay that I would hate less this year. It is a challenge, one that sometimes I want to just give up on. I will never be happy-go-lucky, nor do I want to be. It isn't that I want to lose my prickles, that is part of who I am, but I do need to avoid becoming thorny!

Striving to find rainbows in storm clouds

Listed

2009-02-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

Just after Christmas Ms Shannon tagged me in a list. Of course I didn't know this. One day I was perusing the blogs Beat follows, looking for something new and different and stumbled upon Shan's Smiles & Winks and BANG!! There I was. After being all flattered that she even knew I had a blog I thought oh no! now I have to step up to the challenge. So here it is.

The rules are,
Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog. (see above)
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird (see below)
Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blog. (This is going to be hard as I only know a couple of bloggers and most of them have already done this). Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

[7 things about Shutter Pixie]

I can't ride a bicycle. Not even a little bit. I had training wheels once but never got to the wind in your hair flying down the seawall bit. Some people have told me that it should be easier to learn now that I am older and have a better sense of balance. It is not. I have tried it. It ended in tears.

I have irrational childlike fears about "things" (i.e. monsters, creatures, ghosts and psycho killers). I can't hang my feet off the bed because something might grab them, same goes for my arm, hand or fingers being over the mattress when I am in bed. I run full speed down hallways when I am alone and have to look behind me all the time because I swear I can hear people behind me.

I love little toys, nic nacs, ornaments. This includes funky/odd dolls, finger puppets and vinyl toys from Japan.

When I was a child I wanted to be black. I wanted dread locks and to be from New York. I preferred all my dolls to be black. I blame the Cosby show for this.

I love needlepoint. You know, yarn, needle, canvas. I only like the ones with the patterns on them because counting stitches is too much like math, which I am ridiculously bad at.

Most of my best friends are also members of my family. I guess they are usually the only ones who really get me.

I believe that inanimate objects may have feelings and therefore always worry that I am hurting them. I have a hard time ever saying that I don't like an object in my home like my couch. Anything with a face is worse like dolls or stuffed toys. I feel bad when I pick one and leave the rest on the shelf. This also leads to not wanting to get rid of anything.

7 bloggers (ummm, 3 bloggers, I really have to expand my blogger circle of friends):
djbeat - for starting it all
Smiles & Winks - for tagging me
Sarah - because maybe this will make her finally write in her blog

365 Month One

2009-01-31T15:35:00.000-08:00

I decided this year that I would do a 365 photography challenge. One self portrait a day for a year. The photo must be of me and must also be taking by me. It sounds easier then it is. Dealing with one subject all the time can be challenging to find a new perspective but I am enjoying it.

One month down....eleven to go :)

Jetlag is a Bitch

2009-01-24T00:48:00.000-08:00

It is 12:50am on a Friday night...well I guess it is technically a Saturday morning. Though we have been home almost a week my body clock still thinks it is in Perth and doesn't understand why on earth I would want to go to sleep at 5:50pm on a Saturday! Usually I don't suffer from jet lag that bad but this time it has been killing me. So instead of laying in bed staring at the ceiling (like I have done every night this week) I thought I would do a blog entry about our last night in Perth.

For our final night in Perth we went to the Old Bailey in Joondalup with friends. Now personally I think that any time you try and merge two groups of friends it generally will not go well. However this was one of those perfect nights where everything just worked. Caz, Birdie, Sarah, Neale, Paul, Casey, Ed, Janne and Glenn all joined us for drinks and dancing to kick off the night. I think that the main factor for the joining of the two groups would have to be that Casey and Neale were apparently separated at birth. Once those two got to talking the rest just fell into place. Many drinks were had and once the band began to play we couldn't resist getting out on the dance floor. Neale joined the ladies (of course) along with Lindsay for a few songs. Neale was dancing up a storm and even got a shout out from the band. :) We were all laughing that when anyone dances with Neale they all have a look of fear in their eyes as you never quite know if he is going to spin you too hard and you will end up across the room. This tends to be a problem when dancing with a man who is 6'8" and doesn't know his own strength.

We closed out the Old Bailey and then looked at each other in horror as we all remembered that we no longer lived in Joondalup and could not stumble home to carry on into the night. So we did what any drunken group of almost 30 year olds would do...stumbled down the street to Dusk...a club that generally does host anyone over the age of 20. We again decided to give the dance floor a whirl. There is something really cool about getting older and just not caring what people think anymore. The DJ began to play songs from the 90s and of course the 18 year olds having no idea what this music was evacuated the dance floor immediately. It was right up our alley however and we danced along busting out our best 90s moves. We would have looked like dags but we had a hell of a time.

It was a great night that I won't soon forget and does make me wish that I could just move all of them here. I miss them all already.

Countdown

2009-01-14T16:20:00.000-08:00

Only a couple of days left of our holiday. In a way I am happy to be going home and back to my things (mostly my bed) but at the same time I don't want to leave. As good as it is to catch up with friends, the more people you see the more you don't want to leave.

Monday night we went over to the Rudrum's for a BBQ and some backyard cricket. The wind was blowing a gale so we all had to rug up but we still had a great time.

Tuesday Lindsay and I went to Hanami, the sushi place we used to go to when we lived here, for lunch. After completely stuffing ourselves we then walked around and I took some photos. I found this amazing wall in Mt. Lawley with all this cool graffiti. For dinner that night we went to Bibbik Chans with Janne, Glenn, Janelle, Gilly and Corey. The food was even better than I remember, especially the sago!!!

Lindsay, Gilly, Janelle, Corey, Glenn, Janne and I at Bibbik Chans

Wednesday Janne, Lindsay and I went shopping at Whitfords and had some lunch. That night we had a BBQ at Charlie's and Lindsay's cousin Casey, Uncle Frank and Casey's finance Adam came round. Casey and Adam are coming over to Canada in about four weeks so it will be fun to catch up with them again then.

Thursday we went down to Mandurah with Janne and visited with Nanny Irene. We went to a restaurant down by the water which was very nice. Then it was back to Irene's for the traditional Mandurah visit "photo shoot" and a comedy of errors as Lindsay tried to fix Irene's VCR and then show her how to use it. :)

Lindsay, Paul, Patrick, Bruce and Ed

That night we went over to Paul and Kelly's house for a BBQ. Bruce and Casey as well as Ed came over. I couldn't believe how big all the kids had gotten!! We had very yummy steaks cooked by Paul and of course lots of laughs.

Kelly, Casey and I

Yesterday was about 43 degrees! I had forgotten how hot 40+ could be. Lindsay and I went into the city as I needed to have my PR visa re-stamped into my new passport. Then we picked up a few things before giving into the heat and going home.

Lindsay and I went over the the Vlahov's for dinner last night. It was so good seeing them all again! Dinner was beautiful and we ended up sitting out back and talking till about 1:30am!! Hopefully they will all come and visit us in Canada really soon. After hanging out with them it really made me want to have a big family. Now to just convince Lindsay.... :)

Danielle, Lindsay, Me, Jon, Az and G

The boys try and break bottles

Holiday Homesick

2009-01-11T23:57:00.000-08:00

I love being on holiday. Being in a different location, seeing new things (especially through my camera lens) and generally not having to work. I do find however there comes a point in every holiday where you just want to go home. Sitting here left to my own devices this afternoon I find my thoughts going in that direction. I miss my bed, my apartment, my friends and my life in a way.

Holidays can fall into many categories and mine falls into the visiting holiday. Returning to somewhere that used to be home and catching up with all the people, places and things. I find this to be one of the most difficult holidays. Don't get me wrong, I am having a great time but being in a place where people know you leads to responsibilities not usually found on holiday. You must make time for everyone, everything and make sure people don't feel neglected. You also end up doing things that you don't necessarily want to do. Plans have to change....even when you don't want them to.

Sometimes it reminds you of feelings you had that made you move from there in the first place. I guess though when it comes to keeping other people happy sometimes you don't always get to be.

Life is a Whirlwind

2009-01-09T17:47:00.000-08:00

With only a week left of our adventure life is really a whirlwind. Trying to spend time with everyone can be difficult but we are getting it done.

Wednesday we went to Scarborough Beach with Corey. We went to Peter's by the Sea and had kebabs and then went down to the beach. Lindsay could resist jumping in the ocean and riding some waves while Corey and I just enjoyed the sunshine and I took some photos. Wednesday night we went and visited Paul and Brooke at their place and had a fabulous time. Brooke made a really yummy dinner and then we sat out back talking until about 2am! Many a bottle of wine was drunk that night, I think the final tally was 7. :)

Thursday we spent the day with Janelle. We went to visit Auntie Dot and Uncle Vernon. It was hard to see how much Auntie Dot had deteriorated but it was really good to be able to catch up with Uncle Vernon. Then we went for lunch at L ittle Creatures and shared some nibbles and drinks.
Thursday night we spent we went for dinner at Keith and Wendy's place. It was really good to catch up with them as well.

Yesterday we had one of the best days since being in Australia. We woke up early and went golfing at Marangaroo with Charlie. Needless to say I am not going to be the next Tiger but we did have fun.

I had a very "only in Australia" moment while golfing as kangaroos with joeys kept hopping across the fairway. Now that was a trip even for someone who lived here three years.

After golf we went to lunch with Nadia, Sean, Nathan and Neve. It was really good to catch up with them again after the wedding. We went to the Windsor in South Perth and despite the heat (there apparently was no air conditioning in the restaurant) shared food, drinks and giggles. We then came home for a quick Underbelly session (an Australian TV show which Lindsay and I have to come home everyday and watch!!) and then it was on to round three, drinks at Caz and Birdie's. We went to their house in Kinross which is very nice and they had invited all the old crew round. Many a drink went down and there are many shocking photos!! :) As great as it was catching up with all our close friends yesterday it did make me miss being in Perth.

One week to go *tear*.....

Beauty by Mistake?

2009-01-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

I posted the above photo to my facebook profile yesterday. It was taken by mistake with Lindsay's webcam when I was moving the computer and I thought my hair looked kind of cool in it so I posted it. The funny thing is as I didn't even think it was that great of a picture yet the response on it has been huge! People have been talking about how hot it is and telling me how great I look. I thought I just looked tired and my hair wasn't done as I had just gotten back from the beach, not exactly what I would normally call a glamour shot. Ahhh well, I guess it is mistaken webcam shots of me from now on. Just a case of beauty by mistake.

We went down to Scarborough Beach today with Corey. We had a yummy kabab at Peter's By The Sea and then took a walk down to the beach. I took photos while Lindsay couldn't help taking a quick dip in the ocean. I am feeling the heat today even though it is only 35....listen to me, only 35!!! I think it is going to hurt when we have to go back to 2 degrees!

Relaxation and Sunshine

2009-01-05T22:42:00.000-08:00

It is day 9 of our Australian adventure and relaxation has fully kicked in. We had a wonderful time during the rest of our stay in Adelaide. It was hard to leave Carney and Davina and especially two of the cutest kids ever, Rylee and Jake. Rylee definitely took a shining to Lindsay, they were inseparable the whole time!! Hopefully it won't be too long before we all get to catch up again.

Me, Jake, Lindsay and Rylee

Saturday was a scorcher here in Perth! I think it must have been in the high 30s and not a lot of wind. We went to our good friends Nadia and Sean's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony at the Scented Gardens in South Perth with the birds singing and butterflies fluttering in the trees. Nadia looked absolutely beautiful and Sean wasn't too bad himself. It was also great catching up with Nathan who was down from up north for the ceremony. After the ceremony Nathan, Lindsay and I went to the Windsor for a quick drink and to cool down as sitting in the sun during the ceremony had wilted us a little. Then it was on to the Esplanade Suites for a lovely reception. Even the speeches were great and we loved catching up with Nadia and Sean.

Lindsay, Nadia, Me and Nathan

We caught up with the family on Sunday afternoon. Nanny Irene didn't know we were in town so it was a nice surprise for her, once she realised we were there. :)

Went to the beach today for the first time. I didn't realise how much I missed swimming in the ocean till I was in it again. It is about 34 today with a light wind and the beach wasn't too busy as it is a Tuesday and most people are back at work now after Christmas holidays. I went in the ocean for a little while but couldn't stay in too long as it was a bit rough. Lindsay had a great time body surfing though.

After the beach we made our way to Joondalup and had a spot of lunch at Corey's restaurant, the Grand Boulevard Tavern. The food was wonderful as usual and walking back to the car with the sun on my back and the wind blowing my dress I couldn't help but think, I could get used to this.

A Griswold Start to Our Adventure

2008-12-31T22:22:00.000-08:00

Holiday roooooaaaaad, Holiday roooooaaaad.....

Well we are on day four of our visit to the sun burnt country and things are beginning to look up. We flew into Perth on Monday morning and within a few hours made an unfortunate discovery...food poisoning is the shits. No laughter please.

Within a few hours of getting to home I began to feel nauseous and threw up. At first I figured it was just the long flight and lack of sleep. But it continued. Two hours later I couldn't be away from the toilet for more then a couple of seconds. That is when it hit Lindsay. I will spare you the gory details but by 8pm that night we were both worse for wear. Off to the after hours GP we went, we were given a quick shot and told to stick to ice cubes and nothing else. It continued through the night. By the next morning I could barely sit up. At 7am Lindsay felt it was time to go to emergency. Two hours later (trying to get comfy lying across three plastic chairs and keep everything in) I was admitted and put on a drip. In the end I needed two full bags of fluid to bring my heart rate and blood pressure back to normal. A fun start indeed.

Yesterday we finally made it on the plane to Adelaide, due to our stomach "trauma" we had to cancel our original flight the day before. Needless to say it was a quiet New Years for me but I fun one catching up with good friends, Carney and Davina.

My stomach has settled now and hopefully the rest of the trip will go well....fingers crossed.

Caucasian Couple, no kids seek likeminded couple for...friendship?

2008-12-14T10:22:00.001-08:00

Trying to make new friends as an adult is like couples dating. I have only been back home for just under two years now and making friends is not an easy thing to do. When you were young friends came as easy as breathing. You were trapped in a building for hours a day with hundreds of other people your age all with the common bonds of teenage angst, teacher gripes and new found crushes. As an adult it is not that simple. Sure, you have people you meet through work but often that is the only common factor between you and nights out are spent discussing work issues and grips. Not always healthy.

People are always saying that if you go out to pubs and nightspots that you will make friends. Really? Would someone like to explain to me the process of this. It is not like picking up a sexual partner. There is no flirting tango for friendship. And let's be honest, if someone came up to you in a bar and starting talking you would think you were either getting hit on or stalked.

Then there is the party poach as I like to call it. This is the most comical and often the situation that my husband and I are in. You are invited out for dinner or to a party by another friend. Upon your arrival you discover another amazing couple that you could see yourself being friends with. You are all chatting everything is going well....your husband and you start to give each other that look like they are great!! We must steal them. But how? You both spend the next while while trying to "sell" yourself. You are funny and pleasant and make zingy comments. But this isn't like high school. You won't just run into them in the hallway the next day. So you do what any adult trying to make friends in the big city does. You log on to facebook add them via your mutual friends profile and hope they accept.

Friend dating....someone should have a website for this...

It's a Grey Day

2008-12-12T13:51:00.000-08:00

It's a grey day today...inside and out. The sky is that non descript white grey colour that makes the sky look like someone forgot to finish the picture. Inside I am grey as I put on 2.5lbs when I weighed in this morning, the first time I have gained since beginning this journey. I know why and that I am to blame so really I shouldn't let it get to me but it still has put a damper on the day and is making me feel like I just want to get in my time machine, go back to Whistler and tell myself to step away from the buffet.

Really though when you think about it, if I have this magical time machine would it not be better to just go back to when I began to put on the weight in the first place and smack myself. Hmmm....

The Beginning

2008-12-10T15:39:00.000-08:00

I feel like I have been on a journey lately. It began as a weight loss journey. I wanted to lose weight and feel better about myself again. I have noticed though that as I have worked on my external self it is like my internal self has begun to cry out for attention. I feel the need to become more creative and express myself.

So here we are, blogging. Never saw myself as much of a blogger and honestly this may prove that I really am not one but I feel I should give it a go. At least attempt to be as talented as all the people I admire...not mentioning any names....djbeat!!!

So stick with me and let's see where we can go. Remember...Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.